Here is a picture post of last night’s impromptu ‘pop-up’ dinner I made for a few friends. Sometimes, on the spur of the moment, I will make dinner for a few friends just to change things up a bit. Last night, I made paella for the lucky few and I wanted to share the pictures with you. I also want to thank the group for being gracious to my impromptu culinary efforts. They are always supportive and provide valuable feedback. Thanks gang! Here are the ingredients I started with: And…
Tonight I made another robust meal – beef bourguignon. Okay, okay… you can stop rolling your eyes now, this recipe is what I consider my best approximation for a quick and easy beef bourguignon. I did not go through untold number of complicated steps to make this meal. I also did not cook it for 3 hours because I used a shortcut. Of course, I bet you are skeptical… it is only natural. But you can rest assured this dish was stupendous, if I say so myself! Go ahead, make it and see for…
Tonight I made a flavorful soup for a cold winter night using the rest of the potatoes and cabbage I had from last week’s shopping. The basic recipe comes from Rachel Ray, but of course, I changed it. The primary changes were to add hickory smoked bacon and two types of paprika, something I felt would provide depth of flavor. To be honest, I would expect to see this recipe in a Central or Eastern European home cookbook with all it has going on. This recipe does make more than 1 serving, so expect…
I am beginning 2017 on a sweet note with a decadent dessert. It is no secret I love cinnamon rolls – my daughters can attest to me baking them when they were still at home – and that I love cheesecake. So why not combine the two? Which is exactly what I have done. Again I twisted and tweaked (or is that swirled and twirled?) a recipe to suit my particular tastes and it let me use my small spring-form pans! The crust is a blend of vanilla wafers and graham crackers, the batter is…
Hey… it is Friday night and time for a cocktail. Now don’t get bummed that I chose a simple and somewhat ‘standard’ cocktail like the Manhattan for this week’s post, this one has a lot going for it. As a matter fact, this cocktail was a favorite of my dad’s and while I am not making it exactly like he did, this recipe is very close. I used Bulleitt Bourbon and Clyde May’s Whiskey to make this drink. I like the interplay with the typical…
Do you like homemade apple pie? Do you not want to make a full-size pie that you have to eat by yourself over several days? I agree… no matter how much I like something (even apple pie!), I don’t want to eat it every day and I certainly don’t want to waste it. Well, here is a recipe for making a skillet apple pie for one. Yep, that’s right… a real deal apple pie for one person – YOU! I wanted to make a delicious pie that…
Remember in one of my first posts I mentioned planning to reduce the possibility of waste. Well, when I used the ricotta in two recent recipes (Simple Stollen and Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Waffles), I still had approximately 1/4 cup remaining. Not wanting to waste it, I built this recipe around it. It is a simple recipe and easy to adapt to other ingredients like chicken instead of sausage; brussel sprouts, green beans or cauliflower instead of broccoli; etc. Just know that for all the planning, sometimes you just have to wing it. So, are you…