A sprinkle of flavored salt can make dishes sparkle. I’ve got several mixtures in my pantry that I bring out for special touches to meat, seafood or veggies. Each type of salt (sea, Himalayan, Kosher, fleur de sel, Kosher, etc.) offers its own level of ’saltiness’ or ‘brininess,’ enhancing underlying flavors of food in their…
Flavor Punches: Gremolata
Gremolata sounds fancy, but it’s a simple mixture of fresh parsley, garlic and lemon zest – ingredients you probably have in your fridge at any given time or can easily pick up at a market. It’s a classic seasoning that originates from northern Italy (Milan, I believe), sprinkled on soups/stews, braised meats, roasted veggies and…
Flavor Punches: Potlach Seasoning
Years ago a friend gave me Williams Sonoma’s “Potlach Seasoning.” The description on the tin noted the story of Pacific Northwest Native Americans spreading herbs on freshly-caught salmon and fire-roasting it for a feast — the inspiration for the WS blend. Potlach specifically refers to the tradition of celebrating abundance by giving away possessions and food,…
Power Snacks: Sweet Potato Chips
Today’s snack is savory ‘cause sometimes you need something crispy and salty when cravings hit. As a salty-snack gal who’s happy to bypass cookies when given an option, these are right up my alley. I recently remembered a story about Vardamon, Mississippi, a town that calls itself “Sweet Potato Capital of the World.” They even…
Power Snacks: Chocolate Coconut Balls
Recently, a video of a gal making “Mounds cake” popped up in my social media feed. She was chopping Mounds candy bars, so I was hooked, but quickly lost interest when she dipped packaged chocolate cookies into non-dairy creamer and layered them in a pan with candy and canned whipped cream. While it wouldn’t be…
Power Snacks: Cherry Nut Bars
If you run, walk, work out at the gym, hike mountains, lay down sod, or have a busy day, you might find yourself needing a snack. A good snack – one to give you the extra ‘oomph’ to keep going. It’s easy to buy granola bars (I’ve done it, for convenience), but all too often,…
Feed Your Feelings: Chard, Beans & Tomatoes
I’ve heard we only use about 10% of our brains, so I researched to see if it’s true. Many smart people agree, but one neuroscientist is determined to debunk the theory (Scientific American). He says that while resting, we probably use only 10% of our brain’s capacity, but we actually use all parts of our brain…
Feed Your Feelings: Golden Milk
It’s a gray day in southwest Florida and I feel down – this, on the heels of a week wanting to throw shoes at the TV because of all the bad news, and flying off the handle when my hubby simply asked what was on my calendar. Maybe you’ve been experiencing similar emotions? Have you…
Feed Your Feelings: Cheesecake
I think everyone has a dish that evokes happiness the moment they see it. One of mine is cheesecake, and as soon as I spot a big beauty, my heart flutters. What is it about that creamy goodness that makes me want to stop everything and grab a spoon? I guess it’s comforting – something to…
New Monthly Recipe Theme Series!
I don’t know about you, but my last year was filled with stress, naps, comfort food, an earnest desire to sip a cocktail inside an actual bar, and many hours organizing drawers and closets. But a new year brings new possibilities! And when it comes to blog posts, my strategy is to focus on monthly…
2020 Wrap Up
My first blog post of 2020 highlighted no-crust Honeybell pie; my last post was all about raisin pie. I didn’t plan it, but I think it reveals how much I love pie. . . Even when I felt like I was moving through quicksand due to the heaviness of this pandemic-filled year, being in…
Raisin Pie
It’s holiday time and that means baking lots of family favorites! For me, I look forward to meat pie (a French Canadian fave), homemade caramel with pecans, gingerbread cookies and raisin pie, to name a few. Raisin pie was always at Christmas gatherings when I grew up. It was easy to spot on the buffet…