Ever since we came back from our trip to San Francisco, my friend Mary has been waiting patiently for this recipe, after I raved about it to her when we were there. In fact, I think Mary has already made the Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette once, just going by my description of how I made it. So especially for Mary, here's the actual recipe.
I remember how delighted I was when I discovered Sweet Potato Fries, and the recipe on the blog for Spicy Sweet Potato Fries has been a favorite of mine for quite a while now. I still love to make sweet potato fries that way, tossed in a mixture of spices, but recently I started to make plain sweet potato fries and put the spiciness in the dipping sauce. Sometimes I will even eat this dipping sauce on (gasp) frozen sweet potato fries like the ones in these photos, although there's no doubt that from-scratch sweet potato fries are more South Beach Diet friendly. Whether you make your own fries, or use frozen ones, this dip with spicy Sriracha is a fun way to eat them. |
| Broccoli and cheese is a classic combination that tastes great in a breakfast casserole! |
I should have known it would happen, but as soon as I finished my house renovations last summer, I started wanting a new stove. Even though I had loved my antique gas stove (especially after Biggles helped me adjust the burners), the oven hadn't worked right for a few years now, and I just wanted a better stove. I looked at a few pro style stoves, but settled on the Thermador Pro Harmony 36" Gas Range, partly because of these wonderful star-shaped burners that spread out the heat on more surface area of the pan. The stove is hooked up in my kitchen while we wait for tile, so even though it's not 100% installed with the hood and pan rack, I can already tell I love this stove.
(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites, February 2010.) This is a recipe from 2006 that's so simple it's almost an oxymoron to call it a recipe. I'm a huge fan of those bags of mini peppers from Costco, and this salad is one of my favorite ways to use them. Even though it's dead easy to make, this combination is so delicious, with the sharp flavor of the arugula providing the perfect balance for the sweet taste of the mini peppers, that it really deserves to become a Recipe Favorite on the blog.
I come from a family of good cooks, and last year I shared photos of our Superbowl Party Food from the annual Superbowl party held every year at my brother Mark's house. This year's photos were taken with my old camera, and taking pictures at crowded parties when I'd rather be eating has never been my specialty, but as you can see, once again there was plenty of good food at the Denny family party. The photo above was Pork and Green Chile Stew made by my sister-in-law's brother Nefi, an authentic New Mexico recipe that was really delicious.
I first went to New Orleans sometime in the early 1990s, attending the National Education Association Representative Assembly, representing my local teacher's association. Of course, I was captivated by the food, and I tried so many things that I'd never eaten before. I went back to New Orleans several more times for meetings, and one dish I always sampled whenever I saw it on the menu was Red Beans and Rice, which I came to realize was one of those dishes that every Louisiana cook has their own version of.
My brother Mark and his wife Lisa have hosted the Denny Family Superbowl party for many years. This year they have a new theater room with an enormous TV, so I'm guessing for those who plan to watch the game the party will be better than ever. Mark bravely posted a message on our family blog reminding people that some family members are trying to eat healthy foods. That got me thinking about shrimp recipes, since our family loves shrimp and at least some of us are cheering for New Orleans, where shrimp is a frequent menu item. The top photo is Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Mint, Lemon, and Cumin. If that seems too healthful for Superbowl fare, go ahead and eat it with a side of spicy wings or meatballs! Now here are some more shrimp loving menu options, no matter which team you're cheering for!
Kalyn's favorite phase one recipe from January 2010 was
