Meals Posts
Orange Melba Sauce
Escoffier’s original sauce is a heady mixture of raspberries, current jelly, sugar, and cornstarch. In this version, I’ve done away with the current jelly and the cornstarch (a generous amount of sugar helps thicken the sauce as it reduces), and added a little orange juice. It’s my favorite thing to drizzle over cheesecake. I’m also totally guilty of eating it straight, with a spoon.
French Cheesecake
This French Cheesecake is my favorite Secret Weapon Dessert. Easy to make. Easy on the eyes. Practically guaranteed to stun everyone—including your best friend’s chatty new girlfriend—at your dinner party into blissful, dessert-nibbling silence.
Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Goat Feta, and Basil
We’ve been pining for summer weather here in Boston. It’s been cold, dreary, and drizzly for days. This pasta salad is like a little dose of summer—it’s cool, creamy, and an absolutely fabulous thing to bring to a picnic or barbecue. Assuming, that is, that the sun ever comes out.
Super Simple French Fries (Crisp & Crunchy in Just One Step)
No soaking? Only one fry? Start the potatoes in cold (yes, cold) oil? Come on. I had to try it. And man, am I glad I did. Hands down, these are the easiest, most delicious fries I’ve ever made.
Spicy Guacamole
I’m totally guilty of having guacamole for dinner. Not the most well-balanced meal, I know, but I don’t do it that often. (And hey, I do usually dip veggies and rice crackers in it, as well as chips!) When we’re in a pinch and don’t feel like cooking, chances are I’ll grab a few avocados and go to town.
Classic Whoopie Pies
This recipe makes the quintessential whoopie pie. The cake is moist, chocolate-y, and dense. The filling is creamy, fluffy, and decadently sweet. If our friend D. Bunnyhunter hadn’t stopped by and taken it when he did, The Angry Chef and I may have come to blows over the last one. (Phew! Thanks, man!)
Peppery BLT with Prosciutto
What’s better than a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? How about a BLT loaded with thick-cut bacon, paper-thin prosciutto and peppery watercress—then slathered with thick, tangy homemade mayonnaise? Here’s how to build a nice, fat sandwich that not only tastes great, but is designed to stay together when you eat it.
Steakhouse-Style Pan-Roasted Sirloin Steaks
If you go to any of the big steakhouses in the U.S., chances are that this is how they cook a lot of their meat. Fast and furiously on top of the stove to create that handsome, flavorful crust—then into the gentler, indirect heat of the oven to finish cooking. Here’s a step-by-step guide to replicate those steakhouse steaks at home.
Garlic Scape Pesto from The Garlic Farm in West Granby
Recently, my mom and I took a little road trip around the countryside in Northern Connecticut. When we happened across The Garlic Farm in West Granby, we knew we had to pull in and investigate. Here’s a photo tour of the farm, a bunch of info on garlic scapes (including how to cook them), plus a super simple recipe for some of the most garlicky, mouthwatering pesto you’ve ever had.
Lamb Sliders with Rosemary & Mint
Yum. You know how I love miniature food. Don’t ask me why, but I do. Most of the time, I’d rather nibble on a bunch of different things than have one big meal. These sliders combine all the traditional seasonings that go so well with lamb—rosemary, mint, garlic—in one tiny burger that’s packed with flavor.
