August 2011

Black and White Cookies

August 29, 2011

If you have lived your whole life in one area, you may not have any idea that some of the foods you routinely eat and enjoy are strictly regional.  The rest of the country may not know and love these foods as you do.  When I moved from Boston to Chicago, it was a bit [...]

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Roasted Asparagus Salad with Cannellini and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

August 26, 2011

Family Circle magazine has just named the town I live in, St. Charles, Illinois, as the #1 city in the country to raise a family—woo hoooooo!!!  When Roger and I moved here from Boston 19 years ago, we looked long and hard for someplace that was family friendly since our younger three weren’t even in [...]

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Vanilla Pastry Cream

August 23, 2011

Vanilla pastry cream is an egg-based custard and, basically, let’s face it—it’s pudding.  This is something you should have in your dessert repertoire if you ever plan on making such things as cream puffs, eclairs, banana or coconut cream pie, a fresh fruit tart, a layered trifle, etc.  On its own, it is nothing short [...]

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College Corner 101

August 21, 2011

My sister Amy and I (Sara) are entering our senior years in college.  Growing up cooking in the kitchen with our mother Fran, we learned the basics very quickly.  Upon leaving the dorms for an apartment, we were surprised by how little our fellow students knew about cooking and baking.  Their idea of a meal [...]

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Zucchini Bread

August 21, 2011

They’re ba-aaack! No, not the poltergeists—zucchinis.  No vegetable seems to be more prolific this time of year than zucchini.  People who grow them in their home gardens are awash with the green squash.  I once heard a story about someone who left a bag of them on his neighbor’s doorstep, rang the bell, and then [...]

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Carnitas – Mexican Pulled Pork

August 18, 2011

On my first visit to Chipotle’s, I immediately became enamored of their approach to fresh, fast Mexican food.  I particularly like—OK, love—their carnitas (which is Mexican pulled pork for the uninitiated).  During countless visits to Chipotle’s, my only dilemma was whether to get the burrito or the burrito bowl.  No matter if I decided on [...]

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Fresh Tomato Salsa

August 16, 2011

This fresh tomato salsa is simply addictive.  Chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime come together to make a delicious savory experience for your taste buds.  The recipe makes a large batch, but it will go quickly as an appetizer served with tortilla chips.  I always try to set some aside to use with a [...]

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Cilantro Lime Rice

August 15, 2011

I am a big fan of Chipotle’s burrito bowl with carnitas.  I’ve come up with a recipe for each of the main components that I always choose to make up my bowl, and this cilantro lime rice is one of them.  It’s quite simple and goes together well with the carnitas, fresh tomato salsa, fresh [...]

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College Quiche

August 12, 2011

Guest Post by Sara College students have extremely busy schedules—I know because I am one!  My sophomore year I started an honors biology program where I met a few of my closest friends at school.  Our biology classes required intense outside-of-class lab work and study sessions, so we saw a lot of one another.  Last [...]

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Black Bean Confetti Salad

August 10, 2011

There are many, many black bean salads to be found on the web and elsewhere.  They all contain pretty much the same ingredients, yet can taste quite different depending on the quantity of spices or whether a typical ingredient is left in or out—e.g., corn, tomato, or avocado.  I am a big bean fan, so [...]

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