fresh recipes from the heart...

One of the dishes I was served by Chef April Bloomfield at the Spotted Pig on my trip to NYC was a wonderful root vegetable soup. The soup she prepared was simple, but very flavorful, allowing the flavor of vegetables to stand out. Ever since, I have been in the mood to experiment with root vegetables.
One [...]

You’re probably thinking that I’ve lost it… “What is she doing posting cranberry relish in February?!”
Well, I’m posting my cranberry relish recipe because it’s a part of one of my favorite #10in10 breakfasts.  You see, when I started the #10in10 challenge a few weeks ago, I still had some cranberry relish hanging out in my [...]

As soon as I got word of Gourmet, Unbound, I began searching on Epicurious for the “perfect” recipe for this December.  I was determined to find a good one, since it was the first official month of Gourmet, Unbound.  I stumbled across this recipe for Peppermint Patties from the December 2007 issue, and I knew [...]

I have this weird thing about cold food.  I don’t really like it all that much.  Especially when it is cold leftovers! There is something about the smell that just turns my stomach.  Something that smells absolutely delicious when hot (pizza, pasta, soup, the list goes on…) will be absolutely repulsing to me after it [...]

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for the second time. Even though I’ll only be cooking for a small group, I am still getting started on my menu and planning what I will make.
When I make veggies, I usually try to let the flavor of the vegetables stand on its own (with a few exceptions – [...]

I’m in a fall-inspired comfort food mood… Can you tell?
I blame it on the weather.  We went to Boston this past weekend for a short vacation.  Well, we picked the wrong weekend. It was cold and windy, and it even snowed a bit on Sunday.  We were afraid we were going to get snowed in at [...]

By the time you are reading this, I will be living it up in New York City!  Yes, you heard me correctly… I will be at the Euro-Pro launch of the Ninja Master Prep!  I will be rubbing elbows with Robin Miller and learning all sorts of new things to share with you when I [...]

In last week’s CSA share, we got another head of cabbage.  I’m always excited to pick up our share each week, but I can’t say I was terribly thrilled with another head of cabbage.  I have been making various slaws and stuffed cabbages all summer long, and I wasn’t really feeling all too inspired to [...]

I may never buy a store-bought granola bar ever again. Seriously.
This month’s Pre-Made Our Way Challenge was to make homemade granola bars.  I enjoy the PMOW challenge each month because it’s fairly relaxed – no strict rules, recipe variations allowed, etc.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Daring Bakers, too (more about that [...]

I don’t know about you, but when it’s hot and humid in the summer, the last thing I want to do is cook on the stove or use the oven. With the amount of delicious fresh produce I have been getting from our CSA and our garden, I have been able to make a [...]