Don’t forget the deviled eggs this weekend!  Friends and family love these Deviled Eggs so much that the whole plate disappears quickly no matter how many I make.  I’ve learned that I need to hide a couple in the refrigerator if I want to eat any myself.  For an added kick, try sprinkling smoked paprika on top.

Best Basic Deviled Eggs Recipe

I am a big fan of green salads topped with fruit and nuts, especially when the nuts are glazed or spiced!  I also love snacking on nuts – salted, spiced, glazed, smoke-flavored – I love them all.  I’m not sure why I’ve never tried making something like this before, but these glazed walnuts were so simple I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

When I first saw Ellie Krieger’s recipe for Maple Glazed Walnuts, I was a little skeptical that they would turn out right.  It just seemed too easy.  If the recipe had been attributed to any other Food Network celebrity I’m not sure I even would have tried it, but I trust Ellie more than some of the others. Continue reading →

While many types of green salsa feature cooked or roasted tomatillos, this one is a simple mixture of fresh ingredients that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.  But it’s not just the ease of preparation that makes this salsa great – I absolutely love the texture and refreshing flavor of the fresh tomatillos. Continue reading →

I’m beginning to think there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a tray of slow-roasted tomatoes.  Now, I know I’ve said this about a lot of things.  Bread, for example.  And it’s true that there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a loaf of bread with your own two hands.  But man, these tomatoes are something.  And they are simple.  So simple, that the extraordinary flavor almost doesn’t make sense.  The flavor is sweet, but intense.  Sultry, even.  You’ll see.  You’ll be smitten, too. Continue reading →

My sister is a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus so she was one inspiration behind me creating my own version at home.  The other inspiration was my fancy new blender that I just knew would create the smoothest, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made.

And I was right.  This was the smoothest, creamiest hummus that has ever come from my kitchen.

I’ve been without a regular blender for over a year now.  The last one I owned, an overpriced and under-performing Kitchen Aid blender, broke as soon as the warranty expired.  And I wasn’t in a big rush to run out and replace it with another piece of junk.  I’ve never been a huge fan of blenders because I have never owned one that worked really well.  Sure, they all claim to crush ice.  But they never really do. Continue reading →

This week I am participating in the second round of Eating Down the Fridge. The challenge was created by Kim O’Donnel of The Washington Post blog A Mighty Appetite.  The goal is to completely avoid food shopping (including eating out) for a full week, and instead concentrate on using what is already stored in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.  Because I have been out of town, I started the challenge a couple of days late.  But as of Monday, I have done no food shopping or eating out (with one exception) and I plan on continuing at least through Monday, but perhaps even longer if I can.

Perhaps a week doesn’t sound like a very long time to go without shopping, and for those of us without kids it’s not that long at all.  But my goal for this challenge is to use up things in my freezer and pantry that have long been neglected.  And although I don’t do major grocery shopping more than a few times a month, I am used to popping up to my local market a few times a week for various ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables.  And quite frankly, I’ve been eating out a lot lately, so eating 21 meals in a row at home will be a bit of a challenge for me! Continue reading →

While we mostly eat guacamole during spring and summer when Southern California is bursting with fresh, local avocados, I couldn’t resist digging through the large pile of perfectly ripe Haas avocados at the grocery store the other day. I guess I can thank the Superbowl for that! Continue reading →

Want to wow your guests during this year’s round of holiday parties?  Serve them this Smoked Tuna Dip and watch the compliments flood in. They’ll never know that you whipped it up ten minutes before they arrived!

I first tasted this Smoked Tuna Dip at a restaurant in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. We were there for a military function of some sort and this dip was set out on the appetizer table. We could not stop eating it and by the end of the night, my friend and I had pestered the owner enough that he finally gave up the recipe. Continue reading →