If you’re reading this post and you haven’t voted yet, I’d prefer that you bookmark this recipe, go find your local polling place, and come back and read this later.  Really!  Go vote!  And please, if you’re in San Diego, don’t let this silly rain keep you from voting in this historic election.

But when it’s all over and we can relax and (hopefully) breathe a sigh of relief, I want you to make these oven-roasted sweet potato french fries.  I’ve made several versions of these over the years but this batch is by far the best.  As usual, it’s the simplest combination of ingredients that makes me the happiest! Continue reading →

It’s time to eat your vegetables!

I really haven’t been eating enough veggies lately.  Bacon? Plenty.  Chocolate chip cookies? Oh yeah!  Pizza? Three days worth.  Cinnamon buns? That was our dinner the other night.

Something’s seriously gotta change around here!  Granted, I have been cooking at home a lot lately.  But if I don’t get back to cooking some of my healthier recipes, I’m still gonna end up looking like I’ve been eating at McDonald’s every night! Continue reading →

Does your morning bagel need a fall makeover?  Do you crave pumpkin cheesecake but don’t need the extra 1000 calories?  Do you like quick and easy recipes that taste really, really good?   If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll love this Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread! Continue reading →

Fourth of July is quickly approaching so I figure it’s finally time to share my favorite recipe for deviled eggs. The reason I’ve never shared it before is that I’ve never had a recipe written down. I usually just add the ingredients bit by bit until it tastes right. But this morning I decided to actually measure things as I went and now I can give you a recipe that somewhat replicates my standard deviled eggs. Continue reading →

Aren’t these the cutest little tarts you’ve ever seen? Believe me, they tasted even better than they look! I ended up making three things this morning to take to Thanksgiving dinner: cranberry and goat cheese tartlets (pictured above), three cheese tartlets with bacon and fresh thyme (pictured below), and a butternut squash casserole (forgot to take photo). All three were terrific but my sister and I both agree that the flower-shaped cranberry tartlets were both the tastiest and prettiest of the three. Continue reading →

I love olives. I’ve never met an olive I didn’t like except, perhaps, straight from the tree. Whatever you do, don’t eat an olive straight off the tree! But, I love olives.

I grew up in the middle of California, in olive county. Yes, Spain, Italy and Greece may be known for their bold and flavorful olives but if you’ve ever popped open a can of black olives from the supermarket, chances are it came from California!

I’m sure there are olive snobs out there that turn their noses up at the canned variety. It’s true that they are nothing like ‘real’ olives, but canned olives have their place. On American pizza, for instance. Or Nana’s tamale pie. And when you’re a kid, it’s fun to stick them on the ends of all your fingers and then eat them one by one. Continue reading →

Looking for a quick and healthy snack that doesn’t taste quick or healthy? With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a restaurant-quality appetizer that you can eat without any guilt. Black beans, one of the world’s healthiest foods, are packed with heart-healthy fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants. And the best part is that when combined with a whole grain, such as these whole wheat pita chips, beans provide a high quality protein. That’s right, filled with complex carbohydrates and protein, this is a snack that won’t let you down after an hour or two!

This is one of those recipes that I just threw together from ingredients I had on hand. This means, you can do the same. If you don’t have black beans, use whatever canned beans you have in your pantry! Same goes for the spices. Experiment with flavors you like, and if you come up with something great, don’t forget to leave a comment so the rest of us can try it too! Whole wheat pita bread should be pretty easy to find at most grocery stores these days. I like to buy a couple packages and keep it in the freezer. If you can’t find it at your local store, don’t worry! I’ll be posting a recipe for the homemade stuff soon!

On to the recipes! Continue reading →

First of all, I would like to say happy Father’s Day to my Dad! I don’t think he will be reading this online but maybe someone (Kathy, Pauline, I’m talking to you!) will print it out and show it to him. This Web site would not be in existence if it weren’t for my Dad’s influence on my cooking. My willingness (and sometimes compulsion) to experiment with food is definitely something I get from my Dad and if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have started creating my own recipes. I am extremely lucky to have come from a family where both parents were great in the kitchen! Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you!

For this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging entry, I made some tzatzki using fresh mint. Mmmmmmm…tzatziki! Have you ever tried it? Can you pronounce it? Tzatziki is a Greek sauce made of thick yogurt and chopped cucumber. I called it a sauce but it’s more like a cross between a sauce and a salad. I guess we could just call it a condiment. It can be served with pita as an appetizer and it’s a standard accompaniment to gyros. But you can really do whatever you want with it. I like to just eat it by the spoonful Continue reading →