Glazed carrots are a classic French preparation. But I don't always think about that. Not that it’s difficult, but frankly, I tend to use carrots as an afterthought, raw as a snack, chopped with celery and onions, or simply roasted. But rarely as a stand-alone star. Which is a shame, because beautiful, richly colored carrots are a taste treat. Add a bourbon spiked, cane … [Read more...] about Bourbon and Cane Syrup Glazed Carrots
Hachis Parmentier (French Cottage Pie)
My introduction to this French country dish was, oddly, in London. And the first time I had it, I had never heard of it. Since my graduate school days, I have made an annual pilgrimage to London, extending the trip each year, to spend enough time to settle in and not feel rushed or overwhelmed. Sure, I go to museums and historical sights and see friends, but my main focus, … [Read more...] about Hachis Parmentier (French Cottage Pie)
Italian Sausage Dip with Fontina and Sage
It's nice to have a really hearty, hot dip as part of the spread when the ravenous football hordes are hungry. This is a jazzed up version of a classic sausage dip recipe, with warm, winter flavor. Zesty Italian sausage with the bite of fennel is paired with woodsy sage and creamy, nutty fontina cheese, with a little kick of salty Parmesan to round it out. Don’t skimp on the … [Read more...] about Italian Sausage Dip with Fontina and Sage
Bacon Crackers
Making homemade crackers is one of the little culinary secrets I love so much. It never occurs to most people that making your own is something that can or would be done. But it is easy to do and pretty impressive when you serve homemade crackers. It took me awhile to get where I wanted to go with making my own crackers. I read and sampled a lot of … [Read more...] about Bacon Crackers
Snow White Soup (Parsnip, Fennel and Leek Soup)
It has already snowed here in Memphis twice this year, but too early and too inconvenient. I am hoping for a few more snow days, when I have no need to leave the house and am prepared with a good book, with enough warning for a trip to the grocery. It doesn’t get cold enough, often enough here to invest in big, heavy wool turtleneck sweaters and thick mittens, but I like to … [Read more...] about Snow White Soup (Parsnip, Fennel and Leek Soup)
