The true culinary harbinger of Spring – asparagus. When the tender stems push their way up through the dirt and out to the market, I really feel like we can start celebrating spring. Asparagus on the plate and buttercups in a vase mean soft days and gentle nights before the heat of summer truly starts. Color comes back, and the gray days of winter are behind us. Asparagus … [Read more...] about Roasted Asparagus Mimosa
Monte Cristo Casserole
I started a tradition when my nieces (and later my nephew) were very young. Every year at Christmas, I took them to lunch at a restaurant and then we went shopping for toys and food for all the folks who didn’t have as much at Christmas as we always have. When the girls were very little, I didn’t have much experience handling kids on my own, so I chose a popular chain … [Read more...] about Monte Cristo Casserole
Tomato Gorgonzola Butter Pasta Sauce
I love a recipe that combines weeknight elegance and weeknight easy. And this sauce takes very little time to whip up with results that are unique and packed with flavor. The combination of tomatoes and blue cheese for that tang of cheese and sweet- tart edge of tomato is an absolute winner. Pasta enrobed in this rich sauce makes a great family meal, or an impressive dish to … [Read more...] about Tomato Gorgonzola Butter Pasta Sauce
Guinness and Oatmeal Quick Bread
It must have been close to St. Patrick’s Day. I had a six pack of Guinness on hand. Maybe I’d made some Guinness Glazed Irish Bacon or some Irish Rarebit. I love cooking with mallty stout, but I don’t particularly like drinking it straight, so I was looking for ways to use all those bottles. An Irish-inspired rustic loaf seemed the perfect thing. This bread has the lovely, … [Read more...] about Guinness and Oatmeal Quick Bread
Pastrami on Rye Pasta Bake
Tis the season for the rich, comforting pasta bake. It’s cold and gray, but not so much frigid winter as that doleful in between. I still want the warmth and comfort of cozy, hearty food, but I am growing tired of winter greens and roots and the spring bounty hasn’t sprung yet. I’ve souped and stewed, and I have depleted my stock of frozen-in-summer vegetables. So it’s time to … [Read more...] about Pastrami on Rye Pasta Bake
