Potted ham is some truly old fashioned cooking. Potting was a method for preserving meat and seafood and even cheese in English kitchens before the advent of refrigeration. It is basically sealing finely chopped meat under a layer of clarified butter. The butter solidifies and shields the meat form unwanted visitors. It was the precursor to canned meats and I think that is … [Read more...] about Potted Ham
Easter
Roasted Asparagus Mimosa
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
Mustardy Ham and Noodle Casserole
I love a good honey-glazed, spiral sliced ham, but I rarely get to enjoy one, because they are just so darn big. But my parents received a whole ham as a gift, and as my mother defines eternity as two people and a ham, we served it for Thanksgiving. I managed to get away with most of the still-copious leftovers and went to work on recipe ideas (and enjoyed a number … [Read more...] about Mustardy Ham and Noodle Casserole
Creamy Scrambled Egg Casserole
I have, for many years, been searching and experimenting with recipes for a make -ahead breakfast casserole that is all egg. The classic breakfast casserole around here is sausage, cheese and bread bound with an egg and milk custard, and I have made many variations of that. But I wanted something that didn’t include bread or other elements, because so often, a brunch spread … [Read more...] about Creamy Scrambled Egg Casserole
