A few years ago, a friend invited a group to his family vacation home in the hills outside Valencia, Spain to celebrate his birthday. I will always travel for a good party, so I packed my bags and jetted off. I was the first guest to arrive, so he and I headed off to the grocery store to stock the house (he is also aware that I am an expert grocery shopper). In addition to … [Read more...] about Alioli with Salt Roasted Potatoes
Sides
Savory Vidalia Onion Upside Down Cakes
I’ve never been completely sure what to title this recipe. They are more than muffins, but this is based on an old recipe I found in an English cookbook where they were called dumplings, but I don’t really think that translates. There’s a biscuit-y batter, but turn them upside down and there is a pretty and sweet onion surprise. Muffins, cakes, dumplings, upside down surprise, … [Read more...] about Savory Vidalia Onion Upside Down Cakes
Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
If you search through the bread recipes on this site, you will see that it maps out my quest to bake fresh bread without too much effort. I am not one who is going to carefully nurse starters or delicately knead and form stylish loafs of artisan breads. The mysteries of yeast sometimes elude me. I love a shortcut, but I do love the smell of fresh bread baking and the sense of … [Read more...] about Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
Taleggio Risotto Cake
I did not grow up eating risotto. It was not a dish on the menus of the many fine Italian-American restaurants in Memphis we ate at during my childhood. When it started to become a common and trendy dish, for many years, I assumed it was some sort of chef-secret dish that couldn’t be created at home (a silly thought now I know). Once I realized that at its heart, risotto is … [Read more...] about Taleggio Risotto Cake
Super Simple Focaccia with Gorgonzola and Walnuts
There is nothing like freshly baked bread, of any kind. And there is a real pride when you manage to do it yourself. That being said, I find a lot of traditional bread recipes a little too intimidating and technical for me, so I am always looking for the easy way out. Hence this unbelievably simple method for making focaccia. The base recipe comes from the fine folks at King … [Read more...] about Super Simple Focaccia with Gorgonzola and Walnuts