I am generally a planner – I like to think about menu ideas and recipes for a while before I entertain. But I am getting better at loosening things up and learning to go with the flow. Case in point, I ran into a friend on the Friday of a holiday weekend and we realized we had not major plans so decided to get together to cook burgers and hot dogs. A trip to the farmers … [Read more...] about Honey Mustard Potato Salad
Salads
Summer Caprese Chicken Salad
The tomato-mozzarella-basil caprese salad is a true summer staple. When tomatoes are at their juiciest best, it is a joy to serve them with as little fuss as possible. The pairing of tomatoes and mozzarella is deliciously simple, creamy and fresh classic. I’ve taken the idea of the caprese in a lot of directions to maximize this lovely flavor combination, so it’s no wonder I … [Read more...] about Summer Caprese Chicken Salad
Margarita Shrimp Salad Platter
Summer is a wonderful time to entertain – people just seem more relaxed and its easy to do something elegant and impressive without slaving away for days. Like this colorful salad. I love the big platter salad (witness the Southern Buttermilk Cobband the Muffalettaversions). The big platter were purchased from discount stores that have proven fantastically useful. And … [Read more...] about Margarita Shrimp Salad Platter
Curried Rice Salad
What is summer without the cold salad? Potato salad is the standard sidekick to all of the season’s outdoor events, closely followed I would say by pasta salad, and maybe a good bean salad. And I love all of those things. But for something charmingly different with a whiff of the exotic, this curried rice bowl will surprise and impress everyone at the table. My mom made a … [Read more...] about Curried Rice Salad
Muffaletta Cobb Salad
Over the summer, in the hot, hot weather, I had a few people over for a last minute meal. I couldn’t bring myself to cook much, so I decided to make a big salad. Another last minute decision was to lay out my ingredients on a big platter rather than toss it it in a bowl. It seemed more substantial somehow. It got raves, so I made it several other times and posted as … [Read more...] about Muffaletta Cobb Salad
