As summer slowly moves into fall, the gorgeous fresh produce of summer fades and the beautiful autumn bounty isn’t quite in yet. The calendar may say autumn, but the weather has other ideas. It’s not quite time for soup and stew season and still nice enough to eat outdoors. I love a big platter salad for communal friend and family eating. It’s beautiful to present and everyone … [Read more...] about Steak House Platter Salad
potatoes
Big Skillet Shrimp Butter Boil
A classic shrimp boil is a great deal of fun. But let’s be honest, quite a bit of trouble. If you don’t have a huge pot, don’t have a big vessel or table to put it all on, you are kind of out of luck. I consider it a fun “event” – lots of people gathered around to dig into a pile of fresh shrimp, having a great conversation while peeling away. For the full experience, I love … [Read more...] about Big Skillet Shrimp Butter Boil
Lyonnaise Style Platter Salad
On the calendar, summer is moving into fall. On the thermometer, not so much. Theoretically, we are all ready for soups and stews and pumpkin everything. But really? It’s still over 90 degrees outside here. So a hearty cold meal is still very much welcome, but one with some substance and depth. I turn here to my new favorite easy entertaining option – the platter salad. With … [Read more...] about Lyonnaise Style Platter Salad
Honey Mustard Potato Salad
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
Alioli with Salt Roasted Potatoes
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
