Hello to all my long lost fellow cyber chefs.  I apologize for the very long absence from the blog, but unfortunately my struggle with my migraine headaches took much longer (a full two years fighting) than I had anticipated.  Luckily, thanks to what my husband and I refer to as my “miracle drug,” I am just now starting to put my life back together, and part of that includes picking the blog up again.  So thank you to my loyal readers who have stuck with me, and welcome to those of you who have signed on during my silence.  Hopefully you will all enjoy the new posts to come.

And I hope you especially enjoy this particular dish – I think I have chosen a good one to start with.  This recipe comes from the most recent issue of Bon Appetit – from their “Fast, Easy, Fresh” section.  For those of you not familiar with the magazine, every month they designate a couple of pages to “every day” recipes that you can prepare quickly that are relatively healthy.  This section is what I consider to be the unsung hero of the magazine.  The flashy cover stories, the big photo spreads and the recipes featuring exotic ingredients are fun, but some of my best go-to meals have come from “Fast, Easy, Fresh.”  So if you are a BA reader, don’t skip over this section next time (as I admit, I used to do).  Instead, give the recipes a close read and see that several of them are very enticing, especially when they are offering exactly what the category promises – meals that are “Fast, Easy, Fresh.” (more…)

As the summer winds down, I thought I would sneak one more berry dessert into the mix.  Although peak raspberry season is over, you can still find acceptable berries at your grocery store.  This tart is the epitome of simple: a graham cracker crust, a sweet and creamy filling, topped with fresh berries.  I can’t imagine anyone not liking this combination.  The dessert highlights the berries by creating a subtle contrast in flavor and texture in both the crust and filling, but does not over power the delicate raspberries themselves.  The tang of the berries are complimented nicely by the tang of the sour cream filling.  Similar to a no-bake cheesecake recipe, the filling is a simple combination of cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar.   By including the sour cream, it not only adds an extra layer of flavor, but also softens the filling and keeps the dessert on the lighter side. (more…)

An evening in wine.

It all started about a year ago at our wedding…

As a token for their involvement in our wedding, Scott and I presented two of our groomsmen, Reed & John, with bottles of Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. I believe John was the first to suggest that he and Reed hold on to their bottles and we all drink them together at a nice dinner.  Flash forward 10 months and four failed scheduling attempts and finally we all managed to congregate at our apartment for our “Stag’s Leap Wine Dinner.” However, in the time that it took us to plan this event, we found that we had another reason to come together and celebrate; our dearest friend Reed proposed to his girlfriend Kristina. Now we really had a reason to open those bottles of wine. (more…)

This is one of my “wow” factor meals – something that sounds as wonderful and interesting as it tastes.  The best part is, this recipe comes from a Cooking Light cookbook, so not only does it pack some serious flavor, but it is easy on the waistline too!  The sauce is the real star of this dish.  (And the most complex aspect of the recipe, however very worth it.)   With a unique combination of sweet blackberry with savory pork, the sauce is a rich, dark, luscious dressing for the meat.  It ends up a deep purple color and feels like blackberry velvet in your mouth. (more…)

Neither my husband or I are lovers of tomato sauce.  Because of this, we rarely eat lasagna…at least the traditional form.  I came across this recipe and was terribly excited at the concept of a “white lasagna” (a lasagna that layers the noodles with a cream sauce instead of the traditional tomato).  This recipe pairs a creamy garlic sauce with spinach, broccoli, and peas for a fresh and clean twist on the Italian classic.  White lasagna is the perfect way to transition the comfort-food lasagna we crave in Winter into a fresh vegetable lasagna for Spring. (more…)

Chicken Fajitas

Scott and I love to play games, and when you live in New England in the winter time, inviting neighbors over on a cold night beats the bar any day (not like we go to the bar in good weather, but you get the point).  I love to entertain, but a lot people shy away because they believe you have to go all out and produce a 5-course French menu any time you have guests.  That is simply not the case.  Casual entertaining is a whole other ball game.  With less fussy menus (however not less tasty) and more do-ahead friendly dishes, not only are you guests at ease with a casual atmosphere, but more importantly, you the host are relaxed.

For our last game night, I decided to serve Chicken Fajitas.  I love all Mexican food, but I especially love to serve fajitas.  Whenever I have a big crowd to feed (I made these for a Superbowl party one year) I turn to buffet style.  Buffets are usually easier when entertaining and fajitas are great because they also offer “make your own”  component to the evening.   Its a great way to get your guests up and moving, talking and mingling.  Also, most people enjoy participating in dinner and feel like they are “helping” by simply being able to create their own plates – they aren’t being waited on and again the atmosphere is taken down a notch. (more…)