A few days later and I still thinking about my recent Northgate Market experience. The bakery (awesome bollito rolls and flan), fresh produce at really reasonable rates and spices that are not easy to find at more generic markets - a really fun experience. I will be returning in the next week or so.
Ever wonder about the goings on at Disney World's International Food & Wine Festival? It's definitely on my bucket list. A dear friend of mine goes each and every year. Check out a few highlights of the 2017 festival. You may decide to add this event to your bucket list, too.
My latest pride & joy in the kitchen is homemade stuffed meatloaf topped with Sriracha Ketchup. I used a combination of sweet Italian sausage meat and ground beef and stuffed it with chopped spinach, sun-dried tomato spread, Provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese and sauteed mushrooms, onions & garlic. Also, instead of bread crumbs, I used Ritz crackers that I ran through my food processor. I then roasted potatoes drizzled in Italian spices and olive oil.
I just came back from a wonderful trip to New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts and thought that this video would be the best way to share some of the regional food highlights. The photos are from a lobster clambake in Massachusetts served with amazing Cape Cod cocktails, BBQ Chicken and Ribs from the famous Bub's BBQ in Western Massachusetts, Whoopie Pies in New Jersey, Death by Chocolate dessert in New York as well as Veal Saltimbocca, Chicken with Red Sauce and Eggplant Parmigiana, German Veal Schnitzel and Duck with Spaetzle Cakes. So much food crammed into a short but rewarding trip.
I just bought a new cookbook about New England orchards that has inspired me to cook with apples. I treated my family to my homemade cabbage & sauerkraut dish simmered in apple cider and made an apple crisp for dessert. Don't forget about the simple pleasures - baked apples and apple cake are classic desserts for a reason.
Missouri Wines - Are you crazy? No, I am not. I am lucky to have a brother-in-law who spends part of the year in Missouri working in the wine industry. He has introduced our family to some fun, and surprisingly, tasty wines from Missouri. The blackberry wine is really refreshing as a dessert wine. I really have enjoyed several Chardonel wines from Missouri, too.
I am still having happy thoughts about the recent Mexican dinner my mother, husband I enjoyed. The menu included a classic salad with an orange and lime flavored dressing (along with fresh jicama), iced Mexican coffee, tres-leches cake, chicken mole with a spicy chocolate sauce, rose beans and homemade enchiladas with queso fresco cheese. Most tres-leches cakes are made with heavy cream, condensed cream and evaporated milk. This one was lighter. Our friend Silvia replaced the heavy cream with milk. Queso fresco is my new favorite cheese. It looks and feels like feta cheese but is made from cow milk and has a lighter taste. Finally, outdoor summer dinners always add to the fun. Our hostess did an amazing job setting up a beautiful outdoor evening of fun.
My mother and I were invited to our friend Leticia's home to learn how to cook an authentic Mexican meal. I took both video and photos of our wonderful experience. Naturally, we started off learning how to make fresh salsa.
Reassurances, humor & a road map of attack for cooking & entertaining. It is a one-source reference
