Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Blondies
I had a craving for coconut the other day. As it happens, I had some coconut in the pantry. I also had some chocolate chips and my mind began working. I ultimately decided on blondies. For versatility, flavor, and general appeal you really can not beat a blondie. Toss in some toasted coconut and some chocolate and you have a rich dessert, or a super indulgent snack. Toasting the coconut is key to getting the most nutty flavor from...
Zinfandel Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Polenta
I am something of a comfort food junkie. I have discovered, over the last year, the delightful bliss that is polenta. I have also discovered that I am passionately in love with chicken thighs. So, when I was craving something rich, creamy, and comforting the other night I decided to take my two new comfort food favorites and combine them into one dish. The braise for the chicken thighs is rather short, but chicken cooks fairly...
‘Big Evil’ Cheeseburger
I have fond memories of fast food from childhood. I did not get fast food all that often (thanks mom for always cooking for us!!) so I remember it being a special treat, or something we had when we were short on time. When I was very small I would get kids meals, the happy kind, but when I grew older I would get the burger that sported two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese … you know the one? I was enamored of...
Blueberry Lime Fromage Blanc Tart
Ahhh, fresh blueberries! One of the best parts of spring is the arrival in the markets of fresh, plump berries. I always get the itch to make a tart or pie with fresh berries at this time of year, and while shopping I also sampled some excellent fromage blanc. I decided instantly that they would be perfect in a dessert together. This tart is the perfect blend of mouthwatering tang from the cheese, bright citrus flavor from the lime,...
Egg Salad
If you are anything like me, you have a few left-over eggs from Easter. When I was growing up we never had egg salad. Maybe it was because my parents did not care for it, or maybe they never thought of it, but we never had it. Once I struck out on my own I decided to give it a try, but I found a lot of the recipes I tried were either too bland or had too much onion or sweet relish, which overpowered the other flavors. So, I...
Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream
I am a sucker for peanut butter desserts. I love peanut butter cookies, peanut butter fudge, hot peanut butter poured over ice cream, spicy peanut sauce … you name a culinary application for peanut butter and I most likely love it. So, it should come as no great surprise that, while I found myself whisking a chocolate filling for a chocolate cream pie, I decided to see how I could incorporate peanut butter into a cream pie. A...
