Culinary School is winding down and we are starting to focus on specific cuisines. This week we dabbled in Asian Cuisine and explored some of the flavors from Korea, Japan, Thailand, and China. Everything was really delicious and one of the best parts about the night is that we used absolutely NO butter! (my waist […]
Read More… from Culinary School – Week Twenty – Asian Cuisine
As you probably already know, I have become obsessed with food that is small and bite sized, or that I can hold in my hand. Kinda like this shrimp hand roll stuffed with pesto, spinach and other delicious veggies! This is a healthy option for a lunch – not to mention if you use whole […]
It is HOT!! Which means that I am scarred to turn my oven on and then sit in my kitchen which has become an incinerator. Therefore I have been dreaming up different menu items which require nothing but a few knife skills! This Gazpacho salad is so amazingly delicious you just have to try it […]
I would just like to preface this posting by saying that chances are you will gain weight by just reading this post. I am fairly certain that I gained weight by just making these pastries… not to mention eating them. Pull out your elastic waist pants because this advanced pastry class is a bucket full […]
Read More… from Culinary School – Week Nineteen – Advanced Pastries
The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. We were given the option of doing one, or both of the cookies. I opted for the Mallows or Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies, partially because […]
Read More… from Daring Bakers: Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Everyone… I would like you to meet Fred. I am fairly certain that Fred knows his life is about to be over. He was flailing his claws around and freaking out while we were observing him on the cutting board. I am pretty sure he took one look at the cleaver sitting next to him […]
Wine tasting is always fun… I have been a few times in Napa with my girl friends from college and then we did it again this past weekend at Culinary School. Not only did we try 10 different wines ranging from Prosecco to a full bodied Shiraz that is said to “Body Slam Your Toungue” […]
Chicken is such a great go to meal… it doesn’t take too long to prepare and its something that most everyone is comfortable with. Recently I was spending some time checking out my favorite food blogs… let’s be honest here… I am addicted to food blogs and love checking out what these fabulous foodies are […]
Read More… from Grilled Lime Chicken with a Black Bean Sauce
This simple steak dinner is a perfect summer meal. It utilized the grill so clean up is quick and the pico de gallo is light and refreshing! I made this for my boyfriends BBQ last weekend and it was a total hit! […]
I love bite sized snacks so this week at Culinary School I was in heaven! We explored all different kinds of appetizers and then I proceeded to eat everything! Everything was so delicious 🙂 These mini Mexican Quiches were stuffed with cheeses, chorizo and topped with a sliver of a Jalapeno. This smoked salmon pate […]
Normally for birthdays and special occasions I make big elaborate cakes but Thomas, my boyfriend, requested smores for his birthday party! I decided to put a little twist on the normal smore and instead of using graham crackers I made chocolate chip (pictured) and sugar cookies to make the top and bottom part of the […]
I have never had Panna Cotta before… so this past week I scoured all my fav dessert sites and found one of the best recipes. I then went right out and bought gelatin (which I did not have in the pantry) and then went straight home to make it! And guess what… I LOVE IT! […]
I’ve been into simple side dishes recently. This is a perfect side dish for chicken, fish or pasta. I chose to serve it with a pan seared Chilean Sea Bass and the flavors complimented each other perfectly! […]
This could be the easiest and most delicious side dish ever! It seriously will take you about 2 minutes to put it all together! It would be perfect over a bowl of pasta too! […]
Pork Marsala has been one of my favorite dishes since learning it back in Week 5 of Culinary School. It is a quick simple dish but so full of flavor. Whip up a quick batch and serve it with a big salad and dinner is ready! Doesn’t that looks yummy! Keep this in mind next […]
This week at Culinary School we focused on Puff Pastry and all its uses! In order to prepare we each had to make our own puff pastry, with 6 turns, at home… which is not a quick and easy process! It requires a lot of time and work but homemade puff pastry is significantly better […]
Read More… from Culinary School – Week Fourteen – Puff Pastry
This past week we reinstated our weekly dinner parties with 2 of my most favorite people… and I decided that I wanted to try something new and different so I picked this fabulous braised chicken dish that is packed full of fabulous flavors.Doesn’t it just look so colorful and delicious! You can double or triple […]
For my birthday a few weeks back I got an ice cream maker… and it is beautiful. I have made my own ice cream before in Culinary School and now I get to make it whenever I want at home! For my first attempt by myself I chose to make something simple… Fresh Strawberry Ice […]
Read More… from Strawberry Ice Cream with Oreo and Chocolate Chunks
The June Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England. Until the next DB Challenge… p.s. I need your suggestions… […]
After a week full of rabbit, duck and other game last week I was ready for a week filled with salads and fabulous dressings! Not only did we focus on Salads but we also did a full tasting for over 40 oils and vinegars. We tried everything from basic oils, like canola, safflower and grapeseed, […]
Read More… from Culinary School – Week Thirteen – Classic and Contemporary Salads
My latest Cookbook is now available for pre-sale
