Archives
Sweet Potato Praline Tarts
Sweet Potato Praline Tarts Three batches. Three panels of taste testers. Three sets of rave reviews. And now, they're ready for YOU! For YOUR taste testers, for your next dinner party, for a fabulous after school snack, for a take-to-work treat, for welcoming the new neighbors, for celebrating good news, for encouraging a discouraged soul, for ____________ (you fill in the blank). Just ...
Read More →Asian Roasted Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash gets brushed with a sweet, sticky Asian glaze and topped with pomegranate and sesame seeds.
Have you gotten in a rut with your holiday side dishes? Do you feel like you always make the "same old-same old"? Maybe you just want to make your table sparkle with deliciousness or for your guests to gasp with delight I mean, I'm not trying to steal the show from the ...Read More →Sweet Potato and Pesto Pizza with Rosemary Braised Bacon
It seems that whenever the seasons change and the latest fresh local produce begins to show up at the market, my crazy mind turns to pizza! We love pizza here at The Café and when I start seeing delightful new seasonal ingredients displayed here, there and everywhere, my mind starts spinning and creating, and next thing you know we have a new favorite. That's exactly what happened earlier this ...
Read More →Pumpkin Pie Spiced Caramel Corn
You probably all know this already, but it was news to me! I just learned that you can make popcorn in the microwave - in a brown paper lunch bag! It's cheap (costs pennies per batch), nutritious (you can make it with no added oil and no artificial ingredients), super easy and no mess (just throw out the bag when you're done!). I was in the mood for caramel corn and decided to have some fun ...
Read More →Spinach and Potato Soup
I'm definitely a soup girl. To me, there's something magical about a bowl of hot soup on a chilly, autumn or winter day And if there are raindrops pattering on the roof or or snowflakes softly falling, it's even better. On days like this, somehow soup makes me feel all homey, warm and cozy. Do you know what I mean? I get inspired to hang-out inside all day wearing my favorite soft sweatshirt ...
Read More →Ratatouille
Ratatouille with an update- the vegetables are all cooked individually so that they maintain their color and texture. Ratatouille - do you like it? It's never been a favorite dish here at The Café. Why? The reason was summed up perfectly in a comment from a blogging friend in response to my last post where I shared a photo of both the beautiful raw ingredients used in Ratatouille and my ...
Read More →Food Styling and Photography - Ratatouille in the Making
Food Styling and Photography - Ratatouille in the Making Do you ever feel like a kid who's playing with a favorite toy? A toy that you've had for a long time .......... then someone shows you new things it does, things that you never dreamed of. Really cool things that almost make it a new toy, but with all the familiarity of the old favorite. That's exactly how Scott and I have been feeling ...
Read More →Apple Pie Muffins with Caramel Drizzle
It's wonderful to be back home, sleeping in our comfy, familiar bed, cooking in my own little kitchen. We spent last week in New York where I studied French cooking at The Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park. My husband, Scott spent three days at a food photography and styling workshop in New York City. After being cooped up all last week in the classroom, (not that I minded it ...
Read More →Cait's Wonderful Zucchini Bread
An old family favorite zucchini bread recipe lightened up with applesauce and reduced sugar. Imagine, after an eight hour, overnight plane trip, being welcomed with a plate of this delicious autumn-spiced zucchini bread, still slightly warm, accompanied by a ramekin of sweet cream butter and a steaming mug of coffee. My word to describe this is heavenly! This is exactly what my daughter had ...
Read More →Day 4 of Adventures in Culinary Land
If you promise not to tell anyone I've got a secret to share with you. Promise? Okay, I'm trusting you. I have terrible hair. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I look like a rooster because my hair sticks straight up out of my head. I've been known to look in the mirror first thing in the morning and start cock-a-doodle-dooing! I'm serious. I can get it to look fairly decent, but it ...
Read More →Adventures in Culinary Land, Day 3
HELLO out there! Is there anyone out there who can tell me how much French food I need to cook and/or eat before I start speaking the language fluently? I've been working hard, really, really hard but it's just not happening at least not yet. I've been cooking French food all week here at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York, where I'm spending the week studying French ...
Read More →