Cooking for one is a funny thing. I love the idea of making a delicious dinner just for me. It seems wonderfully indulgent. Yet every time the opportunity arises, I lose motivation. Thoughts of ingredients that need to be prepped, dirty pans, and the final clean-up leave me feeling exhausted. As if on cue, I’m mysteriously pulled to the pantry where cereal is lurking and before I realize it, I’m seated on the couch eating breakfast.
I ♥ pastry dough. Yes, it’s a little intimidating at first, but once you master the basics it will become one of the most versatile things in your culinary repertoire. Butter, flour, salt, and ice-cold water are all you need to make an irresistible flaky crust for sweet and savory dishes.
Inspiration for this tart came from my one of my favorite summer desserts: berry tart with mascarpone filling. I wanted to make a cold weather version that could (a) satisfy a mean craving for mascarpone (a sweet Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese) and (b) satisfy an even greater craving for pastry dough. Have I mentioned that I adore the stuff?
I made this classic French stew back in December. My parents and grandmother were coming into town and I wanted to make a special dinner to celebrate the occasion. I also had to work the day that they were coming for dinner and as such, didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Bouillabaisse fit the bill. I spent a little over an hour on the fish stock and broth the day before and on Saturday night, while everyone sipped cocktails, chunks of fish, jumbo scallops, tiny clams, juicy shrimp, and lobster went into the pot to cook. A memorable and delicious dinner was ready in minutes.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Bouillabaisse, Fish, fish stock, Food, French, Recipe, Seafood, Soup, Special Dishes
After a week of overcast days and dismal weather, today blue skies and a warm sun are making me want to put on shorts and eat ice cream. A steaming bowl of belly warming, cream of broccoli soup couldn’t be further from my mind. Unfortunately, that bowl of soup is exactly what I whipped up this morning for a segment on WCNC’s Charlotte Today show. Let it be known that I’ve never claimed to have good timing.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Broccoli, Charlotte Today, Comfort Food, Food, How-to, Recipe, Soup, video
Where have I been? It’s August and my last post was back at the beginning of June. Since I last posted, I’ve taught over 30 cooking classes. The bulk of these classes were Kids Classes that I taught at Cooking Uptown here in Charlotte. In June, we offered four week-long courses for 9-13 year olds and then in July, we offered three week-long courses for 14-17 year olds. The courses were a great success (check out the press on WSOC-TV, WCNC, and in Southpark Magazine) and I have a new-found respect for parents everywhere. I have a better understanding of how you do it, but I still am in awe over how you do anything else!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Baking, Breakfast, Food, Granola, Healthy, Kid Cooking, Recipe
For those of you who have followed Minced for a while now, you know about my obsession with lamb. Perhaps you spent an afternoon on my recipe for lamb ragu, found comfort in a bowl of North African lamb stew, or pulled out all the stops with herb-roasted rack of lamb. If you haven’t succumbed to lamb yet (such resistance!) then I offer up this recipe as a bit of enticement.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Food, Football Favorite, Grilling, Lamb, Quick and Easy, Snacks
I’m of the belief that recipes should be shared. I never omit an ingredient in a requested recipe or leave out a critical step so that the final product isn’t quite right. I need all the good karma I can get and consequently tend to share all of my cooking secrets. With that being said, my moral philosophy on recipe sharing has been severely tested with this tart. To put it mildly, I’ve been a bit selfish. It’s understandable though. While you’ll never hear me claim that a particular recipe is my favorite (there are far too many wonderful dishes for that), if I had to list my top five this one would be at the top of the list.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Baking, Entertaining, Food, How-to, Onions, Pastry Dough, Special Dishes, Television, Vegetarian
The internet revealed its full potential to me many years ago when this recipe arrived in my inbox. The title of the email read “$250.00 cookie recipe” or something similar and the body of the email told the story of a mother and daughter who had enjoyed a cookie at Neiman Marcus.
The cookie must have been delicious as the mother asked for the recipe and was told that it would cost “two fifty.” Only later, upon receipt of that credit card bill in the mail, did she realize that she was charged two hundred and fifty dollars for the recipe. Seeking justice, she promptly typed up the recipe, emailed it to all of her friends, and instructed everyone to get back at Neiman Marcus by forwarding this pricey cookie recipe to everyone they knew.
Continue reading
This recipe is a keeper. One that you’ll want to fold up and put in the recipe box. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, sophisticated enough for company, and so easy that it actually inspires you to cook a single serving just for you. It’s one of my favorites.
To heck with New Year’s resolutions. I know the season of over-indulgence is over, but I won’t deny that I’ve stockpiled peppermint ice cream and have frozen Christmas cookies to make sure the season lasts just a tad bit longer. For those who are starting out the New Year with the goal of shedding those holiday pounds, I apologize. You should read no further as this recipe is not for you.
It all started earlier this morning when I had to test a recipe for cream puffs for an upcoming class. No one needs 3 dozen cream puffs lying around their house and I was brainstorming about ways to use the puffs. They freeze beautifully and I was already thinking ahead to making them into savory appetizers filled with crabmeat or chicken salad. Such thinking makes one hungry and before I knew it, I had dug out my carton of peppermint ice cream, melted some semi-sweet chocolate with a little cream, and made myself a delicious peppermint profiterole. Sure you can use vanilla ice cream, but if you are like me and in a bit of depression now that the holidays are officially over, then peppermint ice cream will make you feel much, much better.
