Visit our Bread Recipes page for more fantastic homemade breads! There are times when nothing but a biscuit will do. Drop biscuits are okay, they can fill in the gaps when you are desperate and short on time, but most of the time, what I'm really and truly hankering for is a lofty, perfect, flaky, layered-from-top-to-bottom, golden brown, moist, golden brown, and delicious biscuit. I'm talking about the kind where you can split it in half with your fingers and slather with cold butter and strawberry jam or cover with sausage gravy. My biscuits were always really good... My grandma's from Arkansas, folks, and she's an amazing cook and View Post
Fromage Fort (Cheese Spread)
Do you ever get invited to last minute shindigs? Have you heard of Fromage Fort? Do you love cheese? That last question is the most important really, because this is a recipe for cheese lovers. Serious cheese lovers only. Because this is how you use up the odds-and-ends in your cheese collection. You do have a cheese collection, right? A nub of Romano, a hunk of Cheddar, a couple tablespoons of crumbled bleu, some Asiago pieces rattling around in a bag or a drawer or a container in your refrigerator... The French ride to the rescue here, with classic Fromage Fort. Fromage Fort translates as "strong cheese" and believe you me, View Post
Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice and Creole Seasoning | Make Ahead Mondays
This classic from the archives is just what the doctor ordered to beat the snow storms that have been pounding the North East. Plug in the slow-cooker, pop your ingredients in the pot, and wait for the beautiful aroma to fill the room. Strangely, this recipe is equally at home in the hot summer months because it doesn't heat up the kitchen courtesy of it's slow-cooker preparation. I'm going to go ahead and say right now that I have absolutely zero idea how authentically "Cajun" today's recipe is, having never actually been to the great state of Louisana. All I know is that there are few things more satisfying than a big bowl of cooked View Post
Homemade Gyro Meat and Gyros
You know when you get stuck thinking about a certain food and that's all you can think about eating? For example, take gyros. I drove to the city and went out for lunch at a Mediterranean eatery with my mom, one of my sisters, and my sister-in-law a couple weeks ago. I ordered a lamb and beef gyro platter. My vegetarian mom and sister joked that I chose that so I wouldn't have to share with them, and it turned out that my meat-eating sister-in-law had given up meat for Lent, so there I sat in front of a salad the size of my torso. It was brimming with an enormous quantity of thin strips of crisped gyro meat. For one brief moment, I thought, View Post
Potato and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Dumplings {Vareniki}
I have a long and abiding love for pierogies. (See here for proof.) I have always eaten the frozen variety due to a woeful lack of old Polish grandmothers in my family. Strangely, it never occurred to me to make my own. I'm aware that 'making your own' is kind of my thing. ...and then a student in my international foods cooking class mentioned that she was interested in making Russian dumplings that were similar to pierogies. With the Olympics on twenty-four hours a day in my home, the proverbial light bulb went "BOINK" over my head. Duh. "Let's make some Russian pierogies!" I said to myself. (...And just like that a food blogger View Post
Coconut Lemon Cake
Is it wrong that I post two desserts in a row? Do you hate me? I can't help it. I have a really good reason. Yesterday, my second born turned fourteen. His requested dessert was a nod to his southern daddy. He wanted a "coconut cake." I decided immediately that he'd have the honest-to-goodness, big, white, fluffy Coconut Cake. And I have to admit, with all the cakes I've made, this one daunted me ever so slightly. It's a CLASSIC in big southern, swirly letters. It's THE cake for Christmas time. It's south of the Mason Dixon and sweeter than tea. And honestly, even with a pair of southern grandparents and a hubby who hails from Ol' View Post
Jellied Cranberry Sauce {canned or refrigerated}
My almost 16 year old son (excuse me while I hyperventilate a bit over that one...) has -year after year- requested a giant Thanksgiving style feast on his birthday that falls about a week and a half before Thanksgiving. It's his favourite meal of the year and he sees no reason to be confined to having it only once. He also sees no problem with having the gigantic meal twice in one month. ...And he knows what he likes. Since he was able to say so, the thing he has grabbed for first from the table is the bowl of cranberry sauce. It has to be smooth. He and I both feel strongly about this. Even though Martha and legions of foodies present View Post
Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule
Visit our Bread Recipes page for more wonderful homemade bread recipes! After the time I spent at King Arthur Flour's Blog & Bake™ last week, I came home prepared to fling flour and bake my tush off. Oh, would that baking one's tush off was an actual possibility. Sadly, I find that most of my baking actually adds to my overall girth since I'm unable to restrain myself around a fresh loaf of good bread. That loaf you see above is a perfect example of what renders me weak in willpower and wobbly in the knees. You're looking at a Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule. This particular bread is not one we prepared at Blog & Bake, View Post
Earl Grey Raisin Scones with Sticky Lemon Glaze
Visit our Bread Recipes page for more wonderful homemade bread recipes! The body of this post and the printable recipe do NOT contain SPOILERS, however, I cannot make any promises about the comments section. If you are not caught up on Downton Abbey (Episode 1 of Season 3 as of this writing on January 12th, 2013), you may not want to read comments. I also ask -No, I BEG and PLEAD- that our friends overseas (or those who somehow saw all of Season 3 already) refrain from giving away what happens in any episodes past where I am! Whoopsie! Forgot to include how MUCH cream in the ingredients list. It is fixed now! I am an View Post
High Peaks Deep Dish Apple Pie
{UPDATE} The Pick Giveaway Winner plugin chose Christa D. as our winner! Congratulations, Christa! Email me your mailing information and I will forward it onto our friends at Harry & David! This past summer I had the distinct privilege of traveling to Oregon as part of a group of bloggers brought out by Harry & David to tour their orchards, facilities and community. What a treat! It was wall to wall wonderment, beauty and inspiring people. You don't get a trip like that every day, I'll tell ya. Aside from making some great new friends, I came away from it all with a deep respect and affection for Harry & David's operation and View Post