Appetizer

Pesto Tortellini Skewers

Stick it to me! It’s a party on a stick! For months Amanda and I have been trying to convince our friend Heidi to have a big bash for her 50th birthday. I mean, the Big 5-0 only comes around once, thank goodness, so you have to mark the milestone. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you and of course….lots of food and adult beverages!  Continue reading

Pig Candy!

Hey everybody! Who wants Pig Candy? You heard me right! When pigs fly, I’ll eat this, is what I thought when I first heard about pig candy! This is not my usual kind of food but then I got to thinking about the smoky bacon and sausage and the sweetness of the brown sugar. Hmm….my mind was having a wrestling match! Smoky, sweet savoriness vs well let’s be real…..fat! The Pig Candy finally won out but I still needed a reason to make a batch of it. I surely was not going to eat them all! Continue reading

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

Funny how the simplest things can evoke the greatest comments! My husband and I love artichokes any way they can be served. Because we eat steamed artichokes so often, I came up with a quick and easy dipping sauce that’s now our absolute favorite.

It’s so easy I can hardly call it a recipe but I just had to share it ‘cuz I’ve noticed something interesting happens every time I serve it. We’ll all be standing around the artichoke bowl, chatting and the novice taster pauses the conversation to ask what the sauce is. I have to laugh! I spend so little time on this and so much more time on other dishes and this is what they ask about!!  Continue reading

Dilled Salmon Tartare on BBQ Lavash

Awhile back I had Lavash chips at a local restaurant sprinkled with seeds and thought they were great. Dining out always gives me inspiration to create something at home. I was going to make a salmon appetizer and thought that BBQ Sauce on Lavash would possibly make a tasty chip. The combination of flavors from the savory, salty bite of the salmon tartare and the sweet, tangy bite when you crunch that chip is amazing! Continue reading

Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Herb Goat Cheese

Sometimes an appetizer is so incredibly great you consider having everyone’s portion all to yourself for dinner! That’s this one! Words can’t fully convey what the palate experiences but here goes. When you take the first bite, you feel the snap of the asparagus,  a crunchy salty bite from the prosciutto and then the herbed goat cheese oozes out and your mouth is in heaven. It’s even better than that so you’ll just have to try it for yourself!   Continue reading

Put a Little Devil in Your Easter Eggs!

Easter Egg
National Egg Salad Week April 9-15

National Egg Salad Week is the full week right after Easter. Can you guess why…… could it be all the leftover Easter eggs just staring at you from the refrigerator? Transform them into something special this week and let the celebration continue! Continue reading

Valentine’s Day at Eagles Nest Winery

We’re off for another wonderful day with our friends at Eagles Nest Winery in Ramona to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Leave it to Julie to think of a fun twist for our wine tasting pleasure.

She has combined wine tasting with the sharing of appetizers and desserts in their newly re-decorated tasting room. Each taster is invited to bring their favorite recipe for a dessert or appetizer to share with everyone. There will even be prizes of their Viognier Port given for the top 3 in each category. Wonder who will tempt us most? Continue reading

Small Bites of Happiness

Small Bites
 
“Moderation, small helpings, sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.” ~ Julia Child
 
I couldn’t agree with her more. I love little bites of food and dessert because of the variety of flavors you can savor and not feel like you have eaten a mountain of food. I came across a great site for just this kind of food simply called Finger Food Recipes. A couple yummy ones I can hardly wait to try are waiting right here just for you!

Continue reading

Pear & Blue Cheese Tart

I did get quite a few requests for the Pear and Blue Cheese Tart recipe from my post detailing the adventures in my kitchen last weekend. You can check out the whole story at: Theory of Relativity, A Cook’s Version. Then come back to try it out for yourself.

The tart is a wonderful blend of tangy blue cheese and sweetness from the pear all riding on the back of a crispy puff pastry base. The tart pairs beautifully with a Riesling or Chardonnay that isn’t too oaky. And pears are in season now! Continue reading

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