Blue Cheese Buffalo Chicken Balls

For all my friends who are San Diego Charger fans, this is the perfect appetizer to serve while watching the Chargers beat the Buffalo Bills tomorrow! Make no bones about it, these Buffalo Chicken Balls are juicy little morsels made with celery, stuffed with a blue cheese center and then doused in buffalo wing sauce! They have the same great taste and kick as the traditional wings but without all the mess and no bones! No need for 9 million napkins and baby wipes with these buffalo balls! Go Bolts! Continue reading →

Chocolate Margarita Martini – Friday’s 5 o’clock Wet Your Whistle Call!

Is chocolate a French creation? Belgium? Mexican? Oh yes it was the Aztecs and Montezuma who figured out how to process the hard little cacao bean into a drink that was believed to give strength, courage, and wisdom to all who drank it. It was also believed to posses rare aphrodisiac powers. Montezuma would have 50 gold goblets full of his beloved chocolate drink each day before he’d make the nightly visits to his harem. A drink surely fit for the gods! Continue reading →

Chicken a la Veracruzana

Viva Mexico! How fortuitous for us to be in Mexico on our International Cooking Tour the week of Mexican Independence Day, September 16th. This is the 204th anniversary of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain. The struggle for Mexican independence dates back to the decades after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. History is a fascinating thing and each country has such a great story to tell of how the conquered and the conquerors foods, religions and inventions blend together to make the country what it is today. Continue reading →

Plantains Foster

What’s dinner without dessert? Caribbean desserts are greatly inspired by the abundance of tropical fruits in the islands. And the sugarcane! Rum finds it’s way into many desserts. Plantains aren’t just a side dish for the main meal. When a plantain hits it’s peak ripeness, it is sweet and tastes similar to a ripe banana. And like a ripe banana, the skin needs to turn a blackish brown before it gets sweet. Not pretty, but oh so sweet and tasty. Sounds like dessert to me! As we wrap up our tour of the Islands, we leave the Caribbean on a sweet note! Continue reading →

Bimini Rum Runners – Friday’s 5 o’clock Wet Your Whistle Call!

When you think of Rum, the Caribbean has got to be your next thought…..unless you are thinking of your rum days back in college! And if you think all rums are created equal, then think again! Caribbean rums range from crisp and complex found in Martinique style rums to the subtly sweet blends of the Bahamas, to the bold, whiskey-like Haitian distillations. Thank you Spain for bringing sugarcane to the West Indies!

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Shrimp Sofrito with Pineapple Avocado Salad

Our next stop, as we cruise through the Caribbean Islands on the International Cooking Tour, combines the flavors of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Each have a Spanish influence to their food but there are as many versions of a recipe as there are families that make it. The similarities in their food styles are most meals include a meat, rice, beans and plantains made with their own special twist. And I’m going to put my special twist on the recipe too!

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Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Cilantro Aioli

Our first stop on the International Cooking Tour is the Caribbean! When I think of the Caribbean, I remember a few of the magical trips I’ve taken to the islands. The warm tropical breezes, the crystal clear turquoise waters filled with colorful fish, the sound of steel drums floating through the air and music that makes you want to dance, snorkeling and scuba diving…and the food. But is has not always been a place of rest and relaxation. In order to understand the food, it helps to understand a bit of the history of the islands. When Columbus “discovered” the Islands of the West Indies in 1492, he was not the first man to set foot on these islands. But the arrival of Christopher Columbus changed everything. Continue reading →

Ultimate Cosmopolitan – Friday’s 5 o’clock Wet Your Whistle Call!

Ultimate Cosmo

Better than Sex and the City Cosmo? Our friends think so and we do too! When Cosmopolitans were all the rage, I asked my husband to mix up a couple for us at home. He came up with one that has so much more flavor, passionate color and taste I won’t even order one in a bar or restaurant anymore because I adore my husband’s Cosmo’s….and him! To say they pale in comparison has a double meaning. Most Cosmo’s are a pale pink color and have, well…what I can only describe as a milder flavor profile and that is how they were intended to be. We like things a little zippier at our house! David’s Cosmo is vibrant, packed with the flavor of cranberry and lime and a beautiful garnet color. All because of a secret, until now, ingredient. Now, that is sexy! Continue reading →

Mango Shrimp in Wonton Cups

Come travel with me! I’m back to school and I’m going to take you on a whirlwind international culinary tour for the next 11 weeks! For the last couple of years I’ve taken culinary classes at one of our local community colleges, Grossmont College. I have learned from some great teachers, shared cooking space with fellow food lovers and future chefs and had generally a really great time suiting up in my chef uniform and playing the game! Continue reading →

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