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Hot Chocolate and Cinnamon Crostini

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Hot Chocolate

I am told Spring has sprung as of last Tuesday, but with the weird weather we are having you could not make a bet on it and feel secure that your odds would be favorable in Vegas.  We had some sun (although you still had to wear a coat cuz it was cold), a bit of rain, a bit of sleet, a bit of hale, and oh yes, we also got a light dusting of snow.  Really, in March??   So feeling chilly, and wanting to drink something cozy, I needed a good cup of hot chocolate.  Not the kind I make late at night using Ghiradelli, the cocoa I grew up with (which by the way, is one of the best “off the shelf” cocoa you can find.)   Nope, I wanted what I consider THE BEST cup of hot chocolate in the world, and that is only found at Angelina’s in Paris, or so I was told about 10 years go.    While traveling on business I was repeatedly told that our hotel was located near Angelina’s and that I should walk over there and experience the best that Paris, albeit the world, had to offer in superb hot chocolate.  Well, they were right, the 7 block walk Read More

And the winner is…

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Beef Burgundy with Dumplings

I was trying to pickup groceries last-minute so I could get home in time to watch the Oscars this evening, one of the two award shows I watch each year  (the Tony Awards being the other.)  I wanted to make something quick and easy so as not to miss any part of the show and YET….it snowed today.   Not a lot and only for about 30 minutes, which means the snow stuck to the trees and grass, but not the roads.  But the few days it snows here in the Pacific Northwest, conjures up so many thoughts; a roaring fire, curling up on the sofa, and that anticipation of great cooking smells permeating the kitchen and family room.   So in the spirit of the Oscars,  the contenders were Rack of Lamb, Beef Burgundy, Prime Rib, or Chicken Cacciatore.   And the winner is…..Beef Burgundy.   And oh yes, looks like Meryl Streep just won – congratulations Meryl!! Read More

Olive and Egg Salad Sandwich

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Olive and Egg Salad Sandwich

When I buy the 18 count egg box I feel happy to have been economical.  And a week later when I keep staring at all those eggs I panic on what to do with them before they go bad. My first reaction is Meringue Cookies, but they don’t always turn out the best in wet weather and work better in dry, hot weather.   But a good egg salad sandwich, made on a Sunday, means extra salad fixings for sandwiches later in the week at work.  Here is my version… Read More

Tagliatelle Del Contadino

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Last night I spent an amazing evening in San Gimignano, Italy, helping to cook a wonderful Tuscan menu that included making our own Ravioli and Tagliatelle pasta and a traditional Tiramisu for dessert.  Okay, so I wasn’t really in Italy, but Read More

Green Goddess Dressing

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Green Goddess Dressing

Last Sunday was Super Bowl XLVI and although I am very happy the NY Giants won the game, I have to say I did not watch it.  Instead  I watched a simple but cute movie,  The Big Year.  Just out on DVD, The Big Year centers around an informal competition among birders (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black, among others) committed to a year of “birding” –  which means locating as many bird species as possible within Read More

Chocolate Soufflé

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I love a Chocolate Soufflé, anytime, any day of the week – it’s one of my favorite desserts.  In recent years there is a trend to create soufflés with the “lava” effect, where chocolate oozes out when you dig into it.  I prefer the traditional light and airy texture inside a soufflé and this recipe does exactly that.   I practiced many a weekend making Soufflés using a basic recipe from Gourmet Cook Book until I perfected it – have adapted it as seen below.  Read More

Croque Monsieur

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Croque Monsieur

On a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon I looked high and low in my refrigerator for something to make for lunch that would bring joy to my heart and stomach on such a drizzly, overcast, and not-so-good day.   Couldn’t find lefovers, didn’t want to get out the pots and pans and construct something from scratch, and there lo and behold hiding behind a fat jar of dill pickle spears was a lonely package of sliced ham.  Scouting around the “cheese drawer” I found a block of cheese leftover from making Fondue the previous week.   OMG, stuff to make a Croque Monsieur – so here we go! Read More