From the category archives:

Appetizers

Savory Cheese Cookies

February 16, 2010

You will see no pancakes here today. No stacks of blueberry buttermilk griddle cakes dripping with maple syrup. No golden latkes dotted with sour cream or slathered in apple sauce. Not so much as a waffle. Crepes? Forget it.
Instead, I’m offering you little disks of fat in the form of savory cheese cookies.
The biscuits above [...]

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Slow Cooker Refried Beans Dip

January 13, 2010

There are two problems with refried beans. One: They tend to be very fattening. Two: They look like something that came out the back end of a flatulent donkey.
This slow-cooker recipe solves the high-fat issue. The lovely dish my sister’s boyfriend gave me for Christmas solves the other. Look at the sensual, distracting curves. See [...]

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Rosemary, Raisin and Pecan Crisps

December 16, 2009

I can’t believe I’m about to make these again. The recipe makes a two loaf pans’ worth and the entire batch is almost gone.
Bored with plain crackers and still hyperventilating from the sticker price on the artisanal crisps, I was thrilled to find a knock-off recipe in Julie Van Rosendaal’s book Grazing: A Healthier Approach [...]

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Peach and Black Bean Salsa

September 14, 2009

The subtitle of this post could be Variations on a Theme. Brahms did it with classical music, William Carlos Williams did it with poetry and I’m doing it with salsa.
And peaches.
And more homegrown tomatoes.

Now, I’m not claiming to be in the same league as the artistic greats just mentioned, but I must say the results [...]

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

July 15, 2009

Pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself. I wouldn’t be ashamed to serve these at a fancy garden party. You can almost hear the light jazz in the background.
But in reality, this is a simple dip that you can dump in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips. I just bought some new dishes [...]

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Barbecue Roasted Garlic

June 29, 2009

Lesson learned. Don’t blog for a few days and family members will phone to check up on you.
I’m fine. Really. I haven’t succumbed to swine flu, only the temptations of summer. Truth be told, I’ve been playing hooky with my barbecue — I mean grill.
Our house can’t take the heat of the oven once the [...]

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Roasted Chickpeas

January 29, 2009

When you get a flash of genius for something like, say… caramel coated chickpeas — and can’t find a single hit on Google under the term, don’t take this as a challenge. Take this as a hint. There is a reason no one makes them. I’ve seen the evidence. Right in my kitchen.
The moisture in [...]

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Italian Week — Marinated Olives

September 16, 2008

Reviewing my Italian week line-up, I realized that unless you’re carb-loading for a marathon, you’ll need a break from the starch I’m about to foist upon you before the week’s over. Stromboli, risotto, spaghetti and gnocchi are all wonderful, but I can feel my waistband stretching at the very thought.
Since I’m blogging about beer today [...]

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Rosemary Spread

September 6, 2008

Looks kinda chi-chi doesn’t it? Truth be told I whipped it up in about 2 minutes and put it on a piece of torn bagel brought home from the Farmers’ Market a half hour before. I think the sprig of rosemary elevates the look. Or is it the black leather background? Maybe the come-hither lighting?
Regardless, [...]

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Greek Week – Greek yogurt tzatziki

June 26, 2008

Photo © Wolfgang Staudt, published under Creative Commons License.
The first time I ate Greek yogurt, I was having breakfast at a taverna much like the one pictured above. The yogurt was so thick and rich I thought they’d served me sour cream by mistake.
If you’ve ever had Greek yogurt, you won’t forget its taste or [...]