June 2010
1 post
7 tags
Chocolate WHAT pie?!!
Chocolate tofu pie. You heard right! The surprised looks I get (after their first delicious bite) when I reveal the ‘mystery’ ingredient is almost the best part. It was surprising to me too how much I love it. It’s my absolute favorite chocolate pie recipe. Easy to make and good for you? Double yes! I’ll pass on the ‘death-by- chocolate’ pie recipes that call...
March 2010
1 post
12 tags
Don't Worry, Beet Happy
We have a fondness for beets. I grab these organic gems in the produce section whenever they appear. Their greens are delicious, so it’s a two-fer. We like them roasted, inspired by ‘Fresh From the Farmer’s Market’ by Janet Fletcher. Chock-full of vibrant recipes for almost every vegetable you can think of, it’s also a handy reference for practical info like...
February 2010
4 posts
12 tags
Chicken Pizzaiola with Prosciutto-Wrapped...
There’s a package of lovely, organic, free-range, boneless chicken breasts and fresh asparagus in the fridge. Hungry for something like chicken parmesan, but lighter, I quickly pull out one cookbook after another, briefly scanning their indexes for recipes then looking up the ones that seem appealing. I light on The Sicilian Gentleman’s Cookbook, by Don Baratta. Full of witty,...
11 tags
Picadillo---With Love from Cuba
The beauty of picadillo (peek-a-dee-yoh) lies in it’s flexibility. It easily morphs into variations depending on what’s in your pantry, how you serve it, the mood you’re in. This is definitely one of those recipes that, if you make it and love it enough, eventually evolves into that quintessential thing. As much as I enjoy exploring new recipes there is great satisfaction in...
9 tags
'Q & 'Slaw
BBQ Pork
There are times when you get a hankerin’ for some good pork BBQ. If you can’t get to Doumar’s, you gotta make your own! Virginia Beach is close enough to North Carolina to know about their BBQ controversy, but I don’t get too wound about it. I like a more vinegar-based flavor but my sauce recipe has ketchup in it too. I also like a leaner cut of pork…
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January 2010
3 posts
7 tags
Bella Risotto! ("Rizz...zoto"!)
Quite a few years ago my husband Tim bugged me to try making risotto, the classic rice dish of Northern Italy. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Pasta is my fav carb, (now that there are better quality/texture whole wheat pastas on the market I’m using them more) but Tim’s a rice fanatic, so it was only fair to look into this luxuriously creamy, yet nutritious arborio...
5 tags
The Best Tiramasu Time
When you’re having friends for dinner, making a dessert like tiramsu is a nice thing to do—they’ll love you all the more! And when it tastes even better than the one you pay mucho bucks for at that little Italian bistro, it wouldn’t be fair not to let you in on a secret: it only tastes like you spent all day making it. After you whip all the ingredients together and...
“There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known”
– John Lennon
May 2009
2 posts
1 tag
Waxing Poetic: Trader Joe's
The big news today, the moment we’ve all been waiting for (countless friends and over 500 locals who organized a petition) has arrived, bringing our very own Trader Joe’s to Virginia Beach! For those of you who’ve never been to one, you need to go. For those of you who have, you know what I mean when I say I’m EXCITED!
Before this, the closest one was in Newport News, a...
8 tags
The Salad
A friend once served a salad that we now refer to as “The Salad”. Amazing that I never thought of throwing these exact ingredients together into a salad before. It doesn’t sound unusual but if there is a salad heaven, this one should be there. The key players are romaine lettuce, slivered onion, feta cheese, and absolutely critical: one perfectly ripe advocado.
Tossed...
April 2009
3 posts
9 tags
Party Food
Party food is the only food on the menu this weekend. Tim’s 50th birthday bash is at center stage. The invitation promised wine, beer and munchies. I kept the food simple and asked for some help. My sister Mary made a luscious cheddar cheese dip with bacon and apricot preserves. Cousin Carol’s buffalo-chicken dip was smokin’!. Request is in for the recipes & I promise to...
14 tags
Simple food: Easter Sunday dinner
This Easter Sunday I was not into making a ham…(If you need a good ham recipe check out ‘Monte’s Ham’ in Saveur Cooks Authentic American) Was more in the mood for chicken dredged with the now ubiquitous yet still delightful panko breadcrumbs. (Breadcrumbs in 3D!) Add a tsp of hot jamaican curry powder for extra zip. I like Blue Mountain Country (http://tinyurl.com/dye88p) ...
11 tags
About the Scribbler
I love to cook & use food to express creativity, love & friendship. I’m constantly scribbling notes in the margins of my cookbooks & in my food journals. (I’m addicted to buying cool journals to use as a kind of low-tech ‘blackberry’ to keep me organized.)
If I’m making dinner for two, having friends over, or about to discover a favorite dish that I...