October 24, 2010.   Categories By Holiday, Cocktails, Halloween.

Halloween: Using Dry Ice for Party Drinks It’s Halloween and nothing looks spookier then a steaming caldron on your beverage table.  To make your favorite potion, you won’t have to cast a spell but you will need some dry ice.  Dry ice has long been used to create creepy atmosphere at parties.  The rolling mist it creates transforms an everyday cocktail or punch into a bone-chilling brew. Most grocery stores or fish departments will have...

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October 18, 2010.   Categories Chicken, Comfort Food, Mushrooms, Crimini, Poultry, Sauces / Gravy.

Saveur Magazine has many tantalizing new recipes and sometimes some that aren’t new but may be forgotten.  Last week they shared a recipe for Chicken Galliano. It reminded me of several similar recipes I’ve made with chicken over the years.  I’m a big fan of pan sauteed chicken and integral reduced sauces.  I’m also a huge fan of goat cheese and prosciutto! So this recipe was right up my alley.  The only thing I...

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October 15, 2010.   Categories By Holiday, Cookies from Home, Desserts, Halloween, Thanksgiving Dinner.

Pumpkin, Cranberry Pecan Cookies 3/4 cup pecan halves 1 stick, unsalted butter 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 large organic egg 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (but not flavored pie filling) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cloves pinch of salt 1 cup dried cranberries Method: Preheat the oven to...

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October 14, 2010.   Categories Arugula, Filet Mignon, From www.goodbite.com, Roasting.

Filet Mignon Wraps – Appetizer In the world of good beef and steak there is nothing more delicious than filet mignon.  There is a reason it is so expensive… it’s worth every penny.  When I’m entertaining, I feel it’s important to use quality ingredients. This is even more important when preparing a recipe with only a few ingredients.  Even the most elegant appetizers don’t have to be complicated.  This...

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September 30, 2010.   Categories Chef Dawn Viola, Christmas, Contributing Chefs, Desserts, Pies and Tarts, Thanksgiving Dinner.

www.wickedgooddinner.com This is simply the best apple pie in America! Really! Dawn Viola of “Wicked Good Dinner” is an award-winning chef and food-writer.  She won the 2009 Crisco National Apple Pie Championship (professional division) for this wonderful Vanilla Vanilla-Bean Roasted Apple Pie.  Dawn has also appeared on Food Network, Fox News, Martha Stewart Radio, Cooking with Emeril and has been featured in Desserts...

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September 3, 2010.   Categories Aarti Sequiera, Contributing Chefs, Sandwiches, Slowcooker / Crockpot.

Interview and Recipe – The Next Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira Photo Courtesy of Food Network Scroll down to see three of Aarti’s Recipes from her new show “Aarti Party” on Food Network Like millions of others all over America, I watched The Next Food Network Star to see who was going to win this year’s crown.  But I sat on the edge of my chair with increased interest because I had a personal connection to one of...

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