Chewy and Decadent Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies What is better than fresh from the oven chocolate chip or chunk cookies? The chewier… the better. This recipe won’t disappoint you if you’re looking for that ideal cookie…. Ingredients: 2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted, melted butter (then cooled) 1 1/2 cups packed golden brown sugar 1 large...
Read MoreS’Chee – Russian Cabbage Soup S’Chee (I’ve been pronouncing this “Shay” my whole life and was just corrected by a nice reader who said it’s actually “Shchee”) is a very traditional Russian cabbage soup. The recipes vary and have been passed from family to family in different regions for generations. This is the recipe my family has used for decades (and no we aren’t Russian...
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This mushroom croustades recipe is great when you’re throwing a party. They are always such a bit hit… and any leftover duxelle (fancy name for mushroom filling) may be used as a delicious topping for potatoes, eggs or on top of a filet mignon. The “cups” which are often referred to as “croustades” in other recipes and are little bread cases made with round slices of soft white bread that are pressed into...
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Sausage, Wild Mushroom and Sourdough Stuffing Every Thanksgiving I make this stuffing. It uses the best ingredients from my Wine Country heritage – wine (of course), sourdough bread, fresh herbs and wild mushrooms! It is simple and can be a bit of “chef’s delight” as each batch is a little different. I never stuff the turkey as I believe it increases cooking time and really doesn’t add to the...
Read MoreMashed Potatoes With Lavender and Honey The beauty of mashed potatoes is you can add almost any flavor to them to create a different spin on the classic recipe. Lavender is one of my favorite scents and I believe I got this idea from an aromatherapy book about 10 years ago. I haven’t made these in a long time. I was reminded how good they are by a blogger on Twitter who mentioned having something similar in France. Lavender can be...
Read MoreWhipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar & Pecans This dish is another Thanksgiving tradition in our house. It’s simple and can be flavored many ways. Sometimes I will use a splash of Grand Marnier or Bailey’s… other times I’ll use a bit of orange zest… just depends upon what I’m serving and what is on the counter next to me when I’m cooking! Ingredients 5-6 lbs of red-skinned sweet potatoes...
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