From the category archives:

Appetizers

Avocado Toast with Furikake and Shichimi

Thumbnail image for Avocado Toast with Furikake and Shichimi August 11, 2016

  Ah, avocado toast… what used to be a simple fast breakfast has become a trend featured in magazines and available on restaurant menus. With a fried egg on top, of course. So I decided to give you my take on avocado toast. Drizzled with soy sauce and sprinkled with Furikake or Shichimi. Avocado and […]

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Summer Party Appetizer Board

Thumbnail image for Summer Party Appetizer Board July 1, 2016

  The 4th of July is just a few days away and I am greatly looking forward to it. This is the one summer holiday where our whole family congregates, if they’re anywhere nearby, szroom, like the ends of two magnets. From babies to nonegenarians, a big jumble of folks related by love and DNA. […]

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Scallion Pancakes Korean-Style with Lemon Soy Dipping Sauce

Thumbnail image for Scallion Pancakes Korean-Style with Lemon Soy Dipping Sauce September 28, 2015

I have found that sometimes I would really like to have a snack that has interesting textures and complex taste that is sweet, salty, sour and spicy. Do you ever get that craving, too? Well, scallion pancakes with lemon soy dipping sauce totally and exactly fills those requirements. Aren’t you the lucky one to find […]

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Nectarine & Corn Salad with Lime Ginger Cilantro Vinaigrette

Thumbnail image for Nectarine & Corn Salad with Lime Ginger Cilantro Vinaigrette August 30, 2015

Stone fruit and corn on the cob are piled high at the market now, celebrating the last soft days of summer. I wanted to create a salad using these wonderful foods with a zippy vinaigrette to complement their sweet flavors. According to my family members, I succeeded, in spades.

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Hawaiian SPAM Musubi

Thumbnail image for Hawaiian SPAM Musubi August 9, 2015

I am now in my 70th year and this is the first can of SPAM that I have purchased in my entire life. My Mom never fed it to me as a child growing up in Minnesota in the 1950s, even though I was born in 1945, the year World War 2 ended. It was […]

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Corn Pancakes with Almond Red Pepper Romesco

Thumbnail image for Corn Pancakes with Almond Red Pepper Romesco July 13, 2015

Romesco, Romesco. Wherefore art thou, Romesco? Ooops, I was getting a little silly there. I’m over it now. Continuing on…. Romesco sauce originated in Tarragona, Catalonia, in northeastern Spain. Fishermen made this sauce to eat with fish, but once made, it can be used in salads, with grilled veggies, meat, chicken, stirred into fish stews, […]

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Panuchos ~ Tortillas filled with Black Beans topped with Achiote Chicken, Avocado & Habanero Salsa

Thumbnail image for Panuchos ~ Tortillas filled with Black Beans topped with Achiote Chicken, Avocado & Habanero Salsa June 9, 2015

These Panuchos have been on my bucket list of recipes for over three years. They were on the cover of the March 2012 issue of Sunset Magazine, and the minute I saw those beautiful colors, I was hooked. The Yucatan-style tostadas are the specialty of Chef Gilberto Cetina at his L.A. restaurant Chichen Itza and […]

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Pecorino Potato Pops with Smokey Chipotle Sauce

Thumbnail image for Pecorino Potato Pops with Smokey Chipotle Sauce April 19, 2015

This recipe has been a total inspiration for me. It’s little Duchesse potato bites with the spicy smokey dipping sauce would make a yummy hors d’oeuvre, but the flavor notes of Pecorino Romano cheese and smoky paprika would suggest a French or Italian menu to follow. So then I started imagining the dinner party these […]

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Arañitas con Mojo de Ajo ~ Shredded Green Plantain Fritters with Garlic Onion Sauce

Thumbnail image for Arañitas con Mojo de Ajo ~ Shredded Green Plantain Fritters with Garlic Onion Sauce January 10, 2015

When green plantains started showing up at my grocery store about 10 years ago, I was totally fascinated. I had no idea what they were, except they looked a lot like green bananas. Then I happened to eat dinner in my local Cuban restaurant, and fried plantains were part of the accompaniment for the pork […]

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Cheddar Garlic Crackers with Parsley & Pecans

Thumbnail image for Cheddar Garlic Crackers with Parsley & Pecans November 22, 2014

One of the great things about the holidays is family, friends and neighbors come to visit. Not all are coming to dinner, maybe just an afternoon visit. These Cheddar Garlic Crackers are such a great idea for noshing, especially since you can make them ahead of time and just whip them out of the fridge […]

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Fennel Romano Coins & Salad Greens with Buttermilk Sriracha Dressing

Thumbnail image for Fennel Romano Coins & Salad Greens with Buttermilk Sriracha Dressing September 19, 2014

Did you know that September 7th was Grandparents Day? Yes, I’m sure you all did. But here I am, a grandmother 3 times, and I’m without a clue. As usual. But the wonderful thing was, it coincided with me meeting my new granddaughter, Coralina (Coco for short), for the first time. She was born March […]

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Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes from Chef Mary Ellen Rae at Personal Touch Gourmet

Thumbnail image for Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes from Chef Mary Ellen Rae at Personal Touch Gourmet August 30, 2014

I went to my first cooking class taught by Chef Mary Ellen Rae in April of 2010. My photos of her delicious recipes have been pinned and stumbled thousands of times, especially the Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Wrapped in Filo. So when Chef Mary Ellen recently invited me to a class she was teaching, […]

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Scotch Eggs with Garlic Butter Parmesan Fries

Thumbnail image for Scotch Eggs with Garlic Butter Parmesan Fries June 29, 2014

The signature or national dish of a country or state or city can be counted on to be interesting and delicious, because it has been around for ages and has been perfected by numerous cooks. A whole country can’t be wrong, can it? Unfortunately I am not going to be able to visit every country, […]

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Pork Pot-Stickers with Lemon Soy Ginger Sauce

Thumbnail image for Pork Pot-Stickers with Lemon Soy Ginger Sauce April 30, 2014

About a month ago I showed you how to make your own gyoza wrappers, and then I left you hanging. You were probably thinking to yourself… but, but, but…what about filling and cooking them? Well, truly, I wouldn’t leave you in the lurch like that, but after I made them it was dark outside, so […]

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Rib-Eye Carpaccio with Salmoriglio Oregano Sauce

Thumbnail image for Rib-Eye Carpaccio with Salmoriglio Oregano Sauce April 23, 2014

In my experience, there are two kinds of beef people. On one side of the spectrum are the rare or medium rare guys, who want theirs soft and red, possibly still kicking. And waaay on the other side, the well-done guys, who for some unfathomable reason, want theirs gray throughout with the texture of leather. […]

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