One of my favorite kinds of gatherings to throw is a cocktail party. I like being able to serve a bunch of different apped’oeuvres, and not be tied to the timing and formality of a sit-down dinner. (Yes, I know “apped’oeuvre” is not a real word. But I want it to be…)
Since I usually mix up tried-and-true recipes with some “experiments,” I want to let guests know what they’re eating. So I make place-cards to identify what is on each tray. You might have noticed one of these in a recent post.
Don’t worry, I’m not going all Euell Gibbons on you. (What, you’re too young for that reference? Lucky you… !)
Anyway, if you listen to the “experts” you’ll hear that dairy is good, then… dairy is bad! Soy is good, soy is bad! Who can keep up?!
(Thankfully, there seems to be pretty consistent praise for red wine and dark chocolate – in moderation of course. But I digress… again.)
Dairy and voice-over work don’t go well together — at least for me. So lately, I’ve been using almond milk instead of dairy or soy.
I love it, and use it in anything that calls for regular milk. But one look at ingredient list on the package and I quickly run out of words I can pronounce. I had heard how easy (and economical and “green”) it is to make your own without all the additives and preservatives. I’m always up for a fun food experiment!
I have been known to send food back to the kitchen at a restaurant. Who hasn’t, right? The meat is undercooked, the dish isn’t hot, the server forgot to serve the dressing on the side. But I’m not talking about the usual stuff.
I’m talking about toast.
(Wait, your honor! Let me explain!)
A few years back we were enjoying brunch at a restaurant with our dear friends Jeff and Diane. Somehow, the question of which one of us was the most “high maintenance” came up. There had been plenty of “qualifying incidents” on the part of my table companions over the years, so I felt pretty safe.
Then the server came to take our order. Continue Reading →
That was us, 10 months and tens of thousands of dollars ago.
Our 16-year-old dishwasher was showing its age, so we decided to quit on it before it quit on us. Off to a local appliance store we went, in search of the latest and greatest dishwasher technology.
Can you say “kid in a candy store”? I went from vignette to vignette, exploring cooktops, ovens, refrigerators, beverage centers, warming drawers… and finally, dishwashers. Earth to Morgan! Continue Reading →
It could be worse. I could be addicted to cigarettes or heroin.
When I reach inside my mailbox and find that one (or more) of my food periodicals has found it’s way there, I am giddy.
But do I read it immediately? Oh no!
Like the meals they highlight, these gems are meant to be savored. Slowly. And with wine. I save them up for an evening I’m alone (either literally, or because Husband is catching up on sports on TV). I pour a glass of Pinot Noir, and slowly open the cover. Continue Reading →
If I could move a cot into my pantry and live, I just might. It’s my favorite part of our kitchen remodel — and the part I probably spent the most time on. Planning. And measuring. And redesigning.
When we started the project, Husband said that he didn’t really like things out on the kitchen counters. Given I had a juicer, an espresso machine and my new Vitamix always at the ready, this was going to take some creative problem-solving. Continue Reading →
This past August marked what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday.
We had just finished our kitchen remodel, and the local distributor for Wolf and SubZero appliances (both, in which, we made rather large investments) was having a party at their showroom.
I thought it would be fun: small plates inspired by Julia, prepared by local women chefs and paired with delicious wines. What’s not to love? Who cared that we wouldn’t know a soul that would be there? Continue Reading →
You might say that the early 90‘s were a “bad patch” for me. Without going into mind-numbing detail (not because I have a book deal, simply because I want to protect the innocent) here’s the highlight reel: I had recently divorced, walked away with nothing but debt, been struck by a freak illness resulting in emergency surgery, my job was in jeopardy, and I was in love with a guy who was going through his own “bad patch.” Oh yeah, somewhere in there, my car was totaled when a distracted driver blew through a stop sign and hit me head-on. Not exactly “winning!” Continue Reading →
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