food detective
My husband’s and my travel schedules have been… crazy! We’ve literally flown over one another. Think of planes, trains and cars passing in the night. Last Wednesday was the only date that could possibly resemble a date. I wanted to slow down, set the table, and make him something special to show him how much I’ve missed him. But with suitcases that
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Just taught an evening class at Dorothy Lane Market’s Culinary Center. The theme was “spring soiree”. While nature is popping up and showing its face, it’s time for us to shake off our winter hibernation and do the same. Spring is the perfect time to reconnect with friends and feature some of the best the season has to offer. The class was a
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food detective
Here’s some real news you can sink your teeth into. Melissa Clark, a food reporter from the New York Times, has created a digital series on the essentials of French cuisine. She takes readers through ten quintessential recipes- from mastering a basic omelet to serving up a soufflé with aplomb. She walks you through why should master the recipe
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
A definite perk to helping my dad move back to Florida each year is that it almost always coincides with the opening day of stone crab season. Last week I almost spilled my coffee when I heard on the local news that fisherman were allowed to set their traps that day in the Gulf of Mexico. When I shared that report with my dad it didn’t take much
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Last week I was the guest chef at Moraine Country Club. We decided on a tasting menu to showcase all the season had to offer. It was such fun working with the staff and being back in a professional kitchen. As I uniformly chopped crates of vegetables for my gazpacho for sixty and wrestled the massive Hobart mixer the memories came flooding back.
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food detective
The other morning I was walking by the TV in my bedroom and caught a snippet of Giada de Laurentiis attempting to show Savanna Guthrie how to devein a shrimp. It was an amusing although futile clip, what really held my attention was the recipe that followed- buffalo grilled shrimp with a goat cheese dipping sauce. Secretly I love wings though
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food detective
My step-daughter and her chef boyfriend gave me the best cookbook for Christmas, Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton. I love the way the book appears to be a copy of her cooking manifest for her restaurant, complete with hand written notes in the margins. Personally I read cookbooks like others read novels. I have a stack of cookbooks on my bedside table.
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food detective
Last month United threw us a curveball. A seven-hour delay in the Denver airport for our connecting flight home. Being held hostage by the airlines is never fun but this time I was carrying special cargo, my little Norwich terrier Willie. We waited for our crew to arrive at the gate for an hour, sat on the plane for 2 ½ hours for mechanics to
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
This one has been one for the record books. Polar plunges. Incredible ice storms. And my dear mom’s heath battle. She is a fighter and a champ, but like this winter it’s been a relentless rollercoaster. It’s hard to find your footing when you feel like you’re constantly skating on thin ice. Having my folks so far away has been difficult. They are
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
There are things you do when you’re dating that tend to fall by the wayside once you get married. For me that would be golf. I’ve never really warmed to the game. It takes almost all day to play. Those who partake tend to complain afterward about went wrong rather then what was fun. It never held much incentive for a full-time working full-time
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation! read more →