I’ve hired a caterer for my son’s graduation party and it’s me. Whether it’s with a friend or solo, I’ve been cooking and freezing for the last few weeks getting ready for his high school graduation party.
Self Catering A Graduation Party
Featured Posts
Fiddle-de-Diddle Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads are actually the top of a fern. (See that picture on the left.) They only appear in the early spring and disappear quicker than most farmers’ market finds.
Savor Summer in a Two-Bite Morsel
.jpg)
I’ve waited weeks to sink my teeth into a just-picked piece of sweet Jersey corn. And I have to say it’s been worth the wait. There’s few culinary pleasures (at least for me) which match the delightful pleasure which comes with that sugary and explosive squirt which comes as I bite into a sweet and salted buttery cob of corn.
Vintage Inspiration
Thanksgiving Leftover Pie — Best Ever!
What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers! That’s the buzz this week everywhere in the world of food. Forget about the meal itself, let’s fast forward to the day afterwards when we will create an array of tasty meals with the mounds of leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing!
Vintage Canning Cone Sieve Colander Strainer Wood Masher Rolling Pin Pestle
Sometimes something from the past deserves a reinvention for a new time. Take this vintage cone sieve with wood masher which finishes your tomato sauce better than any sieve with a hand crank. I used it this afternoon to get the most puree out of the remaining seeds and skins which were leftover from my blanched tomatoes which has been seeded and skinned.
Little Bites
Cranberry Sauce Filled Muffins
Reminiscent of old fashioned jelly filled donuts, cake flour makes these muffins light and airy. The cranberry sauce is a tart surprise with every bite of these sweet treats. They are a terrific way to use up your leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.
Salmon Cakes with Chipotle Lime Mayo
These fresh salmon cakes served with Chipotle Lime mayonnaise are packed with spices, peppers and scallions which give them plenty of zing. Trust me, they will hit just the spot. Plus they freeze exceptionally well and can be pulled out for individual meals throughout the busy work days. Make them dinner sized or two bite sized and serve as a party appetizer.
Buttered Pecan Dulce de Leche Turtles
A layer of buttered pecans, Dulce de Leche and dark chocolate set in heart shape molds are topped with just a hint of sea salt for a sophisticated take on the classic chocolate caramel turtle.
In Case You Missed Them
Craving Everything Corn
From the time I take my last bite of summer fresh corn, I crave the taste all year long. It may only take another nine months until I get to savor the sugary sweet flavors again, but a bit of delayed gratification only enhances my enjoyment as I pull back the husk and take my first crisp bite of bi-color corn.
From the Farmers’ Market – Shop by Color
Every week there are new colors! Last week, the yellow and purple cauliflower caught my eye. Though tired of cauliflower, my family devoured a head of roasted yellow florets. Open your eyes and shake things up this week: shop by color! Take your little ones by the hand, head to the market and look for…
Instant Pot — Instant Gratification
What I like about the Instant Pot and what this magical cooking device does to my food:
Quick
Flavorful
Tender
Creative
Forgiving
Healthy
Easy
Crowd pleasing
Affordable
Versatile
Food Prepping and Meal Planning
Back to school. Back to craziness. With this sweltering heat, the last thing you might want to do is cook, but as I crave some crisp fall days, I can at least write about how to make that task easier and of course enjoyable.
Lemon Chips from Nuts.com
I’m a chip fiend — cinnamon, chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, jammy bits — you name it. So when I found out from one of my students who works at Nuts.com that lemon chips existed, I have to say I was beyond excited. I know, it’s amazing that a chip can have such a positive effect on my psyche.
Zucchini Blossom and Ribbon Summer Salad
I’ve written much about the sudden and mysterious ways inspiration will strike. Whether it’s the taste of something exotic or a new use for the mundane, you never know when or how it might happen but suddenly it will. Working full time, going through the process of a divorce and a big move, I haven’t…
On My Bookshelf
This cookbook, by Jerrelle Guy is the most fun that I've had reading and flipping through the pages of a cookbook in I don't know how long -- maybe ever! The author's energy literally jumps off the page with absolutely gorgeous photos. Her deliberate ...
As glaciers melt and storms intensify, our world is changing faster than anyone can truly comprehend. To prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change on our food system, individuals, organizations and entire societies and are innovating to ...
Seven Spoons By, Tara O'Brady Maybe it was the cover of this delightful and delectable new book which lured me at first glance. Perhaps it was the freshly sliced figs which caught my attention and brought me back to lazy days filled with figs ...