Oh Cake

Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup with Bacon & Apple Grilled Cheese

2012-02-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

Look, it's not a newsflash - you know the drill. It's cold. It's damp. It's gray. It's time for tomato soup and grilled cheese. But you're not six. You don't want canned soup and plastic cheese. You want to be able to wax poetic about this de rigeur comfort food. You want flavor, dammit, and you want it now.

I can help you with that. I got what you need. You need bacon (you know you want it). You need roasted red peppers (oh, that charred sweet flavor). You need gruyere and comté (fancy-pants cheese. Really, 'nuff said).

Hearty Winter Potato Salad featuring Idaho Fingerling Potatoes

2012-02-25T22:37:00.003-05:00

Everyone has a favorite family recipe for potato salad* but generally we think of it as a summer side dish to be served alongside hamburgers and grilled chicken in the backyard. Here is a warm, hearty winter version made using Idaho® fingerling potatoes combined with kale - a great winter green - and a cannellini bean sauce instead of the usual mayonnaise based binder. And of course, everything is better with a little bacon to garnish the top!

Herb Roast Chicken - Step-by-Step Photo Instructions to Truss a Chicken

2012-02-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

Roast chicken is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Sunday dinners at my grandmother's tiny apartment often centered around a golden roasted chicken with crispy skin. When my husband wants to show me he loves me he'll say, "honey, want me to make a roast chicken?"

Whether you serve it with a simple green salad and rolls or a variety of complex side dishes, roast chicken is a classic comfort food and perennial favorite of multiple generations. Making a fabulous roast chicken has less to do with the flavorings and more to do with the method of production. Knowing how to truss the chicken and sear the skin to a crispy finish will make your Sunday dinners as memorable as Grammie's were.

American Beauty Cupcakes - Chocolate & Roses for Valentine's Day

2012-02-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

There is something about a chocolate cupcake, particularly topped with fluffy pink frosting, that just makes me all happy, bubbly, and excited. Years ago, whenever I was having a bad day at work or just wanted a treat, I would drive over to Russos during my lunch break and pick up a half-dozen (don't judge - they came in packages of six!) of their homemade chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting. I would share some with my favorite co-worker, Claudia, and bring some home. But usually I ate ~~two~~, er... one, at my desk and felt immediately that all was right with the world once again. (Note to self - next birthday make yourself a chocolate layer cake with pink frosting).

Boozy Brownie Truffles ~ Homemade Valentine's Day Candy

2012-02-07T01:08:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day these brownie truffles are the perfect confection for the one you love. Never was homemade candy so easy... or so addictive and delicious. These decadent little bites are perfect for gifting or for a sweet, liqueur-soaked after dinner treat. If you don't drink alcohol or are making these with kids omit the liqueur and use my faithful favorite of d'Arbo syrup instead.

Chocolatelove: Molten Chocolate Cake ~ with Raspberry Lava!

2012-02-04T00:03:00.004-05:00

Molten chocolate lava cake. Its very name conjures up decadent rivers of rich, dark chocolate encased in tender, fragrant cake just waiting for my fork to pierce the side and erupt into a creamy pool of deliciousness.

Excuse me, just have to wipe up this drool...

To me the only thing better than a molten chocolate lava cake is a molten chocolate lava cake with a raspberry center. This classic and elegant presentation will up the "wow" factor a notch. Not a fan of raspberries? Just omit them and follow the rest of the recipe or get creative with the suggestions at the end.

Read more »

Are You Ready to Rumble? Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

2012-02-03T20:36:00.004-05:00

I am incredibly excited to announce that I won the Boston Globe's Superbowl Recipe Rumble today for my Chicken Enchilada Lasagna. As one of ten finalists selected by Boston Globe Food Editor Sheryl Julian, my recipe was ultimately chosen as the winner by Chef Paul Wahlburg, owner and Executive Chef at Alma Nove in Hingham, MA (and big brother to Donnie & Mark Wahlburg).

Chef Wahlburg wrote: "... [the] chicken enchilada lasagna is the winner. The great mix of spices and the use of both the thigh and breast of the chicken is fantastic. All of the flavors will blend well together. The use of the collard greens and the corn tortillas really bring it all together. I like that it could be an entree if you served it with a salad, or also simply an appetizer. This dish is super for Super Bowl Sunday! Go Pats!"

Liebster Blog - Thank You!

2012-01-31T19:58:00.003-05:00

Liebster: German word meaning "dearest" or "beloved."

Liebster Blog Award: an honor awarded from one blogger to another to show support for an up and coming blog.

You like me! You really, really like me! OK - I'm not Sally Field - but I am very honored to be awarded the Liebster Blog Award by Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian, Emily at Life on Food, Chandra at The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen, and Leanne at Around the Table.

Leanne writes a great blog filled with the kind of food you want to eat. Tackling everything from homemade ricotta to lemon & honey crock pot chicken Leanne's blog will make you hungry!

Emily's blog features great dinner dishes with a healthy dose of baking and a sprinkling of chocolate served alongside some tasty tidbits about life.

Chandra is a wife and mother who dishes up great homestyle favorites her husband and sons will enjoy - and you will too!

Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian write a great blog about being mostly vegetarian. You have to check out her PB&J Chocolate Cake!

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, in the spirit of fostering new connections. And in the spirit of paying the love forward, I am passing this award on to the following great up and coming blogs:

Healthy Foodie Travels - Kiri writes great stories about her travels and all the delicious sights she encounters along the way.

Diary of a Semi Health-Nut - How can you not love someone who makes healthy fun?

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies - TR has terrific gluten-free recipes. Be sure to check out his Chocolate-Orange Creme Brulee.

Cafe Terra Blog - Terra writes really tasty recipes and her photos will make you hungry for sure!

I hope you will take an interest in these great up and coming bloggers - you'll be glad you did!

Chili at Church - The First Annual Chili Cook-Off

2012-01-31T17:50:00.000-05:00

Nothing beats a hot bowl of chili on a cold, blustery day. I have a couple of favorite versions that I make at home and will often order chili when I'm out at restaurants during the winter. There is something intrinsically comforting about ordinary beans and beef being transformed into something nuanced and layered with exotic spices from a variety of chili peppers, vegetables, and your own "secret ingredient." Imagine my excitement then, when I heard* about the First Annual Boston Chili Cook-Off sponsored by Church Restaurant.

Read more »

A Lasagna Hat-Trick : Grilled Eggplant, Sausage & Peppers, and Bolognese

2012-01-17T11:23:00.001-05:00

I really want to call this Grilled Eggplant Sausage & Peppers Bolognese Lasagna but that is just too much of a mouthful... an awesomely delicious mouthful, but a mouthful nonetheless. I'd also love to call this "the best damn lasagna you ever ate" but even though I am made of awesome, I'm not quite that cocky. So, instead I offer you a lasagna hat-trick featuring interpretations of three well-loved Italian-American dishes:

Grilled eggplant - a classic in antipasti and a lighter substitute for that other favorite: eggplant parmigiana.
Sausage and peppers - an Italian-American favorite of street vendors, backyard barbecues, and ball games.
Bolognese sauce - an homage to my second home of Bologna, Italy and one of the most beloved exports to Italian-American cuisine.

This isn't a classic lasagna by any means. There is no ricotta, no egg to act as a binder. It is simply layer upon layer of deliciousness.

Candied Orange Peel - Fresh Citrus Candy

2012-01-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

I was first exposed to the process of candying citrus peel when I worked at a French restaurant that offered the sweet, tart, chewy sugared strips along with candied nuts and house made chocolates to guests at the end of their visit. I was amazed at the transformation the discarded peels, which elsewhere would be considered fit for the compost heap, went through to become a trésor for fine dining.

The best part? It's some of the easiest candy you'll ever make. It's a bit time consuming, but not difficult. So the next time you're making a recipe that calls for citrus juice or segments, save the peels and make some delicious homemade candy.

Read more »

Orange Cranberry Walnut Bread

2012-01-09T09:48:00.001-05:00

I have had a lifelong love affair with fruit breads ever since tasting my Grammie's luscious banana bread as a child and helping my Mom make fruit breads as gifts every Christmas. This orange cranberry walnut bread is a fabulous breakfast or snack bread. The orange scent permeates the sweet, crisp exterior while the inside remains tender and moist with bursts of tart, fresh cranberries and rich toasted walnuts; It is so flavorful that adding butter or cream cheese to a slice really is gilding the lily.

Citruslove Bloghop - Broiled Maple Orange & Grapefruit Supreme

2012-01-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

Winter is the prime season for citrus. Sweet-tart grapefruit, juicy sunset colored oranges, perfect tiny tangerines and so much more. My favorite are oranges - in all their forms. I love to snack on clementines and I keep oranges handy to zest into both sweet and savory recipes for a fresh hint of citrus. Even if it wasn't #citruslove month, I would probably be making all manner of orange recipes this month like this broiled maple grapefruit and orange suprême.

This is one of my favorite ways to serve citrus to a crowd. The combination of tart grapefruit and succulent orange broiled with a kiss of maple makes a typically cold fruit sweet and warm.

Pulled Pork - City Style

2012-01-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

Of the many things I loved about living in North Carolina, one of my favorite was the multitude of good quality barbecue joints. On two of my three cross-country drives I made it a point to stop at as many barbecue places as I could conveniently locate. While certainly not an exhaustive list, I have enjoyed barbecue in such classic locales as the Carolinas, Austin, Texas and Kansas City. As any American can tell you barbecue means different things to different people and folks whose hometown happens to be in a well-known barbecue region will assure you that theirs is the only true barbecue.

City style pulled pork with confetti collards and pickled red onion

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

2012-01-02T14:59:00.001-05:00

This velvety cauliflower and sweet potato soup is not only delicious, it's super easy to make and fast enough for a weeknight dinner. In fact, the soup will be ready in about the time it takes to make a salad, slice some crusty french bread, set the table, and corral everyone in for dinner. After all the excess of the holiday season it's nice to get back to some lighter fare for a bit.

My love of soup and of my immersion blender is already well-known. This healthy soup is lightly flavored with cinnamon, is gluten free, and can be made vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Read more »

A Cake Family Christmas

2011-12-31T19:50:00.002-05:00

'Twas the morning of Christmas, when all through the house came the fragrance of breakfast
onion and bacon casserole and a boozy fruit cake made a tasty repast.

Mom's breakfast casserole. Photo by JDHH

Roquefort Date Pecan Cheese Balls

2011-12-26T23:04:00.004-05:00

These roquefort date pecan balls are super fast and easy to make but taste like a gourmet's dream. Perfect for a dinner party or as part of a cheese platter at your New Year's Eve party these delicious little bites will became a staple in your hors d'oeuvres repertoire.

Thanks to an awesome giveaway hosted by Natasha over at 5-Star Foodie and sponsored by the folks from Ile de France I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners of a super cheese giveaway. I squealed with delight when the package arrived containing brie, roquefort, camembert, goat cheese and crackers. Poor Thom was despondent when I informed him that he was not permitted to simply scarf down all the cheese immediately but perked up a little when I promised him tasty, tasty cheese hors d'oeuvres.

Read more »

Gingerbread Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - The Foodie Days of Christmas

2011-12-22T10:58:00.003-05:00

This tender gingerbread layer cake has just the right amount of spice. The dark, rich molasses and ginger flavors are perfectly balanced with the luscious cream cheese frosting. At this time of year is there really any such thing as too much gingerbread? Whether you're into cookies or cake, tis the season to bake!

Sugar Cookie and Gingerbread Snowflakes - The Foodie Days of Christmas

2011-12-15T09:18:00.003-05:00

Like most kids I loved cutting out sugar cookies at Christmas time and decorating them with brightly colored sprinkles. As my love for cooking and baking grew I branched out into various flavorings, such as orange and almond, and started using melted chocolate as an accent. I always made the same recipe which was passed from one Mom in our neighborhood to another and finally on to my Mom. Each year I made dozens upon dozens of cookies; no matter how many we gave away as presents there was always a heaping tray of decorated sugar cookies on Christmas Day. Eventually we had all had too much of a good thing and I stopped making sugar cookies. This year however, inspired by some beautiful snowflake cookie cutters I purchased, I decided to make roll out cookies once more.

Apple Cranberry Walnut Bread - The Foodie Days of Christmas

2011-12-13T10:37:00.009-05:00

This is not your grandmama's fruit cake. This is a delicious, fragrant fruit bread absolutely bursting with sweet apples, tart cranberries, and rich walnuts. When I was a child, and all the way through high school, every year when Winter Break rolled around my mother and I would make several mini loaves of fruit bread to give as gifts to my teachers. This fruit bread makes a fabulous breakfast toasted in the oven and spread with cream cheese or as a perfect mid-afternoon snack sliced plain with hot tea. It's a wonderful treat to bring to friends who may be hosting you for the holidays or to serve at a holiday brunch.

Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bark and Kids Christmas Bark - A Family Sunday Recipe

2011-12-11T10:00:00.006-05:00

Chocolate bark is one of those classic Christmas treats that's easy to make, fun to decorate, and always popular with both kids and adults. When I was a child my grandmother loved Cadbury's Fruit & Nut bars. I couldn't understand why... raisins? Almonds? No, no, no! At most all you needed was krispie puffs in your chocolate bars! Now that I'm an adult I completely understand the allure of rich, roasted nuts and chewy sweet dried fruits. I just wish Grammie was still here to have some of my own homemade fruit and nut chocolate bark with me! Here are two versions sure to satisfy all generations around your holiday table.

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies - The Foodie Days of Christmas

2011-12-09T09:57:00.005-05:00

Chocolate and peppermint go hand-in-hand with the Christmas season like stockings hung by the fire and twinkling lights on the Christmas tree. Between peppermint bark, peppermint hot cocoa, and chocolate covered peppermint cremes this flavor combination is on everyone's list of favorite holiday treats. And I love it! Smooth, rich chocolate and cool, refreshing peppermint. The combination evokes both the comforting richness of holiday foods as well as the fresh, crisp winter air. These cookies offer a great balance of tantalizing flavor to platters of gingerbread men and sugar cookie stars.

DingDingDing! We Have a Winner!

2011-12-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to all the lovely folks who entered the Oh Cake and Survival By Design giveaway. The winner is: Julie from Sugarfoot Eats! Julie writes a wonderful blog laden with yummy homestyle good eats. I hope you'll check her out and follow along!

Orange-Cinnamon Candied Almonds - The Foodie Days of Christmas

2011-12-06T23:39:00.008-05:00

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Our neighborhood gets all decked out with garlands and lights strung across Hanover Street. Businesses hang pine-scented wreaths with festive gold and red trimmings. We always take a walk around Boston to enjoy the decorations while getting pink-cheeked with the cold. It's possible I married my husband for his incredible ability to have warm hands - even in December. I love simple pleasures amidst the craziness of the the season like a movie matinee and a bowl of clam chowder at the Union Oyster House with Thom or finding the perfect new Santa ornament for my Aunt's collection of all things Saint Nick.

Photo Williams Sonoma

I get so excited to pick out gifts for friends and family. I'd love to be a personal shopper, actually. Over the last few lean years I've had to cut back on gift giving; More and more of my gifts are homemade... a scarf crocheted for Dad, sweet and spicy pecans for friends, or a handmade ornament for Mom. But I still have so much fun trying to find the perfect, special gift for loved ones. I love wrapping presents; picking out paper, ribbons and tags that will make the package as thoughtfully presented as the gift was planned.

Read more »

Cookielove - Fleur de Sel Caramel Cookies

2011-12-03T07:03:00.003-05:00

I have loved caramels since I was an itty-bitty child. Rich, luscious, sweet, creamy caramel. Heavenly! The first time I tasted sea salt caramels I knew the little girl in me was all grown up. I have been a salted caramel devotee ever since. It was only natural then, when this month's #lovebloghop theme of cookies was announced, that I began thinking about how to create a salted caramel cookie.

Fleur de sel literally translates as "flower of salt." It is a hand-harvested French sea salt with a high mineral content that is often slightly grey in color. If you do not have, or cannot find, fleur de sel you can substitute any fine sea salt instead. These cookies do have a lot of steps, but the end result is oh so worth it. Fortunately for my waistline these cookies can be frozen and baked off just a few at a time. If you've never made caramel before I suggest checking out this great tutorial by David Lebovitz before getting started.