Author Archives: Cathy Thomas

Tweet Homemade goodies seem to capture the spirit of the holidays in a way no store-bought treasure can. Create homemade liqueurs and then sit back and enjoy the pleasure that those soul-warming libations bring as gifts. Homemade liqueurs don’t take … Continue reading →

Tweet Sweet and Spicy = Delicious piquant-sweet melon. Perfect for the buffet table and holiday entertaining! Use any ripe melon for this delicious dish. I like to serve it as part of a showy buffet. (AND, remember, cantaloupe is on … Continue reading →

Tweet Chinese tapas, yes! Cookbook author-caterer, Katie Chin, learned how to cook from her Chinese mother. She helped in the kitchen with her late mother, Leeann Chin, an award-winning restaurateur. In 2003, the two starred in a PBS national cooking … Continue reading →

Tweet Award winning executive chef at The Ranch in Anaheim, Michael Rossi, charmed  students with his skill and culinary passion in a recent cooking class. It was the first class taught in the beautiful teaching kitchen on the sixth floor … Continue reading →

Tweet Asparagus and cheese – a marriage made in food heaven. Roast asparagus topped with crunchy Parmesan cheese is a favorite.   The short video shows how easy it is!   Roasted Asparagus with Crunchy Parmesan Yield: 4 servings 3 … Continue reading →

Tweet I love Giada’s Shaker Salad. Limp greens and soggy veggies are often the fate of a made-ahead salad destined for the lunchbox. In Giada De Laurentiis’ newest cookbook, “Happy Cooking,” she provides a shaker jar strategy. Chill. Shake. Enjoy. … Continue reading →

Tweet Kiwi Sorbet can be prepared in either in a standard freezer, but is best made in a machine specifically made for making ice creams (it’s lighter and fluffier that way). I have a simple machine that uses a chilled … Continue reading →

Tweet Dungeness crab tastes sweeter at Leigh and Judy Ross’ summer home in Roche Harbor, an idyllic spot on San Juan Island off the Washington State coast. It sits along the Haro Strait close to the Canada–United States border. During … Continue reading →

Tweet QUICK-PICKLED – “REFRIGERATOR FRUIT PICKLES”: No steaming water bath or hours spent in a hot kitchen laboring with knife work. Quick pickling is fast and easy.   Refreshing and unbelievably simple to do, summer fruit tastes delicious pickled this … Continue reading →

Tweet Chocolate Panna Cotta layered with raspberry and passion fruit “jellies.” David Rossi, award-winning executive pastry chef at The Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim, triumphs long before dessert arrives. Served at the start, his puffed-to perfection, piping hot popovers accompanied with … Continue reading →