Yes, it’s strawberry season! Perfectly ripe, brimming with perky sweetness, they are delicious eaten out of hand. But I love to use them in a wide variety of desserts, including these alluring pillows dubbed “clouds.” For the absolute best results, start with strawberries that are ripe and flavorful. For never-fail berries, I love to use Harry’s Berries. Founded in Oxnard…
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Who doesn’t love apple pie? It’s an all American favorite, right? This one adds some surprises. There’s sour cream in the mix and a crunchy-sweet topping. I’ve been making it since I was 20. And trust me, that was decades and decades ago. Now my grown daughters bake it and claim it as their own. Let’s start with the crust…
These slow-cooker “baked” apples are delicious served for breakfast or as a homey dessert. I serve them whole for breakfast, sometimes accompanied with a nice puddle of whipping cream. For dessert, I serve half-apple portions teamed with whipped cream, ice cream, or creme fraiche. Baked Apples with Cranberries, Nuts and Brown Sugar Yield: 4 breakfast servings, 8 dessert servings 1/4…
Chicken can make a delicious taco filling, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts can lack flavor bling. Chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce adds both flavor and aroma to the poaching liquid. Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeno chilies and they add an enticing rich smokiness. More add-ins heighten flavor, too, including garlic, orange juice and Worchester sauce, plus a smidgen of…
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED … Five minutes and you have starters that are as delicious as they are glamorous. These beauties are lavash (bought at Trader Joe’s) spread with cream cheese and rolled around watercress (or arugula) and pickled ginger. EASY. Ginger Roll-UpsYield: 16 servingsOne (8-ounce) plus one (3-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature2 (9-by-12-inch) sheets of lavash, see…
At our house, we call slabs of cauliflower “vegetarian steaks.” They are a welcome steam-roast treat to serve when the vegan branch of our family visits. I like the way the chefs at America’s Test Kitchen steam them in a scorching hot oven under a blanket of aluminum foil before roasting them to create lovely caramelization on the exteriors. A…
Green salads have endless possibilities … Strawberries can be at their very best this time of year – juicy and sweet, with a luxurious texture. This romaine-based mix showcases the berries with Romaine lettuce, Feta cheese and salted nuts such as pistachios or almonds. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette spiked with honey and shallots. Fresh tarragon comes to the…
Almost every night at my house, we have some type of salad. When the lettuce runs out, we turn to longer lasting vegetables to be the headliner. Celery is one of those choices. There are loads of theories about how to best store it. I trim the bottom and cut the bunch in half crosswise. After swishing the freed stalks…