Aisle Twelve

I pass by my cookbook shelf multiple times a day, but something today made me stop and appreciate it. Maybe its the fact that most of my recipes today come off of Pinterest and it is rare that I actually take down a cookbook, open it up and cook from it. Truth is, I like to read cookbooks the way most people read regular books. When I find one I like I get that excited, can't wait to rip into this baby, feeling. I read it from cover to cover, flagging recipes I want to try along the way. And although I know you can't judge a book by its cover, I can't help but fall in love with the vintage colors and designs of "antique" cookbooks. I also find that those have the best recipes. Tried and true. So sad to think that one day, books will just be a thing of the past. All the more reason to stop and enjoy the beauty of this little cookbook collection.

Life just gets so darn busy. Before you know it, it's five months into the new year and you haven't had a single blog post. That's why when it is your turn to host wine night, you need a fabulous appetizer with minimal effort and clean up. These brie bites are just that. They are a cinch to make and taste great. This is an idea I saw on Pinterest, but was too busy (read: lazy) to get the exact measurements out so I kind of winged it. There is no real measurements to this recipe, just go on your instincts and it will taste great. What could be better than that? Brie Bites 2 packages philo cups (find in freezer section next to philo sheets) 8 oz brie 1/4 cup walnuts honey Preheat oven according to package. In each cup, place about an inch square of brie. Top with walnuts and a good drizzle of honey. Bake according to package and serve warm. That's it. Really, you can't mess it up - it will taste delicious.

Here's a holiday recipe that will be sure to bring plenty of cheer. Mulled wine will warm your belly, and not just because it's served warm. The smell alone will get you in a festive mood. Be sure not to break the bank on extravagant wine. With all the spice and other flavors in this drink, the nuances of the wine will be masked. An inexpensive wine will be more than fine. I can't think of a better way to drink this than curled up by the fireplace with a nice blanket and good conversation. Cheers to the holidays! Mulled Wine 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups water 1 cup apple cider 1 cinnamon stick 12 cloves peel of 1 lemon 2 bottles dry red wine 1/2 cup brandy or spiced rum Combine water, sugar, cinnamon stick,cloves and lemon peel in large sauce pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add brandy, cider and wine. Do not boil. Bring to temperature of coffee.

It's that time of year again: slow cooker season. There is no better feeling than coming home to a rich, flavorful dinner that you hardly had to lift a finger for. That is why slow cookers should be called life savers, or sanity savers, or good smell factories. They are the best. I've mentioned before though that it can be challenging to find a slow cooker recipe that is not a soup, stew or chili. Here's one that's a little different and just as rib stickingly delicious. Ropa Vieja literally translates to old clothes. I'm not quite sure why. Is it because the shreds of beef look like old tattered clothing? Or because you gobble it up so fast you make a hot mess of your shirt which now becomes old clothes? Either way, this meal is delicious. Think pot roast with a little Spanish flair. Being married to a Cuban, I find that I am frequently requested to make Cuban dishes.  The problem is, I haven't had much experience in authentic Cuban food.  That chang...

Late summer, early fall is my favorite time of year to go to the farmer's market. It's the perfect time of year to stock up on sweet corn. I over bought a little last week and came home with about three too many ears of corn. I didn't want to just freeze it so I decided to make some chowder. Only, I had never made a chowder before. To my pleasant surprise, this chowder was just the perfect way to use up the corn. It was sweet, and creamy and hit the spot. Joe even told me it was in his top 5 meals that I have ever made. I take that as a pretty high compliment. This is something I will be making time and time again. I adapted this recipe by taking a few things here and there from many recipes that I read on the internet. I made just enough for the three of us, but the recipes I read served more like 6 people, so I will put those measurements in here. Also, most recipes called for white wine. I didn't have any. I wanted to use a beer instead; something with a lit...

Now I know what you're thinking, why go to the trouble of making pizza when its just so darn easy to pick up the phone and have a perfectly good one delivered?  I'll tell you why.  Once you discover the fun and the flavor of making your own homemade pizza, you'll never want to order a delivery pizza again.  The drawback of making your own is of  course the time factor.  But if you do it in steps, then it is possible to make your own faster than it would be to call in your order and have it delivered.  I do it like this:  on a weekend or a day when I am lucky enough to have time sans crawling toddler at my feet, then I make the pizza dough.  Making pizza dough is pretty fast and simple.  You take a handful of ingredients, mix it up and then let it sit in a bowl for an hour.  After it rises, you have not one, but two large (14 inch) pizza crusts.  That means if you freeze the other crust, all you have to do is pop the dough o...

Every year I seem to fall in love with a new herb.  I grow it, I use it as much as I can, and I wonder how I've never used it before.  Although there has been torrential downpours just about everyday, I already know that I am going to be growing dill in my garden this spring.  I'm in love with it ever since I made this potato salad.  I want to put dill in everything.  I love it's tangy savory-ness.  It's a perfect herb - a perfect compliment to any dish.  Dill, where have you been all my life?  It's been way too long.  Try this simplistic, French inspired potato salad and you too will fall dill-eriously in love with dill. Dill Potato Salad (Makes 4 side servings) 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes juice from 1/2 lemon 2 sprigs dill, chopped about 1/2 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper about 1 generous tbs mayo about 1 generous tsp Dijon mustard Boil potatoes in pot and drain.  Cut potatoes into large cubes and trans...