In A Nutshell

Divine.... what more can I say? Lavender Infusion : 2 T dried lavender buds 1 cup boiling water Steep for 30 minutes; strain and chill. Cocktail : 1 oz. gin 1 oz. lime juice 2 oz. tonic water (preferably Q or Fever Tree) 1/2 oz. simple syrup or agave syrup 1/2 oz. lavender infusion Mix everything in a rocks glass, add ice and stir. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.

These are good-old, stand-by cookies. The original recipe comes from the Quaker Oats carton top. I have two little problems with cookies in that I often can't stop eating them after they come out of the oven and also that I only like them when they are fresh out of the oven (shortbread-type cookies being the exception). So to counterbalance these issues, I have taken to scooping all the dough onto cookie sheets and freezing the individual balls of dough (except for the batch I'm making right then and there); once they are frozen I take them off the cookie sheet and put them into ziplock bags with baking instructions written in marker on the outside of the bag. When I have a taste for cookies, I remove 2-- that's right, only 2 per customer!!! and thaw them on a small cookie sheet (this only takes about 1/2 hour) and bake. I get my freshly baked cookies and by default, control my intake. The other advantage is that you can have them on hand and bake them in a pinch for an ...

This is like the crack cocaine of side dishes. Seriously addictive. I ate so much it put me in a carb coma but it was worth every bite. The recipe is originally from Ina via Food Network magazine but I changed it up a bit making Boursin cheese the star of this dish-- because I can never get enough Boursin cheese, adding bacon (because duh...) and simplifying it (namely by not using the dastardly food mill). 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered 5 garlic cloves 1 1/2 containers Boursin chive and garlic cheese 4 T butter at room temp. 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1/2 cup half-and-half 6 slices of bacon, chopped, cooked and drained on paper towels 1/2 cup parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375º. Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes; drain potatoes. While the potatoes are still hot, add 3-4 teaspoons salt and freshly ground pepper along with all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the parmesan cheese. Usin...

I had this drink at The Bier Garden in Encinitas during the tail end of the flu. Normally I don't have a taste for alcohol when I'm sick but with honey, lemon and bourbon this drink sounded like the best flavored Ricola cough drop you could ever imagine.  I'm not really sure how to get the honey to totally dissolve but in the spirit of scientific quest, I will continue to experiment. 5 or 6 blackberries 1 1/2 oz. bourbon of your choice 3/4 oz. lemon 3/4 oz. créme de muir* 1 teaspoon honey Try as best you can to dissolve the honey in the lemon juice in a glass and then add the blackberries and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients and fill the glass with ice. At this point you can either just stir it up or pour the whole drink in a cocktail shaker and shake it up well; strain it over fresh ice or dump the whole concoction right back in the glass--- your choice. I personally find this additional step isn't necessary. Garnish with a mint leaf and a blackberry....

This is somewhat modified from a Food & Wine recipe. You won't believe how delicious this is---like a really awesome mac n' cheese! 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into 1" florets extra virgin olive oil Preheat the oven to 425º. On a rimmed baking sheet spread the cauliflower in one layer and drizzle with EVOO; sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes or so until nicely browned. 2 T butter 2 T EVOO 1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 t garlic powder 1/2 cup white wine 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (6 oz.) 8 oz. stracchino (crescenza) cheese (I can only find this at Target) 1 lb orecchiete or shells 1/4 cup bread crumbs (or more if you like) Get a large pot of salted water going and preheat the oven to 450º. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the EVOO and sauté the onion and garlic, if using, until softened and lightly browned. Add the wine and boil until m...

What can I say about this except that it is delicious beyond belief. Salty, buttery, crispy goodness-the pinnacle of potato joy. A cast iron pan is really helpful. I will give you a rough estimate of the quantities because it really depends upon how much you want to make and what size pan you are using. I used about 3 potatoes in the photo above with an approximately 14" flat cast iron pan. You have to understand that if you skimp on the butter, you are only hurting yourself.... Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced with your dangerous mandoline to 1/8" melted butter, lots salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 425º. Brush your cast iron pan with melted butter and layer the potatoes as pictured above. Brush them generously, and I mean generously with melted butter. Salt and pepper the potatoes and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check on them around 40 minutes and turn the pan if needed. Mine tend to bake by 45 minutes but everyone's oven is different. Enjoy!

My mom found this recipe in its original form on a blog called  Apple of My Eye ; we have extensively changed it because it was a very lean, low-fat recipe and in need of some serious flavor boost. I have made it many times and tweak it every time. I love it! It's homey, comforting and makes you feel like you're a visitor in Aunt Bee's kitchen. You can use leftover roasted chicken, grilled chicken or you can poach some chicken breasts; it is also good with no chicken at all as a side dish or a vegetarian main course. 1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks 1/2 head broccoli, cut into chunks Preheat the oven to 425º; lay out the veggies in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (you may need 2) and drizzle with EVOO. Salt and pepper them and roast for about 20-25 minutes until nicely browned. 2 T butter 2 T flour 1/2 t garlic salt 1 t onion powder 1 1/3 cup milk (I prefer to use whole milk) 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 cups shredded cheddar 2 slices bacon, co...

I made these to go with the chicken gumbo from the other day-- they were pure, deep-fried heaven! I made my own aioli to go in the remoulade but it is certainly easier to use Hellman's mayo. Serve with an ice cold beer. 2 T olive oil 1 cup grated zucchini 3/4 cup fresh or frozen, thawed corn kernels 1/4 cup finely chopped onion chopped fresh herbs of your choice (I happened to have chives in the fridge) 3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup plus 2 T Jiffy corn muffin mix 1 T sugar 1/2 t kosher salt 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 egg In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the zucchini, corn and onion; sauté for about 5 minutes or so until the zucchini is less watery and the veggies are lightly browned. Whisk milk and egg in a bowl; add the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Gently add the zucchini mixture and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. Pour about 2" of vegetable oil into a heavy pot and heat (the recipe says to heat to 325º; I didn't use a t...

 This is a gateway food to things too decadent and heathenous to talk about on a mere suburban cooking blog. Eating the cheesy pizza tree should be considered engaging in risky behavior. 1 lb pizza dough, homemade preferably or store-bought mozzarella cheese cut into 32 little 1" cubes (or cheese sticks cut into cubes) 1/4 cup melted butter 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan 1 T chopped parsley 1 egg whisked with 1 T water Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 450º. Divide the dough into 32 pieces; wrap each piece around a cube of mozzarella and form into a tightly sealed ball. Place the balls seam side down in the shape of a x-mas tree or just a circle. Brush egg wash on and bake for 15-20 minutes. Brush the melted butter on the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and parsley. You can serve this with warm marinara on the side.

Great cold-weather food! I have adapted the recipe from Food & Wine magazine and I keep tweaking it all the time. It is delicious served over rice with an ice cold beer. 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 flour 1 large onion, chopped 1 large celery rib, chopped 1 large green pepper, small-diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup tomato paste 6 cups chicken broth 1 bag frozen, sliced okra meat from 1 rotisserie chicken 1 lb sausages (andouille, kielbasa or whatever you have on hand), grilled 1-2 T cajun seasoning (to taste) 1/2 T mild or hot paprika 1 bay leaf chopped hard boiled eggs chopped scallions hot sauce of your choice filé powder In a large heavy pot, heat oil and sauté all the vegetable except for the okra for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Add the flour and cook until golden; stir in the tomato paste and spices and cook for a minute or so. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil-- then add the sausage and okra and let this simmer for about 20 ...

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appétit magazine; the soup is SO delicious. I like to fry the meatballs in a little bit of olive oil rather than bake them but the choice is yours. Serve with some crusty bread and a bit of parmesan cheese on the side. For the meatballs : 1 egg 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs 1 lb ground chicken 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated 2 T chopped parsley 1 t garlic salt black pepper to taste Mix everything together gently and form into meatballs approximately 1 1/2" in diameter.  Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes to let them firm up a bit (to be honest, I usually don't do this). Fry them in a little bit of olive oil, turning gently on occasion until the outside is browned a bit (you don't have to worry about cooking them all the way through, they will finish cooking in the broth). For the soup : 8- 10 cups chicken broth (homemade is best if possible) 1 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup orzo 4 cu...

This recipe comes from Fine Cooking Magazine and is supposed to be served as a wrap with butter lettuce, but the grocery store did not have butter lettuce so I made it into a salad instead-- which I think was a good call. 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean red chile-bean sauce-- it's delicious!) 2 T sesame oil 2 T soy sauce 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T rice vinegar spring lettuce or butter lettuce kimchee sliced scallions grated carrots Mix the marinade ingredients and pour half over the steak; I like to let this marinade overnight. Grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side and slice thinly. Serve atop the lettuce and scatter the other ingredients over and around the steak and pass the remaining marinade to use as dressing to taste. Alternatively you can keep all the ingredients separate and let people make their own lettuce wraps using butter lettuce.