The cookbook by Martha Stewart, called Martha Stewart’s Hors D’Oeuvres Handbook, was published in 1999, pretty soon after I started catering. It’s a beautiful book, even if you’re not a Martha Stewart fan. Her ideas for hors d’oeuvres are, not surprisingly, creative and unique. Sometimes they’re on the crazy end of the spectrum – completely
Tag: sun-dried tomatoes
There was a little bistro here in my town – a sandwich, soup, and salad kind of place. It was successful, but the owners eventually retired and moved to Texas to be closer to their extended family. The one thing I always ordered was their tomato basil soup. It was rich, tomatoey, and perfumed with
Risotto is one of those dishes that I love to make because I never make it the same way. It’s what I love to do as a cook – improvise! Typically I use butter, aromatics, wine, broth, and finish with cream and/or cheese. But the add-in options are practically endless. I’ve used chopped tomatoes, grated
A while back I posted this pasta photo on Facebook, with the caption, “What would you make with these?” I sincerely needed help, because all I could think to do with this large variety, called Lumaconi, is to stuff them, like one would stuff manicotti. The thing is, I don’t stuff. Which seriously makes me
My first experiences in the kitchen were of the baking kind. I’d get up early and make some kind of sweet coffee cake or cinnamon buns on Sunday morning to make my family happy. All I remember was that I was about ten when I started the ritual. Baking became addictive for me, although I’ve
Tapenade is a condiment of sorts, made from olives mostly, plus capers. It originates from Southern France, specifically the Provence region, but I’ve seen recipes from nearby Italy that also include anchovies. So once again we have a dish that has many different variations. I’ve seen tapenade more often made solely with black olives, and