Preserving Family Food Traditions- A Priceless Gift

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that the initial inspiration for starting a blog was to preserve family recipes and traditions for my 6 children. When I think back to my own childhood, many recipes that I would consider heirlooms from my family and friends have been lost. To the extent I can I do try to pass on the stories that go with the food traditions of my family, even if I don't have the recipes like how my Grandmother Knighting cracked scores of black walnuts for her famous applesauce cakes that she made as gifts. Even though money was very tight for her she would not compromise- English walnuts would not substitute. And despite her arthritis, she used cast iron bundt pans that gave her cakes a deep color, richness, and moistness that I have not been able to recreate with any recipe. Or how my Grandfather McKinney, who had been a cook in the National Guard, always made us breakfast when we were at my grandparents' home (we always requested SOS (shit on the shingle) because it was the only time we could say that word!). And how my Grandmother McKinney was an incredible bread and pie baker, and she would take the pie crust scraps and let me and my brothers spread them with jam or peanut butter and roll them up to make pinwheel cookies.Or how our neighbor in Hilton Village, Mrs "D", made me an apple pie (the best I have ever had) when I returned from the hospital after Andrew was born that was so good it made me want to get pregnant again.How about how my dad's favorite expression when something was really good was "It will make your tongue slap your brains out!"

This year for Christmas, my oldest daughter Colleen(Left, the blonde with her sister, NOT eating my food!) took this to the next level. Before Christmas, she sent us all a questionnaire with questions about food memories, favorite recipes and the like. We became more and more curious about how the information was going to be used and the answer was truly impressive. We all had to open our gift from Colleen at the same time under the tree so that the surprise would not be spoiled. She presented each of us with a binder that was covered with a version of the Dowd Family crest with some of the crossed swords and maces supplanted by mixing bowls and wooden spoons. Inside was a special introduction that choked me (and some of the siblings) up about how special our family is and how much she hopes that we hold to the traditions we have established over the years.Inside the book are recipes and stories she pulled from each family member's responses to the survey. She pulled from my blog and threw in some of her own recipes and stories as well. And to make sure the book is a living document, she established an email group with all of us as members where we can share new recipes or stories that we remember so that they are not lost and everyone can share. It was a very special and thoughtful gift, for everyone who received one, but particularly touching for me. To hear how important those memories are to my children and how much they treasured them and wanted to share and preserve them really touched my heart.

I guess I am sharing this since it has to do with food and family, two very important topics on this blog but also to encourage you to think about doing something similar as well. Whether it is a binder or a website, take the time and effort to save those special traditions for your family, it is a priceless gift that they will treasure forever. And a special thanks to Colleen for pulling it all together and to all those who provided their input to make the Dowd Family Recipes unique and special!

Merry Christmas

The hustle and bustle is over. No more shopping or Amazon, or UPS trucks bearing packages. Thousands are at their holiday destination-home. One this day when the focus is on the Holy Family welcoming a new addition that has impacted millions throughout generations, may you enjoy all the blessings of family, no matter what that looks like. A very Merry Christmas, and a safe and Happy New Year to all of you and yours. And to those families who cannot be together because their mothers, brother, fathers, and sons are deployed, a very special wish for a successful mission and a safe return home.

Now, I am going to surround myself with family and enjoy my time with those I love! Now that is the magic of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!

Let them eat steak!- An Omaholiday Giveaway!

This is the time of year when thoughts go to Christmas cookies, and glistening hams and roasted turkeys or maybe even a goose the shade of one of the Real Housewives of Orange County. But here is something designed to help you escape the monotony of leftovers during the holidays- a $50 giveaway from Omaha Steaks. If you are not familiar with Omaha Steaks, they are a large company specializing in the processing and delivery of prime steaks, meats and other gourmet foods. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska (imagine that) Omaha Steaks has many retail outlets as well as shipping their high-quality meats all over the world. Their mail-order business has soared with the interest in food as a gift, perfect for those people that you have no idea what to buy for. Like many I have heard of the company, they have been around since 1917, so when they contacted me to see if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate, I jumped at the chance. As a bonus they sent me a box of filet mignons, so that I could write about their product.

Good meat needs very little in the way of seasoning, the meat should be the star, yet there are ways to complement a good steak, bringing out its flavor. When my filets from Omaha came packed with dry ice, we were looking forward to a great dinner. My steaks benefitted from my recent Julie and Julia experience- I learned that to sear meat you must dry the surface first. I used only some fresh ground pepper and kosher salt and then seared the steaks and cooked them until rare (for me) and medium rare (for my husband). I decided to make tow complementary condiments for my beautiful steaks - one, sauteed mushrooms with port wine and the other, avocado butter. Both of these added a different dimension to the delicious, tender beef.

Mixed Mushrooms with Port - Slice 2 cups assorted mushrooms into fairly uniform pieces (I used hen and chicks and button mushrooms). Melt 2tbsp butter, and saute the mushrooms until just tender, then add a tablespoon each of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce, and then 1-2 tablespoons of port wine. Stir until liquid is reduced by about half. Serve with steak.

Avocado Butter - Mash 1/2 a ripe avocado with 1/2 cup softened butter (since my husband is a diabetic, I use Smart Balance, and it works just as well). Form into a roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut slices and serve with your steak- this is amazing- adding a richness that complements the beef perfectly.

So you want to win some steaks of your own to complement with these or other condiments? From now until December 31, do the following to win a $50 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks to create your own memorable meal:
1) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite complement to a great steak
2)Sign up to follow Omaha Steaks on Twitter @Omaha_steaks and ReTweet the contest details using the hashtag #OmahaHoliday.

The winner will be selected at random, and can start the new year with some fabulous beef!

Julie and Julia... Newport News Style (Part 1- The Preparation)

Okay,okay, I know that every food blogger in the world has already posted on Julie and Julia and I am probably the last foodie to post on this movie.Originally, like the rest of the foodblogging world, I had plans to do a dinner and go with my daughters to see the movie, but time and other responsibilities interfered and there was such a dearth of posts, that it seemed superfluous. So last week when Julie and Julia came out on video, Bridget and I wanted to make our own try at mastering the art of french cooking and watching the DVD in the comfort of our own home.

First of all I have to tell you that my copy of MTAoFC came from a garage sale at our church. While I had plenty of cookbooks, I did not have this one and it seemed almost sacrilegious for any self-respecting foodblogger not to have a copy, and so for $4, the two volumes came home with me.I have to admit thought that they have been on my bakers rack since then, in a place of honor, seeming a bit daunting for me to even open up. However, the release of Julie and Julia and my promise to my daughter that we would cook from MTAoFC was my inspiration to pull these volumes off the shelf to do exactly what Julia had hoped- educate the average American on French cooking. The first challenge was to find a recipe to make - I wanted something that would be challenging but not so hard that I had little chance of success. I also wanted to not have to go out and buy a lot of ingredients. I had some lobster tails in the freezer, so I decided on lobster quenelles au gratin, a light, French dumpling with white sauce and cheese. Bridget decided to make crepes with a beef, mushroom and spinach filling and bearnaise sauce.Frankly,I thought we were both reaching but we were excited and our plan was to have dinner ready by the time the Redskins finished losing so we could start the movie and enjoy our own French masterpieces.

First, the quenelles. Quenelles begin life as pate a choux, the same pastry that is used for cream puffs . With the simplest ingredients- butter (of course), eggs, flour- and a lot of elbow grease can transform a bland paste into a light as a cloud dumpling that is just amazing. I added three pureed lobster tails, but you could use salmon, or other fish. After the pate a choux is made , it had to chill, and then cream was beat in half-tablespoon by half-tablespoon (not as easy as it sounds). Then the fun part. Julia said to poach the quenelles in water that is just barely simmering, another thing that is not really as easy as it sounds. When they we done a laid them in a bed of white wine white sauce and sprinkled them with swiss cheese. Then they were baked in the oven until the top was brown and bubbly.

Now Bridget's crepes. I have made crepes before, but honestly they have been so much trouble and either they are too thick, to thin, fall apart, etc. so I was a bit skeptical when Bridge said she was going to make them . The truth - I was blown out of the water! She was a crepe-making machine. See what I mean?

Part two: the food and movie....

Cooking Gifts for the Thrifty- $25 and Under

This is a tough year for so many people with the economy doing poorly, and everyone is looking for ways to get gifts on a budget. So whether you are a young couple doing Christmas on a budget, a child trying to find something that you can buy with babysitting or paper route money,or  just trying to stuff a stocking, here are my suggestions for some great cooking and kitchen-related gifts that won't break the bank.

Kitchen Aid Sheartoku - $9.99 at Target (I actually bought some tonight on clearance at $4.98 a pair) - My daughter bought me a pair of these last year for Christmas and they are the most-used utensil in my drawer. They are equally comfortable cutting boneless chicken thighs into tenders or cutting through joints of chicken wings or cutting up herbs.The bonus? The two pieces come apart and yield a Santoku knife that can hold its own in the kitchen! You will wonder how you got along without it!

Flexible Cutting Boards - $9.95 for set of five at Amazon.com. With these cutting boards you never have to worry about cross-contamination since you can use a different cutting board for every job and they can store about anywhere. These are dishwasher-safe, and you will use these every day! Actually now that I think about it I could use some more (hint, hint!)

Utensil Crock - $9.95 at Bed Bath and Beyond - One of these sits beside my stove full of whisks, slotted spoons, spatulas and the like. I saw this used at one of the beach houses we visited, and it was so convenient to have those tools right at my fingertips that as soon as we got back, I went out and got one. It will help undo the clutter in your utensil drawer, and make grabbing that ladle or whisk an easy task!

Pot Clip Spoon Rest - $6.95 at Amazon.com - I don't have these yet but they are on my Christmas list,because they hold your spoon on the side of a pot and since they are made with silicon,there is no heat transfer or grabbing a hot utensil...and the drips fall right into the pot!

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman- $17.96 at Barnes and Noble -  This is a great book, particularly for new cooks but there are new recipes for even experienced cooks, Bittman is a real master.  He even has a Quick and Easy Recipe book that is about $15.00 at B&N as well. Everything I have made from this book has been amazing.

Rubbermaid 2-Step Folding Step Stool - $25.94 at Amazon.com - This is another thing that is on my list this year. I saw one at a store that sells things for campers,and was really impressed, and at 5'1" this would be a helpful tool in my kitchen to reach things without straining.  This stool can hold up to 300 lbs and has skid resistant feet and steps for safety.



Do you have some suggestions for inexpensive gifts you would like to share? Let me know if there are products you know have in your own kitchen that would make an economical gift for those out there trying to stir up a great Christmas with a side of economy!!!

And the Whoogas go to.....

Jeanne of Simple Math Bakery will be warming her soles with her choice of ugg bots courtesy of Whooga Boots!!!  Thanks to all of you who left a comment. And if you didn't win and have a blog, you can still enter the giveaway at Whooga Boots by displaying their badge on your own blog.And a special thanks to our friends across the pond at Whooga Boots.

Stay tuned because another giveaway is coming  that will answer the age old question....Where's the beef!!

Ugg Boots Giveaway in time for Christmas for Play with Food Readers!

I have been very fortunate as a blogger to have companies contact me and provide me with samples and new products to try. It is fun to get a surprise package with a new type of vodka or a new pizza crust, or other new food or kitchen tool and have the opportunity to try it and share that with my readers.  But this time, I have an even bigger thrill. Whoogaboots, a site that sells the popular (and extremely comfortable) ugg boots contacted me to let me know that their site was offering a giveaway for bloggers and offered to supply a pair of Ugg Boots as a giveaway for Play with Food readers. And you will even get them in time for Christmas!

Whoogaboots is a UK company that specializes in supplying high quality ugg boots.  It features styles and colors you have seen on your favorite celebrities, and prides itself on excellent customer service and fast shipping. Their ThermoFleece technology makes their boots particularly warm, while still allowing feet to breathe. And you actually have two chances to win- you can enter on their site, and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Whooga Boots are and a week from now I will pick a random winner from those who have left comments...so comment away and enjoy a gift from WhoogaBoots and Play with Food!!

Indonesian Pork Sate - the Anti-Leftovers

Getting past the glut of turkey leftovers and finding something that appeals to a houseload (including myself) of cold-sufferers who can hardly taste anything created quite a challenge, but it was met by a delicious dish I hadn't made in awhile- Indonesian sate.  Sate is a dish that can be made with chicken pork or beef, but I usually use pork, it is a nice switch from chicken and boneless country style ribs have the perfect mix of lean and fat to be neither dry nor greasy, and you can often find them on sale. If you can't find boneless ribs, then any cut of pork loin will work.

In our family, the star of this dish is not the meat (which is delectable), it is the amazing peanut sauce which elevates the lowly jar of peanut butter to new heights with the addition of a very few common ingredients.  I always double the sauce,because it is in great demand - a combination of smooth, creamy, sweet and spicy- served over long grain and wild rice, it is perfection!

How do I know this was the right choice for beating the leftover-and-cold-doldrums?  Because before I could even get a picture, it was all gone!!  Give this a try- you won't be sorry (and don't count on leftovers)!

Indonesian Sate

2 lbs of country style boneless pork ribs, cut into uniform-size chunks (you could use chunks of chicken instead)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sherry
1/2 tsp sate seasoning (I got this from Penzey's and it adds a lot of flavor, but if you don't have it, it is okay)

3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 -2 cups chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Mix the soy sauce, sherry and spice in a zip-loc bag and put pork chunks in to marinate for an hour or so.  In the meantime make the peanut sauce. Saute the garlic in the olive oil.  Stir in the peanut butter, then add brown sugar, soy sauce, stirring to incorporate.  Slowly stir in chicken broth until sauce has consistency you like. Stir in lime juice and then add pepper flakes a bit at a time until your desired level of heat is reached.  Keep sauce warm.  Remove meat from marinade, place on broiler pan and drizzle with olive oil. Broil meat until done, turning pieces as necessary.  Serve meat with sauce and rice.

Pumpkin Soup for Hopey ! Or....Pumpkin, it's not just for pie anymore!!

Some of the biggest fans of my cooking have been the friends of my children who have eaten at our house over the years. We have always had extra places at our table for dinners, both routine and holiday.  One of my daughter Colleen's friends, Hope, came all the way from Florida to visit and ate dinner with us some time ago.  Now first I have to say that Hope is a really great woman and I am so jealous since she has my dream job - she is a midwife. Since she visited us, Hope has become one of my Facebook friends and I have to admit I really look forward to reading her updates about the many babies she delivers nearly every day.  Hope has become an honorary Dowd, even stopping in to visit my sister in law and niece when she and her husband took her dream trip to Ireland earlier this fall.

When Hope visited,  I honestly don't remember what I cooked, but Hope sure does. I made a Pumpkin-Chipotle Soup that she has been begging me for the recipe ever since.  I haven't been torturing her , but I made up the recipe, and I wanted to make it again to make sure I didn't give her a recipe for disaster. I actually made it in the interim but each time, I didn't think about writing down the ingredients until I was already halfway through. Well this past weekend when it was rainy and cool, I decided it was a perfect time to make Pumpkin Chipotle Soup and I was determined to capture the recipe so I could give it to Hope to recreate at home.

This is a wonderful soup recipe- a delicious meatless meal that is rich, but not heavy, with a touch of heat from the chipotle.  When we serve it, we top it with crumbled bacon, grated monterey jack cheese and french fried onions.It would also be great with a dollop of light sour cream.  I hope all of you will try it, but Hope, this one is for you and all the little pumpkins you deliver!! I guess it would be great for Autumn, too (maybe on Glee night!)

Pumpkin-Chipotle Soup

1 small onion chopped

2 tbs olive oil 

1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 quart chicken stock

1 quart fat free half and half (or real half and half if calories are no issue)

1/2-1 chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce(add a little at a time until you get the level of heat you want)

Optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded monterey jack cheese, french fried onions

Saute the onion in the olive oil, until transparent. Add chicken stock. Stir in canned pumpkin with whisk until smooth. Add half and half in a slow stream,whisking into pumpkin mixture. Chop chipotle pepper very fine and add a little at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition to get to the heat you want. Heat through but do not bring to a boil. Ladle into bowls and top with garnishes as desired. Serve with bread and a salad for a delicious fall or winter meal.

Recognizing Home Cooks- the Fun of Food52

There are always new food sites popping up - new food blogs, product sites and food communities- just waiting to be discovered, and it is often hard to stay on top of your old favorites while exploring new and exciting sites. But sometimes the old opens up the new and that happened for me today and so I want to share my new find with you as well..  Today, I saw a post update by one of my favorite bloggers, Susan of Food Blogga, asking for votes for her oatmeal topping in the Quaker Oatmeal Challenge for charity as well as her chocolate cookie recipe on food52. As a blogger who is loyally devoted to my fellow blogger, I voted for Susan's topping (Cinnamon Comfort in Round Three for those of you who want to support Susan's charity as well!),  and then travelled around until I found food52. The brainchild of Amanda and Merrill, both prolific food writers with the New York Times, the site has as its mission celebrating the  best cooks in the world- home cooks, definitely a sentiment I share. Food52 offers a place for cooks to share recipes and tips, and a blog, as well as contests, pulling recipes that will eventually be included in a book. What a great idea!!

With the lofty goal of being the one site on food that you will need, food52 is a fun new site that is worth checking out (and make sure you take a look at my mother-in-law's stuffing recipe which is the cornerstone of the Dowd family Thanksgiving-you won't be sorry).  Before you know it, food52 is bound to be an old favorite!

Curry Toast - A Penzey's Inspired Meatless Meal

As I have posted recently, I am open to recipes wherever they come from. I particularly love to look in unexpected places for inspiration and recently my inspiration came from a Penzey's Spice catalog. Penzey's is an incredible purveyor of spices, but their catalogs, website and, and magazine, Penzey's One, are all great sources for unique and delicious recipes. So far I haven't made one recipe from them that hasn't been extraordinary, and this one is no exception. As a bonus this dish, Curry Toast, is  a quick and easy dinner for those busy nights you get stuck at the office- Add a salad or  some fruit and you have a balance meal in minutes. It also uses fairly cheap ingredients making it perfect for a family on a budget.

I used the recipe in the Penzey's catalog and made some adjustments based on what I had on hand, and every time I have made it it is a bit different based on the cheeses I use. As easy as a grilled cheese sandwich, but better!

Curry Toast

1 package (6 ) English muffins
5 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Monterey Jack also works well)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used light with great results)
1 bunch green onions chopped (including the green parts)
1 tsp sweet or hot curry powder (your choice, but use Penzey's of course)
1-2 garden tomatoes

Split and toast the muffins, then butter and place on cookie sheet. Mix the cheeses, green onions curry powder and mayonnaise gently until well-combined. Slice the tomatoes in uniform slices and dry off with paper towels,placing a tomato slice on each muffin. Cover the tomato slices with the cheese mixture and broil for 4-8 minutes until brown and bubbly. Now try not to eat all 12 yourself!!

Land of 1000 Restaurants (and Pounds!) - Part 1

I don't have to travel often for my job and usually it is a short jaunt twice a year but the beginning of October I had occasion (my boss was delivering Congressional testimony, and I was delivering him!) to travel twice within the space of 3 days to Washington DC. Once I drove both ways, but the second time I decided to take the easy way out and took the train.  While it was a lot of travelling in a little time, the bonus was that I got to spend two nights with my daughter and son who live in Shirlington.

I grew up in Winchester VA, a town that is now a DC bedroom community, but I still love visiting Washington- there is so much to do and see and the pace is so different from where I live now.  And as a foodie, there is all manner of food to experience there. One thing I know- if I lived in DC, I would probably weigh a lot more than I do because with so many choices, I would want to experience (and consume) it all!
So, in the land of 1000 restaurants, where did I eat during my visit? The first night, I arrived on a Sunday evening (after making my way through hellatious traffic), and my daughter,her significant other (boyfriend sounds so juvenile) and my son were debating where we should go for dinner. With choices like Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Chinese laid in front of me, I caved in and told them to decide. The guys proposed a Spanish/Latin American Restaurant in Dupont Circle that Gavin had been to and Olu had heard good things about and so we  piled into Olu's car and headed for Lauriol Plaza.  Even though Gavin told me it was big, I was in no way prepared for the modern urban building that looked like it took up a whole block!  And even on a Sunday evening, the place was packed!  Inside, the restaurant offered multi-level dining,and just being there gave you feeling of fiesta- laughter, clinking of glasses, conversation and music- it felt like home, only louder.  I love Spanish and Latin-American food and the reviews I read while waiting for our table made me anxious to check out the menu. While we got settled, our waitress came and took our drink orders, and  delivered salsa and some of the thinnest, crispest chips I have ever had. My son, who is a former sous chef, wanted Ceviche for an appetizer, but they were out so he ordered some mussels instead. Katie and Olu ordered some sweet plantains to split.  I didn't try the plantains, but Gavin's mussels were cooked to perfection, and the broth made me want to ask for more crusty bread to soak up its goodness. When it was time to order entrees, I was conflicted- I overcame my overwhelming desire to order mole, which I do almost every time I am in the vicinity of Mexican food they offered a special of lamb fajitas which sounded amazing, but I decided on Enchiladas de Marisco,  enchiladas stuffed with shrimp and scallops in a seafood sauce with cheese. I encouraged Olu, who was feeling a bit punk,to order the special that was a shrimp with garlic broth that sounded perfect for someone nursing a cold, but he ordered a pork dish instead. Katie ordered chiles rellenos with cheese, and Gavin ordered the Santa Fe Platter that had a cheese chile relleno, a cheese enchilada and a guacamole taco.

Gavin and I have the best luck- besides the fact that his mussels were an amazing app that easily could have made a dinner itself, his combo was full of cheese and had a complexity of spices that was pleasing even to a former chef. Katie was not very happy with her entree, but mainly because it was not what she expected. It was covered in a tomato-y sauce, but when she told our server she adjusted the bill. My enchiladas were amazing! Since seafood has to be cooked just right I was worried that they might be overcooked, but my fear was misplaced because Lauriol Plaza clearly knows seafood.  The seafood sauce was delicately flavored and complemented, rather than smothered the morsels of shrimp and scallops.  I would have loved to try dessert but I was stuffed to the gills, so we headed home.  A great meal and a real dining experience in the land of 1000 restaurants!  If you are in the DC area- check out Lauriol Plaza, you won't be disappointed!

In search of..... Recipes

As a "foodie"  (I really don't like that word!),  I am always on the search for new recipes.  Outside my collection of cookbooks, and fellow bloggers, as well as sites such as Epicurious (which I use several times a week) and Food Network, there are numerous places, both usual and unusual I have been looking for and finding great recipes that I'd like to share.

I am not sure how I found the site, but I subscribe to My Recipes.com, and they send me a new recipe everyday and so far, every one I have made has turned out great. It is a great site to explore, but I actually love getting the daily email recipe- it has often helped me break that "whadda you want for dinner" deadlock that happens in my house. And the price is right - you can sign up for free!

Looking into other people's family recipes isn't something you usually get to do, but I am fortunate that a coworker had a very fastidious cousin who wrote on recipe cards every recipe she ever tried.  When she passed away, this collection passed its way through her family, where relatives took the recipes they remembered most fondly out of the collection.  Since my friend knew I loved cooking, once family was done she gave the cards to me to peruse, and I am making my way through them . I have to admit I am taking my time browsing through them.  First of all, it is quite an experience to think of the time she devoted to writing these recipes down by hand and the effort put into developing a collection that she could share with her friends and relatives. In the today of copy and paste, and computerized recipe boxes, there is something really special about this and I actually want to savor this experience, since it is unlikely that I will have many such opportunities again.


Recently a Fresh Market opened across from Jefferson Lab (now there's a triple threat- one stop across from your work with a Costco, a World Market and a new Fresh Market!!), and while I do not buy my regular groceries there  I do shop their specials and to look for unique items I can't find anywhere else (it is Newport News, by the way!)  After trying a few of their prepared foods (including a very good shrimp and grits cake) it occurred to me to check their website to see if they had recipes there, and what a treasure trove! From appetizers to desserts, there are some amazing recipes just waiting to be tried and some have already found themselves into my menu planning.  Whether you are lucky enough to have a Fresh Market near you, you can enjoy the recipes and other great tips on their website, and they even offer shopping online!

Writing this post made me curious.  What places do you go to search for a good recipe or inspiration?  How many of you still have an old-fashioned recipe box or binder where you keep recipe favorites? Sharing of recipes is a great way to share your heritage, your ethnicity, your unique tastes, and your love... of food and friends!

Any Ideas for Glee Food?

My family and I are addicted to the new musical show Glee on Fox. It is so different from everything else onTV, and of course, I want to make a food event around it. I mean if people can have Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy-themed dinners, I can have a Glee-inspired tapas. But what to serve? Classic favorites from the cafeteria-meatloaf, mac and cheese, corndogs, etc.? What about having food made with beans?  They are, after all, the musical fruit. Dishes inspired by songs or singers  whose songs have been performed on the series?  You see my dilemma!

So I am taking suggestions-how would you celebrate the fun, the music that is Glee, in food?