Like many people, I have a freezer full of partial bags of peas, single breakfast sandwiches, leftover spaghetti sauce, unidentifiable plastic containers, and ziploc bags of mystery. However, rather than leave these things until it’s time to buy a new refrigerator, I try to clean out periodically and cook with what’s there. Over the years,…
Category: recipe
Arepas with Shredded Pork & Pickled Onions
In the south, we have “hoe cakes,” but in South America, specifically Venezuela and Columbia, they have “arepas.” While arepas are similar to hoe cakes, their distinct difference comes from the type of corn meal used. Hoe cakes are made from unlevened simple cornmeal, but arepas use pre-cooked cornflour, which can be found in many larger…
Summer Picnic Fare: Granny’s Southern Cornbread Salad #Sundaysupper
Nothing says summer quite like a picnic or pool party, and nothing is better than party food that as quick as it is yummy! However, I can’t wrap my head around picnics of simple cold-cut sandwiches and chips. Growing up, there was always one dish that was guaranteed a place on every picnic and summer…
Refreshing Summer Cocktails: Florida Cider Caipirinha #SundaySupper
In Florida, everyone will tell you that “it’s not the heat; it’s the humidity,” and that may very well be true. However, regardless of heat or humidity, summer is prime time for cocktails…cool, crisp, refreshing cocktails! I’ve often said that I eat and drink my way around the world, and through my travels, I’ve come…
Bacon-Chocolate Twists with Black Lager Affogato
As a foodie and craft beer chef, my brain is always in overdrive brainstorming ideas for combining two of my favorites…beer and dessert. Many people can’t imagine beer and desserts going together, but they are SOOOOO WRONG! True…BAD beer doesn’t work well with dessert, but EXCEPTIONAL beer is perfect for a dessert. This dessert has…
Cowboy Cooking Recipes: Ribeye & Scallops with Beer-Butter Sauce #SundaySupper and #RootsinBoots
I don’t actually have any cowboys in my household, but I have a couple who think they are, and whenever given their choice of dinner, the answer is simple…steak. Now, I love steak, just like everyone else, but with my crew of three guys who eat like a half-dozen grown men, I can’t afford for…
Father’s Day Fare: Cider Braised Pork Belly Tacos #SundaySupper
It’s Father’s Day, and unlike Mother’s Day, where pretty, lady-like meals are in order, Dad doesn’t want quiche and salads and tea sandwiches. No, dad wants hearty, manly meals. Dad wants meat, and since we can’t order up a rack of Flintstone ribs, let’s give him a manly, unpretentious, no-holds-barred pork belly. Pork belly is…
Caldo de Camaron (Shrimp Stew)
Have you ever had a dish that, years later, you still dream about and crave? For me, that’s Shrimp Stew. When I was pregnant with my oldest son, 14 years ago, there was a little Mexican restaurant in our town that made it, and I’m pretty sure I had it weekly. The hurricanes of 2004…
Kid Friendly Recipe: Zuppa di Ravioli (Ravioli Soup) #SundaySupper
With 2 kids, who, at times, will complain about everything put in front of them, I need to use ingredients that they are guaranteed to like, while sneaking in healthy stuff like spinach, squash, peppers, celery. While I don’t advocate lying to your children, bending the truth and playing dumb are perfectly acceptable. If my…
Coconut Crusted Mahi with Tropical Slaw & Avocado Crema
Being from Florida, when I’m asked to create a dish that represents me and where I’m from, seafood, fresh produce, and fruit are always at the top of my list. When Cooks vs. Cons threw party dip into the mix, I had to get creative, but considering that I could eat dip by the spoonful,…
Sirloin Patty Melt with Balsamic Figs, Onions & Brie
If you’ve never had a patty melt, it’s what happens when a cheeseburger and a grilled cheese have a baby. It’s a cheese burger served on (usually) thick sliced & grilled bread, dripping with cheese, and topped with caramelized onions. Before competing on Cooks vs. Cons, I’d never had one. I knew the principle, but…
3 Daughters Cider Braised Pork Belly Tacos with Salsa Verde
Taco Tuesday may be gone, but I still LOVE tacos, especially pork tacos. So when, I was challenged to use 3 Daughters Brewing’s new hard cider in creative, interesting ways, I knew that we would incorporate it into savory recipes. Pork belly is a boneless fatty cut of meat from the belly of a pig,…
