I was sitting in my back garden earlier this evening listening to my water fountains and enjoying the warm balmy summer breeze while flipping through a magazine and enjoying my quiet time. I was thinking about what recipe to make with all the herbs I have growing in my garden, dinner time was near and…
Recipes
Caprese Salad Phyllo Cups
I have served Caprese salad at many parties but serving it this way is a first for me and it was a hit and a perfect appetizer bite to get your party guests excited about the evenings’ menu. At first I thought that the phyllo cups would get soggy and to my surprise, they did…
Brunch Tater Tot Egg Casserole with Sausage & Cheddar
Brunch is always a great time to party and what a way to get the day going, whether you are out to a restaurant with friends sipping mimosas or a special occasion that you are hosting with friends and family. I helped a client yesterday with a morning after wedding buffet brunch of “small bites”…
Cherry Crumble Stuffed Peaches
I took a scenic drive home today in the countryside on my way home from an appointment and I remember my partner’s mom telling me to make something with peaches, she’s visiting and I love to cook for out of town guests, and I saw a roadside fruit stand and I immediately pulled over. There…
Chipotle Mexican Street Corn Dip with Goat Cheese
I was craving Mexican street style corn on the Cobb I had at a street vendor on a trip I went to in Puerto Vallarta recently, the crunchy grilled sweet corn slathered with mayo, crumbled cheese and spices made for a great memory. I was also craving a dip with tortilla chips, so I created…
Polenta wedges with Artichoke & Mushroom Ragu
I was inspired by this recipe from a memory of a restaurant I worked at as a server back in 91…many years ago….too many! There was a pasta dish there that had artichoke hearts and mushrooms in it with cream and it was very good. I did a party last weekend with an Italian theme…
Mushroom Marsala Risotto
I love the flavor of Marsala wine in the classic Italian dish, chicken Marsala and I thought, why not use those wonderful flavors of the wine from that dish and use it in a delicious risotto but without the chicken. I did a party recently and instead of serving the risotto as a main course,…
Strawberry Shortcakes with Polenta Lemon Biscuits
When you daydream about summer what is the first thing that comes to mind? Strawberry shortcake, duh! Lol…My recipe for these delicious shortcakes are Italian inspired and get a surprise crunch from the polenta and the tangy tartness from lemon. What makes this recipe really easy is the Bisquick mix, I don’t use it that…
Chilled Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Mascarpone
The heat is rising outside, so it’s time for chilled soups…I love soup all year round and just because its summer doesn’t mean you have to give up a the bowl of liquid gold. I’m catering a party this weekend and it has an Italian theme so I thought I would dust of my recipe…
Artichoke, Ricotta & Parmesan Phyllo Tarts
We all have recipes that we have made time and time again, I guess we would call them classics, my classic recipe are these scrumptious phyllo tarts. When I started my career as a personal chef and caterer some 18 years ago, I discovered these convenient, flaky little vessels and they are a wonderful thing…
