Birthday Strawberry Pavlova

Birthday Week
This week is the busiest week of my year. On top of numerous Little League Baseball playoff games, I also have the following: Mother’s Day, the boys’ birthday on the 12th, my birthday on the 14th and finally my daughter’s birthday on the 17th. All of these things happen in a 7 day span. It’s kinda nuts.

When the boys were born ten years ago, I realized that the days of celebrating my own birthday were numbered. Two years after that, the birth of my daughter pretty much sealed the deal. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is more important for the kids to have their special day, and I try to go all out for them ’cause birthday gifts and birthday parties are two of the best things about being a kid.

I am actually okay with not having a big to-do for my birthday. Besides, I stopped counting birthdays after I reached 26. I still like to acknowledge it somehow, usually with a nice dinner or an awesome dessert.

As I celebrate turning 26 every year, I notice I tend to shy away from the usual birthday cakes. More and more I go for the lighter, fruitier types instead of the Death by Chocolate creations I used to love. For example, we all gathered at my sister’s place on Sunday to have a family party. The kids got red velvet cupcakes, and I got a fabulous white cake with a champagne strawberry filling. It was darn tasty and exactly what I wanted.

Speaking of what I wanted, my sister gave me a copy of the cookbook The Canal House Cooks Everyday, which I have been wanting for some time. It includes the recipe below—perfect for celebrating the big 2-6 next year!

P.S. Check out the Canal House Blog and especially sign up for The Canal House Cooks Lunch. Both are food porn at its finest. Read more…

Amy’s Spicy Slaw

The Long Arm Of The Slaw

I have never really been a huge fan of cabbage in any form. As I grow older I have found one exception: cole slaw. In my childhood, I wouldn’t get within ten feet of the stuff. But lately, I notice, I seek it out—if only to try the different versions that are becoming mainstream. Coleslaw is no longer the tri-colored sloppy-sweet mess I remember as a kid. There’s Asian Slaw, Apple Slaw, Jicama Slaw…and the list goes on.

One thing I note with my newly acquired taste—I prefer less sweet and more crunch. I also lean more toward the spicy, Asian versions which tend to use Napa cabbage rather than the typical green cabbage.

My favorite recipe for coleslaw is adapted from a number of different recipes. Throw in the ingredients I like, leave out the stuff I don’t, and TA-DA! We have a winner! I also add some Sriracha sauce because, just like bacon, everything is better with Sriracha sauce.

As we fast approach the official start of the BBQ season, I encourage you to give this slaw a try when you decide to light the coals. It is also fabulous on pulled pork sandwiches! I encourage you to get a little wacky and make one of your own…

Amy’s Spicy Slaw
I mess around with this recipe for Amy’s Spicy Slaw a lot, but here is the basic version. Sometimes I add jicama. Sometimes I add green apple. Sometimes I leave out the cilantro ’cause Mom hates it. Feel free to mess around. Read more…

Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust

Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy
This past winter, I thought for sure I would lose all my citrus trees during that long stretch of sub-freezing temperatures. There was a lot of frost damage, and I had to cut them way back. But if you walk into my back yard right now you would never know it.

The trees are in bloom, and the scent is phenomenal. When combined with the fragrance from my honeysuckle it almost smells like Hawaii, without the beach, or the guy with a Mai Tai.

As wonderful as all this is, unfortunately I will have to wait months for the fruit. And I’ve got a wicked craving for all things lemon: lemonade, lemon sauce, lemon cake, preserved lemons…well you get the idea.

To tide me over until harvest, I picked up some beautiful Meyer lemons downstairs in the store, and made a tart from a recipe from the August/September 1997 issue of Fine Cooking magazine—which I bought years ago. It is easy, and so tasty, and a great way to end a Spring meal. Read more…

New Potato Salad

They Call Me…‘Tater Salad

My mom had her birthday over the weekend, so we celebrated at my house with one of her (and my) favorite dinners: Baby Back Ribs, Coleslaw, Cornbread, Beans and Potato Salad. Oh! And don’t forget the coconut cupcakes…again, Mom’s favorite. My sister and I split the cooking duties, and I admit we may have gone a little crazy—but we had a couple good excuses.

The best excuse was Mom’s birthday. So, why not? The other excuse? My sister and I are trying to cook as many dishes for our next Cookbook Club dinner as we can and we had a captive audience. So again, why not?

The required book this time around is anything written by The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. She has a number of cookbooks, and most of her recipes can be found on foodnetwork.com. Her cooking is approachable, uncomplicated, and always tasty. For Mom’s Birthday BBQ, the beans, potato salad and the cupcakes were all Ina recipes.

The potato salad happened because I knew that most of the party goers under 5 feet tall were not going to get near the cole slaw. (Cabbage, in any form, is apparently poisonous to kids). I have always been a big fan of potato salad, but this particular recipe is by far one of my favorites and I make it often—though I do tweak it a bit ’cause I can. Adding hard-boiled eggs is my favorite tweak.

No matter if you leave it alone or give it your own twist, try this recipe. With BBQ season fast approaching it’s the perfect recipe for any outdoor get-togethers…or just ’cause. Read more…