Red Wine Sangria

Red Wine SangriaThis year, my sister started a cookbook club for the two of us and some of our foodie friends. It’s been a blast. We choose a cookbook, test recipes for about a month, and then gather with all five families to share the foods we liked best. It can be a frightening display of indulgence, but great fun. Even the kids, ages 6 to 17, get into it and offer their reviews. We broaden horizons and push boundaries. How many eight year olds will proclaim the Country Pate was their favorite part of the meal? Awesome.

We’ve done The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, Gordon Hammersly’s Bistro Cooking at Home (A must-have for your library.), and Arabesque by Claudia Rodan.

Our next dinner is over Labor Day weekend. This time we want to grill, since Labor day marks the end of Summer fun. The kids go back to school, and Fall craziness ensues. (And don’t get me started on the Holidays…there are only 117 days until Christmas which means all the big chain stores will be putting up their decorations next week.) Anyway, we couldn’t quite come up with a book specifically on grilling so we went with a chef instead…Bobby Flay.

I didn’t love this pick mainly because my inner snob is put off by the fact that he is everywhere. I put him in the same category as Rachel Ray. Over exposed. As I started looking through his cookbooks however, I was reminded what got him all that exposure. Dude knows his stuff, and a lot of his stuff is very tasty and interesting which for me is key. I like different. BBQ Duck and Sauteed Shiitake Mushroom filled Blue Corn Pancakes with Habanero Sauce? Um, yes, please.   Read more…

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa

Grilled Mahi MahiThe Waiting Game
When I put in my garden this past spring, one of the plants I was most excited about growing was the Ambrosia Melon. On a hot August day there are few things more satisfying and cooling that an ice cold wedge of juicy, sweet melon. I can be a creature of habit, so this year I was determined to be creative and come up with other ways to enjoy cantaloupe. I searched and scoured the internet as well as my own cookbook collection for interesting recipes to try besides the usual “Take prosciutto. Wrap it around melon. Eat. Repeat.” And call it good (which it is).

I found there are actually a number of things to do with melon besides just cutting it and eating it or wrapping it in fatty meats. Who knew? You can puree it and make popsicles (even better when you add your favorite vodka or rum! Read more…

Malted Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces

Malted Vanilla Ice CreamScreaming for Ice Cream!
I love ice cream and I am not alone. Proof is my husband’s freakish, radar-like ability to locate what’s deliberately hidden from him in the depths of our freezer, and also by the incredible number of choices available in Piedmont Grocery’s freezer section. They’re staggering: Vanilla, Marble Fudge, Phish Food and even Lavender and Basil! While flavor trends change, one thing is for certain: when it’s hot outside there is nothing like that creamy, high-butterfat goodness.

Growing up, we used to go to my grandmother’s house for dinner every Sunday. As a kid, this drove me crazy because I wanted to stay with my friends. Now, as an adult, I look back on it fondly. Gammy was a great cook (as are all the women in my family), and she always had the cool cooking gadgets. Read more…

Roman Summer Salad

Roman Summer SaladGot too many tomatoes on the vine? This salad is a great way to use up the extra tomatoes from your backyard garden. Don’t be afraid of the anchovies! They add a dimension to the flavor of the dish, but not the “fishy” flavor.

Roman Summer Salad
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Read more…