*Added* New Recipe for: Macaroni & Cheese for a Smaller Crowd! Serves 10-12 people I could probably make a pretty big dent in this giant mac and cheese on my own, but it actually serves a crowd of 20-25! I find myself feeding throngs of people quite often and have recently started to write down…
Mattison Avenue Toffee Bar Cookies
“You know you’re crazy,” says my husband as he observes the kitchen counter covered with crumbs and cookies in various stages; each pile labeled with sticky notes. Yes, I realize I’m crazy…but I don’t care. Some people are passionate about music or sports. Me – I love to play with food. I love to develop…
Irish Coffee Brownies
I dedicate these brownies to the Murphy’s, the O’Malley’s, the McFillin’s, the McAndress’s and to all my friends Irish or not who enjoy a little cheer on St. Patrick’s Day! These dark chocolate and espresso brownies have a little nip of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey in them. They are slathered on top with a Bailey’s Irish…
Italian Turkey Sausage, Bean & Farro Florentine Soup
Lingering Holiday Hangover? Yeah, me too…only it’s not the kind that makes your head pound and your bed spin from consuming too many glasses of vino. It’s the kind that makes you crave every kind of ooey, gooey homey comfort food and baked good – a holiday food hangover. It happens to me every January….
Cincinnati Chili My Way
Recipe Roots™ – 91 years of Cincinnati Chili: Any type of food that has been enjoyed for 91 years and counting can’t be half bad. Any food that was born on the hopes and dreams of two immigrants and has since turned into 100 million dollar plus industry is certainly worth a taste. Any food…
Judging The Great PhillyMag Cookoff!
The Other Side of the Hot Seat There’s a first time for everything. When you participate in cooking competitions, you are used to being the one in the “hot seat” while the judges do their business. So, when I was asked to be the judge for Philadephia magazine’s first Great PhillyMag Cookoff! I was thrilled and…
Roasted Grape & Shallot Crescent Squares
Something from Nothing: I’m often left with grapes that the family has deemed too soft and they are left to die a slow death at the bottom of the crisper drawer. I also frequently have remnants of recipe experiments gone bad lingering in the recesses of my fridge. This time I had a container of…
Caramelized Shallot & Crispy Prosciutto Salad
I have a love/hate relationship with salads. In summer, salads can be the main event and I don’t mind putting a little effort into them. They are lovely, crisp and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. In the long, cold winter months, however, I usually direct my time toward some kind of warm and homey…
Back to the Bake-Off
Back to the Bake-Off: I just knew it was the place I had to be! The 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest was quickly approaching and I really wanted to be a part of the excitement. I reached out to the Pillsbury Bake-Off Team and was thrilled to pieces when they invited me to come and be…
Chess Pies – BIG & small
I tear recipes out of my magazines and file them away to try someday. Sometimes a recipe sticks in your head, even if you filed it years ago and haven’t looked at it since. I haven’t made a pie in ages and I thought with Thanksgiving approaching, it would be a great time to test out a new…