Gourmet tips news

Yes, I know...2 weeks since my last post, lets just say things have been a little crazy. But, I think I will amply make-up for it with this little treat. When I make Shrimp creole, I always double the recipe for the sauce and freeze half of it before adding the shrimp. I do this because it freezes beautifully and I have found many ways to use it. Sometimes I heat the sauce and just add fresh shrimp, but this dish is one of my favorites- and oh so very comforting. I am not usually a casserole making type of girl, mostly I think they taste like mush- but this is my one true exception. If you must- it could be made in a casserole dish. I use a springform pan so it's easy to unmold and I get prettier looking pieces. An 8 inch pan will make a taller torte while a 9 inch pan will be just a little flatter- both work well, use what you have. When adding the second layer of polenta to the pan, be sure to spoon it lightly and evenly so it does not get all mixed into the sauce. If it does- it

I think I have expressed my love for cheese and bread, but just in case there is any doubt this recipe should confirm my passion...specially for the cheese portion. One small confession before I go on- I don't eat a lot of meat, no particular reason, not a vegetarian- just can live without it I guess. As a result, my meals aren't really meals in a traditional sort of way, I am completely satisfied eating cheese, olives, and bread. Specially when cooking for only myself which happens more often than not these days, as Jack is perfectly happy eating mac and cheese with a stray vegetable here and there. I bought a container of organic whole-milk ricotta cheese to make ravioli, but for some reason I just haven't been in the mood to make work intensive food lately which led me to the baked ricotta. Last time I was in New York I had baked ricotta as part of an antipasto plate and I fell in love, but when I made it at home it just wasn't the same; that is, until today- it was

Tabouleh is one of my favorite salads, specially when tomatoes are ripe, fresh and ruby red. I like my tabouleh with a generous amount of flat leaf parsley and fresh mint. Now that the weather has warmed up, the herbs in my garden have just taken off, becoming so robust they provide a generous harvest. The Italian flat-leaf parsley specially, since it did not die down over the winter is bigger than I have ever seen it and I was able to cut off at two big bundles this morning. The bulgur is a great alternative to rice and feels a lot healthier to me when I eat it. Note that the salt quantity is for coarse sea salt, if you are using table salt use half the amount called for; Kosher salt would remain the same. I prepare tabouleh with a little extra spice, I recently discovered Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning. I buy the kind without MSG, be sure to read the label...there is just no need to add extra chemicals to a dish like this, but the seasoning blend is flavorful and unique.

This is the second post of a series on afternoon tea sandwiches. It's taken me a little longer than I expected to post about them because I have been insanely busy, but alas here they are. These little dainties are part of an event I catered this week, a Sip and See for a precious little bebe. I had a wonderful client with who requested dainty food for 50 ladies for the afternoon affair. J., my client was wonderful to work for. I realized in the first five minutes of our first meeting, I had met my match when it came to control issues and an overwhelming desire to strive for perfection. This is not something that happens to me very often, most people tend to be a lot more laid back. The party was beautiful and J. was very happy and appreciative with the result which gave me immense satisfaction. Having a client like her made me step up to the plate and do my job better. When making sandwiches I don't really measure out ingredients, I tend to just make things up as I go along.

I have successfully been making a version of this pie since I was ten years old, it has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. When I first started making it I used a pre-made graham cracker crust, but then later discovered how simple graham crusts were to make so I made my own. The pie can be made in a pie or tart pan which makes for a nice presentation when serving it whole. For the restaurant, presentation can be a little trickier since I serve individual pieces so I double the recipe and make it in a springform pan, this makes nice tall pieces which are then individually garnished with lime slices and berries. The pie is best made a day ahead so it can properly chill and set in the refrigerator. If you are pressed for time though, (which I always seem to be) place it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process. For the crust I use either gingersnaps or graham crackers, they both make a nice crust. I have found Eagle brand condensed milk to be the thickest, s

I went to a dinner party last night and offered to make dessert. The hostess requested something chocolate, so I made her my moist chocolate cake. If you have not heard of mayonnaise cakes, you might be thinking I have turned into Paula Dean- I have not...I just know that mayonnaise makes this cake super moist and fluffy. I will also tell you that the type of mayonnaise you use matters. Use either Hellmann's or Duke's mayonnaise, they are unquestionably the best in my book. This is an easy cake to make, just be sure to not overcook it. As soon as the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, pull it out of the oven. I filled and frosted the cake with a dark chocolate ganache and sprinkled it with edible gold powder. It turned out really neat, the spikes I piped onto the cake looked like they were gilded. To apply the gold powder, place some on a small piece of paper and lightly blow it onto the cake. I split the layers and brushed a simple syrup made with cognac on ea