Eggplant Parmesan
I've been subscribing to the online version of Cooks Illustrated for several years, mostly for the reviews. However, I have fallen in love with a few of their recipes and techniques. In particular, I'm a huge fan of their fettuccine alfredo - definitely not diet food,...
Recipe Testing
I like trying new recipes and have been recipe testing for Leite's Culinaria for several years now. In the past, I haven't written much about the work I've done for them, but I think people might benefit from my experiences. For anyone that doesn't know about Leite's...
Pear Almond Tart
This past fall, during the peak of pear season, I received some juicy, ripe pears from my co-worker, Jean. Apparently, she had an excessive abundance and was running out of ideas for using them up. I remembered seeing various recipes for a pear and almond tart over...
Northern Prairie Chevre
Just a quick note for any local readers. Northern Prairie Chevre, a local producer of cheeses and other dairy products using goat milk, has just started production for the season. I've written about them before here and here. The women that run the farm allow their...
Mea culpa, granola on the side
I started this blog as an attempt to document my cooking experiences and growth as a cook. It was meant as a record of the types of food that I was eating, but I've struggled with my own decisions about what to include here and what to withhold. That conflict becomes...
Brie Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce
A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with a friend at The Cafe and we discussed having dessert. I wasn't super keen on any of the options (some were really good, but I'd had them before and didn't need dessert), but she wanted to try the white chocolate brie cheesecake....
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
Updated: please see my more recent post for volume measurements and my new, preferred frosting for this recipe. Sometimes experiments just come together perfectly and you're satisfied and happy. Sometimes you desperately need a break from statistics (bane of graduate...
Roasted Pork and Brie
Lately I've been on a bit of a de-cluttering kick and decided to sort through my freezer. The idea is to cook my way to an empty (or almost) freezer. As I went through everything I found that I had more pork than anything else (not surprising really - pork is one of...
Blueberry Yogurt Muffins
This recipe evolved out of necessity. I had some leftover greek yogurt and fresh blueberries that weren't going to last much longer, so I needed to do something with them. I also wanted to take the fruits the this project to work to share with my coworkers, so I...
Spring Pea Soup Bites
Cool and creamy, this recipe gets its bright flavor from the peas and its creamy texture from some potato. This is a quick and easy appetizer for a party and what I liked most about this recipe was that it could be made the day ahead. This would work well as a cooling...
The Cafe
My favorite local restaurant is The Cafe, a restaurant that manages to be several things at once. The restaurant has its own bakery that produces amazing breads - baguettes, ciabatta, sourdoughs, etc. - and stunning desserts. The kitchen also makes their own sausages...
A little hint of Spring…
I have been absent from my blog for quite a bit longer than I had originally planned, but I'm ready to get back on track with some of the interesting posts that I started a couple of months ago. First up is a quick fix meal that swaps out the heavy mayo in a chicken...