Recipes Under $5

Thumbnail image for Old-Fashioned Lemon Squares

Old-Fashioned Lemon Squares

May 10, 2012

Mary Anne here. It seems every family has their own version of these sweetly tart cookie bars and ours is no exception. They’re a snap to whip up and they store beautifully in a sealed container in the fridge. They’re the perfect foil to a steaming cup of hot tea and an elegant addition to [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for PB&J Brownies

PB&J Brownies

May 8, 2012

Mariel here. In case the confluence of both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby didn’t totally bust any buttons this past weekend, we thought we’d share this incredibly decadent, sinfully simple recipe for PB&J Brownies. Yes friends, it’s Peanut Butter Jelly time. We originally debuted this recipe as a guest post on one of [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake

Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake

April 5, 2012

Mariel here. While my family isn’t particularly religious, we’ve always celebrated every holiday with a certain degree of religious zeal. When I was little, there were nearly as many decorations and preparations for Easter as there were for Christmas. We had an Easter tree flaunting hand-blown eggs that we painted on our front porch (my [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chocolate-Dipped Butter Cookies with Toffee Crunch

Chocolate-Dipped Butter Cookies with Toffee Crunch

March 27, 2012

Mary Anne here. A few weeks ago, I posted my devilishly decadent Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Heath Bar Toffee Frosting. They were a diet buster to be sure, but more annoying than that, they left me with a paltry amount of leftover toffee crunch. What to do? As you know by now, I am [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Rich Chocolate Black Bean Cake

Rich Chocolate Black Bean Cake

March 13, 2012

Mariel here. I had promised this recipe ages ago, but somehow it slipped off my radar, despite the fact that I’ve made it many, many times. This dish was first brought to my attention by an editor friend over at Epicurious, who had requested it when I hosted her for dinner one evening. In its [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Classic Shortbread with Fresh Orange Zest

Classic Shortbread with Fresh Orange Zest

March 7, 2012

Mariel here. Well, the bridal shower we hosted went off without a hitch. Sort of. The day itself was picture-perfect – the food my mom lovingly prepared (and took a day off work to make) was delicious, as always, the flowers were radiant and even the weather cooperated with sunny skies and a balmy 60 [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Heath Bar Frosting

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Heath Bar Frosting

February 24, 2012

Mary Anne here. Chocolate + peanut butter, topped with Heath Bar bits = my idea of heaven! Not much more to say about this combo, other than that I should’ve come up with this before Lent! The inspiration for these sinful cupcakes arose in the baking aisle of my local grocery store. It seems that [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Honey & Butter-Glazed Pretzel Bites with Roasted Garlic

Honey & Butter-Glazed Pretzel Bites with Roasted Garlic

February 20, 2012

Mariel here. Every morning, I head out onto the mean streets of NYC and pound it out on the pavement for a full hour. Rain or shine, snow or wind, this daily jog helps clear my head and de-stress my perpetually anxious soul before hunkering down for an honest day’s work. It also has the [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Finska Kakor, aka Finnish Cakes with Sweet Butter and Almonds

Finska Kakor, aka Finnish Cakes with Sweet Butter and Almonds

January 17, 2012

Mary Anne here. Mariel’s BFF is getting married in May, and naturally we’ll be hosting her bridal shower. Mariel’s gal pal is like the second daughter I never had, and so of course I want the party to reflect how much we love her. One of the best ways to express our devotion is through [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Crispy Kale Chips

Crispy Kale Chips

December 22, 2011

Mary Anne here. This fall, I spent a glorious eight hours up north in horse country with my favorite girl, Mariel. I just love those quiet, mom-daughter days. On this particular adventure, we stopped for coffee on the way and, while sipping from our paper cups, we perused the goodies at a local farm stand. [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Baked Onion Rings with Old Bay

Baked Onion Rings with Old Bay

December 13, 2011

Mary Anne here. True, I am an onion ring fanatic, but I believe there is nary a fried food that stacks up to a deep-fried, batter-crisped sweet onion. That being said, while December typically signals a break from bathing suit season, my annual trip to the tropics means I should probably be taking a plunge [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Glazed Carrots with Ginger and Fresh Orange Juice

Glazed Carrots with Ginger and Fresh Orange Juice

November 23, 2011

Mary Anne here. Mariel is right – when it comes to our Thanksgiving feast, it’s all about the side dishes. I have to admit, I’ve gotten into a bit of a rut in terms of trying out new veggies, but who wants to mess with success and risk disappointing the “kids” on such an important [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Popovers aka Yorkshire Pudding

Popovers aka Yorkshire Pudding

October 27, 2011

Mary Anne here. So here at last is my final installment to our Sunday dinner of Roast Beef  and Horseradish Cream with Haricots Vert and Roasted Shallots. One Christmas, when I was still the proud mother of two (number three was my post-New year’s surprise!), we hosted a lovely family from London for the holidays. [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a Gooey Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a Gooey Chocolate Glaze

October 24, 2011

Mariel here. For this month’s installment of Secret Recipe Club, I bounced on over to Liv Life, where I stumbled across this recipe for a decadent-looking Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake. I’ve been intrigued by the Choco-Pumpkin pairing since I spotted these brownies over at Smitten Kitchen and since I recently added a Bundt pan to [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Spiced Cheddar Cheese Twists

Spiced Cheddar Cheese Twists

October 6, 2011

Mary Anne here. A couple of weekends ago I hosted a “girls night” with my two sisters and one of my beloved nieces. We howled like raucous schoolgirls as we gossiped, giggled, and did a wee bit of guzzling, all while feasting on an over-flowing charcuterie board. The spread was laden with thin slices pf [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon-Cider Glaze

Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon-Cider Glaze

October 4, 2011

Mariel here. I spent part of the weekend upstate, lapping up the peace and quiet that only the countryside can provide. Living in the city is like living under constant attack – honking horns make my hair stand on end, a scary neighbor ensures I break into a cold sweat when I leave the apartment, [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

September 26, 2011

Mariel here. When I was a wee middle-schooler, my best friend at the time used to love making sweet breads. Banana bread in particular was her forte and we spent many an afternoon whipping up a double-batch in the kitchen and then snacking on our own personal loaves while playing Donkey Kong or modeling the [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Creme Brulee with Candied Peaches

Creme Brulee with Candied Peaches

September 13, 2011

If I happen to stumble upon a roadside sign for tree-ripened peaches, you can bet your bottom dollar I’m pulling over and bogarting the whole lot. In light of summer’s last gasp, I’ve been stocking up on September produce, single-handedly keeping Big Peach in business. Thanks to my surplus, I’ve been adding these sweet, juicy [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Ooey-Gooey Mocha Cake with Swirl Frosting

Ooey-Gooey Mocha Cake with Swirl Frosting

August 25, 2011

Mariel here. I just spent a few glorious days in Ye Olde Adirondack Mountains – it’s a family tradition on my father’s side and we’ve recently reinstated this annual pilgrimage up north. While my husband had to cancel last-minute thanks to work deadlines, I had carefully parceled out a meager respite from my own affairs, [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho and Frozen Watermelon Daiquiris

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho and Frozen Watermelon Daiquiris

July 21, 2011

Mary Anne here. This summer swelter is stretching straight across the US of A, so I find myself in need of cold comfort. Knowing that the thermometer was on the rise, I loaded up the fridge with a bounty of fresh, crisp fruit and whipped up an old Rittenhouse family summer staple – an enormous fruit [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cake

Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cake

June 16, 2011

Mary Anne here. In honor of Father’s Day, I opted to plumb the pages of my catering archives and recreate a Devil’s Food Cake that was a favorite “special occasion confection” from gigs past. While both my dad and step-dad are no longer in this world, I humbly offer a culinary tribute to two equally [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Seasoned with Old Bay

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Seasoned with Old Bay

June 13, 2011

Mariel here. It’s hard to believe, but it’s already been a month since the last Secret Recipe Club – some of you may recall the divisive Zucchini Brownies incident – so I spent part of Sunday scrambling to whip up a winner from my assigned blog, Mom’s Fridge. Intent on selecting a surefire favorite, I [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Michael’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Crunchy Scallions and Fresh Cilantro

Michael’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Crunchy Scallions and Fresh Cilantro

May 26, 2011

Mary Anne here. Well, it seems Michael is getting the hang of contributing to our little blog. This afternoon, in preparation for the holiday weekend, he whipped up this salad (it’s become a standard in our home) and actually WROTE DOWN the measurements – yippee!! Michael is a pretty cute guy and I think he [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Sweet-Tart Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet

Sweet-Tart Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet

May 19, 2011

Mariel here (again). When my parents were still married, we used to head to my paternal grandparents’ farm in Pleasant Valley, New York as often as possible. My grandmother and grandfather lived on 23 relatively untamed acres – save for two sprawling grass fields complete with a four-stable barn – that was absolute paradise for [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Frosted Zucchini Brownies

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

May 16, 2011

Mariel here. About a month ago, I stumbled across a “Secret Recipe Club” hosted by Amanda’s Cookin’ and since I’m a sucker for secrets, I opted in. The premise is simple enough: each chef is assigned a different food blog and must choose a recipe to recreate in their own kitchen. Then, on a designated [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Gluten-Free Chocolate Mousse Cake

Gluten-Free Chocolate Mousse Cake

April 14, 2011

Mary Anne here. Ah…the holidays are upon us once again, and this year Passover and Easter arrive within a week of each other. As I’ve written in the past, when my mom married my step-dad, George, the Ellicott brood donned both Easter bonnets on Sunday and Yarmulkes on Friday night (the boys, of course!). And [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Grapefruit Pudding Cake

Grapefruit Pudding Cake

March 17, 2011

Mariel here. This past weekend I spent some time down in Florida celebrating a close friend’s impending nuptials, and let me tell you, I was more than excited to escape the refrigerator that is NYC. This past winter has been a doozy – for so many reasons – and it felt damn good to head [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a Zesty Lemon Rosemary Glaze

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a Zesty Lemon Rosemary Glaze

March 1, 2011

Mariel here. Last week, I cooked dinner for an editor friend of mine from Epicurious, no pressure or anything. I whipped up Halibut with a Hazelnut Romesco, which was to-die-for – thank God – but it was much pricier than most of my any-given-Monday meals (you can check out her recap of the dish here).  [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Brisket Ragu

Brisket Ragu

February 24, 2011

Mariel here. That Beer-Braised Brisket I made last week? Well I finally finished it off. After transforming it into delicious little sliders, I explored my inner Italian and whipped up a homemade ragu that far exceeded my expectations since a) I’m not Italian and b) I don’t have much patience when it comes to letting [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chewy Salted Hazelnut Cookies

Chewy Salted Hazelnut Cookies

February 1, 2011

Mariel here. Back in December, I swung by a tree-trimming party at a friend’s amazing loft downtown – I covet her apartment, it’s airy, it’s spacious, it’s for grown-ups. As I found out later that evening, the reason for hosting a tree-trimmer is two-fold: first, it provides an uncontested excuse to chow down on fattening [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Guest Post: The ABCs of Gluten-Free

Guest Post: The ABCs of Gluten-Free

January 27, 2011

Mariel & Mary Anne here: For awhile now, we’ve wanted to turn our attention to the gluten-free contingent, but since neither of us abide, we didn’t really know where to start. As luck would have it, we recently met the incredibly knowledgeable Lisa Cain, PhD from Snack-Girl.com: an arbiter of all things healthful, an evolutionary [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Whole Wheat Parmesan Drop Biscuits

Whole Wheat Parmesan Drop Biscuits

January 18, 2011

Mariel here. On a mission to whip up whole wheat biscuits that weren’t like little mounds of lead, I worked and re-worked this recipe more times than I care to admit. I had three requirements: they had to be somewhat healthier, they had to be flaky, and they had to be delicious. I started with [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake

Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake

December 30, 2010

Mary Anne here. As you may have noticed, Mariel has been on a breakfast binge as of late, creating a smorgasbord of delectable dishes like Whole Wheat Maple Pomegranate Pancakes, Ginger & Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast and her very own Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter. Despite her incredible new repertoire, Mariel asked that I [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast

Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast

December 21, 2010

Mariel here. I hemmed and hawed over what to post this week. Since most of us are in the midst of a pre-holiday scramble – which usually entails a melee of baking, shopping, menu-orchestrating and nine-to-fiving – daily meals become less about divining something delicious and more about quieting the growl before wrapping a pile [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Whole Wheat Pomegranate Maple Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pomegranate Maple Pancakes

December 2, 2010

Mariel here. After whipping up that Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter, I waxed philosophical about my mother’s incredible holiday breakfasts, so I won’t put you through that again. BUT, since the festive season has officially sprung, you’re bound to host at least one hungry traveler at some point over the next month. Even [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash

November 29, 2010

Mary Anne here. Whether you’re planning  a brunch, lunch, or dinner, this leftover-laden creation has to be the ultimate comfort food! I combined the remnants of our turkey with stuffing, boiled potatoes, sautéed onions and gravy. It’s Thanksgiving dinner’s finest transported to a hot pan and crisply browned on both sides. If I had any [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chewy Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

November 18, 2010

Mariel here. Inspired by mother’s (or really, my grandmother’s) famous Cranberry Nut Bread, I decided to try my hand at a sweet-tart treat of my own. With pomegranates being hawked for just a buck apiece at the fruit cart on my corner, the choice was practically made for me….particularly given the nostalgia factor. Growing up, [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Mom’s Cranberry Nut Bread

Mom’s Cranberry Nut Bread

November 15, 2010

Mary Anne here. Every year, Cranberry, Pumpkin, and Date Nut breads all grace our holiday table, regardless of who hosts the family feast. And all three of these traditional breads work double-time: first, as a sweet side to the savory turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving night, and then the next morning, re-heated alongside eggs and [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter

Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter

November 1, 2010

Mariel here. My mother – a bona fide festivity-phile – deemed every holiday worthy of its own special breakfast. On our birthdays we had Eggs in a Hat; on Easter it was Blueberry Pancakes; on Valentine’s Day we ate Heart-Shaped Waffles; and on Christmas and Thanksgiving, my mom whipped up her world-famous Coffee Cake. One [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

September 13, 2010

Mariel here. As you may have noticed, my mom whipped up one of my grandmother’s delicious Chocolate Cheesecakes last week. While the recipe is beyond simple, I don’t have much use for a full-on cake unless it’s a) somebody’s birthday or b) I’m trying to impress a group of friends. Cupcakes on the other hand, [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries