Christmas Cranberry-Almond Crumble Coffee Cake Serves 12 Note: This cake doesn’t just have to be for a holiday breakfast. We think it would be a gorgeous addition to the sweets tray at an afternoon tea party. And if you plan to prepare it for a holiday meal, it can be frozen ahead of time. Simply[…]
Leek and Apple Soup with St Andre and Sweet Potato
Mary Anne here. We really are cooking in these parts, although you’d never know it by the pitifully few posts making it to our beloved blog. It seems that I’m long on inspiration but short on time when it comes to formally writing my latest creations. Hurricanes and snow storms only serve to slow my[…]
Scenes from a Baby Shower
Mariel here. This past Saturday, my mom, step-mom and my son’s godmom all celebrated his imminent arrival by hosting a baby shower in my hometown. Incidentally, my hometown is now my again-town since my husband and I moved back just three weeks ago. While “me-themed” parties usually feel a bit awkward, this one was low-key,[…]
Four-Cheese Southwestern Breakfast Strata with Chorizo
Mary Anne here. Last week an old high school friend wrote to me on Facebook and waxed eloquent about her family reunions where apple-laced stratas were frequent features and she got me thinking about this versatile, old fashioned favorite. This rustic breakfast staple also used to be a staple in my catering repertoire when I[…]
Rich’s Light New York Cheesecake
Mary Anne here. Or should I say, Rich Doscher here! Rich is a registered dietician at the hospital where I work. Together with a physical therapist, the three of us give seminars at local senior centers and churches, instructing folks on keeping one’s joints healthy. For such a young “kid,” Rich has an amazing grasp[…]
Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake
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[…]
Classic Shortbread with Fresh Orange Zest
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[…]
Homemade Mixed Berry Jam
Mariel here. As my mother elucidated in her post earlier this week, we’ll be hosting one of my best friend’s bridal showers this coming Saturday. Since my mom is a specialist in afternoon teas, we decided to stay the course and drum up an array of dainty, midday nibbles. While mommy dearest is far more[…]
Finska Kakor, aka Finnish Cakes with Sweet Butter and Almonds
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[…]
Apple and Potato Soup with Brie and Glazed Pecans
Mary Anne here. The inspiration for this soup actually came to me in October when the hospital where I work ladled up a delicious blend of apples and fennel for “Food Day.” I wanted to recreate it precisely, but since fennel can be pricey in these parts, I opted to divine the soup with a[…]
Sun-Dried Tomato Caprese with Smoked Mozzarella
Sun-Dried Tomato Caprese with Smoked Mozzarella Tip: You can prepare this up to 2 days before. Bring the tomato mixture back to room temperature before serving. Store the toasted baguette rounds in a sealed plastic container. Serves 10 Ingredients: 4 ozs. sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil – $2.49 2 cloves garlic, minced – stock 1[…]
Crispy Kale Chips
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.[…]
Lacy Florentine Cookies with Almonds and Chocolate
Mariel here. With Santa arriving in less than a week, it seemed only logical to post a cookie for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. I took a stroll on over to My Danish Cooking, which chronicle’s Gitte’s endeavors to keep her Danish traditions alive while living with her husband and grown son in the US.[…]
Old-Fashioned Hermit Cookies
Mary Anne here. Hermit cookies are hands-down my ex-husband’s favorite treat. Tim is very conscientious about his diet, but when it comes to eating these chewy gems, all thoughts of eschewing sugar are cast aside. When a certain baking company stopped mass-producing the bars a few years back, I swear he was bereft. He needn’t[…]
Chocolate, Walnut & Coconut Pie Bars
Mary Anne here. Sadly, the Thanksgiving family feast is over and the holiday bustle is officially in full swing. Between Black Friday, which now apparently launches during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (gasp!), to Cyber Monday we are inundated with pressure to buy, buy, buy! Not so fast. I’m still glowing from our unequaled Turkey Day[…]
Glazed Carrots with Ginger and Fresh Orange Juice
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[…]
Thanksgiving Side Dish Inspiration
Mariel here. Sure, my mom’s turkey is to-die-for – check out her tips on what to do and what NOT to do – but let’s be honest, it’s all about the side dishes On what other day is it socially-acceptable to attend a formal dinner wearing elastic-waisted cargo pants – or cargo pants of any[…]
Gingersnap Cheesecake
Mariel here. The women in my family are queens of the cheesecake. If you haven’t already given my grandmother’s versions a spin – both the chocolate and the regular – you better hop to. My mom has become a cheesecake pro in her own right and regularly dishes up these treats for her nearest and[…]
Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potatoes, Leeks and Portabella Mushrooms
Mary Anne here. When my children were toddling tots, I struggled to find a dinner that pleased all three of them and their dad as well. Ravioli, Linguini with Clam Sauce, Chicken/Turkey Potpie, and Chicken Tenders were about the only choices they could all grudgingly agree upon. (Note: The links for Ravioli and Linguini with[…]
Popovers aka Yorkshire Pudding
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.[…]