Mary Anne here. In general, I prefer to prepare most meals from scratch and that includes brining a fresh piece of brisket for homemade Corned Beef. But alas, my day job is interfering with my true love, our little blog, and I simply didn’t have the four days required for brining the beef. Thankfully, my[…]
Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Crabmeat
Mary Anne here. So I guess it seems I’m in splurge-mode these days, while my dutiful daughter has been shopping her market’s sale shelves. That being said, I do have a pretty good excuse for this pricey dish: I was serving my Osso Bucco to very special guests (Mariel, my niece, and their respective husbands!).[…]
Beer-Braised Brisket Sliders
Mariel here. My workload has been a tad oppressive as of late, which certainly isn’t a bad thing when you’re a freelance writer. But unfortunately, all that writing, researching and scrambling means I’ve neglected my wee little kitchen. Last week, I subsisted solely on Chipotle-Spiced Pulled Pork, Mango Salsa and Apple Raisin Slaw leftover from[…]
Crab Louis Salad Over Avocado
Mary Anne here. This delectable Crab Louis was created on an Indian summer day when the thermometer topped out at a sultry 89 degrees. I had purchased a pound of lump crab meat on sale at my local grocer’s and decided this salad would be the perfect salute to summer’s last gasp. While this is[…]
Garden Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage, Dried Apricots, and Walnuts
Mary Anne here. The weather outside is frightful – and I’m not talking snow. Here in the Northeast, we’ve been hitting 90-degrees almost daily, and the Weather Channel is predicting we’ll top out at 100 by the end of the week…and it’s only the sixth of July! This past weekend, I was hankering for my[…]
Four Cheese Crab Macaroni
Mariel here (on behalf of Mary Anne). This is a new take on a family favorite, courtesy of my multi-talented mamacita. While this is HER recipe, I decided to do her a solid and write the intro – I’m certainly not trying to pass off her work as my own… By now you probably know[…]
Passover Pot Roast
Mariel here. When my mom called me on Friday and asked me to put together a pot roast for Passover, I was, at first, pretty confused. “Ummm, mom, we’re not Jewish.” But after a moment’s pause, I realized, I’m not not Jewish either. As my mother mentioned in previous posts, her own upbringing represented a[…]
Happy Birthday Feast on the Cheap!
Mary Anne here. Exactly one year ago today, Mariel approached me with an idea for a blog. She suggested I compile a collection of recipes that addressed our distressing economic recession by converting my extravagant catering recipes into thriftier renditions, without compromising either flavor or presentation. Initially, I balked at the idea of writing an[…]
Lady Finger Ice Cream Cake with Toffee Crunch
Lady Finger Ice Cream Cake with Toffee Crunch Serves 16 Note: You will need a 10-inch spring form pan. Note 2: In general, you can find packages of Lady Fingers in the produce section near the strawberries. (i.e. for Strawberry Shortcake.) Break up the candy bars by hitting them, in their wrappers, with a kitchen[…]
Crab and Corn Soup
Mariel here. I’ve noticed a trend recently on our site: my mom and I seem to be having a small love affair with soup. Never one to forgo a fad, I decided to add to our online arsenal and post my mother’s super delicious crab soup, even though it’s not the most traditional winter dish.[…]
Thai Lettuce Wraps
Mariel here. This is probably one of the most summer-friendly dinners out there. While it requires a good deal of chopping – not my favorite pastime – it’s totally worth the somewhat annoying prep. And cooking takes about 7 minutes which is always a good thing when you live in a tiny apartment that gets[…]
Risotto with Shrimp and Zucchini
Mariel here. It’s taken me a little longer than I’d like to cobble together my first Feast-worthy recipe, but I found one that’s up to snuff. I present (healthy!) Risotto with Shrimp and Zucchini. I found the original recipe while cruising SELF ‘s website. I have to say, they do a fantastic job creating healthy[…]
Veggie Soba Noodles
Mary Anne here. I used authentic Yakisoba Noodles for this recipe and I served these delicious noodles alongside a Thai Spinach and Mango Salad, and Miso Cod. Yakisoba noodles cost 1.99/8 oz. package, but you can certainly use regular pasta like Vermicelli or thick spaghetti to cut costs even further! This was a particularly rewarding[…]
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
My mother – the go-to-gal for all of my baking questions – passed along her recipe for creating a carrot cake that is denser and moister than any I’ve ever sampled. Her secret step is to cook the carrots prior to assembling the cake. If this doesn’t beat back the winter blues, I don’t know[…]
Smoked Salmon with Dill Sauce
Smoked Salmon with Dill Sauce Serves 12 or more and recipe is easily halved Ingredients: 1 lb. Norwegian smoked salmon, pre-sliced – $17.98 Thin sliced Pumpernickel bread; cut into rounds (three per slice) with a small cookie cutter (I use a heart shape) – $2.99 Sweet butter, softened – from stock Sprigs of fresh dill for[…]
Easter: Renaissance Ricotta Pie
Serves 10 Mary Anne here. One of my favorite things about this pie is that it can be made in stages, up to two days before the event. I make the crust first, which requires a fair amount of time in the refrigerator before being rolled out. At first it’s a frightening experience, because the[…]
Fried Rice with Shrimp and Pancetta
Serves 6 Mary Anne here. This reheats beautifully for leftovers, although my host scarfed it down before anyone else could! Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons Peanut oil, divided – $4.49 3 large eggs, lightly beaten – from stock 1/3 lb. Pancetta, trimmed and diced (from one chunk) – $3.60 1 cup scallions, diced (including green tops) – $.45 *Plus 1 or 2 extra[…]
Orange Bread with Turkey and Ginger-Apple Butter
Mary Anne here. This bread can be made up to three days before. With the bread remaining un-sliced, seal in a layer of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and store at room temp. This also freezes very nicely for up to two weeks. You’ll need a blender or food processor for this one as[…]
Smoked Salmon with Wasabi Aioli
Mary Anne here. Wasabi Mustard is a relatively new product on the market, though I found Stonewall Kitchen makes a great one that can be ordered online. If you can’t find one in your local grocery store, simply combine Wasabi powder with white vinegar (rather than water), according to package specifications, to produce 2 Tablespoons. […]
Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Aioli
Mary Anne here. Fluffy and light, I like to pack my crab cakes full of crab, not cake. My kids are definitely biased, but they all agree that this is one of their favorite recipes. This recipe pairs beautifully with Mango Salsa or Mariel’s Sweet Pepper Pineapple Relish. Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Aioli Serves 8[…]