Just a quick note to let you know that my blog has a new home: My Madison Bistro. For an index of recipes, simply click on this link: Recipes
Here is just a sampling of the recipes on the new site – click on any of the links to take you directly to the blog post and recipe.
Weekends with Julia: Brown-Braised Onions
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream, aka the best cupcake I’ve ever had in my life!
Weekends with Julia: Beef Braised in Red Wine
Categories: Breakfast · Dessert · Holiday · Low-Carb · Main Course · Side Dish · Vegetarian
Tagged: Barefoot Contessa, blackberries, blueberries, braised onions, cake, Cheese, chocolate, comfort food, cupcakes, Julia Child, kiwi, lemon, lime, mushrooms, pasta, pastry cream, peanut butter, pot roast, pudding, raspberries, rice, strawberries, tomatoes, Vegetables
My fascination with this bread was very sudden, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. I’m not really concerned with the origin of my fascination; I’m happy that it hit me over the head that fateful day, because it is now one of my favorite breads. It’s great on its own with a little jam and a steaming mug of coffee, or as a weekend breakfast of French toast, or even as croutons or bread pudding to use up stale bread. Of course, due to the richness of the bread, it’s not one I make often, but it is such a treat to have now and then.
When I first made brioche, I didn’t have a stand mixer. I tried making the dough with my hand-held mixer. As I started adding that third cup of flour, the motor began to smoke, and the mixer managed to inhale bread dough before it sputtered and died.
Categories: Breakfast · Side Dish · Vegetarian
Tagged: bread, comfort food
A bowl of risotto and a glass of wine are quite possibly the perfect simple dinner in my world. Really good risotto has me closing my eyes and tipping back my head in pure delight. It’s so good that I really savor that first taste, and the second, and the last, searching for each layer of flavor, enjoying each texture.
I suppose it really shouldn’t be a shock that risotto is a favorite of mine. When I was in college, I was addicted to Rice-A-Roni. Yes, that San Francisco treat was a mainstay in my kitchen. Anytime I would be up studying until the wee hours of the morning, it’s probably safe to assume I had rice cooking away on the stove.
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Categories: Gluten Free · Main Course · Side Dish
Tagged: mushrooms, rice
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that whole grains are the current “it” food. I have no idea if they are the wonder food they are purported to be, as science doesn’t always have the best track record in the area of nutrition (remember margarine? low-fat diets?). However, I figure that eating a variety of foods close to its natural state is probably a good idea, so I’ll go along with it. Enter wheatberries.
Ina Garten’s Wheatberry Salad is the perfect “made-ahead” dish because it tastes better the longer it sits. I love the versatility of this salad, because you can of course serve it on its own as a side dish, or you can add a scoop or two to a large main dish salad.
Categories: Salad · Side Dish · Vegetarian
Tagged: Barefoot Contessa, Vegetables, whole grain
I’m always trying to figure out ways to make vegetables more interesting. Before today, I thought I only liked cauliflower in its raw state. When cooked, to me it was mushy and smelled like a gym sock.
I reminded myself that the roasting process brings out sweeter flavors in vegetables, and can change a food from so-so to delicious. And if other vegetables can taste absolutely sublime when roasted, perhaps cauliflower could too.
Categories: Gluten Free · Low-Carb · Side Dish · Vegetarian
Tagged: Vegetables
