holidays

inspiration for special occasions.

cinnamon creme brulee

12/25/2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: dessert, food., holidays

Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family and friends are happy and healthy, full of merriment and grace. This is little dessert gift, from me to you. I adore the subtle flavor of cinnamon permeating this exquisite, always-welcome pot of cream. And I love that it is easy to make. I use a little culinary blow torch to ‘brulee’ mine, but truth be told: I am hankering for… [more]

12 Days of Christmas: 12 Easy Appetizers

12/15/2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: food., holidays, starters

The 12 APPS of CHRISTMAS I recently held a class on appetizers; my challenge was to come up with easy to assemble appetizers that maximize flavor while minimizing time. I probably could have presented half a dozen, but what with the spirit of Christmas I couldn’t help myself: 12 appetizers for the ’12 Days of Christmas.’ (Just click on links to find recipes). Next, I organized them… [more]

thanksgiving dish re-invented: sweet potato goes gnocchi

11/21/2011 | 9 Comments | Topics: holidays, Italian food, starch

I actually teach gnocchi-making, and sweet potato gnocchi is one of my favorite variations. The recipe is inspired by fellow Chef Iole. You pronounce it /ee oh lay/ and yes: she is Italian. You may or may not know this about me, but I have a great affinity for Italian food. It is one of my specialties; I like to tell people that living in Italy for a year… [more]

Halloween Party Ideas & GIVEAWAY

10/17/2011 | 17 Comments | Topics: holidays, reviews

Hello! You didn’t think I would let this month slip by without a round of Halloween suggestions did you? I adore this month, this holiday, this excuse for making wickedly good libations and downright naughty treats. Every year we have a party, full of spiders and spooks, noshes and newfangled drinks. We pump up the creaky noises, fill our home with fog and tip our hats at the [more]

Aunt Vicki's Cheese Ball Appetizer

01/16/2009 | 4 Comments | Topics: holidays, people to see, starters

If you know Aunt Vicki—or are my extended family— then you know exactly what cheese ball I am talking about. We grew up with this appetizer at holiday after holiday party. Christmas primarily. It was its own icon; Aunt Vicki would show up looking splendid, out dressing us all (some have it, some don’t…. she does), and with her came THE cheese ball appetizer. Now when I was 6 or… [more]

m ‘n’ m holiday cookies.

03/20/2008 | 5 Comments | Topics: food., holidays, snacks

Easter? Halloween? Christmas? Fourth of July? Bring it. Whatever holiday it is, these cookies can waltz right in and be fashionable, readily available, unassumingly appropriate. All you need to do is buy that bag of holiday colored m ‘n’ ms. Hey, they are cookies. I didn’t say they were good for you. Though I suppose you could sneak in some wheat germ, use wheat flour, add in some flax… [more]

chorizo empanadillas

01/09/2008 | 4 Comments | Topics: food., holidays, recipes, starters

Core-eezo? Chore-eezo? Empa-what? Skip filling your mouth with fancy ingredients or tell-tale titles. Just open wide and insert a few of these pastry and sausage bites. I made these for a special holiday dinner, and it was all I could do to slow down and save some room for the main event. I am SO making these again; they were delightful, unusual and easy to make in advance. And… [more]

a trio of DIPS for your holiday vegetable platter

12/29/2007 | 4 Comments | Topics: dip, sauce & syrup, food., holidays, recipes, starters

Why don’t you just bring an appetizer? Maybe a dip and some veggies? Sure, you think, wondering why you were left with the boring alternative. I can bring the 1950′s veggie platter. But it is true, people crave the green crunchy alternative to the creamy, oily, cheesy, bread-crusted delights we hide under the diminutive term ‘appetizers.’ I spent a whole weekend eating holiday meals; and thanks to the innovative, seductive,… [more]

A slinky, a birdhouse, a pile of rocks and a plate of cookies.

12/24/2007 | 5 Comments | Topics: edible gifts, food., holidays, recipes, snacks

It is Christmas time. And my [extended] family, probably not unlike others, struggle year upon year about whether to give big gifts or little gifts, pile grab bag gifts or make homemade gifts. Are the gifts getting too expensive? Is the family getting so big that we still buy gifts for everyone? How about an exchange? Couple gifts? Family gifts? No gifts? What does your family do? And yet, it… [more]

list of holiday appetizers

12/19/2007 | 5 Comments | Topics: food., holidays, recipes, starters

It is that time of year, when we engage in party-throwing and dressing up and cocktailing for the sake of the season. In my opinion, we should do this more often, despite the season. I just think it is good to gather, converse, and to not replace a perfect tag line: eat, drink and be merry. Merry in March. Merry in May. Merry on our way. Life is short—throw more… [more]