Hollandaise Sauce

  The first day I met my brother-in-law Mandy, he effortlessly whipped a perfect Hollandaise Sauce to pour over blanched bright green asparagus as a side dish.  I don’t remember if Filet Mignon was also served, but I vividly remember the asparagus with Hollandaise! Sauce Bearnaise, a derivative sauce of Hollandaise, had been close to my…

Gorgonzola-Cognac-Candied Pecan Steak Sauce

  “Will you give cooking lessons anytime soon?” people often ask.  I concede I enjoy the whole process of creating in the kitchen, entertaining dinner guests, talking about ingredients and sharing my passion about cooking at HOME.  Offering hands-on cooking classes and/or demos is something I have given serious consideration and I definitely see myself…

Buffalo Style Sauce

  It’s that time of year again, Super Bowl 2013 will be next Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49’rs will battle for the title in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I don’t follow american football, but I attended many Super Bowl parties, b.c. (before children).  My guess is that I don’t like football…

Salsa Fresca

Serendipity:  the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. I have experienced this event or feeling many times in my life, but none as defining as with my first encounter with my husband of almost 15 years at the end of summer 1997.  I am sure he will agree……

Pot Stickers Dipping Sauce

  Pot stickers (how they are called when pan fried) and Chinese dumplings (when they are steamed) are huge crowd pleasers. Bottles, a local restaurant, serves dumplings by the truck load, for they are a favorite among regulars. Usually, they serve them with a side of peanut sauce similar to my recipe for Chicken Satay, bean sprouts…

Brown Butter and Sage Cream Sauce

SOMETIMES, WE HAVE TO DISCONNECT TO CONNECT… It has been over a month since I’ve posted a new recipe, but I took a little vacation from the blogosphere, first because my camera broke and then because I was enjoying the company of my children during school break and they adamantly scold me if I’m at…

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I have tried this dish several times at restaurants and private parties.  One thing is for sure,  I always love it! Satay refers to marinated pieces of meat that are grilled or barbecued and served with a spicy peanut sauce as a side.  Its origins are found in Indonesia and is also a delicacy in…

Cherry or Blueberry Topping

When it comes to ice cream, I tend to be a vanilla-flavor kind of gal.  Nevertheless, I love to dress it up with fruit toppings, hot fudge, nutella, caramel or some sprinkles. During last week, we had our niece and nephew stay with us for a few days.  I had fresh cherries and fresh blueberries…

My Ragú Bolognese

As you have probably noticed by now, many of my recipes build upon each other.  I often mix two of my basic recipes to make a new dish. Ragú Bolognese is a sauce made of ground meat, soffritto (the italian version of mirepoix- sauteed carrots, celery and onions in butter by the French, but instead, sauteed…

Guava Barbecue Sauce

Have any of you thought about the difference between barbecuing (barbacoa) and grilling (asado)? We all use the words interchangeably, but there is truly a big difference between them. According to several sources and experts, to barbecue is to cook slowly with indirect or lower level heat (low temperatures between 200-300º F) for a prolonged…