My Bouquet Garni

This is my 100th post!!!!!!  I am so happy that I started this journey and even though it takes me a lot of time and effort to share my recipes in this blog every week, it is greatly satisfying and fulfilling (like my Blueberry Pound Cake). Ja, Ja!  For this I am grateful and thank…

Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Day is coming up and for me this year it means a plethora of family reunions since my youngest brother Manolo will be getting married during that weekend.  I’m grateful everyday for my immediate and extended family and circle of friends.  I love family reunions, even though it might include some drama, odd “caricature-like”…

Crab Cakes

Who would have thought blogging could have taken me to so many interesting places and led me to connect (and reconnect) with so many fascinating people!  I have made wonderful liaisons in the blogosphere with fellow foodies from all over the world (Australia, Europe, South American, Caribbean, mainland USA, etc.) Locally, I have connected with…

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is rice boiled or steamed in a broth of seasoned vegetables and spices.  The word pilaf has its origins in some mediterranean, oriental and middle eastern languages like turkish (pilav), indian (pulao), greek (pilafi) and persian (pilaw) and farsi (polo).  Sometimes, I find a mixture of basmati and wild rice in the supermarket,…

Penne all’arrabbiata

Yuri, my roomate while I did my study abroad in Rome, Italy many years ago (1994), (read How I became a Foodie), knows from personal experience that Penne all’arrabbiata is one of my favorite pasta dishes.  Last January, I saw her while skiing in Colorado and she reminded me that most of the times that…

Titi Magüi’s Bread Pudding

Titi Magüi was my “tia-abuela”, my grandma’s sister.  She never had children of her own, but she was always a constant in our lives, like a third grandmother.  As a little girl, she would babysit me so that my parents could go to the movies (I was an only child for 7 years).  Also, I…

Perfect Pumpkin Cream Soup

One of my husband’s comfort foods is Pumpkin Cream Soup.   Every time he gets sick or I want to get something out of him, I make it.  This recipe has come a long way…. At a certain point in time, I used to thicken the pumpkin soup with heavy cream or potatoes, but there…

Witch Fingers Cookies

Halloween is coming up and we like to go all out getting dressed up every year.  I don’t know who enjoys it more, the kids or the parents, but a group of families always get together and head a “pilgrimage” to a house in our neighborhood where every year the owner dresses up as a…

Chicken Sandwich Filling

I make this sandwich filling as a tasty and satisfying alternative for lunch on fishing day trips and picnics.  Also, I like to make smaller tea sandwiches for a girls lunch or a snack for a birthday celebration.  Last year, the husband of one of my closest friends from childhood surprised her on a Sunday…

Tostones de Plátano Verde (fried green plantains)

Fresh food always tastes better than previously frozen food.  That is a fact!  However, some foods freeze better than others and their flavors or texture are not affected by the process. I rely on frozen foods only if there is no other alternative or if I want to preserve something fresh from being spoiled and…