You know that one person in your family that has that annoying habit that drives you and the rest of the clan batshit crazy? [Ed. note: It's a technical term.]
That person was me. Removing the filling of a Hostess Twinkie, Suzy Q, or cupcake. Digging out the fruit at the bottom of a yogurt cup, leaving the sour plain yogurt for the next unsuspecting sibling. Sorry, Mike. Eggs. Mom would go to Defcon 2 as I would surgically remove the yolk of a fried egg and leave behind a perfectly entact white saucer. So it's no surprise that when the BF and I have deviled eggs, the filling gets excavated and he gets the outside white. Except...for this pinkalicious delight, where the outer egg white packs a puckering wallop of flavor (courtesy of the cardamom, anise, peppercorns, and optional jalapeno). This is a nice addition to any Easter or Passover table. In my experience, they're always the first to disappear. Happy Easter, Pesach Sameach. Adapted from: Simply Recipes and The Kitchn (Brine) Number of Servings: Makes 6 whole pickled eggs or 12 deviled egg halves Ingredients Hard Boiled Eggs
Pickled Beet Brine
Deviled Eggs
Directions Hard Boiled Eggs
Pickled Beet Brine
Deviled Eggs
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Spring is here, a-suh-puh-ring is here
Life is Skittles and life is beer I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring I do, don't you? 'Course you do But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me And makes every Sunday a treat for me... ~Tom Lehrer Today is the first day of spring. You wouldn't know it by looking out my window right now, as we're in the middle of a Pineapple Express storm, courtesy of Hawaii. Matters not, I'm breaking out some serious spring veggies. I could certainly eat this as a main dish. My BF would not. [Ed. note: Carrots are not an entrée!] Still, you can serve this as a side dish to complement just about anything.
If you can't find rainbow carrots, you can go ahead and use regular orange carrots. They're pretty commonplace now, available in most grocery stores. We have them here at the local Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods, etc.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Spring! All the world seems in tune On a spring afternoon When we're poisoning pigeons in the park...
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Number of Servings: 4 Ingredients For the Carrots
Directions
[Ed. note: Tom Lehrer was a favorite musical comedian of both our Momalas. No pigeons were harmed in the creation of this blog.]
When they see us coming The birdies all try and hide But they still go for peanuts When coated with cyanide
Espresso, check.
Baileys Irish Cream, check. Tiramisu, check. For me, a trifecta of favorites in one dessert. In one bite, even. Boozy and creamy, while managing to be light tasting. The BF has already had too much of it. [Ed. note: <whistling and singing> We have no heads! No we have no heads!] Don't mind him. This takes all of 20 minutes to put together, but needs to chill overnight. Have lost count how many times I've made this for family, friends, and clients. One of my clients who never eats desserts, eats this one. A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have. - Irish Proverb Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Adapted from: Nigella Lawson, Nigella Express and Jenn Segal, Once Upon a Chef
Number of servings: 12 NOTES: Savoiardi cookies are also called lady fingers. But be sure to buy crisp cookies, not the soft sponge-cake lady fingers sold in the bakery section of your grocery store. Also, this recipe uses raw eggs, so use only fresh, properly refrigerated and clean grade-A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. Ingredients
Directions
[Ed. note: We leave you with a little Traditional Irish Folk Song, courtesy of Denis Leary. Cheers and Happy St. Patrick's Day!]
We drink and we die and continue to drink!
Daylight savings time. Some people are militant about the concept of its existence, but we don't mind here in the bay area as it signifies that spring is really upon us and we can shed the "winter" wardrobe. Even our pupper Marlowe, who gained a few winter pounds [Ed. note: She is beautiful how dare you shame her!], is shedding a bit of her winter coat. Our trees are sprouting blooms, and the BF just informed me that our lovely fuchsia tree-bush has tiny little buds appearing at the end of its spindly limbs.
Still, this week's weather has screwed me up. Every other day is rain and then sun. One day I crave hot soup, and the next day, spring-time asparagus and shrimp. Is spring here to stay? Every time the coat and boots are put away in the closet, there's another rain band on the Doppler radar, and the next day the thermostat reads 70 °F. Hopefully this one-sheet-pan shrimp and asparagus dish will serve as a worthy transitional meal. The fact you only need to use one pan makes this incredibly fast and easy to make. I adapted the recipe to make in your oven, instead of a grill, and cut out several steps from the original, so you don't need to dirty extra bowls. [Ed. note: Insert Napoleon Dynamite, "YESS!"]
Adapted from: What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life, Curtis Stone
Number of Servings: 4 NOTE: I cook the asparagus and shrimp separately to keep the asparagus from getting soggy. Roasting asparagus with shrimp will steam the asparagus as the shrimp releases water when roasting. Ingredients
Directions
You got chocolate in my peanut butter!
You got peanut butter on my chocolate! For those that don't know, Reese's made a thousand (it seems) variations on this theme.
Everyone from my generation has seen a version of this commercial. And they're right, some things really do pair well together. Even bring out the best in one another.
The BF and I have never been die hard peanut butter fans. I didn't grow up with PB&J sandwiches and hated all things peanuty, while he was...what's the phrase? [Ed. note: Psychotically nonplussed.] I have since learned the error of my ways. Peanut butter and chocolate is to die for, and this tart is like a giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in pie form–only way better.
I first made this last year and was shocked at how good it turned out. Silky, creamy, decadent. The BF even loved it, which of course is something I always aim for. Now, it's a go-to for parties, celebrations, catering events, and lo and behold, I keep getting invited back whenever I bring it!
If you have a peanut butter lover in your life, make this for them (or for you). You won't be sorry. You can even make individual parfaits out of this recipe. Place crumbled cookie crust on bottom of your chosen vessel. Spoon the peanut butter filling over the crumbled cookie. Top with ganache and chopped peanuts. See photo below.
Adapted from: Jenn Segal, Once Upon a Chef
Number of Servings: 10 Ingredients Chocolate Tart Crust
Directions Chocolate Tart Crust
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AuthorI'm Jacquie, personal chef & recipe developer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Living life with my wildly funny boyfriend and dog Marlowe. Lover of books, bourbon, chocolate and movies. Archives
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