"Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions, chocolate understands."
-author unknown You don't see too many chocolate desserts in the summer. Usually it's all about summer fruit pies, tarts, crostatas, cobblers, crisps, ice cream, sorbets. Nothing against them, all delicious, but my soul still craves chocolate. So this is an attempt at the best of both worlds. Even the BF loves it and he's not exactly fond of mixing fruit with cake. [Ed. note: As The Offspring once eloquently opined, gotta keep 'em separated. (I'm just kidding, this is really good.)] The best part of this dessert is that it's the best hack of the summer. I make every single meal for my clients and family from scratch. Every day. But once in awhile, especially in the summer heat, it's nice to make things a little easier for the BF and me. Here you can be versatile, feel free to use your favorite boxed brownie mix (Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies "Extra Thick and Fudgy" was used here) or a time-tested from-scratch recipe. You can make homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip, I won't tell. Like another berry better than strawberries? Go for it. For years, I had prepared this dessert with homemade brownies and fresh whipped cream. Then one night a friend came over for an impromptu dinner. I was short on time, knew the guest couldn't eat dairy, and hates coconut milk. So out came the boxed brownie mix (no butter) and Cool Whip (no cream), and it was awesome. She loved it. It also held up better in the warm weather than homemade and did not wilt or weep in the fridge. The BF and I had leftovers for a few days and there wasn't a single crumb left. Hope you enjoy this one over a very Happy Fourth of July! Not only is it our nation's birthday, but it's also our rescue lab Marlowe's fifth. [Ed. note: She doesn't look a day over four.] And as a final note, it is also a year since I started this blog, the one-year blogaversary, and I want to sincerely thank you for reading. Feel free to reach out to me here, or on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (links above). Cheers! Flashback to blog #1: www.moveablefeast.me/blog/crispy-salmon-with-strawberry-salsa
Number of Servings: 4-6
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Born on the Fourth of July. Happy Fifth Birthday Marlowe!
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All apologies, as the BF and I have been under the weather this week. Somehow, in over a quarter century of knowing each other, this is the first time we have been sick at the same time. [Ed. note: It's not like we were trying to set a record or anything.] We are slowly coming out of our funk.
A more pleasant subject: strawberries! While fresh strawberries are not quite in season yet—soon!—this dessert actually uses the freeze-dried variety, which pack a supremely flavorful punch. So easy to make, we're talking roughly a half hour, this made a perfect little housewarming gift for a friend and her hubs. Adapted from: Leelalicious Number of servings: 2 small servings Ingredients
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Sticking with the strawberry theme from the last post, here's a fun single bite of goodness that has worked well for many of my Fourth-of-July catering events. There are many different ways to customize the filling (suggestions below), but the simple vanilla is a good foil for the chocolate and graham-cracker dip.
I have used gluten-free graham crackers for clients who require that; you can substitute with nuts (chopped pecans, walnuts) or even sprinkles. Happy Fourth! Yield: 24 strawberries Ingredients
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![]() Hi! Welcome to my first blog post, and thank you for stumbling onto this page. I am an Oregon-girl (and a U of O grad, Go Ducks!) who has cooked for my own family for decades, but decided to apply it as a self-employed trade into the teeth of the 2008-09 financial crisis. A layoff from a corporate job in the sleep-education field gave me the opportunity to start my own business. In 2009, I formally launched the Moveable Feast personal-chef service, and have enjoyed serving the bay area's mid-peninsula ever since. Besides the many families I have had the pleasure of cooking for, my clients have included executives from Apple, Facebook, Google, YouTube and, up north, Boeing. Here you will find all sorts of recipes from healthy to comfort food to indulgent desserts. I cook seasonally and with as much local ingredients as possible. I develop all the recipes on this site myself along with the photography and food styling. This blog will share delicious recipes and experiences from the past decade, document the continuing journey, and hopefully give you a few ideas for dishes to try out in your own kitchen. Hope you're having a wonderful 4th-of-July holiday! Cheers, Jacquie Steiner Crispy Salmon with Strawberry Salsa Of all of the posts at the Moveable Feast Facebook page, and the upwards of two dozen salmon preparations, this gets the most requests for its recipe. It's also one of the more popular seasonal dishes from my summer menus. Sweet strawberries and basil might seem an unusual pairing with salmon, but coupled with the kick of red onion and/or serrano pepper, balance out the entree nicely. Enjoy! Ingredients
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AuthorI'm Jacquie, personal chef & recipe developer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Lover of books, bourbon, chocolate and movies. Archives
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