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Never a fan of a jelly mold on a holiday table, this recipe has changed my tune! Plenty of flavor and plenty of gel, the beauty of this dish is great cranberry flavor with a gorgeous presentation. On my trial run, I garnished with fresh cranberries and rosemary served on a white platter, just like photographed. Sure to be a hit on my Thanksgiving table.

By loribhowe | 

November 20, 2009

I served these last night at a cocktail party for a rather large crowd and the kitchen could not keep up with demand! They were talk of the party. I doubled the recipe and plan to have all ingedients on hand for last minute holiday entertaining. A simple, must try recipe.

By loribhowe | 

November 13, 2009

I always felt a successful artichoke dip was creamy and cheesy and firey with flavors of artichoke. This dish was all artichoke with barely a hint of the rest. I think it would be more successful as a side dish not as a appetizer. Not a very big hit at our tailgate party this weekend.

By loribhowe | 

November 9, 2009

An impressive and delicious make ahead dish to serve a crowd. The flavors were rich and very satisfying. I only needed about a pound of the orecchiette as the pork sugo was the star of this show! I will certainly be making this one again.

By loribhowe | 

November 5, 2009

It's always satisfying when a dish with Asian flavors comes together well balanced, neither too salty nor too spicy. This one was amazing! I used fresh steelhead filets which I marinated for the same amount of time and served over sticky rice and stir-fried vegetables. The sauce was a bit syrupy so I thinned it with the juice of half a lemon. It was a great dinner!!!

By loribhowe | 

November 3, 2009

A very delicious and traditional Bolognese recipe. I took a little extra time to actually brown or caramelize the ground meats, adding a bit more depth of flavor. The finely chopped vegetables completely melted into the sauce. This Bolognese was like velvet tossed with fresh spinach tagliatelle. Try not to rush it's preparation and you will be greatly rewarded.

By loribhowe | 

November 2, 2009

I served this for dessert at a Halloween dinner party and while we all thought it was delicious, it was almost too rich to actually enjoy. Perhaps my servings were too large??????

By loribhowe | 

November 1, 2009

An absolutely wonderful dinner, comforting and rich in flavor. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs which I cut into bite sized pieces, tossed with 4T of flour and sautéed in the oil. I used the cider to deglaze the pan and followed the rest of the recipe as instructed. We served it with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a buttery chardonnay. A HUGE hit at my house!

By loribhowe | 

October 29, 2009

Most of us already have our own favorite version of Julia Child's classic beef bourguignon but this one derserves a try. I used almost 3 lbs of beef and a California cabernet sauvignon which made a most rich and delicious gravy. It did take almost 2 1/2 hours in the oven to fully cook to fall apart tender. Preparing the vegetables & pancetta separately and adding them at the end kept the flavors clean and made for a spectacular and colorful presentation.

By loribhowe | 

October 28, 2009

I decided to make these in a smaller version, to be served as a passed hors d'oeuvre, cutting my puff pastry into 2 1/2" rounds and finely dicing my filling ingredients. I had just the right amount of squash mixture, filling 48 pieces. I immediately froze the unbaked turnovers which then only required 17 min to bake. These are a delicious and savory dazzler for a cocktail party or buffet. I will definitely be making plenty of these to have on hand for holiday entertaining.

By loribhowe | 

October 21, 2009

This deliciously rich and creamy soup is the perfect accessory for a grilled cheese sandwich! I used canned whole tomatoes and half and half instead of heavy cream. It is worth the extra effort to find the right paprika called for in this recipe. I made the gruyere toasts which were nice for dipping but the grilled raclette sandwiches I also made were even better. I will definitely make this again and double it for freezing.

By loribhowe | 

October 20, 2009

This salad sounded very delicious and very easy and seemed like it would be great for leftovers. I made it this afternoon and was quite pleased initially with how it tasted. It was in the refrigerator for about 3 hours chilling and when I delivered it to the dinner table it was very dry. What began as an Asian vinaigrette was now thickened to a peanut dip so adding more of the dressing was not an option. I added fresh lime juice to try and loosen the noodles but it didn’t quite fix the problem. I don’t think I’ll be making this one again.

By loribhowe | 

October 19, 2009

This has to be one of the tastiest Chinese chicken salads I have ever made. Most begin with an Asian style vinaigrette that often is just too heavy. This very light and creamy version will certainly become our new “house favorite”. If you plan to make it for more than 2 people, I recommend doubling the recipe. My daughter and I ate almost half of the salad right out of the mixing bowl. And the best part about this recipe is that it all came together in under 20 minutes.

By loribhowe | 

October 18, 2009

This recipe sounded delicious but came up disappointingly short. I was concerned with a pastry that began with vegetable oil so I was VERY careful when making the dough not to overwork it. The filling had a strange sweetness/spiciness to it that quite simply killed any redeeming savory qualities that might have been there. The end result was a bland (yes, I did remember the salt), tough pastry, filled with an oddly spiced meat. The buttermilk dip, however, was five stars delicious!!!!

By loribhowe | 

October 13, 2009

This dish is pure heaven! All of the flavors meld together seamlessly to make a delicious, earthy meal. The recipe does have a lot of components which come together rather quickly so it helps to be organized. The tarragon added just the right amount freshness. We served it with toasted country bread. Just as good, if not better for lunch the next day.

By loribhowe | 

October 12, 2009

This recipe is absolute “nirvana” for Dungeness crab lovers. I used twice the amount of crab called for because we had an abundance of freshly caught crab. It seemed to be just the right amount to blend with the cream cheese sauce. Be extra careful not to break up your claw meat when mixing it all together. A cast iron skillet is essential for crispy browned potatoes. We served it topped with poached eggs and lots of bottled hot sauce. Now a beach house favorite!

By loribhowe | 

October 12, 2009

Super delicious, super inexpensive, and super fast!! Some bean soups can get a bit thick but this one has perfect consistency. I used chicken stock instead of the 1 1/2 cups water called for and sauteed a small onion in the bacon drippings before wilting the escarole. The flavor was great. Certainly one to make again.

By loribhowe | 

October 8, 2009

What an impressive pasta meal! Whoever realized how wonderful pasta could be cooked risotto style is simply brilliant. I found that ½ pound of pasta measured 2 cups which required 4 cups of chicken stock that I heated before adding it to the pasta. The goat cheese made this dish quite tangy; I think I might prefer using mascarpone next time. My pickiest eater is already claiming "dibs" on the leftovers.

By loribhowe | 

October 6, 2009

Creamed spinach with chanterelle mushrooms under a cheese crusted layer of polenta? Can fall comfort food get any better than this? This dish was simply magnificent! I substituted frozen chopped spinach for the fresh baby spinach, used a full pound of fresh chanterelles, increased the cream to ¾ cup and thickened it a bit with ¼ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It was supposed to serve 8 but 4 of us ate the entire dish with a stuffed pork loin and a wonderful California Cabernet, 2004 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District. An excellent Sunday night dinner.

By loribhowe | 

October 5, 2009

This recipe produced a very beautiful and workable dough. I let mine rest in the refrigerator for 3 days and the flavor was outstanding. My San Marzano tomatoes did not pass as nicely as expected through my food mill so I put them in the food processor and it made a nice simple, flavorful sauce. Half of the dough is now in my freezer and I can't wait to use it again for an easy pizza dinner.

By loribhowe | 

September 30, 2009

Refreshingly tart and extremely delicious. An "Ice Box Pie" classic that I am happy to add to my recipe collection. A must try for everybody, you will not be disappointed!

By loribhowe | 

September 25, 2009

This potato tart was almost too beautiful to eat. It was very simple and very French. I expected the potatoes to be browned and crisp but instead they were browned and rather soft. The tart still tasted delicious. I sprinkled some fresh thyme leaves over the potatoes before baking for a little more flavor. A wonderful side-dish with wild duck breast.

By loribhowe | 

September 24, 2009

This dish has that “how do they make it taste so good?” flavor. I have never sliced my flank steak prior to grilling but this method certainly helps the marinade process. The grilled steak slices seared nicely on the hot grill, cooked very quickly and were moist and tender. The flavors in this dish were simply outstanding. My family has already requested this one again.

By loribhowe | 

September 22, 2009

This cookie/bar was the biggest hit of our tailgate party this weekend. Surprisingly easy with simple ingredients, they were gone in minutes. I did not have any pecans so I substituted walnuts, which I will probably use when I make these again. I can’t rate these high enough!

By loribhowe | 

September 21, 2009

This recipe ended up finishing quite nicely. For such a simple dish it did require a LOT of work. The gnocchi dough was quite wet so I added an additional ¼ cup of flour which made it workable but still sticky. I resisted adding more flour fearing a tough end. My reward was gnocchi that were fluffy, light and ultra savory, finished in the brown butter and sage sauce. My family loved them!

By loribhowe | 

September 21, 2009

It is carbonara season! My family loves this version. Adding the cooked pasta to the simmering cream (I use half and half)before adding the egg mixture gives the pasta a nice richness which seems to be balanced with a grating of fresh nutmeg. This simple recipe does everything right. A very quick and simple dinner.

By loribhowe | 

September 17, 2009

A delicious and amazingly easy dish. The carmelized brown bits remaining in the pan after the ribs were sauteed made a rich and flavorful base for the sauce which did not come close to the expected 2 cups at the end of braising. I simply added more Syrah and then reduced it. I served it over creamy polenta with another bottle of Syrah. A lovely fall patio dinner.

By loribhowe | 

September 16, 2009

This recipe arrived with perfect timing for our "bumper crop" of Green Zebra tomatoes. The avocado gave this soup creaminess while the garlic, jalapeno, mint and cilantro balanced with the right amount of kick. If you have Green Zebra's, this is a must try. We enjoyed a 2007 Groth Sauvignon Blanc with this delightful soup.

By loribhowe | 

September 11, 2009

A perfect "comfort meal"! The sausage I used was a bit too spicy but I will love to make this again with a milder chicken or turkey variety. A previous reviewer suggested browning onions with the sausage, which was terrific and I used orecchiette instead of shells. We drank a California Sangiovese, "Altamura", Napa Valley 2005 and ate every last bite.

By loribhowe | 

September 10, 2009

What to do with the leftover clams from a Labor Day clamming expedition on the Oregon Coast? This chowder recipe solved my dilema. I scaled back most ingredients as I only had 40 clams and substituted pancetta for bacon which tends to make my chowder a bit too smoky. The results were delicious, a perfect balance of salty, creamy, and sweet. Emeril rarely disappoints. We enjoyed a cold Oregon pale ale "Mirror Pond" and crusty garlic bread alongside this winner.

By loribhowe | 

September 9, 2009

This sandwich almost "approaches tuna-melt perfection"! In Oregon we have access to fresh albacore this time of year so I could not help but take advantage of it. I did miss the creamy flavor and texture I come to expect when biting into a tuna-melt made with mayonnaise but this version did have a more sophisticated overall flavor. If available, use Tillamook Extra Sharp Ceddar for the "Ultimate Oregon Tuna Melt".

By loribhowe | 

September 4, 2009

I have now made this delightfully refreshing salad twice. It presented as beautifully on my table as it did on the cover of your magazine! Thank-you for inspiring photography. To avoid soggy ciabatta, I lightly toasted the croutons and for extra flavor increased all the fresh herbs, garlic, and anchovies to taste. Served it with an Oregon Pinot Noir Rose, 2007 Redman, Calita Cait. Can't wait to make it yet again.

By loribhowe | 

September 3, 2009

A wonderful, simple appetizer. The flavors were simple and elegant. I blended in coarsly chopped walnuts for a hint of texture. And we just happened to have a bottle of "Vernaccia" which we served with it. A wonderful recommendation.

By loribhowe | 

September 2, 2009