Where family and friends gather to enjoy food and company.
I adapted the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. The recipe is for herb marinated loin of pork, but the marinade can be used for pork or even chicken. For Christmas, I decided to use the recipe for a crown pork roast. The family …
Hamburger Hamlet was one of my favorite restaurants. My husband and I lived right near the Pasadena location, and we would eat at The Hamlet once a week. The burgers, large steak fries, french onion soup, chicken dinner and the zucchini appetizer were some of …
Even if you don’t like sweet potatoes, you have to try these. I promise you will love them and so will your guests.
Ingredients:
8 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 cube butter
1 T. vanilla
1 box light brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
½ cup coffee
Directions:
Boil potatoes until tender; until easily pierced with a fork. Peel and cut the potatoes lengthwise to fit in your 9×13 casserole. If you have to cut them in half again do so. You can do this step a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate the sweet potatoes if you want to finish them the next day.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar. Mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with the coffee and then add the mixture to the saucepan. Stir well. Add the vanilla last. Cook until the brown sugar sauce starts to bubble, and then simmer for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
Pour the brown sugar sauce over the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour at 350°.
One of our favorite family restaurants is Five Crown’s in Corona del Mar. My boys love the creamed corn, and actually… I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t. They provide the recipe online, but having it at the restaurant is best. Ingredients: 1½ tablespoons butter1½ tablespoons …
This is my Baba’s recipe that she adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe from 1978. It has always been a crowd pleaser, and it’s a great dessert for Thanksgiving. Ingredients for crust:1¼ cups crushed graham crackers¼ cup sugar¼ cup chopped toasted pralines¼ cup …
My husband and I just visited Florida, and we ate at the Columbia restaurant in Longboat Key. We ordered the Sangria that is made table side, and it was the best Sangria we have ever had. I happened to pop into the store they have at the restaurant, and I saw the recipe for the drink in one of their cookbooks. We can’t wait to re-create this wonderful drink at home.
Ingredients:
Serbian Orthodox families celebrate the day their family was baptized. This day is a Holy Day, called “Krsna Slava” or Patron Saint Day. To prepare for your Krsna Slava you make a bread, “Kolac” that is blessed by the priest and then shared with family, …
I made this Brownie Batter for dessert last night, and everyone loved it. It’s easy and you can be creative with stuff to dip into the batter. I served it with pretzel chips, Nilla Wafters, strawberries and tortilla chips seasoned with cinnamon and spice.
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese,softened
½ c. butter; softened
2½ c. powered sugar
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
5 tablespoons cocoa
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon sea salt
handful of mini chocolate chips
Directions:
In a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar, cocoa, flour, vanilla, salt and 1 tsp. milk. Mix until mostly smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and another tablespoon of the milk. Beat until smooth. Add another tablespoon of milk if you want the batter to be thinner.
Garnish with mini chocolate chips.
Serve with sides to dip into the batter.
Recipe adapted from: Something Swanky
My husband loves the queso at Bar Ama in Downtown Los Angeles. It is an addicting appetizer favorite, and super delish when the restaurant adds a scoop of chorizo right in the center of the bowl.Ingredients:2 Tbs. unsalted butter2 1/2 Tbs. all purpose flour2 cups …
