Bacon IS a trail snack.

It's no secret, my favorite time of year is Autumn. Sadly here in Southern California the "Fall" lasts for about three days, just enough time to get out ye 'ol comfort food recipes.  Last night was the Harvest Moon... that being the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumn Equinox.   I see it as the gateway to the best season for cooking, baking and entertaining.  I mean c'mon... just look at a calendar.... you've got Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Columbus Day/ Canadian Thanksgiving, Hop-tu-Naa, Halloween ( of course), St. Martin's Day (don't forget to get your St. Martin's ham and share with all) and finally American Thanksgiving to round out the none stop parade of food festivals. There really isn't a lack of celebrating at our house.  We welcomed the Autumn with a gigantic fire in the fire pit of eucalyptus and almond wood with the odd rosemary sprig thrown in every once in a while.  This type of cooler weather begs for cashmere s...

Today's blog will commence after a  recipe note: (this was brought to my attention by an avid reader of my blog and a member of the "Shove it in yer Oven" team. I thank her SOOO much for pointing it out... I was so excited about sharing my Gorgonzola Sauce recipe with the planet that I left out, yep, you guessed it... THE CHEESE!  Please see the correction below!) 3/4 cup organic light cream or half-and-half 1 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon organic butter 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 4 medium shallots, chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1/3 cup Pernod 1 1/2 cups dry white wine Heat the oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat.  When hot, add the onion and shallots and cook until just beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat (to avoid a flare-up), pour in the Pernod and wine. (I had to put this in here because unless you are ...

Over the years I have acquired a taste for anything "Vindaloo"... seriously, my toes could be on fire from the wicked combination of heat and flavor and, well then, goal achieved and I'll keep eating.  Some complain that "hot/spicy" food has no taste, just heat that renders your taste buds unusable for days after the experience.  I beg to differ.  This past Friday evening we had the great luck of enjoying some wonderful Indian fare created by my very good pal, Anj.  Honestly, anyone who can do the kitchen dance with me and not lose an appendage in the process is a rock star in my book AND if their culinary creation is a wonderful, delicious treat both to the eyes and pallet, well then!  Perfection!    The food was outstanding and was on parr with the company and conversation.  :o) That said, Anj has a love of "festivals"... one of her favorites (that I have YET to accompany her too) is "Tomatomania"...  http://tomatomania.com. ...

I like taking pictures of food.  All food... anywhere, any time.  This obsession is made much easier with my handy, dandy iPhone of course.  I went home and made lunch the other day...sure it doesn't sound like that big of a deal. I was craving my gorgonzola sauce that I have made FOREVER (I actually sold the sauce recipe to the owner of a long standing, popular Studio City haunt after I "Guest Chef'd" there one evening, many, MANY moons ago). As seen here with Agent E, having the "time of our life" ... I really thought the hat was a "good" idea. Sigh. The key to a great gorgonzola sauce is patience.  You have to let the butter JUST BARELY start to brown then you pour in some delicious Pernod and reduce.  I like to set it on fire so you end up having dinner AND a show! It's super fast to make and happily compliments halibut, chicken, shrimp or any pasta.  I'll share the recipe with you.  Try it... I bet it'll become your "...

I hope you all had a wonderful Solstice!   In appreciation and celebration of the longest day of the year (I know, I know... every work-day seems like the longest day ) and the fact that summer is definitely here in Shadow Hills,  I thought I'd share a very zippy and fresh tasting grill sauce/dipping sauce/ marinade with all of you! Cilantro Lime Grill Sauce 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 4 tablespoon fresh lime juice 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for about :30 seconds. Brush on chicken, pork, veggies or seafood while grilling, or use as a dipping sauce.  If you double the recipe and add 1 cup of white wine, you can use it as a marinade. It's my new favorite "go to" when I hear this coming from the direction of my husband, "Hey honey, are you hungry?"  Which we ALL know translates to "I'm completely sta...

Over the past couple of years I've noticed "cupcakeries" popping up all over our metropolitan locales.  Yes, you read that correctly ... "Cup-Cake-er-y".  I've seen it on store signage... Why the surge in popularity?  I mean geez, cupcakes have been around since 1796 when it showed up in "American Cookery".  I think the first time "cupcake" was used as a reference to  "a cake to be baked in small cups" was 1828 from a cookbook written by Eliza Leslie called "Receipts".  So it seems in truth, cupcakes aren't a "new" thing.   How do you feel when you eat a cupcake?  Full? Satisfied? Happy? Wanting another one?  Yes.  That's it! You want another one because they're so small and it's not like eating an ENTIRE piece of cake now is it?  You'd never find yourself having TWO pieces of cake? Hell no!  But two CUPCAKES?  Why of course you would!  They're only cupcakes, right? Do I make cu...

Still figuring out the whole "social networking" thing.  A bit of a challenge for a lady of a certain vintage.  :o) I started a group called "Ladies who go on afternoon rides" for those fabulous ladies I know and ride with who also enjoy GREAT FOOD! We are still working on selecting a date for our first "ride" and lunch location (remember ladies, your horse must tie... I know none of us are interested in running after a fleeing equine while balancing a glass of wine and baguette!)  Perhaps we should just make our first ride to the Hideaway to discuss possible trails for the upcoming rides? I'm totally making this up as I go along. That said, here are some thoughts on menu: Ham, Port, Gruyere and Black Olive baguette (today's word is, yep you guessed it "baguette") Heirloom Tomato, Basil and Cucumber salad Pinot Grigio Individual Lemon Cakes How's that sound?  For the Vegetarians I'll just make another loaf of th...