Bacon IS a trail snack.

Not too long ago I made the move back to an agricultural zoned part of Los Angeles County with hope of getting some goats.  Goats to me = delicious goat cheese and well, goats are just fun to have around (if you can get past the fact that they eat EVERYTHING).  With Cooking/Baking Classes getting underway at The Sunflower in the next week or so, I put together an exciting and quite tasty curriculum for my students which includes an entire 7 week course all about cheese.   Making cheese.  Cheese and wine pairing.  The different types of cheese and of course recipes with cheese as the main ingredient.  Let's not forget the all important party pleaser... the Cheese Board! I didn't understand or even like cheese until well into my 30's.  I don't even recall what got me hooked but I'm so happy I did!   Here's a super easy way to make goat cheese. I've also includ...

From what I understand, it took Julia Child and company around XXX years to finish and publish "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".  I always wondering how on earth it took so long!  Well, as I open my notes from when I started "Flour On My Nose" and the most recent endeavor, "The Sunflower Diaries" I see that I started out on the journey to publish a "bang up, top drawer" cookbook for those who enjoy reading them well over 10 years ago. There is no excuse.  Yes. Time does fly.   I do have some sympathy for those of you who claim “I just don’t have time to cook at home!” Some.  Since the industry that I've been working in for 20 plus years has all but dried up for a gal of my vintage, I've taken to the things I know best.  1) Feeding people and b) Feeding people very well.   The first step was to get back to basics and simplify life; that begins with a well stocked kitchen! Even if you aren’t a food fanatic, you...

--> The Things We Do For Love. I was told once by a very well known and lovely Chef that it never fails, ever... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.   Maybe the meal is exotic like Ostrich or Bison. Or it could be a simple as a sandwich... --> ...or perhaps the always popular deliciousness known as Chocolate Layer Cake. --> Any way you slice it, everybody's gotta eat but if it's the first time you are creating dinner (or breakfast) for someone who is close to your heart, it can be a real challenge.  How defined is their pallet? Do they have any food allergies, (that's a big one since you don't want the night to end up in the ER!) What if they had Osso Bucco for lunch and you've spent three days slaving over a hot stove making it THEN you find out that in fact, they are Vegetarian!  Sigh. --> My advice?  Start pulling all y...