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Potatoes: What is the best way to store potatoes?
I am often asked, “what is the best way to store potatoes?” “Should I store them at room temperature, refrigerate them, put them in an open bowl, or a tight plastic bag?” Potatoes keep best when placed in a well-ventilated container and stored in a dry location, away from sunlight,…
Shallots and Onions: Can they be interchanged?
There are many varieties of both shallots and onions within the species Allium cepa. They vary in appearance in that shallots grow in clusters attached at the bottom and each onion is an individual. But there doesn’t seem to be a consensus as to which is stronger in flavor. Perhaps…
#mymomsdollhouse
Here is a before and after shot of the miniature couch I found in my Mom’s dollhouse which I am renovating – My brother- in- law, John Murphy, just retired from his very intense job as the President of Rhode Island Hospital, is quite the woodworker! (who knew?) When I…
Biscuit Sticky Buns
This is a great recipe based on cream biscuits. Normally, sticky buns are made with yeast dough, which scares off lots of folks. These are blessedly yeast-free. But you don’t have to tell your brunch guests. Let them assume that you got up at the crack of dawn to give…
What is the easiest way to Roast Peppers?
There are a number of ways to roast peppers; all are easy. I have used roasted red peppers in all of my books and here are the instructions I’ve included to help readers make them: If you have a gas stove, turn on one burner to a low flame for…
Need an all-purpose salad dressing ready to use in your fridge? Here’s the recipe for my favorite homemade vinaigrette with variations.
I frequently get requests for a good homemade salad dressing and now that we are all cooking more at home it seems like a good time to remind you of my favorite vinaigrette. My refrigerator is never without it. It is good on any basic savory salad and can be…
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens
Soup for supper! Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens — it’s so easy to make. No chorizo around? Any pork product will do: Canadian bacon, pancetta, Italian sausage, regular bacon, kielbasa…heck, even hotdogs. Don’t eat meat? Just leave out the pork and add a generous sprinkling of smoked Spanish paprika. Serve…
Vegetarian Tortilla Pizza
You can make this Vegetarian Tortilla Pizza in 25 minutes with mostly pantry ingredients! I love black beans and the way they play so nicely with other ingredients. In this recipe, those ingredients include garlic, onions, and chipotles. Spread on cumin-and-oregano-scented tortillas, you end up with little Mexican pizzas. When…
Love biscuits but don’t have biscuit mix on hand? Here’s how to make your own.
These days we are all baking a bit more than usual and if you love biscuits, you can get them in the oven a lot faster if you have homemade biscuit mix on hand. You will find a number of recipes on line for a homemade substitute for commercial biscuit…
Xim Xim de Galinha
Chicken, Shrimp, Peanut and Cashew Stew This stew is about simple ingredients but with an exotic result. The favorite Bahian combination of chicken and shrimp comes together in a creamy sauce. The nuts serve as the perfect binding agents for the coconut milk and chicken stock but they have to…