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Archive for December, 2008

Chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates

Posted in Appetizers, tagged , , , , on December 27, 2008 | 3 Comments »

 
So I was actually expecting to be alone for Christmas day this year. My husband was visiting his family in Ohio and my family was going to have a rather understated celebration a few days later. At the last minute (meaning Christmas day), my parents decided to visit me in Chicago. Not a lot of [...]

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A Christmas Gift

Posted in Desserts, tagged , , , , , , on December 26, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Magic Cookie Bars
Or depending upon where you live, Seven Layer Bars
I can’t claim nostalgia for these because my family didn’t make them when I was growing up. In fact, my family didn’t bake much of anything while I was growing up. Really, it’s not as sad as it sounds (and I most certainly am [...]

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Harissa

Posted in Condiments, tagged , , , , on December 25, 2008 | 2 Comments »

 
From time to time I come home from the store with an ingredient I know nothing about and have no idea what to do with. Harissa is my most recent acquire. Upon reading the label, it was supposed to contain peppers, lemon and um, salt. How could it be bad? Sadly, it did not live [...]

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Mario Batali’s Pizza Dough

Posted in Main Dishes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2008 | 1 Comment »

WTF
Apologies. That was uncalled for. But seriously, WTF. I’ve made this recipe a number of times but TWICE something very strange has happened. As I stretched the dough, thousands of tiny holes appeared. This time it was salvageable. Last time, it literally disintegrated in my hands. You can see the beginnings of the hole problem [...]

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Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese with Virginia Ham

Posted in Appetizers, Macaroni and Cheese, tagged , , , on December 23, 2008 | 2 Comments »

It’s the cheesiest!
Macaroni and cheese. Sigh.
Cheese, pasta, heavy cream. What’s not too like? As a young child, I ate Kraft dinner in the blue box maybe once a week – the spirals and the special shapes being the most coveted varieties. I carried this tradition with me through college and beyond. Today, I have [...]

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Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender Cream

Posted in Desserts, tagged , , , , on December 23, 2008 | 2 Comments »

 
 
Upgrading to a real cake plate
For years, I’ve been using a makeshift cake plate – whatever I can piece together from what I’ve got on hand. Well, this Christmas after racking my brain to come up with a gift (and family members refusing to give me yet another Saks gift cert so I can get [...]

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Burger toppings and create your own mac and cheese

Posted in Restaurants, tagged , , , on December 22, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Everything but the kitchen sink
How can I possibly start off my first ever post in a blog meant to explore the economics of frugality with a visit to a restaurant? Does this not go against the concept of my musings? Well, gentle reader, I feel one must always be open to research and what better [...]

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