By Liz Berg on Oct 24, 2015 01:00 am
This Classic Italian Meat Sauce simmers all afternoon, fills your house with a marvelous aroma and will elicit groans of pleasure from all who indulge. Definitely worth the wait!
No Ordinary Meat Sauce
My typical spaghetti sauce recipe requires no recipe. It’s tasty, and on occasion even memorable. But I toss in cans of tomatoes, tomato paste and sauce. Sprinkle in some Italian herbs and a few glugs of red wine if there’s an open bottle. Usually, I add Italian sausage and sometimes meatballs. It’s never the same twice in a row. But on a chilly Sunday when I’m home for the afternoon, I pull out all the stops. That’s when I make a classic Italian meat sauce and simmer a pot of gravy like a real Italian mama. Starting with country ribs and sausage, there are layers upon layers of flavor which only intensify as the pot slowly cooks for hours. Those Italians knew what they were doing—this is a winner!
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By Liz Berg on Oct 22, 2015 01:00 am
It’s such a treat to have foodie friends cook for you. This summer, we were sent home with a parcel of Mary’s delightfully delicious Maple Granola after enjoying cocktails in her posh Aspen condo. I knew I’d have to recreate her recipe at home. PAM Cooking Spray sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.
Maple Granola
I make a huge batch of granola a few times a year. I love the stuff, but it’s way too tempting to have around 24/7. Mary’s version was gobbled up as breakfast, snacks and more snacks. Sweetened with real maple syrup and brown sugar, the rest of the add-ins can be tweaked to your preference. I usually use sweetened angel flake coconut in my granolas but loved the big unsweetened coconut flakes even better. It’s not like the syrup and brown sugar won’t sweeten it anyway. Like Mary, I added some pistachios and dried fruit to the basic Food52 recipe along with the pecan halves, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. What a magical mixture! Mary blogs over at Lights on Bright No Brakes. Pop over and say hello! 
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By Liz Berg on Oct 21, 2015 01:00 am
I have a weak spot when it comes to guacamole and chips. Who needs dinner when there is a bowl of creamy avocado bliss along with lightly salted tortilla chips? Mary’s Guacamole is my new favorite with its touch of heat from jalapenos, a dash of color from minced tomatoes and a smattering of fresh cilantro.
Our Sojourn to Aspen
My whole family trekked to Colorado this summer to visit my dad, who was delighted to see his grandchildren and go on “adventures.” When my sisters and I were children, we spent the majority of our summer vacations in the picturesque ski town of Aspen, Colorado. Decades ago, summers were quiet and the streets were filled with few tourists. My dad was there to attend the physics institute, which was very loose with its demands on their scientists. Meaning we were up at dawn many mornings, donned with our hiking boots and backpacks to head to a mountain lake, treacherous pass or 14, 000-foot peak. Learning a few tidbits about the wildlife and rocks was about the only “science” happening on many days. Once my kids were walking, we started the tradition of joining my parents for biennial trips to our favorite mountain destination. That was where I sampled my first guacamole, not too commonplace in Ames, Iowa back in the day. We headed back to Aspen, for the first time in nearly a decade, this summer.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 20, 2015 01:00 am
These Chicken Pinwheels with Spinach and Prosciutto are as delicious as they are beautiful! Elegant enough for company , yet easy enough for a weeknight meal.
Saltimbocca
This is Giada’s version of saltimbocca, an Italian dish I first tasted after it was featured as an entree for my parents’ annual New Year’s Eve progressive dinner party. Flattened chicken was filled with prosciutto and fresh sage leaves and drizzled with a lemon, wine sauce. When I made the classic recipe for the picky hubby, he wasn’t thrilled with biting into the sage leaves, though I loved the flavor myself. Giada’s recipe was better received utilizing the unconventional spinach made for such a gorgeous presentation. We were both hooked.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 19, 2015 01:00 am
Maybe I’m just too darn old, but I don’t remember Cosmic Brownies from my youth. But seeing photos of the copycat version of these frosted brownies topped with a rainbow of candy orbs, I had to test out a batch.
My Flawed Childhood
I do remember my mom treating us to the occasional Little Debbie Swiss Roll, Archway Pecan Cookie or Hostess Apple Pie. But we never had Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies. What was my she thinking?! But thanks to my blogger friends, I became aware of these rich, chocolate devils over the past year. They were dense, dark chocolate brownies topped with a fudgy icing and a rainbow of colorful candies. When I was asked to do a demo for Meatless Monday on our local CBS affiliate, I knew I’d have to take in a dessert. Thank goodness my desserts are 100% meatless. I had my chance to make these new-to-me brownies.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 18, 2015 01:00 am
Are you intimidated by the thought of making cream puffs or pâte à choux? My friend, Barbara, of Barbara Bakes shares her foolproof technique in her new ebook, Simply Sweet Dream Puffs. I’m sharing Barbara’s fabulous S’mores Cream Puffs with you today.
My Childhood Kitchen
My mom gave us free reign in the kitchen. There were no rules. If we wanted to cook or bake, she encouraged our creativity. At a young age, I remember stirring pâte à choux dough with a wooden spoon, then adding eggs and working out my puny arm muscles to incorporate them into the dough. No pastry bag needed back then as we’d scoop out spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. The four of us sisters would hover around the oven window watching the cream puffs expand and turn golden. We knew it was nearly time to sample! Once the puffs cooled we’d slice them in half and scoop out the eggy centers making room for the pudding or ice cream that would soon fill the cavity. We were SO eager to nibble on all those scraps of pastry
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