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March 31, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Roasted Mushrooms

You might have read the prior posts for Spicy Potatoes, Indian Spinach or Garbanzo Beans and thought to yourself, “These sound great but I don’t have the spices, and I don’t want to buy them”. Well, here is a recipe you have no excuse not to try. All of the ingredients are readily available at […]

March 28, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Chana Masala

When I was growing up, my Mother never made beans. I only ever ate them when we went out for Mexican food (refried beans) or occasionally with hot dogs (canned baked beans loaded with brown sugar). I was used to seeing garbanzo beans and kidney beans at salad bars but I never chose them. There […]

March 24, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Saag Paneer

Many years ago, I had the great good fortune to be traveling in India over Christmas and New Year’s. I didn’t know as much about Indian cuisine as I do now. To play it safe, and avoid Deli belly, I kept my food choices relatively simple. One of the dishes I ordered every day was […]

March 21, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Indian Spiced Potatoes

No matter how many ways you have of preparing potatoes, no matter what your family favorites are, once you try this recipe, it will become your new favorite. If you don’t have mustard seeds, cumin seeds and ground cumin in your spice drawer, you need to buy some. You can find them in small quantities, […]

New Year’s Day Brunch

Menu

Buffet

Turkey hash (GF)

Homemade buttermilk biscuits with baked ham and hollandaise sauce

* Baked eggs with roasted pepper saffron sauce (GF)

Smoked salmon with bagels and cream cheese

* Pumpkin waffles with yoghurt and ginger syrup

* Saag paneer (GF)

* Indian spiced potatoes (GF)

* Chana masala (garbanzo beans) (GF)

* Roasted mushrooms (GF)

* Banana, bourbon fruitcake

* Chocolate chip, banana, cherry cake

* Individual baked croissants with caramelized fruit

* Blueberry muffin cake

* Ricotta, almond, raspberry cake (GF)

* Breakfast parfait with homemade granola and berries

* Freshly baked blueberry focaccia bread

Beverages

Coffee

Tea

Mimosas

Bloody Marys

(GF) Gluten Free

* Vegetarian

February 8, 2016

January 21, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Jazzing up brussels sprouts seems to be the current food craze which I don’t subscribe to. Just before Thanksgiving, I had dinner at one of the hippest new restaurants in Los Angeles (don’t ask for the name) and we ordered brussels sprouts to accompany our shared ribeye steak. They arrived sauteed with truffle oil with […]

January 14, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Minerva’s Candied Yams

My mom only made these once a year at Thanksgiving. We had baked Russet potatoes and other potatoes throughout the year, but these were strictly for Thanksgiving. As much as I love these and could eat them all year, it’s nice to have something you only make once a year for a special holiday. They […]

January 7, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Melissa Clark’s Chive Mashed Potatoes

We all know Thanksgiving is fairly labor intensive. Anything you can do ahead is a plus. It never occurred to me that it was possible to make mashed potatoes ahead until I read Melissa Clark’s recipe for Mashed Potato Casserole. I admit I had doubts, so I tried it out a few weeks before Thanksgiving. […]

January 4, 2016
At Home with Friends

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Zucchini Boats Stuffed with Mushrooms & Zucchini

One of the first cookbooks that I ever bought, that I still have, was Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was living at home, still in school, and my mother did all the cooking. I don’t remember what possessed me to buy the book but I do remember my first recipe was […]

December 31, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Cranberry Relish Two Ways

I am a big fan of Cranberry Relish, not just for Thanksgiving. It’s great on sandwiches and even with Greek yoghurt for breakfast. For Thanksgiving, I make two different versions. The first is really my favorite, with frozen peaches or mango and crystalized ginger. I always made it with frozen peaches until the year I […]