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July 16, 2014
At Home with Friends

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Cold Minted Pea Soup

When I was growing up, we only had soup when we were sick. Then, of course, it was chicken soup. Since then, I learned to love simple pureed vegetable based creamy soups. This is one of my all time favorites because it’s simple to make, very versatile and freezes beautifully. Another make-ahead dish. For this […]

July 14, 2014
At Home with Friends

7 comments

Savory Goat Cheese Cake

I love the idea of taking sweet dessert recipes and making them savory. Creating something unexpected. That’s where the idea of a Savory Goat Cheese Cake came from. Once I made it, I thought why not go further and turn it into a layer cake, and this is the result. Your guests will rave, it’s […]

June 25, 2014
At Home with Friends

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Mexican Baked Rice & Black Beans

This rice tastes exactly like the rice I rolled up in buttered corn tortillas on Olvera Street, when I was a child. It’s a fairly starchy, moist rice. I used extra long grain enriched rice which is readily available at supermarkets. In other rice recipes, I use basmati or arborio rice but not here. This […]

June 23, 2014
At Home with Friends

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Veggie Tacos & Chipotle Sauce

I love the versatility of these tacos and the fact that I make the filling the morning of the party and keep it in a 200-degree oven or covered on the countertop until the party. Assembling the tacos is a great job to give to one of your guests. Be careful. I had a guest […]

June 13, 2014
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Jicama Salad

I love the fresh taste and crunchy texture of this salad. It’s a great balance to the rest of the menu. It keeps several days, and since there is no oil it doesn’t get soggy. “Ras el hanout” translates into “head of the shop”. The idea is that this was a very special blend made […]

June 11, 2014
At Home with Friends

6 comments

Corn Cakes

These are great to make ahead and freeze. This recipe calls for masa harina flour which is available at most supermarkets and all Latin markets. To make masa harina, dried corn is treated in a solution of lime and water which loosens the hulls from the kernels, which softens the corn. The soaked corn is […]