A Spicy Perspective

May 1, 2010

Quintessential Chocolate Cake

There are certain things every good cook should know. A culinary artillery belt, of sorts. For example: - How to perfectly sear a steak so that the outer layer is crusty and the interior...

Cakes & Pies, Dessert

31 comments »

April 29, 2010

Try, Try, Again~ I’ve never really been a big fan of flan. I enjoyed other types of custard, and cream-based desserts, but flan’s typical eggy flavor and jello-ish consistency are a little troubling to...

Asheville, Custards & Puddings, Dessert

13 comments »

April 26, 2010

Quick Shrimp Rogan Josht with Saffron Basmati Rice

I can tell immediately that this post is going to turn into several posts over the next few months. I spent three summers in India, ages 14, 19 and 20. Although my time their...

Gluten Free, Main Dish, World Flavors

5 comments »

April 23, 2010

Warm Goat Cheese and Granny Smith Salad

Again with the salads? Yes, this time of year I’m cranking them out right and left. To shake things up, this particular salad offers a little decadence along with the greens! In a perfect...

Salad, Soup & Salad, Vegetarian

11 comments »

April 20, 2010

Eco-Ceviche

Fresh Swai Ceviche with Blue Corn Chips… Seafood is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s a mini-thrill for me to find a new variety for kitchen experimentation! I often go to a...

Dips & Spreads, Healthy, Low Carb

9 comments »

April 17, 2010

Grilled Fattoush

Salad, A Matter of FAITH~ Spring is definitely my FAVORITE season. Budding flowers, new limey-green grass shooting up everywhere, the return of migrating birds…all promises of better weather and flourishing life. I love to...

Salad, Soup & Salad, Vegetarian

15 comments »

April 15, 2010

The New Orleans Muffaletta

There are times in life when one craves a sandwich. More than just a craving or even a hankering…a deeply-rooted GUTTURAL urge for a sloppy, meaty, two-handed, got-to-SQUEEZE-to-fit-in-your-mouth kind of sandwich. A man’s sandwich…the...

Main Dish, Sandwiches

9 comments »

April 11, 2010

Corn-Crusted Fish Tacos with Jalapeno-Lime Sauce and Spicy Black Beans

I’ve always been a person of strong conviction. Someone who carefully, thoroughly, weighs out the attributes of a certain belief or feeling, then makes a determined resolve about the matter. I’m not rigid…I don’t...

Main Dish, World Flavors

11 comments »

April 8, 2010

Hungarian Chicken Paprikas

Cross-Generational Cooking~ My husband’s great-grandmother, Grandma Rosie, passed away last year at 96. I remember sitting in her living room eating the pirouette cookies she always served us, and sipping tall glasses of Sprite!...

Home Cookin', Main Dish, World Flavors

8 comments »

April 5, 2010

Lemon Drop Thumbprints

Second only to chocolate chip cookies, thumbprints are the most requested cookie from my friends and family. I make all different varieties, some with coconut, some with chocolate, most with jam centers. I was...

Cookies & Bars, Dessert

10 comments »