Morsels of Megret

So, my culinary escapades have been fewer and fewer, namely due to the fact that I am in new surroundings and haven't finished getting my kitchen in working order yet. It's hard to get inspired to cook up a great meal when you're short on counter space and you have peeling wallpaper strips everywhere you look. My meals lately have consisted of tried-and-true, family-heirloomed and back-of-the-box specialties. (This also in part to the fact that all of my cookbooks are still packed up.) Nevertheless, I got the worst case of spring fever this week with temperatures hovering in the 70s, and I pulled out THE recipe, the old standby for spring weather: Key Lime Pie. This pie will make your tastebuds think it's summer already. I highly suggest you put down what you're doing right now and go buy the ingredients for it....RIGHT NOW. You can thank me (and Gayle Ortiz from "The Village Baker" ) later. THE VILLAGE BAKER'S KEY LIME PIE Graham Cracker Crust: ...

Yes, they are. These rich, fudgy brownies are totally low-fat. I will say the phrase I throw around so liberally on this blog...."Cook's Country has done it again." And have they. This recipe changed my mind back to deciding to renew my subscription for another year. These little brownies will make you double check the nutrition info as soon as you take a small bite. (Now....to continue on my quest for fudgy brownies that are bittersweet.....as much as I like these, I still think they're too sweet....although most people would probably think they're perfect. I just happen to like bittersweet chocolate more than most.) COOK'S COUNTRY'S FUDGY LOW-FAT BROWNIES 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 2 oz. (1/3 c.) bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 T. unsalted butter 2 T. low-fat sour cream 1 T. chocolate syrup 2 t. vanilla extract 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white 1 c. sugar Preheat oven to 350. Line ...

So, I attempted to fry something for the very first time in this house. Seeing as we've lived here for three years and only have 2 more weeks before we leave it, I figured it's better late than never to christen this kitchen with the smells of hot oil. For home group tapas night, I pulled up a recipe I've been wanting to try, but have not yet since it makes so much (and, did I mention, it's fried?). Southern Living published a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Cakes....and it immediately struck me as a Southern delicacy, worthy of restaurant fare, something that'd make Paula Deen proud. They were delicious. Don't forego the toppings of sour cream and green tomato relish...that's what makes them. Here is the recipe.... BLACK-EYED PEA CAKES 1 small onion, chopped 1 T. olive oil 2 (15.5 oz.) cans black eyed peas, rinsed, drained, and divided 1 (8 oz.) container chive-and-onion-flavored cream cheese, softened 1 large egg 1/2 t. salt 1 t. hot sauce 1 (8 oz.) pkg. hus...

Let me just take a minute to brag on my dear husband . He listened to me, listened to my subtle little wishes for one last kitchen gadget to satisfy my craving for a pseudo-gourmet kitchen. There are many tools that I would never, ever have any use for....in fact, a trip to Williams-Sonoma makes me see many things which would be rendered totally useless in my opinion. Yet there was this one thing....this one thing which has been on my wish list for a long time, as well as my yard sale list (although anyone who'd let this thing for for under $5 would be totally clueless)....a slicing mandoline. Imagine my surprise when I opened my birthday gift yesterday and found this underneath the two layers of white wrapping paper (to cleverly hide the "OXO" logo...he knows me well). I haven't even opened it yet....but supposedly I can even make waffle fries with this thigamajigger. I can't wait to test it out.

Last night for chili night at Home Group, I made Rachel Ray's chili. Of course, I doubled the recipe. Yummilicious. Hardly miss the meat. I highly recommend you trying this one. Wait for a cold, overcast, drizzly day. Chili goes up ten notches on days like that. Veg-Head Three-Bean Chili (by Rachel Ray, The Food Network) 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 cup pale beer or vegetable stock/broth 1 (32- ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (14-ounce) can black beans 1 (14-ounce) can dark red kidney beans 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce, several drops 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans Toppings: 8 ounces (2 cups shredded) spicy monterey jack or smoked cheddar Chopped scallions, w...

Gardner helped me make Barbara Bush's chocolate chip cookies in honor of President's Day. They turned out scrumptious! Gardner anxiously awaited their arrival from the oven after he helped me make them. After lunch, it was time to try a taste. BARBARA BUSH'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (from Allrecipes.com) 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and egg until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in hot water and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour, baking soda, and salt, until well blended and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by well-rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minute, or until golden. Cool cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 minutes, then rem...

My friend Suzanne was laughing and remarking the other day how my food blog has been very sparse lately, and when I do post a recipe, it's usually junk food (or at least heavily-sugared). Well, I laughed, too, because she's exactly right. With this pregnancy, seeing a photo of, re-living the consumption of, or description in writing of what meal I made the night before is taboo. I just can't do it in most cases. But desserts are another thing entirely. I may not want to eat them when I see them pictured on the blog, but I don't mind talking and writing about them. Here's another recipe I tried yesterday. It was a recipe flop that I turned around and somehow rescued. (Instead of rolling the dough and cutting out shapes, since it never solidified enough, I made them into balls dipped in sugar instead. Still yummy.) These taste like miniature chocolate pound cakes. CHOCOLATE-SOUR CREAM DROPS (amended BH&G recipe) 2/3 c. butter (not margarine) 3/4 c. sugar, ...