Kevin's Spinach Salad with Sweet & Sour Dressing

Thank you to Kevin for passing this recipe along! Yum!



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Pizza Sauce for a 10" Pizza

Although this sauce takes a little time to prepare, it's delicious and made with ingredients you can find in the pantry. If you want to make it for a larger pizza or for two 10" crusts, just double the recipe.

I usually use several toppings in addition to the sauce -- pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, etc., then top with mozzarella cheese before baking the pizza.

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Quiche Maison

This is our variation on Quiche Lorraine. It delivers a pie with a delicious bacon, cheese and onion filling. The amounts fit almost perfectly in a frozen "Deep Dish" pie crust, great with a homemade 9" crust (when I have the time).

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Killer Cupcakes (for the Chocoholic)

These delicious treats have a brownie-like texture with a cheesecake-chocolate chip filling. Especially great to take to a pot luck party!

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Lemon Tea Bread

This quick bread is wonderfully moist and flavorful. Great with coffee, tea, or as a dessert. I usually make this with regular lemons, but it is also great using Meyer lemons if you have them.

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Cornbread - Old Tried & True Recipe

I've made this using the same recipe for years and years. I originally got the recipe from the box of cornmeal, but they stopped putting it on the package in recent years. It's sort of in-between as far as sweetness and thickness -- not as sweet or cake-like as Marie Callenders' but we like it better.

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A Sweet & Nutty Caper - Buttermilk Pralines

I first made these delicious morsels over 30 years ago, and they were holiday treats for a goodly number of years. I somehow misplaced the recipe in one of my moves, so it's great to have found it again.



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Calzones or Strombolis

I've seen these called by many names but calzone and stromboli have been the ones I've seen most. No matter what you call them, these pizza-dough pockets filled with of sauce, sausage, pepperoni, salami, and mozzarella cheese are delicious and popular whenever I make them. Kid-friendly, too.

This recipe is included in the Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival at:
http://hartkeisonline.com/cooking/weekend-gourmet-blog-carnival-november-28
-2011/

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Creamy Polenta with Mascarpone and Gorgonzola

I had an amazing luncheon at a cafe in Graton, CA (near Sepastopol apple country) where the house specialty was creamy soft polenta with different topping options. It was amazing, creamy, and I am hoping to make something similar. So this is in the "to try" category of my cooking blog. Will play with it and hopefully fine tune it, and then (hopefully) it'll deserve a place of honor in the "pasta, grains, legumes, eggs, cheese and other" section.

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Earlier this week, I put in my Hoppin' John recipe, but didn't have that name in the title. It's a blackeyed pea stew served with rice, and has been popular as a holiday or New Year's dish because of legend that it will bring prosperity in the coming year.

In order to improve chances of folks finding it when looking for the recipe, I am adding a link here.

The recipe may be found at:
http://www.mycookingblog.com/post/1-cookie/21481/The-Black-Eyed-Peas-Caper-
-to-Ensure-a-Prosperous-New-Year

" Best in the West Berry Cobbler"

I've been slow in getting this posted, but I made it several times this past summer with fresh raspberries. The recipe is taken and modified from one with the same name at: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-in-the-west-berry-cobbler-166796

I was nervous about making this cobbler because you pour water over the top of several layers of ingredients, and I just wasn't sure how that would work. Well, it works great!

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Cajun Beans and Rice in the Slow Cooker

This recipe started out as "Red Beans and Rice" in the Louisiana tradition. However it is very good made with other beans -- and lately I've been favoring Anasazi Beans, but small red beans or light or dark red kidney beans work great and are more traditional. We like this made as a soupy stew, served with steamed white or brown rice (mixed in by the eater).

The amount of cayenne and Tabasco sauce should be adjusted to taste. Enjoy!

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The Black Eyed Peas Caper - Hopping John to Ensure a Prosperous New Year

Some folks have a tradition of eating Black Eyed Peas -- they are supposed to bring good luck and prosperity if eaten in anticipation of New Year, but they're darned tasty at other times, too.

Made in two steps, the recipe may be made with meat (a couple slices of smoked ham shank, smoked pork neck bones, crumbled crisp bacon, etc all give special appeal, but this can be made vegetarian / Vegan style and still be delish.

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During my younger years, Mom's meat blintzes were a favorite of mine. I still love 'em, although I'm located too far from Mom to get them with any regularity. This past week, we made a batch with leftover cooked brisket, and it sure brought back great memories. Thanks, Mom, for providing the pancake recipe so I could make these. Yum!

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Crepes with Fines Herbes / Seafood Crepes
From A Seasoned Chef by Jean Vergnes
ISBN 1556110618

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