Continuing with the tapas this week, the Spanish tortilla is a super-duper easy dish to make, and it can be served warm, cold, or room temperature. One of the best things about the tortilla is I usually have all of these ingredients on hand – eggs, onion, garlic, potatoes, olive oil – all staples in my kitchen. The key to a good tortilla is making sure your potatoes absorb a lot of flavor from the spices and garlic/onions. (more…)

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Appetizers, Brunch, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Spanish, Vegetarian by Courtney

I hadn’t planned on making this post, but then again, I hadn’t planned on having dessert tonight! The hubby has long wanted an espresso maker, and low-n-behold what came via FedEx today… an espresso maker. So while we waited on our ordered-in pizza and drank cocktails and wine, we put together the espresso maker, tinkering with the right amounts of grounds, the right texture, etc.

We decided as an after-dinner treat to have affogato. We tried to order it last night at a local restaurant, but they were out of vanilla ice cream, only having mint or cioccolato, neither of which we were in the mood for. So tonight I brought out the Black Cherry Talenti gelato, the brandied cherries, and the kirsch. And of course, we finally got the perfect-ish pull of espresso. (more…)

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Dessert, Gluten free, Italian, Vegetarian by Courtney

Recipes, or deviations from, must be the theme this week. Earlier this week I posted about a pimento cheese that started off from a friend’s recipe, but rapidly developed into its own. Now there’s this French 75, which I first saw in The Art of Bar, never made, finally got around to making, and decided I liked it a different way better.

Wait, what? Yes, that was a bit confusing. Let’s start from the beginning. When the hubby and I got married, we registered for this cocktail book, and some lovely family friends bought it for us. Whilst flipping through it, I came across a recipe for a French 75, which I’d never heard of before. It called for brandied cherries, which needed to be made separately, so I never got around to making it. (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Gluten free, Vegetarian by Courtney

For the past few months I’ve had a craving for pimento cheese. While I’ve found it in the grocery here in the past, I wanted a homemade pimento cheese, because I remember it being so much better than something out of a plastic tub.

A friend had posted about pimento cheese a while back, so I asked for his recipe. I have to say while it sounded wonderful, it missed on one main note for me — it called for scallions, the green parts. I didn’t remember any green in my pimento cheese, so no matter how tasty (or how may scallions I have in my garden right now), it wouldn’t do. So his recipe was my jumping off point, and I started tasting, adding, and came up with this recipe. (more…)

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Appetizers, Comfort food, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Southern, Vegetarian by Courtney

It’s that time of year again! When tomatoes start ripening, and the basil grows big and bushy. Of course, I’ve killed my basil and I only have one ripe San Marzano thus far, but that isn’t holding me back. My CSA was full of Roma tomatoes and basil this week, and what better to make than the classic combo — tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella — a Caprese salad.

During summer I eat these every chance I get. Breakfast, snack, lunch, appetizer, between two slices of bread if I need more sustenance. While you could simply throw the three ingredients together and it would taste wonderful, there are a couple of additions that I like to add to take this over the top. Want to know what they are? (more…)

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Appetizers, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Quick and Easy, Salad, Vegetarian by Courtney