November has been down right nasty here in Seattle. Its been windy. Its been rainy. It is the kind of weather that makes you want to crawl back in bed and not get out until June or maybe even July considering Seattle’s track record. But alas that is not a possibility. Instead, when the weather [...]

Fall and winter generally mean lots of hearty, comfort food. Much of this food is pretty heavy to say the least. Not that that is a bad thing, everyone knows how many mashed potatoes I can eat. But with Thanksgiving only a week away, eating lighter the week before always seems like such a good [...]

I have always had a fondness for cream cheese spreads. They are super easy to make and you can add just about any flavor that you like. Take this recipe for instance. After making my Spinach, Arugula, Cranberry and Walnut Salad, I have discovered a new found love for dried cranberries and the sweetness that [...]

Whenever you roast chicken, beef or, to keep with the season, turkey, you probably notice the little brown flavor bits and lovely pan juices that accumulate in the bottom of the pan. It might seem a little crazy but did you know that some people actually throw this stuff away? Shocking, I know.  Perhaps they [...]

If I had to make a list of my top 5 sandwiches, a classic BLT would certainly be near the top. The toasted sour dough bread, mayo, juicy tomatoes, crunchy bacon and crisp lettuce nearly always yield a scrumptious sandwich. A sandwich that I thought could not get any better. That is until I tried [...]

I thought I would step away from comforting Thanksgiving food for today and turn to a different kind of comfort food: pasta. Spaghetti Puttanesca to be exact. Legend has it that this spicy, salty pasta was a favorite of, to use the family friendly term, “ladies of the night”. Apparently these “ladies” found the inexpensive [...]

After yesterday’s heavy but heavenly Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes, I thought I’d lighten things up a bit with this flavorful Thanksgiving salad. It has all kinds of goodies like spinach, peppery arugula, crunchy walnuts, sweet cranberries and tangy goat cheese. Then all of these goodies are tossed in a quick cranberry vinaigrette. It is the [...]

I’d like to offer you some facts. Fact 1: Mashed potatoes are glorious wonderful things. Fact 2: Bacon, green onions, sharp cheddar cheese, creamy havarti cheese and gruyere cheese are also wonderful. Fact 3: If you mix creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes with bacon, green onions, sharp cheddar cheese, creamy havarti and gruyere you have one [...]

Thanksgiving is a mere 2 1/2 weeks away and that could only mean one thing, its Turkey Time! Wonderfully juicy, perfectly roasted turkey. For many people this means a big 10 or even 20 pound bird. However for those that are having a smaller gathering. Or for those, like me, who really prefer the dark [...]

Brace yourself folks.  This chicken is ah-mazing. Lick your plate and plead for more amazing. Allow me to elaborate. First a chicken breast is breaded and pan fried until golden. Then that perfectly cooked, perfectly golden chicken breast is topped with a lemony-buttery-cappery (I may have made up words just now but that is how [...]