Brussels Sprouts - the veggie that so many people hate . . . or think they hate. That was my son, Nick . . . until I baited him with Brie - one of his favorite cheeses. I figured if I could create a pasta that featured both Brie and the dreaded Brussels Sprouts, Nick might learn to like the ...
Thanksgiving for Non-Meat Eaters
As a non-meat eater since 1974, I have spent forty years of holidays explaining why I was not eating the meat focus of the meal. Trust me – I’ve brought a lot of delicious and creative vegetarian dishes to each holiday meal with my hubby’s family – only to find them bypassed or overlooked on the ...
Great Turkey Analogue for Two
Since Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, I figured I better get cracking and start evaluating all the new turkey analogues that have come on the market since last year. Sure, there are some tried and true favorites, like Quorn’s Turk’y Roast. But what if you are having your Thanksgiving meal with ...
Autumn Fix for Pesto Lovers
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE pesto. That’s why we grow so much basil in our herb garden every summer. Only this year’s basil crop was disappointing – to say the least. I don’t know what it was about our Carolina weather, but I had the worst basil crop I’ve had in the past two ...
Beyond Meat Puts the Carne Back into Chili
When the weather starts to turn cool, I always turn to my slow cooker. My Cuisinart Cook Central Mulit-Function Cooker has truly revolutionized how I make dinner. No longer do I have to separately sauté in another pan that needs to be washed. Now I do everything in this wonderful ...
Tri-Color Pepper Spiderbite Penne
My last post was about the phenomenal local goat cheese in my region of the Carolinas. Inspired by Fishing Creek Creamery's Spiderbite, a unique combination of creamy chèvre with the spicy bite of ghost peppers and a tiny hint of chocolate, I decided to revamp one of our favorite weeknight pasta ...
Has Gardein Created the Most Authentic Meatballs?
Quorn has held the “best meatless meatball” title for a very long time in my family. We recently tested a new contender: Gardein Classic Meatless Meatballs. I had already made a batch of sauce in my slow cooker. It featured organic versions of the following ingredients: Vidalia onions, garlic, ...
A Cheese Addict’s Praise for Local Goat Cheese
I was thrilled to see two of my favorite local cheese makers profiled in this morning's Charlotte Observer. "Smile and Say 'Local Cheese'" profiles Fishing Creek Creamery from Chester, SC, Bosky Acres from Waxhaw, and Uno Alla Volta Cheese from Charlotte. I've been a long ...
