May 20, 2013 | Meat & Poultry, Salads

There is something simply magical about spring. After enduring snow and freezing temperatures for months, the ground suddenly just comes alive. From a pile of dead foliage from last year’s garden, all of a sudden everything starts sprouting green shoots and leaves. It never ceases to amaze me, and it inspires me to make something with those fresh herbs the minute they reveal themselves. Read the Rest »

May 13, 2013 | Desserts

I always say I’m not much of a baker – a few weeks ago I actually made 3 dozen banana muffins that I had to throw out in their entirety because they were like bricks. But every once in awhile I get an idea, I figure out the right ratio of ingredients, and it comes together into a tasty little baked treat. And is typical for my recipes, I was inspired by a couple of things: Read the Rest »

May 6, 2013 | Restaurants

Right before I departed for Italy I was invited by Michael Long, the former chef and partner in Opus, to preview the new spring menu of the talented Chef Sean McGaughey who look over the kitchen at Opus. I already had a dinner commitment, but knew I didn’t want to miss the tasting, so managed to squeeze in just a taste of everything – and boy am I glad I did! Read the Rest »

May 1, 2013 | Soup

As you read this post, I’m enjoying my first day in Italy. I am here to lead a group of 10 on a food and wine adventure in Italy, starting with a few days in Rome, then heading south to Puglia to a cooking school in a castle. I’ve scheduled a few posts to run while I’m away, but will also be blogging all about my food and wine and adventures along the way (including a visit to Ireland after my time in Italy). I hope you’ll enjoy the armchair touring and consider joining me on the trip next year!I’ve been staring down a bag of beets from my CSA winter share for months now. Although I usually love roasted beets, for some reason I just wasn’t craving them this winter. But I did have a creamy beet soup at a friend’s recently and decided to make my own slightly healthier version of the soup. So how do you get a nice creamy soup without using heavy cream? Read the Rest »

April 29, 2013 | Desserts, Fruit, Sauces

It’s been a long wait for spring here in the Rocky Mountains – our past four weeks have included a freezing major snow storm every Tuesday (weirdly). But spring has finally sprung, and I can’t think of two spring ingredients that marry so well as strawberries and rhubarb. Read the Rest »

April 26, 2013 | Breakfast

I woke up this past Tuesday to the fourth week of spring snow storms in Colorado. I don’t mean a simple little shower that melts instantly, I mean temperatures back in the 20s and 30s and several inches of accumulation. My husband was out of town, so it was a wonderful time to stay in my sweats and mess around in the kitchen – really the only way that I tolerate winter weather anymore! Read the Rest »