Put A Smile On Your Face With Fresh Strawberries

Unlike many parts of the country, we’re having some mighty fine weather today. The sun is out and the temperature is in the high 50’s. And although I feel bad for the people on the East Coast, I can’t help enjoying the thought of farm fresh fruits and vegetables. After all, summer is short here and we like to eat our fresh fruits and veggies while we can.

One of my favorite seasonal fruits is strawberries. I know you can get them year round in most parts of the country, but really fresh ones are the best in April, May and June. I absolutely adore this Strawberry Shortcake a la Mode from Wolfgang Puck.

Other great ways to serve this seasonal favorite are Strawberry Vanilla Shortcut and Strawberry Banana Split Cake . But no matter how you serve them, they are high in vitamins and minerals and heart-healthy too. So don’t wait! Go on out and buy a pint of these luscious red beauties today

Snow Again!

Well it's still winter in the Midwest. I can't remember the last time we had snow this late in the season. I'm sure they'll let us know on the evening news tonight when we last had snow in April. And although it's technically Spring, the cold, wet, heavy snow has me hankering for a nice warm stew. So I've started a wonderful pot of Simple Beef Stew.

And while I’m thinking about it I’m going to open a bottle of 2005 Domaine de Vieux Chene, Pauys d'Oc which I wrote about at Recipe4Living. This earthy red wine is full-bodied, rich and velvety with a smooth aftertaste. The earthiness is a perfect compliment to beef, lamb or pork.

It’s supposed to be warm and in the 60’s next week. Let’s hope for warmer weather, no snow and a chance to break out the barbeque.

Keeping Up With Your Food

Sustainable eating, organic foods, cruelty free foods, free range chickens, and, nest eggs are just some of the words floating around the food industry these days. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on. And just recently, Nightline did a story on the City Council of Chicago and the recent ban on Foie Gras.

This delicacy is obtained at great expense to the ducks and geese who provide their livers for it and the council members decided that it was their mission to make food safer for the consumer and less cruel for the livestock. And whether you agree with this or not, it has garnered a lot of media attention lately. Should the government be involved in what we eat and how it’s produced, or should the consumer vote with their wallet?

If you’re concerned about where your food comes from, or just trying to lower your meat intake, you should try some of these great vegetarian recipes.

Is It Summer Yet?

This weekend we had a little taste of summer in the Midwest. Sunday the temperatures were up in the high 70’s, something we rarely see until June. That got me to thinking about how much I love a Farmer’s Market and all the seasonal fruits and vegetables you can enjoy on the grill. One of my favorites is Grilled Corn On The Cob, and this one sounds particularly fun. Doug's BBQ Corn is made with beer and grilled to perfection. You should try it the next time you’re looking for a great grilled side dish.

What To Do After A Long, Long, Day

Last week was one of those weeks you would rather spend lying in bed with the covers over your head. At least that’s what I wanted to do. My nineteen-year-old son thought it would be a great idea to take an old car on the road for a 6-hour drive. In addition, he forgot to put oil in it before he left. So of course we got a call on Friday night asking us if we could pick him up in West Lafayette, Indiana, home of the Purdue Boilermakers.

So on Saturday morning, we all hopped in the car for a thrilling ride on the interstates of Illinois and Indiana where we happened to find a Hooters Restaurant in Merrillville, Indiana. That proved to be the best thing about the trip as I was able to try a great little wine from Twin Valley by E & J Gallo Vineyards. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied yet soft wine that goes well with a variety of foods including My Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf by Wolfgang Puck.

He has many great recipes you should check out at http://www.recipe4living.com/. Just click on the tab for Wolfgang Puck and start cooking away.

Fishing For A Great White Wine

Recently my husband and I bought a new house with a kitchen that dated back to the 1950’s. We decided that it had to be renovated right away, and, as anyone who has renovated a kitchen knows, you spend at least three months of that process eating out. So after two months of local restaurants and fast food joints, we decided to stray a little farther a field than our town and ended up at Champps Americana Restaurant Here I found a delightful White Zinfandel from Beringer which I paired with their Coconut Fried Shrimp. Crispy and light, this wine had a subtle flavor that didn’t overwhelm the seafood.

The next day I went out, bought a bottle of Beringer White Zinfandel, and started trying it with a variety of fish dishes to see if my initial impression was correct. To my delight, it stood up to all of the dishes that I prepared with style and flavor. You might want to try this delightful wine with such great fish dishes as Baked Lemon Sole. Try it with this and othergreat seafood recipes and make this Lenton season the tastiest one yet.

Cookie Monster's Little Helper

I have a confession to make. Most of my adult life I’ve been addicted to fatty and salty foods. Cakes, cookies and candy were not on my radar. But something happened after I started having children. I started to crave chocolate on a daily basis. Of course, recent research has found that chocolate in small quantities is actually good for your heart and helps lift your mood.

Health benefits aside though, I really love a good cookie, especially the kind that comes straight from my oven and contains chocolate chips. And being somewhat of a control freak, I’ve spent years and tons of time trying to get every cookie the perfect shape.

Then one day, a miracle happened. I was given the Crate & Barrel Cookie Dough Scoop. This modern metal marvel is basically a smaller version of the good old fashioned ice cream scoop. But instead of the average ½ cup measurement of the ice cream scoop, this little baby makes perfect cookies in ½ to 1 tablespoon sizes. Now all my cookies are perfectly shaped and baked to perfection. What more could a Cookie Monster want, except some really great cookie recipes? Not all of them require a cookie scoop, but all of them are delicious.