Dinner, Lunch, Sandwiches/Paninis

“Traditional” Maine Lobster Rolls

So, after my trip to Maine last weekend, I’m devouring the bounty that I brought back. Today, that meant making a “Traditional” Maine Lobster Roll. Now, “traditional” is all relative. Everyone has a slightly different recipe for the lobster “stuffing” but a few things hold true:
1. as much lobster as you can get in the roll.
2. not too much mayo (and some people prefer melted butter over mayo altogether)
3. buttered, toasted top-split hotdog bun

I add lettuce, but some people hate that. Some people add a little bit of celery to the lobster, but I hate that. I add a little bit of horseradish and chives. Some people add paprika or dill. Either way, the rolls in the photo are “overstuffed” and delicious.
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Cookies, Savory Snacks, Sweet Snacks

Rosemary Pine Nut Sablé Cookies

Today, we’re back to experimenting with some unconventional flavors in the cookie department. Who would have thought to combine pine nuts, rosemary and black pepper into a sweet shortbread cookie? Turns out, it’s an awesome combination. I’m not sure if I think that these would go better with sweet such as tea or savory such as wine and cheese. Either way, they do taste good, even if you end up thinking “Hmmm, what’s that flavor?”.
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Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Rustic Blueberry Star Galette, for Independence Day

Happy Independence Day, Americans! As is always my plan, I made an “all-American pie” — which usually ends up being blueberry. I’ve made galettes before, but if you look carefully, this one is intended to be a mulit-pointed star … aka fireworks. Easy to make, no pie pan necessary. And as always with blueberries, very juicy. Celebrate well!
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Appetizers/Starters, Dinner, Lunch, Pasta, Salads, Sides

“Go To” Easy Pasta Salad

Getting to be BBQ season here in the Northeast and it is the Fourth of July coming up so I thought that I would share one of my “Go To” side dishes. This pasta salad has to be one of the fastest ever to put together and is very neutral — no exotic flavors this time. I went for a little picnic out on one of the islands in Boston Harbor and snacked on this salad on the rocks.
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Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars

‘Tis the season for both fresh local strawberries and rhubarb, so taking advantage of the local, I made my famous (and super easy) crumble bars. They are ready to go quickly and are definitely easier than making strawberry rhubarb *pie* as there you always have to solve the issue of berries being too juicy. Definitely recommend having a go at these!
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