Browsing Tag

appetizers

Appetizers/Starters, Desserts, Lunch, Salads, Sides

Caesar Salad Dressing

October 19, 1999 is a date that will forever remain in my memory. Why, you say? What is so important about that very day? It is the day that I ate the most perfect Caesar Salad salad ever made in the history of Caesar salads.

Yes, I remember the date. I remember the place (it was a restaurant attached to a Holiday Inn between Sausalito and Mill Valley, CA) and I remember the salad as if I ate it yesterday and yet it is almost 17 years later. That is how good this salad was. Think that I am crazy now? Yes, I remember the date of a salad. 🙂 Ever since then, I have tried Caesar Salads often, in the hope that maybe, just maybe I could find one just as good. Either the dressing doesn’t taste quite right, or there is too much of it (nothing like dressing with a side of romaine [shudder]) or (more often than not) it is just bad.

This salad doesn’t come close to the 1999 Salad, but I have found this dressing to be pretty awesome. As you know, the base of Caesar salad is egg yolks, but dealing with raw egg yolks can be a little problematic at times, so I thought of what else I could use as a base and came up with mayonnaise, which is in essence … eggs! This dressing should stay fridge-stable for a couple of days, if you don’t end up using it all at once.
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Appetizers/Starters, Dinner, Lunch

Roasted Tomato Caprese Pie

I seem to have a crazy overabundance of cherry tomatoes and basil this year. My god, the basil! More on that some other time, today I was focused with doing something with the 2 pints of cherry tomatoes that I picked in the last few days. Seemed like an excuse to make this tomato pie. No, it isn’t a pizza, though I guess it might as well be. Sort of like a caprese salad, only warm and in a pie. Lunch was awesome! 🙂
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Savory Snacks, Sweet Snacks

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

I know that a lot of people associated roasted nuts more as a winter thing, but I had an urge to make some, and figured they go just as well with a couple of beers on the back porch as they do at Christmas time. These are smokey and sweet, and not too spicy. Just enough to keep you thirsty — and grabbing a few more — but not overly hot, salty or sweet to any extreme. Try ‘am, you’ll like ’em.

PS: you can use any combination of nuts that you like. I particularly like this combo and ratio, but whatever floats your boat.
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Appetizers/Starters, Savory Snacks

Cranberry Almond Black Pepper Shortbread “Cookies”

Thought I would try something different for once. Savory cookies. Yeah, ok, most people would call savory cookies crackers, but seeing this is actually modified from one of my sweet shortbread recipes, I am sticking with cookies. And I guess they aren’t all savory — there are cranberries in there and a bit of sugar. But definitely more the Wine-and-cheese idea than coffee and sweets.
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