This Simple Cucumber Salad is packed with crunchy, fresh-from-the-garden flavor. It’s one of my favorite side dishes to make during the summer, a great companion to grilled meats, fish or pasta. This simple cucumber salad is tasty right when you make it, but it’s even better after a couple of hours marinating in the fridge. You Read more…
Read More →This Warm Red Potato Salad recipe is a crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy to make and even better the next day. This Warm Red Potato Salad is served slightly warm or at room temperature, which makes it perfect for potlucks and outdoor events. It can be made a day in advance and refrigerated overnight – simply Read more…
Read More →This Crunchy Colorful Coleslaw recipe is my go-to side for barbecues, especially when there’s a chance to pile it on a sandwich. I like my coleslaw creamy with a little bit of sweetness and all the color and crunch I can muster. This coleslaw has enough flavor to be a meal on its own or Read more…
Read More →I call this “Simple Homemade Kimchi” because “Easy Kimchi” would feel like a lie if you’ve never made kimchi before. This is a very simple recipe for homemade kimchi, but it takes a few steps to get it done, y’all. Kimchi is Korea’s national dish, so hundreds of “official” recipes exist. Many include making a Read more…
Read More →This Traditional Gazpacho recipe makes the best of the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in my garden. I make several versions, but this is my all-time favorite. Cold soup? Yes, cold soup, friends. This staple is served worldwide, with historical roots in Spain’s Andalusia region and Portugal. While a quick internet search can find versions featuring watermelon, avocado and grapes, Read more…
Read More →This Tasty Red Rice recipe is one of my go-to side dishes. It’s perfect in burrito bowls or next to enchiladas – but equally at home next to steak or pork chops. I’m lucky enough to live Central California, where produce is plentiful and so is Mexican food. There’s a funky little Mexican place around Read more…
Read More →This Mexican Street Corn recipe is my favorite way to eat corn on the cob – and an easy way to really wow your friends at the next BBQ or picnic with a fun twist on the traditional dish. Every summer, our neighbor Bobby Houlding starts dropping boxes of his fresh sweet corn and tomatoes off Read more…
Read More →Grilled Artichokes are delicious and so easy! Get the how-to on artichoke grilling below, plus my favorite sauce to serve them with. Growing up, we spent a couple of weeks every summer on the California’s Central Coast, and as we’d pull off the Pacheco Pass on Highway 152, my grandparents would declare it was time Read more…
Read More →This Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes recipe is a total knockout – just the right amount of creamy sweetness and a little bit of crunch. We made this Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes recipe as part of a show called “Outrageous Thanksgiving” on the Food Network. I was managing a catering company at the time, and got Read more…
Read More →Sweet Potatoes with Gingersnap Cranberry Crumble is a crowd-pleasing recipe that takes a simple side dish to the next level. I managed the production of the largest sweet potato casserole on record during the California Sweet Potato Festival for the Food Network. It weighed in at a half ton, and I had to have a Read more…
Read More →Sautéed Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crispy Shallots is a crowd-pleaser. You may want to make a double batch. Here’s my fresh and delicious take on the standard baked green bean casserole. I’ve served these Sautéed Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crispy Shallots several times, and always gotten rave reviews. In fact, the recipe was Read more…
Read More →This Pear & Roasted Beet Salad with Honey Vinaigrette is a showstopping first course. Set several on a cutting board or platter for an impressive buffet display, or serve single pears on salad plates to wow your guests. Sometimes I just can’t resist making an entrance. Or, I can’t resist having my food make one, anyway. Read more…
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