Celebrating Life Around The Table
This weekend I was up in Napa Valley for business. It’s hard to even type that with a straight face, but I did work! For lunch the first day we went to the Rutherford Grill. It was clearly a local favorite. We sat at the bar and had a blast talking to the bartender, a Huntington Beach native and some of the locals on their lunch break. I don’t know how much work I’d get done if I had lunch at the bar often… The food was delicious. Some of it seemed familiar to me though and when I came [...]
Being a self confessed Food Network junkie I have watched Bobby Flay for year and made a few of his dishes. Last fall I visited Mesa Grill while on a trip to NYC and was blown away by the flavor in all of the dishes. When I came home I bought his Mesa Grill Cookbook, an updated version of the original one I had several years ago. This weekend I decided to try the Yucatan Chicken Skewers With Red Cabbage Slaw and Peanut Red Chile BBQ sauce. I know, a mouthful! But it is a flavorful combination and would be [...]
What a day! I have been wanting to make this cake for awhile now. Recently I have fallen in love with the simple tastes of Italian cake. Each time I have gone to make this I am missing some ingredient and have to postpone it. Finally, I have everything and I am ready. I drop an egg on my kitchen rug! What a mess. I beat the egg whites, a bit too dry, I think but keep going. I place the cake in the oven and wait. I pull it out and let it cool. I take it out of [...]
I had a big bunch of basil from the local market and decided to make a batch of pesto. I was thinking about what I could make with it and remembered several years ago I had made a grilled chicken with vegetables and orzo. You can always use store bought pesto, of course I am a bit partial to homemade. I marinated the chicken for a few hours and then grilled on the stovetop. I also grilled the peppers and onions. Squash would be great with this recipe too. I cooked some orzo and then topped with a bit more [...]
I have had a few shrimp recipes waiting to be tried so I thought I would try both in one weekend. A little shrimp cook off shall we? The first was from Cooking Light and featured a Jalapeno Lime Marinade. This one is easy. Marinade for a half hour and off to the grill. This one is light but spicy and tart. These would make great appetizers served on a skewer on a summer evening. The other was Matthew Kenney’s Grilled Shrimp with Tomato Jam. The jam is sweet and spicy, based on a Moroccan condiment. In this recipe the [...]
I'm Cheri Liefeld, radio host & producer, freelance recipe developer, food writer and cooking instructor. You will find easy recipes for family meals, entertaining ideas and ideas for cooking with kids.
