Today I’m celebrating my part-Irish heritage by sharing my family’s recipe for Irish Cottage Pie. It’s March and for weeks now there’s been a battle of the wills between winter and spring. A few days ago we were graced with warm slow winds, the kind that billows the curtains just enough to carry the scent of the new grass. That evening, the icy and cutting breath of winter returned and dumped 4 inches of snow. The expected forecast for this week is another foot of snow or more… For me that means comfort food.
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A luxuriously decadent, grown-up dessert. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to make a fun and sophisticated treat. Then it happened! Chocolate red wine cupcakes. Oh, yes… These decadent and grown-up chocolate cupcakes are made with a blend of natural and Dutched unsweetened cocoa, hinted with Bordeaux, and swirled with luscious homemade buttercream. You decide if you want to frost them with vanilla or chocolate, I’ll give you the recipes for both. And yes, even the frosting has red wine. No store-bought boxed cake mix here. Just a few pantry ingredients and a couple of minutes is all it takes to make these cupcakes from scratch.
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Oven Baked Ribs in Plum Sauce is a no-fail, fool-proof, simple and easy recipe. The ribs are baked sticky-sweet, savory, and succulent then brushed in a flavorful plum sauce. Baked low and slow, they are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
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It’s January in New Jersey. That means most of our local farms have closed for the winter and the ones that remain open have only few precious produce to choose from, like eggs, potatoes, onions, winter squash and if we’re lucky maybe some leftover winter apples. I will happily make do. In fact, one of my favorite winter ingredients is the onion. So versatile! If a recipe calls for caramelized onions, I’m all in. So today I want to share a Caramelized Onion & Olive Appetizer recipe. This is a great crowd-pleaser, too! So make a double batch and include it as part of your Super Bowl Sunday party menu.
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Last night we endured a fierce ice storm. As I write, intermittent hail still pangs against the windows. The wind is whipping, having left remnants of broken branches strewn across the yard and road. Since school was closed today, the kids and I resigned ourselves to staying in our pajamas all day. Truth be told, I enjoy this kind of weather when we are all snug and cozy at home. Cold and dreary days inspire me in the kitchen to make warm aromas that evoke comfort – and I savor when we are able to eat long and slow without the constraints of time bearing down on us. So, today…
