An Aside ...

Don't you just love colorful food ? This smoked salmon and crispy cucumber platter was a hit at our little church this morning. We stood around after the service sipping our lemonade spritzers and slathering stone ground wheat crackers with the herbed cheese spread and topping things off with a little slab of salmon and some cucumber crisps. Who needs lunch after knoshing these ?

4th of July Pie !!!

The pie was stellar looking - yes? But WAIT! It was far too soupy, which leads me to a burning question -

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE IN BLOG WORLD KNOW THE PROPER RATIO OF CORNSTARCH TO BERRY FRUITS THAT WILL PRODUCE A SMOOTH FILLING SAUCE THAT DOES NOT RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN THE PIE IS CUT ???????

While everyone at yesterday's 4th celebration raved about the flavour of the pie, this baker was wishing she could get a piece cut and transferred intact to the waiting plate ... so I'm sending my plea out there ...

IHCC - Time for Small Plate Salmon Cakes

This week Nigel Slater's appetizer or snack recipes are on stage. 

Martha Stewart's Mocha Shortbreads

Cocoa, coffee, and cocoa nibs all in a shortbread dough. I'll admit. That concept grabbed me by the neck and made me double take a recipe in the latest Living magazine. Having never worked with cocoa nibs, but having been gifted a bag of cocoa beans, this was an accessible recipe for this country hick!

A Beach Blanket Chicken Recipe - Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken

This month's Virtual Supper Club is highlighting fare that could easily sit on a picnic plate at the beach. It IS that time of year, after all, and there's nothing like a well-stocked cooler and picnic basket when you're camped for the day in the shade of a beach umbrella!

An Aside ...

The first cutting of cornflowers is always such a treat. That blue cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the flower world - well, perhaps in a perfect stalk of delphinium or larkspur, but no where else! Really!

Re-Fried Bean Stuffed Poblanos with Queso

Need an easy dish to share at a summertime patio party? These peppers were a cinch to make and travelled nicely to the pool party we hung at over the weekend. The colors are great in this dish. I didn't photograph the finished dish, as we all know what a cheesy topping looks like, but at this point in the prep, I had to snap a photo because the peppers were so pretty and perfect. 

A Different Kind of Carrot Cake ...

Most carrot cakes that I have made over the years have a considerable amount of vegetable oil in the batter. The carrots are grated coarsely and join sweetened coconut, crushed pineapple, and walnuts to make a thick batter that has a heavy moist crumb. This version of carrot cake is a bit different, though.