Monthly Archives: July 2007

Jul 31 2007

Getting Crazy in the Kitchen

Posted in Events



Wanted to have fun with The Crazy Kitchen Gadget fun! We just got this new gadget and love it! It is great as it not only is a pourer and keeps the drips off the table and your clothing but it also has a stopper built in, in case you do not want to drink a whole bottle at one setting! The recipe: A good bottle of vino!

Posted in Events
Jul 30 2007

Daring Bakers: Mirror Mirror on the Cake??

Posted in Dessert




I was very honored to be asked to participate with the Daring Bakers! Not only because I find all of the Bakers incredibly talented; I was also looking forward to the challenge!

My first was definitely a challenge. We were asked to make a Strawberry Mirror Cake. Honestly, I have never attempted something as difficult since I was about 15 and I tried to make Floating Islands. While my Mirror Cake did not come out the prettiest, hence, why I wrapped a brown ribbon around it, it did taste wonderful and the smell of fresh baked cake and very fresh strawberries made our home smell wonderful all weekend!

Posted in Dessert
Jul 25 2007

New York New York

Posted in Traveling


to the Big Apple! Check http://realreviews4everydaypeople.blogspot.com/ for our travels. We are going to be hitting some very exciting places!!!

Come dine with us soon!

Posted in Traveling
Jul 24 2007

Zucchini Ribbons with Ricotta

Posted in Vegetables



Zucchini Ribbons tossed with a Heirloom Tomato sauce and fresh Ricotta. Light and Delicious! For dessert Apricot & Blueberry Clafoutis – light and fluffy, almost souffle like and full of flavor!! I used the recipe in my San Francisco Farmers Market cookbook – the best I have found yet!

Posted in Vegetables
Jul 24 2007

Fava Bean Risotto

Posted in Grains, Rice and Risotto



We came home to find our garden flourishing …… and fava bean galore! In honor of the August Monthly Mingle I decided to do something with what is in our garden. First to answer the question of how we try to help the earth? Well, we do have an organic garden growing, hence this meal as well I try to shop locally and organic as much as I can and we also recycle.

For dinner, I used all the favas from the garden to make a risotto. I used my basic risotto recipe; but, this time I browned the rice a little before adding the broth and wine. L. is Portuguese and loves spicy and favas so I sauted them with shallots, garlic, olive oil and a spicy red chili. I zested some Meyer Lemon (from a neighbors tree) over the top right before serving!

Posted in Grains, Rice and Risotto
Jul 22 2007

Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Chickpeas

Posted in Pasta and Noodles



at least for a couple days! While we love being in Tahoe with our friends, E. & W., it was nice to come home. I was itching to get into the kitchen and L. was dying for a home-cooked meal! Did not have much in the cupboards so I had to be creative with what we had…. mozzarella cheese, whole wheat pasta, some white wine …. Did pick up some Heirlooms on the way home so we were set in the salad department. Threw together a pasta dish with some Roasted Red Peppers & Fresh chickpeas (kind of .. they had been frozen before leaving). Opened a bottle of Rose that we were saving to taste – terrible, well, not terrible but not what we were craving!

Posted in Pasta and Noodles
Jul 22 2007

Crawfish … YUM!

Posted in Fish and Seafood



We have been in Lake Tahoe for a couple weeks now and I finally had a minute to post something that we actually cooked & ate. My sweet little friends M & E (they are 6 and 4)and I caught these crawfish off of the pier next to the house – it was so much fun!!! Afterwards, we decided to make them into a small appetizer, so we boiled up some water with salt, tossed them in, cooked them (or gave them a bubblebath as E. pointed out) then served them up with Lemon Butter – YUMMY!

Posted in Fish and Seafood
Jul 08 2007

Gone on Vacation

Posted in Traveling


Will be back in a couple weeks & ready to do some cooking! (new look hopefully, too, having problems with Blogger this weekend ….)

Visit us soon at Chez Denise et Laudalino!

Posted in Traveling