Italian sausage

I love to have homemade Italian sausage in the freezer. We add it to spaghetti, meatballs, meatloaf, and many other things. If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, the meat grinder attachment works great for this type of thing. Additionally, the sausage doesn’t have to be stuffed into the casings, you can also just make ‘bulk’…

Mom’s rosy pickled eggs

I love pickled and briny stuff. This recipe may be the reason why. My mom has been making these for years and her mother had been making them for years prior to that. I truly enjoy them. The pickling liquid imparts a great flavor and the beets make for some curious coloring. Growing up, it was…

Lamb lollipops

My friend Holly makes the most delectable little lamb chops, or “lollipops”as we like to refer to them.  There’s something about this dish which brings memories of warm summer evenings with friends. A little time in the marinade  and a short stint on the grill and you have heaven on a stick. When choosing your rack of…

Gyozas

While I realize that I have placed this in the ‘appetizer’ section, we have been known to make an entire meal of these Japanese style potstickers. In fact, we are known to plan entire parties and get-togethers around this simple food. Over time, we have established quite an efficient system for cranking out hundreds of…

Chipotle hummus

We used to make this one in the restaurant a lot. Easy, spicy, good! Serve with pita chips or other chips.

House Vinaigrette

This is by far the most common vinaigrette we use around here, and we use it a lot. Simple to throw together at a moment’s notice and everyone always enjoys it. Fantastic with mixed greens, tomatoes, and croutons.

Basil pesto

When basil is plentiful in the summer, I like to make gobs of this stuff. It freezes well too. There’s nothing better than whipping out some fresh basil pesto in January!

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne, Beef Bourguignon, beef burgundy, or just beef in wine sauce. For me, few dishes invoke thoughts of cool weather, friends and hearty meals like beef Bourguignon. Many credit Julia Child with bringing this dish to the forefront. As a result, Americans often envision this dish when they think of French cuisine. Several…

Bánh mì

Otherwise known as the Vietnamese sandwich. According to Wikipedia, the term “Bánh mì” actually refers to the bread. It is important to use a good french bread here with a crust that is not too hard. A little crispness is a good thing. The Bánh mì is, unfortunately, a bit scarce in my local area here…