There is no better time than August to open a cold beer and cozy up by the grill to enjoy the last days of summer. My husband enjoys grilling anything and especially loves grilling vegetables. Which is great for me because by August I am floundering for a creative dinner to use the abundance of zucchini and squash that I have purchased at the local farmer’s market.
For my grandmother’s 102nd birthday, we did a steakhouse themed birthday dinner. (Anyone who makes it to 102 deserves a steakhouse dinner.) But, the creamed spinach was just eh. I resigned myself to enjoy creamed spinach when at a restaurant. Until, I received a LOT of beautiful spinach in my weekly CSA box.
These are not “authentic” Maryland crab cakes. But what else would you expect from a native Mississippian? This is my version of Maryland crab cakes, but feel free to tinker with the recipe, which is forgiving. Just please don’t substitute the Old Bay Seasoning. It is essential for a Maryland crab cake.
This is not your traditional kitschy Italian restaurant chicken marsala. There will be no attached photos of perfectly browned chicken basking in a caramel-colored marsala cream sauce accented by a few small mushrooms. This is a mountain of rosemary scented roasted mushrooms sandwiched in between creamy mashed potatoes and buttermilk-sage fried chicken.
The excess amount of heavy cream in this cheesecake gives it a velvety texture and cooking the cheesecake in a water bath takes it to the next level.
There is something magical about a warm chocolate chip cookie. Add a glass of whole milk, and it takes the experience to another level. So why not try my hand at homemade chocolate chip cookies?
My absolute favorite part of eating chili (aside from all of the spices) is the smorgasbord of toppings. Serve the chili directly from the pot and set up a series of bowls containing the toppings. If you have picky eaters, it allows everyone to customize their chili to their liking. For my husband, that usually means adding more spice and for me it usually means adding more cheese.
Chicken and dumplings are a southern staple. I have heard fairy tales of my grandmother’s famed chicken and dumplings that were as light as air since I was a child. Of course, no one ever wrote the recipe down or taught the next generation to make the angelic dumplings. So, here I am almost seventy years later trying to recreate the flavors of my mother’s childhood.
