They say that necessity is the mother of invention and that certainly turned out to be the case here. I have a bumper crop of tomatoes this season, and decided I was going to make myself a tomato pie. I went to all of the effort to make a crust, and then something went wrong during the blind baking process. I carefully lined my crust with foil (like you do), and put my pie weights on top, baking as I normally would. Only not quite so normally, when I went to remove the foil and weights, the bottom of the crust came with it; so much for that idea. So, instead, I decided to treat my tomato pie as I would a crustless quiche, and line the pan with softened butter and crumbs. It turned out to be beautiful, incredibly delicious, and half of the calories I had expected it to be. This is a wonderful summer dish. It utilizes delicious fresh produce, can be served at room temperature, works for any meal of the day (yes, I did have it for breakfast), and will be a welcome change from your normal fare. You are going to love it! Crustless Tomato Cheese Pie 3 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds), sliced ¼” thick ¾ t. kosher salt, divided ½ T. butter, room temperature ¼ c. Italian breadcrumbs ½ T. butter ½ c. chopped Melissa’s shallots 2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese ½ c. chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, chives, etc.) ½ t. hot sauce ½ t. freshly ground black pepper 2 extra large eggs Preheat oven to 300°F. Place tomato slices on paper towels and sprinkle with ½ t. salt. Allow them to drain while oven is preheating. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and place tomato slices on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, checking occasionally, until they start to pucker. While tomatoes are baking, butter a 9-inch pie pan with unsalted butter, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Rotate pan to ensure all greased areas are covered with the crumbs; set aside. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add shallots and remaining ¼ t. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened and are just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Stir in cheese, herbs, hot sauce, and pepper until combined. Stir in cooled shallot mixture. Arrange a layer of tomatoes on the bottom of your prepared pan. Top with half of the cheese mixture, spreading to cover. Repeat this process one more time, and then finish off with remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle Monterrey Jack cheese on top of pie. Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before slicing. PRINT RECIPE This post contains affiliate links.

One of our favorite restaurants in town is Favazza's on The Hill. It is a consistently wonderful, enormously friendly eatery in the quaint Italian part of St. Louis known to locals as “The Hill” (it's really more of an incline than a hill, if truth be told, but who am I to judge?). Their Steak Mudega is one I routinely order and have always enjoyed, so I was very pleased to see the recipe for this dish in last week's food section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It's not a difficult dish to prepare when you do your prep work in advance as I did. I also seasoned the heck out of the Italian Bread Crumbs to give the steak a lot of delicious flavor. As often happens, my version wasn't nearly as good as the excellent one served at the restaurant, but it did make for a very special midweek meal. Favazza’s Steak Mudega Yield: 4 servings For the sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided use 3 ounces thinly sliced Volpi* prosciutto, diced 12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced 1/3-inch thick 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1¼ cups white table wine (not sweet, not dry) 2 cups chicken broth Salt, black pepper and white pepper to taste For the steaks 4 (8-ounce) center cut filet mignon ¼ cup olive oil Italian breadcrumbs seasoned with flour, granulated garlic, salt, white pepper, parsley and “lots of love” 4 (1-ounce) slices St. Louis-style cheese such as Provel** Freshly chopped parsley Make the sauce. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil and 6 tablespoons butter until shimmery on medium high heat. Add prosciutto and saute until dark and crispy, taking care to avoid burning. Stir in mushrooms and cook about halfway, just until turning tender. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, stir in. Deglaze skillet with wine, bring to a boil, let reduce by about half. (Timing wise, start cooking steaks now.) Add broth, bring to a boil, let reduce by half to a syrupy consistency. Stir in remaining butter to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and peppers, remembering the prosciutto is already salty. If needed, keep warm. Cook the steaks. Dip steaks in olive oil, dredge in bread crumbs. Cook steaks on grill to desired doneness; add a slice of Provel for last 2 minutes. To serve Favazza’s-style, arrange steaks on a plate; surround and top with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. *This is a local brand. If you don’t have Volpi in your area, just buy the best quality that you can find. **There’s no substitute for St. Louis’s own Provel cheese, but provolone might work. PRINT RECIPE This post is linked to: Tasty Tuesday Dream, Create, Inspire Tuesday Inspire Me Tuesday Tuesdays At Our Home Tweak it Tuesday Tickle my Tastebuds Two Cup Tuesday Try a New Recipe Tuesday Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

The perfect way to experience the southern Italian lifestyle in Puglia is to stay at a masseria. Tre Gioie shares it's favorite Masserie.

Because breakfast isn’t always about fruit and cereal, here is a recipe for what I have been thoroughly enjoying this past week, thanks to both Shelly at Cookies & Cups, and my homegrown tomatoes. At first, this may appear to be nothing more than bruschetta, but in reading the ingredients, you will see that there is quite a surprise here in the blue cheese dressing. Whether you like blue cheese dressing or not, the flavor is not overt, instead its subtle nuance serves to beautifully enhance the existing ingredients, making for one of the freshest, most summery appetizers, starters, open-faced sandwiches, or as I call it, breakfast, that you will ever enjoy. Do not, I repeat, NOT, be tempted to substitute the parsley with fresh basil. Yes, I know, basil and tomatoes pair wonderfully, but here you want all of the flavors to come through, and not be overshadowed by the boldness of fresh basil. Resist, and you will be rewarded. One caveat. I am not a fan of the baguette, particularly in a case like this. I find the topping-to-bread ratio to not particularly be to my liking, so in every case where a baguette is called for, I substitute it with thick slices of rustic bread. My favorite is Pane Turano from Aldi; no, I am not being paid to say this, I just love it. Beach Bread As seen on Cookies & Cups 1 (12-14-oz.) French baguette* 6 T. butter, room temperature ½ t. garlic powder 1/3 c. blue cheese dressing ½ c. diced tomato 2 c. grated mozzarella cheese ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Split the French baguette in half. Spread each half with 3 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder. Spread the blue cheese dressing evenly on each half and add the diced tomato on top. Cover the bread with the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are golden and crisp. Slice and serve. *If using another type of bread, as I did, toast the bread lightly on top after spreading with butter and sprinkling with garlic powder. This will keep the bread from getting soggy. This post contains affiliate links.

Once the fall arrives, and I get into “soup mode,” there is just no stopping me. I will look for any excuse and any ingredient to make soup. This recipe came as the result of my having a lone leek in the fridge, coupled with my going absolutely crazy at a frozen vegetable sale at the local market. Those 10/$10 deals, particularly where name brand, one-pound packages of frozen vegetables are concerned, are truly my Achilles heel. I think we're pretty much set for the winter now. Cheesy Leek and Broccoli Soup 1 large leek 5 Tablespoons butter 1/4 cup flour 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups chicken stock, plus more for thinning, if necessary 1 16-ounce package frozen, chopped broccoli 6 baby or 2 large carrots 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 8-ounce package Sharp Cheddar Cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Cut carrots into julienne strips; set aside. Cut dark green end off of leek. Remove the tough outer leaves and split leek down the middle (but not completely through), spread apart and rinse thoroughly to remove all grit. Thinly slice leek into rounds. In a 10" sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add leek and cook until soft and opaque, but not brown; set aside. Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a 2-quart pot. Whisk in flour and cook for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add milk and cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in chicken stock. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Add reserved carrots and leeks, and add broccoli. Cook for 25 more minutes over medium-low heat. Add cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with additional stock, if too thick. Heat through and serve. This post is linked to: Thursday Favorite Things Full Plate Thursday Create It Thursday Show and Tell Friday Friday Unfolded

If you are a fan of G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown books, or the TV series based upon these books, then you are no doubt familiar with Mrs. McCarthy, and her award-winning strawberry scones. This is not Mrs. M.’s recipe, of course, because Mrs. M. is fictional. This is, however, my version of what I think her award-winning scones would be. They are flavorful, crunchy on the outside, and with a tender crumb on the inside. They are versatile (as Mrs. M. would want) working equally well with fresh, seasonal strawberries, or dried strawberries, if the fresh ones aren’t in season. Mrs. M. would want her strawberries straight from the vine — the very best local berries available. If you are a fan of the series, or even if not, you must try these delicious scones. Mrs. McCarthy’s Award-Winning Strawberry Scones 2 cups sifted cake flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 6 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 tsp. orange or lemon zest 1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries OR 1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried strawberries 1 egg 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/3 cup heavy cream Heavy Cream Sanding Sugar (All I had was pink, Mrs. M. would not have approved!) Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. If using fresh strawberries, allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate while you prepare the dough. In the work bowl of a food processor combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and lemon zest. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal; empty mixture into a large bowl. (If using dried strawberries, add them now and toss to coat.) In a small mixing bowl whisk together egg, cream, and vanilla flavoring. When thoroughly blended, pour it over the flour mixture in the large bowl and fold until it just comes together. Add 1-3 more teaspoons of cream, if needed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. If using fresh strawberries, scatter them on top and, with floured hands, fold the dough over the berries and knead lightly 4-5 times. Press into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut out rounds with a 2" biscuit cutter and arrange 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Gather scraps together and cut out additional scones. Brush tops of scones with cream and sprinkle liberally with sanding sugar. Bake scones, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. Makes 8-10 PRINT RECIPE You’ll find another British scone recipe in these Royal Baby Scones. This post is linked to: Wine’d Down Wednesday Happiness is Homemade Sunday What’s for Dinner Sunday Dishing It & Digging It Full Plate Thursday Thursday Favorite Things Funtastic Friday Best of the Weekend Pink Saturday Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create Grace at Home Friday at the Fire Station Create, Bake, Grow and Gather This post contains affiliate links.

I’m not sure where the late Mr. O-P got this recipe for mustard sauce, but what I do know is that it’s my favorite, and soon becomes the favorite of everyone who tries it. This is the mustard sauce that we have been serving with our Easter ham for more than a decade. When we first served it, our friend Stephanie liked it so much, that she wanted her own little bowl on the side. Yep, it’s that good. It’s easy to put together, and keeps 4 to 5 days in the fridge, if it lasts that long. In addition to ham, it goes equally well with corned beef, broiled salmon, and a wide variety of vegetables. Try it on ham sandwiches, or use it as an ingredient in egg salad, ham salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, you name it. I’m guessing that my favorite will soon become your favorite, too! My Favorite Mustard Sauce 2 T. brown mustard seeds 2 t. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 c. good mayonnaise 1/2 c. sour cream (not low-fat) 1/2 c. grainy mustard Toast mustard seeds in a dry 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat until they start to pop. Do not burn! Turn seeds out into a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Store in refrigerator. Keeps 4 to 5 days. PRINT RECIPE This post is linked to: Cooking & Crafting with J&J Amaze Me Monday Busy Mondays Merry Monday Over the Moon Make it Pretty Monday Celebrate Your Story Inspire Me Tuesday Reader Tip Tuesday Homestead Wednesday Wow Us Wednesday Wine’d Down Wednesday Full Plate Thursday This post contains affiliate links.

If you like cream cheese-based spreads as much as I do, then you are going to love this; I think it is the most versatile cheese spread that I have ever found. It can be served hot or cold. It can be used as individual appetizers, put in small ramekins and served with crackers. It can be used first thing in the morning if you, like me, enjoy a savory breakfast. Baked and served in small ramekins with strips of toast, it’s similar to the popular British breakfast of eggs and soldiers. It can be also used as a spread on top of slices of ham that can later be rolled, sliced, and served as a cold appetizer. I think this is my new favorite spread. Not just for the versatility, but for the amazingly good taste. Olive Cheese Spread Adapted from Buns in My Oven 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, grated 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup green olives, diced 1/2 cup black olives, diced 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium mixing bowl, and using a hand mixer, mix together ingredients until well blended. Spread into baking dish (or dishes) of your choice and bake until hot and bubbly. Serve as you see fit. PRINT RECIPE This post is linked to: Wow Us Wednesday Wine’d Down Wednesday Happiness is Homemade Sunday Dishing It & Digging It Full Plate Thursday Thursday Favorite Things This post contains affiliate links.

I have to make a confession. What initially attracted me to Jezebel Sauce was the name. I mean, come on, how can you resist a name like that? So, knowing that it had so many uses, and that I had all of the ingredients, I decided to make it. There are a variety of recipes for Jezebel Sauce available, but I find this one suits me the best. It is served, primarily I believe, atop a brick of cream cheese surrounded by crackers or crudites. But I find it does amazing things to a ham, chicken, cheese, or turkey sandwich. In fact, the first time I made this I only made half a batch, and I was sorry that I did. Now I keep it in my refrigerator at all times. I suspect is going to be the "go to" sauce for corned beef come St. Patrick's Day, but I'm getting ahead of myself. This is a festive and fun sauce, with a clever name, lots of flavor, and a pleasant kick. You can adjust the amount of mustard and horseradish to suit your taste. You need to make this; it is going to turn your dishes into something extra special that will have all of your guests talking. Jezebel Sauce ½ cup orange marmalade ½ cup apricot preserves 2/3 cup apple jelly 1 tablespoon Creole mustard 1 tablespoon Gulden’s spicy brown mustard 3 tablespoons grainy mustard ½ cup prepared horseradish 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Put into a sealed container and store in the fridge. It keeps indefinitely. Excellent when used on top of a brick of cream cheese as an appetizer, or as a sandwich spread. It's particularly good on turkey, chicken, ham, or cheese. It also makes an amazing dipper for fried shrimp. You also might consider stirring it into egg or ham salad for an added punch. PRINT RECIPE This post is linked to: Cooking & Crafting with J&J Amaze Me Monday Busy Mondays Celebrate Your Story Inspire Me Tuesday Reader Tip Tuesday Tuesdays with a Twist The Scoop Dream, Create, Inspire O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Homestead Wednesday Wow Us Wednesday Wine’d Down Wednesday Full Plate Thursday Dishing It & Digging It Celebrate Your Story Grace at Home Friday at the Fire Station Foodie Friday & Everything Else Create, Bake, Grow and Gather Weekend Inspiration Party Share Your Style Simple Saturday Blog Hop A Bouquet of Talent Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party What’s for Dinner Sunday Happiness is Homemade Sunday This post contains affiliate links.

Is Steak Modiga just a Saint Louis thing? I ask because there are a lot of recipes for this dish online, most of which have a St. Louis connection. We have a wonderful Italian community here in the St. Louis metro, and a lot of good restaurants, many of which serve this delicious dish. I shared a recipe for it some time ago from one of my favorite restaurants, Favazza’s, that you can find that here. That recipe, although delicious, is a bit involved. I was in desperate mood for a filet mignon, and decided I was going to take all of the recipes for Steak Modiga that I had, and compact them into something quick and simple. This is it. Not only is it company worthy, but you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes. I served mine with a salad and a roll, if you want to serve yours with rice, or a baked potato, you’ll have to start both of those things before you start your steak. Easy Steak Modiga 2 T. olive oil, divided 1 c. Italian breadcrumbs Montreal Steak Seasoning 4 6-oz. filet mignon​s 2 T. butter 11⁄2 t. Melissa’s minced garlic 4 oz. sliced mushrooms 2 T. flour 1 c. chicken stock ¼ c. dry white wine 1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice 1⁄8 t. salt, to taste 1⁄8 t. freshly ground black pepper, to taste ¼ c. heavy cream 4-6 ounces provel cheese*, room temperature ​Preheat oven to 400°​F. Rub steaks with 1 T. oil, dredge in breadcrumbs, and sprinkle with steak seasoning; set aside for 5 minutes. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a 12” oven-safe non-stick skillet over medium/high heat until oil is shimmering. Place steaks in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip steaks and brown reverse side for about 3 more minutes. Leave steaks in pan, place in oven and roast until meat registers 120° to 125° (for medium rare), 4-7 minutes. While steaks are cooking place a sauté pan over medium-low heat, add butter. When butter melts, add garlic; cook just until it becomes fragrant, about 90 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in chicken stock, wine, and lemon juice; add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low boil and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Remove sauce from heat; set aside and keep warm. Place each steak on a serving plate and cover with one-fourth of the provel; cover with warm sauce and serve immediately. *This is a St. Louis thing. IYKYN. You can substitute provolone. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Food, recipes, tablesettings, and lifestyle inspiration.

Midsommar is finally here! A perfect opportunity for a summer party. Just the idea of a Midsommar table in summery decor with all the traditional Swedish culinary delights – such as herring, salmon, fresh potatoes and summer desserts – is mouthwatering.

As I mentioned some time back, one of my favorite salads is a simple one made up of Romaine lettuce, breadcrumbs, red onion, and tossed with Mayfair salad dressing. It continues to be my favorite, and I have eaten a lot of it these past couple of months. I do find that when having a salad as an evening meal, if it is a salad that is not loaded with vegetables and protein, it often isn’t as filling as it needs to be to get me through to morning. For this reason, I have been experimenting with a wide variety of spreads for using on bread and then heating in the oven. This is one of them. It is supposed to be used on a split loaf of ciabatta bread, but I find that a single slice of rustic bread works quite well for me. The spread keeps in the refrigerator quite well for 7 to 10 days, but I have never needed it to last that long. Artichoke Bread 2 T. butter, room temperature 1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic 1 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 c. shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese ¼ c. sour cream 2 scallions, finely minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 small loaf ciabatta bread Preheat broiler, and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place all ingredients EXCEPT bread into a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a handheld mixer at medium speed until blended. Slice the bread lengthwise. Place the bread halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up, and spoon the cheese and artichoke mixture over the top. Broil for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bread is hot. Cut each half into six pieces and serve immediately. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Food, recipes, tablesettings, and lifestyle inspiration.

Food, recipes, tablesettings, and lifestyle inspiration.

Green is a very versatile color in interior design and there are many ways to use it. From paint, cabinets, millwork, and wallpaper, to fabrics and furnishings, it is easy to add a touch of green to bring some freshness and life to any room.

Thanksgiving is two weeks away and in anticipation, I pulled out the my favorite Tom Turkeys! With the countdown to turkey day underway, I’m at the table as part of a Thanksgiving Tablescape Blog H…

Earlier in the week there was a bit of a mix-up with company. Mr. O-P had told me that our dinner-and-baseball bud was coming on Monday night for dinner and the game, but, as he was leaving to have lunch a friend that morning and I reminded him of this, he said that he wasn't coming Monday night, but the following night. “What?!” I cried. “Which is it?!” I asked him, now wild-eyed and completely perplexed. As he walked out the door, exhibiting a calm that only a man can possess in such a situation, he said that he thought it was tomorrow, but when push came to shove, he really didn't know for sure. Men! Two calls to the friend in question, whom I could not reach, and I still had no idea. I downed two glasses of Sangria, and started in on dinner figuring that we'd surely eat it one night or the other, and opting for dishes that keep. In keeping with the rather bizarre start to my day, I discovered that I didn't have enough carrots for the carrot cake that I had planned to make, so ended up making half of the recipe and baking it in an 8” X 8”"square pan (which explains the rather scrawny piece in the photos). It was delicious, but I do recommend making the full recipe in two round cake pans, slathering it with frosting, and decorating the top with fresh pecan halves. If you're thinking that all carrot cakes are the same, you're wrong. My secret ingredient is what gives this the extra richness, darker color, and flavor boost. My dad proclaimed it “excellent.” This is the last carrot cake you will ever make. After this one, there is just no reason to try another recipe. Pattie’s “Secret Ingredient” Carrot Cake Printable Recipe 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda ¼ cup Nestle’s Quik 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1-1/2 cups canola oil 4 extra-large eggs, beaten to blend 3 cups peeled, grated carrots Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 8” x 8” cake pans; set aside. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, place flour, sugar, baking soda, Nestle’s Quik, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk to blend. Add oil, eggs, and carrots and beat on medium speed until well blended. Turn batter equally into prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center tests clean. Frost when cool (recipe below), and top with pecans. Cream Cheese Frosting 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 pound confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and beat to blend. Frost cake. This post is linked to: Munching Mondays Busy Mondays Create Link Inspire Tickle my Tastebuds Two Cup Tuesday Tasty Tuesday Inspire Me Tuesday Tuesdays At Our Home Tweak it Tuesday

I think about my late husband every day, but never so much as in January, which would have been his birthday month, and today his birthday. He loved a good loaf of bread, and not a week would go by where I wouldn't find him buying a loaf or two from one of the local bakeries. He liked it with a crispy exterior and a dense and chewy interior. I don't know if it was because I was thinking about him that caused me to make this bread, or because I was just in the mood for dense and chewy home-baked goodness. Either way, when I spotted this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. The recipe may seem long, but it is very simple to put together. It also yields spectacular results! Honestly, I could not believe it. I had a slice this morning, spread with softened cream cheese, and it was as good, if not better, than any bread I've had from one of the top local bakeries. The fact that I made it at home astounds me. I can tell you that this is going to be the starting point for other fruit/nut/seed varieties that I plan to make. If the thought of making bread seems daunting to you, you need to try this one. The fact that it requires no kneading and precious little work will have you making it again and again. Happy Birthday, Jim! I miss you, sweetie. Crusty No Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for hands 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon granulated yeast 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup Melissa's dried cranberries 1 Tablespoon honey 1 ½ cups warm water (about 95°F) Stir the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the warm water. The dough will be pretty sticky. Don't be tempted to add more flour, sticky is what you're going for. Gently shape into a ball as well as you can. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set on the counter at room temperature and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. I tend to keep my house on the cool side (62° during the day and 55° at night) so mine took the entire 18 hours. You'll know the dough is ready when it doubles in size and sticks to the side of the bowl. The top should be covered with air bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball. Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper. Using a very sharp knife, gently score an “X” into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap and set aside while you preheat your oven. Place your covered Dutch oven into your oven and preheat it to 475° F. When your oven comes up to temperature, set a timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from the oven, remove the plastic from the top of your bread dough, and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it all-- the parchment paper included-- inside the pot. Cover with the lid. Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on the counter for 30 minutes before serving. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 week. PRINT RECIPE This post is linked to: Cooking & Crafting with J&J Amaze Me Monday Busy Mondays Make it Pretty Monday Celebrate Your Story Inspire Me Tuesday Reader Tip Tuesday Tuesdays with a Twist The Scoop Dream, Create, Inspire O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Homestead Wednesday Wow Us Wednesday Wine’d Down Wednesday Happiness is Homemade Sunday Grace at Home Friday at the Fire Station Weekend Inspiration Party Share Your Style Simple Saturday Blog Hop Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party This post contains affiliate links.

Saint Louis magazine recently published an article by St. Louis Food guru, Helen Fletcher, about the legendary Mayfair Salad and Dressing, the creation of the original Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis. It was one of the original recipes from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair Exhibition. The hotel used to sell the dressing by the pint. I well remember my mother, and members of her gourmet group, making the trek to the city in order to stock up. When the recipe was finally published, my mother started making her own. In my estimation, this is one of the best salad dressings around. I tend to vary slightly from the original because I am not a particular fan of anchovies. To me, replacing them with a small amount of anchovy paste makes this dressing absolute perfection. The recipe for both my version of the dressing and salad are below. A Mayfair Salad is truly delicious and makes a wonderful light meal. My favorite way to enjoy the dressing, however, is tossed with a bowl of freshly torn, crisp leaves of Romaine lettuce, wedges of hard-boiled egg, and about 2 tablespoons of Italian breadcrumbs. Delicious! Mayfair Salad Dressing ½ c. coarsely chopped celery 1 small clove garlic 1 small coarsely chopped Melissa’s shallot ½ - 1 t. anchovy paste 2 T. Dijon mustard ½ t. freshly ground black pepper 1 T. fresh lemon juice ¾ c. Duke’s mayonnaise Place all ingredients into a mini food processor or mini ninja blender. Using the processor gives some texture, using the blender will make it perfectly smooth. It’s your choice. Process to purée. Refrigerate for one hour before using. This makes a little bit less than 2 cups; the recipe can be doubled. Original Mayfair Salad Romaine lettuce Ham, julienne Swiss Cheese, julienne Croutons Mayfair Dressing There are no amounts. Use as much or little as desired. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post contains affiliate links. You know how it is, when you want something that you can’t have, that it makes you want it all the more? That’s me these days with really good, can-only-get-it-in-a-restaurant, Italian food. There are three of us who go out to dinner every month, and we tend to eat a lot of Italian food in the doing. We recently had lunch together at an Italian restaurant that had the most out-of-this world food that you can imagine. We were talking about going back, and then everything hit the fan, and, well, here I am. Wanting restaurant-quality Italian food, and unable to get it. But wait! A friend (one of the above mentioned two) said that she had a recipe from one of our local favorites for Sicilian chicken that she had never tried. She sent it to me, and at first glance, it looked daunting. I mean, it’s just me; do I really want to go to a lot of trouble? Well honestly, that all depends, but I wasn’t feeling it when I’d planned to make this dish. Fortunately, it’s largely text. When you break it down, particularly if you make individual components of this recipe at various times of the day, it goes together in an absolute flash, and is restaurant quality delicious. Favazza’s (You can find Favazza’s magnificent recipe for Steak Modiga here), creator of this recipe, is located in the Italian section of St. Louis called “The Hill” (where Baseball great Yogi Berra grew up). People come from miles around (and by this I mean from all over the country), to eat on “The Hill.” This chicken dish is one of those reasons why. Favazza’s Sicilian Chicken For Sicilian Sauce 3 or 4 large cloves garlic (about 1 T.) 1 T. kosher salt ¾ c. fresh lemon juice 2 t. dried oregano 1 t. coarse black pepper 1 c. extra-virgin olive oil For Sicilian chicken: 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2) ½ c. red wine vinaigrette Oil for cooking surface ¼ c. olive oil 1 c. Favazza’s seasoned breadcrumbs (see below) 2 T. Sicilian sauce, per serving (see below) Chopped parsley and lemon slices, for garnish Prepare Sicilian sauce: Peel garlic cloves. In a mini food processor, process garlic and salt until garlic is very fine. (Alternatively, use a sharp knife to mince garlic with salt on a cutting board.) Transfer garlic/salt to a glass bowl, stir in lemon juice, oregano and black pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until well-blended and just beginning to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to use. Just before using, gently stir. Makes about 1¾ cups (use extra to toss with cooked vegetables). To make breadcrumbs: For breadcrumbs, season Italian breadcrumbs with flour, granulated garlic, dried pepper, salt and white pepper. Make Sicilian chicken: Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Between 2 pieces of waxed paper, quickly tap (don’t pound) each chicken piece with a meat tenderizer until it’s about a ½” thick, thicker is fine too, just make sure each piece is about the same thickness. In a sealable freezer bag or nonreactive container, toss chicken pieces with vinaigrette; let marinate in the fridge, preferably overnight, no less than a couple of hours. Lightly oil a 10” sauté pan, and heat until very hot but not smoking. Remove chicken from and discard excess dressing; let chicken drain in a colander for a few minutes. Set up an assembly line, one dish with oil, another with breadcrumbs. One at a time, lightly dip each chicken piece in olive oil, then dredge all sides with breadcrumbs, then drop onto hot surface (it should sizzle). Let cook without moving until golden and crispy on bottom side, then flip and cook until chicken is fully cooked. (The cooking time will vary based on chicken’s thickness and the grill temperature. To test for doneness, cut into the center of one piece, the juices should run clear.) To serve Favazza’s-style, transfer a chicken piece to a white oval plate and drizzle with 2 tablespoons Sicilian sauce. Sprinkle plate with parsley and top with a lemon slice, then serve hot.

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I like biscotti, and I make biscotti, but I had never tasted a savory version before. Have you? That’s why, when I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home website, I knew that I had to try it. There were a number of reasons for this, other than simple curiosity. I don’t like to start my day with sweet, but I do like to start my day with convenience, and this seemed the perfect accompaniment to my morning cup of coffee, and I was right. Further, with this being soup season (and soup season is really year-around for me), these seemed like a wonderful accompaniment alongside a cup or bowl of soup, when crusty bread, a homemade roll, or half sandwich isn’t readily available. Right again! I’m sure there are a lot of ways in which to consume these, dipped into chili is sounding good right about now, and I imagine two of them crisscrossed atop a fresh salad would make quite a nice addition, but they are equally as good just plain (although they are mighty tasty with herb cream cheese, or a dollop of marmalade). Why not try something new this year? Cornbread Biscotti 2 8.5-oz. pkgs. Jiffy Cornbread Mix 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 3 large eggs, divided ¼ cup cold whole buttermilk Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat. In the work bowl of a food processor, place cornbread mix, ¾ cup cheese, pepper, and thyme; process until combined. Add cold butter, and pulse 5 to 6 times until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and cold buttermilk. With processor running, add egg mixture in a slow, steady stream just until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Using lightly greased hands, spread dough into a 12” x 4” rectangle on prepared pan. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg, and brush over dough. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until lightly golden and firm, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Place slices cut side down on pan. Bake until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. PRINT RECIPE If this is too avant garde for you, you will love this more traditional version with a hint of the tropics, Caribbean Corn Bread. This post contain affiliate links.