Tag Archives: dinner feed

Lobster Bisque and other Wintry Seafood Stews

Posted on Dec 30, 2013 by Peggy

Greetings and good wishes for 2014! Last Thursday our band of revelers headed to the country for an old-fashioned family Christmas hosted by Shirley and Stuart at their charming farmhouse. The guest of honor was one large turkey sacrificed the day before for the feast, then smoked outdoors on a Big Green Egg (any smoker … Full recipe post »

Starstruck Sparkling Holiday Punch

Posted on Dec 16, 2013 by Peggy

Composing individual craft cocktails when hosting a party can knock a host under the table, stone-cold sober, I might add – forget having time to sip your own. As soon as you’ve finished passing round one, guests are lined up – empty glass in hand – for round two. One could hire a bartender, I … Full recipe post »

Ginger-Molasses Bundt Cake with Lemon Curd

Posted on Dec 10, 2013 by Peggy

Today I began cooking for a holiday party I’m hosting the day after tomorrow. One item I want on the menu is an old-fashioned spice cake, and while thumbing through cookbooks in search of a recipe, I was imagining rich layers of flavor that would be more redolent of spice than cloyingly sweet. No such … Full recipe post »

An Apres-Holiday Cleanser: Roasted Broccoli & Farro Salad with Feta

Posted on Dec 5, 2013 by Peggy
Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta

Hey friends. I’m tired – not fully recovered from last week.  Almost too tired from the festivities to line the pan with foil. Blame it on intake excess, the side-kick of celebrations. It was a great party – hilarious times in the kitchen, and at the table – but I’m roiling for balance, feel bad … Full recipe post »

Smoked Barbecued Brisket with Grilled Poblanos & Onions

Posted on Oct 13, 2013 by Peggy

I appreciate a 3-ingredient, quick-to-assemble supper just as much as you, and this recipe is certainly not that. But it’d be a crying shame to look a gift steer in the mouth. Back in June, I’d received a brisket certificate from Downtown Home & Garden (part of their Big Green Egg package), which I recently redeemed at Knight’s Market. This … Full recipe post »

Stuffed Eggs with Bacon & Shrimp

Posted on Oct 4, 2013 by Peggy

Here’s a variation on stuffed eggs that you may find quite savory. Leftover shrimp were sitting next to a carton of eggs in my fridge and, voila, the following recipe was born. Certainly the addition of bacon didn’t hurt one bit, and I loved the tang of the pickle juice and tomato paste, reminding me … Full recipe post »

Easy Southwest Corn Sheaths

Posted on Sep 19, 2013 by Peggy

My favorite way of eating corn is when I insert my knife deeply into the cooked cob, then slide the blade down, so that the corn is removed from the cob in a long sheaths, instead of individual kernels. Sometimes the cob obliges (esp. at this time of the year, when corn is juicy and … Full recipe post »

Green Goddess Shrimp Salad in Lettuce Cups

Posted on Aug 30, 2013 by Peggy

(Some grilling ideas for your review for the long, holiday weekend)  Wandering through the Kerrytown Farmers Market, I happened upon a produce table that I enjoy patronizing : Green Things Farm, their produce cultivated on an organic Nixon Road farm in Ann Arbor Charter Township. I love the name, as full of whimsy as a child’s … Full recipe post »

A Tale of Potato Salad

Posted on Aug 3, 2013 by Peggy

Some folks at Irish Hills’ Sand Lake don’t take kindly to having their potato salad usurped by another at a family reunion. Ellen Dawson found out the hard way, and recounted her story to me over a bowl of (you guessed it) potato salad at her family’s last Fourth of July picnic. While slathering on sunblock and … Full recipe post »

Great Lakes Cherry & Sweet Potato Smoothie

Posted on Jul 23, 2013 by Peggy

Smoothies are the perfect complement to a hot summer day, when you’re craving hydration (if I pull one more weed, I’ll perish), slow-burning nutrition (I need energy to swim that extra lap), and something fast (why waste a moment of glorious sun when our season’s short-lived). As kayaking across a glistening Michigan lake, the word smoothie, … Full recipe post »

Smoked Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Posted on Jul 17, 2013 by Peggy

With a sniffle and sigh, I put my old Webber charcoal kettle – mottled with rust and wear – out to pasture last month. I’ve had the grill well over 15 years, and have many fond memories of the get-togethers we’ve co-hosted: smoked pork butts for BQ sandwiches at my son’s graduation party, cedar-planked Copper … Full recipe post »

Sun-Kissed Tomato-Basil Angel Hair Pasta Salad

Posted on Jul 2, 2013 by Peggy

Here’s a light, yummy pasta salad and the sun is a main ingredient; allowing the tomatoes and pasta to bask in sunlight enhances the flavor of both. The acidity in the vinegar and tomatoes is a barrier for food borne illness making this salad perfect for a Fourth of July picnic. Note, however, I’d advise … Full recipe post »

Beef Brisket Tacos with Grilled Onions & Poblanos

Posted on Jun 13, 2013 by Peggy

I’m the grill-master in my family; my husband and kids know that the 8 feet of footage surrounding the Weber charcoal kettle and Jenn-Air gas are mine; no trespassing. That hasn’t dissuaded me from suggesting to my husband, Richard, that perhaps he’d like a Big Green Egg (an egg-shaped barbecue smoker) for Father’s Day. After all, I’ve been coveting one for … Full recipe post »

Grilled Chicken Breasts and Strawberries with Balsamic Syrup

Posted on Jun 6, 2013 by Peggy

“Strawberry Fields Forever” — what inspired the illusive lyrics to one of John Lennon’s most masterful songs, penned in the 1960s? Nothing, really, for according to the words, “nothing is real.” That hasn’t dissuaded millions, perhaps over a billion, people to try decoding the music hoping to shed light on life’s discordance. But does the meaning, in … Full recipe post »

Bourbon-Pepper Flat Iron Steak and Mint Juleps

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Peggy

Bourbon. As deeply carved into the American landscape as George Washington is into Mount Rushmore; as iconic of the American palate as hamburgers, fried chicken and apple pie. Bourbon, to beat the dead mule, is as quintessential to the American spirit as the presentation of homecoming queen at a football game’s half-time, Super Bowl Sunday, … Full recipe post »