Dressing for Maggy and Andy’s wedding over five years ago and then again for Sharon and Tony’s just a few weeks I go, I distinctly remember being grateful that I didn’t have to crash diet for either event. For nearly seven years I’ve kept off the forty pounds I lost between 2004 and 2005. How

Here’s another of the hors d’oeuvres I made for Sharon and Tony’s wedding reception last Friday night. I especially like this one since it doubles as a simple meatless main course. If you can’t find pocketless pitas, you can also use store-bought naan bread (which they’ve started selling at Costco) or pizza crusts. If you’d

Pancakes are awfully nice on a winter holiday morning, but with batch griddling it’s hard to for everyone to sit down and enjoy them together. Enter the Dutch Baby. It’s one big impressively puffy, golden pancake. If you’re a little uncertain about how to make one, watch our video and we’ll show you how. Since

Here’s another of the hors d’oeuvres that I’ve developed for Sharon and Tony’s wedding parties (see tapas on a stick on a stick for nibble number one). For these deviled eggs I mixed in the usual mayonnaise and mustard but in place of the the usual sweet pickle juice I perked them up with jalapeno

  We’ve already enjoyed lefse for breakfast along with the first of six packages of Zingerman’s bacon, David’s Christmas gift from his brother.  (Thank you, John and thank you David for sharing.) We enjoyed a little bubbly last night and there are plans for more today. As you can see, pomegranate juice makes it look

Sharon and Tony have been married less than a week but I’m already planning their next wedding celebration a week from today. It reminds me of when Mom used to tell me we celebrated my birthday like the president’s. I was an only child so I got a birthday party with my friends, another with

We three cooks have serious southern roots. I was born there, and growing up Maggy and Sharon spent weeks at a time with relatives in Alabama and Northern Florida. My clan loves banana pudding—I’d have to say it’s our signature dessert. They passed their love of it on to me, which I’ve passed on to

Brunch at my house likely means strata. It’s easy to prepare and can be (but doesn’t have to be) made a day or two ahead. Strata also has another selling point. Kids generally love it — after all, it’s just cheese and milk and bread — making it ideal for intergenerational gatherings. I’ve got a

Sharon’s Wedding Brownies Today is the eve of Sharon and Anthony’s wedding. In a few hours we’ll be packing up the car and driving forty-five minutes up I-95 to New Haven, CT to help them celebrate. In some ways it’s a traditional wedding—a beautiful bride in a candlelight dress, a handsome groom in a tailored

You may think I’m running this Cornish game hen recipe because it’d be perfect for your holiday dinner. It would be, of course, but I’m actually here to make the case that Cornish hens make pretty good weeknight food too. They’re cute, weeknight-priced, and roast up quick. They’re also easy to butterfly, making them roast

When my friends asked me to replicate a roasted pumpkin soup from their recent trip to Austria for their wedding reception last September, I was stumped for a few minutes—not how to make it, but how to serve it. It was a buffet after all and there wasn’t a seated first course where a cup

Pumpkin Spice Shot Glass Dessert Makes 12 desserts If pecans are not already toasted, do it in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking pan frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker in hue, about 5 minutes. To easily crush gingersnaps, place them in a 1-quart freezer bag. Letting out all the air, seal the bag

Chocolate-Mint Shot Glass Desserts Serves 12 6 ounces cream cheese (12 tablespoons) 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup Hershey’s Peppermint Kisses, finely chopped, plus 4 quartered kisses for garnish 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons crème de menthe 1 1/2 cups crushed Famous Chocolate Wafer (about 24 cookies) 1/2 cup good-quality hot fudge sauce

After a wonderful whirlwind weekend in NY I arrived home late Sunday afternoon after the New York Cookie Swap. A couple of hours later I was hosting dinner for six. How did I do it? Before leaving for the city on Friday I made a big roasting pan of Sausages and White Beans, Cassoulet-Style. If