Since my study abroad in London many, many years ago I've loved afternoon tea. I've hosted a few teas over the years and have learned to make things easier on myself by buying pastries from a bakery. But I have a small repertoire of sandwiches that I make, not only...
This delightful tea sandwich is one of my absolute favorites. It comes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and features a homemade herb butter that melds perfectly with the smoked salmon. Some variation of this sandwich is often featured on an afternoon tea menu but...
A turkey sandwich sounds like a boring lunch that you grab on the go. This sandwich is anything but and features smoked turkey, a homemade scallion cream cheese, and a little surprise of a whole fresh basil leaf (or two). It is so simple to make, I've taken it for...
Alice's Tea Cup is a whimsical eatery in New York City. The décor and atmosphere are inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It's a lovely place to spend time with a friend, catching up, and enjoying a delicious meal. This is one of my favorite tea sandwiches, simple as it...
The Joys of Cooking with Friends Eating, for me, is a social event, a way to connect with friends and family while enjoying delicious food. Cooking is just as social. I love having folks in and around the kitchen when I'm cooking and I really enjoy when someone joins...
It's been awhile since I lived in Hawaii but there are still some things that I remember after all these years. One of them is a pea salad from Ryan's Grill, a long-since closed restaurant in Honolulu. We often went there for lunch and I got a salad sampler plate. I...
Updated September 2021 Due to work and school schedules, when we visit Disney World it's often in the heat of summer. If anyone has experienced Disney World in the summer you know that you are in for hot, humid weather with daily thunder storms. One respite we found...
I love eating salads but I don't love making them. I don't know what it is but if someone else makes a salad, it's amazing. If I make a salad, it's just meh. Not sure why that is and I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Thankfully, this Mandarin...
I often post pictures of dishes I make onto Facebook or Instagram. They never make it to my blog nor are they meant to; they are just things I'm trying out and want to share with friends. I received so many nice comments and inquiries about this salad that I felt it...
This year I've started sharing dishes that are the go-to recipes in my repertoire. These are dishes that I've made more than once that not only pass my own tests but those of friends and family. Several years ago I found a recipe for Bacon...
Tonight I had a small window of time once I got home to make dinner before I had to take a conference call with Asia. I've wanted to try a recipe I found in Food & Wine for Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken. The magazine claimed it would take 7...
Recently I bought a bag of farro. I'd been interested in cooking with this grain and decided it was time. Unfortunately the bag sat for several weeks because I didn't have a clue what to make. After some research I found that common uses for farro include soups,...
Moveable Feast: Singaporean Street Food Crazy as it may seem, barely a week after Thanksgiving our feasting group came together to enjoy the foods of Singapore. I was the host this time and was inspired by one of my very good friends who invited me to join her when...
Our New Year's Eve Tradition Happy 2013 and welcome to my first post of the year. New Year's Eve in Hawaii is about friends, family, and food - a common theme of this blog. There are some who go to the fancy dress parties drinking champagne and dancing at midnight but...
The last day of our CSA was sad but at this time of the year, by the time I get to the pick-up location, it's dark and we're selecting veggies by flashlight phone apps. I'm not worried that I'm going to get old or rotten veggies but it is a bit of a surprise when I'm...
Labor Day is the line separating Summer and Fall but I'm still in denial. I want to wear flip flops and sundresses and eat sweet corn and summer tomatoes. But alas, the days are growing shorter and I woke up to a cool September morning. As with many things, I found...