Even though the winter has been reasonably mild this year, I can't help but start to get itchy for summer foods about this time of year...Deviled eggs is usually one of the first things I get a craving for every year come early spring.
So, what's your favorite Deviled Egg recipe? My standard go-to is mayo, mustard, horseradish, and ground red pepper...but I also like to play with them, so depending on my mood, there will be sriracha, proscuitto, dill, capers, smoked salmon, paprika, or even (of course) bacon thrown into or on to the egg. What's your favorite? Are you starting to crave Summer foods?

For me it will be a new food processor, mine just died a few weeks back, and I would love a nice ice cream cookbook (any recommendations are welcome) and I have been eyeing those cute little Le Crueset Kitchen crocks...and of course a bitchin new apron to go in my collection...so what's on your list?

I am having my Christmas party this Friday and I think I am too cheesy, I am making:

Stuffed mushrooms with sausage and cheese
Blue Cheese and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Gougers
Cheese Board
Spanikopita - with feta and spinach
Hot Clam Dip- with bacon, spinach and two kinds of cheese
Puff Pastry with Pesto and sundried tomato and Mozzarella
Bloody Mary Shrimp
Roasted spiced nuts, olives, crackers, etc

Aside from the shrimp and olives and nuts I think I am too Cheesy- any good ideas for some nice light apps that don't contain cheese? I do only finger foods since it is a cocktail party.

Also bonus points for an app that will help me to use up some of the Chipotle peppers in adobo that have seem to grown in my fridge, I keep buying it and only using partial and now have 3-4 butter containers filled with it in my fridge, lol!

Just want to give a shout out to Sal....your Salted Caramel Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe was POSITIVELY BANGING. I gained 20 lbs just dipping the pecans in to the salted caramel sauce while I was making the pie. I used Kenji's Pie Crust as you suggested and your recipe for the pecan filling was just OUTSTANDING. I made two pies and one of them is already half gone...gonna have to make another 2 for Thanksgiving. So take a bow Sal, your inlaws don't deserve you. xoxo

I am looking for a killer pecan pie recipe. I will be making my pies for Thanksgiving this weekend, I love my apple pie, and my pumpkin pie recipes but my pecan is just ho-hum....so for those who make it...do you put any sort of spin on it that takes it to another level? Caramel? BOURBON? Both? Anyone have a favorite recipe that they love and want to share?

Okay, come on. Favorite Apple recipes...do it for Steve!
RIP Steve Jobs- I remember first hearing your name in my very first computer class in 1991-I will at the very least raise an appletini to you tonight, good sir.

Over the weekend I had a family BBQ and did all the cooking. Smoked Brisket, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Cornbread, Blueberry Cobbler and Vanilla Ice cream. At the end I was exhausted and my husband asked me why I do it....well, I love it! Yes, I could have had a potluck but for this particular day, I WANTED to do it all....I love to cook for my family and do it quite often. So which do you prefer? Cooking or being cooked for? Is it a control issue to sometimes just want to do it all so you have full control of the menu?

A little while back I was having some issues with my strawberry ice cream, the strawberries were freezing into little strawberry-sicles. I have been working on rectifying and trying different suggestions from you all.....WELL, Jerzee Tomato called it! I soaked the macerated Strawberries in some Grand Marnier and then added the juice and the strawberries at the end, and no icy hard lumps of fruit! Thanks for all the advice from everyone, the experimenting was delicious...Jerzee take your bow!

So according to all the crazy-pants billboards on I-95 the world is coming to an end on Saturday (gauranteed!) Whatcha gonna make for your last supper? I think I will drive to the beach for dinner, just in case :)

I made a batch of simple (non-custard) strawberry ice cream over the weekend. Everyone loved it, but since I am my own worst critic, there were two things that bothered me.
1- The texture of the ice cream was good, but the chunks of strawberries were rock hard, is there a way to make them a little softer when they are frozen?
2- I ate the leftovers last night, and while it was fine on Sunday last night it seemed to leave a weird sort of coating in my mouth. Like overly fatty or oily. The texture was still the same and the flavor was still great, so why the weird oily-ness? I just started making ice cream over the winter and this is the first fruit based ice cream I have made, I would like to improve it since my strawberries are starting to come in.

I just want to thank everyone who helped inspire me on my fresh mint post a little while back. Since then I have made fresh mint ice cream, lemon mint sorbet, and a few huge pitchers of mojitos. I will be having a Derby party and will be making Juleps.
I would like to do some savory dishes over the next few weeks(the lamb meatballs on the home page look great) - and am turning to you all again for some inspiration.
What are your favorite savory dishes that use mint?

Seafood? Pizza? Salad and Bread? Indian? Will you be throwing caution to the wind and a steak on the grill? What are your Meatless meals tonight?

My lovely sister, just dropped off for me a 2lb package of homeade duck sausage, made with smoked duck and port wine. She got it from her in-laws and she DID NOT WANT IT! One of the times where her being a super picky eater does NOT annoy me, lol!

So hit me with your best suggestions! I have never had duck sausage, should I just sub it for my favorite smoked sausage dishes. I feel like I should treat it with a bit more pomp and circumstance than that, since there is no telling when I will have my hands on something this lovely again.

I purcahsed a house last summer, and said house has a lot of land (half and acre) which this apartment dweller was thrilled to have! However, there are 6 different flower bed, garden areas. I like to garden but there is one particular three tier retained garden that was just overwhelming with the sheer amount of weeds. No matter how many I pulled twice as many came back within days.

Anyhoo, I decided to do a little garden warfare and planted Mint, figuring (correctly) that the mint would choke out the weeds and at least then, I would have weeds that I could use. Well, now I got it...What do I do with it it all? It's gonna be around all summer, and besides smelling awesome, and using it here in there in fruit salad, cocktails, iced tea...what is some of your favoirte applications? Also, I love ice cream and will be playing with making a great mint ice cream this summer, so any good recipes for that would be appreciated too. Thanks!

So I got a Ronco Rotiserri for my wedding shower 3 years ago. At the time I lived in a tiny apartment, so it stayed in the box, never used or even opened. I bought a house last summer and the Rotisseri was moved and put in the garage (still in box, still sad and unopened).
Yesterday I decided I would drag it out and see what the hell was in the huge box.
The Rotiserri, recipe booklet, instructional VHS(!?), skewers, basket, "flavor injector" (groan), silicone gloves, carving set....Man this box was loaded with stuff!
Since it was relatively nice out, and I was in yard work heaven, I decided to go ahead and "set it and forget it" lol.
I just put a small roaster on the rotiserri, gave it a basic rub (garlic, rosemary, s&p).
Ummmmmm....WOW! So freaking good! Now I feel like such an idiot that I left it in the box for so long! I know I am late to the party here- but what else do you use these for and get great results? I feel the need to play with my new toy :)

So what will you be drinking tomorrow to celebrate St Patty's day?
A little Irish cream in your coffee?
A pint of Guiness?
A shot of Jameson?
Maybe if your still young and dumb, a ton green beer? (ack!)
Will it be a good strong Irish whiskey cocktail?
Since tomorrow is my day off, I will go the Irish coffee to start my day route, followed by a couple Irish Reds with dinner and a Tullamore on the rocks before bed.

Heading to Happy Hour in about an hour. The bar we are hitting this week has Three Olives Vodka Drinks for $2!! I am mostly a bourbon girl, but for $2 I can suck down some vodka. so what are some of your favorite 3-O flavors/combos? I love their Espresso Vodka (but I like that more as a shot - not a cocktail)

Hello! At the end of this month my family and I are having a 80th Birthday celebration for my Grandfather. We are doing all finger foods: Stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped shrimp, beef Satay, Cheese puffs, etc.

I had the bright idea of making mini ruebens (they are his favorite) I was just thinking of the logistics of making them and i am coming up blank. Any suggestions of a good way to make a bunch of mini (2-3 bites) Reubens?

Ok, so after yesterdays "what would you make for the President" post, and all the pie comments, I had to stop on my way home from work and buy a pie (peach).
Does this ever happen to anyone else? You are reading SE late in the day and you get so hungry for something that is being talked about/photo'ed that you have to have it?
I feel like I was brainwashed (in a good way)

Woke up this morning to be covered in an inch of ice....again! Haven't seen grass in over a month and frankly I am sick of it! I have made soups and stews and chili and casseroles....I have baked and I have cozied up in front of movies....but enough is enough. I am gonna make something totally summery and not at all "winter - y " tonight. I need some ideas! I can't get to my grill, but I am game for some other ideas to help me beat these winter blues.

So I have to head to the mall right after work to run and errand and the hubby just emailed me and said her would meet me there and we would grab a bite at the food court. Ummmmm....I haven't eaten fast food in 6 years and the hubby is going on 7 years. At first I was a little repulsed but now that it is getting closer I am strangely excited - I am remembering the taste of the first bite of a fresh and sloppy Whopper, or a chick-filet waffle fry or (gasp!) the damn "bourbon chicken" from Chow Cajun that they are always sampling. So my question: What are some of your favorite seriously guilty food court pleasures?

Okay, this is going to sound weird but I am gonna ask anyway. I bought a few boxes of Rienzi pasta at the store last week because they had it on sale. Last week I made a bos of "bronze cut" rigatoni. I thought it sort of tasted like cinammon. My husband said he didn't notice anything off. I was also on anitbiotics so I chalked it up to one of those weird taste things that happens when your on meds. Well I made it again last night, even when it was boiling I thought I could smell cinnamon. I definitely tasted "something" again, the hubby said he didn't notice anything. I know I am not crazy, I am eating the leftovers as I type, and am getting that same taste. It is not off putting, just really strange. Has anyone tried this brand and noticed the same thing? What the heck is "bronze cut" anyway? I did actually like the texture of the pasta, but what is up with the flavor?

I always set up a bar area for diy cocktails on Thanksgiving, and the Bloody Mary is usually everyones go-to first drink of the day. I am gonna set up a separate Bloody Mary bar this year. Besides the usual garnishes/mix-ins (Celery, Horseradish, hot sauce, old bay, olives, clamato) I am looking for some different ideas to round it out. What do you like in a Bloody?

I've always been very sentimental about holiday meals, and for me, certain flavors are powerful memory triggers. They remind me of the warmth of the family gatherings of my childhood, and when I make certain dishes, I feel like I'm carrying on the memory of loved ones who are gone. What are some of your sentimental holiday dishes? If not holiday...what are dishes that remind you of family and just making them can make you happy?

So I feel a cold coming on and I know when I get home I am gonna whip up a batch of "cold" soup. My version is basically chicken broth and noodles with tons of garlic, onion and black pepper. No chicken, no veggies. Sometimes I will splash in some rice vinegar or fresh ginger. So what do you reach for when you need to curl up with a blanket and the remote and your feeling bad? If it's really bad, no cooking needed, it's a call to the local chinese place for hot and sour soup.