Trisha's Buffalo Chicken Dip

Trish is a master at whipping up an appetizer, this buffalo chicken dip is sure to become a Super Bowl Classic. While this is Trish's recipe I could not resist this adorable picture of prima ballerina Reese Leigh! She is so cute.
Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip:
1 package cream cheese
2 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle buffalo chicken wing sauce
1/2 bottle of blue cheese dressing
8 oz block monterey jack cheese (shredded)

Boil and chop chicken, Layer cream cheese, chicken, chicken wing sauce, blue cheese, monterey jack cheese in a 9x13 pan.

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes

Stir and serve with nacho chips

Buffalo Chicken and Salsa Salad!

I love when friends send me their recipes. This one is from my friend Trisha in Colorado. Trish is a busy mom of little Reese, but she still makes time to whip up a fabulous dinner for her hubby! The picture is of the gorgeous Lemnah family at the aquarium.

From Trish:

Hey there! Just checked out your blog...it is looking great! I noticed all the salsa recipes...so I though I would add another...I made it last night and it was amazing. I served it on a bed of lettuce with sticks of celery... and topped it off with buffalo chicken I had baked....and Viola Buffalo Chicken and Salsa Salad!

Sweet Salsa:

In a bowl mix -

1 can black eyed peas

1 can shoe peg corn

1 can black beans

1 small jar pimentos

1 can sliced jalepenos - chop

Chop 2-3 stalks celery

Chop 1 small red onion

On stove stir: 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Cook until sugar dissolves. Pour over all above listed ingredients and marinate overnight. Strain liquid and serve with nacho chips.

Thanks Trish, sounds yummy!

Greek Salad

I had two different people last week ask me how to make Greek Salad. I actually don't ever eat it since I am allergic to cucumbers, but it looks so great & fresh for summer, I thought I better figure something out! Here is how I would make it. Now since I can't taste this, if anyone makes it let me know how it is. This is a combination of a recipe from Food and Wine and one from Real Simple.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

6 basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 pound chunk Feta cheese

1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1 8-ounce package cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup black olives (such as Kalamata)

1 lemon, quartered and seeded

Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

To make the basil oil, combine the olive oil, 1 cup basil leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.Divide the Feta, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and the 6 basil leaves among 6 plates. Squeeze with lemon juice; drizzle with the basil oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How to Store Wine

It's no secret that I love wine. While we typically do not buy enough at one time to worry about storing it, we do have a few special bottles that we are saving,so I thought I should look up some storage information. Here is what I found out:

The main thing to keep in mind when storing wine is, of course, avoid light and heat, as well as vibration. There are other things to remember, though, such as the different storage methods required for different types of wine, and it is vital to be as careful as possible whenever considering how to store your particular bottle of wine.

Before Opening
Keep it in the dark. Store all wines away from light, especially direct sunlight and fluorescent fixtures. UV rays can cause wine to be 'light struck' picking an unpleasant smell.

-Darker bottles are better protected and some bottles have UV filters built into the glass, but enough UV rays can still penetrate to ruin the wine. If you can't keep a bottle entirely out of the light, keep it lightly wrapped up in a cloth, or simply put the bottle inside a box out of the way.

Store corked wine bottles on their sides. If they are stored upright for a long amount of time, the corks will dry out, and air will eventually get to the wine, spoiling it. If you store it label side up, it'll be easier to spot any sediments that may have formed in the wine over time when you do eventually pick it up. You can use a mesh seive to filter these
Keep the temperature constant. For extended aging of wine (over 1 year), refrigeration is a must in most parts of the world; even a below-ground cellar is not cool enough.
Wine storage temperature should never go over 75 degrees F (24°C), except for brief spans of time. At 75°F, wine begins to oxidize. An ideal temperature for storing a varied wine collection is 54°F (12.2°C). Letting the temperature drop below 54°F won't hurt the wine; it'll only slow down the aging process, as long as the temperature doesn't fluctuate dramatically.

Temperature in a wine storage area should be as steady as possible; changes should be gradual. A 68 to 73 degree storage area is far preferable to one that is 45 to 65 degrees F, though the first approaches the dangerous 75 figure. Rises in temperature force wine through the cork; drops cause air to be sucked back in. The greater the changes in temperature a wine suffers, the greater the premature aging of the wine from overbreathing. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 3°F (1.6°C) a day and 5°F (2.7°C) a year, especially with red wines, which will suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines.

Don't move the wine. If possible, store the wines in such a way that you don't need to move them in order to reach a bottle to drink. Try not to move a bottle at all once it is stored. Even vibrations from heavy traffic, motors, or generators may negatively affect the wine.
Keep the humidity at around 70%. High humidity keeps the cork from drying and minimizes evaporation. Don't allow the humidity to go too high over 70%, however, because it can encourage the growth of mold and cause labels to loosen.

You can purchase a hygrometer to track the moisture conditions and use humidifying or dehumidifying techniques as needed.
Isolate the wine. Remember that wine "breathes", so don't store it with anything that has a strong smell because it will permeate through the cork and taint the wine. Good ventilation may help prevent musty odors from entering the wine

Store for an appropriate amount of time. Not all wines improve over time. Generally, new world, inexpensive wines will not improve. Red wines can be stored and aged for anywhere between 2-10 years to mature this, however, depends on the type of red wine and the balance of its sugar, acid and tannins. Most white wines should be consumed after 2-3 years of storage, however select White Burgundies (Chardonnays) can be aged for over 20 years.

Adjust the temperature before serving. Different wines taste best at slightly different temperatures, which may vary from the temperature in which they were stored. Right before drinking the wine, allow the temperature to rise or fall to the appropriate serving temperature:
Blush, rose and dry white wines: 46-57F (8-14C)
Sparkling wines and champagne: 43-47F (6-8C)
Light red wine: 55F (13C)
Deep red wines: 59-66F (15-19C)

After Opening
Store opened white wine in the refrigerator. This will only keep the wine for three to five days if you have already opened it; make sure the cork is in the bottle as tightly as possible. If you want to keep it in the refrigerator for a longer period of time after opening, purchase a wine stopper and pump, and hope for the best. The important thing is to minimize the wine's exposure to air. If you have a smaller bottle, you may wish to transfer the leftover wine to it, because there will be less air for it to contend with. A wine cellar or closet would be better for it, though, simply because of the long amount of time many people spend with the refrigerator door wide open, letting in large amounts of light, and, if you leave the door open long enough, heat. If you happen to have a refrigerator that you do not use often, such as a pool house refrigerator, keep it there.

Leave reds out. For the sake of the wine, and for yourself, only do this with red wine, never white. Place the cork in the bottle, put the bottle in a dark place, and don't worry about it. This will help for a couple of days.

Keep dessert wines like Sauternes, most everyday Ports and most Sherries for longer. They will resist degradation for more than 3-5 days, though exactly how long depends on the individual wine. My friend's dad has a rule that if you open port, you have to finish the port, sounds like a good rule!

Storage Options
Wine cellar. This is an obvious one- if you have a wine cellar, worry no more! Just place the bottle of wine on the rack, close the door, and you are set. Make sure to have some type of system for finding certain bottles of wine in your wine cellar, though, otherwise it can be very easy to spend a good amount of time searching for that one particular bottle.
Makeshift closet wine cellar. While digging a large hole in the basement would seem the most effective thing to do, that would be a major undertaking, and will cost you quite a bit. Only do that if you are an absolute fanatic about wine, and have dozens of bottles in need of long term storage. A closet wine cellar is ideal for the every day wine lover, and will probably only cost you around two, three hundred dollars.

Find an empty, out of the way closet on the ground floor of your house.
Glue strips of 1" foam board to the walls and ceiling of the closet, using construction cement as a glue.
Replace the door with an insulated, preferably steel, door. If you would like, also glue the foam to this, just to make sure it is all even.
Attach weather stripping to the edges of the door to make sure that no air gets in or out- heat could ruin the wine.
Make sure that the temperature is relatively cool. There are numerous devices you can use to decrease the temperature in the closet- just find one that suits your particular closet.
Wine cooler/refrigerator. This will keep the temperature constant, as long as you only store wine in there so that you're not always opening and closing the door. Good humidity levels are maintained, as well. Some have different temperature zones for different wines.

Make sure the wine is safe, no matter how you eventually decide to store it. If it's only a short-term type of situation, this isn't as big of a problem, however, if you are hoping to keep a bottle of wine around for a while to help age it, you need to be sure to store it in a safe spot. 'Safe' means, in this case, out of the light, out of the heat, out of danger of being drunk, out of danger of breaking, cracking, or being dropped.
If you threw the cork away but still want to store leftover wine, secure the opening with a piece of plastic wrap and a tightly wound rubber band. or use one of those stoppers that you can buy anywhere!
Some wines are designed to be enjoyed fresh, while others improve with age. You should only be concerned with long-term storage for the latter. If you have white wine that you want to improve by aging, do not place them in the refrigerator. This is where the wine cellar, or closet, or even just a cool, dark place, is key.

Wow! That is a lot of information on wine storage, we have a small bar in our kitchen that holds about 15 bottles, we cycle through them pretty quickly (having friends over) so storage is not a big concern in the Buechel house. For us simply purchasing a few bottles at the grocery store & drinking them right away works best. How about you readers? DO you store wine for long periods of time? Where do you store it?

Burrito Pie

Carrie Muntz was kind enough to also share her Burrito Pie recipe with us! This reminds me of the Frito Pie that my mom made when we were kids, which we loved, but grown up. Casseroles are a great thing to throw together when you have a bunch of friends popping by!

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 C chopped onion
2 t garlic
1 2 oz can sliced black olives
1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles (Rotelle)
1 16 oz jar taco sauce
2 16 oz cans refried beans
12 8” flour tortillas
9 oz shredded Colby Jack cheese

In 4 – 6 quart pan or large fry pan:
Brown Beef, add onion & garlic sautee
Mix in olives, chili peppers, diced tomatoes, taco sauce & refried beans
Stir together: reduce to low & simmer for 20 minutes.

Spread a layer of meat in a 4 qt casserole dish
Cover with tortillas
Add a layer of meat mixture sprinkle with cheese and repeat until all tortillas are used.
Top with Cheese.

Bake 20 -30 minutes until bubbly

Crab Quiche

Having a great quiche recipe is so important, you can make it for any meal of the day & it is great for left overs. Using a store bought pie crust make this an easy, elegant meal. This great dish comes from Gourmet Magazine.

1 (1-lb) king crab leg, thawed if frozen, or 1/2 lb lump crab meat, picked over

4 large eggs

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning such as Paul Prudhomme's

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 oz coarsely grated Monterrey Jack cheese (1/2 cup)

2 oz coarsely grated Swiss cheese (1/2 cup)

1 ready made pie crust
Directions
If using crab leg, hack through shell with a large heavy knife and cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Discard shell.
Whisk together eggs, cream, herbs, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then stir in cheeses and crab meat.
Pour into ready made crust and bake until filling puffs and is no longer wobbly in center when quiche is gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pie plate on rack 15 minutes.

Asian Green Bean Salad

I have written about Carrie Muntz before, Carrie is a great cook & has shared some wonderful recipes. Southwestern Shredded Beef, Carrie's Lemon Cheesecake, Cheesy Potatoes, and more. Tom Muntz was my dad's best friend and roommate in college, fortunately for my mom Tom married Carrie, so my mom had a best gal pal to hang out with while, Tom & my dad play! Carrie is an excellent cook and shared her Asian Green Bean Salad recipe.

4 oz linguine
1 1b green beans trimmed
2 C Celery cut on the diagonal
1 C thinly sliced Red bell pepper
½ C green onions sliced
1/3 C cut cilantro

Dressing
¼ C Red Wine Vinegar
¼ C. Lite Soy Sauce
2 T dark Sesame Oil
2 t grated fresh peeled ginger
½ t sugar
¼ t black pepper
3 minced garlic cloves

Boil water for linguine, when 3 minutes left in cooking time add green beans. Pour off and cool slightly with running water.

Mix linguine, green beans, Red pepper, green onions & cilantro in a salad bowl.

Wisk all dressing ingredients together. Pour over linguine mixture & toss.
Serve warm or chilled

Barbeque Roast

This is my mom's Barbeque Roast recipe. In the summer after the Sunday baseball game, my parents quite often have a little party at their house. The party is always casual, but everyone has a great time. Further proving that the best recipe for a party is good food you haven't slaved over & great company!

4 lb. roast (rump, round, tri tip, something lean)
Put following ingredients in sauce pan simmer for 20 min.
1/4 C. vinegar
1 ½ C. water
1/4 C. sugar
4 T mustard
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. salt
2 thick onion slices about 3/4 “ thick
2 thick lemon slices about 1" thick
1/4 C. butter
After simmering above ingredients for 20 min add:
1 12 oz bottle Chili Sauce
3 T.. Worcester Sauce
Mix together:

Oven direction. Bake the roast at 350 for 1 hour
Pour the barbeque mixture over the roast
Bake an additional 30 minutes per pound at 350 covered.

Crock pot directions:
Brown the roast place in Crock Pot
Pour the barbeque mixture over the roast
Cook on medium for 4 -5 hours until tender.

Shred with a fork, remove lemons, serve with sauce.
You can make it ahead and reheat.

Serve for sandwiches or just on the plate with side dishes

Watermelon Margarita Popsicles

Another of my favorite sites, Yum Sugar, posted a recipe for watermelon margarita popsicles. I can not think of a more fun way to end a party on a hot summer night. I personally am allergic to watermelon, so I might experiment with some other fruit and let you know how it goes.

2 cups watermelon puree (roughly 1/4 medium size seedless watermelon) 1/4 cup lime juice (roughly 1 large lime)

3 ounces tequila

1 ounce cointreau

2/3 cup sugar
Chop the watermelon into small pieces. Using a Cuisinart, puree the watermelon. Place the puree in a large mixing bowl.
Add lime juice and sugar to watermelon puree. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add tequila and cointreau and stir well.
Fill popsicle molds or Dixie cups. If using a dixie cup, cut small squares of tinfoil to cover the top of each of the cups.
Use a sharp small knife and cut small slits in the tops of the tinfoil to insert the popsicle stick.
Place the Dixie cups in a flat bottomed container. Place the popsicles in the freezer and wait patiently until frozen.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy sharing! Now here is a recipe that is the reason I started posting recipes, something good, easy, fast & healthy you could have time to make after you get home from work!

I found this recipe on-line at the Foster Farms website, yes I am the girl who looks at chicken websites. I love honey mustard it is one of my favorite flavor combos so I was really excited to try this. Each serving was under 300 calories so this is a great meal to eat on a diet & not feel like you are suffering. I would serve with corn on the cob & mashed potatoes. If you love the bee honey pot, click here to buy it!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken, and brush to cover. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Summer Sale at Sur La Table

Anyone who knows me know I love a sale, I blame my mom! Sur la Table is having their amazing summer sale right now. Here are a few treasures I found. Starting with the Mexican Glass double old fashions that we were drinking out of in Cabo, can you believe they are less expensive here!?!
Given my strange love lately for birds and chickens I am very tempted by these cute salt and pepper shakers on sale for $7.99. Fortunately I have an amazing salt & pepper mill set that I received as a wedding gift from Matt's Aunt and Uncle.
I love bake ware that is pretty enough to go straight to the table, less dishes to wash. These wavy bakers are gorgeous in green or red and a steal at $14.99.
I prefer to use flour sack towels in my kitchen, flour sack towels can be used to pat food dry with out leaving lint. I love these Italian colors & cities! A cute set of towels also make a great emergency hostess gift. At $4.99 for a set of 4 you can't go wrong.
Finally even not on sale, I will have to check out this French Poodle Apron for my niece Lily, she isn't even two yet, but I just know she is going to want to hang in the kitchen with her Aunt Jessie! Have fun shopping, let me know what you pick up.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Real Simple has a feature this week on Regional All American Foods. My favorite of course was the Southern of Fried Green Tomatoes. Check out the article for the other favorites such as Mid-Western Cole Slaw, Southwestern Enchiladas, or Texan dry rubbed baby back ribs.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 pound green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 cup canola oil

Kosher salt

Place the flour, eggs, and cornmeal in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the tomatoes first in the flour, then in the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the cornmeal, pressing gently to help it adhere.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt before serving.

Mexican Chicken

How great is that Mexican Chicken? When we were in Cabo I saw this great tin rooster I wanted for my kitchen but the kitchen is too tiny, big girl house.
I came across this recipe for Mexican Chicken and thought it was a great base for other Mexican recipes, like tacos, enchiladas, tostadas or even on a taco salad.

Chicken boneless breasts
Salt
Cumin
Chili powder
Garlic cloves
Onions
Bell peppers
oregano
Cooking oil
Canned whole tomatoes or chopped
4 chicken breast, 1 tablespoon of salt cover with water, bring to boil, loosely cover.
Cook over medium low heat for 1 hour, drain saving broth. Set chicken aside to cool.
When cooled, take and cut in strips 1/4 by 1 inch would be great. In skillet add 3 tablespoons of oil, sauté` 1 medium onion, 2 medium bell peppers, sliced, then quarter, 2 cloves of garlic. Cooking over low heat till lightly sautéed, add chicken cooking 3 or 4 more minutes. In blender add 12 oz can tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken stock from our chicken.

Pico de Gallo

One of the best things about Mexico is the Pico de Gallo. We really liked it at Pepe's, here is a picture of Matt at Pepe's with his Margarita. They make it fresh everyday, it takes a lot of chopping but it is worth it! Serve with chips, tacos, on a salad, or anything else!

6 diced Roma Tomatoes

1 medium Red Onion

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2-4 fresh serrano chiles (depending on the level of heat you like)

juice of a lime

pinch of garlic salt

Chop all ingredients finely, mix together. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Megan's Summer Pasta

My friend Megan (a sometimes writer on this blog) is on the count down to her wedding, 55 days to go. As a busy bride to be she is thinking about fixing fast, healthy meals for her fiance Alex. This pasta fits the bill! Megan I commend you that you are still figuring out dinner with such a short time to the big day, just remember you don't have to do it all, take out is okay too! Thanks for the recipe!

1/4 cup
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves peeled
Garlic
1 teaspoon
Red pepper
2 pints cut in halves
Cherry tomatoes
5 leaves
Basil
to taste
Salt
1 package
Angel Hair
1/2 cup
Pecorino dolce

HEAT olive oil in skillet. Peel and gently press garlic. Add garlic and pepper. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and tear basil into small pieces. Add cherry tomatoes and basil. Simmer for five minutes. Season with salt. Discard garlic cloves.COOK pasta according to the directions. Drain and toss with sauce. Garnish with freshly grated pecorino

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

My Aunt Karen sent me this recipe for Spaghetti Squash Primavera, I was really excited because I don't have a lot of vegetarian recipes. I recently read in Shape Magazine that being a vegetarian even only one day per week, have enormous health benefits, helps to manage your weight & is good for the environment. This is a great recipe to try being a part time vegetarian out! Thanks for the great recipe Aunt Karen!

This picture is from my Grandpa's 80th birthday party, he is with Aunt Karen & my Dad.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup diced zucchini

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 plum tomato, diced

1 tablespoon red wine or water

1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over low heat. Add bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, carrot, green onions and garlic; cook 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, wine, basil, salt and black pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

2. Serve vegetables over spaghetti squash. Top with cheese.

Makes 2 servings.

Happy Birthday to Beckie!

Happy birthday to my little sister Beckie, who I guess is not so little at 28! She is here with her hubby, they are expecting their first baby in January. If B was here I would make her this fun Zebra Ice box cake, an ice box cake sounds fun for hot July birthdays! I found this recipe at Food and Wine one of my favorite magazines. This recipe would also be great because Matt could use our creme brulee torch! (For your pregnant friends sub a little chocolate milk for the Marsala!)

Waffers

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup Marsala
Pinch of salt
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Meringue

6 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground espresso

Make the wafers: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter, sugars and honey at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Add both flours, the cocoa, baking soda and salt and beat at low until combined. Flatten the dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out each piece of dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an 11-inch square. Trim to form 2 neat 10-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, shifting the pans, until the dough is slightly springy. Let the dough cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then slide the parchment onto a work surface. While the squares are still warm, cut each one into 4 strips, about 2 1/2 inches wide. Trim the edges; you should have eight 9-by-2 1/2-inch wafers. Let cool.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand until softened, 2 minutes. In a large metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg yolks, confectioners’ sugar, Marsala and salt until tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the gelatin until melted. Scrape the mixture into a standing mixer fitted with a whisk and beat at medium-high until cool, 5 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until combined; transfer to another bowl.
Wipe out the mixer. Add the cream and whip until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the Marsala-mascarpone filling.
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with enough plastic wrap to hang over on all sides. Tip the loaf pan on its side. Arrange the wafers on a work surface. Spread the filling thickly on all but 1 of the wafers. Stack the cream-topped wafers and top with the plain wafer. Slide the stack into the tilted loaf pan. Return the pan to its upright position so the wafers stand vertically. Fold the plastic tightly over the cake. Refrigerate for 24 hours, until the center wafers are softened.
Make the meringue: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the softened gelatin into the egg whites along with the espresso and beat at high speed until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Unwrap the cake and invert it onto a plate. Remove the plastic wrap. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling to fill any gaps. Spread about one-third of the meringue all over the cake and refrigerate until firm, 10 minutes. Spoon the remaining meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe lengthwise stripes of meringue along the top and long sides of the cake, starting from the bottom and working up as you go. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Using a blow torch, toast the meringue until golden. Serve.

Want this necklace & a hot matching bracelet?

I was going to be totally selfish & not tell anyone about this because I want it...
But if you click here

You could win it and the gorgeous matching cuff bracelet. The site is Shopping's my Cardio, written by the ever stylish Becki. Check it out! Hurry ends tonight at midnight West Coast time. Tell her Jessie sent you!

Tomatillo Salsa

The tomatillo salsa at Pepe's was great! Sometimes tomatillo salsa can be too mild, but this has some added spice. Serve with tacos, chips, add to sour cream to serve over fish tacos.

1 1/2 lb tomatillos or 3 (11 ounce) cans of tomatillos

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

pinch of sugar

5 fresh serrano chiles

Salt to taste
Peel the papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. (Or use the canned ones to cut down on a step) Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, sugar in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Home from Cabo :(

We are sadly home from our trip to Cabo. We had the best time. We stayed at the Finisterra Hotel, the hotel is an older hotel but it is well kept. Sitting on top of a hill near the Pedrigal, the views are incredible & the location is perfect if you want to be able to walk to town. (Which you will to burn off all those tacos!)

Some of the restaurants that we loved were:

Pepe's (across the mall) The tacos at Pepe's are simple but amazing. They use the small sized corn tortillas, the meats are diced very small & the cheese is melted on top. They serve them with a great pico de gallo & tomatillo sauce. The best part, they are cheap! $1.50 per taco.

O Mole Mio (in Plaza de Sol, near Cabo Wabo) The tacos here were also good but they can't touch Pepe's. What we loved about O Mole Mio, the atmosphere & margaritas. The place is decorated with Day of the Dead Dolls, I took the picture of the bride at the restaurant.

D' Right Joint-(On the Marina) Again great 'Ritas and great marina views

Pocho's(On the Marina, near the mall entrance) Pocho's serves food flambe at your table which is exciting to see the flames. The waiters are spirited & friendly, all spoke great English. We had the tortilla soup, fabulous and the fish special. The special was a stuffed Mahi Mahi fillet, topped with sauteed scallops & shrimp, then topped a creamy champagne sauce. I am going to start testing how to make this & when I figure it out I will post!

I used to always rave about the Baja Cantina, their seared tuna was my favorite. Well this year there was no tuna. I had the halibut, I rarely complain about food at restaurants, but this was overly salted and dry. Matt's shrimp tacos were good, but Cabo is full of great tacos, so I would skip the Cantina.

If you have any questions about Cabo feel free to email me & I will try to answer!

Rib Eye Steaks on the Grill

We went to Safeway yesterday & there were still a lot of meats on sale from the 4th of July sales. I normally don't buy Rib Eyes because they are more expensive, but at $4.75 a pound you can't beat it! Check your butcher around holiday times, you can always freeze extra steaks that are on sale.

2 ribeye steaks, 10-12 ounces each

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dry ginger

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Steak Seasoning (the mix is below)

1/2 cup Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

3/4 cup freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup lemon pepper seasoning

2 tablespoons garlic salt

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

Mix & store in an airtight container

Mix all ingredients—except for the Steak Seasoning—together in a bowl. Place the steaks in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag (no more than 2 steaks per bag if you are making more) and pour enough marinade into the bag to cover the steaks halfway when they are lying flat. Squeeze all excess air out of the bag and seal. Allow the steaks to marinate in the refrigerator, lying flat, for no longer than 2 hours. Remove steaks from marinade 30 minutes before grilling.
2. Sprinkle the ribeyes with the Steak Seasoning.
3. Prepare grill and cook steaks over direct high heat, cooking until desired doneness is reached 10-12 minutes for medium rare. Turn the steaks once during cooking.

Hope you have a good griller in your house like I do! Matt is the best at it!

Lime Sorbet Margaritas

First of all, Happy Birthday to our friend Alex!
These would be such a fun treat for 4th of July and desert for Alex's birthday since he is not a big fan of sweets. I would serve them in pretty stemmed glasses. The sorbet is high calorie so have one and switch to Baja Bob!

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

1/4 cup sugar

2 pints lime sorbet

1/2 cup tequila

Rub the lime wedges around the rims of 8 stemmed glasses. Place the sugar on a small plate. Turn each glass upside down and dip the rims in the sugar to coat. Place 2 scoops of sorbet in each glass and pour 1 tablespoon of tequila over the top of each. Serve with a spoon.

Tip: Let everyone dig in. For a nonalcoholic, kid-friendly version of the Lime Sorbet Margaritas, replace the tequila for each glass with 2 tablespoons club soda or seltzer. Although I do not let people who don't drink tequila play at my house. Just kidding!

Jalapeno Shrimp

Spicy shrimp are a great hors d'oeuvres. These are simple to make & are always a big hit. This picture is of Charla, the dog in Cabo, she is as famous in Cabo as the naked cowboy in Time Square.

1 1/2 pounds large peeled shrimp

1 7-ounce jar pickled whole jalapeños and 1/4 cup of pickling liquid

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the shrimp in enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover and immediately remove from heat. Set aside 1 minute. Drain and rinse the shrimp under cold water to stop the cooking. Cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Place in a large bowl with the shrimp. Toss with the pickling liquid, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead.

Happy First Anniversary to Kristin & Brandon

Today is my cousin Kristin and her husband Brandon's first anniversary. The first anniversary is paper, I wonder if they bought cookbooks...
Kristin is the most faithful reader of this blog & the reason I started to write it. She wanted some easy recipes to fix. They are great cooks & through the most fun parties.
I wanted to publicly wish them a happy anniversary with many more to come. Kristin & Brandon are so great together! Matt & I love them so much and love that Brandon is our cousin. Happy Anniversary to the Bacas.

Corn and Cilantro Salsa

I love unexpected salsas, this one is great with the corn. Be careful buying your cilantro, it looks just like Italian parsley.

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch salt

2 ears grilled sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob

In a large bowl, combine the salsa, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and corn. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mexican Eggs

While on vacation we like to have a big breakfast, snack in the day & a great dinner. In Cabo, I love going to the Office for their amazing Mexican Eggs. This recipe from Real Simple is very similar. I would make this on a Sunday morning & eat on my patio, almost vacation like!

4 6-inch corn tortillas

1 16-ounce can of refried beans or one 15-ounce can pinto or black beans 1 10-ounce can of red enchilada sauce or one 16-ounce jar salsa

2 to 4 eggs (1 to 2 per person)

Heat oven to 250° F.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in oven.

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, heat the beans.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, bring the enchilada sauce or salsa to a simmer.

Break the eggs into skillet.

For runny yolks, leave the tops of the eggs uncovered; for firm yolks, spoon some of the sauce over the top.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

Top each tortilla with some of the beans, eggs, sauce or salsa, Cheddar, scallions (if using), salt, and pepper.