Tomorrow I'll be presenting a corporate wellness program to a company in Exeter, NH. Here are photos of the cupcakes made using my recipe for Flower Confetti Cake from my cookbook "Beautifully Delicious". Please don't laugh at my attempt to bake ;-)

I am heading to the Sandwich Public Library in Sandwich, MA to present : Build a Better Sandwich. The librarian asked me to create the program for their summer reading program. My biggest problem in creating the program was deciding what sandwiches to include. Here are the three that I've been working on.

Sage, kale flower, bachelor button, peony, lavender, johnny jump ups, and chive flowers all make a lovely and tasty bouquet.

I could not resist posting this picture of my breakfast today. I am an egg eater. I love scrambled eggs and have been experimenting with flavor boosters. Today I chopped up some chive, lovage, and parsley and added it to my scrambled eggs. To pretty up the plate I added some bachelor buttons, kale flowers, and chive flowers. It was tasty!

I'm riding a wave of publicity that I just can't believe! In May New Hampshire Home published an article featuring my gardens and my kitchen.  And just last week, I received the Summer issue of Where Women Cook which features my kitchen and some of my favorite recipes.
Last January photographer, stylist, and publisher Matthew Mead contacted me and asked if I would be interested in collaborating on an article for the publication. I was thrilled! Matthew is a well-known food photographer and has been publishing his own life style magazines for some time. I'd been a secret fan for a while. We spent the morning together in my kichen taking photos and finished up with a lunch sampling of each recipe. What a fun day! Matthew is just as nice as I imagined and made the day a fun adventure. Here are some photos of the article.  You can buy a copy of the magazine at Where Women Cook.

Where Women Cook-Summer 2017

New Hampshire Home Magazine-May 2017

I have been busy in my garden getting it ready for this year's Open Garden Tour. I'm trying new gardening concepts and fun design ideas that I know you will love. And, like last year, the Hollis Woman's Club will be holding its Strawberry Festival across the street from 2-4pm. 

I hope you can join this Saturday for a book signing. I'll be at The Cozy Tea Cart in Brookline, NH to sell and sign copies of my cookbook "Beautifully Delicious".
I'll be joined by my photographer and book designer Celeste Guidice with samples of my
​Rosemary Shortbread cookies for everyone to taste.  

I just received word that my cookbook is finally on a truck and headed here from Los Angeles. I am so excited to see the truck pull into the driveway this Friday to unload my shipment of 1,000 books. As soon as that happens I'll be fast at work packing up all the pre-orders to ship out.  
Thank you all for your patience during the last month. 

I served this punch at my recent garden tour and so many of you asked for the recipe.  

Serves 8
2 cups cranberry juice (unsweetened if possible)
¼ cup frozen limeade
1 tsp. rose water or to taste
4 cups seltzer(or to taste)
Ice
Rose Petals for garnish
(use only petals that are not treated with pesticides)

1. Combine cranberry juice, limeade, and rose water. 
2. Just before serving add the seltzer.  Finish with rose petals and ice. 

 
Enough for a party:
​1 1/2 gallon:
32 ounces cranberry or pomagranate juice (unsweetened)
1 can frozen limeade
2 liter seltzer
2-3 tablespoons rose water (to taste)
1 5-pound bag of ice.  

Yesterday was a glorious day for my garden tour!  The sun was out, the garden filled with curious garden lovers, the poppies were in bloom, and the town band played...they really did!  
From 12 o'clock until 4 o'clock many of you came to wander the gardens, to chat, to sip Cranberry Rose Water Punch, or to simply sit and enjoy the day.  Some of you timed your visit to coinside with Hollis' annual Strawberry Festival and Town Band concert...lucky you!  It was the perfect New Hampshire summer day.  Thank you for sharing it with me.  
Here are some photos of the gardens so many enjoyed...
​

I recently demonstrated this recipe on WMUR's Cook's Corner.  I'll be featuring this recipe along with many other herb and edible flower inspired recipes in my upcoming cookbook.  If you try this recipe let me know what you think.  In the meantime, here is a link to the demonstration.

Serves 6
1 side of Salmon approximately 3 pounds of Salmon fillet, skin removed
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
6 thin skewers, 4-inches long
Salt and pepper
Canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil, lightly brush with olive oil. 
2. Slice 1/3 inch strips the length of the salmon.  You should get 6 strips of salmon. 
3. Combine the Dijon mustard and the chopped dill in a small bowl stir together to make a paste. 
4. Place each salmon strip on its side and spread liberally with the paste.  Wrap each salmon strip into a spiral with the paste on the inside of the spiral.  Secure the spiral with a skewer.  Season each spiral with salt and pepper. 
5. Put the salmon spirals on the baking sheet, place it into the oven for 15 minutes or until the salmon is firm to the touch.  Remove the skewers before serving.   Serve the salmon spirals with the herb yogurt sauce along side. 

Herb Yogurt Sauce

Makes 1 cup
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons chopped mint
1 tablespoons lemon zest
Salt and Pepper to taste
 
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use

Adapted from myfitnesspal.com

Makes 2 servings
​
½ cup, All-purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt - Low-fat 2%

1. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs and Greek yogurt) until well mixed.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until well combined.
3. Spray your pan or griddle with cooking spray and place onto stove on medium-low heat. Use a 1/4 cup measure or cookie scoop to portion out pancakes that are about 4 inches in diameter. 
4. Cook pancakes until the bottom side is brown and a few bubbles form on the top of the pancake (about 3-4 minutes), then flip the pancakes. You’ll notice that these pancakes won’t bubble up too much like traditional pancakes. Leave extra room in the pan because the pancakes may splatter when you flip them.
5. After flipping the pancake, cook until the other side is brown (about 2-3 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter. Top pancakes with blueberries, and enjoy.

​1 package of 8 whole wheat soft tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs prepared salsa, mild with no preservatives
1 red pepper, sliced thinly or frozen sliced peppers, thawed

1. Combine all of the ingredients (except the tortillas) in a bowl and toss to combine. 
2. Place the filling on half of the tortilla and fold over.

 
2 ways to cook your quesadillas:
 
Place the filled tortillas on a baking pan and heat in a 350˚oven until the cheese is melted. 
OR
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  When it is warm place the filled and folded quesadilla into a dry (no oil) pan.  Heat on one side until the cheese begins to melt and the outside is lightly browned.  Turn it over and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on each side.
 
*Things to add to your quesadillas:
Scrambled eggs, cooked chicken, cooked hamburger, sliced ham, sliced turkey, black beans, shredded zucchini, sliced tomatoes, scrambled eggs, sliced avocado, guacamole

Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound soba noodles, cooked and drained (follow the package directions)
4 scallions, chopped
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thinly or 1 bag frozen sliced peppers, thawed
2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
 
 

1. Place the cooked noodles, veggies, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
3. Pour the sauce over the soba noodles and veggies and toss to coat.  This can be served warm or cold.

Substitutes and additions:

• Use whole grain thin spaghetti or brown rice instead of soba noodles.
• Add shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or tofu for more protein.  

Thank you Danielle Beaudette for inspiring this recipe.  The Cozy Tea Cart

Serves 4
​​4 Bosc pears
3 Tbs lemon juice
6 cups water
3 Tbs Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla tea leaves (available at The Cozy Tea Cart)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs corn starch
Whipped cream, 1 quart high quality vanilla bean ice cream, or raspberry gelato

1. Peel the pears, cut in half and core them.  To prevent the pears from browning before poaching pour 4 cups of cold water and 3 Tbs of lemon juice into a large bowl.  Place the pears into the lemon water. 
2. Bring cold water to a boil in a 4 qt sauce pan.  Add the tea and remove the pan from the heat.  Steep the tea in the hot water for 10 minutes.  Strain the tealeaves and return the tea water to the sauce pan.  Add the sugar to the tea flavored water and bring to a full simmer to dissolve the sugar.
3. Place the pear halves in the simmering sweetened poaching liquid.  Simmer, cooking until the pears can be easily pierced with a fork, 20-25 minutes depending on the ripeness of the pears.  Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and place on a plate to cool. 
4. To make the sauce, bring the poaching liquid to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1 ½ cups, about 25 minutes. 
5. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.  Whisk into the still simmering sauce and continue to cook while stirring for 1 minute.  Strain the sauce and let cool.    

The pears and sauce can served at room temperature or refrigerated and served cold.  This recipe can be prepared 2 days in advance. 
 
To Serve:  Place two pear halves on a large plate and drizzle with the sauce.  Serve with  a scoop of whipped cream, ice cream, or gelato.

Tip #1...Dry your stuffing bread ahead:
Drying the bread before making the stuffing is crucial for texture and flavor. If you plan ahead, you can simply leave the bread cubes out on the counter for a few days to become stale. Otherwise, spread them out on baking sheets and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Let the bread cool before using in the stuffing. 
Tip #2...Cook your stuffing outside of your turkey:
Cut down on turkey cooking time by cooking your stuffing outside of your turkey.  
Tip #3...Prepare your stuffing ahead and reheat:
I love to prepare side dishes and desserts ahead of time if at all possible.  Stuffing is the perfect cook ahead item.  The stuffing can be assembled in the baking dish, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed to bake as directed in step 3 of the recipe below.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery , chopped fine
2 medium onions , minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread (white), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs , beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
 
 Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
2. Add the dried, cooled bread, stock or broth, eggs, salt, and pepper to the vegetables and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly. Turn mixture into buttered 15-x 10-inch baking dish.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you want a stuffing that is moister, drizzle the dressing with some of the turkey pan drippings or more chicken stock.  

This recipe will turn a pea hater into a pea lover.  Honest!   Frozen petite peas that have been thawed combined with the sweet and savory mint vinaigrette is a winning combination.  It is the perfect sidedish to bring to a dinner party.  Add steamed sugar snap peas, asparagus, or cauliflower for variety.  Dress the peas with half of the vinaigrette about one hour before serving,  Save the rest for another day.  Season with salt and pepper and serve cold or at room temperature.  You'll love it.  Honest!
​

Serves 6-8
1 pound frozen petite peas, thawed
1/2 pound of sugar snap peas, steamed for 2 minutes, then cooled
2 tablespoons red onion, chive or scallion, chopped
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup mint, chopped
½ cup flat leafed parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and ground pepper
Edible flower petals for garnish: pansy, bachelor buttons, dianthus, etc.
 
Optional: Add ½ pound sugar snap peas that have been steamed for 30 seconds then cooled in cold water.
 

1. Place the thawed peas, sugar snap peas, and red onion in a medium bowl. 
2. In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, and sugar with the chopped herbs and pulse until the ingredients are pureed. 
3. Dress the salad with enough dressing to lightly coat the peas.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Save remaining dressing for another salad.

 
* Keep remaining dressing for another salad or to serve with vegetables, salad, fish, lamb, or chicken.  
 

One of the elements that I enjoy most about the Thanksgiving menu is the overlapping of sweet and savory dishes.  The combination of these tasting elements is evident in my Apple Cider Gravy.  In itself, this gravy has the perfect balance of sweet and savory and when poured over a piece of turkey ringed in crispy salted skin it is heaven!  
The other thing I love about this recipe is that it can be used to sauce many different meats for any occasion.  Double your recipe and freeze some for later.  Enjoy it with your turkey on Thursday,  your pork on Sunday, and your chicken next Tuesday.

Makes 2 cups
 
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup dry sherry (savignon blanc or dry vermouth can be substituted)
1 ½ cups apple cider
2 cups turkey drippings (de-fatted) or low-sodium turkey or chicken broth (Better Than Bullion is very good)
 2 Tbs fresh sage, chopped or 3 tsp dried
*Pan drippings from a roasted chicken or turkey if you have them

1. Using your fingers, knead the butter and flour together to form a paste.  Set aside.
   
   
2. Place the olive oil and chopped shallots into a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat.  If you have pan drippings from a cooked turkey, add them to the pan.   Cook, stirring occasionally just until the shallots soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sherry and apple cider to the pan.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Stir to scrape up any browned bits, and cook until the liquid reduces by ½, about 5-8 minutes.
   
   
3. Add the stock and sage to the liquid and bring back to a strong simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.
   Whisk the butter paste mixture into the simmering liquid one tablespoon at a time and continue cooking until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Reduce the heat and cook for an additional 3 minutes to cook off any flour taste. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate for later use.  This sauce freezes well so make extra and freeze!

I am always happy to refer to excellent recipes.  Cook's Illustrated is one of the best when it comes to "tried and true" recipes.  This is the recipe I've used in my classes and at home.  Enjoy!

1 turkey (12 to 22 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted

1. Prepare brine recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com and place turkey in brine for 16-24 hours.
2. Before removing turkey from brine, adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees for 12- to 18-pound bird or 425 degrees for 18- to 22-pound bird. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil; set V-rack in large roasting pan.
3. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure, and tuck wing tips behind back. Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons butter. Set turkey breast-side down on prepared V-rack; brush back with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Roast 45 minutes for 12- to 18-pound bird or 1 hour for 18- to 22-pound bird.
4. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat); reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees if roasting 18- to 22-pound bird. Using clean potholders or kitchen towels, rotate turkey breast-side up; continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes longer for 12- to 15-pound bird, about 1 1/4 hours for 15- to 18-pound bird, or about 2 hours longer for 18- to 22-pound bird. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 40 minutes to 1 hour.  Carve and serve.

I have found that brining a turkey is a great way to help the meat retain its moisture.  The recipe that I've used at home and in my classes is a recipe by The Pioneer Women.  

Let me begin this post with a big THANK YOU to my friend Kaaren who gave me this recipe years ago.  It has become a favorite dish on my Thanksgiving table and a favorite recipe at my cooking demonstrations.  I make batches and batches of this tart-sweet sauce to freeze and have long after fresh cranberries are no longer available at the grocery store.  I'll even buy bags of cranberries and freeze them to assure I have this sauce all year long.  I use frozen raspberries which are sweet and economical.  
On the sweet side, I serve this sauce for dessert draped over pound cake and ice cream.  I also use it the breakfast table served on oatmeal, yogurt, and cottage cheese.  To add a savory side to the sauce I've prepared it with 1 Tbs of chopped fresh rosemary to compliment chicken, pork, and roasted vegetables.  I'm sure once you try it you'll love it too.

​Makes 3 cups
 
1 12 oz package of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup water
1 12 oz package of frozen raspberries
 

1. Combine water, sugar, and cranberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.  Cool the cranberries to room temperature.
   
   
2. After the cranberries have cooled gently stir in the raspberries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 
*Make this a savory sauce by adding 1Tbs of fresh chopped rosemary and ½ tsp of salt while cooking the cranberries and sugar.  

I recently featured this recipe on WMUR's Cook's Corner.  Click here to see the segment.

Makes 1 ½ cups
Zest of 2 lemons, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups fresh Italian flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
 
How to serve your gremolata:

• Toss with 1 pound of hot linguini or fettucine
• Serve with cooked green beans
• Stir 1 spoonful into a bowl of lamb stew or ossobucco
• Serve with roasted or seared chicken
• Serve with grilled fish

Chia Yogurt Pudding
​Makes 4 servings
 
1 cup low fat milk, vanilla soy milk, or almond milk 
1 cup vanilla or plain low-fat Greek yogurt
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup chia seeds
 Optional: 2 Tbs real maple syrup if you'd like to sweeten up the pudding

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, yogurt, salt, and maple syrup (if using)until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds. Let stand for 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with ¼ cup of berries or ½ sliced banana.
 
Options: ​

• Make a parfait by adding homemade unsweetened apple sauce to the bottom of a cup before pouring in the pudding.

On average I teach 3 to 4 classes per week.  To prepare for each class I select 2-3 recipes from my files of over 500 recipes that I've created for either classes or catering menus.  The day before a class I head to the grocery store with my class recipes and shop for the ingredients.  Often I am shopping for 2-3 classes at a time.  I keep all of my receipts in folders labled for each class.  If its been awhile since I've cooked any of the recipes I'll be teaching I prepare them for dinner the night before the class just to be sure the recipes are fresh in my mind.  The day of my class I precook pastas, grains, and other ingredients ahead to save time during class.  I pack my portable kitchen and food bag checking necessary items against a master inventory list and my recipes to be certain I have everything for class...I hate to forget anything!   This is the routine I go through for every class...except my recent class at the Bedford, MA Public Library.  For this class I left out one important part of my routine...I took a big chance to prove a point. 
The Bedford library has booked me for 5 classes in my Cookbook Club series.  Each month the librarian selects a book from a list I've provided and arranges for multiple copies of the book to be available at the library.  I go through the book and select 2-3 recipes that will build on cooking techniques from the previous class to give students the confidence to recreate the recipes at home.  For our first class we explored Cook's Illustrated's book "The Science of Good Cooking".  This week's class featured Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa "Foolproof".  To prove that Ina's recipes are infact "foolproof" I did not test them beforehand and instead prepared them for the first time in class.  I've never done this before, and when I announced my lack of preparation to the class I saw wide-eyed stares from the audience.  The stares turned into smiles though as I explained that my goal was to approach the recipes as they would for the first time.   Together we crossed our fingers hoping that the recipes would be as foolproof as Ina promised, and they did.  I prepared Ina's "Easy Hollandaise Sauce", "Green Beans Gremolata", and the shallot sauce from her "Veal Chops with Caramelized Shallots".  All were easy to prepare and delicious.  I recommend you pick up her book.  The recipes are ones that will appeal to anyone joining you for dinner.  They are uncomplicated, and "foolproof".