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Weekly Menus

Spinach, Pecan and Thyme Pesto and Continuing To Explore the Foundational Sauces of California Cuisine

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! Today, I’m continuing my exploration of pesto with a recipe for spinach, pecan and thyme pesto: For the last few weeks, I have used my blog to post articles about the foundational sauces of California Cuisine. I started this exploration with mayonnaise. For my first few posts, I shared such sauces as roasted red bell pepper aioli, tartar sauce, honey-pecan prawns and even …

Weekly Menus

Basil Pesto, the Elegance of a Pizza and Salad, a Beach Weekend Getaway and the Importance of Fresh Ingredients and Lighter Preparation

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–I’m glad you’re here! Last weekend, my best girlfriend and I headed to the beach for a girls’ weekend. It was hot–90* in Carmel-by-the-Sea, which–trust me–is unheard of, especially in the month of March, which should be cool and cloudy. Instead, we had bright sunshine, hot sand and cold waves! But it was gorgeous and we talked and talked and we walked and walked and we ate …

Weekly Menus

Almond-Thyme Pesto and More Fun With California Cuisine’s Foundational Sauces

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! For the last few weeks, I have used my blog to post articles about the foundational sauces of California Cuisine. Since California Cuisine doesn’t have an official set of foundational sauces like French Cuisine does, and I thought it should, I have chosen the following sauces: mayonnaise, vinaigrette, pesto, salsa, soy sauce, Hollandaise and tomato sauce. I started this exploration with mayonnaise. For …

Weekly Menus

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef: Flat Cut or Point Cut?

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook! I’m so glad you’re here! St. Patrick’s Day is upon us yet again–the one time of the year when I (and probably a lot of you) tuck in for a meal of corned beef, potatoes and cabbage. I’ve never tried to make it myself, but the prepackaged beef I can get from the grocery store has always been pretty good. My problem is that I never …

Weekly Menus

Vanilla Mayonnaise Cake: A Fun Little Extra Just For Lent

Hello–happy Friday and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! Today, I’m temporarily shifting my focus from the foundational sauces of California Cuisine to share a cake that I know you’re going to love! Several weeks ago, I shared a recipe for chocolate mayonnaise cake, which was a big hit with my readers–I heard from several of you who had tried it and loved it. They all said the same things: it …

Weekly Menus

The Fundamental Sauces of California Cuisine Continued, Some Final Thoughts on Vinaigrette and Introducing the Next Sauce: Pesto

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! For the last few weeks, I have used my blog to post articles about the foundational sauces of California Cuisine. Since California Cuisine doesn’t have an official set of foundational sauces like French Cuisine does, and I thought it should, I have chosen the following sauces: mayonnaise, vinaigrette, pesto, salsa, soy sauce, Hollandaise and tomato sauce. I started this exploration with mayonnaise. I …

Weekly Menus

Vinaigrettes Continued: Seasonal Salads

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! This week, I’m continuing my series on the “mother” sauces of California Cuisine. Since California Cuisine does not have an official list of foundational sauces, and I thought it should, I came up with the following list of sauces: mayonnaise, vinaigrette, salsa, Bernaise (or Hollandaise), pesto, soy sauce and basic tomato. Having concluded my studies on mayonnaise, last week I started my exploration …

Weekly Menus

Potato Salad with Cider Vinegar and Caper Vinaigrette, and More Fun With Vinaigrette

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here! This week, I’m continuing my series on the “mother” sauces of California Cuisine. Since California Cuisine does not have an official list of foundational sauces, and I thought it should, I came up with the following list of sauces: mayonnaise, vinaigrette, salsa, Bernaise (or Hollandaise), pesto, soy sauce and basic tomato. I started my exploration of the mother sauce with mayonnaise and last …

Weekly Menus

Mayonnaise-Herb Vinaigrette: Ranch Dressing, Eat Your Heart Out!

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–I’m so glad you’re here! The weather here in Northern California has turned clear, breezy and gorgeous! While spring is definitely on the way, the air is so dry it’s crackling–and not a drop of rain in sight until beyond the end of the month–not a good sign for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Two acquaintances just today remarked that they are certain we will have …

Weekly Menus

Chimichurri Sauce: A Fresh Take On Vinaigrette

Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cool–so glad you’re here! Today, I’m continuing my series on the mother sauces of California Cuisine. This week, I’m featuring vinaigrettes, which are an incredibly versatile dressing and sauce for not only salads, but also meats, fish, chicken and even sandwiches! Chimichurri sauce is at its heart, is a vinaigrette. The basic components of a vinaigrette are oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chimichurri is a mixture of …