corn-and-crab cakes

There is a natural affinity between the sweetness of corn and crab combined in these crab cakes. To cut some of the richness I served them over an arugula, parsley, lemon salad. Housemade remoulade sauce on the side for the crab cakes.

chicken cordon bleu with kale gratin

This was a lighter, baked version of chicken cordon bleu - still with all the flavorfull goodness of a ham and cheese filling. I also made a gratin of kale (pancetta mixed in with the kale and cream too).

my first time cooking pork belly (and kale chips)

We had enjoyed pork belly at various restaurants, and had been reading about it, so finally decided to try cooking it at home. I found it easiest to locate good cuts at a local Asian market. It took about 6 hours between seasoning, braising, roasting and final glazing - and worth every minute of it for these sweet and spicy glazed nuggets of taste. To cut some of the richness I served it with a lemony kale and chard salad. Just for fun I took some of the kale leaves (stripped off the middle rib), lightly coated with olive oil and roasted at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes to make these wonderful kale chips.

gingerbread luminarias

These are small-scale (about 4" high) individualized luminarias that we made out of gingerbread (and royal icing and sparkly sugar!) to set as placecards at a holiday dinner party. There were holes in the side and back so they actually glowed on the table with a battery votive candle inside. Guests then took their (tasty) placecard home as their gift for the evening.

lamb lettuce wraps; blackberry dessert

I had some ground lamb that I sauteed with Middle Eastern spices for a lettuce wrap filling, with a hummus/tahini sauce and pine nuts atop. Dessert was simply a parfait of Greek yogurt, blackberries and honey (I added some cinnamon sugar crisps as a garnish).

green chile cheeseburger and mexican corn

This is a delicious (open-face) green chile cheeseburger. Yes, I'll admit to putting sprouts on the top. Since I was using the grill we also did grilled corn which was then coated with Mexican cheeses and spices.

figs to start, then shrimp & pasta

When fresh figs are in the market I like to stuff them with blue cheese, wrap them in prosciutto and then roast them for a savory appetizer. Dinner is pasta with shrimp and leeks and a side salad.

grilled shrimp, corn

I grilled some large shrimp (with onions) to serve with some house-made cream of (fresh) corn. The corn is topped with an Indian-spiced butter.

chicken with tomato pan sauce; dulce de leche dessert

I pan roasted a boneless chicken breast half, then made a pan sauce with fresh herbs and roasted cherry tomatoes to top it. Dessert is molten dulce de leche cakes!

beer braised brats

You can't even see the brat in this sandwich, it is covered up by corn, avocado slices, and the red onion that was also braised in the beer. There is also a slice of Muenster cheese on this roll. I paired it with a fresh sliced tomato sala.

lamb 'sloppy joe' & blueberry cobbler

I've used many ground lamb recipes this year - this is an open face lamb 'sloppy joe' that included goat cheese and fresh spinach on the bun. I had some last garden tomatoes to make a caprese salad on the side. A lovely and tasty blueberry cobbler was our dessert.

fancy french toast

I love to start the weekends with a delicious breakfast. Here you see banana streusel French toast, and thick cut bacon. I find it easiest (and cleanest) to simply bake the bacon in a sheet pan, 400 degree oven, until it is the crispiness we desire. Then you can drain it on paper towels and pour off the bacon drippings to refrigerate for other uses (sometimes we fry our eggs in bacon drippings - decadent!).

steak salad & an eggplant rice bake

I have a great love for cheeses of almost any kind. Here I made a steak salad with some leftover grilled steak by adding in some green beans, tomato, blue cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. The other dish is a layered casserole of eggplant, marinara sauce, rice cooked with saffron, and plenty of fresh mozzarella.

bacon-chard pasta, apple tarts

It seems that a bit of bacon enhances everything! These fusilli pasta are tossed with sliced Swiss chard, cooked bacon, and cheese. It also seems that anything on puff pastry is mighty tasty. The dessert is apple-goat cheese-honey tartlets.

tuna burger

Here you see a delicious spicy tuna burger - I love to chop up a piece of fresh tuna to make these. Even more spice is added from the Sriracha mayonnaise topping! The side dish was a baked zucchini stuffed with ricotta and topped with fresh bread crumbs.

nourishment for baby rhino

I got to meet Chopper, the 27-day old rhino, at the Rio Grande zoo. He is being hand-raised and is not yet on public display. Like other mammal babies, he drinks milk - but from a very large bottle! A big shout out to the NM Biopark Society for funding his arrival here and thanks to Creamland Dairy for the milk.

chicken, rice, & blackberries - oh my

The main course is an Indonesian inspired golden rice and chicken with many savory toppings.  For dessert you see here a blackberry buttermilk cake.

end of summer - pork chops & tomatoes

This one is packed with umami sensation. I brined a pork chop, then pan fried it to top with pickled peaches and fried sage. The side salad contained tomatoes and anchovies.

salad night - steak salad & bean salad

I made a black bean salad to go along with grilled steak over salad with a tomato vinaigrette. Nice to have beans, meat, and greens as a healthful combination for dinner.

fusilli with gorgonzola and pancetta

A grown up comfort food version of macaroni and cheese!

a whole grilled fish

This is a small yellow snapper that I grilled with lime slices and herbs inside the cavity, then finished with more lime juice squeezed on top and garnished with lime and herbs. It reminds us of the fresh grilled red snapper we have enjoyed long ago on a beach in Mexico.

chicken lettuce wraps

I made an Asian-flavored chicken filling to roll up in lettuce leaves - one of our favorite menu items that I decided to make at home. Dessert was a lovely lemon custard topped with raspberries.

bacon-cheddar burgers & salad

The salad of baby greens included goat cheese, dried cherries, and pistachios. We loved the bacon-cheddar burger - you can see that I was using a yellow tomato for part of the garnish.

"poppers" & "fries"

These are those colorful mini-peppers that you can buy in packages in almost any store - they are filled with a ground lamb and feta stuffing, then broiled. I made some baked sweet potato "fries" as our side dish.

coconut shrimp and coconut rice

I have grated and frozen meat from a fresh coconut so this evening I made a coconut shrimp to serve over coconut rice (jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk). The garnishes include more coconut, cashews, and cilantro.

taste of the middle east

I made beef kefta patties, paired with raita sauce and pita bread. Also on the plate is orzo with toasted pine nuts and parsley. As a little side bite I included some fresh refrigerator pickles I made with some of the last cucumbers that came into the Farmers Market.

pasta with shrimp, strawberry dessert

From the July 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine - here is Spaghettini with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Chile Crumbs http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spaghettini-with-shrimp-tomatoes-and-chile-crumbs I had some extra cherry tomatoes so I made mozzarella-tomato kebabs as a garnish for dessert we did the Honey-Lime Strawberries with Whipped Cream http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-lime-strawberries-with-whipped-cream

sausage and shrimp stew

This seems like a paella to me so I served it over rice. I love to go get head-on shrimp from a local market, they are super fresh and have a great depth of flavor. I used andouille sausage here but kielbasa would also work.

chicken torta with 2 cheeses

A torta is a Mexican sandwich. This one was piled with roasted chicken, jalapeno, 2 cheeses and salsa. I chose to just do an open face version and paired it with some cooling avocado slices.

german chocolate cake sundae

One our most favorite desserts this year. We got the coconut ice cream (or gelato) from Whole Foods. We also had a fresh coconut and made our own toasted fresh coconut so that was also fun. Recipe from Food and Wine: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/german-chocolate-cake-sundae

an elegant shrimp dinner

We updated a classic cocktail, Clove-Scented Citrus Sidecar, to have with our Spanish-style toasted pasta with shrimp (and aioli served as an accompaniment), and a chocolate torte with whipped cream and fresh raspberries for dessert.

pasta and salad

What could be finer? A bowl of penne in vodka sauce, accompanied by a caprese salad. Cheers!

parchment baked fish

I just put some herbs, wine, butter, lemon juice and a fish fillet in a foil packet and baked until done. Juicy and tasty (and easy clean up).

chicken and vegetables for a fall dinner

Here is a pan-seared chicken thigh (I find them more flavorful than chicken breasts) with winter squash, served over mashed potatoes. I got some fresh green beans from the Farmer's Market so I steamed them and then sauteed with some bacon.

homemade pizza

Not just homemade pizza - but homemade ricotta to make a fantastic ricotta-spinach pizza. Sometimes I choose to make my own pizza dough but more often I use the Trader Joe's dough.

steak and potatoes

This is a grilled steak with Brandy Cream Sauce. I also had some freshly dug potatoes from the Farmer's Market and so I made some Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The chive garnish is from a little pot of chives that returns every year in the backyard.

tomato-bacon-blue cheese salad

I stopped by one of our local Farmer's Markets one afternoon to pick up a variety of colorful farm fresh tomatoes and a bunch of basil. Then I put together this salad to take to a potluck dinner. The tomatoes are cut in slices or wedges and lightly dressed with a simple vinaigrette. The entire platter is topped with cooked crumbled bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and fresh basil. It was as tasty as it was lovely.

a feast for all the senses

There is no way to convey in pictures the sights, sounds, smell, taste and awe of being out at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Here is a sample of what awaits if you brave the dark, cold, early morning to get out to the field.

southern style bbq shrimp; apple tart

I put all the shrimp ingredients (spices,hot sauce, butter, Worcestershire, shrimp, sliced onions and lemons) in a foil packet and cooked it on the grill. For dessert I enlisted some of our apple crop in a maple-glazed, cream cheese and apple-filled tart.