appetizer

Pulled Duck Old-Fashioned Sliders

July 18, 2011
Pulled Duck Old-Fashioned Sliders

For many, the Old-Fashioned cocktail represents a classic sip of Americana. The elixir is one of the first recorded American cocktails and remains popular in bars and supper clubs today. Today’s widely accepted recipe – rye, soda, and bitters with muddled sugar,  orange and cherry – is a variant of the drier original version, which [...]

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Summer Beets, Arugula, Bleu Cheese, and Lemon

July 12, 2011
Beet & Arugula Salad

I remember the days when I hated beets. They were cloyingly sweet and mushy, and as far as I knew, they were born in a tin can. But one day I ate a fresh roasted beet and that all changed. The skies opened – or should I say the earth opened? -  and I discovered [...]

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Pennsylvania Dutch Red Beets & Eggs

June 16, 2011
Red Beets and Eggs

As a resident of Pittsburgh’s historic Deutschtown neighborhood, I’ve come to accept that my neighbors are going to keep saying Dutchtown as if we are all running around in our ancestral wooden klompen clogs. (Newer transplants to the North Ver-sayles area know what I’m talking about here.) Much to the chagrin of the Netherlands Society of Pittsburgh (NSOP), [...]

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Yard Lettuce with Sherry Vinaigrette

June 8, 2011
Yard Lettuce with Sherry Vinaigrette

One of the earliest harvests from a Zone 5 garden is the tender selection of salad greens. Today I’m making a simple salad of what I like to call yard lettuce (because I go out to the yard to get it, obviously!). Pictured from left to right above are (top row) Red Leaf Lettuce, Green [...]

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Now that’s Guacamole!

May 5, 2011
Guacamole

[Original post April 31, 2011] Oh boy oh boy do I love guacamole! And I love making it, too, because then I get to eat it! The secrets are texture and plenty of lime juice and salt. The other ingredients can be adjusted or left out to suit your taste. I have found that people prefer [...]

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Chargrilled Hot Wings

April 11, 2011
Chargrilled Hot Wings

Last week I spent some time in San Francisco, and alas, I must resolve that the West Coast just hasn’t figured out the Buffalo wing thing. That, or they don’t have deep fryers in sunny CA! I know, I know, why would we get Buffalo Wings in California anyway? As a hangover remedy, of course! [...]

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