Grilled Artichoke, Hatch Chile Garlic Mayonnaise

Grilled Artichoke, Hatch Chile Garlic Mayonnaise

Grilled Artichoke, Hatch Chile Garlic Mayonnaise

The year was 1978 at The Chart House in Aspen, Colorado. My date, Jeff, was instructing me on how to eat the curious appetizer that he had ordered. It was something I had never encountered before. It was an artichoke.

He happily showed me how to pull the outermost petals from the globe and dip each one in the ramekin of melted butter, how to scrape the meat from each petal with my bottom teeth. The nutty-earthy flavors, the divine melted butter, the fascinating method for consuming this unique vegetable…I was hooked.

Fast forward to today and it is hard to believe that I’ve been living in Las Vegas for two years now. In addition to the swimming pool, one of my favorite outdoor amenities of the new home is a built-in Blaze Grill.

After having a propane BBQ at my home in LA for all those years, it is such a pleasure to know I will never run out of fuel! And the fabulous Blaze is so much more powerful, the total grill BTUs equal 66,000! It’s hot. And awesome.

So we grill, and eat in the pool ALL THE TIME…today an amazingly good and very popular appetizer of grilled artichokes with our favorite Hatch Chile garlic mayonnaise.

Grilled Artichoke Recipe

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Springtime Pasta with Asparagus and Peas

Springtime Pasta with Asparagus and Peas

Springtime Pasta with Asparagus and Peas
Sour Cream, Meyer Lemon, Farmer Cheese, Chives & Dill

Ah springtime! Surrounded by vibrant colors, fresh herbs and flowers, a bowl of Meyer lemons, fresh English peas and asparagus…a pasta dish was just bound to take shape. A tangy, lemony, fresh, green, bright, herby fettuccine that is. Perfectly balanced, a perfect springtime meal for lunch or dinner alfresco…

Springtime Pasta Recipe

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Latkes with Farmer Cheese

Latkes with Farmer Cheese

Latkes with Farmer Cheese, Two Ways

Sweet with Pomegranate Arils
and
Savory with Fresh Herbs

Happy Hanukkah!

A jug of olive oil, which held enough oil to last for one day, burned for eight when the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated. So we eat foods fried in olive oil to commemorate that ancient miracle. As far as symbolic foods go, potatoes fried in oil are pretty much everyone’s favorite.

This year I’m serving my latkes two ways, sweet and savory, both topped with farmer cheese. My favorite, Lifeway Farmer Cheese, is a cultured soft cheese made from an old world recipe with a distinctive tangy flavor, and it’s packed with probiotics to boot. You might say farmer cheese and latkes are a match made in heaven…

Latkes with Farmer Cheese

Latkes with Farmer Cheese

Latkes Two Ways

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Chilled Kefir Soup

Chilled Kefir SoupChilled Kefir Soup With Cucumber,
Herbs, Edible flowers, and Kefir “Waves”

This hot weather calls for a cool refreshing light lunch. How does Chilled Kefir Soup with Cucumber and Herbs served with home-baked seeded artisan bread and a glass of un-oaked chardonnay sound? How about we serve it Spa Style, in the pool. Put on your swimming suit and let’s do lunch!

Chilled Kefir SoupChilled Kefir Soup Recipe

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Kale Salad with Lemon Basil Buttermilk Ranch

Kale Salad with Lemon Basil Buttermilk Ranch

Kale Salad with Lemon Basil Buttermilk Ranch,
Breadcrumbs and Parmesan
Recipe by Nicole Putzel

Kale kale kale can get kinda boring but as the torn leaves mingle with her awesome Lemon Basil Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, this “simple” salad emerges as anything but. Chef Nicole Putzel has managed to create an alluring salad where fresh breadcrumbs add a toasty crunchy texture while parmesan cheese adds salty, nutty, umami notes. All the various complex flavors in the dressing take the humble chopped kale to another level.

Nicole wrote,“Lemon basil is my absolute favorite variety of the herb. It has a bright citrusy flavor that is sweeter than traditional basil. The lemon basil gives the buttermilk ranch dressing an extra punch and tastes delicious with raw kale. The dressing recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of dressing , so you’ll have plenty left over to use in other salads.”

Kale Salad Recipe and Cookbook Giveaway!

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