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I was inspired by a blog post on Smitten Kitchen on how to make homemade ricotta cheese. I always like to experiment with new things and have never made cheese so decided I just had to try it. We had some friends over to celebrate the 4th and figured this was as good a time as any. As has been tradition for several years, I made a Grilled Turkey for the main course, so ricotta bruschetta for an appetizer seemed like a good idea. As with any … [Read more...]
Ingredients 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil 2 large garlic cloves, chopped 2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-inch-long pieces 4 teaspoons sesame seeds Preparation Stir soy sauce and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Heat oil in heavy large skillet. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add asparagus and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and … [Read more...]
Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 ounces) 3/4 cup mayonnaise 3/4 cup sour cream 4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature Preparation Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots. Cover and cook until shallots are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool. Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in medium bowl to blend. Add blue cheese. Using … [Read more...]
Ingredients 20 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined 1 tablespoon (about) chopped fresh rosemary Balsamic vinegar 10 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise Crumbled Stilton cheese, or other blue cheese Preparation Arrange shrimp on baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary, ground black pepper, and several splashes of vinegar. Wrap each in bacon, covering completely; secure with toothpick. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill on … [Read more...]
Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds asparagus 5 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth 1 cup water 1 tablespoon butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup whipping cream Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional) Preparation Trim tough ends from asparagus; discard. Cut off asparagus tips and reserve. Cut stalks … [Read more...]
Ingredients 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature 12 1/2-inch-thick rounds sourdough baguette Sugar Preparation Preheat broiler. Mix cheese and butter in small bowl. Spread cheese mixture over bread rounds, dividing equally. Arrange rounds on baking sheet. Sprinkle each lightly with sugar. Broil until topping is just brown and cheese softens, about 1 minute. Transfer toasts to platter. Makes 12 … [Read more...]
Ingredients 4 teaspoons grated zest plus 1/2 cup juice from 2 to 3 medium limes 4 teaspoons grated zest plus 1/2 cup juice from 2 to 3 medium lemons 1/4 cup superfine sugar Pinch salt 2 cups crushed ice 1 cup 100 percent agave tequila, preferably Reposado 1 cup Triple Sec Preparation Combine lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and salt in large liquid measuring cup; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors … [Read more...]
The longer sangria sits before drinking, the more smooth and mellow it will taste. A full day is best, but if that's impossible, give it an absolute minimum of two hours to sit. Use large, heavy juicy oranges and lemons for the best flavor. Doubling or tripling the recipe is fine, but you'll have to switch to a large punch bowl in place of the pitcher. An inexpensive Merlot is the best choice for this recipe. Ingredients 2 large juice oranges, … [Read more...]
