Author: Chef M

This yummy Mexican-inspired cake is sure to become a favorite! Its name means “cake of three milks.” The fruit topping looks so pretty, it’s worth taking the time to do it.

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Congealed tomato salad: Who could ask for anything more? (I’m serious!) This recipe, inspired by The Carriage House restaurant in my hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, makes cool little aspics stuffed with a bit of cream cheese and topped with mayonnaise for true respite on sweltering days.

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This is my favorite way to serve chicken cutlets, with very lightly dressed arugula and Parmesan shavings. It’s a common Italian preparation that I like to imagine is a staple in homes with children throughout the country. It makes me feel worldly even though my kids are probably thinking, “Yay, chicken fingers for dinner!” A win-win, I guess. You can certainly serve this with a soup or side veggie, but if you’re in a rush, skip it an arugula salad is built in, after all. Instead, put your energy toward making Garlic Bread, or even better, Cheesy Garlic Bread.

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Coconut and lychee is a heavenly tropical combination. Pickled lychees are folded into softened ice cream, then garnished with toasted coconut and macadamia nuts. The microwave does most of the work here 15 seconds to so±en the ice cream and 1 to 2 minutes to toast the coconut.

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I first discovered Nutella when my family moved to Italy when I was in third grade. This healthier (less sugar) homemade version is not completely smooth think of it more like a natural peanut butter versus Jif. If you’re wed to a perfectly smooth spread, you can strain it through a fine mesh sieve. (Straining will reduce the yield to about one and one half cups.) Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for two months.

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I love to serve these pretty little cookies with tea or a cup of afternoon coffee. They are delicious filled with the fresh raspberry filling or on their own. Don’t make the sandwiches until just before serving because the filling will make the cookies soggy and cause them to crumble. Make the dough and filling up to two days in advance; store both, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator.

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