Bohemian Bold thinking.fooding.living.®
I’m sure you’ve tasted an udon noodle and they’re the star in this udon noodle breakfast bowl! Yes, they are sooooooooooo good! And, the prepackaged ones are sooooooooooooo convenient! I mean, isn’t that part of what we’re looking for when cooking? Taking some shortcuts and having some conveniences that save […]
While this ‘fried chicken tenders’ recipe may ‘look’ complicated with the list of ingredients, please keep in mind that the majority of the ingredients (seven of the thirteen) are simply spices that you’re going to put into your flour dredge to season your chicken tenders. And, several of the ingredients […]
There are soooooooooooooo many reasons you need to make this simple salmon and egg salad. First of all, it’s a no brainer. Totally simple. Requires little or no cooking skills. And, I’m walking you through it. Secondly, this is like a fail safe way to pan sear salmon and have […]
It’s a fact that the younger generations, like Millennials and GenX’ers, are spending less and less time in the kitchen cooking. Why? Well, because there’s just ‘no time’ to do so. With careers, demands, social media, friends, family and everything else that consumes ‘life’, there’s just not a priority on […]
Food hacks are always interesting. If you’re not familiar with food hacks, they’re basically using products or objects for cooking and food in different ways then they were intended. Food hacks have taken off. They’re ‘hot’ items and a novelty. Honestly, for me, food hacks are what I learned growing […]
The world of cyberspace is filled with great amazing home cooks worldwide! There’s no shortage out there for any type of dish regardless of ethnicity. That’s the origination of this great oatmeal cake recipe! As you well know, food and cooking are certainly one of the most popular things posted […]
This is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs meal that you could eat for breakfast or pack and take to work/school for lunch! A simple quick microwaving and adding some milk, and you have a lunch that’s healthy and hearty! As you savor each bite, you just know your infusing your body […]
Malaysian Mango Food Art. Did you know that there are over 400 varieties of mango according to the USDA! One variety is even named ‘alice’ mango. Malaysian Mango is a new taste for me. Unlike the mangoes I’m used to seeing and buying with the large seed in the center […]
Pizza. Yes, a staple in the American diet. Who doesn’t love love love pizza! And, worldwide, pizza is a hit with variations of it depending upon where you travel. This breakfast spinach pizza, so easy to make and sure to be gobbled up by hungry food seekers, is quick and […]
To crunch or not to crunch. That is your choice with this amazingly easy and tasty English banana bread! When I say crunch, I’m talking about the topping that is optional that you can put on top when baking. It’s a simple step that uses a little more butter, brown […]
Big cherry baby cakes, I know it sounds like an oxymoron. How can it be big? How can it be baby? Well, it just is. The cherries are big, juicy, delicious, pitted, and right in your grocer’s freezer case. While I love fresh cherries, they’re in season only a short […]
How can you make Mother Nature’s sweet delicious cantaloupe better? Well, maybe not ‘better’ but different. You’re still going to get all the outstanding benefits of the cantaloupe, but with a facelift of flavor! We’re going to be changing it up. Creating a new twist on it. Here’s how I’ve […]
Funny how siblings that grow up in the same family have their own unique memories and perspectives on childhood, life, family, friends and other things as they get into their adult lives. Each of us remembers things differently. Each of us was impacted by things differently. We’re all affected by […]
Goat cheese spinach tart. It’s such an easy healthy dish that’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. If we were going the French way, we’d call this ‘chevre’ instead of goat cheese. for those who have some intolerance towards milk based cheeses, the goat cheese is a wonderful alternative. […]
No popping. No splattering. No mess. Just a little clean up. I’m talking about the perfect ‘fried’ bacon. Yes, I’m talking perfect fried bacon. It’s important to get the best brand of bacon that you can afford. Interestingly, The Huffington Post lists the best and worst. Consumer Reports highlights their […]
When these pineapple rosemary scone cakes were eaten by five food bloggers, they got great reviews. Fluffy. Not too sweet. Tender. Moist. A great combination with the rosemary and pineapple. Yes, they’re scones. But, they’re also like a small cake. There’s a tad bit of crunch on the exterior. And, […]
Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I love eating. And, I love eating even more when I’ve got an empty stomach. For me, breakfast can happen anytime between when I awake, usually around 7 (sometimes earlier upon demand), and 11 a.m. I suppose that would technically be […]
Thanks to Dole Sunshine for partnering with me for this post! All the opinions and creativity are solely my own. For a full disclosure, click here! Food evokes strong memories for me. Most all of them are really good. I reckon one that I remember happening probably when I was […]
Check the tower of coffee chocolate crispers in the first photo. Now, check the cookies in the second picture. This arrangement was not intentional. As I added more cookies to the tower, it toppled. Now, what’s significant about this is that not one cookie cracked, crumbled and broke! Chewy crispers~~you […]
For me being a foodie means discovering new and exciting ways to gussy up the flavors and ingredients we love~~those things that have been around for eons, those things we grew up with, and those things that probably our mamas made for us~~yep, those childhood eats that probably seared huge […]
Pearl sugar waffles. Oh, what a new treat for your palate. Of course, we love waffles. And, the goddess of waffles is the Leige waffle or the Belgian Waffle. The only problem is that they take more time to make that regular waffles. And, sometimes we’re just not willing to […]
OK, this is not so much a recipe as it is a technique. It’s my way of getting the perfectly steamed sunnyside egg in a cast iron skillet. Yes, you can use a non-stick skillet, too. Of course, you can do soft boiled eggs, which I love, and which I […]
So who says meatballs are only for dinner dishes or sandwiches! I decided it was time to have meatballs for breakfast. And, that’s why I created this cashew chicken meatballs and orange ginger sauce. We had house guests, actually my son and his very significant other, for several days. Now […]
One of my Top 10 comfort foods! Potatoes. Growing up in West Virginia, Mom fixed fried potatoes often. She usually fried them in a big ol’ cast iron skillet in oil, so these taters are a tad bit healthier because they’re roasted in the oven. Potatoes were a staple in […]
The only drawback to this dish is cleaning the skillet. Well, if you use a cast iron skillet like I did. And, trust me, mine is pretty well-seasoned and has decades of use. But, it’s worth all the scrubbing because cast iron is the way to go. Of course, if […]
Probably close to a perfect food~the egg. And, what is better with an egg than a nice cut of beef! And, it’s a given that eggs aren’t just for breakfast. In this case, the bacon dripping skillet steak & eggs makes a mighty fancy dinner dish. Just add some nice […]
This is really a super easy pot roast! Just a few ingredients, let it slow cook and you have this sweet and spicy beef roast. Now I love a good pot roast and with this one, you can choose to do in the oven or in a slow cooker. I’ve […]
There’s nothing like fresh hot bread right out of the oven or right off the grill! What makes this bread totally the best is when you eat it HOT! Yes, get ready to toss it back in forth in your hands trying to cool it down just a bit, then […]
It’s an apple pie. It’s an apple cupcake. It’s both! Yes, these big boy apple pie cupcake cuties can be made ahead then popped in the oven then ready when dinner’s over and you want an impressive dessert! Now, you can serve right side up or upside down as you […]
I don’t know how my Croatian Mom did it. Yes, she was abruptly widowed at the young age of 38 in 1960, with no education (never graduated from high school), and four young children to raise on her own in big time coal-mining land, Southern West Virginia. Despite few conveniences, […]
Sometimes things can ‘look’ and ‘seem’ more complicated than they really are. Take for instance, ‘scones’, I mean it’s a cool word and, for me, it conjures up images of being prim and proper and British. Maybe afternoon tea where you have your pinky finger posied and you’re sipping from […]
Wrinkled crinkled grapes~~what to do with them? There’s even a children’s ‘novel’ on this issue~~it’s called, what else, but ‘Wrinkled Crinkled Grapes’ (Carla Hook, PhD) Sirocco, the big purple dinosaur like character, has a problem, what to do with them? Should he freeze them, put them in batter, trample and […]
One of the most special days of the week for me growing up was Thursday. No it was anything like #tbt. In my wild wonderful West Virginia small town nestled in the mountains, after walking home from school I’d run to my Grandma’s house because that was the day she […]
Banana pancakes are ‘good’. But, let’s make them grrrreat! Somehow you’ll be wondering if these banana dipper pancakes are for breakfast, dessert or could they be a sandwich. Well, they can be all! If you go for the dessert, then I’d say a big scoop of ice cream will round […]
The Italian word for butterfly is farfalla, and that’s why this pasta, which is shaped like a butterfly or ‘bow tie’, has its name. While you can use farfalle like any pasta, it’s best with a creamy sauce or tomatoes. And, you won’t go wrong with this farfalle bean breakfast […]
Creating tasty food should be un-complicated, and sometimes it helps to use convenience items that simplify the process, save time, and don’t compromise on flavor. It’s even more fun to take pre-packaged ingredients and re-fashion them into something that’s totally different. Such is the case here with the flatbread used […]
When I make a beef roast, like what we call ‘stringy beef’ because it’s a less expensive cut of beef, usually chuck, that’s full of flavor, but must cook really slowly, we usually always have leftover meat. In fact, sometimes I get a large roast just to have these leftovers […]
A bacon sandwiches come in all types, shapes and kinds. In this case, we’re gonna be using a fluffy buttermilk warm pancake as our ‘bread’ and filling it with crispy peppered bacon and fried apples! Now talk about something that’s just comfy food to the nth degree! It’s your choice […]
Besides my Ben, you know who I LOVE cooking for most in my world? My grandkids! Yep, all six of them and soon to be seven! The grown up grands have developed some pretty darn sophisticated palates because they’ve been ‘adventurous’ in their tasting and eating since they were knee […]
This is the kind of recipe that’s like a chameleon. Drizzle on some maple syrup and put some bacon with it and you can call it breakfast. Dollop on a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and you can smile because you’re eating dessert! Perfect for packing with […]
Oatmeal is one of those down home, good feel, warm your tummy dishes that get your revved up and going for the day! And, this citrus honey nut oatmeal with cream & fresh fruit is packed with even more healthiness because of adding ruby red grapefruit juice when cooking it. […]
Not sure about ya’ll, but sometimes I have leftover coffee from the morning’s brew, and I just hate tossing it out. Especially, when it’s the amazing beans that I’ve ground and lovingly brewed that come from Coffee on the Porch in Camden, Maine! Dan and Judy are artisan coffee roasters, […]
Hybrids sometimes make the most beautiful new creations. Yes, a hybrid is an offspring of a cross-breeding. Cross pollination is creating a different genetic constitution. Mixtures… combining two or more ‘substances’ where the identities are preserved and there’s a new ‘mix’. on which the identities are retained and are mixed […]
Weekends are probably the highlight of most people’s week. And, why not make each morning special, especially when it’s a long weekend like Labor Day, maybe a special weekend like Mother’s or Father’s Day. Now you don’t even need a special weekend to makes these coconut crème pancakes! They’re special […]
Seeing the bananas and not just tasting them is what this chunkie banana nut brown sugar bread’s all about. Since I knew I’d be traveling and couldn’t eat them nor wait for the ‘nanners to ripen to the good ol’ mushy really ripened stage, I decided to preserve their beauty […]
Seems in our house if I buy more than 5 bananas at least two or three turn black and are ready to go ‘bad’ within just a couple of days. Maybe I should just buy one or two bananas at a time, but that just doesn’t seem quite right because […]
Lentil Granola Cups! Yes, lentils are a super food! Most of the time you think about lentils as a soup, maybe cooked and combined with rice, couscous, in a salad, added to a burger. some kind of stew~~mostly in savory dishes. In this recipe, lentils enter the sweet category! Yes, […]
The reason I don’t use a waffle iron for making these biscuit waffles is that I don’t want them smooshed…I want them puffy and biscuity. So in order to accomplish this, I used a waffle ‘skillet’ (i.e., Nordic Ware)…it’s a handy little gizmo that you can get at big box […]
A carrot cake won the 2013 World Food Championships~~the winner took home $50,000 that day for his family’s recipe. Not too shabby, huh? It’s just incredible how comfort food, like carrot cake, warms the soul. That’s why I wanted to stretch carrot cake to another venue~~that of breakfast or brunch […]
I love a challenge! And, when I saw the Lenox/Rozanne Gold 1-2-3 recipe contest, I decided I’d see what I could conjure up. I had a fresh English cucumber in the refrigerator and some yummy plain Greek yogurt. I decided a English Cuke Galette would be born. So, with a […]
Just putting ricotta with anything is good. But, ricotta with blackerries and then turning them into muffins, well, you just have to taste it! When you can’t find fresh berries in season, then most definitely head to the freezer section at your market and get it frozen! I find it’s […]
Having company for breakfast just makes my heart sing! Since I’m full of vim, vigor and energy first thing in the morning, my kitchen usually rocks. And, having hungry food-seekers to chow down means that all this good stuff gets eaten! This morning we had two couples, great friends, staying […]
I believe that eggs are purt near close to a perfect food. I mean they’re just so versatile and can be made into so many things. Nothing’s better for me than soft-boiled eggs or sunnyside up eggs. Of course, I’ll never turn down a plate of creamy scrambled eggs, a […]
You know that something’s reeeeeally good when you hear moans and groans. I mean moans and groans of ecstasy and happiness. These are sounds that I heard when Ben, my hubster, went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee after dinner~~it was as if he was sprouting wings, […]
Holidays when family and friends get together~~there’s always room for late-morning eating~~and, this is the time to travel around the globe exploring your artisan side of eggs~~eggs are such a glorious food, and making them the show piece of a bowl, plate or the skillet in which they’re prepared becomes […]
Food is just a focus bull’s eye big deal in our family~~we always look forward to meals each and very day. But, holidays are even more special for gatherings and food. It’s a time for us, whether it’s just Ben and me or the entire crew of family and friends, […]
So how did this cutie get born? A contest! Yes, it’s the EGGO contest, and the stakes are well worth getting my brain cells swirling with ideas! From sweet to savory, breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts sweets~~there are so many things you can do with EGGOS! This EGGO Chicken Ciambella […]
Do you what a ‘charleston chew’ is? Well, it’s a candy bar invented in about 1922 when ‘The Charleston’~~as in the dance~~was popular!The company was purchased in 1957 by Nathan Sloane and later sold to Nabisco in 1980. Pop culture even knows this candy bar as it’s mentioned by Bart in The Simpsons episode “Lisa […]
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and why not make it a dining experience! Of course, that’s my mantra whenever I cook~~it’s far beyond just a recipe~~it becomes a dining experience. Now that doesn’t mean it has to be all fancy schmancy! It doesn’t mean you’ve […]
When visiting Jerusalem one of my most memorable experiences was eating the street food. Shakshuka! OMG, it was soooooooooooooo good. No utensils needed, just lots of crusty tender bread to sop up the tasty tomato sauce and creamy eggs on top. If you want to see 10 seconds of my […]
A carrot cake won the 2013 World Food Championships~~the winner took home $50,000 that day for his family’s recipe. Not too shabby, huh? It’s just incredible how comfort food, like carrot cake, warms the soul. That’s why I wanted to stretch carrot cake to another venue~~that of breakfast or brunch […]
This recipe is perfect for a weekend morning treat! It’s easy, quick and boholicious. Since Eggo is running their annual contest, I thought I’d throw my eggo into the ring and see what happens~~last year I submitted, I think three or four recipes and none caught the eyes of the […]
If you want to feel like it’s summertime year-round, especially with fruit, then look not further than the frozen fruits and Dole’s fabulous selection. Always perfect, sweet and versatile, they open up new frontiers for cooking particularly in those long dark winter months. These pancakes have dollops of whole cherries […]
Pretty eggs. Healthy eggs. Easy eggs. Have your salad with your eggs! This is one of those breakfast dishes that just makes you happy because it’s so dang gorgeous! Rather than making the dish look like ‘breakfast’ I wanted to make the breakfast look like a celebration, you know, a […]
A taste of Camelot~~this is a historical vintage recipe~~not mine but that of Marta Sgubin who was with the Kennedy family for 25+ years as governess, personal cook and long-time companion of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Here cookbook, Cooking for Madam, was a gift to me in 1998 for my birthday from […]
Cooking is more than just, well, ‘cooking’. Cooking is an engaging and healthy way to learn about world history. Can you imagine how much more exciting you high school world history classes would have been if every day the lecture had been through the eyes of food! Cooking is […]
My Princess Sous Chef, Rosemary,who assisted me at the World Food Championships sent me this unique spice blend from Trader Joe’s~~South African Smoke Seasoning~~now I’m sure you could find it online, but I’ve also decided that you can make it, and the mixture of spices is right here for you! […]
I call these ‘dessert’ waffles because I’ve decided that waffles, a beautifully elegant-looking food, have been pigeon-holed into the breakfast brunch category for way too long! They deserve to be not only desserts but entrees, too. While I made these in my small round waffle maker, and heads up, watch […]
The ‘greatest food’ elements that define this dessert are three ingredients that are smokin’ hot Southern loves—poundcake, pecans, and peaches! Whether you say ‘peeeeecan’ or ‘peahhcahhhn’ you’ll know that your poundcake waffle is full of the Southern favorite~~you’ll bite into the smoky pecans and juicy bourbon butter and brown sugar […]
What happens when your apples start to lose their luster, show signs of aging, and have soft spots and bruises~~I mean it’s really funny how food, like people, age in much the same way! Well, what I do is re-invent the food or ingredient and bring new life to it! […]
My barometer for cookies changes with my mood~~sometimes I want something really crunchy and crisp like these chocolate crispers…sometimes my palate’s calling for something chewy like these ginger cookies…and at other times, I just want something really salty! Today my mood was calling for something earthy and spicy as in […]
If you’ve never visited ‘Coffee on the Porch-Camden, Maine‘ then you don’t have to go any further than Facebook! Here you’ll find a down-home entrepreneur, Dan, who started his business with a passion for a really good cuppah coffee. Now, if you’re a java lover and somewhat of a coffee […]
Yes, there are ‘Short Ribs.’ How ‘bout ‘Short Fries’! The hardest part about making sweet potato fries is peeling them! Especially, if I buy long somewhat large fat sweet potates, and that’s what I want when I’m doing fries. Nice long fries with ninety degree angles on the cuts. Alas, […]
Contests are like hurricanes—with hurricanes, you can predict and prepare, but you don’t know until it strikes what really’s going to happen. Contests take preparation galore, and you can predict what you ‘think’ your chances are, your food tasters can throw some light on what they think about what you’re […]
Thanks to Dole Sunshine for partnering with me for this post! I am the creator of this recipe and for the description and information that follows. For a full disclosure, click here! When you have a real down-to-goodness born and bred dear French girlfriend and you serve her a pastry, you know you’re […]
I know it’s a strange name for this bread. But, there’s a story behind it. See I have these wonderful friends on Facebook who follow my cooking adventures—Bob and Laura—well, early on, Bob, who has a wicked sense of humor, deemed me his ‘foodie mistress’! Now, Bob and Laura share […]
I love making my own healthy bread. You know the peasant earthy artisan kind that’s full of great grains like ground flax, whole wheat, oats, and more. There’s something connective with the earth and my spirit when I make bread. Stick with me, no, I’m not getting whacked out. Any […]
This ‘Applesauce Cocnut Cranberry Walnut Bread’ is a pure form of enjoying the delicious coconut, cranberries, nuts and sweet bread without being distracted by too many competing spices…in fact, I didn’t put one spice in here, unless you consider the vanilla a spice. You can vary the dried fruit you […]
I don’t know why we don’t eat peas more often! After having peas done with this recipe, I KNOW we’ll be adding peas to many more meals! The sauce I created from two ingredients is like a ‘dressing’, and with the addition of the fresh pea shoots, there’s a slight […]
I call this houdini batter~~the better batter than can become just about anything you want it to be. Need brownies? Well, then put this batter in a square or rectangular baking pan. Need a bundt cake? Pull out the bundt pan and bake it. In the mood for muffins? How […]
You just can’t go wrong with eggs! Eggs are versatile, healthy and can do magical things~~like be hard boiled, soft boiled with a runny yolk, be scrambled, fried from sunny side to over easy, medium, or hand, made into an omelette or poof up this skillet pie. Actually I wanted […]
This is a not-too-sweet moist coconut cake that gets so much of its flavoring from the healthy coconut oil~~throw in a little shredded sweet coconut, and you have a cake that’s versatile and big much tasty! I drizzled mine with chocolate ganache, so this cake was like one of my […]
When a dear neighbor has a prolific fig tree and shows up at your kitchen door with a big mixing bowl of them, what do you do? ***Happy Dance*** OMG, when I saw Miss Tresa at my door with those beautiful ripe tender brilliant figs, I just knew I had […]
Don’t know how you do your bacon, but I can assure you that this is a fail safe perfect way to make bacon that’s no work but all the goodness! I like to use thick cut hardwood smoked because it just works better, but you can use regularly sliced bacon […]
This is one of those easy quick recipes that you can serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner~~it can be a side or add the sunnyside up egg and you have an full meal. Grill a piece of chicken or salmon and it’s yet another meal. The pasta is laden with […]
Yes, this can be for breakfast, and that’s exactly why I fixed it one morning~~I thought, hey, why wait til dinner, this is about as close to a great eggs and bacon as you can get! You can pass on the toast because the pasta is your carb, and it’s […]
I haven’t had real good luck with making a carrot cake! The 4-layer one I made a few months ago was so dry that I had to demolish it and re-cycle it into ‘Carrot Cake Rum Balls’ which, by the way……were quite delicious as well as compellingly gorgeous—simple bite sizes […]
I love entering contests, and when I came upon the “Legends from Europe Contest” I knew I wanted to give it whirl! What is Legends from Europe? They’re makers of hams and cheeses, and here’s what they say~~’These world-class hams and cheeses look and taste different, yet have a […]
This is a fabulous recipe from my gal, Alice Lau, from Sydney, Australia~~it’s a slight adaptation and version of her Shanghai Spring Onion Pancakes—a popular street food in China! Alice is one of the most creative and talented foodies out there—we met on Google+, never in person—I was basically drawn […]
Cooking contests bring out the best in me! I love the thrill of the challenge~~after reading the rules carefully and knowing what the parameters are, my head starts to assimilate and go to work. Now, most of the time, this ‘thinking’ is at the subconscious level~~and, after a few days, […]
Today Nan and I polished off the rest of this like-a-meal potato fennel onion tart~~like a lot of things, it just got better! Popped each slice int he microwave for about 45 seconds, put a dollop of sour cream on it then perched it on a bed of fresh spinach […]
Silvia’s Cucina was my inspiration for this cake, which she calls ‘Lemon & Olive Oil Ciambella’~~ciambella is Italian for donut~~I’ve made ~ciambellini de magro~ cookies and, omg, they’re just amazingly fabulous, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to ‘boho’ it to my needs! While Silvia dusted her […]
If you’ve got eggs, you’ve got a meal! This skillet pie made kind of like a frittata or an omelette is full of veggies, melted cheese, and savory flavors! I love making skillet egg pies because you just throw whatever it is you have into the skillet then cover with […]
What happens when you fix a huge pot of oatmeal, everyone eats, and there’s still a bunch left over? No way could I throw it out. I thought about an oatmeal pudding~~but, that sounded kinda hokey to me, and I didn’t think it’s be appealing to teenagers. Then I thought […]
Uncle! Admittedly, this is not a complicated nor insanely creative recipe, but give me a break because it’s fabulously delicious! The saltiness of the cheeses, the creaminess of the butter and then the pizzazz taste of the pepperoni~~you will not disappoint he or she who dives into it. I […]
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always the best when cooking and when creating new recipes~~since it’s pomegranate season, I’m creating a windstorm of recipes that use this delectable fruit. In fact, one of my recipes just won the Stiebs Pomegranate Contest~~I thought why not have these littl’ bursts of bubble […]
If you like ‘pudding’ breads and you dig lemon and some fresh herbs, then you’ll really dig this loaf bread! It’s got a dense moist center, notice the subtle ‘sag’ in the center of the loaf, but that’s where the really good stuff is…like the sweet spot or the pulley […]
This recipe is brought to you by DOLE Packaged Foods, however, all of the recipe development and creative food artistry, including the photography, is solely the work of Ally in her Kitchen. For more information CLICK~ Blueberries are truly one of my most favorite fruits! If you put the world ‘blueberries’ […]
True to my Boho nature, I really let the gypsy in me burst forth with holiday morning eats when there’s a crowd in the house! There’s a mishhhmoooosh of eats–nothing matches, nothing probably makes sense, but it’s always a twist on a global influence knowing that the traditional Cracker Barrel […]
I had the amazing pleasure of eating my very first shakshouka in Israel as a guest of Taste of Israel and Stand with Us. I knew when I got home, I was going to love making this boholicious dish~~I mean it’s just so me! So, I created a double duty tomato sauce […]
When I get the opportunity to taste test others’ creations, I feel special. Valor Chocolate has this chocolate thingee figured out~~I mean they’re been in business since 1881~~and, their website chronicles the story of Valor over the decades as well as the process in making this luscious chocolate. They sent me […]
The Fall 2013 issue of the Grand Strand Magazine is called the ‘Food & Wine’ special edition. I’m featured as the Grand Strand personality (it’s a cool article!), and there were local female chefs featured, amazing gals, as well as some of the best dessert recipes I’ve ever seen. Some […]
These ‘Orange Almond Wedding Cookies’ look like little dollops of ice cream! Once you bite into the buttery goodness, you know you’re tasting something that could well be addictive~~they’re almost bite size~~unless you want to be dainty and make two bites out of them~~and, they have the subtle hint of […]
Mom was the best cook ever. Gosh, I learned so much from her as she worked in our postage stamp size kitchen. Like most home cooks living in the hollers of WV in the 1950s and 1960s, our kitchens were basic, not a lot of gadgets and gizmoes. It was […]
For busy families, cooking is all about having time, enough time, to prepare a great meal. The key to making that easier is cooking more of something when you’re first preparing it, and then have leftovers (or set the extra aside) to re-invent the ‘whatever’ into something else! You know […]
I just can’t say enough about the value of a rotisserie chicken from a grocery store deli, Costco, Sam’s Club or any other place you might pick one up! For a small family of four, it can sometimes be two maybe three meals, however, for a couple of folks, like […]
Confession Time~~I love butter! As a kid, probably about the age of 3 or 4, I’d sneak into the kitchen, open the retro refrigerator, grab a stick of butter, peel back the paper and eat it like a push up! Of course, I’d run into the back yard, find a […]
Having company for breakfast just makes my heart sing! Since I’m full of vim, vigor and energy first thing in the morning, my kitchen usually rocks. And, having hungry food-seekers to chow down means that all this good stuff gets eaten! This morning we had two couples, great friends, staying […]
It’s just so easy to make your own ‘designer’ inspired spreads, and you can control everything about it~~the flavors, the textures, the colors, the ingredients! So starting with my main ingredient, ‘Sweet & Spicy Saigon’ spice from Simply Asia…thanks to them for sending me a box of products…I decided that […]
My cool husband is SO SO SO supportive of all of my cooking, competing and culinary shenanigans~~in this world of food, it’s important to have the spouse on board! He loves to try things, always gives his brutally honest opinion, has joined me in a cooking class (in Italy, and […]
I’m convinced you can make just about anything into a cheesecake! This ‘trail mix sweet potato & pineapple cheesecake’ is a perfect example! It’s like a sweet potato pie with a crunchy crust, then you add the depth of the pineapple juice and top it off with the fig sauce, […]
You may wonder—what’s a ‘scookie’? It’s a new word I’ve created for this recipe because I started it out thinking I was making scones, but they ended up looking like a big fat yummy cookie, so they’ve become a ‘scookie’! These scookies are moist with a little touch of crunch—a […]
Gotta love Wikipedia! Crostini (meaning “little toasts” in Italian) are an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings. The toppings may include a variety of different cheeses, meats, and vegetables, or may be presented more simply with a brush of olive oil and herbs or a sauce. Crostini are typically made using French or Italian baguettes and are often served […]
Fresh mangoes can be used in so many ways other than just a salsa! When they’re grilled, either in a cast iron skillet, on an outdoor grill, or broiled, the flavors will burst forth like fireworks! Then for more power and punch, and just when you thought it couldn’t be […]
Sometimes I just go to my kitchen and play ‘I spy!’ I’ll scan the kitchen counters for what looks good and what I might be in the mood for. Today I spied some fresh peaches on the counter and a loaf of sliced homemade (well, homemade from Whole Foods) sourdough […]
My feet have finally touched ground after the zany and surreal weekend in Santa Monica, CA at the DOLE California Cook-Off! So, what’s the first thing I do when I get home? COOK! Being in the fruitilicious mood from four days of a ‘Dole Role’, I decided that instead of […]
My friends at Rodelle Vanilla always have the most enticing fabulous recipes on their website, and I’m particularly interested in the desserts! So, I spied one that just spoke to me! Yes, it said ‘Ally, you have to make me…really don’t be scared, you can do it…I’m not that complicated!’ […]
I can eat my weight in these fries! They’ve got kick and flavor not normally tasted in a french fry! Don’t be stingy with the sea salt~~it intensifies those flavors! The Greek Mediterranean seasoning opens up new tastebud sites when you bite into that fry and make you think you’re […]
Eggs! The quintessential wonderful food~~so versatile, so healthy, so delicious, so easy to prepare and it makes anything just taste better because of its simple richness! In the America’s South now we love our collards~~not only super healthy, these greens can even be for breakfast, so pairing some sauteed spicy […]
Our travels in Tuscany led us one day to Montevarchi to the Thursday outdoor market~~from clothing to food to cheese, fish, trinkets and veggies, there was more than I could imagine. The vegetables were the most amazing!! They looked like they’d just been brought from the fields or orchards with […]
What happens when you buy the big bag of whole walnuts from Costco? Well, you do a lot of dishes and recipes with walnuts! Of course, you can just put some in a bowl and eat them randomly as you pass by, and that’s exactly what I was thinking when […]
I’m a veggie oven roasting fanatic! Within in a short amount of time in a hot oven, your veggies caramelize, the sugars come out, and the flavors burst like exploding stars! These Brussels sprouts also are packed with even more taste bud tingles with the chili mixture and the cumin! I’m especially […]
What I’m finding about bread-making is that it’s not as hard as you think! Now, I do mine the ol’ fashioned way~~knead with my hands~~don’t even own a bread-making machine! There’s just something tactile and luscious about getting your hands into the sticky dough, flicking on more flour, pushing and […]
Foods from India~~I’ve never even ventured into that kind of ethnic cooking and now I’m getting my toes wet with trying this very first dish. Maybe it was the intriguing movie ‘The Life of Pi’ that sparked my interest even more so~~I’ve always loved the design flair of the women’s […]
We have more crabs than Carter’s got pills in our inlet! Ben will just bait the crab traps, toss ’em out from the floating dock, leave them for about 48 hours or more, and when we pull them in, they’re usually loaded with big fat crabs! Throw ’em in a […]
When Ben usually eats something I’ve made, he’ll say, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!’ Well, I’m like Ben on this one~~this is the best bread I’ve every made! Moist, tender, dense, yet light, a heavenly yeasteee aroma cooking and pull apart fluffy and soft! It reminded me […]
Usually my cheesecakes are rustic and peasant meaning I just dump the ingredients into the mixing bowl, blend, pour into the crust and bake. This ‘Lemon Orange Marmalade Ultimate Cheesecake’ is different~~I took more time with it, like I used a hand mixer and actually let things get fluffy and […]
Seems that many times when I cook for only Ben and me, there’s always just a ‘tad’ leftover of a few things, and when it’s a cucumber and tomato salad and roasted veggies, I just don’t have the heart to toss them out, although there’s not enough there to make […]
Unless you’re Southern, you may not realize what a fried green tomato is or why a fried green tomato is so revered. First of all, it’s fried~~think crunch. Second of all, it’s dipped in buttermilk~~think luscious tartness. Third of all, it’s got an al detente-ness that lets you know it’s […]
This jelly is not only stunningly green and beautiful, but it’s got a kick that bites back when you bite into it! I made it to use with a leg of lamb roast, but I know it’d be equally as delicious with chicken or pork. All you need is just […]
Deviled eggs are always a great snack or side dish for holiday meals. Seems that’s the main time that I think of these petite treats, and they’re usually on my Easter dinner table~~the egg mood time! While the standard recipes for deviled eggs works, finding ways to change them up, […]
There are just so many ways you can put new twists on your deviled eggs! Since I’ve boiled up a big batch (14 to be exact), I decided to about 3-6 each differently. One batch was done with jalapenos and bacon, so this one got the smokey slant with paprika […]
This would be a ‘Southern’ appetizer created for a girlfriend party! Now why pork chop and mustard green bites? Well, most of my ideas come from ingredients I find the day I’m shopping for them. I like to shop and buy local, seasonal and on sale, so both of these […]
In America’s South, the equivalent of broccoli rabe leaves is turnip greens. Broccoli rabe is common in Southern Europe and China, and its Italian name is ‘rapini’~~ the flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, and pungent. Rapini is a source of vitamins including A, C, K, as well as […]
Finding new fooding products to play with is like finding new toys for my cooking! I leisurely hang out in grocery stores spending sometimes hours in the aisles looking at various products. (Each of us has our idiosyncrasies ) My wheels are always turning to have that light bulb go on. Even […]
I make a lot of what I call, ‘rustic peasant bread’…now these breads are really easy, you’ll find many on my website by just putting in the search box the word ‘bread’! Since it’s all natural, as in no preservatives to make it last until my youngest child graduates from […]
I’ve been experimenting more and more with different types of flour for baking purposes…some of this is spurred on by the gluten-free movement, some of it’s just because I want to branch out from regular wheat flour and try some of those cute little, albeit expensive for sure, packages of […]
Al dente fresh green beans. A smokey bacon flavor. Roasted cherry tomatoes. Quick and easy and perfect with most any entree! I served these stunning beauties with sliced beef filet along with some oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes. Not much more to say about them other than, they were boholicious! […]
I’m a bread lover. Most all of my breads are made from wheat products, so when one of my most treasured foodie friend, Lauren Kelly, sent me her cookbook, which is ‘The Everything Wheat-Free Diet Cookbook,’ I was opened to a whole new world of ideas for cooking gluten-free. Lauren’s cookbook […]
Major comfort food here! I can’t even think of eating some things, like a pinto beans or a hamburger, without fried taters and onions. Frying my potatoes is a treat and a rarity…most of the time I oven roast them, but every now and then I just have to have […]
It’s really hard to mess up these cookies! This recipe is a variation of one that I’ve used for a while from the ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ cookbook copyright 1970! That was my very first cookbook, and its wear and tear, stains, dog-ears, and tattered cover are evidence that this […]
When I make a big ol’ pot of beans, be they pinto, anasazi, lima, Great Northern, whatevvvvah, I just have to have a big pot of fried taters! My mama could make THE best fried taters~~I do everything she does, but mine just don’t turn out like hers~~I do think […]
This recipe for crispy waffle babies is more about technique than anything. That’s why I used a waffle and pancake mix~~I was also excited and wanted to get started with my new idea! I wanted to see if I could make a rippled and fluted pancake that has crisp for […]
These cookies are pretty to look at. These cookies are easy to make. These cookie keep well for a few days or freeze well in an air-tight container. These cookies go perfectly well with a cup of coffee or tea or a big ol’ glass of frosty cold milk! Let’s […]
Finding nice juicy large boholicious scallops is always a treat! Even if they’re ‘previously frozen’, which is the case most all the time when you’re living in the mountains of Colorado, I have to have my fix for scallops. It’s precisely these times that I miss living on the inlet […]
One of the best things about being a foodie and blogger is the number of talented and generous other foodies you meet via social media. Many of my friends, whom I’ve never met in person but feel like I know as well as real ‘brick and mortar’ friends, have written […]
These are what I call ‘hearty’ cinnamon rolls…they’re not like ‘Cinnab0n’ cinnamon rolls~~yeasty and soft. These are like cowboy cinnamon biscuit rolls! A texture that has some dense mass, some bite and chew…don’t expect them ‘melt in your mouth’ like marshmallows~~you’ll need to bite then chew the love and feel […]
Double duty~~that’s what these ‘Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Bars’ are~~ well, really triple or quadruple duty! They’re not real sweet, so they can handle the cream cheese icing and chocolate ganache. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t!! Leave them ‘au naturale’! You might want to eat them […]
Creating this recipe for the Ile de France Cheese ‘Holiday Recipe Contest’ was a lot of fun! Living on the coast of South Carolina means I have access to some of the most succulent shrimp you could ever put in your mouth, so finding new ways to prepare, plate and […]
Growing up, we’d go to ‘town’ on one or two Saturdays a month…now ‘town’ was about 15 miles from our house. Mom and Dad would pile us four kids into the old 1954 Ford, and we’d spend the day in town doing grocery shopping and going to our favorite plates […]
***Tap Tap Tap*** This is a test, only a test! I decided to use the rice flour in my pantry in this morning’s banana bread, which, by the way, was not planned, like a lot of little chillins in families! The four black bananas on my kitchen counter were either […]
KISS…you’ve certainly heard that acronym used! Well, this is a KISS recipe…it’s just so simple, it defies logic. The flavor and taste don’t seem to go with the simplicity of the preparation. But, it does work…like the ‘Roasted Charred Cabbage Rounds’ the cauliflower is really really tasty~~it’s got a slight […]
Since I didn’t have any white flour, I decided that if we were to have pancakes they’d have to be whole wheat. Funny how things always work out wonderfully when you don’t think you have to follow the way you usually do something~~and, for me, pancakes are ‘usually’ made with […]
If there’s ever something that I could bottle and sell and make so many people happy, it’s this ‘Spicy Hot Olive & Almond Romesco’! This is the second in a series (hummmm, that sounds important, huh?) of Romesco sauce-making for me…who knows what might be next. My first was an […]
You never know the reaction you’ll get from total strangers when they taste your food. Ally’s Kitchen & my Boho princesses teamed up with our local Anthropologie store one Fall Saturday for an Ally’s Kitchen & Anthropologie Nibbles. Essentially, I put my spin on recipes I’d chosen from some of their cookbooks. […]
This recipe, Watermelon Grape & Cherry Tomato Salad~~Anthropologie Nibbles, was boho’d from its original version. The original recipe can be found in the cookbook ‘Sweet Paul.’ Why did I choose this recipe, this cookbook and boho it? Ally’s Kitchen teamed up with our local Anthropologie store, and this cookbook is sold […]
