Green Beans, Spanish-Style with Garlic and Marcona Almonds

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These green beans are quick and delicious.  You may think of green beans almondine, but this isn’t quite them.  Way more garlic. They’re superb with fish and chicken, but personally, The Goddess could simply eat bowls and bowls of these, with nothing else.  So good.  Continue reading

Neep and Carrot Mash-Up

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Neeps, or Swedes or rutabaga…whatever you call them, don’t appear on our tables frequently enough.  For some, rutabaga is an acquired taste.  They have a strong flavor, in the turnip family.  I like to cook them with carrots and it turns out, others like them this way, too.  Continue reading

Scalloped Potato and Ham Soup

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Honestly, I really had been thinking about potato soup today.  I had leftover mashed potatoes, with just a bit of parsnip in them.  This is a perfect situation to make a soup.  I had some ham, a couple of slices of jamón Iberico, a few leftover roasted baby potatoes, and I shredded up a carrot.  You can see the “roots” of a soup, can’t you?  Continue reading

Soul-Warming Beef-Barley Soup

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It’s chilly here in North Carolina.  I think chillier than last year at this time.  And that makes it perfect soup weather.  And there’s something so comforting, and well, soul-warming about beef-barley soup.  Get out the soup spoons and the good bread.  Continue reading

Braised Beef with Orange and Figs

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Braised Beef with Orange and FigsI’ve been reading this really interesting cookbook, ****************.   Actually, it’s less of a cookbook, though they have some wonderful recipes, and more of a reference work.  At least for me it is.  The authors are a chef and a specialist in scents.  What a combination, right?  Continue reading

Vegetable Soup with Italian Flavors

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Vegetable Soup with Italian FlavorsWith flu season upon us with a vengeance, I thought this was a good time of year to make a brothy, vegetable soup.  There are a few beans tossed in, but they were more of an afterthought.  This soup is all about vegetables, is slightly salty and will warm you to your bones.  Continue reading

Thanksgiving Blessings for You!

Thanksgiving is a time to join hands around the table, share a meal offered with love and make memories for future generations.  It is the quintessential holiday, for Thanksgiving knows no religion.  Thanksgiving is love and sharing and eating!  Thanksgiving is the least commercial holiday, apart from sales on turkeys and pumpkin pie. We are blessed to have always had good food, in abundance.  Perhaps too much.  But, it really isn’t the quantity of food that makes Thanksgiving so special, it is the quantity of love around your table.  So, pass the potatoes and gravy, eat an extra piece of pie and reminisce, argue (good-naturedly, please), praise the cook/cooks, have a nap, and of course, football!  Please just remember that these are the people who are special to you, that love you and care deeply about you…and that’s all you need.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The Goddess’s Poultry Seasoning

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Don’t purchase pre-made poultry season.  Homemade is less expensive, it’s head-and-shoulders above the purchased stuff and it’s easy-peasy to do.  I thought I would pass along my current version of poultry seasoning.  I use this for fried chicken, all chicken really, as well as turkey.  It has evolved over the years and will probably continue to evolve.  That’s how I cook.  Our tastes change and so should our recipes.  Continue reading

Harvest Ramen Salad

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We had a neighborhood pot luck recently to celebrate fall.  We were asked to bring either a dessert or a side, with a pumpkin theme.  Well, I knew there would be plenty of desserts, so I decided a salad would be the thing.  I’ve always loved the ramen noodle salad that has made the rounds over the years.  So I decided to roast some pumpkin and add that.  Turns out, it was quite delicious.  Here we go…. Continue reading

Apple-Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

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Apple-Cranberry Cornbread DressingThis is a slightly fruity version of cornbread dressing, but with savory flavors dancing around in the back.  Cornbread and apple compliment each other, then throw in the bacon and cheese that temper the sweetness and add a lovely savory aspect.   Continue reading