Tag: Exit 51

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Know When To Say When

by Wendi7 Comments on Flashback Friday – Know When To Say When

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 6/2/08 at Exit 51

Know When To Say When

I have a handful of recipes that try and create homemade versions of popular treats – Thin Mints, Peppermint Patties, and most recently, Oreos. I adore the idea of a diy approach to a classic. Really, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have Thin Mints anytime they wanted? Nothing to get in the way of enjoying minty thin goodness on a whim.

But here’s the thing that nobody says. It’s a lot of freaking work. I read over the recipe and think ’sure, I can do that’. But it doesn’t occur to me that this undertaking will consume hours of my life. Hours that I can never get back. And why? All because I had to see if I could do it. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Know When To Say When” →

Main Course

GOOPy

by Wendi4 Comments on GOOPy
image from http://www.istockphoto.com

While I’m away on my imaginary vacation, I’m leaving the pantry stocked with posts from Exit 51 that would have been part of the Flashback Friday series. The following originally appeared on 7/27/09 at Exit 51.

GOOPy

Dear Gwenny,

You really do make it too easy to pick on you.  You can’t help the fact that you are genetically blessed, so I won’t hate you because you’re beautiful.  I also won’t hate on you for your career success (truth be told, I really enjoyed you in  View From The Top and I was sorry to see you lose your head in Seven) or for landing a rock star husband.  Some people are just lucky. Continue reading “GOOPy” →

Random

Sharp

by Wendi4 Comments on Sharp
image from http://www.istockphoto.com

While I’m away on my imaginary vacation, I’m leaving the pantry stocked with posts from Exit 51 that would have been part of the Flashback Friday series. The following originally appeared on 7/29/09 at Exit 51.

Sharp

We have accumulated an odd assortment of knives here in our kitchen.  Some were wedding gifts.  Others were random purchases.  We’ve even inherited a couple that are probably almost as old as I am.  My grandfather was a meat cutter and every so often some of his A&P work knives would find their way home with him.    After he passed away, two of those work horses found their way to our house.  Funny how that happens. Continue reading “Sharp” →

Breads

Smitten

by Wendi4 Comments on Smitten

image from http://www.istockphoto.com

While I’m away on my imaginary vacation, I’m leaving the pantry stocked with posts from Exit 51 that would have been part of the Flashback Friday series. The following originally appeared on 7/31/09 at Exit 51.

Smitten

What do you do when a neighbor kindly gifts you a 3 pound zucchini?  You make zucchini bread.  Lots of zucchini bread.  And if you’re me, where is the first place you look for a zucchini bread recipe?  Smitten Kitchen, of course. Continue reading “Smitten” →

Side Dishes

Flashback Friday – Good Karma Risotto

by Wendi5 Comments on Flashback Friday – Good Karma Risotto

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/30/08 at Exit 51.

Good Karma Risotto

Ok, so maybe this risotto recipe won’t bring you good karma, but I think sharing it with you can’t be bad for mine. Besides, every time I have served it, it’s been a big hit. Huge.

The final dish is creamy with a tender grain and comes without the aggravation of having to stand over a steaming pot stirring and stirring. Cooking doesn’t have to be hard work you know? Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Good Karma Risotto” →

Main Course

Flashback Friday – Kitchen Karma

by Wendi2 Comments on Flashback Friday – Kitchen Karma

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/29/08 at Exit 51.

Kitchen Karma

I can’t very well tease you with references to recipes that not only work but impress the heck outta folks and then leave you high and dry, now can I?

No, that would be bad.

Bad kitchen karma.

And all my future cooking endeavors would be doomed.

So to appease the Kitchen Gods…not to mention my own personal St. Anthony of Bacon…I give you the main course from Win Some, Lose Some. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Kitchen Karma” →

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Win Some, Lose Some

by Wendi3 Comments on Flashback Friday – Win Some, Lose Some

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/28/08 at Exit 51

Win Some, Lose Some

Try as I might, not everything that goes on in my kitchen can be considered successful. And I can’t figure out where I go wrong. Am I missing some critical gene in my DNA to produce flawless results every time I put my apron on? Or do I just get ahead of myself and miss steps along the way?

Take this past weekend for example. On Friday we had a lovely dinner of Tenderloin with Chocolate Wine Sauce, Roasted Asparagus, and Mushroom Risotto. Not one bad dish in the group. And very few leftovers…only a few slices of beef which quickly got polished off as lunch the next day. It truly is one impressive dinner. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Win Some, Lose Some” →

Random

Flashback Friday – Mash Ups

by Wendi8 Comments on Flashback Friday – Mash Ups

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/16/08 at Exit 51

Mash Ups

Standing at the sink the other night doing dishes, I got to thinking. Why is it that we christen the rich, famous, or infamous with mashed up names? There’s JLo, LiLo, Bennifer, and let us not forget Brangelina or TomKat. Is it so hard to use a complete name? Have we really lost the ability to speak in anything but sound bytes?

Of all the nicknames I’ve had, none of them have every employed the mash up. If they did, I could be WeMi (nope), WeMo (no, not that either), WeJay (neyt), or JEndi (actually, SFC and I do get called this and I don’t really mind).

So, what’s your mash up name?

Main Course

Flashback Friday – Love/Hate

by Wendi7 Comments on Flashback Friday – Love/Hate

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/14/08 at Exit 51

Love/Hate

I have a confession to make. I have a relationship with another man. Maybe you’ve heard of him – Mark Bittman of the New York Times, otherwise known as The Minimalist.  Shhh, don’t tell SFC.

He embraces a lo-fi approach to cooking…it’s not about fancy gadgets or exotic ingredients or esoteric techniques. It’s about plain and simple good food which only seems to be fancy or exotic or esoteric. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Love/Hate” →

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – David Lebovitz Trifecta

by Wendi2 Comments on Flashback Friday – David Lebovitz Trifecta

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 5/13/08 at Exit 51

David Lebovitz Trifecta

I thought I would round out my homage to DL with his take on Frozen Yogurt which just so happens to be the only project which fit into my busy weekend. Unlike ice cream, frozen yogurt doesn’t need a cooked base. No fiddling or fussing necessary. Just find some lovely berries, sugar them up a bit, go do something else for two hours, mix in plain yogurt*, process, chill, and churn. This recipe could not be simpler. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – David Lebovitz Trifecta” →