Recipe: Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love bananas and have been ordering them with most grocery deliveries.  Usually, we have some left that turn brown so I'm always looking for ideas to bake with the ones that turn over-ripe.  This is a good one.  

Recipe: Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

It is starting to be grilling season.  I love a good steak and mashed potatoes.  Try these.

Recipe: Ratatouille

This recipe is quite different from our Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille that we made on our Thrill of the Grill episode with Heath Hall and Brett Thompson of Pork Barrel BBQ. Ratatouille is a perfect way to practice your knife skills.  Eat your veggies!

Recipe: Lasagna

Photo by Emily Clack

My sweet daughter requested lasagna last night so I delivered.  Hope you enjoy!  What recipes have you made during quarantine?

Uncorked: Make Mommy Happy with These 3 Wines

I know it might be hard to look ahead with the focus on the coronavirus, but don't forget about Mom.  She will love these three wines.  I'll be gearing up to welcome my third baby the next day, if all goes as planned.  I'll open one of these when I get back from the hospital.  Make sure to show your mom some love on Mother's Day (May 10).

Recipe: M’Hanncha Coiled Serpent Cake

This crescent shaped pastry is stuffed with delicately flavored almond paste and coated with icing sugar. M'hanncha means "the snake" and this pastry certainly looks like a snake. It is made of filo dough and is then coiled like a snake. It is filled with an almond paste. You can make a large pastry with larger sheets of filo, or you can make individual sizes, which is much easier.

Thinking of Drinking: Red and White Sangria

Photo by Emily Clack

With weekends as beautiful as this one, Sangria seems like the perfect drink to sip on outside.  This Sangria is a twist on the traditional recipes that use brandy. Carmine’s uses Vermouth.  Both recipes are slightly sweet and very refreshing.  These are recipes are nice for a picnic, barbecue or party since the base of the drink can be made hours in advance.

Hopefully we can have gatherings again soon.

Perfect Pair: Salt Crusted Branzino with Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc Reserva

The freshness of the fish is the most important element. If Branzino isn't available and at its height of freshness, substitute black bass or red snapper. 

Uncorked: Top 3 Spring Whites

Spring is a great time to sip wine. The weather starts to feel a little nicer; the trees start blooming; the air smells fresh.

What to Cook: Shrimp

We've been making lots of meals at home during the pandemic.  I've compiled some of my favorite shrimp recipes in case you're looking for inspiration.  

Wines in the time of Quarantine

These frightening times may make perusing wine lists seem like a quaint pleasure of days gone by. But it is also important that we maintain our sanity and composure during tough times, and there has never been a time in our collective lives when we have needed to do that more. As Lord Byron said, "Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil." So perhaps you should gift one of the following to your favorite healthcare worker, grocery store clerk, or delivery person the next time you see them:

Quarantine Cooking: Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto

We've been completely isolated, but eating well.  I had a craving for risotto and fresh spring flavors.  Try this recipe.  Add in other spring ingredients like peas or fresh herbs.  

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe is featured on p. 120 of the Capital Cooking Cookbook. Long ago, we filmed the American Classics show with Chef Shannon Overmiller of The Majestic. Shannon is not only an amazing chef, but she is such a sweet person. This recipe is perfect for strawberry season.