Today I wanted to share one of my favorite summertime desserts, a tart shell filled with whipped mascarpone cream and topped with fresh fruit. Simple, oh so tasty and perfect for all those warm summer nights filled with BBQs and entertaining.
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To me, strawberry shortcake screams summertime. Like so many people I grew up eating strawberry shortcake - we even used to pick our own strawberries way back when.
We never made it by scratch but would instead buy shortcake cups from the grocery store (anyone remember those? They tasted like cardboard but we still ate them) then topped them with fresh strawberries and some Reddi whip. This recipe takes that version of strawberry shortcake up a notch but it is still super tasty and nostalgic.
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I love old school kitchy desserts. Desserts that aren't really that popular anymore but to me, reflect a more glamorous and fabulous time. Think Palm Springs in the 50s.
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I do a weekly "fridge foraging" series on my Instagram where I cook from whatever I have leftover/can find in my fridge. I made this salad last week and cant' stop eating it! It is fresh, seasonal and has the perfect combinations of crunchy and creamy textures.
This isn't a strict recipe but rather a guideline. Feel free to swap out the feta for Parmesan cheese and use any type of nut, I just love hazelnuts. Also since grilling season is upon us and summer is just about here, this is the perfect easy salad to go with your next BBQ.
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Cherry season is one of the seasonal fruits that I wait for all year. Cherry season signals the start of warm weather and all that gorgeous sunshine that summer has to offer. It also signals BBQs, outside dinners and picnics - the reason I love summer so much.
I love the combination of cherries and almonds because they have a natural affinity for each other. Cherries and almonds are actually related to each other - they are in the same family as peaches, apricots and a lot of other types of stone fruit. You know that saying what what grows together goes well together, well in this instance it is totally true, almonds and cherries are a perfect pair.
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Let's talk about how I have become this crazy pie lady! I don't know where it came from. Actually scratch that, I blame my family. We never had cakes growing up - we always had pie. Fast forward to my cooking career and my love of pie has basically taken off. I wrote a cookbook on pie when I was in the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen and have loved, loved creating videos out of pie. It is universal, everyone loves a good 'ol pie
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It is crazy how sunshine affects my motivation. There is a reason this south florida raised girl has landed in California! I crave sunshine. It was raining non-stop for the past three months in LA (which is great for the drought, but bad for my motivation). When it rains all I want to do is curl up on the couch with the dog and read a book. But when it is sunny, I feel like I could rule the world. So to the sun is finally out and I am ready to celebrate. Blueberry lemon bars seem like a good thing to celebrate with right?
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I am pretty sure you could say that I am obsessed with tacos. Anytime my husband asks where I want to eat I always say tacos. Tacos, tacos and more tacos please. When we lived in Oakland our staple was Cholita Linda. Oh boy I miss that place. It was in walking distance and had some of the most delicious tacos. Now down here in LA, we are huge fans of Loqui, where they make their own tortillas.
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A friend of mine recently asked me to bring over an appetizer to a dinner party she was throwing. After giving it some thought I decided to try and go healthy. Often times appetizers are heavy and not necessarily healthy - or at least the ones I am used to serve. I love a cheese board but who doesn't totally pig out on a cheese board to the point where they are no longer hungry? (Am I the only one?) I decided to go with a crudite platter (because crudite is the next cheese board? Maybe I have been living in LA too long) along with the most delicious dip out there, romesco.
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I was cleaning out my fridge recently, something that I need to do more of, and discovered a bottle of buffalo wing sauce. I bought this bottle for a recipe development project a couple weeks ago and since I was in search of a relatively healthy dinner, I decided to make some buffalo chicken in my Instant Pot. I served it with a vinegar based cole slaw and a pretzel hamburger bun and it hit the spot.
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I have been trying hard to eat healthy this week. I feel like this week is the buffer between Thanksgiving and when all the holiday parties come at you in full force. This asian salmon with cabbage slaw is on heavy rotation these days, which is good because it is super tasty and really delicious.
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