Spicy Penne & Chicken Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing

Spicy Penne & Chicken Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing

THE BIG DAY–July 4th—is almost here, and I’m scurrying to post this wonderful and oh so easy salad so that you will have time to add it to your picnic spread or buffet table. It’s different enough from traditional Old-Fashioned Creamy Macaroni Salad that I often present it as a spicy alternative or adjunct.

There is something about this salad that keeps folks coming back for second, third, and yes, even fourth servings. I love having it on hand during intense work weeks (like this past week), as I seem never to tire of it. I have been known to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but don’t spread that around.

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July 2, 2010 By 9 Comments

Old-Fashioned Creamy Macaroni Salad

Old-Fashioned Creamy Macaroni Salad

America has been having a love affair with pasta salad since at least 1920, when early recipes began appearing in American cookbooks. At first, the salads were mainly side dishes in diners and delis, but eventually they achieved much higher status to become rock stars of the picnic buffet table. To give these salads “gourmet’ allure, the standard elbow macaroni was replaced with more “exotic” pasta shapes, such as penne, farfalle, cavatappi, fusilli, radiator, gemili, and conchiglie. And the simple mayonnaise or vinaigrette dressing took on bold new flavor profiles.

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June 29, 2010 By 9 Comments

Summertime Beef & Brew Grilled Burgers

Beef Chuck, Beer & Fresh Rosemary Burgers

Is there anything better in the glorious summertime than a big, juicy burger, straight off the grill, tucked into a soft, toasted bun, topped with all the fixings? Maybe with a cold, dark beer alongside? Not in my book.

But too often these days, cooks are cutting corners with the beef patties, sometimes even buying preformed patties at the meat counter. When I see someone in the grocery store reach for those predone packages of hamburger patties, I want to scream, “No, no don’t do it.” Because, well, it actually matters what grade of ground beef you buy and how you form the patties. It matters very much.

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June 27, 2010 By 26 Comments

Spanish Broccoli & Prawn Salad

Spanish Brocoli & Prawn Salad

I created a version of this salad for Cooking Light magazine many moons ago. I remember being so relieved to have salads to work on for awhile, as the editors too often threw me the dessert assignments. Trying to craft hundreds of memorable and satisfying desserts (over a few years), each with such a low calorie ceiling was making me crazy.

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September 5, 2009 By 10 Comments