MaiTai Tracy’s Kitchen:  Our Favorite Recipes

 

 

 

From Our Kitchen To Yours

“A passion for food is a passion for life” – Old Italian saying

Welcome to MaiTai Tracy’s Kitchen!

Tom and I love to travel … and to eat!  When Tom started Travels With Mai Tai Tom, MaiTai Tracy’s Kitchen was added as a way to help Tom build content.  Somewhere along the way, I realized I enjoyed sharing recipes and really liked writing and taking pictures.  I started by posting some of our favorites recipes from our years of entertaining.  I have kept track of the menus for every single dinner and party we have had at our house since 1999.  We like to host, what can I say?

Our very first party in 1991 was a Blazing Saddles costume party where we served Yankee Bean Soup and Tuna Surprise (food from the movie – not to worry, those recipes are not here).  Our second effort was Thanksgiving, where the turkey erupted in flames.  Apparently, it was a very juicy turkey and the drippings spilled out and caught fire in the oven.  As I recall, everything turned out great despite our beagle snatching a loaf of cranberry bread from the table.

We are much improved since those two efforts.  The recipes I share with you are our favorites; ones that can’t go wrong and that we feel are worth the effort.  Our motto: “Good Food, Great Friends and Fun.” 

On the travel side of things, I am the “Scribe.”  I take copious notes that Tom magically transforms into his trip reports and posts.  These days I also take most of the photos on my iPhone.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we like sharing them!

“People who love to eat are always the best people” – Julia Child

Tracy & Tom

Browse by Course

Breakfast 

Starter

Soup and Salad

Cocktail

Side

Main

Dessert

Dog Treats

 


November 10, 2016

Vanilla Pear Jam

A Pair Of Pear Jams (Part One) Vanilla Pear Jam Side Sadly, fig season is over, but I remain smitten with jamming.   Recently I read an article featuring food blogger Marisa McClellan of Food in Jars.  Not only did I learn lots about canning but I was inspired to try […]
August 31, 2016

Creamed Corn and Pancetta Orzo

Corn To Be Wild! Creamed Corn and Pancetta Orzo Main From the Tracy’s Kitchen archives, here is a recipe that I first came across in Bon Appétit magazine and it was our Recipe of the Year for 2008.  I have made this periodically over the years and had forgotten how […]
August 25, 2016

Strawberry Grand Marnier Fig Jam

Ain’t It Grand! Strawberry Grand Marnier Fig Jam Side After the success of the Boozy Bourbon Vanilla Fig Jam, I was inspired to try another jam recipe also including a potent potable (Strawberry Grand Marnier Fig Jam).   It was a good thing too because as I was making the […]
August 9, 2016

Boozy Bourbon, Vanilla and Fig Jam

We’re Jammin’ Boozy Bourbon, Vanilla and Fig Jam Side Our neighbor has a gorgeous fig tree that fortuitously hangs into our yard (as does her luscious lemon tree).  Never having been a big fig fan, each year I would pick them to take to the office where they are scooped […]
August 1, 2016

Some Like It Hot Chicken Enchiladas with Hatch Chile Sauce

Scrumptious South Of The Border Enchiladas Some Like It Hot Chicken Enchiladas with Hatch Chile Sauce Main Tom Preface:  (About five years ago, when I was gainfully employed, I interviewed my friend Robert at Melissa’s Produce.  I asked him what was new, and he replied, “Well, it’s almost Hatch Chile […]
June 30, 2016

Grilled Watermelon Gazpacho Soup

The Perfect Summer Soup Grilled Watermelon Gazpacho Soup Soup & Salad While traveling in Spain in 2015, I ordered many versions of gazpacho, and while some were better than others, none were made with watermelon.  When I saw this recipe in Fine Cooking, I was intrigued.   Recently we fired up […]
March 22, 2016

Divine Orange Sherbet Jello

The Dish That Helped Save My Life Divine Orange Sherbet Jello Side This orange sherbert Jello is the ultimate comfort food from your grandmother’s generation.  It is also Tom’s favorite and was an integral part of his recovery from his 105-day hospitalization in 2010, as it was one of the few […]
February 2, 2016

Black Bean Chipotle Chili with Steak

Some Like It (Really) Hot Chili Black Bean Chili Chipotle Chili with Steak Main This chili is our go-to meal when the frozen tundra of winter hits Southern California (or when the calendar says it is winter, otherwise how would we know? Seriously, it is supposed to be 80 later […]
November 28, 2015

NYC Salted Caramel Martini

A Martini Worth Its Salt NYC Salted Caramel Martini Cocktail Here’s a “go-to” drink for your next holiday soirée!  While in New York, Tracy and I stopped by the Bryant Park Grill for a bite to eat.  On the menu was a Salted Caramel Martini, which sounded like the perfect […]
November 7, 2015

Tom’s Perfect Pumpkin Tuscan Risotto

Italian Perfection Tom’s Perfect Pumpkin Tuscan Risotto Main Here is a recipe that Tom and I sent out with our Christmas cards in 2005 having deemed it “Tuscan Tom’s Recipe of the Year.”  We had just returned from a three-week vacation to Umbria, Tuscany, Venice, and Rome, so we were […]
October 20, 2015

Meat Loaf With A Kick

Comfort Food Extraordinaire Meat Loaf With A Kick Main While lying on the floor with a bad back watching daytime TV last week (a sad tale of water conservation gone awry), I came upon Chef Jeff Mauro making meatloaf on a show called The Kitchen.  Tom happened to be walking […]
April 6, 2015

Supremely Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Heaven Supremely Lemon Bundt Cake Dessert A co-worker shared this recipe with me.  The secret here is the Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake mix and the apricot juice.  It is perfect for Spring, especially as our neighbor’s lemon tree overhangs our driveway full of the sweetest lemons ever.  It […]
May 30, 2014

Maitai Tracy’s Kumquat Infused Vodka

Homemade Booze…KumQuat May Maitai Tracy’s Kumquat Infused Vodka Cocktail The adage says, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Sure, but what if life (actually a dwarf tree in our backyard) gives you kumquats? Why make vodka, of course.                       […]
December 1, 2011

Picard Martini

A Cocktail That Is Simply Out Of This World! Picard Martini Cocktail I originally was going to call this martini the Star Trek: Next Generation, however, I decided on the shorter name because I learned this recipe from a friend named Patrick Stuart (not spelled exactly like the actor who […]