Slices Of Heaven Ina’s Filet of Beef Carpaccio Starter Here’s one for the meat lovers in your family. Before I met Tom, my favorite cut of beef was the end cut of the prime rib … well done and crusted in seasonings. I would never, ever eat anything less than […]

A Dip To Celebrate The Holidays Baked Fennel, Pancetta and Blue Cheese Dip Starter Here is a recipe from Better Home & Gardens that I have been making since 2004. I recall tearing this from one of those holiday appetizers issues that I am unable to avoid purchasing in the […]

Cheesy Kick Starter Barefoot Contessa’s Spicy Pimento Cheese Spread Starter Last year I received Modern Comfort Food, a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook from my boss because she knows how much I LOVE Ina Garten. (Thanks, Sascha!). I tagged many recipes to try and the first one was Spicy Pimento Cheese Spread. […]

Sweet Strawberry StarterStrawberry Balsamic Bruschetta on Cinnamon Sugar Crostini Starter Here is a recipe I came across in one of my favorite food magazines, Fine Cooking. With flowers blooming and strawberry season pumping into high gear, this would be the perfect appetizer at that Mother’s Day brunch you’re hosting for […]

Creole Crab Emeril’s Hot Jalapeño Crab Dip Starter Just in time for your New Year’s Eve soirée! This elegant, creamy hot crab dip from Emeril is just what you need to nibble with champagne. Tom’s nephew brought this dip to Thanksgiving many, many years ago. It was so AMAZING, and […]

Taking A Dip Roasted Yellow Pepper and Feta Dip Starter Before I met Tom, I had a roommate who didn’t particularly like to cook. It was great because she did want to do the dishes, which worked out perfectly! The one thing Colleen did make was an excellent roasted yellow […]

The Cheesiest! Tiffany’s Cream Cheese & Cheddar Cheese Toast (and Dip!) Starter Ok, here is probably the easiest recipe I have ever posted, courtesy of my sister-in-law, Tiffany.  We have been making this recipe for years, um, decades, and it never fails to please.  I have also used this as […]

Bet You Can’t Eat Just One Donna Jean’s Tropical Pork Carnitas Mini Tostadas Starter For Tom’s 65th birthday party in July, we decided to celebrate with a fiesta catered by the terrific La Cabañita Restaurant in Montrose (technically Glendale).  Since La Cabañita was only bringing dinner items, I needed to […]

Olé! Salsa Baked Goat Cheese and Chorizo Dip Starter This recipe is adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe that I found in a Williams-Sonoma booklet in 2002.  It has been a consistent winner over the years, but I got bored with it and decided it needed something …. something to […]

Tracy’s “Secret” Recipe Dip Steakhouse Spinach Artichoke Dip Starter There are lots of really good spinach artichoke dip recipes out there.  This one was given to me years ago and allegedly is the “secret” recipe of a famous steakhouse (although the restaurant was never divulged).  This recipe never fails and […]