Caesar salad is the salad that turned me onto eating salads. The first time I visited La Pizzeria in Campbell (our local pizza joint), for some reason I thought, “What the heck! It’s a sunny day. Let’s eat some leaves with my pizza!”. So I did, and I liked it. Loved it, even! Couldn’t get enough. Something about the crispness of the leaves, the creamy yet minimal dressing, and the saltiness of the anchovies and parmesan really worked for me that day.

Fast forward a couple of years, and for some reason the restaurant decided to mess with my perfected salad. It tastes like they’ve taken the anchovies out of the dressing. At first I was sad, but then I took it as a challenge to recreate my favorite salad at home, which turned out to be very easy. When you add this to a homemade pizza, you’ll feel like you’re at the pizzeria! (more…)

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Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Salad by Courtney

When my husband and I were in Venice on our honeymoon, we stopped into a small restaurant for lunch just off Piazza San Marco. We were the first people in the door for lunch, and we were the last to leave, with the waiters sweeping up around us after closing up until dinner. We enjoyed many great foods that day, but the wine was what really stuck out in our head. We enjoyed a bottle of La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino that day, and when I was at a loss for what to buy my husband for his birthday this year, I decided to stock up on this memorable wine. (more…)

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Dinner, Gourmet, Italian, Sunday Suppers, Wine pairings by Courtney

A few years ago when my husband and I had a long layover in Singapore, one of the first things we did was go in search of food. We ended up in a small restaurant in the airport that had a wide variety of noodles and soups. I forget what I had, but my husband ordered the laksa, and I was hooked. A fiery bowl of coconut milk-based broth with noodles and seafood, what’s not to like?

A few months after returning home, I was flipping through old articles in a Martha Stewart magazine, and I came upon a recipe for Malaysian Prawn Laksa. Laksa is one of those things that everyone does differently, and I’m pretty sure this isn’t the most authentic recipe, but it’s easy to make, easy to procure the ingredients at your local supermarket, and best of all it tastes great! (more…)

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Asian, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

Chile Pepper Magazine featured these potato skins in a 2006 story about tailgating fare, and I’ve drooled over them ever since. Potato skins have always looked like a lot of work to me, so I put off making these for over 4 years. When I finally decided to tackle this recipe, I wondered why I had put it off for so long. Yes, it takes a while to bake then scoop the potatoes, but there’s a lot of downtime during baking, and really, this recipe ends up not being much more effort than some of my weeknight meals. And they taste so much better than any frozen version you’ll get; the effort is definitely rewarded!

Since I like a hit of habanero, I quadrupled the amount called for in this recipe (Come on, 1/2 a habanero for 40 skins? Craziness!! Toss a couple in there, and keep the seeds in, unless you’re a wuss 😉 ). (more…)

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Appetizers, Gluten free by Courtney

Yep, it’s that time of year, folks. The time when buzz begins about which commercials were banned, which team will win, and of course, which food we will serve! So let the countdown to Sunday begin! And let me help you with that most important part — what food to serve to your guests or take with you to the party.

We’ll start by looking back at the recipes that have been posted so far, and the rest of this week I’ll pull in a few more ideas to help you in your countdown to party time. Let’s throw a few ideas out there:

• Cheesy Nachos with Guacamole and Salsa – There’s really no explanation needed for this one. Make the recipe just like it is, and enjoy! If you’re headed to a party and don’t have access to an oven, simply make the guac and salsa and serve as a dip with chips. It’s a hit every time!
• Courtney’s Vegetarian Chili – chili is always a crowd pleaser, and if you have any vegetarian friends in the crowd, they’ll surely appreciate this hearty dish.
• Mozzarella-stuffed Meatballs – Make the meatballs in this recipe with the marinara, but instead of serving over spaghetti, serve them up on buns. Who doesn’t love a meatball sandwich?? Well, except the vegetarians, who are already covered with the chili above. (more…)

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Appetizers by Courtney