thesuburbancook
Once a stubborn teen who thought the kitchen was a boring, tedious place, I avoided the room except to steal some cookies or grab a soda. I couldn't make edible boxed brownies for my friends and set off the fire alarm when my mom asked me to warm a jar of spaghetti sauce. Now I'm a wife and working mother who has discovered cooking is my realm, my sanctuary, and my personal joy. My husband is a great sous chef who rules the grill, but the kitchen has become a place for me to experiment, explore and indulge.
Homepage: http://thesuburbancook.wordpress.com
Cheesecake topped with Sweet Strawberries
Posted in Baking, Entertaining, Recipes on March 3, 2013
. Cheesecakes are intimidating. They are finicky. They have many steps. They take a long time to bake. Oh, I am definitely a cheesecake novice. This was my second attempt at a cheesecake. Thank you Ina Garten for your wonderful recipe. I only adjusted the topping to be strawberrylicious, as that was my friend’s request. Let me back up.
One of my neighbors, now a good friend, just celebrated a birthday this week, the same week she was throwing her now 4 year old daughter a birthday! As us Moms know, our own birthdays are now about the little things like an extra hour of sleep, a quiet dinner, or maybe a piece of really good cheesecake.
Savory Meat Pie
Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Recipes, Vegetables on March 3, 2013
It’s freezing. Almost literally. I know all you people who live even 200 miles north of Florida can’t stand our posts about 85 degree beach days in the middle of January, so this weekend you are probably not feeling all that sympathetic that we are FREEZING! Just like Northerners, I always become inspired to cook comfort foods when it’s blustery out and, not wanting to venture into the biting wind, I was not about to go hunting ingredients further than my own kitchen.
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Posted in Beef, Comfort Food, Cooking, Entertaining, Uncategorized on January 6, 2013
When you start cooking on the stove top, but finish hours later in the oven, your home smells incredible.
There are several pieces of art within a kitchen. Objects that live for years, producing some of the most memorable tastes to grace the kitchen. The first of my collection was my Kitchen Aid mixer. It was a Christmas present years ago from Hubby. Suddenly, batches of cookies weren’t as daunting, whipping egg whites was a breeze and I became more efficient letting the mixer run while I prepared other ingredients. Since then, I have acquired a cast iron skillet, several nice chef knives, and a roasting pan that has delivered some amazing turkeys and roasts. This year, I received a long-awaited Christmas wish, a Le Creuset round french oven.
Within the hour, I was looking up recipes to christen my new collector’s piece. I had already done Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon a couple of years ago for New Years, so this had to be something different. I landed on Bon Appetit’s number 1 recipe of the year, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs. Paired with a wonderful bottle of B Cellars Blend 24.
Tasting Party
Posted in Appetizers, Entertaining, Holidays, Uncategorized on January 6, 2013
Bang Bang Shrimp Copycat
Photo Credit: Clay Smithers
In the spirit of Auld Lang Syne, a group of my friends from the college years reunite for New Year Year’s Eve every year. We spend half the year selecting a location, finding a house to rent and then all of December planning the meals. This year, it took an 8 bedroom condo in Myrtle Beach to house 10 adults and 6 kids. Three of the regular group weren’t able to attend plus 3 children spent the time with their grandparents, so you can see how this tends to be one big party each year!
Lately, I handle New Year’s Eve dinner. Last year, we had artisan pizzas with all the leftovers in the mountain cabin. This year, I knew I had a big kitchen and plenty of time to prep, so I arranged a tasting party. The first step was to visit the party store. This irks my husband to no end. He hates when I visit the party store because it costs a lot for things made of paper and plastic. I went anyway, rebellious wife that I am!
2012 in review
Posted in Uncategorized on December 30, 2012
this blog started in late 2009 as an outlet for two of my favorite hobbies, writing and cooking. It’s been an introspective journey, discovering new flavors, techniques and life lessons. I am not as active as I want to be these days, so exhausted with my day job and raising 2 little ones who deserve my attention and love.
Yet, I will persevere. Tomorrow I am creating a tasting party with Shanghai Drummettes, Roasted Garlic filled tomato bites, a version of bang bang shrimp and more. Hopefully, I can share it with you later this week.
Happy New Year!!! May 2013 be a year full of peace and love for all of you!
WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.
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