Gastronomy

I like food... I even wrote a cookbook. Why? Because I like food! As a result, I thought I'd share my love of food with you. Below are two of the menus from Just a Small Gathering, Volume I. Feel free to read through, download, and print the recipes provided. The third recipe is a collection of hearty cold weather faire in the form of soups and chili's.

On the Waterfront

You cannot grow up as close as I did to the Chesapeake Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean for that matter, and not have some proclivity toward seafood.  As children growing up in northern Virginia, and then in southern North Carolina, my three brothers and I were given the opportunity to select a birthday dinner for the family.  For me, it was always seafood.  Therefore, it is not at all odd, or of any great surprise, that this menu is the first in the cookbook. The downloadable PDF contains the recipes for Clams Casino, a Baby Green Salad with Raspberries and Feta, and a Low Country Boil.

Provencal Summer

Believe it or not, the inspiration for this menu came to me while wandering through our local grocery store.  I found the basis for the main course in a local wine magazine called The Wine Buzz.  It’s a free publication for marketing local/regional vineyards, beers, and tastings among other things.  Occasionally, they print a recipe or two to provide examples of good wine pairings.  I converted the Provencal Pistou Pasta recipe for family one summer, coupled it with the Fresh Corn Salad, and it was devoured! The downloadable PDF contains the recipes for Olive Tapenade, Provencal Pistou Pasta, Fresh Corn Salad, and a Simple Wildberry Shortbread.

Soups and Chili's

I went through and found a collection of various soup and chili recipes to share as well. Our family really enjoys these during the winter so come harvest time in the fall, I tend to make a number of these. Be sure to review the long-term storage method at the end of the file. No idea where I learned it, but it works well for our chest freezer.

A Peppery Debate

This is one of my all-time favorite meals, but it is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of ingredients for this menu and the skill level is increased as well. Unfortunately, I don't have an image for this menu/recipe. I guess I'll have to make it again just to take a picture... oh darn! The picture that is present for this was a free image of the steak I found online.