These yeasty rolls are my attempt at coming close to the delicious rolls my grandma Liz used to make. As a young aspiring baker, I’d watch her assemble dozens of at a time, tossing an armload of dough around like it weighed nothing, and tearing off perfectly shaped rolls that she would let rise by her wood stove. She never measured anything, mixing and baking by feel alone – and they were perfect. I have fond memories of eating as many as I possibly could every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve – or as many as I could get my hands on. Grandma had seven children and hordes of grandchildren, and when everybody got together it was like a small city which means you had to move fast before my seemingly huge uncles with even huger appetites beat me in line.
Grandma did not have a recipe as you may have guessed, so I spent years trying to get as close as I could to what she did so effortlessly. I finally got to where I think she might be proud, and I owe it all to Julia Child because this is pretty much her recipe. If you have a bread machine laying around, haul it out and use the dough cycle for this recipe – that’s how I handle it. These rolls can be made grandma’s way, with just your two hands and a sturdy wooden spoon. There isn’t much better on the planet than biting into one of these babies. Slathered with butter, of course. Recipe adapted from ‘Baking with Julia’.
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Yes, I am still on my comfort food kick 🙂 And in the spirit of comfort food, Creamy Cauliflower is one of my favorites; creamy, cheesy and pretty much guilt free if you are into that food guilt stuff. Every time I’m in the mood for macaroni and cheese I make Cauliflower soup and it usually satisfies that particular craving – I said usually. One of the best things about this soup aside from how delicious it is, is that it has no cream, no half & half, and no full-fat milk (unless, of course, you want to put some in there in which case I say ‘Go For It’). The other best part about it is that it’s only got a small handful of ingredients, which makes it quick, healthy, and scrape out the bowl delicious. Come on along and let me tell you how to get this thing done…
Caprese salads are simple by definition, and usually only consist of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and olive oil. But here’s the thing… fresh mozzarella, in spite of all of its many virtues, can be a bit of a yawner in the flavor department. In this recipe, the fresh mozzarella is given a little more personality by marinating it in olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and tons of herbs. I think you will find this to be a game changer in all things Caprese. The only thing missing here is a loaf of artisan bread and a bottle of wine…….
Have you ever heard the term ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’? Well, my mother, 
It is often said that ingredients from the same region naturally go well together. Such is definitely the case with salmon and blackberries. In this recipe, we season fresh salmon filets with salt and white pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and either grill or oven roast. When ready to serve, we drizzle with a rich and savory blackberry sauce that has been infused with fresh lime and ginger, and add a nice scoop of Garlic Dill Compound Butter….just think about that melting all over the salmon OH MY! Grab a napkin!!