Recipes and Ruminations

If you've not had Vietnamese food before, you're in for a treat here! This recipe, an adaptation of a popular chicken dish, has all the flavors inherent to that cuisine - sweet, bitter, salty, and sour....

Here's a fruit salad for the warm days of fall. This refreshing salad may provide a little nostalgia for the hotter days of summer, but the pairing of the melon and the prosciutto is a timeless favorite....

It's fun to play with some of the staple ingredients in the kitchen. This week's recipe for Greek Meatballs uses some pretty standard,easy-to-find ingredients. All the "big players" of Greek cooking are in this recipe too — lemon, feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes. But they're used differently than they might be back in Greece. Don't be afraid of the ingredient list. It's a little longer than usual, but nothing on it is too exotic. In fact, if you want to "upgrade" the meatballs a bit, feel free to substitute ground lamb or turkey for the ground chuck. And, in spite of that ingredient list, this meal can be made quickly — and in one pan! ...

Want to make a plain cheeseburger something really special? Turn it "outside in" and stuff the cheese in the middle! After a summer of grilled burgers, these cheese stuffed, pan seared versions are a breath of fresh air. The technique for stuffing them is simple. First, form the patties in two rows on a sheet of wax paper, then top one of those rows with the cheese. Cover that row of patties with the other just by flipping the paper over. And behold - instantly "stuffed" burgers!...

Want to make a plain cheeseburger something really special? Turn it "outside in" and stuff the cheese in the middle! After a summer of grilled burgers, these cheese stuffed, pan seared versions are a breath of fresh air. The technique for stuffing them is simple. First, form the patties in two rows on a sheet of wax paper, then top one of those rows with the cheese. Cover that row of patties with the other just by flipping the paper over. And behold - instantly "stuffed" burgers!...

Here's a refreshing dessert for a warm summer evening. Just sit out on the patio, kick back, enjoy a sunset, and treat yourself to this delightful sorbet. Think sorbets are wimpy? There's nothing wimpy about this sorbet - except maybe how easy it is to make!...

Here's a refreshing dessert for a warm summer evening. Just sit out on the patio, kick back, enjoy a sunset, and treat yourself to this delightful sorbet. Think sorbets are wimpy? There's nothing wimpy about this sorbet - except maybe how easy it is to make!...

I love summer sweet corn and am always sad to see the season end. But here's a fantastic "Summer Corn Salad" recipe that eases the transition to autumn....

I love summer sweet corn and am always sad to see the season end. But here's a fantastic "Summer Corn Salad" recipe that eases the transition to autumn....

Hot summer evenings are a time to kick back, relax and keep cool. This simple, fruity thirst-quencher makes hot summer evenings just a little more bearable....