Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

Best Super Bowl Recipes: Appetizers, Dips, Salads, Chicken Wings, Cold Cuts and Cheese

 

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend, and your guests are expecting you to have the best Super Bowl food—including a variety of chicken wings, appetizers, dips and chips, salads, and platters of cold cuts meats and cheeses. Don't disappoint them. Have a spread that'll knock their socks off and you'll be sure to score a touchdown!

Best Super Bowl Appetizer Recipes from Boar's Head

3 Pepper Colby Jack Cheese Dip Recipe

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Bacon
 

Bruschetta Recipe with Chicken and Mozarella Cheese
 

Buffalo Style Chicken Dip Recipe

 

More Super Bowl Sunday Appetizer Recipes

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe - This dip can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2 days before the party or served right out of the oven. It can be served as an hor d'oeuvre with baguette slices or as a side with soup.

Best Guacamole Dip Recipe - This ultra-smooth guacamole is made chunky with onions, celery, cucumber and tomatoes. Add mayo and Italian dressing to make a pourable homemade guacamole salad dressing!

7 Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe - Avocados, salsa, cilantro, black beans, tomatoes and then some. All the awesome ingredients you want in a 7 layer Mexican dip!

Mexican Salad Recipe - Yellow corn, red peppers, green cucumbers and black beans give this delicious and refreshing salad lots of contrast, color and texture! Spicy tomato dressing makes this salad POP!

Taco Salad Recipe - Veggie or Beef - The easy way to eat a taco! Vegetarians & meat lovers alike will love this easy Taco Salad. Just throw everything together and serve.

Zesty Pesto Pasta Salad - Fresh basil pesto, spiral pasta, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onions and salad dressing go together beautifully in a colorful pasta salad for your Super Bowl party!

Delizioso's Super Bowl Meat and Cheese Platter - I recently worked on a project for Boar's Head Provisions (you can find the four recipes at the top of this post), and I was thrilled when they compensated me with a few meat and cheese platters that also included a variety of finger sandwiches. I have to say, the finger sandwiches were the biggest fingers I've ever seen, more like a sub! The platters were made by Delizioso on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island, and they were HUGE!

Delizioso's meat and cheese platter was loaded with -- I kid you not -- eight pounds of Boar's Head roast beef, turkey breast, honey ham, salami, American cheese and Muenster cheese, as well as marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and more! It's a good thing we were having a dinner party that night, otherwise I would have had to pull people in off the streets to eat it with us. As it was, I put together a smaller platter for John and his coworkers at the marina after I took some photos. Everyone was happy, and the food was beautifully displayed and absolutely delicious!

Delizioso is an Italian delicatessen that serves sandwiches, salads, prepared food, pizza and pizza strips, and they obviously do a lot of catering. Make sure to go see them next time you're in town, or call them to cater your next party. Thanks Boar's Head and Delizioso! You helped make our party a success!

Delizioso
1288 Oaklawn Ave
Cranston, RI 02920
401-463-5545

 

And Speaking of Food Network's Chicken Wings....

• Paula Deen's Uncle Bubba's Wings
• Guy Fieri's Tequila-Lime Wings
• Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings

CINCO de MAYO MEXICAN SALSA: Fresh Pico de Gallo with Heirloom Tomatoes and Corn

Similar to Mexican Pico de Gallo, this sugar-free tomato salsa with some garden fresh cilantro and chilies is quick and easy to prepare using readily available market ingredients, kitchen gadgets and tools. Warm tortilla chips and guacamole are the perfect accompaniment to this awesome salsa. Super easy to make and eat right now, or follow the recipe and can the rest for later!

Heirloom Tomato Varieties

It's not summer yet in the Northeast, but you can start thinking about growing your own heirloom tomatoes, or seek out a local farmer's market for the freshest tomatoes they have. Below are some of the most popular heirloom tomatoes available from growers and seed companies. Don't worry if you can't get heirlooms now. Fleshy red-ripe tomatoes from Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's will do the job too. 

• Brandywine tomatoes are widely recognized with red and yellow being the most popular colors.
• Jubilee tomatoes are a beautiful golden variety.
• Green Zebra is a fun tomato to use because of its striking color and stripes.
• Cherokee Purple is a deep purple, almost "black" tomato.

Adding fresh tomatoes last to the fresh salsa will not only keep their flesh intact, but their colors bright and vibrant as well. Fold the tomatoes in carefully so as not to bruise or crush them.

Ingredients: Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped small
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 large red pepper, chopped
• 2 large jalapenos, finely minced
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, unsalted
• 6 ounce can tomato paste, unsalted
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 drops hot habeneros sauce (Bandana's Habeneros Sauce is good)
• 4 ounce can green chilies
• 1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari sauce, or low sodium soy sauce
•  2 pounds corn, fresh off the cob, or frozen (thawed)
• 3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, fleshy Italian plum tomatoes are best, chopped or halved if small
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions: How To Make Fresh Tomato Salsa

1. In a large stock pot, saute onions and peppers in extra virgin olive oil until crisp tender.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice, honey, chilies, habeneros sauce and Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari or soy sauce.
3. Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from stove, and carefully fold in corn and tomatoes.
4. Gently add cilantro and stir.
5. Cool completely and store in refrigerator, or can in a hot water bath for 25 minutes.
6. Makes 9 pints.

Check out These Favorites!

• Taco Salad Recipe - Veggie or Beef   
• Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe
• Mexican Salad Recipe
• The Best Guacamole Dip Recipe
• Zesty Pesto Pasta Salad
• Easy Retro Ambrosia Salad
• Ina Garten's Panzanella Salad Recipe
• Easy Tri-Colored Coleslaw Recipe
• Cobb Salad - An Edible Landscape!

Easy Super Bowl Recipes: Buffalo Chicken Dip, Touchdown Taco Salad, Guacamole

Looking for Super Bowl recipes for Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Chili, Pizza Recipes or Guacamole? How about Spinach Artichoke Dip, 7 Layer Dip, or Taco Salad? So are all the other Super Bowl fans in the US! Whether you're rooting for the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers, there's something on this list of super easy Super Bowl recipes to make your home town team happy!

 The 'Guacamole Song' is a must see video!

 

Easy Guacamole Recipe

• 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
• 1 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, soy sauce or tamari
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Mrs Dash or McCormick's Garlic & Herb" seasoning
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup fleshy tomatoes like Roma, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayo, optional
• 1/4 cup favorite Italian or Sweet & Sour dressing, optional

How To Make Guacamole

1. Blend avocados, Bragg's or soy sauce and Mrs Dash in high-speed blender until creamy.
2. Gently fold in onions, celery, cucumber, tomatoes and cilantro.
3. Serve with tortilla chips or alongside a veggie platter. Cover tightly and refrigerate any leftovers.

Guacamole Dressing Variation: Add mayo and dressing to make this guacamole pourable for a delicious salad dressing.

Guacamole Recipe originally posted on Examiner 5/4/2009

Beef Taco Salad Recipe

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups kidney beans, cooked or canned
• 6 cups Romaine lettuce, or a combination of green leaf
• 1 - 15 ounce can black olives, halved
• 1/4 cup green chilis, chopped
• 3/4 cup cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup salsa, your choice
• 8 ounce bag tortilla chips

How To Make Taco Salad

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Drain off fat and stir in taco seasoning. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and toss.
3. Pour salsa over the top and mix in.
4. Just before serving, stir in cool hamburger and tortilla chips.
5. Best eaten the same day. Refrigerate leftovers.
6. Serves 8-10 as a salad. Serves 6 as a main dish salad.

 Vegetarian Taco Salad Recipe

• Omit the beef and taco seasoning, and continue with the rest of the recipe.

Taco Salad recipe originally posted by Donna Diegel on Examiner 5/4/2009

Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

• 2 - 1/2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken breast
• 8 oz. pkg. onion flavored cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese, your choice
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dip

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease a medium sized casserole dish.
2. Mix cream cheese, salad dressing, hot sauce and 1/2 cup cheese right in the baking dish. Fold in chicken. Smooth top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly. Garnish with scallions. Serve with crackers, chips or veggies.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe originally posted on Examiner 2/5/2011

More Super Bowl Salad & Dip Recipes

• Vegetarian Chili Recipe 
• Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe 
• Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe
• Mexican Salad Recipe
• Deli Style Macaroni Salad Recipe
• BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
• Red White & Blue Fruit Salad Recipe
• Panzanella: Italian Bread Salad Recipe
• Spinach Salad with Strawberries
• Red Bliss Potato Salad Recipe
• Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
• Easy Retro Ambrosia Recipe
• Tri-color Coleslaw Recipe

Memorial Day Recipes: Spareribs, Shrimp, Bacon Burgers, Potato Salad and More

 

WOMAN'S DAY.COM SHARES MEMORIAL DAY RECIPES

Woman's Day All-American BBQ Menu: The good cooks at Woman's Day.com have put together an awesome BBQ Menu for the Memorial Day weekend. From summer recipes like Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie to Old-Fashioned Creamy Potato Salad and Lemon-Raspberry Iced Tea, the 11 recipes from Woman's Day magazine will have you licking your fingers and your lips for the best Star Spangled Holiday ever!

Make sure to run on over to Woman's Day.com this holiday weekend, and take a look at their awesome menus and recipes. There's something for everyone at Woman's Day, including healthy vegetarian dishes, dessert recipes, and lots of recipe lists for every occasion!

Woman's Day All-American BBQ menu

Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie

Made with a slightly spicy Remoulade Sauce and easy to make spice rub, this grilled appetizer takes just minutes to prepare. Skewer extra large jumbo shrimp and grill on hot coals, a grill pan or broiler. An easy starter that will wow your guests!

Classic All-American Bacon Cheeseburgers

You can't have a patriotic cookout without burgers, and this Bacon Cheeseburger recipe will knock your socks off! Made with a "Special Sauce," these burgers will make your Memorial Day fun and easy.

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken with Tomato Bread Salad 

A quick marinade made with fresh rosemary, lemon zest and garlic, transforms these chicken drumsticks and thighs into something special. Make this Italian bread salad with the prettiest and tastiest tomatoes you can find - Heirloom Tomatoes are good for this recipe - and fresh from the garden basil. Toss it all together and serve with your yummy grilled chicken!

Barbecue Spareribs

Who doesn't love spareribs? They're the perfect cookout and picnic food! This recipe is for a whole rack of fresh pork spareribs made with a simple BBQ sauce. Slap them on the grill and go at it!

Outback Special

Thick boneless sirloin steaks with a delicious spice rub takes just 5 minutes. Add some creamy potato salad and grilled corn fora tasty Memorial Day meal.

Old-Fashioned Creamy Potato Salad 

Remember Grandma's potato salad? Cooked red-skin potatoes, chopped bread & butter pickles, hard boiled eggs, tossed with an awesome dressing, and you'll have the perfect potato salad to serve with the Outback Special Sirloin Steaks above. 

Finger-Lickin' Chicken with Broccoli Slaw and Corn

Shredded broccoli slaw makes this meal extra easy. Just whisk up a quick dressing and toss! Add grilled barbecue chicken and corn on the cob and you have a perfect party meal.

Skillet "Baked" Beans 

What's a cookout without baked beans? Fry up some bacon and onions, and doctor up a few cans of chickpeas, pinto and kidney beans with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and molasses for a sweet and tangy side dish of baked beans!

Greek Pasta Salad 

Wagon-wheel pasta, broccoli florets, chick-peas and pimientos, tossed with vinaigrette dressing, and sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese, this Greek Pasta Salad couldn't be easier.

Watermelon Kabobs 

Let the kids help you skewer fresh watermelon, green grapes and blueberries, then drizzle them with fresh lime zest and juice with sugar. The "lime syrup" makes a simple fruit dessert festive!

Lemon-Raspberry Iced Tea

Make this refreshing iced tea up to four days ahead. Made with your favorite tea bags, frozen unsweetened raspberries and steeped with fresh lemon juice and sugar, this sweet tea will complement anything you serve for the holiday!

Photos and Recipes Courtesy of Womans Day.com

SUMMER SALAD RECIPES

Salad Recipes for Summer
Hot summer weather calls for cool summer salads, and I have plenty to share! Panzanella Salad, Waldorf Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, Strawberry & Spinach Salad, Red Bliss Potato Salad, and lots, lots more! Check out all the recipes here and on Examiner.com.

I don't know about you, but I'm planning on lots of cookouts this summer! We bought a grill last year for all the Grilled Pizzas we were making. That turned out to be a very good decision! We don't eat a lot of meat, but when we do have steak, burgers or grilled salmon, there's nothing I like better than a delicious Potato Salad or Pesto Pasta Salad.

I didn't include a green salad in this list because you all know how to throw a bunch of veggies together. I have lots more where these came from, so I'll be adding to this list over the next weeks and months. Also, check out my sidebars on each side. I've tried to tidy them up and categorize recipes. There's literally hundreds of recipes here, so start clicking and enjoy your summer!

Red White & Blue Fruit Salad Recipe - Everyone loves fresh fruit salad, so why not make it a patriotic one with the colors of the flag! Red strawberries and raspberries, almost white bananas and pineapple, and as blue as you can get blueberries make one beautiful fruit salad!

 

Waldorf Salad Recipe with Fawlty Towers Video - Remember John Cleese in Fawlty Towers? The chef had the night off, and Basil accepted dinner guests, took the money and decided to make the dinner himself. As most Fawlty Towers episodes go, Basil made a mess of everything! Watch Basil's hilarious Waldorf Salad video, and laugh all the way to the kitchen! Just as good as the original Waldorf Salad served by the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Apples, walnuts, raisins, celery and grapes, tossed together in a simple mayonnaise dressing. Perfect for a summer day!

Tri-color Coleslaw Recipe - No 4th of July cookout is complete without coleslaw! This green, purple & orange coleslaw is super easy, very colorful and wicked tasty. And it's great for a raw side dish, no cooking! You can save even more time by buying the pre-packaged coleslaw mix at the market and adding your own dressing!

Panzanella Italian Bread Salad Recipe - Unbelievably quick & easy bread salad that's so filling, it can be used for a main dish meal. Homemade Italian bread seasoned croutons, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh basil and an awesome balsamic vinegar dressing, gives this bread salad just the right zing!

Easy Ambrosia Recipe - A retro favorite of families everywhere, this easy ambrosia is not only colorful, but delicious too! Sweet pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini colored marshmallows and coconut, all mixed with sour cream. Ambrosia - it'll bring back sweet memories!

Spinach Salad with Strawberries - Fresh baby spinach, ripe juicy strawberries and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Lightly toasted pecans give it some crunch, and sharp cheddar cheese complements the salad with pizazz!

Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe - Another great pot luck or picnic favorite - Avocados, salsa, cilantro, black beans, tomatoes and then some. All the awesome ingredients you want in a 7 layer Mexican dip!

Red Bliss Potato Salad Recipe - Potato Salad for Sunday brunch, outdoor BBQ's, summer picnics, Father's Day, graduations, 4th of July or afternoon tea! Red potatoes, mayo, red onions, green relish and hard boiled eggs, make this Red Bliss potato salad a classic!

Taco Salad Recipe - THE EASY WAY to eat a taco! Vegetarians & meat lovers alike will love this easy Taco Salad. Just throw everything together and serve. Perfect for summer cookouts!





Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe - 4th of July wouldn't be the same without this Zesty Pasta Salad! Fresh basil pesto, spiral pasta, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onions and salad dressing make a great summer pasta salad for your holiday cookout!

The Best Guacamole Dip Recipe - This ultra-smooth guacamole is made chunky with onions, celery, cucumber and tomatoes. Add mayo and Italian dressing to make a pourable homemade guacamole salad dressing! Watch the funky YouTube video at the end. You'll remember this every time you eat Guacamole!





Cobb Salad - An Edible Landscape - Classic Cobb Salad with bacon, chicken, hard boiled eggs & lettuce, all arranged in neat & tidy colorful rows. Perfect make-ahead salad for picnics, cookouts and lazy summer suppers!

Mexican Salad Recipe - Colorful Mexican salad isn't just for Cinco de Mayo! Yellow corn, red peppers, green cucumbers and black beans give this delicious and refreshing salad lots of contrast, color and texture! Spicy tomato dressing makes this salad POP for 4th of July! Serve this salad with a side of homemade cornbread.

RECIPE ROUND-UP & FOOD BLOG INTERVIEWS

Spring & Summer Recipes
Summer is here! Yes, I know it's not the official Summer Solstice June 21st date yet, but it feels like summer in my bones. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be cooking and eating outside than slaving away in a hot galley. Plus, if you're like us, we always have LOTS of company in the summer. And there's NO way I want to miss any of the fun stuck inside cooking. So with that in mind, I'm focusing on easy recipes this season. Lots of salads, fruits & veggies, and grillin' & chillin' grub! You'll probably still see some long HOT recipes too, because I love desserts, and just because I can!

My Dad was visiting last week, and it seems all we did was go out and eat. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to go out and eat as much as he does, and we always find the best Rhode Island foodie joints. Add to that all the cribbage and visiting we did, and well, I didn't get much done. But I did have fun with my Dad, especially surprising him with his 80th birthday party!

I also mentioned in my last post, that I'm the new National Food Blog Examiner for Examiner.com. It's taking me a little while to adjust, so I haven't posted a lot anywhere the last week or two. If you're an active food blogger with amazing photos, I'll be looking for an interview from you!

Salads, Cobblers, Pies, Crisps & more!

Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Raspberry Vinaigrette - Just made this last night for supper. I wasn't sure I'd like the flavor combination, but it was awesome! The sweet and sour flavors, totally different textures between the crunchy pecans, juicy strawberries, and the spinach was a refreshing treat in every mouthful! Super easy to throw together too, but looks like you've been arranging the salad all day! 

Red White & Blue Recipes for 4th of July - Not just for the upcoming holiday, this list of Star Spangled recipes from Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcake to Patriotic Bomb Pops, are sure to inspire you any day of the summer!

Fresh Fruit Pie Recipes - A collection of all my favorite spring and summer fruit pies. Choose from Blueberry Pie, Cherry Pie, Peach Pie, Blackberry Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie and Fruit Galettes - the easiest pie of them all! OK, I threw in the Homemade Apple Pie too, because it really is the All-American Pie, perfect for a patriotic holiday!

How to Make a Fresh Fruit Cobbler - Basic mixed fruit cobbler recipe with fresh seasonal peaches, apples, rhubarb, cherries & berries, all nestled under a sweet biscuit topping. Serve with ice cream!

Rhubarb Cobbler with Fresh Peaches & Cherries - How to use fresh rhubarb, what fruits go good with rhubarb, and finally a fantastic Mixed Rhubarb Cobbler recipe to serve with ice cream. Make good use of this abundant, tart but tasty fruit this season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe - Sometimes tart rhubarb needs a little help. Sweet juicy strawberries are all that's needed to tame the tartness, and transform an otherwise boring fruit into a thing of beauty and deliciousness! Easy recipe!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe - Garden fresh rhubarb and sweet ripe strawberries start to ripen in the spring in many locations. By summer, the garden is full of these two complimentary fruits that seem so suited to each other.

Food Blog Interviews

Brown Eyed Baker: Interview with Michelle Norris

Wicked Good Dinner: Interview with Dawn Viola

So, that's it for now. Back to baking, cooking and writing before the weather gets too hot. And just to rub it in a little to all you landlubbers out there...There's nothing quite like sitting in the cockpit with my feet up, sipping on a cold drink and gazing at a million dollar view with my laptop! It's a tough life, but someone has to live it, and it might as well be me! 

CINCO de MAYO RECIPES

Last Minute Cinco de Mayo Recipes
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and I've been busy with all my last minute Mexican & Tex-Mex recipes. Most of the recipes are quick & easy, so you can do them ahead or wait until last minute. Check back again. I'll be adding more as I finish them!

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

• The Best Guacamole Dip
  
• Seven Layer Mexican Dip Recipe
• Taco Salad Recipe - Veggie & Beef
  
• Award Winning Chili Recipe
• Caramel Topped Flan Recipe
  
• Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
• The Classic Tequila Sunrise
• The Best Margarita Recipe
• The Best Strawberry Margarita Recipe

BENTO BOXES - My Attempt with a Bento!

                                                    

What Is A Bento Box?
I'm sure by now, you've all heard the term "Bento Box". Maybe you've even been dabbling in the art of creating Bento Boxes behind closed doors. Or perhaps you've already been discovered and have a Bento Box blog of your own! But - and here's the burning question of the day - what exactly is a Bento Box?

Wikipedia's definition is, "Bentō (弁当 or べんとう, Bentō?) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. The Bento is still used by workers as a packed lunch, by families on day trips, for school picnics and sports days etc."

                                                              
So, what's my fascination with these glorified lunch boxes anyway? Am I losing my mind? I live in New England for goodness sake. Most of us "brown-bag" our lunches! Or worse yet, throw it in a Stop & Shop plastic grocery bag! But, I love how organized they look. Very neat and tidy boxes filled with lunches for work, school, picnics or whatever! Is my OCD showing?

I don't know how I became obsessed with gawking at them. Maybe it's the food porn thing. I see them all over the web. Food bloggers - and you'll see that I've included a bunch for your culinary window shopping experience - have gone over the edge with Bento Boxes. There are whole sites devoted just to Bento's. Each one has a different and unique slant on the Bento. What are they? Where do I get the supplies? What foods do I use? Is it traditional Japanese, or can I make it with leftovers? How do I put them together? And on and on and on, ad nauseum!

Caprese Salad Bento Box?
Anyway...Here's my somewhat lame attempt at making a Bento Box! I call it the "RI Heirloom Tomato Seasonal Caprese Salad Bento Box"! Is there such a thing? I figured, what the heck? If someone can do a Star Wars or a Potato Salad Bento, why not an Italian classic? I mean really, does it HAVE to be Japanese?

                                                                           

BENTO LINKS!
Enjoy these links. Some of them you're gonna love, some are gonna make you laugh! There's also some links to very serious and informative sites that will encourage you to make your own Bento Boxes! Tell them Donna from Spatulas & Corkscrews sent you!  

• Super Mario, Hello Kitty, Pac Man, and you know you've seen it all when you come across a Star Wars Bento!
• The Washingtonpost.com has one of the best descriptions of a Bento Box. It includes not just tips & tricks, but  a little Japanese history, a bit about the decorative Edo period, and Buddhist festivals too.
• Lori Henry of Suite101 does a book review for "Bento Box in the Hearland: My Japanese Girlhood in Whitebread America" by Linda Furiya.

                                                                          

Photo used with permission by Lunch In A Box                                                                          

• Lunch In A Box by Biggie explains everything you need to know to create the neatest Bento Boxes. Biggie doesn't just give you the definition of a Bento Box, she has a whole page of FAQ's! Answers to questions like "What’s the benefit of packing a bento-style lunch? Is it healthier?" and "Are there packing rules? How do I pack a bento lunch?"
• Alaina Browne from Serious Eats does a quick take on "How to Pack a Bento Box." 
• Alaina's blurb also brought me to a ton of pictures of Bento Boxes on Flickr by wa-nita!
• Emily Matchar from slashfood has been doing a regular feature called Box Lunch. She finds the most beautiful and sometimes outrageous boxed lunches, and more specifically, Bento Boxes. Here's one called Veggie Lobster!  And this one? Way too cute! You just have to see it to believe it!
• And finally, the blog Bento Challenge has some of the best and cutest Bento's I've seen in a long time! Go take a look! You know you want to!

                                                              
Photo used with permission by Lunch In A Box

COBB SALAD RECIPE ~ An Edible Landscape!

                                                  

Cobb Salad ~ Labor Day Weekend is Almost Here!
Looking for something to jazz up your Labor Day picnic, cookout or dock party? This gorgeous Cobb Salad is a meal in itself and will satisfy any hungry crowd! Look at all the bright colors and tell me if this main dish salad wouldn't look tempting on your picnic table?

I've been wanting to make this salad for some time now. The nice neat rows of bright colors appealed to my  organized and anal side! It's kind of like when you set up a new desk drawer for the first time, and you come home from the office supply store loaded with pens and pencils, paper clips and glue sticks. Everything has a place to go in little rows, nice and tidy and straight. OK, maybe there's a little OCD coming out there. But that's what this Cobb Salad reminds me of, only you can eat it!

History of The Cobb Salad
According to Wikipedia, "The Cobb salad is a garden salad and was a signature menu item of the legendary Brown Derby, a landmark restaurant in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. In 1937, Brown Derby owner Robert H. Cobb went into the restaurant's kitchen to fix a late-night snack for Sid Grauman, operator of Grauman's Chinese Theater." And the rest as they say, is history! For more history and the Original Cobb Salad Dressing recipe, see the link below.

                                                                           

Way Too Many Versions of Cobb Salad!
There are way too many versions of Cobb Salad floating around out there in blogland. How do you choose? You might think you have to have just the right ingredients and follow the recipe exactly. Not so. You can be very flexible with this salad depending on what you have on hand and in the fridge. Some recipes include Roquefort cheese and watercress. Others make their own dressing with Worcestershire sauce. I had these ingredients; tomatoes, avocado, romaine & butterhead lettuce, bacon, hard boiled eggs and some fresh dill. I also had some chicken tenderloins that I marinated in Weber's Grill Creations White Wine & Herb marinade. (Just add water and oil and the contents of the dry packet to a Ziploc bag and marinate the meat. They make many other marinades that you can choose from too.)
                                                                 
Cobb Salad ~ An Edible Landscape
This is where you can let your creative juices flow! Your salad can be arranged and displayed any way you want.
Pile it in concentric layers on a round plate. 
Arrange it on a platter in order of color preference.
Let your inner child loose and create a free-form edible landscape.
Or, do like I did and arrange the ingredients in neat & tidy colorful rows.

                                                           

The Cobb Salad Recipe (This is my version!)

• 2 cups boneless chicken breast, marinated, cooked and diced
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 head butterhead lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation:
Note: The following steps can all be done earlier in the day, saving you time in the kitchen!

1. Marinate the chicken (see above) for at least 60 minutes. Saute or grill until cooked through. Let cool and cut into chunks. (Use leftover chicken from whatever you cooked the night before!)
2. Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble when cool. Not too small though!
3. Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel and dice. Or, separate the yolks from the whites and dice separately.

Assembly:

1. Toss the two lettuces together with the fresh dill and place evenly in the bottom of a nice serving dish. Mine is a two quart baking dish and it's just the right size for my salad.
2. Arrange the ingredients (see the creative steps above) on top of the lettuce mix in  your own wild and crazy pattern!
3. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.
4. Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.
5. Serve with your favorite dressing, or click here for the Original Cobb Salad Dressing along with an interesting story on how the Cobb Salad and the Brown Derby Restaurant got its name.
6. Serves 4-6.

                                                             

                                                                           

RED BLISS POTATO SALAD

                                                               

Memorial Day Is Right Around the Corner!
I hope all you mothers had a very Happy Mother's Day! I know I did, because I got to play with my brand new shiny Cuisinart Mixer! (see the previous post, thanks to my great kids!) Man, that thing is one powerful puppy! I had to keep it under control as I almost plastered the inside of the boat again, this time with Key Lime goo! Which, by the way, I'll be posting for the Tuesdays With Dorie bake-off.

                                                                      

Since my kids weren't here to enjoy the day with me, I decided to bake and cook while John gave the boat a much needed cleaning. The cockpit looked really bad! All winter long, we're shrink wrapped under a white plastic covering, and this has given us more space to use as our garage! Bad habit, because spring and summer soon follow and we have to take the "greenhouse" off and it's not a pretty sight underneath!

                                                                     

Salads, Salads and More Salads!
Anyway, I digress...I made the Florida Pie (aka Key Lime Pie) and Red Bliss Potato Salad (and I also had a Screwdriver, but hey, it's Mother's Day!)
It's salad season again! Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Pasta Salad, Ambrosia, BLT Salad, etc, etc. Today I made my Basic Red Bliss Potato Salad. I've been making this salad for as long as I can remember. It doesn't always come out the same way every time. I like to get creative with crumbled cooked bacon, kielbasa, grilled chicken and red peppers. Sometimes the fresh herbs change too. You can vary it any way you like to suit your mood! This salad is just in time for Memorial Day!

                                                                              

RED BLISS POTATO SALAD

• 8-10 red potatoes, skins left on and washed, cut in large cubes
• 1/2 cup onion, diced fine
• 2-3 Tbsp sweet green relish
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• Fresh dill, as much as you like, minced
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced, optional
• Leftover grilled chicken, sliced or cubed, optional
• Tomato wedges, optional
• And anything else you'd like to add!

                                                                           

                  

Directions:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan.
• Cover potatoes with room temperature water and bring them to a boil.
• On medium heat, cook until potatoes are not quite done. Cool one off and taste it. If it seems like it could use just a teeny bit more, take it off the heat and drain. The potatoes continue cooking for a few minutes longer while they're draining. Another way to tell if they're done is when the peels just start to pull away from the potatoes.
• Run cold water over the potatoes and drain. Set aside to cool.
• When the potatoes have cooled down, place in a large bowl and add onions and relish. Gently fold in the mayonnaise, celery salt and dill.
• Place in a pretty serving bowl and arrange the hard boiled eggs on top and garnish with a few sprigs of dill.
• Add optional ingredients and serve right away or refrigerate.
• Serves 4-6.

                                                                                 

Bon Appetit!