What? Tomato sauce is not with the sauces?

After reading sauces and stocks last night (JOC pg. 35-59) I was a little overwhelmed by all the choices of stocks and sauces.  I expected a very basic chapter — I was wrong. 
Ironically, before I even read the chapter I decided my first sauce would be a simple tomato sauce.  I’m having friends over for [...]

Cooler of Guinness

Cooler of Guinness
Originally uploaded by bethanyll22.

What’s St. Patrick’s Day without a little Guinness?

Mini corned beef sandwiches

Mini corned beef sandwiches
Originally uploaded by bethanyll22.

I really felt that the corned beef was very tough.  People assured me that the sandwiches were good, but really what are they going to say, “Gosh, your food is really bad … why didn’t you just get this catered?”
A friend and former chef suggested that I didn’t cook [...]

The spread

The spreadOriginally uploaded by bethanyll22.
Pictures from the gastronomical feast that was our St. Patty’s Day party! Courtsey of Bethany! She makes anyone’s food look great.
The corned beef and the potato pancakes were both JOC recipes, and the cheese platter followed the tenants laid forth by the all important entertaining chapter.

Luck O’ the Irish

Don’t worry, I haven’t been neglecting the JOC this week while I’ve been prepping for our St. Patrick’s Day/Housewarming bash.  Quite the contrary, I’ve been using it as a handy reference for everything from finger foods to corned beef. My husband’s even starting to get a bit miffed because I’m reading it so much our [...]

Nutrition and Entertaining

Last night, while watching Gilmore Girls (um, what did Lane name her babies?!), I read the nutrition and entertaining chapters in the JOC.
These chapters were useful for a variety of reasons 1) I haven’t been in a health or nutrition class since freshman health in 1995; 2) I am completely dyslexic when it comes to setting a [...]