Penny-pinching patties are tasty and healthful
With a career that demanded she work outside the home, my mom was often tired in the evening when she came through the door and faced her hungry family.Alexandria Echo Press, 03/17/2010
Don't ditch dessert: Try this Irish Cream Brownie Pie
Oprah would be so upset if she knew about my distracted driving. I wasn’t distracted by my phone, though. I heed her advice to make my car a “No Phone Zone.” And I wasn’t eating. It was a cookbook that made me drive right off the road last week.Alexandria Echo Press, 03/10/2010
Go light and bright tonight with Zippy Garlic Shrimp 
Mother Nature has been teasing me with days full of sunshine and temperatures mild enough to warrant only a heavy sweater to stay comfortable outdoors.
Alexandria Echo Press, 03/03/2010
And the Oscar goes to ... Croque Monsieur 
The Oscars are coming. I tune in to watch the hoopla every year. It never matters that most years I haven’t seen the movies that have been nominated for awards.
Alexandria Echo Press, 02/24/2010
Choucroute Garnie: It's a real mouthful 
The heady aroma of simmering sauerkraut is not what typically arouses me from my morning slumber. But on the day I planned to serve Choucroute Garnie for lunch, sauerkraut in my slow cooker definitely won out over the familiar fragrance of freshly ground coffee beans brewing in my coffee maker.
Alexandria Echo Press, 02/17/2010
Flavor of honey-roasted pears brightened by balsamic vinegar 
During my last trip to the Twin Cities, I had the opportunity to visit one of the new specialty stores that sells olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
Alexandria Echo Press, 02/10/2010
A dessert that's filled with love power 
I’ve been eating thin, lacy pancakes the size of a dinner plate since I was a toddler. Although some would call them French crepes, in our house, they were Hungarian palacsinta.
Alexandria Echo Press, 02/03/2010
Score big at the party: Make Artichoke and Green Chile Slather with Garlic Crostini 
Who doesn’t love a good dip to slather on crackers or down with some chips? And if it’s a dip that can be ready in about 10 minutes from start to finish – touchdown!
Alexandria Echo Press, 01/27/2010
Pasties: Fill your pockets with flavor 
The sign read “Pasties For Sale.” It was 1988 and I was in Ely, Minn. My husband was a sports writer at that time and we were there for the state American Legion baseball tournament. I wasn’t very interested in the games, but I kept eyeing that sign at the concession stand advertising pasties for sale.
Alexandria Echo Press, 01/20/2010
Seal the deal with hearty red lentil soup 
You may think you have distaste for lentils. That can happen. But maybe you haven’t had lentils when they are cooked to perfect tenderness and mixed with other flavorful ingredients.
Alexandria Echo Press, 01/13/2010
