Television Feasts

I am a home cook who backyard gardens and has a serious closet addiction to the Food Network. I envision visiting the world in my own kitchen.

From Julia to Giada, I am a bi-product of the quirky world of anything food television. At age 10 I wanted to lunch with Julia; at 12 I thought sitting at Graham Kerr's table would be bliss; in college I was a diligent voyeur student of Jeff Smith's; and as a newlywed I envisioned myself being Martha. Then the sky opened up and violin music played in the background when I discovered an entire family of food shows on the blossoming food network. Twenty years later I am still a home chef with a backyard garden, yet in my head I am a trained chef who has eaten her way around the world, tasted all things exotic, competed in many challenges, judged the best of the best, and have a circle of friends which includes Emeril, Bobby, Rachael and more. I like to learn and challenge myself simply for the pleasure of all things food. I am a student of the University of Food Network and my textbooks, exams and extra-curricular activities all stem from channel 39.


Monday, October 6, 2014

Wedding Cookies

We enjoyed a family wedding this weekend.  Along with other women who are family and friends I baked cookies for the 'cookie table'.  Now this English girl with NY roots did not come from a family that even knew what a cookie table was until my own wedding 35 years ago!  During the frenzy of wedding preparations then, when my mother in law and her relatives offered to bake cookies, I politely said yes; I had no clue that this Pittsburgh phenom was an event in itself!  Over the years I have embraced this rite of passage and joined in the preparations for family and friends.  It is a tradition that's said to originate in Southwestern Pennsylvania by eastern European, Italian and Greek immigrants, who wanted to bring a taste of the homeland to their new home.  Today, tradition reigns supreme as wedding cookies are mostly homemade by family and friends.  There is family pride in the presentation of the cookies.  Guests swarm the table and pile high plates of their favorites.  In years past, you would see guests going home with paper plates filled with cookies and covered with a napkin to enjoy the next day.  Today, brides graciously offer small containers to carry home one's favorites.  So here are the 2 recipes I offered as my homage to the family 'cookie table'.

 Snickerdoodles
printable recipe

 1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream together the sugar, butter and shortening.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.
Add the salt, cream of tarter and baking soda.  Stir well.  Mix in the flour.
 In  a small bowl blend the 1/4 c. sugar with the cinnamon.
Shape dough into 1" balls and  roll in the sugar mixture.
Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes until set.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
printable recipe

 1/3 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. white baking chips

 In a large bowl beat the sugars and butter until crumbly.  Beat in egg and vanilla.

 Combine the flour, salt and baking soda and gradually add to the butter mixture.  Mix well.
Fold in the cranberries and chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.
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