Tip of the Week – Add Some Spice to Your Life

Posted on August 10, 2011 by kelleychisholm

I’ve recently discovered two stores in Raleigh (both are part of small chains that specialize in spices and herbs) and I could not be more thrilled! It is so important to use the best possible ingredients whenever you are cooking and you should not overlook your seasonings since they add so much flavor to your dishes. And these places offer a wide variety of spices and herbs, especially when you cannot grow your own.

Spices usually do not spoil, but they will lose their strength over time. A good rule of thumb is to refresh your herbs and ground spices once a year, and whole spices every two years. And make sure you store them away from a heat source – the best place is inside a cupboard or drawer, out of direct sunlight.

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Quick and Easy Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles

Posted on July 29, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Pickles are one of my favorite snack foods ever and I love all kinds of them – dills, bread and butter, okra, beets, peaches, gherkins, banana  peppers, jalapenos, artichokes – the list goes on and on.  Luckily there are so many commercial brands to choose from in the grocery stores and homemade ones available at farmers’ markets, flea markets, roadside stands and specialty stores. The best thing is that you can buy them year round and they still taste great!

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Got Gazpacho?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by kelleychisholm

One of the best bowls of gazpacho I ever tasted was at a restaurant (can’t remember its name, unfortunately) in 2002 in St. Helena, California. Brad and I were on our honeymoon and decided after leaving Hawaii to spend a few days in Napa Valley and San Francisco before coming back home to Raleigh. The temperatures in Napa were in the high-90s to low-100s and a chilled bowl of gazpacho was just the ticket. This one was fantastic, with nice chunks of tomato, celery, cucumber, onion, corn and other great ingredients. I’ve worked for years to recreate this wonderful gazpacho, and have come up with my own recipe that will make you come back for seconds! Go ahead – it’s low-calorie and good for you to boot!

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Brad and Kel’s Most Delicious Guacamole

Posted on July 15, 2011 by kelleychisholm

I fell in love with fresh guacamole on a trip to Cozumel and Cancun in 1999. Brad and I had been dating only for a few months, and it was the first big trip we took together. We ordered some guacamole one of the first days we were in Cozumel, became hooked and made it our goal to find the best while we were in Mexico.

Since we were both late eaters at the time (i.e., before kids), we spent many a late afternoon trying out guacamole and chips in various venues. And it was all wonderful. If I remember correctly, my favorite guacamole was at a small restaurant located in the Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa, with numerous runner-ups! Luckily, I have found a number of places in Raleigh that also serve great guacamole, which I will be blogging about soon. Continue reading →

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Tip of the Week – Scoop Some Sorbet

Posted on July 13, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Heat got you down, especially in all of this 90+ degree weather? Here’s one great way to cool off (well, maybe just a little bit.) This week’s tip is to scoop some light and refreshing sorbet – not only does it taste great, but you don’t have to feel guilty eating it!

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Tip of the Week – Skewer Evenly

Posted on July 7, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Aaaah, summertime, when grilling outside is de rigueur. One of my favorite meals to grill is kabobs because that way I can cook my meat (or in this case, shrimp) and veggies/fruit all at once.

This week’s tip is about arranging the food on your skewers so you have tasty kabobs with all of the ingredients cooked to perfection.

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July 4th Jell-O

Posted on July 5, 2011 by kelleychisholm

Donkey: You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits. Have you ever met a person, you say, “Let’s get some parfait,” they say, “Hell no,  I don’t like no parfait”? Parfaits are delicious. – Shrek, 2001.

My kids love Jell-O – I’ve never met a child that doesn’t. I whipped up these patriotic parfaits for a July 4th treat, and they were a big hit! They are easy to make, but do take some time for each layer to set.

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Patriotic Party Shots

Posted on July 4, 2011 by kelleychisholm

I made these patriotic jell-o shots for a July 4th pool party – very easy, and very good!

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Tip of the Week – Brew Some Cold Brew

Posted on June 29, 2011 by kelleychisholm

My late step-father Jerry (miss you bunches!) hooked me on Lipton Cold Brew Iced Tea about five years ago or so. I have to admit that at first I was somewhat skeptical on how it would turn out, but I’ve been making it ever since and have always had great results. The tea tastes freshly brewed and I’ve never had a cloudy batch. And the best thing is that it is super easy and fast to make!

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Green Garden Salad

Posted on June 26, 2011 by kelleychisholm

“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist. The problem is entirely the same in both cases – to know how much oil one must mix with one’s vinegar.” Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Back in the ’70s and late ’80s I used to get a great salad at Leon’s Deli in Raleigh’s Cameron Village shopping center. Leon’s was a great little place located next to the Village’s Professional Barber Shop and where Quiznos is now. Leon’s had wonderful Reubens and other deli sandwiches that were out of this world, but my favorite item on the menu was the green garden salad (at least I think that’s what it was called.) I’ve been making this particular rendition of the salad for years and absolutely love it, especially in the summer when the veggies are at their freshest.

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