Single Serving Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate in adaptable comfort food. Basically meat and vegetables covered by mashed potatoes, it requires only variety in the ingredients and ingenuity in the way you combine them. You can make it as a single serving dinner for just yourself. Or you can make it for two or more in large ramekins or small oven-proof bowls for each serving. Use leftovers or pull together whatever fresh and frozen food items you have around. A while back I posted a ... read more
Homemade Dried Fruit & Nut Bars
Earlier this week, I stared into my pantry and refrigerator, wondering what to do with my odds and ends. I felt like baking, and wanted to make a snack rather than a full-fledged dessert. Besides, I felt compelled to use my dried fruit "stash." Inspiration struck when I saw this David Lebovitz post on a holiday treat. He adapted an Alice Medrich recipe and called it fruitcake bars. I turned David's recipe into a template for Homemade Dried Fruit and Nut Bars. David's post specifies ... read more
Baked apples – Great for 1 or a whole crowd
Simple oven-baked apples are comfort food of the best and most classic sort. And I don't know about you, but these days I need comfort food morning, noon, and night. Great for 1 or a whole ... read more
How to Identify Real Saffron & Avoid Fake Saffron
When I needed saffron recently, I pulled out the three different batches from my pantry. Why did I have three when saffron is not a common ingredient? The short answer is that I am too ... read more
Cider Masala Poached Pears
These Cider Masala Poached Pears are fragrant and elegant, but simple. A light not-too-sweet dessert, they take just a few ingredients and a bit of time to let the spices steep. Although I made them ... read more
No-Bake Mascarpone Lemon Cheesecake
I discovered this No-Bake Mascarpone Lemon Cheesecake at the Creevagh Heights B&B, during our summer vacation to western Ireland. Although I used to be partial to heavy, New York-style cheesecake, ... read more
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