My mom used to make cauliflower that was served in hot milk with melting butter and plenty of pepper – and I loved it. I have always loved vegetables of all kinds, although it took me a few years to accept cooked carrots. Cauliflower is one of my favorites because it is so versatile.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of almost any vegetable because it caramelizes the natural sugars in it. The flavors aren’t diluted by water (even steaming involves water and evaporation of flavor) and the texture is tender but not mushy.

Pumpkin has many personalities. Americans have experienced the sweet, spicy version we love so much in our pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads. More recently we have learned to love pumpkin and coffee in pumpkin lattes. And slowly we are accepting that pumpkin is also a versatile ingredient for savory dishes like pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin ravioli, and pumpkin soup…

I think that the manna that the Israelites had in those 40 years of wandering in the desert was none other than pasta. I can’t prove it biblically but think about it. Is there any other bread-like substance that you can eat every day and never tire of it?
See?

This is one of those “Dear Lord what am I cooking tonight?” dishes. The refrigerator was skimpy and so was the pantry. I used to have a regular day for everything…Grocery shop on Monday,clean on Tuesday and Wednesday, day off on Thursday, paperwork and scheduling on Friday…
Please note the words “used to”.

Tex-Mex recipes, if you have lived on another planet most of your life, are the fusion between true Mexican cuisine and what the cowboys ate. It is not at all Mexican food and should not be confused with it. Mexican food is complex with layers of flavor while Tex-Mex is more upfront, in your face, and simple.
It’s the difference between eating at Frontera Grill and Don Pablos.

If you are thinking that that looks like some pretty good nachos – think again. That is one of the diet staples of the Audet household…none other than Tex-Mex Hash. The hardest thing about …read more

I like creamy, rich soups the best. In chilly weather there is just nothing like a hot, creamy soup to warm you up. At the same time I love exotic flavors. This Thai Coconut Curry Soup has it all!
Rich and creamy, with a faint coconut flavor that is followed by a tingle of spiciness. As my dad used to say, “This soup has some authority to it!”.

Eating hot peppers really does cause your circulation to increase and it warms you up more than just a warm soup alone would. You can simmer this in a crockpot or make it on …read more

I suppose you could call this polenta but I made it with grits so grits it shall be.
Polenta and grits are similar products, both made from corn. Grits are normally served as a side dish for breakfast, much as you would serve cream of wheat. In recent years they have become more popular and taken on the role of a side dish.
Grits are creamy, somewhat bland, and soothing but they will take on the flavor of almost any ingredient you put into them. They are cheap and filling and those two attributes make them a favorite ingredient at my house.

These …read more

When Marc and I first got married (in 1980!) he ate a couple of vegetables:corn, green beans, peas, and potatoes. That was it…and I think the green beans were iffy. I, on the other hand, was not a big meat eater but I would eat nearly any vegetable you put in front of me.
Needless to say I did not cook like his mom. I needed to find a way to get the vegetables I loved into our diets without setting off his anti-vegetable meter. What was the answer?

Stir fry! You can chop up nearly anything and put it in a …read more

Sunday Erin and Jon and the grandkids came over. I am still not totally up to par healthwise and there has been little grocery shopping done. I thought about giving everyone peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but I have a reputation to protect, you know? I hunted through the fridge and decided on a little throw together meal which really doesn’t even have a name. I made cheese ravioli and tossed it with portobello  mushrooms, onions, organic chicken and apple sausage, and butter. Maybe I should name it Ravioli Normandy since there are so many flavors I associate with France …read more

If you are looking for a relatively quick chicken recipe that is going to make you look like you are ready to compete on Hell’s Kitchen..well look no further. This recipe is so simple, so good, and so quick…it takes less than an hour. The portobellos are sauteed with bacon, onion, and garlic and finished with a bit of balsamic vinegar. They end up with a rich, full flavor and creamy texture that is addictively satisfying.

The chicken breast is covered with a dusting of herbes de provence, to which I added fennel pollen. If you don’t have the fennel pollen …read more

Plum serrano salsa was a big hit at our house. We had it on top of pulled pork sandwiches.
I have been playing around with salsa a lot this summer as you may have all ready figured out. It has been great fun. I never imagined in the 1970s when I first became addicted learned to like salsa that there would eventually be so many variations of it.

I don’t like buying fruit much. It seems to rarely be ripe… and a peach or a plum that crunches is just not a peach or a plum.