Some folks enjoy warm, soft chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven, and I confess to having a weakness for them myself.
These cookies, however, are just a little different. Crisp and full-bodied, they always help take the edge off -- whether I'm hunting down suspects, or fighting off Peter Everett Sargeant's nasty barbs in the White House ;-)
Enjoy!
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten until yellow
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
¾ cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 six ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 3 ounce bar dark chocolate, diced into chunks
1 six ounce package of white chocolate chips
Parchment paper to cover cookie sheets
Preheat oven to 350° F
In a medium bowl sift together dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugars. Stir in vanilla until smooth. Stir in egg until smooth. Add dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate. Dough will be soft and uniform. Stir in chocolates.
Shape into in quarter-sized balls. Place on parchment paper covered cookie sheets, in widely spaced rows of three—this batter will spread during cooking! Bake until cookies are browned and flat, roughly 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets. Remove cooled cookies from parchment paper and store in a tin.
(Hint—these are excellent crumbled and served over ice cream)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Contest!
Win books by Julie Hyzy!
(Originally announced on http://juliehyzy.blogspot.com/)
Contest - Presidential Trivia.
Everyone who answers correctly will have their names put in a hat. At the end of June, one name will be drawn. He/she will receive his/her choice of one of Julie Hyzy's books.
Choices are:
Artistic License (trade pb)
Deadly Blessings (trade pb)
Deadly Interest (hardcover)
Dead Ringer - written with Michael A. Black (hardcover)
These Guns For Hire - (hardcover anthology. Julie's short story from this volume won a Derringer Award)
State of the Onion (mass market pb)
Hail to the Chef (mass market pb)
To which of our presidents is this quote attributed?:
"Far better it is to dare mighty things - to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure - than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
If you type your reply in the "Comments" section, everyone will see your answer.
So, instead, please visit my website: www (dot) julieahyzy (dot) com and send it to me via e-mail from there.
Thanks and good luck!
(Originally announced on http://juliehyzy.blogspot.com/)
Contest - Presidential Trivia.
Everyone who answers correctly will have their names put in a hat. At the end of June, one name will be drawn. He/she will receive his/her choice of one of Julie Hyzy's books.
Choices are:
Artistic License (trade pb)
Deadly Blessings (trade pb)
Deadly Interest (hardcover)
Dead Ringer - written with Michael A. Black (hardcover)
These Guns For Hire - (hardcover anthology. Julie's short story from this volume won a Derringer Award)
State of the Onion (mass market pb)
Hail to the Chef (mass market pb)
To which of our presidents is this quote attributed?:
"Far better it is to dare mighty things - to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure - than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
If you type your reply in the "Comments" section, everyone will see your answer.
So, instead, please visit my website: www (dot) julieahyzy (dot) com and send it to me via e-mail from there.
Thanks and good luck!
Henry’s Famous Hash Browns (With fresh chives and fresh thyme)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 potatoes, peeled and grated
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, rinsed and stems removed (Use 1/2 tsp powdered if fresh is not available)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives (green onions will do in a pinch)
1/3 tsp salt (or to taste)
Fresh chive stalks and thyme branch for garnish (optional)
Place olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl. Place grated potato mixture in a potato ricer and use the ricer to squeeze any superfluous water out of the potatoes (This makes them crispy.). (If you don’t have a ricer, press the grated potatoes between sheets of paper towels and press to remove excess moisture).
When oil is heated to a shimmer, pour potato mixture into skillet and mash it down to a thinnish pancake using a spatula. Cook until bottom layer is browned and crispy (about 4 minutes). Turn over and cook other side until browned and crispy (about 3 minutes). Place onto warmed plate or platter and serve garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme and chives tied together with a knotted chive leaf.
3 potatoes, peeled and grated
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, rinsed and stems removed (Use 1/2 tsp powdered if fresh is not available)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives (green onions will do in a pinch)
1/3 tsp salt (or to taste)
Fresh chive stalks and thyme branch for garnish (optional)
Place olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl. Place grated potato mixture in a potato ricer and use the ricer to squeeze any superfluous water out of the potatoes (This makes them crispy.). (If you don’t have a ricer, press the grated potatoes between sheets of paper towels and press to remove excess moisture).
When oil is heated to a shimmer, pour potato mixture into skillet and mash it down to a thinnish pancake using a spatula. Cook until bottom layer is browned and crispy (about 4 minutes). Turn over and cook other side until browned and crispy (about 3 minutes). Place onto warmed plate or platter and serve garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme and chives tied together with a knotted chive leaf.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Virginia Ham and Spinach Omelet
So close to Virginia... where we love our hams!
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (divided use)
1/2 C. raw spinach leaves, well rinsed in water with a 2 T. of vinegar in it, then rinsed again, drained, and dried (the vinegar rinse should take care of the threat of bacterial contamination)
1 T. minced onion
4 ounces good Virginia ham, diced
3 eggs
2 T. plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
Couple of dashes Tabasco pepper sauce or other hot sauce
1/3 cup cheese of choice, grated (Asiago, cheddar, Swiss, Monterrey jack, pepper jack, etc., or any mixture of these is fine)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place 8-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet or good quality omelet pan on stovetop over medium heat. Add 1 T. of olive oil to pan. Add ham, spinach, and onion to the hot oil.
Stir until ham warms through, spinach wilts, and onion turns clear. Remove mixture from pan and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, tarragon, and hot sauce. Place skillet back on stove. Add 1 T. olive oil to skillet and spread to cover entire surface. Pour egg mixture into oiled pan. Cook until bottom is set, then flip egg mixture in pan (If this isn’t something you do regularly and you don’t want to destroy your kitchen attempting it, you can also pull the cooked egg to the center of the pan, and rotate the remaining liquid egg in the pan to cover the oiled surface. Either way, the eggs are cooked through, without leaving an overcooked and tough brown layer on the bottom of the omelet.) Top the cooking eggs with the warm ham, spinach, and onion mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over top, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook just until the cheese melts. Take off cover. Fold omelet in half.
Serve immediately on warmed plate.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (divided use)
1/2 C. raw spinach leaves, well rinsed in water with a 2 T. of vinegar in it, then rinsed again, drained, and dried (the vinegar rinse should take care of the threat of bacterial contamination)
1 T. minced onion
4 ounces good Virginia ham, diced
3 eggs
2 T. plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
Couple of dashes Tabasco pepper sauce or other hot sauce
1/3 cup cheese of choice, grated (Asiago, cheddar, Swiss, Monterrey jack, pepper jack, etc., or any mixture of these is fine)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place 8-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet or good quality omelet pan on stovetop over medium heat. Add 1 T. of olive oil to pan. Add ham, spinach, and onion to the hot oil.
Stir until ham warms through, spinach wilts, and onion turns clear. Remove mixture from pan and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, tarragon, and hot sauce. Place skillet back on stove. Add 1 T. olive oil to skillet and spread to cover entire surface. Pour egg mixture into oiled pan. Cook until bottom is set, then flip egg mixture in pan (If this isn’t something you do regularly and you don’t want to destroy your kitchen attempting it, you can also pull the cooked egg to the center of the pan, and rotate the remaining liquid egg in the pan to cover the oiled surface. Either way, the eggs are cooked through, without leaving an overcooked and tough brown layer on the bottom of the omelet.) Top the cooking eggs with the warm ham, spinach, and onion mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over top, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook just until the cheese melts. Take off cover. Fold omelet in half.
Serve immediately on warmed plate.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Honey Almond Scones
Honey Almond Scones
This recipe is also from State of the Onion, and it's one of my personal favorites. What's nice is that, except for the buttermilk, I usually have all these ingredients on hand in my kitchen all the time.
Scones:
1/4 C. buttermilk or plain yogurt
3/4 C. honey
2 eggs
1/4 t. almond extract
3 C. flour
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. finely chopped almonds
Glaze:
3 T. butter, melted
1 T. hot water
1 t. vanilla extract
2 drops almond extract
1 C. confectioner’s sugar
Heat oven to 375°F.
Grease scone pan or place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.Add honey to buttermilk, stir, then beat in the eggs.Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add sugar, and almonds. Toss to coat.Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until a ball forms. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead 5 to 6 times to make sure it is well mixed.
If using scone pan, spoon dough into the pan, spreading evenly among the indentations. If using baking sheet, roll dough into a ball and flatten it some. Cut into 8 wedges.
Bake for 25 minutes or until medium golden brown.Cool on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and hot water. Add confectioner’s sugar. Stir. If glaze is too thick to pour, add more hot water, a teaspoonful at a time, until the glaze has the consistency of thick syrup. Spoon the glaze over the warm scones.
Extra hint:
If you don't have a scone pan, and the batter proves too unwieldy to cut into those 8 wedges (it's a pretty sticky batter), you can use a mini-muffin pan. I love this option because then the scones come out a little bit smaller. Like two-bite-sized. I spray or otherwise grease the mini-muffin pan, and fill each about 3/4 full. I also cut down the baking time a bit... keep an eye on them. Take a look after about 10 minutes, then turn the pan. Let them bake a bit longer until golden brown. I think I had my last batch in for about 17 minutes and they came out perfectly.
This recipe is also from State of the Onion, and it's one of my personal favorites. What's nice is that, except for the buttermilk, I usually have all these ingredients on hand in my kitchen all the time.
Scones:
1/4 C. buttermilk or plain yogurt
3/4 C. honey
2 eggs
1/4 t. almond extract
3 C. flour
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. finely chopped almonds
Glaze:
3 T. butter, melted
1 T. hot water
1 t. vanilla extract
2 drops almond extract
1 C. confectioner’s sugar
Heat oven to 375°F.
Grease scone pan or place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.Add honey to buttermilk, stir, then beat in the eggs.Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add sugar, and almonds. Toss to coat.Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until a ball forms. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead 5 to 6 times to make sure it is well mixed.
If using scone pan, spoon dough into the pan, spreading evenly among the indentations. If using baking sheet, roll dough into a ball and flatten it some. Cut into 8 wedges.
Bake for 25 minutes or until medium golden brown.Cool on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and hot water. Add confectioner’s sugar. Stir. If glaze is too thick to pour, add more hot water, a teaspoonful at a time, until the glaze has the consistency of thick syrup. Spoon the glaze over the warm scones.
Extra hint:
If you don't have a scone pan, and the batter proves too unwieldy to cut into those 8 wedges (it's a pretty sticky batter), you can use a mini-muffin pan. I love this option because then the scones come out a little bit smaller. Like two-bite-sized. I spray or otherwise grease the mini-muffin pan, and fill each about 3/4 full. I also cut down the baking time a bit... keep an eye on them. Take a look after about 10 minutes, then turn the pan. Let them bake a bit longer until golden brown. I think I had my last batch in for about 17 minutes and they came out perfectly.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries
This is a wonderful Angel Food cake. Delicious and light. The chocolate makes it special. When you're slicing, you'll want to use a serrated knife. Angel Food cakes are notoriously hard to slice. I have to confess that the last time I made this one, I wound up with quite a few smooshy pieces. They were still delicious ... they just looked a little funny.
Thank goodness I was serving family and friends and not President Campbell! It's a good thing that for big state dinners and small First Family gatherings, we have Marcel, our pastry chef, on staff. He's the real expert when it comes to dessert!
;-)
Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries
12 jumbo egg whites, or egg whites equal to 2 cups (this can be accomplished with 16 large eggs, or even meringue powder, if you don’t want to deal with so many leftover egg yolks—but egg yolks make fabulous puddings, a nice Lord Baltimore cake, or custard sauce, so Marcel never minds having leftovers.)
4 T. Dutch processed cocoa powder
¼ cup boiling water
2 T. vanilla extract
2 C. sugar, divided use
1 cup cake flour, well sifted or pulsed in a food processor
½ t. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
Confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder for garnish
1 pint fresh berries, rinsed, drained, and chilled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine boiling water, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, or in food processor bowl, whisk or pulse together cake flour, 1 cup sugar, and salt. Set aside.
In a large clean bowl (the slightest bit of fat will keep your egg whites from whipping properly), beat the egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Continue beating until egg whites form soft peaks. Gradually add 1C. sugar until stiff peaks form.
Remove1 C. of egg mixture from large bowl and fold gently into cocoa mixture bowl.
In large bowl, take remaining egg mixture and incorporate flour mixture into it by gently sifting 1/3 cup of the flour onto surface of beaten eggs, and folding them together. Don’t overwork this batter or it will loose its incorporated air. Work gently but efficiently and quickly.
Gently fold cocoa mixture into egg batter.
Spoon or pour batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Run a knife through the batter in a circular motion to eliminate any large air pockets. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Do not open oven door during the first thirty minutes of baking. Top of cake will crack—this is part of its charm. Cake is done when surface springs back when gently touched or toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan.
Let cool completely—at least two hours at room temperature.
Remove cake from pan by running a sharp knife around sides and center of tube pan to release from sides, then remove cake from pan. If cake has removable tube, run knife around bottom of cake pan before removing.
Dust cake and berries with confectioner’s sugar. To serve, place cake slice on individual plate dusted with coca powder and confectioner’s sugar. Heap berries to side of cake. Dust with more confectioner’s sugar. Serve.
Thank goodness I was serving family and friends and not President Campbell! It's a good thing that for big state dinners and small First Family gatherings, we have Marcel, our pastry chef, on staff. He's the real expert when it comes to dessert!
;-)
Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries
12 jumbo egg whites, or egg whites equal to 2 cups (this can be accomplished with 16 large eggs, or even meringue powder, if you don’t want to deal with so many leftover egg yolks—but egg yolks make fabulous puddings, a nice Lord Baltimore cake, or custard sauce, so Marcel never minds having leftovers.)
4 T. Dutch processed cocoa powder
¼ cup boiling water
2 T. vanilla extract
2 C. sugar, divided use
1 cup cake flour, well sifted or pulsed in a food processor
½ t. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
Confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder for garnish
1 pint fresh berries, rinsed, drained, and chilled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine boiling water, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, or in food processor bowl, whisk or pulse together cake flour, 1 cup sugar, and salt. Set aside.
In a large clean bowl (the slightest bit of fat will keep your egg whites from whipping properly), beat the egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Continue beating until egg whites form soft peaks. Gradually add 1C. sugar until stiff peaks form.
Remove1 C. of egg mixture from large bowl and fold gently into cocoa mixture bowl.
In large bowl, take remaining egg mixture and incorporate flour mixture into it by gently sifting 1/3 cup of the flour onto surface of beaten eggs, and folding them together. Don’t overwork this batter or it will loose its incorporated air. Work gently but efficiently and quickly.
Gently fold cocoa mixture into egg batter.
Spoon or pour batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Run a knife through the batter in a circular motion to eliminate any large air pockets. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Do not open oven door during the first thirty minutes of baking. Top of cake will crack—this is part of its charm. Cake is done when surface springs back when gently touched or toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan.
Let cool completely—at least two hours at room temperature.
Remove cake from pan by running a sharp knife around sides and center of tube pan to release from sides, then remove cake from pan. If cake has removable tube, run knife around bottom of cake pan before removing.
Dust cake and berries with confectioner’s sugar. To serve, place cake slice on individual plate dusted with coca powder and confectioner’s sugar. Heap berries to side of cake. Dust with more confectioner’s sugar. Serve.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bucky's Brussels Sprouts
Bucky’s Brussels Sprouts
(this recipe was referred to, but not included in State of the Onion)
These cheesy herbed appetizers will change the mind of any hater of Brussels sprouts.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Ingredients:
Brussels sprouts:25 fresh Brussels sprouts
4 quarts boiling water
1 tsp salt
2 quarts ice water
Blanch the Brussels sprouts for roughly 4 minutes each by dropping the sprouts 5-6 at a time into a 6 quart pan filled with boiling salted water. After four minutes, remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon, dropping them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Continue until all the sprouts have been blanched. Remove the sprouts from the ice water and let them dry.
Cut off stems from Brussels sprouts. Cut each Brussels sprout in half, beginning at the stem end and cutting down to the top of each sprout. Use a small melon ball to remove the middles of the sprouts. You can reserve these centers for a later use (they are great in soups and casseroles), or toss them. Lay the halved Brussels sprouts on their cut sides down on a paper towel covered surface and allow them to drain while you make the filling (below).
Arrange the drained sprouts rounded sides down on a large cookie sheet. You should end up with a tray full of hollowed out Brussels sprouts, hollowed side up. They are now ready to stuff.
Stuffing:
4 oz. good feta (goat) cheese at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, softened.
2 TBSP fresh dill, chopped (or 1 TBSP dried dill)
2 cloves garlic mashed and minced (or to taste)
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 TBSP of olive oil
Mix together ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
Assembly:
Place a heaping tablespoon full of filling into each hollowed out Brussels sprout. Place the tray of filled Brussels sprouts into the preheated oven. Cook until filling is melted and sprouts are warmed through—about 12-15 minutes. Turn on broiler, cook until cheese filling bubbles and begins to brown—about 1-2 minutes.Remove from oven and serve warm.
In this recipe, I substituted Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb cheese for the feta and it worked out marvelously. My family and I don't particularly care for Brussels sprouts but these were a hit. I've made them three times so far, and they keep asking for me to make them again.
Let me know if you like these. I'll be sure to pass along your comments to Bucky!
Enjoy!
(this recipe was referred to, but not included in State of the Onion)
These cheesy herbed appetizers will change the mind of any hater of Brussels sprouts.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Ingredients:
Brussels sprouts:25 fresh Brussels sprouts
4 quarts boiling water
1 tsp salt
2 quarts ice water
Blanch the Brussels sprouts for roughly 4 minutes each by dropping the sprouts 5-6 at a time into a 6 quart pan filled with boiling salted water. After four minutes, remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon, dropping them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Continue until all the sprouts have been blanched. Remove the sprouts from the ice water and let them dry.
Cut off stems from Brussels sprouts. Cut each Brussels sprout in half, beginning at the stem end and cutting down to the top of each sprout. Use a small melon ball to remove the middles of the sprouts. You can reserve these centers for a later use (they are great in soups and casseroles), or toss them. Lay the halved Brussels sprouts on their cut sides down on a paper towel covered surface and allow them to drain while you make the filling (below).
Arrange the drained sprouts rounded sides down on a large cookie sheet. You should end up with a tray full of hollowed out Brussels sprouts, hollowed side up. They are now ready to stuff.
Stuffing:
4 oz. good feta (goat) cheese at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, softened.
2 TBSP fresh dill, chopped (or 1 TBSP dried dill)
2 cloves garlic mashed and minced (or to taste)
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 TBSP of olive oil
Mix together ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
Assembly:
Place a heaping tablespoon full of filling into each hollowed out Brussels sprout. Place the tray of filled Brussels sprouts into the preheated oven. Cook until filling is melted and sprouts are warmed through—about 12-15 minutes. Turn on broiler, cook until cheese filling bubbles and begins to brown—about 1-2 minutes.Remove from oven and serve warm.
In this recipe, I substituted Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb cheese for the feta and it worked out marvelously. My family and I don't particularly care for Brussels sprouts but these were a hit. I've made them three times so far, and they keep asking for me to make them again.
Let me know if you like these. I'll be sure to pass along your comments to Bucky!
Enjoy!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Brand New Blog with Recipes
Hi there!
Olivia Paras here. But you can call me Ollie. If you've read any of the White House Chef Mysteries, written by Julie Hyzy, then you know I'm the (fictional) first female Executive Chef in the White House. We have a *real* female Executive Chef in the White House right now. Her name is Cristeta Comerford and, from all reports, she's doing marvelously. Any similarities between Cristeta and me are purely coincidental. I'm proud of my fictional adventures, just as I'm sure she's proud of the incredible role she plays in the First Family's life.
So far there are two books chronicling my story. The first is State of the Onion where I whack a White House intruder in the head with a frying pan and get myself involved in an international crisis. The second, Hail to the Chef, came out in December 2008. In that book, I'm in trouble, yet again. This time with bombs ;-)
The third book is due out in January, 2010, and I'll talk more about that one as we get closer to publication date.
For now, I want to introduce ... RECIPES!
Lots of readers have asked to have the recipes from the books available online. This way they can be printed out and taken to the grocery store, or placed on the counter as the food is being prepared. So here they are! (Or... will be. Soon.)
I like the fact that the recipes I've included in the books are simple ones. Quick and easy recipes are the ones that usually become family favorites.
Stay tuned. The next post will be a recipe from State of the Onion. In the meantime, please feel free to comment and let me know if there are any suggestions or ideas you have to make this site better!
Thanks!
Happy cooking,
Ollie
Olivia Paras here. But you can call me Ollie. If you've read any of the White House Chef Mysteries, written by Julie Hyzy, then you know I'm the (fictional) first female Executive Chef in the White House. We have a *real* female Executive Chef in the White House right now. Her name is Cristeta Comerford and, from all reports, she's doing marvelously. Any similarities between Cristeta and me are purely coincidental. I'm proud of my fictional adventures, just as I'm sure she's proud of the incredible role she plays in the First Family's life.
So far there are two books chronicling my story. The first is State of the Onion where I whack a White House intruder in the head with a frying pan and get myself involved in an international crisis. The second, Hail to the Chef, came out in December 2008. In that book, I'm in trouble, yet again. This time with bombs ;-)
The third book is due out in January, 2010, and I'll talk more about that one as we get closer to publication date.
For now, I want to introduce ... RECIPES!
Lots of readers have asked to have the recipes from the books available online. This way they can be printed out and taken to the grocery store, or placed on the counter as the food is being prepared. So here they are! (Or... will be. Soon.)
I like the fact that the recipes I've included in the books are simple ones. Quick and easy recipes are the ones that usually become family favorites.
Stay tuned. The next post will be a recipe from State of the Onion. In the meantime, please feel free to comment and let me know if there are any suggestions or ideas you have to make this site better!
Thanks!
Happy cooking,
Ollie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
