LA-Style Danger Dogs

L.A. Style Danger Dogs - bacon-wrapped grilled hot dogs topped with mustard, ketchup, mayo, grilled onions and peppers, fresh pico de gallo, and often topped with a grilled jalapeño pepper. 

Los Angeles Danger Dogs are wrapped in bacon, and grilled on a baking sheet on top of a metal shopping cart with a can of Sterno to heat the baking sheet.

Aloo Paratha (Indian Spicy Potato Bread) Recipe

Aloo Paratha is a flaky Indian flatbread (paratha) stuffed with spicy potatoes (aloo). It's a wonderful breakfast bread that you can buy at roadside stands and eateries along northern Indian highways. 

Aloo paratha are also made in Indian households as part of a hearty Punjabi-style breakfast.

Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Muffins

These Lemon Poppyseed Ricotta Muffins are so rich and moist, and have a bright lemony flavor. The ricotta adds such a fluffy moistness to the muffins. 

There are lots of recipes for Lemon poppyseed muffins. What makes this recipe different is that these are also filled with ricotta cheese, giving them a tangy yet sweet flavor, and a creamy texture.

Shrimp Rémoulade

Shrimp Rémoulade, poached shrimp tossed in a spicy and creamy sauce, is a favorite Louisiana appetizer, especially for holidays.

What is Rémoulade Sauce? 

Rémoulade sauce is typically a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, Cajun seasonings, horseradish, garlic, some pickle or pickle juice, and bits of chopped vegetables such as peppers, onions, or shallots. It is fabulous for Po' Boy sandwiches, and fantastic for dipping fried pickle chips or fried green tomatoes.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

This Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake is so moist and delicious. Everyone loves the combination of blueberries and lemons, and the ricotta helps make the cake extra tender. It's perfect for serving with tea or coffee. 

I love baking with ricotta cheese. It makes everything so soft and tender. Add it to cookies and you end up with little mini cakes. It's also wonderful in bundt cake recipes.

The Dirty Martini

The Dirty Martini is a controversial member of the martini family. For some, it is actually desecration of the purity of the gin martini. 

Some folks like their martinis with a twist of lemon. Some folks like their martinis with olives. Then there's the Gibson martini, which is garnished with pickled onions. I usually order mine with olives. 

No-Knead Sourdough Bread

This no-knead sourdough bread, with its airy yet substantial crumb and  chewy crust, will become your new favorite loaf.

Making this sourdough loaf takes a little bit of time but very little effort. You'll be rewarded with an amazing rustic loaf of sourdough bread.

Red White and Blue Burgers

These Red White and Blue Burgers are piled high with everything you would want on a traditional backyard barbecue burger. 

These Red White and Blue Burgers are actually slider-sized burgers, mostly because I found these cute little sesame seed burger buns at Trader Joe's. I already had a pound of ground beef, and the package of buns had 8 cute little sesame seed buns, so it was meant to be.

Sopa de Queso - Cheese Soup with Chiles and Potato

This Sopa de Queso is a tasty brothy soup with roasted poblano chiles, potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese.

Sopa de queso (or caldo de queso) in Mexico is often made with fresh cheese such as queso fresco or Chihuahua cheese, because they both easily melt with the heat of the broth.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

These Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are filled with crushed Oreos, cream filling and all, and topped with whipped vanilla frosting and a cute little mini Oreo. 

Your friends will think that you've gone all Martha on them when you present these cupcakes. You will be the most popular girl (or guy) at the party.

Cheddar Bacon Chive Quick Bread

This cheddar bacon chive quick bread will have you doing back flips over its cheesy bacon-y goodness.

This Cheddar Bacon Chive Quick Bread is loaded with lots of chopped bacon, a cup of cheddar cheese, and a big handful of chopped chives.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

These Strawberry Shortcake Cookies take the flavors of your favorite summer dessert and combine them into a delicious cookie.

The strawberries in these cookies are totally fresh. The cookies themselves are like tender little cakes combined with a buttery dough that's mixed into heavy cream.

The Hemingway Daiquiri Martini

The Hemingway Daiquiri is a classic rum cocktail that is also known as the Papa Doble (when doubled) or the Hemingway Classic. 

Evidently, Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time drinking in Cuba (as well as in bars in Paris and across the world). One of the legends of the Hemingway Daiquiri is that Ernest Hemingway used to drink several of these at a time. He'd often order doubles, which became known as the aforementioned Papa Doble. 

Patatas Bravas with Tomato Aioli

Patatas Bravas, crispy potatoes with a spicy smoky roasted tomato sauce, are one of the most popular bar snacks in Spain. 

I loved the crispy crunchy "crust" and creamy inside of these papas bravas, and they were so incredibly delicious dipped in this roasted tomato aioli sauce.

Individual Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe for individual baked macaroni and cheese is my "go-to" all time favorite for easy family friendly mac and cheese.

Normally, I've baked this mac and cheese in a casserole, but I decided to experiment and bake the mac and cheese in ramekins. There's something extra fun about individually sized dishes. Plus, there's built in portion control.