When it comes to produce, these days, it is so easy to find what you want, when you want it. Anyone can go to their local grocery and find summer squash in the middle of winter, brussel sprouts in the heat of summer or even strawberries whenever you like. I have fallen for these “out of season” berries. They look so bright and red. They are huge, like berries on steroids! So, why not try ‘em? Each time I fall for the allure of year round berries I regret it. Once they have arrived in my far away land from someplace warm, they loose all of their flavor appeal. Cut into a strawberry in January and instead of a soft, deep red flesh, you get hard and white. Oh how what a drag! The good news is, local strawberries are in season right now! I would not have known this if our neighbors had not brought my family some this week. These berries are deceiving to the eye. Early season strawberries are much smaller, but boy do they taste sweet! Take a trip to your neighborhood truck patch or grocery store and pick up some of the summers first berries!

Quick Berry Cheesecake

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
¼ cup Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Butter, melted

8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
¼ cup Sugar
¼ tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla

1 ½ cups Berries
¼ cup Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl combine cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Transfer to an ungreased sheet pan and bake for ten minutes. This will toast the crumbs and blend the flavors of the sugar and cinnamon in well. Melt 2 tbsp of butter and mix into cooled crumb mixture. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric hand mixer. Scrap the sides of the bowl with a spatula every now and then to ensure all of the cheese is being whipped. Mix for about two minutes on high speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then pour in heavy cream and turn speed to medium. Whip for another two minutes, mixer should be smooth and fluffy. Add sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for one more minute. Set aside.

Prepare berries by washing and slicing them. Place sliced berries in a small bowl and toss with sugar. If you are using something like blackberries, or blueberries simply rinse them and toss in sugar, gently.

Begin layering by placing graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of a medium sized, shallow serving dish. Next, spread cream cheese topping. Top with sugared berries and chill before serving. The berries tend to release a lot of juice when they are sliced sugar. If there is a lot of liquid in your berry bowl, discard it and just spread the berries over your cheesecake.

~SD

Breakfast is a very important meal in our household… each person in my family treats it differently, however. My little brother could eat cereal everyday of his life. My mom eats dinner food. But it is my Dad and I who really do breakfast right. Give us a fried egg and toast and we are happy… add some pork and our day is set! This week my Dad requested that I make a whole wheat bread for our breakfast meal. So, I decided to make a Honey Wheat English Muffin Bread. I love this recipe, the texture of the bread is chewy, like an English muffin and the loaves freeze great for later. I love to serve the bread toasted with a touch of butter and honey.

Honey Wheat English Muffin Bread

2 cups Warm Milk
1/2 cup Warm Water
2 Tbsp Honey
6 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Yeast
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Combine warm water, milk and honey. In a large bowl stir together 4 cups of the flour, yeast, soda and salt. With a wooden spoon blend mixture well, then stir in remaining flour. The dough should be sticky, so add the flour gradually.

Grease 2 bread pans, then coat with corn meal. Divide batter and put in pans. Allow to rise, covered with a kitchen towel until double. Bake a 400 degrees until golden brown. About 25 minutes.

This recipe is quick and easy to make. Although it is a yeast bread, it requires no kneading, which creates the chewy texture.

Please be sure to comment and let me know what you think of this recipe- especially if you try it out!

~ SD

Christmas is over, the gifts are exchanged, the relatives are gone… but the ham is not! Of course I love a good holiday ham, but one can only eat so many leftover ham sandwiches! In an effort to change things up a bit and use every bit of the great Christmas ham I made this recipe for Pasta with Ham and Peas. Since many of you have spent hours in the kitchen this week, you will be pleased to know that this recipe took about 12 minutes to put together. I took an inventory of the refrigerator and found some great things like: boiled ham, heavy cream and sweet corn. Feel free to play around with this recipe and add whatever veggies you may have left from christmas.

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“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many chefs frown upon the use and/or consumption of chicken.  Perhaps this is an un-known truth, but to many culinary professionals chicken is thought to be flavorless, bland and worst of all boring.  I, however, disagree.  In doing so I might subject myself to a fair amount of hazing from any self-proclaimed foodie!  I like chicken because it is moderately priced, accessible and can be quiet tasty when prepared correctly.  The following is my recipe (if you can even call it that) for what I consider to be The Perfect Roasted Chicken.  Rather than complicating a simple process I prefer to bring out the natural flavors of the meat.  All you need to prepare this feast for five is one whole 3-4 pound chicken, olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. 

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