ThumbnailIntroducing: Flower Sessions

ThumbnailFrench Cheese Plate

ThumbnailPreserving Citrus

ThumbnailMeyer Lemon Rosemary Tart

ThumbnailGinger Rose Sparkler

ThumbnailA Day with La Tartine Gourmande

holiday

Sweet Potato Pie

by Maggie Battista

I posted a photo of my Sweet Potato Pie on Facebook yesterday and received no fewer than 10 messages asking for the recipe. Ask and you shall receive, my friends. I’ve only made this pie a few times, and adding the coconut was inspired by my father-in-law, who used to make a similar pie each

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu & Recipes

by Maggie Battista

Thanksgiving is next week and I’m frantic finalizing my menu, shopping lists and plan of attack. Twenty people will converge on Chez Maggie, with many staying over night, so there’s no time for silliness; each night this week has a set purpose and task. As for my dinner table, it will be piled high with

Smoked Pork Butt, Pulled, Shredded, Whatever

by Maggie Battista

I set to cook on the morning of July 4th with so many meals in mind. So. Many. Meals. While I knew I was serving blue cheese filled all-natural burgers for the holiday barbecue, I had a two-pound piece of pork from the rear of the piggy that I wanted to smoke. It was a

Lemon Cilantro Potato Salad

by Maggie Battista

My husband loves potatoes. It’s a true love that began when he was a wee one fed piles of the mashed kind by his grandmother and mother at every meal. Every. Single. Meal. I’ve always been wary of attempting his family’s mashed recipe. I’m equally shy of his family’s potato salad recipe, a dish his

July 4th Menu Includes Tomato Bruschetta…

by Maggie Battista

Happy Independence Day! I love today. I love waking up early to get to work, in the kitchen. At 8am, I practically ran to the kitchen, hitched on an apron and started boiling, cutting and marinating. Today’s menu was short but fresh and well-seasoned. We enjoyed: Tomato Bruschetta Blue-cheese All-Natural Burgers with Balsamic Onions Lime-marinated

Easter Equals One Word = Lamb

by Maggie Battista

Easter can truly be summed up in that one word. Lamb. I apologize to all my vegan/vegetarian friends but I love fresh, local, all-natural lamb. On Saturday, we visited our farm to pick up our Easter meats – a smoked ham from Vermont and this gorgeous boneless leg of lamb also from New England. The

Easter: Egg Cups

by Maggie Battista

I found these very cute, modern egg ups over at Amazon. Package with a few chocolate bars and they’re a perfect “grown-up” Easter gift. I promise to feature some great recipes with my finds from the spice store at Portobello Market. Today’s soup was awesome; pictures to come soon, perhaps as soon as tonight. Depends

A Recipe for Love

by Maggie Battista

I reconnected with an old friend recently. Well, he’s a former colleague but to be quite honest, we went through so many ups and downs at our former company that I truly consider him a friend now. We were both there for a long, long time and endured the multiple acquisitions, layoffs, organization shifts and

New Year’s Day

by Maggie Battista

They say what you do on New Year’s Day is a metaphor or signifier for how the rest of the year will unfold. I say what you EAT on New Year’s Day will represent the good meals and beverages coming your way in 2008. Just for you all, I am recording all the food I

New Year’s Eve Dinner: Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

by Maggie Battista

Last night, I was a sous chef. I am so not the sous chef type. So NOT the sous chef type. If you knew me, you would know this to be true. I prefer my husband assist me while I do the heavy lifting needed to whip up something fun and delicious. But last night,

Ice Cold Black Cherry Vodka, In Ice and Pine and Cherries

by Maggie Battista

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

by Maggie Battista

Okay, I realize Christmas is now done and gone, but I think I get a pass to talk cookies for at least a few more days, yes? Good. These peanut butter cookies were absolutely darling, yummy and very rustic. The dough was a touch dry, but nothing a little kneading couldn’t remedy. I made these

Recipe: Merry Christmas, Wheatberry Salad

by Maggie Battista

After weeks of baking, I woke this morning craving something healthy. Perhaps it was the few pounds I put back on, after losing 15 just before Thanksgiving. Perhaps it was the email from my husband’s boss saying, “You’ll be the death of me,” after sending Nigella’s Snow-Flecked Brownies to the office. Or perhaps it was

Recipe: Nigella’s Snow-Flecked Brownies

by Maggie Battista

As I’ve mentioned before, I am not a baker. In fact, I’ve never really baked all that much until this December. I used to marvel at friends and family who would whip up cookies and pies at Christmas’ past, thinking, “How do they find the time? It all seems so complicated; how do they understand

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Menus

by Maggie Battista

I love planning both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus. I get excited reading cookbooks, researching ingredients and wines, typing everything up. Here are some introductory drafts to my menus for the big night and big day. Open to any and all feedback! Christmas Eve Champagne Ice Cold Black Cherry Vodka Oysters on the Half-Shell

Recipe: French Chocolate Bark

by Maggie Battista

The Barefoot Contessa showcased a lovely recipe for French Chocolate Bark earlier this month and it was so easy. I am all about easy, so I had to try it. I made a large batch earlier this week for delivery to my husband’s work. I found that it was a dessert masked as a slightly

My Dressed Christmas Trees

by Maggie Battista

I finished decorating my Christmas Trees. And while some gave up on the LEDs, I persevered (begrudgingly) and I’m really pleased that I did. (See more photos of my trees decorated, lit up at night and naked here.) All my designer friends say my big tree looks very Scandinavian in design. I say… “err… yeah…

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