Awesome Holiday Dessert: Baked Pear Parcels With Lemon Chamomile Sauce

Image by quisnovus via Flickr

From Denny:  Pears come in season during the Christmas holidays and are plentiful.  But have you thought about what to do with them beyond enjoying them fresh or giving as holiday gifts?

Our local newspaper here in Louisiana included some recipes from USA Pears, so, of course, you know I just had to go explore their site.  The site is set up to promote the pear growers' product and awareness of the fruit.  Since I've been thinking about setting up my own organic orchards I've been visiting a lot of sites like this one.

While their recipe section is not extensive it has some gems like the following recipe well suited for the holiday table when you want something special to wow the family or your guests.  If, you are like me, you like to try new recipes or variations on a popular theme - like baked pears.  A nice touch is the lemon chamomile sauce that snuggles up to these pears.

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss

Image via Wikipedia

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss: From Denny: A melt-in-your-mouth cookie favorite. A local food writer received it from a friend in Nashville, Tennessee. "And she told two friends - and she told two friends..." :) This cookie has been making the rounds with chocolate foodies.

It's an easy recipe, fast enough to whip up for the holidays. Part of what makes this cookie so delectable is that half of the chocolate chips are melted and added to the batter along with the unmelted ones. It's like what chef Paul Prudhomme practiced with the concept of layering the same taste in a dish.

Related articles

• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Black Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Decadent Chocolate Cake (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart

Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart: From Denny: This easy tart combines two of my favorite flavors - chocolate and pecans. Louisiana Bergeron pecans are wonderful if you can get them where you live. If not, just look for the freshest ones, even asking your grocer when a new shipment is due.

Pecans exude such a wonderful aroma when roasting in the oven that is hard to resist. Make sure you slightly warm the dessert when you serve it for the holidays. That's how we like it at our house! :)

Romancing The Chocolate: From Silver Palate Restaurant Sheila Lukins: Sticky Toffee Date Cake

Romancing The Chocolate: From Silver Palate Restaurant Sheila Lukins: Sticky Toffee Date Cake: From Denny: Dates are loved around the world. In the Middle East they are a traditional part of the culture, offered as a sign of hospitality. Dates are served with strong black coffee and sometimes yogurt to balance the intense sweetness.

We love them in America too, especially here in Louisiana, and we never miss a chance to check out a cake recipe featuring them. One beautiful characteristic of dates is that cakes like this freeze well and can be enjoyed months later.

This recipe is from a long time famous food writer, Sheila Lukins. Read on to find out about her many cookbooks she has authored as she has worked for Parade Magazine and co-founded the restaurant takeout shop at the Silver Palate Restaurant.

Appetizer: Berried Brie

From Denny: Need a simple appetizer during the holiday season and you don't want to stand over it to practically hatch it? This is so simple you will fall over laughing!  It's so easy your children can make it for you.

All you need is a round of brie cheese, some canned cranberry sauce and fresh pecans.  Throw it into a slow cooker for a couple of hours over low heat and you have instant magic without a lot of fuss.  It will leave you time for wrapping all those gifts and giggling with the kids.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: 2 Recipes: Coffee Cake and Apple Cake Topped with Pecan Streusel

Comfort Food From Louisiana: 2 Recipes: Coffee Cake and Apple Cake Topped with Pecan Streusel: From Denny: Lots of tasty pecans throughout this dense coffee cake, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with a great cup of dark coffee. Here in Louisiana we love Bergeron pecans! Find the freshest pecans you can and buy them in large pieces as they will still retain more of the flavor.

Of course, we cake folk all know how delightful it is to use sour cream in any cake or muffin. The tenderness and full flavor can't be matched by anything else except maybe a high quality yogurt.

While searching for a photo to go with this post I happened upon a Rick Bayless recipe on flickr that is so unusual you just have to take it out for a foodie spin: Apple Coffee Cake with Pecan and Bacon Streusel.

Romancing The Chocolate: Flourless Chocolate Cake and Mocha Buttercream Icing

Romancing The Chocolate: Flourless Chocolate Cake and Mocha Buttercream Icing: From Denny: Check out this all time favorite - the flourless chocolate cake. This time it's paired with another favorite flavor - the all important coffee! Somehow, I just have to figure out how to grow coffee beans in my back yard. Can you imagine how sweet that would be to pick your own beans and then roast them? While we are dreaming we might as well include our own cocoa plants, right? Hey, "Go BIG or go home!" :)

Happy Holidays and thank you for all your support this year!

Romancing The Chocolate: Decadent Chocolate Cake

Romancing The Chocolate: Decadent Chocolate Cake: This chocolate cake uses high end chocolate, just perfect for the discriminating tastes for the holidays.

Visual Insights: 18 Funny Coffee Splash Photos

Visual Insights: 18 Funny Coffee Splash Photos: From Denny: Check out the best of the amusing coffee splash photos over at flickr. Many are a first time effort from the photographers.

Ever since flickr created galleries to stash your favorites by themes and in groups of a manageable 18, I've been having fun on a regular basis. Try it sometime and get your own Visual Vacation to rest your tired brain at the end of a work week. :) Enjoy!




Morning coffee by iBalki @ flickr.  All Rights Reserved with embed code.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans The Bombay Club Pasta: Oyster and Tasso Fettuccini

The Bombay Club in New Orleans in the French Quarter

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans The Bombay Club Pasta: Oyster and Tasso Fettuccini: "The Bombay Club in New Orleans is a hot spot in the French Quarter, near Bourbon Street, well known and revered by the locals as well as tourists. It features Nouveau Creole cuisine, receiving many accolades in the food world."

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Simple Appetizer From Chef Poppy Tooker: Andouille in Creole Mustard Cream Sauce

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Simple Appetizer From Chef Poppy Tooker: Andouille in Creole Mustard Cream Sauce: "From Denny: New Orleans food is known for its great tasting creative comfort food. It's also loaded with calories, usually from the sauces. This delectable appetizer qualifies for the High Calorie Club. But that's the beauty of Louisiana food as you can often choose to serve it in smaller portions to help reduce the calorie load while still enjoying great flavor!

Chef Poppy Tooker did just that. She sauced the andouille slices in heavy cream flavored with Creole mustard. If you can't find andouille sausage or Creole mustard in your area just substitute with your favorite sausage and a great deli mustard of full flavor."

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Chef Recipe: Crab Calas with Remoulade Sauce

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Chef Recipe: Crab Calas with Remoulade Sauce: "From Denny:  Chef Poppy Tooker is a New Orleans icon, much loved and respected as she is interesting.  She is like a walking trivia foodie encyclopedia and she sure does relish telling the tall tales of Louisiana food and history.

Check out some of her latest trivia offerings and appearances to tantalize your mind as much as your tastebuds:

* Louisiana's Crystal Hot Sauce was used in WWI Army field rations. I'm a bigger fan of Louisiana Hot Sauce.  It's milder than Tabasco and less vinegar.  Goes great on eggs in the morning.

* Camellia red beans are the finest grade of red beans.  Camellia buys up all the Hayward (finest top grade) beans, leaving grades A and B for the rest of the country.  Hayward grade beans are named for the family that founded Camellia in New Orleans back in 1923.  They still own it today.

Can we ever imagine the Monday wash day without Camellia red beans?  Life might never have been the same in New Orleans.  Even Louis Armstrong might not have been known for his endearing signature statement, 'Red beans and ricely yours.'"

Romancing The Chocolate: Blueberry Pound Cake

Blueberries Image via Wikipedia

Romancing The Chocolate: Blueberry Pound Cake: "rom Denny: Talk about an easy recipe! It comes from a cake mix as its base. And, with the summer heat two months early here in south Louisiana all we can think about are refreshing cold drinks and berry desserts. :)

Even though the Mississippi River is above flood stage, and not expected to go down until sometime in late July or August, we are in a drought. Guess that's a good thing because the levees are earthen levees. So, the good news is we don't have to worry about more rain on the way to weaken those levees."

Readers Recipes: Apple Upside-Down Caramel Cake, Louises Birthday Cake

Image by Mrs J Park via Flickr

From Denny:  Upside-down cake is one of the first cakes I learned to make when I was a child.  They were so easy and even smelled good as you assembled them into the iron skillet which was our pan of choice.

This apple caramel cake is unusual in that it employs canned sweet potatoes too.  We love our sweet potatoes in Louisiana and eat them all year long, finding new ways to use them.  This is the first I've seen used in an upside-down cake.  Everyone knows that brown sugar and sweet potatoes are a natural and perfect taste combination!

The second recipe for an unusual birthday cake uses a spice cake mix and pumpkin pie filling.  That makes for a dense moist cake topped by cream cheese icing  - low fat cream cheese and low fat whipped topping, of course. :) To gild the lily the special cake is topped off with white chocolate bark.

From Chef Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa: Roasted Turkey Roulade, Sweet Potato Fries

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny:  Chef Ina Garten is best known as The Barefoot Contessa on her long-running cooking show. It was Martha Stewart who promoted her, propelling her into her own show after doing countless segments on Martha's show.

There is a link to this blog's Amazon book store where you purchase it at a reduced price:   Back to Basics

Included here are two recipes from her new book: Roasted Turkey Roulade and Baked Sweet Potato Fries. These book promotions are a food blogger's dream where they offer up new recipes we all can test drive. :)

Brandy, pork sausage and rosemary all combine for a flavor packed dish for the roasted turkey, great any time of year.  And sweet potatoes are a big hit here in south Louisiana where we grow them.  We enjoy them baked or roasted or fried like potato chips dusted with a little powdered sugar.  There are local Cajun restaurants that serve sweet potato chips as an appetizer while you are reading the menu.  It's little courtesies like those chips that keep diners coming back for more!

This is the Amazon book review promotion about her new cookbook to give you an idea of what is contained within the pages:

"Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics is the essential Ina Garten cookbook, focusing on the techniques behind her elegant food and easy entertaining style, and offering nearly a hundred brand-new recipes that will become trusted favorites.

"Ina Garten’s bestselling cookbooks have consistently provided accessible, subtly sophisticated recipes ranging from French classics made easy to delicious, simple home cooking. In Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina truly breaks down her ideas on flavor, examining the ingredients and techniques that are the foundation of her easy, refined style.

"Here Ina covers the essentials, from ten ways to boost the flavors of your ingredients to ten things not to serve at a party, as well as professional tips that make successful baking, cooking, and entertaining a breeze. The recipes--crowd-pleasers like Lobster Corn Chowder, Tuscan Lemon Chicken, and Easy Sticky Buns--demonstrate Ina’s talent for transforming fresh, easy-to-find ingredients into elegant meals you can make without stress.

"For longtime fans, Ina delivers new insights into her simple techniques; for newcomers she provides a thorough master class on the basics of Barefoot Contessa cooking plus a Q&A section with answers to the questions people ask her all the time. With full-color photographs and invaluable cooking tips, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics is an essential addition to the cherished library of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks."

Chef Ina Garten is Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

Roasted Turkey Roulade

Serves: 6 or 7

Ingredients:

3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Calvados or brandy
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1-1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan.

Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Don’t mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.) Starting at one end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.

Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1-3/4 to 2 hours, until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. (I test in a few places.) Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.

Baked Sweet Potato "Fries"

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into 3 long spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.



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*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

Romancing The Chocolate - chocolate recipes and more food
Comfort Food From Louisiana - Cajun, Creole, New Orleans and more comfort food
Unusual 2 Tasty - different twists on favorite foods, international food too
The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
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Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd - more crazy humor
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Valentines Day: Romantic Meal From Chef Ina Garten

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny:  Chef Ina Garten shows The Today Show host,  Meredith Vieira,  how to cook up a tasty and romantic Valentine’s Day meal.  Why is it so many of my journalism sisters are often lacking in confidence  in the kitchen?  :) Chef Garten is undeterred and rocks on ahead teaching good basics anyone can learn quickly.  They neglected to put up the recipes for this video so watch and learn.

If you are an experienced cook, this advice from Ina might jog your mind to remember some dishes you haven't done in a while.  I always retread videos like this to jog my brain because it's so easy to get into a cooking rut.  Especially if you have a husband or children who keep wanting the same dishes week after week.  It's always good to break out and try a new twist on a family favorite or something entirely different.

 In the end, you are the best judge of what your family will eat.  Sometimes, it's the smallest changes that are best enjoyed by all! Take a look at what Chef Garten offers and see what you think!  Who said romantic had to only be for a couple, sometimes we can extend it to include the whole family. :)

Chef Ina Garten is Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics


Ina's Valentine's Day menu:


Roasted Red Snapper
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries


Red snapper or other substantial fish:  A simple sauce is made from creme fraiche (think of it like using mayonnaise as a base), Dijon mustard for some spicy heat, whole grain coarse ground mustard for some texture, salt and pepper, shallots finely diced, some vinegary capers.  Combine all together and pour over the fish in the roasting pan.  Place in the oven at 425-degrees F. for about 10 to 15 minutes, maybe more, until fish flakes with a test fork to see if it is done.

Roasted Red Snapper

Ingredients:

4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Roasted Vegetables:  Ina uses potatoes and fennel which she starts off first in the roasting process at about 425-degrees F., combined with olive oil, salt and pepper - until they begin to soften, about 25 minutes.  Then she adds the more delicate vegetables like asparagus and green string beans to roast some more.  When they look like they are about done, sprinkle all with liberal amount of grated Paremsan cheese and roast again just until the cheese is melted.

Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries

Ingredients:

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Trader Joe’s, do not use low or non fat cream cheese)
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
Raspberry sauce
1 pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried

Directions:

Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest and vanilla seeds and beat on high until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7″ sieve with cheesecloth (I used unbleached) so the ends drape over the sides and place it in a bowl so there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bowl for the liquid to drain (about 1″). Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate and drizzle raspberry sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce. Alternatively, slice pieces, drizzle with sauce and scatter with raspberries.

Raspberry Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
1 Tbsp. framboise liqueur

Directions: 

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

Romancing The Chocolate - chocolate recipes and more food
Comfort Food From Louisiana - Cajun, Creole, New Orleans and more comfort food
Unusual 2 Tasty - different twists on favorite foods, international food too
The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd - more crazy humor
Dennys Blog Feeds - what is posting on all the blogs at a glance
Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts Food - an online newspaper

The Social Poets: Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 28 Feb 2011

The Social Poets: Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 28 Feb 2011 - Choose from world news analysis combined with the best political cartoon opinion, celebrity watching, science and health news, arts, poetry, funny photos, serious photography, funny videos, great satire, awesome food and spiritual thoughts.

Valentines Day: Foolproof Chocolate Soufflé

From Denny:  Food writer Mark Bittman shows TODAY’s Matt Lauer how to cook up a foolproof chocolate soufflé.  This video clip was originally done for Valentine's Day but what the heck.  Who only enjoys chocolate soufflé once a year?  Not at our house!  There are those times when you really crave this traditional awesome dessert of rich chocolate - so share some incredible calories with your friends! :)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Related articles

• Video: Mark Bittman Makes Shrimp and Cilantro Shu Mai (shoppingblog.com)
• Tribute to Mark Bittman (lapetitepancake.wordpress.com)
• Cookbooks or Cooking Apps? By Mark Bittman (recipevid.wordpress.com)
• Adieu, Minimalist! Mark Bittman Gets a New Column The New York Times (thekitchn.com)

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

Romancing The Chocolate - chocolate recipes and more food
Comfort Food From Louisiana - Cajun, Creole, New Orleans and more comfort food
Unusual 2 Tasty - different twists on favorite foods, international food too
The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd - more crazy humor
Dennys Blog Feeds - what is posting on all the blogs at a glance
Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts Food - an online newspaper

Valentines Day Pasta From Chef Shea Gallante

Image by fionaandneil via Flickr

From Denny: OK, so Valentine's Day was yesterday but hey! at our house we celebrate all week long - or however long it takes me to get all these Valentine food posts published. :)

Who doesn't know how to make spaghetti and meatballs? I'm always up for yet another new twist on this comfort food favorite. Besides, spaghetti sauce and the meatballs are something you can make ahead if you only have snippets of time to do the meal.

As chef reminds us, when we go to form the meatballs make sure you have both a wet ice cream scoop and wet hands as it makes for easier handling.

Take a look at the salad in the video as it's just beautiful, chock full of all those foods good for you, ending a long winter and starting Spring.  Apples, shallots and radishes are all good support for your sinuses, lungs and colon health to banish colds and flu.  Carrot and fennel pack those extra minerals we need to restore us after a dreary winter.

These are simple recipes that would be wonderful any time of the year or for that special weekend just for the two of you!

From Cafe del Rey: Mediterranean Pizza

From a famous restaurant - Pizza dough, tomato sauce and basil pesto - 3 recipes.

From Denny: Ever tried making your own pizza dough? It's easy and fun and the flavor is awesome compared to most commercial pizzas. Besides, you can spice it up however you like. At our house we always drizzle some extra virgin olive oil or clarified butter on top along with garlic powder and specialty chili powders from New Mexico.

This restaurant pizza is famous for its light crust and bright sauce. This recipe makes two pies to enjoy. They use the herb marjoram like we do. If you haven't tried this delightfully fragrant herb you will love it. It tastes sweet and combines well with tomato to help balance the sour taste without adding sugar to the sauce.

Café del Rey shares the recipes for the yeast pizza dough, their tomato sauce, and their basil pesto. What a recipe bonanza! In case you are traveling their way any time soon I've included links to their restaurant site. Check out their blog too as they list events and new menu choices.