Grilled Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Shrimp and Andouille over rice

Barbecued shrimp is a real treat. I think they are the perfect appetizer for parties and everyone loves them! They are quick to prepare and cook in only a couple of minutes so dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes. They are versatile and can be prepared in a wide variety of ways. Steamed, grilled, sautéed, or deep-fried, I love them any way I can get them!

French Chicken in Wine (Coq au Vin)

A bowl of coq au vin!

Did you know that today is Bastille Day in France? Similar to our Fourth of July, it is a celebration of the storming of the Bastille fortress/prison in 1789, a symbolic event of the French Revolution. These days the President of France presides at a parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris. It may have started as a battle, but it is one heck of a party today!

James and I are going to celebrate (we look for any excuse, you know) by having a French food-filled day. While watching the Tour de France cycling race (James waits all year for the Tour!), we’re having an omelet for breakfast, lunch will be a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (known in French as a Croque Monsieur!), Coq au Vin for dinner, and we’ll top it all off with a nectarine and cherry galette for dessert! Ooh, la, la, baby!  It will be a lip-smacking kind of day!

Italian Pasta Salad

I love main course salads, especially during the summer. They are cool and easy to prepare. I usually have all the ingredients in my refrigerator and can add any vegetables I have left over from my last trip to the farmer’s market. Antipasto is a traditional Italian appetizer platter full of cured meats, olives, pickled vegetables, cheeses and breads. I have incorporated those ingredients and I changed the spelling to amuse myself! This Italian pasta salad is full of big, bold flavors and can be ready in less than 30 minutes. With pasta, salami, garlic, and zucchini, it doesn’t get much more Italian than this!

Chocolate Monday – Chocolate Biscotti !!

Happy Chocolate Monday! Today’s treat is Chocolate Biscotti! Biscotti (biss-koh-tee) (the plural of biscotto) is an Italian twice-baked cookie. Extra crunchy, they are perfect for dunking in coffee or espresso. You form the dough into logs and bake them most of the way through. Then take them out of the oven, cool slightly, slice and finish baking. The first time I tried to make biscotti, I didn’t trust the recipe and left the cookies in too long on the first bake. When I tried to slice them, they crumbled. Don’t make the same mistake I did!

Ingredients for Chocolate Monday, July 12th

This week’s Chocolate Monday recipe is a fun Italian treat. When I married my Italian husband, I had never made this dessert and I knew I had to learn how. Now it is one of my favorites. Not nearly as challenging as I thought it would be, you will discover how easy it is to make. The name is usually mispronounced, but after Monday, you’ll know the right way to say it, LOL!

Gee, what could it be? Come back on Monday to find out!

Add to your shopping list:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cups top-quality Cocoa Powder
4 Large Eggs
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Almonds
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Coarse or crystal sugar such as Raw, Turbinado, or Demerara

Baking Soda
Salt
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract

Coconut Pecan Macaroon Cookies

When The Bakers’ Dozen, San Francisco organization was compiling their cookbook, I was lucky enough to be a tester for the Coconut Macaroon cookies. It was my first professional recipe testing and I was thrilled. I have tested hundreds of recipes since then, but like anything else in life, your first is the most special! The use of unsweetened coconut is the real secret – the cookies are dryer, cook more evenly, and aren’t cloyingly sweet. They are by far the best macaroons I’ve ever had and I’m certain they will become a family favorite for you too.

Chipotle Fish Tacos

When I was visiting my friend Becki in San Diego, California many years ago, the one thing she insisted I had to eat was fish tacos. I had never had them and couldn’t wait for my first taste. We drove around and around, looking for a specific restaurant. I’m not sure we ever found the right one, but we finally stopped at Alberto’s and ordered tacos with “green stuff” aka guacamole. One bite and I was hooked.