Sugar & Spice by Celeste

On a recent business trip o Huntington, WV, I was having a wonderful lunch with some clients at a favorite local restaurant near Marshall University's campus.  It was a beautiful day, and the food that we were enjoying was scrumptious!  Of course, my food blog and passion for all things related came up during our conversation, so they started telling me about something that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was doing in town...And about his store that was located less than a block away.  I was intrigued, and they suggested that we walk down to the store after lunch.  I was pumped! The next thing I know, we're walking down the street and I stop cold in my tracks.  "Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" I was wondering...I thought that I saw Ryan Seacrest....Surely, that couldn't be him, in the middle of Huntington, WV of all places!  But sure enough, there was a flurry of news anchors and camera men near him, and as we walked closer I realized that it really w...

***Recently, Brad and I put together a scrumptious meal...Grilled BBQ Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce, Mashed Potatoes with Scallions, and Greek Salad...Mmm.  This  BBQ sauce was outstanding!  Plus, it was so wonderful to sit outside on a beautiful night while the ribs cooked on the grill.  I'm so glad that spring is here! A few days before, I had found boneless ribs on sale at the grocery store...buy one get one free.  We were both craving BBQ ribs, but alas...there was no BBQ sauce to be found in our kitchen.  I wasn't about to let that stop me!  I knew that I had some of the main ingredients on-hand...ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses...so I went to work at whipping up a homemade batch of sauce.  The only two ingredients that I did not have were the chili sauce and chili powder, so those go left out.  I did, however, add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to add the tiniest amount of heat. I may never buy store-bought BBQ sauce again!...

***Chinese food has got to be one of my favorite cuisines.  There's a family-owned restaurant here in town called The Golden Palace.  The husband and wife team that runs this restaurant is so wonderful.  And the food....It's the best in town, in my opinion! My favorite dish there is the Kung Pao Combination.  I order it with no sauce (to save calories!), and it's basically chicken, shrimp, bell pepper, onion, and roasted peanuts.  It's SO delicious!  The other night, I decided to whip up my own version of this scrumptious meal for dinner.  The following recipe is what I came up with.  I have to admit...Brad and I were both blown away by how good this meal was.  I served it with homemade fried rice, which was the perfect combination. This dish is packed with flavor and is not complicated to make.  It's easy enough for a weeknight meal, but special enough to be served at Sunday dinner. Bon Appetit!!*** Wasabi Chicken ...

I just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very blessed and fun-filled Easter!  This cake has become somewhat of a tradition around our house...I've made it for the past several years now...this morning included! Two years ago, I made Dorie's Perfect Party Cake for the first time and fell in love with it.  In fact, my original post can be found HERE .  The combination of lemon and raspberry is a match made in heaven, and this cake is simply scrumptious!  Happy Easter!!!  :-) PERFECT PARTY CAKE Words from Dorie Stick a bright-coloured Post-it to this page, so you’ll always know where to turn for a just-right cake for any celebration. The original recipe was given to me by my great dear friend Nick Malgieri, of baking fame, and since getting it, I’ve found endless opportunities to make it – you will too. The cake is snow white, with an elegant tight crumb and an easygoing nature: it always bakes up perfectly; it is delicate on the tongue but sturdy ...

*** Melissa d'Arabian's recipe for "Foolproof Popovers" is just that...foolproof!  These rolls are SO easy, that you won't believe it!  With the help of a blender, these come together in a flash.  On top of that, they puff up while baking and make a really cool presentation.  They puff up so tall, that you'll start to wonder if they're going to topple over. One great trick that Melissa mentions during her TV show, Ten Dollar Dinners , is her "No Peek Rule."  Once the popovers go into the oven, DO NOT open the oven door until they are done.  That initial burst of steam from pre-heating the muffin tin helps them rise even taller.  You certainly don't want that steam and heat to escape from the oven too soon. The inside of these popovers is creamy, just like Melissa describes.  They're light and airy, too....sort of hard to describe!  Strawberry jam made the perfect addition to ours.  After 35 minutes, my popovers w...