Food & Recipes

I was digging potatoes from my garden the other evening, one of my favorite things to grow. With hands dug deep, the smell of the rich, hot soil, a smell I love, reminded me of a fragrance accord that a perfumer from the Flavor and Fragrance company I work for made years ago called -- "dirt".

As I was jamming to Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder on the piano, matching my burger formation and plating patterns to the rhythm of the music, I realized just how much music plays a roll in a kitchen – especially my kitchen. From the second I turn the light on in the kitchen to the minute the last dessert is served, I have a master play list that gets me through the meal.

While this reads more like and online journal than a food blog, what remains constant is the honesty and the commitment towards accomplishing new goals. I (Molly – the person who actually posted this blog) feel inspired and just after I publish this am going to go for a run. Seriously.

She is an amazingly talented writer, photographer, baker, pastry chef and, and...need I say more. We were delighted when she agreed to guest blog for us just before the Labor Day holiday and scrambled to post her amazing looking recipes for you to enjoy.

I know that the odds of any of you also hosting a birthday party this Labor Day weekend are probably on the low side. I offer up to you my family’s most recent Labor Day-Birthday Cake. Four orange-perfumed gluten-free layers, stained with wild blueberry sauce and wrapped up in orange whipped cream, with a crown of the season’s best berries. A cake to elevate any occasion, and a cake that will certainly make everyone feel special.

I personally love making quick pan sauces with whatever ingredients I can find in my refrigerator that day. Here are a few tricks when it comes to making sauces:

There are tons of factors to consider when throwing your own bash: who to invite, what to wear, how long will it take to clean your house, and most importantly the menu. Luckily I'm the food department of Cooking with Caitlin and this is something I'm always thinking about. Here are a few party menu planning tips to take into consideration the next time you find yourself creating a menu.

I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I really do learn so much at every week’s Foodies’ Night In #fni. I gathered all sorts of ways I can more conscientiously entertain the people I love in our home.

I have one small tattoo on my wrist that says the word "Blessed" just so I never forget how great my life is. However, if I could get one more tattoo it would be of the Morton Salt girl. (This is true.) It would be my homage to cooking for a living. I know it's not original, I've seen two other chefs with this tattoo, but I love the symbolism of that little girl holding the umbrella.

In light of today's Foodies' Night In (topic Green Entertaining), I've been doing some thinking about ways in which I try to be green in the kitchen. Of course everyone uses the term in their own way, but for me I am choosing to look at green in terms of buying local, and being thoughtful when it comes to waste.

Finally, the food. Caitlin really did us right this month, complete with homemade ravioli stuffed with braised beef, mascarpone cheese, and lemon zest served scotoni-style (see the whole menu). The wine was the featured ingredient and it made the food come alive.

There is where I draw the line. I personally strive for giving a gift that is thoughtful, and the couple will still remember who gave them the gift at their 35th wedding anniversary. Here are a few of my favorites.

Here are my final notes on preparing our Third Thursday event a couple days ago.

As much as I love writing and talking about food all day long, there is nothing better than the instant gratification attached to feeding people and getting their reaction. In our three years of business, we haven't ever prepared the same menu twice, so the new recipes we post are meals we ourselves have served to real people.

I am very lucky to be a mom to two amazing boys (ages 4 and 15 months). I am also very lucky to get to work from home (for the most part) and get to be there every step of the way. However, with my profession, that means a lot of recipe development with a child on my hip and one tugging on my pants. If I were to run a cooking school for kids, here are the tips I would share when it comes to cooking with your kids.

Salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy. If you can pop it into your mouth on the go or on the sly, we covered it at today’s Foodies’ Night In #fni Twitter party on Snacks.

My mom always had strict rules about eating snacks and as a mom myself I have a few tips that we try to implement in our household (note: some we need to try a little harder on but…).

Yesterday got to have the ever-so-lovely and ever-so-stylish Kasmira from What I Wore Today join us in the 55KRC studios. What impresses us so much about Kasmira is how she is able to express herself, without apology, with flair and on a budget. Wow can we all learn from her or what?

During this trip, we had the good fortune to stay amongst Italian families....we did get to attend a several Italian dinner parties and there were a few lessons learned when it comes to easy entertaining.

Whether it’s bacon belts, bacon earrings, or bacon undergarments, there’s no denying that Americans have become entrenched in a bacon culture. And here’s why…