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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Nashville!

May 22, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

Live band in Nashville.

Live music all the time!!

We have been in Nashville for the past four days on business and we’ve really been having a fantastic food time! (Business was great too with a well-accepted Board of Governors presentation!)

So what did we eat in Nashville? Well the highlights were amazing fried oysters on fresh local mesclun greens at Sunset Grill, Redneck pulled pork burritos (awesome) and fried green tomatoes with a chipotle mayonnaise at Puckett’s 5th and Church, hot delicious homemade donut holes with cinnamon sugar and a whipped blueberry peach butter (like it needed it!) at Germantown Café and of course, shrimp and grits at Midtown Cafe. There seems to be a pattern here of fried and richness and I must admit, my tummy is a little upset but you know what? For these few days, it was worth it! Combine the food with the Grand Ole Opry and all the live music in all the Broadway bars at all hours of the day and night, and you realize this is one nice town with lovely people.

In between business, I had one day with my friend Margaret. We started with those large donut holes being served at our brunch of eggs Benedict with crab cakes instead of Canadian bacon, and grits with Jack cheese. We then tried to walk it off at this huge Farmer’s Market they have in Capital Park and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, ending with a cocktail at the historic and gorgeous Union Station Hotel. Quite a lovely “girls day” – in fact – perfect!

A Nashville Farmer’s Market in Capital Park and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

The Farmer’s Market

Nashville greens in a Farmer's Market  in Capital Park and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

Any kind of greens you want!

Nashville tomatoes in a Farmer's Market  in Capital Park and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts

See them cut before you buy!

Nashville yellow squash in a Farmer's Market  in Capital Park and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

That’s a whole lot of yellow squash!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Capital Park, country music, donut holes, Farmer's Market, fried oysters, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Germantown Cafe, Grand Ole Opry, live music, Midtown Cafe, Nashville, Puckett's 5th and Church, pulled pork, Redneck, shrimp and grits, Sunset Grill, Union Station Hotel, whipped butter

Dining out

May 19, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

Caviar Russe gravlox with caviar on a white plate.
I had a terrific lunch with my friend Judy this past week. She took me to Caviar Russe. It was divine! Judy is in the investment banking business and likes to take clients there. It is on the second floor overlooking Madison Avenue and she said she likes to come particularly in the winter when it’s snowing. To look out of that second floor window with the snow falling, is just so pretty. The seating is dark chocolate colored suede banquettes with beautiful china and exquisite service. They know Judy there so I’m certain we got special treatment.

This food is certainly not what I could make or serve at home. It was precious, beautiful, delicious and unusual, and my boys would have gone home hungry. Just take a look at the appetizer on the lunch tasting menu we had. Gravlox with Russian Caviar, creme fraiche, dill, lemon zest, little bits of crisp brown bread chips and flowers. (the flowers were probably from the mountains of Switzerland?) The delicate fish sat on a small pool of creme fraiche as well and having white ribbons of creme fraiche adorn it. I don’t know how they made those. Perhaps rapid freeze a thin slab of creme and then cut it into ribbons? Anyway, it was so pretty, I had to be one of those gawkers who actually took a picture at the table. I wanted to share it with you! (Sorry the pictures are a bit blurry – I had to take them quickly with my iPhone.)
Caviar Russe chocolate ganache on a beautiful plate.

For dessert, which isn’t normally served with this meal, our waiter brought out this lovely serving of chocolate ganache with whipped creme and some sort of crunchy toffee like topping. This was served with the traditional ivory caviar spoon – and with that beautiful plate, it was almost too pretty to eat. But not enough. And it was delicious! Thank you Judy and Caviar Russe!

Filed Under: Lunch Tagged With: brown bread crisps, Caviar Russe, chocolate ganache, creme fraiche, dill, gravlox, iPhone, lemon zest, lunch, Russian caviar, whipped cream

Mother’s Day!

May 15, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

It is my all-time favorite holiday. I get to feel like a queen and do whatever I want for the day and my boys and husband are just the BEST!

This past Sunday I woke up to a dining room table set for four, which meant that my oldest son was even joining us for brunch! The younger one made fabulous waffles from scratch, with maple syrup from upstate New York, thanks to our friend Mary Beth who was just over for dinner and brought it as a gift! The meal was complete with artisanal sausage and tea.

And now dinner was amazing. They had asked me what I wanted and I said, “Surprise me!”

They started with a baby arugula salad with roasted beets, toasted walnuts and English Stilton. Yum! The main course was swordfish steaks, stuffed with a parsley, anchovy, caper, pesto sauce and topped with it too (a Mark Bittman recipe) and a quinoa vegetable dish that the younger one made up and promises to share. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with sauteed figs in butter with a vanilla bean, plus my husband supplied some fantastic chocolate truffles. But the boys did everything! I could truly taste the LOVE – everything was scrumptious! I am very lucky.

And then dessert was followed by gifts! A totally fantastic day!

Baby arugula, roasted beets, toasted walnuts and English Stilton

Baby arugula, roasted beets, toasted walnuts and English Stilton

 

Broiled swordfish with parsley pesto and quinoa with sauteed vegetables

Broiled swordfish with parsley pesto and quinoa with sauteed vegetables

 

Ice cream and sauteed figs in a white bowl.

Ice cream with sauteed figs

 

Chocolate truffles.

Can’t you just smell the chocolate?!!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dinner Tagged With: anchovies, arugula, capers, chocolate truffles, English Stilton, figs, ice cream, Mark Bittman, Mother's Day, parsley, pesto sauce, quinoa, roasted beets, sauteed figs, toasted walnuts, vanilla bean

More than 40% of U.S. may be obese by 2030

May 9, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

(These statistics are staggering!!! Eat right. Eat healthy. Be happy. Spread LOVE through cooking!)

Reprinted from Crain’s New York Business

The rate of obesity’s rise in America is slowing somewhat, even though a third of the population is already considered to be obese, and that figure is still expected to rise to 40% by 2030.

By Bloomberg News May 7, 2012 3:07 p.m

Doctor checks blood pressure.

(Bloomberg) – The obesity rate may rise to 42% from about a third of the U.S. population by 2030 if nothing changes, according to a report.

Preventing that increase may save about $550 billion in medical costs over the next 20 years, Eric Finkelstein, the study author and an associate research professor at Duke University, said during a press briefing. The findings, presented Monday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Weight of the Nation obesity conference, also suggest the surge in obesity may be slowing.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight and a third are obese, according to the Atlanta-based CDC. The findings predict that the number of people who are severely obese, or about 100 pounds overweight, will double to 11%. Those people are at the highest risk for health conditions caused by excess weight, including diabetes and heart disease.

“Obesity rates have been skyrocketing,” Mr. Finkelstein said. “If we can keep obesity rates flat, we save about $550 billion.”

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of more than 30. A 6-foot tall adult man weighing 221 pounds (100 kilograms) or more is considered obese, as is an adult woman standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall weighing 186 pounds or more, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Previous studies had assumed the rate of change would remain the same over time, with obesity prevalence reaching 51% of the population by 2030. This study takes into account a number of variables including the cost of fuel, alcohol, fast food, the unemployment rate and changes in demographics.

New drugs and technologies, increased access to recreational facilities and a reduction in childhood obesity may help lower the obesity rate in the total population, the authors wrote in the study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Even a 1 percentage point decrease from the current trend would lead to 2.9 million fewer obese adults in 2030, about the same as the population of Chicago, according to the paper.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120507/HEALTH_CARE/120509915#ixzz1uR2C7Sk7

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120507/HEALTH_CARE/120509915#ixzz1uR1zUgta

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: American population, Bloomberg News, Centers for Disease Control, Crain's New York Business, obesity

Getting back to garlic

May 6, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

Sauteed garlic in pan.My sincere apologies for the delay in writing at the end of April and the beginning of May. We’ve had quite a lot of drama and excitement going on in our home. Charlotte will be leaving as she is not comfortable in our neighborhood, business has been booming with still 4 more boxes to unpack (which I hope to tackle next weekend) and our youngest son has had his choice of graduate schools – Harvard, Yale, Columbia and the University of Chicago for his PhD study in Eastern European History. He has chosen Yale!! (And I’ll get a sweatshirt!)

My husband has allowed me to gradually introduce some of the forbidden items back into his diet. What I have missed most, is garlic. So I got to sauté some garlic for some escarole recently and truly, I was over the moon!!

Just look at how pretty it is. I’m convinced that if the onions and garlic are well cooked, they won’t bother his acid reflux condition. And, if they’re made with love.

Filed Under: Dinner, Vegetables Tagged With: Columbia, escarole, garlic, Harvard, sauteed, U of Chicago, Yale

Any season pork roast

May 5, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I have been wanting to tell you about the first meal I served to our French graduate student who is going to be living with us for four months. Charlotte arrived on the Sunday before last. I wanted to make something super delicious, of course, but something that would keep in case she had issues in customs, and something with some French flavors. I figured a lot of thyme in a wonderful roast and we’d start with an adapted Jacques Pepin frisee salad with a little baby arugula added to it. I have this recipe noted in an earlier post.

Charlotte arrived about 2 hours late, but all was safe with the meal, EXCEPT that she tells me that she doesn’t eat salad!! And I’m telling you, this was a terrific salad. The rest of us scarfed down her portion. Fortunately I also had some carrots with the roast so she got some vegetables in her. (always the Mom – I can’t help it!)

This roast, however, I will make again and again. It was wonderful! Rich, savory and slightly sweet (from the apples) all at the same time, with the meat tender like butter (buttah)! Both my husband and son claimed it was better than my version of Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon. It was more complex and interesting and let me tell you, a whole lot easier! You just need the time to leave it in the oven for 4 hours.

I was so excited to have a Sunday to make this, I took pictures at every point while preparing it, but I forgot to take a shot of the finished dish! Actually, the process pics are prettier and the result was delicious and delectable. Give this a go before the weather gets really warm to envelope yourself in wonderful flavors and sink into pure goodness, with love.

I served this with polenta squares, browned in a little olive oil and butter. Really, really yummy. Make the polenta recipe noted in an earlier post, pour into a buttered 9” x 9” pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares and sauté in butter and olive oil (1 tbs. of each) until nicely browned and hot throughout.
Pork roast ingredients.
Browned Pork butt.
Browned garlic on a white plate.

Browned carrots and onions with red wine.

Browned vegetables with red wine

Red wine braised pork roast with apples and thyme in a white dish.

Right before going into the oven

RED WINE BRAISED PORK ROAST WITH APPLES AND THYME
Adapted from a recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Serves 8

One 4-pound boneless pork butt
2 tbs. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grapeseed oil, divided
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
3 medium onions, halved lengthwise (root end left intact) and peeled
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
1 cup medium-bodied red wine (such as Pinot Noir or a light Cabernet Sauvignon)
4 cups chicken broth
 (preferably homemade)
30 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), cored and quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 lemon, peeled using a vegetable peeler

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the pork roast on a cutting board so the long end faces you and slice through the middle horizontally and nearly to the other side of roast. Open the roast like a book (it should still be attached at one side) and season with about half of the salt and pepper. Close the roast and season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper, then use butcher’s twine to tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork roast, browning it on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side (if it starts to get dark too fast, reduce the heat). Use tongs to transfer the pork to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and set aside. Pour the fat from the skillet into a medium bowl (cool and discard). Use tongs and paper towels to wipe out the skillet.

Pour the remaining oil into the wiped skillet. Heat the oil over high heat until it smokes, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the carrots and place the onions and garlic halves cut-side down in the pan. After about 30 seconds, check the garlic and, if nicely browned, remove from the pan and place on a plate (or cook a little longer if needed). Continue to cook the onions and carrots until the onions are very dark (and almost threatening to burn), about 1 minute longer.

Turn off the heat and cool the pan for 1 minute. Turn the heat to medium, pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the broth and vegetables over the pork in the Dutch oven. Add the thyme, apple, rosemary, peppercorns and lemon-zest strips.

Cover the pot, place it in the oven and cook until a long-pronged fork can be inserted into the center and twisted without resistance, about 4 hours.

Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a large platter. Let the meat cool for 15 to 20 minutes before using a fork to break the roast into chunks. Meanwhile, boil the braising liquid and skim off the fat. Pour the jus over the pork and serve.

Filed Under: Dinner, Meat Tagged With: apples, carrots, French, frrisee, garlic, Granny Smith apples, Jacques Pepin, onions, polenta, pork butt, pork roast, red wine braised, rosemary, Tasting Table, thyme, time

Sumac!

April 20, 2012 by Mary Frances 8 Comments

Sumac powder.

Sumac is a wonderful spice – not the poisonous kind but lemony and nice! It is used in many Arab, Iranian and Turkish cuisines. I like to use it on roast chicken or roasted vegetables. They say you can also sprinkle it directly on salads, rice and hummus, which I have not yet tried.

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband has to be on this crazy diet to cut down on his acid intake. He has had a constant cough that apparently if left unchecked, can turn into esophageal cancer. Yikes! Therefore I am not allowed to use any garlic, onions, peppers of any kind, lemons or any citrus for nearly 6 months! All the things that give recipes the real flavor! So I have been struggling to cook around all of this. Fresh ginger and herbs de Provence have become my new best friends and so has sumac!
Sumac on raw chicken in a glass bowl.Roast sumac chicken with artichokes. Roasted sumac chicken with roasted Jerusalem artichokes

Sumac is a beautiful purply red, coarse ground powder. I recommend a heavy sprinkling on a chicken before roasting. Check out my Roast Chicken recipe and sprinkle the sumac all over to coat. See the photos above for before and after cooking. So give it a go and let me know what you think!

(This article is also featured on Spice4Life in South Africa)

Filed Under: Dinner, Poultry Tagged With: Cape Town, ginger, herbs de Provence, Jerusalem artichokes, lemony, roast chicken, South Africa, Spice4Life, sumac

So civilized

April 17, 2012 by Mary Frances 1 Comment

Smoked trout on a  cracker with plain Greek yogurt and horseradish.

My husband and I were asked to take in a French graduate student for 4 months to live with us. We take on French interns at the office but this was the first time we were asked and considered doing this. Quite frankly, our oldest son had such a great experience living with a family in Tuscany for his semester abroad, we thought it was our turn to pay it forward. Charlotte was due to arrive this past Sunday evening so I wanted to make a special meal but of course one that would hold up if she was two hours delayed in getting through customs. So I made this amazing pork roast – my husband and son said it was better than my version of Julia Child’s Beef Bourguinon – and way easier. Recipe to come!

But while I was making everything, I needed a little snack and had to test the wine that was going into this dish. So I fixed a little smoked trout on a Breton cracker with a smear of plain Greek yogurt, a dab of horseradish and a bit of fresh thyme. With a taste of red wine in a little juice glass and the sunlight streaming through the window, isn’t this just the prettiest little picture?

Filed Under: Appetizers, Fish Tagged With: Breton crackers, Customs, French students, Greek yogurt, horseradish, interns, Smoked trout, Sunday evening, thyme

85th Birthday Party

April 15, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

We have some friends from our congregation who have recently reached this significant age but you would never know it. One just had a huge party last night, thrown by his wife and twin sons and it was so lovely.

We were seated at a table with their friends, from his Exxon days when corporate life was lush with benefits. Their talk of living in London, Beijing, Sweden, Norway and Louisiana made me jealous of all the different foods that became a part of their life. Both of these women were supposedly good cooks, both took cooking classes in each place while raising their children. What I would give for that!

But then this one woman shared with me that she doesn’t cook much anymore, because her husband hasn’t been well and doesn’t feel like eating. I agreed with her, if you don’t have someone to share the food with you, it’s not nearly as fun. You need to share the LOVE, share the times, share the food.

85 birthday paint.

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: 85th birthday, Beijing, birthday parties, cooking classes, London, Louisiana, love, Norway, sharing, Sweden

Changes

April 14, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

We’ve made some changes to the site that I hope you’ll find beneficial. We’ve moved the navigation bar from the left side to the right so you can now sign up for email notifications of any new posts in the upper right hand corner.

Also, we’ve added a new tab of all recipes listed alphabetically. It’s on the top left. So now you can see all of them at once, listed by the recipe name and also the main ingredient.

I hope this makes it easier for you to find whatever you’d like to cook. Please let me know of any other suggestions that will make your life easier – that I can accomplish!

 

Screen shot 2014-04-25 at 5.49.14 PM

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: alphabetically, email notifications, follow blog, main ingredient, new posts, recipe name, recipes, tabs

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