The Secret Life of a Chef's Wife

Posted by tammy on May 14, 2013

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits is one of the most simple dinners you can throw out there. Add some steamed vegetables and you’re done. You can even make the biscuits ahead of time and refresh them right before serving. I know it can’t be argued that it’s the healthiest meal that ever was, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of the ingredients. Sometimes...

Posted by on May 4, 2013

Traditional Strawberry Shortcake

Traditional strawberry shortcake is a great example of the evolution of my tastebuds. Or maybe, more accurately, my buds actually had to devolve to appreciate the beautiful simplicity of this dish. The antithesis of this dessert is the strawberry shortcake that I was accustomed to eating while growing up. Picture an over-processed, upside-down, semi-dish...

Posted by tammy on Apr 27, 2013

Three Cheese French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is, for something so inherently simple, an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Done right, French Onion Soup is one of the biggest pay-off dishes you can possibly make. That first bite of bubbly-brown gruyere, loaded on top of oozing swiss and still crispy crouton, dripping with flavorful broth and caramelized onions. It’s almost...

Posted by on Apr 21, 2013

Vanilla Caffe Latte Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Swirl

Cheesecake was my favorite dessert in my youth. We didn’t eat out much, and a real, quality cheesecake just wasn’t something that people made at home. I suppose it was a bit intimidating to most people, requiring a special pan and a water bath. I remember that for a while a no-bake version became popular. To some anyway. It never became popular in my mouth. After...

Posted by tammy on Apr 14, 2013

Asparagus Soup

Springtime brings all sorts of renewal excitement. Watching things green up and start to sprout out of the ground does amazing things to my mood. It even makes me appreciate the winter months all the more for knowing that the cold and dead means anticipating the warm and coming to life. I have vivid memories of grandma sending the grand kids down to the ditch banks to search...

Posted by on Apr 7, 2013

Passionfruit Coulis

Coulis is basically a fruit or vegetable puree. It can be sweetened and/or seasoned according to the type of fruit or vegetable, and is usually served alongside a dessert or main dish to either compliment the dish with its flavor, or to dress up the plate in appearance. This passionfruit coulis is my favorite thing to serve with panna cotta. Passionfruit puree can be...

Posted by on Mar 31, 2013

Buttermilk Panna Cotta. Simple and Perfect.

This is hands down, my absolute favorite dessert. I can’t think of a single sweet concoction that I would turn down a perfect panna cotta for. And this panna cotta is perfect. The texture is almost indescribable. It’s smooth and light, with a slight tingle from the buttermilk. It is the simple and perfect foil for any kind of fruit, but not because it has no profile of its...

Posted by tammy on Mar 23, 2013

Coconut Basil Rice

This rice is a step up from basic coconut rice and is a fabulous side to any Asian-style dish. The recipe makes 5–6 cups of rice which works well for my large family, and still leaves me some leftovers that I gladly eat all by itself. It’s easy, addicting, and might just replace every other rice you make. PrintCoconut...