http://meredithandcarla.com/pages Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:07:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en While I'll admit that March finds many people drinking green beer and wearing often disturbing green attire, my attention turns to one of my favorite and seasonally color appropriate dishes, Green Posole with Pork and Chicken. Posole is a Mexican soup with meltingly tender pieces of shredded pork and chicken and ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2010/03/green-posole-with-pork-and-chicken/   This morning the view outside my kitchen window resembled a black and white photograph...white snow, black tree silhouettes and a gray sky. Though that isn't always such a bad thing, today I felt the need to inject a little color into my life. I was in the mood to trade in black turtlenecks, woolly socks and downcast skies for a pair ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2010/02/caramel-oranges-with-cardamom/    What is it about cold weather that makes you want to eat pork more than a few times a week? In the last month  we've eaten pig in a choucroute, braised with tomatoes and stuffed into marvelous little agnolotti, braised in milk, braised in coconut milk and rice vinegar (way tasty), as ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2010/02/maple-brined-pork-chops-with-sweet-potato-apple-and-mustard-sauce/ Last weekend my daughter, Jessica, asked me if I had any ideas for a new version of chile. A group of friends were going to hold a chile cook-off and she wanted to bring something to the party that was a little out of the box, but still satisfying in ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2010/01/short-rib-chile-with-ancho-chipotle-and-creamy-polenta/ Beef and Balsamic Roasted Onion Soup Combining balsamic vinegar with roasted onions brings out the best elements in both. The sweet, but tart vinegar and flavorful onions made slightly sweet by the roasting process play off the savoriness of the beef beautifully. Serves 6 1 lb beef stew meat, well trimmed 500g Salt and freshly ground ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2010/01/five-soups-to-savor/     Along with the iced sugar cookies, rugulach, gingerbread and snowballs, these Bavarian treats yell "Look at me" on the cookie tray. The warm spices of cinnamon and clove pop with flavor, not to mention the fruity raspberry jam's tart bite. They take a little time to make, but that's part ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2009/12/linzer-cookies-with-raspberry-jam/ Some dishes are just naturally jolly, and this buttery, flaky, cheesy treat certainly fits into that category. Phyllo dough, buttered and wrapped around small bites of gooey brie and a dollop of dried apricots, chopped pistachios held together with apricot preserves are baked until golden brown and crispy and served ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2009/12/brie-pistachio-and-apricot-phyllo-bites/     As good as a homemade croissant is, it can't hold a candle to pain chocolat.  Wherever you stand on the chocolate issue, flaky pastry wrapped around a bar of bittersweet chocolate just can't be wrong. Sadly, unless you happen to live near an authentic French bakery, you've probably never tasted ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2009/12/pain-chocolat/ Something to be very thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Texas Pecan Pie Makes One 9-inch pie 1 deep dish pie crust-unbaked 1 cup light brown sugar 250 mL 3 large eggs 3 1 cup light corn syrup 250 mL 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 45 mL 2 tsp vanilla extract 10 mL 1/4 tsp salt 1 mL 1 cup finely chopped pecans 250 mL 1 cup whole pecans 250 mL 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll the ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2009/11/texas-pecan-pie/ Don't get me wrong, I love pie. I love to look at pie. I love to smell pie. I love to eat pie. What I don't love is to make pie.  Even though I make a mighty fine pie. I know, this time of year, with Thanksgiving looming, being down ... http://meredithandcarla.com/pages/2009/11/the-pie-alternative-pumpkin-pecan-bars/