Watermelon frozen Greek yogurt

Delicate, light, and refreshing, this easy frozen yogurt is a guilt-free dessert you’ll love. Whether you’re looking for a novel idea for a baby shower or cookout, or just a Tuesday night, try it out. Start to finish in under an hour! Watermelon is easy is fresh and easy to come by in the summer….

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Sweet and spicy Thai-inspired chicken sausage and arugula salad

Sweet and spicy. That might describe my own personality a bit, but it definitely fits this salad. An easy, healthy meal for a hot summer day, or if you’re like me, year round! Another salad?  Isn’t this kind of cheating? Perhaps.  The cook-from-scratch purist in me is embarrassed to pass off my  go-to salad as…

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Simple watermelon salad with feta, arugula, and mint

Watermelon is one of summer’s most refreshing fruits. When paired with salty feta cheese, it becomes a gourmet centerpiece of a refined meal. Add mint and arugula, and you have yourself a simple but striking example of fusion. As a belated homage to the USA’s July 4th Independence Day, I bring you an all-American, “salad bowl”…

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The oddest ice cream I ever ate: The corn sundae

Ice cream.  What could be more perfect on a sweltering day? When you’re traveling in foreign lands, you might get a reminder of how something that seems universal really means something different to other cultures.  When I visited Thailand, several years ago, I had that realization when I encountered the corn sundae. ‘DipNote’:  Before I continue, I’d…

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The CD entertains: The wine(ry) picnic and the perfect cheese board

Have you ever felt intimidated about pairing food with wine? Whether you’re planning a winery picnic or hosting a wine tasting or casual gathering at home, The CD shares our favorites, from the orthodox to the non-orthodox. Goldfish crackers with rose? Cambozola Bleu with red, white, or rose? Must we always eat cheese? Absolutely not….

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Scottish brown sugar shortbread: Turning disaster into delicious

Crumbly, buttery shortbread. Three key ingredients. Baking doesn’t get much more simple – or crowd-pleasing. Whole wheat flour, the subtle caramel of brown sugar, and hints of vanilla and almond make it special. It also has the distinction of surviving a kitchen disaster, and thus I am certain that it is resilient enough so that all…

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The CD is entertained: Home-cooked South Indian food in the USA

A special night of home-cooked dishes from southern India brought back memories of a past trip to Karnataka.  If you’ve never traveled to India, you likely have eaten more dishes from northern India than from its south.  But Indian is so much more than what most of us know. Take a culinary jaunt to the state of Karnataka…

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Healthy Diplomat: Mediterranean pasta primavera

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention.  A full pantry (thanks to inheriting the contents of a friend’s), a bad storm, and fresh vegetables made for the perfect condition to create something new.  So create I did.  This pasta is a great way to use and enjoy late spring/early summer’s best vegetables….

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The General Muir: New York deli meets Atlanta’s rising food scene

Far from the Big Apple, The General Muir, one of Atlanta’s hottest restaurants, combines modern precision with the vibrant traditions of New York’s Jewish delis: matzoh, pastrami, the reuben, bagels, lox, trout, and of course, a great brisket find an unexpected home alongside an eclectic mix of food trends that include burrata, lentils, beets, hangar…

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