food

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet 

What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stay tuned and you’re about to find out. It’s as simple as A-B-C. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET”.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Dried Beef Pretzel Dip

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Dried Beef Pretzel Dip! Try a new creamy variation of the traditional chipped beef cheeseball. In lieu of the cream cheese, substitute Greek yogurt instead. Make it super lo-cal by serving it with fresh veggies and whole-grain crackers. The blend of parsley and dill give it an irresistible twist only lighter! 
DRIED BEEF PRETZEL DIP
Ingredients:

16 ounces of Greek yogurt 

16 ounces of light mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 teaspoons dill weed

2 teaspoons parsley flakes 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

2 2.5-ounce packages lean smoked chopped beef, cut-up
Instructions:

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine yogurt and mayonnaise. Blend until smooth. Add seasoned salt, dill weed, parsley flakes, and onion powder. Stir until combined. Fold in cut-up smoked beef pieces. Refrigerate one hour before serving. Easy peasy. 

Dining Outside the Home: Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon in Banff, Canada 

Dining Outside the Home: Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon in Banff, Canada! Climb the stairs to the second level for a wide-open Wild West experience complete with smokehouse menu, grizzly bear wi-fi, and mechanical bull. The windows are flung open wide to the alpine view beyond. If you’re lucky, you may snag a couple bar stools on the private balcony perched for people-watching on Main Street below. The chuck wagon sandwiches include fresh elk burgers and lean bison burgers. When you want to gather with friends, dance the night away, sing like you’re a country music star, Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon offers night life that never sleeps. 

Dining Outside the Home: Bighorn Lounge in Kananaskis Village, Canada

Dining Outside the Home: Bighorn Lounge in Kananaskis Village, Canada! After an exhilarating day of exploration, this cozy pub offered a relaxing social atmosphere for classic cocktails and hearty favorites. The over-the-top grilled burger, on a nicely charred brioche bun, and crispy pomme frites, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, had a rich buttery flavor that was nonstop. Outside the wall-to-wall windows, the untouched wilderness cast long shadows illuminated by yellow moonlight and twinkling stars. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays: Special Edition!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays: Special Edition! Good times naturally accompany good food. Every family has its favorites. Some indulge in time-worn traditions while others enjoy modern classics. As you embrace the holidays with companionship, nostalgia, food, or festivities, celebrate the spirit of the season. In the next few weeks, join me as I share favorite foods as well as healthy options. Bring it home for the holidays!

Everything Tastes Better with Cheese 

“Fear of carbs, of gluten, of everything – 
we’ve distanced ourselves from

the beauty of food,

the art of it. 

It makes me sad when people say,

‘Oh, I don’t eat gluten. 

I don’t eat cheese. 

I don’t eat this. 

So I eat cardboard.'”
~ Olivia Wilde

Foods For Sharing!

Whether you are making a seasonal dish for a casual dinner party or helping everyone relax with comfort food at the end of the day, home cooking is meant to be shared, in my opinion. It can be potluck-style entertaining or a weeknight meal where the kids pitch in. Reconnecting and exploring new flavors makes dining the quality time you hope it to be. Step into my kitchen where fresh ingredients, garden herbs, rich chocolate, and French butter are staples. I continue to be favored by the “Food Network” on Twitter, Snapshotsincursive@DornaGail, as well as Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa, on Instagram @gail_dorna. Check out my “pins” on Pinterest @ Gail Dorna. Catch a glimpse of “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Foods For Sharing!” This remarkable journey of the palate is unique because it gives me a few moments with you. Thanks very much to all my countless guests and devoted followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and moving words of encouragement. What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? It’s as simple as A-B-C. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions or comments. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: FOODS FOR SHARING!”

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Date Bread with Walnuts! Treat yourself to remarkable flavors leaning toward exotic ingredients with a gourmet twist. Naturally dried dates have this amazing quality of satisfying a sweet tooth that needs a bit of nurturing any time of day. By adding the salty crunch of walnuts combined in a loaf pan, the results are more cake than bread. Perhaps it’s the splash of cognac that makes all the difference. 
DATE BREAD WITH WALNUTS
Ingredients:

2 eggs, room temperature; beaten

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon cognac

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

8 ounces pitted dates, finely chopped 

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Slowly combine beaten eggs with boiling water, stirring constantly. Add cognac, baking soda, and chopped dates. Mix well. Set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cream together butter and sugar. Blend with date mixture. Mix flour and baking powder. Stir into date mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.