Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Photo: King Arthur Flour

Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread: From Denny:  Summer time and the zucchini are multiplying like rabbits in our gardens!  Zucchini bread is always welcome just plain but how about "gilding the lily"?  Add some cocoa, chocolate chips and espresso powder to put it over the top.

Quick breads like this recipe are always welcome for the holidays or when you want something special - but not complicated or too demanding of your time and effort.  Like most quick breads this one is an easy recipe to make.  While this delicious bread bakes just sit down, relax and tour through your favorite collected old cookbooks or breeze through some interesting online recipe databases.  Works for me!

Celebrate Chocolate King Duvet

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday!

Design available in 3 color palettes:  additional bedding sizes, t-shirts, blankets, 

pillows, jewelry, stuffed animals, mugs, ornaments, 3 sizes of laptop sleeves, shower curtains

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Slow Cooker: Strawberry Shortcake

Photo/Patrick Dennis @ The Advocate

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Slow Cooker: Strawberry Shortcake: From Denny:  Summer heat.  Bring on the berries!  If you enjoy fresh strawberries and blueberries - along with a side dish of easy to make dessert - then this recipe is for you.  Our local food columnist is a master at kid friendly recipes, quick recipes and less effort recipes for the working or busy parent.

So, when the summer heat gets you tired, think: what can the slow cooker do for me so I don't have to stand over the stove?

Julie Kay recommends this slow cooker recipe is best if you are home to make sure it does not over cook. In fact, it's one of those desserts that can be cooking while you serve dinner.  If you have any extra fresh blueberries in the fridge then feel free to add them after the shortcake has cooked.  This pretty dessert would be perfect for the Fourth of July holiday celebration too.

Morning Tangerine King Duvet - Wake up in a good mood with this happy bedding!  

text: "calm morning, good morning, quiet morning" 

This design available in several bedding sizes, pillows, pillow cases, shower curtains and more!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

More Recipes from Denny's blogs:

• Fourth of July Recipe: Raspberry and Blueberry Creme Tart
• Recipe: Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

• Popular Posts 2009 at Comfort Food From Louisiana, Thank YOU!
• Recipe: Lime Pie with a Twist - White Chocolate!

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake

Photo: Family Features 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake: From Denny:  This is such a fun colorful cheesecake to make that is sure to impress for any special holiday or occasion!  While it looks like watermelon it's really a strawberry flavored cheesecake supported by a delicious coconut and pistachio crumble crust that imitates the watermelon rind.  How clever is that?  And you know it sure tastes better than the rind. :) To imitate the look of the watermelon seeds you garnish the cheesecake with mini chocolate chips.

The beauty of this cheesecake is that you don't have to bake it.  Everything is done on the stove top and then chilled.  Well, I'm sold; ready to start cooking?  ...

Magic Coffee Fonts Woven Throw Pillow

Magic Coffee Fonts celebrate our morning cup of joe! This fun design available on many more products from bedding to t-shirts to mugs and more!  From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

New Orleans Chef Recipe: Tasty Fig Gelato

Photo/LSU AgCenter -- This LSU Purple fig 

From Denny:  At the Hotel Monteleone’s Criollo Restaurant in the French Quarter this is a seasonal featured dessert, served with slivered almonds, caramelized sugar and lovingly garnished with summer's fresh blackberries.  Figs are hanging off back yard Louisiana trees this month and people are always looking for new recipes utilizing figs.  The Criollo also serves a killer banana split:  small scoops of Pontchtoula (Louisiana grown) strawberry, stone-ground chocolate and fig gelato snuggled up with long slices of banana in sauce, all served in an almond "boat."

The restaurant was willing to seat a couple of food journalists who wandered in just for dessert - and did so graciously.  The chef was also willing to share his recipe!  So, if you are traveling to New Orleans any time soon and fancy a frozen treat to beat the summer heat, just saunter on in to the Hotel Monteleone!  People with this great an attitude deserve a Denny Lyon Bump!  (Stephen Colbert has nothing on me.)  :)

(FYI - artist and journalist Denny Lyon has no association with Hotel Monteleone, just enjoyed reporting on the local news story featuring them)

If you would like to be a guest at this famous historic hotel, here's the contact information:

Hotel Monteleone, an historic luxury French Quarter hotel

214 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130-2201

Email questions:  Reservations@hotelmonteleone.com

Phone:  (504) 523-3341 or Toll-Free at (866) 338-4684

Retro Sunburst 17" Laptop Sleeve

Check out this happy design and a blast from the retro past!

Available in bedding, pillows, shower curtains and more

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!