Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Raspberry Almond Cheesecake Tartlets

                                             Photo: Helana Brigman

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Raspberry Almond Cheesecake Tartlets: From Denny:  Do you enjoy cheesecake but want an easier way to make it?  Then this recipe is for you.  I like cheesecake too but find it too large for just two of us to eat and too time consuming to make unless I plan on entertaining a hungry crowd.

A springform pan is an absolute must to make a proper cheesecake - and the patience of a saint to leave the oven door cracked open as it slowly cools down for hours so you can hopefully avoid it cracking straight down the middle like an ugly scar.  Usually, I've been pretty lucky over the years.  Of course, when I wasn't lucky it was evident that a wonderful fruit topping like blueberry or strawberry could hide a multitude of sins just like gravy on a screwed up dinner. :)...

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Raspberry Almond Cheesecake Tartlets

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Keep Calm, Really? Potholder

Unleash your funny inner emotional diva!

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Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Blueberry Yum Yum Cake Says It All

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Blueberry Yum Yum Cake Says It All: From Denny:  This sheet pan cake of creamy goodness only requires two cups of fresh blueberries.  First you make a simple syrup of water and sugar, add cornstarch to thicken, then add the blueberries.  Set the blueberry topping aside to cool while you create the crust.

The crust is a yummy combination of finely chopped pecans, butter and flour that you pat into the sheet pan and bake for about 10 to 20 minutes to make your tasty crust.  Set aside to cool.

To make your filling you combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar together and when that is well combined you add in the whipped topping, pouring it into the cooled crust.

After the blueberry topping has cooled then pour over the cream cheese-powdered sugar-whipping topping mixture.  Now set the sheet pan of blueberry goodness into the fridge to chill well.  Serve to screams of total delight!...


Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Food: Blueberry Yum Yum Cake Says It All

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Cooper Name Mug

Shooting star Cooper says, "I'm the man!" What confidence! Who doesn't want to drink coffee every morning with him?  More products available in this name design for your pet or your man! 

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

Chef Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Crawfish, Pepper Jack and Shrimp-Tomato Bisque Soup: April Is National Grilled Cheese Month

Source: Loews Hotel

From Denny:  Now this is an exotic version of the humble comfort food:  the American grilled cheese sandwich.  

You have no idea how hard it was when visiting Austria a few years ago when I attempted to explain how to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich to a local chef.  It was a seriously foreign concept to them.  They didn't have a clue.  Lots of delicious local cheeses yet no Austrian version of a grilled cheese sandwich!  Imagine that.

This Louisiana version comes from executive chef Carl Schaubhut of Café Adelaide in New Orleans.  Of course, as seafood, this rich sandwich is considered Lenten season friendly.  Serve by pairing it with the shrimp-tomato bisque soup. Here in Louisiana we always look for an excuse to enjoy our bountiful seafood so why not go meat free on Fridays even when it isn't Lent?  (You know, that special time that arrives after Mardi Gras and before Easter.)  Our restaurants enjoy creating Lenten season menus, always topping themselves from the year previous!

Whenever I run across a chef recipe, especially from a hotel, I like to put up some information and links to the hotel site in case any of you might enjoy dining or stay with the hotel when you travel.  After this long hard winter we are all ready for some vacation time!

World's Awesome Mom Watch

Remember Mother's Day - Check out who is top cat in this family tree: Mom!

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Holiday Recipe: Ashleys Overnight Breakfast Casserole

2TheAdvocate.com photo by Heather McClelland 

From Denny:  The hectic holidays are almost upon us and it sure comes in handy to have a few easy dishes like this to bake when people gather for any reason from the holidays to Saturday night football!  Breakfast casseroles come in handy when you have a house full of family and you need something you can just pop into the oven while you make coffee and slice some fruit.

This casserole comes from Dr. Ashley Lucas who was thoughtful enough to give it as a hostess gift to a friend who hosted a football night gathering.  That hostess sure was delighted to find a ready to go breakfast waiting in the refrigerator that all she had to do was bake and serve the next morning.  A great idea as Christmas food gifts too!

Fat Elf Christmas Suede Pillow

"Delivery: 1 fat elf stuffed full of good cheer!"  Since Santa is such a popular guy this fun design also available:  in earrings, bracelets, necklaces, key chains, silver charms, compact mirrors, round jewelry case, greeting cards, 3 sizes of bedding, blankets, pajamas, teapots, mugs, Christmas ornaments for your tree, coasters, throw pillows, aprons, shower curtains, cocktail plates and platters! 

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Easy Fall Recipe: Make Your Grandmothers Pot Roast With Red Wine

Photo: Catherine Threlkeld/2TheAdvocate,com/Baton Rouge, Louisiana newspaper

From Denny:  Here is an easy recipe perfect for those busy work days as much as it is for special gatherings like Sunday dinner and the holidays that is a crowd pleaser.  This easy long time American favorite comfort food recipe comes from Marti Didier who works full time yet she still creates time to give community service.  

Didier proudly comments she "come from a family of old-fashioned, traditional, good cooks, and, as a result, has always taken time to embrace the old-fashioned way of cooking."  Didier often gives out this recipe for bridal gifts and also shares it at wedding showers in addition to smart cooking tips for new brides.

When busy with a career the usual choice for cooking is to start several dishes before you leave the house, turning off the stove, then return hours later after work to finish the cooking.  This is where a slow cooker sure comes in handy so you don't have to jump through so many hoops just to get a quality inexpensive meal on the table for your family...

Rockin' Christmas Frameless Wall Clock

Have a rockin' great Christmas, complete with dancing reindeer!  Many sizes and prices of clocks available.

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Fat Elf Christmas Suede Pillow

Delivery: 1 fat elf stuffed full of good cheer!  Since Santa is such a popular guy this fun design also available:  in earrings, bracelets, necklaces, key chains, silver charms, compact mirrors, round jewelry case, greeting cards, 3 sizes of bedding, blankets, pajamas, teapots, mugs, Christmas ornaments for your tree, coasters, throw pillows, aprons, shower curtains, cocktail plates and platters! 

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A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones

Photo: King Arthur Flour

A Christmas Post: Holiday Recipe: Fig and Toasted Almond Scones: From Denny:  Autumn is here - and so is daylight savings time this Sunday when we "fall backward" one hour - so don't forget to set your clocks back one hour!

For some reason I've been enjoying the vegan scones over at Whole Foods the past couple of weeks now that the weather has cooled.  So, that sent me on The Scone Recipe Chase to see what is out there in recipe database land.  Found these little autumnal gems over at King Arthur Flour.

Figs are quite popular here in Louisiana where many a backyard grows a fig tree.  Almonds are popular in California where they supply the nation! This is the time of year when the nation's nut orchards are releasing their bountiful harvest of pecans (Louisiana and Texas), almonds, walnuts and macadamias so we are all tempted to start our holiday baking early! At least I believe that's their marketing strategy to sell more nuts. :)

Scones are an easy way to try out some fruit and nut combinations to see how the family and friends enjoy the idea.  While I love my blueberry and lemon scones of the summer it's time for something different for the fall season so we wanted to try these fig and almond scones at our house.  Of course, if figs or almonds are not your preference, know that you can always try figs and walnuts or cranberries and almonds or whatever grabs your fancy this baking season.

Don't feel like the extra effort and time of slicing the scone dough into proper triangles?  Try the method the King Arthur Flour bakers suggest:  bake them into rounds just using 1/4 cup of dough for each scone, leaving 2 inches between them.  That amounts to the idea of a drop scone, much like a drop biscuit...

Holiday Message Potholder

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Holiday Message Dinner Placemats - design also available in cloth napkins, teapots, mugs, coffee travel mugs, aprons, serving trays, wine chillers, cocktail shakers, cocktail plates, cutting boards, cookie jars, flour and sugar canisters, dog food bowls, dog t-shirts, dog hoodies and much more! Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!

Holiday Message Large Serving Tray

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Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy Fall Recipe: Sauteed Red Cabbage With Apples

Photo: Heather McClelland @ 2TheAdvocate.com

Dennys Food and Recipes: Easy Fall Recipe: Sauteed Red Cabbage With Apples: From Denny:  Red cabbage is both a pretty color for the table and an easy vegetable to cook up quickly.  Red cabbage, like regular green cabbage, is great for your skin, an added health benefit!  Who wants wrinkles?  Dine regularly on chicken and cabbage and you sure won't need to bother with silly botox injections or face lifts.  We really are what we eat.  It helps when it tastes good too!

Now that many varieties of apples are in season you can enjoy your favorite apple paired with red cabbage.  All you do is first steam the cabbage. Then saute the apples with some onions in butter, adding the steamed cabbage.

Ahead of time I like to clarify the butter to remove the artery clogging milk fats and it also makes it easier to store at room temperature if you desire, once filtered of the milk fats.  I use a small tea strainer once it's cooled enough to go into a storage container.  I also prefer cooking with Vidalia sweet onions or red onions, sometimes called purple onions or Bermudas, but that's just my personal preference.  This recipe calls for yellow onions.  You decide what your family enjoys best.  Once the cabbage is just cooked through then stir in the cider vinegar and brown sugar mixture...

Geaux Wear Pink! Women's All Over Print T-Shirt

Help support breast cancer awareness and hope for the cure! Design available in many t-shirts styles for men, women and kids and on other products like mugs, coffee mugs, blankets, pot holders, hoodies too!

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

Also, please remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, keeping these women in your thoughts and prayers.  Here's my latest Denny Lyon Gifts design (at Cafe Press) to honor all the fabulous women and their supporters fighting this disease.

This design first started off as one of my photos of those favorite hot pink azalea blooms, in addition to many other filters, employing a kaleidoscope filter to create this abstract medallion effect. This design reminds me of how our beauty is always there, no matter what form it takes.  Of course, here in Louisiana, we take creative "French" license with English spellings. :)  The thought bubble is to remind others to support these women on their journey to wellness.  Lots of other styles of t-shirts and other products to enjoy too.  The link takes you to the page of all the products featuring this design.  Thanks for visiting!

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

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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!  

Chef Recipe: Crawfish Creole and Pepper-Jack Cheese Grits

Singing Crawfish. Costumed revelers by the Mississippi River front, Mardi Gras Day, New Orleans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Food video included. From Denny:  This Mardi Gras photo of a woman costumed as a singing and accordion playing crawfish was too funny to pass up!  Food photos of cheese grits and crawfish creole are a dime a dozen but this carnival season photo was priceless and sure gave me a grin.

I started this blog as a way to preserve local recipes sent in by readers of the Baton Rouge newspaper.  Why?  Three reasons:  1) five years later and the newspaper still has a really crappy search engine that makes it too difficult to find what you want.  2) the paper starting charging fees for any recipes over a month old - and they don't even own the copyright to those recipes!  3) for years, as the economy went up and down - our house was moving in and out of Louisiana and we sure missed the style of cooking.  It's amazing how when you move out of an area you start to forget the little things like technique or where to shop for that special ingredient that make a recipe taste good.

This food blog was for personal use initially but then decided to open it up for the public too.  It's a lot more popular than I ever expected!  Thank you for your continued support all these years!  

You can print up any of these recipes for personal use.  Just remember that the creator of the recipe owns the copyright so you will have to contact them for publishing in a book.  As a journalist the posts and my writing are copyrighted so not available for reposting without links and permission and/or compensation. (contact my public email: warriorspearl@gmail.com)

Oh, yeah, and on to the chef recipe...  This a WBRZ Chef of the Month recipe from the Le Creole restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Before I visit any area I like to go online and check out the local restaurant menus.  I even do it here locally!  Here's the dinner menu and the lunch menu.  

Gives you some serious inspiration for your own home cooking, doesn't it? Now check out this easy to make recipe of Crawfish Creole and Pepper-Jack Cheese Grits.  You can always substitute shrimp or even a tasty firm fish if you cannot get crawfish in your area or the budget does not allow for crawfish.  

This recipe might be nice with calamari if you can get it fresh and already cleaned.  Read a news story a few months ago about how off the coast of California they were inundated with schools of calamari.  Sure makes you think about moving out that way for some good eating! 

Oh, and here's an online Louisiana crawfish supplier from Branch, Louisiana, where you can purchase already cooked or uncooked crawfish - along with other Louisiana products:  CajunCrawfish.

Louisiana Seafood Reusable Shopping Bag - t-shirts for men, women, kids available too!  Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?

Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?:
From Denny:  Roasted my Thanksgiving turkey a day early.  Sure beats stressing on the Big Day.  Also, my husband, affectionately known as "Satan" misses out on trying to micro-manage the cooking, driving me absolutely crazy.  He never did learn to cook but thinks he knows how to tell you all about how to do it anyway.  Getting the Big Bird done a day early is a win-win for everyone as he was less stressed just as much as me!

Though he did try only twice this season to be ever so irritating:  once, when taste testing the fabulous gravy he made The Yuck! Face but could not keep his composure for long, laughed, and then raved about it as one of the best yet.  Later he decided he just had to tell me how to cut the French bread for sandwiches his way rather than the normal slices I was doing for hot garlic bread, his favorite.  Since I'm basically The Spatial Engineer in this house (just ask me to pack a car for travel and I am The Expert on finding every nook and cranny to fill) I explained to him how his way made no sense but cut a few slices for him anyway.  He was so disappointed to realize I was right after all.  "Satan" lost that round.  Never a dull moment at our house, that's for sure!

Hey, we should all be challenging the White House chef to a Roast Turkey Cook Off.  Bet mine is one of  The Best!  We love spices at our house and every year I create something different.  This year's wet rub spices were swimming in clarified butter:  sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smokey paprika, cumin, curry powder, marjoram leaves, lite sodium soy sauce, Moscato wine and Remy Martin cognac...

Santa Jingle Kid's All Over Print T-Shirt

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

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Holiday Appetizer: Chicken Wings With Two Sauces

From Denny:  OK, who doesn't love chicken wings as a snack or favorite party food?  They sure are a big hit at our house any time, especially when the weather turns chilly, so I'm always looking around for a different take on it or novel sauces. 

The peach sauce is a combination of peach jam, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili flakes - plenty of heat to balance the sweet jam.  The jalapeno chili pepper sauce is comprised of jalapenos, garlic, sugar, water, vinegar and ginger - plenty of garlic and ginger to complement the chili peppers.

This recipe is so simple that all you have to do is sprinkle the chicken wings liberally with salt and pepper and pop under the broiler at about 4" to 5" and broil for about 20 minutes or so while you make the easy sauces. Both sauces are cooled to room temperature before serving.  This recipe is a slam dunk when you are in a rush and need something easy for a weekend or weekday meal, just add a salad and chips!

Santa Jingle Coin Purse

Holiday Appetizer: Frank's Grill-Pan Curried Shrimp

From Denny:  This is such a simple recipe with big flavors.  Creole seasoned shrimp, quickly grilled while slathered with flavorful sesame oil, then later dipped and coated in a cooling yogurt curry mint sauce.  This can be enjoyed as either an appetizer or as a main dish over your favorite rice.  Need I say more?

Santa Jingle Duffel Bag

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

Chef Recipe: Louisiana Crawfish or Shrimp Chowder Great For Holidays

From Denny:  Looking for an elegant soup you can pull together quickly but tastes like you worked at it for hours?  This recipe utilizes a couple of canned soups - mushroom and potato - to help speed up the process.  Be sure to purchase the best version of these canned soups that you can find.  A low sodium version would be a good idea as seafood already contains a fair amount of natural sodium.

What also makes this a rich and delectable soup is the cream cheese, butter and half & half cream.  Oh, yeah, this is easily a calorie buster so it's best to serve by the cup as an appetizer.  But hey, if you are feeling lucky try it as a main dish.

I'm no fan of canned mushrooms, especially when you can find them already sliced fresh at the grocery store, packaged up and ready to go.  I prefer to slice whole mushrooms but if you are pressed for time the sliced fresh mushrooms are a great alternative.  If they are available in your area then choose the more flavorful Cremini (baby Portabellos) mushrooms over the white button mushrooms.

If you cannot purchase crawfish in your area then consider adding more shrimp or a local fish you enjoy.  This recipe would be great with a little bit of smoked salmon and plenty of fresh salmon, a little bit of smoked trout and plenty of fresh trout.  If you choose to use a fresh mild fish - and don't want to add a smoked fish - then consider adding some chopped and crisped up bacon to help flavor the soup.

The Creole seasoning used here is to your personal taste, generally about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon for the entire recipe.  Do not double the Creole seasoning if you double the recipe as it can get too hot and overpowering for most people.

Another seasoning option is to include a mixture of rosemary, thyme and lavender - a traditional French seasoning used to your personal taste.  Start with 1/2 teaspoon, let the soup base cook a few minutes and then taste.  You may like a 1/4 teaspoon more or just keep the previous level.  Experiment with what you like and enjoy!

Paint Dots Brights iPhone 5 Case

Paint Dots Brights lets out your inner artist! by Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Healthy Soup: Southwestern Shrimp, Corn and Sweet Potato

English: Cobs of corn (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From Denny:  Healthy can be tasty - and this soup is proof!  Hope you enjoy corn as the recipe calls for both a bag of frozen corn as well as a can of creamed corn.  This is definitely one easy way to download some healthy calcium that is good for helping with weight loss.

Red onions provide color and lots of taste but you could substitute a sweet onion if you desire a milder and sweeter flavor.  Any soup tastes better when you use fresh ingredients so consider using fresh sweet potatoes as opposed to purchasing the canned ones.  And, finally, if you want to kick it up a notch, consider adding 1/4 teaspoon of mild curry powder as an option.  

You can make the soup base a day before if you like - not adding the shrimp until ready to serve.  It is an easy soup to enjoy for holidays or a quick family dinner, simple enough for a beginner cook too.

Funny Friday Enthusiasm Business Card Case

"Make each day of the week like Friday and your life will take on new enthusiasm" by Louisiana artist Denny Lyon - more products and t-shirts of all styles and sizes available in this design - come see!

Louisiana Creole BBQ Shrimp

From Denny:   Looking for a super simple hot appetizer for your next party or holiday gathering?  Louisiana BBQ Shrimp is the perfect fit.  A novice cook can pull off this one to rave reviews!  

Here in Louisiana - when you want to double or triple the recipe, we place it all in a roasting pan and stick it in the oven under broil with the oven door open slightly.  You really have to watch it so nothing burns but it is a time saver. 
 

However, you could also make this recipe in several batches on top of the stove as the recipe instructs.  Either way this recipe is always a big crowd pleaser!

Fair warning:  once your guests start eating they won't stop at just an appetizer portion so you may want to plan for doubling this recipe for 12 appetizer servings.  It's been my experience that when you bring out shrimp in Louisiana most people make a meal of it!

Funny Serious Coffee Quote Greeting Cards Pk of 10

"I make serious coffee so strong it wakes up the neighbors!" - more products available in this fun design; come see!