Utica Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies is Utica, NY's culinary claim to fame. It's rigatoni pasta in a mildly spicy blush sauce. It's up for debate who invented it with many Utica area restaurants taking credit. There are various versions. Some use sweet peppers where some use hot. Some add mushrooms and black olives. This is my favorite version.

Irish Cream Chocolate Cake

I've been on a Bailey's kick lately that coincides nicely with St. Paddy's Day. I knew I wanted to make a cake with Bailey's but couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I settled on an Irish cream chocolate cake. I sat with that idea for a few days before I inspiration struck on exactly what I wanted to do with it and I was so pleased when it finally did. Irish Cream chocolate cake with a coffee cream filling and Irish Cream Dark Chocolate ganache. Yes, please!

Irish Coffee Blondies

I had already decided what recipes I was going to make for St. Patrick's Day when I opened the Martha's March issue and saw this recipe. I knew I needed to include it in the rotation. I love blondies, truthfully. I also love coffee and whiskey. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Reuben Mac n' Cheese

Rachael Ray is one of those chefs that you either love or hate. I'm somewhere in the middle. You'll never hear me say EVOO and I wouldn't want to spend an evening with her, but damn can the woman cook. Somehow she whips out 30 minute meals that really are good. I love stuff stirred into mac and cheese and Rachael Ray has a bunch of great recipes. This one promises not to disappoint. It's two of my favorite things combined. I didn't get pictures of the process on this one, sorry guys. But the final product looks great.

Cabbage, Leek and Apple Soup

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, so I thought I'd take a break from regional foods and do some Irish inspired dishes. I love traditional corned beef and cabbage. I considered making corned beef from scratch but decided that my hectic schedule didn't allow for the set-up and 10 day brine that calls for. I settled on making some more modern dishes with the same core ingredients.

Normally the weather is cold and snowy or rainy and bowl of soup is just right. This week the weather is gorgeous - sunny and 70's. Not quite soup weather, but hopefully this still hits the spot for some of you.

Garbage Plates

I went to college and met some of my greatest friends in Rochester, NY. It was there that I was introduced to the Garbage Plate. Originated at Nick Tahou Hots, a garbage plate is usually half macaroni salad, half homefries topped with two cheeseburgers, onions, mustard and a house-made "hot sauce." There are other options like french fries or beans, red hots, white hots, or eggs. I was a vegetarian when I was first introduced to Tahou's and it was a bit overwhelming. I always got grilled cheese on mine and part of me still prefers that. Now, about that "hot sauce." It's a meat sauce of sorts that, truth be told, really grossed me out. I figured it was just the meat bits and grease off the grill. And you want to ladle that over my food?? No way. Remember, vegetarian. So I when I decided to make these at home I knew I had to make it, but didn't really want to.  Thankfully I had a good Rochester friend with me to show me the error of my ways and I think I may be a convert. There I said it. I think I like the "hot sauce." It has so much more flavor than I ever knew. It still looks like dog food, but it is pretty delicious.

Blogiversary

Today is my one year blogiversary! What a fun year it's been. I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog, eats my food and shares their ideas. It's really fun for me to do and I appreciate you guys being a part of it. 

Are there recipes you'd like to see? Cuisines I should experiment with? Ingredients you'd like me to incorporate? Shout it out, because I want to hear your ideas.

Here's an even more adventurous second year!

Philly Cheesesteaks

I've been thinking about the idea of regional foods and how strongly we identify them with the places we love. I figured I'd introduce you to quintessential foods from places I've called home starting the cheesesteak.

When I first moved to Philly I lived a few doors down from Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's, the two "famous" cheesesteak places. Pat's is gritty and everything great about Philly including a commeration of the filming of the great motion picture "Rocky". Geno's is the Disneyland of cheesesteaks. The neighborhood always smelled like grilled meat and onions. The traditional cheesesteak is made "wiz wit" mean cheese wiz with onions. I prefer provolone to wiz any day. Save yourself the headache of dealing with the lines and make one at home.