Holidays

Patriotic Cake

2026-07-03T03:31:44-04:00July 3rd, 2026|Categories: Cakes, Desserts, Fourth of July|Tags: , |

What a great experience it was to work with Bud when my Patriotic Cake was featured on the cover of Essex Fells Magazine in July 2011!  It made me realize how very fortunate we are to reside in the beautiful, bucolic borough of Essex Fells and to be a citizen of the USA—the greatest country [...]

Pigs in Blankets

2026-06-30T03:33:25-04:00June 30th, 2026|Categories: Appetizers, Fourth of July, Meat and Poultry|Tags: |

Here are some fun and creative recipes to enliven your July festivities.  Pigs in blankets—hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry—add a delicious gourmet touch to the common hot dog in a bun.  For those in a red, white and blue state of mind—the fruit kebabs and potato salad will be sure to please.  To make [...]

Patriotic Cheesecake

2026-06-30T04:35:40-04:00June 30th, 2026|Categories: Cheesecakes, Dairy, Desserts, Fourth of July|Tags: |

Velvety smooth, rich and creamy, this cheesecake is divine. Its decadent taste and texture belie the fact that it is relatively easy to make. Cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cream are beaten together and then poured into a cake pan lined with a traditional graham cracker crumb crust.  The cake is then baked in a [...]

Grilled Hamburgers and Fireworks Coleslaw

2026-06-29T13:02:00-04:00June 29th, 2026|Categories: Cooking Light, Fourth of July, Meat and Poultry, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian|Tags: , , |

We Americans are an independent lot.  Imbued with free spirits, we embrace  individuality, creativity, and self reliance. Since we so admire the self-made, do-it-yourself attribute, a burger bar is the way to go for your July Fourth festivities.   Essentially, you will provide your guests with burgers and all the fixings, so that they can create [...]

Pizzelle Cannoli

2026-05-21T01:43:04-04:00May 21st, 2026|Categories: Cookies and Biscotti, Dairy, Desserts, Shavuot|

Here’s another great dairy dessert option. There is no cooking or baking necessary for this simplified and enlightened version of the traditional cannoli recipe.  You can make the pizzelle cannoli shells days ahead of time. Since the filling takes just minutes to whip together, make sure to fill the pizzelle cannoli right before serving so [...]

Challah Pudding

2026-05-19T02:57:11-04:00May 19th, 2026|Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Challah, Desserts, Shavuot, Side Dishes, Yom Kippur|Tags: , , |

I bake a lot of challah, so I usually have quite a bit leftover. I recently started to make challah pudding using day-old challah with great results. This recipe bakes up beautifully with a golden brown crispy crust and a light, fluffy, and flavorful interior.  Serve this scrumptious dish for brunch with some fresh fruit, [...]

Cheese Blintzes

2026-05-18T06:32:40-04:00May 18th, 2026|Categories: Dairy, Desserts, Passover, Shavuot|

I made these cheese blintzes for Passover.  The recipe calls for potato starch instead of flour. They were so delicious, I’ll be making them for Shavuot and year round. Crepe batter ½ cup potato starch ¾ cup water 2 eggs ½  tablespoon butter or margarine, melted pinch salt Filling ½ cup farmer cheese ½ [...]