Red Bean Ice Cream Pie w/ Green Tea Crust

  Have you noticed that Matcha is the latest trend in Food?

So of course I had to make a pie out of it.  I thought what goes good with Green Tea???   Red Beans!  I remember when I was younger going out for sushi with my family and for dessert we would always order Red Bean & Green Tea Ice Cream, a scoop of each, cause we could never pick which one we liked better - they went great together.

I think I'll be making this for the pie contest this year, so I can't share the recipe just yet but stay tuned for that and please let me know your thoughts on this pie!

Eggplant w/ Homemade Pesto

  This recipe was re-created from a dish that I tried in an Italian Restaurant one night at a romantic dinner that to seldomly occurs.
  I made my own version with my own homemade pesto.
I never used to like Pesto until I had it made fresh from a Farm one night & that all changed.  I love pesto now.    But I feel that it needs to sit at least overnight for all the flavors to really mesh.  If I taste my pesto just made - I don't like it.   But I let it sit a few days in the refrigerator and then use it with cooking & it's somehow transformed and unbelievable delicious.

 The eggplant recipe is so simple:

Eggplant sliced thin
Salt & Pepper the eggplant
Spread Pesto over eggplant
Top with Fresh Mozzerella
Drizzle with Olive Oil

Bake until cheese is melted & eggplant cooked through.

Lobster and Corn Fritters

These lobster and corn fritters were sooooo good!  I will definitely be making these again, especially on a nice summer night as an appetizer - they are great for company, I even think they tasted better the next day re-heated in the oven.

The recipe is from food an wine:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lobster-and-corn-fritters

This is a great way to make one Lobster feed a lot of people.

 Fresh Corn on the Cob is the key!

Really good & the recipe is perfect, wouldn't change anything except perhaps the basil mayo dipping sauce.

Very easy to keep, just cool completely, then store in a zip-lock baggie with 1 sheet of a papertowl - this will wick up any excess grease.  Then just re-heat in the oven.

Spring Risotto

There's something about making Risotto that is really satisfying when you come out with a wonderful creamy rice that is like no other.  It's complicated, yet simple at the same time. 
The key to making it is to keep a pot of warmed chicken stock ready at all times & constantly stirring the rice is very important, it really is that simple.

Here is the recipe that I followed from Southern Living:
http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/chicken-risotto-spring-vegetables

I think next time I would add mushrooms too.

I kept the onions separate & then sprinkled them on top.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Honeysuckle Vodka Pie Crust

Today I found out that I may be featured in a publication from Hunterdon County Women about my baking and pies especially.  I was so excited about this news I just had to run home and bake a pie.

Here is my delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with a new crust that I tested out using a very special Honeysuckle Vodka.  

Stay tuned for the exact recipe,  I may send this in or use it for the upcoming pie contest this year.