These nachos are great for football and basketball season...but use them for any sporting event!  The cheese and sour cream are what add the extra fat...you can use them without for a  low  fat version.

Growing up and now with my family I have so many joyous visits to the world's 7th wonder:  the Island of Maui!!  June always reminds me of how nice it is to be in paradise.  This recipe was posted previously, however, it just can't be missed in the month of June no more than the Island is to my family.  Enjoy.  If Mahi Mahi is hard to find, ask your fishmonger for a substitue fish that is fresh from the South Pacific.

Recently, I had a client that asked me to make Swordfish Caesar Salad.  I thought, "What??"  But I think he was very happy with this creation.  It is a bit Italian and a bit Hawaiin.  You could substitute Mahi Mahi or other fish or other meats.  To zip it up a little, you could add parmesan crips.

A great way to kick off the summer months.  It is 90 degrees here today and it made me think of when I was growing up and Mom would make a similar slaw and Dad would bring in fresh tomatoes from his garden.  Nothing has ever tasted as good as either of those, but this is my version of the slaw.

This is quick and easy in the summertime and has great flavor.  After Brunch or Dinner go to a great ice cream parlor for desert.  Great source of Omega 3 too.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!  I do this salad with Tuna or Mahi Mahi...both are great.  I love the heat and the smoky flavor.  Add sliced Jalapenos if you want a little more heat.  It is high in sodium due to the dressing and anchovies.  I like the white anchovies better than the regular ones.

This dish is not named Autumn's because it is great to serve in the fall (it is good anytime of year!) It is named
after my daughter, Autumn, because of her incredible love of bacon!! Once this dish is complete, you'll notice the
subtle taste of bacon all through every bite. Enjoy and thank Autumn for this dish!

This is a wonderful dish for St. Patricks Day.  Very green.  If you want to add more green veggies, do it!

This and Onion Soup have to be my favorite 2 soups in the world!!  I've never cared for the New England Cream Based chowder.  I love the Manhattan version - the tomato based soup.  This is a soup you can make in less than and hour and enjoy right away.  Enjoy this...it is timeless.

With the blizzard heading towards Chicago, I thought I would post a comfort recipe.  I started making beef stroganoff when I was a sous chef in high school at one of the nicer restaurants near my hometown.  This is simple to make and delicious.  Serve with whole wheat bread with a chutney of your desire.

Getting ready for the big games this weekend?  Make this chili sauce and marinate the onion rings ahead.  Once the oil is hot, these rings are a quick snap!

I saw a light version of this recipe on the February, 2011 magazine cover of "Cuisine at Home". I thought I would
share it with you done the old fashioned way. It is not Heart Healthy!! Enjoy!

If you like a game-ey taste in your meat, this stew is delicious. I'm fortunate enough to have great sources for
Venison and I use them year-round. I don't tell my teen daughters that it is Venison and they love it. (Don't want
to get into any Bambi issues!) I've been making it for over 20 years.

You'll love these chicken breasts...they are a great fall entree.  The tart apple and sharp cheese give the chicken an abundance of flavor.  Enjoy!  I serve these with collard greens sauteed with garlic and vinaigrette.

I have to apoligize to our friends and readers as we haven't posted a recipe since the end of last month.  The reason:  business has been CRAZY with people booking winter personal chefs and all the holiday parties coming up.  But this recipe will start many to follow.  Every since the squash started coming into the markets, this soup has been a big hit with our clients.  Try it as it is very simple to make, and enjoy a great Fall comfort food.

I save all the bones of chickens I've cleaned all of the time.  I get rid of as much of the skin and fat as possible to make a robust homemade chicken stock.  Now what you'll see from my stock as opposed to most homemade ones in cook books and the internet (they are mostly good too), is that I try to focus on the chicken taste and vegetables. 

A simple combination of hard-cooked eggs in a bechamel sauce with onions, the origin of the name of this typically Lyonnaise dish remains a mystery.

Ceviche is a national dish of Peru. Originally created by fishermen as a way to eat part of their catch during long days at sea, ceviche uses the acid in lime juice to "cook" the fish. 
This can be your entree or an accompanient. You can substitute Ono (Hawaiian Snapper), Bluenose Bass, or Rockfish as Striped Bass is called in Maryland and Virginia.
 

Great kid food! Just a little high in fat (18 grams) to be considered lowfat. The sodium is too high as well. But
this is just the way I make them for my daughters as they both are twigs! To lower the fat, use 90/10 ground
sirloin and whole wheat instead of ciabatta. To lower sodium, use no-salt tomato sauce and skip the worcestershire
sauce.

Children who aren't afraid of Asian meals will love this.  The sauce is Asian, however, when I make it, I don't use Asian noodles, I use Italian noodles.  If you can't BBQ this weekend due to weather or whatever, this is a great inside dish.

And while I'm blogging today, I thought we need to show our viewers a dessert for Labor Day weekend.  The Clafoutie Pie is something I found in a magazine named Cuisine at home.  I've tested it and loved it.  Try it as an alternative to your usually apple pie.

The recipe title is a mouthful and so is the sandwich.  I had one of these in Virginia tens of years ago and remembered it this summer and have experienced to bring you my version of what is a great entree.  It is not that hard to make, and it will be awesome if you serve it for Labor Day (especially since the season for soft-shell's is coming to an end.

We can't end summer without at least a succotash posting.  It will be a great Labor Day side dish.  This is the time of year when the ears of corn are their freshest.

While I'm posting this under my name, don't be confused - it is Chef Bob Longhi's from Lahaina, Maui...Enjoy!

Have you ever been to Maui?  If not I highly recommend it as a great getaway and a very special vacation.  It has the world's finest restaurants, incredible art galleries (and before I get to the rest off the benefits, I'll ask you one simple question:  If you were a great chef or a great artist, where would you live?  Probably not the South Side of L.A.  About 25 years ago was my first to Kaanapali Beach.)  I asked the concierge for a list of the finest restaurants that I needed to visit.  Longhi's was at the top of the list.  It was a mixture of Italian and Hawaiian with a beautiful view.  How could I resist.  Bob Longhi is known as Maui's most opinionated restauranteur.  You'll enjoy it for Labor Day, and please enjoy his restaurant when you're in Maui, Lahaina!

Since we're firing out salads in preparation of Labor Day Weekend, I thought I would throw out a Seafood salad that is a great entree salad.  It is high in sodium, so I can't call it Heart Healthy.  Anyone with a heart condition should not eat this

I just read a book on potato salads.  It inspired me to write this one.  It is very easy to make and not a big time commitment.  Easy on the budget too (compared to the recipes I read in the book, e.g., sun-dried tomatoes, olives, slices of truffles, etc.).  You'll really like this one.

This summer pasta is made for the end of summer...Labor Day Weekend.  Between the vegetables and the herbs, you'll love the tastes.  Fold in basil, savory, cilantri, etc. at the end.

I learned this recipe from a good friend of mine.  He creates majic in this recipe with very few ingrerdients.  My children love them with pizza or just bye themselves.  Add a salad to this and you have a meal.  They are a bit fatty, but if you have skinny kids like I do, give it to them!

I had something like this in a restaurant on Kaanapali Beach in Maui.  I've made my changes to this and love it.  You can use Swordfish or Mahi Mahi...make sure it is sushi quality.  So if you want to have a Hawaiian Labor Day, this is a sure bet!

Everyone can make the cabbage and carrots of coleslaw, however, some people get bored with the simple dressing.  I've seen dressing with four ingredients and some with 15!  Here is one that focuses on the flavor.  If you want, you can always substitue white onion for the red onion and a serano or habanero for the mild chiles.  This will make the dressing have much more zip!  Summer went bye so fast, but you probably still have some picnics or cookouts remainding...we'll keep it coming!

Before summer ends, I had to add one more potato salad to the blog.  This one is creamy and nutrious.  Give it a try!

Even in Summer there are times that you can use a comfort food.  Here's one I just made and want to share it with all.  The kid's will love it too.  Use whatever vegetables you find at the local farmers market.  If you want to get crazy, substitute some heavy cream for the whole milk.  You can add habaneros, serranos or jalapenos too, but don't expect the little kids to eat it!  My 14 and 11 year old girls don't mind it, in fact they might even put some Frank's hot sauce on it!  Enjoy.

These are so delicious.  They remind me of being in Maui!  Serve with a Tropical drink.

I fed my husband breakfast in bed last Sunday.  Wow, the appreciation!  I served toasted wheat English Muffins with Canadian Bacon slices and heirloom on top of that.  I topped it off with a poached egg and (best of all Hollandaise Sauce on that).  Now when I'm in Maui, there is a restaurant that serves something silimiar in Lahaina.  They put poached lobster on it!  But anyway, the Hollandaise sauce is incredible.

Just to add to our summer recipes, we had to add a potato salad.  Yukon potatoes are so creamy and smooth, I couldn't share these recipes.  Enjoy!!

It's summer!  Time to barbeque!  So let's do something a little different.  Cheese Burgers with blue cheese stuffed in it, you can't beat.

I've been using this BBQ Sauce for 30 years and I might say, "It is incredible".  Yes North Carolina, Memphis and Texas have their own style, however, try my Midwest version.  Smokey and sweet...I'd put it up against of the others.  It is official summer in Chicago, and for all you grillers, think of this sauce!  I'd slather the meat with about one third of the sauce and then after cooking over a slow grill or even in a covered pan in the oven, take them out and put in a saucepan with the remainder of the sauce.

This is a refreshing coleslaw that I especially like to serve in the summer.  All the ingredients are quite a change from your ordinary coleslaw that you are served at just about any restaurant when you order fried chicken.

If you like fish, dip and a great smoked flavor, try this dip.  I collaborated with a chef friend of mine down in the Keys.  It ended up not only being a great seller at his restaurant but has gotten me raves of reviews at so many dinner parties.  You can serve this year around, but I tend to reserve it for this time of the year through September.  It keeps friends asking me if I'll make it when the weather turns in late spring.  If you would like to lighten it up, feel free to alter the recipe using non-fat cream cheese and sour cream.  The recipe below is sized for a large dinner party, so cut it down by adjusting all the cream cheese through smoked oysters to fit your needs.

In reply to Tammy's request for my Seafood Salad recipe, here it is.  Enjoy it over the Memorial Day weekend and all summer long.

Everything is good in moderation! Because the oil is in this, it is a little high in fat, however, so good on a
sandwhich or salad. Homemade Mayonnaise is better than anything off the shelf. The herbs are in season in the
spring, so take advantage.

Beef Bourguignon

Another famous French Dish form the Burgundy region. This is not only comfort food, it is just plain year around.
Servings: 8

I've been perfecting this recipe for 25 years.  I never get a complaint!   Virtually no fat and low sodium.  Great taste and lots of vitamin A.  Servings:  12

I call this recipe "My Favorite Lemony-Roasted Garlic Pasta & Shrimp Salad".  This is a recipe that I like best as the main Entree at dinner.  You'll find it easy to make and not a dish that will over-fill you.  The garlic takes an hour to roast, however, it gives you a nice leisure time to make the balance.  It really has a Greek background, however, I've changed it to be Americana.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo so with my initial blog entry, I wanted to share what I've found so many people enjoy with seasoned food on this celebration.  Some had their party last weekend and others this coming weekend, however the hardcore will always celebrate tomorrow!  More than likely you'll heat a moderate to high heat tomorrow.  Well, enjoy it with a cool refreshing Sangria!

It's been a couple weeks since I posted anything and I apologize for that.  But one of my family members reminded me of a dish that I've made for the past several years.  Mussels, oh wow!  I learned this recipe by a Mother that I had the benefit of staying at her home in a little town in France called "Angoumois" which is the Capital of the Region of Poitou-Charentes, better known by locals as Charente.  It is about a 5 to 6 hour drive out of Paris (SouthWest), but well worth the trip!

Thinking about what to serve for Cinco de Mayo?  Here's one for you...Antojitos, which means "Little Whims".  This is a great appetizer to start your party.  And, you can add ingredients to get creative with this recipe.

This is a delicious soup that I serve any season of the year. Garlic has great antioxident properties and is high
in Vitamin A.

If you can't make it to the South Pacific this week, try the dip with some great fruit produce.

Asparagus is a great Spring vegetable.  Try this recipe and you'll love it!

This is a wonderful salad that has been around for 100's of years.  It is very old-fashioned but has stood the test of time.  There are many different versions, however, this is the way I like to make it!  Serves 8

This is a delicious sauce for pastas, chicken or beef.  All the alcohol cooks off during the hour of simmering...but not their flavor.  Kid friendly too!

This is a great one dish meal.  I like to serve it with a spinach salad.  The cognac burns off in the cooking process (but leaves the flavor!)  Kid friendly too.

If you love big, bold leafy salads your going love this dressing!

While Marilyn is no longer with us, her shrimp dip carries on.... Very, very kid friendly.

Mackerel is a great fish whether eaten as Sashimi or grilled. This open-face sammie has great presentation. I especially admire the oily fish taste of the Mackerel.

Pickled-Brine Chicken. I do this with pork as well. Don't do with Turkey, veal or lamb as the
brine will be too strong and you won't get any of the meat flavors. Mix all sorts of different
brines (not just pickles) for the most creative and unique taste. I would mark this heart-healthy, but the olive oil doubles the grams of fat. To make heart-healthy, use a non-fat olive oil spray. You lose some flavor, but it is still a great dish!