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Eggplant Purses
Purses? On a food blog? Yes! Purses! No, I’m not talking about Prada or Coach. However, these purses are handcrafted Italian perfection! With each pocket of pleasure comes a burst of flavor from the basil mozzarella combination. I love to … Continue reading
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The Bake-A-Thon’s Denouement!
Webster sez… There were survivors. It was questionable at first but as the torpor of the food coma began to wear off, monosyllabic grunts became audible and murmurs became phrases. From the older girls full sentences followed. The younger ones, … Continue reading
6th Annual Christmas Bake-A-Thon
The ingredients. The scene before the participants arrive… Over the next eight hours, there will be more calories generated on The Kitchen Island than are generally permitted per month at one single address in the Old Dominion. There will also be … Continue reading
Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, Sweets, Uncategorized
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Valentine’s Day at The Kitchen Island: Moules á la Monsieur Arnaud
Webster traveled extensively during his misspent youth (a period that ended a little more than 10 years ago, when he met me), and, aside from anything else he picked up, he certainly picked up some cooking skills. On our first … Continue reading
Posted in Dinner, Mussels, Seafood`, Travel, Uncategorized
Tagged France, moules, mussels, travel
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The Down and Dirty Martini
Webster sez: One of Wanda’s cold-weather favorites! The extra dirty martini. She uses vodka but gin is acceptable, too. (Admittedly, given my proclivity for a Tanqueray and tonic, the gin inventory here at The Kitchen Island is always in flux, … Continue reading
All Hail Caesar! (The salad that is!)
My first Caesar salad was almost 10 years ago, when Webster took me to meet some of his old friends in Virginia Beach, VA. We visited with this couple for a little while and then he took me to the … Continue reading
Posted in Salads, Side Dishes, Uncategorized
Tagged Caesar Cardini, Caesar salad, Salad, side dishes
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Smoked Salmon and Drinks Appetizer
A typical February day at The Kitchen Island consists of a steaming mug of herbal tea and a crackling fireplace. Not today. It’s 61 degrees and I’m sitting on the deck with a chocolate peanut butter smoothie reminiscing of one … Continue reading
Square Foot Gardening
This year we tried the “square foot gardening” method of raising veggies for The Kitchen Island. Webster was skeptical at first but he’s starting to see the benefits now! Herewith, The Kitchen Island’s kitchen garden!
Posted in Garden, Heart Healthy, Spices, Veggies
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The 5th Annual Kitchen Island Bake-a-Thon!
OMG! Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark! For the fifth year in a row The Kitchen Island hosted a Christmas Bake-a-Thon, a day-long sugar and caloric bacchanalia of epic proportions to which Wanda invites a slew of her many nieces – ages … Continue reading
Posted in Chocolate, Dessert
Tagged Caramel, Chocolate, Chocolate chip, desserts, Pretzel, Sea salt
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Crab and Corn Chowder with Mashed Potatoes
It’s December and it’s cold! That usually calls for a goose down parka and mittens, but for The Kitchen Island, cold weather suggests a belly-filling, hot bowl of comfort. So, grab your large enamel pot and let’s get started! This … Continue reading
Roasted Baby Eggplant with Goat Cheese
Our recipe posts here at The Kitchen Island are not always our own creations. We comb through cookbooks; scan the magazines while waiting in the checkout line; and spend endless hours surfing the worldwide web. Most of the time, we … Continue reading
Clam and Bacon Pizza! OMG!!
Sunday night at The Kitchen Island, after a hard day of arduously relaxing aboard Faith under sail on the Chesapeake Bay, a less formal – but no less formidable – dinner is the order of the day. Home-made pizza with bacon … Continue reading
Posted in Appetizers, Clams, Dinner, Pizza, Seafood`, Uncategorized
Tagged Bacon, Clam, Coastal, Pizza
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Soft Shell Crabs are in the House!
Grilled Soft Shell Crabs! (Yummm!) At this time of year in our neck of the woods, soft shell crabs become available and, as with the short-lived white asparagus season in France, lovers of these delicious creatures begin to get the … Continue reading
Posted in Crabs, Dinner, Seafood`, Soft Shells
Tagged Food, soft crabs, soft shell crabs, soft shells, Soft-shell crab
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Missing Soft Shells! Oh no!!!!!
Our last post – the one about grilled soft shell crabs – has suffered a technological mishap. presumably not fatal. The video wouldn’t load! Our team of crack propeller-heads has been loosed on the problem and the post will back … Continue reading
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The Bug’s Masterpiece!
OMG!! A 6-layer coconut cake! This weekend was the occasion of Webster’s birthday. The Bug, inspired by countless hours of TV cooking shows and the constant activity aground The Kitchen Island, created this magnificent edifice that is sure to please … Continue reading
Posted in Cakes, Dessert, Uncategorized
Tagged Cakes, coconut, desserts, Smith Island Cake, Smith Island Maryland
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The Kitchen Island Hits the Road: Nu Yawk City!
A long overdue visit to be sure, but The Kitchen Island crew arrived in Gotham a week ago for a virtuoso piano recital by the internationally renowned Alex Tuchman, pianist extraordinaire and one of Webster’s seemingly infinite supply of nieces … Continue reading
Posted in Travel, Uncategorized
Tagged Lincoln Tunnel, Marriott Marquis, New York, Times Square
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Oysters with Ginger-Soy Butter
Oysters!!!! My hat comes off to the first desperate soul who cracked open that first slimy, muddy bivalve to discover the salty, meaty delicacy we now enjoy on a regular basis. A quick search on the worldwide web, dates the … Continue reading
Posted in Dinner, Oysters, Seafood`
Tagged Ginger-Soy Butter, Oyster, Soy sauce, Zinfandel
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SALMON! Pan Seared with Brussels Sprouts and Walnuts
Believe it or not, once upon a time, I would not even look at a piece of salmon. The only fish I would consider was an occasional piece of flounder, which is very white and very mild. Salmon, being very … Continue reading
Posted in Brussels Sprouts, Dinner, Heart Healthy, Salmon, Seafood`
Tagged salmon dish, salmon fillets, seared salmon
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Shrimp Nachos
Although I was born and raised in the good ole USA, my culinary preferences occasionally lean towards our southern neighbor, Mexico. Cumin and coriander mixed with a little garlic and jalapeno, initiate a taste bud happy dance! With Webster being … Continue reading
Posted in Dinner, Mexican, Nachos, Seafood`, Shrimp, Uncategorized
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Whine a Little, Why Don’tcha?
To follow up on an earlier post, this post is about another wine blog we like. Chicago-based winer Rob Frisch blogs about “odd” wines at oddbacchus.com. Why odd wines? Well, it seems that he buys most of the wines that … Continue reading
Posted in Dinner, Wine
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