After nearly two weeks in the cool North Woods of Wisconsin, returning to this hot (and recently – very dusty!) desert is a bit of a shock to the system.  An oven-free meal is called for!  The old standby, rotisserie chicken, is my savior today.

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While we were in Wisconsin, I made this risotto, and all it did was make me ache for fall.  Summer risotto is very lovely and fresh with seasonal vegetables, but butternut squash risotto.… now that is truly something special… I am envisioning serving it up in the hollowed-out squash halves… so come on October, hurry up and get here!

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And now for a little easy-breezy summertime pizza.  This comes together quicker than all the ingredients might lead you to believe – especially if you buy the cheeses already shredded.

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Had you already figured out that the title “BBR” stood for baby back ribs?  It’s my shortcut name for one of my favorite foods. Seems like it’s the favorite of quite a few people.  When we made these ribs in kids’ classes last month, we all broke into the that little tune that sticks in your brain all day long once you hear it….. “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…. I want my baby back, baby back, baby back….I want my baby back, baby back, baby back….Chili’s baby back ribs…”   

(Click the link above for a retro Justin Timberlake and Co. take on the snappy song – or this link for a more traditional version.)

Sing now, and thank me later…

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Last month Harvard published a study, which after 20 years of monitoring, revealed a list of foods most associated with weight gain.

On the basis of increased daily servings of individual dietary components, four-year weight gain was most strongly associated with the intake of these six culprits:

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Happy Bastille Day. I wish I would have thought ahead and made something Frenchy, oh well, next year! Above is one of the many gorgeous photos my talented daughter, Marissa, took while in Paris for her semester abroad back in 2008.  And I couldn’t help myself, another of her photos is at the bottom of the post…

Of course, you can make vegetarian tostadas with just beans, but if you have die-hard carnivores and vegetarians sharing a meal or simply want to build a bigger tostada, just add in a little chicken substitute and the carnivores honestly won’t know the difference. Also, be certain to look for refried beans labeled vegetarian. Obviously, beans are already vegetarian, but some refried beans are made with chicken broth instead of water or lard instead of oil.

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I love to go on vacation but what I love, even more, is coming home. Isn’t everyone like that? Dave and I had another lovely week up in the North Woods of Wisconsin with our BFF’s Jeff and Jen and their 3 boys; Travis, Blake, and Jack. They (as in the 6 of them, not me) love swimming in the lake, boating, fishing, water skiing, tanning, hiking in the woods, and being outdoors. I love staying inside their gorgeous log-cabin home, cooking and relaxing. They can have all that sun, water, nature, and mosquitoes! Even though I do everything in my power to avoid those blood-sucking devils, they find me. Oh well, it’s worth it to live in the beauty of the pines and be with the people I love. Another thing I love is making meals with Jen. She’s a great cook and she and I are totally in tune with each other in the kitchen. Can’t wait until next year…

While we were out of town, we missed a big happening in “the Valley of the Sun” – and I’m not talking about the All-Star Game. We missed the “now famous haboob” that occurred here on July 5th! I have a link for you to watch it – as I did – from the comfort of my laptop. This time-lapse video is Amazing!

And here is a picture of a damp paper towel that I used to wipe off the center island kitchen counter … mind you, my house was completely and professionally cleaned by Gabby, my “twice-a-month house cleaner” earlier that very same day – July 5th! And no other living creature has been in the house since. This is a small sampling of the dirt that came in through our closed and locked windows and doors when the massive wall of dirt rolled over our defenseless little house!

Disgusting! On to better and more appetizing things…

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The cobb salad was created nearly 80 years ago at the famous Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant and has been an American favorite ever since. I prefer to serve it as individual salads as opposed to presenting it on a large platter. That way it looks lovely for each guest. If served on a platter, it looks great for the first guest or two, but by the end of the line, all the “goodies” on top are either gone or mashed into a nasty-looking mess.

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I’ve mentioned many times before how much I love all of Queen Creek Olive Mill’s flavored olive oils. Use any one of them to make light and luscious cupcakes, from Meyer lemon or Mexican lime to vanilla or blood orange. Or be especially adventurous and use their newest creation – chocolate olive oil to create a mild chocolate cupcake that will surprise you. It will be light in color with a subtle chocolate flavor.  We made the orange cupcakes during summer classes, although the kids thought that without any frosting, they were a bit more like muffins. Feel free to top with a light frosting or glaze, just be sure it doesn’t overpower the delicate cake.

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For my last appearance on Valley Dish, I asked the host, Tram Mai, what she would like to make.  After some 15 cooking appearances, it was the first time to make something of her choice instead of my choice or a specific themed assignment.  Tram requested a dish she had back in her college years in Los Angels at a restaurant called Crustacean.  After much online research, I compiled several people’s take on the roasted crab and came up with my own rendition.

The roasted crab is outstanding, but I think the real star of the dish is the garlic noodles.  The key is to find thick spaghetti, also known as spaghettoni or bucatini.  I found them at Whole Foods and in the Italian specialty aisle at the “big fancy” Fry’s on Tatum and Shea.

As for the crab, although the version we made on the live show used Dungeness crab, I’ve also tried with the pasteurized canned crab found at Costco and it tasted exactly the same… plus it’s more economical and so much easier!

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