Good Press

I got this recipe from my hairdresser, Dawn, who got it, I think, from her stepmother in Baltimore. When I worked as a newspaper food editor I published it in 2004. The original recipe had no exact measurements. The most recent time I made it, I took note of the amounts I used so I could publish the recipe here. ITALIAN MEATBALLS  1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 package onion soup mix 1/3 cup grated cheese 1 egg (2 if you use lean ground beef) 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 cloves garlic minced 1-2 tablespoons water 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Fry in oil and add to sauce. OR, the way I do it, place on a baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet or in a13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. (Spray foil with cooking spray if it's going to touch the meatballs.) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Then add to sauce. I usually serve these with spaghetti but I have served them in the sauce as a heavy hors d...

It was a dark and stormy night, we were returning home from different activities and I needed a quick dinner. These ham and cheese sliders, paired with canned tomato soup, hit the spot. They are so yummy! (Well, my 8-year-old doesn't want the sauce touching HERS next time but her father and I like it!) I think the poppy seeds make them look so elegant they could be heavy hors d'oeuvres at a holiday party. I can see them appearing at a Super Bowl party too. I found this idea on Pinterest and got the recipe from http://itsallinmyheadstefsblog.blogspot.com. I made some changes, which I will put in parentheses. HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS 24 good white dinner rolls (I used King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls) 24 pieces good honey ham 24 small slices Swiss cheese 1/3 cup mayonnaise AND 1/3 cup Miracle Whip (Knowing the picky people in my family, I didn't add any dressing. They can add their own if they want.) Poppy seed sauce (I took the previous blogger's advice and made half this ...

Of all the memorable parts of dirty Judy Blume books, there is one that makes my mouth water in a wholesome way. Might've known it'd be food writing. "Justine was the ultimate caterer, the finest, the classiest, the most gourmet. Sandy knew the menu by heart. So did all the other guests. There would be no palatable surprises. But no one would go hungry. Crab fingers, marinated mushrooms, miniature pizzas, cheese and spinach quiche, tiny shells filled with chicken a la king, giant shrimp to hold by the tail, and later, at midnight, Justine herself would emerge from the kitchen, offering whole fillets of beef, slice before your very eyes and placed on squares of hot garlic brea, eliminating the hostess's need for renting china or silverware. And later still the buffet table would be laden with delectable French pastries and freshly brewed coffee." -- "Wifey" by Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 1978) I learned a lot of things from Judy Blume, not least of which wa...