Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Puree

In addition to watching my sister and I during the day, our new babysitter initially promised Mom a good lunch for us. She didn’t know we were a pair of extreme picky kids, no fault of our own. Blame it on Dad who knew more about cooking, from a chef’s perspective, than most people who brought into the fast, processed food craze starting in the late 70’s. Good lunches meant a bologna and American single cheese sandwich with bleached white flour bread that never spoiled. If mayonnaise or mustard were added to my sandwich, I would rather starve. Hot dogs weren’t a good option, too. Most people served it with ketchup and mustard. Maybe a little pickled relish. After a few weeks of my sister and I refusing to eat, the sitter told Mom; we are too picky to feed. However, we would spend the next few years playing and growing side-by-side with her three lovely kids. She was tough love. Read more

Red Cabbage and Snow Pea Salad

Shredded Red Cabbage and Snow Pea Salad

Colors make my world go round. When creating a dish, the taste and visual appearance is what influences the creativity. The ability to imagine colorful combination on the plate comes from a graphic design background. One of my favorite color combination is green and purple, for they harmonize well together. When a salad uses vegetables with those colors, it’s visually stunning. This Red Cabbage and Snow Pea Salad is a type of cole slaw without mayonnaise or a creamy dressing. The surprise green vegetable is snow peas, instead of leafy green. The leafy vegetable instead is the red cabbage. Read more

Pretzel Peanut Butter Chicken Strips

Pretzel Peanut Butter Chicken Strips with a savory peanut butter sauce
The Peanut Butter & Co. asked MyLifeRunsOnFood.com to join their All-Star Recipe Blog to create five unique recipes using their different flavors of peanut butter. Who could resist the challenge? I’ve waxed poetic about peanut butter before, especially peanut butter and chocolate candies, and a guest post was written for She’s So New York about the aphrodisiac affects of peanuts. Then there’s the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies made last fall. A favorite summer meal is Spring Shrimp Rolls with Peanut Sauce served with a Pineapple Tomato Salad. Read more

Appetizing Thoughts: Pearl Lee Q’s Vegetable Que

Deb & Theo of Pearl Lee Q

Trying to eat more vegetables during this carnivorous Fourth of July? No problem. Slap your grill with perfectly seasoned slices of sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini and other vegetables. The grill is a hearty flavor enhancer for caramelizing vegetables competing with those saucy baby back ribs. Either do it yourself or hire a caterer that specializes in both carnivore and vegan dishes. Read more

Appetizing Places: Peaches July 4th Cocktails

[portfolio_slideshow]

Celebrate the Fourth of July weekend with a few cocktails. Craig Samuel, co-owner of Peaches Restaurant in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn has three special drinks for the July 4th weekend (they’re probably available year round, tell the bartender MyLifeRunsOnFood.com sent you): Blackberry Smash Infused with Blackberry Vodka, White Julep (a variation on a mint julep using clear corn liquor), and Stuyvesant Sidecar. Their signature cocktail, The Brownstone Punch is the popular sweet thirst-quencher with the locals. Read more