From James's kitchen
Tested, annotated, and worth returning to. Browse dependable recipes for everyday cooking, relaxed weekends, and occasions worth sharing.
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145There is nothing like ordering fresh fish at a sea side tavern in Greece. It’s one of the quintessential experiences when visiting the Greek Isles. My friend Rich Campbell, who has uncanny knack for finding incredible places to eat, introduced me to a wonde…
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146This is one of my favorite cakes to make for birthdays and special occasions (great for Mother's Day!) The cake is wonderfully moist with a tender, light crumb. The frosting is billowy and not too sweet. Adorn the cake with some fresh berries or surround th…
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147I love lemon desserts – especially in the Spring and Summer months. The batter separates as it bakes, creating a light sponge cake on top and a creamy pudding on the bottom. Makes a great Easter dessert!
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148A friend of mine called and asked me what was the best way to use up a bunch of apples and I naturally suggested applesauce. I often find the crisper drawer in my own refrigerator filled with a variety of apples and end up throwing them into a pot with a fe…
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149This rich, moist coffee cake is quick to make and also works well peaches, apricots, and even frozen blueberries.
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150There really is nothing like a Georgia Peach and they are arguably the sweetest and tastiest grown anywhere in the world. Georgia ranks third nationally in acreage devoted to peaches (with 11,500 acres in 2006) and in production (behind California and South…
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151When I asked what I could bring for dessert to a recent gathering, my friend told me that her husband loves “anything pumpkin” - particularly healthy recipes - but also a little decadent. Always up for a challenge, I consulted my well-worn copy of Whole Gra…
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152This is a delicious moist, dark, spicy pumpkin bread. The whole wheat flour not only makes it a healthier choice, but also lends great flavor to the spices. It’s perfect on its own, or you can make “sandwiches” with cream cheese and thinly sliced apples. Th…
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153Celebrate Mardi Gras with this quick and easy dinner for two, inspired by traditional Louisiana cooking. Uglesich's Restaurant in New Orleans ( Uglesich website ) serves one of the best shrimp and grits that I ever tasted, although, just about everything th…
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154These scallops make a great first course, but you can easily serve it as main course by mixing the pesto with pasta. I use cilantro because it grows so well in the garden, but you can easily substitute your favorite pesto – basil or sun dried tomato would w…
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155You usually see these cookies during Christmas, but they’re great to give on Valentine’s Day in a festive box. A family friend, the "sweet little old lady" kind, named Ginny Fitzsimmons, shared her recipe with me when I was about 11 years old. I found it th…
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156My friend Pat asked me to make some chocolate cupcakes for a gathering at her home. I wanted them to have a little extra flair and started searching recipes. I had recently found one that sounded intriguing in an issue of Cook’s Illustrated that featured a…
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157I'm reposting this amazing Chocolate Cake recipe in honor of National Chocolate Cake Day. My friend David always requests this "showstopper" when his visits LA. It’s a classic American dessert and the three layers of moist tender chocolate cake slathered in…
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158Beet and goat cheese salad is probably one of my favorites and this recipe creates perfect individual bites. Roasting the beets gives great depth of flavor, but canned beets speeds up the process. The flavors improve as it sits, it’s great to make a day ahe…
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159A friend of mine from NYC called the other day to ask which pie bakery I preferred. He had guests from Norway stopping by that afternoon for coffee and wanted to offer them a slice of “American pie”. When he told me a whole pie from a bakeshop would cost an…
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160I love recipes that don’t require mixers, beaters and lots of bowls. These squares really should be called Date Nut Brownies because of their soft and chewy texture. The combination of dates, nuts and brown sugar make them reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Puddi…
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161My friend Pat Loud says that chocolate is ALWAYS the best choice for dessert at a dinner party. What I love about Pots de Crème is that it can be made ahead (up to 3 days) and it packs a great chocolate punch. The satiny texture takes “chocolate pudding” to…
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162One of my favorite treats - they're great any time of year.
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163It’s that time of year when my kitchen often turns into a cookie factory. Each year I try to come up with a few new treats, as well as tried and true Christmas favorites like – Sugar Cookies , Gingersnaps , Peanut Butter Blossoms , Jam Thumbprints , and Mex…
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164A friend of mine called this morning and said she was having 12 people over for dinner and having brisket and potato pancakes. She sounded a tad overwhelmed and I thought that the least I could do is make some festive cupcakes to celebrate Hanukkah. I rarel…
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165Sticky Buns can often be a challenging and time consuming recipe. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry makes this recipe fast and easy to throw together. I like the combination of dried cranberries and golden raisins, but currants would also work well. The recipe ea…
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166Christmas in a cookie! You can roll them in sugar or drizzle them with icing – either way, they’re perfect for the holidays.
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167These are always a big hit at parties, so I when I saw this recipe on Cook’s Country I knew I had to try them. The most common method is to use store bought crescent dough or puff pastry, but the crust used here is based on a cream biscuit recipe. You can m…
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168These make a great gift and can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Do not use salted nuts. Recipe can easily be halved .
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