I usually shy away from those “apology” posts that some put up when they haven’t blogged in a while.  I find them self indulgent.   I figure that if you miss a few weeks of blogging, the earth will still go right on spinning until you can jump back in.  However, after my last exasperated post about my Buttery Lemon Bars “Recipe in Pictures”, I was afraid that you might think I’d thrown in the dish towel, and that is not the case.

Life has a way of taking us by surprise from time to time, and sometimes, you just have to stop until you can catch your breath.  There have been some very stressful things going on in my life these past few months and I am trying to catch my breath.  The truth is, that lately I simply haven’t been cooking much or baking at all, because I don’t have the time or energy to do so.  And those of you who blog, understand that it’s not just about preparing food.  Putting up a post worth reading involves taking lots of photos, editing them and actually writing something  interesting – all of which  are time consuming and labor intensive.

On a brighter note, I have to tell you that I have the best readers in the world!  Several of you have emailed to check in on me.  It warms my heart to know that there are people out there who actually miss me and this little blog of mine.  Please don’t worry.  Nobody is sick,  dying or getting divorced!  It’s a temporary thing.   In fact, I’m even planning some updates and new features for SGCC.   And, I’m really going to try to spend some time this weekend whipping up some fabulous treats for you – so I hope you’re hungry!   Until then, just breathe!

XOXO,

Susan

Many moons ago, I got an email from fellow food blogger, Nick Evans of Macheesmo, asking if I would be interested in participating in a project he was working on called 55 Knives. He explained that 55 Knives would be a compilation of stories, recipes and tips from 55 food bloggers from around the Internet in the form of an eBook. He wanted to know if I would be one of the fifty-five featured bloggers.  I was flattered…and intrigued.  So, I said yes.

In case you’re wondering, an eBook is a downloadable book that you can store on your computer and view at your leisure.  Once you buy it, it’s yours.  You can read it from your computer, print it out and generally use it like you would any other book. It’s searchable and has lots of live, clickable links as well.  You can even download it to your Kindle! Pretty nifty, huh?

Anyway, the book has been out for a month already and believe it or not,  I’m just now getting around to telling you about it. Between magazine deadlines, car accidents, new puppies, missing mojos, cruises and things I won’t bore you with here, this is the first time I’ve had the chance to write about it.  Sigh… I’m always late to the party.  But, just because it’s taken me a while to write about 55 Knives, don’t even think for a minute that it isn’t a great read. It is – especially if you’re a foodie.

55 Knives is full of entertaining musings and terrific recipes from some of your favorite food bloggers, including Lydia from The Perfect Pantry, Kristen from Dine & Dish, Lori from The Recipe Girl, Peter from Kalofagas and many, many more. Each author has woven their own personal story around the recipes they’ve shared, some sentimental and poignant, and some downright funny.  Nick has worked extremely hard for almost a year putting 55 Knives together, and he has done a fantastic job!

My chapter is about my childhood memories of my grandparents and includes my grandmother’s recipe for pasta e fagioli.   Here’s a sneak peek of my dish:

So, are you intrigued too? If so, I have good news for you. You, dear readers, can have a copy of 55 Knives for your very own by clicking on the button below.  The book costs $19.00 which is a steal considering all of the information you’ll have access to. Plus, you’ll have 55 great new recipes to check out just in time for your Fourth of July festivities.  And, if you order here, you’ll be supporting both Macheesmo and SGCC.

So, what are you waiting for?  Grab yourself a copy of 55 Knives today.  You’ll laugh. You’ll cry.  And, you’ll get very, very hungry!

Dear readers, I’ve been keeping a secret from you.  I really didn’t want to, but this exciting thing happened to me a few months ago and I didn’t want to jinx it. So, I kept it to myself until I knew it was a sure thing.  The time has finally come, however, when I can tell you about it.  A brand new food magazine is being launched in my area this week…and I’m one of the contributors! Squeeee! It’s true! And, it’s not just any old food magazine either.  It’s called Edible Sarasota and is part of the Edible Communities franchise.

How did this happen?  Well, believe or not, it all started with Facebook.  One day back in September, an update by one of my FB friends appeared on my wall saying that she was now friends with Edible Sarasota.  Edible Sarasota?  I was already familiar with the Edible Communities group of magazines. I’d read them online and picked up hard copies whenever I was traveling in another city and saw one.  But, I’d never seen or heard of an Edible from Sarasota.  Hmmm.  I wanted to know more, so I friended them too.

From there, I saw that Edible Sarasota was also on Twitter, so I followed them.  A few weeks later, I saw one of their tweets that said they were looking for freelance writers.  Paydirt! I emailed the editor and introduced myself, leaving links to SGCC and my pages on Creative Loafing.   A few days later, we were having coffee in a cute downtown cafe and the deal was sealed!

My first assignment was a feature article on the Hazan family. Yup, you read that right. I was to write about THE Hazans, as in Marcella Hazan, son Giuliano, their spouses and Giuliano’s adorable daughters.  Wow!  I was sooooo excited and a nervous wreck at the same time.  I usually write about food, not real live people – especially not people who are living legends!  Food doesn’t have feelings or opinions.  Food doesn’t talk back to you.  (Okay, maybe I have had a crème brulee or two whisper in my ear on occasion, but that’s it. I swear!) You can’t inadvertently misquote food, pissing it off. And, you can’t offend food by writing something about it that it doesn’t like.   See where I’m going with this?  Intimidated as I was, I was also very proud and flattered that such an important piece was entrusted to me.

In preparation, I spent countless hours researching the Hazans, both online and by reading their books.  I got a lot of insight by reading Marcella Hazan’s memoirs, Amarcord: Marcella Remembers, as well as the commentaries in hers and Giuliano’s cookbooks.  With the background information under my belt, I was ready for some live interviews.  I was invited to join the family one glorious Sunday afternoon as they gathered to celebrate Papa Victor Hazan’s 81st birthday.

Let me tell you, people, I was scared!  Marcella Hazan doesn’t suffer fools well.  I’d read that she is notorious for biting the heads off of unwitting reporters, students and the like who ask stupid questions.  I said a rosary before I went over there, praying that I would sound reasonably articulate and not blather on like an idiot in the wake of her greatness!  Fortunately, her daughter-in-law and Giuliano’s wife, Lael, has become a friend of mine, and she somewhat set my mind at ease.  I needn’t have worried, though.  Everyone, from oldest to youngest, including Marcella, was gracious and charming.  They couldn’t have been nicer or more cooperative!

The next few weeks were spent writing, and rewriting, and rewriting and rewriting the article.  (Did I mention that I am a perfectionist?)  I must have reworked that piece half a dozen times before I felt I could let it go!  In fact, my editor had to practically pry it out of my clenched fingers to make the deadline!

The feedback I got from the editorial staff was very positive.  (They like me!  They REALLY like me!) I could not wait to see the final product!  Unfortunately, I would have to wait another month for that.  The magazine is set to launch this Friday, January 15.

My plan was to not say anything to you about this until after Edible Sarasota hit the stands.  I kept imagining all sorts of scenarios where my article didn’t make it into the magazine. (Um…like the editor’s dog ate the only copy, or the article actually sucked, or I was on Candid Camera and the whole thing was a big joke.) I couldn’t bear the thought of telling you about it and then having to take it back.

Well, the first shipment was delivered this past weekend.  As soon as I got my grubby little paws on a copy I tore through it to find my article.  There it was on page 31- my very own byline in a real, honest-to-goodness print magazine with real pages that you can touch and feel and turn!  I am over the moon!  Once I calmed down, I read through the rest of the articles too.  It truly is a beautiful magazine!

My editor told me that she thought my piece turned out great and that she has already received several compliments on it.  Whew! We’re also talking about what my assignment will be for the next issue. Woo hoo! But, I’m not quite through with those rosary beads yet.  I’ll be seeing the Hazans at the launch party on Friday night and will find out if they gave my article a thumbs up or a dreaded thumbs down.  I only hope that I don’t get pelted with any rotten San Marzano tomatoes!

Each year around this time our mail boxes and our inboxes are inundated with requests for help and financial support from almost every nonprofit organization under the sun.  While most, if not all, are very worthy causes, it can still be a bit daunting!  This year, perhaps more than ever, the needs of our communities are great while our resources are dwindling. With unemplyment at over 10% and the real estate market in a freefall, writing a few checks to our favorite charities is simply not an option for many of us right now.   But there are still lots of small ways that we can make a difference, some of which can be very rewarding.  What we may not be able to give in dollars, we most likely can give in time.  Volunteering at a local charity during the Holidays is a always a great way to support our community and make the lives of those less fortunate a little bit brighter.  Hosting a Drop In & Decorate Party is a sweet way to pay it forward and have a swell time doing it.

The concept is simple. Bake cookies. Gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book club to decorate the cookies together. Then, donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community, such as a food pantry, senior center or church group. It’s a great way to spend some quality time with people you care about and give a little back to our community as well. It’s also great way to introduce your kids to community service. What kid doesn’t love to decorate cookies?

Drop In & Decorate was founded in 2002 by our own Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry.  In 2008, it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its mission to is to make cookies-for-donation events easy and affordable (and fun) for anyone, and to provide whatever support possible (tech support, baking/decorating supplies, financial support) to encourage people to organize cookie donations in their own communities.

Since its inception, Drop In & Decorate events have donated cookies to 55 nonprofit agencies in 18 states and Canada. The recipient agencies include Ronald McDonald Houses, food pantries, domestic violence and family emergency shelters, senior centers, and other agencies serving children and families.

This year, Drop In & Decorate is aiming for participation in all 50 states, Canada and beyond.  To help get things started, Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product — including sugar cookie mix and icing — to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And they’re also including a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, to people who plan to host cookies-for-donation events.  There’s also a free downloadable guide with everything you need to know to host your own party, available on the DI&D web site.

It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do!  If you’d like more information, you can visit the web site or contact Lydia directly at lydiaATdropinanddecorateDOTorg.

Oh, and by the way, December 4th is National Cookie Day.  What are you waiting for?

Photos courtesy of Drop In & Decorate and Lydia Walshin

There have been some exciting new developments here in SGCC Land lately, and I’m thrilled to finally be able to tell you about them!  I’ve held off until I knew that they were sure things, because…well…because, I don’t like to count my chickens before they’re hatched.  I’d hate to make a big splashy announcement to you all and then have to take it back because things didn’t work out as planned!  Though, if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you might already know what I’m talking about.

My first bit of news is that I’ve been hired as a contributing writer by Creative Loafing!  In case you don’t know, Creative Loafing is a weekly newspaper published in various venues around the U.S.,  focusing on local culture, and including restaurant, food, film, movie, arts, and entertainment news and reviews, blogs and Podcasts.  I’ll be writing for their Sarasota and Tampa online and print editions.  Of course, my focus will be on food and recipes, but the editors have graciously left the door open for me to contribute on other topics as well.

Creative Loafing

This is big, big, big for me because writing has always been a special passion of mine.  From the time I could hold a pencil I was always scribbling down little poems, plays and short stories.  In high school I was the editor of our school’s literary magazine, which won state and national awards.  I often fancied myself authoring the next great American novel, but life got in the way, as it often does.  One of the reasons I started blogging in the first place was to hone my writing skills and see if I could recapture my “voice”.  I’m so delighted to be able to share that voice in another venue, especially one as cool and relevant as Creative Loafing!

My second announcement is that I’ve been hired to teach Italian cooking classes at my favorite Italian gourmet market.  How cool is that!?!?  I’ve enjoyed shopping at Casa Italia for many years, and I’ve even written about the store on this blog before. The proprietors, Nita and Raj, are lovely and gracious people who always go the extra mile to keep their customers happy and well fed!  So, when they approached me about joining their team of instructors, I jumped at the chance!

Casa Italia has offered various kinds of cooking classes to the public for years.  Of course, as an Italian market, most of them focus on Italian cuisine.  However, they also offer classes on their native Indian cooking as well. In fact, if you stop by the shop on any given Thursday, you will smell the welcoming, fragrant aromas of simmering curries and other Indian delights that permeate the space.

Some of the luminaries that have graced Casa Italia’s kitchen include the doyenne of authentic Italian cooking, Marcella Hazan and her equally talented son, Giuliano Hazan, who has authored several popular cookbooks of his own and also currently offers classes there.  It is quite a thrill to be slicing and dicing on the same table as those two!

My first class was held this past Friday, and I am happy (and relieved) to say that everything went very smoothly.  My pupils and I prepared a fabulous four course lunch that included: Caprese Salad with Basil-Orange  Vinaigrette, Roast Chicken with Pancetta and Olives, Orzo Primavera and Tortoni for dessert.   I’m a firm believer in learning by doing, so I quickly put them all to work, encouraging them to dive in and  get messy. They a great job, and I’m really proud of them!  Since I was kind of busy, Raj was kind enough to snap some photos of me and the class in action.

The whole experience was tons of fun for me and I think that everyone else had a great time too.  I can’t wait for round two!  I’ll keep you posted!

For now, here’s a super simple recipe for the Caprese salad we made.  We used sliced juicy, sweet Campari tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella, which we also sliced and cut into small rounds.  Then we made adorable little Caprese “towers” with them and drizzled a sweet and spicy basil-orange vinaigrette on top.  The vinaigrette is just wonderful and can also be used as an accompaniment to chicken or fish.

Caprese Salad Stacks with Basil-Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Basil-Orange Vinaigrette:

• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh red chili or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (You can use blood orange juice if you are lucky enough to find blood oranges.  If you do, you might need to increase the sugar a pinch as they are a little more bitter than regular navel oranges.)
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Caprese Salad:

• 8 small ripe tomatoes, each sliced into 4 thin slices
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly and cut into rounds to fit tomatoes (a cookie cutter works well for this)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the Basil-Orange Vinaigrette:

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor.  Blend until completely pureed.

With the machine running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until well blended.

For the Caprese Salad:

Layer the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves to make little stacks.  Season each with some salt and black pepper to taste.

Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.

Makes 8 Caprese Stacks.

Enjoy!

Hey, there! Welcome to my new home on the web. Come on in, grab a cup of coffee and take a look around the new and improved Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy! I hope you love it as much as I do!

First of all, check out my sweet new header. Isn’t it pretty? Yes, that cute lady is supposed to be me. And yes, I know that she doesn’t actually look like me. But hey, I can dream, can’t I?

You’ll notice that there are now several tabs at the top of the page too. That’s because I now have PAGES! Yes, indeedy! I am in the big leagues now! You can navigate to any of my pages by clicking on the appropriate tab. They’re pretty self-explanatory, so I’ll let you explore at your leisure.

One particularly exciting feature of this new site is that I now have a recipe index. I have wanted one for so long! Now, dear readers, you can find all of my recipes in one handy dandy place, without having to wade through all of my wordy prose. Of course, I’d still love to have you read my wordy prose, but I know that sometimes, you just want to grab a recipe and run.

I’ve also got separate pages for SGCC “buzz” and my fab foodies blogroll. Now, you can finally see a list of all of the blogs I enjoy reading without having to scroll forever! And, I’ve set up my own Amazon store, so if you get the shopping bug while you’re here, you can just go crazy!

You’ll also notice that the site now has a new format. It’s more of a magazine style. I think that it will make the site easier to navigate and a lot more user friendly.

My site was designed by the incredibly talented Joelle, from Moxie Design Studios. She was a dream to work with, and I can’t recommend her enough! She calmed my fears and held my hand through this whole process, (and I didn’t even have to pop one Valium)!

There are still a few dusty areas on the site that ‘ll be working on during the next few weeks, so please bear with me. I’m brand new to WordPress and I still have a lot to learn. I hope to get back to my regular posting schedule as soon as possible.

In the meantime, stay a while and enjoy yourself. SGCC is open for business!

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Well, Dear Readers, the time has come for me to spread my wings and fly. I created this blog on Blogger in September of 2007, and at the time it was the right choice for me. I was brand new to blogging and knew next to nothing about code, HTML, CSS (or even DSLR)! I still don’t know that much, but I have learned a few things. But, over time I’ve grown a little restless. I began to want more than Blogger could give me. I wanted pages, plugins and a fancy schmancy header, and I didn’t want to have to hack the hell out of my template to get them! So, I found a smart, creative and talented web designer who picked my brain, read my mind and designed a brand new, beautiful web site for me.

I am thrilled and excited (and a little scared) to announce that some time within the next twenty-four hours, Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy will switch to the WordPress platform and move over to its very own domain. My new web address will be:

http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com

If you have SGCC bookmarked, you will need to change it to reflect the new address. If you subscribe to SCGG’s feed, (and I really appreciate it if you do), you don’t have to change anything. My feed will remain the same.

My sincerest thanks go out to all of you who have supported me and this blog for the past two years. You have made my life richer (and my hips wider)! I hope you all will continue to visit me at my new digs. I look forward to many delicious years to come at the new and improved Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy!

See you there!

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