Kitchen Runway
Pumpkin is synonymous with the fall season. The warm orange hue combined with aromatic spices make pumpkin dishes comforting during this time of year. These pumpkin bars are moist, fluffy and not too sweet. It’s topped with cream cheese frosting which adds just the right amount of richness to this simple but very satisfying dessert.
These bars are like little pieces of cake and can be enjoyed with a fork for a fancier gathering or without one for a no-fuss treat.
Even Taylor couldn’t resist these pumpkin bars! I had just finished shooting the final pictures and I walked away for a minute. All of a sudden, I could hear Derrick yelling in the kitchen, “No, Taylor! No!” In a matter of seconds Taylor had devoured a whole pumpkin bar. I’m sure if Derrick didn’t catch her she would have eaten all four pieces. She’s such a sneaky dog (but incredibly lovable). I guess they were just too tempting.
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I was recently asked by The California Olive Committee to participate in Kitchen PLAY’s SideCar Event celebrating California Black Ripe Olives and National Taco Day. Fall is here and I knew I wanted to make taco soup. It just sounded so good to me: ground turkey, hearty beans, olives, corn and tomatoes in a warm spicy broth topped with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. The best part is this dish is so easy to make and wonderful for feeding crowds or for potlucks.
The California black olives add a nice richness and saltiness to the soup while the cheese and the sour cream help cut the spiciness from the taco seasoning and green chiles.
Summer may be officially over, but we’re still enjoying the warm weather and long days in Southern California. To savor the endless California summer, Derrick and I enjoyed a dessert that incorporated three things that are quintessential to summer: grilling, ice cream and fresh summer berries. Grilled pound cake with a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream and a generous serving of fresh strawberries and blueberries is the perfect no fuss dessert. It’s so simple and easy to put together for 2 or 20 people. Lightly grilling the pound cake makes the cake more aromatic and brings out the richness of the cake. The warm cake is then topped with a scoop of sweet and creamy vanilla ice cream and then covered with beautiful fresh strawberries and blueberries. It’s light, creamy and decadent. Store bought pound cake and ice cream are the two shortcuts to this easy dessert. Of course, if you really wanted toyou could turn on your oven during these hot months to make homemade pound cake. I’m going to opt out of that one…
The dessert is grilled on The Technique® Hard Anodized Dishwasher Safe 18″x12″ BBQ pan with DuPont™ Teflon® nonstick coating. It’s a pan made especially for the grill. It helps you grill multiple things at the same time without worrying about it falling through the grates. I think it would be perfect for grilling mushrooms without having to skewer them or aparagus or onions. The best thing is that the tough Teflon coating is strong so you can use metal utensils on it and once you’re done grilling you can pop the pan into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. What I love about it was that pound cake went directly on the grill pan instead of the grill which means that I could rest assure that my dessert wasn’t going to taste like a piece of steak!
I love the bright colors in this dessert!
Can you believe that summer is almost over? Labor Day Weekend is the last three day weekend signaling the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Could there be a better time to celebrate all things food? Amazing restaurants, fabulous food, and some of the most influential chefs behind the Los Angeles food scene will be present at this weekend’s The Taste. This three day food event is hosted by the LA Times at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, a great spot to soak in the glitz and glamour of all things LA and enjoy the gathering of some of the most amazing restaurants in Los Angeles such as Boa Steakhouse, Bouchon, Chaya, and Scarpetta to name a few. You’ll have the opportunity to rub elbows with such personalities as Sue Fenniger, Ludovic “Ludo” Lefevbre, and the infamous Thomas Keller. The weekend will feature 5 distinct events with unlimited food and drinks. Tickets can be purchased in advance ($50 to $65) or at the door at $75.00. For all of you in the LA area without plans for the weekend – we’ve got you covered. Make your way over to Hollywood and join us out there for a day or two of good food and good times.
This is the 3rd annual event and we’ve attended the last two. Here’s our recap from last year’s event: Secrets from Celebrity Chefs. We are looking forward to this year’s event and of course eating, drinking and attending wine seminars and cooking demos. There is something for everyone to enjoy and indulge in. Hope to see you there!
a small sampling of what we indulged in last year...
Taylor is posing with her cousin Zoey. These two will do anything for a treat!
Taylor is turning 5 on Friday, August 3rd and to celebrate her birthday we wanted to share a wonderful giveaway with you and your pup. Have you heard of Zuke’s? It’s a dog treat company based in Durango, Colorado that stands for quality and believes in creating treats that are healthy and all natural. The founder, Patrick Meiering named the company after his dog, Zuke and a portion of the sales are donated in memory of Zuke to the Dog & Cat Cancer Fund. I love that it’s a company that gives back.
We switched Taylor to grain free dog food years ago. We also give her fish oil and glucosamine daily to help with her coat, skin and joints. Taylor is part Golden Retriever and hip dysplasia common in her breed. We are doing what we can to prolong her life and help her age in a healthy way. I think sometimes we care more about her health than our own.
Taylor is salivating over these treats!
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