The product I'm the proudest of and the one that I've been making the longest is Julia's Caesar Salad Dressing.  I started making it when my daughter Ava was little.  Whenever we would go out to restaurants, she would always say,  "Why can't we have this at home?"  So I started looking at dressings at the store but every one I got wasn't what I wanted:  It was either too creamy or too sweet (a lot had sugar in them).  They just weren't that classic Caesar taste you can get at a restaurant.  So I started experimenting and, over time, I developed my recipe.  To this day, my daughter can't get enough of it.

But what about if you don't like salad, or Caesar salads; or it's the time of year when you can't get the produce you like to use in your salad?  Then here's a couple of different ways to use Julia's Caesar Dressing.

Deviled Eggs.  Put down a plate of deviled eggs at a party here in the South and they will disappear in about 3 minutes.  Make the eggs using Julia's Caesar instead of mayo and throw some capers in to give them some pizzaz. Or some crumbled crisp bacon.  You can also use some finely minced red onion for a little extra spice.  If you and your friends love anchovies, you could top your deviled eggs with thin slices of anchovy which is a natural fit for the dressing.

Potato Salad:  Just get your new potatoes boiled, tossed with Julia's Caesar dressing, some celery and maybe a little olive if you like.  Onion's always good.

Sandwich Spread:  Anything you use mayo for, substitute Julia's Caesar.  A grilled chicken pannini with roasted red peppers on sourdough is particularly good. 

Topping for Pasta?  I just heard this one recently and haven't tried it yet.  I do think it would be great in a pasta salad with finely diced fresh bell pepper, celery, red onion, and maybe some olives.  We just spoke with one of our biggest fans/taste testers and he tells us that it went great on a pasta salad!

Salad Nicoise:  Tuna or salmon with roasted or boiled potatoes, steamed green beans, diced boiled egg, chopped tomatoes, calamata or nicoise olive, a little red onion and my dressing should work well together.  That sounds delicious to me:  Made it for lunch this week and it tasted GREAT!  Will be whipping one up for our cooking demo and tasting at the Saturday Cedar Park and Sunday Mueller Farmer's Markets, 8/24 and 8/25/13.
NOTE:  See recipe section for detailed instructions on preparing with dish with fresh, local faire!

Crudites:  Julia's Caesar works great as a crudite dip.  A bowl on ice (if it's going to be out for a while) surrounded by the usual carrots, broccoli, celery, peppers or whatever you like.  We even have one customer who likes to dip our Gypsy Knots Spicy Pretzels into it!

That's all I can think of for now.  If YOU have any suggestions, drop us a line in the Contact Us section of this web site:  We'd LOVE to hear from ya!

     Happy Thanksgiving!  This year is very different for me because for the first time in years I'm not cooking the feast for my family.  All my kiddos have gone to Corpus Christi to see their Grandfather (my ex's dad.)  It's definitely different for me.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is such a celebration of food.  Although I am not the biggest fan of turkey, I still rock at preparing a delicious and juicy bird.  Thanks to Williams and Sonoma I should add!  Part of being a great cook is having the right ingredients and the right tools for the job!  Any foodie will tell you that there are those  "go to" recipes (handed down from family and friends), cookbooks and markets that help with the preparation of a fabulous meal.  When I was feeling a bit intimidated at the thought of roasting my first turkey some years back a dear friend said, "Get thee to Williams and Sonoma."  She was right!  They know their turkeys!!  I was introduced to the magic of brining and I've been a fan ever since.  The other "trick" they taught me is to cook the turkey in a 425 degree oven for the first 45 minutes breast side down and then turn  down the temperature to 325 and flip the bird over for the remainder of the cooking time.  This seals the juice into the breast meat and makes for one of the best turkeys I've ever had.  Most years I'd be up at 4:00 am to turn the turkey over in the brine.  My internal turkey alarm went off this morning and there's no turkey to turn.  I decided that instead of cooking the meal, I'd write about it.
    
     My favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast are the side dishes.  My family was always a cornbread stuffing family.  My Grandmother's recipe was loving prepared every year.  It's very simple but good and makes a nice foil for the gravy.
     1-cup butter (or margarine for those who prefer it)
     1-cup chopped white onion
     4-cups chopped celery
     1-teaspoon ground pepper
     3-teaspoons poultry seasoning
     1-tablespoon salt
     9-cups cornbread
     7-cups dried breadcrumbs (store bought is just fine)
     3-eggs, beaten
     1 1/2-cups chicken broth (more as needed to moisten)
     Sautee onions and celery in butter, blend into the breads that have 
     been mixed together.  Pour eggs and broth over all.  Mix together,
     (it's okay to use your hands for this part) pour into a greased 
     pan and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

     My other sides would include; Brussel Sprouts with bacon and thyme (there are plenty of great recipes on-line but my favorite is also a Williams and Sonoma recipe,) steamed broccoli (my kids hate brussel sprouts) and of course mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, green bean casserole (I started making this in the '70's and it's still popular) and sweet potatoes.  I LOVE sweet potatoes.  They are one of my favorites at Thanksgiving and anytime.  I adapted this recipe from a dish my friend Neil Crain made.  He's quite the chef.
     Chipolte Sweet Potatoes:
     Roast 6 sweet potatoes in a 450 degree oven for about an 
     hour until tender.  Allow to cool enough to handle.  Peel and 
     cube into a large bowl.  Add 3 to 4 chopped chipolte peppers in
     adobo sauce and about a tablespoon of the adobo sauce from the jar.
     Add 4-6 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup half and half, salt to taste
    and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Reheat just before serving.
     Delicious!!

     No Thanksgiving is complete without pie.  I also love pie. I love saying pie (it just makes you happy, try it.)  I will confess that I don't care for pumpkin pie but I'm a huge fan of deep dish apple with cranberries and I also enjoy just a sliver of pecan (I DO live in Texas!)

     Thanks for letting me share my Thanksgiving with you!  I hope your lives are filled with blessings, abundance, joy and love!!!
                 

Welcome to my fledgling little business!  Welcome to my first blog!

I've always loved preparing and serving food.  From age 11 I was baking bread from the "Joy of Cooking" cook book.  For my eighth grade speech class I gave a demonstration on how to bake bread.  Through the years I've picked up and perused cook books. I was always intrigued with my mother's "Ladies Home Journal" magazines for the recipes.  In my early twenties I started making candies and cookies to give to people as presents for Christmas because I could not afford to buy gifts.  Thirty years later, when I show up at Christmas parties people still want to know, "Where's the toffee?"

I've been fortunate to work in exceptionally good restaurants -- the Jersey Lilly in El Paso and the Old Pecan Street Cafe in Austin -- where I learned more about the art and chemistry of foods from very talented chefs.  I've also been blessed to have friends who are extraordinary cooks.  Some of the best times of my life have been spent around the table with these people on many occasions in their homes or great restaurants.

Like it says on my label: Love, laughter and the smells of good cooking:  That's what life is all about!