Blueberry, Pecan, and Citrus Zest Pain au Levain

This Pain au Levain, or sourdough bread, is filled with dried blueberries, pecans, and tangelo zest.

This recipe for Blueberry, Pecan, and Citrus Zest Pain au Levain takes over two days to make, but most of that time is hands off, and the long slow rise in the refrigerator really develops flavor.

Mexican-Style Corn Chowder with Red and Black Beans

Mexican corn chowder with jalapeños, chili, and red and black beans, and topped with Mexican crema, cotija, and cilantro.

This Mexican-style corn chowder makes the most of the delicious fresh corn available this time of year.

Salmon and Potato Salad with a Creamy Chive and Horseradish Dressing

This salmon and potato salad is tossed in a creamy dressing of sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chive, and horseradish.

The salad is fresh and creamy, tossed in a bright and refreshing dressing. The combination of salmon and potatoes reminds me of a Norwegian salmon and potato casserole a friend introduced me to years ago.

Cheesy Kale, Tomato, and Chile Focaccia | #BreadBakers

Cheesy Kale, Tomato, and Chile Focaccia. Light and airy, studded with pockets of mozzarella cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes and jalapeño chiles.

I made this focaccia with an 80 percent hydration dough, which I let rise overnight in the refrigerator. You can actually keep this dough in the refrigerator for up to four days before baking, which is wonderful for developing the best flavor.

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon. Roasted asparagus. Bacon. In the world of vegetables, this recipe is pretty spectacular.

Spring is the season for asparagus. While you can get asparagus year round, the best, and freshest asparagus from local sources comes in the spring.

Spinach, Ham, and Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

Spinach, ham, and cheese puff pastry bites, a savory and flaky appetizer that doesn't even really need a recipe.

These spinach, ham, and cheese puff pastry bites can be assembled in advance and popped into the oven when your guests arrive. They can also be made in advance and reheated. They are so versatile!

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with Brie | #FoodieExtravaganza

Shaved asparagus pizza topped with Brie, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nearly a pound of asparagus that you have thinly shredded with a vegetable peeler.

This pizza is topped with a lot of asparagus, to the point where you will question whether there is just too much. You'll discover that the shaved asparagus shrinks down and becomes sweet and crispy after roasting until it's "just right."

Vietnamese-Style Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls with Cucumber and Mint (Gòi Cuôn)

Vietnamese-Style Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls with Cucumber and Mint: a take on the fresh and flavorful rolls made of rice paper filled with a protein, rice noodles. herbs, and vegetables.

These Vietnamese-Style Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls with Cucumber and Mint are so light and flavorful. They are like little burritos but without the calories. They are typically made of thin rice paper wrapped around a packet of rice vermicelli, some sprouts, a protein, raw vegetables, and herbs such as basil, mint, and cilantro.

Dill and White Cheddar Sourdough Bread

This dill and white cheddar sourdough bread combines two of my favorite flavors, herby fresh dill, and nutty, creamy white cheddar.

This dill and white cheddar bread is such a savory treat. We loved slicing and eating it without any adornment on the day it was baked. It's also excellent toasted and buttered the next day. It's also fabulous served with soup.

Sangria Slushies

Sangria Slushies: Fruity red wine, brandy, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries frozen and blended into frosty summer treat.

These sangria slushies can be served as an aperitif or as a dessert. They are also perfect for a lazy summer afternoon on the patio, as long as you have no intention to be productive the rest of the day.

Orange Cream Ice Pops

These Orange Cream Ice Pops are like an Orange Julius, but in a popsicle form.

These orange cream ice pops also remind me of Creamsicles, but without the ice cream center.

Coffee Cake Muffins | #MuffinMonday

Coffee Cake Muffins with cinnamon, pecans, and streusel, all of the flavors from your favorite coffee cake in a portable muffin.

These coffee cake muffins are both topped with and filled with a cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecan streusel.

Spicy Tomato and Corn Salad

This Spicy Tomato and Corn Salad, with a lime, jalapeno, and shallot dressing, is a wonderful side dish for summer outdoor grilling.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. I received product samples from sponsors to use in creating #BBQWeek recipes. However, all opinions are mine alone.

This spicy tomato and corn salad is simple to make, and delivers such refreshing flavors.

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies | #CreativeCookieExchange

These ricotta chocolate chip cookies are so soft and cake-like. They are pretty much little cakes in a cookie form.

While most chocolate chip cookies are either crispy or chewy, these ricotta chocolate chip cookies are tender and soft. They get this way from the ricotta cheese. It's pretty magical.

New Mexico Style Pork and Green Chile Stew

A pork stew with roasted green chiles, onions, garlic, and tomatoes with flavors that remind me of Hatch chile season.

Every summer, usually late July or early August, my favorite Mexican market roasts Hatch chiles outdoors in the front of the store. Customers can buy large bags of the fresh chiles and the store will roast them. The aroma is intoxicating.

Grilled Pork Burger with a Hawaiian-Style Bun

Grilled Pork Burger with a Hawaiian-Style Bun topped with coleslaw and dressed with Cherry Chipotle Sauce.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. I received product samples from sponsors to use in creating #BBQWeek recipes. However, all opinions are mine alone.

This grilled pork burger is not just a burger patty made from ground pork. There's lots of good stuff in the patty, like shallots, garlic, thyme, chiles, chorizo, and bacon.

Cuban-Style Black Bean Soup {Vegan}

This Cuban-style black bean soup may look like a simple bowl of soup, but it is much more complex. The ingredient list is long, but the flavors in this soup make it worth the fuss.

Along with the black beans, this Cuban-style black bean soup is flavored with bell peppers, onions, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, oregano, and Manzanilla olives (the kind you put in martinis).

Thai-Style Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

I'm so happy with the flavors in these Thai-style shrimp salad sandwiches. The shrimp salad only takes a few minutes to make and is so easy to toss together.

The shrimp in these Thai-style shrimp salad sandwiches are lightly dressed in a mixture of mayonnaise, shredded carrots, scallions, mint, soy sauce, lime, and sriracha.

Red Pepper Coques

These Red Pepper Coques are a wonderful Catalan-style crunchy flatbread topped with an intensely flavored mixture of red peppers, pine nuts, and sherry vinegar.

Coques can be found in Mediterranean Spanish tapas bars. They can be sweet or savory, but the unifying factor is a crispy crust, resembling thin crust pizza.

Thai-Style Coleslaw with Chiles, Mint, and Cilantro

This Thai-Style Coleslaw with Chiles, Mint, and Cilantro is a wonderfully light side dish. The bright flavors in this salad pair especially well with rich barbecued meats and ribs.

The dressing for this Thai-style coleslaw is made with lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk, and a minced serrano chile. You steep the the chile in the lime and fish sauce mixture before dressing the salad, which mellows the chile yet still preserves its flavor.

Beer Braised Carnitas

These carnitas are braised in a broth of beer flavored with garlic, bay leaf, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and chiles.

Carnitas, cut up pork shoulder braised with chiles and other spices, and then fried until crispy in their own fat, are a favorite Mexican dish, especially here in California.

Apple Tartlets with Almond Crunch

These Apple Tartlets with an Almond Crunch Topping are so elegant, and yet surprisingly easy to make.

These Apple Tartlets, topped with a mixture of sliced almonds, sugar, and butter that caramelizes while the tarts are baking are both sophisticated and delicious.

Win a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer!

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Irish Batch Bread

Batch Bread: Four loaves of bread baked in one pan!

Traditional Irish Batch Bread is a white bread that is made in batches of two to four one pound loaves in one pan. The bread is dark (almost black) on the top, and browned on the bottom, and then torn into individual loaves after baking.

I discovered Irish batch bread while researching Irish breads for this post about the Waterford Blaa. It really appealed to me because of the dark and cracked crust. I love the flavor that a dark crust adds to bread, and I was intrigued that you could achieve this while still getting a soft "sandwich style" interior.

Seeded Ficelle Bread | #BreadBakers

Ficelle bread is kind of a cross between a breadstick and a baguette. The word ficelle means "string" in French, and typical loaves are very long and skinny. For a crust lover, the beauty of the ficelle is that the you get much higher ratio of crust to crumb. There 's just the right ratio of soft bread interior and plenty of chewy crust.

You can make ficelle with or without seeds. I went all out on the seeds, covering the loaves all over with a layer of sesame, flax, sunflower, caraway, poppy, and anise seeds. I've also made these with a combination of poppy, sesame, and fennel seeds.

Bloody Marys Three Ways | #BrunchWeek

These Homemade Bloody Marys are perfect for a brunch celebration. You can set up a Bloody Mary bar with all of the different concoctions and let your guests get creative!

This post is sponsored in conjunction with BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.

One of my favorite Bloody Marys is made with fresh heirloom tomatoes, mostly because of the color and super fresh flavor. You just puree fresh tomatoes, add a few ingredients, and serve. You don't even have to peel the tomatoes.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart | #BrunchWeek

This asparagus and goat cheese tart is the perfect lunch, or when cut into smaller pieces, a delicious party appetizer.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.

With a store bought puff pastry shell, this asparagus and goat cheese tart is easy to assemble and bake, yet it looks so elegant.

Shakshuka - Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce | #BrunchWeek

Shakshuka is a flavorful dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It's origins are North African and it is now a very popular breakfast in Israel.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.

The spicy tomato sauce in the shakshuka (don't you love the name?) is flavored with a wonderful combination of spices. The ingredient list is long, but all of the elements in this recipe come together to make a "jump-up-and-down, I can't believe how good this is" dish.

Beef Short Rib Enchiladas with Chiles and Tomatillo Sauce

These Beef Short Rib Enchiladas with Chiles and Tomatillo Sauce are loaded with flavor. The beef short ribs are simmered for almost three hours in a stock with chiles, garlic, red wine, and lots of thyme, giving the meat a deeply rich flavor.

These Beef Short Rib Enchiladas with Ancho and Hatch Chiles are made with flour tortillas rather than corn, and topped with a tomatillo and jalapeño sauce.

Grilled Pineapple and Red Onion Salsa

This Grilled Pineapple and Red Onion Salsa is delicious served with corn chips as an appetizer. It's also fabulous spooned over grilled fish or added to tacos.

I even mixed some leftovers of this grilled pineapple and red onion salsa into leftover shredded red chili short ribs and wrapped the mixture into some hot tortillas. The flavors were wonderfully sweet and savory.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole | #BrunchWeek

This Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole is loaded with sausage, eggs, hash brown potatoes, and lots of cheese. It can be assembled the night before, and then baked and served for breakfast or brunch the next morning.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

This breakfast casserole also makes excellent leftovers! Just store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days. We reheated slices in the toaster oven at 350 degrees F.

Welcome to #BrunchWeek 2018 hosted by Love and Confections and A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins | #MuffinMonday

These Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the form of a muffin. They have the savory sweet flavor of a peanut butter cookie, complimented by a filling of strawberry jam.

You can make these peanut butter and jelly muffins with any jelly or jam you like. I used some homemade strawberry jam that I had made for this strawberry swirl brioche, For a more traditional PB&J flavor, grape jelly would be delicious in these.

Everything Bagel Soft Pretzel Knots

Made from scratch Everything Bagel Soft Pretzel Knots! The dough is really easy to make, and produces a soft and slightly chewy pretzel.

What gives homemade soft pretzels their amazing dark color and distinctive flavor is dipping them in a bath of water and baking soda before baking. It's not as scary as it sounds.

Instead of pretzel salt, I topped these soft pretzel knots with Everything Bagel topping. Everything Bagels got their name from bakers taking all of the leftover bagel toppings, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion flakes, dried garlic, and salt, and combining them together and sprinkling the mixture over bagels.

Stir-Fried Crispy Orange Beef

Crispy Orange Beef is a classic Chinese take-out dish made with thinly sliced steak that has been marinated in orange juice, soy sauce, and garlic, stir-fried with a corn starch coating, and then tossed in an orange, Sichuan peppercorn, and scallion sauce.

Unlike the gloppy orange beef that is breaded and deep fried, this crispy orange beef is briefly marinated in a mixture of soy sauce and orange juice, coated in corn starch, and then quickly fried in batches in a wok.

Chicken Orzo Soup with Spring Vegetables

This Chicken Orzo Soup with Spring Vegetables is hearty and filling, and the broth, made from a chopped up whole chicken, takes less than an hour. 

In fact, this Chicken Orzo Soup with Spring Vegetables tastes like it has been simmering for several hours.

Causa Limeña de Cangrejo (Layered Potato, Crab, and Avocado Salad)

Causa Limeña de Cangrejo is a layered potato, crab, and avocado salad from Peru. The potatoes are infused with the flavors of lime and ají peppers. 

This Causa, or Peruvian potato salad, has a delicious layer of crab salad sandwiched between ají spiced potatoes and sliced avocado. Causas can also be made with shrimp, tuna, or chicken salad.

Strawberry Swirl No-Knead Brioche with Strawberry Lime Jam | Strawberry Shortcake Bread

I am loving this strawberry swirl no-knead brioche bread. It's just slightly sweet and slightly buttery, and very soft and airy. To make it even tastier, it is filled with a swirl of homemade strawberry lime jam. 

This strawberry swirl bread is actually pretty easy to make, as long as you are comfortable with very sticky dough. It's very similar to working with a sticky ciabatta dough, except that this dough is enriched with some sugar, butter, and milk, resulting in a very tender bread.

Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies | #CreativeCookieExchange

These Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies are surprisingly complex and flavorful. I may never go back to just wheat flour for chocolate chip cookies. 

One of the keys to making these rye chocolate chip cookies is toasting the rye flour in a skillet until it gets all fragrant and browned. It adds an amazing nutty flavor to these chocolate chip cookies.

Sautéed Shrimp with Capers and Olives

This sautéed shrimp with capers and olives is so easy to whip up with ingredients you probably have on hand. It takes about 20 minutes to make, and paired with rice and a salad, makes a fabulous weeknight or "company's coming" dinner. 

The sauce in this shrimp with capers and olives is also wonderful for dipping crusty garlic bread into too.

Lariano-Style Bread | Pane di Lariano

This Lariano-Style Bread is a strongly flavored sourdough bread and is wonderful served with cured meats, smoked fish, or a garlicky bruschetta. 

It's origins are in the Lazio region of Italy, just outside of Rome. The bread is traditionally baked to a deep brown color in a chestnut wood fired oven. 

This Lariano-style bread begins with a firm sourdough starter, or lievito madre. I used my 100% hyration (flour to water ratio) to build a firm starter.

Easy Homemade Herb Crusted Italian Bread

This homemade herb crusted Italian bread is soft, flavorful, and most of all, one of the easiest yeast breads I've ever made. 

While I love the challenge of making an artisan bread that requires several steps (and possibly several days), sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than pulling together a dough in the morning, and slicing and serving the bread by lunchtime.

Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza | #BreadBakers

You probably haven't heard of Detroit-Style Pepperoni Pizza, even though it's been around for nearly 70 years. It was introduced to Detroit by Buddy's Pizza, a restaurant chain from the Detroit area. 

Legend has it that Detroit-style pizza was first baked in blue steel pans that were originally utility trays that held hardware and tools for assembling automobiles. 

There are probably a lot of arguments about authentic Detroit-style pizza. For example, "do you add the sauce before baking or after?" Or... "Isn't this is really just Sicilian (or Grandma) pizza?"

Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes with a Chocolate Glaze

These Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes with a Chocolate Glaze combine the flavors of what just might be a marriage made in flavor heaven, red wine and deep, dark chocolate. 

I just happened to have some 70% bittersweet chocolate as well as a bottle of Chilean Carménère. While tasting the chocolate and sipping on the Carménère sounded like the perfect evening, combining the two ingredients into a dark chocolate cupcake also sounded like a wonderful way to use both ingredients.

The flavor of these Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes with a Chocolate Glaze is very rich, intense, and not overly sweet. This is a grown up cupcake.

Butter Crumb Coffee Cake

This Butter Crumb Coffee Cake will take you back to your childhood. It's been a long time since I've had a real coffee cake, and even longer since I've made one. 

This butter crumb coffee cake is topped with the most amazing cinnamon and walnut streusel. There is a lot of of streusel on top of this coffee cake, and every bit of it will take you back to 7th grade "home economics" class. Only it's way better.

Garlic Knots | #FoodieExtravaganza

I don't know what took me so long to make Garlic Knots. They just might be my new favorite yeasted rolls. Rest assured, no vampires will be visiting your house with these around! 

These garlic knots involve sautéing nearly a whole head of minced garlic in butter, adding the solids to the dough, and then brushing the rolls with the resulting garlicky butter, once during baking, and then on the rolls when they are fresh and hot from the oven. 

Spinach Salad with Pancetta, Eggs, and Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette

This spinach salad with pancetta, eggs, and mustard-shallot vinaigrette is a delicious way to get your leafy greens in either a light meal, or as an appetizer salad. 

This spinach salad with pancetta, eggs, and mustard-shallot vinaigrette also includes homemade croutons from leftover bread.

Braised Spare Ribs with White Wine, Garlic, and Anchovies

These braised spare ribs with white wine, garlic, and anchovies may not be pretty, but they are meaty, tender, and ready in a little over an hour.

These spare ribs are easy to make and easy to eat...  no grill or extra napkins required.

Butternut Squash and Apple Muffins | #MuffinMonday

These Butternut Squash and Apple Muffins are wholesome and not overly sweet. They are made with whole wheat flour and sweetened mostly with fruit. Perfect for lunch boxes! 

These butternut squash and apple muffins have a surprisingly faint smoky flavor from the roasted butternut squash. They are also super moist from the apples and applesauce in the batter.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake

This Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake takes the flavors of your favorite childhood sandwich, and turns them into just about the most delicious cheesecake ever. 

This peanut butter and jelly cheesecake includes a cup of peanut butter, and is glazed with grape jelly and then topped with chopped dry-roasted peanuts mixed with peanut butter chips. Just try to resist.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

This Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is layered with eggs, ham, cheese, sautéed onions, and jalapeños. 

I made this ham and cheese breakfast casserole to test it for Easter brunch, and it was a huge hit.