Pam Anderson's Blog, page 54

No Time for Dinner

When you work full time, contribute to a blog, run a small non-profit and and live a frenetic city life, it's a small victory to get a home-cooked dinner on the table at night. The new sad truth is, most nights I don't. I used to work from home and when I did, I savored...

The Best Seven-Layer Dip

Serves up to 12 This was the only dish I made for the pig roast. (Thankfully we made it potluck.) I've been dying to share this recipe since everyone who tastes it says it's the best they've ever had. 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans (traditional variety) 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained...

This Little Piggy, Part 1

The idea for a pig roast was born in a hot tub at my nephew's high school graduation party. His dad (my husband's brother, John) had recently gotten a very impressive smoker, which John quickly took to like pig to mud. Which was apparently all the two brothers needed to decide they were going to...

An Apple Any Time of Day

You know what they say about eating an apple every day and this little roasting technique transforms apple eating from dutiful to pleasurable. Just a small amount of butter and brown sugar mean this apple works any time of day. Served with a dollop of low-fat Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of nuts or granola,...

Roasted Caramel-Glazed Cinnamon Apples

Serves 8 3 tablespoons butter 4 firm, crisp apples halved and seeded 1/2 cup brown sugar 4 cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches each) halved Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and set it in preheating oven to melt while preparing...

Farewell Summer: Weeknight Pizza on the Grill

While my husband David and I were on a run yesterday morning he said, "Not too long until fall." His observation made me aware. As I looked down, sure enough there was a smattering of red and yellow leaves here and there. I'm not deceived. I've lived long enough to know there are still a...

Galician-Style Chicken Empanada

Galicia is a region in northwestern Spain where this empanada is a popular street food. Here, an empanada is not the hand-held food some of us are used to, but rather a baked pastry not unlike a calzone. I just got my first roasting pan last Christmas, so if you don't have one…don't be deterred!...

Falling for Spain

The night I fell in love with England my parents dragged me (and my sister Maggy) kicking and screaming to the local "art house" movie theater. Ever committed to our cultural edification, Mom and Dad regularly mandated our attendance at plays, museums, and the occasional film not starring Leonardo DiCaprio or Freddie Prince Jr. (much...

Corn Chowder

A chef friend of mine once said, "Anybody can make a dish taste good with butter and cream." He's right. So in developing this corn chowder recipe I gave myself the challenge: make it creamy and flavorful…. without cream. Pureed corn not only made it possible to eliminate dairy, it also meant I didn't need...

Best of the Brunch

(Diner, Williasmburg, Brooklyn) As a resident New Yorker and a well-known food lover, the most common question I'm asked by friends and visitors is: "Where should we have brunch?" I always have to hem and haw, consult with friends and come up with a few suggestions. I'm terrified of sending someone to a place they...