Ok, so since we are all cooking at home a lot, I thought I would go ahead and share some recipes. Canal House Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On by Christoper Hersheimer and Melissa Hamilton is one of those basic recipe cookbooks that are great gifts for anyone who is just starting to cook. A lot of the recipes are just variations on a simple recipe. The one I tried out, Pimiento Cheese, is about as basic as it gets. This is something my husband makes a lot, but he doesn’t really have a set recipe for it. So the other day when I was hosting my neighborhood book club (remember those days when you were allowed to have other people in your house :-)) and wanted to make something, I looked up the pimiento cheese recipe in Cook Something. My only complaint about this book was some of the recipes seemed a little old-fashioned and not really the kinds of things I’m usually cooking. My two favorite basic reference cookbooks are How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and the always reliable Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. In fact, I need to get updated copies of both of these! Anyway,…

My week has been a little crazy, so I’m behind on trying out new recipes. So instead I thought I would share another recipe from Magnolia Table. Enjoy! Party Queso 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 jalapeno, finely diced* 2 pounds Velveeta, cut into cubes 3 cups heavy cream** 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups diced tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Tortilla chips, for serving In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the Velveeta and cream and heat until melted, whisking occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the beans and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and pepper. Serve warm with tortilla chips. My notes: When my family taste-tested this, they thought it was a little bland, so I added some chili powder to give it a little kick. *If you don’t want all the heat of the jalapeno, remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper. **I only used 2 cups of heavy…

I often see this dish called “Cowboy Caviar.” It’s a great, healthy snack, and the beans make it more filling than regular salsa. Black Bean and Corn Salsa 1 (15.5 ounces) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears) 2 tomatoes, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup finely diced red onion 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced 1/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Tortilla chips, for serving Combine the beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and serranos in a medium bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, oil, cilantro, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the black bean mixture and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with the tortilla chips. My notes: I used this recipe more as a suggestion than an actual recipe. One kid didn’t want bell pepper in and one didn’t want onion. It still tasted good, and I had to do less chopping. Win, win! Adapted from The Beach House Cookbook: Easy Breezy…

I told my son the other day that my favorite food is dip. He told me that dip isn’t really a food. I disagree. Here’s a yummy dip recipe from The Beach House Cookbook. If you also love dip, I have another recipe for you tomorrow. Jeanne’s Chicken Enchilada Dip 3 large bone-in chicken breasts 1 pound cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon paprika 1 (10 ounces) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for serving (optional) 4 green onions, chopped Tortilla chips for serving Place the chicken in a large stockpot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the water and let cool. Skin and debone the chicken, and shred the meat with two forks. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Beat in the Cheddar, chili powder, hot sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Stir in the chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, and…

Deviled Eggs Serves 6 8 eggs (2 extra in case of peeling trauma LOL) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika Pinch of cayenne 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice About 12 hours before you cook the eggs, pull them out of the fridge, and lay each egg on its side in the carton. This will center the yolks for cooking. Place the eggs in a heavy pot, cover by an inch with lukewarm water, and heat on medium high. Bring to a boil and then add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the teaspoon of white vinegar. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl half with water and half with ice to cool the eggs. When eggs are done, place them in the ice bath and let cool completely. Gently crack the eggs by rolling them against a counter. Place the eggs back in the water to soak for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to peel the eggs. Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Pry…