Happy Mother’s Day to all those fabulous Mamas out there, most of all….mine! For those of you regular readers of Shut Up & Cook, you know that Marnie…aka Marnie Poppins is a regular addition in the kitchen, be it here in Seattle or back in my childhood home of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Easy, Elegant, and Delicious…this Chicken Pan Sauce is guaranteed to impress.

In addition to all those Mom Skills she has (such as the ability to actually fold fitted sheets) she is an exquisite cook, pulling together delicious meals with seeming effortlessness, all the while offering sage life advice. Continue reading

Growing up I was never much one for camp. I happily spent my summers at the farm, mucking stalls and bringing in the mares, earning a daily lesson on one of the saint school horses that lived in the far barn.

Caramelized Bananas with Salted Caramel Sauce, Served over Toasted Pound Cake and Ice Cream and finished with Slivered Almonds

This past weekend though I was transported to my own personal nirvana; a culinary camp of sorts in Boulder, CO taught at Escoffier: School of Culinary Arts. Continue reading

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1. Just Desserts: Salted Caramel Sauce
2. Table for One: Pizzeria Locale in Boulder, CO

Seattle is a city of foodies. There are chefs, restauranteurs, mixologists, farm-to-table growers, distillers, and of course, lots and lots of food bloggers. We see each other at events, bump elbows at restaurant openings, perhaps trade tips and secrets with a few, but for the most part, we exist in our own independent orbits. Circling each other, but never making contact.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Phyllo Appetizer

So when I received an invitation to a potluck dinner with a group of prominent Seattle bloggers, my first response was of course “Yes!”, promptly followed by a slight feeling of dread of “What the hell do I make for a bunch of bloggers?”. Continue reading

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1. Back to Reality: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Pomegranates
2. Going For It: Sage and Chevre Cheese Popovers
3. Dog Days of (Almost) Summer: Smoked Salmon Quiche with Sauteed Leeks and Chevre

The father of three, an infant, a toddler girl, and an only slightly older boy, had the air of the weekend parent. The one whose voice was a little too high and asked his three-year old a few too many rhetorical questions. They were the people boarding the plane that everyone hoped wouldn’t be sitting next to them.

Breakfast Tostadas with Chorizo and Chipotle Crema

“Family of five”, they proudly told the distractingly pretty Alaska Airlines agent who when no one was looking liked to play with her hair. Continue reading

I grew up as one of six of an incredible group of friends. The first of us met as babies, followed by another pairing at toddlers, and the rest sprinkling in after that. We were the first introduction each had to the idea of a soul mate.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Chipotle Dressing, Avocado, and Goat Cheese

Nearing three decades later, we are still thick as thieves, getting together each year for an assortment of festivities, weddings, holidays, just-because,  and our annual Great Escape; a mystery weekend in which one gal is responsible for planning three nights of adventure and you don’t find out your destination until 24 hours before. Continue reading

You know when you meet someone and you just instantly like them? Instantly feel comfortable, swapping stories and sharing secrets, and laughing out loud?

Classic Popovers…that are also Foolproof!

Such was my experience meeting Alyssa of Everyday Maven at a Bloggers Breakfast this past Spring. We quickly sniffed each other out for the East Coasters that we are (you can spot us coming a mile away here in Seattle), and before we knew it drinks had been planned, dinner parties put on the books, and tips for where to get the best Boston/Philadelphia style subs, pizzas, and more traded. Continue reading

I like a good party. Always have, and suspect I always will. Dinner parties, cocktail parties, dance parties in the kitchen when no one is looking, I like them all.

When it comes to entertaining the appetizers are often my favorite piece to put together. Perfect little bites that can be as naughty and indulgent as you like. When you add in phyllo dough (the WonderBra of cooking; everything looks better with it), you literally can’t go wrong. Continue reading

When it comes to my tastes, be it in food, fashion, or film, I tend to be eclectic. I’m making Eggplant Carpaccio one moment and Bacon Burgers the next and just as easily could be found in pearls and cashmere as cowboy boots and my favorite old pair of jeans.

Quinoa: A magical grain if you ask me.

There truly is no food or flavor that is off-limits in my book, but as the seasons change I find my cravings changing along with them. Continue reading

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1. Good Looking: Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Curried Quinoa
2. Rainy Monday: Roasted Cauliflower, White Bean, and Cheddar Soup
3. Small Triumphs: Polenta Gratin with Kale and Cremini Mushrooms

Shut Up & Cook began nearly four years ago with a recipe for wild mushroom bisque. At the time I was just discovering my love of cooking; an outlet for my creative expression. I wasn’t much of a cook then, and that’s being generous.

Wild Mushroom Bisque, Finished with Chanterelles and Truffle Oil

In fact, the evening that I made the bisque I ended up trying to puree it in the blender (because that’s the kind of thing I did back then) which promptly resulted in the top flying off “as my beautifully simmered, and incidentally scalding hot, mushroom bisque raised to the top of the blender like a full moon tide” and went flying all over my kitchen. Continue reading

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1. Shock and Awe…and a Kitchen Circus Grand Championship
2. Kitchen Circus Countdown: Make Ahead Breakfast Quiches
3. Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust, Finished with Curry Whipped Cream

I had a scare. A doctor’s appointment that turned into hushed voices outside the room. Calm facts being rattled away at me, although I heard nothing. The advice that they do surgery in three days “just to be sure”, that it was likely “minor”, and the words that it was, of course, though “up to me”.

Lemon Bars (Gluten Free Option)

And I was one of the lucky ones. A few days post surgery and in a doped up sleep, in the midst of admitting I am only human and sometimes need help, came the news that “probably nothing” had indeed turned out to be “nothing”. Continue reading

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1. Small Triumphs: Polenta Gratin with Kale and Cremini Mushrooms
2. Summer Loving: Baked Tomatoes topped with Fresh Garden Herbs and Pecorino
3. Rainy Monday: Roasted Cauliflower, White Bean, and Cheddar Soup