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Grilling got you down? Try one of these recipes from McCormick.

I can't tell you how sick I am of my grilling regime. Way too plain old Dick and Jane.

So "Master the Flame. Master the Flavor" McCormick's grilling slogan caught my eye as I need serious help especially with the 4th right around the corner. Yes, I would like to master the grill -- create something tasty.  The company offers up some great, easy-to-follow, recipes for steak, beef, burgers, pork and ribs, chicken, seafood and sides, all of them of course involving a shake or two of their spices.

Nutrition info and easy directions are included with each recipe. Rip and ride my friends...that's print and cook to all you non motorcycle riding friends. Better yet send these recipes to your phone so when you are in the store they are at your fingertips. Love it. Visit McCormick for all the details and fire up that grill.

Celebrate the 4th of July So Sweetly With These Treats

Every party needs dessert. This summer, keep your guests engaged long after the grill is cooled off with some choice sweets. Transform a cupcake into a 4th of July tribute with Martha Stewart's Flag Cupcakes. Start with some patriotic cupcake wrappers to bake your treats in. Choose chocolate or vanilla cakes and top them off with some Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. This frosting is absolutely delicious and very simple, calling for sugar, egg whites, butter and vanilla extract. Top your cupcakes (you can have the kids help) and then turn them into flags with fun decorations. I like to use blueberries for stars, while Martha uses blue buttercream. Red licorice sticks are perfect for the stripes. This is a simple, fun, kid-friendly recipe that you can even freeze if you want to make ahead of time. If you want to make your dessert table stand out, set the cupcakes up in one of these fancy dessert stands. 

For the adults, strawberry shortcake trifle is a cool summer favorite. I like to make mine with strawberries and blueberries for that Memorial Day touch. Paula Deen's recipe on Food Network is my favorite - the custard is made with cream cheese, condensed milk and whipped topping - delicious! The glaze calls for sugar, strawberry Jell-O, water, fresh strawberries (and blueberries, if you choose). 

To assemble, start with a layer of angel food cake, followed by a layer of glaze, then a layer of custard. Layer this way until your bowl is full, and watch your guests enjoy. I guarantee you won't have any leftovers from this part of the meal!

Fourth of July? We Have an App For That!

Looking for something great to bring to that big Fourth of July cookout? We can hook you up with some great appetizers, like these fancy deviled eggs from behindtheburner.com. These are great because they have some different ingredients: cottage cheese and horseradish, specifically.  

You'll need 12 hard-boiled eggs, with yolks separated after they're cooked. Use your food processor to mix yolks with 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 3 tbsp scallions, 1 tbsp horseradish, 2 tsp mustard and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend and fill the eggs, topping with cayenne pepper or a sprig of parsley.  

Or, if you want to get fancy and bypass the normal cookout fare, try these ham and goat cheese canapes. Built on a French baguette, these are quick and easy appetizers that will get you a lot of fans. Combine 1 cup cooked, chopped ham with 2 tbsp goat cheese, 2 tbsp cream and Cayenne pepper to taste. Fry your pieces of bread with butter until brown, then top with the mixture and brown in the oven for a few minutes. Top with your favorite herb and off you go! 

Pop Food! A World Cup Dinner Party Featuring Bobotie and Soccer Ball Cupcakes.

Alicia Sanchez, host of Pop Food, prepares a delicious Bobotie, a savory South African casserole, followed by soccer ball cupcakes. Invite some friends over to share a traditional South African dinner with a little pop culture while enjoying the 2010 World Cup.

Pack Your Picnic Basket. It's Summertime.

 What did you do over Memorial Day weekend? I always consider it the first weekend of summer so usually eat outdoors -- as many meals as possible. 

As a BBQ alternative, how about packing a good old-fashioned picnic basket, your family, and the dogs and head out to a state park?

Picnics are the perfect occasion to cheat a little, and The Food Network's Southern-Fried Memorial Day Picnic has the perfect party food to keep your picnic basket at the top of its game. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Shrimp and Deviled Egg Salad Rolls are the main course, but there's plenty more in this basket. You'll want to choose a place where you can spend some time, because you'll never eat all this at once! I packed this picnic for a group of six and there was still food left over. 

For appetizers, French Onion Dip with your favorite chips or crackers and Parmesan Puff Pastry will keep your hunger at bay while you find the perfect spot. Pair those with some refreshing Cherry Cooler, an awesome combination of cherries, hibiscus tea, and sugar to keep your thirst quenched.

Polish off your fried chicken and sandwiches with a side of potato salad or broccoli slaw, then take a few minutes to digest. A hike will top this meal off nicely! The only thing missing is dessert - but that's okay. Surely there's an ice cream stand on your way home! Enjoy summer!

How Much More All American Can You Get Than Pasta Salad?

If you pass over the potato salad at a cookout, chances are it's in favor of the pasta salad - always my top choice. I love to make all different kinds of pasta salad, but I have to say my favorites have a lot of cheese and a lot of vinaigrette-type dressings, rather than heavy mayonnaise.  

Rachael Ray has a great Mac and Jack salad that's just spicy enough to not be typical. I like to use elbow macaroni or rotini for my pasta salads, but really any pasta is fine. This recipe calls for defrosted frozen corn, a red pepper, red onion, celery, pepper jack cheese (great for that extra kick), red wine vinegar, olive oil, salsa, and parsley. Try this one to give your Memorial Day celebration some extra spice. 

If that's too non-traditional for you, try the American Macaroni Salad, courtesy of Food Network Kitchens. This one is basic - celery, onion, parsley, dried or ground mustard, a tomato, mayonnaise. This one is interesting because it also calls for sour cream, which gives it a creamier texture. You could also ad-lib and use Italian dressing (low-fat if you're watching calories), or a simple oil and vinegar mixture and leave out the mayo and sour cream.  

Macaroni salad is a versatile dish, perfect for cookouts and pot luck parties, so experiment with different recipes and find your favorite. And don't boil your pasta too long - if it's too soft it gets mushy, and who likes a mushy pasta salad? Not at this cookout! 

Spice Up Your Cinco Fest - Salsa and Guacamole

 

So we covered the margaritas, and we’ve had a drink or two to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We’ll be getting hungry soon, so let’s make sure the food is covered! You need appetizers to accompany the margaritas, and chips and salsa seems like a natural for this particular celebration. Salsa is one of the healthiest appetizers you can serve, and it’s simple to make. 

 

I like Alton Brown’s recipe on the Food Network. It’s a little bit spicy, which works for me. If you like a milder salsa, skip the chili powder and/or the dry chiles or jalapenos.

 

You’ll need tomatoes, garlic, a red pepper, red onion, olive oil, lime juice (fresh from a juicer if you have one), and fresh scallions. The scallions can be substituted with cilantro or parsley. Add your hots and mix it up, then let it chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. 

 

I thought I’d try my hand at guacamole to complement my salsa, something I’d never made before. It’s also simple, and tastes amazingly better than anything store bought.

 

Serve with tortilla chips, rye crisps or your favorite cracker. If you’re doing real nachos, grab some shredded mozzarella cheese and bake on the tortilla chips in the oven until it melts, then serve with your salsa and guacamole. It’s a popular dish on ordinary days, so it can’t help but be a hit for your Cinco party!

Good Luck Baked Right In - Traditional New Orleans King Cake

Since I’m a born and raised New Englander, I’m fascinated with the traditions surrounding New Orleans food, because they are so different from the ones I’m used to.

 

The King Cake especially struck my fancy. Technically, it’s a frosted cinnamon cake, sometimes with filling. But the novelty of it is delightful. The cake contains a plastic baby, and the person who finds the baby receives good luck and also brings the King Cake to the next King Cake party. Some cakes have a coin or some other trinket, but my friends always had the plastic baby, so that’s what I’m putting in mine. 

 

There’s a whole story behind the tradition, which dates back to 12th century France. Read more about it here.

Die-hard New Orleaners only have the cake leading up to Mardi Gras, but since I’m going to make one myself for a New Orleans-themed party I’m planning, I can justify making one out of season. 

The recipe is straightforward, but leave some time for the dough to rise. You might get an arm workout kneading the dough until it’s smooth, but it’s worth it. The traditional shape is an oval, but I’ve seen them shaped into a straight rope; whatever your preference. Emeril Lagasse offers another variation here. 

If you want to add a cream cheese filling, check this recipe out. Most importantly, be generous with the sugar crystals, and don’t forget to put the baby in before baking! 

Feelin' Fruity. Fruit Salad.

As tempted as I am to find more fun, fruity, island drink recipes, I need to be responsible and add some real fruit to our Caribbean escape. It’s a wee bit healthier than the cocktails, and I found a recipe that’s almost as much fun! Different from a traditional fruit salad, too.

For a Caribbean fruit salad, you’ll need:

3 tangelos 1 ripe papaya -- peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup lime juice  another 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon tequila 1 bunch flowering kale 1 (1-pound size) ripe pineapple -- peeled, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut -- toasted

Peel the tangelos, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices over a small bowl, reserving tangelo juice. Set tangelo slices aside. Add next 4 ingredients to tangelo juice, tossing gently to coat slices; cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.   Line a large, round serving platter with flowering kale. Arrange pineapple slices on top of kale around outside edge of platter. Arrange tangelo slices inside pineapple. Drain papaya, reserving marinade. Spoon papaya mixture into center. Drizzle salad with reserved marinade. Cover and chill. Sprinkle salad with shredded coconut.

I put some cherries (pitted) in mine, just because I love cherries. Mango would work well here too, as an addition or a substitute for papaya. Whatever you choose, this fruit salad is sure to brighten up a wintery day.

Let me know what you think of it.

Cheers to the South. Celebrate the Saints.

The Colts vs. the Saints. If you are a Saints fan chances are you're going with a southern theme at your Superbowl party.

As a former Mardi Gras junkie, I can attest to the southern style of partying. They know how to do it, do it well and do it with no guilt. So I’m betting that Hurricanes will be a favorite during the game, not only down south but for fans all over the country who want to take a night to party like the southerners do.

While you can buy Hurricane mixes -- Pat O’Brien’s is a common brand -- a homemade Hurricane is not difficult. It calls for 2 oz light rum, 2 oz dark rum, 2 oz passion fruit juice, 1 oz orange juice, lime juice, 1 Tbsp simple syrup, 1 Tbsp grenadine, and an orange slice and cherry for garnish. Shake it up, and the rest is history.

My personal favorites are New Orleans Daiquiris, which seem to have a special something, but any daiquiri recipe will do. There’s a pretty extensive list of them here www.drinksmixer.com/cat/36/ , with flavors for all tastes. The Chambord one is excellent.

Oh, yes, and if you’re a Colts fan, you can still share in the festivities...but you may have to put your drink in a covered cup so no one can accuse you of rooting for the wrong team.