tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3416461769807634272024-03-13T01:02:46.154-04:00Meredith's Food for LifeFood is so amazing; it is so often the focus of our lives - whether it's a celebration or a simple meal, food can bring together friends and families while nourishing the body and soul. I love food and I love to eat so it occurred to me that I could share this love with you. Bon Appetit!Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.comBlogger360125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-30825287957562333962018-11-25T19:54:00.000-05:002018-11-25T19:54:42.533-05:00Long Lost Cook
In the past two years we have grown children into young adults and managed all of their activities, as so many others do...however, we also moved house. This alone is not a novelty but it’s been a large undertaking for us with three kids, a dog, two full time working adults, three new schools for kids, and all the things that go along with any of the above. Food has been important, as it Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-81793733030841765882016-10-16T22:16:00.001-04:002016-10-16T22:16:27.228-04:00Left Over HitWith a busy school and work week ahead, I decided to make a spiral ham for dinner this weekend with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I love them - super easy to bake and serve and even easy to clean up. The ham provided us with a lot of left overs - for lunches for the week, for breakfast omelettes and for tonight's dinner of butternut squash risotto. The kids each had about four helpings - aMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-7545684090361767942016-10-04T18:58:00.001-04:002016-10-04T19:21:44.364-04:00Back At ItSo this happened...I finally got the inspiration back to write about the food I've been preparing for my family. Don't ask what's taken so long - I truly haven't a clue. I suppose it's the three kids, work and the household chores that have weighed me down and made me lose my interest in writing. But recently I have been itching to get back to it and this weekend was filled with cooking - for theMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-53691990502320601922015-04-02T17:43:00.001-04:002015-04-02T17:43:32.121-04:00A Sweet Passover: RecipeMeredith's Food for LifeI come from a pretty traditional Jewish household where we enjoy brisket, potato kugel, matzo ball soup, and flourless chocolate cake for our Seder. Matzo, in my house, has never been used for anything other than a vehicle for chopped liver, chorses or horseradish so when I came upon a recipe that used matzo for a sweet dessert, I had to give it a whirl. I am thrilled (andMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-74138854662884909212015-01-27T10:52:00.001-05:002015-01-27T10:52:36.374-05:00Snow Food - Gone Bananas: RecipeThe eve of the January '15 "blizzard," found me in the kitchen. Not unlike millions of others who love to cook during cold winter storms, I decided to bake something with the three extremely ripe bananas I had in the house that no one would eat.I doctored up a recipe I found by adding a layer of crumble and by pouring a cinnamon glaze on top that has now seeped into the cake -a few hours later - Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-27156907732757509512014-10-21T19:38:00.001-04:002014-10-21T19:40:35.689-04:00Take it to the Greek! RecipeMeredith's Food For Life - Greek Lamb Burger with Green SauceIt's not a bad accomplishment to put dinner on the table in 30 minutes and have everyone eat what they're supposed to! This was a bit of an experiment because I knew I wanted to make a lamb burger but wasn't quite sure how it would come out. Sometimes I can visualize (and imagine flavors) how a dish is supposed to be and I use my Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-50289323384426532642014-10-20T20:24:00.001-04:002014-10-20T20:24:51.206-04:00Side to Side: RecipeMeredith's Food for Life: Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and ArugluaMeredith's Food For Life: Crispy Roasted AsparagusSteak is a staple in my repertoire for dinner but I Iike to vary the sides so we don't have the "same" meal over and over. I thought ahead yesterday while I had some extra time and roasted the beets so they would be put to use quickly another night. The creamy Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-43271681540658006712014-10-19T19:21:00.001-04:002014-10-19T19:25:59.025-04:00A Little Indian Delight: RecipeIndian is one of my very favorite cuisines and for the most part, I find the food is prepared gluten free - they don't tend to thicken sauces with wheat, rye or barley or dredge protein in flour before sautéing. Naturally the breads are not gluten free but tonight we all enjoyed the side dishes, along with large helpings of basmati rice and imagined the Naan for another day.I am always amazed at Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-62450869907865847832014-09-28T19:18:00.001-04:002014-09-29T14:05:58.301-04:00Chicken Cordon Bleu with a GF Twist: RecipeEmbarking on a two-week gluten elimination diet, the idea of making chicken cordon bleu came to mind. However, I was stuck for a while realizing that I like my chicken cordon bleu to have a crisp breaded crust and, naturally, the bread crumbs I had in the house were not gluten free. What's a cook to do? Improvise!! With the Jewish Holidays here, I happened to impulse-buy gluten free Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-25534772696036800662014-09-28T18:42:00.001-04:002014-09-28T18:53:09.000-04:00Sweet Fall Feast: RecipeFull disclosure: I made this dish for my family on the first night of Rosh Hashanah and, well, clearly I don't keep Kosher but I probably could have done a better job of keeping the pig out of the dish, had I paid better attention!That said, this was terrific! It was inspired by a quick bite of a chef's 3pm trial of his own creation. Recently I was waiting for a late lunch at the take-out counterMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-23750353273783082882014-08-31T19:02:00.001-04:002014-08-31T19:02:07.413-04:00Left-Over Pizza: Food MusingsGetting ready to start the week with new groceries made me clean out the fridge, naturally. I had some left over steak from two nights ago, pork from three or four days ago and ribs from last night. There was about a half a cup of left over broccoli and tons of fresh tomatoes. So what's a mom to do to feed everyone? I made a sauce by frying the left over meat, not including the ribs.I used the Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-28059412312593343672014-08-26T10:29:00.001-04:002014-08-26T10:29:35.317-04:00Sweet and Savory: Watermelon and Feta SaladI was chatting with some friends the other day and one of them mentioned she had eaten a watermelon and feta salad at a local restaurant. I have seen this before on menus and even had it at a black tie dinner recently but I have never made my own version. So last night I cut the watermelon before dinner (it was a good thing I did because we were all starving and needed a snack and didn't need theMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-33322067380988209512014-08-11T22:09:00.001-04:002014-08-11T22:09:28.294-04:00Yogurt-Spiced Chicken: RecipeI am always interested in trying out new flavors on my family and when it's a win, I am a very happy Mom-Cook. Tonight's dinner was really easy, as I started it last night. I filled out the meal with store-bought Naan that I brushed with fresh rosemary and olive oil immediately out of the oven, as well as couscous, fresh tomatoes from my garden simply chopped and drizzled with olive oil and Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-49561883751317939742014-06-09T16:37:00.004-04:002014-06-09T22:02:41.102-04:00Lip Smackin' Good - Bourbon Laced Baby Back Ribs: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
It isn't quite summer but lately each weekend feels more and more like it should be. Already we've spent time at the beach, time at the pool, and eaten our share of hot dogs and watermelon. How many more days are there till summer??
The other day I walked into the butcher's shop and saw a gorgeous slab of baby back ribs (I realize I'm using the word gorgeous in Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-64062558243676547722014-05-18T21:41:00.001-04:002014-05-18T21:41:54.894-04:00Bacon and Everything Else: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
I don't know what it is about bacon but just the sheer smell of it makes everyone come running. Most people I know come running with delight - "Is that bacon???" And that simple question is always followed, in my house, with "Can I have some?"
Today was one of those beautiful days where the productivity level inside and outside of the house was so high and so intense Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-2496146109624529982014-02-03T18:57:00.001-05:002014-02-03T18:57:39.818-05:00Butternut Squash Pasta: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
Northeastern snow days - beautiful to look at, potentially dangerous to the waistline - unless you padlock the fridge or just decide to cook healthy. A day after the Super Bowl, anyone would agree that eating fresh and healthy is the best plan of attack. That extra helping of guacamole and nachos was a real killer!
I'll admit that this is not a "quick meal for lunch" Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-41342464924023191582014-02-03T13:11:00.000-05:002014-02-03T13:11:26.183-05:00Fake-Out Fried Shrimp: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
I had a craving for some Chinese food the other day but I have been balancing my food cravings with the desire to be healthier. So I made a pseudo version of a personal favorite - shrimp fried rice. I used quinoa instead of rice and even though it all went into a skillet, I would hardly call it "fried," given the pitiful amount of oil I used. My husband was excited forMeredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-69796192537938754262014-01-26T19:04:00.002-05:002014-01-26T19:04:29.826-05:00The Mighty Meyer Lemon: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
If you've never smelled a Meyer Lemon you are missing a culinary delight that tickles the nose as well as the imagination. A Meyer Lemon is a cross between a lemon and (either - agriculturalists aren't 100% sure) a Mandarin or a regular orange. They are native to China and according to legend, were "discovered" for Americans by Alice Waters in her California Mecca, Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-47905329175400775612014-01-16T21:13:00.000-05:002014-01-16T21:13:03.363-05:00Scamper - Scampi: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
It's no surprise that on a Thursday night we're all racing around the house - the two older ones are home from their after school activities, the younger one comes home from daycare and the whole house is in chaos - homework, backpacks spilled open, little child running circles around everyone and then there's the dog. Oy.
The surprise, I suppose, is that Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-8634342600066325802014-01-14T20:10:00.001-05:002014-01-14T20:11:01.171-05:00A Whole New Grain - Farro: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
I am amazed at these whole grains that I never knew anything about before just recently. In my latest food magazine, they highlighted whole grains, clean eating, and so on. So as I've mentioned, I wanted to challenge myself to find out what theses things were all about and find ways to incorporate them into our lives.
Tonight's dinner was a Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-50729453708051252132014-01-12T19:40:00.003-05:002014-01-12T19:40:41.252-05:00Red, Beans (Not Rice) Did Miss Her: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
Sir Mix-a-Lot had it right. Focusing on whole grains and substantial foods makes you fuller longer and has been known to cause a reduction in the desire to snack on crap - for lack of a better word. Quinoa is apparently a super food - bringing with it lots of fiber and protein and not a lot of carbs/sugar. I saw the red variety in the store and Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-10247325358039831212014-01-05T19:52:00.005-05:002014-01-05T19:52:45.960-05:00Time for a New Approach: Recipe
Meredith's Food for Life
Isn't it normal for people to turn the page of the calender from one year to the next and realize that there is a chance for a whole new beginning? I certainly think it is and like most people, I made a mental note of the things I want to improve upon or jettison from my life. The list isn't too long but it is meaningful. And then - as an aside to a "real" list,Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-70961643250621309172013-05-20T21:55:00.001-04:002013-05-20T21:55:39.530-04:00New Twist on a Classic: Recipe
Making changes to an old stand-by can run the risk of being too radical but if it's done right, it can be a smash. However, like everything else, "smash" is purely subjective. I saw a Ming Tsai recipe for "Asian Sloppy Joes" and I was quickly drawn in. I followed the basics but make significant enough changes that I'm confident this is my recipe, now...And, we all laughed Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-13027856084264566482013-05-19T20:52:00.000-04:002013-05-19T20:52:26.601-04:00The Stuff We're Made Of: Recipe
My husband and I once visited New Orleans - long before Hurricane Katrina - and ate our way through the city, as so many people do when they arrive in the Big Easy. It's an iconic place - so full of life and a richness that you don't find in many other places. Of course, I won't bore you with details about NOLA but bring it up because I have a particular memory from Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341646176980763427.post-26678501864598585392013-05-19T20:24:00.000-04:002013-05-19T20:24:11.788-04:00Afternoon Treat for All: Recipe
I've seen tomatillos in the supermarket lately and wanted to buy them but every time I passed the display I wound up distracted and somehow kept walking. Today was different though; I was far more determined and succeed in taking them home. I found a Rick Bayless recipe for roasted garlic and tomatillo salsa and I followed it but as I tasted it I realized it was a bit Meredith Celentanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06104734345802252563noreply@blogger.com0