Soup

Meet the “#1 Chef of Cuba”, Alexis Alvarez Armas. Triple AAA – I wonder if his lovely mother chose his name with that in mind? I’ll begin by telling you how I found Alexis. Then I’ll share my experience at his home as he prepared an 18 dish dinner for that blew my socks off. […]

The 5 restaurants you shouldn’t miss when visiting Quebec City and Montreal may or may not be ones you’ve heard of. I am a foodie and aren’t we all to some degree? My goal is to always eat the best food. One thing that is certain, in the time we spent in both cities there […]

The Yountville Food Tour took me to an establishment I’ve fancied going to for quite some time. Ever been to the French Laundry? I have a great story about the wine from Thomas Keller’s 3*** Michelin restaurant in Yountville, California. It’s about that time when someone stole 76 bottles of wine – valued at around 3-5 […]

Fresh and dried herbs are swell additions to many foods, recipes and dishes. How to use herbs is something many of us are familiar with. Some of you may use herbs everyday and many of you may be uncertain how to incorporate them into your meals. If you grow herbs you are more than likely […]

European Style Veggie Soup seemed like a tasty edition to my “soft diet”. My body was trying to heal from a bout of diverticulitis yet it was also begging for some vegetables and nutrients. A soft diet is challenging at best when it comes to incorporating nutrients. Seriously one can only eat so many bowls […]

Lobster – I love it anytime, but there is something about digging into that sweet, succulent meat while visiting Maine! It could be the fragrance of the salt air, the cool temps in July or the daily ritual of observing the many lobster boats fishing the coastlines that make the occasion feel more special. Steamed […]

I have finally settled into my new home and more importantly my new office. I have missed blogging something fierce and hope to jump in with both feet this week and knock out some stuff I’ve been storing in my head! I posed a question on my FB page asking what you might want to see […]

Did you ever try a recipe only to find the result disappointing? Such is the case with Smoky Brisket Chili. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good enough, just not up to Orange Bee standards. If you asked my man, Dan he’d say, “chili shouldn’t have beans”. This chili has two kinds of beans so I […]

I recently traveled to Rhode Island and New Hampshire for a week of fun with a girlfriend. We ate, drank, shopped, skied, drank more, watched chick flicks, ate more, shopped more and slept enough. It was a great time for me. My adoring hubby on the other hand suffered the effects of eating out most […]

Finally December 20th and it’s downright chilly in Texas. Yesterday it was 78* and last night a fierce wind shuttled in a cold front dropping temps to the low 30’s and highs in the 40’s*. It feels like Christmas!

My house is filled with the aroma of smoked something……. I found myself with a smoked turkey carcass with which to make some homemade broth. I decided to add a “Bouquet Garni” to the mirepoix to add some flavor other than the smokey one. My bouquet consisted of fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme, bay […]

“Wow, I am so happy to back at my desk, punching the keyboard and visiting with you! I trust you all had a warm and thankful holiday last week, complete with too much food, friends and family gathered ’round and maybe a football game or two. The Orange Bee kitchen was abuzz with long time […]

Just when you think warm weather is here to stay old man winter blows through and reminds us that winter isn’t quite over. Chilly temps, outrageous winds, rain and grey skies played perfectly into my hand for “going green” month.

I concluded that with today being Leap Day in this Leap Year I should take full advantage of it and write one last post featuring “soup”. Ah, yes soup month has come to an end. Today’s soup is a Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup. Somewhat of a departure for me as I have never […]

The end of “soup month” is fast approaching. We’ve taken pleasure in dining on soup so much this month. The weather brought several polar-like days and those hot, steamy, comforting bowls of soup warmed us through and through. I doubt that any bowl of flavorsome broth warmed us more than this spicy Ancho Pork and […]

“Only the pure of heart can make good soup”, Beethoven. Interesting quote, don’t you think? But then again, Beethoven was an interesting character and quite talented at that! I’m really pleased with todays soup. Roasted Tomato Bisque. Pure deliciousness. It’s made with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic.

Wow I’ve missed blogging. Not only have I been incredibly busy the last week or so but when I got a new Mac Mini from my man Dan for Valentines Day my whole world of computers went topsy-turvy. Actually, it is still topsy-turvy! The problem is time – there isn’t enough of it. I […]

gum*bo noun 1. okra, esp. the gelatinous pods used in cooking. *(in Cajun cooking) a spicy chicken or seafood soup thickened typically with okra or rice. It is tradition around the Orange Bee to make a big ole’ pot of gumbo for Super Bowl Sunday. It played into my hands perfectly this year as February […]

We’re having soup for supper. I changed it up a bit and made a fish chowder. I wanted a simple, yet delicious bowl of soup. Still yearning to fill up “Miss T” who is partial to clams, I thought about clam chowder, but finding fresh clams in my part of the universe is not easy.

I’m happy to report that “Miss T” is on the road to recovery. It was touch and go for a while as not only was her mouth achy but being restricted to a soft diet was hampering her energy level. All the delicious, made with love, pots of soup were not enough to keep up […]