Fab Foodie Mama

Greetings, fellow Foodies.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Summer 2026.  Hard to believe the season is close to wrapping up.  Holding on to the last days of summer is always bittersweet.   This weekend, the family stayed at a lovely Airbnb located in Keweenaw County, right on the shore of Lake Superior and had an amazing time together.  It was a Mid Century Modern home built in 1968 and has kept a lot of the same charm and feel of the late 60's, early 70's.  The weekend consisted of beach days, sauna swims, games, laughing and of course cooking.  I added some photos of the venue below. I just realized that i have not posted in a while; been enjoying the fleeting warm days in the UP, I guess. Here is a fabulous recipe to bring to any Summer gathering.  It is easy to make and a crowd-pleaser.  You can substitute the smoked salmon with smoked trout or other similar fish.   Smoked Salmon Spread   This creamy smoked salmon di...

Lohikeitto is a hearty stew made with salmon and potatoes and a staple in Finland.  Every January, here in Hancock, Michigan, we have a mid-Winter festival called Heikinpaiva, in Finnish it means loosely, 'when the bear rolls over'.  It is a wonderful cultural event and where I first tried Lohikeitto.  The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has the highest concentration of Finnish American's in the United States and Hancock was named the 'Most Finnish city in the US' recently.  Foodie Mama herself is approximately 75% Finnish (and 25% Italian).  Finns aren't necessarily known for their food (no offense to anyone) but this stew is amazing, simple and delicious.  I hope you enjoy!   Heikinpaiva 2026   Ingredients 1 small onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 1 lb  potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 cups  water 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 pound salmon, skin-off, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 cup he...

Good Day, Foodies:  I hope you are enjoying this snowy February.  Here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we have had 292 inches (yes 😠) of snow so far and it doesn't look like it will be stopping any time soon.   As I am watching the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, I thought I'd share a few favorite recipes that are perfect for the cold days.   I have another Alfredo recipe on this blog, but since I found this flour-less version, this is all I have been making for the last few years.  It's so quick and simple and tastes amazing.  Stay warm,  Foodie Mama   5-Ingredient Alfredo Sauce with Pasta Ingredients:   1/4 cup butter 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 t granulated garlic 1 1/2 cups freshly grated, or packaged shredded, Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup fresh parsley, or dried if preferred (for garnish)  1 lb  fettuccine, cooked as directed   Directions: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Slow...

 A couple of years ago I read an article in The New Yorker where a man was describing his father recreating a pasta dish at home, made famous by the iconic River Cafe of London.  The River Cafe is a restaurant in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, specializing in Italian cuisine.  It was opened in 1987 by chefs Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, until Gray's death in 2010.  Since then, Rogers has been the sole owner and operator of the restaurant.    As I was reading the New Yorker article, I was intrigued about the pasta that was beautifully described.  Fragrant Italian sausage, tomatoes, herbs, cream.  I tried to recreate it myself without a specific recipe, but just from the author's description.  It turned out delicious, but I wanted to get my hands on the actual recipe so I searched for it and was able to find The River Cafe Cookbook, authored by Rogers and Gray, on Amazon.  Come to find out, there are two versions of this ...

Happy Thanksgiving week, Foodie fans! 🦃 Since we still have to eat during the week of prepping for the Thursday feast, I was looking for something simple and vegetarian for Monday's meal.  As I do quite often, I went to NYT Cooking and did a search on easy weeknight meals + vegetarian and this lovely recipe popped up.  I have to say, this recipe for Braised White Beans and Greens with Parmesan  became an instant favorite.  So simple but yet it tastes so complex with the fennel, rosemary, and the delicious creaminess of the beans.  The recipe calls for this to be eaten alone with some crusty bread; I served mine over linguine.   Below the recipe were my substitutions.   NYT White Beans and Greens with Parmesan Ingredients: Yield: 4 servings ¼ cup olive oil 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and small-diced 1 small yellow onion, small-diced 2  teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme 5  garlic cloves, minced ¼  teaspoon red-pepper f...

 A Houghton landmark, the Library Restaurant has been in operation since 1967 in a beautiful brick building on Isle Royale Street.  Prior to sitting dormant for several decades, the building was a cabinet making business and another eatery and pub known as the Board of Trade.  But it was Jon Davis who created the spot it continues to be today, after at least three other owners.  Their house soup was always a favorite of mine and so many.  Swiss Onion Au Gratin with its crunchy dark rye croutons and sprinkles of tart Swiss cheese has been on my top ten list since childhood. I got this recipe from a former employee but I did tweak it a bit, after several attempts, to ensure it was as close as I could come to the original, while also bringing the quantity down to feed 6, not 200. Swiss Onion Au Gratin Soup Ingredients: 2 med-large onions, small diced 1 T butter 1/2 c chicken broth 5 c water 3 T dry white wine 1 t dried basil  1 t dried thyme  1/2 t salt 1...

I love White Bean Chicken Chili and I am surprised I hadn't yet posted the recipe I had been using for several years.  But recently, I have made it without flour, therefore it is gluten free.  I actually like this modified version better.  It is a bit lighter and it keeps in the fridge better than the version made with flour.  As we are in the Autumn season, and soon to be Winter, soups and stews (and chili) are always welcome and comforting. This recipe serves a big crowd (16) but it can be cut in half for a smaller batch.    White Bean Chicken Chili   Ingredients: 2 T  olive oil 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded) 2   onions, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 (15.5 oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained 2 (14.5 oz) cans  chicken broth 4 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies 2 t  salt 2 t  ground cumin 1 t  ground black pepper ½ t  cayenne pepper o...

Hello Fellow Foodies:  I has been a minute since my last post.  I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer.  I certainly am.  Have been spending a lot of time with my 2 year old grandson, Miles and it has been so much fun.  Speaking of Miles, I made this quick and satisfying cabbage roll casserole this week and he loved it!     Cabbage Roll Casserole (serves 6)   Ingredients: 1lb ground beef 1 small onion, minced 1 t salt 1/2 t pepper 1/3 c water 1/2 t garlic powder 3 t Worcestershire sauce 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (with liquid) 1/2 c uncooked rice 3 c shredded cabbage shredded cheese (optional)   Directions: Brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add minced onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and cook until onions are translucent and soft (about 7 minutes). Add the diced tomatoes, water and rice.  Stir to combine. Add cabbage. Bring to a boil and let cook for one minute.  Remove from heat. Transfer mixtur...

 Soups are something I am starting to appreciate so much more as I get somewhat 'older'.  A meal in a bowl is a magical thing.  I have made countless soup recipes from the Internet and cookbooks and will start to share some of my favorites here. This recipe for Red Lentil Soup was found on NYT Cooking and it was simple and so flavorful.  The bright color and the delicate texture were very appealing.  Hope you love this one.  It is ready in less than an hour! NYT Red Lentil Soup Ingredients Yield: 4 servings 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin Salt and black pepper Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup red lentils 1 large carrot, peeled and diced Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro   Preparation Step 1 In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high...

 With the cooler temperatures come the instinctual craving for comforting, warm food.  Scalloped potatoes with ham is something my mother made often while I was growing up but I bet I hadn't made it more than twice since I have been married (and that is a long time!).   There are many versions of this recipe, some with flour, some without, some with cheese and some just with milk or cream.  I did more of the classic version with cream, potatoes, ham and spices and only sprinkled cheese on top for the last step.  This is the perfect way to use leftover ham, so give it a try after your Holiday ham dinner.  This recipe can easily be doubled for a large group.  Simple and delicious!   Classic Scalloped Potatoes and Ham   Ingredients 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes 1 medium yellow onion 2T evoo 3 C heavy cream or whole milk 1 1/2 t dried Thyme 1 t salt 1/2 t black pepper 1 1/2 C chopped or sliced ham 2 oz shredded cheese (swiss, cheddar, etc - optio...

Hello Fellow Foodists.  It has been some time since my last blog post.  I am sorry to share the news that our middle child, Rachel, passed away this past Spring.  She had congenital heart defects and had lived a mostly asymptomatic life, but tragically, she died of a heart attack on May 29th, 2024 at the age of 31.  Needless to say, we have been grieving her loss each and every day, but keeping her memory alive is so important.  She was the best travel companion and a lover of great food and cooking. This recipe I found on NYT Cooking, as I do with many of my posts.  This simple and comforting ramen dish is made with only a few ingredients and takes about ten minutes to prepare from start to finish.  It is also soo delicious.  The author of the recipe, Korean-American Chef Roy Choi, referred to this dish as  “It’s our snack, it’s our peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it’s our bowl of cereal,” Mr. Choi said. “It’s something that has been a pa...

 Chili is one of those dishes that everyone has their own unique version of.  There are wide differences in the level of heat, meat and meatless versions,  chunky with veggies or smooth.  No wonder there are so many chili contests around.  I don't envy the judges as there is no gold standard for chili, only personal choice. Ron loves chili and asks me to make it at least once per month.  I posted at least one other version in my blog.  The last time he asked for it, I did not have kidney beans or chili beans in the house but I did have black beans so I used then and wow, this was so dang good I needed to post so I would remember how to make it again.   Super simple, super yummy.  I hope you enjoy.  Adjust the spices to your personal preferences, of course! Black Bean Chili Ingredients: 1lb lean ground beef evoo 1/2 t onion powder 1/2 t garlic powder 1/2 t cayenne pepper 1/2 t chili powder 1/2 t salt 1/2 t pepper 1 15 oz can petite ...

Not sure if the world is quite back to normal after COVID-19, but it does feel more so than it has for the last 2 years.  This year, I plan to have my annual Christmas Eve dinner after a two year hiatus, with all of the Italian specialties.  Ravioli, Italian Style Chicken, and of course the sweet treats.  Recall my blog post from way back in 2011 about our Christmas Eve traditions Christmas Eve 2010 . Torcetti are a traditional Italian sugar cookie, but actually not made with any sugar in the batter, the yeast dough is rolled into sugar prior o baking to give it sweetness.  These cookies are simple, rustic, flaky and delicious.  Torcetti are made every year at Christmas around our house, often times made by my sister, Cathy.  Biscotti is something I have only started making recently (meaning my Grandma didn't make it as I was growing up).  I have tried several recipes for this simple Italian, double baked biscuit, and I like the ease and outcome of thi...

As you, my foodie followers know, I absolutely love Indian food.  I have been trying to perfect some of the recipes I have posted here previously since I always seem to modify them each time I make them, either by a changing the spices or varying the cooking technique etc.  It's good to mature and perfect, right? Chicken Tikka Masala is (I think I heard this fact) the most popular Indian dish (outside of India) in the world, and I make it quite a bit, at least once every 2 months.  I've tried several versions of this prolific meal,  but this one from Aarti Sequeira, a Food Network star  - contained in her cookbook Aarti Paarti - is a simple and amazing take.  Other recipes have almost a half page listing of spices, yet this one, only a few.  I must admit, I was very skeptical.  How could all of the flavors come out with only ginger, garlic, paprica and garam masala?  I went for it and prepared Aarti's version, almost to the letter,  and...

I recently bought a box of orzo and then searched for a recipe to make.  I found this fabulous dish in New York Times Cooking, one of my favorite sites.  It combines spinach, orzo, onion, lemon zest and feta to create a vegetarian main dish or a hearty side.  This is also very easy to make  - about 30 minutes all inclusive, and is all done in one pot.  I modified it ever so slightly, using a yellow onion vs scallions, and added 1 T evoo. I hope you are all doing well my fellow Foodies.  It has been a while.  Happy Labor Day 2022!  I'm  looking forward to a Fall filled with cooking. - Foodie Mama xxoo Spinach and Orzo with Feta Ingredients Yield: 4 servings 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 T evoo 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced 8 ounces baby spinach leaves (8 cups), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock 1 cup orzo, uncooked 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest...

    I bought Ron a smoker for Christmas about five years ago which he had never used.  As you all know, Foodie Mama is not really a griller .  I prefer the confines of the kitchen to trudging in the backyard to prepare a barbecue.  I do however, love all types of grilled food. Will decided this summer that it was definitely time to break in the smoker, and not by trying a small thing to test it out, but rather, by smoking a 20 lb beef brisket.  Why not go big?  We used a a small standing, dome smoker, by Weber. I must say, it turned out amazing.  Smoking the brisket was a long process and timing this right is key as there are several steps involved.  Will did a fantastic job and when he served this at a family picnic, everyone raved about it.  I included several photos and videos to illustrate the maiden voyage of Ron's (Will's now) smoker.   Preparing for the Smoke Test     Smoked Beef Brisket:   Ingredients:   ...