Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

Olives are like food for the gods!  Sun-kissed then cured in a rainbow of inviting colors.  Green, black, brown all temping to even the most sophisticated pallet.  I love a good olive tapenade so delicious, so easy to make. I like to make my own tapenade to serve on an antipasti plate or for a little different treatment, fill phyllo cups with the tapenade, baking for a hot mouth watering appetizer. Olive Tapenade Tarts 1 cup pitted kalamata olives (you can use any vary of olives) 1 clove chopped garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon capers 1 teaspoon herbs de provence 1 package Athenos phyllo cup,  thawed in refrigerator 6 sliced green pimento filled olives(for garnish) curried red peper, sliced(for garnish) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In mini food processor, combine olives garlic and process until olives are from a spread. Add oil, capers and herbs de Provence. Process until blended. Fill each cup with olive spread, decorate with olive and red peppe...

Deep Red Velvet Cup Cakes taste delicious and look wonderful. I love Red Velvet Cake and Cup cakes. I have tired to use beet juice instead of red food coloring but could not obtain the deep red color that is the signature of Red Velvet. I am going to keep searching for a substitute to the food coloring that will make the cup cakes red!. I made these cup cakes for the Dedham Junior Woman's Club Mother's Day Tea. Not one was left at the end of the tea!  I like Cream Cheese Frosting for red velvet finding the combination irresistible. Cake 2 1/4 cup sifted cake flour (I like King Arthur) 2 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder ( I like Ghirardelli) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk 2 oz  liquid red food coloring 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter,  room temperature 1 large eggs Frosting 1 8-ounce package cream cheese,  room tem...

Ah, fall all the wonderful smells and taste of the season come to my mind thinking about fall baking. I love this Pumpkin spice pound cake mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, filled with a wonderful delectable chocolate center a fantastic dessert for any season. As soon as you remove these loafs from the oven a wonderful spicy smells permeates the whole kitchen. Slicing releases even more wonderful aromas.  Then the taste is even more amazing then the aromas. Sensory over load at it's best! Eat one loaf now and freeze the other to enjoy later. 3 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 cup butter, softened 3 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 16 ounce can pumpkin 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch loaf pans Combine first nine ingredients i...

I think that I've said it before but I love to make pies! Something about taking a fragrant pie out of the oven, serving it warm is just so irresistible. Pies are fun to make, fun to eat. I made this wonderful fall pie to celebrate the season with my friends at the DJWC board meeting.  Fresh cranberries add  a tart tang to the apples( I used Granny Smith apples which tend to be tart also) .  Perfect  with vanilla ice cream or a slice of Harmon's Cheddar Cheese( I love Harmon's Cheddar Cheese from Sugar Hill, New Hampshire).  Any way you like your pie this one is just delicious! Pastry 1 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup butter 2-3 tablespoon apple cider or water 1 egg, beaten Filling 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 6 cups thinly sliced pared apples (about 5 medium) 1 cup fresh cranberries Crumb Topping Mix one cup flour, 1/2 cup firm butter, and 1/2 cup bro...