I am so pleased to announce the publication of my first cookbook, The Potato Primer!

Potatoes rule!

I love potatoes and this was, naturally, the best place for me to start.

The Potato Primer is a cookbook for experts and novices alike. Use The Potato Primer to learn to cook delicious potato dishes, innovate them to please your palate, pocketbook and pantry, and then use leftovers in innovative ways.

Available at Amazon. Order your copy today:

https://tinyurl.com/jrsmwjf9

It’s tailgating season, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means FOOD! While cheeseballs are a party staple, I  decided to try making individual mini cheeseballs for a recent get-together.

I repurposed my favorite cheeseball recipe to make these cute mini cheeses balls that are not only easy to make but are also delicious and fun to eat.

They can be made a day or two ahead saving you from last minute chaos in the kitchen.

• 10 slices bacon
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 8-ounce packages)
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (or any seasoning you like)
• 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped finely (or 2 tablespoons dried chives)
• 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 24 pretzel sticks

Fry the bacon until crispy, then crumble finely.

In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar, Cajun seasoning, chives, and bacon.

Form the mixture in to 24 small balls.

Put the chopped pecans in a shallow dish and roll each ball to coat. Press down a little to get the pecans to stick to the ball if you need to.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Let the cheese balls come up to room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, then insert a pretzel stick into each one.

HINTS:

• If you want to make them vegetarian, substitute bread crumbs for the bacon. Saute ½ cup bread crumbs in olive oil until they just start to brown, then add 1 teaspoon each of paprika and chili powder.

• If you don’t have Cajun seasoning, or you want a different flavor, substitute whichever one you like, or use garlic powder, salt, and pepper if you prefer.

• If you want to add a little heat, add a quarter teaspoon, or more, of red chili flakes.

• Substitute parsley for the chives.

• If you don’t want to make individual cheese balls, go ahead, and make one big cheese ball instead and serve with crackers.

Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad

This sweet, salty, and tangy salad is a refreshing side dish for any summer barbecue or picnic. They have just the right zing to make them the perfect pickle on hamburgers, hotdogs or pulled pork. My grandmother used to make these and store them in her refrigerator in a big glass jar.

I like to use English cucumbers for this dish because of their thin skins and small seeds. Regular cucumbers will work just fine. Peel them if their skins are too thick.

• 1 large English cucumber
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or dill
• 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a bowl.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt to make the dressing. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the sliced cucumber. Stir in the parsley or dill. Taste and add more sugar if it isn’t sweet enough for your taste.

Chill for at least half an hour before serving.

To serve, drain some of the pickling liquid and top with cracked pepper, basil, parsley, dill or even sliced tomatoes.

This keeps for several days in the refrigerator. For a variation, add very thinly sliced green or sweet onions to the sliced cucumber before pickling.