"A-Z Cookbook" Project

My sister was visiting my mom's house and was cooking a grilled cheese.
I say "Cooking" because there's no way anyone would consider that "making" when it looked that black.
I said, "Ally, how can you eat it that way?"
Her Reply: "I like it a little burnt. I don't eat it any other way. I've just gotten used to eating it that way."
I do not understand how a straight A student in all honors and AP college course classes who excels in debate, track, girl scouts, and her school work could be so naive when it comes to cooking.
We are Yin and Yang. She has a surfer girl body with blonde hair, blue eyes, and is very book smart. I am brunette, brown eyed, curvy body like an hour glass, and very creative and artsy.
Still, she needs to know how to cook!!
Then I got an idea... I'll make her a cookbook with the A-Z basics.
"Ally," I told her, "I refuse to allow you to be THIS bad at cooking. You won't survive past college! We'll start with the basics. Just like a baby learning how to talk, we start with the ABC's."
She looked at me like I was crazy...
Still, there must be recipes that even SHE can make and impress a friend coming over for dinner or a boyfriend or to give her poor taste buds a break from charred and dried food.
So...Can I think of 78 Recipes that start with each letter of the alphabet and cover an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert? Sure!

You can click on the links below to the blog that is posted with Letter's Recipes.

A...
B...
C...
D...
E...
F...
G...
H...
I...
J...
K...
L...
M...
N...
O...
P...
Q...
R...
S...
T...
U...
V...
W...
X....
Y....
Z...

Good Luck Ally! and Bon Appetit
Love,
Chef Marie CM
And your sister
p.s.---Love that pic! It looks just like my sister!

Miniature Angels? or Devils?

I walked into "Nugget" the other day and gazed at their spread of miniature desserts. Each individual dessert was displayed brilliantly with their small bases, swirled frosting cone hats, blankets of chocolate shells, and glittering sprinkles. Surely buying just one would satisfy that evil sugar craving! I buy one, enjoy it, and consume half the amount of sugar and calories of a regular sized one! Perfect!

Then I got to thinking...

How can I recreate this at "Cafe Napoli?" I pictured a sheet pan of those little delights all lined up, bare, fresh from the oven/freezer, and waiting patiently to be decorated. I imagined a baker standing over them piping all the frosting on, say, the cupcakes, and going as quickly as possible with great accuracy.

How long would it take that skilled baker to do all of those? Better question: How long did it take to get that fast and that accurate?

Then I saw these little miniature desserts grinning back at me as I wondered what stress and back pain that the baker(s) have to go through to create these little beauties. How dare those desserts look so appealing! All dressed up like some pageant five-year-old when at home their spoiled rotten! I left the display in disgust.

Then I started thinking more...

How can I make those beautiful little treats both appealing to the bakers and the public? Perhaps they could be produced and decorated with ease and as little stress as possible. No, I'm not going to purchase them from a distributor and then displayed like they're home made. Lies!

Instead, I will create a few weekly, test out what sells the most, and then only produce the little angels. There will be other, much larger, desserts in the display case at "Cafe Napoli" and so I really only need to make about 3 doz. Also, making desserts that call for ingredients we already use and that don't call for large amounts of time will be less stress on my Chef's end.

So I returned to the display case of those little devils and smirked back as I snapped a few photos. I took out a pen and pad and wrote down a few of the dessert names. I smiled at them and thanked the baker that had asked me if I wanted any.

Now, those little desserts will be mine, to sell of course, and my students and myself will not loathe them for all their worth. Still, I gotta find the right patient people to do the job, but in the end, I know that these little treats will be a good addition to "Cafe Napoli."

Thank you "Nugget" and I will remember to pray for your bakers!

Bon Appetit!

Bonjour!

My name is Marie McReynolds and I created this blog for friends, family, those who are passionate about cooking, and those who just need something delicious and simple.

I've always wanted to help moms, dads, college students,  kids, and friends who want to impress their friends and family with limited ingredients, feed many, and are pressed for time.

Feel free to ask questions, give advice, and check in for recipes, techniques, and culinary info! I am always open to teach and to learn! I believe that I can learn something from anyone.

The movie "Ratatouille" is one of my many inspirations to jump into the Culinary industry and there is a line in that movie that speaks to me.

"Anyone can cook, but a great cook can come from anywhere."

I live by that everyday and try to teach my students that patience, education, communication, learning, open minds, and experience will shape you into more than just a good cook, but a great cook!

Bon Appetit!