Recipes
We are on a mission to fill you up. Food? Yes, of course. But zest, passion and joy are served here, too. Lots of recipes for sure, but you will also find tips on how to best break bread together. I could say you will find recipes from Soup to Nuts, but it was a different day when Soup to Nuts was in fashion. A soup to start and many courses later, you might find yourself ending a meal with cheese, fruit and nuts. Today you are more likely to find nuts as an amuse bouche up front and finishing with a hearty one pot soup as your main.
However, you arrange your courses, you will not only find inspo here with appetizers and bites, drinks, mains and desserts, but you will also learn the fundamentals of cooking, like making spice blends, marinades, dressings and sauces. If you can’t find what you are hungry for, let us know.
Appetizers & Bites
Any chance to eat before you EAT is a good idea in my book. We now live in a land of grazing …mezze platters and charcuterie boards are where it’s at. Nosh on! And while you do, graze over this collection of tasty Appetizers & Bites.
Breakfast & Brunch
Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? As a meal, it must have a great agent, because it sure has a lot of press indicating that is the case. We have make-ahead, feed a crowd and recipes to grab and go.
Culinary Gifts
Homemade gifts are the best, made even better if you can devour them. Culinary gifts are so personal and are a genuine gesture from the heart, using heirloom recipes that show the extra mile you ran to wrap it up in a pretty package.
Custom Client Recipes
Clients come to me to create recipes that showcase their products, taking something that is comfy and familiar and putting a new twist on it. Good recipes help sell products, but its more than that. I keep an eye out, making sure your product is what makes this a must-cook recipe and right along with it, you sell more product.
Desserts & Sweets
Failing to find an in-house baker on my staff, I ended up the accidental pastry chef at New World Grill. I needed – and developed – foolproof techniques that resulted in cheesecakes with no cracks. Cobblers that were crisp. Fruit pot pies and Cherry, Cherry, Cherry Pie, which includes the ultimate hacks for saving a store-bought crust. You’ll find lots of tips and tricks to spare yourself a baking disaster.
Dinners & Mains
What’s for dinner? Seems to be the perennial question. For spring, try this 5-minute scape arugula pesto recipe to top a quick, tasty pasta dish. Or a minty pesto to top spicy shrimp & white beans. When entertaining, it is great to have one giant platter that makes a whole meal. The Southwestern Grilled Cobb is perfect for that.
Drinks
Just a little splash to quaff that thirst! We are just getting going on beverage recipes, but while you wait, may we interest you in a Santa Sparkler? It’s a refreshing cocktail of vodka, Aperol and Lillet, topped with prosecco and made ever so festive with sprigs of rosemary, pomegranate arils and orange slices. So merry!
Dressings & Sauces
If I had to pick one recipe group that I think a home cook should master, this would be it. Creating a tasty dressing or sauce does NOT have to be hard, but it WILL be a game changer.
Holidays
Nothing says holidays like some treasured family recipes. Growing up, Thanksgiving and Christmas were the big Keck family food feasts. I’ve got you covered with the perfect roast turkey and gimme more gravy and all the trimmings: cranberry chutney, harvest salad, goat cheese & thyme mashed potatoes, creamy leek and chard gratin, and a bourbon-spiked apple crisp.
Marinades
Put this collection of recipes in the win column, for making ahead and doing the heavy lifting. While marinades are a real gift for tenderizing lesser cuts, they also can be used on prime cuts to infuse flavor in quick order.
Pasta
Nothing is more comfy-cozy that a big bowl of pasta. It can taste like home, like this turkey tetrazzini my Mom always made, or be quite sublime, like this shiitake kale lasagna. It is a labor of love, but a top fan fave.
Pizza
Pizza is everyone’s favorite, but have you ever thought about having a BYOPT party? Bring your own pizza topping? As part of the Pot Lucky series, a curated themed potluck, we did just that. I provided all the dough – whole wheat, plain, garlic herb and gluten free – along with a big salad, and all the guests brought the toppings. The results were outstanding.
Pot Lucky
Fans of this site have been fully immersed in the concept of Pot Lucky. It takes the concept of a Potluck one step further, emphasizing the Lucky. A Pot Lucky is basically a Curated Potluck. By creating a theme, suggesting categories, and having a Sign Up for Your Dish List, you can create an amazing feast.
Salad
Crispy cool salads, holiday meal salads, picnic-in-the-park salads, party salads and dinner-on-a-platter salads. We have all the salads! For something with a twist but still crispy and crunchy, try this Tuscan Kale with Creamy Avocado or this grilled baby romaine Deconstructed Caesar.
Salsa
In many parts of the world, the word salsa translates literally to sauce. But here, we think of chunky, spicy, and uncooked, often with a nod to Mexican. I love to mix fruit in salsa to offset the savory heat with a touch of sweetness, and I expand the concept to include many global cuisines.
Sandwich
Sandwiches are such a classic lunchtime treat – none more iconic than grilled cheese. For a modern twist on the classic, I leveled up with a grilled Cantalet, fig slather and sliced pear on tangy sourdough.
Savvy Kitchen Tips
Seasoning & Spice
Spices have a 4000 plus year history of global trade routes, with uses in medicine, mummification, as currency, for preserving, and the root cause of wars. But my history with them dates back only a few decades when I started making spice blends during my New World Grill days, with ever evolving new combos. They make excellent hostess and holiday gifts.
Sides
Looking for a side dish with a new twist? You have come to the right place. Interesting sides can really elevate a meal. We aim to add an element of surprise that makes your side unique and exciting. Not sure where to start? This creamy leek and rainbow chard gratin is a real crowd pleaser.
Soup
I am a serial souper. I love making big batches of soup and freezing smaller containers for a quick nighttime dinner save. Without a doubt, the soup that brings me the most satisfaction is the CaribBEAN one pot wonder, a soup recipe I created when serving as the brand ambassador for Bush’s Best Variety Beans. The depth of flavor is off the chart and the sweet potato chunks make the soup a bit creamy, without dairy.
About Katy
It’s my passion and privilege to combine my love for food and entertaining with years of business and culinary experience to help clients grow their brand.