It’s the question that stalks you, follows you, and bellows from the bottom of your belly…what to get for the cook in your life. Oh sure, it seems simple. But once you boil it down, there are some niche cooks that need to be catered to. Your journey should begin by defining just what kind of cook you are shopping for. So, I came up with a quiz to help distill the categories:

Want a great way to see lots of friends, whoop it up and still have time to get your shopping done? Want to entertain without the formality of a dinner party? Throwing a casual cocktail party is the perfect way to see friends for a quick but festive bite. Since holiday parties and family get togethers usually fall on a weekend, invite your guests over for a weeknight mixer. Set out a few of your favorite vintages or shake up a signature drink. They’ll love the mix and match informality, and the conversation will flow.

This holiday season, why not take some traditional recipes and prepare them with a different flavor—coffee. Local coffee roaster, Blind Dog Coffee, shares with us their story and some recipes that are tried and true.

The Roundabout Market and Bistro is a labor of love, in more ways than one. The owners, Colin and Marybeth Smith, actually met and married in the making of this “everyday gourmet” market and restaurant.
“I was opening the market, and I hired Colin as a consultant to help set our menu and interview chefs. He never left,” Marybeth says with a smile.
The Roundabout Market opened in July 2007, and the couple married three months later. Dinner orders at the market quickly escalated, and the Smiths decided to open their restaurant right next door to focus on serving guests, as well as catering events big and small. The Roundabout Bistro officially opened its doors in August 2008.

Send your favorite recipes with photos to editor@nvhome.biz.

Leftovers—the morning-after reminder of the night-before party. It’s a distasteful word in some households, as in, “What are we going to do with ALL that turkey?” Yet, other holiday revelers prefer it to the big meal. My own guilty pleasure is the turkey sandwiches that follow. Turkey potpie, biscuits with turkey, turkey tetrazzini—yum!

If you’d like “Dishing Up Dinner” to ring your doorbell, contact Editor Lisa Ericson at editor@nvhome.biz. You could be next!


Falling leaves, the sharp smell of wood smoke and cuddly sweaters….the holidays are coming — time for a little comfort food. What could be better than a cozy pot pie, warm spiced custard, and maple apples? When we Dished Up Dinner at the Spanish Springs home of the Fraczeks we had a little help from pint-sized Taylor, who donned a bright apron as soon as we walked in. We decided to make individual dinners and desserts, perfect portions for sharing the season with grown-ups or kids. The best thing about this meal is it all can be made ahead and stowed in the fridge, served right away, or frozen as you never know who will drop in! J

We drove up to the Old Southwest apartment of Rebecca Wikler to find all the fixings for a Hanukkah-themed dinner, to celebrate the Festival of Lights. We quickly assembled the essential ingredients for a Jewish meal, and wanted to share a bit of background with you on why these dishes are traditional (or in this case, traDISHional!).

Aah, apples! Who can resist the fragrance of the McIntosh, the round redness of the Rome, the mellow sweetness of a Golden Delicious, and the juicy tang of the Granny Smith? My mouth is watering for this abundant fall fruit. There are more than 7,500 apple varieties grown worldwide, more varieties than any other food. Of the 2,500 varieties grown here in the United States, a paltry dozen or so usually make it to the local supermarket.

One of the first times I tried to impress a guy it was with a peach pie. I still shudder when I remember the chewy, gummy crust that could not be sawed through and was filled with runny, over-cooked, over-spiced peaches. While that pie was a good indicator of where that relationship was headed, I am more than thankful I did not stop trying to make a good pie.