As the days are damp, cloudy and cold, there is nothing better than coming home to the bacon and sour-creamy goodness of a piping hot bowl of Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Just as the name describes, this recipe is simply loaded with cheese, bacon, sour cream and onions, and starts with fluffy baked Russet potatoes. (Get out the elastic waist-band sweat pants after you dish out this soup, as it is a real calorie-buster.) Better yet, this soup improves when made and allowed to chill overnight. The flavors mesh very well in the dark chill of the refrigerator, so when it reheats, it is simply …

The most popular New Year’s Resolution is — you guessed it — losing weight. Those extra yummies over the holidays have translated into extra pounds and your favorite jeans are just too tight in the waist. The lines at the local Weight Watchers are long, and fitness centers are packed with “newbies.” It’s hard to lose weight, and I am a veteran dieter. You don’t need an expensive piece of gym equipment to begin to lose weight, but you do need to get moving. Daily workouts, or adding steps/activity will contribute towards increasing your calorie burn, but drastic starvation diets are not a …

Texas Roadhouse in Chantilly is the very best “family-style” steakhouse in this area, for several reasons besides their buttery-tender, juicy, hand-cut steaks.  All of their side dishes are made from scratch on site, including all of their salad dressings. Even their green beans are smothered in a rich bath of bacon and onions, making them jump right into the stars in flavor. Now let me talk about their steaks. I ordered their 10-oz Ft. Worth ribeye, and it was done exactly to my specifications, and it is one of the best steaks I have ever had when I order out. It was so tender I could almost…

My phone is ringing off the hook, and emails are asking for my “Prime Rib” recipe from last year. Prime rib is a very expensive "company's coming" cut of meat, and typically it only goes on sale around the holidays. This year Harris Teeter has its standing HT Rancher Beef rib roasts for $6.99 per pound ($4 savings) with a VIC card. An upgrade to their HT Reserve Angus-USDA Choice standing rib roast costs $7.99 per pound with a VIC card. These prices have been extended through Dec. 24. I purchased three of them Sunday — they freeze perfectly for that special Valentine’s Day dinner, or a …

“Brining” has always been the secret method that chefs use to make a moist and flavorful baked turkey. Many years ago I asked a chef why her turkey meat tasted so good, and she led me back to the kitchen’s large, walk-in cooler filled with birds soaking in a fragrant bath. I immediately got her recipe. But what is brining? There are two types: wet and dry. Dry brining is simply rubbing a turkey in a salt and herb mixture and letting it sit (refrigerated of course) for many hours (usually about one hour per pound). It's somewhat easier and more convenient than the alternative wet option, and …

Fresh cranberries are everywhere in the fresh produce aisles of local markets, and it is time to stock up for great recipes. The bright red, tart, marble-size berry is a true native of North America, and grew wild in New England. Indians showed early settlers how to use cranberries as a food and also in medicines. Sailors used the vitamins in cranberries to ward off scurvy, as they are naturally high in Vitamin C. We now know that they are an excellent antioxidant. Buy extra bags as they freeze perfectly for recipes later in December.   Apple Cranberry Crisp3 cups chopped peeled tart apples2 …

Everywhere you go these days, large orange pumpkins are on display. They were preserved from the effects of the drought, and are plentiful to use as a front door decoration, or cook up to make recipes (see my article from last year for directions on how to process fresh pumpkins). Baked pumpkin French toast, using whole grain bread, is a company pleaser for your overnight guests. Assemble it the night before, and when morning arrives, it goes straight from the refrigerator into the oven. It will cause “ohhhs and ahhhs” from your guests when served with warm real maple syrup. By far my …

Notice all of the autumn leaves falling and all of the Halloween decorations out in the stores? It is time to enjoy the last gasp of summer vegetables before we hit our first taste of pumpkins. Right now juicy tomatoes are at their peak, and warm days with thunderstorms are keeping them in full production. I have re-adapted my homemade Ratatouille recipe to be lower in fat (too many calories in my original recipe from the olive oil). It can be served hot or cold, or even as a topping over fresh hot pasta. Fresh red-skinned potatoes are very abundant this year, so I frequently make my one-dish…

With juicy tomatoes at their peak of freshness, we are making lots of salsa for those warm, August evenings. Low in calories and bursting with flavors, it is great for impromptu gatherings, or to keep hungry adults occupied while dinner is still be assembled. Another family favorite is my husband's homemade mango salsa, but we are having a hard time finding mangoes that are ready-ripe for slicing. That problem was solved when we discovered Trader Joe's frozen perfectly-ripe mango slices. Now we defrost what we need for recipes, and do not have to deal with slicing up a not-ripe-yet mango. It …

Looking for something tart and refreshing to serve on a hot summer's evening with a great meal? Try a batch of homemade lemonade. It is a bit of a project, but it is so worth it as your guests take their first sip, and the "ahhh" comments begin to flow and they insist on refills.  Light and airy lemon flavors are particularly appealing after a rich meal. The homemade lemon mousse is spectacular, and when served in an elegant stemmed glass, it makes the perfect ending to a romantic meal. Yes, there is such a thing as bottled lemon juice, but the secret of these recipes is using fresh lemon and…

Cucumbers are very easy to grow in this area, and once the vine gets started in production, with a minimum of care you will quickly be overwhelmed with a harvest. "What am I going to do with all of these cucumbers?" is the usual phone call I get in July. With almost no calories, they are the perfect snack and diet food because they pack well and are crunchy. But with that crunch is an absence of taste. Cold sliced cucumbers are refreshing, but do not have a lot of flavor. That is where a good recipe comes to the rescue. (With smaller, picking cucumbers you can always make homemade pickles, …

For our anniversary we were on the hunt for a new wine bar/bistro, someplace where we could enjoy tapas style appetizers and sample some different wines.  Our search led us to Reston’s Vinifera, tucked inside Reston’s Westin hotel on Sunrise Valley Drive (next to the Reston Sheraton). It is the perfect upscale, luxurious bar with spacious lounge seating to sit back and taste different wines and experience some sensational favors in foods. What is even better, if you are with a group, is to order a cheese assortment, or a charcuterie, or they will even do a combo platter of imported cheeses, …

Backyard grilling is fine any time of the year—we even grill during snowstorms!  We have been experimenting with "rubs" of dry ingredients for flavor. Although they are meant to be partially burned off in grilling, they also provide a burst of flavor like no other marinade or sauce on top can provide. A combination of dried spices and herbs, ground fresh red, black or white pepper and a touch of garlic are superb.  It is fun to experiment! Even chili powder, paprika, and something sweet, like brown sugar, can radically change the flavor of a plain chicken breast that is popped on the grill. …

A friend of mine’s son is getting married in a trendy art museum in a large urban city. “What am I going to do? I know nothing about that city!” A feeling of dread rises up the spine of the mother of the groom. She realizes that she needs to pick out a place for the rehearsal dinner—in a city that she knows nothing about. Beyond the cost of the event (it could be a sizeable portion of your retirement portfolio) it is a high-pressure task because if the food is bad, or just average, that is what the wedding guests will remember. There are few tasks that fall upon the head of a mother that are …

Have you ever been invited over to someone's house for dinner and volunteered to take a dessert? Or do you need a very special birthday or anniversary cake? Are you planning on going to a potluck dinner?  Without a doubt, Joy Hayden’s Éclair Cake is our family’s most popular cake, because it makes a 9 x 13 cake that you take to the potluck, but you also have a spare 8-inch cake to feed the family when they get back home—and find out that the family didn’t get any at the potluck because it was all gone! Here are some of my most requested recipes. JO ANN'S HOT FUDGE CAKE1 cup water1 stick …

The aisles at local grocery stores are overflowing with pastel colors and Easter baskets; chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and every color of jelly bean you can imagine. Easter is also a time for panic if you are the cook and preparing to entertain family and friends—what do you cook this year? The easy choices are a traditional turkey, or a ham or pork loin—but coming up with new, delicious side dishes are another matter entirely. Help is on the way!  Keep in mind that many of these colorful side dishes can be made ahead of time and kept cold until ready to serve. Concentrate on the …

“Join the Take-N-Bake” Pizza Revolution is what the new Papa Murphy’s pizza says on their website, and judging from the traffic in the store on last Wednesday evening, plenty of families are taking and baking their homemade pizzas for dinner tonight in the Herndon area. Just unwrap the custom, freshly-assembled pizza from the plastic wrapping, and bake it according to their directions in an oven for approximately 15 to 18 minutes. No cookie sheets needed, as you bake it right on their bake-able sheet (under the pizza). The pizzas are assembled on a line in front of you—sub-shop-style—to your …

Somewhere on the back of your top shelf in the pantry, is a can of something dating back to World War II. Down there in the lettuce drawer, buried under the parsley that garnished your 4th of July potato salad, sit the cranberries from last Thanksgiving. And the spices in the back of your spice rack, chalky gray in their jars, date back to when you received the spice rack as a wedding gift. Perhaps you are not this bad, but isn’t it time your kitchen had a little cleaning, or a good pitching? If it is long overdue for the little cleaning, just remind yourself you will be ahead in the …

Tired of shuffling through grocery store produce aisles looking at pink baseballs disguised as tomatoes? It is time to visit Herndon’s new local vendor, indoor farmers market. Every Thursday, from 2:30 till 6:30 p.m., the Frying Pan Farm Park Visitors Center, located at 2739 West Ox Rd. in Herndon, will be transformed into a bounty of local produce for sale.  Seasonal items may include fresh spinach and other early salad greens, apples, garlic, onions, root vegetables, radishes, snap peas, fresh herbs and more. Other vendors will be selling home-baked goods, eggs, honey and locally-grown meat…

Valentine’s Day is a night where restaurants need to bring out their best in food, service, and the wow factor. When you are planning a special evening, it must be perfect. My first choice would be Piero’s Corner in Franklin Farms, as they have a “rising star” in Chef Gian Piero Mazzi. On Valentine’s Day they are serving a great appetizer—Crisp Mozzarella Croccante (think mozzarella-crunchy brittle, like almond brittle) and jumbo Lump Crab Brulee with capers and toasted bread for $12 (split this one, as you need to save room for the rest).Then split a salad (greens, grapes, walnuts and …