Table for Two - Warm Potato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love the ease that comes with summer cooking, but it does present some problems for smaller families. Most recipes for summer sides make enough food to feed the entire neighborhood, and unless you really, really like potato or three bean salad, their leftovers can become ponderous. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is an adaption of one that first appeared in Bon Appetit magazine. The salad, which is very pleasant, is similar to German potato salad but it contains no bacon. The Silver Fox insists that German potato salad must have bacon, so I've removed country of origin from the recipe title to please him. In addition to reducing the quantity of ingredients used in its preparation, I've substantially changed the way the recipe is made, and use a microwave to make the dish faster to assemble. It can be table ready in about 20 minutes. I suspect that those of you in the small family category will really like this salad, but I must admit to a personal prejudice. I'm a mayonnaise kind of gal and I miss its presence in my salad. If you have a small batch recipe for a mayonnaise-type salad, I hope you'll share it with me. It would be appreciated. In the meantime, here is how this fast and easy, warm potato salad is made.

Child's Play - A Greek Yogurt, Lime and Honey Pie the Kids Can Make for Father's Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... The most treasured of my gifts are those that have been made especially for me. I hope that mine are not singular treasures and that you, too, appreciate gifts that speak of thoughtful time and care. I know that many of you will be hosting gatherings next Sunday and I thought it would be nice to share a recipe that the kids can make for Father's Day. This simple dish is truly child's play, and as long as it is allowed to chill for several hours it can't go wrong - unless, of course, it's dropped on the floor. If the kids are going to make the pie, you'll want to provide some type of pre-baked pie shell, and if your assistants are very young, you'll want to oversee the transfer of boiling water from pot to pan. They really can make this pie themselves, so, while you'll want to keep the eyes in the back of your head focused, let them have at it. It won't look as pretty as yours, but I guarantee that Dad will think it's beautiful. Here is how this light and airy dessert is made.

Summer Skies, Fireflies and Olden-Golden Desserts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I saw a glow worm tonight, my first sighting of the year, and for a minute, a split second really, I was again six and on the hunt for the first firefly of summer. A certain cachet was attached to that first capture, and as soon as school ended, mason jars with punctured lids were set aside for the nightly search for Tinkerbell and members of her crew. The ragamuffins with whom I ran took the hunt seriously, and night after night, with not even a flicker of ennui, we swarmed alleyways and backyards, jars in hand, looking for Peter's accomplice and her friends. When the streetlight's came on, the rules of the game demanded the fireflies be released, lest we actually had Tinkerbell in one of those jars. We all were very young, easily amused and it was a much simpler time. Meals were uncomplicated and the handful of desserts that we were regularly served included a pudding quite similar to the one I'm featuring tonight. I haven't had banana pudding in years, but when I saw this version in Bon Appetit magazine, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. The Silver Fox has a demanding sweet tooth and he loved the pudding and the memories it brought back for him. If you are looking for a nostalgic dessert for your next barbecue, do give this one a try. I suggest you make the pudding, sans the meringue, a full day before you plan to serve it. This will give the banana flavor a chance to permeate the pudding. However, I suggest browning the meringue just before the pudding is served. Here is how it is made.

Menu for the Week of June 8, 2014

Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite... 

Rocky Mountain Cake - An Old-Fashioned Treat for Your Sweet Things

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While chiffon cakes were extremely popular in the 50's and the 60's, they seem to have fallen out of favor and are rarely seen these days. A proper chiffon cake is similar in appearance to an angel food cake, but these foam cakes are leavened with baking powder and egg whites and also contain oil and egg yolks which you'll never find in an angel food cake. The cake is moist, soft and tender, and it is an excellent keeper that lends itself to a variety of flavors. The one I'm featuring tonight is a spice cake whose flavor is heightened by the addition of crushed caraway seeds. I must warn those of you who prefer barely sweet, European style tortes, that this cake is treacly and just might send you into sugar shock. It is, however, a delicious cake and I suspect it will appeal to those of you who have a demanding sweet tooth. The recipe is straight forward, and while there are several steps involved in its assembly, the cake is not difficult to make. If your family enjoys sweet desserts I urge you to give this cake a try. You won't be sorry. Here is how it's made.

Beans, Biscuits and Bread Part Five - Pioneer Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had hoped to share a salt-rising bread with you tonight, but as my loaf rose and fell and my frustration grew, I could hear James Beard, speaking from the grave, clearly reminding me that I had been warned. Indeed I had. Salt-rising bread is an "iffy" thing and years ago he unceremoniously warned anyone who would listen, that it failed as often as it succeeded. Mine failed, but I still wanted a bread recipe to help round out the "Beans, Biscuits and Bread" series that I've been featuring lately. Fortunately, a play on words helped save my bacon. Years ago, salt-rising bread was also called Pioneer Bread. It was not, however, the only bread that was given that name. The quick bread I'm featuring tonight, also called Pioneer Bread, has a history that can be traced back to the westward movement and the days of the covered wagons. I found the recipe in Christopher Kimball's cookbook, America's Best Lost Recipes. As you might suspect, this is a very easy bread to make, and, if it's allowed to ripen for a day before it's served, I think you'll be really pleased with the results. The loaf is dense and mildly sweet and it keeps extraordinarily well. It makes wonderful toast, and it's a great snack when topped with a schmear of cream cheese. It also happens to be great with baked beans. I hope curiosity will lead you to try this bread. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Here is how it's made.

Beans, Biscuits and Bread Part Four - Something Different for a Change - Easy Yeast Biscuits

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, I use to serve  a biscuit that was made with both yeast and baking powder. They were called "Angel" or "Bride" biscuits because they were foolproof to make and their spongy dough resembled fluffy clouds as it rose. I made them frequently when I was first married but when Pillsbury came out with biscuits in a tube, ten tubes for a dollar, I stopped making biscuits from scratch and until recently, never looked back. I didn't save the original recipe I used back then, so I was delighted when I stumbled on this recipe for yeast biscuits at Food.com. This version makes a light biscuit with a fluffy interior that is a cross between a biscuit and a dinner roll. The biscuits are easy to make, though wait time is needed for the biscuits to rise before their aromatic baking. Yeast raised biscuits keep better than those made with baking powder, so they can be made well-ahead of time and simply re-warmed for serving. If your family enjoys biscuits, I recommend that you give this recipe a try. You'll be really pleased with the results. Here is how they are made.

Beans, Biscuits and Bread Part Three - My Favorite Maple Baked Beans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A too short, but lovely, visit with our youngest daughter - code name "Butterfly" - combined with the distractions of the Prefontaine Classic have thrown me dreadfully off schedule. Hopefully, I'll soon be back on track - no pun intended - and my posts will again appear as intended. In the meantime, I still have several recipes from my Beans, Biscuits and Bread series sitting in the catch-up queue. The bean recipe I'm featuring today is my personal favorite. It is an Ina Garten recipe and it's appeared in her cookbook The Barefoot Contessa at Home as well as The Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook. These beans are hot and sweet, and while they may not appeal to all tastes, they are delicious. I found the first pot I made to be too sweet, so second time around, I cut the quantities of sugar and syrup in half and found them to be delightful. I replaced the specified kidney beans with small red beans because I prefer the appearance of the smaller bean. The large beans look suspiciously like chili and that was not the look I was going for. I think you'll find these beans to have more liquid than other versions you've made in the past. If that bothers you, simply uncover the beans for the last hour of cooking so the sauce can thicken. Do make sure the beans are tender before you put them in the oven to bake. They won't soften much when they cook at the low temperature this recipe advises. I really like the play of flavors in these beans and I highly recommend them to you. I know you'll enjoy them. Here is how they are made.