Angel of Death Cheese 1 large bulb garlic, roasted 8 ounces cream cheese 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese 1/2 cup whipping cream salt and pepper to taste 2 –4 fresh sage leaves, finely minced 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios Combine roasted garlic with cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add Gorgonzola, cream, sage, salt and pepper. Press into a serving dish and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve with crackers or pita crisps. Makes 8-10 servings. See Related story: Eeek, Drink and be Merry   Creatures from the Deep (Peppered Shrimp) 1 pound (large to jumbo sized) shrimp, peeled and deviened 3 Tbsp. …

Zesty 100-Yard Bites 1/3 cup olive oil reduced fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or hot pepper sauce) 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 12 slider buns 12 slices deli-style honey ham 12 slices deli-style roast beef 3 Colby Jack cheese slices, cut into quarters 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 12 slices 12 bread 'n butter pickle chips 12 stuffed green olives Mix mayo, Sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl. Spread each bun with 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) mayo mixture. Fill each bun with 1 folded slice each ham and roast beef, a cheese slice quarter, tomato slice and pickle. Top each bun …

Here are some tried and tested apple recipes for that bevy of apples harvested this fall. Apple Walnut Tea Bread (Recipe courtesy Suzanne Corbett) 6 cups flour 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 eggs 3 cups whole milk 1 1/2 chopped Black or English walnuts 2 cups finely chopped apples Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with milk. Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Mix in walnuts and apples and pour into two greased and floured loaf pans (pan size 9 x 5 x 3). Bake at 350 degrees for 60 - 75 minutes. Makes two …

Johnny Appleseed wouldn’t recognize the apples harvested today. The once favored Pipin and Winesaps popular over a century ago have been replaced with Honeycrisp, Jonathan and Red Delicious. Each variety has a unique flavor profile and texture that defines them as eating or baking apples. Few varieties as the Jonathan are considered an all-purpose apple - good for eating and cooking because of its semi-tart flavor and firm texture. Honycrisps, now the most sought after eating apple have dethroned the Red Delicious while the Golden Delicious tangy firm flesh remains a favorite among bakers …

Ask Eric Heckman to describe himself and he’ll say, “ I’m just a guy living in Fenton who works in Clayton.” True, but what Fenton may not realize is that it has a culinary star to claim as its own. Heckman is an award-winning restaurateur and owner of Tani Sushi Bristro - chosen as the best sushi restaurant in Missouri by the Travel Channel. Heckman along with his wife, Jenny, who serves as Tani’s chef and sushi master, earned the Travel Channel's prestigious honor as a result of Tani’s menu that uses both traditional recipes and fusion applications to create sushi that's flavorful and fun. …

Try these Asian Recipes for the Home Cook Tani Teriyaki Sauce 1 pound box brown sugar 1 cup mirin (rice wine) 2 cups dry sherry 3 cups soy sauce 2 tablespoons minced ginger (fresh) 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1/2 cup cornstarch Combine all in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil and thicken with cornstarch and water. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about a quart of sauce. Use as a basting sauce for grilled meats, seafood ot in stir-fry recipes that call for teriyaki sauce. Editor’s note: Recipe has been adjusted for the home cook. See story: Fenton Restarateur Has Sushi Savvy Eric's Tuna …

Since Dreamworks' new film The Help opened at the Great Escape Gravois Bluffs Cinema, people have been talking about Southern food; fried chicken, sweet tea, collard greens and chocolate pie. Southern food is the connecting thread that runs through the film. According to a recent interview in Food & Wine, The Help director Tate Taylor felt that within the first 20 minutes of the film you would be craving fried chicken. To ensure the authenticity of the food featured throughout the film, Taylor insisted on using real Southern cooks instead of professional caterers or food stylists. Among those…

Hungry for breakfast but you overslept, and it’s noon? No worries. Late risers looking for bacon and eggs served for lunch need only find their way to First Watch in Dierbergs Telegraph Plaza. “I like to say we’re the best keep secret here,” said Oakville’s First Watch Manager Les Whitehall, remarking how his store is often overlooked in the busy plaza anchored by Dierbergs. “You can stop in anytime during our hours and have breakfast for lunch or lunch for breakfast,” he said. Doors open at 7 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. The open dining room is appointed with tables and booths that can …

Whether you're looking for something fun to put in your kids' lunch boxes or you need a special after-school snack, you can help your kids beat the back-to-school lunch box blues with these easy-to-prepare treats. You'll like them because they're good for their growing bodies, but your kids will love them because they taste great. Pack them in lunches or serve them as after-school snacks. Turkey and Apple Rollups 1-2 tablespoons cream cheese, low fat 1 tortilla (8 inch) 2 slices Boar's Head Maple Glazed Turkey Breast 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach 1/2 medium-sized apple, cut into thin strips …

Lindbergh, Fox and the Northwest School Districts are all back in session. It's time for local parents to tackle the yearly lunch box challenge: how to pack a lunch that’s healthy and one kids will eat. According to FDA Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor Shirley Blakely, there are plenty of healthy lunch box options beyond peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread. She recommends adding fruit and veggies to the lunch box. Easy and fun munchies can include foods such as as sliced apples, grapes, baby carrots or grape tomatoes. Add in a low-fat dressing or yogurt for a veggie or fruit dip. Also…

Home Grown Tomatoes Add Fresh Flavor to Summer Recipes Tomato lovers rejoice - tomato season is in full swing and promises to yeild a plentiful crop until fall. No matter if you indulge in a tomato and mayo sandwich or use them chopped as a bruschetta topper, enjoy home grown tomatoes now while they last. See Related Story Home Grown Tomato Recipes    Fresh picked tomatoes, one of summer's culinary treats In spite of our hot, dry summer Missouri tomatoes are yielding a good crop. Backyard gardeners are delighted to see their tomato crop ripen. However, before you pick, it pays to know when to…

Long, hot summer days give me the summertime blues. And the blues I'm hoping for are baskets full of Missouri blueberries. Blueberries are one of our healthiest and easiest fast foods to eat. They don't need to be peeled, cored or seeded. And for the most part, blueberries are naturally sweet. There are more than 40 blueberry growers in Missouri. Most of Missouri's crop is sold at farm markets such as Stuckmeyer’s Farm and Market and a few larger grocery chains that support local farmers, such as Dierbergs.  To get the freshest Missouri blueberries, AgriMissouri, Missouri's agriculture …

Before the season slips away, do as Fats Domino advised in his old song, “Get your trill on (Missouri's) blueberry hills.” The following recipes are courtesy of the Blueberry Council and Pushcarts & Stalls: The Soulard Market History Cookbook. Blueberry Cobbler 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup milk 2 cups blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/4 cups water Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add alternately with milk to butter…

When the economy tanks, we all look for ways to save.  During the summer growing season, it’s easy to save money. Simply turn to the time-honored art of canning, which will preserve the harvest and stretch your food dollar.  Being raised on a South County farm, we grew up canning everything we grew. The abundance of cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers became ketchup, chili sauce, sweet pepper relish and dill pickles, not to mention the batches of jams and jellies made from foraged wild blackberries and wild goose plums. The recipes I use vary, usually using vintage family recipes like my grandpa’…

A variety of canning and preserving recipes for home gardeners to stretch their vegetable bounty. See related story: Preserving the Home Garden Harvest Fresh Pack Dill Pickles 15 pounds small pickling cucumbers, about 4-5 inches long 2 1/4 cups canning salt 2 gallons cool water 6 cups white vinegar 9 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices 1/3 cup mustard seed 7 cloves garlic 21 heads of dill 1/2 cup dill seed 7 small hot finger peppers Thoroughly wash cucumbers, discarding any which have soft spots or blemishes. In a large slow cooker make a brine by mixing together the …

County and state fair season kicks off locally this week with the Jefferson County Fair at the Hillsboro fairgrounds.  Main stage concerts, barrel racing and fireworks are touted as the big draw, but  it’s the fair food that gets me excited. Fair food is the ultimate summer indulgence. Most often served up deep-fried and/or stuck on a stick, these foods have become American culinary icons like the venerable corn dog. And let's not forget the funnel cakes, cotton candy and jalapeno poppers - all Midway mainstays the foodie faithful anxiously wait for each year.  Fair Recipes: Classic Corn Dogs…

If you can't make it to the Jefferson County Fair to sample the culinary delights and find yourself craving a corn dog or a plateful of funnel cake, relax. Fair food is easy to make. Here’s a few of my favorite recipes to try for fun, including a low-fat dog-on-a-stick recipe courtesy of Pillsbury that you can serve all summer long. See Story: Decadent Delight: Foods on the County Fair Midway Classic Midway Corn Dogs  1 quart oil for deep frying 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 1 cup buttermilk…

July marks the beginning of peach season and according to the produce experts at the Fenton Dierbergs Market this year’s harvest is looking good.  “At the moment we’re stocking the peaches from the Bedar Farm in Campbell MO,” reported the produce clerk who explained that Dierbergs has made it its mission to provide homegrown fruit and vegetables from local Missouri farmers when its in season. One of the largest peach farms in the bi-state area is Eckert's, which places its produce at various other grocers and farm markets throughout St Louis and Jefferson counties. “We have 200 acres in …

Carole's Peach Upside Down Cake 1/3 cup shortening 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 2 tsp. baking powder 1 2/3 cup flour 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. almond flavoring Peach Mixture: 1/3 cup butter 1 cup light brown sugar 1 1/2 cups sliced peaches Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in a sheet cake pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly until well browned. Add peaches. Cover with cake batter and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn out, peach side up. Serve hot or cold with whipped cream. …

Looking to get more bang for your barbecue buck this Fourth of July holiday? Consider an assortment of grilled sausages that go beyond the brats. Italian, Cajun, Polish and Hungarian styles of sausages can be found at such local meat markets as Holland Meats, that makes a variety of homemade sausage specialties prefect for grilling. From Cajun Boudin to Mexico link Chorizo to Polish Kielbasa you’ll discover a world of sausages that are grill-able and affordable. Italian sausage is a local favorite that offers a flavorful alternative to brats that is blended with a unique mix of herbs and …