Kitchen Encounters

~ The Differences Between: Cupcakes and Muffins ~

Cupcakes and muffins. Past their shape and portable-foodness, they have less in common than one might think. The fast, simple generic answer is: Cupcakes are fancy little cup-sized cakes and muffins are plain little cup-sized quick-breads. Served with an ice-cold glass of milk or cup of piping hot coffee, rare is the person who would take a pass on either. That said, I will always choose a muffin over a cupcake. Sorry cupcake -- this post is going to be a bit biased. Shape. They're both baked in multiple-cupped pans, to produce individual-sized, portable portions. Prior to the invention of...... View full recipe for "~ The Differences Between: Cupcakes and Muffins ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/04/14) ~

Spring has finally sprung here in Happy Valley (Central), PA. Every couple of days it is warm enough to open the doors, and, even sit outside on our deck. Spring green is my new favorite color. Like many of you, the Easter holiday left me with a good deal of leftover ham (+ other goodies like hard-cooked eggs, cured-meats, a selection of cheeses and great bread). I turned that bountiful situation into an opportunity to share a few useful recipes for the leftovers with you: ~ Happy Easter to You All: Enjoy Your Family Feast ~ ~ Try My Rye:...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/04/14) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/24/14) ~

The sun is out but "oh baby, it is cold outside" -- any number above zero would be most welcomed here in PA. Because of this freeze, I've been making quite a few "Honey, I'm working at home instead of going into my offices" breakfasts. This past week we've enjoyed omelettes two ways: ~ An Indian Masala Omelette ~, and, ~ My E-Z Creamy-Dreamy French-Style Omelettes ~. Click into Category 9 to find both of these recipes! Making and eating breakfast on a frigid cold Winter morning is a very cathartic experience. It just gives everyone, including the cook, a...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/24/14) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/03/14) ~

Happy New Year and T.G.I.F. I for one am looking forward to a quiet weekend of rest and recovery, then a return to a normal routine starting first thing Monday morning. This morning, I received question from a reader which made me chuckle, because, by complete coincidence, it's related directly to my next blog post of 2014. I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised by it, because a lot of people (like myself) often choose to serve fancy beef dishes for their New Year's Eve celebration! Q. Connie says and asks: Melanie, I made your individual beef Wellingtons for New...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/03/14) ~"

~Therapy for Users of Aluminum Foil & Plastic Wrap~

I've got 'Happy Valley' kitchen therapy for you today! This post is going to be short, sweet, to the point, and, if you are like me, it is going to change your life. Today, on FB, one of my friends posted a YouTube video, posted by a Russian guy, telling us American consumers we've been misusing our aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Since I've been screaming at manufacturers of these products for over thirty years, it's time for me to apologize. Why? The answer has been right before my eyes! On each side of every box, there are tabs, CLEARLY...... View full recipe for "~Therapy for Users of Aluminum Foil & Plastic Wrap~ "

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (10/05/13) ~

October has arrived. For those of us who reside in a four-season area of the USA, each season brings a change in lifestyle. I love the transition from the bold foods of Summer (quickly cooked fresh garden vegetables, grilled meats and frosty desserts) to the comforting foods of Fall (slow roasted vegetables, braised meats and baked desserts). I also love the transition from short sleeves to sweatshirts, and, watching college football instead of playing tennis! I love the Fall!!! As you regular readers of KE know, I always answer and post any Culinary Q&A's on Friday afternoons, but, when I...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (10/05/13) ~"

~ Tex-Mex Soul-Consoling Food: Chile con Queso ~

Ever have a week you wish you could forget? Whether you're just over-the-top busy at work and dog tired, the guy in the grocery store packed your meat on top of your bread, or, your favorite football team lost last Saturday's home game because they couldn't play defense and missed a field goal, solace can always be found by dipping some freshly-fried, crispy tortilla chips in a vat of molten, velvety smooth chile con queso -- after two bites you'll feel like throwing a party. Chile con queso (pronounced keh-so, not, kay-so) and often referred to simply as queso is...... View full recipe for "~ Tex-Mex Soul-Consoling Food: Chile con Queso ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/06/13) ~

The Labor Day holiday is over and another busy Summer is in the past. If you live in a part of the United States that celebrates four seasons, near the end of August or the beginning of September, a day comes when you walk outside and say, "Fall is in the air"! That happened this week here in Happy Valley, Central PA. Tomorrow, Penn State plays its first home game in Beaver Stadium, and, there are mumblings/grumblings about 'frost on the pumpkins' tonight! It's time to get out the sweaters and fall back to comfort food recipes for chilly weather....... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/06/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/07/13) ~

TGIF. I don't usually start my Friday Culinary Q&A's with this cliche, but, in the case of today, I mean it: Thank God It's Friday. Joe has decided to come home from the office early, it is going to rain off-an-on all weekend and we are going to relax after a most hectic, but productive week: I shot my 42nd Kitchen Encounters episode for WHVL-TV, Joe planted both of our vegetable gardens, cut and lined our tennis court, and, we got the HVAC for our house fixed! Executing all of these tasks in the span of 4 1/2 days took...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/07/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/10/13) ~

Let me start by wishing all of you moms, step-moms and soon-to-be moms a very Happy Mother's Day tomorrow. In honor of moms everywhere, over the past week I posted a couple of unique ways to start mom's day off in a special way. Click into Categories 9 or 20 to find: ~ The Benefits of Baking Eggs & Bacon for Breakfast ~, and ~ Baked Eggs in Birds Nests (Hash Brown Potatoes) ~. I also posted my mother-in-law's recipe for ~ Simplicity: Creamy, Crunchy "Classic" Egg Salad ~in Cats. 2, 14 & 20! Before I sign off, fold up...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/10/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/26/13) ~

April showers bring May flowers. 'Tis true. Over the past few days we've been experiencing sunshine on a regular basis and temperatures started venturing into the upper 50's and lower 60's. When I stepped out onto my laundry room porch to bring the newspaper in this morning, I was greeted by one of my favorite sights: The 30-some 'thundercloud' plum trees that line our driveway and lane have gone from being full of pretty pink blossoms to pretty pink flowers! How anything this pretty got the name 'thundercloud' is beyond me. I always referred to them as "flowering plum trees"...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/26/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/05/13) ~

Writing a cooking blog is much more than the satisfaction I get from sharing my recipes, occasionally featuring the recipes of other talented foodies, and, imparting my cooking style and culinary philosophy with you. It is getting to know my readers, listening to my readers, and, interacting with my readers, meaning: if you make a comment, you get get a response from me, and, if you ask a question, I answer it as soon as possible! Occasionally a comment or question is so good it inspires me to write an entire blog post (and I thank you for that). Occasionally...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/05/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/4/13) ~

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a joyous Christmas and festive New Year. In case you don't know, we got a lot of snow here in Central PA over the holidays. Presently, we are battling frigid temperatures that will take your breath away. It is so cold, even my poodles do not want to go outside! Thanks to a reader, who submitted a question on Tuesday, I have a feeling things are about to heat up very quickly around here! The great cheese with fish debate! Don't haul off and call the food police on me just yet!...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/4/13) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/14/12) ~

Is it just my imagination, or, does December speed by faster than the other eleven months? It seems like yesterday we were discussing Thanksgiving lefovers and very soon it will be time to start making plans for New Years Eve! As promised, I just spent the past week posting a couple of stress-free, relatively-easy, budget-friendly holiday casserole recipes, and, I thank you for all of your kind comments and feedback! C. Marcie Says: Melanie, thank-you for posting your recipe for seafood gratinee. I got married in April and my husband's family is coming to our house for Christmas. I plan...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/14/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/23/12) ~

I hope everyone is recovering nicely from their Turkey day food induced comas. Like a lot of you, Joe and I wrestled with taking the entire day off (from cooking) and ordering takeout, vs., leftovers. The leftovers won. We couldn't resist a complete reheat of yesterdays dinner. We two took our plates into the family room, put our feet up in front of the TV and both remarked it was every bit as good as it was yesterday, and the poodles agreed! On Monday morning it will be time to switch gears and share a few more of my recipes...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/23/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/02/12) ~

November is here and in three short weeks we'll be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner. It's no secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite foodie holiday, and, I'm looking forward to sharing quite a few more of my Turkey Day recipes with you! In the meantime, I would be most thankful if: in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, everyone on the East coast gets electricity restored to their homes and hot meals on their dinner tables ASAP! Over the past few weeks Kitchen Encounters has been receiving a lot of great comments on many of my posts, and, as you know,...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/02/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/24/12) ~

Next week at this time we'll be celebrating the Labor Day weekend and getting ready for the Penn State tailgate season. Amidst all of the recent, negative media attention and press, I'm here to tell you first hand: Penn State fans haven't skipped a beat! I would be remiss if I did not make at least one political comment on my blog regarding this, because: This is my Happy Valley community and I love our Penn State culture! The debacle we are in, caused by one evil man, has been allowed to turn into a train wreck via a cowardly...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/24/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/17/12) ~

August is flying by and Fall is in "the air". The oppressive July heat wave is finally over and we are finally able to open our doors, windows and enjoy "playing" outside again. Next to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I find this time of year the most stressful. While most of the world around me is buzzing with back-to-school preparations and activities, Joe's garden is yielding produce at breakneck speed: A couple of days ago, he picked a tree full of plums (hundreds) and apples are not far behind. That will be the end of our fruit season. While...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/17/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/08/12) ~

At our last Culinary Q&A (5/25/12), I promised that I would be dedicating the next week to "all things ribs" and rib recipes. I whole-heartedly expected to keep that promise, until I was bombarded with fresh strawberries from our backyard strawberry patch. As I've mentioned before, blogging fresh, on-hand ingredients takes precidence over promises. I spent all of the past week posting strawberry recipes, and, I promise to spend next week posting rib recipes! Based upon all of your comments this week, no one was upset by this delay, because the strawberry posts were extremely well received by everyone. Kitchen...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/08/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/25/12) ~

It's the end of May and in a few short hours my family will be arriving for the Memorial Day weekend. My parents will be celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary and our grandson will be celebrating his 5th birthday! JoePa is busy in the backyard inflating and filling a new swimming pool for David and I'm working on his favorite chocolate cake with chocolate frosting to be served with chocolate ice cream. Amongst other things, ribs are on the menu, and I will be posting my recipes and tips for "all things ribs" after the holiday! Kitchen Encounters received two...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/25/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/4/12) ~

It's the first Friday in May, and, almost instantly, everyone and everything in Happy Valley, PA, has come alive. Leaves are on the trees, flowers are blooming and vegetable gardens are sprouting. The women have opened up the doors and windows, finished up the Spring cleaning, and, are enjoying relaxing walks around the neighborhood. Men are mowing lawns, putting out patio furniture and polishing barbecue grills! I am happy to report that more than a few of you are using the recently added "email me" feature at the top of my homepage. I am now happily answering cooking questions and...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/4/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/13/12) ~

So far, April has been a super-busy month here in Melanie's Kitchen. Last weekend we celebrated Joe's family's Catholic Easter. This weekend, we will celebrate my family's Russian Orthodox Easter. Next weekend, Penn State will play its annual Spring football "Blue-White" scrimmage game. All three back-to-back weekends are always filled with fun, food, family, friendship, and, most importantly... tradition! Today = Kitchen Therapy: The highlight of my Italian Easter posts revolved around the making of Crescia, which is a heavy-textured loaf of bread that is jam-packed full of peppery cheese flavor. Once it is baked, it is traditionally toasted or...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/13/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/16/12) ~

On this, the eve of St. Patrick's Day, I'm here to tell you, March has been an "odd" month here in Central PA. Typically, we are used to cold winds and rain, which keeps me cooking warm comfort food until the end of the month. Not so this year, we have had an entire week of sunshine and temperatures in the mid to upper 70's. Joe not only cleaned our BBQ grill, he's used it three times. Our deck and patio furniture is out and I actually drank my AM coffee outside yesterday! Mel's Irish March Madness Menu: While I...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/16/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/24/12) ~

Just when I thought Spring was in the air, Winter pulls me back in. I spent yesterday in my kitchen doing a WHVL-TV/Kitchen Encounters shoot dressed in a lightweight turtleneck with my back doors wide open. It was sunny and almost 50 degrees. Today, I find myself listening to the wind howl while watching the snow fall. I am typing this with a fire in the family room fireplace wearing a lovely ensemble of snuggly classic gray sweatpants with a white sweatshirt! I received two questions from a reader via e-mail this week. I think I mentioned this before, but...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/24/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/27/12) ~

For those of you regulars to Kitchen Encounters, it is no secret that the past week here in Happy Valley has been one of the saddest in our University's history. We lost a great man in Joe Paterno. It is not a stretch to say that Penn State has temporarily lost it's sense of identity, but even though our beloved Coach is gone, we will be back. He'd want that. To read my memorial post: ~ Sunday Dinner for JoePa ~, just click into Categories 16 or 17! Over the course of the past week, Melanie's Kitchen has had more...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/27/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/20/12) ~

This short Friday Culinary Q&A is to make a happy announcement: As of Wednesday, I am officially a member of the (IACP) International Association of Culinary Professionals on their Professional Level. Wow. It was Chef Martin Yan, who, personally, encouraged me to "fill out the paperwork" and try to join this esteemed group. I am quite proud to add this membership to my list of Kitchen Encounters and culinary accomplishments! "We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti (Commentary and Photo courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2012)... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/20/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/13/12) ~

Our first Q&A of 2012 and I hope you are all having a fine start to the New Year. I stopped making formal resolutions years ago, because life always gets in the way of the best laid plans, so, let's suffice it to say, I'm going to try my best to post a lot of new and exciting recipes, as well as old and beloved ones on Kitchen Encounters this year! Also, notice that I've added an "Email Me" tab to the top/header of my blog, so, now you can contact me directly with your questions and recipe requests, which...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/13/12) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/30/11) ~

'Tis the last Friday of 2011, which means it is our last Culinary Q&A of the year together... and what a year it has been! Last year at this time, I was relatively new to blogging. Kitchen Encounters was 4 1/2 months old and had 102 posts on it. One year later, you have 308 recipes to choose from, plus, 20 of my WHVL-TV cooking segments to watch! To reiterate what I said last year: I set out to create a blog for my family, friends and students that would be informative, educational and fun. I wanted to give you...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/30/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/09/11) ~

What a fast start to December! Today, Kitchen Encounters and WHVL-TV celebrated our 1st anniversary! Yes, we've done a years worth of cooking segments together, and, if you look to the left-hand column of this blog, you'll notice that we've now got all of the videos posted for you to watch (except of course for the most recent one)! We'll be posting each one on a regular basis now and I hope you enjoy watching me on TV! I also kicked off the holiday season with four great posts which I'm pretty certain will fit into almost anyones "festive" repertoire....... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/09/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/25/11) ~

'Tis the day after Turkey Day and I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful holiday. Due to a few travel issues and scheduling problems, my family is celebrating, right here in Melanie's Kitchen, tomorrow. I am of the philosophy that it is better to delay a family holiday a day (or two), if it means we can all be together for the celebration. So, right after I finish this post, I'll be picking up where all of you left off yesterday... cooking!!! Three great questions came my way this week and it won't surprise you to find out they...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/25/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/11/11) ~

On today's Friday Q&A and 11/11/11 date, Kitchen Encounters has a fun announcement to make: I have added another television adventure to my repertoire. In addition to my annual work with WPSU for their Celebrity Chef's cooking demonstration and my own weekly Kitchen Encounters cooking segment on WHVL's Centre of it All show (channel 235), I will now be representing The Philips Hotel's 1921 Restaurant on: WTAJ-TV's Chef's Showcase This segment will air every Friday during their 4:00PM Central PA Live show (local channel 10). Each week I will be taking a dish from The 1921's menu and showing viewers...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (11/11/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (10/7/11) ~

Today is Sunday which makes my weekly Culinary Q&A two days late. Just so you know, Melanie's Kitchen gets SUPER busy during the Penn State football season, particularly when PSU is playing a home game. It becomes a mecca for family and friends who are in Happy Valley for the game, and, even when I am not formally expecting guests, it is indeed a rarity if someone doesn't decide to drop by to say "hi"! In terms of tailgate weather, yesterday was a hallmark-card day. There is no book with directions for perfectly pairing a meal with with perfect weather,...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (10/7/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/30/11) ~

I can't say goodbye to September without thanking all of you for all of the great feedback on my series of Oktoberfest "snack food" posts. It seems my recipes for ~ Fun w/Fall Fruit: Apple and Pear Hors D'oeuvres; Kielbasa: The "Other" Oktoberfest Sausage; Pretty in Pink: Pennsylvania Dutch Pickled Eggs; and, Bring on the Rueben Sliders... and some Beer too! ~, struck a chord with many of you and I thank you for singing my praises! I particularly appreciated a comment I received from a friend and reader of mine, Carol, who told me, "Mel, you know I always...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/30/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/16/11) ~

Since our last Culinary Q&A Fall arrived here in Happy Valley. The temperatures have dropped to the point where my kitchen doors are open during the day and my sweater goes on in the evening; the Penn State football and tailgate season is in high-gear, and; the vegetables in Joe's garden are dwindling to a manageable pace! Fall is probably my favorite time of year. On second thought, Fall is definitely my favorite time of year: As busy as I am, I just naturally pick up the pace in Fall. I do more and for some reason everything seems easier...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (9/16/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/26/11) ~

Had I cooked absolutely nothing since our last Culinary Q&A two weeks ago, I would still have a lot to report to you today. Let's start with Tuesdays "right coast" earthquake. Never having experienced an earthquake, I was in disbelief when my world got rocked that afternoon. It was indeed a minor, 5-6 second tremor (thank-you mother nature), but nonetheless unnerving. I had just come in from the garden with two handfuls of fresh tomatoes. I placed them on the counter and began to wash my hands. All of a sudden, the ground beneath my feet began to rumble (like...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/26/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/5/11) ~

I had a great culinary question this week from a friend on Facebook and a regular reader of Kitchen Encounters, but before I get to that, because it has been such a crazy week here in Melanie's Kitchen, a little kitchen therapy is in order: Perhaps I'm getting more intense as I get older, but have you noticed how when August rolls around everyone starts scampering around preparing for Fall? Like squirrels scurrying to gather their acorns!?! In my opinion, the anticipation of a change-of-season is "a good thing" (as Martha Stewart would say). I find myself pleased with all...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (8/5/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (7/23/11) ~

Three weeks have passed since my last Kitchen Encounters Culinary Q&A with you. Things got really crazy here immediately after the July 4th holiday weekend. I've told you that my husband Joe maintains two amazing vegetable and herb gardens in our backyard. Well, he's just as talented when it comes to fruit trees and so far this July, his cherries, blueberries and peaches have all produced overwhelming quantities of fresh fruit! Besides freezing 38 pounds of cherries, 20 pounds of blueberries and making peach preserves, I decided to put the spotlight on baking fruit desserts (pies and galettes). Last Wednesday...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (7/23/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/17/11) ~

It is the end of another really busy and really fun week here at Kitchen Encounters. Each year, June 15th in our household is the official opening day of our grass tennis court and our tennis season. This also coincides with the start of Wimbledon and two great weeks of grass court tennis on TV. Joe and I enjoy doubles, which means that between now and the end of September, I'll be cooking and posting a few recipes for courtside or poolside entertaining and dining! In honor of this event, I posted my recipe for ~ June 15th: It's Time...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (6/17/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/27/11) ~

Greetings! This post is going to be brief, as I am getting ready for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Since Joe and I will have our soon to be 4-year-old grandson David here with us, Kitchen Encounters may be quiet for a couple of days. That being said, Kitchen Encounters received one question yesterday from a new friend on Facebook, so I wanted to be sure to post an immediate reply: Q. Sharon says and asks: Melanie I looked for this recipe on your blog... may we have the secrets to broiling scallops? By the way, I just love the...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/27/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/20/11) ~

TGIF!!! Kitchen Encounters had an absolutely wonderful past week! My friend Pat dropped by with a basket of freshly picked morel mushrooms, which prompted me to make and post my very special recipe for ~ A French Chicken Fricassee w/Morel Mushrooms ~, which you can read by clicking into Categories 3 or 21. I can tell you, "this is not your grandmother's fricassee"! To view a short video/slideshow of this exquisite dish: Download A French Chicken Fricassee w_Morel Mushrooms-Medium_2 Yesterday, Melanie's Kitchen had another shoot with WHVL-TV for my segment on their Sunday morning Center of it All show. I...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/20/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/6/11) ~

Kitchen Encounters kicked off the grilling season this week and I want to thank you for all of your great feedback both here and over on my Facebook page! Earlier in the week I posted my recipes for two great condiments that will add pizazz to whatever you are grilling: My ~ Buttermilk, Blue Cheese 'n Chive Salad Dressing ~, found in Categories 8 & 10, will turn an ordinary garden salad into a show stopper that will compliment any steak you grill all summer long. My ~ Apricot-Mustard Sauce: For Dipping & Drizzling ~, also found in Categories 8...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (5/6/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/15/11) ~

The past week has been downright action-packed here in Melanie's Kitchen. Kitchen Encounters and WHVL-TV shot another cooking segment on Wednesday. In this segment I prepared my recipe for ~ Provencal Seafood Stew w/Lemon Rice ~. You can read this recipe in detail in Categories 2, 11, 14 or 21 of this blog, or, to view a short video/slideshow: Download Provencal Seafood Stew w_Lemon Rice-Medium_3 To watch me on TV, tune in to WHVL's The Centre of it All show this Sunday morning at 11:30! On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (yesterday), I cooked and posted three recipes that add up...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/15/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/8/11) ~

April showers bring May flowers? I sure do hope so, because April has been nothing but showers so far here in Central Pennsylvania. Both the clock and the calendar tell me it is Spring, but because of all of the cold and damp weather, Kitchen Encounters is still working on recipes that take the chill out of the air. During this first week of April I posted the lasagna recipe that Terrance requested at our last Culinary Q&A along with: ~ Jesse's E-Z Spatini Lasagna ~, found in Categories 3, 14, 19, 20 & 22 ~ Provencal Seafood Stew w/Lemon...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (4/8/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/25/11) ~

What fun we had here at Kitchen Encounters this week, which we are now affectionately referring to as: Pizza Week. Over the course of three days we made and posted Preschutti Pizza Sauce, Preschutti Pizza Crust and our favorite Preschutti Pizza Toppings! You can find the recipe for all three in Categories 2, 5, 8, 12 & 19. To view a short video/slideshow of each one: Download Preschutti Pizza Sauce-Medium Download Preschutti Pizza Crust-Medium Download Preschutti Pizza Toppings-Medium This morning, Melanie's Kitchen shot it's 5th cooking segment for WHVL's Centre of it All Show. I made my ~ "Hail Caesar"...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/25/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/18/11) ~

Spring is definitely in the air today here Central Pennsylvania, which is perfect timing because Sunday is the first day of Spring. It won't be long before I'm writing this blog with my doors and windows open and a warm breeze upon my back! My St. Patricks Day posts got a lot of attention from you all (and I thank you), and, over the next month you can look forward to my posting some recipes geared towards the upcoming Easter holiday! Yesterday, one of my Facebook readers, Les, returned again this week to my Friday Culinary Q&A and submitted two...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/18/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/4/11) ~

I guess I never quite realized how many people would be searching for recipes for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday. Thanks for all of your great comments and feedback, both here and over on Facebook, regarding my Irish Soda Bread and Braised & Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef recipes. Whether you are Irish or not, and, whether it is St. Patrick's Day or not, these are two easy and really delicious recipes that I'm sure will please your family and friends! If you're one of my local readers and are planning on going out to celebrate St. Patricks Day,...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (3/4/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/25/11) ~

We're at the tailend of February here at Kitchen Encounters and this, February's last week, has been one of Melanie's Kitchen's busiest since starting this blog. More people than ever are following Kitchen Encounters via my Facebook posts. Three of my Facebook friends (Jeanne, Loretta and Pam) requested that I start linking my blog posts directly to Facebook. "So it shall be written, so it shall be done!" ~ Rameses Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were in preparation for and another shoot with WHVL-TV. Kitchen Encounters fourth segment will air in March on their Sunday morning Centre of It...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/25/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/11/11) ~

2/11/11! A date to remember! There has been A LOT going on here in Melanie's Kitchen this week and I am writing this on the morning of what is going to be a remarkable weekend! As I've mentioned to you before, every February I volunteer my time to WPSU-TV for their annual Connoisseur's Dinner. Each year, they invite a different PBS Celebrity Chef, who oversees the preparation of his or her recipes from his or her latest cookbook. The dinner itself is held in the evening, in the grand ballroom of The Nittany Lion Inn. It is an extravagant event,...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (2/11/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/28/11) ~

Oh my, it is the end of January already and I could hardly refer to this January as the dead-of-winter, boring doldrums. Time flies when one is having a good time, and trust me when I tell you, I am having a very good time: In this first month of 2011, Kitchen Encounters has posted more great recipes that have received lots of nice feedback here at my blog as well as on Facebook; Melanie's Kitchen has shot 3 cooking segments for WHVL-TV's Sunday morning Centre of it All show, and; Melanie is getting ready to meet and work with...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (1/28/11) ~"

~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/31/10) ~

It is the last day of 2010 (New Year's Eve)! It will come as no surprise to you when I say the biggest event of 2010 for me occurred back on August 10th when I published my first post on this blog. Four and a half months and 102 posts later, I can barely remember my life prior to blogging! I set out to create a blog for my family, friends and students that would be informative, educational and fun. I did what I always do: set the standards higher than I think I can reach, then drive my OCD...... View full recipe for "~ Culinary Q&A & Kitchen Therapy Too (12/31/10) ~"