Irish potato pancakes: Make boxty for St. Patrick's Day or any day

Boxty, Irish potato pancakes, can be made any number of ways depending on the area of Ireland from which they originate.

I first learned of boxty from Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Angela's Ashes," which chronicles his boyhood, and with that his mother's attempt to carry the family in the face of dire poverty and numerous heartbreaking challenges.

Although I have not yet been able to find the reference, I'm sure the book is also where I first read the rhyme "Boxty on the griddle, boxty in a pan, if you can't make boxty, sure you'll never get a man."

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Piquillo peppers: In search of

DeLallo piquillo peppersPiquillo peppers, little cone-shaped red peppers, are often stuffed with seafood and sometimes meats to make appetizers known as tapas in Spain.

Authentic Pimientos del Piquillo grown in the Navarra region of Spain are a product of protected origin, much like certain French cheeses and Italian cured meats.

I was searching for them as cute edible containers for a lentil salad. Never found them. What I did find was a variety from Peru, where these trendy peppers are now frequently grown for export -- even to Spain.

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Recipe done our way: lentils in piquillo peppers with cheese croutons

Stuffed piquillo peppers with lentils and Wisconsin cheese croutons This is the At Home adaptation of Chef Julian Alonzo's recipe for stuffed piquillo peppers with lentils and Wisconsin Dunbarton Blue Cheese.

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Valentine's breakfast panini recipe: Nutella-filled French toast waffle hearts

Nutella-filled French toast waffle heart with my strawberry-maple syrupAbout five year's ago, I started a Valentine's Day tradition where I challenged myself to make every meal heart shaped.

Cookie cutters have played a huge part in accomplishing the goal. I've used them to press out easy heart-shaped sandwiches. Mini heart cutters have produced Valentine's theme dippers for fondue, and I've even used metal cutters to shape pancakes on the griddle (this was before I discovered the egg "rings" that come in a variety of shapes beyond round. They have a convenient lifting handle that eliminates the need to use kitchen tongs to remove sizzling metal cookie cutters from the griddle. 

This year, I wondered if I could do something with French toast, since it's a favorite breakfast of almost all my loved ones.

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Homemade strawberry-maple syrup recipe for Valentine's Day

Fresh strawberries and maple syrup simmering in the pan.Valentine's Day doesn't always have to be a big production to be  memorable.

Sometimes a series of small gestures throughout the day can say "I love you" in a way that's more meaningful than the single show-stopping gift (but I'm not against show-stopping gifts!).

One of my favorite ways to begin the love fest is with a breakfast of pancakes, waffles or French toast served with  homemade strawberry-maple syrup.

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