The Dilettante’s Table

by Mrs Marvel

My friend Sarah is known among her friends and family as somewhat of a gourmand. When she was growing up, her mother had a test kitchen for the Amana microwave, and so there has always been a focus on food in her family. Some of my favorite birthday meals have been prepared by her, especially my 30th, when she made dinner for 20 of my closest friends and family, including homemade tomato pesto soup from tomatoes she grew and some sort of chicken which I now cannot remember. Too much wine that night and too much time since that night. It is Sarah who introduced me to the joys of pate and stinky cheese, among many other foods to grace my palette over the years.

Anyway, Sarah has started up her own foodie blog, The Dilettante’s Table. She posts about recipes, the meals, and the family and friends who join her to enjoy her culinary offerings. Sarah’s food is sometimes adventurous, sometimes traditional, frequently health-conscious, and always good. She likes organics but won’t turn her nose up at the mundane. I hope you will click over and see what she has on the stove.

Chef’s Special Salad

by Mrs Marvel

We are back with a recipe for one of those salad type things my mom used to make and then store in the fridge in a big Tupperware container. The veggies are cooked in a marinade and then refrigerated before serving.

Chef’s Special Salad

1 can small peas

1 can French green beans

1 can white corn

1 medium onion sliced thin

1 medium green pepper

1 2 oz pimento or red pepper

Marinade – 1/3 cup vinegar 2/3 cup water 1 1/2 cup sugar salt & ground pepper. Mix, boil, cool and add to vegetables. Refrigerate at least overnight.

To extend I add cut green beans,lima beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans to extend – and always celery – diced

I am doing my best not to make a South Park reference here.  :-)

Oriental Chicken-Rice Salad

by Mrs Marvel

This is a potentially great salad that looks like it could make about 8 servings. You can skip the extra salt and use low sodium soy sauce, plus reduce the amount of oil if you like.  The oil, salt, soy sauce and sesame seeds are used to make a kind of a dressing that flavors the rice. In a pinch if you don’t have sesame seeds but you do have sesame oil, use that to provide the the sesame flavor. Serve this at a pot luck or sunny Saturday afternoon lunch.

Secondly, you will need an additional 1 1/4 cups water that is not listed on the recipe.

Oriental Chicken-Rice Salad

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

1 cup raw rice – cooked in broth

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

2 cups diced cooked chicken, turkey or pork

1/4 lb fresh bean sprouts

1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 green onions & tops, sliced

1 2 oz jar sliced or diced pimento

Add enough water to chicken broth to make 2 1/2 cups liquid. Cook rice. Transfer rice to large bowl. Combine oil, soy sauce, salt & sesame seeds & mix well. Stir into hot cooked rice.

Cover & chill.

Stir in remaining ingredients and serve

Finger Lickin’ Chicken

by Mrs Marvel


This sounds like a fabulous chicken recipe, pretty easy and different. These days we would just buy our chicken pre-cut, or even buy just the cut we prefer, such as the breast or thighs. I also agree with whoever wrote this recipe – quick & easy, that’s for me. Give this a try for a tangy, honey mustard-y chicken dish.

Finger Lickin’ Chicken

1 3-lb fryer, cut up

4 T butter (I use oleo)

1/2 c honey

1/4 c prepared mustard

1 t salt (I use less)

1 t curry powder

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry. Melt butter in shallow roasting pan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Roll chicken pieces in mixture to coat both sides, then arrange, meaty side up, in a singer layer in same pan. Bake at 375 (I sometimes cook at 350) for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and richly glazed. Serves 4 hungry people. Quick & easy – that’s for me.

Chess Pie

by Mrs Marvel

I originally expected this to be a black & white pie because of the name, Chess Pie, but it is not. This is a creamy vanilla pudding pie baked and I bet decadent. Note that there is no cooking time, so I’d suggest starting at 30 minutes, although I don’t know exactly what “done” looks like with this.

UPDATE: Some friend have told me that Chess Pie is like a vanilla custard pie. It appears to be one of those things where you want to find the “perfect recipe” for a delicious dessert.

Chess Pie

3 whole eggs

1 cup of sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of cornmeal

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 lb. melted butter

Unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored; add sugar and salt – mix well. Add cornmeal and cream alternately, blending until smooth. Add vanilla. Add butter, mixing well. Pour into the unbaked pastry shell and bake in a 325 degree oven until done.