Visit Mexico... by cooking Mexican food

A friend of mine and I recently celebrated "Mexico" by making some deliciously inspired Mexican dishes. We made a Malbec sangria, flan, crab cakes with a veracruz cream sauce, arroz de elote and goat cheese fundido. The flavors were amazing! One could close her eyes and imagine being on the Southern coast of Mexico, with the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the shoreline. I recommend getting together with friends. Pick a regional food theme and have everyone bring food from that region. Dress up and celebrate that culture's style as well. Above all else "cook out loud" and from the heart. Get creative. Celebrate life. Cheers ~ Danielle (http://www.cookoutloud.com/)

Homemade Creative Aprons

Hi everyone. My step mom made me the cutest apron. It's a waist apron that is reversible, with one pocket on each side. I wore it recently to an audition for "Master Chef" in Los Angeles. The photographers commented on how "adorable and fashionable" my apron was. I agree whole heartedly.  This apron washes and wears incredibly well. I wear this when I'm having guests over and I'm finishing up last touches on dishes in the kitchen. The apron allows me to have some protection from splattering food, but still allows a cute outfit to be visible. I am considering selling these on my website: http://www.cookoutloud.com/  Please let me know if anyone would consider buying one of these adorable, homemade aprons. Great holiday gift ideas! Cheers - Danielle

Left over lemon tart filling....

I recently wrote a new recipe for "Lemon Tarts with a Twist". I ended up with too much filling. Instead of throwing the filling away... I poured the remainder in little ramekins. I baked them in the oven beside my tart. When I removed them I added powdered sugar to the top. They didn't have the crust that the tart did... but they were sized perfectly for little individual desserts. Delicious! Get creative with your left overs. Cook Out Loud! Cheers - Danielle
Click here for Lemon Tart Recipe!

Enhance a simple pasta dinner

Last night I cooked up some wheat pasta. I sauteed some chicken and combined it on the stovetop it a store-bought lemon pesto sauce. I wanted to add a bit more of a homemade appeal, so I ground up some Italian croutons in my food processor. I also shredded up some parmesan cheese. Adding these 2 ingredients made it thoroughly delicious! You can also add fresh herbs for freshness. Check out some great pasta recipes at Cook Out Loud.