R is for Ricotta: Ina Garten's Turkey Lasagna (Jennifer)

Hello friends!

Oops, I've done it again. Yes, I'm sorry. This week you get only a photo of ricotta, not lasagna as this post's title suggests. But, if sometime in the near future I do make this recipe again, I'll upload that delectable-looking lasagna photo faster than you can say lickety-split!

I learned two things about myself over this past weekend. 1). I'm still learning when it comes to this whole "entertaining" thing and 2). I don't do very well with multi-tasking when it comes to cooking, talking and taking photos. Case in point: I forgot to take photos of the final product (i.e. the turkey lasagna), despite having mentally reminded myself dozens of times throughout the day, not just Saturday when the lasagna was first served, but also on Monday, when we ate the leftovers. But....I'm reminded that both days, instead of taking photos of the food I'd created, I was spending those moments with close friends and family who are both very near and dear to my heart. Sometimes that all that matters. : )

R is for Rosemary: White Bean and Rosemary Dip (Jessica)

Hi there!

This week, I was really excited to get Rosemary as my ingredient. While it's a very lovely herb, it's also the name of a character in a musical! I bet you didn't know that, did you? And if you DID know it, do you know WHICH musical??

Well, I'll just tell you: it's from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. That is a very long title for a musical. Usually shortened to just "How to Succeed," this musical has been around since 1961 when it first debuted on Broadway and then in 1967, the movie came out. It has been done on Broadway twice more now and is actually still running, most recently (and famously), DANIEL RADCLIFFE played the lead! We KNOW how great Harry Potter is, well, this was great as well. I was lucky enough to get to see him perform in the show and it was really fun! (Here's a clip from his performance at the Tony's) Anyway, the female lead is named Rosemary, and every time I use rosemary in my cooking, I always think of one of the songs from the show :)

ROOOOOOOSSSSSEEEEEEEMMMMMAAARRRRRYYYYYY......

(that's how the song goes)

R is for (Honey) Ricotta Cheesecake (Jennifer)

Howdy, howdy, howdy!

I'm lounging on my couch right now, recovering from a long day following last night's 10-year high school reunion! Wow, did I just say that?? Cahrazy, people. Seriously, cahrazy. But, it was fun. It was really, really fun to reminisce, look back at old yearbooks, and catch up with people I haven't seen in ages. My high school was really small--my graduating class was about 30-some odd people. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less, I can't remember. But, you can imagine, with such a small class, you get to know people pretty well.

So, along the theme of reminiscing, when I saw this week's recipe for Honey Ricotta Cheesecake, it made me think of my mom's cheesecake. The one she made from the yellowed, torn-edged, drip-stained recipe card with her handwritten "New York Cheesecake" at the top. Needless to say, when I made the Honey Ricotta Cheesecake, the bar had already been set pretty high. : )

R is for Raspberry Buttermilk Cake (Jessica)

Dear Reader,

Today, I salute the raspberry. A funny looking fruit with a funny name; this berry makes me happy. Yes, the seeds get stuck in my teeth all the time (a la Pretty Woman ---I know that was strawberries, but similar phenomenon here people...) but I love raspberries anyway. AND, I love their color. I'm a big fan of bright colors. Just ask anyone who's been in my bedroom as a kid, dorm room in college, or apartment now. So when a fruit tastes good AND looks good, I'm sold. What else in nature is that beautiful shade of red? Hmm...maybe beets. I like raspberries better.

I found the recipe for this cake on the very popular and very lovely Smitten Kitchen blog. Deb (the author) wrote, "Makes one thin 9-inch cake, which might serve eight people, if you can pry it from first two people’s grasp". That is pretty much spot on. I did bring some to a friend and some into work. But I ate the majority of this cake on my own! Did I just admit that? How embarrassing! Maybe next week I'll make another salad just to even things out.. ;)

Ok, probably not.

And now, on to the recipe!