Tag: side dish

Restaurant Review: SHED Healdsburg

Even if you’ve looked up the restaurant and planned your reservations in advance, it can be all too easy to miss SHED in the thriving downtown Healdsburg restaurant scene. It’s just off the main drag, far enough down the block that you can’t quite see it and — oh yeah — it’s shaped like a SHED.

If it weren’t for the al fresco seating out front, you could easily mistake the building for a furniture shop or even a warehouse. But once you’ve found it, you’ve found a slice of foodie heaven.

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Butternut Squash Puree

I’ve always cheated with butternut squash, opting for the pre-chopped, steam-in-the-bag version from Trader Joe’s. But I thought I’d take a chance and work with the real deal. Turns out it’s not as difficult as I imagined. Here’s a really easy recipe for butternut squash puree — all you need are 3 ingredients and some patience. Bon Appétit!

PS See below the recipe for an accompanying chicken recipe and wine pairing suggestions!

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French-Fusion: Rice Pilaf

This is a side dish I’ve made so many times that I cannot honestly tell you how I thought of it or if it was inspired by another recipe. It’s my go-to side dish for my homestyle version of Duck a l’orange (which is why I put the “French” in front of fusion), but it also goes really well with glazed salmon, or as a vegetarian dish on its own.

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Easy Homemade Mango Salsa

I think I inherited my dad’s salsa gene. We both make salsas that pack a punch when it comes to flavor and somehow seem to go well on top of…anything. However, my dad, unlike me, has knife skills like a ninja. So after I took my first knife skills class, the first thing I did when I got home was make a salsa — it’s the best way to practice uniform dicing and the results are delicious. Now, I’ve done it so many times, I’ve got the recipe — and the knife skills — down to a science. So please enjoy…

Mango Salsa Ingredients

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Easy a l’Orange Sauce

It’s fun to play “fancy French food” in the kitchen every once in awhile. Unfortunately, I am not classically trained and some techniques and ingredients are just beyond my reach. But when you’re cookin’ up a duck breast, you can’t help but want to make it a l’orange, right? Enter, my cheats sauce…

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