I finally have the recipe for my Grandma Coral’s wonderfully, delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. These sweet treats freshen your breath while warming you belly. Thanks Grams!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of butter (softened) and an additional tablespoon for melting the chips
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 10 oz package of mint chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar

Makes approximately 3 dozen

I am a huge fan of the Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks that you can find in the checkout isle of your grocery store or by mail order. I would have to say that my favorite issue is the Brunches & Desserts issue from April 2001. I have made at least twenty plus recipes from this book and continue to make variations of the recipes every sunday. Being an advocate of sleeping late and having a breakfast/lunch meal to feed my family, these recipes give me inspiration to try new combinations of food without a lot of new editions to my pantry.

My favorite of all these recipes is a dish I made for my mother and grandparents right after I got the book, Spring Skillet Frittata. A beautiful display of small red potatoes, crisp asparagus, feta cheese and fresh basil in a fluffy cushion of eggs. I still make variations of this dish when I few veggie leftovers from the week that need to be used up. You can add what you like to this dish and serve it at any time.

Peter Shears
Canton, Ohio
October 2007
5 stars out of 5

I understand now why the first page of Peter Shears Downtown website reads “Canton’s Only Five Star Restaurant” after the dinner I experienced this evening. We are talking top of the line ingredients, beautiful atmosphere, extremely knowledgeable staff and exquisite cuisine. Considering I am a self-proclaimed foodie, I’m known to be very nitpicky over my food, so it was surprising when I found myself saying, “can I kiss the chef”? Granted, I was little surprised when Chef Michael Meffe visited us at the table for fear he was coming to claim his prize but luckily he didn’t hear me.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup crab meat chopped or shredded
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 tablespoon Savory Herb & Garlic Soup mix
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup crushed croutons
• 12 white mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 4 slices of provolone cheese
• Dash of paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Nonstick cooking spray

Serves 4 (3 caps each as a small appetizer)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 oz.) uncooked Orzo Pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (also 1 extra tablespoon for the pasta water)
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Serves 6