Laurie Bakke's Kitchen has a new web address and Facebook page

I'm excited to announce that Laurie Bakke's Kitchen has moved to its own domain! I have a new website and a new Facebook page. Please update your bookmarks with the following links. 

I am leaving this blog online for now. Thank you for all of your support! I look forward to reconnecting soon!

Laurie Bakke's Kitchen website

Laurie Bakke's Kitchen Facebook page

Ready, set, the table!

With Thanksgiving two weeks away, now is a perfect time to start thinking about how to set this year's holiday table.  With a style of natural and rustic, I like bringing the outside in through the garden by using herbs, seasonal foods and flowers.  Below are photos of centerpieces that may give you some ideas and inspiration! Enjoy!

Source: ivillage.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: emmalinebride.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: realsimple.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: pawleysislandposh.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: laurenkreps.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: oneartmama.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Photos from a Cookbook Signing at A Southern Season

I had a fabulous time at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC, on October 29th! Thank you all for coming to visit. I enjoyed meeting you and signing your cookbooks! If you are in the Chapel Hill area, you can purchase a copy of my cookbook, Laurie Bakke's Cookbook, at A Southern Season.

A Southern Season, Two Cookbook Signings, UNC Homecoming, My Twins, and SavorNC Magazine!!

Laurie Green Bakke

What more could I ask for!  I am heading to Chapel Hill, NC for the weekend.  I have the car loaded with my cookbooks and some treats to be at A Southern Season for their event, "A Taste of the South" to be held all day on Saturday, October 29th.   It is homecoming at Chapel Hill and my twins, Chris and Megan, will be on hand to see their mother.  Anyone in the area, please come and visit me for a fantastic fun filled day!!

Look for me on October 29th at Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill. I'll be assisting Sara Foster as well as representing SavorNC magazine. To round the day off, I'll be doing a book signing myself for Laurie Bakke's Cookbook! My blog:http://lauriebakkeskitchen.blogspot.com/ Southern Seasons Event:http://www.southernseason.com/info.asp

A Hearty Soup Meal!

Sunday - October 9, 2011

It is soup time in the Bakke household.  We have cleaned out and defrosted refrigerators and freezers, trimmed and racked the garden and watched football today in preparation for getting ready for the fall season.  And what is next? The Holidays!!!  It is a busy but wonderful time of the year.  We are planning on traveling out to Colorado for Christmas and must starting getting in the mood now.  What better way than soup and a beautiful roaring fire.

It has felt like a soup day to me on this beautiful fall day.  It is hard to choose which recipe because in all my years of cooking, I would have to say soups are one of my favorite meals to prepare.  I went to my tried and true - Italian Sausage, White Bean and Pasta Soup.  I have had more people, especially one dear friend, who have said how much they enjoy making this recipe out of the cookbook for their family.

Soup spells comfort and this hearty soup is exactly what people yearn for on a chilly fall or winter night.  This recipe makes a large amount, so plan for a crowd or freeze some for another evening.  Personally, I am planning on giving my mother some for her dinner tomorrow.

I will have this recipe posted under The Recipe Section.  This was you can print the recipe to make the soup.  Please leave comments on on your experience with cooking and eating the soup.
Happy Cooking!

It is still technically Summer!

It is still technically summer!  Yes, summer does not end until September 22-23 when the beginning of autumn begins.  So I have a few recipes that I have to sneak in before we officially begin fall. There is so much abundance of fruits and vegetables that are available at this time of year.  I could post and post, but I am going to stay on course with some that have turned into real treasures.  

The first recipe is from Alice Waters written in a Food and Wine article that is linked below.  It is the Creamy Peach Tart with Smoky Almond Crust.  It is a winner.  With the fresh peaches(or nectarines) and the creamy cheesecake filling, the tart all comes together with the crust.  It is made with real Nilla Wafers and Smoky Almonds and to pull it all together - good old-fashioned butter.

Creamy Peach Tart with Smoky Almond Crust

www.foodandwine.com

An almost-instant crust, made with vanilla wafer cookies and smoked almonds, is the secret to this simple and unusual tart.

This is really a quick and easy recipe that takes about 30 minutes.

Add caption

My August 2011

We have been traveling again and are finally home!!!  I have so much to post and will  in the next weeks and months to come.  I will be home-bound because I am having shoulder-surgery on Friday, August 12th.  Needless to say, I will have time to blog with new recipes, tips, pictures, stories etc.

The cookbooks are doing well and so pleased with all the great retailers that carry them.  Just a reminder of the retailers who carry them, where you can pick one up for yourself, a friends birthday, a teachers gift or that special someone that loves to cook.  It is a one of a kind and a great opportunity to support local businesses!

Hendersonville, NC:
The Homestead  - 110 N. Main Street
The Fountainhead Bookstore - 408 N. Main Street
Nibs Coffee Cafe - 605 Kanuga Road
Rabbit and Company - 124 4th Ave. East


Flat Rock NC:
The Wrinkled Egg - 2710 NC Hwy 25
The Highland Lake Inn - 86 Lilly Pad Lane


Historic Biltmore Village, NC:
The Winery at The Biltmore House - 1 Lodge Street
Yesterday's Tree - 780 Hendersonville Road
Winks Head & Threads - 18 Brook Street
Chelsea's Tea Room - 6 Boston Way


Asheville, NC:
Malaprop's in Downtown Asheville - 55 Haywood Street


Brevard, NC:
Poppies Market & Cafe - 1 Market Street


Greenville, SC:
Foxfire Gift and Gallery - 2222 Augusta Street


Chapel Hill, NC:
A Southern Season - University Mall, 201 South Estes Drive


Also, working on getting the books in Steamboat Springs, CO.  This is where my husband, Paul, is from and in Denver, CO where our son Chris Bakke lives now.  I will keep you posted!

Trip to Cape Cod, MA with Chicago Friends!!!

Paul and Chuck starting our dinner for The Lobster Night!!! And oh what a night we had.  The meal started with wine, cheese and crackers out by the pool.  We served the lobster with a Fresh Green Salad served with the cookbook's Basil, Mint and Sherry Vinaigrette along with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and plenty of butter and lemon.  A real meal to be treasured!!  In attendance, Paul and Laurie, Chuck and Tosh, Patty and Armen with sons Henry and Nathan and of course, Therese and Kitty, two cousins that we just fell in love with.  More to follow...

Bakke and Chuckie!!!

Trip to Steamboat Springs, CO

We just took a recent trip to Steamboat Springs, Co to visit out daughter Megan.  She is an intern for Outward Bound this summer based out of Leadville.  We all met at my sister's beautiful ranch outside of town and had a wonderful time.  These pictures are us dining by the Elk River and hiking up Fish Creek Falls.

The Fountainhead Bookstore Book-Signing

I want to thank Valerie Wellbourn from the lovely Fountainhead Bookstore on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville, NC. I had a book-signing on June 18th during The Antique Show on Main Street. It was a beautiful day as I arrived at the bookstore around 2:00. I made The Mediterrean Orzo Salad(which is posted on the previous blog post) and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies from the cookbook for everyone to have bites of.
The day seemed to be going along nicely. My sister, Nancy had stopped by and we were selling and signing books. All seem as planned.
Then we stared hearing rumors that a terrible storm was coming from Asheville. Vendors started packing up. It seemed as it might pass and then the sky fell out. The antiques were drenched, along with the vendors. It rained hard with bolts of lightning and thunder clapping all around us. People were running everywhere for cover. This went on for about an hour or so.
Finally, the rain stopped. The remaining wet vendors started to pack up. There was not a person on the street. I watched from the window wondering when to pack up. It was close to 5:00 by then. At this point, Valerie and I decided to call it a day. The sun was coming out as I packed up my car. I said good-by to Valerie and went on my way home.
I guess the moral of the story is...you never know how your day will end up, but whatever happens you need to learn to go with the flow.

Pictures to follow!!

Spring and Early Summer is Here!!!

I am back.  I took the month of May and some of June off to recharge, rethink and take care of family happenings. My children have graduated from college and heading off to their new adventures in life.  Times are changing in the Bakke household and it takes time to figure out where you land once you get through the changes.  But through all these busy days of spring and early summer starting, I have been selling cookbooks, cooking and gardening my way along.

With the arrival of spring and early summer, the world of food opens up and the creativity starts pouring out along with the new items that are available at the grocery stores and farmer's/ outdoor markets.
I will start with some links to recipes that I think are divine.  Then on to salad recipes that I have created in these months and finally to highlight recipes from the cookbook - Laurie Bakke's Cookbook.

The first recipe is from Sunset Magazine, which I love to subscribe to, in order to see what is happening in the western part of our beautiful country..  It is Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad  with chicken, pecans, walnut oil, goat cheese and more.  I have made this so many times and just wanted to share this easy recipe.  Peaches can be substituted.  Try this on a hot summer night and it will sure satisfy your dinner for a light meal. 

Grilled Chicken & Nectarine Salad

The second recipe is my favorite recipe at the moment.  The name is Arugula Salad topped with Fresh White Corn, Roasted Red Peppers and Fresh Thyme.  It is a refreshing salad that goes wonderfully with any grilled meats.  This recipe can be found under The Recipe Section of the blog.

Finally, I will highlight a recipe from my cookbook -  Laurie Bakke's Cookbook.  Keeping in tune with salads and summer, I will feature the Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Basil, Mint and Sherry Vinaigrette.  This is so full of flavor and punch, but really very delicate with the orzo pasta.

This recipe started during my early cooking years and really came into its own during the days at Cafe Laurie. I served the orzo as the side salad.  When you start with the perfectly cooked orzo pasta and add all the fresh crisp vegetables, feta cheese and pour over the homemade dressing (recipe to follow) you will have a salad to swoon over.

It is funny that most people aren't even sure what orzo pasta is but loved it from the first bite.  Great for family dinners, picnics and pot-lucks, it is sure to hold up.  The recipe is quick, easy and can be adapted to your personal tastes.  I hope you give this recipe a try as we head into summertime and let me know what you think.  I love hearing any comments or questions.  Have a great weekend!

Oh, the salad dressing!!!  I hope everyone makes this vinaigrette and uses it for this recipe, but also use it as a marinate for meats, grilled veggies, mixed with beans etc.  I will post more ways to use this very versatile recipe in future blogs.  But for now - enjoy!

 

Cafe Laurie Basil, Mint and Sherry Vinaigrette

 Here is the dressing that turned out to be the

foundation of the Cafe throughout the years.

1C. Fresh Basil - packed

1/2 C. Fresh Mint - packed

2 T. Honey

2 T. Dijon Grainy Mustard

1/2 C. Sherry Vinegar

3/4 C. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 C. Canola Oil

Kosher Salt to taste

In a food processor, place the basil and the mint with the honey on the top.  Turn the machine on high and process until the mixture is combined.  If there are herbs stuck to the sides, stop and scrape down the sides and then process until combined.  At this point, add the Dijon mustard and the sherry vinegar.

Process until the mixture is completely mixed and there are not any chunks of herbs.  With the machine running, add the olive oil slowly until the mixture starts to thicken.  Then slowly add the canola oil.  The vinaigrette will be thick and emulsified.  Season the vinaigrette dressing with salt to taste.

Makes 2 Cups

Chef Tip:  I have heard some folks say they have trouble finding sherry vinegar.  Here are a few sites that you can order the vinegar online if not available in your area.  These are all wonderful sites for gourmet items and more.  Happy Shopping:

igourmet.com

deandeluca.com

surlatable.com

amazon.com

Chelsea's Tea Room now serving Laurie Bakke's Cookbook!

I'm thrilled to say that we have a new retailer carrying the book! The wonderful folks at Chelsea's are carrying the cookbook.  If you're over in Biltmore Village, please stop in for lunch and a Cookbook! Both are sure to please!!!


Thanks,
Laurie

The Food Hound Begins Cooking Her Way through Laurie Bakke's Cookbook

Thanks to Kate Brosnan for this awesome review of my Spanish Smoked Chicken Salad!

Kate's Finished Product

We met Kate a few months back when we stumbled across her blog, The Food Hound.  Kate is a Registered Dietitian in Knoxville, TN and writes about food and wine.  We sent Kate a cookbook a few months back and asked her to blog about the recipes as she made them. We're thrilled with this first review and look forward to others!

Look for more to follow!

The Spring Market is this weekend!

Join me this for The Junior League of Asheville Spring Market. This wonderful event takes place at the WNC Ag Center, April 29 - May 1. My cookbook will be available for purchase during the event. I will be offering samples of some of my delicious recipes. Brenda Fuqua is joining me with a selection of scrapbook essentials. Yesterday's Tree will be displaying some of their food products. I hope to see you there!

Chapel Hill...Here I Come!

In just one short week from tomorrow, I'll head to Chapel Hill for an all day demo at one of my favorite spots:  A Southern Season!  I'll be on the floor from 11-5pm, sampling my pimento cheese, as well as the Asian Spicy Peanut Sauce tossed with Marinated Chicken and Peppers. Talk about taste and sizzle!

These recipes are of course found in Laurie Bakke's Cookbook, which I'm proud to say is currently on sale now at A Southern Season.   Join me and tell your friends and family about it as well - this is going to be FUN!

Rabbit & Co - The Art of Salad Making

Good Monday Morning!
I just wanted to share some photos with you from the fun night we had at Rabbit & Company in Hendersonville. What a great group of people and such a special location. I look forward to doing more cooking classes in the future. To keep up to date, check back here under the Calendar tab or send your email address to me at lauriebakkeskitchen@gmail.com and I'll add you to our database.

Enjoy!

The Rabbit and Company Cooking Class

It is that time of year. Spring is just around the corner. We still have some cold weather hanging around but the signs of spring are everywhere. That is why I am doing a cooking class at The Rabbit (124 Fourth Ave. East) on Thursday, March 17th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm that focuses on salads and everything that make salads such a great part of our everyday food choices. Oh, how I love salads! I will highlight vinaigrettes, dressings, side salads, entree salads and more.

I do believe the class is sold out, but I will be scheduling more very soon. So keep an eye out. The Rabbit is a wonderful place for this type of event. If you can't make the class, remember to go ahead and pick up a copy of "Laurie Bakke's Cookbook" which, of course, is sold at The Rabbit and many other retailers in the area. You will then be ready for the next cooking event!

Laurie Heads to A Southern Season!

Join Laurie April 2, 2011 for a Demo Day at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC!



See you soon!

Another Great Event!

Here are some pictures from another successful book signing.  February 24 at the Fountainhead Bookstore in downtown Hendersonville.  Thank you Val for your hospitality!  A big thanks to Rabbit & Company for supplying the wine.  I truly appreciate everyone's support.