GCC: Sweet & Sour Rice Salad

January 16, 2012 by Monica in Cooking Club, Gutsy Cooks Club, Rice, Salad

One of the main reasons I started Gutsy Cooks was to push myself when it came to trying new things in the kitchen. Often time, we get comfortable with our favorite dishes and tend to make them over and over again, losing the opportunities to try new flavors, ingredients, and techniques.

The whole point of calling the cooking club Gutsy was to remind myself, and those that participate every week with me to be fearless in the kitchen. That is how good cooks are born.

It may be a total bust and you may not like it, but – you.tried.it. You were Gutsy. And then there are those times when something you have never thought would work becomes your new favorite thing.

This salad is my new favorite thing.

Insalata Russa [Russian Salad]

July 26, 2011 by Monica in Entertaining, Family, Family Cookbook, Main Courses, Salad, Vegetable

This is another recipe plucked right out my Nonna’s A cookbook. This salad was served in all of our family “special events”, so any birthday, baptism, party, Christmas, anything that involved a gathering of more than 20 people and this dish would make an appearance.

Since I been reminiscing my younger years in the last couple of weeks, I of course made this. This dish, as my grandmother use to tell me could be found in any “antipasto” offering in Italy. During my travels, I have found countless versions of this salad but I always go back to my grandmother’s italian version.

In Italy it’s mainly made with diced vegetables like potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, and combined with homemade mayonnaise.

Mango-Orange Salad

July 01, 2010 by Monica in BBQ, Entertaining, Family Cookbook, Fruit, Holiday, Salad, Sides, Vegetable

Did you know that grilling is a Patriotic Duty? According to HPBA (the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association) independence day is the number one holiday for barbecues and outdoor cooking and based on a national grilling poll, 80% of adults plan to host or attend a cookout this forth of July.

The U.S. Census Bureau - better known for telling Americans how many of them there are and how much they make on the average - surveyed 66 million people who attended barbecues last year and figured "it's probably safe to assume a large number of these events took place on the Fourth."