Gorgeous! Sooz, that is gorgeous. I love the way it looks. Last night, I went tropical. We had virgin Hawaiian lava flows with some steamed white rice and Jamaican Jerk chicken. I like the recipe, but I think I would follow the notes given at the bottom of the recipe, and double the dry seasoning. But it was good. Title: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Categories: Chicken, Jamaican, Barbecue Yield: 4 servings 1 tb Ground allspice 1 tb Dried thyme 1 1/2 ts Cayenne pepper 1 1/2 ts Ground sage 3/4 ts Ground nutmeg 3/4 ts Ground cinnamon 1 1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper 2 tb Garlic powder 1 tb Sugar 2 tb Salt 1/4 c Olive oil 1/4 c Soy sauce 1/2 c Orange juice Juice of 1 lime 3/4 c White vinegar 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 c Chopped white onion 3 Green onions, finelychopped 4 Chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz-each), trimmed of fat In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pep- per, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar. With a wire whisk, slowly add the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice. Add the Scotch bonnet pepper, onion, and green onions and mix well. Add the chicken breasts, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, longer if possible. Preheat an outdoor grill. Remove the breasts from the marinade and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Makes 4 servings. From: Stephen Ceideburg Shared By: Leti Labell This recipe is also from Sugar Reef Caribbean Cooking by Devra Dedeaux. This recipe is not as hot as you would find in Jamaica. For that authentic flavor, double the quantity of dry spices. âÂÂJERK: This method of cooking pork and chicken dates back to the Carib-Arawak Indians who inhabited Jamaica. After capturing an animal and thoroughly cleaning and gutting it, the Indians placed it in a deep pit lined with stones and covered with green wood, which, when burned, would smoke heavily and add to the flavor. But first the carcass was 'jerked' with a sharp object to make holes, which were stuffed with a variety of spices. The holes also allowed heat to escape without loss of moisture. The results were superb. The meat was not only wonderfully spices, but moist and tender.â (Note: Sugar Reef is a restaurant in Manhattan) Here is a link that might be useful: from recipe source

Red Velvet Devil's Cake SECRET INGREDIENT: tomato juice Think of this as a red velvet cake crossed with a rich devils food cake. The secret to the cakes moist crumb is nothing other than tomato juice. The acidity of the tomato balances the deep flavor of the chocolate. Quick look prep 25 min cook 22 min serves 12 Ingredients CAKE 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon red food coloring 1 cup tomato juice FROSTING3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups confectioners sugar How to make it 47 minutes Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two round 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray then lightly dust with some flour. For cake, sift together, twice, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at time, scraping down the bowl in between. Beat in the vanilla and food coloring until well-combined. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture and the tomato juice in three alternating additions until well-combined. Divide the batter between the two baking pans. Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, for frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla and the confectioners sugar until smooth. To assemble, place one cake layer, flat side up, on a platter. Spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake layer, flat side down. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Cut into 12 wedges and serve. Save time This easy cake can be made up to 2 days before serving if wrapped with plastic and stored in the refrigerator. To keep the frosting from sticking, use a few toothpicks inserted into the top and sides of the cake to keep the plastic wrap away from the cake. Let the cake stand for 1 hour to come to room temperature before serving. Sue

I think a nice tossed mixed greens salad with a vinagrette dressing would be a good palate cleanser. Often we have our salad AFTER the meal, rather than before the main course. Or in between, if we want to sort of change directions with different items. Toss this into the menu, between whichever items you might need a transition. And hey, it's very green. With corned beef and reuben soup, what could be better for St. Patty's day? Greens Salad Vinagrette -Washed, torn mixed greens. I like a mix of baby romaine, butter lettuce, iceburg, frizee, and baby spinach. About 2 cups total mix per person. -1/2 small red onion, minced very fine -1 small clove garlic, minced very fine (less if raw garlic is too intense for you. Powder is a little less "hot", you can sub 1/4 tsp) -1/2 cup parsley, washed well, stems removed, minced fine -generous pinches of sea salt -generous grindings of black pepper -1/4 to 1/2 cup champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar -1/2 tsp grainy mustard -3/4 cup olive oil (I use good quality, but not a strong extra virgin) Place onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Add vinegar and mustard.. Pulse to combine, then blend. With motor running, drizzle in the oil. Taste, and adjust salt if necessary. I always add more salt. Taste some with a leaf, to see if it is too puckery. If it is you can add more oil, some tomato juice, or even a bit of water. Place into a bottle or container with a lid. In the spring, I like to use chopped chives instead of the onion. So good, and it uses some of them up before they take over. Use only as much dressing as needed to lightly coat the greens, tossing gently so they don't bruise. The rest should keep well chilled for about a week. Try it as a marinade for roasted veggies, chicken, or pork, or as a topping for baked fish. For a nice, crisp salad, dry your greens well and chill them before using. Dress right before serving, and serve on chilled plates. We like our mixed green salad a bit wilted, so we dress it when we start dinner, and serve it after the main course, in room temp bowls. Not totally limp, but nicely marinated.

These are a huge hit at work and with clients. I received orders for 13 dozen this week alone! They freeze beautifully. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Annie's Eats) Yield: about 32 sandwich cookies Ingredients For the pumpkin cookies: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 2 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup canola oil 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree 2 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract For the maple cream cheese filling: 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 8 oz. cream cheese, cold 2 tbsp. maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla extract Directions To make the pumpkin cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined. Transfer the cookie batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip (I use an Ateco #809). Pipe small rounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1.5-2 inches in diameter. (If your dough seems to thick to pipe, you can drop scoops of it onto the baking sheet. Or just add a bit more liquid. This recipe is pretty forgiving.) Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter. To make the filling, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-heat speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling or it will lose structure. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. To assemble, pair the cookies up by size. Pipe filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich together with the remaining cookie. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm before serving. Here is a link that might be useful: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies