The Walsh Cookbook

Ozoni is a traditional Japanese soup eaten for New Year’s. It generally consists of a simple broth with a few simple ingredients.  There is great variation, however—if you Google it, you will see many, many different versions, but the one that my mother (Caity's grandmother) prepares is quite simple and we do it exactly the way she does. Growing up, I was always told that ozoni must be the first thing consumed on New Year’s Day in order to ensure that one wo uld have good luck in the New Year, and we have continued that tradition in our family-- to sometimes varying degrees of enthusiasm, particularly when the kids were younger.  But now it’s become something that we look forward to preparing and eating on New Year’s morning, and we have a steady stream of friends dropping by to share in the good fortune of the New Year. It is also nice and soothing for a stomach that may have ingested a little too much champagne on New Year's Eve.  Our version is ...

Another one of Erin’s favorites, panna cotta is an Italian cream dessert—kind of like a cream jello, actually, though that’s not a particularly appealing description.  It’s a very simple dessert; just a creamy, vanilla-y, soft gelatin that’s usually served unmolded onto a plate or out of a nice wine glass—either way served with a fruit puree sauce or some fresh fruit.   This recipe is the best version I’ve found, from the ever-reliable “Best of the Best” Cookbook II—written by those Canadian Best of Bridge ladies. I like to serve this with just a few fresh berries.    Most American restaurants serve it with a raspberry or other fruit puree, but I think that fruit purees overwhelm the delicate panna cotta, but that’s just my humble opinion. What the Best of Bridge ladies say about it is “You’ll never make anything else that’s this good and this easy!   The texture is like velvet!" We have it for dessert with Christmas dinner. It's ...

I am a hot chocolate addict and have been for a very long time. I would rather have hot chocolate in the morning than coffee. Most mornings, I'll make hot chocolate in my Starbucks to-go mug and take it to work. Everyone assumes I am a grown-up and drink coffee but really it's delicious hot chocolate!  Last Christmas, Keegan and I made hot chocolate truffles on sticks and once I tried one, I knew I had to make them again. I love these truffles because they are so festive and they taste really good. Last year, Keegan and I dipped them in marshmallows, cinnamon/cocoa, and matcha green tea. The green tea looked really pretty and colorful. This year, I tried using crushed candy canes (because I LOVE peppermint hot chocolate) and holiday sprinkles from Target that cost a dollar (I love Target!). I also tried a "Mexican Hot Chocolate" truffle which basically involved adding a little cayenne to the cinnamon/cocoa mixture. I think dipping them in powdered sugar wou...

When we used to go visit Erin in the U.K., our bed and breakfast would always serve us a "Full English Breakfast" which (depending on location) can involve eggs, bacon (not bacon like we're used to in the U.S., the U.K. bacon is called "back bacon" in the U.S.), sausages, baked beans, white pudding, black pudding, kidneys (grilled or fried), potatoes, toast, soda bread, pancakes, bubble and squeak (the English are so strange with their funny names sometimes), fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, oatcakes, and fruit pudding.  After a breakfast like that, I never felt ready for the day, I felt ready for a nap. But my dad doesn't allow for morning naps. We usually powered on and walked the length of the city at least twice to work off some calories.  Since Erin has moved back to the states (and I am very glad she's here), I was not getting any more authentic English breakfasts soooooo I started making my own once in a while. In Salt Lake City, you ...

I've seen recipes for matcha cookies before and have always wanted to try them but I always chickened out because of the green color. But since it's Christmas time, I think green cookies will be more widely accepted. They're "festive"! In fact, they remind me of the Grinch which is my favorite Christmas movie ever.  These have great flavor, and the lime compliments the matcha green tea flavor very well. These cookies are great straight off the plate or served with tea.  This recipe is from Nicole Stich's cookbook "Delicious Days".  Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour for cooling Cook time: 10-15 minutes One year ago:  Tomato, Sausage and Eggplant Soup ,  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Two years ago:  Sugared Cranberries ,  Monkey Bread