Recipe #1 - Leslie's Salsa

My parent’s met Vince and Leslie after they moved down to California in the late 70’s or early 80’s.  Both couples had no kids at the time and were both newly married.  Leslie and I share the same birthday and maybe THAT is why this salsa is my absolute favorite.

I was preparing for a BBQ at my new place and decided that this would be a perfect addition to the burgers, hot dogs, and jalapeno poppers.  

Ingredients...YUM.

The ingredients are simple and somewhat non-traditional for a salsa.  Canned olives, canned tomatoes, canned green chilies, Bernstein Italian dressing, green onions, lime juice, and S&P (salt and pepper).  Just like most any salsa - you mix these things to getter and Wha-la - you've got salsa.

The finished product.  So so delicious!

Another reason this salsa rocks my world is my family traditionally only makes it once a year - for our annual Chili Feed.  The Chili Feed is a holiday party my parents have been hosting for well over 20 years now.  My mom makes a huge amount of chili (one with meat and one vegetarian) and we eat it.  At this party - we provide the chili, the chili toppings, rolls, slaw, and chips and salsa.  I was usually in charge of making the salsa and over the years I've perfected it.

When making it this time, in the middle of June, I had this weird deja-vu like feeling that it was Christmas time.  I said aloud, "Woah.  No, Patti, it's June...you're not driving up to Seattle to go to the Chili Feed."  It was strange.

Great first recipe to make.  A huge hit at the BBQ.  Looking forward to more!

What exactly am I doing? (Otherwise known as, the first post)

In 2002, Julie Powell set out to cook all 536 recipes in a year from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle.  It seems like a daunting task and by the looks of the motion picture, Julie and Julia, it was.

I never read the book.  I saw the movie and enjoyed Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and of course Stanley Tucci, but it by no means moved me or inspired me...until now.

I love food.  I love cooking it and eating it and sharing it and creating it.  But who doesn’t?

Two years ago, my mother (and the best chef/cook/caterer I know) self-published her first cookbook.  She’s compiled all the recipes she has used over the years of being chef at the Crow Timber Frame Barn in Baltimore, Ohio.

Do you see where I’m going with this?  I’ve decided, without a timeline or agenda, to cook every recipe out of my mother’s cookbook and blog about it.

I haven’t even counted the number of recipes.  But here I go anyway and I'm stoked about it.

My mom and I at The Coug in Pullman, Wash.  April 2008.