RECIPES | Sweet Leisure

Category Archives: RECIPES

CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO—GLORY BE

Ask locals to name the things that shaped St. Louis’s historical character as well as contribute to the city’s current charisma and everyone will reply: baseball and beer. Chocolate lovers will add Bissinger’s. Beloved by St. Louisans since first opening in 1927, Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier continues to make traditional high-quality chocolates and old-fashioned confections (HALLELUJAH), […]

¶ Posted 12 December 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CHOCOLATE § DESSERTS ‡ Comments Off °

SLEEPING AROUND: IRELAND

Tourists like Ireland for many reasons, including Guinness, golf and the easy-going graciousness of the Irish people. I fancy the country for the accommodations and love to sleep around, savoring townhouses, boutique hotels, country manors and ancient castles. I choose properties that not only sport distinguishing factors reflecting Ireland’s rich history and/or culture, but also […]

THAILAND PLEASURES

I don’t want to talk about this too much; it might make the Gods jealous. On the other hand, the whole SiamJunk experience is so wonderful that it deserves sharing. Imagine being in Phuket (Southern Thailand), boarding a yacht equipped with six luxury en-suit cabins and an attentive staff that includes a gifted cook. Perhaps […]

¶ Posted 04 November 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CRUISING § ENTREES § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off °

NEW GLARUS AND GOOD FONDUE RECIPE

Can you guess where I am? Let me give you some hints. Cheese is the major product, with raclette and fondue the favorite dishes. People dress in embroidered folk costumes and yodel. If you hang around long enough, you could probably hear an alphorn and would certainly spot a Heidi playing among the half-timbered chalets. […]

¶ Posted 28 October 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CHEESE § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: CHEESE, fondue, Little Switzerland, New Glarus, Wisconsin

THE COMFORT DINER’S RED FLANNEL HASH

I love diners. I love breakfast in diners. Not tablecloth places that call themselves diners, or the chic “retro”ones that put in a jukebox and red-plastic booths and make believe they are authentic. No, I like real, old-fashioned, Formica-table and tile-floor, long-established neighborhood diners that are warm and friendly and offer food like mom might […]

¶ Posted 26 September 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BREAKFAST § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: beets, BREAKFAST, corned beef, NYC, The Comfort Diner

Gulf Shores, Lucy Buffett and L.A.Caviar

Lucy Buffett (yes, Jimmy’s sister) runs the exceedingly popular Lulu’s at Homeport Marina, a restaurant on the Intercoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores, Alabama. With service both indoors and out and live music, Lucy’s “high-class dive” attracts boaters, families, tourists and neighbors to dine on casual-beach-bar type food. Although Lulu’s features predictable Alabama pub fare heavy […]

¶ Posted 05 September 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ALABAMA § GULF SHORES § RESTAURANTS § SALADS § SIDE DISHES § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Alabama, black-eyed peas, Gulf Shores, Lulu's

Summer Magic in the Farmers Market

Almost every city has a farmer’s market, but best of them all has to be the Dane County Farmer’s Market in Madison,Wisconsin. Held outdoors, rain or shine, every Wednesday and Saturday from May to November (and indoors, on Saturdays, in winter), the market draws the most crowds on summer Saturdays when vendors set up about […]

¶ Posted 12 August 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § SALADS § SIDE DISHES § SOUPS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: cucumbers, Dane County Farmer's Market, Gazpacho, Greek salad, green peppers, tomatoes

GREAT GRILL

Although it is self-designated “the smallest town on earth, ” Durbuy is large enough to have a restaurant serving what my traveling companions claim is one of the biggest taste treats in all of Belgium. Considering the nature of our trip, this is super-size praise for any size town. I was traveling with four fellow […]

¶ Posted 29 July 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ENTREES § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: Belgium, chicken, Durbuy, grill, Le Victoria Restaurant

Croque Madame

The Grove Café & Market in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves French-accented foods in an attractive setting that is part cafe, part coffee house and part gift shop. Add the sum of the parts and you’ll get a whole lot to love, including a terrific Croque Madame popular at breakfast, brunch and lunch.