Foodie Forum

I am excited to marry my faith with my love for food to create a recipe that embodies this edition’s theme “mindfulness.” Lent, which starts February 14th this year according to the liturgical calendar, has me thinking about mindfulness and love. To me, the most important message of Lent is to slow down, reflect and appreciate. Don’t rush through life without stopping to think about all the gifts we’ve been given, and maybe even share them with those you love. We northerners tend to find ourselves wishing for warmer weather to accompany Easter. The sunny flavor of freshly-squeezed orange juice …

Summer in the Midwest is all about being outdoors. We love grilling, going to outdoor music venues, being on the water, hiking, visiting farmers markets and enjoying fresh epicurean delights via foraging or our own garden. I particularly love blueberry picking. If you have never tried it, put in on your bucket list. These recipes are from my sous chef Emma. Plan a picnic on your boat or in your backyard and enjoy our Midwest summers! Bon Appetit, Lanette Street Corn Appetizer INGREDIENTS • 16 ounces cream cheese • ½ cup sour cream • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice • …

I am so “eggs-cited” for spring and Easter. So many new chapters are being written in our family story. Our daughter is getting married in June, and what is better than brunch? Well, brunch with breakfast dessert, of course. Breakfast burritos are a great thing to have in your freezer. I folded them as pockets, so you can pop them on your toaster to heat up and crisp the outside. I paired it with my grandmother’s “special dessert” which pays homage to meringues. I’ve included my favorite tea, but you could go with a latte or mimosa! Bon Apetit, Lanette …

I am excited for 2023, and it marks some significant events for our family. Our daughter is getting married in a couple of months. I am also marking the 20th year of starting a book club, and I’m inspired to write a cookbook this year, as 40 years ago I put my first recipe in a cookbook. I submitted French Onion Soup to the Paullina Centennial cookbook, and I am calling that officially published. For this issue, I had fun updating the original recipe with miso, Gruyère cheese and ramps — three ingredients that I hadn’t heard of back in …

As I work to write this article, I am reflecting on how writing this column for ten years has flown by. January 2013, Foodie Forum debuted with a favorite pasta dish of mine called “Shrimp Vermicelli.” I have been humbled to hear kind words from our readers over the last decade. I am dedicating this month’s recipes to all the Courageous Women that I have been positively influenced by both in the kitchen and in life. My Paullina family has been making these two recipes since the ‘90s for our Christmas Eve celebration of the birth of Jesus. May you …

There are so many recipes I have published over the years that fit into this edition’s theme "Fix It and Forget It." The first recipe of Foodie Forum was Shrimp Vermicelli, and I typically have a 9 x 12 pan of it in my freezer. I also published the spaghetti sauce my sister always made, and that can be found in a Ball jar in my freezer, as well. I seem to have determined what items freeze well to have on hand to make meal prep easier. For instance, I love to freeze ginger root, orange and lemon peel, cheese, …

I hope everyone is enjoying the Wisconsin warm weather months. For me, I love to be outdoors in nature, hiking and foraging. I have really enjoyed ramps and finding new ways to cook with them. I love making ramp compound butter. Ramp chowder is always a classic. I have included two recipes that utilize ramps. Please share your favorite foraging food on our Facebook page. ~Bon Apetit, Lanette BBQ Brisket Pizza INGREDIENTS 1 red onion, peeled and diced 1 pinch salt 3 jalapeños, seeded and diced 1 1/2 lb. to 2 pounds pizza dough 1/3 cup BBQ sauce 1-2 cups …

Happy Spring to all of you and your loved ones. Spring means fresh starts, longer days and growth; those are all reasons for celebration. I love the days that I can be out harvesting Allium tricoccum (commonly called Ramps). I chose these recipes as a representation of spring. These would be great for a picnic in Phoenix Park or in your backyard, enjoyed under the sun. Please feel free to share your favorite lemon meringue pie recipe on our Facebook page! ~Bon Apetit, Lanette Lemon Meringue Pie Adopted from Betty Crocker INGREDIENTS 1 pie crust baked per instructions Filling 3 …

Happy New Year, and welcome to new beginnings. For my culinary new year, I am finally experimenting with an Instant Pot. My friends started their Instant Pot journey a few years ago, and I purchased a sous vie (which I love). They shared recipes and tales of epicurean success, all the while I was convinced I did not need another bulky appliance. Last year, my oldest daughter received one as a gift, and we started experimenting with it together. I didn’t realize what a one-pot wonder this electric contraption can be due to its old-fashioned pressure cooking technique. I have …

Kudos to all the courageous women out there. I certainly have been blessed to know some courageous female role models. If you enjoy the culinary world like I do, what does courageous in the kitchen mean to you? It doesn’t matter if you boil water for mac and cheese or forage your own epicurean delights, all of us can go outside our comfort zone when it comes to food. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You could melt your blender to your stove top, which ignites into an electrical fire 15 minutes before you are hosting playgroup.(true story) Sometimes …