What's cooking?

Recipes for gatherings, large or small:

Appetizers:
Bean & Veggie Burritos - appetizer version (see also dinner version below) - make ahead then pop in the oven as needed during your party (they freeze well, too)
Roasted Red Pepper Spread - quick and easy appetizer
Eggplant Dip With Asian Spices - people always love this dip

Dinner/brunch:
Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, and Corn Enchiladas - yummy comfort food
Tia's Favorite Mexican Chicken - a tasty stew, good for a brunch buffet or supper with friends or family
Baked Flounder with Tomato-Caper Sauce - recipe is at epicurious.com (see my comments here)
Bean & Veggie Burritos - dinner or appetizer sized
Hunters' Chicken - rustic chicken stew with tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and rosemary
Penne with Chicken, Squash, Broccoli Rabe and Carmelized Onions - a delicious fall stew

Outdoor entertaining:
Bean, Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Cumin Dressing - a great salad to bring to a cookout
Strawberry Shorcakes with Mint and Whipped Cream - at epicurious.com (I made w/o mint but added blueberries)


Sweets:
Spicy Banana Bread - my own conconction; great for breakfast or snack; freezes well (slice first)
Black Gold cookies - on epicurious.com (I posted about these here)
Apple Crisp with Oat Topping - easy to make and delicious

Well-worn cookbooks:

Simple Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin
Quick Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin - both Lemlin books have yielded lots of "old standbys" using staples you have on-hand (rice, canned tomatoes, canned beans, frozen vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions...)
All the Best Rice, by Joie Warner
Paella, by Penelope Casas
How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman - great reference cookcook, lots of alternatives for recipes

Sources:

epicurious.com  -  A great place to find recipes: just plug a main ingredient or two into the search engine and see what comes up.  The reviews and recommendations of people who have tried the recipes are invaluable - they often offer good substitutions or additions that make the recipe better.  Also click on "most popular" to find most recommended recipes. Most recipes come from Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines.

allrecipes.com - Another great source for recipes, submitted by individual home cooks as opposed to the recipes at epicurious.com. They also include reviews and ratings by users.

tienda.com  -  Great source for Spanish foods, paella supplies (I got my paella pan here), and gifts.

bueno foods  -  These guys have the absolute best chili powder from New Mexico, their Premium Chimayo Chili Powder.  I discovered it when I visited Santa Fe in 1999 and couldn't get enough of it.  Makes great red sauce for enchiladas and is also excellent whenever a recipe calls for chili powder.  You can pick it up in the grocery store in Santa Fe, but from New England I order packs of it and freeze it.  Yum!

in vino veritas  -  Subscribe to Jonathon Alsop's witty wine newsletter.  He also teaches wine seminars in the Boston area.

upton tea imports  -  Great selection of teas and friendly, helpful expertise.  (Does that rhyme?)