5 Star Makeover Archives - An Edible Mosaic™

White Bean Casserole with Crunchy Onion Topping

November 12, 2012 by Faith 29 Comments

This month’s 5 Star Makeover theme is holiday green bean casserole. I know most people have strong feelings one way or the other about this casserole; personally, I love it, but only if it’s fresh. Unlike most Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, this dish seems to lose its magic once re-heated.

At first for this makeover I was planning to do a more gourmet version of this classic side dish (an “ultimate” version, if you will), making everything from scratch – replacing the canned fried onions with homemade mini onion rings, making a lovely velvety béchamel instead of canned mushroom soup, and intensifying the mushroom flavor by using a mix of wild shrooms.

Then I thought about it some more, and did a quick Google search. As you might have guessed, quite a few bloggers have already shared gorgeous versions of homemade (or mostly homemade, which totally counts in my book) green bean casserole.

So onto Plan B.…

Cherry-Vanilla Sour Cream Scones with Vanilla Cream Spread

August 29, 2012 by Faith 29 Comments

I have always loved tea parties. I remember being a little girl and playing make-believe tea time with my best dolls arranged around a little table. I’d wear a hat, gloves, dress, and high-heeled shoes spirited away from my mom’s closet…and of course I always gracefully (haha!) tripped all over the place because of the shoes and too long dress. I only served water and crackers, but with a very proper (at least to my five year old ears) British accent, it always felt nothing short of elegant....

Sweet Coconut-Cardamom Chilled Soup

June 27, 2012 by Faith 33 Comments

The theme for this month’s 5 Star Makeover was perfect for warm weather months – chilled soups! When it comes to cold soup, I enjoy savory soups like gazpacho (or even savory smoothies, which I sometimes eat like soup if they’re particularly thick) as well as sweet soups like fruit soup, and at first I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go for the challenge. But then I started thinking about it and decided it should be a dessert soup…I knew I’d have trouble getting Mike to eat a chilled savory soup, but he might go for dessert....

The Radish Challenge

May 28, 2012 by Faith 30 Comments

Sweet Velvety Radish Sauce One of my very first food memories is of radishes. Grandma, I questioned, Do you really like radishes? My grandmother was standing over her kitchen sink washing a bunch of radishes. She was lost in thought, looking out the window above the sink at a bird who was merrily chirping nearby. A refreshing breeze fluttered the curtains and brought with it the scents of freshly mown grass, lilac, and earth. It was late spring and we were about to enjoy what was probably our first meal of the season outdoors, in the backyard at my grandparents’ house. I was about six. She […]...

Mushrooms in Cream

September 26, 2011 by Faith 38 Comments

Mushrooms in Cream Over Risotto When I’m in the mood for mushrooms, garlic and thyme is usually my favorite way to go. In this recipe, I took it to the next step flavor-wise, by deglazing the pan with white wine and adding cream....

Tarte Flambée with Blue Cheese & Champagne Grapes

August 22, 2011 by Faith 53 Comments

I’m an equal opportunity pizza lover. Whether it’s thick crust, deep dish, grilled, topped with tomato sauce, or dessert style, odds are I will adore it. But mmm, thin crust is my number one favorite. Tarte flambée, which is basically a thin crust pizza hailing from the Alsace region of France, has been at the top of my list of recipes that I’ve been dying to try for quite some time. When Natasha and Laz announced that this month’s 5 Star Makeover theme was pizza, I knew exactly what I wanted to make....

Oven-Coddled Eggs {With Chard, Parmesan, & Fresh Herbs}

July 25, 2011 by Faith 54 Comments

The latest 5 Star Makeover theme was Farmers’ Markets, a theme I really enjoyed because of how wide open for creativity it was. I can’t think of any way I’d rather spend a weekend morning than perusing my farmers’ market, looking for fresh goodies and thinking of how I want to eat them....

Olive Oil Scones with Cinnamon Figgie Butter

May 25, 2011 by Faith 53 Comments

This month’s 5 Star Makeover theme is “Gourmet Picnic Food” in honor of upcoming Memorial Day. Since this theme is so wide open, I had a lot of fun with it and chose a more non-traditional picnic theme: teatime! For my picnic, pack a thermos full of tea (spiced black tea is fantastic with these scones!), some finger sandwiches, and these Olive Oil Scones with Cinnamon Figgie Butter…...

White Asparagus Risotto Cakes with Scallion Pistou

April 26, 2011 by Faith 71 Comments

When Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! announced that April’s 5 Star Makeover theme ingredient was white asparagus, my mind began racing with all the ideas of what to make. I had visions of almond-laced white chocolate white asparagus mousse, a delicate cream of white asparagus soup, white asparagus gratin, and the always delicious steamed white asparagus with hollandaise and fresh herbs....

Bacon Pate Toast Stack with Poached Egg Yolk

February 22, 2011 by Faith 57 Comments

I was honored when Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! recently invited me to take part in February’s 5 Star Makeover (a huge thank-you to Natasha and Laz!), and then when I found out that the theme was “Bacon and Eggs” I was thrilled beyond words. Initially I didn’t know if I wanted to go the sweet or savory route for my dish, but after much brainstorming (to name just a couple of my ideas, how good does Herbed Choux with Bacon Custard or Savory Custard with Sweet Bacon Tuiles sound?), I decided on savory. Not only that, but I decided […]...

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