Taste Buds, Maine Food, Cooking, Recipes - Sandy Oliver

Make memories with cranberry chutney

Thanksgiving is next week already. How did that ever happen? Jamie and I usually spend the holiday with a dear friend in Connecticut who is 101 years old this year and still likes to do the dinner with — increasingly — help from me. more

By Sandy Oliver | 11/21/09 | 56 views

Old recipe can be altered to use 14.5-ounce cans

Elaine Covell of Bangor asked if anyone had a good crockpot recipe. Myra Kinsman of Milo came through with one perfect for the coming cold weather. more

By Sandy Oliver | 11/14/09 | 508 views

Colorful chard mixes well with sausage, pasta

Here is a little note I made to myself: “Greens, Italian sausage, artichoke hearts and penne.” Don’t ask me where I found that combination, but there it was on a page titled “chard and … more

By Sandy Oliver | 11/7/09 | 151 views

Don’t skimp on mustard in baked beans

Back along in this column, I ran out a few ideas for things to do with good old baked beans. Tim Burleigh in Dover-Foxcroft wrote and said, “I seem to have missed your column last fall about baked … more

By Sandy Oliver | 10/31/09 | 346 views

Least juicy tomatoes best for cheesy pie

The last tomatoes on the window sill went into this pie. We were among the lucky ones who didn’t end up with late blight, so we had a few end-of-the-season green tomatoes to leave in the sunny kitchen window to turn red. more

By Sandy Oliver | 10/24/09 | 425 views

Turn unripened tomatoes into salsa

This was my year to experiment with salsa. One of our favorite Fast Food Friday suppers is nachos with Jamie’s homemade refried beans, tortilla chips with cheese and, of course, salsa, of which we buy too darn much. Hence the salsa experiments. more

By Sandy Oliver
Special to the News | 10/17/09 | 619 views

Key Lime Pie recipe knocks out competition

Before Nina Scott left Friendship for the winter, she very kindly called me up and told me about a really good key lime pie for which she had just acquired the recipe. It came from Sudi Blanchard in … more

By Sandy Oliver
Special to the News | 10/10/09 | 432 views

Don’t be afraid to give these beans thorough cooking for tender surprise

Years and years ago, my husband, Jamie, and I used to go to a favorite Lebanese restaurant where they served something called fassoul. I tried to imitate it at home and often came close. I had … more

By Sandy Oliver
Special to the News | 10/3/09 | 483 views

Fajita casserole makes easy, wholesome dish

Sandra Burke in Dedham sent this recipe along. It appealed to me because zucchini and green tomatoes happen together in the garden here, and a can of black beans is usually in the cupboard. So is … more

By Sandy Oliver
Special to the News | 9/26/09 | 572 views