CD's Faves

	"I like to think that by the time I put recipes out there in the world, every single one of them is really, really good. But ... I still have my favorites. "My preferences are large, strong flavors: chilies, lemons, ginger, garlic. I like extremes of cold (homemade sorbet, salads) and hot (both as in temperature and as in spice). I tend towards dishes that are homey, but with a slight dolled-up twist. But then again I like simple: cornbread, and really fresh sautéed greens with garlic and olive oil, served still steaming hot. My tastes in food, like everyone's, are finally deeply personal and thus inarguable: you like what you like.
One of my favorite things to do: eat with friends, in this case Chou-Chou (center) and Frosty. A casual potluck, Chou's house, veggie Tex-Mex --- black beans, rice, spinach enchiladas.
	"So, here are a few of the recipes I return to time and again, with links and comments on just why they made my personal cut. " --- CD

Recipe	Why I love it
Artichoke-Lima Bean Ragout in Lemon-Garlic Sauce	Lemon, garlic, white wine --- big gutsy pieces of fresh artichoke in a sauce that is smoothly unctuous in texture but just sparkles with flavor. Everyone I've served it to loves it too. It's vegan.
Iced Herbal Cooler	Simple as can be, hugely refreshing, as red as the ruby throats of the male hummingbirds outside my window all summer. This was the summer beverage at Dairy Hollow House, and remains a house specialty of the Writers' Colony. Again, it's universally loved.
Chocolate-Orange Dream Mousse and Chocolate-Raspberry Dream Mousse	I LOVE these! Why? Delicious, of course. But also oh, so easy, very quick to make, and their voluptuousness just blows the circuits of anyone who is convinced her or she hates tofu. (I don't usually tell on the front end that there's no eggs or cream in them).
Skillet-Sizzled Buttermilk Cornbread	A classic cornbread. No matter how often I make it, I am overwhelmed with how good it is. Another simple recipe I get asked for all the time, and another part of Dairy Hollow House, CD-and-Ned history.