tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39123559297931423932024-02-19T04:23:24.959-05:00The Coquettish CookEating, Drinking and Sucking the Marrow Out of LifeKate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-29229158341953061642013-09-14T09:00:00.001-04:002013-09-14T09:00:52.768-04:00Where Inspiration Lives
Good light
Inspiration is a funny thing. It has to strike in just the right way, in just the right moment for me to put pen to paper, or whisk to bowl. For me, inspiration often lives in our apartment, early on a quiet weekend morning, sun streaming through the windows, illuminating the plants. Music. Cat, sleepy-eyed and happy that I'm home. Clothes tumbling in the dryer. Moments like now,Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-37813021685394179052013-08-03T21:10:00.000-04:002013-08-03T21:20:27.804-04:00In Her Kitchen: Tamales with Mary Ann
I have so much appreciation for home cooks – my friends, family and colleagues that live to be in their
kitchens. For whom cooking is more than a way to feed their families, but a way
to feed their souls. I’m going to be featuring some of those home cooks and
the moments I spend in their kitchens, here on The Coquettish Cook blog.
My first opportunity to spend time with a cook in their Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-39704806398190335222013-07-28T10:43:00.000-04:002013-07-28T10:43:32.824-04:00West
I love vacation. I love being far from home, far from
responsibilities and obligations. I love forgetting what day it is because you
just don’t need to know. Having 4 glasses of wine at lunch with absolutely no
reason to say no or feel guilty. I don’t get enough vacation. I take days off
here and there, I visit my folks down south. But I don’t get a week of
whatever, whenever… hardlyKate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-75584505442829994062013-07-25T19:59:00.000-04:002013-07-25T20:02:35.827-04:00Trucks
Recently, the husband and I put our brave faces on and ventured down the street in the extreme, hell-fire like heat to the Providence Flea, a market that pops up on summer Sundays on South Water Street. If you've been in Rhode Island at all lately, you know the kind of heat I’m talking about. Absolutely brutal. But the sky was blue and it was something to do and hell, there would Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-45957682927875132012013-07-03T13:23:00.001-04:002013-07-03T13:23:40.715-04:00The Baby Bucket ListLast night was one of those great nights out with good friends that I’ll look back on fondly for a long time. As we sat at a lovely outdoor table at a downtown restaurant, I mentioned that this may be, at least I hope, my last child-free summer.It’s that time. My 35th birthday is just weeks away. In March, I married my best friend of 20 years. And Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-68107653823400500972013-07-01T21:07:00.001-04:002013-07-01T21:07:03.524-04:00Waffle House
One morning, very soon after our wedding, John announced that he wanted waffles. It took me by surprise, because my husband is just not a breakfast guy. I'm not afraid to out him on this - he's a protein shake guy. Maybe he thought eating homemade waffles together would really seal the deal? The conversation went down something like this, and if you know us both, you'll hear it:
J: Make Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-15735277144515787152013-06-27T20:58:00.001-04:002013-06-27T21:01:23.368-04:00The Chain GangLast night, a friend and I had a beautiful dinner at Farmstead in Providence. As always, the food and the service at Farmstead were perfection. We shared a selection of 3 artisan cheeses, Prince Edward Island muscles in rich broth and a to-die-for burger with gorgonzola cheese and fat polenta fries. Our server was warm and friendly and allowed us to draw her into ourcackly Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-53525350119919903912013-06-24T21:11:00.000-04:002013-06-24T21:11:10.696-04:00Shrimp & Bacon Farfalle in a Creamy Chive Sauce
If you ask me to bake, I will bite my nails, study my cookbooks as though my teenage SAT scores depended on it and soldier forth. I will nervously switch back and forth between the recipe and the bowl so quickly and so often it will give you whiplash. I'm a nervous baker. This Mothers' Day, while I was frosting a coconut cake that I woke up at 5am to bake, my hands were actuallyKate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-5398348131705159112013-06-21T10:20:00.003-04:002013-06-21T10:20:41.754-04:00The Happiest Place on Earth Ain't Disney
Here I am in Aiken, South Carolina, soaking up some sun, lovely weather and parental guidance. I have to be truthful, since my introduction to this southern town in 2010, the list of things I like about Aiken has been short. My parents are here, that's number 1. Their downtown area is full of cute boutiques and that old southern charm, that's number 2. And Duke's BBQ, that's number 3. Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-90792594096038654352013-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:002013-06-18T12:00:08.721-04:00Almost Stressless
This Sunday, I had an 11-person,
surprise birthday dinner for my mother in law. But I also had a 5K to run the
morning of the party and well, a life. That means I couldn't do anything too
time consuming, or that I couldn't tackle ahead of the party. Here are a few
things that can be made pulled together quickly or made ahead - and the most important things I've learned about Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-62618370324742437412013-06-17T20:12:00.001-04:002013-06-17T20:12:45.852-04:00Welcome Back Cotter
Here she is. The most delinquent blogger in the history of blogging. Since I last wrote in October of 2011, I've finished culinary school, walked down the aisle with my best friend and lived a lot of life. I'm not going to apologize or make excuses for my absence. Life got in the way of this thing that I love. It happens.
But this spring, I was at a food event with all sorts ofKate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-80774333278584055262011-10-19T21:12:00.000-04:002011-10-19T21:12:01.388-04:00California Part 1: Santa Cruz
In the last week of September, I had the privilege of visiting my oldest friend in her new home - San Francisco. Sandy and I became friends in the 5th grade, in that awkward horror that is middle school. We were each other's port in an uncertain, head-geared storm. Sandy has been a port in the storm for me ever since. But life happens, and alas, adults with jobs do not get to spend Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-43221086092109849002011-09-03T16:08:00.000-04:002011-09-03T16:08:42.528-04:00Outstanding in the Field
On August 18th, I had the good fortune to experience Outstanding in the Field, a dream come true for any foodie. A ticket to this unique event will buy you a beautiful evening at a local farm, or in this case, a vineyard; a full belly courtesy of a local chef; a challenged liver, courtesy of said host vineyard and a local brewer; and delicious memories that you'll want to savor Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-42363983313978120052011-07-25T17:58:00.000-04:002011-07-25T17:58:42.108-04:00Nostalgia for Dinner
Back in our early 20’s, my friend Stacey and I would go out for drinks, believing ourselves to be both the coolest and hottest girls that ever were. We would put on our “going out” get-ups and order Cosmopolitans and bask in the knowledge that we would never be wiser or more worldly than we were at that moment. (Hey, we all go through it.)
Too cool for school...
Our wallets were Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-35372671262017192182011-07-11T18:41:00.001-04:002011-07-11T18:42:19.308-04:00One Rockin' Hors d'oeuvre
On Friday, I was going to a girlfriend's house for wine and girl time and was looking for a morsel as tasty as the gossip would be. And I was feeling decadent... this is not new for me. An extensive cruise through the interweb lead me to this little gem from Bon Appetit.
Crostini with Figs, Robiola Cheese and Pistachio Oil
First, I must apologize for the agressive "brownness" Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-60265811199345870092011-07-05T18:01:00.000-04:002011-07-05T18:01:43.163-04:00Ravioli Improv
A pasta craving does not go away until it is fed. And I have some mean pasta cravings. Last week when the pasta monster came to call, I was in a distinctly non-grocery-shopped state. So I improvised with the packaged ravioli I had in the fridge and some other scrounged ingredients and got a result worth blogging about. I even repeated the effort for dinner guests shortly after. Here it Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-26908544786969697652011-07-01T14:00:00.002-04:002011-07-11T17:54:03.007-04:00A Very, Very, Very Fine House
Chez Coquette has moved! As charming as our old place was in its advanced age, it left a few modern conveniences to be desired. And so we packed up countless boxes of belongings and hit the road… exactly 12 blocks.
I’m sure you can be with me on this fact: a new place to live changes your whole outlook. Seven years of same-old was a distant memory and I was intoxicated by the Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-67424539032338304422011-06-30T20:42:00.001-04:002011-06-30T20:44:56.698-04:00On Not Blogging
Well, it’s entirely possible that I simply don’t have the discipline to be a blogger. But I’ve missed it! And I thank you for joining me back here at a whim. Here are a few things I’ve been up to since I’ve been away.
Finishing up school for the summer with Baking & Pastry...
Top: Chocolate and rum lava cake with mango coconut ice cream in a coconut cup
Bottom: Peanut butter Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-83915711860987962642011-03-16T19:11:00.000-04:002011-03-16T19:11:06.600-04:00Pursuit of Perfection, Days 2&3I'm not going to lie. I'm tired!
Today was my third day in a row of waking up at 5:30 to go to they gym before work, which is great. I feel really good about that. But I'm dragging a little. 8PM bedtime, anyone?
Yesterday I decided on something I wanted to add to my experiment: try being nicer. It's not that I'm mean per se, I can just be impatient - a typical New Englander quality. I'm Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-20391487202015104662011-03-14T21:34:00.000-04:002011-03-14T21:34:14.216-04:00The Pursuit of Perfection: Day 1Well. This is serious business. My day began at 5:30 when I woke up without using the snooze button to get ready for 6AM spinning. Before I left, I made my bed and straightened around the house.
Keep the house immaculate: Check
Go to the gym five days a week: 1/5 Check
I was three quarters of the way to work when I remembered that keeping up with the news was one of my goals. Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-13589347276703695012011-03-12T12:12:00.000-05:002011-03-12T12:12:21.858-05:00In Pursuit of Perfection?
“Should”
“Shouldn’t”
Do you ever notice how often those words slip from your lips? Lately, I’ve been noticing that I ignore “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” a lot. With work, culinary school, family and friends, I have a busy schedule and often I find myself letting go of the things I “should” be doing just to get a few blissful moments of peace with a glass of wine and my DVR.
But is Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-31156987123146465922010-10-13T20:45:00.001-04:002010-10-13T20:50:12.275-04:00A Moment on the Lips...
... a lifetime on the... well, you know what they say.
Last Sunday I began Introduction to Baking & Pastry. I walked in thinking I had it in the bag - I bake all the time at home. In actuality, I had to relearn how to measure. Cups and teaspoons do not exist here. I learned to use a baker's scale to measure in pounds and ounces. Once I got the hang of it, it was quite fun.Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-34833171104959730052010-10-11T14:28:00.000-04:002010-10-11T14:28:31.075-04:00Chicken Potpie with Green Apples and Cheddar Biscuits
Fall is my favorite season. I love everything about it, from the tights and boots to the farmers' markets to the fabulous comfort food. This fall, my favorite comfort food has been coming from Pam Anderson's new cookbook, Perfect One Dish Dinners.
Recently, I tried Pam's chicken potpie with green apples and cheddar biscuits. This was an enormous hit. John had 3 servings and my friend Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-85806077061761486242010-08-03T18:38:00.000-04:002010-08-03T18:38:15.058-04:00Stuffed Peppers, the Lazy Sunday Edition
Late Sunday afternoon, I had woken up from a delicious, after-beach nap, and was thinking about what to do for dinner. I did a quick check of Twitter and found my answer almost immediately. Someone mentioned stuffed peppers. That was it. I wanted stuffed peppers. Nothing else would do. Thank you @wenderly!
Since I’ve never actually made stuffed peppers before, I was winging it for sureKate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912355929793142393.post-66304735187605589582010-08-02T19:45:00.000-04:002010-08-02T19:45:11.333-04:00Selfish
This weekend I found myself unexpectedly free. Some travel plans fell through, John was away working, and I didn’t have school or any other commitments. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to do (and eat) whatever I wanted. Bliss.
Breakfast for dinner anyone?
Photo by Stacey Doyle
Friday night, my partner in crime Stacey and I decided on breakfast for dinner: French Kate MacDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18025610301136673000noreply@blogger.com2