Home At Last! with Patty Gironda

In the mid-80's, Ron and I decided to accept a job offer in San Juan Capistrano, California! We had no money to speak of! About $700 by the time we arrived in California! We arrived on the California coast with a packed 280Z; including our newest family member, Henrietta, a pretty white rescue from the Japonica Street SPCA in New Orleans! We couldn't afford an apartment when we arrived due to the fact we ONLY had $700! We rented a motel room that allowed pets and Ron went to work.  Poor as church mice, we finally struck a deal with a landlord to repair a condo ravaged by too many parties and druggies. It turned out to be a lovely rental after we totally renovated and redecorated! Our time spent in California was wonderful. I think we'd still be there now if not for my unreasonable fear of earthquakes! We loved the food culture, the weather and the friendly people! We particularly loved the Rose Bowl Antique show every month and found the garage and ...

While I had the smoker at the perfect temperature I threw on a few marinated sardines.  Lavished with a bit of olive oil laced with Vietnamese Salt and Pepper, fresh lemon in the form of zest and juice and a scant bit of sugar for balance my sardines were worth the effort! The results yielded an excellent appetizer of fresh saltines (the filet pulls away from the teeny bones with the help of a butter knife) and freshly-mixed cocktail sauce!

It's an old story. . . I send hubby out with a shopping list filled with specific items to make a simple meal of vegetable soup and biscuits. He's a good shopper and I have no worries that he will return with every item on my list. But! for some unknown reason he was feeling very independent and returned with a completely different bag of mixed vegetables , thinking I might prefer those instead! He bought a small bag of potatos, carrots and celery. That's it. Fortunately, (for him), I had a leftover roasted turkey carcass, ears of corn on the cob, fresh spinach and lots of tomatoes. I felt confident I could turn this into a worthwhile dinner. What I ended up with was one of those lucky "mistakes". I made a Mexican vegetable soup with plenty of fresh spinach, tomato, and corn-and a tasty broth made from the turkey carcass and corn cobs. Cumin, chili powder and chives made for a smoky, flavorful contrast to the sweet broth. I fried strips of flour tortilla ...

  I am still giggling about these cute plastic forks and picks I found at my Asian market in Atlanta. Not quite sure what the original intent might have been but are I am considering all the possibilities. .  . Fruit Picks? Fruit Forks? or, maybe, they were coining a new word, "porks" . . .  intended to describe both utensils with one word?! Either way, aren't these the cutest Fruit Porks?

Prickly Heat Pousse Cafe Grilled Black Forest Ham, Triple Cream Brie and Garden-fresh Tomatoes Admittedly, this lunch is a little out of the ordinary! It's time to "put up" seasonal fruits and veggies-not leaving much time for much else! So quick sandwiches and leftovers are on the daily menu at our house! I cooked peaches and prickly pears last night! The pickled peaches are canned-leaving another ten or so pounds for syrup and preserves. The Prickly Pears were reduced into a fabulous syrup that we use for drinks. I call my Pousse Cafe cocktail "Prickly Heat"! It's fabulously smooth and is an artful layering of tequila, prickly pear syrup and half and half! It was P-R-E-T-T-Y good lunch fare served with our grilled ham, French Triple Brie AND garden-fresh tomatoes. There are some serious health benefits associated to the cactus and the prickly pear!  Thankfully, it is more widely available at the markets and as a processed syrup but the best w...

This fun project has been a labor of love!  Pretty heirloom Georgia peaches that have provided a little mystery-a tree deposited on my front doorstep over thirteen years ago.  The man described them as King Peaches-small raspberry-scented peaches used by his grandmother for pickling. The mystery is that most experts can't identify the peach and are stumped by the name and variety.  I will continue to dig and hopefully share information about my mystery tree.  My next project is uncovering the best method to regrow the tree. My tree is thriving and providing me with hours of fun and study-even keeping me awake one night as I considered what I would do with this year's crop. In keeping with the origins of the tree's story and history I decided the first project of the season would be pickled peaches in honor of the gentleman's grandmother.  After all the conversation that led to this wonderful gift was shared stories about our grandmother's pickl...

This shot took me several hours to capture but I think you'll have to agree it was worth it! Enjoying the afternoon sun this little baby took shelter from the sun in my father's Italian parsley!

Making this expensive restaurant-style salad is so easy and inexpensive when prepared at home. This salad is a carefully-constructed live food salad with a small amount of cooked protein-essential to building a strong immune system. Each ingredient chosen to aid in the body's ability to fight disease and provide valuable fiber and essential vitamins to the daily diet! The recipes starts by boiling a small amount of pounded chicken cut into small pieces in a little water flavored with dried cranberries, cumin, dried kale, dried chives, whole garlic and paprika until the chicken pieces are just cooked. The chicken is removed from the water and placed in the refrigerator to chill. Mineola oranges are segmented and chilled. A red bartlett pear and small tomato are each sliced thinly and chilled. The small baby spinach is added to spring mix and then tossed with a small amount of olive oil and fig balsamic. A tablespoon of ranch adds flavor and sheen. Toasted chopped pecans finis...

Casa Bella Bed and Breakfast is finally open and guests are enjoying our spacious, modern rooms. Many of the furnishings were purchased locally but we still had to make semi-frequent trips to Piedmont Street in Atlanta for lamps and other small accessories. We also enjoyed the trip for a nearby Chinese buffet that has really delicious seafood on the menu-including an Asian fried Tilapia that is so crispy and flavorful. Paired with their spicy mussels and sushi I'm a "happy camper". Unfortunately, we've run out of excuses to hit our favorite buffet so I just had to break down and cook the mussels myself. For me, this is an enjoyable process but requires a little extra knowledge to create the deep, rich broth that flavors the meaty mussels. I buy the mussels at my local Asian mart and keep the in the freezer to enjoy when the mood strikes. A box on the half-shell is plenty for two or three people and also yields the pretty green shells which I saved for an upcoming ...

I just had to post this pretty picture; so pleasing to me.. From a simple digital photograph I am transported across oceans and continents. Popular in both Tuscany and Spain, anchovy-stuffed green olives are enjoyable as a compliment to bruschetta or simple grilled cheese bread or paninni. For me, they are best by themselves with a Chianti or Pinot Noir. For others, these can be an acquired taste! The mention of anchovies can really cause some to shake their heads in disgust or cringe with disapproval. But, I don't let little things stop me from trying to convert "fish haters".   I recently won over my husband . . . "a fish hater" from way back! 

My need for dried and fresh herbs will increase dramatically with the opening of our new Bed and Breakfast, Casa Bella . I relied heavily on my kitchen garden the first time around and look forward to planning and planting another garden in a few weeks. I dried quite a few seeds over the late summer, fall and winter; hoping to grow them this season in my own garden, My hope is that everything will taste as good as the original store-bought version. How often can you even say that anymore? Too often the fruit and veggies have no flavor and mealy textures. So, we'll see. One of my big goals for the year is to create raised beds on our empty lot behind the cottage and share it with a few neighbors and friends in the hopes of creating a "co-op" garden filled with herbs, vegetables, melons, fruit bushes and trees. I love our Newnan Market Days and am thinking about selling my herb and spice blends that I dry and blend from leftovers of episodes of Home At Last! Which f...

When I started my television show fourteen years ago, I suffered from terrible allergies. My eyes were puffy and swollen at 6 am and I hated the close-ups on live TV. I heard that models used Preparation H to relieve the puffiness and I remembered being embarrased to go to the store for tubes of the hemorrhoid medication. Instead, I studied the active ingredients and set out to concoct my own natural tonic that might offer relief. Fourteen years later, this is the one product that I cannot live without. This, and my Lemon Chiffon Cream made of organic Shea butter, aloe and other oils-great for skin and hair. The tonic is made of organic witch hazel and two types of tea, one of raspberry-scented tea and the other from the leaves of the raspberry plant. There is a little vitamin C and E to tighten the skin and aloe juice to heal and refresh. I use it under make-up and to set my make-up. It perks up the skin and adds a glow when applied through-out the day. As more young women f...

Smoky cumin and plump, sweet craisins are the stand out flavors of this easy chicken stew. Paper-thin slices of cabbage and slivers of carrot add texture while fresh basil and cilantro brighten the dish. Subtle undertones of tamarind, garlic and scallions create authentic Thai flavors along with Dark Soy Sauce and smooth peanut butter. Look for tamarind paste or pods at the grocery store.  Create quick tamarind sauce with the addition of fresh garlic, Dark Soy, vinegar, basil and cilantro.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.