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Mrs.Derk
 
Home Town: Old Tappan, New Jersey, USA
Living In: New Hampton, New York, USA
Member Since: Jan. 2008
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Slow Cooking, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Healthy, Dessert, Quick & Easy, Gourmet
Hobbies: Scrapbooking, Gardening, Hiking/Camping, Walking, Photography, Painting/Drawing, Wine Tasting
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Mrs.Derk
About this Cook
I'm a suburban girl who is trying to adapt to a new life in the country. I am originally from Bergen County, NJ, but have moved up to Orange County, NY after our wedding on October 7, 2007. So not only am I adjusting to life as a newlywed, but I'm adjusting to a life where the nearest supermarket is over 20 minutes away. Right now we're quite busy with our first home, but we always find time for good food. I am an artist with a passion for decorating. My dream is to have my own line of custom home decor with hand painted furniture and accessories. For now though, I'll have to settle for decorating our own place first! Rural life is slowly sinking in to both my art and my cooking. So my husband is quite proud that his city girl can also be a country wife. However, I'll always be the odd girl pulling up to the farm stand with my Coach purse and MINI Cooper.
My favorite things to cook
I started out my cooking history with baking. I then branched out to pasta sauces and other items that could easily be made in my parents kitchen without causing too much of a mess. Now that I have my own kitchen I'm making everything I can think of, but baked goods still hold a special place in my heart.
Recipe Reviews 2 reviews
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Grilled Chicken Breast with Cucumber and Pepper Relish
This is a great base recipe. The spice of the chicken meshes well with the cool relish. However, I did wind up making some changes to add more of a kick to the dish. To the relish I added - 1 finely chopped jalapeno and juice from 1 lime. I also substituted the parsley for fresh cilantro. It gave the dish a slightly southwestern flavor, but it really went well with the chili and cumin flavors in the chicken. I also recommend making the salsa ahead and letting it chill for a few hours so the flavors have enough time to blend.

2 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Aug. 4, 2008
Portobello Penne Pasta Casserole
This is a great dish, but I did make a few minor changes. I sauteed my garlic with the olive oil used for the mushrooms until golden in color. I added 1 chopped medium yellow pepper and sauteed that for a couple minutes prior to adding the mushrooms to the pan for 1 minute. I cut the butter down to 1/4 cup and allowed the flour to simmer before adding the milk. I also let excess water run off my spinach, but I did not squeeze or drain to remove all moisture. My sauce was quite thick and the remaining water in the spinach brought it to a perfect consistency. With the changes this was a huge success. It wasn't watery at all and it tasted fantastic.

2 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jan. 22, 2008
 
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