Contouring can be a great way to enhance your facial features. If you use the right products and techniques, you will be amazed with the results. I use both a cream-based and a powder-based palette. Anastasia of Beverly Hills makes the perfect cream contour palette while Smashbox has a wonderful powder-based kit.
Peter Carey from PAC Public Relations and I had another great segment on Charlotte’s Fox 46 Good Day Charlotte in October featuring our top three restaurants in Charlotte with great patios for fall dining. What three restaurants made our list. You can view the segment here:
A few months ago, I was asked to head up the Culinary Creations column for a new magazine, Lake Norman Lifestyle Magazine. The magazine was brought to life by two of my very dear friends, Peter Carey and Josh Anglero of PAC Public Relations.
Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, fresh seafood was not always readily available. My Mother used to make these with patties with canned salmon…I decided to elevate this dish with all fresh ingredients. Wow…what a difference. So grab a beautiful piece of Scottish Salmon at your local fish market, or if you are local…visit The Carolina Fish & Food Market to get the freshest salmon in Charlotte.
Start by soaking about three slices of bread (cut into tiny cubes) in enough heavy whipping cream just to cover the bread. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, dice up about 1/2 of a small white onion.
I was so very honored and grateful to become a member of Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC this past week. As quoted on their website, “Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC is a global, independent advisor network of CXO’s, business owners, and industry leaders specializing in a wide array of business disciplines who share a core focus; provide customers with innovative, comprehensive and high-quality solutions at a level of service exceeding expectations.” Take a moment and visit their website to learn more about how you can become part of this amazing network.
I received my MBA from Waynesburg University in 1995 and had a lengthy 16-year career at Waynesburg University as an Accounting Professor.
I launched my own company, Charlotte Fashion Plate in September of 2015 to showcase my passion for both fashion and food. I am very pleased by its success and strive on a daily basis to build my brand. The work is very rewarding and fun. I keep my focus positive and love the relationships I have built with my fellow entrepreneurs, local businesses, and social media followers.
Thanks to Steve Driben of Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC , for the fabulous profile highlighting my career and for believing in me and my company and the direction I am heading in the future.
My Executive Profile is available by clicking here.
One of my favorite dishes to order at any Italian restaurant…Chicken Parmigiana. You may think this is a difficult and time-consuming recipe to prepare. It is not…in just a little over 30 minutes, you will have a juicy and crunchy chicken parmigiana recipe that you will want to prepare again and again. Feel free to substitute veal or even shrimp. You will love this recipe I created!
I have to admit that I do take one very little short cut…I typically do not make my own marinara. I have found two that I love and are just as good as homemade. I combine a small container of Pasta & Provisions Marinara Sauce (can be purchased at The Carolina Fish and Food Market or at any Pasta & Provisions locations) with 1/2 jar of Mario Batali’s Marinara Sauce and a touch of olive oil in a saucepan and heat to medium-low.
Take two boneless chicken breasts and pound evenly to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Season with salt/pepper. In a freezer bag, add 1 Cup of flour and season with salt/pepper. In a bowl, beat two eggs with 1 TBLS of milk. In a separate bowl, combine 2 Cups of seasoned breadcrumbs with 1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 Cup of rice flour (the rice flour makes the chicken super crunchy and allows the chicken to stand up to the sauce).
Heat to medium-high enough canola oil in a nonstick frying pan just to cover about 1/2 the thickness of the chicken breast. Place the chicken breasts in the flour, zip and shake to coat. Take one piece of chicken out of the bag, shake off any excess flour and place in egg mixture. Coat both sides then dip in the breadcrumb mixture…be sure to cover both sides. I typically double-dip. Add the breaded chicken back to the egg mixture then back in to the breadcrumbs. Repeat the steps above with the second piece of chicken.
Add to heated oil and flip when one side turns golden brown. Once both sides are browned, place on paper towels to remove any excess oil. Prepare a glass baking dish by spraying with nonstick spray and add a thin layer of the heated marinara to the bottom. Place chicken in dish and cover each piece with a generous amount of sliced provolone cheese. Top the cheese with additional sauce. Cover and bake on 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Uncover and allow cheese to brown…about another 5 minutes…2 minutes if you turn on the broiler. Top with chiffonades of basil. Serve with your favorite pasta mixed with the remaining marinara…I usually add a touch of heavy cream to the remaining sauce just for an added richness. Serve and Enjoy!
For me, Thanksgiving comes only once a year. So, when I prepare the meal, I take very few short cuts. Gravy, to me, has to be rich and thick and definitely homemade. You can prepare this recipe the day before and finish right before you serve. After you taste this gravy, you will wonder why you ever bought gravy from a jar. Thanks to my Momma!
In your local grocery store, search for either turkey thighs, wings, legs or a combination thereof. I used turkey thighs for this recipe. Heat to a medium high, 2 TBLS of butter and a TBLS of olive oil in a pan. Season your turkey thighs with salt/pepper on both sides. Dredge the thighs in a dusting of flour and add to the pan.
Turkey thighs…
Brown both sides very well. Be sure not to burn. When turkey has browned, add 1/2 box of turkey or chicken stock. I used turkey stock. Start scraping the browned bits then turn heat down to medium to medium low. Add about 4 whole stalks of celery. Cover and allow to simmer for about an hour until the turkey is fully cooked. Check about half way through and add a touch more stock if needed.
Once the turkey is cooked, remove from pan along with the celery and discard. Strain the liquid through a wire strainer twice. I do this to ensure that no tiny bones are left in the gravy. Once strained, add liquid back into pan and scrap sides. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry. Add about 2 TBLS of cornstarch to about 1 1/2 TBLS of liquid. I used turkey stock as my liquid.
Grab a whisk. Turn heat up to medium high and slowly pour the cornstarch slurry in a little bit at a time. You may not use the entire amount. Whisk really fast as you are pouring in the slurry, so as to avoid lumps. You will notice the gravy starting to thicken and become rich. Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency, no need to add more slurry. Go slow with the slurry and fast with the whisk and be patient. Turn off heat and serve with your homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing. If you want to prepare the day ahead, cool down mixture after turkey is cooked then place entire pot in fridge. In the morning, scrap off any excess fat, reheat, strain and follow up with the slurry.
Thanksgiving for me is typically the only time of year that I make this amazing stuffing recipe. This recipe was handed down to me from my Mother who still has the handwritten recipe from my Grandfather. Even though I never got to physically meet him, when I make this, it makes me feel nostalgic and close to him. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It is definitely an old school preparation and takes time to prepare, but it is so worth it in the end.
Start by browning one package of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage. While the sausage is browning, you want to start toasting 1 and 1/2 loaves of white bread. I use a combination of the toaster and oven to speed up the process. Once the bread has been toasted, start pulling it apart into pieces in a large deep bowl.
Once the sausage has browned, remove from pan, drain any excess grease and place, in batches if you have to, in a food processor. Pulse only about three times to break up the sausage. Do not turn into a paste. Should looks something like this when you are done processing.
Cut three stalks of celery into tiny bits. I am all about knife cuts and tend to like my veggies, in this preparation, cut really small. Do the same with about 1/4 of a small white onion. Feel free to add more onion if you would like. I just do not like the onion flavor to overwhelm this dish. In the pan you browned the sausage, remove any remaining grease and add one stick of salted butter and the veggies. Allow to soften for about 5 to 8 minutes…do not brown.
Once the celery and onions have softened, add 2/3 of a box of stock to the pan. I use turkey stock, but feel free to use chicken or even vegetable stock. Allow to cook for a few minutes then add back the browned sausage. The mixture does not look that appealing at this point, but I promise you…it will be fantastic!
Add about 2 TBLS of dried parsley to the bowl with the toasted bread, then pour the stock mixture on top and start combining. The best way I have found to do this, is with your clean hands. Mixture should not be dry at this point…if it is just add a bit more stock and mix. Allow the mixture to cool just enough to add one beaten egg. Do not add the egg while it is too hot or it will scramble. Mix the egg into the mixture. You can then form into balls, place in buttered dish and bake on 375 for about 15 minutes and/or stuff your turkey. I usually make both for Thanksgiving!
I love creating recipes with super fresh ingredients. I love it even more when I am unsure about the combination of ingredients and it turns out to be amazing. Who would ever think that shrimp and brussel sprouts can be combined to make one incredible dish? Here it is…and you are going to love it!
Start with 1 lb. of high-quality shrimp. Of course, I got these beauties from The Carolina Food Market. These fresh, local NC shrimp are 16/20 count, uncooked, peeled and deveined. You can purchase the majority of these ingredients from The Carolina Food Market. I love the convenience of one-stop shopping this market now has to offer.
Place the shrimp in a bowl. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 TBLS of Mike’s Hot Honey, (see website for retail locations). I purchased mine at the fabulous Magnolia Emporium. Add 1 1/2 TBLS of orange blossom honey, 5 to 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 TBLS of paprika, and about 1 to 2 TBLS of olive oil. Allow the shrimp to marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Feel free to add more/less of the above ingredients. I am not one to measure much, so if I think it needs more honey, paprika, etc., I just throw it in. It should look similar to this:
Take about 20 brussel sprouts, cut off ends and slice. I make about three slices per sprout. Once sliced, break apart. Heat a cast iron skillet with a touch of olive oil to medium-high. Place brussel sprouts in pan and start to brown. Do NOT BURN!
It takes about 8 minutes for the brussel sprouts to brown. Keep and eye on them and continue turning them as they are browning. Once browned, add the shrimp with the marinade. Turn down the heat just slightly. Shrimp will start to turn pink and the marinade with begin to caramelize. Continue to stir, so as not to burn. It should only take about 3 to 4 minutes for the shrimp to cook. Do not overcook your shrimp. Remove from heat and enjoy as is, or pair with jasmine rice. You can view me preparing this dish on my Facebook page, Charlotte Fashion Plate. ENJOY!
This recipe has amazing flavor and can be used with clams, mussels, shrimp or a combination of all three. This dish, even though it looks sophisticated and complicated, is super easy and quick! You can make this for under $10/person…this recipe will serve a family of four…hard to get a quality dish like this in a restaurant for the price…
Start by purchasing super, fresh clams. I buy all of my seafood and meats at The Carolina Food Market. You can get the majority of these ingredients at this market. For this recipe, I used 4 dozen little neck clams. I start by soaking the clams in a bowl of water and flour. The clams ingest the flour and spit it out with any sand/dirt that may be inside the clam. Soak for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and set aside.
Heat a deep pan with a touch of olive oil and add three hot sausage links with casings removed. Start to break up and brown. When sausage is almost browned, add 1 minced shallot and 5 to 7 minced garlic cloves along with a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Add about 15 cherry tomatoes cut in half and allow to cook down for about 5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 small bottles of clam juice along with 1 1/2 tiny bottles of Sambucca. Increase the heat to where the sauce is just under a boil. Add the clams and cover with lid. Have a bowl handy to start removing clams as they open. Once all clams have opened and been removed, reduce the heat to medium and add about a Cup of heavy whipping cream. Taste the sauce and see if you need additional Sambucca or cream. Sauce will have a spicy/sweet taste. Add about 5 basil leaves chiffonade. Stir the sauce and allow the cream to warm up…about 4 minutes. Add the clams back in to the sauce and allow to heat up for about a minute or so. I also add a few cans of really good chopped clams at this point. Feel free to leave them out. I just love a lot of clams with my pasta. Have your favorite pasta cooked and ready in a bowl. I used linguine for this recipe. You can also forgo the pasta and just serve the clams in this sauce with crusty bread. Pour the sauce on top of the pasta and add fresh chopped parsley and a bit more basil. It’s that easy…ENJOY!
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