The Other Woman Cooks

Forget the grilled steak on a starry July evening ... there's nothing quite as satisfying as an elegant cold summer supper of shrimp cocktail, lobster salad and a creamy version of French potato salad, delicately herbed with fresh chopped tarragon and parsley. Add a crusty baguette, a refreshing pinot blanc. Relax with the one you love while gazing at the constellations. Fireworks, anyone? CREAMY FRENCH POTATO SALAD 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped 1/4 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water just until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Mix egg, celery, parsley and tarragon into cooled potatoes. Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice and ground pepper in a medium bowl...

Cold air smacked us in the face late last Wednesday night as we headed out of the airport. Bro and sis-in-law, John and Lois Kozikowski, whipped up traditional turkey feast which made our holiday enjoyable and pressure free after the long flight and late arrival the evening before. We were back from vacation, but we just didn't want to dive back into New England winter fare. We wanted to hold on to beautiful Puerto Rico. One way to do that was to recreate this mango poppyseed dressing at home. It took a couple of tries, but my third version tickled our taste buds. Accompanied by lean grilled London broil, it made for a meal that remembered the sunny days and sandy beaches of La Isla Bonita. MANGO POPPYSEED DRESSING 1/2 cup mango puree 1/8 cup superfine sugar Dash of salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice 3/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon poppy seeds Combine ...

With the tons of tomatoes, peas, pasta and beans my Italian grandmother's minestrone didn't actually taste very cabbagey. Then I married Farmer Paul. If you're part of a Polish family you can't escape cabbage. Sure I like golumpki, I would tell my husband's mother and aunts. But I unwrapped the cabbage rolls and ate the insides before discreetly tossing the actual cabbage part in the disposal. Sometime in my mid-twenties I decided to give the whole golumpki a try and found I didn't hate cabbage at all. And from then on it was cabbage heaven for me. These days I wait impatiently for our garden to produce. Golumpki, kapusta, cabbage pierogi are standard cooked cabbage fare. Shredded cabbage instead of lettuce on tacos, and summer slaw are two favorite ways to use raw cabbage. SUMMER SLAW 1 medium cabbage, chopped or coarsely grated 2 carrots, peeled and coursely grated 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon sugar 2 table...