About Me / My Style

About Dorothy Reinhold

I am a career newspaper editor currently on hiatus from that dying challenged industry. I have been married to a fabulous Poindexter-science-math geek for more than half my life (!), and have two children who are perfect. (Except when they aren’t.)  I have 25 years of food writing and recipe developing under my belt, and I freelance as a food and financial writer, while helping to lead the PTA at school and volunteering at our local community theater. There are never enough hours in the day to do all the things that interest me! You may reach me at DReinhold@charter.net.

About Shockingly Delicious

“Shockingly delicious” is one of those things I say when something tastes beyond wonderful. Or else it’s “scary good,” but that doesn’t sound so fantabulous as a blog title, does it? Scary good, as in, “This caramel-banana-butterscotch-pecan bar is scary good.”  If something is shockingly delicious or scary good, prepare to find a 12-step program to wean yourself from it.

How many recipes do I have?

Thousands. Millions. Quadrillions. Like many recipe hoarders collectors, I have clippings coming out the wazoo (what is a wazoo, anyway?), 400+ cookbooks, and my computer overflows with links and recipes and cooking sites and culinary ideas.

As vices go, that’s not so bad, is it?

What kind of cook am I?

I specialize in scrumptious, simple-to-prepare, tried and true recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook. These are “scary good” recipes with big flavors, so don’t blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself from your addiction to some of them! You’ve been warned!

Shockinglydelicious offers inspiration, a nudge and a formula for success, because if you start with the right recipe at the right time, you are halfway to the finish line!  These recipes will definitely get you noticed when you bring them to a potluck.

  • I skew on the cost-conscious side. Call me cheap if you like; I don’t consider it an insult.
  • Leftovers are king at our house, so we actually prefer when a recipe makes more than enough. That just means lunches later!
  • When I use canned goods (beans, tuna, etc.) in a recipe, I try to use the whole can.
  • I like to use produce in season.
  • I take advantage of sales. Nothing makes me happier than mangos on sale three for $1;  I will come home with 12.
  • I try to buy organic when it makes sense.
  • I trim as much fat as possible, but fat is flavor, and sometimes you just need it. Nothing is more satisfying than eating a grilled chicken thigh with the skin on. Go ahead, eat the skin.
  • Even if I trim the fat, or salt, or sugar, it has to taste fabulous. If it tastes like cardboard, I don’t care how healthy it is, no one will eat it. And where’s the joy in that?

You CAN do this! It is not rocket science (well, some recipes are, but I leave them for others).

Where did I learn to cook?

I am a lifelong cooking enthusiast, learning early at the expert hand of my mother and my first Brownie Scout cooking badge. Then there was Mrs. Whittaker, my home ec teacher in 7th grade, and her recipe for onion rolls, with which I wowed my family one night at dinner. In high school, I gave out loaves of cranberry bread to friends one year for holiday gifts, and after college, I dived into “The Silver Palate” cookbook, as did many.

As I began my journalism career, I began to write food stories and recipes for whichever paper I worked at, culminating in the Tried & True food/recipe column I have written for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group since I began working there as an editor in 1993. I now also write for AOL and Gourmandia.com.

I can remember my fantastic feats (an elegant pumpkin-prosciutto lasagna with béchamel sauce that wowed visiting Canadian relatives) and my failures (a lemon cake that resembled a pancake after baking afterI added a too-generous splash of lemon juice just for fun; my mother helpfully dubbed it a “torte.” ). Or the batches of cookies that made it hot to the counter and then straight into the gaping maws of my three brothers without a stop at the cookie jar, as well as the batches I mercifully scraped straight off the cookie sheet and into the trash.

For many years I cooked just for the two us, so I am fluent in couples food as well as elegant brunch fare and impress-the-boss dinner party grub. Now it’s the four of us, and children put a whole different spin on the question, “What’s for dinner?” don’t they? I learned to cook in my 6-member family of origin, and now I’m back to that square with my own family of four.

Good times, all of it!

Welcome to Shockingly Delicious. Get comfy and stay for awhile!

{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }

Toby Eagle September 8, 2014 at 6:13 pm

Recipes look great!

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Jacinta Williams August 17, 2014 at 6:47 pm

I just found you, and am so excited. For breakfast I’ll be having a poor man’s burrito, only with a corn tortilla. Cream Cheese will help to tone the heat down, better than regular cheese. These hatch chilies this year are really hot.

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Leslie Macchiarella April 5, 2014 at 9:59 pm

How fun to read your personal style page, Dorothy. Oh, how I (still) love the Silver Palate cook books. Love your site. And I think you’re pretty special too. 🙂 Leslie

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Dorothy Reinhold April 6, 2014 at 7:56 am

Leslie,
How sweet of you! Silver Palate never disappoints, even after all these years.

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Susan Helm June 16, 2013 at 3:29 pm

Longtime fan, just now throwing you a bouquet of fresh spices!
XO

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John Graham June 15, 2013 at 2:43 pm

Hi, just discovered your site. I enjoy cooking, trying out new recipes, and searching the net for ideas. Unfortunately there appears to be rather too many blogs etc. of happy amateurs rather too enthusiastic about their recipes; I can neither afford to waste ingredients nor time recreating a disaster. You undoubtedly have the credentials to go with this site, as does the site itself, so I look forward to learning from you and to trying out your recipes.

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Dorothy Reinhold June 15, 2013 at 7:48 pm

John,
Thank you for your vote of confidence!

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Don Sproul March 29, 2013 at 2:28 pm

You go girl! d

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Robin February 3, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Did you say kale addict? Then this must be my kind of place!

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judypilon December 11, 2012 at 10:34 am

I have made your almond-yogurt cake with oranges instead of almonds and it is truly delicious.

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Dorothy December 12, 2012 at 5:48 pm

Judy,
Thanks!

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Holly Botner April 22, 2012 at 2:44 pm

Hey Dorothy,
I couldn’t resist nominating you for the Versatile Bloggers Award! Check it out at http://jitterycook.com/jittery-honours/. All the best!

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Dorothy April 24, 2012 at 11:58 am

Holly,
Thank you! How sweet!

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Fran Leal January 7, 2012 at 7:53 pm

Yumm………..loving your food. I share your history and your style, so additions to my collection from yours are a chance for a dash of something new. Many thanks!

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Adam Harper October 6, 2010 at 9:52 am

It was so nice to meet you at Camp Blogaway! And – I think you have a lovely site. Hope to see you again really soon.

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Sonda Jaffe September 30, 2010 at 5:44 pm

After years of cooking your delicious recipes (the yams, dear, the heavenly yams!), I am so happy that you have this site with even more things for me to try. Yummmm……

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Jill August 16, 2010 at 10:47 am

Hi Dorothy,
I finally came over to visit after seeing your lemon cheesecake bagels on the toh site. I will definitely be back later to check out all your shockingly delicious recipes. Thanks!
Jill

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Juli Kiel July 15, 2010 at 11:44 am

Hi Dorothy,

I just made your Fresh Blueberry Pie…..It is amazing. Thank you for sharing the recipe. My family loves it. We also love your Cinnamon Swirl Bread… 🙂 Thank you.

Juli

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Nancy Taylor June 10, 2010 at 9:57 pm

Your site looks amazing! How nice to be able to access all of your delicious recipes and find out what you are up to.

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Kim at Rustic Garden Bistro May 19, 2010 at 9:12 pm

Hi Dorothy,

It was so nice to meet you at Camp Blogaway! And – I think you have a lovely site. Hope to see you again really soon. 🙂

Your bunk-mate,

[K]

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Laurie May 19, 2010 at 12:40 pm

This is so great! Congrats!

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Andrew Shaner May 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm

You have me drooling!

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