food . . . friendship . . . inspiration
Maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is my birthday, but I take the holiday quite seriously when it comes to expressing love through something sweet. And though I could certainly go to a confectioners shop and get my kids their treats, nothing is more appreciated than something homemade from mom.
Misfit Market is the best thing since sliced bread. This brilliant concept is run by socially committed, caring humans. We’re lucky to have them.
Resting upon his countertops was a beautiful ball of freshly made ricotta dough. Within minutes, he elegantly demonstrated the simplicity of making these remarkable little rippled tubes of pasta. It didn’t take long before I got the hang of it rolling, cutting and then guiding the dough through his charming cavatelli press.
Sometimes something from the past deserves a reinvention for a new time. Take this vintage cone sieve with wood masher which finishes your tomato sauce better than any sieve with a hand crank. I used it this afternoon to get the most puree out of the remaining seeds and skins which were leftover from my blanched tomatoes which has been seeded and skinned.
These two bite Gefilte fish appetizers are the perfect way to serve this classic food at your Passover dinner. Served with a tangy horseradish sauce, you might not even have any leftovers!
Reminiscent of old fashioned jelly filled donuts, cake flour makes these muffins light and airy. The cranberry sauce is a tart surprise with every bite of these sweet treats. They are a terrific way to use up your leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.
These fresh salmon cakes served with Chipotle Lime mayonnaise are packed with spices, peppers and scallions which give them plenty of zing. Trust me, they will hit just the spot. Plus they freeze exceptionally well and can be pulled out for individual meals throughout the busy work days. Make them dinner sized or two bite sized and serve as a party appetizer.
A layer of buttered pecans, Dulce de Leche and dark chocolate set in heart shape molds are topped with just a hint of sea salt for a sophisticated take on the classic chocolate caramel turtle.
It’s that time of year when I’ve always got a pot of sauce simmering on the stove. This past week, I made farm fresh tomato sauce three times. One batch for a bunch of hungry teens, another to break in my friend Debbie’s new kitchen and another batch for the freezer. I’ve got the process down to a science and I’m going to share my tips with you now.
Make these corn empanadas vegetarian or spike them with some bacon or lobster. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this ideal package for preserving farm fresh flavors.
Wild, verdant, growing through sand and wind swept hills, perched on rugged cliff ledges and gathered in fields; all bearing bell shaped fruit, plump and ripening amidst a saturating sun. Mature trees, with caterpillar green leaves larger than a grown man’s hands, offering fruit to a cloudless azure sky.
Like most foods, this butternut squash soup has a bit of a story to accompany it — a detective story which will appeal to anyone with adverse reactions to or sensitivities to certain foods. Which, like it or not, includes many of us.
With each passing year, some foods tend to lose favor and it’s not that they lose flavor. We’re quite picky and demand new ingredients and products to meet our finicky needs. And so, with the close of 2016, many of us will subtly push some of last year’s favorites like kale aside and seek something new. Maybe we will jump on the purple craze and bring this hue into our cooking hoping to load up on antioxidants and nutrients with lilac asparagus, potatoes or cauliflower.
I felt inclined to use what I had on hand in the fridge to create a few salads. With her help, we shaved and sliced two very tasty salads which I believe are worthy of sharing with you. It’s a good lesson that even the oldest veggies buried in the fridge can often be used and transformed into something which is actually quite good. A good example of the old saying: “Waste not, want not.”
What I'm reading now. As glaciers melt and storms intensify, our world is changing faster than anyone can truly comprehend. To prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change on our food system, individuals, organizations and entire societies ...
Seven Spoons By, Tara O'Brady Maybe it was the cover of this delightful and delectable new book which lured me at first glance. Perhaps it was the freshly sliced figs which caught my attention and brought me back to lazy days filled with figs ...
Flour + Water By, Thomas McNaughton Finally a book from San Franciso's very popular restaurant Flour + Water. And it comes just in time for some cool weather cooking and in my house that means lots of pasta! This new cookbook inspires home ...