I’m not quite exactly sure what triggered thoughts of delicious, deep-fried, rice balls, but, before I could stop myself, I was headed to the grocery store for a big chunk of gorgonzola cheese and some Arborio rice. The rest, as you can see, is history. I used Giada’s “Fried and Stuffed Rice Balls” recipe, and […]
The strawberry-pickin’ season has well passed, but ripe, red strawberries are plentiful at the grocery store and, at $1.99 per pound, I just couldn’t resist! After having so much fun making blueberry jam, I knew these berries were destined to be cooked and sealed tightly. Making homemade jam is a bit time consuming, but deliciously […]
Last Friday was “Blueberry Picking Day”, and I left the farm with 7.5 lbs. of lucious, ripe, fragrant blueberries: 7.5 lbs. sure adds up quickly! I was strolling around…picking…chatting with my friend, Carol…picking…and, before long, I’m lugging a huge pail of berries. I did have a plan, though. This year, I would make blueberry […]
My mother-in-law has shared some mighty-fine family recipes, and these roasted peppers are among our all-time favorites. They are super delicious served hot, cold…as a side dish, as a sandwich, as a snack…morning, noon or night!! They take a bit of work, but good food is well worth the effort. (right???) I have her written […]
Mmm, mmm good! Pasta Fagioli, a traditional Italian soup, is among the top three of my all-time favorite super-simple Italian dishes. The ingredients: These are pretty much the basics, and you can be somewhat flexible with them. For the beans, I prefer these small, white creamy beans from Goya, but you can use the larger […]
I love apples (maybe because they begin with “a”?), and I love baked apple delights — apple pie, apple crisp, apple turnovers… But my roommates recently turned “macro” on me (macrobiotic… it means they now only eat kale, seaweed, and things with weird names), and I feel bad filling the kitchen with the beautiful aroma […]
This is the perfect soup for Sweater Weather. It is as delicious and satisfying as it is easy to make. This is one of Grandma’s recipes, unchanged for who-knows-how-long. Escarole and Bean Soup (Scarola e fagioli) 1 head escarole, trimmed and cut into 2-3″ strips 1 15-16 oz can Great Northern Beans or cannelini beans, […]
There was no question that my other Six Foot Long Party Sub for the Big Brunch Party would be a Banh Mi. I’m hooked on Banh Mi. What is Banh Mi, you ask? Well, it’s like the delicious bastard sandwich child of a snooty but charming French colonist and a beautiful back-alley Vietnamese call girl. It’s […]
I set out to make a Croque-Monsieur for the Big Brunch Party that would make Parisian-Sidewalk-Cafe-Goers and Super-Bowl-Party-Goers alike drool with sandwich anticipation. What’s better at a big party than a Six Foot Party Sub from a deli? A gourmet Six Foot Party Sub from your own kitchen, of course!
I know to non-city-dwellers the idea of eating food out of the side of someone’s truck sounds less than appealing. You’re thinking greasy falafel and dirty water hot dogs. Think again. In recent years, the Food Trucks of NYC have turned into big business for small-time gourmet food purveyors. You can get some awesome food […]
Welcome to Summer! Ahh, Summer: the time of year when it’s too hot in my kitchen to bake or cook much (central air vents just don’t go with the whole “tenement chic” look I have going on here in Brooklyn…). It’s also the best time of year to enjoy my favorite beverage : iced tea! […]
Here’s the next recipe in my new series “Super Simple Italian”, a collection of first-dish pasta recipes inspired by the tasty meals that my mother-in-law served daily to her family. It is very easy to prepare and (if you like peas) it is simply delicious! Here are the main ingredients…and, of course, you’ll need plenty […]
There is just no better way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon than having a picnic in the park with your friend. Yesterday was a surprisingly beautiful Saturday, and in the morning, Khalil called about lunch – he wanted to bring his dog to the neighborhood and enjoy the weather. I knew we wouldn’t have too […]
My Italian-born mother-in-law is a wonderful cook. She has always made delicious “first-dish” pasta meals using relatively few basic ingredients and seasonings, and she has the gift of knowing how to blend these perfectly! On any given day, when faced with my favorite dilemma “what am I going to cook tonight”, my thoughts go directly […]
The last thing my hips needed was a new-found love affair with rice pudding. I’m really not sure why or how it happened, but I’m certain that it’s here to stay. I found this recipe on Allrecipes, and it is well-worth the effort. Here’s the link to the original recipe: Creamiest Rice Pudding. After reading […]