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May 29, 2015
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Cheese Toast

This is what my mom used to call garlic bread. She made it whenever she made lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs: Her take on Italian food. I call it Cheese Toast because the flavor really comes from the Parmesan cheese on top. Yes, there is garlic, but it is very light. When I make garlic […]

May 27, 2015
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Multicolored Salad

Even people who don’t like salad will be drawn to the kaleidoscope of colors and flavors in this dish. I use an organic herb salad mix I find at Trader Joe’s. Next time you reach for that boring bag of lettuce, try this instead. It includes: organic baby lettuce, red and green romaine, red and […]

May 25, 2015
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Cranberry & White Chocolate Oat Cookies

Tom, the termite man, did a walk-through of my house days before the big event. When he went into my pantry, he looked around and said, “Do your best to use everything up. Anything not used needs to be bagged or removed from the house.” O.M.G. I tried to use everything. I didn’t even come […]

May 22, 2015
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Cherry Walnut Chocolate Hermit Cookies

You might want to make this recipe first and immediately get the cookies into your freezer, just in case of a party emergency. This is a very sophisticated cookie. It has a dense chocolate cake like texture with walnuts, dried cherries and a kiss of Vandermint liqueur. You can serve it after a very elegant meal, […]

May 20, 2015
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Basil, Fontina & Sugar Plum Tomato Pizza

If you read my recipe for White Pizza, you know how easy it is to make great pizza at home. The question now becomes what type of ingredients will you use for toppings. The choices are limitless! This is totally different from the White Pizza and different from a typical cheese and tomato pizza. Most […]

May 18, 2015
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White Pizza

I love homemade pizza! I have often made it completely from scratch, even the dough. If you don’t have time to make the dough, which requires time for the dough to rise, this is a great alternative: Readymade raw pizza dough can be found in most supermarkets or at Trader Joe’s! The secret to a […]

May 15, 2015
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Italian Sausages & Peppers

Italian Sausages and Peppers is a typical family style dish served in Italian homes at large family lunch. It seemed perfect for this meal. I think of an Italian grandmother standing over the stove, putting this together. I didn’t have an Italian grandmother. But I’d like to imagine, if I did, this is what her […]

May 13, 2015
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DING-DONG! The Termites Are Gone!

Last year just before the Moroccan Feast was to take place, I had an infestation of termites in my living room. Termites are very common in California. They like to eat wood, as wooden frames in doors or windows or in my case carved wooden beams in my living room. We tried an organic approach […]

May 11, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Roasted Asparagus & Zucchini

When I first met my friend Dano, he didn’t eat vegetables. He just didn’t like them. Dano and I had many dinners at my kitchen table which usually included racks of lamb or short ribs or beef fillet with potatoes. I always snuck in some roasted vegetables and put them on my plate. I never […]