first

June 10, 2015
At Home with Friends

1 comment

Halibut with Homemade Tomato Sauce

When halibut is fresh and wild, it is totally delectable, providing you don’t overcook it. It takes much less time than you think and pairs well with many different sauces. For this dinner, I made a quick tomato sauce using canned diced organic tomatoes (from Costco), capers and diced black Kalmata olives. Other than the […]

June 1, 2015
At Home with Friends

no comments

Out-Of-Town Company Dinner

Vera’s college friend Tzveta was coming from New York for a visit. We had spent a lovely evening sharing a great meal with her at ABC Kitchen in NYC during the recent blizzard that hit the East Coast. I had never met Tzveta before that night in New York. I didn’t know what to expect, but […]

May 15, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

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 […]

April 29, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Baked Wild Shrimp with Ajvar and Feta

For the Sit-in-the-Kitchen Dinner with my friend Maria, I knew I would assemble an Antipasto Platter, but I wanted to make it extra special. I am fortunate to be able to buy gorgeous raw colossal wild shrimp at my neighborhood market. These shrimp are delicate with a slight sweetness. I could have just broiled them […]

Weeknight Sit-in-the-Kitchen Dinner Menu

 

Antipasto Platter

Marinated butter beans

Marinated artichoke hearts with tarragon

Baked wild shrimp with ***Ajvar and feta

Mozzarella balls with basil and red pepper flakes

* Roasted tomatoes with garlic

Roasted garlic

** Italian salami

** Prosciutto di Parma

** Olives

** Baby arugula

Main Course

Polpettone stuffed with eggplant and smoked mozzarella

 Sautéed spinach / Roasted asparagus and zucchini

Dessert

Gratin of pears, blueberries and mascarpone cheese

Coconut oatmeal ginger cookies

 

 

* Purchased at Bristol Farms

** Purchased at Trader Joe’s

*** Available at my Amazon Affiliate Store

April 17, 2015

April 17, 2015
At Home with Friends

no comments

Weeknight Sit-in-the-Kitchen Dinner

It was a weeknight and my friend Maria was coming over for dinner. I’ve known Maria for 30 years. (Is it really that long?). Maria doesn’t cook but she eats real food, so it’s always fun to make dinner for her. She doesn’t eat mushrooms, loves artichokes and will try anything I prepare. This was […]