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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I always keep jars of artichoke hearts packed in water in my pantry. I can incorporate them into a vegetable puree, a green soup, an artichoke pesto or in this case as part of my antipasto platter. I prefer artichoke hearts packed in water over those packed in oil. I don’t like the type of […]
Sautéed Spinach is quick, easy and delicious. This takes on a depth of flavor because I sauté the spinach with oven roasted garlic. I roast several dozen cloves of garlic at once and keep them on hand for vegetable sauté, homemade pizzas, or for garlic lovers, spread it directly on a toasted baguette. OVEN ROASTED […]
I always keep homemade cookies in my freezer for friends who drop by for a cup of tea or spur of the moment dinner guests. These are not your typical oatmeal raisin cookies. They are loaded with shredded coconut, crystallized ginger and golden raisins. They are dense, chewy and perfect with fresh fruit or dish […]
In Italy, dessert is frequently fresh fruit with a bit of mascarpone cheese, some nuts and a few cookies on the side. This is my take on that tradition. This dessert is super easy and it comes together in less than 10 minutes. (You don’t even peel the pears.) Sliced pears are topped with blueberries […]
The staples in my pantry include lots of canned beans: garbanzo, kidney, black beans, cannellini and giant white butter beans. Canned beans are great for making spur of the moment dips, soups and side dishes. Beans are also a great source of protein. Which is probably why any given night, I can often find my […]
