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June 1, 2015
At Home with Friends

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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 29, 2015
At Home with Friends

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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 22, 2015
At Home with Friends

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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 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 […]

May 8, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Antipasto Platter

When I was a kid, one of the restaurants we went to was an Italian pizzeria. There was a chef in the front, throwing and stretching pizza dough for all to see. We always ordered a huge family size pizza and I always burned my tongue on the hot melted cheese, too impatient to wait […]

April 24, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Gratin of Pears, Blueberries and Mascarpone Cheese

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 […]

April 10, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Videos: Moroccan Feast (PART I)

If you follow my blog, you know I think everyone should visit Morocco. But if you can’t get there this week, you can have a taste of Morocco via Beverly Hills. Enjoy! Filmed and Edited by Xu Zhang Moroccan Feast Menu Appetizers Bastilla with Chicken * Warm hummus with pine nuts * Spinach and feta pastries […]

April 1, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Videos: New Year’s Day Brunch 2015 (PART I)

Some people celebrate the New Year by going out New Year’s Eve and drinking large quantities of their favorite adult beverage. I celebrate by throwing a scrumptious New Year’s Day Brunch. Of course, there are adult beverages for those who need the “hair of the dog” or for those who abstained the night before. Here’s […]

March 30, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Welcome to My YouTube Channel!

The idea for this blog came to me after an elaborate Thanksgiving feast at my home. The menu included roast turkey, of course, three kinds of cranberries, mushroom herb stuffing, Moroccan vegetable stew, baked yams with maple syrup, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted purple potatoes, roasted root vegetable salad; and as a starter, whole wheat […]