first
One of the first cookbooks that I ever bought, that I still have, was Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was living at home, still in school, and my mother did all the cooking. I don’t remember what possessed me to buy the book but I do remember my first recipe was […]
I am always on the lookout for great tasting gluten free crackers. I’ve made Parmesan crisps by spreading mounds of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on paper-lined baking sheets. This resulted in delicate thin Parmesan crisps but required careful handling and attention to detail. I had a cup of leftover grated Parmesan cheese and decided to […]
When I was growing up, eggs were strictly for breakfast. Occasionally, they were hard boiled and turned into egg salad or deviled eggs. They were never considered party fare for guests. It wasn’t until I started spending time in Italy and saw people ordering artichoke frittatas as a first course that I realized they make […]
I always keep a few packages of frozen puff pastry in my freezer and one in my refrigerator, thawed, ready to use. I don’t want to have to wait for the pastry to thaw if I have spontaneous inspiration or last minute guests. This is a recipe that came from one of those inspirations. I […]
Are you afraid of deep frying food? I was. When I was a kid, my Mother didn’t fry much. Eggs were poached, potatoes were baked; and on the one or two occasions she made fried chicken, I was banned from the kitchen. I had this irrational fear of frying. The kitchen could be set on […]
Once I knew how I was preparing the halibut, I thought that a light lemon risotto with fresh oregano would balance the meal. Risotto is an Italian dish that features arborio rice: a short grain, high starch rice that is cooked very slowly in stock. It requires constant stirring. When it’s done, you add Parmesan […]
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 […]
Meatloaf is a standard in many home kitchens. For many people meatloaf is immediately associated with mashed potatoes and gravy, and it evokes childhood memories. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes is comfort food to be eaten when it’s cold outside and we need to feel the warmth of hearth and home. I would never take away […]
When I was growing up, my mom made chicken that we lovingly called “crummy chicken”. She cut up a whole chicken, bathed each piece in melted butter and coated it with a mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. I later saw recipes that called this Parmesan Chicken but I will […]
It’s great to have one or two cold pasta salads in your repertoire. They are simple to make and you can tweak them to your own taste. This one includes cheese tortellini and baby spinach. For this party, I served the pasta mounded on top of the spinach, but I have also tossed it all […]
