Posts Tagged ‘recipes’
THE Perfect Lunch
It’s one dish you shouldn’t mess with. No foams, no vacuum sealed marination with lovage shoots. It’s not improved by a precision presentation, because then it looks like you are aiming for distraction, instead of palate satisfaction. It’s simple and it should remain simple.
Yes, it’s time for my annual ode to prosciutto and melon.
Kitchen Independence on the 4th of July
Mark Bittman got it wrong. The 4th of July isn’t about eating meat, it’s about celebrating summer. And summer is about eating outdoors, with watermelon juice running down your chin, garden tomatoes tinting yellow and hinting at next week’s ripe red, casual dinners with friends, late night laughter in the piazza and incredibly star filled nights.
If there is ever a time to cook simply and eat simply, it’s now.
Read MoreSummer Confetti Pasta: Bawdy, Colorful, Sexy, Italian
Warm weather arrives and suddenly the kitchen color palette shifts from the tender greens of spring to vibrant reds, purples, deep sea green. In Italy, the men are tan, the women wear spectacularly high heels, and everyone struts their stuff. It’s an irresistible, seasonal call to go out and play.
It’s a perfect time to experiment with textures, temperatures, colors. Not serious cooking, but light, fun and flavorful cooking.
Read MoreChili Scented Zucchini Flowers with Pickled Onion Sauce
When I presented Jeff with the latest zucchini flower incarnation..he openly scoffed, until he took a bite. (Those are his fingers in the photo…he just couldn’t wait…!) Neither one of us are fans of stuffed zucchini flowers; either the filling is so hot and steamy it burns your tongue, or the filling oozes out, or the flavor of the stuffing overwhelms the flower. And if it has a big, thick coating to hold in the stuffing, it gets extra demerits in the fried flower ranking system.
Read MoreLet the Season Begin! Oven Roasted Tomato & Onion Pasta
My man knows the way to my heart.
Yesterday I came home to the peace and quiet of Montone, and there were stunning roses in the living room and a full sideboard of vegetables in the kitchen. I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store yet, so it meant putting something together with what was on hand. The first decent tomatoes of the season were sitting there, just begging to be roasted, along side some of those onions, so it was pasta with roasted vegetables for lunch.
Cooking with Mangoes: Crispy Chicken & Mango Salsa
Rich, sweet, silky mango paired with chile spiked, crispy skinned chicken. It’s a perfect study in contrasts: sweet v. salty, crispy v. silky, sweet v. sour. It’s not a knock down, it’s a love fest.
Read MoreMemorial Day: It’s a Wrap!
First things first, take a moment and give a prayer of thanks to everyone who serves or who has ever served our country. Memorial Day isn’t just about going to the grill, it’s a time to remember those who have protected the United States. We also grilled, made paella and enjoyed our friends & family!
Read MoreArtichoke Festival: Pork Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Sauce
All good things must come to an end, and this is the finale for the Aroma Cucina Artichoke Festival. But we’re going out with a delicious bang: pork stuffed artichokes with a lemon sauce. It was the last of our big, globe artichokes and I think they were properly honored and devoured!
Read MoreArtichoke Festival at Aroma Cucina: Braised Artichokes, Wine Pairing
Meltingly soft artichokes, simply dressed with a bit of parsley, olive oil, red onion and lemon. Simple, rustic and oh, so satisfying. They’re good enough to be a meal all on their own.
Read MoreFava Bean & Crispy Prosciutto Make a Seasonal Risotto
Springtime means fava bean time. To the uninitiated, fava bean pods look like string beans on steroids. You don’t eat the pod, you eat the inner, bright green, crispy, flavor packed bean. They are outstanding paired with a soft, white cheese like Robiola or a fresh Manchego cheese. Perfect for a risotto, with crispy prosciutto.
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