[caption id="attachment_1528" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Mushroom Thyme Risotto"][/caption] If you’ve ever had reservations about making risotto at home, we’re here to help. Those rumors of the gallons of stock and hours of stirring required to achieve the heavenly creaminess enjoyed when ordering the classic Italian short-grained rice...
[caption id="attachment_1504" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Citrus Chopped Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Vinaigrette"][/caption] There’s no point in mincing words when it comes to the importance of investing in quality knives for the kitchen. Chefs, cooking instructors, cookbook authors and kitchen shop owners alike will tell you there’s...
[caption id="attachment_1475" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Penne Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream"][/caption] What a simple joy in life it is to come home after an action-packed day knowing there’s something satisfying, already assembled in the refrigerator, patiently waiting for you to pop in the oven and pull...
[caption id="attachment_1487" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Roasted Vegetable Lasagna"][/caption] Layers of melted Italian cheeses and hearty meat sauce make classic lasagna a fallback favorite for many, especially as comfort food cravings accompany cold winter temperatures. But have you ever taken a peek at the hidden calories baked into...
[caption id="attachment_1459" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Steak Sandwich Panini with Grilled Onions, Peppers and Provolone"][/caption] Some say panino, I say panini. Any way you slice it, those groovy grilled sandwiches made with Italian bread and often pressed together in a warming grill seem to be everywhere now. In Italy,...
[caption id="attachment_1442" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Light and Lemony Shrimp Scampi"][/caption] For many and perhaps for you, January jumps into view on the calendar with a rush of resolutions to be made, en route to an improved version of you. At the top of most lists is getting...
[caption id="attachment_1419" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Classic Margherita Pizza"][/caption] Sometimes, when you least expect it, something catches your eye, something fresh and fabulous like the trio of handsome heirloom tomatoes calling out to me from their resting place in the rectangular wicker basket in the produce department at...
[caption id="attachment_1384" align="alignleft" width="528" caption="Mini Cheesecakes with Sugared Cranberries"][/caption] ‘Tis the season to celebrate, and a holiday highlight for Mike and me is our annual Christmas party. Having served up appetizers for several years, and then desserts for the last two, I decided to uncork a...
[caption id="attachment_1372" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Happy Holiday Brunch in a Hurry"][/caption] If you feed them, they will come, or at least that has been my experience. Most people love something fresh from the oven, whether it’s cookies or cake or most recently, coffeecake, the main attraction at...
[caption id="attachment_1334" align="aligncenter" width="528" caption="Freshly Baked Baklawa by Grandma Marie"][/caption] You know it’s a special occasion at our house if Grandma Marie comes bearing a plate of freshly made baklawa, the traditional Lebanese treat she’s been making for years. Baklawa, or baklava, made by layering thin sheets...