Posts categorized as Recipes

Everyone is wondering what to make with their homegrown garden eggplants… besides heavy eggplant parm. My long-time paisan Rob Di Rico saw a post of mine on Instagram relating to this conundrum. He messaged me, “Paula, I have eggplants too. I made an eggplant-tomato gratin. It was delicious. It’s very fresh and light. People think gratin, they think heavy cream. Not always!” Gratin is a French culinary technique. Ingredients are topped with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg, butter or oil to create a browned crust by baking. The term is used […]

The heat is on and caffeinated icy-cold coffee drinks have been the topic of conversation in my circle on the sand.  My friend Keith said in Key Food the Manhattan Special now has a little pop-up stand! I’d like to think my column on the vintage coffee soda a few weeks ago resulted in an up-tick in sales!  I’m on the beach last weekend with a bunch of friends. We were enjoying the entertainment of a very crowded foamy lineup on a knee high afternoon. “I think I have to […]

In total, I’ve made three pies in my whole life! Guess what? I’ll be practicing my pie-making skills through the end of September because the Beach 91st Street Community Garden will be hosting a fall Pie Party! I’m organizing the event and we’ll be selling sweet and savory pies. Part of the funds raised will be used to give back to our community by gardening an unkept area in Rockaway – guerilla gardening style. If you’re interested in donating a homemade pie or purchasing a pie from one of our […]

  My friend Magara invited a few of us over for dinner and served homemade oat milk shots for dessert. How creative, right? I couldn’t believe the warm, oat-y taste! The oat milk was rich and creamy with the perfect balance of sweetness. I enjoyed it so much (and can’t stop talking about it) that Magara gifted me a nut milk bag so I can start making my own oat milk. One challenge with oat milk is a potentially gluey texture. It’s the starch in oats that can cause this […]

Have you had the specialty eggplant slice at Gino’s Pizzeria in Howard Beach? My lord, it is good! The eggplant is thin and perfectly tender. It’s presented on a crispy grandma slice with fresh mozzarella, and basil, drizzled with olive oil. Aubergine isn’t easy. So many things can go awry—bitterness; undercooked equals strange consistency; overcook and it’s a mush mess; oil soaked causes a stomach ache. Then there’s the tough skin, and choking hazard problem. Gretel eggplant has a lovely sweet, and nutty taste. This season in my vegetable garden, […]

This zucchini bread is a crowd-pleaser. I know because my Aunt Marie brought it to my Easter party last week and it very much pleased us all. Aunt Marie calls it bread. It contains Bisquick, so that makes sense. I thought it was more like a crustless quiche, but wouldn’t that be a frittata? But the recipe does not include milk. What’s in a name? Call it what you will, this recipe is bellissimo! The taste is punchy. The sweet onions and parmesan cheese are rich and dominant. The texture is […]

Most of my choices are based on aesthetics, not practicality. Look at this cover design! The book also matches my cat. A few weeks back I wrote that I’ve pulled my cookbooks off the shelf, using them for recipes instead of the stupid internet. This week, I chose Better Homes and Gardens, New Cookbook.  Note, “new” means published in 1981. That’s my birth year and all the more reason to try it out.  Old doesn’t mean irrelevant. After flipping though, I firmly concluded this is a fantastic book. The recipes […]

“In Tuscany, white beans are more than just ‘the poor man’s meat’; they’re a whole way of life. – Lori Zimring De Mori, – Saveur You think Italian food, you think pasta. But us paisans know that beans are just as traditionally significant in the old country. Rome early 1500’s – enter beans by way of import from the new world. Italians took to the taste, incorporating the legume into their everyday meals. Some included, beans and escarole, minestrone, beans and gravy, pasta e fagioli, sauteed cannellini with sage drizzled […]

It’s feast or famine with freelance work. Right now… famine. For that reason, I’ve decided to go deep into organizing my home – like every draw, closet, and corner. It feels good to purge. It also feels good to know I have five whisks, three crock pots, four pizza cutters, and six very cute measuring spoon sets, among other multiples, I don’t remember buying. I’m pretty much done with the kitchen. Now I’m tackling the office. I’m going through my books with the intention of donating 20%. Alas, I’m having […]

I saw my sister Maria last week at my Goddaughters birthday party. I was ranting to her about how busy and stressed out I am with work. I mentioned I didn’t have an idea for my column this week and she said, “Oh, this is easy, bake Christmas cookies and share the recipe.”  Flailing my arms in the air, I respond, “But I don’t have time!!” Maria said, “Calm down. I have pictures of the Italian Christmas cookies from last year. You love them, lie and say you made them.” […]