Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’

My friend Melissa brought over homemade dressing the other night and wow, it was delicious. Not only is Melissa a creative talent (she’s a jewelry designer) she is an excellent cook. Making dressing in advance means less mess. Prepare it for the week and your not bringing out the oil, vinegar, and spices every day. The dressing is sweet, tart, and rich – but not overpowering. I used it on salad. The dressing would also work very well over roasted chicken or sautéed veggies – yummers! Give it a shot and get creative. I want to experiment with Melissa’s dressing and maybe add chopped […]

I’ve been making this tomato salad for a decade, at least. Gosh, that sounds like a long time doesn’t? The weather is getting colder and my inclination is to eat cheese, bread and meat but I’m really trying to keep the veggies in the forefront this fall.  I over-bought  tomatoes last week and thought this was the perfect dish to make with them. This salad doesn’t take much time to prepare. I like making it in advance so when I’m hungry and looking for something  to eat, it’s ready to go. […]

I found this recipe for onion dip on marthastewart.com. I’ve made it twice so far – for Jumbo’s JUMBAQ and my niece Annie’s Christening party. It was a crowd pleaser at both events. You can make this dipping sauce in advance, which is always a bonus when you’re having company. You would think using one pound of onions is overkill but it’s not. The flavor is sweet because of the caramelization of the onions. I added a healthy amount of fresh oregano. The oregano’s peppery kick works nicely with the sweetness of the onion mixture.  I used […]

I received the book Make It Ahead – Barefoot Contessa as a gift and I’ve been using it all the time lately! Cooking in advance is stress-free! Here’s one that was a hit at our Easter Brunch. This recipe is a spin off of a traditional Passover kugel. Spinach and Ricotta Noodle Pudding 2 1/2 cups seasoned croutons 1 lb. roll sausage 4 eggs 2 1/4 c.milk 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (10) oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 (4 […]

Macaroni and Cheese dates back to the 14th century’s. It was first recorded in the Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. America was introduced to Mac & Cheese in the late 1700’s thanks to Thomas Jefferson. The future American president Thomas Jefferson encountered macaroni both in Paris and in northern Italy. He drew a sketch of the pasta and wrote detailed notes on the extrusion process. In 1793, he commissioned American ambassador to Paris William Short to purchase a machine for making it. Evidently, the machine was not suitable, as Jefferson later imported both […]

I called a co-worker at home over the Christmas break and as we were speaking he said, “I’m making a risotto right now, and as you know, you have to stir, stir, stir!”. I didn’t know but he assumed since I cook a lot, risotto was in my repertoire, but it wasn’t. A few days later, I asked my brothers girlfriend for some recipes, and she sent me a risotto recipe, which seemed like the universe was telling me to make a risotto. Below is the recipe she sent me, […]

The below is a dip my mom made for Grandma’s birthday, another hit like her Fusilli Salad. I made the dip this past Saturday for a dinner party. My only recommendation on the below is to get “cocktail” or “baby” artichokes. I read in Cook’s Illustrated once that baby artichokes don’t have those harsh inedible leaves like their grown up brother. (kinda like me !) Sometimes in the marinated artichokes, you can get one of those leaves, which isn’t fun. The reviews were consistent the second time around, delicious! Its […]

My first experience with Indian food was when I worked at Bear Stearns for a Brit. It was never called Indian food, it was “curry”. We used to order curry sometimes when we were hungover or whenever anyone had a hankering for it, which was often. Earlier this year,  I had the privilege of  spending a lot of time in London where I visited Brick Lane, which boast the best Indian cuisine in London. I have grown to love Indian food over the years and especially since I’ve started cooking […]

There’s food that you just start craving when the weather is vortexing. I turn to soup, hearty meats, red wine and a touch of whiskey here and there. Possible explanations for these cravings… We are less active and less social in the winter, which could increase anxiety and depression and lead to stress eating and overconsumption. (I’m guilty of all mentioned here) Comfort foods are generally sweet, fatty and calorie-dense, which may help temporarily improve mood and alleviate anxiety or stress. In other words, many people may be self-medicating with […]

I never realized how important tortillas could be until we started traveling in Guatemala. More precisely until we visited San Pedro la Laguna. San Pedro is a pueblo (town) located next to Lake Atitlan in the mountains of Guatemala. It is populated by the descendants of several Mayan tribes who primarily speak the indigenous language of “Tzutujil” with Spanish coming in a close second. After spending a week in Antigua, a fairly colonial town near Guatemala City, we took a 3 + hour bus ride to San Pedro to spend […]