Here you’ll find everything I’m preparing in my kitchen - from veggies, to leftovers and pasta. I eat simply, and I cook for one, but love cooking for others. And no matter what, I always pause to plate pretty.
Most of my meals are often times the result of freestyle recipe free ingredient riffing and a trip to the vegetable market. Produce is my passion, and I hope that you won’t simply come here for a recipe - but that you’ll read, cook and create a new story of your own.
I believe there’s power in a stocked pantry and freezer. From traditional Italian dishes to alternative sweets, vegan and vegetarian swaps - there’s something for everyone.
Let this serve as inspiration and let’s eat!
I’ve been making this very chicken thigh dish for at least 9 or 10 years now. I love it so very much as an alternative to chicken marsala and even chicken cacciatore. Loaded with fresh spring vegetables in a white wine and herb sauce, this dish is a simple one pan dinner to make on a weeknight but it could easily impress your family or guests on a weekend. This dish is made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs which are way more flavorful and tender
Read MoreIf you’re looking for a way to add a little more green to your dinner table, look no further than the asparagus! And I’m not talking about steamed asparagus (although, I personally LOVE steamed asparagus with lots of salt, lemon and oil), but oven roasted asparagus takes about 10 minutes to prepare and really enhances the flavor profile of this lean green veggie — especially once you add a pop of lemon, garlic and pecorino romano to them.
Read MoreWhen I was preparing salmon for dinner last week, I wanted to make a side that would have veggies and fiber but wasn’t a typical salad with a lettuce base. I love making creative salads, but I hadn’t made a grain salad in quite some time. I think grain salads are the perfect hearty but light offering to spring eating and, so, my aunt and I agreed on farro. Farro is a wheat based grain that has a nutty texture. It can be substituted with barley in many recipes,
Read MoreSalmon is an easy weeknight meal that provides protein and heart and brain healthy OMEGA-3 fatty acids. It’s a powerful food that bakes in the oven in minutes. It’s one of those “no excuses” meals when it comes to cooking. This super simple salmon is made with a marinade that doubles as a vinaigrette for salads or steamed vegetables.
Read MorePizza Rustica translates to rustic pie. It’s a southern Italian savory Easter pie comprised of mixed cured meats and cheeses that are lovingly encased in buttery pie shell. If there’s anything that takes me back to the Easter Sunday’s of my past, it’s Pizza Rustica.
Read MorePastiera di Grano is a traditional Neapolitan Italian pie that is served during Easter for dessert. It is creamy, light and bursting with citrus flavor — made with ricotta, soaked wheat berries, sugar, orange blossom water, orange zest, lemon zest and citron. Pastiera di Grano is encased in a buttery and flaky pastry shell, topped with a lattice crust and powdered sugar.
Read MoreEaster calls preparing lamb and this simple marinade recipe will make your holiday roast sing of spring. Adapted from Ina Garten’s marinade for rack of lamb, this version has the addition of extra virgin olive oil. Rack of lamb typically has much more fat on the meat itself, so the extra addition of oil isn’t necessary. Leg of lamb is a leaner cut and could use a little more fat for cooking and flavor.
Read MoreLast week, as I contemplated what to prepare for dinner, I stared down bell peppers, tomatoes and a package of meat that was in the refrigerator. The weather was cool, alarmingly cold, really, for April, and called for a warming meal. I recalled Susana’s meal, Stamatis stuffed peppers and tomatoes and swiftly got to work on recalling the flavors. I moved slowly, stopping to think about the taste, gathering all of the ingredients, and got to work. This recipe and process is not for the impatient or faint of heart in the kitchen.
Read MoreIn my opinion, one of the essentials to cooking is being able to make a simple and tasty marinade or vinaigrette. Packaged marinades and dressings are something I can’t get behind because of the additives and extra sugar, also, we never at them growing up. When I was working as a cooking coach, I often told my clients that the first thing to learn, because it’s simple and accessible, is how to make a homemade dressing. Ingredients as basic as lemon, olive oil and salt suffice on a salad or summer chicken on the barbecue.
Read MoreI’m dedicating a specific post to caramelized onions because, well, I consider them to be essential to so many delicious dishes prepared in the kitchen. From eggs to quiches, burgers and grilled cheeses, chicken dishes and even a salad — caramelized onions can take the flavor profile of any dish and raise it to the next level. I promise. The secret to jammy, thick and rich caramelized onions? Patience and high quality balsamic vinegar, a secret weapon that is used for deglazing the pan and can even speed up cooking time because the acid helps to break down the onions.
Read MoreFew things remind me of childhood, my grandmother’s cooking and when my father used to cook, then a big, piping hot pot of fagioli. Growing up, beans were a staple in our home and they still are. Beans are a hearty, inexpensive, healthy and warming food — a food we ate 1 to 2 times a week no matter the season. I was that kid who looked forward to opening a lunch thermos full of beans and pasta, a bit odd, sure, maybe, but my love of cooking and eating, was born from watching the people I love cook their hearts out in the kitchen.
Read MoreI know, I know. This is the L O N G E S T quiche name ever! BUT it’s worth saying 10 times fast and it’s certainly worth making too. My auntie recently had a hip replacement and, well with my shoulder coming along with healing, I thought it would be a smart idea to have a quiche or two in the house to heat up for easy weeknight meals. So, if you’re looking for a make-ahead meal idea, look no further than the fully loaded, elegant and tasty quiche.
Read MoreAt a local Greek restaurant in Astoria, Queens, sitting in their hot steam table, prepared and ready to order, they had an eggplant dish called “Imam.” I would often order the stuffed eggplant when I went to the restaurant and on days where I was too tired to cook and, so, I’d pick it up as take-out fare. Imam is bathed in onions, tomatoes and herbs and, best of all, slick with oil. I’d often approach the steam table at the restaurant intent on ordering something different
Read MoreFor Sunday dinner it’s typically tradition that we eat red sauce with meat and salad, sometimes pesto with ravioli or a roast. Historically, I have loved making my own pasta from scratch, think simple cavatelli or gnocchi, my two staples, but I have had a desire to try my hand at making gnudi. Gnudi is Italian for naked. I know, sassy, right? Gnudi can be likened to a dumpling and, maybe, a 2nd cousin to gnocchi. Gnudi is a lighter and more airy Italian dumpling made from a base of ricotta and spinach, as opposed to gnocchi which is a bit heavier and uses potato and flour for its dumpling meets pasta base. Gnudi is light and billowy, soft and hearty and reminds me of ravioli or tortellini filling
Read MoreI’ve never much been driven by competition, accolades, prizes or huge goals. Most of my decisions and choices, in life and in the kitchen, have been birthed from my deep need to share and connect. It just so happened that by sharing what I love, cooking, I ended up winning 3rd place in the Irish Soda Bread bake-off at my physical therapists office. But the real topper, was being able to contribute to my aunt’s beautiful St. Patrick’s Day meal when I hadn’t been able to contribute much, as of late, in terms of daily living. So, whether you’re driven by sharing, curiosity or awards; I have you covered in this one recipe.
Read MoreAnd just when I would hit my hunger wall, Dad must have hit his too. He would pull into the parking lot at Petrina’s Diner and it was then that I knew, soon enough, that I would be sated. Why? Saturday was split pea soup day at Petrina’s, and I could taste a cup, or a bowl of pea soup the moment we pulled into that parking lot. As my dad effortlessly rolled the Voyager into a diagonal lined parking space, that was it, I began salivating. My mom, dad and myself, would sit - us 3 - at small table in the center of the diner. I wouldn’t have to withstand mean comments about my weight from my grandfather; we simply ate our prized bowls of Petrina’s pea soup in a silence that was peaceful and holy.
Read MoreI eat salmon at least once a week. Personally, I enjoy it baked in the oven with lemon, salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Done. But the men in my life are my muses when it comes to thinking a little bit more creatively about salmon preparation. Thank you Uncle Al and Dad, your picky palates and love for sauces, marinades and crusts inspired this weeknight meal. The combined use of a marinade and crumble on the salmon created a sweet, salty and buttery finish to every bite of fish.
Read MoreEating Panettone during the Christmas season has been our family tradition for as long as I can remember. Now, I say “during the Christmas season” because as soon as my little eyes spy Italian fruit cake hanging from the ceiling of local pork stores or in big tree shaped displays at specialty markets - I am purchasing one, if not two, and enjoying Panettone as soon as the day after Thanksgiving. This enjoyment, God help my kissing thighs and womanly belly, extends all the way through the New Year. Why do I/we/my family enjoy Panettone for 2 whole months (plus)? Panettone is seasonal,
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