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!
A few days after Thanksgiving, there was a turkey carcass sitting in a plastic bag, on the bottom shelf of the 2nd refrigerator in my aunt and uncle’s basement. I opened the door and heard it whisper “Use me. I will make you the most tasty and delicious bowl of soup.” And, so it was. And, so it was true. I removed the turkey carcass from the plastic bag, cleaned out her cavity so there were no more stuffing remains, trimming some fat and gelatinous bits.
Read MoreOn Friday evening, after a trip upstate to do yoga with my friend Julie, I found myself roaming the streets of Astoria with a Dunkin’ Donuts hot cocoa in search of broccolini. Weird, right? My days of roaming the streets on Friday nights, and stumbling into bars, is a long gone memory of the past. Now I wear sweat pants or wide leg jeans, leggings and a sweatshirt if I want to feel “sexy” and troll for fresh produce. I’d like to think of this as a sign of maturity, although it feels more like a sign of giving up or a resoundingly loud and cotton clad resignation to being 44, low estrogen and single.
Read MoreSomehow, at the end of every summer, I end up with an ABUNDANCE of zucchinis in the house. In the month of August, zucchinis are plentiful and inexpensive, hence the attractiveness of overbuying. Sure, I might not be buying much clothing or home goods any more, but somehow overbuying something is still in the addiction cards. I guess it could be worse than zucchini. The seniors in the house love zucchini, but I wanted to do more than pan fry, roast or grill it to serve it as a side or over pasta.
Read MoreDear Fettuccine with Mushroom Ragout, Every time I pick up my fork your long twirls make my heart skip a beat. Covered in thick heaps of mushrooms, flecked with various shades of brown, I can only imagine that if you were a woman - you’d be that long legged, wild, brunette
Read MoreThe freezer section of my local grocer was tapped out of my favorite veggie burgers which was a bummer. Until I discovered I could make an equally if not more delectable veggie burger by tapping into my vegetable meal prep and pantry. If you roast veggies, have a can of beans on hand, some greens and breadcrumbs you can make this too.
Read MoreAt the end of the week I had a few spoonfuls of kale stem hummus and guacamole left, so you must know what I did?! Yup, I mixed the two together to make the creamiest topping to my lunchtime salad. Learn how to make a veggie filled hummus and a classic guac that will last in your fridge for days. Get your snack on!
Read MoreBefore the quarantine and an NYC food frenzy went down my pantry was lined with beans, while the bottom shelf of my storage closet had a large bowl filled with sweet potatoes for roasting. These are and always will be two of my main cooking staples. Beans were always a staple in our home,
Read MoreWhen the going gets tough and you’re in quarantine, grocery items and leaving the house can be limited. You can push cooking aside, you know, like peas on a kids dinner plate. In adulting, cooking has become our universal pea - but I want to help end that struggle by reframing cooking. Especially now and especially during this time.
Read MoreI didn’t quarantine shop being as my pantry is always stocked for isolation and my refrigerator is a treasure trove of wrapped veggies, greens and more. Cooking in quarantine doesn’t have to be about frozen pre-made meals or bagged snacks, it can still be about smart cooking, using ingredients a few ways and making meals last.
Read MoreMy Dear Friends and Family - As we all sit in a giant bottomless bowl of uncertainty soup, I want to remind you that we can also access our joy at any point in the day. It’s a choice. I know we’re living in unprecedented times and it’s scary. I’m trying to find the gift of time with myself, without being afraid of myself and without thinking into the future.
Read MoreDouble Dinner: the instance in which one eats two dinners; often times lying about having just eaten at a friends house - so another dinner can be eaten before bedtime. And, so, I spent the majority of my childhood eating double dinners as I bounced from friend’s houses to home during most weeknights.
Read MoreTo my knowledge tourlou tourlou translates in Greek to all mixed up. I love saying tourlou tourlou. Roll your r’s and repeat tourlou tourlou as though conjuring up a most intoxicating spell. And, I suppose this rustic all vegetable stew could be likened to an intoxicating spell all its own. Vegan friendly and the perfect hearty crowd pleaser […]
Read MoreButternut squash baked ziti is a gooey, cheesy, baked faux-pasta bomb that will leave you wanting more every time. A true transformation of comfort food, you won’t miss a beat or the pasta when you immerse your entire being in the process of making and eating this spin on an old classic. And listen, I love pasta as much as the next human, and carbs are my friend,
Read MoreCanned tomatoes, chicken stock (or concentrated bullion) wine, butter and onions are something I always have in my home. And, usually, a few carrots or bag of baby peeled carrots so I have something lying around when I want to snack “sensibly.” All of the above are my cooking essentials, particularly in the case of the aforementioned wine. Anything that allows me to cook and party, well, I’m into it.
Read MoreAs a woman who loves a bargain, I’ve translated the process I have with clothes - often times bragging to my friends that my whole outfit was purchased for $27.76 on a high fashion Old Navy day - into grocery shopping. The thrill of turning the pages of a circular and glancing at signs that read FRESH LONG ISLAND CAULIFLOWER $2.49
Read MoreGrowing up my grandmother, Aunt Jo and my own mother made a very special sauce. This sauce I write of was not just any sauce, you know, it was a cascade of vegetables perfectly cooked - never mushy - made with expert sauteing and an abundance of care. The classic family recipe has asparagus, mushrooms, tomato and zucchini and it is required that each vegetable is
Read MoreLately I’m dropping beans into bowls like they’re hot …
1) ’Cause they’re easy to cook (hello, can opener!) and prepare well ahead of time.
2) They’re inexpensive, while also being filling. See more on #3
3) Finally, they add a meatless, high fiber protein pop to mealtime.
If you know my cooking and weight loss story, you know I love lentils. Lentil soup was the first meal I prepared in the summer of 2001 as I was forced to cook for myself while I was living on a small working farm in Ashford, CT. Recalling meals of my childhood, I remade my grandmas lentils until I got the pot of soup just right. Packed with fiber and protein they’re one of my favorite meal bases
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