Stuffed foods are a tradition for Sukkot. In keeping with the concept of abundance and plenitude, stuffed meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables are often served as a meal in the Sukkah. A colorful medley of bell peppers, filled to the brim with brown and wild rice pilaf is the quintessential side dish to serve on [...]
Here’s a great recipe for veggie burgers. Composed of healthy veggies, grains, and beans, these burgers are sure to please the vegetarians. Tasty, wholesome, and filling burgers, the meat eaters may come around and enjoy one of these as well. I like to serve my veggie burgers on my homemade buns with curly lettuce, tomatoes, [...]
Rummaging through my overflowing recipe files, I found a recipe for “spaghetti pie”—one that has been beckoning to me through the decades, but for some reason, it remained untested until now. Most likely this recipe came about when a resourceful and creative cook wanted to use up some leftover spaghetti. But, this dish is so [...]
“Pasta primavera” is Italian for “springtime pasta”. It is a festive and colorful dish made with pasta and lightly sautéed spring time vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, pasta primavera is not Italian in origin. While there is some controversy regarding the originator of the recipe, it is generally agreed that the recipe was first developed [...]
This 5-star recipe for Potato Gnocchi with Sausage Ragu is from Davide Odore, Master Chef at the Castello di Guarene, a magnificent restored 18th century palazzo/hotel overlooking the Langhe hills in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Potato gnocchi are tiny potato dumplings. They are light, pillowy and delicate in flavor—a perfect base for Chef [...]
My recipe for lasagna is vegetarian. I use spinach and mushrooms and part skim ricotta and mozzarella to make a lighter, healthier dish. With a rather lengthy list of ingredients and several components to the instructions, this is not a quick and easy recipe. Yet, no intricate techniques are required, and there is nothing inherently [...]
True story: I learned how to make this scrumptious pasta dish from a Duchess! Early one morning, last October, a group of about ten of us met Duchess Nicoletta Polo Lanzo Tomasi at the Vucciria Market in Palermo, Sicily to begin a day of shopping, cooking, dining and touring a 17th century palazzo. This extraordinary [...]
Last October, during our travels in Tuscany, Italy, my husband and I boarded a train in Florence and headed 29 miles southeast to the charming medieval town, Figline Valdarno, to take a private cooking class with one of the great chefs of Tuscany--Claudio Piantini. It was just the two of us with Chef Claudio in [...]
This is the time of year when the prevailing image is a cornucopia overflowing with the bounty of the harvest. In keeping with the concept of abundance and plenitude, stuffed meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables are ubiquitous. A colorful medley of bell peppers, filled to the brim with brown and wild rice pilaf is the [...]
As the dog days of August morph into brisk September mornings, I am on the lookout for kid-friendly meals for our back to school issue. Also, cognizant that mom or dad does not want to be making multiple meals to cater to varied tastes and finicky eaters, I seek recipes to please the entire family. [...]