Tweet Christmas is over and on the first day of the new year many will be making resolutions, that unfortunately only a small percentage will be able to keep. So, ...
Spotlight Recipes
Marsala-Poached Pears
Tweet The Sicilian city of Marsala, (from the Arabic “Mars-el-Allah,” meaning the ...
Ricotta Gnocchi
Tweet Gnocchi (pronounced neeyo-kee) are small dumplings. They should be light and ...
Mangia Bene!
Epiphany
The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is one of the oldest Christian feasts. The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning to appear or to reveal. The feast commemorates principally, but not solely, the coming of the Magi (Wise Men and the first Gentiles) to see the baby Jesus. Epiphany […]
Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
As a child, I remember my mother preparing stuffed bell peppers on numerous occasions. It’s one of those recipes that you can prepare in advance, tend to four children, manage the house and the dozens of other tasks a busy mom has to do on any given day and still serve a healthy, home-cooked meal. […]
Affogato
Affogato al Caffe literally means drowned in coffee. This Italian combination of vanilla gelato and a shot of espresso is a quick and easy dessert that will satisfy your guests sweet tooth as well as their caffeine fix. You may use the recipe as a guide line but feel free to add more […]
Advent
Advent marks the beginning of the church’s liturgical year. It is a season of joyful expectation, hope and preparation for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. The traditions began in the Roman Catholic church in the fourth century. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” and is comprised of the four Sundays […]
Torta di Prugna
During the 1980’s when I lived in Campbell, California I entered a baking contest. It was for the Campbell Prune Festival held in the streets of our historic downtown. This was a wonderful celebration of community sponsored by the Sunsweet Prune Company, formerly known as The California Prune and Apricot Growers Association. Judged on taste […]
Marsala Apple Cake
The town of Marsala is located in the north west part of Sicily and produces a fortified wine bearing her name. In the late 1700’s the wine was ‘fortified’ with Brandy thus giving it a longer shelf life for all those seafaring men. I recently had a neighbor (who is an excellent baker) ask me […]
Thanksgiving
In the United States, many of us learned about Thanksgiving in grade school. We were taught that the fifty-three pilgrims (the only colonists to survive the long voyage on the Mayflower and the first brutal winter in the New World), were celebrating the fall harvest. As adults, we understand there is more to the story. […]
Apple & Sage Turkey Meatballs
Sweet apples, tart cranberries and the warm, earthy essence of fresh sage are the flavors of Fall and are what these versatile meatballs are all about. They are great for those holiday get-togethers (shown here as appetizers). I also, serve them for breakfast, with dishes such as, a simple avocado toast or a stack of griddle […]
All Saint’s Day & All Soul’s Day
In Italy and Sicily, nearly every small town has its own patron saint with their own celebratory feast day. The celebration known as La Festa Ognissante (All Saint’s Day), is a solemn holy day of the Catholic church to honor all the saints on the calendar and occurs on November 1. This is a national […]
Warm Butternut Squash Ravioli Salad
It seems to me that no sooner have the last of the trick-or-treaters gone home to sort out their bounty and I have polished off any remaining Halloween candy, that the holiday season is standing at the front door. Whether you are in a state of quiet calm or crazy chaos when you open that […]
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