Sicilian Girl

Tweet One of my favorite meals is veal Marsala and if I’m dining out and it’s on the menu, it’s difficult for me to resist. This baked (al forno) recipe is a version of the classic chicken Marsala. The original is made with chicken breasts, dusted with flour, briefly sauteed and served with a Marsala [...]

Tweet Passoli e pinoli (currants and pine nuts) are commonly used in many Sicilian dishes. Currants are black Corinth grapes that have been dried like raisins, only they are much smaller (not to be confused with fresh, red currants, related to the gooseberry). In baking, currants and raisins are generally  interchangeable. However, the smaller size [...]

Tweet It’s smart to plan ahead if you’re thinking about making this slightly sweet brisket. Although it takes 4-5 hours to cook, it basically cooks itself as it makes it’s own sauce. All you have to do is combine the  ingredients, pour over the brisket and shove it in the oven. Perfect for a potluck [...]

Tweet Braised, roasted, simmered and stewed, these are the types of dishes that are calling my name. When the weather is cold outside, few things are more comforting than a pot roast in the oven or a simmering stew on the stove. An Italian stew is called spezzatino (Italian verb spezzare means “to cut up”) [...]

Tweet This stew is the equivalent of the basic “little black dress,”  the essential recipe to have in your repertoire that you can serve anytime. You can dress her up for company or keep her simple and rustic depending on the occasion. The ingredients are accessible and affordable creating a richly flavored dish that is [...]

Tweet Roasted, poached, grilled and fried, these are just a few of the ways I have prepared poultry this year, but during the fall and winter months, there is nothing quite like those dinners with the delicious smells that permeate your kitchen. From the moment you lift the lid off a dish that has been [...]

Tweet Last weekend, my girlfriend and I attended a fundraiser, Taste for Nourish, a non-profit dedicated to providing family and community support for children with feeding challenges. These children are unable to eat a nutritious diet by mouth due to medical problems, autism spectrum disorders or sensory challenges. For more information or to make a [...]

Tweet Each year in late October, when the weather is just about perfect, our neighborhood throws a block party. The streets are partitioned off, tables are set up and it’s BYOC (bring your own chair), with plenty of room left for dancing in the street. We’ve enjoyed everything from October Fest fare (German sausages, kraut [...]

Tweet As a rule, when I make dinner it’s usually something I have a hunger for, but there are those times when I just don’t feel all that inspired when I need to get a meal on the table. So, I ask my husband, Jack, what he would like. Now, of all the different meals [...]

Tweet Sauteed veal with lemon is fast food … really! Thinly-sliced veal quickly sauteed (don’t even have to dredge it in flour) and a sauce that practically makes itself is my definition of fast food. You could substitute chicken in most recipes that call for veal, however, you would have to pound the chicken breasts [...]