Sicilian Girl

Tweet The quintessential New Orleans sandwich, the muffuletta, is rarely found anywhere outside of the Crescent City. Pronounced “moo-foo-LET-ta,” this deli meat and cheese hero piled with a tangy olive salad is a New Orleans specialty but is pure Sicilian. Since the Super Bowl is being played in New Orleans this Sunday and I need [...]

Tweet Little onions, (cipollini) look like ping-pong balls that have been slightly flattened. These little bulbing onions originated in Italy and are harvested 100 days after planting. They have a pale yellow and gold-colored thin papery skin and a translucent white flesh. They have more residual sugar than your average onion and no harsh onion [...]

Tweet This is another one of those recipes that travels well. Whether you’re off to the beach or an extended road trip, salads prepared without mayonnaise have a longer “cooler” life. Although it takes only minutes to make, it does need to marinate for several hours (for all the ingredients to get to know each [...]

Tweet The only fricasee dish I can recall was with chicken in a wonderful lemon-y butter sauce. I only have mushrooms tonight so I thought I’d try and recreate that fricasse senza (without) the chicken. Mushrooms are fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories, yet they are nutrient rich in B-Vitamins (Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid). They [...]

Tweet   I love how sweet cauliflower gets when it’s roasted. Quite a different taste from a flowerette on a crudite platter. I’m not a fan of this vegetable in it’s raw form. It’s like it’s not even the same vegetable, I don’t care how much dip you swirl it through. But when it’s cooked, [...]

Tweet     Serve with toasted Bruschetta. These full-of-flavor peppers can also be used in omelettes, pannini and pasta, They are always in my refrigerator in the summer months when they’re less expensive and more locally available. It can be a fun family outing to visit a local farm where everyone gets to  pick their own. [...]

Tweet     A sformato is similar to a souffle but not as airy so you don’t have to worry about it falling. They almost always contain beaten eggs, and usually a white sauce. You can make it with vegetables, like mushrooms, spinach or zucchini. I’ve had them with pasta or rice as well. Traditionally, it [...]

Tweet Beans are so darn good for you that I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them in our meals. This recipe is great as an antipasto all by itself, put it on top of a slice of grilled rustic bread (Bruschetta) as a mid-day snack (merende)  or add a bit of proscuitto and now [...]