Creamy Lavender Ranch Dressing (or Dip)
My new adventure in cooking with lavender has been successful thus far. I’ve enjoyed rave reviews for my lavender scones, lavender limonata and my lavender biscotti. This creamy- tangy ranch…
Condiments (Condimenti)
Herbs de Provence
Herbes de Provence is a multi-purpose spice blend that is made with dried herbs that are commonly grown and used in France’s Provence region. As French cuisine gained popularity in the…
Lavender Sugar
During the months of May and June, I have had the opportunity to visit lavender farms in northern California, meet with the owners and learn all about this fragrant herb.…
Rosemary Lemon Sea Salt
Rosemary, native to the Mediterranean region and a regular ingredient in Italian cooking, is one of my favorite herbs. While living In Tucson, I had several huge plants. These…
Ricotta Omelet with Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
Frittata is the Italian word for omelette. I often use the words frittata and omelette interchangeably but, technically they are different. A frittata is flat with the ingredients (usually)…
Citrus & Cheese Butter Toast with Fried Egg and Asparagus
“The Incredible, Edible Egg” is a marketing slogan that was created for the American Egg Board in 1976. I believe that this slogan is so spot on because eggs…
Burro di agrumi e formaggio
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If you’ve ever used a compound butter, a mixture of fresh herbs and softened butter, you know that it adds inimitable flavor and moisture as it melts on beef,…
Artichoke lemon & Pistachio Pesto
This light and bright pesto is simply perfect for spring and after you taste it you will want to keep some on hand. Initially, I was going to make…
Giardiniera
The Italian giardiniera, pronounced jar-dih-NAIR-ah, means from the garden and is a classic combination of vegetables. Cauliflower, red bell peppers, carrots, celery and serrano chili peppers are mixed and…
Homemade Mascarpone
Requiring only two ingredients, a candy thermometer, some cheesecloth and a bit of patience is all that is needed to make your own mascarpone. This milky-white, super smooth, soft…
Light Basil Pesto
Pesto is an Italian sauce that is a specialty of Genoa, Italy. It is never cooked (or heated for that matter) and is made with fresh basil, extra-virgin olive…
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Traditionally, hummus consists of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The beauty of the basic recipe is that you can change…
Roasted Garlic lemon Cream
Some days it is just too darn hot to cook. This is especially true if you live in the Grand Canyon state of Arizona! So, standing in front of…
Roasted Garlic
I prefer to use roasted garlic in dishes when I want a more mellow, slightly sweet garlic flavor. This is particularly true in those recipes that do not get…
Orange Marmalade
I feel quite blessed to have several citrus trees in the yard. There is one prolific lemon tree directly out the kitchen French doors, literally within arm’s reach, bearing…
Better than Nutella Chocolate Spread
I have made several attempts over the years to come up with a chocolate spread that I feel is worthy of sharing. The flavor was always great, rather it…
Cranberry Vinaigrette
Fresh cranberries are in season from late October until early winter. They can be stored in the refrigerator for a month or so but, do not wash until you…
Balsamic Vinaigrette
As a rule, I only dress salad greens and vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, a sprinkling of sea salt and a few…
Roasted Balsamic Onions
Not only is this a great condiment to have on hand in your own refrigerator, it’s also a wonderful, thoughtful gift any time of the year. Because it’s so…
Italian Prune Preserves
Once upon a time, Santa Clara County was the largest fruit district in California. In 1919, 98,152 acres were planted in fruit trees. The majority were prune trees (7,652,000),…