Cauliflower with Crispy Crumbs
1 Comment
I enjoy all sorts of vegetables, but cauliflower is one of my favorites. As a child, my siblings and I were introduced to this cruciferous vegetable with my mother’s…
extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Broccolini & Ricotta
As with many of the meals I prepare, this one came about while standing in front of the refrigerator, door wide open and staring at the contents looking for…
Fig Walnut & Chocolate Biscotti
A few dried figs with a handful of nuts are a favorite afternoon snack of mine. The natural sugar of the fruit gives me quick energy while the healthy…
Eggs in Purgatory
Because the eggs are cooked in a hot and spicy tomato sauce, this Italian dish is known as Uova in Purgatorio. The intensity level can range from mildly spicy…
Toasted Almond Breakfast Cake
As a rule, when a recipe calls for toasted nuts, it really is non-negotiable. Toasting intensifies their nutty flavor and whether the nuts are whole, sliced or slivered, you…
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…
Mediterranean Hummus
I didn’t grow up eating hummus. I first tasted this healthy, Egyptian spread while on a family vacation in Egypt. After settling into our hotel, the palatial Mena House,…
Avocado Toast
When I lived in California, we had an amazing avocado tree that produced an abundance of ridiculously large fruit. Although, I am blessed to have several citrus trees in…
Flourless Chocolate-Orange Olive Oil Cake
It may sound odd but, I often plan my dinner party menus with the end in mind, meaning dessert. This makes perfect sense to me, as it is the…
Farro Risotto
First cultivated in 9000 BC, emmer wheat, called farro in Italian, was the standard ration of the Roman legions. High in fiber, low in gluten (not gluten-free), this ancient…
Caramelized Leek Fritatta
Frittata is the Italian word for omelet. I often use the words frittata and omelet interchangeably but, technically they are different. A frittata is flat with the ingredients mixed…
Roasted Butternut Squash
Hard winter squashes, such as butternut, Hubbard and spaghetti squash, make their seasonal appearance as early as October, just in time to grace our tables for the holidays, and…
California Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Competition
The California State Fair recently held its inaugural Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Competition, and the winning oils will be proudly displayed during the California Exposition and State Fair – July…
Farro Vegetable Salad
Emmer wheat, called farro in Italian, is a nutritious grain with a distinctive nutty flavor and chewy texture. Farro is low in fat, high in protein and rich in…
Grilled Vegetable Antipasto
Grilled eggplant and zucchini are layered with just enough ricotta to add a subtle creaminess with very little fat. Packed in individual ramekins, these colorful stacks make for a…
Carpaccio
Carpaccio is a very simple Italian starter. Traditionally, it is made with thinly sliced high quality raw sirloin. This delightfully different appetizer is topped with arugula and shaved Parmesan,…
Fresh Fennel and Orange Salad
Italians characterize fennel (and eggplant) as being either male or female. The “female” fennel has a thick, round, short, stocky bulb that is used raw in salads and also…
Blood Orange Citrus Caprese
Winter in Sicily is all about the citrus; Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines and citron. The entire island is covered with citrus trees filling the air with their intoxicating…
Chocolate Espresso Olive Oil Cake
I am not what you’d call a chocoholic, but every now and then, when only something chocolate will do, this cake is guaranteed to satisfy the craving every time.…