If the thought of preparing and serving whole grilled fish is something you never considered, I get it.  Looks a bit daunting perhaps?  However, it’s about the easiest dinner party entree I have ever cooked. Just stuff each fish with some lemon slices, fresh herbs and shallots, give them a good sprinkle of olive oil… Continue reading

Yesterday, I was craving this Carrot Currant Cake I made a few months ago.  It was so easy to whip up, in the oven in under 15 minutes, and I had everything I needed to get started.  Only snag was the few bananas sitting on the counter in my fruit bowl, begging to be used… Continue reading

This version of Paella cooks in the oven with very little attention. Unlike traditional Paella cooked on the stovetop which needs much more diligence to pull off successfully.   With a little bit of prep work, you will be free to enjoy conversation and cocktails with family or close friends without worry. Dinner will be quietly… Continue reading

If you are searching for a fabulous dessert that you can whip up and have in the oven in 10 minutes, is dinner party worthy, with only one bowl to wash up, and is made with basic pantry staples you may already have lurking in your pantry. Than this Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze is… Continue reading

Years ago, when my husband and I took our very first trip to Italy we learned a tip about shellfish and cheese.  We were staying in a little pensione on the Adriatic with a restaurant on the main floor that faced the ocean, so gorgeous it could have been a movie set. One night, we… Continue reading

It probably come as no surprise to everyone that we are having a much smaller gathering for Thanksgiving this year – just like most of the country.  We still want to make a fuss, cook way too much, and spend quality time with certain family members.  You too I bet. These circumstances happen to work… Continue reading

Have you heard about this famous Plum Torte originally published by Mariam Burros in 1983 for the New York Times? It was so popular that it was published every year from 1983 to 1989, by then the editors felt it had been featured enough.  Apparently not, according to all the backlash they received, after making… Continue reading

As the summer winds down, I usually do a mental inventory of all the seasonal foods we have cooked and enjoyed to make sure we haven’t missed out. With all the usual suspects all accounted for: tomatoes, corn, zucchini, leafy greens, and more tomatoes, I cast a larger net and discovered I had not made… Continue reading

You know when you see recipes that look so simple but contain gluten, so you don’t even attempt them because you assume it won’t work for us gluten free?  Well, honey this is not one of those recipes! This time luck is in our favor.  This flatbread recipe produces a wonderfully chewy, crispy, savory flatbread,… Continue reading

We have all become so bored of quarantine meals.  It was time to make something DIFFERENT for dinner today. We were feeling indifferent with the steady staple of 1) some protein from the freezer or tofu, 2) a vegetable that has been resting in our cold garage that hopefully is not moldy yet.  3) gnocchi/rice/potato… Continue reading

While it seems I do experiment with a lot of different foods to share with you here, I tend to default to one, maybe two, recipes per season for dinner parties.  I prefer dishes that I can pop into the oven while guests are arriving. Some easy enough that I can socialize and enjoy cocktails,… Continue reading

This Raspberry Pecan Tart falls firmly into the “if it worked make it again, just change up the flavor a bit” category.  As you may know, not all gluten free baked goods turn out, even those you may have made many times.  It’s all chemistry honey, and perhaps some astrology too, because at times I… Continue reading

When my daughter was younger she just didn’t like pureed soups.  I could never figure out why?  As she grew older, and more articulate, she informed me that she didn’t like pureed soup because every spoonful feels and tastes the same. Huh, who knew.   To get around that dilemma, I  found a few ways… Continue reading

I want to share with you my latest food obsession –  grits!  Specifically white corn grits from Palmetto Farms, gluten free of course.  With little knowledge and no prior consumption of them, they are a revelation for me.  I didn’t grow up in the “South”, and have not even one relative that could lay claim… Continue reading

Many, many lifetimes ago my husband worked in the dinning room of a big fancy hotel.  There, they made a “classic” caesar salad, that he still maintains contained no mayo, mustard, and heaven forbid no worcestershire. Looking at the picture you may surmise that this is clearly not that “classic” recipe, with the additions of… Continue reading

Two circumstances lead to the creation of  these Lemon Cheesecake Brownies.  The first, I had a container of mascarpone cheese in the fridge nearing its expiration date and wanted to use it up.  The second, while chatting with a friend I discovered her husband was going to be out of town and she would all… Continue reading

For the last few years I have defaulted to three super easy desserts to serve at dinner parties.  If you entertain you know it’s more than enough work to come up with a menu, shop, cook a fabulous meal, and set a beautiful table.   Last year it was pears that I popped into the oven… Continue reading

Last week one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, shared a vegan coconut cake.  Made with just 6 ingredients; one bowl, baked in a round cake pan for just 40 minutes.  Could it really be that simple? I admit, I was skeptical since I’ve had so many epic fails trying to conjure up baked… Continue reading

With this hot summer weather, I think everyone wishes they were on the French Riviera eating moules frites while sipping rosé, am I right?  Not the usual mis en scène here, though.  I often find myself caught in an endless cycle of summer salads, which I rotate depending on mood.  However, I am really proud that I… Continue reading

Every year around this time, I get the urge to bake.  It seems like ages since I last turned the oven on.  Lately, it has been too hot to even contemplate any form of baked good; that is until this week.  Yippee! This endeavor dovetailed nicely with the banner crop we have of zucchini this… Continue reading

Back when my husband and I were first married, I found a no-knead overnight artisanal bread recipe in our local paper.  What a way to wow your family, or even better dinner guests!  The smell of freshly baked bread has a swoon-worthy effect every time. I forgot about the recipe throughout the years; having kids, moving… Continue reading