Category Archives: Uncategorized

I must say that the first time I saw this recipe for one-pot pasta I was hesitant. I read up on it and found out that the actual recipe for this one-pot pasta hailed from Puglia. So for all of those “haters” out there I am just saying that I did do my homework here and found out that yes they do this in Italy and original recipe was from there. OK that’s enough of that. It doesn’t really matter where it’s from now does it? I have made 2 versions of this type of pasta and all I can say is yum. I will also add that you need to be a little bit more attentive during the cooking but the result was fabulous. We loved the creaminess and the pasta came out perfectly al dente.  You just don’t want to overcook it, taste for doneness and sit down and eat. It was delicious…

This is a soup, and a little like a stew, and I think Rachael Ray calls it a stoup, because it’s a little bit stew and a little bit soup. I combined a lot of different recipes for this one, and used a lot of ingredients from the pantry as well. I served with a toasted baguette with goat cheese. A perfect ending to a very cold winter’s day. And did I say filling? it is a meal in itself. There are like a million ingredients, but it really did make this soup wonderful. I enjoyed the prep, it’s very therapeutic. Also I find it is very very important to read through a whole recipe before starting to cook, because you don’t want any surprises 1/2 way through and I always set out all of my ingredients before I start cooking, don’t want to be running around looking for an…

I love apple season and what better use for all those apples but applesauce? It’s great by itself, with meat, poultry,  over ice cream , yogurt or pancakes , in muffins, any time you feel like applesauce. A staple on Thanksgiving Table and this year it will double duty with Latkes for Thanksgivukah!   I made 3 lbs. but you can easily make this with 6 lbs. of apples.  Easy shopping list, most ingredients you probably have in the house. If you’d like you can add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice. A little butter or maple syrup is also a good thought. I used a little bit of maple syrup ( maybe 1/4 cup) . Play around with flavors. Quick prep time , very easy to make, 3 lbs. will probably serve around 6 – 8 people. Cook Time is about 1/2 hour.

This is the obvious more fattening way to…

Sherry Lemon Vinaigrette ingredients

This salad is also from my cooking class with Karen Lee. I loved this salad. It was so delicious. Of course you probably have to love avocados and red onion but if you do, this is just an awesome delicious salad. Very easy, very few ingredients, and very few moving parts. Enjoy!

Feel free to add any protein into this salad. Chicken,  shrimp, tofu, or even some chopped eggs. Recently I have been seeing a lot of  poached or fried egg on top of salad. Yum! this one would be perfect with a fried egg atop! Give it a try.

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 bunch arugula (try to use organic if available; if you don’t have arugula, you can use escarole, endive, frisee or chicory)

1 bunch romaine or red leafy lettuce (you can throw in a little radicchio as well)

*use any combo of your favorite greens

1/2 cup…

Good Old Roast Chicken

As a young cook, one of the most intimidating things to make for dinner is a roast chicken. It should be simple but somehow it seems complicated–tying up the legs, stuffing the cavity, etc. It took me many years to feel confident about the bird thing. The carving alone could set you over the edge. I conquered my fear and while I’m not the best carver in the world I make do and figure it out. The key to carving is letting the bird sit for at least 10 minutes. This seals in the juices and makes carving just a bit simpler. I can’t really help with the carving (you can go online and get a tutorial). I go by feel. I used to take a 5 lb chicken and hack it up so badly, but after a few attempts, I sort of figured it out…