Wild Mushroom Pizza with Taleggio and Thyme/Nature’s Healers
Once regarded by most as an eccentric and possibly dangerous endeavor, mushroom hunting is now throwing off that bohemian misfit image and becoming popular.
Fresh from the kitchen
Apricot Compote with Green Almonds/At the Core
Not a very long time ago, I held a wide-eyed, chubby little girl on my lap . I giggled alongside her as I showered her with kisses and tickles. She was adorable and sweet, and the best part was…she adored me too. I could do no …
Spiced Homemade Tagliatelle/Comfort in Chaos
Cooking and baking can be a satisfying creative outlet. It can also be soothing. As long as we’re not thinking too much about what might happen. We worry, “Will this turn out? Will I under or overcook it? Was that too much salt?” If …
Roasted Beet & Orange Salad/ The Smell of Rain
So often, it’s the little things in life that spark joy: the first sip of coffee on a Saturday morning; comfy pajamas put on still warm from the dryer; the smell of rain. Particularly during this time of year…when the promise of spring is just …
Dark Chocolate Cake with Red Wine and Amaro/ Bad Day Cure
Seeking Comfort After a particularly stressful or draining day, many people begin thinking about what to do to decompress and comfort themselves. Some people choose to take a walk outside or work out. That’s fantastic for those of you who do that. Please let the …
Citrus Risotto/The Delicious Confluence of Cultures
I find it fascinating how history and geography contribute to the evolution of a cuisine. We consider risotto to be an Italian dish–in fact, Northern Italian…from Milan. However, rice was first introduced to Italy by way of Sicily. It was introduced to Sicily by the …
Artisan Country Bread/Inspiring Kindness
Spread the Love… Years ago, while walking through the picturesque little shops along a back street in Florence, I came upon something unusual. In a tiny perfumerie, I spotted a cute bottle with a drawing of a baguette on the front. To my surprise, it …
Sicilian Orange Marmalade/A Ray of Light in Darkness
This lovely, bittersweet, blood orange marmalade brightens my cold winter mornings. It also sits me once again across the breakfast table from my father, now gone almost two years. I vividly remember dipping marmalade toast in coffee as he recounted the story of the …
Chocolate & Roses Truffle Cakes/Like (Rose) Water for Chocolate
If you love a great story as much as great food, and you haven’t yet read Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate — get yourself a copy here! It’s written in the genre of Magical Realism-which puts into question reality while presenting magic and fantasy as normal. …
Warm Carmelized Pears with Spiced Zabaglione/ Nourishing Laughter
I cannot cook or eat zabaglione without thinking of Roberto Begnini. Remember him? He’s the Italian director and actor best known for the 1997 hit movie, Life is Beautiful. When going up to accept his Academy Award for best foreign film, he leaped onto the …