Growing up, I always knew it was a special occasion when my mom made the family tomato sauce. Packed with meat and cooked slowly on the stove for hours, I couldn’t wait for it to be finished. Served with cheese ravioli, it was my favorite dish as a kid.
Read MoreWith Easter around the corner, my thoughts turn to ricotta pie. An Italian staple for the holiday, this slightly sweet pie can be flavored in a variety of ways depending on your tastes. And it has a unique crust, sweeter and less flaky than a traditional pie crust, but a perfect complement to the ricotta. And to kick it up a notch, you can make your own ricotta - it’s actually really simple.
Read MoreSalt and pepper. The basics of cooking. Good food does not have to be complicated. Almost any cut of meat, any vegetable, any starch - with the proper application of fat and fire - can be amazing as long as they are properly seasoned.
Read MoreSo for this recipe, I cross a couple of Italy’s borders to grab a French red wine and a Swiss cheese. The flavors of mushroom and beef are a perfect marriage, so I swap out the chicken stock for beef stock (or mushroom stock if you’re rocking the vegetarian train). The result is definitely a risotto in texture, but with a new flavor profile. Let’s get to it.
Read MorePanna Cotta is a silky-smooth, decadent dessert. It’s the sort of thing that might seem fancy, but it’s actually very easy to make. It’s just cream, sugar, and gelatin, usually topped with something like a fruit compote. But a lot of people are vegetarian or dairy-free these days. So I’ve worked on a couple of alternative recipes to accommodate people’s diets.
Read MoreThis classic Mexican dish is perfect for… well, you can fill in the blank with just about anything. A cold night, a Super Bowl party, the only food you can bring with you to a desert island. Serve it with rice and beans, on nachos, by itself. For those who like it spicy, for those who like to play it safe, for those who like it just right. You can make it with fatty pork shoulder or make a healthy chicken or tofu version. The possibilities are endless and only bounded by your tastes.
Read MoreI have to admit that I’m not a fan of traditional cole slaw. It’s too sweet, and there isn’t enough sharpness to cut the richness of the mayonnaise. I spent a significant chunk of my life avoiding it and thinking I didn’t like cabbage. But it turns out cabbage is great, crunchy and peppery, and a vegetable that’s flavor shouldn’t be hidden by a mountain of sugar.
Read MoreThe barbecue tradition in the United States runs deep. There are as many kinds of barbecue sauce as there are regions that barbecue. But let’s be honest, in vast swathes of the country (mostly north and west), when people think of barbecue sauce, they think of that sweet ketchup you might get with your chicken nuggets at that fast food place or the overcooked baby back ribs you get at some chain restaurant. I’d say it’s vaguely reminiscent of a Kansas City style sauce, but I wouldn’t want to insult the barbecue masters of western Missouri.
Read MoreBalsamic vinegar. Nuff said. Most know it. Many have had it. Some of us love it. But much like wine, that other product produced from the grape, it comes in a wide range of qualities and prices.
Read MoreShortbread is by far one of the simplest baked items, a simple ratio by weight of 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, and 1 part sugar. And its simplicity lends itself to infinite variety and experimentation. In this case I thought I would try something crazy, turning a summery cocktail into a holiday staple. My friends and family gave it rave reviews so I though I would share it with you.
Read MoreItalian wedding soup is the best. Whenever I cook for my friends, this is the dish that gets the most rave reviews. But I have a dirty secret. It's actually really easy to make. It's just chicken stock, escarole, chicken breast, and meatballs. The meatballs are the trickiest part. Meatballs aren't tricky. If you can make meatballs, you can make Italian wedding soup.
Read MoreAt its heart, risotto is a simple dish. It's just rice cooked in stock, maybe a little parmesan. That's essentially it. Everything else is just bells and whistles. I think it has a reputation as being difficult to make, but that's not really true. All you have to do is stir. For 40 minutes. So if you want to make your own risotto, you only need a little patience and a lot of dedication.
Read MoreBeef stew is a classic. However, if like me, you grew up in an era when beef stew mostly meant that stuff you get out of a Dinty Moore can, it's not precisely synonymous with high cuisine. But since it's a simple dish, it can be easily improved and personalized. With a few minor adjustments, an old standby can be transformed into something new and surprising. So I'm going to share a few tips and my personal recipe for beef stew.
Read MoreOne of life's great mysteries is why any human beings, but especially Americans, eat so much chicken breast even though all the other parts of the bird taste better. However, I am eternally grateful because it allows me to buy chicken leg quarters for 79 cents a pound while some suckers are paying four or five bucks a pound for a piece of meat they are going to overcook until it has the pleasant consistency of sawdust. I suppose breast meat is marginally healthier. Per 3.5oz serving, a skinless breast has a whopping 10 fewer calories than a skinless drumstick. Though why you would eat or cook any part of the chicken without the skin is another of life's mysteries.
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