(Method updated 8/19/24) I have a preference for dishes with a serious kick of heat. From my morning eggs to my late night savory indulgences, if I can add a bit of fire to my palate, I always will. Among my favorite go-to ingredients for a punch of flavor is Bomba di Calabria, a hot pepper paste made with dried Calabrian chiles. Dried chiles are reconstituted, steeped in boiling water, then processed with fresh garlic cloves, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic. This fiery paste will become your secret weapon when you want to take your favorite dishes to the next level.
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Whether it’s movie night or game day, staying in shouldn’t mean skimping on quality fare. If you follow along on Instagram, you’ve seen me make Beans and Greens on IG Stories, likely one time too many. This is hands-down my favorite go-to movie night and game day dish. Beans & Greens is cozy enough for when you’re wearing your favorite pajamas and watching Netflix, yet versatile enough to serve as a main course. In fact, this might just be one of the most adaptable and forgiving dishes to keep in your recipe arsenal.
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There is a saying in the Eastern Arab world, “A hungry man would be willing to sell his soul for a dish of mujadara. This recipe is inspired by a beautiful, yet humble, Middle Eastern dish combining rice, lentils, and deeply caramelized and crispy onions. Like many cultural dishes, you will find variations of mujadara from family to family throughout the Middle East, and likewise, just as many variations at Middle Eastern restaurants throughout the United States. Sometimes referred to as mujaddara or m’jaddaret-burghul (served with bulgar), the first recorded recipe dates back to 1226 in Iraq; often containing meat and served as a celebratory meal. Though the medieval Arab…
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During this time of quarantine, in the height of a global pandemic, we can make good meals with what we have on hand: canned tuna, pasta, chicken, potatoes, butter, jarred olives, spices. As a food blogger and a cookbook author, my job is recipes. I spend a good number of my days writing lists of ingredients, measurements, and instructions. As a home cook though, I am led by desire, taste and the seasons. I rarely follow recipes, preferring instead to cook with abandon. I hardly ever make the same thing, in quite the same way, twice. Though, if it’s a dish that I think you’d like, or a family favorite…
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Pasta e ceci, which literally means pasta and chickpeas, is an essential one-pot Roman recipe, a cousin of pasta e fagioli, brimming with juicy tomatoes, tender chickpeas, hearty greens and pasta. Everything comes together in a simmering broth in just under an hour.
