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.
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“Anyone who gives you a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven is a friend for life.” ― Lemony Snicket This cinnamon bun recipe uses baking ingredients that you are likely to already have at home. Ooey gooey, sweet and sticky, aromatic cinnamon buns. Warm and tender and glazed with a silky cream cheese frosting. The aroma of brown sugar and warm cinnamon lingers long and comforting.
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Winter cooking is among my favorite – the oven is warming both to the kitchen and to my spirit. Aromas rich and comforting in the quiet of February set me at ease as I begin to pine for warmer days ahead. With winter lemons on my counter, a bag of quality orzo in the pantry, my favorite cheese in the fridge, and local chicken cutlets from my trusted butcher – I’m ready to build a fantastic one-pot dinner. A handful of frozen peas and briny capers are the perfection addition for a pop of much needed winter color and flavor. For ease, I stuffed the chicken earlier in the day…
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Polpettone alla Ricotta, otherwise known as Meatloaf with Ricotta, is a delectable Italian upgrade to the standard staple of American comfort food. Many people are surprised to learn that meatloaf exists beyond the borders of America, and the ingredients used are as varied as the cultures in which meatloaf can be found. I’ve adapted this version over the years to include fresh ricotta cheese gently mixed into the meat, originally inspired by the queen of the Italian kitchen, Lidia Bastianich. The addition of ricotta creates a deliciously soft and tender inside. The outside of the meatloaf is golden and lightly crisp, both from the high heat and the addition of…
