Each time we go to our favorite Lebanese restaurant, my husband orders the fatteh blameh or seriously considers doing so. He loves the yogurt sauce that's spread over the stew as well as the pluck that sprinkled-on pomegranate arils provides...
Read MoreThis past weekend I bought a bag of clams at our local farmers market. With them I made spaghetti alle vongole, one of my favorite meals. Since then I’ve been noodling on a clams second verse, and this morning, quesadillas came to mind! On my way home from dropping my boys off at school, I stopped by the store. A mind map exercise led me somewhere like this: I love clams plus...ooh, look fresh corn. Clams and corn! I also love corn and scallions, and bacon with all those things. So, I added those fixings -fresh corn is here! finally!- to my cart and then spent a hefty amount of time in the cheese aisle to get to just the right combo. Ultimately I chose Monterrey Jack and Asiago Fresco, a younger, softer version of its Asiago kin. These are great- the corn and scallions pop brightly in both taste and color, while the clams and bacon sing quietly but critically in the background. Delicious!
Read MoreThe creamy, nutty texture of the black rice pairs so nicely with chopped mango, scallions, avocado and a lime-serrano-rice wine vinaigrette!
Read MoreThis is Mario Batali's recipe. He says, "it would be better to overcook them by 5 minutes than to undercook them by one." In addition to my two small augmentations -adding lemon and mint- I think toasted pine-nuts would be a great touch. Simple, delicious!
Read MoreI adore sunchokes; they're nutty, earthy, flexible tuber. Here, I've used them in a wonderfully flavorful, robust, rich (but not heavy) winter soup!
Read MoreAfter Thanksgiving one year, I couldn't bear the thought of another turkey sandwich. This salad was born and is a delicious way to use up leftover roast turkey.
Read MoreOne day, I bought some russets and boiled them up, planning to make mashed potatoes. But I realized I wasn't much in the mood for plain old mashed spuds so took a left turn. Into the mash went grated Gruyere, crumbled bacon, scallions and some buttermilk. The idea of puffs was running through my mind, so I mashed (heh!) the potato mixture into a ziploc, cut off the corner and played around with griddling these as well as baking-then-broiling them.
Read MoreFish tacos, well crafted, have got to be one of the best dishes ever. And late spring through summer is the perfect time to enjoy them. There are times however, when tortillas and all the fixings sound a bit heavy and require more energy and input than I'm willing to expend. Solution: Salad!
Read MoreA wonderfully flavorful way to use an entire bunch of radishes (greens too!), and who doesn't want pistachio-yogurt sauce?
Read MoreThis confit is a wonderful way to make these spring alliums the star!
Read MoreThis is an absolutely delicious version of green goddess from Melissa Clark. It's good with salad and crudites and grilled meats and on and on.
Read MoreThis dish, fresh, fruity yet savory, with a kick, is a wonderful way to highlight silky, steaky sea bass.
Read MoreI make a very slightly adjusted version of Emeril's recipe because it is just awesome. There are many versions of gumbo but this, to me, is the archetypal LA GUMBO.
Read MoreA wonderfully fresh and super healthy salad full of herbs, dried fruit, nuts, quinoa and a great vinaigrette. I've never served this to anyone who didn't become an immediate fan. Recipe from a 2005 Cooking Light. It doubles/triples well.
Read MoreThis is such a delicious use of all of these ingredients. Great with pita chips, atop salads, with grilled salmon... it's just darn good.
Read MoreI've never been a coleslaw fan, but I do like the idea of thinly sliced veggies in a tangy, creamy dressing. The crisp, crunchy freshness of Granny Smith apples, celery and fennel is infinitely pleasing, especially when dressed with a refreshing aioli infused with celery leaves and fennel fronds. This is a great summer salad; hearty enough to be a simple lunch when paired with some great bread and/or some grilled shrimp, or a terrific start to dinner on the patio.
Read MoreThese zucchini-feta cakes are one of my favorite treats. They are beautiful, delicious and can be made in advance. I rarely fry them, instead cooking them like pancakes on a hot griddle. Serve with Greek yogurt.
Read Moremusings from a stay-at-home, cooking-obsessed mom
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