Yes, I’m a Lidia Bastianich fan. I love the pace of her PBS show “Lidia’s Kitchen,” that recently started its tenth season. The programs move along to keep my attention but go slow enough to see how she prepares the dishes from start to finish. Her enthusiasm for Italian food and scratch cooking is contagious. Making her pasta dish that…
YUM-OH-LAH! This delectable open-faced sandwich requires a slice of toasted rustic whole-grain bread as a crisp foundation. What is rustic bread? It’s not easy to define. Some might describe it as artisanal without any preservatives. It’s sold unsliced, usually in round or oval shapes. The bread has a crusty exterior and an interior with a chewy texture. Atop the toast…
Pomegranate passion. For me it started at an early age when I pilfered one from a neighbor’s yard, a beauty found on the ground under the tree. It was cracked and revealed 2 or 3 rows of glistening crimson seeds. Years later I apologized to the owners for the larceny. Grinning, they accepted by tearful confession, telling me I wasn’t…
The counterpoint of sweet Port-infused roasted grapes and tangy cheese make these nibbles a delectable treat. They can be served as appetizers or as an after-dinner cheese course. A blue cheese spread is smeared atop small portions of toasted bread and then topped with a generous scoop of the roasted orbs. The sharp, salty taste of the blue cheese is…
After all these years, this is still one of my favorite appetizer spreads! Serve it with apple slices, crackers, or slices of baguette (toasted or fresh)! Six-Layer Bombay CheeseYield: about 30 servings8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated1/2 teaspoon curry powderGarnishes:1/2 cup mango chutney2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut1/4 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped, see cook’s notes1…
Cauliflower “Steaks” Roasted Right and Paired with Italian Salsa Verde.
Cookbooks, Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes, UncategorizedAt our house, we call slabs of cauliflower “vegetarian steaks.” They are a welcome steam-roast treat to serve when the vegan branch of our family visits. I like the way the chefs at America’s Test Kitchen steam them in a scorching hot oven under a blanket of aluminum foil before roasting them to create lovely caramelization on the exteriors. A…
I adore the way adding a small knobs of hot Italian sausage to this dish tames the assertive greens! The flavors are so good together, plus the sautéed sausage offers a crunchy pizzazz. An excellent source of vitamins C and A, one cup of mustard greens has only 15 calories but provides 2 grams of protein. Well … the sausage…
Strawberry Salad Finds Bliss with Pistachios and Feta
Cooking, Melissa's, Produce, Recipes, Uncategorized, VideosGreen salads have endless possibilities … Strawberries can be at their very best this time of year – juicy and sweet, with a luxurious texture. This romaine-based mix showcases the berries with Romaine lettuce, Feta cheese and salted nuts such as pistachios or almonds. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette spiked with honey and shallots. Fresh tarragon comes to the…