Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños

Jalapeño how do I love thee?  Well, let’s see…baked, grilled, roasted and stuffed!  I’ve used them a soup, quesadillas, cheddar crackers, in a muddled drink and encrusted with polenta.  Jalapeño (hah-lah-PEEN-yo) is part of the chili pepper family and is picked while still green although they can be picked when fully ripened when they have…

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Chickpea Soup with Sweet Potato and Feta Crostini

Chickpea Soup with Sweet Potato and Feta Crostini

Don’t you love a good soup?  I sure do and more so when there’s less time making it.  This is Yvette Van Boven’s second book – a follow up to her popular cookbook, Homemade.  Homemade Winter is full of hearty, body-warming dishes sure to satisfy the biggest of big appetites.  I adore her illustrations and…

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Conchiglie with Braised Pork Belly and Radicchio

Bacon lovers take heed as this dish will knock your socks off!  Braised anything in my books is a good thing with mouth-watering aromas filling the kitchen as the food is cooking.  Braising the pork belly means fork tender deliciousness.  What’s the difference between pork belly, bacon and pancetta?  Bacon and pancetta are made from…

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My Homemade Granola

Last Fall, With Love From Brooklyn, opened a new kiosk at Grand Central Terminal (in the Graybar Passage) offering a revolving roster of gift sets with products made locally in Brooklyn. From this kiosk I sampled Farmhand’s Choice granola from Early Bird Granola and another product – David’s Famous Pistachio Crack…soooo good!   After buying…

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Swordfish Ravioli (ravioli di pesce spada)

Swordfish Ravioli (ravioli di pesce spada)

John and I were in Europe on a cruise last summer with John and Anne, good friends of ours.  Whenever we book a holiday I always do the research on places to visit, things to do and of course where to eat!  We had planned to meet J&A during our second night in Venice.  I…

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Baked Barbecue Onion Rings

Fried onion rings have been around since the early 1900’s and it was in 1933 that a Crisco ad appeared in the New York Times Magazine for deep fried onion rings.  This recipe is kinder to the arteries, less fuss than deep fried, and has a crispy texture on the outside.   A perfect snack for…

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Leeks

Prosciutto-Wrapped Leeks

Leeks are a lovely substitute for those who don’t like onions or can’t tolerate a lot of them in a dish.  They are delicate and sweeter in taste than onions (buttery flavor when chopped and sautéed) and are an excellent source of vitamin K and B.  Store unwashed and untrimmed leeks in the refrigerator, where…

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Salsa di Parmigiano

When I think of salsa, two things immediately come to mind:  salsa the dance – olé! – and salsa used in Spanish sauces.   It usually refers to a tomato-based sauce but if you dig further, you’ll find that salsa (Spanish for sauce) is not restricted to Latin American countries and can include France, Italy…

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Meyer Lemon Sorbet

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

Sorbet (sɔrˈbeɪ) is a frozen dessert sweetened with water and flavored with fruit juice.   The first time I made sorbet was when we were living in Bangkok and I served it as a palate cleanser…what a treat on a sticky, hot day!  The next time was last year in the humid heat of New York. …

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