Potato Skins Stuffed with Egg, Bacon and Cheese

As a youngster growing up, baked potatoes were a staple and my siblings would carefully remove the flesh of the potato, lather it with butter and then place the potato flesh back in with salt and pepper.  I don’t think as kids we really knew about the variations potato skins came in.  We were just…

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Handmade Cavatelli with Sausage & Browned Sage Butter

This is the first recipe from The Frankies Spuntino Cooking Manual and I love, love, love it!  The kitchen aromas perfumed the house with the sautéed sausage and the sage cooked in butter.  I was in my element (happy face). Sage is an aromatic herb with strong spice flavors and sometimes smells a bit like…

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Handmade Ricotta Cavatelli Pasta

Last month we were cruising the Adriatic and one of the ports of call was Bari, Italy.  I had done my obligatory research on ‘top things to do’ list for each port and Bari was no exception.  There is, however, something to be said when you communicate with the locals – no matter how limited…

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Star Anise Ice Cream

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I am a gadget queen but I certainly enjoy using the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer.  I’ve had it 2 months now and have made strawberry ice cream, lemon ice cream and now this one.  Each time feels as though it’s my first and…

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Summer Squash Tart

John has been traveling a lot lately and when he comes home he wants light meals.  Hotel food and eating out with customers leave him hankering for home-cooked food.  After a few days in Dallas he definitely didn’t want any meat!  This tart was the perfect welcome back meal.  Summer squash refers to pattypan squash,…

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Corn, Avocado and String Bean Salad with Feta

What inspires you to cook?  Is it a photo from a food magazine, cookbook or simply food that’s in your refrigerator?  For me, it’s a combination and the other night it was the contents in my fridge that dictated what I would make for dinner.  I had a couple of heirloom tomatoes left from Lieb’s…

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Scallop and Pesto Purses – A Tribute to Julia Child

I was in Barnes and Noble bookstore last week and in the cooking section (yes, I know – shock!) when I was about to leave I spied an end unit displaying Julia Child’s cookbook:  Baking With Julia: Savor The Joys of Baking with America’s Best Bakers.  I paused to take note and began casually flipping…

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Grilled Maitake Mushrooms

Last Sunday after church John and I strolled around the Upper West Side of Broadway to explore the area.  We were searching for a place to eat lunch when I spotted the Columbia Greenmarket.  The Greenmarkets of NYC are the creation of GrowNYC which began in 1970 (born on the first earth day).  Their markets…

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