When I think of Greece I think of white-washed buildings with bright blue roofs, a sparkling Aegean Sea, long lazy summer days and the best “street-cart” chicken kabobs, warm pita and tzatziki I’ve ever had–of course that was a long time ago when I was backpacking. But summer still reminds me of that special time in Greece. Well, I’m not in Greece but the Pacific Ocean in Laguna is a pretty […]
Jake, Patrick, Peter, Summer I love it when Jake comes home and the house is filled with the sound of his guitar and his friends. Best yet, I love it when I can cook for them. So when he was coming home for a too-quick trip over Memorial Day Weekend and getting together with his college friends from New Orleans who all now live in L.A., I wanted to treat […]
The Super Bowl starts in less than 24 hours. Do you have a houseful of people coming or do you need to bring a dish to share? Don’t worry! Here’s a super easy and very tasty solution! You can add as much heat as you like or keep it mild. It’s all in the seasoning! Don’t tell anyone, but it’s very low cal and has two healthy secret ingredients–I’ll […]
I’ve been home from Italy for two months and I’m still craving all the great meals Franco taught us how to make at Tuscookany. This is a photo I took in Italy of his super easy-to-make chicken cacciatore. I was hoping mine would turn out as good–it did! Although I cheated a bit. Franco had us start with whole chickens–complete with a few feathers that we had to torch off, but I had […]
Paella is one of those dishes that I absolutely love to eat! I don’t make it very often because I think it’s hard and complicated, but then an occasion comes up and I make it and realize, it’s pretty easy after all. If you feel like laboring a bit this weekend to celebrate Labor Day, give it a try. Just make sure you invite a lot of friends over […]
I always seem to get carried away at my Farmer’s Market. It all looks so good, especially this time of year, and I end up buying way more than I can eat in a week…or even two. So what was I thinking when I bought a beautiful 3-pack of “organic” strawberries when I’m growing them at home!!! I didn’t stop there. I bought a huge piece of halibut because it looked […]
This is the perfect Summer Picnic Dinner. It’s quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients. Grill the shrimp at home, pack them up and take them to the beach or park. Or grill them at the beach. Either way, this recipe is one you’ll want to enjoy all summer long. End the evening with S’mores and you’ve got the perfect summer night. INGREDIENTS FOR THE SHRIMP 1 lb. […]
I love steamed mussels in white wine and garlic but have never even tried to make them at home. The recipes always had warnings like “remove the beard”, “scrub them if they’re dirty” and the most ominous “discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut”. It sounded way too complicated! Boy, was I wrong!This must have been one of the easiest and quickest meals I’ve ever made. The first step […]
Salmon doesn’t get any easier than this! And cooking it on a cedar plank infuses a great smoky flavor and keeps it really moist. You can find cedar planks everywhere these days–from Sur La Table to Target. Pick one up next time and try this recipe. I think you’ll love it. Here are a few important tips for grilling on a cedar plank: Make sure you soak the […]
Jake’s home…yay…but only for a two weeks before he returns to New Orleans for his summer job. (That means employment and paychecks!!!) He wanted to fry some fish–and we know he makes a mean fried fish po’boy–but I felt like something lighter, you know, a BBQ. We bought a beautiful piece of mahi mahi and he asked my advice (I loved that part) on how to BBQ fish and what […]