Here’s another favorite of mine from Tuscookany–Franco’s linguine with clams. This is super easy to make and is ready in no time. I cheated this time and bought fresh pasta at the market…if you’re going to cheat, at least cheat with good fresh pasta. INGREDIENTS LINGUINE WITH CLAMS 1 kg / 2 lb fresh clams 2 cloves garlic, chopped 200 g / 7 oz cherry tomatoes 1/2 tsp chili powder 500 […]
A new Christmas tradition! If you can’t be in Italy, you can cook like you’re in Italy. This year Jake and I went back to Tuscookany and spent a wonderful week with Franco and Paola cooking all of my favorite Italian dishes. This Tuscan Ragout is so easy to make…and tastes so much better with home-made pasta. Making fresh pasta is a bit time consuming but after one bite, you’ll never […]
This is a super easy and refreshing salad to enjoy after all the heavy holiday meals. Make sure you use the freshest ingredients! I found this recipe in the current issue of Food & Wine. INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 TBS chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper Kosher salt Pepper 1 lb. fresh white button mushrooms, very […]
Blistered shishito peppers are always my favorite and lately they’ve become a popular appetizer item in a lot of restaurants. I grew my own this year and have been enjoying an abundance of them. Here’s a super easy and quick way to prepare them. Ingredients Shishito peppers a little olive oil Kosher salt fresh lemon Heat a cast iron skillet until it’s blistering hot. Toss the peppers with just a small amount […]
The Wedge. A classic salad that’s practically fool-proof. It’s also a salad I never think to make at home. I gave a try last night and it was delicious and super easy. INGREDIENTS Iceberg lettuce Cherry tomatoes Bleu cheese–crumbled Bacon–crisp and crumbled Red onion–chopped into small pieces or sliced super thin Bob’s Bleu Cheese Dressing Pinot Grigio vinegar Salt & Pepper A few tips: Use really good bacon…cook until crisp […]
Just looking at this photo makes me hungry for Franco’s Bolognese, or as he calls it, Tuscan Ragout. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love going to Tuscookany , a villa tucked away in the hills outside of Arezzo to spend a week cooking with Franco and Paola. And the field trips we take to Ravagni, a family owned olive oil producer since 1421 and Villa La Ripa, a local […]
The holidays are here–the crazy busy time when you really want a great dinner but never have time to make one. This Lemony Chicken with Penne and Spinach will solve your problem. It’s easy and quick to make and packs a lot of flavor. And don’t tell anyone, but it’s pretty healthy, too. My lemon trees are loaded with fruit right now so I’ll be making lots of lemony dishes […]
I just realized how long it’s been since my last post–almost 3 months–so I knew I needed to make up for that with something really good and super simple to make. It doesn’t get any easier or tastier than this chicken posole recipe from Martha Stewart. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what posole was and I don’t think I’d ever had hominy before I made this soup for the first time last […]
Jake is a way better cook than I am! There I said it. And it’s so true. Not to mention he made this delicious fish over succotash in about 20 minutes, with almost no mess to clean up. As I watched and took photos for this blog I realized what his two secrets are–lots of butter and wine. No wonder it was delicious. In New York he makes it with grouper […]
This just might be my new favorite winter soup! The recipe was inspired by Ina Garten, but I had to improvise a bit when I didn’t have any creme fraiche–instead I used buttermilk and it was great. It’s an easy soup to make, but just takes a little time because you roast the potatoes and leeks, and that’s what makes it so good! INGREDIENTS 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut […]