Vegetables

Lasagna And Nothing But An iPhone: Yikes!

Lasagna And Nothing But An iPhone: Yikes!

  When the going gets tough, there is nothing more comforting than a quiet table, a mellow glass of Malbec, an ooey-gooey plate of lasagna and the soft snoring sounds of a sweet pup snoozing nearby. That kind of comfort is just what I’ve desperately…

Cabbage and White Bean Minestrone

Cabbage and White Bean Minestrone

Brrrr. It doesn’t take Punxsutawney Phil to tell us it’s soup time.   Cabbage and White Bean Minestrone Save Recipe Print Recipe My Recipes My Lists My Calendar Ingredients2 T. extra virgin olive oil1 large onion (finely chopped)1 carrot (cut into medium chunks)1 celery stalk (cut…

A Signature Dish: Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric

A Signature Dish: Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric

For Julia Child it was Coq Au Vin. Marcella Hazan’s tour de force was her amazing Tomato Sauce. Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters rocked the culinary world with her Baked Goat Cheese With Baby Lettuces. “A signature dish is a recipe that identifies an individual chef…

Persian Barley and Vegetable Soup: Feed Your Inner Gladiator

Persian Barley and Vegetable Soup: Feed Your Inner Gladiator

It’s cold. It’s winter here in Southern California (sort of). Clearly, it’s time for the warm comfort of a bowl of steaming hot soup. Here is a soup recipe you might not have considered: Persian Barley and Vegetable Soup with Dried Cranberries. It is delicious…

Getting Smashed: Russet Potatoes With Horseradish Sauce

Getting Smashed: Russet Potatoes With Horseradish Sauce

  I’m a potato person. Surely it is my Irish heritage. I love mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato cakes and on and on. I think if I ever were to post on one of the ubiquitos dating sites, I would have to be honest. My…

A Cabbage Roll By Any Other Name: Golabki

A Cabbage Roll By Any Other Name: Golabki

Lahanodolmades. Kaalikaaryle. Bai Cai Juan. Golabki. It’s Lahanodolmades in Greece. It’s Kaalikaaryle in Finland. It’s Bai Cai Juan in China. It’s Golabki in Poland. Turns out, cabbage rolls are “a thing”  just about everywhere. And, it’s with good reason. They are delicious! So here is…

Easy Peasy: Pea and Fennel Cream Soup

Easy Peasy: Pea and Fennel Cream Soup

Got holiday anxiety? You deserve a little private celebration during these busy holiday weeks. This elegant little Pea and Fennel Cream Soup certainly fits the bill. It is bright-green beautiful, comfortingly creamy and oh-SO-easy to prepare.     This recipe is adapted from one that…

Spicy Kuri Squash With Harissa and Lemon

Spicy Kuri Squash With Harissa and Lemon

Cooks have long understood the impact of color on eating habits. The ancient Egyptians and Romans used herbs to color their foods and wines in an effort to enhance their appeal. Instinctively, I think, most of us understand that color suggests flavor, ripeness, and sweetness.…

Not Your Momma’s (Or Dorcas’) Holiday Green Beans: Green Beans With  Dried-Cherry Vinaigrette

Not Your Momma’s (Or Dorcas’) Holiday Green Beans: Green Beans With Dried-Cherry Vinaigrette

According to Smithsonian Magazine somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000,000 people will be eating green bean casserole this Thanksgiving, many of them following some version of the recipe Dorcas Reilly (pictured below) created in 1955. Dorcas was a food expert working for Campbell’s Soup Company…

Cheesy Potato Heaven! Gratin of Asparagus and Potatoes

Cheesy Potato Heaven! Gratin of Asparagus and Potatoes

When an Irish girl tells you that a potato dish soars, you should listen. This potato dish soars! Potatoes should definitely be on your Thanksgiving table anyway. The potato carbohydrates will give you the energy you need to keep things on a mellow Norman Rockwell-esque…