A pasta that is beyond quick to make, requires only a few ingredients, and oh, it's pretty darn good too, extra lemon-y (not for the citrus faint of heart) with bright fresh parsley and lots of tuna, and that bread that's seen better days, the bread you meant to eat with dinner and then didn't?! It gets a second life here, steals the show, spiced up with garlic and hot pepper, sautéed in lots of olive oil until rendered crisp and crunchy and fragrant.
Read MoreThis marvelous, enchanted one-pan farro asks very little of you. It requires a little quick slicing of just three ingredients, which are then thrown in to a pan with the remaining ones, the whole thing then left to cook for half an hour, after which you'll have a spot on, perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked one-pot dinner, with lots of wholesome, nutty farro, juicy sweet tomatoes, mellow, falling apart onions, and a hint of aromatic garlic.
Read MoreRoaming around Rome in the new year!
Read MoreThis Tomato Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard is filling and flavorful and downright nurturing, a wholesome, virtuous mix of lentils and greens balanced by a bit of pancetta to keeps things (mildly) indulgent, ideal with a flurry of Parmesan cheese.
Read MoreI'm lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit in my 20s, but no matter how much I travel, I can't seem to find a city that tops New York City.
Read MoreThese biscotti -- which go by the name cantucci in Italy -- are cookies in their Christmas best, elegant and festive, full of crunchy almonds, chewy apricots, and chunks of sweet white chocolate, intensely almond-y with a kick of brandy to keep things seasonal.
Read MoreMeet American hot chocolate’s exotic, wiser, slightly moodier older sister, one who had lived a year abroad in Europe, studied philosophy, and spent lots of time writing, or thinking deep thoughts. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Italy's cioccolata calda, dark and rich and thick enough to drink with a spoon.
Read MoreA look at the Eternal City at Christmastime.
Read MoreMy favorite gingerbread cookies are soft and chewy, reminiscent of the snickerdoodle, its cinnamon-y cousin; they lose the classic gingerbread man shape, and thus any rolling or cutting, instead going directly from the bowl to the baking sheet; candy decorations and icing are swapped for a dusting of sugar, which makes the cookies sparkly and festive with half the work.
Read MoreVegetarian friendly “meatballs” made with ricotta, packed with Parmesan and basil, fluffy and dumpling-like, simmered in a deeply flavorful tomato sauce.
Read MoreAn arguably Thanksgiving appropriate lasagna, with butternut squash, béchamel sauce, and Parmesan, mozzarella, and a little prosciutto, for good measure.
Read MoreThe very best potatoes I have ever made or eaten, with a crazy crisp exterior and creamy interior, extra herb-y and golden and glorious, perfect along side roast chicken or Thanksgiving turkey, yes, but just as marvelous eaten as are, from a cereal bowl, just you and a fork. I speak from experience.
Read MorePecan pie's usual sugary sweetness is both tempered and countered with a handful of salty pretzels and heap of bittersweet chocolate, resulting in a pie that is downright addictive, crunchy and fudge-y and sweet and salty and chocolate-y all at once.
Read MoreA trip to the beautiful city of New Orleans (spoiler: beignets up ahead).
Read MoreA calzone filled with mild creamy ricotta and equally mild but gooey fior di latte, both of which both balance and complement the sharp saltiness of the Parmesan and the spicy heat of the salame, all of which is tucked in to a golden brown, perfectly chewy, nicely fluffy, crescent of dough.
Read MoreQuick, hearty, and delicious, this pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpeas) is just what you want for dinner on a cold day.
Read MoreAutumn, fried up and served for breakfast — doughnuts that are rich and cake-y, reminiscent of coffee cake, and spiced just enough to let the pumpkin shine. Optional but recommended: a veil of shiny smooth cinnamon glaze over the top.
Read MoreThe pastry here is beyond flaky, buttery and just sweet enough, the perfect foil to the aromatic cinnamon-y, brown sugar basted apple within. The presentation is lovely, too, a little pastry-wrapped present, perfect topped with a bow of vanilla ice cream (and a ribbon or two of caramel sauce wouldn't hurt here, either, just saying.)
Read MoreBraised beef with lots of sweet carrots and onions and earthy mushrooms and cozy herbs, the very definition of comfort food, divine served over a pool of sunshine-y golden polenta with a little Parmesan stirred in.
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