Veal Chops with Wild Mushrooms & Herbs

February 22, 2026 No comments

When I see veal chops at our local market, it’s a done deal.  Similar in appearance to a thick-cut, bone-in pork chop, veal chops are much more tender however, and have a delicate meaty taste.  Veal chops are best grilled or seared and take no time at all.

For this recipe I decided to sear the chops and then finish them off in a wine-soaked pan in the oven, and to serve them with a wild mushrooms, garlic and fresh herb sauce that is out-of-this world.  Fabulous over a serving of risotto Milanese or even flavorful cooked beans like I did, this Northern Italian meal is just screaming out for a glass of rich Chianti.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Sicilian Pasta

February 21, 2026 No comments

This unique pasta is filled with the flavors of Sicily: briny olives, sweet golden raisins, caramelized fennel, fresh herbs and peppery garlic. The mixture of sweet, savory and a bit of acidity is formally known as agrodolce in the Italian language, and is seen throughout Sicilian and southern Italian cooking.  The base of the dish starts with a sauté of garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sliced fennel and anchovy paste; the garlic softens and fills the pan with fragrance, as does the caramelizing fennel.

Lemon juice, zest, and white wine are then added to the pan not only to deglaze any brown bits that have accumulated, but to add that acidic flavor the pasta oh-so-desires.  Next come the briny, oil-packed olives, the fresh herbs and the plump golden raisins for a sweet kick.  The entire dish is finished off with a touch of pasta water for body, and a grating of salty Pecorino cheese.  This truly unique Sicilian Pasta is great on its own served with a simply green salad or roasted asparagus tips, or as a primi, or first course, for your next Italian feast.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Shredded Kale Salad with Balsamic-Roasted Figs, Parsnips & Roquefort

February 20, 2026 Comments: 2

shredded-kale-with-balsamic-roasted-figs-parsnips-roquefort

My favorite variety of kale is Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan or black kale. Whether raw or sautéed, I love its hearty texture, its slightly bitter flavor and its versatility. For this salad, I shredded the Tuscan kale into bite-sized pieces and topped it with roasted figs, parsnips, and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. For a nice creamy element, I like serving this salad with wedges of dreamy Roquefort cheese. (Any sort of blue cheese would do here, but I love the strong flavor and slight spiciness of the Roquefort blue cheese.)

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Farro with Black-Eyed Peas, Chard & Feta’

February 19, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.NYTimes.com

This Mediterranean-inspired grain salad is designed to be made with either bulgur or farro, but in reality it can be made with any whole grain of your choosing. Brown rice would be nice, as would freekeh, quinoa, millet or even amaranth.  Cooked until tender, the grains are tossed with cooked black-eyed peas, red peppers, onions, garlic, spicy Serrano peppers, sautéed Swiss chard and some feta cheese.  I like the look at texture of cubing the feta cheese instead of crumbling it in a salad like this one, it makes for dramatic presentation.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/well/healthy-recipes/recipes/farro-or-bulgur-with-black-eyed-peas-chard-and-feta)

Baby Bella & Watercress Salad with Fennel & Golden Raisins

February 18, 2026 No comments

This simple salad has all of my favorite salad requirements: healthful of course, but also tender, crispy, a touch sweet, and a bit creamy.  The base of the salad is a bed of peppery watercress leaves, thinly sliced crunchy fennel, golden raisins, and sliced baby bella mushrooms for added texture.  The dressing is a lovely lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with a touch of sour cream added to it for a creamy touch.  Feel free to substitute arugula leaves for the watercress if that is what you have on hand, and even full fat Greek yogurt or buttermilk for the sour cream.

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‘Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice’

February 17, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine

On this fine Mardi Gras day, you should embrace the spirit of the festivities and cook a classic Cajun or Creole dish. Do you love gumbo? Go for it! Craving a sweet King Cake? Get to baking! Wanting to use some of those dried beans in pantry? How about a hoppin’ john or red beans and rice like this one?

The beauty of this version of a classic pot of creamy red beans, fluffy white rice and spicy sausage is that is is slow-cooked in the crock pot.  The beans need to be soaked overnight of course, but in the crock pot itself this dish will be ready in about 4 hours time.  A perfect pairing for any of these classic Louisiana dishes is your favorite Abita beer and of course, a dash (or four) of your favorite hot sauce.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.louisianacookin.com/slow-cooker-red-beans-rice/ )

Turkey with Garlic, Sage, Preserved Lemon & Ras el Hanout

February 16, 2026 No comments

turkey-with-ras-el-hanout

 I wanted to share a not-so-traditional recipe for turkey that I think you will love as much as we did.  I was intrigued when I heard about this flavor combination from the fabulous chef and restaurateur, Marcus Samuelsson: tender turkey, the spice blend ras el hanout, preserved lemon, garlic and sage.

Ras el hanout is a complex spice blend from North Africa made with turmeric, saffron, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and paprika.  This warm mixture of spices alone is wonderful on baked turkey, but I love the continuation of the North African-theme with the use of tangy preserved lemon.  We all know fresh sage is a classic combination with turkey and the garlic component, well–garlic is always welcomed!

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Crisp Salmon with Braised Red Cabbage & Mustard Sauce’

February 15, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

This simple weeknight salmon entrée is a lesson in two cooking methods: pan-searing and braising. Skin-on salmon fillets are seared in a touch of olive oil until crispy and browned on both sides; this is my favorite way to prepare fish because it is easy, yes, but also I think it adds the most flavor to the fillets.

  Next, you add some sliced onion and red cabbage into a pan and let the braising begin! Braising simply means that you first cook something in a touch of oil or butter (a sauté if you will), then you add liquid to the pan to finish off the cooking.  The liquid in this case is tangy balsamic vinegar—a perfect accompaniment to the slightly sweet red cabbage and onions. Lastly, in the same pan that the salmon cooked in, you add some Dijon mustard and a touch of water (or white wine); cooked down until thick and smooth, the sauce is served over the fish and dinner is complete.  Such an elegant dinner, that also doubles as a helpful kitchen lesson.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.marthastewart.com/314822/crisp-salmon-with-braised-red-cabbage-an )

‘Tortellini, Chicken & Arugula Salad’

February 14, 2026 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

This is one of those radically simply recipes that after one bite makes you think: ‘Why didn’t I think of this?”  A healthy salad of store-bought cheese tortellini, peppery arugula, and shredded rotisserie chicken, all tossed with Parmesan cheese and a light lemon-shallot vinaigrette.  Wonderful as is, I decided to also add some sliced mushrooms and bitter radicchio leaves into the mix. (I can also see this salad working very well with halved cherry tomatoes and even a basil pesto vinaigrette as well.)

Pecorino-Crusted Scallops with Braised Vegetables

February 13, 2026 No comments

This recipe is filled with the freshest produce of the season. I found a lovely assortment of warm weather veggies at the market this week: pole beans, farm-fresh summer squash and juicy tomatoes.  My mind directly went to a combination of all three, plus some fresh basil.

I visualized this combination on the plate and thought it would be a lovely base for a family-style platter of seared scallops. Seared until browned on top yet still tender, I finished the scallops off with a dunk into grated Pecorino Romano cheese for a creamy finished.  To make the meal complete, I like serving everything over cooked freekeh, but any whole grain would work wonderfully.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

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