Monthly Archives: February 2010

chicken for wining and dining

chicken for wining and dining
And by wining I mean: chicken cooked in reduced red wine sauce, and by dining I mean: table worthy. By all means, make sure some of the wine makes it into a glass for you. Some for the skillet, some for me/you. Cooks deserve that. And you know I… [more]

Italian Herb Blend

Italian Herb Blend
In Florence and around Tuscany, you can buy packages of [dried] herb blends at butcher shops, grocers, farmer markets and even souvenir shops. There are 2-3 varieties that consistently show up at the register, on a nearby shelf or in cute little 3 packs to take home for your… [more]

Ribollita!

Ribollita!
Ribollita (also written Ribolita—with one ‘l’) is a classic Italian vegetable-and-bread soup (or more of a stew?). I have had it multiple times, see it regularly on cafes all over town (I am currently living in Florence, Italy). In fact, I have two favorite ‘stand-up-and-eat’ lunch windows—and one… [more]

Italian mish-mash

Italian mish-mash
I used to know what this mish mash was called. In fact, I am suspicious that many cultures make their own version of this mushy yet delicious mash. I have been making it for a few months, prefer it consumer slightly warm or at room temp, drizzled with my… [more]

Morellino di Scansano

Morellino di Scansano
So I sent an email with inadequate Italian (I used Google translator), to an Agriturismo in the Maremma region of Tuscany. (I am planning a Tuscan road trip with my family: 6 days of driving around to see everything an adolescent boy would want to see: Etruscan caves,… [more]

must… buy… cute bowls…

must... buy... cute bowls...
I would sooner buy a dish than a new scarf, or a hand-held, battery powered, cordless, triple speed, multi-attachment blender than say, new makeup or jewelry. My cash flies out of my pocket when I see glassware that I must have, but I can walk right past clothing stores… [more]

Assembly only: appetizer with pesto, pine nuts, goat cheese

Assembly only: appetizer with pesto, pine nuts, goat cheese
How fun! I thought I had already posted this ‘easy app.’ My sister in law brought it to a holiday party and all it took was a bowl of crackers for this appetizer to gain notoriety among guests. Not much to say (this, coming from the talker?!); all you… [more]

hopping around the web

hopping around the web
I have been spending a chunk of time browsing the web. Jumping from one blog to another, like a kid skipping on the top of stones across a river. It is a rush, full of discovery and occasional slips into a time warp. Most of my posts are full… [more]

Mushroom Risotto

Mushroom Risotto
I feel like I am making up New Year’s resolutions as a I go. I seem to have sidestepped the pressure of December 31. But the things I want to accomplish continue to hit my mental temples and I feel the need to organize. No surprise there. One of the… [more]