Bites, nibbles, crumbly blobs of Parmesan and breadcrumbs on small pieces of eggplant. This experiment made at least a dozen rounds in my kitchen before reaching this blog. It sounded good, but unless I took out duck-tape, the ‘breading’ had no inclination whatsoever to actually stick to the eggplant. I tried egg whites and whole [...]

(No, this is not a photo of a jar of fig spread. But it is involved with what to do with a jar of fig spread, so keep reading).
I finally bought a jar of fig spread.
I have seen jars of fig spread, staring me down from the store shelf, daring me to try it. Daring [...]

The containers are critical. You need containers that are no larger than the slices of eggplant being layered. The eggplant is both the bottom and ‘lid’ layer. I used fresh tomatoes, but I also made it successfully with really yummy jarred tomatoes. The sky is the limit: look in your fridge for the little bits [...]

I find ‘white bean spread’ to be a spy-cover for what it really is: roasted garlic spread (at least—my version of it).
It is so common in trattorias and osterias all around Tuscany and greater Italy, to find a mix of bruschetta or crostini on the menu. In Tuscany we frequently run into these crostini toppers: [...]

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 need is goat cheese (room temperature, [...]

I am taking Asian cuisine this quarter. It is not my usual fare—though I enjoy the flavors and am intrigued by the many tastes. In fact, I had a choice of a handful of different classes and effectively made myself take Asian: just for exposure sake. Asian cookery is known for its different techniques and [...]