Cuisine Carolaise

In Praise of Onions March, 2011

Pity the poor onion. It gets so much bad press. People complain that onions are tricky to peel, they make you cry, they give you strong breath or even indigestion.

No one will believe this is a diet-friendly dish February, 2011

Having started a WeightWatcher’s New Year’s diet, I have been adapting my favorite recipes to my new regime.

I recently reconfigured my Steamed Clams With Italian Sausage and Fennel and no one can believe that the new version is actually a diet dish. The flavors are rich and complex and the portions are HUGE. And yet, if you follow my recipe, each portion is only 11 points on the new PointsPlus program. That includes the grilled bread!

Sardinian Chickpea and Fennel Soup January, 2011

There are three reasons to love this dish:

1. Plain and simple, it’s delicious.

2. It’s quick and easy to make

3. It’s clean, healthy and low in fat.

Okay, if you still need another reason to try this dish: maybe you’re into the habit of serving at least one meatless meal a week. (If you’ve been following the food headlines, Mario Batali, the famed Italian chef, is now serving meatless Mondays at all 14 of his restaurants across the country.)

And finally, this dish is comfort food.

A Cherished Tradition December, 2010

When my husband’s mother passed away, he turned to me and said, “I can’t believe that we’ll never have her brisket again.”

Brisket was the dish she was best known for, the recipe cherished by all who knew her. Up until that moment, I had never cooked brisket. There was no reason to. Hers was the ne plus ultra.

My Most Requested Recipe November, 2010

When it comes to cuisine, simple wins every time.

Not too many ingredients, not too many pots and pans, not too many hours in the kitchen.

In fact, many of my all-time-favorite dishes can be put together in a relatively short period of time. And it turns out these are among the most requested recipes by guests at my table.

The Mystery of the Disappearing Cheese! October, 2010

No matter how prepared you think you are for that special dinner party or gathering, #$@% can happen and there’s no way of knowing when it will hit or what form it will take. What’s more, it doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a seasoned chef, #$@% is an equal-opportunity offender. And it’s guaranteed to find you, if it hasn’t already, when you’re preparing a special dinner.

I Heart Tomatoes! September, 2010

There may be people who love tomatoes as much as I do, but no one (I repeat: NO ONE) loves them more. During tomato season, when my garden is brimming with heirloom varieties of every size, shape and color, I frequently eat tomatoes for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Sometimes I even manage to ingest a slice or two of Russian Black, Purple Cherokee, Brandywine or Enchantment between meals. I heart tomatoes!

Steamed Clams with Italian Sausage and Fennel August, 2010

On a recent trip to Spain, I was intrigued by the variety of superb seafood dishes offered on nearly every restaurant menu. Of everything I tasted, my favorite was a bowl of steamed clams with homemade sausages in a wine-and-tomato broth, which inspired me to create this recipe.

Grilled Radicchio July, 2010

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, once said that you can never be too rich or too thin. She may have had a point. But she neglected to point out something far more important, at least in my world: you can never serve too many side dishes. Especially in summer, when gardens and farmer’s markets are brimming with delicious fresh produce of every shape and color.

Summer Pesto with Linguine and Green Beans June, 2010

In summer, one of my greatest joys is preparing meals that rely almost entirely on produce from my garden. Of these, many of my favorite menus start with pesto.

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