Today’s post with a tutorial on how to make edible Parmesan bowls is sponsored by Parmigiano Reggiano. I am proud to be a 2017 Parmigiano Reggiano Brand Ambassador. Real Parmigiano Reggiano, imported from Italy, is the only parmesan for me! If you are looking for a special first course this holiday season, look no further than this arugula ...
Fattoush Salad with Yogurt-Tahini Dressing
Enjoy this crunchy chopped salad inspired by the Middle Eastern dish fattoush with a creamy yogurt-tahini dressing. This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Organic. As always, all opinions are my own. Everyone knows by now that Middle Eastern food is one of my favorite cuisines. Ever since 2012, when Yotam Ottolenghi's award-winning cookbook ...
Winter Citrus Bread Salad
As a fairly constant bread baker, I am always in the market for new ways to use stale or leftover bread. For example, this time of year, I frequently make ribollita, a rustic Tuscan soup made with tomatoes and stale bread. It's true peasant food from people who would have never even considered throwing out bread simply because it was a little past ...
Healthy Eating: Nicoise Salad
It is also the time of year when we atone for our sins during the holiday season and eat healthier. But healthy eating does not have to be depressing. The goal of this recipe is to show you that eating light and healthy can still satisfy your soul, even in the dead of winter. Packed with protein from tuna and hard-boiled eggs, and full of crisp, ...
Thanksgiving Menu: Apple, Fennel and Bleu Cheese Salad
Thanksgiving is only a few days away. It is time to finalize that holiday menu, or, if you are not hosting, to decide on the perfect dish to bring as your contribution to the feast. Let me take this opportunity to remind hosts and guests alike that every Thanksgiving table needs something fresh and crunchy to contrast with all that stuffing and ...
Autumn Farro Salad with Poached Pears
The other night my family went out to dinner, intended to hit up the local Vietnamese place for some pho and banh mi. Yet somehow we ended up at the restaurant next door, a new place, that describes itself using every possible restaurant cliché of the moment. Chef-driven, locally sourced, seasonally inspired, blah, blah, blah. Between the ...
Penne with Black Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Spinach
I've loved California Ripe Olives since I was a little girl when I used to eat them off the ends of my fingers at Thanksgiving dinner. Black olives are prized for their unique flavor, striking black color and firm texture. But did you know that California Ripe Olives are as good for you as they are tasty? An essential part of the Mediterranean ...
Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
This recipe is everything summer cooking should be. It uses the bounty of the season. It is made ahead of time. And it's best served room temperature. Easy, fresh and beautiful to look at -- what is this amazing recipe you ask? It's panzanella, an Italian bread salad. So many cuisines have ways to use up leftover bread -- from French toast ...
Arugula with Grilled Peaches, Hazelnuts and Parmesan
The July meeting of the Chicago Food Swap is less than two weeks away. I am very excited about this particular swap. Not only is it the height of the season for local produce, which means all kinds of delicious homemade and homegrown swap items, but we also have an amazing sponsor for this event: Villa Gabriella Organic. Villa Gabriella imports ...
Cucumber Salad with Yogurt and Mint
With summer comes the desire to eat cool, crunchy salads. My interest in Middle Eastern cuisine has give me a new appreciation for humble cucumber. So often cucumber is relegated to the side: an afterthought thrown in to provide a hint of green or an element of crunch. Here in a refreshing, herbaceous salad, this unassuming summer vegetable is ...
Arugula with Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Burrata
It is barely spring. Too soon even for the lead-off hitters of the local produce line-up: fava beans, asparagus and rhubarb. Yet, I am so weary of root vegetables, winter squash and even the exotic citrus that brought sun to bleak January and cruel February. I can't even look at that arugula-fennel-blood orange salad one more time. Although ...
Fennel, Orange and Red Onion Salad with Bulgar
They say never to make a new recipe for company. They should also say: never make a new recipe for a soup that is normally served as a first course as a main course for company. Because if you do, you may find yourself with not quite enough soup for dinner. Serves six as a first course should be enough for four for a main course, right? ...