Pretzel Sandwiches

Upon moving to Philly, Marc and I learned that Philly is well known for pretzels. While the fame of the cheesesteak seems to overshadow the pretzel, for us, this is a great sadness. While I don’t care much for cheesesteaks at all (blasphemy, I know) I really love a great pretzel sandwich. We first had […]

Continue reading

Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad

One of the most inspirational cookbooks I’ve purchased in the past few years was Ottolenghi’s Plenty and one of my favorite recipes in the whole gorgeous book is An Ottolenghi Fave: Grilled Zucchini and Basil Salad. I love to make it deep in the Summer as an alternative to Caprese. Plenty is a vegetarian cookbook […]

Continue reading

Watermelon and Feta Salad

It was finally HOT and humid in Philly today, which in my book means salad for dinner; if that salad is a Watermelon and Feta Salad, all the better. I love this salad. It’s gotten really popular in the last few years, but its trendiness doesn’t diminish its appeal to me. It’s o-so-simple and refreshing. […]

Continue reading

Savory Olive French Toast with Bacon Marmalade

This dish came about in a cool way. I went to Brooklyn to visit my dear Erin and brought her some delicious olive bread as a hostess gift. The day got away from us, and it was time for our dinner reservation before we got around to eating it. Of course I was concerned about […]

Continue reading

Morning After Meal: Assemblage Cooking: Succotash with Corn Pasta

Gotta love leftovers. Especially when you can re-purpose them into something new, different and exciting. If you made succotash for your derby party and there’s lots leftover, never fear. Simply boil some pasta. I used a very cool corn pasta in this instance. Then reheat the succotash, add some spinach to get your greens in […]

Continue reading

Grilled Vegetable Naan Sandwiches

This is one of my go-to Summer weeknight meals. It’s really delicious and nutritious and I can grill a big mess of veggies on a Sunday and have them all week long. The yogurt sauce really ties this dish together. And if you’re in a meat sort or mood, some grilled shrimp or chicken on […]

Continue reading

Clementine Pork with Rapini

This playful dish is a nod to the classic Orange Peel Beef. Lighten up! it extolls. And that’s what makes pairing it with MacRostie’s most playful wine (Pinot Noir Rosé) so much fun. The bitter rapini, which is common in Southern Europe and China (believe it or not) also ties wine to Asian cuisine in […]

Continue reading

Seared Snapper with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Apparently I forgot about some sweet potatoes from my last installment of my CSA (community supported agriculture) box. Let’s just say that the ground has been frozen here for a long time and who knows how old they were. The good news is, root vegetables seem to last forever and inspiration finally struck. I’m always […]

Continue reading

Lobster Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

I love avocado and citrus together. I routinely pair them together on salads and serve them as a side to many Mexican dishes, sometimes with black beans, corn and cotija cheese. In this case, I wanted to make the salad a little more glamorous for a dinner party. Also, recently I have seen the ingredients […]

Continue reading

Fresh Pea Soup with or without Ham

I love split pea and ham soup. It’s possible that was inherited from my dad. And it’s his birthday today, so this is in his honor. But for good split pea soup you have to plan way ahead and cook it for days. And it’s really heavy. This is a great alternative for spring. It […]

Continue reading

Pasta Carbonara with Peas and Pepper

I had a pet theory about pasta carbonara. To me, it seemed like the quintessential late winter, early spring dish. Before being able to buy whatever ingredients whenever we wanted, eating with the seasons was the only option. In the late winter and early spring, the only meat still hanging around was doing it quite […]

Continue reading