IT’S THE HEIGHT OF TOMATO SEASON AND TOMATO BREAD PUDDING IS A MUST-COOK! We’re just back from a wonderful two weeks in Europe. The one thing that made us happy to be back was Tomatoes! Yes, Chewing The Fat’s already shared several ways to use…

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO MAKE THIS WONDERFUL SIDE DISH Zaalouk is beloved in Morocco and once you’ve tried you’ll see why. It’s a cooked salad featuring eggplants and tomatoes, seasoned with paprika, cumin, garlic, and fresh herbs. For an extra layer of smoky…

You can craft Chef Antonia Lofaso’s delicate Spring Pea Ravioli in less time than you think. Jazzed up with a hint of Chili Oil, lemon zest, and parmesan, this Spring Ravioli is filled with a minty pea and ricotta filling. It’s surprisingly easy to make—especially…

CROATIA’S “SOPARNIK” CHARD PIE AND THE BALKAN’S “AJVAR” ROASTED PEPPER DIP       I just returned from a Silversea Cruises Culinary Adventure. Today I’m sharing two delicious souvenirs from Croatia.  These simple dishes were truly eye-openers. “Soparnik” is a crispy, garlic-scented hand pie filled…

Color, flavor, and freshness for your table. These are our picks for three of Summer’s Best Salads. We’re using as many seasonal vegetables and fruits as we can get our hands on this summer. We’ve been entertaining with salads.  Not just your garden variety green…

This Toasted Veggie Sandwich makes a great Meatless Monday Meal The colors of this bountiful sandwich alone made it irresistible.  Grilled Bell Peppers, Red Onions, Broccolini, Melted Cheese, and a slather of Chile Lime Mayo with Capers make this toasted baguette sandwich simply irresistible.  But…

Now is the time to hit the Farmer’s Market and make this wonderful dish. This recipe is a riff on Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Ratatouille that dates all the way back to his 2006 “Tyler’s Ultimate” (Clarkson Potter). It is still one of my recipe bibles.…

A New Way to Cook a Favorite Ingredient and an end of Summer Salad to serve alongside. Andrew’s sister Lauren and I have a great time finding comments on recipes that are off the wall.  These are from people who cooked an entirely different dish.…

Because you can never serve too many tomatoes this time of year. I realize this recipe comes right on the heels of our wildly popular Heirloom Tomato Tart recipe, but we just cannot get enough of this year’s stellar crop of tomatoes. This tart first…

This meal is a sum of its parts: A sublime Fried Chicken, my take on Sicily’s Caponata and great Pesto topping a crispy toasted Baguette. When I was looking around for something special to serve as a supper for guests, I came across this extraordinary…

A Meat Lover’s Dream recipe…Mushroom Bourguignon from Melissa Clark As New Year’s resolutions go, the one about eating less meat in 2020 has a lot of traction. And for good reason. Not only is it good for you, but it’s also good for the planet. …

When Andrew and I were in Portugal last month, we went on a wonderful picnic.  It was part of an optional shore excursion offered by Viking on our 10-day Douro River Cruise.  We left the ship and traveled high up into the hills to the…

Asparagus season is coming and here’s a great way to celebrate its arrival. While a frittata sounds rather fancy, it’s a very easy dish to make. Far simpler than flipping an omelette, it’s wildly versatile too.  For this version, I added shallots and cremini mushrooms…

Ah, Ribollita…the Tuscan soup that’s a perfect antidote to winter.  Hearty and robust, it’s packed with vegetables and day-old bread making it far more a stew than a soup.  Its origins are precise.  Its roots are in the peasant foods of Tuscany particularly in the…