Minestrone alla Milanese is named for Italy’s most sophisticated city…certainly not the home of ‘cucina povera’ I’ve always had a soft spot for Italian dishes in the category of  cucina povera—the so-called “food of the poor.” It’s proof that humble ingredients, cooked with care, can…

SUMMER’S BEST SALADS: COLOR, FLAVOR, 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…

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…

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…

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…

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOVE BRUSSELS SPROUTS TO LOVE THE FANTASTIC TASTE OF THESE BRUSSELS SPROUTS. Brussels Sprouts are a superfood, a powerful blend of nutrients like folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, fiber, and protein. But that doesn’t mean this member of the…

Let’s celebrate Meatless Monday with this fantastic Vegetable Curry Ellie Krieger, the host of Public Television’s  “Ellie’s Real Good Food”, is an expert on healthy eating.  A graduate of Cornell and Columbia Universities, she holds degrees in Clinical Nutrition from both. Her claim to fame…

Don’t miss out on this year’s farm-fresh tomatoes. Make this now. I cannot get enough of this year’s tomato crop.  I would eat them every day if they all tasted like our Long Island tomatoes this year.  And when I made this recipe from Food…

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.…

If you love Coleslaw, this version from our local supermarket is well-worth making. What is summer without coleslaw? Who can imagine Fried Chicken without it?  As Colonel Sanders himself said, “It’s always a tough decision between that, the Mac and Cheese, and the mashed potatoes,…

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…

I don’t remember a single recipe on Chewing The Fat that’s faster to make than this: 10 minutes. That’s all it takes to enjoy two of the greatest gifts of summer. Sweet corn, peaking now and Cherry Tomatoes overwhelming our garden right now.  We wait…

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…