Do you have a leftover container of your favorite pasta sauce in the freezer? This is a really tasty and easy use for it. Continue Reading
What’s comes to your mind when you think of meat and potatoes?
I bet most people would say a Sunday roast or, perhaps, a slow-cooked stew or meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Undoubtedly, beef would be the most popular answer — so I went with ham.
One of the courses in Sunday’s Brunch, Booze + Bagpipes was pork belly, ‘stilo Italiano’. Continue Reading
My friend, Gail, said “Father Time is knocking on my door again“. She wanted to get together with the gals for a birthday brunch on Sunday. Here, in South FL, we have lots of brunch choices from waterfront casual to high-end hotels. We generally tend toward the high-end, like the Four Seasons, for these special celebrations. But, hey, they’re expensive, a little stiff, and you can’t hang out ALL day. Wouldn’t it be more fun to do a brunch at home?
I volunteered to host the brunch at “Casa Nova” and the gals readily agreed.
Although we’ve been lucky for a number of years now, living in FL you know the drill and you don’t take chances. A couple days before a storm’s forecasted arrival: fill the gas tank, stock up on water and fresh ingredients — fruits, veggies, cheeses, crusty bread. Things that are easy to eat without power. And … while you still have power, start cooking what’s in the freezer.
I was prepared but once it was reality and I was stuck in the house till it passed, my thoughts went to comfort foods. So, with the first rain band, I got cooking – literally!
I don’t make rich meals like this often but when I saw these veal shanks at the market, I couldn’t resist.
Neither osso bucco nor risotto are in my repertoire. I’ve made both at some time in my cooking life, but I couldn’t tell you when. I guess I could have checked some online recipes, but there’s no fun in that for me. I love to wing it. And I’m happy to share the results because they were fantastic. With all due respect, and modesty aside, I don’t think Mario. Lydia or Giada could have done better though, truth told, I’ve undoubtedly been influenced by them over the years. 
It’s good to know the many hours I spend watching celebrity chefs duke it out has trickled down to the betterment of the FOODalogue kitchen.
Who would mess with the gods? With the dining table of the cradle of civilization?
Well, that would be the 5 Star Foodie Makeover Cooking Group. This month we’re challenged to put our spin on an item for a traditional meze table. Continue Reading
What’s more satisfying that a slow-cooked stew with all those levels of flavor and comfort? It doesn’t have to be lamb, though a shank works mighty well. The same recipe could be used with pork, beef, or poultry.
I hardly ever open my liquor cabinet anymore. There was a time when everyone drank mixed drinks and cordials (you can tell how long ago that was by the usage of that word). Yeah, I know ‘cocktails’ have made a comeback but, somewhere along the line, I became a wine purist (white, red or sparkling, but no hard liquor) — and most of my guests did too. Oh, there’s the occasional scotch drinker who visits, but that’s pretty much it.
So what to do with all that inventory? Continue Reading
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