I have come to appreciate, that as much as I love to sit down and dine on the perfect well executed meal, lovingly prepared by myself, or the chefs at some of my favorite restaurants, what I truly love are appetizers, small bites, tapas, I love to experience different foods all at once, and having…
Tag: Easy Entertaining
Arepas Venezuelan Style
I am a huge fan of Latin cuisine. The flavors, the simplicity and complexity of it all at once, is something that feels like home to me. Arepas are a staple in most Venezuelan and Colombian homes, and served at most meals. They remind me of the Italian cornmeal cakes I ate as a child,…
Saucy Cheeseburger Empanadas
This recipe is super easy, super delish, and tastes just like a cheeseburger! I don’t like to fry my empanadas, and for years I have been using a cream cheese dough to make mine baked, in the oven, but lately I have been using puffed pastry because I find it can replicate a traditional empanada…
Potato and Cheddar Cheese Pierogi
Growing up, our culture was celebrated proudly by our family. I am Italian, Irish, Polish, and most recently through a DNA testing, I discovered I am French, Albanian, and North African. So growing up food was a big part of celebrating our roots as is with most families. Universally, we all celebrate moments of our…
Pistachio Crusted Eggplant Rollatini
Today is my Dad’s birthday he would have been 83. He left this earth almost 7 years ago, but he remains a part of me, and our family forever. Growing up I have such fond memories of him in the kitchen. He loved to cook, breakfasts were a big deal for him to make for…
Beet Carpaccio with Fresh Ricotta and Pistachios
One of my favorite Italian appetizers is beef carpaccio, which is paper thin sliced rare beef tenderloin, usually served with shaved parmesan cheese and hollandaise sauce. I will only order it from trusted places as it served rare and food safety is paramount at all times, but most importantly when serving rare items or raw…
Homemade Italian Style Ricotta Cheese
I love ricotta cheese, and making it fresh is so easy. What if I told you in about an hour with just four ingredients you could have fresh creamy Homemade Italian Style Ricotta Cheese. You can make this and use it for pasta dishes, cannolis, in salads, or atop crostini drizzled with honey, it is so stinking…
Hellacious Pico de Gallo
I love spicy food. Spicy Mexican fare all the better. There is something so sexy to me about pico de gallo, I can’t tell you what it is about the combination but I love it. There is a small deli by my house that we have been frequenting for the last 18 years and we…
Spicy Tex Mex Corn Dip
This dip is so flippin‘ go tood it’s addictive. It begins with fresh corn lightly charred on the stove top grill pan with smokey cumin and chili powder it takes this dip over the top! I like to use jalapeños in this as I use the chipotle chili flakes for the spice factor. You can…
