Monthly Archives: March 2011
Dinner in Key West
Although I’ve done a lot of dining out in Key West, a vacation here wouldn’t be complete without cooking at least one dinner with my mother. On my last day of vacation, we’ve decided to cook some local seafood and vegetables. At “Fishbusters,” … Continue reading
Heading to Key West
In case any of you are wondering whether I ever take a night off and dine out (or a week off and go away on vacation) I’m writing to tell you that I’m heading to Key West for a much-needed 10-day … Continue reading
Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
This is the simplest of all pasta dishes, and one of the most satisfying. Garlic, oil and chili flakes are a quintessentially southern Italian combination and one that I crave often. The dish is always made with dried pasta (as … Continue reading
Minestrone
“Minestrone” refers to any number of combinations of vegetable stews. I’ve made this stew with local (from last fall) red beans from a farm on the North Fork of Long Island. The beans were soaked overnight, then boiled for about … Continue reading
Butterflied Roast Chicken
Since it’s Sunday and I thought about it early enough in the day, I’m brining this chicken. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it adds immeasurable flavor and moisture. This technique is one that I saw on the PBS series “America’s Test Kitchen,” and … Continue reading
Dinner from the Freezer–Braised Pork and Pasta
In my freezer I have four bags of pork shoulder roast that you may recall from my post a couple of weeks ago. In each bag are several slices and some braising liquid, but tonight I don’t want to shred the meat … Continue reading
Dinner in the City–Broiled Cod
Here’s another basic, simple meal to make in a basic, simple kitchen. Broiled cod dusted with some herbs de provence, and dressed with lemon and raw olive oil. This follows the theme of last night’s meal in the city: broiled … Continue reading
Dinner in the City–Broiled Scallops
This meal was cooked in stages–none required that much work, but each required forethought, because I’m working in my city kitchen with limited stovetop and oven space. The meal was broiled scallops, broccoli di rapa, oven-roasted tomatoes and baked potatoes. There … Continue reading
Fettucine with Bacon, Spinach and Grape Tomato
This simple pasta dish makes brilliant use of some grape tomatoes I have that are beginning to shrivel (they’re sweetest at that point). The dish has a nice balance of smokiness from the bacon, sweetness from the tomatoes, and a nice green flavor from the … Continue reading
Salsa di Funghi
This relatively quick and elegant mushroom sauce is perfect on meatloaf, meatballs, or any roasted meat or poultry. It’s an innovation of my mother’s, with my own personal touches added. Since I made meatloaf last night, I want a nice medium in which … Continue reading
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