Fresh eggplant is the star in this delicious vegetarian pasta. The purple vegetable is pan-fried and seasoned with dried oregano. The sauteed eggplant acts as the base of the thick, tomato-y pasta sauce. A handful of aromatic basil and a liberal dusting of Italian cheese finishes off the pasta. This scrumptious dish is like eating a bowl of summer. To learn the technique, read more
Last weekend I hosted an Argentine asado. South America's version of the barbecue, an asado is basically a big grill-fest with a wide selection of grilled dishes.
If you plan on entertaining a crowd this Summer, consider hosting an asado. The preparation is minimal, leaving plenty of time to visit with guests. Since my sister and her best friend lived in Argentina, we tried to make our version of the asado as authentic as possible. To learn more about the tradition, click on the "Start" button.
Cherimoya
Also called a "custard apple," the cherimoya is a heart-shaped fruit with a fragrant, sweet, custard-like flesh. It tastes like a blend of pineapple, mango, and strawberry. This exotic fruit has a multifaceted green exterior, and a cream-colored interior filled with large black seeds.
Originally native to the Andes mountains, the cherimoya, which grows on an evergreen tree, is now popular everywhere.
When left at room temperature, the fruit will ripen within two to seven days, and can be enjoyed on its own, in smoothies, or as a topping on ice cream.
Although we will be splashing around in bathing suits, I want to offer my friends one decadent treat at my waterpark party. A chocolatey brownie — kept cold in a cooler — is deliciously rich.
This wonderful recipe, from our friends at MyRecipes.com, is simple and straightforward. I'm not a fan of walnuts in brownies, so I'll substitute chocolate chips! To learn how to make this portable picnic dessert, read more
I've let Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book languish on my desk for too long, so this weekend I finally decided to make a recipe from this famously excessive sandwich collection. (Stay tuned for a full cookbook review.) Since I was having friends over for a casual dinner, I avoided the more labor-intensive recipes in favor of a simple but delicious sandwich that would showcase the fresh tomatoes I bought that morning at the farmers market.
This PLT — pancetta, lettuce, and tomato — is a variation on the classic BLT (from New York's 'Ino) using Italian pancetta and arugula. Silverton's book is designed so that, if you choose, you can prepare each ingredient without shortcuts — for instance, braising artichokes rather than buying jarred ones or even making bread from scratch. Since the recipe called for it, I opted to make my own lemon aioli from Silverton's recipe. But despite my ambition, this dinner ended up being something of a disaster. To find out why, read more
Fresh eggplant is the star in this delicious vegetarian pasta. The purple vegetable is pan-fried and seasoned with dried oregano. The sauteed eggplant acts as the base of the thick, tomato-y pasta sauce. A handful of aromatic basil and a liberal dusting of Italian cheese finishes off the pasta. This scrumptious dish is like eating a bowl of summer. To learn the technique, read more
Robe Di Firenze
Alexander Wang
Figleaves