Over the weekend at SF Chefs, I watched Italian stallion Cesare Casella (who flew in from New York for the occasion) demonstrate how to make the perfect pasta pomodoro. A native of Tuscany, Casella started by sautéing red onions and guanciale in a large pot. It seemed like there was nothing too special about his technique for cooking the classic Italian sauce, until he dumped the uncooked Read more

Although there are supermarket aisles filled with hundreds of different jars of tomato sauce, every now and then, it's rewarding to make your own. The thick sauce simmering on the stove warms the kitchen and fills the house with a delectable aroma. This wonderful recipe makes a huge batch of sauce, so you can use some now and freeze the rest for later. The base of the sauce is a classic Read more

What's a girl to do with 50 pounds of very ripe Early Girl tomatoes? After a canning adventure, I found myself asking that question. One could make any manner of gourmet things, from slow-cooked jam to a tomato tart. But knowing that off-the-vine tomatoes were on the cusp of withering away, I couldn't enjoy them with anything but the simplest, most unadulterated preparations. For lunch, it was a Read more

Sauté some end-of-Summer padron peppers. They're not spicy — Eat Live Run Whitney shares tips on how to eat for healthy skin and hair — Whitney Port Should you be eating Van's organic waffles for breakfast? — Snack Girl Learn how the pros curb crazy food cravings — Health Three tomato sauces worth your dough and a saucy recipe! — MindBodyGreen The skinny on Burger King's new Read more

Lately I don't know what's gotten into me, but I simply can't get enough shrimp. I crave the succulent pink shellfish constantly. To feed a recent hunger for spicy, finger-licking-good shrimp, I made this amazing fra diavolo recipe. Fra diavolo usually refers to a red-pepper-flaked tomato sauce with origins in the Italian-American kitchen. It can be used to season pasta or seafood. When making Read more

Although it may seem impossible or just simply ironic, this quick braised chicken comes together in under half an hour. Traditionally, for a dish to be considered a braise, it must be browned and then slow-cooked for a long period of time. However, it's 2010, and if you want to braise flavorful chicken legs in a tomato, mushroom, and onion sauce for a mere 15 minutes, go right ahead! The recipe Read more

If you love pizza — and who doesn't love pizza? Everyone does! — you are going to go Lady Gaga for this dip. It's like pepperoni pizza, but in liquid form. It's incredibly easy to make and is just the thing to put on your Super Bowl menu. I recently served it a party and marveled when every guest first tasted it. "What is this?" they asked, "It tastes just like pizza!" I replied back Read more

The other day my sister was browsing the December issue of Food & Wine magazine and said, "We should make these baked eggs for breakfast sometime." She uses the term "we" loosely, and really meant "I" should make the eggs for her. Luckily, I took one look at the recipe and instantly wanted to make them! Cooked in a quick tomato sauce, these eggs are simple, but wildly delicious and very Read more