Recipes

I remember when smoothie bowls became a thing. And I’ll admit it, I didn’t fully get them at first, but now I do. Smoothie bowls are often confused with açaí bowls, but they are not the same they are completely different in origin. And to clarify, traditional smoothies, made of pureed fruit mixtures (the ones […]

Everyone has a preferred fruit, but not everyone will admit it. I have no secrets when it comes to food. Strawberries are my favorite summer fruit and this strawberry rhubarb galette is the perfect dessert to highlight beautiful summer berries. The Truth About Strawberries Most have no clue, but a strawberry is not a berry […]

Back to posting after a lovely week spent away with my family. I am so thankful for the ability to safely reunite after so many long and challenging months apart. If you have been separated from loved ones, I hope you have had some special time together recently as well. Now let’s talk about soup. […]

Meet my new favorite summer drink, a Saint Germain cocktail. A blend of St. Germain, (pronounced san-jer-man), white wine, and club soda, think wine spritzer, but better. Light, effervescent, and refreshing, this is a cocktail I have been sipping on all summer long. And the best part about this time of year, you can bend the rules […]

Note: “By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Walnuts and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.” Here is a new summer smoothie I can’t get enough of these days. This is my strawberry-plum walnut smoothie, and it is outrageously delicious. […]

Summer and jam just go together.  Strawberry rhubarb jam is number one on my list of jam favorites.  To clarify, jams, jellies, marmalades, and conserves are all somewhat similar. They all are a mixture of fruit and sugar and share the basic preparation of crushing ripe fruit to release its juice, adding sugar and heating the […]

Sweet cherries are here and they are irresistible. These summer cherry shortbread bars are a must-make if you are a cookie/bar lover like I am. Effortless in preparation, these bars bake up in no time and feel like the perfect cross between a cookie and a pie. The best part, they are not nearly as […]

This simple recipe has a story to it. This seared tuna salad is a dish I ate almost nightly when I managed a restaurant in NYC years ago. It was my go-to meal of choice, not only because I’m a big tuna fan, but because it is incredibly easy (and fast) to make. Most importantly, […]

This stunning Pavlova with mixed berries is my new favorite summer dessert. And, if you are in the States, and feeling patriotic, it happens to be a fantastic dessert for the fourth of July. To be honest, many people don’t know what a Pavlova is as it’s often found in all sorts of different shapes […]

This beauty is called a Paper Plain. Chances are, you’ve never heard of this cocktail before. This is a pandemic favorite of my husband. And It is not lost on me that this drink has “plane” in the title, something we haven’t been able to step foot on in some time. Life can be ironic […]

If you’re a fan of Greek food, you’ve likely heard of or tried spanakopita in some form before. But what exactly is it? Spanakopita is just spinach pie. But this simple, savory pastry dish has existed within Greek cuisine for centuries. Spanakopita is a super versatile dish. You can make it with just about anything. […]

Two things that can make a cake remarkable are olive oil and polenta. Olive oil is used to make cakes moist and deepen the flavor profile. Like olive oil, polenta can also be added for texture as well as flavor. Although polenta and cornmeal are both golden in color and used interchangeably, there is a […]

I’m still obsessed with Din Tai Fung’s cucumber salad, but this cucumber and kohlrabi salad is a new favorite. Simple, healthy, flavorful, and best part, effortless. There is nothing all that fancy about this salad, but kohlrabi, a much less talked about vegetable, with its sweet, yet slightly peppery flavor is the true star here. […]

This post is for my youngest who loves crêpes. Honestly, I can’t blame him, a crêpe, when made from scratch, is AMAZING! I prefer crêpes to pancakes, but my son is an equal fan of both, especially if Nutella is involved. I can’t remember exactly when I first gave my son a crêpe, but the […]

If there’s one dish that captures the essence of late summer, it’s this tomato salad with anchovy vinaigrette. Swoon-worthy doesn’t even begin to cover it. To say I’m a salad person would be an understatement—there’s almost always one on my dinner table, thanks to my mother, who made salads a staple at nearly every meal. […]