Barnaby whipped up this refreshing cocktail from the most beautiful crimson tomatoes we found at the farmer’s market. They’re so lovely, their color so perfect, they shine like they’re in a beauty pageant. “Me, me, pick me!” they seem to shout.
And, mmm…mmm…are they juicy! Perfect for flavoring a summer-fresh cocktail.
By using the strained juice of [...]

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In Italy, when the first tomatoes of the season are ripe for plucking, they celebrate summer by preparing this delicious pasta dish. It’s simple to make, and tastes like you’ve captured the freshness of summer on your plate.
This isn’t just an ordinary tomato-on-pasta dish. The pasta is served piping hot and the sauce chilly cold, [...]

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Not long ago I posted a recipe for a chunky California-style gazpacho. It was such a hit that I thought I’d share with you a more traditional, but just as delicious, recipe.
Allow me to take you on a little trip to Spain…
Gazpacho
The following recipe is adapted from the famous Spanish cookbook 1080 Recipes.
2 1/4 pounds [...]

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We found some stunning tomatoes at the farmer’s market yesterday and we immediately thought of a slew of dishes we could make with those bright crimson beauties.
Our newest invention is Tomato Poke, the vegetarian version of the traditional Hawaiian dish Tuna Poke. Tuna Poke (pronounced poh-kay) is made with fresh ahi, but when we saw [...]

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Polenta is one of my favorite comfort foods. Nothing beats a heaping bowl of this peasant food made rich with cream, parmesan or gorgonzola (to name a few!). But when in its cooled and solid form, it’s perfect for grilling.
Making polenta can be a long, arduous, and painful process. If you’re not careful it will [...]

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When I was little my mother would make us wear our bathing suits and go out on in the backyard to eat watermelon. That way she could hose off the copious quantities of juice that had run down our arms and legs, which always quickly turned into sticky-pink-brown-watermelon-dirt-gunk. I won’t lie, it was not beneath [...]

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I always thought those reddish pink peppercorns were actually pepper, but I just learned they’re not! In fact they come from the Baies Rose plant (schinus bush), and are much more delicate than pepper. These semi-ripe berries are delicate, fragrant and sweet, yet also have spicy peppery notes. When you pop one in your mouth [...]

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I thought I was the only one who got ecstatic at the first sign of life in the garden, then my friend called yesterday to tell me her big news: she got her first strawberry! “We got our first tomato!” I exclaimed.
Hallllleeeluuuja!!
We’ve had a couple of false starts. You see, we have many pesky blackbirds [...]

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Whenever I go downtown to Pike Place Market I’m always sucked into the Spanish Table. There’s no way around it, and I always end up parting ways with more dolares ($) than I intended. Needless to say, it’s a wonderful establishment and I always leave happy - usually with a bunch of anchovy stuffed olives [...]

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This year’s all-women blogging convention, BlogHer, successfully wrapped up yesterday and, let me tell you, the estrogen level was fierce!
I must say, it was empowering to see that many women (and a handful of brave men!) come together to discuss issues from their kid’s peanut allergy to race and gender in politics. Watch out, non-participating [...]

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