When I was a wee little girl I had a nightmare about a monster whose face looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Strange, I know. The funny thing is, you’d think the horror would’ve turned me off of mint chocolate chip ice cream for life, but no, it’s my favorite. That nightmare I had [...]

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Irish girl here loves her potatoes, so whenever I go to a tapas restaurant I am sure to order a traditional Spanish tortilla. Other than its name, the Spanish tortilla has nothing in common with the Mexican corn or flour tortilla. It’s more like a thick potato-filled omelet. Layer upon tender layer of potato with [...]

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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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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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Today’s a quickie as I’m attending my first BlogHer Conference in San Francisco, CA. Upon arriving I felt a bit homesick for the Bay Area, fog and all. I actually had to change from my Capri pants and sandals to jeans and closed-toe shoes (with socks!!) in the Nordstrom ladies’ room. Brrrrr! Mark Twain was [...]

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In December of 1989, just after Christmas, my father and step-mother dropped me off at a little pensione in Siena, Italy where I was to meet my study-abroad group. I knew no one. We said our goodbyes, and I watched them fold themselves back into their tiny rented Fiat Uno and drive off. I stood [...]

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If you like hot and spicy foods, then you’d love harissa; an oh-my-hell-it’s-hot! North African chili paste, most commonly found in Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisine. It’s often used as a condiment, but is also added to meat dishes, stews, couscous or sauces.
A little bit of this delicious chili paste goes a long way. Too [...]

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Nothing screams summer barbecue like a good old fashioned cheese burger. But since the price of beef has increased it’s nice to have another tasty and satisfying alternative. Many people wrinkle their noses at the thought of a turkey burger, as they are usually dry, boring and uninspiring. I’m hoping to change that perception - [...]

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