Cooking Method: Boiling

Deviled Eggs with Cornichon Tapenade

My friend Nick made these outstanding Deviled Eggs with Cornichon Tapenade from David Lebovitz's Drinking French. The tapenade, which is a Provençal name for a dish consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, and anchovies, gives these eggs incredible flavor. If you close your eyes, maybe you could envision yourself on the French riviera! It's worth a try anyway!

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Beets In Orange-and-Lemon Sauce

I happen to love beets. I found this recipe for Beets in Orange-and-Lemon Sauce in one of my old cookbooks. When I served it to my husband and daughter Grace, they took one bite and said "WOW"! I have to admit they were incredible. The fresh citrus gives it a wonderful tart flavor which works really well with the sweetness of the beets.

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Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

My daughter has a friend at Bon Appétit and he told her this was the best recipe they published this year. She made it and called me immediately to say it was the best thing she's ever eaten! So I made it last night and yes, these Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles are all that and a bag of chips as my husband says. It's so good that you should make the full recipe. Apparently, it's even better the next day. Sambal is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste.

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Fettuccini with Sausage, Bacon, and Eggplant

Years ago when I lived in NYC, I used to have drinks at the now-defunct Café des Artistes (R.I.P.). This restaurant was an institution and had the best bartender in the US named Victor. His discretion was exemplary. I went there with my friend Brady and he bought me a sidecar, then another, then another. He actually would have my glass refilled when my back was turned. I could have killed him the next day, not sure how I got home that night!

Anyway, in 1988, I bought The Café des Artistes Cookbook for my then-boyfriend / now-husband Eric. So, I thought it would be fun to make something for dinner from the book. I chose Fettuccini with Sausage, Bacon, and Eggplant. Typically, I don’t follow the recipe exactly, mainly because I am lazy. I eliminate steps that seem unnecessary. This recipe is an absolute MESS! The first instruction is to sauté bacon in olive oil. WTF?!?! WHY!?!? Then you are meant to blanch the eggplant (eggplant requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes ONLY before freezing it!). The next HORRIFYING step is to blanch the sausage! @#%$&???????? Serves 4 > actually it serves 6! Here is the REVISED recipe.

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Miso Ginger Dumpling Soup

I made this Miso Ginger Dumpling Soup using frozen dumplings and Trader Joe's Miso Ginger Broth. I have also included an easy recipe for the broth if you don't live near a TJ's. You could add other ingredients like sautéed baby bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, etc. It's a light and healthy comforting soup that's ready in about 10 minutes.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

This Broccoli Cheese Soup is creamy, cheesy and comforting. It makes a great lunch. I made it in my Instant Pot, but have also included the stovetop instructions. The recipe is vegetarian, though you can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.

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Pasta con Pesto di Agrumi (Pasta with Citrus Pesto)

I have several citrus trees in my backyard and they are bursting with fruit. To use some of my oranges, I made this Sicilian-inspired pesto, which is quick to prepare, refreshing, and delicious, and can also be eaten cold, so leftovers are perfect for your lunchbox the next day. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to use at another time.

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New Potatoes with Caper Butter

Simply boiled new potatoes are tossed in a butter sauce of capers, green onions, Parmesan, parsley and white wine vinegar and make a great side dish for meat, chicken or fish. It adds a tangy flavor to your basic potato.

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Country Garden Potatoes

This recipe for Country Garden Potatoes is from one of my favorite cookbooks called, Beyond Parsley: Beautiful Food Presented by the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri. Diced red and green bell peppers, add a colorful crunch to the dish.

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Italian Wedding Soup

The term "wedding soup" comes from the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata" ("married soup"), which is a reference to the flavor produced by the combination/"marriage" of greens and meat. The soup has little beef-pork meatballs in a clear broth with greens. It's absolutely delicious!

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