April

Spring cooking doesn’t get more simple than this gorgeous asparagus tart. Store-bought puff pastry means putting this together is a cinch- and fresh, in season asparagus makes for a special April treat. I hear all the time from home cooks that they are intimidated by working with doughs and crusts. If that’s you… don’t fret! […]

A strata, quite simply, is a savory bread pudding. They make for excellent brunch fare, or light spring dinners served with a crisp green salad. For such a beautiful dish, it’s quite simple to assemble and bake. The key to the flavor lies in the mix of fresh herbs. Together with the asapragus, goats cheese

Fun, festive, easy and tasty. Whip up a quick marinade for the chicken, and toss everything on the grill, yes, even the avocado. It might sound strange, but when grilling a halved avocado flesh side down, you end up with a warm, soft and creamy texture to slather all over your warm fajitas. Once everything

In the Northwest corner of Spain, this cake is known as Tarta de Santiago, or St. James cake. It is naturally gluten free, using ground almonds instead of flour, and is actually thought to have been brought to this area by Jews fleeing persecution, who would have made it for Passover. It is a light

I have memories of my grandmother making this dip around the holidays, from a recipe which she copied down from a magazine in a doctor’s waiting room in the 1950s. In those days, smoked salmon was not as readily available as it is now, and the recipe called for canned salmon and liquid smoke to

The richness of the pesto blends beautifully with the egg yolks, providing a welcome boost of flavor to the standard deviled egg. Using a good quality, store-bought basil pesto is perfectly acceptable, however, if you have the notion to make your own, this is the star of the show. A leaf of fresh mint makes

No, you don’t need to stand over the pot of risotto constantly stirring for 30 minutes to end up with a beautifully creamy dish. That is a myth. You will, however, need to check on it every 10 minutes or so, giving it a good stir and making sure it has enough liquid. As long as

When I think picnic lunch fare, I think of this dish. Easy, healthy and flavor packed. Occasionally I will make this salad using farro or barely, if I’d rather skip the pasta, but it really is wonderful with large couscous, which soak up the dressing, and have a nice chewy consistency against the crunch of

Keep this recipe handy for a dinner party – it can be completely made ahead, cooled and refrigerated, then baked off to serve. When making this dish for family dinner, occasionally I’ll skip the oven step and scatter the feta directly in the pot on the stove. You’ll miss the browning of the cheese, but

The dessert to make when you have incredible in-season berries. As this is the essence of simplicity – a little sugar, a touch of lemon zest, and clouds of whipped cream – for the best results, ensure your fruit is sweet and flavorful.