I must tell you about this stew.
Because even if you believe that you will never ever make it, you must know of its existence!!! And so, you will make a conscious, knowledgeable decision whether you make it or not.
I don’t want the responsibility lying on my shoulders knowing that (some of) you are walking around [...]

I was behind to join Twitter, behind with setting up a “fan” page on Facebook (mostly because I dislike to use the word “fan”, but do go and visit me there for updates, OK?), and then behind with making matzo balls… Technology-wise, I wonder, is it an age “thing” that I’m so behind? But matzo [...]

I have already compared my glamorous suburban life to meatballs before. So what else is left to say?
Do you like chicken?
Do you like meatballs?
Do you like cheese in your chicken meatballs?
Oh, oh, I know, do you like a crusty bottom on your meatballs?
‘Cause these little guys have nice crusty bottoms, and they’re well-tanned ones too!

They get [...]

We need to have a serious talk.
To make it easier, I’ll start with the bottom line:
“Any lousy chicken stock you will make at home will taste far superior to ANY store-bought stock or broth you will buy.”
Now, let me tell you something.
The last time I made chicken stock was about 3-4 years ago. I got [...]

Sometimes I feel as glamorous as a chicken meatball.
Ehhh, let me explain. Where should I begin?
Maybe from the end. Yes, the end. That’s was when I heard the sweet sound of the word “yummy”. It came out of the mouth of a sweet, but stubborn, and picky, little boy, who mostly likes to eat cheese [...]

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. So what is chicken soup doing here? Well, I’m not so much an adventurous home cook anymore. I blame it on the kids.
I’m just kidding.
A little.

What makes a home a home?
A home is a place where you are supposed to feel loved and safe. A lot of factors contribute to that. I believe that food and family meals play a big big role in it too. It’s not always easy to do, your kids might be picky and give you a [...]

How does your cooking for dinner routine look like? Are you cooking something quickly at home? Do you stop by the drive-thru? Are you being creative and playing with the food or are you stuck in a rut (like me, lately)? Are you cooking by yourself or maybe with your kids? Or are you one [...]

What I love about meatloaf are two things: 1) it’s a great way to stretch 1-2 pounds of meat into a dish enough for 6-8 people (like they did in the old days), and 2) it’s a simple dish to make and very comforting to eat.
This recipe for French meatloaf in Gourmet magazine (April 2009  issue) [...]

Whenever I manage to create a beautiful dish out of leftovers, I think about my grandmothers. Strong, hard working, stubborn and resourceful women (I got those genes), they couldn cook something great out of anything (I got those genes too). Back in the old days there was no such thing as throwing food away, right?!
I [...]

We’re back from vacation in sunny California. San Diego and Los Angeles, to be more precise. They are blessed with warm sunny weather in the winter, but you just wait until spring and summer come back to Microsoft-land and you’ll see that it is the most beautiful place to be when a lot of people [...]

When I was a child – which was a long time ago, but not THAT long ago – my grandma used to make chicken soup and there were chicken feet, and a throat, in the soup. And I remember my mom, who didn’t cook very often, cooking a cow’s tongue from time to time. Yeah, [...]

Can you guess what is this dish?
The winner who will guess correctly will get the recipe!
UPDATE:
I’m joking, of course. Everyone will see the recipe…
I don’t mean to annoy you with silly questions. Really. There’s a point to all this, I promise.
But before I reveal the answer, tell me, does this look like something you would [...]

This is sunny food. But, you might say, it’s almost winter. So, I say, wait for a sunny winter day, turn the heat on, seat by a window, take a deep breath, take a bite, and imagine it is summer. Or don’t wait for a sunny day, because you could end up waiting for a [...]

I love Giada De Laurentis’s idea of adding balsamic vinegar to chicken marinade (isn’t she pretty?). In her new cookbook “Giada’s kitchen”, she has a recipe for sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks using this vinegar.
I liked the idea but I changed the recipe (quite a bit). I thought she put too much sugar and honey [...]

Our friends, the M. family, cook chicken every Friday. What a great idea! I used to drive myself crazy thinking what to cook for dinner every Friday. We like to have a nice dinner to celebrate the end of the week and beginning of the weekend. So, I embraced their idea and was looking for [...]

And there you have it. A photo of raw chicken breasts on an indoor grill… eh, not the most exciting photo, you might say, but hey, this is real life…

Some days I have no idea what I am going to make for dinner. Most nights I hardly have any time to cook.
Dinner tonight was just [...]

(The photo is copied from Jamie Oliver’s web site and apears in his cookbook).
My friend T. brought me this cookbook for my birthday. I cooked Oliver’s recipes in the past and didn’t go crazy for them because of their simplicity – they don’t call him The Naked Chef for nothing (no, he doesn’t cook naked). [...]

(Yes, that’s purple potato.)
(And, yes, I know it’s a scary photo. My husband says to remove the photo from the post, but I think this is the whole idea – it is a leftover picture and that’s what leftovers look like, right?!).
People sometimes ask me for ideas on what to do with leftovers. Some have [...]

I know this photo is not pretty either, but there was no time for food styling. I had 20 minutes to make dinner and 5 minutes to take a picture before it was dinner time. But this is another easy meal to make. My kind of food – very home style, simple to make, [...]

This photo is not the prettiest, I know, but dinner was sooo delicious, AND this is the easiest meal on earth to prepare! AND, kids love it too. It’s a win-win.
Whole Roasted Chicken with Chardonnay-Tarragon Sauce
Makes 4-6 servings
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken, about 4 lb.
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
5 sprigs thyme, optional
1 sprig [...]

This dinner can be prepared in 20 minutes if you are quick and efficient in the kitchen.If you are not, you know what I say: 1) take a cooking class, and 2) the more you cook, the better you get.
Makes 4-6 servings
For the chicken:4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon Shawarma seasoning, [...]