Once upon a time, in a land not far away, with a twist of a fork, two side dishes accidentally met on a plate. The first one, pasta, loved by all, orzo shaped, whimsical and a bit chewy, seasoned simply, and the second one, garbanzo beans, not as mainstream as pasta, a bit more serious [...]

Everyone says that spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce is a kid-friendly food. One of the ultimate favorites. Way up there in the top 10, maybe even top 5, on the kids’ food list. Well, at least that’s the theory. But in our household? Not so much.
I always wondered why magazines/restaurants/cookbooks make that claim because [...]

$74.94 is what I spent at the grocery store, pretty much on a whim. A few chocolate bars and heavy cream for a cake, 2 loaves of freshly baked bread, coffee, fruits and vegetables, deli meat, and a few other things. For $7 a day per person, or $22 a day for a family of [...]

This soup has been waiting to be published for a looong time. With all the holidays bustle of shopping and cookies baking, it got buried under a pile of other recipes and things to do and write about that wouldn’t wait any longer.
It’s been waiting since…. hmmm, 3 weeks ago? It was freezing cold here. [...]

A quiet dinner, a glass of wine, dining al fresco by the swimming pool, watching the red and orange sunset, gazing at the ocean, listening to the waves, and looking into the eyes of your loved one…
Aha, I gotchya! Didn’t I?! You got all dreamy, haven’t you?!
But it does look like it could have been [...]

I have told you before about my 130+ cookbooks, haven’t I?! There are quite a few Italian cookbooks,  a few Mediterranean ones (my favorite food), Mexican, American, French cooking…. baking cookbooks… but not even one about Asian food. Well, Jaden from Steamy kitchen has changed that with her new cookbook.
I love Asian food but I [...]

Sometimes I feel as glamorous as a chicken meatball… Whaaaat?
Ehhhhh, let me explain. Where should I begin?
Maybe from the end. Yes, the end. That 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 [...]

Sometimes unplanned dishes are the most delicious (Ooh, a rhyme!). And sometimes making pasta for dinner is actually an excuse to eat kale.
Kale, chard, mustard greens, and all their green friends are new in our fridge, on our table, in our hearts, and now also in our backyard (more about it later). Those are ingredients [...]

Before we start discussing anything, I’d like to tell you right away what not to do when you make Shakshuka. Do not burn it!
OK, now let’s take a few steps back and start from the beginning.
When I saw this photo in Sunset magazine (09/09 issue) for Paprika Tomatoes with Poached Eggs (Shakshouka), it has struck [...]

At first, I didn’t want to title the post“Salmon in Seattle”… but then I just couldn’t resist.
Salmon is a big deal in Seattle and there’s a lot of anticipation before the beginning of Copper River salmon season. But I have already mentioned that before so no need to go into it again, right? (If you’re [...]

My curiosity for restaurants started when I was in my early twenties. As soon as I started earning enough money and could afford eating out in good places. I had a good friend then, Avi, with a similar interest in food and together we explored the big city’s best bakeries, cafes, and restaurants.
He was the [...]

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 [...]

Sometimes I let the guys cook.
They play in the kitchen, taking their time, talking, discussing the recipe, but using tongs because they don’t like touching the food and getting their hands dirty, ha ha.

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) [...]

 
What do you call the 4th addition to a trilogy? Foursome? Quartet? Freelogy?
I gave you Flaky and Creamy recipe…
then we had Crunchy…
and then Sweet and Smoky…
and now this Buttery thing.

But first, the winner of the Secret Stash Sea Salts giveaway is…. Deb! who wrote the largest number of comments.

It’s winter. Well, you know it. But this one seems to be not just any winter, but a looooong winterrrrrrrr. And I love grilled meat! And I can’t wait ‘till the global colding that’s been going on here in the past few weeks will end. Snow in March? Com’on… I have already done some“ grilling [...]

Let’s talk about quiche.
Every now and then I like to have a good quiche and eat it too. Of course.
But not just any quiche. Not one with a soggy bottom, ahem ehhm, or one that is waaay too rich and makes you feel so stuffed and guilty after eating it, or one that…. Oh, let’s [...]

Photo from Gourmet magazine
In our efforts to eat less meat and less frequently, I made these Black-Bean Burgers about a week ago.
This was a new kind of dish for me. I have never tried before to make something of this sort as beans are not very popular in house. I was skeptic about the recipe and [...]

No, I am not going to give you another decadent chocolate dessert recipe for Valentine’s Day. They seem to be all over the place as it is. You don’t really need another one. Do you? On the other hand, what are you going to have for dinner before the dessert? Or is it going to [...]

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 [...]

 Are you a foodie? Are you a foodie and a parent? Do your kids share your passion for food? Or do they give you a hard time? Watch the video:

I am a foodie and a picky eater in a choosy finicky, or conscious eating way. Since we got married, I got my husband all excited [...]

What can I say? I love bread puddings, sweet or savory. It’s like old-world food. Basic ingredients. Using leftover bread. A warm and rustic dish. Golden crust. The best of comfort food.

Here’s a lovely recipe from Gourmet magazine that I made a few days ago. Eating more leafy greens is, ahemm ahemm, one of my [...]

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, [...]

Hey, I just realized that this blog exists for almost 4 months and I still haven’t given you a single salmon recipe! How could that be?
Salmon are now “in season”. Meaning, they are swimming back to their home here at the local lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks. We went to see them during Issaquah Salmon [...]

Meet my new best friend – truffle oil. It sure deserves a red carpet (or table runner). A few drops of this oil and you are in heaven. I keep myself from putting it in or on everything I eat. I want to put it in my coffee! But coffee and truffle oil don’t really [...]

Makes 4 servings
4 medium size artichokes*
2 tablespoons salt
1 small lemon, juiced, halves saved
3 sprigs thyme, optional
2 garlic cloves, slightly smashed, optional
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Soak artichokes in water to clean. Shake them in the water to take the dirt out. If a lot of dirt comes out, rinse 1-2 more times until the water is clean.
Fill pot [...]

 
I hated stuffed peppers as a child. I hated any stuffed vegetable as a child. When I had no choice, I would eat the content – usually a mixture of ground beef, rice and herbs, but refuse to touch the vegetable containing the stuffing.
But now, as an adult, I love it.
It has been about five [...]