Kibbeh wa Kafta

Kibbeh and Kafta are two Lebanese meat recipes that are somewhat similar yet at the same time a bit different. While they are both often made with lamb they are equally good when made with beef (as the recipe pictured is). And the recipe can take on many forms, this is just one example. IContinue reading “Kibbeh wa Kafta”

How to Make a Deliciously Flavorful and Healthy Rice Dish

A couple things before I start. Firstly, the title to this post should actually read, How to Make a Deliciously Flavorful and Healthy Rice Dish So Easy and Simple and Hearty and Truly Good Flavored That You Won’t Even Notice it Doesn’t Contain Meat, but it of course is too long of a title. AndContinue reading “How to Make a Deliciously Flavorful and Healthy Rice Dish”

The Fire in the Center of the House and a Rooster’s Beak…two recipes and the brief stories behind them

For some reason I haven’t posted many recipes lately (not sure why…I still cook and eat everyday), so here’s a couple. One I made yesterday at home for dinner just for myself, and the other I made at work today for 180 people (but the recipe below is for just a few). Both of theseContinue reading “The Fire in the Center of the House and a Rooster’s Beak…two recipes and the brief stories behind them”

Broccolini Aglio e Olio

If you’ve been to this site before you know a few things about my cooking and eating habits. One is that I love whole wheat bread, especially Ezekiel Bread, and another is that I can–and nearly have–eat any vegetable sauteed in oil with garlic and hot peppers. This is just another example. I cooked thisContinue reading “Broccolini Aglio e Olio”

Penne Bolognese (senza latte o panna)

Pasta with meat sauce. Mmm…I love it; easy to make and really delicious. But first I have to say that while I am most definitely not a vegetarian I do not eat a great deal of meat (for a variety of reasons). Sometimes I go days, even a week or so with out eating meatContinue reading “Penne Bolognese (senza latte o panna)”

The Reward…

As summer begins to wind down the tomatoes and peppers are coming to full fruition. And one of the rewards each summer is tomato sauce. I make it a few times throughout the season and then usually one bigger pot…which was today. I made about 3 gallons of sauce “hillbilly style” (cooked it outside asContinue reading “The Reward…”

Three-Color Gazpacho Shooter

Tonight we’ll serve these gazpacho shooters as a component of a cocktail party menu…pureed gazpacho made from perfectly ripe red and yellow tomatoes topped with yogurt and green onion puree. Easy to make, delicious, nutritious…and pleasing to look at. There’s a basic gazpacho recipe below (omit the breadcrumbs to puree it smooth) but if you’dContinue reading “Three-Color Gazpacho Shooter”

Salade Niçoise

Mmm…I love this salad; delicious; one of my favorites. I’ve also been fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city of Nice on a couple occasions, which of course is the namesake of this particular recipe. Anyhow, we served this salad for a luncheon today and thought it appropriate to post the recipe…it is also theContinue reading “Salade Niçoise”

This is Just One Reason I like to Grow Food

There are of course so many reasons why a person should grow at least some of their own food. I do it to save a bit of money, to keep me connected to the earth, but mostly because the food tastes so damn good. This recipe is a perfect example. It is, of course, theContinue reading “This is Just One Reason I like to Grow Food”

Moudardara (Lebanese Lentils and Rice)

This recipe is classic Middle Eastern Food. It is also easy to make and so delicious that you won’t be able to stop eating it. The recipe I’ve included here, of course, is a variation on the traditional. This is a dish that is often eaten during Lent and for that reason usually remains vegetarian,Continue reading “Moudardara (Lebanese Lentils and Rice)”

Gazpacho Blanco (receta y fotos)

All I really need to say in this post is that this soup is really simple to make and delicious and that you should make it. But I’ll say just a  few more things. I made this for a luncheon I served at work today. It is a cool and refreshing soup, but also oneContinue reading “Gazpacho Blanco (receta y fotos)”

This Year’s Garden Issue, and a quick tomato recipe

Every year it seems there is a new “issue” in the garden. Such is life, right? I can’t imaging how difficult it must be for farmers who rely on their crops for their livelihood, or those who rely on the food they grow to sustain them entirely. A few years ago I had an armyContinue reading “This Year’s Garden Issue, and a quick tomato recipe”

The Flavor of Summer…

I made this salad for employee meal last night at work. Like much of the nation it has been hot in Western New York and the last thing I wanted to eat while working in a sweltering kitchen was something hot. This fit the bill; I had leftovers for lunch today. This is really justContinue reading “The Flavor of Summer…”

"Tis the Season…

Beautiful isn’t it? The first tomato of the season. Within two weeks I’ll have a bushel of them. And the season seems especially early this year. Like much of the nation, Western New York State has been sweltering this summer and the garden plants are loving it. We–WNY–have a relatively short growing season, but IContinue reading “"Tis the Season…”

Pesto!

You’ve likely had this sauce/condiment before…maybe you purchased it or had it at a restaurant; or maybe you’ve made it. But with the summer upon us, gardens–and supermarket shelves–are bursting with fresh herbs. Originally this was made by pounding everything with a mortar and pestle (the Italian word pesto loosely translates as “pounded”), but todayContinue reading “Pesto!”

Baba Ghanouj and Hummus…two similar recipes but uniquely different

These recipes are equally delicious and simple to make. And while they may look similar their flavors are somewhat different. One, of course, is based on chickpeas (the Arabic word for chickpea is hummus, or hummos) and the other is based on roasted eggplant, which gives the recipe a slightly smokey flavor. If you’d likeContinue reading “Baba Ghanouj and Hummus…two similar recipes but uniquely different”

Pasta (e Pesce) Fra Diavolo

If you’ve been to this blog before you know that I enjoy cooking and eating pasta, and just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean I’m not hindered. Tonight for dinner I made one of my favorites…Pasta Fra Diavolo. I cooked it in my outdoor kitchen in my backyard to alleviate heating my teeny indoor kitchen.Continue reading “Pasta (e Pesce) Fra Diavolo”

Twenty Minute Pasta with Beans and Greens Recipe

This recipe–as I say about all the recipes that I post on this blog–is really easy to make, nutritious, and super delicious. And it only takes twenty minutes (or less) to prepare, granting you have your beans cooked and have good knife skills (in other words, if you can chop things fast). The only meatContinue reading “Twenty Minute Pasta with Beans and Greens Recipe”

Yet Another Variation

I’ve mentioned many times on this blog that this dish (Lebanese Chicken-and-Rice) is one of my all-time favorite recipes, I could eat it a couple times a week and not tire of it. I’ve also posted many variations of it, and this is yet another. The thing I did different this time–other than using brownContinue reading “Yet Another Variation”

Fish Meat(less) Balls

This is a play on traditional spaghetti-and-meatballs…in place of meat I used fish for the balls. I could have called it by it’s fancy-sounding Italian name, polpette di pesce, or it’s French cousin, boulettes de poisson, but in English it is what it is…fish meat(less) balls. Anyhow, these are so easy to make and reallyContinue reading “Fish Meat(less) Balls”