I will admit, avocado is an acquired taste. I didn’t become a fan of the fruit–yes, it’s a fruit; a berry to be exact–until recently. For me, it’s best used for its creamy texture than for its taste. More specifically, I treat it almost like a soft, melty cheese. This open-faced sandwich is a perfect
Usually called Russian Tea Cakes, these crumbly cookie balls are a delightful little bite to enjoy with tea. My favorite tea is masala chai, so I couldn’t resist replacing the customary vanilla extract with chai spice in these late afternoon treats. Their small size and resemblance to snowballs also make them ideal to serve as
This is another one of those ‘simple but elegant’ meals I’ve grown so fond of, and it’s also a great option when the weather’s too warm to turn on the stove. The star of this dish is the steak. I prefer rib eye but any cut of steak will do as long as you slice
A hot kitchen in summer can be especially brutal in the sweltering heat of New York City, so at this time of year I look to make tasty meals that keep the cooking to a minimum. I love a good salad, especially one that lets me clear out the fridge. This version of pasta salad
My family of four is evenly split between early birds (me and our eldest) and night owls (my husband and our youngest), so we don’t typically eat breakfast together. But whenever those occasions crop up where we all have to be on the same schedule, Oven Roasted Bacon helps us get coordinated. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it
This recipe has become the star of my personal file of “simple but elegant” recipes when I want something a little more upscale than scrambled eggs. One of the best things about a frittata is that you can fill it with anything you like. A few weeks ago I made one with chopped crispy bacon
My giant chocolate chip cookie recipe is arguably even easier than my deep dish chocolate chip cookies. This pan cookie is great for small parties, like the occasion that inspired this post – my family of four just spent an evening at home together enjoying this cookie as part of a low-key Father’s Day celebration.
It took quite awhile for me to learn to cook pork chops that didn’t taste like well-seasoned shoe leather. I was so afraid of serving undercooked pork, I overdid it and wound up with tough, dry meat. At a restaurant one night, I had a blue cheese-encrusted pork chop that tasted like heaven and I
When we were kids, my dad would take me and my sibs to the diner across the street from his job whenever we would visit him there. No doubt my love for simple American diner food began right there. Over the years, I’ve visited diners all over my local tri-state area and have become a little
My family likes bananas, but no matter how small a bunch we buy, we can never seem to get to the last one before it goes brown. One overripe banana is just perfect for tossing into a smoothie. But on the rare occasions when several have been neglected, I make banana bread. My recipe is
I had my first bowl of picadillo many years ago in a local Cuban restaurant and it was love at first bite. Picadillo is sort of like a sloppy joe with a twist — and a kick. If you can manage to get the olives, capers, raisins, and tomatoes all in one bite, you’ll be
I’ve sampled a lot of potato salad over the years, at restaurants, neighborhood delis, or made by friends. I’m always a little surprised at how many ways there are to make it — with vinegar, mustard, with or without mayonnaise, for example. But I still prefer the recipe I watched my mother make when I
When I think of pasta, my mind usually goes to spaghetti and meatballs or cheesy lasagna. But sometimes when I’m craving comfort food and don’t want to end up in a carb coma, I go for something like this. Still comforting but not quite as heavy and sleep-inducing. It’s a good way to use up
Collard greens have a long history in the African-American community. No self-respecting soul food restaurant would dare omit them from the menu! They were always on our dinner table on holidays when I was a kid, and even now that my siblings and I have children and grandchildren of our own, we still look forward to them every
Italian meatballs are often fried to develop a crispy exterior, but I find I can achieve the same effect — without adding oil — by roasting them instead. If you prefer soft meatballs, cook them in pasta sauce over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. These are small enough to make a nice appetizer. Just
Trust me, this is just as good as traditional meatloaf. I made this dish three times before my family realized it wasn’t beef! I still make beef meatloaf occasionally (using this recipe), but I prefer turkey now because the meatloaf comes out less greasy. I like to serve it with a side of roasted vegetables
I’ve always enjoyed flavored rice dishes but figured it was faster and easier to buy microwaveable rice rather than try to make it on my own. But co-author/daughter Hayley insisted that making my own flavored rice was just as easy and didn’t take long — and it wouldn’t include artificial colors and flavors. Finally, I
Bottled iced teas for me are very hit or miss – usually either too sweet or not sweet enough. So, when I want iced tea at home, I tend to make it myself. My first few attempts at a lightly sweetened homebrew always came out with a slightly bitter aftertaste. I didn’t want to add
One of my favorite childhood memories is getting up at dawn and going to the renowned Fulton Fish Market with my mother to buy fish, fresh off the boats. We lived nearby so we would walk down the quiet, empty cobblestone streets near the market until we reached the bustle of fishmongers and shoppers. Mom
I came up with this when I noticed halfway through my meal prep that I had bought a box of taco shells instead of the “taco dinner kit” I meant to get. I started with a quick web search for taco seasoning recipes and found that most contained chili powder blend (which I also did
