For my mom’s 50th birthday, I wanted to do something special.  I took inspiration from some of her favorite restaurant dishes and brought them to our kitchen table. 

The first dish that I had to recreate was one that we had tried at Urban Hearth in Cambridge this past December.

On a whipped cloud of ricotta, laid a melody of sautéed spiced apples and onions.  It was simultaneously smooth yet crisp, sweet and sour. The accompaniment of a hearty whole wheat focaccia played with the dish’s sweetness in a rustic way.

When it came to making this dish myself, I had no recipe to rely on – just my memory.  According to my mom, this recreation was even better than the restaurant.

Continue reading →

I’ve always dreamt of throwing a dinner party.  According the Cal and Janice of Beacon Hill’s Elegant Findings antique china shop, it’s in my future.  They also predict that I’ll be married in 2 years, which sounds unlikely. 

Regardless, my graduation marked the perfect occasion for my ultimate epic dinner party.  I invited some of my closest Tufts friends, consulted many blogs for recipes, and crafted a melodious playlist for a farewell night.

WHAT WAS ON THE MENU?

After good company, good food is a crucial aspect of any gathering.  Luckily, my very talented friend, Ari, pitched in to help in more ways than one.  If you’re ever doubting your compatability with someone, cooking together is a telling test – and as we’ve established before, we make a stellar team.  Just like any meal, a balance of carbs, protein, and fats in a party menu are essential for me.  

Continue reading →

Last fall, I spent my semester remotely, mainly at my grandparents house.  Amidst an intense academic course load, my grandparents fueled me in the best way: with food.  One of the sure-hit Tuesday-night dinner was my favorite fish, Dorada, with pressure cooker caramelized onion brown rice, and some sort of vegetable side.  This could range from artichokes (as per the last post), or peperonata.  

Peperonata is an Italian dish made with sautéing bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and thyme.  You can serve it as a side or condiment.  

As I learn more about nutrition and the food system, I’m always amazed at how my grandparents’ innate “diet” has always been healthy and simple.  You don’t need to be a skilled chef to cook healthily, you need access (and quite honestly, the means) to quality ingredients. 

Continue reading →

Can artichokes be addicting? My Nonna Tina’s recipe points to sure yes.

In my family, we call my nonna’s top recipes “sure hits.” These include her infamous peas (which I try to replicate), her Dorada fish, and yes, these artichokes. A couple days ago, I was feeling nostalgic and called my nonna to ask how she prepares them. I braced myself for a complicated recipe. Instead, the key ingredient humbled me: Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke hearts.

As a college student, having frozen vegetables on hand are an easy way for me to eat a variety of vegetables with ease and convenience. This recipe will take you no longer than 10 minutes, really.

Continue reading →

Nearly every Sunday night, I have my “dinner with Ari”.  It sounds like a television show, and perhaps one day, the Medford TV channel will air our kitchen shenanigans.  Ari is one of my good friends from school, who shares my passion and tastes about food – it also helps that he’s an Ottolenghi fan, too.  Below, I’ve compiled a collection of the college-friendly dishes we’ve made over the semester to celebrate another week down.

Ottolenghi’s Veg Paella (GF + V)

What’s there not to love about paella? It’s fun, celebratory, and a one-pot dish.  It was the perfect dish to jumpstart the semester.  Ottolenghi’s paella was the obvious choice.  It uses cupboard ingredients, with saffron being the only oddity; you can dismiss the saffron, but including it does offer a more by-the-sea aroma.  Similar to risotto, paella uses a particular short grain rice.  What arborio rice is to risotto, bomba rice is too paella.  Since I didn’t have bomba rice at home, I used arborio rice.  Arborio rice has a creamier texture due to higher amylopectin content. While I’ve previously claimed that this paella suits four, we scarfed down the paella between the two of us with much joy.  We might as well have been in Spain! 

Continue reading →

This sauce is called “You’re My Everything” because it literally goes with everything and anything you can imagine.

With just a handful of shelf-friendly ingredients and cherry tomatoes, you’ve got yourself an astounding sauce that can be paired with whatever your heart desires. 

Let’s break down the ingredients:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Harissa paste
• Tomato paste
• Anchovies or miso paste for vegetarians/vegans
• Salt

Continue reading →

I recently encountered an Italian who told me: “Kayla, pesto is my god.” This person was from Genoa, of course – the Italian city who birthed this very sauce.

Between this divine statement and basil season in full swing, I took this opportunity to make a batch of pesto.   

Continue reading →

This week’s saucy dish is inspired by Stanley Tucci’s favorite pasta from his show “Searching for Italy.” His favorite dish of all time is the Spaghetti alla Nerano (video below).

If I were to sum this dish up in an equation it would be as so:

Zucchini + cacio e pepe = Spaghetti alla nerano

Continue reading →

For us vegans, finding new ways to reinvent tofu is simply the norm. Oftentimes, though, tofu recipes call for long marinades, breading, or pan frying – all of which are rather time consuming. How about if you could just whip up tofu and use it in a cheesy way? With this one-minute tofu ricotta, it’s that easy.

Continue reading →