all the recipes

spiced plum vermouth 'almost a cocktail' sorbet
spiced plum vermouth 'almost a cocktail' sorbet

. . . and it really is just like a "FROZEN COCKTAIL" ! (for the gentle & harmless drinking adults that we are). So, Olena (my upstairs neighbor and friend) showed up with a large bowl of cherry plums. Her and her future husband Ivan had picked some small red cherry plums (officially called myrobalan plums) in the French...

11.08.2017
picnic pita ‘pissaladière’ pie
picnic pita ‘pissaladière’ pie

“PICNICKING” mediterranean-style . . . yeah, I love all of that ! I wasn’t planning to publish a “PISSALADIERE” recipe but because it’s picnicking season and because I’ll be talking about PICNICS and how to organize them very-very-very soon (in the next few days perhaps), it just made sense to include...

21.07.2017
«peppe's» sour cherry red wine
«peppe's» sour cherry red wine

Dear Simoncelli family : Mariselda (Madame) & Giuseppe (Monsieur Peppe) & their 3 children : Antonella (Toto) & Stefano (Steve) & Emanula (Manny) . . .  THANK-YOU . Thank-you to Mr. & Mrs. Simoncelli for this recipe. Thank-you to Mr. Peppe for showing me the process and equipment and the end result in...

01.07.2017
smoky roasted eggplant & black olive dip
smoky roasted eggplant & black olive dip

Listen carefully . . .  This is not a “baba ghanoush” nor a “tapenade” nor an in-between mix of the two because there is no ‘tahini’ sesame paste included, (like in the first) nor a few anchovies and capers, (like in the second). It’s closer to a greek “melitzanosalata” or a french...

10.06.2017
chocolate & salted caramel & peanut tartlets
chocolate & salted caramel & peanut tartlets

A VERY SHORT & SWEET STORY : "One fine day, coming home after work (and on this same very fine day), when Angel was working from home and had time to do all the cooking, I discovered these wonderful little tartlets . . ." SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH + CARAMEL + CHOCOLATE = Angel’s versions which were simpler but equally...

20.05.2017
a mediterranean picnic ? - how to organize it with style & precision !*
a mediterranean picnic ? - how to organize it with style & precision !*

*and this includes "EVERYTHING" : recipes, foods, drinks, containers, amounts, weights, planning, organization, preparation, transportation, cleaning up . . . yup, absolutely EVERYTHING !* *(yeah, it's a long & heavy list but just print up everything & adapt it to your needs) ... :) "What’s the weather...

04.08.2017
neapolitan ice cream - triple justice for the ‘nice’
neapolitan ice cream - triple justice for the ‘nice’

A certain Mr. Jack DIRE (or terrible Jack) wrote this article a few years ago : “Dear People Who Like Neapolitan Ice Cream. You like horrible things. Neapolitan is for people who don’t know what the hell they are doing with their lives. It’s the psychology major of desserts. Something told you it would...

14.07.2017
red tomato pizza-pie & green pepper pizza-pie
red tomato pizza-pie & green pepper pizza-pie

In 1953, Dean Martin sang : “when the moon hits your eye like a big(ga)-pizza-pie, that’s amore . . .” I don’t know if Mr. Dean Martin was talking about this kind of pizza-pie or not. But I do know that I don’t often write the funniest or most clever stories. Those usually require a particularly well-developed...

25.06.2017
mexican-mediterranean guacamole
mexican-mediterranean guacamole

KEEP IT GREEN ! . . . And I’m not only talking about guacamole. Like many foods, the best food is the food you like and the way you like it and not always the way it’s supposed to be . . . I guess you can see where I’m going with this. Many years ago (about ten or fifteen), the authentic and very Mexican version...

03.06.2017
all-white four-cheeses pizza : part 4 of the ‘pizza series’
all-white four-cheeses pizza : part 4 of the ‘pizza series’

1, 2, 3, 4 - cheeses white pizza to wrap up part 4 of the ‘pizza series’. I’m not gonna lie to you, an all-white cheesy pizza is good, but a reddish tomato-sauce all-dressed pizza with all the toppings is better, but this is a nice & easy & quick recipe option and thus ‘deserving’ of being...

12.05.2017
angel’s triple dark chocolate birthday cake
angel’s triple dark chocolate birthday cake

My dearest Angelito, I wish you a HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY (that’s 3) BIRTHDAY ! You loved this cake last year when I quietly and secretly whipped it up (yeah I’m sneaky) while you were hanging out with your mama dearest  from Spain who was visiting Paris (which is why I only took one picture of the finalized cake with a picture of...

28.07.2017
'riggidanella' eggplant oven-baked pasta cakes
'riggidanella' eggplant oven-baked pasta cakes

This “THING” appeared on my table a few weeks ago when I was on assignment and in a fancy restaurant with some charming guests. This “THING”, individually prepared & served is so lovely to look at. This “THING” is simple in its flavors and in its assembly. This “THING” can be prepared in...

07.07.2017
nectarine & hazelnut “knuckle-buckle” cakes
nectarine & hazelnut “knuckle-buckle” cakes

This year, there will be alot of juicy succulent NECTARINES so we’ll start with the easiest recipe which is an adaptation of a simple cake with fresh fruits often called a “buckle” cake when topped with a "crumble", but I don’t like that “crumbly” stuff (like a streusel topping). I...

17.06.2017
strawberry cream tartlets
strawberry cream tartlets

A MID-SPRING DESSERT CLASSIC made easy (or easier) . . . with simplified  steps : 1. No slicing up of strawberries (which is why I use very large whole strawberries that have been softened just enough with lemon/lime juice and sugar and have released part of their juices). 2. Using the released juices to create the syrup glaze for the...

27.05.2017
montreal-style all-dressed pizza : part 3 of the 'pizza series'
montreal-style all-dressed pizza : part 3 of the 'pizza series'

MAYBE you’ll understand and MAYBE YOU WON'T ?! I’m obsessed with the pizza of my childhood, my teenage years and my younger to older adult life . . . It’s all memory-related. Ordering an XL PIZZA from our favorite neighborhood pizzeria was always a moment of joy and homey comfort. To this day, the first thing that my...

05.05.2017