Fun Friday Play Date

On Friday afternoon I hosted my first play date. Since I like to entertain, cook and bake, I enjoyed the planning and preparation for this small event almost as much as I enjoyed spending the afternoon talking, eating and socializing with friends. Play date is an expression used mostly in the US for a pre-arranged… Read More

Raspberry Tart

Made with pasta frolla (short-crust pastry), this Italian tart is as beautiful as it is delicious, whether topped with uniform raspberries or a mix of any fresh berries in season. Buon appetito! For the crust ¾ cup (6oz/185 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) granulated sugar… Read More

Tomato, Zucchini and Leek Galette

Over the weekend, I made this gorgeous and simple dish. Layered on a bed of soft cheese, summer produce—ripe tomatoes, zucchini and leeks are seasoned with salt and pepper and deliver a taste like summer. As fall does not officially begin until September 22nd, I thought I’d share this dish which lets the true mettle… Read More

Chocolat

Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love. —Karl Petzke It’s time to celebrate! September 13th is International Chocolate Day. One of the world’s most beloved foods, chocolate has been enjoyed in many different forms for thousands of years. I once read, if we could take a bite of love, it… Read More

Tiella

Popular in southern Italy, a Tiella is a beautifully layered vegetable dish that often contains tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini. Its name refers to a deep earthenware baking dish as well as anything cooked in that dish. A Tiella, however, can also be cooked in other baking dishes. Every region in Italy has their own favorite version of Tiella—variations for ingredients… Read More

Ratatouille Spirals

I love cooking, but what’s even more fun is cooking together with a friend who loves to cook just as much as I do. Last week a friend of mine who is an excellent cook, baker and hostess suggested we prepare a dish together. She shared a lovely recipe for ratatouille spirals and within seconds… Read More