be creative in setting your table
Peppermint meringues
I love making meringues and these are ideal for the holiday season. The little mouthfuls of sugar, egg white and a hint of peppermint are delicious and perfect for after dinner.
Pasta Amatriciana
If you have ever been to Rome, Italy, you surely have seen Amatriciana pasta on the menu. It is a staple in Roman cuisine but has many different versions- adding white wine, not using onions, or flavoring with a bit of garlic.
seating…or who sits where?
Deciding where to place friends around the dining table can be informal or formal
Pork, apricot and tomato tagine
Morocco is one of my favorite places in the world, and of course tagines represent much of what there is to love in a beautiful part of the world.
Delicious eggplant with sun-dried tomatoes & pomegranate
I first served Eggplant with Pomegranate at dinner for friends, and to this day when I see one of the guests, she still mentions the dish. It is really quite unusual and there is a richness in the flavor that is unforgettable. I adapted the recipe from cookbook author, Sabrina Ghayour. I love her recipes…
Portuguese Pastéis de Nata
These creamy little custard tarts can be eaten in two bites should you choose, but they are best slowly savored. A quintessential Portuguese sweet, I was determined to make them after my last trip to Portugal. The puff pastry crust takes a few days to prepare but my recipe gets around it by using a…
torta caprese – chocolate almond tart with orange whipped cream
What I love about a Torta Caprese, is that like so many Italian desserts, it is not too sweet, and the consistency of the cake is not overly dense or rich. Rather than more traditional wheat flour, the cake takes almond flour, or almond meal, and “rises” through the use of egg whites rather than…
vanilla coconut panna cotta with persimmons, oranges and pomegranates
I developed this recipe for an Indian dinner where I thought a creamy dessert with some type of coconut base would balance the spiciness of the main meal. The topping of persimmons, oranges, and pomegranates is best in late autumn when persimmons are in season. However, adding other fresh, seasonal toppings work just as well,…
Sliced oranges with cinnamon
I was first served this for dessert at a restaurant in Portugal. At the time to me it was pure genius. So simple and bringing two delicious flavors together in a perfect way.
