It’s the early 90s, Berkeley, Ca. I’m being treated to a nice dinner at Skates On The Bay, a surf-and-turf restaurant literally on the San Francisco Bay. We order the crab and artichoke dip with focaccia bread. I was hooked.
Continue reading Cheesy Crab Dip with Artichokes & Greek Peperoncini
I think it is a law that we’re supposed to have cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. And pumpkin pie. Somehow if word got out that these weren’t served, you might be hauled into the public square to be lashed with a wet noodle. It’s serious.
Continue reading Whole Citrus-Cranberry Sauce
It was sometime in the early 90’s, with some people I don’t remember, at a restaurant somewhere in Berkeley. Alcohol may be responsible for the vague memory. Shhhh… don’t tell my mom.
Continue reading Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
If the original creator of pesto was still alive, it would be on my bucket list to find them and give them a long, garlicky kiss of thanks. I owe the quality of my gastronomic life to that person.
I used to make a “simpler” (read: plain) version of this sauce and the boys loved it. Then I decided to get crazy and add other vegetables. My boys cried. Then they ate it. They forgave me.
Continue reading Ultimate Summer Garden Spaghetti Sauce
In all honesty, I don’t cook seafood as often as I would like to eat it. I really need to work on this.
Continue reading Tomato and Seafood Pasta Sauce
Okay, you know I can HEAR you rolling your eyes. Yes, I bother to make my own nut butter for two very good reasons: 1) control of my ingredients, 2) I’m tired of fighting with jars of stiff peanut butter and having the jar win.
Continue reading Homemade Peanut Butter
Okay, say the following in the voice of an upset three year old: I can do it myself! This was (still is?) me throughout much of my life. I would say ask my mom, but please don’t. She’ll be a little too happy to share stories.
Continue reading Balsamic Vinaigrette
Most of what you find in the grocery store that claims to be Greek Yogurt is really Greek-style yogurt. Big difference. Real Greek yogurt is made with certain strains of bacteria that lend a less tart flavor, and the final product is strained to remove the whey creating that thick and creamy texture Greek Yogurt is so famous for. Greek-style yogurt often uses the same cultures as “regular” yogurt and is thickened with things like pectin or gelatin. This is especially done for fat-free Greek yogurt, four words that really just shouldn’t be allowed to exist together. It’s not bad, it’s just not right. So let’s do it right!
Continue reading Greek Yogurt Recipe
Mostly Greek 