Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
Last week, I met some friends at The Orange Squirrel for drinks and a dose of Chef Francesco Palmieri’s comforting and delicious food. While I’ve been to this popular Bloomfield, NJ restaurant many times, Chef Palmieri and his team always find a way to wow me with a combination of new creations and signature favorites […]
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The first thing that comes to mind when pot pie is mentioned is the creamy, chicken kind. On a cold winter Sunday, I just love the comfort of beef simmered slowly in wine and aromatics. I had some puff pastry on hand and opted to combine the two comforting dishes: pot pie and simmered beef. […]
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One of my favorite restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, where I lived for over 20 years, was Creolina’s and it served some of the best crawfish etouffée I’ve ever had. I enjoy making this deeply-flavored dish at home as it seems rewarding for me to make a roux, let the holy trinity (typically onion, green bell […]
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Those of you who know my typical cooking style might be surprised to see a vegetarian recipe on my blog, but this dish is hearty, rich and perfect on a cold winter day – or anytime you’re craving a delicious comforting soup. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup diced heart of celery 2 cups […]
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day we’re told. Making breakfast from scratch each morning isn’t very realistic for most of us with busy lives. I’ve been making crustless quiches for the whole week on Sunday afternoons and and one of my favorite version is the one made using leftover collard greens. Top […]
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The headquarters for my company is in Minneapolis and when I visited last, I tweeted about my upcoming trip, of course. Within a few minutes of my tweet, a restaurant located in the Plymouth suburb tweeted me back to say that I should really come try its duck salad during my visit. I thought “yeah, […]
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Valentine’s Day is this week, yes guys and gals, and for those looking for an intimate night in, that might mean rushing to the wine store for some bubbly. Here are 10 affordable sparkling wines to toast the year’s most romantic night with. La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco (Trevisio, Italy) – light, crisp and […]
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Although I’m a diehard carnivore (I’m sure that’s obvious if you’ve read this blog or follow me on Facebook or Twitter), I try to abide by the #MeatlessMonday concept as much as I can. A friend of mine has been telling me about the Dr Praeger’s Sensible Foods line of frozen meatless entrees and while […]
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I’m always excited when I find a Bandol rosé on a by the glass at a restaurant. This affordable wine is full-bodied yet delicate with a beautiful light salmon color. The aromas of fresh fruit laced with a little citrus are intoxicating and it took me a bit to pull my nose out of the […]
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I find myself ordering gnocchi a lot when I go out to dinner. I love the pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth texture of gnocchi and last week, started wondering why I almost never make them at home. I had two sweet potatoes and decided to jump in one morning and make a batch for lunch – not a […]
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