It’s not often I eat linguini. It’s definitely one of my favorite types of pasta, but I generally find myself preparing spaghetti dishes, which is strange because I think I’ve got an affinity for fettuccine and linguini more than I do for spaghetti. Either way, this dish is excellent and easy to make. The ingredient list is short and it’s very Italian. You’ll need some dried linguine, some plum tomatoes, onion, garlic, a few zucchini, some olive oil, fresh basil, and a few other minor ingredients. All in all, this dish takes about a half hour to prepare and what you’ll be left with is a dish that satisfies. So if you’re in the mood for an Italian pasta dish, click through to check out the recipe. Continue reading…
Eggs Florentine Recipe by Mary Berry
Eggs Florentine comes in many varieties. You’ll likely find a bed of spinach on an English muffin with a poached egg on top, but you’ll also find the same spinach and egg without the muffin. It’s up to you. As long as the bed of spinach is there and the poached egg is there, you can consider your dish “Florentine.” It’s a style of egg dish that’s linked to Florence, Italy. This is a popular French dish that got it’s name from Catherine de Medici (Queen of France from 1547 to 1559), who came from Florence. She enjoyed eating a poached egg on a bed of greens with a sauce on top for breakfast. Toast is commonly served on the side as well. Of course, folks have become creative with this dish through the years, but the essence has remained true to its origins. In this post, I try my hand at preparing this historic dish. Please click through for the recipe as well as my photos. Enjoy! Continue reading…
Pearl Couscous Salad with Tomatoes, Spinach, Olives, & Feta
There are many different variations of salads you can prepare using toasted pearl couscous. This is just one of them. For this dish, I took advantage of some delicious cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and spinach, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and walnuts. It’s an outstanding salad that guests would love. I prepare this dish and others like it a few times per year. I’ve got a Mediterranean cookbook that’s chock full of these types of recipes and from now on, as I make a salad, I’ll share the recipe and photos on my blog. Please click through to take a look at this one. It’s very good. Continue reading…
Savory Soufflé Omelette by Mary Berry
The idea of a soufflé omelette is an interesting one. It takes a regular omelette and transforms it into a fluffy, airy one, giving it a fun and inviting texture. For this recipe, you can cook your omelette using two methods; you can cook the bottom portion of the eggs on the stovetop and then finish the top in the oven or you can skip the oven part altogether. The first method offers a result that’s all the way cooked through. The second keeps the interior of the omelette much more moist, which is very nice. I decided to go with the cooked through method because there’s no cheese included in this recipe. If there were cheese, I think I would have kept the top portion (the interior of the omelette) slightly uncooked. Either way, this is a delicious recipe that you may want to take a look at. Click through to see it along with some photos. Continue reading…
Spaghetti Con Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino Recipe
What a simple dish to prepare. If you can boil water and warm olive oil, you can put this one together in just a few minutes. While the pasta is cooking, all you need to do is combine some olive oil, garlic, and chili pepper in a saucepan. Then add in some parsley, combine, plate, and serve. What you’ll end up with will be a delightful, yet, somewhat hot (depending on how much pepper you added) bowl of pasta. In my version, I tossed on some additional parsley and some Parmesan cheese after the pasta was plated. It really depends on which recipe you follow for this dish; there are no hard and fast rules. Click through and enjoy. Continue reading…
Penne all’Arrabbiata Recipe
Penne all’Arrabbiata is an incredibly tasty dish because of its incredibly tasty sauce. If this is any indication, arrabbiata translates as angry in Italian. It’s not really an angry sauce though, but it is spicy. So if you’re not into spicy food, this isn’t the recipe for you. Although, you can simply omit the chilis and you’ll have a great pasta dish. Arrabbiata sauce originated in the Lazio region of Italy; more specifically, the city of Rome. It’s an old recipe that’s had an influence locally in Rome and more recently, around the world. This dish has my endorsement, so I encourage you to give it a try. And if you do, please let me know your thoughts. Click through for the recipe. Continue reading…
Spanish Omelette Recipe by Mary Berry
The best way I can describe this omelette is to say it hits the spot. It fills you up. The Spanish omelette is a mainstay of a Spanish dining experience. It’s a traditional omelette, consisting of eggs and potatoes and sometimes onion, that’s been around pretty much forever. The ingredient list is short and the cooking method is easy, so if you’re an egg lover, there’s really no reason not to give this dish a try. I found it fun to eat and as tasty as it needed to be. And again, with those potatoes, it hit just the right spot so I was able to start my day with a full belly. Click through for the recipe and some delightful photos. Continue reading…
Spaghettini with Caper, Olive, & Tomato Sauce Recipe
Spaghettini is a slightly thinner version of spaghetti, but if all you can find is spaghetti, use that. You won’t even notice the difference. This is a recipe you won’t want to miss. The sauce is a combination of capers, olives, anchovies, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, and olive oil and the pasta dish is topped with shredded Parmesan or Pecorino. I’m sure you can imagine the flavors. They’re out of this world. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes of all time, so please give it a try. I think you’ll like it too. Click through for the recipe and some very nice photos. Continue reading…
Mexican Omelette Recipe by Mary Berry
For some reason, omelettes seem exotic. They take some time to cook and they’re much more involved than a simple fried egg. Once you prepare a few of these things though, you realize they’re actually quite easy to put together. And if you pick up the process, you’ll be making them with reckless abandon in no time. For today’s post, I prepare a Mexican Omelette that I found in Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook. It’s a basic omelette that can be assembled and cooked in approximately 20 minutes. The best part is, it’s delicious. Click through for some photos along with the recipe. Continue reading…
Classic Italian Meatball Recipe
Meatballs are a staple when it comes to Italian cuisine. If you’re Italian, there’s little chance you haven’t enjoyed some of your own. I’ve been eating meatballs since I was born and I can’t say I’ve ever eaten one I didn’t like. The wonderful thing about this food is that they’re so versatile. You can prepare the classic Italian meatball or you can get creative with your ingredients and cooking methods to come up with something totally unique. I’m not sure there’s a wrong way to go about things. In this post, I share a very classic recipe for making meatballs. The end result is something that’s tender, juicy, and delicious. If you’re looking for a classic meatball recipe, you’ve found it. Continue reading…