I rarely eat bagels anymore. It’s not that I don’t like them, on the contrary. Rather, authentic bagels are simply not available in Chicago. However, last year, I was in Philadelphia visiting family, and made a special trip to the Bagel Hole (a quintessential “hole-in-the-wall”) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to get a dozen bagels to … Continue Reading
At first glance, this may look like an ordinary penne bolognese. However, there is neither tomato sauce nor meat in it. Don’t despair, this dish is extremely flavorful. In place of the traditional bolognese sauce is a harissa-based pesto that is sure to entice even the most die-hard carnivore. I’ve made red penne harissa many times, … Continue Reading
A crostata is an Italian pastry. The dough for the pastry is referred to as pasta frolla (a close relative of shortbread) and is usually filled with seasonal fruit or any number of homemade jams, sometimes even chocolate. Since it’s February in Chicago, and there’s no local fruit to be found, and because I love … Continue Reading
No need to hand over your hard-earned money to the large food manufacturers that attempt to convince you (through massive amounts of advertising) that froot loops and fruity pebbles are part of a well-balanced breakfast. Instead, with just a few ingredients, you can make your own, much healthier and tastier (in my opinion), breakfast cereal … Continue Reading
The Chicago Blizzard of 2011 featured thunder, lightening, 70 mph winds, and over 20 inches of snow (the third snowiest day in Chicago since 1886). I’m not complaining, because YAHOO, snow day! However, I’m not much of a planner, which means on a typical day I have very little food in the proverbial pantry (actually, … Continue Reading
