When it comes to egg and cheese casseroles, I'm all in. No matter the filling, the mix-ins, or the variety of cheeses, I love them all. If I had the discipline, I would make a casserole every Sunday, cut it into squares, and eat one square for breakfast every single day of the week. Egg and cheese breakfast casseroles make satisfying suppers, or impressive brunch dishes, too. This recipe features one of my favorite combinations, broccoli and bacon, and I used creamy, mild muenster cheese plus sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano for the "glue." You could substitute fontina or goat's milk gouda, or even Swiss cheese, for the muenster. Vegetarians can omit the bacon, or substitute a vegetarian bacon which will still add some smoky flavor to the... Read more →
Some people create beautiful appetizers -- elegant, interesting, the memorable appetizers, perfectly arranged on a perfect platter, that take you by the hand and lead you into the meal. Not me. I have perpetual appetizer anxiety. I want to zoom right past them, to soup or an entreé. Sometimes, however, a host must serve apps. Thank goodness for mini phyllo shells. They are the little black dress of appetizers. Any filling you can imagine looks better in a one-bite cup of phyllo dough. They come in packages of 15, ready to eat as is, or to bake for a few minutes. I've filled them with sweet fillings, and savory ones. Easy, easy, easy. These no-bake pesto cheese bites are savory, and the filling takes about... Read more →
When the zucchini come in, there's almost no way to keep up. A few are bound to get too big, or too old, before you get around to harvesting or cooking them. You can carve those over-the-top zucchini into boats, and stuff them (or float them!), or you can spiralize them into noodles. I love zucchini noodles, which are, somehow, a lighter version of diced or sliced zucchini. They hold less water, so they don't need to be salted and drained before you use them. I like to give zucchini noodles (also called, charmingly, zoodles) a quick sauté before adding them to this egg casserole, along with the onion and bell pepper, just to make sure they don't leave any excess liquid in the final... Read more →
A creative cook needs only two methods of cooking leftovers, two master recipes that disguise those bits and pieces and presto-change-o them into something completely new and exciting. These days we might call them kitchen hacks, but these kitchen "tricks" been around forever: toss leftovers into a soup pot, or wrap them in eggs. Fold any leftovers into any basic soup or egg recipe, and you've got a reliably wonderful "new" dish to put on the table. And that is the genesis of this frittata. I started with a single slice of smoked salmon, and half an avocado. A large fennel bulb intended for something else gave up part of its outer stalk and a leafy frond, and added a bit of crunchy, anise undertone.... Read more →
The idea for this rustic fish and fennel pot pie came to me in a dream, and unless you are Sigmund Freud (you're not, are you?), I'm not going to bore you with the details. Somewhere in the dream, I was planning a menu for La Vigilia, the traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast of seven fishes, which in real life I don't celebrate, so I'm sure it wasn't real. One of the dishes on my imaginary menu was a fish pot pie, and if I were making this for La Vigilia, I'd stuff it with several kinds of fish, and perhaps some shrimp or scallops, too. A brightly flavored bulb of fennel will make a real difference, but if you don't like the anise overtones... Read more →
This sausage, pepper and mushroom frittata -- quick and easy to make -- takes inspiration from one of New England's favorite Italian-American sandwiches. It's a great combination that makes a filling main course. Read more →
Serve this asparagus, mushroom and goat cheese breakfast casserole for brunch, or for dinner, or for a party. And if you don't have asparagus, use any vegetables in your market. Read more →