It had been a long time since I’d made fresh pasta. In the early 80’s, David gave me an electric Simac pasta machine for Christmas that we played with for awhile. It was an early version, and I remember the pasta quality was inconsistent—hard and dry at the beginning of the extrusion process, soft and

In her post Chickpea Curry-Topped Sweet Potatoes earlier this week, Maggy wrote about her commitment to eating as unprocessed as she possibly could in October. I love Maggy’s enthusiasm for doing the right thing. She jumps in, starts living the life, and sharing the truth. I’m different. Instead I listen to the facts and ponder  them

For decades cooks have been making Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic like this: separate a couple of heads of garlic into cloves, stuff them into a chicken’s cavity, and then roast for an hour or so. Enclosed in the chicken pouch and its own papery casing, the garlic essentially stews during roasting and you

The first time I made these fried shrimp I was cooking them in the galley of a boat in the Caribbean. Many of these tiny islands lack fresh produce, so I served the shrimp in warm corn tortillas with smashed avocado, sour cream and a squeeze of lime. The Chinese Five-Spice is so flavorful, it

This recipe comes from Mom’s latest book, Cook without a Book: Meatless Meals which I have been cooking from several nights a week since the fall. It was at that time that I first started watching films like Forks Over Knives, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, Food Inc, and Robyn O’Brien’s 2011 TED Talk about the link

Today over on the Tasty Kitchen blog, we’ve got a guide to making homemade flour tortillas that are puffy, warm, full of flavor, and dotted with delicious little charred pockets. Chances are you already have everything you need to make homemade tortillas tonight. Fill them with anything you like – burritos, breakfast tacos, quesadillas, or even just

A few weeks ago, Jess Goldman from Sodium Girl wrote and asked if I would participate in the “Love Your Heart” recipe rally she was organizing. If you ever met the wonderfully warm and exuberant Jess, you would never know that eight years ago this young woman was facing kidney failure as a result of

I consider myself something of a pizza connoisseur. At the very least I can say it’s my favorite food, especially on frigid New York nights. So I don’t say this lightly: this is truly the best pizza I have ever made (maybe the best pizza I have ever had). It was inspired by the Flambé

Vietnamese Noodles with Carrots, Cabbage, and Peas Serves 4 Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over low heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Salt 1 box (8 ounces) rice noodles 2 large carrots, grated 1/4 medium cabbage,(purple or green) shredded 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup thin-sliced scallions Vietnamese Flavoring Sauce (see below)

Yesterday my friend Steph sent a link for this Avocado Pasta Sauce. At first my brain was confused. Isn’t this just pasta tossed in guacamole? But then my stomach took over: avocado on or in anything is sumptuous. This will definitely work. I wanted to make the dish a little heartier and kick up the

When Andy and I lived in England, we would visit his grandparents nearly every weekend for a roast dinner. I could wax poetic about Nanny’s roast dinner for ages, but you can read about it here. Nanny made everything from scratch, but she rarely made dessert. Yet she always had at least two (if not

Serves 4 Salt 8 ounces each: broccoli crowns, cut into small florets, and sliced mushrooms 1/2 box (8 ounces) spaghetti 7 to 8 ounces drained extra-firm tofu (1/2 package), cut into bite-size chunks 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 recipe Lo Mein Sauce (see below) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium-large onion, halved from pole

The olive spread makes more than you’ll need for 4 sandwiches, but it keeps very well. And let’s face it, these sandwiches are so good you’re gonna want extra so the next time you’re craving one, it’ll be as easy as making a ham sandwich. Because I like the color and flavor contrast, I use

Serves 8 as side dish 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 12 ounces bite-size pasta, your choice 2 cups medium diced seedless cucumber, lightly sprinkled with salt 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, lightly sprinkled with salt 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin 1 1/2 teaspoon