This recipe is from Feast from the Mideast by Faye Levy. (Oct. 2013
Italian-style eggs in a nest
I woke up with a sudden craving for this breakfast dish from a scene in the film, Moonstruck. It involves two components: marinara sauce and an egg fried in a slice of bread. First, the marinara sauce: I had to improvise here with whatever we had in our pantry and balcony garden. Heat olive oil in a… Continue reading Italian-style eggs in a nest
Curried acorn squash seeds
I saved all of the seeds from our recent acorn squash dishes, making sure they were removed from membranes and as dry as possible (I let them air-dry overnight and then set at 200 in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes). Toss the dried acorn squash seeds (equivalent to the seeds from one whole… Continue reading Curried acorn squash seeds
Mrs. Tasca’s pumpkin nut bread
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 3 cups sugar, 1 cup neutral vegetable oil, 4 eggs, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, and 1 tsp salt. When well-mixed, use an electric blender to fold in 1 cup canned pumpkin, 2/3 cup water, 2 tsp baking soda,… Continue reading Mrs. Tasca’s pumpkin nut bread
Roast acorn squash with maple glaze
Preheat oven to 425. Clean, halve, and remove seeds from 2 acorn squash. Place acorn halves on a cookie sheet, cut side up. Separately, mix 2 Tbsp each brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Spoon the mixture onto the cut portion of each squash half (the mixture likely will pool in the hollow). Bake… Continue reading Roast acorn squash with maple glaze
Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Saute 2 hot Italian chicken sausages (casings removed) with some olive oil in a large Dutch oven, breaking up into pieces. When sausage is browned, remove and set aside. Using the same pot, add 2 onions (chopped), minced garlic, several sprigs thyme, 4 sage leaves (julienned), and 2 carrots (chopped). Season with a little salt… Continue reading Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Pumpkin pie
I’m not much of a baker, but my husband loves pumpkin pie, so I decided to try out a recipe. I used a pre-made crust as a shortcut. Preheat oven to 425. Combine ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp each ginger and allspice, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8… Continue reading Pumpkin pie
Italian caponata
In a wide, high-walled, and heavy skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil on medium heat. Add one celery stalk (chopped) and sauté until crisp-tender. Fold in one medium eggplant (cubed), and saute until a little wilted (the eggplant will absorb most of the olive oil). Season with a little salt. Then add a chopped, seeded… Continue reading Italian caponata
Spaghetti with meatballs
This is one of my husband's favorite dishes, so I decided to try out a recipe. First, start the sauce: in a large Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil, then sauté 1 onion (chopped) and 4 cloves garlic (minced). When fragrant, add a 56 oz can of plum tomatoes and their juices pureed with… Continue reading Spaghetti with meatballs
Auntie Jenny’s chocolate cake
This is a beloved family recipe from my best friend’s mom. Auntie Jenny, as I called her, routinely baked this cake. She called it her “no fail chocolate cake” because the ingredients were so simple and instructions so straightforward. My husband loves that this recipe includes a cup of hot coffee. Preheat oven to 350.… Continue reading Auntie Jenny’s chocolate cake
Cooking Adventures 