If you want to publish a book and cook!

The fork in the road brought me back to this after 4 years… Continue reading →

When the Stars make you drool like … John’s Hearty Pasta Fazool that’s… Amore

Heart Throb… How many hearts did you break? How many songs did it take? VALENTINE IT’S YOU!  How many times, no clue— How many promises to be true? “Don’t be a fool, eat pasta fazool.”  In the mood to brood? Change your attitude… With  John’s  Hearty comfort food.  JOHN’S “HEARTY” PASTA FAZOOL INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons butter, divided … Continue reading →

Spring Chill Asparagus Vichyssoise

I decided to take the Scarlet solution… think about it tomorrow. And capture the romance of the accessory, sometimes called the garnish. In this case the wispy chive flower, packing an unexpected texture and flavor surprise in the Vichyssoise Spring Chill Asparagus Vichyssoise *this Recipe adapted from a recipe from Taste Restaurant, Seattle Museum 1½ … Continue reading →

Polka Dot Tart… Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart

To continue with my blog…is the question of the hour for me. I committed to one year of blogging two years ago this month. I wasn’t sure how it would evolve, a newbie to the blogging world. I registered my domain name Italian Handful.com at Go Daddy. Com and decided to keep using my italianhandful.wordpress.com … Continue reading →

Matisse Afternoon With Rosemary Parmesan Balsamic Chips

A Matisse week in May, kicked back, socializing, and Chef Craig Boroughf’s adaptation of a Chicago favorite! Ready and easy in minutes… What with Mother’s Day…et.all… Salty, sweet and snappy.  Just like  your mother! Matisse Chips *Recipe adaptation of West Town Tavern Potato Chips courtesy of Susan Goss, Executive Chef/Co-owner, West Town Tavern, Chicago, IL … Continue reading →

Roasted Radish And Shrimp Medley

My love affair with radishes began when I was six years old and pulled my first baby radish from our city prairie garden. The green leaves popped early, their tiny tips of red tinge bursting warm though the hard dirt. I tugged at the leafy stem. Once out, it looked like a tiny red carrot. … Continue reading →

Roasted Oyster Mushrooms and Gnocchi Pearls

In ancient China oyster mushrooms were sent as a gift to friends and family. The jewelry maker in me couldn’t resist adding the pearls… The graceful appearance of the bloom of the oyster mushroom hooked me at the Green City Farmer’s Market. I wondered if I could roast them to keep the whole mushroom together? … Continue reading →

Eye Popping Popcorn On The Cob

The Green City Farmer’s Market in Chicago is full of surprises in early Spring…things I don’t notice other times of the year, when the colorful fruits and vegetables capture my eye and imagination. Popcorn on the cob? My young audience was incredulous. In the microwave? The hardest part is harnessing our impatience. The aroma extends … Continue reading →

The Spirit Of The Heart

A media witness daily to the destruction and loss from the tsunami in Japan— I watch with sadness and awe the courage and elegance of the Japanese people, their grace, dignity, gentle strength. I search for words of consolation, find none. My silence —dirge dark. “Egyptian lotus never dies.”—same for our beloved? And as the … Continue reading →

Black Sesame Toasted Tofu

Crispy, chewy, toothy texture with an echo of ginger! Smart snack-attack food, appetizer or main meal star. “According to folklore, the magic words “Open sesame!” came from the sesame seed pod—which bursts open when ripe— and that when the gods created the world… they drank sesame seed wine! Black sesame seeds contain about 60% more … Continue reading →