I really love the chewy rice cakes that originated in Shanghai and are also very popular in Korea. They are sort of like oval shaped dumplings made mostly from rice and can be found in many Asian markets, fresh or frozen. This is a spicy stir-fried rice dish that everyone seems to enjoy. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons oil 8 oz. boneless chicken, chopped or thinly … [Read more...]
Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce
When I was in graduate school in New York City, I loved an inexpensive cafeteria-style Italian restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen called Manganaro's Hero Boy. The now-shuttered eatery dated back to 1893 and closed recently due to COVID. Their hero sandwiches were incredible. But I also really liked their baked ziti with a rich tasting tomato sauce. On a recent visit back to NYC I … [Read more...]
Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Every summer my wife and I grow rosemary in our garden. And, every summer I ask myself, “What am I going to do with all that rosemary?” Well, thick sprigs of rosemary make perfect skewers for grilling foods like meat, chicken, shrimp and such, imparting subtle hints of rosemary along the way. You just strip off some of the rosemary from the sprigs and use the “naked” part of … [Read more...]
Linguine with Pancetta and Clams
I sort of think of this recipe as linguine with white clam sauce meets carbonara, since it adds pancetta or bacon (normally found in carbonara) to the clam sauce. It gives the sauce a slightly smoky flavor that normal clam sauce doesn’t have. Ingredients: 1 pound dried good quality linguine 2 Tbsp olive oil 4 oz. pancetta or dry-cured smoky bacon, minced 1 large … [Read more...]
Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Salad
At this time of year our garden is overflowing with ripe tomatoes and fresh basil. Here is a simple and delicious salad combining fresh tomatoes and silky burrata. I recommend using heirloom tomatoes if you have them, otherwise any ripe tomatoes will work. This recipe makes 4 servings of salad but you could increase or decrease the quantities as desired. Ingredients: … [Read more...]
Grilled Greek-Style Chicken Skewers
The weather is perfect these days for summer grilling and this is one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes. It’s based on a recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod - chicken skewers with chicken seasoned in a Greek-style marinade. It’s really simple and delicious. Ingredients: 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 4 cloves … [Read more...]
Pork Tenderloin Vindaloo
When I was a graduate student on a small budget living in NYC, I frequently ate cheap meals at my favorite Indian restaurant called Curry Mahal. And my go-to dish there was spicy chicken vindaloo. Vindaloo is an Indian curry which originated in Goa and traditionally uses pork in the recipe. But these days you see vindaloo with chicken, shrimp, beef, lamb, fish, veggies and … [Read more...]
Cod Piccata
I love lemony piccata sauce and I often serve it with pork, veal or chicken. But it’s also delicate enough to use with seafood. Here I smothered cod fillets in piccata sauce, but you could substitute any white flesh fish or shrimp if you’d like. Ingredients: 4 cod fillets 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room … [Read more...]
Grilled Shrimp & Tomato Skewers
I love shrimp skewers from the grill in summertime. And nothing is better than adding some freshly picked garden tomatoes to those skewers. This recipe is super easy but totally delicious. You just marinate the shrimp and tomatoes for a few minutes, then skewer the ingredients and grill em’. Ingredients: 1 lb. large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 12 oz. cherry … [Read more...]
Chile-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloins are so easy to cook and they cook very quickly, as well. So I often turn to pork tenderloin when I don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. The key to cooking this cut of meat is to not overcook it. Tenderloins can get dry and tough very quickly, so pay close attention to the temperature of the meat as it cooks. You could serve this pork with salsa or … [Read more...]