Steamed Mussels in White Wine Sauce

There will always be a special place in my heart for a steaming bowl of fresh mussels with crusty bread for dipping. While living in Chicago, mussels at HopLeaf became a perfect excuse for impromptu gatherings with friends. Even in my current city of Pittsburgh, there are times when my cravings for curry and coconut [...]

Tomato Salad with Farmer’s Cheese

Riding high on my new farmer’s cheese making abilities, I decided to toss together an easy salad for a small gathering of friends. This simple treasure is not only lovely to eat, but wonderfully beautiful at the same time. Be sure to take advantage of all the tasty tomato varieties at the farmers market. Before [...]

Spinach Spring Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The next time you decide to have salad on your lunch or dinner menu, consider thinking beyond ranch as a dressing option. There is a whole world of delicious vinaigrette flavors just waiting for the opportunity to be paired with your farm fresh mixed greens. This vinaigrette has become my second favorite alternative to ranch [...]

Sautéed Corn & Edamame

The activities of life had me coming home at a pretty late hour the other day. Rather than succumbing to the temptations of ordering a 99-cent heart attack for dinner, I decided to take my chances with the randomness of ingredients I had at home. I absolutely love opening the fridge and creating a complete [...]

A Celebration of Strawberry Proportions

The email notification on my iPhone buzzed like it has done nearly 1,000 times before. Except, this particular message was different from the others. It was from an editor at Fine Cooking Magazine interested in including my Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake photo for their Best of Blogs section on FineCooking.com. I squealed like a teenage girl [...]

Green Bean Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

It was a cold and long winter. I’m now ready to explore the fresher side of life. I’m planning to be spending my Saturday’s this summer participating in a work-and-pick program. I dedicate two hours each week digging in the dirt and tending to a community garden. In exchange for my sweat and tears, I [...]

Spring Greens with Roasted Red Peppers & Blue Cheese

The lettuces at the Chatham University green house are growing beautifully. I love how the delicate leaves feel when I run my hands over the plants. Watching the beauty emerge from the soil all of these weeks has encouraged me to eat more salads. I was inspired to make this salad after having a similar [...]

Homemade Mozzarella Pinwheels with Sundried Tomatoes & Fresh Basil

It was nearly a year ago when I was hovering over a stove with 10 other students. We all had one goal in mind…to learn the art of fresh mozzarella making. Ever since that faithful day, I’ve enjoyed serving the glorious white cheese for dinner parties. Explaining the preparation process is a wonderful conversation starter. [...]

Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese & Fresh Basil

I’m notorious for walking into my kitchen with a recipe in mind and prepare something completely different. This was the case when I had the idea of making roasted red pepper bruschetta as an early evening snack. In the end, the cutting board of ingredients was so beautiful; I never reached the “bruschetta” part. I [...]

Sautéed Swiss Chard

After my dismal first attempt at growing a tray of Swiss Chard for my Sustainable Agriculture class, I’ve been paying much closer attention to the second round of plantings. It’s been fascinating to watch the little sprouts emerge from the nutrient rich soil. They really start to look like miniature versions of the prehistoric-like leaves [...]

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