Cooking From The Pantry

So, while I wasn’t writing posts for the past month, there were lots of other things I wasn’t doing.
I wasn’t cooking a lot at home.
I wasn’t eating a lot at home.
I wasn’t cleaning up a lot at home.
I wasn’t taking a lot of photographs.
I wasn’t sleeping very much.
There were also a lot of other things […]

An Inspired Idea: Tonnato Puttanesca

I have already written about the delectably sensuous pasta sauce from Naples, puttanesca. This velvety concoction of tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies which is known as “whore’s sauce” is one of my very favorite comfort foods. It makes for a quick supper from the pantry when I haven’t had a chance to think too long […]

Thai Spicy Basil Shrimp

The success of this dish depends upon using the freshest shrimp possible. You don’t have to catch them yourself or buy them live, necessarily, but you want very sweet, very fresh shrimp in order for the flavors to balance together perfectly.
You can make this dish with scallops or squid, too–and probably crab, though I […]

Tunisian Lamb, Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Have I ever said how much I love the combination of eggplant with lamb?
To me, it is a match made in heaven.
The rich flavor and tender chew of the lamb goes perfectly with the velvety, melting quality and delicate scent of the eggplants, and the way in which eggplants soak up oils and […]

A Simple Sauce For Two Different Baked Fish

I have always been partial to baked fish; ever since I made psari plaki for the first time as a poor college student in my first apartment, with fresh trout a fisherman friend had given me for free, I was hooked. I decided to make the psari plaki for the first time because there are […]