Pomato Revival

I spent all last week, from Monday night to Friday, plopped on my couch. It was one of those weeks you daydream about when you’re insanely busy: “If only I could stay home and forget everything, take naps, and watch Netflix on my cozy couch while everyone else runs the rat race.” Only, when that [...]

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I’m in a pantry raid kind of mood. These cupboards are so full, and yet every couple of weeks I stare at them, then over at the fridge, trying to justify takeout. There’s so much stuff lurking in the back corners of our kitchen, tucked behind coffee beans and tomato sauce, that I don’t even [...]

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For 29 years, I haven’t known what to do with artichokes. This is embarrassing, considering I spent my childhood hooked on them. I’d fight my brothers for the stems when my mom cooked them; invent new methods for peeling the meat off the leaves so I could brag to my cousins—it was always a secret, [...]

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I’ve told you about The Owl’s Nest and I’ve told you about my husband’s ridiculous improv cooking skills. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that when you put them together, amazing things happen. The only way to cook at the Owl is to put food over fire. I guess you could boil things too, but [...]

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All you eggplant haters, hear me out. We need to talk. I know there’s a cult of you who despise this wondrous, shiny, purple creation, and it makes me sad. And I’ve noticed that it’s never a passive dislike. You rarely say, “Oh, eggplant just isn’t for me.” Your reaction to it is a repulsed, [...]

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When I used to think of string cheese, my thoughts went to Polly-O, the string cheese of elementary school lunches. As a kid, I’d thought they invented the stuff. It was the only string cheese I’d heard of, and as far as I knew, all the world really needed. As the commercial said, it’s “the [...]

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  There’s something about making lentils that always makes me feel I’m doing the right thing. They’re inexpesive, so I’m being resourceful. They’re healthy, so I’m eating smart. They’re a simple, whole food, so I’m making something from scratch. They’re boring and bland, so they call upon my kitchen creativity. And they remind me of [...]

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  You may have guessed by now that my family uses a lot of jars. It’s true. There have been times, when groceries were low, when jars were the only thing you could find in our fridge. Sauce, pickles, green tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, olives—they were all staples, crowding the top shelf behind cloudy glass. [...]

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My dad is a man of few words. He enjoys—truly savors—going to work, coming home, cooking with my mom, and taking it easy. His signature dishes are always full of personality, even if he’s cooking them quietly: Rabbit with capers; pasta with sardines, breadcrumbs, and olives; baked clams with paprika and garlic. Those are just [...]

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  I know, I can’t stop talking about my grandfather’s garden. For one thing, ’tis the season. And, well, there’s just so much to talk about. All quirkiness aside, his garden has all the gems one comes to expect from a Sicilian grandfather’s garden–fennel, basil, tomatoes, figs, eggplants, garlic. It’s our family’s most coveted source for [...]

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