Ever long for that warm, cozy place of years gone by, where nothing was more complicated than a chipped plate filled with a slab of ground beef and a pile of mashed potatoes? If you consider ketchup the antichrist, you probably don’t like meatloaf. But if you relish meatloaf's unfussiness and gorgeous smell when the weather turns chilly and you come in from the wind, read on.  Meatloaf, like so many old favorites, is just a few ingredients mixed together and thrown in the oven. Loaf pans, special sauces and expensive cuts of beef are unnecessary. Turn on your oven and turn out a crowd pleaser…

“Yum! My mom is making Lentil Pilaf for dinner!” Caroline Loffredo said to me from the back of my minivan one afternoon on the way home from cross country practice.  I have to admit, this did not sound like a dish worthy of excitement. But last Friday night, Heidi Hartmann Loffredo turned up with a sample of this outstanding dish for me to try.    I took one bite and couldn’t believe how much it tasted like the ground beef-laden Spanish rice my mom used to cook for me when I was a kid. It tasted amazing! And due to the nutritional value of the dish, a small portion satisfied my hunger quickly…

Sometimes you are lucky enough to stumble across something that brightens your day, changes the way you see things and enhances your life.   While skipping through fields of culinary web sites, I recently chanced upon one of the loveliest homages to the world of gorgeous food I have ever seen in my life. I was looking for inspiration for a bag of dried, organic chickpeas that I purchased for a couple of bucks.   The photos taken on vegeyum.com are breathtaking. The recipes are to die for. The language and the spirit of the author (I still cannot make out who that is!) are delightful.  After …

Yep, you read that right. And that's with organic ingredients!  Whenever friends tell me they are looking for a way to save money on food I always implore them to explore the wonderful world of legumes. In order to really get the most value for the highest quality beans you must do a little prep work. But it’s not hard.    Dried beans must be soaked before eating for about 12 hours. Before going to bed just pour your beans into a pot and cover with water twice the depth of the beans.   Once the soaking part is done, there is very little preparation. The next day when you are ready to cook …

Recently, good fortune was bestowed upon our family.  Our spare fridge-freezer broke.  You know the fridge. Your “beer” fridge. The place where you store all the b.o.g.o.’s  you loaded up in the freezer section at Jewel and all those enormous portions of food you loaded into your cart at Costco. (Oh yeah, and your extra beer.) Our worn out relic finally died and left us with no spare overflow from our kitchen fridge. I thought of the words my old man loves to say (in his thick accent) when good things come to an end: “De party’s over, baby.”   After our beer fridge broke, my husband and I …

What kind of mother would enable her children by catering to their finicky dietary preferences?  Guilty as charged.  My daughters are vegetarians and I am continuously twisted and pulled to create dinners that are suitable for both of them and the meat lovers in our family.    When I find a meal that uses a dish as a bridge between the two groups, I am happy. When it doesn’t require too much extra work, I’m even happier. Thick soups and stews are a great way to start a custom-built meal that doesn’t require too much added prep time. While the pot of thick, vegetarian soup is simmering, you …

I have to come clean about a recent recipe I posted for Portabello Mushroom Pizza Burgers.  Nobody in our house would eat them but me.  Refusing to throw those glorious mushrooms bathed in cheesy, herby goodness away I gave one last effort for salvation.  I threw the mushrooms in the blender with a  little tap water, blitzed them into a creamy, smooth soup, heated in the microwave and served it to my ravenous teenage daughter with a crust of bread and butter.  The response was tremendous.  “This is the best soup I have ever tasted in my life!  Oh my gosh, Mom, this is amazing!” I could not …

After a long summer at the pool, get your kids’ feet wet with this fun, family friendly pop quiz for the dinner table. You'll find the answers at the end. 1. Where did the word “ketchup” come from? a. from the French, it means “to catch up”   b. from the British, from King Ketch c. from the Malaysian word for fish sauce 2. What chemical compound composes the shell of an ordinary egg? a. calcium chloride b. calcium carbonate c. carbon monoxide 3. What does the French word “crudites” mean? (Hint: You cut these crunchy veggies up and dip them in fun sauces.) a. rawness b. crispy  c. a blend of …

When there was a buy-one-get-one deal recently, I scooped up two packs of Portobello mushrooms to create something for my vegetarian daughters to have on hand.  I realize mushrooms aren’t the first thing your kids will reach for to eat. I tell my daughters that in a house full of meat eaters, if they refuse the vegetarian offer, they will be lining up for that poor little chicken next time.   This recipe will dress those Portobellos to kill, and your kids will hardly believe they are eating a mushroom at all. Each giant mushroom has 3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and provides 100 …

Have you ever stood in the supermarket scratching your head, wondering about the difference between wild and farmed salmon? If you are like me, you may have thought to yourself, “Oh no, something new to add to my environmental guilt trip list.” Well, that might be true, but let's look at the taste and texture.  I absolutely love to conduct taste tests. I find it’s the only true way to test whether you prefer a taste without any extraneous influences, such as level of hunger, cooking method or mood.  Farmed salmon is sometimes called Atlantic salmon. This salmon is raised in fish farms and the…

The last few weeks of summer are dripping away faster than a popsicle at a barbecue. Our summer food budget has gotten out of control as I dash in to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk and come out with snacks, straws and a huge watermelon; a full $25 lighter.  Since I have fallen off the expense wagon yet again, I am determined to get back up and balance our grocery budget. This starts with my no fail (patent pending) money saving system for the busy school year: the pre-planned weekly meals. I’m not going to lie to you. Writing out your pre-planned weekly meals is boring, takes …

"Come quickly!" I texted my daughter who was locked in her room with three girlfriends all afternoon. Delighted that I had found my favorite Italian syrup, Torani raspberry, I was eager for an audience for my fruity summer smoothies. I love ordering smoothies when we go out. But taking a car full of kids would cost as much as going to the movies, so I blended up a batch in the blender and poured them into cocktail glasses to keep the portion size under control. Pop in a colorful straw and you can blend up a healthy portion of fruit, a little juice and just a splash of Italian syrup in just a …

Ever cook your lush, colorful vegetables only to find their deep shade has faded after cooking? Blanching and shocking your veggies will arrest the cooking process and cause all of their glorious, natural color to remain vibrant. It is perfect for any colorful vegetable. A classic Nicoise salad (French salad with tuna and boiled vegetables) is exquisite when green beans have been cooked this way, as the color of the beans shows like a crown jewel. Green beans aren't the only vegetable that turns a bold shade. Carrots, asparagus, brussels sprouts and even cauliflower show off their colors like…

Middle Eastern cooking is very big in the UK, which is where I fell head over heals in love with hummus and its multitude of variations. To make your own at home, you need just a few simple ingredients. Obviously chick peas cooked from dried, soaked beans will taste best, but this recipe is a practical one which starts with a can of chick peas, albeit organic. Do not panic if you don't recognize the word tahini. It is simply a sesame seed paste. Think of it as Middle Eastern peanut butter. It's divine in hummus, and I wouldn't be able to live without the creamy texture or unique, nutty flavor…

Considering it is 100 degrees out right now, this may seem a crazy thing to do with your kids. But it is far too hot to go outside in the high sun of mid-day, and this recipe is a simple, fun one for you and your kids that will only require about 10 minutes of baking time. They will need: 1 pkg refrigerated croissant dough a handful or two of chocolate chunks, chips or discs cookie sheet Open a package of crescent roll dough and separate into triangles. Place a few chocolate drops, chips or chunks onto each triangle and roll up into crescent shape.  Pop into 350 degree oven and bake 10 …

Elmhurst, our culinary ships are sailing in so fast I can’t keep track of all our new food stores, specialty shops and bakeries.  In the past year we have had new additions such as Amano Boucherie (105 S. York St.), Pazzi di Pizza (105 S. York), Good Earth (555 S. York), Rosalia’s Deli (241 N. York) and Heavenly Cupcakes (162 N. York). Add these to our old favorites like Chow (116 W. Park Ave.) and this town is turning into an epicurean delight. Well, we have two more places to add to our list. Elmhurst is finally getting a new bakery. Bleeding Heart Bakery, will be opening at 116 S. York in …

My best friend from college came over for dinner last week, so I decided to splurge on a few select items from Elmhurst Farmers Market, and what a treat it was! I bought lemon parsley mafaldine (www.pappardellespasta.com) and turned it into a vegetarian pasta salad chock full of farmers market veggies. The cheese I put out (www.thecheesepeople.com) with fresh berries was a visual stunner. The blue cheese, in particular, rivaled some I had the good fortune to sample in France. If you would like to taste it, go to stall No. 7, The Cheese People, and ask for a sample. That's what I did. “Give me…

I am amazed by how much I love soft-boiled eggs and how seldom I choose to make them. On my trip to Wales I saw these little Emma Bridgewater egg cups and loved their warm colors. Egg soldiers are the cutest little treats and such a common breakfast for British children that most mothers have a little egg cup for each member of the family somewhere in their kitchen, if not proudly on display with their children’s names on them. If you are like me, you will get your eggs out of the fridge, scratch your head and think to yourself, “How do I soft boil an egg again?” If your eggs are at room …

This is a big family dish that makes the most of fresh herbs from your garden. Use the best shrimp and calamari you can get your hands on. Broiled shrimp and calamari with fresh parsley and linguine 1 lb linguine (DeCeco is good) 12-16 oz fresh or thawed raw, large shrimp (I like Whole Foods, Costco or Caputo’s) 6-12 oz thawed or raw calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings 2 large shallots finely minced 2 or more cloves garlic finely minced 1-2 large handfuls freshly picked and chopped parsley 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil juice of one whole fresh lemon salt and pepper to taste Boil your pasta…

I always say that fish is the original fast food.   I think Winston Churchill said it best when he said, "All we have to fear is fish itself!" ... or something like that. Don't fear your fish! It is so incredibly easy. All you need is a baking sheet, olive oil, a few bread crumbs and some other fresh additions and your house will smell heavenly with a super healthy dinner that's ready in 20 minutes. Herb-crusted cod 4 fresh cod (mahi mahi or any other white fish is fine too) 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 garlic clove, finely minced a few glugs of olive oil juice of 1/2 fresh lemon  a handful of your …