Karenalaya

Chicken and rice dish with parsley and garlic.

Classic Jambalaya is a delicious staple of New Orleans cuisine. But like so many dishes I love, there’s often a tad too much fat added. Here’s my paired down version that won’t have your scale saying “One at a time please.” It’s a great one-pot dish that can be made in advance and feed…

Read More

Feeling Sorry for Myself Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions.

When life starts to go to the dark side, I can always cheer myself up with a good old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich served with a side of potato chips. I’m sure, given enough cheese, it will cheer you up too. (This recipe appears in my new book, “GETTING SAUCED – How I Learned Everything…

Read More

Linguine Con Broccoli Aglio E Olio

Pasta with spinach, ricotta, and pine nuts.

Sometimes the simplest dishes can be the most satisfying. This is one of my go-to dishes when I need to get something on the table quickly. The aroma of the garlic always brings me right back to a wonderful lunch I once had in Venice. (This recipe appears in my new book, “GETTING SAUCED…

Read More

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna noodle casserole with peas and biscuits.

No one really wants to admit that some of those 1970s semi-homemade dishes our busy moms fed us were actually tasty on occasion. In truth, there is some comfort to them, if you can just get past the guilt of opening cans, dumping the contents, and then heating. I have trouble with that, but…

Read More

Spatchcock Chicken

Roasted chicken with vegetables in a bowl.

If you’re like me, whenever I roast a whole chicken, either the white meat is overdone or the dark meat is underdone. It’s difficult to get it all right at the same time. That is, unless you spatchcock your bird. Spatchcocking gives you a fighting chance because you’re literally flattening your bird allowing all…

Read More