NANA’S NOODLE PUDDING

A dish of pasta with raisins and cranberries.

My nana always made THE best noodle pudding. Some people call it kugel, but in our family, it was always Nana’s Noodle Pudding. When she passed, I got to keep her recipe box with all of her classics jotted down on 3 x 5 stained and faded cards. It’s been over thirty years since she…

Read More

KASHUKA

Top view of a beautiful plate of food

One of my favorite middle-eastern dishes is Shakshuka. It’s basically a tomato-base of stewed vegetables with the eggs cooked right in the sauce. I absolutely adore it but it wreaks havoc on my digestive system due to the acidity in the tomatoes. So, never one to give up anything I love, I came up with…

Read More

DON’T FEED THE BABOONS

Close up image of three black color monkeys

You can’t go all the way to Cape Town without heading south to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point of the African continent, at least according to the sign. There are lots of signs as you make your way there, but most of them are about NOT feeding the baboons: DO NOT…

Read More

CLEAN OUT THE FRIDGE CASSEROLE

A table bowl full of food n the table

I hate wasting food, but eating the same thing a few nights in a row can get boring. If I make a roast chicken, I’m always looking for different ways in which to use the leftovers. And if I’ve got some veggies in the fridge that are a tad past their prime, but not quite…

Read More

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

A woman walking in a green field with so many crops

I love movies with exotic locations. Eat, Pray, Love made Bali look so beautiful, romantic, and otherworldly that given the chance to go, I couldn’t pass it up. Who wouldn’t want to live in a glamorous hut shacked up next to Javier Bardem and never worry about locking the door? When I arrived in Ubud,…

Read More

BEET SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE DRESSING

Close up image of food with designs

I’ve never been a huge fan of beets, but I seem to be able to tolerate them if they are dressed up with a bunch of other tasty ingredients. I do like the color they add to a dish and from a nutritional standpoint, they are a very respectable vegetable. Paired with goat cheese, beets…

Read More

LIONS AND RHINOS AND SCARES, OH MY!

Close up shot of a lion watching at the camera

I’ve never been much of an animal lover. I was chased by a Great Dane as a kid and he almost bit me as my bell bottoms flapped in the wind, nearly getting caught in the spokes of my bike as I lifted my feet from its hungry mouth. I still have a fear of…

Read More

THE BEST LAID PLANS

Top view of a platter on the table

Now that I’m getting to a certain age, I’ve started a bucket list of all the places I’d like to explore and visit while I’ve still got the energy and adventurous spirit to enjoy them. The idea is to do the hard trips first because you never know what type of monkey wrench life can…

Read More

PANKO CRUSTED STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Top view of so much food on red base

Towards the end of each summer, I race to the greenmarket in time to beat the crowds before all the squash blossoms are gone for the season. These delicate zucchini flowers are great for stuffing and frying. But you have to handle them ever so gingerly. It’s way too easy to get a split in…

Read More

EASY STUFFED POTATOES

Top view of food on a white color plate

If you’ve had a bad day and need a little comfort food, it’s hard to go wrong with these stuffed potatoes. You can fool yourself into thinking how all the wonderful nutrients from the potatoes are helping your heart and blood pressure, while ignoring all the evils from the bacon, sour cream and cheese. Given…

Read More