Around our house, "Risotto" has become synonymous with Mushroom Risotto. It's one of our favorite meals, so we can sometimes be a bit predictable when it comes to the deliciously creamy rice dish. It was a no-brainer when I came across this recipe for Lobster Risotto while reading my new Molto Italiano cookbook by Mario...
Cooking
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
This was the first time I have ever made Spaghetti alla Carbonara and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I knew that Hubby would like it, considering it contains pancetta and eggs and pasta. What's not to love, right? I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. I'm not a...
Cookbook of the Week: Molto Italiano by Mario Batali & A Foodie Field Trip to Eataly Chicago
Last weekend, hubby and I went to Chicago for the weekend to celebrate his birthday. As always, we had a wonderful time and ate as much delicious food as we could pack into one weekend. Aside from the stolen purse fiasco, it was magnificent. The only request I had for the weekend was that I...
Slow-Cooker Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce + Alternate Pressure Cooker Method
Update December 2016: This post was updated to include additional instructions for making this recipe in a pressure cooker. Slow-Cooker, Crock Pot, call them what you like. They can be incredibly convenient at times. Other times, they're rather unpredictable and in my opinion, can yield a rather uninteresting texture to the recipe. When everything comes...
My Favorite Homemade Pizza Dough
Pizza is quite possibly my favorite food. I'm not referring to take-out pizza, which has its place, but the high-quality, made-from-scratch with fresh ingredients kind of pizza that somehow seems like an entirely different food group than the stuff that shows up at the door in a box. It's so easy, and so cheap to...
Three-Cheese Fondue
In the past, we've usually done our fondue menus with either chocolate fondue with fruit (amazing!), or oil fondue with meat. It is an incredibly easy way to prepare a sort of fun "experience" meal. For whatever reason, fondue restaurants are quite costly, especially considering how easily you can recreate the experience at home. This...
Soufflé Au Chocolat (Chocolate Soufflé)
It never ceases to amaze me how much more reliable a Julia Child recipe is than that of any other cookbook author I've followed. I've been reminded of that fact again this week on a few occasions, this chocolate soufflé being one of them. Julia’s Chocolate Soufflé has been on my “Bucket List” of recipes...
Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
I've got the perfect thing for you to make for yourself this weekend. The recipe for this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is so incredibly easy and it tastes and smells incredible, similar to Amish Friendship Bread but so much quicker! It's lick-your-fingers delicious. I am a complete sucker for baked goods containing buttermilk. It makes...
Homestyle Turkey Noodle Soup
When it comes to soup, homemade is just better than store-bought. In my previous experiences making homemade stock (usually chicken), I didn't roast the bones in the oven prior to making the stock like I did this time. This method gives a more complex depth of flavor. What better way to use up leftover turkey?...
Homemade Dutch Oven Bread: Kneaded and No-Knead Methods
I've spent the last few days trying out lots of versions of Dutch Oven bread, and let me tell you, the results are tasty! I've got recipes for a kneaded Dutch oven bread, and one that requires no kneading at all. Both are very easy and could pass as a loaf from an artisan bakery...