Burrata, Tomato and Basil Salad

Mozzarella… just when you think it can’t get any better… oh, it does. Burrata, which means “buttered” in Italian, is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream.  The outer shell is mozzarella while the inside is a mixture of mozzarella and cream, which gives it a soft texture and a rich, buttery flavor.  … Continue reading

Peach, Tomato, and Mozzarella Crostini

I had just spent a weekend in pretty rural parts of America, eating probably the most processed foods known to mankind, so I wanted to start the week off on a healthy note. I think I found this recipe trolling on Pinterest, but don’t quite remember. The crostini embodies everything that is summer – -ripe … Continue reading

Baked Caprese

I can’t believe how long it took us to realize just how much of a goopy, cheesy goodness baked caprese would be. We’ve experimented with a couple of different traditional caprese with Insalata Caprese and Mini Caprese, so I decided to do something different. Another nice benefit of this recipe is that if your ingredients … Continue reading

Tomato Basil Egg Bruschetta

Terroir Tribeca happens to be not only one of my favorite neighborhood spots, but probably my favorite wine bar in the city. What makes it even better is that besides the selection of wines, the selection and quality of food is phenomenal. I love the cheese and charcuterie platters, the meatballs, and of course the … Continue reading

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Crisp is one of my favorite lunch delivery spots and I crave their delicious falafel sandwiches all the time at work.  Even though the delivery times can be unbelievably slow, I am always willing to wait that hour for their signature falafel sandwiches, especially the “Crisp Mediterranean” which is served with eggplant, sun-dried tomato spread, … Continue reading

Mini Caprese

Insalata Caprese is a simple Italian salad made of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.  When you downsize all the ingredients to bite-size form, you get the perfect party appetizer that is both refreshing and, well, really cute.  I prefer to keep my Mini Caprese salad skewers very simple; I use the same olive oil + balsamic vinegar + … Continue reading

Homemade Pesto with Penne Pasta

The basil in our Aerogarden has been growing wildly lately and needed to be, umm, harvested. To maximize its usage, I decided to make pesto because it would use the most basil and make something we haven’t tried in a while. I combined regular and lemon basil since both needed to be used up and … Continue reading

Portobello Pizza

My friend’s mom (Mama G!) whips up these tasty Portobello Pizzas in just 30 minutes, and they are so simple and flavorful.  Plus, the no-carb vegetarian pizza idea is quite ideal for those looking for a healthy appetizer or snack.  I didn’t list the actual ingredient measurements as they will vary based on the size … Continue reading

Rack of Lamb with Caramelized Shallot and Thyme Crust

When I was brainstorming dinner ideas last week, I was not really inspired by anything in particular, except the need to “cultivate” the crops of our Aerogarden. We’ve been using the basil to make Insalata Caprese, but the thyme and oregano have been growing like crazy and needed to be used. So I consulted one … Continue reading

Chicken Puttanesca

I had some leftover anchovy fillets from making a Honey Mustard Glaze for the Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb and I was trying to figure out what to do with these little fishies.  Last time I had cooked with anchovies, it was for Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, a spicy and salty Southern Italian dish that consists of … Continue reading