Appetizer

Squash Blossoms

I used to work with a guy that grew up in Italy. Like me, he loved to cook. I asked him one day — “Alessandro, what’s your favorite thing to make?”, thinking I’d get a pasta dish or a great pizza recipe. “They’re really hard to find, but when I can get them…squash blossoms. No question” As … Continue reading »

Categories: Appetizer | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Monster From the Deep

I’ve always been a little apprehensive to cook octopus. Read about it on web, and mostly what you’ll find are remedies to make the meat tender. Some advocate hitting it exactly 73 times against a rock near the water front (yes, has to be along the water front). Others say you have to leave it … Continue reading »

Categories: Appetizer, Dinner | Leave a comment

Showin’ Off Your Mussels

Mussels are a special occasion food — the best I’ve ever had was at the Auberge du Soleil hotel bar in Napa, California. The Auberge bar is perched on a hill, overlooking the entire valley. The cocktails were great, the mussels were spectacular. Sure, a big part of the experience was the view and the … Continue reading »

Categories: Appetizer, Bread, Dinner | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shhh! Sardines, the Superfood

My introduction to sardines, like many people, came when I was about 5 years old, sitting in front of the TV. Almost without fail, on Saturday morning cartoons, a cat would get tossed into a trashcan, and come out with a sardine tin, top rolled back, stuck to his head. Not exactly appetizing, to say … Continue reading »

Categories: Appetizer, Snack | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment