Tag: Everyday Italian

Abby turns 55!

 

My sister Abby reached the  auspicious “double-nickel” age of 55 this year. Family and friends celebrated the occasion with a three-cheese and eggplant lasagne, panzanella and artichoke hearts – a menu designed to satisfy vegetarians and kids. The lasagne recipe from Better Homes & Gardens emerged from an old file I had been saving  of interesting-looking recipes and the panzanella (now a house favorite) is one of Giada’s from her Everyday Italian cookbook. The lemon custard birthday cake, decorated with Abby’s favorite butterfly designs, was purchased from Sweet Things Bakery. Blueberries accompanied the cake as a great complement to the color as well as an effort to serve something healthy along with the decadent confection.
Everyone took home the two nickels on their plates as party favors!

Cold Weather Comfort Food

Panzanella, an age-old Italian recipe for using stale bread, is still very much in the 21st century as it appears in my new “Everyday Italian” cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis. This delicious recipe was the perfect solution for some of the Mediterranean pita bread left over from the recent Rex Foundation 25th Anniversary Benefit (what a wonderful evening of great music!). Organic tomatoes ( purchased from both the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market and Safeway) olives, capers, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil are also key ingredients in this recipe. In addition, I used some sun-dried tomatoes (since I didn’t have the peppers called for) which gave the dish some extra flavor. Fragrant cream of cauliflower soup with saffron paired wonderfully with this salad. Baby cauliflower from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market was transformed by this recipe from Epicurious. I use an immersion blender when I make soup. I love this but learned to put the pot with the soup and blender into the sink so it doesn’t splatter all over the kitchen! Our wine this evening was a gift from a visiting daughter of a college roommate –  a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the R Collection. We were truly warmed and comforted by this meal!