Recipes

  My aunt was married to a Sicilian-American. She learned to be a superior cook of Italian food from her mother-in-law, who we all called Nana. Living only half a block away from Aunt Margaret, I spent many hours over the years watching and learning to cook the dishes she prepared. Her version of eggplant

  My wife made this during the holidays and it was a big hit. MISE EN PLACE INGREDIENTS: For the Cake: 1 1/2 Cups chopped pecans 3 Cups all purpose flour 1 Small box of instant French vanilla pudding (use regular vanilla if you can’t find French) 2 Sticks of unsalted butter at room temp

  I got this recipe from my son and his partner. They always introduce us to dishes with which my wife and I are unfamiliar. They knocked it out of the park with this one. One of our favorites. (Full disclosure: I made some minor changes, but the taste is pretty much the same.) INGREDIENTS:

  I almost forgot I had this recipe until someone gave me some fresh basil from their garden. I got the makings of the recipe from an Italian chef in Houston. After a few tries of balancing the ingredients he told me he uses, I liked my results. I hope you will too. MISE EN

  This is a dish I had when visiting Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Sajta de pollo is a signature dish of Bolivia, made with chicken, onions, potatoes, peas, peppers and  tomatoes.  It is traditionally prepared for Carnival and All Saints’ Day. Sajta de pollo is usually accompanied by dehydrated potatoes called chuño, regular potatoes, or steamed

  This is a dessert that I grew up eating brought from the thousands of immigrants that came to Tampa from Spain during the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are various ways of preparing it as well as different fillings used. The one I grew up on was filled with a vanilla custard. While

  I have always loved eggplant and especially when my aunt would make eggplant parmesan! Eggplant was a prevalent side when we visited China and I grew to love it even more.  This is neither an Italian or Chinese treatment of the aubergine, but a simple American version of one way to enjoy this vegetable.

  I’ve always seen this recipe made with turkey. As I prefer chicken over turkey, I changed it up, added my own touches and came up with this recipe. It’s rich, creamy and oh so satisfying. MISE EN PLACE INGREDIENTS: 8 Ounces of spaghetti (you can also use linguini or fettuccini) 1 Cup grated parmigiano

  When we were in Paris, we stopped at a sidewalk bistro for some wine and a snack. They served us a toast point topped with brie and a tomato jam.  I was blown away on how delicious it was. They would not give me the recipe but told me what was in it and