The Magic of Fresh Pasta

Rosemary Chicken Stew with Stir-Fried Collard Greens

Besides being known for its Italian style-New York pizza, Saraghina recently opened a new bakery. Essential Italian pantry items, such as bread, morning pastries, olive oil by the pound, spices, cheese, candy and more, are the shop’s speciality. It’s freshly made pasta by the pound is the star. Having access to fresh pasta close to my apartment is a game changer in my menu planning. It means serving dinners made elegant with fresh pasta, and the meals aren’t time consuming. Ironically, the first recipe using Saraghina Bakery’s pasta was a time-consuming Rosemary Chicken Stew with Stir-Fried Collard Greens.

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A Fair Choice of Mushrooms

Rustic Kale and Chanterelle Pie with Creamy Parmesan Cheese sauce

There was a choice to use any FungusAmongUs products (The name is laughable, but for mushroom lovers, like me, it sounds like pure joy). It was a tough decision, because I was too intimidated to pick the whole truffle. I wanted it, but it’s not nice to come off as a greedy food blogger. To ask for it means the recipe better compete with a top chef on the food networks. I tried writing recipes incorporating truffles, but they only needed simple (still delicious) mushrooms. For a long time, I was indecisive, because they’re many FungusAmongUs products to choose. The final choice was fair: flavorful dried chanterelle mushrooms and the exquisite truffle mustardRead more

Truffle Oil Roast Salmon and Mushrooms

Truffle Oil Roast Salmon and Mushrooms

At this time of year, buying salmon in New York is more expensive, because I’m striving to purchase Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood. It’s a global, non-profit organization working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental-conscious choice in seafood. For a while, I thought buying MSC-certified seafood as expensive, but Nicole of FoodCulturist.com recommends purchasing local seafood for budget-friendly prices. Quite honestly, this recipe was made in late spring when buying salmon is cheaper. Ask your local fish monger for the best available seafood at this time of year. Their suggestion is better than seafood flown in hundreds or thousands of miles away. Read more

Open-Faced Sandwich with Sauté Mushrooms and Amaranth Greens

Open Faced Sandwich with Saute Mushrooms and Amaranth Greens
Open Faced Sandwich with Saute Mushrooms and Amaranth Greens

Is it breakfast, lunch or dinner? Is it healthy? Does it taste good? Can it be prepared and served in less than 15 minutes? Can it quickly please royalty? The Open-Faced Sandwich with Sauté Mushrooms and Amaranth Greens is the recipe that answers all five questions. We had our sandwich for breakfast, because egg dishes are a routine meal. Of course, the next option is to make pancakes, but we didn’t want a sweet dish. So, I glanced in the refrigerator for more ideas. Rosemary bread. Mushrooms. Amaranth Greens. A little sheep cheese. There’s fresh rosemary outside. Then I had memories of eating open-faced sandwiches while studying design in Scandinavia. The food was always fresh, delicious and organic. Those countries introduced me the living green and environmental lifestyles. The cool air from the refrigerator reminded me of the fresh air in Denmark, and a new sandwich idea was promptly created with ingredients brought from the farmer’s market and the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. It’s a simple, quick recipe made to please a picky eater. Enjoy it warm. Skål! Read more