Grubarazzi

It’s a mouthful; a seriously delicious mouthful. Have you ever made something using techniques and ingredients you always use, but you put it all together in a way that is startlingly new and delicious? Like...take a step back and pat yourself on the back, delicious? That happened to me this evening when I made this super simple pasta dish. I use the term “simple” rather liberally here given that there are a few pots and pans involved, but there is very little prep time. It doesn’t get any better than this; roasted classic italian vegetables with slices of fresh sausage, al dente penne pasta, and fresh tomato dressing all folded together. This fresh tomato dressing alone is a quiet masterpiece. If you have a few ingredients on hand, you can whip it up in no time flat to drizzle over a fresh spinach salad, warm noodles, or even slather it in a sandwich. I made it for the first time when I was in Key Largo last month, and everyone gave it rave reviews. If you try anything a...

Marriage is a great lesson on give and take. I will admit, during my first year as a married woman I had a hard time taking and an even harder time giving. I was so independent it was difficult for me to open a joint bank account so we could easily pay the bills. If he asked me to turn off the lights when I left the house, I would huff and puff until the house fell down. Then, something clicked. I realized he was just asking me to give him what he needed to be comfortable and joyful. As soon as I learned how to give more than I wanted to receive, I got a lot more in return. I am only three years in to married life, but I have learned more about myself with him than if I were doing this alone. It is an evolution of love and commitment that keeps me grounded and at ease. I speak of marriage and giving because my audacious husband caught me a rockfish fresh from the Chesapeake Bay. Yes, he did. And when he brought it home fresh on ice, he expected me to help him filet it. I had...

My mom makes a mean fruit crumble. She might not know this, but as a child I loved when she made it for us. I could never figure out why hers was so much better than anyone else's, until we made it together during her last visit to Baltimore. Her mantra is simple: double the crumble. No one ever puts enough crumble on top. My father and I are known as the cooks in our family, but this is only because my mother, who is a great cook, prefers to clean our mess and critique our meals rather than get her cute little hands dirty. But when she cooks it's always great and comforting. I guess that is the Irish in her. She'll whip up meat and potatoes, cheesy casseroles, delicious refrigerator cookies, quick shepherd’s pie, and perfect mushroomy beef stroganoff like nobody's business. She'll have you know. During her visit to Baltimore, we were sitting at my kitchen table giggling like fools and drinking wine (as only we can do when we are together) while mom was thum...

Throughout my life, I have struggled to find my voice . Not my talking voice. I found that right out of the womb. Just ask my mother. The voice I’m referring to is that mystical creature artist’s talk about when they are trying to discover what distinguishes them from the crowd. No one really knows what it means or how it can be found, but I have not found mine yet. Maybe it’s hiding under the bed. The volumes of journals and notebooks I have filled over the years are bursting with words that were obviously written by someone with multiple personality disorder. Maybe that is just who I am, a girl with many voices . One minute I write about a first memory when my father was in the habit of trying to perfect lemon meringue pie. He would whip up meringue, and then cover my face with the soft peaks, creating a Santa-like beard on a tiny, almost in-the-buff three year old. I love that memory as much as I love lemon meringue pie. The next minute, I write about how unpleasa...

Today is Cinco de Mayo. As we eat our authentic tacos and sip on cold, tangy margaritas we aren’t necessarily thinking about what the day really stands for, which is a commemoration of the Mexican army's 1862 conquest over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (are you asleep yet?). And that’s OK, because over time Cinco de Mayo has given Americans an excuse to do something even more stirring. We are warmly acknowledging and openheartedly embracing our neighbor’s rich heritage and culture. If you peel back the gritty layers and expose the country for what it really is, Mexico is brimming with history, celebration, and delicious food.  I started this recipe thinking as every other food blogger thinks; I’m going to jump on the band wagon and make a Mexican recipe for a fun holiday. But as I researched how to make a delicious and authentic barbacoa, I was more intrigued by just how old this recipe really is. Experienced Mexican cooks have been passing ...

Mystery solved. There are two elements required to make the perfect bowl of chicken soup: lots of fresh dill and a homemade broth. Fresh dill is, for lack of a better word, amazing. It literally transforms this chicken soup in to a noteworthy experience. Each slurp fills your mouth with a fresh burst of dill followed by silky and savory hot broth. There are a few tricks to making a great broth, which I will share with you here. What it boils down to (no pun intended) is patience and a little love. This soup is worth it. Tips to making the perfect homemade chicken broth: Tip #1: collect the ends of carrots, celery, fennel, and/or other root vegetables throughout the week, and save them in a large Ziploc bag in the freezer until the bag is full. the more veggies the more flavorful your broth will be. Fennel is a must. Tip#2: Save the carcass of rotisserie chickens or chicken "scraps" in the same manner. I like to have at least two chickens worth in the freezer ...