Sweet Tooth Friday: Nonna Olga’s Biscotti
Sweet Tooth Friday: Nonna Olga’s Biscotti

This Friday’s recipe is very special and really encompasses why I started Heirloom Kitchen.  A few years ago, my friend Gina made me these biscotti for Christmas.  Hands down, these are the most delicious biscotti I have ever had.  A delicious combination of anise and almond, they are light, crunchy, and simply perfect with a cup of coffee.  

What really makes these biscotti so special however, is not merely how they taste, but where they come from.  This recipe was created by Gina’s paternal Nonna, Olga Giovannoni and came here with her, all the way from South Africa. 

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From Nonna's Kitchen, ItalyAnna Gasssweet treats, sweet tooth friday, biscotti, nonna's kitchen, dessert, family tradition, cooking with love, italian cooking
From Nonna's Kitchen: Halmonee Soon’s Bibimbap
From Nonna's Kitchen: Halmonee Soon’s Bibimbap

A quiet, calm woman, I was taken by Soon Huh's warm presence and spirituality.  You can taste it in the precise, delicious food she prepares.  Each ingredient, individually cooked.  Not deterred by the extra pans and time it takes, Soon wants to ensure each ingredient maintains, not only its color but also its taste.  This dedication and respect of each component of her Bibimbap is most definitely why, it was one of the most delicious dishes of food I have ever had the pleasure of eating.

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From Nonna's Kitchen, KoreaAnna Gassnonna's kitchen, family tradition, korean cooking, bibimbap, cooking with love, cooking with kids
Sunday Supper: Eggplant Parmigiana
Sunday Supper: Eggplant Parmigiana

Let’s defrost some Sunday Sauce because today, we’re making eggplant armigiana.  Eggplant Parm is another labor of love dish.  It’s a number of steps, takes some time but is so, so good.  This is another dish where Nonna would stand over the stove for hours making it for us; classic and timeless.  I should also mention that eggplant parmigiana is one of my favorite things to eat.  And, if you know me well, you know I make/eat a lot of different things.  So, when I say I LOVE eggplant parmigiana, it means something...

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Italy, From Nonna's KitchenAnna Gasseggplant parmigiana, italian cooking, nonna's kitchen, sunday sauce, sunday supper, cooking with kids, family tradition, cooking with love, marinara, tomato sauce, Food52, Frankie Spuntino
Sweet Tooth Friday (Cooking With Kids Edition!) Rice Krispie Pumpkins
Sweet Tooth Friday (Cooking With Kids Edition!) Rice Krispie Pumpkins

Rice Krispie treats have been around since I was a kid.  I remember quite vividly, in the early 90s, when Kellogg’s started marketing them through TV commercials and then printing the recipe on the box.  I also remember telling my mother about it and making them with her.  Even she liked them!

So, at least once or twice a year, my girls and I will grab some marshmallows and cereal and whip up a batch.  This year, my daughter Veronica is taking a baking class and came home with a cute variation for Halloween, little rice krispie pumpkins.  We decided to make them for her school party today so she ‘taught’ me how to make them.

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Unites States of AmericaAnna Gasssweet treats, sweet tooth friday, cooking with kids, cooking with love, rice krispie treats, pumpkin rice krispie treats, halloween, halloween treats, pumpkin
How To Tuesday: Ravioli
How To Tuesday: Ravioli

Everyone loves ravioli.  Delicious little pockets of pasta filled with creamy cheese and laced with sauce or butter are hard to resist.  You can find them in the freezer section of any grocery store.  What you may not know; is that with a little time and patience, you can make them from scratch. 

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ItalyAnna Gasscooking with kids, cooking with love, ravioli, cheese ravioli, italian cooking, family tradition, traditional cooking, nonna's kitchen, pasta
Special Edition Sweet Tooth Friday: Grandma Harriet's Rugelach
Special Edition Sweet Tooth Friday: Grandma Harriet's Rugelach

This week, I decided to roll my Nonna recipe and Sweet Tooth Friday all into one sweet rugelach; I mean, blog post.  This recipe is extra special to me because it was given to me by one of the best Nonnas I know, Harriet Marks-Nelson - my husband’s wonderful grandmother.

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From Nonna's Kitchen, HungaryAnna Gassnonna's kitchen, sweet treats, sweet tooth friday, dessert, rugelach, jewish cooking, jewish specialties, a little nosh, homemade, cooking with love, cooking with kids
Sunday Supper: Pasta alla Bolognese
Sunday Supper: Pasta alla Bolognese

Last week, I shared a recipe for my mother’s Sunday Sauce.  This week, I want to show you how the Sunday Sauce can be used to make another Italian favorite, Pasta alla Bolognese.  This pasta sauce originated in Bologna, Italy way back in the 18th century.  It consists of a tomato based sauce mixed with ground meat. Traditionally, it is served on top of tagliatelle or another long pasta like linguine. 

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From Nonna's Kitchen, ItalyAnna Gasssunday sauce, sunday supper, pasta alla bolognese, pasta, italian cooking, nonna's kitchen, nonna's meat sauce, cooking with kids, family tradition, cooking with love, tomato sauce
Sweet Tooth Friday: Anna's Apple Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
Sweet Tooth Friday: Anna's Apple Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

When I was in college, I had a serious weakness for the Sour Cream Walnut Apple Pie made by The Little Pie Company.  They came in mini pie tins and I could eat an entire one by myself - hello, freshman fifteen!  I wanted to develop a cookie recipe that showcased the strudel topping AND the sour cream flavor because the combination is just heavenly.  Here is my spin on combining cookies with the best pies you can get in NYC.

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Unites States of AmericaAnna Gassdessert, homemade, cookie lover, cookie recipe, sour cream walnut apple pie, The Little Pie Company, sweet tooth friday, sweet treats, cooking with kids, cooking with love
Daisy's Steamed Fish with Ginger Scallion Sauce
Daisy's Steamed Fish with Ginger Scallion Sauce

Next stop, Hong Kong!

One of my closest friends from college, Eric moved here to the States from China, at the age of five with his parents and older sister.  I reached out to him to see if his mother Daisy would be interested in participating.  As a true fan of Americanized Chinese food, I was excited to try Daisy’s food.  I was pleased to find her dishes were not only extremely easy to prepare; they were delicious.  The food was unmistakably Chinese to me but just much more refined, simple and delicate than what I get at the local Chinese restaurants.

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From Nonna's Kitchen, ChinaAnna Gasscantonese cooking, cantonese specialties, nonna's kitchen, cooking with kids, cooking with love, family tradition, chinese food, chinese cooking
Sunday Supper: It All Starts With the Sauce...
Sunday Supper: It All Starts With the Sauce...

Italian tomato sauce is a labor of love.  It’s also the cooking liquid for various meats that are served alongside a huge platter of pasta.  A Nonna would begin making her sauce early on Sunday morning, while the rest of us were still deep in our REM sleep cycle.  They did this because once the sauce had reached bubbly perfection; they could begin creating all the other delicious dishes that would cover the Sunday dinner table. 

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From Nonna's Kitchen, ItalyAnna Gasssunday supper, sunday sauce, marinara, gravy, italian cooking, italian meatballs, heirloom cooking, heirloom kitchen, nonna's meatballs, nonna's kitchen
Sweet Tooth Friday: Delectable Donuts
Sweet Tooth Friday: Delectable Donuts

TGIF!  The almighty weekend is coming and its time to make something sweet. Why?  Because I said so.

This week, I decided to make some baked donuts.  I know, it kind of sounds like an oxymoron because the main reason donuts taste so good is that crispy outside coupled with a fluffy inside achieved by a quick bath in a deep fryer.  However, I wanted to see if the baked variety could stand up to its deep fried brother.

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Unites States of AmericaAnna Gasscooking with kids, cooking with love, donuts, dessert, sweet treats, sweet tooth friday, foodie friday, family tradition, nonna's kitchen, chocolate
Medz Mama Lucy's Hummus
Medz Mama Lucy's Hummus

I love Middle Eastern food!  Some day, I hope to traipse around the Middle East gobbling up falafel, hummus and lots and lots of pita.  For now though, I have the next best thing.  My friend Christine’s mom is Armenian and hails from Beirut, Lebanon.  In addition, she is a fabulous cook.  She raised her three American kids on all the delicacies of her mother’s Armenian kitchen.

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From Nonna's Kitchen, LebanonAnna Gassheirloom cooking, heirloom kitchen, nonna's kitchen, family tradition, cooking with kids, cooking with love, hummus, middle eastern food, middle eastern cuisine, Armenian cooking, Lebanese Cooking
Yia Yia Nelly's 'Greek Festival' Spanakopita
Yia Yia Nelly's 'Greek Festival' Spanakopita

One of the first people I reached out to when I decided to start my Nonna project was my dear friend Kostas.  He, like me, is a first generation kid.  Both of his parents came from Greece in the early 1970s, set up house, and raised two children.  Early discussions we had made me certain our childhood homes were very similar.  So, I thought it would be a great place to start...

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From Nonna's Kitchen, GreeceAnna Gasscooking with love, cooking with kids, greek specialties, nonna's kitchen, yia yia's kitchen, family tradition, heirloom cooking, heirloom kitchen, Spanakopita
Make Your Mamma Proud Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make Your Mamma Proud Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies.  I’m not really into cake or ice cream, I’m a cookie person.  So, when I get a hankering for something sweet I make chocolate chip cookies.  I think the most important component of the chocolate chip cookies is really, good quality chocolate chunks (sorry Nestle).  What I want is big globs of melted chocolate pieces held together by a little bit of dough.   

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Unites States of AmericaAnna Gassfamily tradition, cooking with love, heirloom cooking, heirloom kitchen, nonna's kitchen, chocolate chip cookies, cookie recipe, cooking with kids, dessert, sweet treats, cookie lover, national cookie day
Sunday Supper: Sunday Sauce
Sunday Supper: Sunday Sauce

The sauce for this dish provides a lovely topping to pasta and the ‘bath’ for the meatballs to simmer in.  Once the meatballs are removed, the sauce carries the aroma of the meat and tastes wonderful on pasta.  The meatballs should be served along side the pasta, NOT on top, as that is the true Italian way.

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From Nonna's Kitchen, ItalyAnna Gassitalian cooking, italian meatballs, heirloom cooking, heirloom kitchen, nonna's kitchen, sunday supper, sunday sauce, tomato sauce, homemade, cooking with love, traditional cooking, family tradition