From Nonna's Kitchen: A Quick Jaunt to Poland

When it was time to create a website for my Nonna project, I knew I needed a great photographer to help me make it look professional. I only made one call, to my dear friend Monika Satur-Szydlowski. Monika is not only an amazing person and friend; she is the best photographer I know.

Once my website was launched, I called on Monika for one more favor. As a Polish immigrant and a talented home cook, I knew she would be able to provide me with a recipe for the most delicious, authentic Polish pierogies I have ever tasted.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Tiramisu (Valentine's Edition!)

As I mentioned on Tuesday, this year, I decided to throw a Cupid’s Cocktail Party in honor of the ‘Day of Love’. I needed an excuse for a get together and it seemed like the perfect time to invite my friends for a night of cocktails, yummy bites and of course, dessert.

I have asked my guests to bring a dessert they love to the festivities and I decided to do the same. I went with a favorite, an old stand by, Tiramisu. Just like any great love, it never disappoints and everyone digs in. Layers of delicious lady fingers and creamy mascarpone cheese and of course, lots and lots of espresso. When it’s made right, it’s a dream on a plate.

How-To Tuesday: Throwing A Smashing Cocktail Party

Not to toot my own horn but I know how to throw a successful party. Phil and I share a love for entertaining, so we try to throw at least three to four parties annually.

Having an entertaining party isn’t difficult, but a little planning can make your party better and stress-free. After all you want to be able to mingle, laugh with friends and enjoy the fruits of your labor, right? Read on for a few tips on throwing an A+ affair along with a killer recipe for my mother's stuffed mushrooms - perfectly bite-sized and guaranteed to impress your guests!

From Nonna's Kitchen: Rocío's Peruvian Artichoke Tart

I must admit, before my Nonna project, Peruvian food was not on my radar. I had never been to a Peruvian restaurant and I hadn’t had the pleasure of making any Peruvian friends. So, when the opportunity arose to learn some traditional dishes from Perú, from Rocío Quispe-Agnoli, a friend of my father, I was excited to get on board.

Rocío came to North America as a young student and before leaving home, she had the foresight to copy her mother’s cherished recipe book. As she taught me the recipe for her mother’s delicious Pastel de alcachofas (artichoke tart or cake,) I was instantly transported to the warm comforts of her mother’s kitchen. Delicious and decadent, this dish is worthy of any formal occasion or, quite honestly, it’s perfect on a weeknight too.

Sunday Supper: Beef Stew

One ‘American’ dish my mother made for us growing up was beef stew. I’m not even sure when she picked up the recipe for it or why it became a winter dish in our home, but I remember coming home from school and finding a large pot of it on the stove.

Once the cold weather rolls in, I always make beef stew served on top of some buttery noodles or even on its own. It's the ultimate stick to your ribs, warm you up kind of food and, best of all, it’s a ‘one pot wonder.’

Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Kids love muffins. Why? Because let’s face it, muffins are just cupcakes without the frosting. After a recent 'eat this and stop bugging your brother' muffin impulse purchase, I decided this Friday needed to be dedicated to the glorious muffin. I developed a recipe that has all the bakery goodness and some dried cherries too just to make them interesting. I figure, if a muffin can keep your child well behaved and obedient on the weekly grocery store run, they might just be full of magic powers.

From Nonna's Kitchen: Nonna Gina’s Rice Balls

Growing up in an Italian home, I didn’t eat a lot of rice. We preferred pasta and my mother served it regularly as our staple carbohydrate. Once and a while, however, my mom would whip up a risotto and I would pout through dinner, pushing it to the edges of my plate hoping my father would think I had some.

Truth be told, I hate risotto. It just doesn’t do it for me. If I am going to eat something creamy and full of carbs, hand me a dish of cheesy polenta and I’m a happy girl. The one positive to hating risotto though, is that my mother had plenty leftover to make rice balls with for us the next day. Golden brown and crispy on the outside and creamy, cheesy inside make for a killer combination.

From Nonna's Kitchen: Irene's Sambousek

When I was researching different food cultures and traditions, I knew I needed to include some dishes from the Middle East. So, I emailed my friend Mike and asked if he would volunteer is mom for my Nonna project. I knew Mike grew up as a first generation kid like me so it would be perfect. I soon received a call from his wonderful mom Irene Sankari. She was happy to help and came up with a number of dishes we could make together.

Irene came to the US from Beirut, Lebanon at the age of seven with her parents and settled in Buffalo, New York. We did a lot of cooking in Irene’s beautiful Long Island home so I want to share the recipes here in Nonna’s Kitchen. This recipe is for a lovely appetizer called Sambousek. Sambousek is a Lebanese pastry filled with meat or cheese. Many come fried but Irene bakes hers and they are delicious. I love how easy they are to make and how you can freeze them and pop them in the oven whenever you have some last minute guests.

New Year's Day Goat Cheese Quiche

Hurray, it’s 2016! This quiche is perfect for those of us that just want to roll out of bed after staying up late, heat up something delicious and curl up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee. You can make this quiche days in advance, and simply heat it up in the oven at a moments notice. Now that’s what I call a Happy New Year!

Five Days of Christmas Cookies (DAY 5): Nonna Gina’s Pie Crust Cookies

The next time you realize you totally forgot about the cookie swap you need to go to tonight, make these and everyone will be asking you for the recipe. So easy, so good and they come together in minutes - these cookies are awesome! All you have to do is roll out some pie dough, sprinkle some really good filling, roll it back up and bake. That’s it! It's all the good toppings of a quality ice cream sundae rolled up in a pie crust.

Five Days of Christmas Cookies (DAY 4): Nonna Gina's Biscotti di Cream Cheese

Most of my most cherished Christmas cookie recipes come from my mom. She always made a number of cookies for Christmas so we could give them to our teachers and friends. This cookie was always in high demand so she made them every year. It’s very delicate looking because of the fringed edges, it’s dusted with powdered sugar and filled with a delicious blend of coconut, jam, dates and chocolate chips.

Five Days of Christmas Cookies (DAY 3): Nonna Gina’s Florentines

This recipe was given to my mother Gina many years ago by a neighbor. Florentines allegedly come from Florence Italy so one more reason to love Italy! They are buttery, nutty and sweet from the fruit. My mom always smears the backside of the cookie with melted chocolate. They are pretty and delicious - a great holiday combination.

Five Days of Christmas Cookies (DAY 2): Peanut Butter Crème’wiches

When I’m assembling my cookie tins for Christmas, I like to make a number of different cookies. So, when you open up the tin, there is a little something for everyone. I always include mini chocolate chip cookies, biscotti and tricolors. For a peanut butter lover, I make these peanut butter sandwich cookies from Tom Colicchio’s sandwich chain ‘wichcraft. These taste like the cookies peddled by your local Girl Scout troop but so much better.

Five Days of Christmas Cookies (DAY 1): My Heirloom Cookies

If there is one recipe I know my children will remember me by it’s my Italian Tricolor Cookies - my husband Phil's favorite Italian dessert!

This cookie is really a mini cake. Its three layers of thin cake (tinted red, white and green) made with almond paste and slathered with apricot jam. The outside is enrobed in chocolate. You can find them in the case of any classic Italian pastry shop. For years, he would always buy a box from the bakery near our dorm and talk about how it’s the best cookie you could ever have. Even though he loved them, I never thought about attempting to make them at home. It seemed complicated.

Then, about 15 years ago, my mom was sitting in a hair salon thumbing through a Good Housekeeping and came across a recipe for tricolors. She ripped it out and gave it to me. The recipe is perfect. It makes the most delicious tricolor cookies you will ever have. They are even better than the pastry shop’s version. I have been making these cookies, every year since, for Christmas. I hope is that even when I’m old and grey, my children and grandchildren will ask me to whip up a batch of these cookies for the holidays.

Social Saturday: Brie En Croute

Grab a bottle of nice wine, put the kids to bed; it’s time for the annual run of holiday parties. I love going to holiday parties. Its great to see friends, have a few laughs and toast the upcoming year. My cocktail party stand by is Brie En Croute. That’s a super fancy way to say wheel of brie covered in puff pastry. I also cut mine in half, fill it with brown sugar, dried fruit and nuts. Trust me, make this baby and it will disappear before you can say, “God, that’s an ugly sweater!”

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