Recipes
Mom’s Italian Sunday Gravy
For this Mother’s Day, I’d like to share with you my take on one of my own mother’s specialties that she handed down to me—her delicious Sunday gravy.
Grilled Skirt Steak Arrachera with Homemade Chimichurri sauce and Randy’s Famous Margaritas
Cinco De Mayo is almost upon us, and I am excited to celebrate with our neighbors to the south with this delicious recipe for traditional grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce (also known as arrachera), with a tasty, classic margarita accompaniment.
Mary's Torta Rustica with Pimentos, Fontina, Tortellini, and Sun Dried Tomatoes
This savory Italian pie is a signature dish in our house at Easter time, but it’s too good not to serve it year round; I always have a few unbaked ones in the freezer ready to go. It’s a great dish to have on hand at short notice (I take it out of the freezer the night before I plan to bake it). In fact, it’s so popular in my family that I added it to my Christmas Eve menu. Be prepared to wow!
Salads & Sides: Casadil (Italian Easter Bread)
I always put this special bread on my recipe list when Easter rolls around. I form the dough into small loaves, which makes them perfect for giving as gifts to friends and family.
Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Glaze
This super-simple lemon cake recipe is easy to make, freezes wonderfully, and makes one 9-inch cake, two loaves (if you want to go all out and make a bundt cake, double the recipe).
Mom’s Italian Easter Pie AKA Calzone
The preparation of this Italian Easter pie, also referred to as calzone, is a traditional part of the holiday in my family. I grew up making this recipe with Tuma cheese. Known as “the lost cheese of Sicily,” this unique creamy cheese is made with cow’s milk from an age-old recipe. I also love to use Scamorza cheese in this recipe. Scamorza is another southern Italian cow’s milk cheese. Like mozzarella, the cheese curd is stretched, letting the curd mature in its own whey for several hours to allow acidity to develop. A good substitute for these cheeses is a mix of mozzarella and provolone.
Cookies + Desserts: Grandma Vivardo’s Italian Easter Cookies
Traditional Easter egg cookies come in many different forms. This recipe makes little Easter baskets, just like Grandma Vivardo used to make. You can use your leftover colored Easter eggs for this one!
Strawberry Kiwi Summer Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
If you’re in the market for a simple yet delicious salad, this sweet and vibrant combination of strawberries, kiwi, and crunchy romaine is easy to make, yet really pops with taste. Even the dressing is a simple concoction of just five ingredients; I recommend making it the night before you plan to serve the salad so that all the various flavors have time to meld together.
Pork Stuffed Artichokes
To the uninitiated, artichokes can seem like a complicated, even alien-looking vegetable, but fear not they’re easier to work with than their complex appearance. Though you can find small artichokes at some markets, for this recipe you want to select a nice, plump “globe” artichoke.
Classic Shortbread with Flavor Variations and Icebox or Cookie Cutter Methods
This recipe is fun, as there are many ways to make it your own. To find your favorite, try some of the suggested variations.
Mary’s Cheesy Potato Casserole with Crunchy Corn Flakes Topping
The casserole remains a versatile and beloved staple of family meals, perhaps due to its infinite variety; you can make one with tuna, hamburger, or even Tater Tots. This recipe is one my favorite takes on the casserole, and utilizes a mix of hash brown potatoes, cheddar cheese, and corn flakes (!) for a nice layer of crunch on the top.
Heirloom Tomato and Basil Quiche with Paté Brisee Crust
This wonderful and filling quiche is an excellent choice for either lunch or dinner. This particular recipe utilizes a homemade French pastry crust called paté brisee; and will make enough for two 9-inch crusts or a single double-crusted pie.