When my daughter hangs out with me, I always ask her what she wants me to cook for her, and there are a few “Dad” recipes that are her favorites. This is one of them, especially when fresh asparagus is available. And as any parent will tell you, if your kid is craving a dish that has vegetables in it, count yourself lucky–and make it!! Prepping asparagus is easy, and you don’t need a knife to cut off the woody bottoms of the stalks. Simply bend the stalks at the bottom and they will naturally snap off at the right point. 4 mild Italian sausages, sliced into pieces 1/2″ thick 1 lb. penne pasta ..read more

Chicken thighs are the best: their fat content makes them perfect for the grill because they don’t dry out like chicken breasts do. And I always leave the skin on for extra crispy flavor. I bought a package of chicken thighs the other day and decided to go Asian with my flavors, baking them in the oven so that they cook evenly, and then finishing them off on the grill to get that delicious smokey flavor and char. I marinated the chicken thighs in the sauce for several hours before cooking. If you have the opportunity to marinate them overnight in the fridge, that’s even better. Just remember t ..read more

When I was a kid, no visit to a Chinese restaurant was complete without an order of those sweet, greasy and radioactive red spare ribs. They came in that foil-lined bag that barely kept them warm until my dad got us home to devour them along with the other classics: fried dumplings, and won ton soup with fried won tons on the side. I still see those ribs on menus even today, and despite my cravings, I just don’t eat fire-engine-red-dyed food anymore. Imagine my excitement when I saw a recipe for those classic spare ribs in a food magazine. I figured I’d just make them without the food coloring ..read more

Summer’s approaching and we slurp down more clams and oysters in the summer here in New England than at any other time of year. Freshly shucked oysters and clams–or in this case–beautiful boiled wild-caught American shrimp, call for an equally amazing cocktail sauce…and this sauce kicks butt! And it features a key ingredient that you might not expect: vodka. The small amount of vodka in the mix keeps the cocktail sauce from freezing solid when stored in the freezer. Just scoop out what you need, let it thaw, and put the rest back in the freezer.   2 cups ketchup 4 tablespoons prepared ho ..read more

Simple and delicious, this recipe is inspired by Jamie Oliver, who uses peeled white potatoes. I prefer whole, small, Yukon golds or yellow potatoes, my personal favorites, with the skin on. I think the skin adds an extra level of wonderful crunch.   The great thing about this recipe is that there’s not a lot of measuring going on. You add what you like, as much as you like, and the oven does the rest! Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Start by boiling 1 1/2 lbs. of organic potatoes in salted water until they are a bit firmer than fork-tender. Drain them in a colander and set them aside ..read more

It takes a few weeks for this limoncello recipe to be ready, but it’s worth it!   It starts with beautiful lemons…   Many years ago, we visited the Amalfi coast, and spent several nights on the beautiful island of Capri. On our last night, we dined at the historic Grand Hotel Quisisana, and our meal ended with a glass of the most delicious limoncello I ever had. I asked the waiter if it was possible to get the recipe of the limoncello, and he made a big deal about the recipe being a “secret.” Though disappointed, I understood, and I left Capri thinking that I would never taste ..read more

This is a real comfort food we discovered on a trip to Spain in 2014. Croquettes are the Spanish equivalent of chicken nuggets: they’re found on every kids’ menu…and my daughter ordered them just about everywhere we went! So it’s no surprise that I “got the order” to make a batch of croquettes once we got home…and I’ve been making them ever since. You can make these days ahead of time and then freeze them, re-heating them whenever you have guests. These are way better than your average snacks when your favorite game is on!     I found a great recipe for croquettes in Saveur magazine ..read more

The controversy over the positives and negatives of GMO’s continues, and I found an old blog from many years ago that I think is worth repeating. I think people that don’t think GMO’s are a bad deal probably don’t completely understand the situation. My friends at FireFly Farms in Stonington, Connecticut, understood GMO’s better than most. Family owned and certified humane, they raised heritage breeds of pork, pastured chickens, and rare cattle. Max Mule, by Kelly Milukas This was a post from the past on FireFly owner Van Brown’s Facebook page. I’m reprinting with his permission. It’s simple ..read more

Making spinach pizza dough, as featured in a previous blog, was a fun and tasty recipe idea. But I still had some spinach left over. So I decided to add it to my Chicken Rollatini recipe, and it was delicious! Chicken Rollatini was one of the first dishes I learned how to make back in my teenage days on Long Island, working at a local Italian restaurant called Pizza City East. (The original Pizza City was in Ozone Park, Queens.) It was a simple dish: a chicken breast rolled up with prosciutto and mozzarella, and baked in a mushroom cream sauce. My version these days substitutes ham for the pro ..read more

It’s Cinco de Mayo! I like a margarita that has a few, simple ingredients…and no sour mix. This is the one that hits the spot for me. My friends affectionately call it an “Algarita.” 3 oz. Patron silver tequila 1 oz. Cointreau orange liqueur 4 oz. pineapple juice juice of 1/2 a fresh lime, plus more for garnish Place ice in a cocktail shaker and add Patron, Cointreau, pineapple juice and a good squeeze of lime juice from 1/2 a lime. Stir well, then pour it into a margarita glass (salt rim optional) and garnish with a lime wedge. Patron silver always seems to be available, but use your favori ..read more