Thanksgiving turkey

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday – I fell in love with it ever since the first time I celebrated it in Mechanicsburg, PA in 1991. When it comes to the Thanksgiving dinner, I am a traditionalist, so the turkey I make is, well, very, very traditional.

Coq au vin

Slowly braised stews are my favorite kind of dish, and fall / winter is the season for them. Coq au vin is a French bistro classic – it is both be homey and comforting, and sophisticated. Stews are best a day old. If serving at a dinner party – you can cook it the day…

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Squab glazed with port reduction with creamy polenta

Squab is one of my favorite meats – it is dark and a little bit gamey, and because these birds are so small – it cooks quickly. Like other game, squab goes well with sweet sauces – and in this case I made my favorite port reduction that has been already featured in previous posts:…

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Black cod over tomato-saffron risotto

Black cod is my new favorite fish – it is very delicate, flaky and simply delicious. And the tomato-saffron combination is one of the most versatile accompaniments to any sea food dish – such as black cod over with tomato-fennel-saffron broth or the Saffron tagliatelle with tomato, fennel, saffron sauce and pan fried shrimp

Tarator – chilled yoghurt and cucumber soup

Since I am in Bulgaria right now, there is hardly a better tribute to Bulgarian summer than the tarator (таратор).  When I was a kid it was a fixture of our summer menu – for lunch and dinner. Incredibly simple and fast to prepare – it can bright up the summer menu.

Chilled English peas soup

English peas are one of my favorite spring ingredients, and this recipe is another re-incarnation of the English peas puree with mint. If you simply thin the puree with some liquid – voila! you have got a soup.

Agnolotti dal plin stuffed with English peas and ricotta

For the longest time I had a phobia from anything that involves dough (so no bread or any type of baking) but recently I have been getting into pasta making with increasing success. Agnolotti dal plin (agnolotti with a pinch) is the first pasta I learned in a cooking class, and this is the second…

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Crab salad with avocado and grapefruit

When life gives you lemons, you make a lemonade; and when friends give you a Harry and David grapefruit basket, you … keep making dishes that involve grapefruit: Braised endive and citrus salad, Caramelized fennel and grapefruit salad, and now crab salad with grapefruit.