Mother's Day Menu

I’m not sure why Mother’s Day is always associated with brunch. I’m thinking of doing dinner for my mom this year, and here’s the menu I’ve got in mind:

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Antipasto Platter

I pretty much think anything in life is better when it starts with a cheese and salumi platter. I love combining taleggio, hunks of fresh parmesan, and crackers with olives and prosciutto. Yum.

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Giada’s Linguini with Clams and Pinot Grigio

This is a spectacular, and easy, recipe. The whole thing comes together in the time it takes to boil and cook the pasta. The clams make it a little special, the wine sauce is elegant, and the addition of arugula lends a fresh, peppery bite, perfect for springtime alfresco dining. This is a favorite.

 

Personal Pic (can't you tell?)

 

Almond Cake

My mom doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and she’s always on a diet. This cake, made with almond flour and olive oil, is a bit of a healthier alternative to a butter cake, and it provides the perfect elegant but not too sweet end to a meal.

 

 

Easter Menu

Easter will be at my cousins’ this year, but that hasn’t stopped me from putting together my own little Easter brunch menu. Below, some of my favorite recipes from this blog that make a perfect Easter afternoon.

 

The Menu:

Frittata
Arugula, Orange, and Fennel Salad
Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Roast
Green Beans with Favas and Parmesan
Lemon Blueberry Tart

What's on your Easter menu?

Passover Recipe Roundup

Passover is around the corner, and though I’m not hosting, I wanted to provide a roundup of some of my favorite Passover recipes. This is a meat menu, so no dairy here.

 

Saveur's tahini dip with crudites is a great healthy, non-dairy appetizer.

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I don’t start a Jewish holiday dinner without making Smitten Kitchen's matzo ball soup. Everyone loves it, and it's super easy.

I know brisket is traditional (and here’s my favorite brisket recipe), but I love the idea of serving a chicken tagine, like Food52's,'s, instead. Like brisket, it can be prepared in advance and reheated, but chicken is a little lighter for the springtime (and a change of pace from every other Jewish holiday).

Couscous makes a perfect (and easy!) side dish for that, as does a nice springtime roasted asparagus. 

Potato kugel, like the one here from Food and Wine, is substantial, especially if you have vegetarians attending, and can be made the night before.

 

Round it all out with a salad of your choice and a stack of matzo, and serve some classic and simple coconut macaroons for dessert.

 

 

**Please note I am not Jewish and my husband’s family is not observant of any dietary laws so this menu works for us. If anything is really nonkosher, my apologies!

Fall Dinner Party

My in-laws came over for dinner this past Sunday, and I figured I’d share our simple roast chicken menu.

  

We started with some simple appetizers of hummus and crudités (not pictured). In all honesty, I can’t think of anything more boring to start a meal with, but it’s my mother-in-law’s favorite, so I went with it.

I threw together a mixed green salad, no real recipe here, just a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and those beautiful watermelon radishes.

I also roasted a chicken (I had the butcher cut it up into 8 pieces, so much easier). It was done very simply, with olive oil, garlic, lemon, and lots of salt for a crispy skin.

On the side, I made Roasted Root Vegetables, with carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts.  We also had Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan, a deliciously cheesy take on plain old mashed potatoes.

 For dessert, I threw together Ina’s Blueberry Crumb Cake, another no-fail recipe of the Barefoot Contessa’s.  

Overall, it was a simple and satisfying Sunday meal!

Dinner Party Menu: Classic Italian

I love Italian Sunday dinners, the early afternoon tradition of carbo loaded meals, laden with tomato sauce, meatballs, and lots of wine.  My family’s Italian, and my mom always cooked classic Italian American dinners- baked ziti, meatballs, and my personal favorite, Sunday “gravy,” aka tomato sauce filled with braciole, pork, beef, and sausage and piled on top of spaghetti.  The one thing she never made was lasagna, because she thought it was similar to baked ziti, only more annoying. 

So when my parents came for dinner this past Sunday, I knew they’d want a nice Italian dinner, and I decided to make lasagna, since my Sunday gravy and ziti could never compete with my mom’s.  I rounded it out with light appetizers and a salad, and it was a delicious meal and perfect complement to a great day with my family.

Our Menu:

Speck and pistachios

Lasagna Bolognese

Big Italian Salad

Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake

I’ll post the recipes this week, starting with our salad:

Big Italian Salad, adapated from Food & Wine

1 garlic clove, smashed

Salt
2 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

2 romaine hearts, chopped

1 small head of radicchio, chopped
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup green olives
¼ cup sliced radishes
8 pepperoncini
Parmesan cheese shavings, for garnish

Rub the inside of a large bowl with garlic clove and discard clove.  Whisk together salt, mayo, vinegar, oregano, oil, and black pepper. Combine remaining ingredients and toss. Serve immediately.

You can prepare this a few hours ahead, just store the salad and dressing separately and toss together just before serving.

This was delicious and very Italian, with its spiky vinegar and oregano flavors. Yum!