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Oh the treasure of vine-ripened tomatoes! I get so excited when tomato season arrives and we get to enjoy these wonderful treasures in salads, sauces, as a side dish, on sandwiches and so much more. Incredibly, in our wonderful Mediterranean climate we are fortunate to enjoy fresh tomatoes from as early as March and sometimes all the way through January.
I love tomatoes nearly anyway I eat them. One of my favorite ways to use tomatoes is to make Fresh Tomato Sauce. Juicy tomatoes, simmered for just a bit with herbs and spooned over tender pasta. [...]
A few days ago, right after Mother’s Day, Mia and I were really tired and headed off to the Olive Garden for lunch. We normally skip restaurant meals as they are usually high in sodium but lack of energy prevailed and the Olive Garden won!
I was surprised when Mia ordered Chicken Parmesan; she said “what’s not to like? fried chicken and pasta!” — typical Mia.
Chicken Parmigiana is an American revamp of a classic dish from southern Italy based on eggplant usually made by breading and frying chicken breast, covering with sauce and cheese and baking in the oven. While I have made Chicken Parmesan through the years, I never really liked it left-over, and needed a new approach! I needed to find a way to make this a part of a healthy, week-night dinner and give it legs. [...]
When I cooked professionally, one of my jobs each week was to make both light and dark roux which would be used a thousand times in the coming week to create sauces, soups and stews and at times be a part of a favorite pastry. Roux is the basis for classic sauces and a must for Sauce Béchamel, Sauce Veloute, Sauce Espagnole or Sauce Allemande which comprise the Mother Sauces of French Cuisine and very useful in making custards. [...]
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