Fried Pumpkin Blossoms

My Sicilian grandmother always used to make a big deal about getting a hold of fresh squash blossoms (usually Zucchini), breading and frying them. Often they would be stuffed with something special such as cream cheese as well, but they were an interesting snack even without the stuffing. This story starts with the area of my yeard where I intended to put up a garden this season. Early on, a stray plant that looked vaguely squash-like sprouted out of nowhere, so I let it grow just to see what it would become. A few weeks later, my vegetable garden was out of the question- the mystery plant was a pumpkin plant, and it took over basically my entire proposed garden area. The good news is that the plant is now so big, I can pick the flowers at will without stopping the plant from producing plenty of pumpkins. I've never fried pumpkin blossoms before, but the idea works just as well for just about any squash or gourd flowers.

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole- Old School Style

Few things say "comfort food" like the classic macaroni and cheese. I'm not talking about that weird, artificially colored stuff that comes out of those little cardboard boxes. I'm talking about old school style macaroni and cheese, baked in the oven in a casserole dish, with some nice crunchy stuff on top. This is my variation on the way my own mother used to make it- this version isn't really over-the-top gooey and cheesy as most- this version is more dry, and the real developed flavors come from that little bit of crunchy topping, and the bits around the edges that brown up and caramelize a bit. The same recipe can easily be adapted to produce something very creamy and cheesy, but there's something about  this proportion of cheese to macaroni that does it for me.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

The fall season is pumpkin season. Pumpkin carving is always a fun family activity, and while most pumpkins used for carving are not great choices for turning into pumpkin pie, their seeds make a simple, tasty seasonal snack. The pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavor when roasted, that can hold up well to a wide variety of seasonings.

Simple Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Peas

My family, despite being about as Italian-American as it gets, never had a tradition of making Gnocchi. They were something I knew existed, but never really paid much attention to until fairly recently. Thanks to the magic of television, and the ascendancy of cooking shows over the past fifteen years or so, Gnocchi gained my attention- these light, savory, pillows of pasta earned my respect quickly. I've had gnocchi out at a few restaurants, either as a main dish with a light, fresh tomato sauce, or sauteed with prosciutto and radicchio as a side dish that outshone the main entree... but I've never made them for myself, never even attempted it. This was a grievous omission that I could not let stand any longer, so tonight's dinner was a simple potato Gnocchi tossed in brown butter with peas.

Eggplant Parmigiana over Vermicelli

Eggplant Parmigiana over Vermicelli

If you've been paying attention to this blog, you've probably figured out that I am about as far from vegetarian as you can get. Even so, there are a few vegetarian dishes that I enjoy so much that I don't miss the meat- which is, I think, the hallmark of a great vegetarian meal. The classic Eggplant Parmigiana is probably the best example of this, in my opinion. It is simple in concept, but surprisingly difficult to execute. It is also a dish close to my heart, for a variety of reasons...