When I discovered Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine, a wonderful cheese shop / sandwich shop near where I was working recently in Chicago’s Loop, I was ecstatic! I’d been searching for a great source for my favorite serrano ham and manchego cheese for awhile to make a really special treat. We enjoyed it today [...]

Usually I don’t make something as rich as Shepherd’s Pie or Scottish Meat Pies so close to each other, but since my friend Allen the Scot wasn’t able to make it for the Meat Pies I thought another tradition from the British Isles was in order.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s certainly [...]

About twice a year our favorite local grocer goes nuts and cuts meat prices down to ridiculous levels. A pork tenderloin for $2, boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1 a pound. Before the FoodSaver, we cursed our inability to stock up on such deals because everything would just freezerburn. Now, however, we’ll invest nearly 2 [...]

Seriously, can this get any cuter? The nearby Italian grocery always has the best frozen pasta, but I nearly fell over when I saw these adorable red and white heart-shaped cheese ravioli.
After a long day working overtime, I got home at 8:30 with no desire to cook. So I reached for some staples I always [...]

Since there are now three of us in the house packing lunches for the workday, I decided to make a quick skillet sauce and some pasta specifically for leftovers. It’s a super easy recipe that takes only about half an hour, makes a lot of food and is also nice and light. I had gotten [...]

My husband’s favorite comfort foods seem to involve Polish favorites: sauerkraut, polish sausage, and pierogi of all sorts. File pierogi under the foods that aren’t worth making from scratch, by the way, but there’s a solution. Well, there’s two. You can make your own Shortcut Pierogi:
QUICK TIP:
For shortcut pierogi, boil some large pasta shells and [...]

There’s little better (or more American!) than grilled cheese and tomato soup, and when that was the menu for a movie night dinner party, I decided to fancy it up with four-cheese paninis and my own “almost homemade” tomato soup. This recipe is super quick and ultra-impressive!
INGREDIENTS

2 cans of stewed or diced tomatoes with [...]

Some folks turn to Hamburger Helper for quick meals. Well, I do too time and again, but there are other, more interesting options out there. Some of my favorites come from Kitchens of India.
As easy to use as any ready-made sauce, their curries and other dishes bring the taste of our favorite Indian buffet home [...]

A quick recipe and techniques for making an easy pasta dish that’s great for large impromptu groups of guests!