The neighbors along our street get together twice a month for drinks and appetizers.  It’s BYO (bring your own) drinks and an appetizer to share – nothing elaborate.  We refer to it as the neighborhood powwow.  My mother came up with this recipe for me when she heard about our little get togethers.  To be […]

The holy trinity of herbs in the Sicilian kitchen is basil, oregano, and mint.  Those three herbs were always on hand in our small garden growing up in New York City.  Having fresh herbs readily available is a great convenience.  Most of the time I’m successful in growing them in my garden.  But this year, the mint […]

Here’s a simple and light dessert you can make – especially if you’re wondering what to do with all the leftover oranges after making candied orange peels.  It’s a great dish to serve for brunch as well. MARASCHINO ORANGE-STRAWBERRY DESSERT  Difficulty Rating: Easy Makes 4 servings. 4 large oranges 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced […]

Many Italian desserts call for candied orange peel.  The usual grocery store variety lacks the essence of the orange that is essential in flavoring Sicilian desserts.  It is relatively simple to make your own.  I like to add a little orange flavoring to intensify the orange taste but it is not necessary.  The candied peel […]