My family hails from a town called Castelvetrano, which is famous for its ancient Greek city Selinunte that lies along the city’s coast.  The name Selinunte came from the wild celery (selinus) that grew abundantly in the area. Perhaps it is sheer coincidence that celery went into almost every salad I ate as a child.  […]

Try this easy, tangy, lemony, and garlicy chicken salad for a change from your normal mayo-based recipes.  This is a great way to jazz up a store-bought rotisserie chicken or any leftover boiled or roasted chicken on hand.  It makes for a light summer meal and takes 20 minutes to put together at most.  Easy […]

Green leaf salads can get boring at times.  I never get bored with chopped salads of any kind.  This Sicilian chopped salad is made with tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, olives, and capers. My mother Maria makes this salad often, especially in the summer using fresh home-grown tomatoes.  She also cures her own green olives […]

Fresh garden tomatoes are on of the greatest pleasures of summer.  I can’t wait to eat fresh picked tomatoes from the garden, farm stand, or farmers market.  I loathe eating tomatoes from the supermarket, especially in the winter.  They have little to no flavor.   My dad grew the most amazing beefsteak tomatoes in his […]

This lemony an minty salad is quick and easy and refreshing! It was inspired by my love of Meyer lemons.

While visiting my daughters in the Washington, D.C. area, I made a trip to the local seafood market.  Really fresh seafood is hard to come by in the mountains of North Carolina, where my husband and I spend our summers.  I was instantly intoxicated by the variety of fish and crustaceans exhibited, including the octopus.  […]

Potato salads go well with just about any kind of grilled meat, which makes it an ideal side dish for summer picnics or family gatherings.  This simple vinegar (vinaigrette) based potato salad is a light refreshing change from the more common mayo-based potato salad.  Be sure to use new potatoes for this dish.  I love […]

Calamari salad makes a great antipasto dish or side salad, served either chilled or at room temperature.  It is similar in flavor to octopus salad but much quicker to make.  Squid takes about one minute to cook, whereas octopus takes about one hour.  Chilling the squid for several hours helps to intensify the flavors.  I usually […]

  My daughter Amanda decided she was going to start a mini-farm this year.  Mind you, she has never grown a vegetable in all her life.  I was really amazed at all the stuff she grew.  Some of the squash looked like they were on steroids.  Unlike the rest of my family I have never had […]

Potato salad in my family was made with either lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil.  This easy recipe for lemon-herb potato salad is my favorite.  It’s simply dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with parsley and scallions.  Serve with grilled chicken or beef. SICILIAN LEMON-HERB POTATO SALAD Insalata di Patate cú […]