Now, the REAL favorite is the one made by my Great Aunt Valeria in Rome, which simply has NO earthly rival...
But this Macaroni al Forno was pretty good too - with lots of torn basil and LOTS of fresh mozzarella! This one is on my short list.
A Trip of a Lifetime - Italy 2003
- Synchronicity. It was just the right place to go, the right time in our lives, the right combination of every element involved. What a blessing to have the chance to spend 10 days with your father - as an adult - to speak of all kinds of things, to visit your roots, re-trace the steps of your grandfather (and his father) and encounter magic and wonder at every turn...
Another Trip of a Lifetime - Italy 2006
- Twice in a lifetime seems too much, but it was just as good the second time as the first. In many aspects, it was even better; closer with family than ever before. And flying back First Class because of an airline error wasn't bad either...
Butterfly World 07
- A Saturday morning trip to Butterfly World in Coral Springs, FL ends up surpassing our expectations in every way. It was like walking into a dream.
Butterfly World - Again!
- When Grandpa and Grandma came down to Florida at Christmastime 2007, we just had to show them how cool Butterfly World was.
Cape Cod 03
- Our first father/daughter trip together. We travelled up to Cape Cod to see grandparents and find Blueberries!!! And some seafood and ice cream and beach time and... unforgettable memories!
Cape Cod 06
- The second father/daughter trip to the place of my roots. Magical and peaceful memories for a lifetime.
Fishing Pictures
- When Andy's Diner opens one day, these will be some of the pictures on the wall...
Guest Chefs @ Andy's
- When the challengers come to Kitchen Stadium! One in particular keeps the pictures and the gastric juices FLOWING. Go Auntie! Go Auntie!
A Malbec Quest
- Two friends strive to sample every Malbec they can find. Their opinions are those of amateur vinophiles, but their thoroughness is the stuff of legend!
Andy's Humidor
- It's my favorite way to end a great meal... out in the Florida Room, watching a ballgame or just relaxing!
La Luna Cigars
- A boutique brand on Calle Ocho in Miami's Little Havana. Known by locals and "Luna-tics" the planet over.
Padron Cigars
- Their tag line says "...quality is a matter of family honor" and they couldn't have written anything more appropriate. My Saturday morning visit produced a deep respect for the Padron family, a heightened appreciation of their quality products and the happy expectation of many a Saturday morning to come visiting some new friends.
Tabacalera Perdomo
- It is hard to miss the determination and commitment of this cigar company. With over a dozen different brands, culminating in the legendary "Edicion de Silvio", the Perdomo family is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of their patriarch Silvio and the values he came to embody.
Deeply Delightful "Hondo"
- If you are a Cigar Aficionado and will be visiting Buenos Aires in the near future, then you MUST visit "Hondo" in the city's sparkling new Puerto Madero area. Hondo means "deep" in Spanish and my evening there was DEEPLY DELIGHTFUL!
Fairchild Tropical Garden
- Lucky enough to live very close to this jewel of a spot in Miami.
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April 2009
Almost Cliché...
It was SUCH a Goomba weekend around these parts. I didn't even TRY to represent any other ethnicity when it came time to cook. I also kept it VERY simple...
Linguine with Italian tunafish, black olives, green olives and capers (and some crushed red pepper flakes)...
Spaghettini al Aglio e Olio (garlic and olive oil) with some more crushed red pepper flakes. And then on Sunday night it was pizza time...
Marinara, garlic, black olives and Italian sausage...
And a sensational one that is a mix of two my dad makes all the time: Fontina, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses with fresh basil, fresh sage and fresh parsely AND caramelized onions! CRAZY good.
Goodies!!!!
The Wonderful Auntie sent a box full o' love all the way from her local Trader Joes... a resource we NOTABLY do not have in South Florida.
The Pad Thai will be used IMMEDIATELY, and the lemon papparedelle are proven winners... but what may not make it 24 hours in this house are the...
Marconi Almonds with Rosemary???? I think there will be a large glass of Cab calling my name with THESE babies tonight!
Just Another Night!
Made a riff on a Giada recipe, which was REALLY good with beef, lentils, carrots and potatoes... kind of like a Carne con Papas with lentils mixed in.
And the Chosen One continued finding the most comfy spots in the house to lounge...
Highlights from a Great Weekend
In between the loads of laundry, the housecleaning and the other "must-do's" on the weekend, this one in particular had some pretty exceptional moments, including a new member of the family (still to be named)...
We were gifted a little kitten from a friend of my daughter and she took up residence right away in our hearts and in my daughter's Converse All-Stars.
Made a nice dinner of the pasta we're all addicted to: Orichiette, this time with mushroom, pancetta and cherry tomatoes.
New kitten, good food and even the African violets from my old office are joining the party. All is well!
Surprise, Surprise...
A nice new food discovery...
Wings with Mango Coconut glaze... how does one make those? Why it's simple...
You buy it, of course! Hey, on a weeknight this works JUST FINE. Along with this, I did make some homemade mojo with naranja agria, etc... for the other set of wings:
And what goes better with chicken and mojo than a big batch of Congri???
And there has been one more surprise around here... the arrival of a new member of the family that my daughter begged for... and dad could not say no to.
Quite the Night!
Lots of good grub on a Wednesday night, starting with one of my father's Swiss favorites:
Since this was a first try, I was pretty skeptical about brown and serve potatoes from Switzerland, even with the Hero brand...
But they came out quite well, just need a little more browning next time. Hard to tell what's going on underneath before you flip it, but I'll wait the full 15 minutes next time.
On the side, a beet and shaved carrot salad with a honey mustard vinaigrette. Gotta love 3 kids who will eat that down with no questions asked! And lastly...
A nice portion of Vacio al Horno, done in the oven of all places and tender as can be. All that AND American Idol to watch later on. A great night was had by all!
Exploding with Life...
From the plants on the patio to the pots on the stove, there are lots and lots of reminders this weekend of how much LIFE and joy there is.
Shrimp scampi with Orichiette pasta to scoop up all the garlic butter and lemon juice...
A cutlet made that much better with extra sauce and Parmigiano on top..
And a patio full of plants that have been brought back to life many times and keep on blooming! Happy Passover and Easter to one and all...
Gooooooooooood Friday...
Found some of the freshest grouper EVER at the fish market today...
It would have worked in ANY application. But when it's Friday and it's been a long week and you want some comfort food.
It's sacrilegious, but if you make some homemade tartar sauce and you fry them into little grouper bites... OH MAN, are they tasty!!!
Summertime!!!
OK, well that may be rushing it a bit, but if it's 90 degrees in April, it sure FEELS like Summertime!
And nothing feels like Summer like Orzo salad with feta, black olives, orange bell peppers, scallions and cherry tomatoes. Skirt steak with homemade chimichurri...
And why do we love Costco so? Because you can get 6lbs of San Marzano tomatoes for $4.00. These babies are destined for some sauce... stay tuned!
