Cauliflower Fritters When I was growing up, my Aunt used to host a St. Joseph’s Day table.  St. Joseph’s Day, March 19th, is the feast day of Saint Joseph.  After she passed away, my family would to go to a cousin’s house in Bridgeport, IL. […]

Shepherd’s Pie Shepherd’s Pie (a.k.a. Cottage Pie) Ground Lamb and/or Ground Beef mixed with onions, carrots and peas in a gravy, topped with delicious cheesy mashed potato crust.  A St. Patrick’s Day favorite!   What is the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?  The […]

Pastina Soup Over the last couple of weeks, the temperatures have been up and down.  I was still looking for something to warm me up during the days when it was close to freezing.  Pastina Soup is so comforting and easy to make.  It is […]

Pork a la Normand Pork a la Normand, is a pork and apple stew.  It is a very old recipe.  There seems to be a French version and an English version.  The French version adds lardons, crème fraîche, shallots, Dijon mustard and tarragon. I’ve had […]

Lasagna Lasagna for Sunday dinner was a traditional Italian meal for our family for many years.   As people became more health conscience, it was made for a holiday or special occasion. My father was a cinematographer for the movie industry.  He was working on […]

Oxtail Soup It’s January here and we have had below freezing temperatures for the last couple of weeks.  A big pot of Oxtail Soup is really comforting in this cold weather. Oxtails used to come from the tail of an ox.  However, today oxtails comes […]

Kolachy Kolachy (also known as Kolach, Kolache) originated from Central Europe.  It is a pastry that is made up of a puffy cream cheese dough that surrounds a fruit, sweetened cream cheese or other non-meat assorted fillings.  It is said that Kolachy are often associated […]

Chicken Tortilla Soup I’m always making soup in the fall.  Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty and comforting meal.  It is filled with shredded chicken, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles, corn, black beans, and tortilla strips.  Served with diced avocado and lime juice, it makes […]

Poached Pears My cousins, Guy and Teri, were kind enough to give me some pears from their Green Anjou Pear tree in their yard.   I couldn’t resist making some Poached Pears with some vanilla, honey and warm fall spices.  This recipe is very easy to […]

Hungarian Goulash Years ago, my Aunt Marty brought me some authentic Hungarian Sweet Paprika from Kalocsa, Hungary on one of their trips to Chicago.  Of course, I had to make Hungarian Goulash with it.  My Mother loved it.  We had it at a restaurant nearby […]