Cooking from Books

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Tablewine

Herbed Pork Rib Roast

We went to Aldi’s the other day and happened to find what appeared to be a perfectly cut and Frenched 4-pound pork rib roast for about $12.00. I decided to prepare it the following night, using a recipe by Frank Stitt from the Food & Wine website. Since I hadn’t intended to write It up for the blog, there are no photos. However, the roast turned out so well, that I decided to post my adaptation of the original recipe, which was influenced by the National Pork Board’s video for cooking this particular cut.

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Tablewine

Beef Pot Roast

Sometimes, I have an idea of what I want to prepare for dinner, but I can’t seem to find the right recipe. This was the case when I decided to make an old-fashioned pot roast, but my cookbook search failed to yield a recipe for the one I had in mind. I turned to the web and eventually found one that met most of my expectations as far as cooking method (oven braise) and ingredients, albeit with some modifications (fresh thyme for dried Italian seasoning, creamer potatoes for Yukon Golds, and the addition of celery).

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Tablewine · 2 Comments

Chicken Cacciatore. . .One More Time

A quick search through my blog yielded at least six posts on chicken cacciatore; however, after making a new version of this Italian classic last night, I decided to add one more, simply because it was so good. The recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich’s relatively recent cookbook A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl. And although the dish uses the same ingredients as many of my other cacciatore recipes, its flavors and textures differed from their predecessors, leading me to believe that this may be the best one I’ve made so far.

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Tablewine · 3 Comments

Marry Me Chicken

After hearing so much about “Marry Me Chicken” both from friends and on the internet, I decided to join the crowd of its admirers and take a stab at it. After reviewing several recipes on line, I opted for the New York Times version, which had been the first one I encountered. Like Ina Garten’s famed “Engagement Chicken,” the dish has garnered a reputation for ensuring a marriage proposal for those who share it. So, if you’re one of those thinking of preparing it to ensure a walk up the aisle, go ahead and give it a whirl. Even if your dinner companion doesn’t pop the question, you’ll nonetheless wind up enjoying a delicious dinner.

Posted on October 16, 2023October 25, 2023 by Tablewine · 7 Comments

Spinach Pizza

I first enjoyed this focaccia thirty years ago while I was staying with friends after I moved back east from California and started to look for a house. Since my search took far longer than expected, I enjoyed many dinners with them and their two children, both of whom often requested what they called “Spinach Pizza” from a local deli, aptly named “The Best of Everything.” We enjoyed one at least every other week. It was a thick rectangular pizza, with a layer of melted mozzarella covered with garlicy sautéed spinach and topped with marinated artichoke hearts and marinated roasted red pepper.

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Tablewine · 6 Comments

Spiced and Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes

Whenever I think about fall cuisine, braised meat immediately comes to mind. The chill in the air, the turning leaves, the shorter days conjure up images of hunks of meat slow roasting in the oven for hours and filling the house with tantalizing aromas accompanied by wafts of spices and herbs.

Posted on September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 by Tablewine · 1 Comment

Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes

Wow! That’s what I said after taking the first bite of the roast chicken I prepared last night. It was truly that good. The recipe I used, “Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes” comes from Alison Roman’s 2019 cookbook Nothing Fancy, the cover of which features a picture of the dish. Like so many of her recipes, it foregoes fanfare for flavor, fancy for footloose, and frustration for fun.

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Tablewine · 6 Comments

Italian Plum Torte

When I started to cook almost 50 years ago, I would occasionally bake desserts or savory pastries. Fruit tarts and quiches were my specialties, and I even remember making French baguettes. But for some reason, aside from making pizza, I stopped baking in the early 90s. It wasn’t until last Christmas and Easter when I started baking again and prepared a Neapolitan struffoli and an Italian wheat pie, pizza grana, both of which brought back fond childhood memories of my aunt, who excelled at making all types of pastries and desserts.

Posted on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 by Tablewine · 9 Comments

Pasta Fagioli

One of my father’s favorite dishes pasta fagioli; whenever we dined at our neighborhood Italian restaurant, it was always his choice for a first course. He glowed with contentment as the waiter set the bowl of beans and pasta in a thick tomatoey broth in front of him and after a few spoonfuls, he’d inevitably proclaim it as “a meal in itself.”

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Tablewine

Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Red Wine

Faced with a bunch of oddly cut pork chops that needed to be used up, I turned to one of my favorite recipes for them: It’s from the cookbook 1,000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone.