Super Bowl : Winter :: Fourth of July : Summer. At least that’s how it goes in my mind. There’s still plenty of winter left, but this weekend always feels like the pinnacle of the season. And, in celebration of the testosterone and Sports Center filled weekend ahead (ugh…I can hardly wait), I dedicate this recipe and [...] Read more »
mo’s buffalo wings
Are you ready for some football food? I am! And, if you can't be at the game tailgating with some chili, I'd venture to guess the next best thing is cozying up to your favorite spot on the couch in your softest sweatpants with a pile of these. One of Joe's oldest and best friends, Ryan (a.k.a Ry-Mo or Mo), was visiting Jersey this summer and hosted a barbecue at his mom's house. That's when my mouth first made contact with these sweet, spicy, smokey, tender chicken wings that instantly became my favorite new play on the traditional buffalo wing. Read more »
homemade ricotta
Memory is ultra selective. What differentiates the things we remember versus the things that fall through the cracks? I'm often dumbfounded as I listen to friends recount detailed stories wherein I was one of the main characters, but all I can recall is a foggier picture of that same tale. [And, I know what you're thinking, so let me pre-empt you: Alcohol was not involved in the majority of these "memories."] After reflecting on this for a while, I began to think that maybe that's why I feel the need to document every moment of this life with photographs. Read more »
zucchini fritters… a summer send-off
I popped into the farmer's market on Thursday with a plan to pick up some zucchini, onions, and shallots for this weekend's feature and was stunned to see how drastically the stands before me had changed in just a couple of weeks. Long gone were the overflowing baskets of peppers, piled ears of corn, and rainbow colored tomatoes. In their place were various shaped and colored gourds and hearty thick-skinned squashes. Summer, and consequently, zucchini, left New Jersey so abruptly, I didn't have a chance to tell either goodbye. I didn't have the opportunity to feature these rockin' zucchini fritters that carved out a little space in my heart this season. With this in mind, I grabbed the shallots and onions, and made a decision to bend my own rules in the name of a good recipe: I picked up my zucchini at the super market; far from local, but in a pinch it would just have to do. Read more »
