I was feeling a little sentimental this past weekend about a number of things, but, namely, a little place near and dear to my heart, called Costa Rica. I have an affection for the land and its people like none other. This Central American country operates on a simple universal notion encompassed in two Spanish words: pura vida. Literally, this translates to "pure life," but it is interpreted a number of ways, such as "real living" or "full of life." We've traveled there a couple times, but our most recent trip was exactly three years ago in January 2009 when Joe proposed. Obviously, that in itself, makes this a special spot in the world for us. However, we sensed on our first visit a year prior, that it always would be when we touched down on the Osa Peninsla . With waves crashing on the shore, sloths lollygagging in the trees, and howler monkeys barking in the background, we knew without any hesitation that our version of paradise was found. Read more »
gallo pinto
turkey stuffing
broccoli rabe with raisins and pine nuts
If you are a little standoffish about broccoli rabe, you are not alone. Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is notorious for its characteristically "bitter" taste. While this is something that has never discouraged me, it certainly turns a lot of people off from even trying this veggie. If you are one of those people, I hope this is the recipe that changes that for you. 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 »
