Pan Roasted Cod in Puttanesca Sauce

Pan Roasted Cod in Puttanesca Sauce

What is Puttanesca Sauce?  Puttanesca is a tangy and salty Italian sauce, made with tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and (sometimes) anchovies.  The story goes… back in the 1950′s, some late night patrons were hungry – but the restaurateur was almost out of ingredients, as it was near closing time.  They told him to make them [...]

Pecan Sandies Cookies (Vanillekipferl)

Pecan Sandies

Here’s one of my favorite winter time cookie recipes… Pecan Sandies!  Also known by some as Austrian “Vanillekipferl”, ”Russian tea cakes”, or “Mexican Wedding cookies”… these are a wonderfully rich nut-based shortbread cookie, coated with a generous layer of powdered sugar.  These cookies are really nice to serve with a cup of hot tea.  It’s easy [...]

Thai Coconut Lemongrass Lime Martini

Thai Lime Martini

This New Year’s Eve, we decided to stay home and be lazy (like we do every year)!  To make our home celebration more special, I decided to make martinis inspired by a recent trip we took to Maui.  In Wailea, we had dinner one night at the Monkeypod Kitchen – a fantastic restaurant that specializes [...]