COOKING WITH FRIENDS

“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.”   – Elsa Schiaparelli Hi there, Today I want to share with you a recipe that my dear friend Roe shared with me. Roe is a wonderful cook and even more wonderful friend. She grew up in an area that is affectionately known as South Philly….

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PASTA E CECI ALLA ROMANO

“Everything you see I owe to pasta.” SOPHIA LOREN Hi there, Last week we had a winter storm that dumped a lot of snow over the course of two days. On “snow days” my thoughts always run to a nice warm homemade pot of soup. I started to go through my pantry to get inspired…

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MY MOTHER’S RECIPE #1- Italian Ricotta Cookies

Hi there, A friend of mine reminded me that in May we celebrate Mother’s Day. Bev suggested I do something with mother’s and grandmother’s recipes for the month. Thank you Bev. I am going to start out with my mother-in-law’s ricotta cookie recipe. This cookie is without doubt her son’s favorite cookie in the world….

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Cauliflower – a tale of three friends

Hi there, My bestie, Fran, gave to me a cookbook by Eric Ripert on vegetables. It was a totally unnecessary present to thank me for just doing something a loyal friend does. Fran is someone who knows me inside and out. We met ankle deep at the baby pool and have been inseparable ever since….

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COOKING WITH FRIENDS

Hi there, Today I am going to share a recipe for chicken cutlets but these aren’t just any cutlets. These are the famous “Mrs. Scotti’s Chicken Cutlets” that are probably still being talked about with reverence in the small town of Haddonfield. This recipe originated with my friend, Rosalie. Rosalie is the ultimate Italian Momma….

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Oven Baked Anelletti – take the pasta and leave the gun

Hi there, A few years ago, we had the good fortune to visit Sicily. On the itinerary was a visit to the town of Corleone. Now, in our house on Christmas Eve instead of watching It’s a Wonderful Life or even National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, we watch The Godfather. A bit strange I know, but…

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CRAZY COVID COOKING #2 – saving our sanity by sharing our recipes

Hi there, During the relentlessly interchangeable days of the pandemic lockdown a member of our group named Mag could always be counted on to make us smile. I know we all looked forward to Mag’s text messages. Somehow she was able to examine our shared experience, absolutely hit the target regarding our feelings and then…

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LASAGNA – a tale of hubris

Hi there, I have been interested in cooking since I was a young child. One of the greatest benefits of growing up in Levittown, PA, was the many different ethnic groups that settled in our neighborhood. This was a time of stay at home Mom’s and I was welcomed in everyone’s kitchen to watch and…

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BINGO AND BREAKFAST – a recipe and a tale of kindness

Hi there, On Sunday I took my grandchildren to an event that featured breakfast and bingo. I was struck by how the French toast was prepared. It was served as a pull apart muffin. This was a very clever presentation indeed and I decided to try to duplicate it. I will get to that in…

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Asparagus Soup – spring is bustin out all over

Hi there, When I was a very young woman I moved to New Jersey. I was befriended by Joanne. Joanne was like a glass of Prosecca – she just bubbled. She made everything fun. She loved to entertain and cook and her attitude toward food could be defined by her signature statement, “you don’t have…

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CRAZY COVID COOKING-saving our sanity through sharing recipes

“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.” – Epicurus Hi there, During the height of the pandemic last year somehow a group of women friends formed a text chain. We laughed and cried together snd shared recipes. When the pandemic started to wind down…

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