Food

Coffee Cake Confidential

Coffee Cake Confidential

My mother got this recipe for the moistest, sweetest coffee cake from the Boston Globe’s Confidential Chat section, probably in the early 1960s. A reader called, “A Fireman’s Wife” submitted it.

Julia Child’s Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

Julia Child’s Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake

This recipe was taken directly from her WGBH broadcast and differs slightly from the printed recipe.

Spring Fiddlehead Tart

Spring Fiddlehead Tart

Springtime is fiddlehead season.

Spanish Tapas: Marinated Pork Canapé

Spanish Tapas: Marinated Pork Canapé

This authentic tapas dish is easy to make and the marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, paprika, and oregano makes it uniquely flavorful.

Melanzane a Barchetta (Stuffed Eggplant)

Melanzane a Barchetta (Stuffed Eggplant)

This is the easiest, quickest, and one of the most delicious eggplant recipes I know.

How To Make Pesto

Pesto is pretty easy to make, especially if you have a food processor.

Grilled Braciole Fit For a Saint

Grilled Braciole Fit For a Saint

This braciole is easier to make and tastes even better than the more traditional braciole that is cooked in an oven.

Cold Cucumber and Avocado Soup with Shrimp

This cold soup is light and creamy and great for a hot summer day.

Corn On The Cob Italian Style

Corn On The Cob Italian Style

Instead of butter, use oil, vinegar and parmesan cheese.

Emancipation Proclamation Breakfast Cake

Emancipation Proclamation Breakfast Cake

If a blueberry muffin and a honey bun had a baby, this would be it.

Orange Sailboats

This is a fun dessert that’s easy to make and sure to impress.

Italian Faux-Fried Chicken

Italian Faux-Fried Chicken

This is an easy recipe that doesn’t take much more work than grilling a few hamburgers, and is probably less expensive.

How To Make The Perfect Burger

How To Make The Perfect Burger

To make the perfect and best hamburger, keep it simple. And don’t buy those pre-made patties (yech!)

Easy Weeknight Tacos (with leftover steak or chicken)

Easy Weeknight Tacos (with leftover steak or chicken)

You can easily make this with leftover steak or even a supermarket rotisserie chicken. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

This recipe from a Boston restaurant is quick, easy, delicious, and gluten-free. Perfect for an after-school snack or for a weekend munchie attack.

Black Forest Cake

Black Forest Cake

This delicious combination of chocolate, cherries, and whipped cream will help you get through the last days of winter.

Simple Asparagus

Simple Asparagus

You can make this dish in about 5 minutes. The secret is buying fresh asparagus and then trimming it correctly.

Three Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce Recipes, From the Modern World to the Ancient

Three Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce Recipes, From the Modern World to the Ancient

The important thing is that you make a delicious sauce and that it complements the dish you are making.

How to Make the Best Chicken Parmigiana (or eggplant, or beef, or veal)

Chicken Parmigiana is good as an entree or as a sandwich made with two slices of garlic toast.

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

This is a french recipe for adult macaroni and cheese (but the kids will love it too).

The Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe

This recipe comes directly from Ireland where Irish housewives and chefs shared their secrets.

Celebrate Mardi Gras With This King Cake

Celebrate Mardi Gras With This King Cake

This is an easy to make recipe for traditional King Cake, using packaged crescent rolls.

Easy Weeknight Pasta From The 19th Century

Easy Weeknight Pasta From The 19th Century

Sometimes you need a recipe like this to remind you how easy perfection can be.

The Best Meatball Recipe For Lovers

The Best Meatball Recipe For Lovers

These authentic Italian meatballs are so tasty and juicy, they’re an act of love.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

This is an amazing recipe from Boston chef Joanne Chang. Store-bought Oreos are delicious but these are even better with real flavors replacing the processed ones.

Eggplant Parmesan Light (Low Calorie)

Eggplant Parmesan Light (Low Calorie)

You won’t miss the calories in this healthy dish made with an authentic Italian carrot sauce.

Meal Plan: A Vegetarian Christmas Eve Dinner

This vegetarian meal plan contains rich, creamy dishes that will fill you up. You won’t be missing the meat.

Italian Holiday Pudding

This is a quick and easy version of a classic Italian dessert called “Zuppa Inglese,” popular in Northern Italy.

Amaretti Cookies (Macaroons)

Amaretti Cookies (Macaroons)

These cookies have only three ingredients but taste great, better than store-bought versions.

The Secret to Crispy, Crunchy Latkes

The Secret to Crispy, Crunchy Latkes

Here’s the secret to creating latkes that are crispy.

Quick, Easy, Turkish Eggplant Casserole

Quick, Easy, Turkish Eggplant Casserole

This Turkish dish is similar to eggplant parmesan but without the cheese and without as much work.

The Secret to Getting Everything to the Table Piping Hot

The Secret to Getting Everything to the Table Piping Hot

Check out this Thanksgiving feast prep schedule.

Triple Cornbread Stuffing

Triple Cornbread Stuffing

This recipe has its roots in African-American culture. It’s perfect for a Sunday chicken dinner or a special holiday, like Thanksgiving.

Shrimp Saute, “Fresh From Maine”

Shrimp Saute, “Fresh From Maine”

Here’s a simple and delicious way to cook shrimp, perfect for a quick weeknight supper but also impressive for a special occassion.

Classic, No-Fail, American Roasted Turkey

Classic, No-Fail, American Roasted Turkey

This simple recipe has always produced a moist, flavorful bird.

Espresso Shot Pulled Pork Sandwiches (in a slow cooker)

Espresso Shot Pulled Pork Sandwiches (in a slow cooker)

This slow-cooker recipe is good for a weeknight meal or for a crowd to watch the big game.

Steak Pizzaiola (In a Slow Cooker)

This is one of my favorite recipes from the weekly Dorm Room Chef series I produced for the Boston Globe.

Green Bean Casserole, 2 Recipes

Green Bean Casserole, 2 Recipes

Two recipes for making this popular holiday side dish: one is a classic from Campbell Soup and the other is a healthier version, from scratch. Both are quick and easy.

Antipasti Platter: Assemble and Serve

Consider these Italian tapas: appetizers before a full meal or delicious snacks for an intimate cocktail party.

Martini Party Penguins

Martini Party Penguins

These will brighten up any holiday party.

The Best Italian Herb You Never Heard Of

The Best Italian Herb You Never Heard Of

Nepitella completes the trifecta of Italian herbs that are a must-have in any Tuscan kitchen.

Quick Tomato Sauce

Quick Tomato Sauce

From a nineteenth-century, classic, Italian cookbook, it doesn’t get any more authentic than this.

Chard Stuffed with Risotto and Mozzarella

Guests at our house said this was one of their favorites.

Torta d’patata

Torta d’patata

This is a very thin and savory potato cake from northern Italy.

Ma’s Stuffed Peppers

This is an easy recipe and the kids like them too. Don’t forget the ketchup!

AI (Asian-Italian) Chicken Wings

AI (Asian-Italian) Chicken Wings

Here’s something different and guaranteed to be addictive.

Quick, Easy Nutella Cookies

Quick, Easy Nutella Cookies

You can make these at a moment’s notice and are great to bring to a party. But watch out: they’re addictive.

Taiwanese Sesame Noodles With Peanut Sauce

Taiwanese Sesame Noodles With Peanut Sauce

This is how you make Taiwanese street food.

Recipe Videos From Boston’s Best Chefs

These are some of my favorite recipes from the weekly Dorm Room Chef series I produced for the Boston Globe.

Fast Food: Spinach, Red Pepper and Feta Quiche

You make this from scratch but it’s quick and easy.

Sartu di Riso: One of the Best Dishes, Ever

Sartu di Riso: One of the Best Dishes, Ever

It’s like a giant, luxurious, but surprisingly light, arancini.

Chickplantasagna is Born

Chickplantasagna is Born

This is eggplant, chicken, and zucchini layered with cheese, like a lasagna.

This Meal is Rated X: Sex on the Kitchen Table

This Meal is Rated X: Sex on the Kitchen Table

This combination of roast chicken, potatoes, shrimp and salad was impulsive and glorious.

Short Ribs Provencale

Short Ribs Provencale

This is winter comfort food at its finest.

The Easiest English Muffin Recipe

The Easiest English Muffin Recipe

The long list of ingredients on bread products in a store is frightening. That’s one reason to make your own. Taste is another.

Slow-Cooker Peruvian Lima Bean Soup

This soup is easy to make and guaranteed to make you healthy.

Tuscan-Style Fried Sage Leaves

Tuscan-Style Fried Sage Leaves

The light batter is reminiscent of tempura: another example of the similarities between Asian and Italian cuisine.

Caponata, aka: Sweet and Sour Eggplant

Caponata, aka: Sweet and Sour Eggplant

This is delicious by itself as a side dish or when mixed with pasta.

City Rebounds With Some Asian Flair

By Mark Micheli (This story ran in the Feb. 22, 2015 edition of the Boston Sunday Globe.) MALDEN — It took Maria Tran 11 tries before she successfully left Vietnam in 1984. “It was not a trip. It was an escape,” said the owner of […]

Coq Au Vin Blanc: A Twist on Tradition

Coq Au Vin Blanc: A Twist on Tradition

This will warm up even the coldest person on a winter’s night.

1-Minute Microwave Chocolate Cake

This is magic. In just a minute you can be eating a light, fluffy, chocolate cake.

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers The Way My Mother Made Them

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers The Way My Mother Made Them

Light, crisp, delicate and delicious.

The Best French Onion Soup Recipe

The Best French Onion Soup Recipe

French cooking doesn’t have to be complicated as evidenced by this simple to follow recipe for a classic soup.

Guacamole

Guacamole

Fresh guacamole is much better than store-bought and it’s pretty easy to make.

Pub Kettle Chips

Pub Kettle Chips

These would go great with watching a football game or just watching the snow fall.

Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips

Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips

Why would anyone make their own hummus when it’s readily available at most supermarkets? Because the homemade is that much better. Trust me.

Mushrooms Stuffed With Nepitella Pesto

Mushrooms Stuffed With Nepitella Pesto

Nepitella is a cross between basil and mint and pairs perfectly with mushrooms.

10-Minute Crostini

10-Minute Crostini

This is super easy, super fast, and so good.

Ban on Italian Cured Meats Lifted After 50 Years

(I wrote this article for the Boston Globe and after much digging was able to find out that the ban was in place for 50 years.) By Mark Micheli Globe Correspondent Italian cold cut connoisseurs are eagerly awaiting the arrival of imported salami, pancetta, coppa, […]

Picture Perfect Bread

Picture Perfect Bread

(Above: Head baker and manager Ben Tock of Bricco Panetteria in Boston’s North End. ) I wrote a story for the Boston Globe about a North End bakery that specializes in old world Italian bread. I thought a Globe photographer was scheduled to take photos at […]

Stracciatella Soup

Stracciatella Soup

This is also called, “Roman Egg Drop Soup.”

La Tourte de Blettes: A Pie for Dinner or Dessert

La Tourte de Blettes: A Pie for Dinner or Dessert

This is savory and sweet: perfect as a meal or as a dessert.

Mexicali Chicken

Mexicali Chicken

This is pseudo-Mexican comfort food. And so easy to make.

Beef Bourguignon II: An Easier Recipe

Beef Bourguignon II: An Easier Recipe

This is easy to make but takes more than a couple of hours.

Pumpkin Gnocchi in an Almond Cream Sauce

Pumpkin Gnocchi in an Almond Cream Sauce

This is a sweet, savory, gooey piece of heaven.

Marco’s Fuscilli

You can make this dish as fast as it takes you to boil a pot of water.

Patata Ball In Tomato Sauce

Patata Ball In Tomato Sauce

This makes a great first course or can be served as a side dish.

Tomatoes Stuffed With Pasta Salad

Tomatoes Stuffed With Pasta Salad

Another vegetarian delicacy from Southern France.

Meal Plan: Blending French, Italian, Old and New in Southern France

Meal Plan: Blending French, Italian, Old and New in Southern France

Here’s a meal plan that will work for vegetarians and meat eaters.

Cantaloupe Gazpacho With Crispy Prosciutto

Cantaloupe Gazpacho With Crispy Prosciutto

Instead of serving cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto for a first course, try this.

The Wine Is Ready to Rumble

The wine is fermenting nicely today. I went into the basement and I could hear it rumbling: the sound is like that of water boiling gently on the stove. An audible “boil” started yesterday, about three days after crushing the grapes. This is a little unusual, as […]

Making Wine With South American Grapes

It’s got to be fall somewhere. And so it is: in Chile. That’s why I’m able to make wine today. I purchased 10 boxes of Malbec grapes from a vineyard in Chile. I picked them up at the Beer and Wine Hobby Store in Woburn […]

Parmesan Basket With Risotto or Rice

Parmesan Basket With Risotto or Rice

This is sure to impress your guests. It’s easy and quick to make, but don’t tell them that.

Pasta Carbonara (aka: Breakfast Pasta)

Pasta Carbonara (aka: Breakfast Pasta)

Bacon, eggs and cheese. This is Italian comfort food at its most rustic.

Chocolate Bark (Semi-Sweet and White Chocolate)

Chocolate Bark (Semi-Sweet and White Chocolate)

This sweet treat makes a good gift too. And it only takes about 30 minutes to make.

What Do You Do With Watermelon Radishes?

What Do You Do With Watermelon Radishes?

Slice, dip, eat. Repeat.

Ekmek Kataifi (Greek Dessert)

Ekmek Kataifi (Greek Dessert)

Oh, sweet custard! I first had this dessert in the village of Oia (pronounced ee-ah) on the island of Santorini in Greece (shown above) and had to get the recipe.

Moussaka

Moussaka

This is an untraditional recipe of a traditional Greek dish. It takes about 3 hours to make but it’s worth the effort.

Meal Plan: My Big Fat Greek Mother’s Day Party

Meal Plan: My Big Fat Greek Mother’s Day Party

(Above: Mothers, daughters, cousins, and nieces all celebrated Greek food in the RootsLiving kitchen.) After an amazing trip to Greece last month, Trish asked for a “Big Fat Greek Mother’s Day” party for herself and her cousins and our niece, Jenno. So I whipped out […]

Chocolate Kahlua Rum Balls

These make great holiday gifts too, but be sure the recipient can handle their alcohol.

Gnocchi Di Pollo E Patata Soup

Gnocchi Di Pollo E Patata Soup

This is chicken and potato gnocchi soup from the classic nineteenth century Italian cookbook, The Art of Eating Well, by Pellegrino Artusi.

Lasagna, from The Figs Table

Lasagna, from The Figs Table

Chef Todd English makes a good lasagna. I still remember one I had at his Olive’s Restaurant in Boston that was made with veal. He has a knack for taking an old standard and then being innovative, without being preposterous, paying more attention to the […]

Vegetable and Cheese Strata For a Breakfast Meeting

Working from home has its benefits and one of them is being able to plan a breakfast meeting in your own backyard. Last week I held an editor’s meeting in the great outdoors. No sterile company conference room or institutional cafeteria for us. Since we’re […]

Cheesy Khachapuri From ‘The World’

Cheesy Khachapuri From ‘The World’

This could be an appetizer for many or a meal for six, served with a salad.

Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed Artichokes

Learn how to make and eat this classic Italian side dish.

Nan’s Mashed Potatoes

These rich and creamy potatoes will have your guests asking for the recipe and more.

Mary’s Chicken (or Seafood) Paella

Mary’s Chicken (or Seafood) Paella

There are many variations on this Spanish dish, including one with chicken and another with seafood.

Mortadella and Ham Salad Tapas

Mortadella and Ham Salad Tapas

Blending these ingredients may seem strange, but it creates a savory, sweet dish.

Katie’s Roast Beef Sandwiches

Katie’s Roast Beef Sandwiches

The time and effort is worth it to make the best roast beef for sandwiches you ever had.

Vegetable Lasagna Masterpiece

This recipe creates a vegetable lasagna like no other: a rich spinach mixture, covered with velvety noodles, and topped with a light tomato sauce and cheese.

Soup and Sandwich Night With Style (Instead of Take-Out)

So maybe you forgot to go shopping or make a dinner plan. You’ve worked all day and now you have the dreaded task of figuring out what’s for dinner. You hate to spend money on take-out again: a pizza, subs, chinese food, etc. But you’re […]

Tomato Sauce (Basic Recipe)

Tomato Sauce (Basic Recipe)

This is based on my mother’s Italian tomato sauce recipe and can be used on most anything that calls for tomato sauce.

Joe’s Weight-Loss Chinese Chicken & Veggies (Updated, Even Easier Version)

Joe’s Weight-Loss Chinese Chicken & Veggies (Updated, Even Easier Version)

Eat this flavorful and healthy dish and lose weight.

Breakfast for Dinner: Gingerbread Pancakes

Breakfast for Dinner: Gingerbread Pancakes

Fat Tuesday is also called “Pancake Day” in the United Kingdom and Ireland where many feast on fatty foods the day before Lent begins.

Pane alla Cioccolata (Chocolate Bread)

Pane alla Cioccolata (Chocolate Bread)

Don’t let the name fool you. This bread is not too sweet. It goes great with morning coffee or an after-dinner glass of red wine.

Happy New Year: Dancing Dan’s Tom and Jerry Cocktail

After the clock struck 12, and after the obligatory flute of champagne (actually it was an old bottle of Asti Spumanti that had been sitting in the RootsLiving wine cellar for 10 years), we ended the night last night with hot Tom and Jerry cocktails. […]

Meal Plan: Julia meets Bruna

Meal Plan: Julia meets Bruna

This makes a great hearty meal in the winter.

Christmas Befana Cookies

Christmas Befana Cookies

These sweet biscuit cookies are from the Garfagnana mountain region of Tuscany.

The Best Ribollita Soup Recipe

The Best Ribollita Soup Recipe

Also known as “Tuscan Bean Soup,” this is a real crowd pleaser and one of the most requested recipes.

Kathy’s Fried Olives

Kathy’s Fried Olives

This unique appetizer is tangy, sweet and hot.

Our Signature Dish: Root Soup

Our Signature Dish: Root Soup

Build up your immune system with this nutritious soup.

Work Night Dinner: Octopus’s Garden Gazpacho/Sandwiches

Work Night Dinner: Octopus’s Garden Gazpacho/Sandwiches

The cold soup is low on calories but high on taste.

Dinner on a Moonlit Beach

Dinner on a Moonlit Beach

Pack up these salads, bruschetta and a bottle of wine.

Asian Shrimp Salad

Asian Shrimp Salad

Trish has been making this favorite appetizer for more than 20 years.

Quick Appetizers in a Pinch

Quick Appetizers in a Pinch

When it’s hot and you don’t feel like cooking, try these poolside.

Prized Recipe: Chicken with Polenta

Prized Recipe: Chicken with Polenta

When I was a boy, this was my favorite dish to eat at my grandmother’s house.

A Shot of Bourbon, Extra Figs, Please

Liquor and fruit? To most Americans, that’s as crazy as wheat germ with a side of fries. However, Europeans often pair the healthy with the good stuff. Think of crepe suzette or zabaglione. I remember my father eating a bowl of strawberries, red wine and […]

Best Coffee and Spice, and at a Reasonable Price

When you walk into Polcari’s Coffee store in Boston’s North End it’s like walking back in time: a very fragrant time. The scent of more than 40 different types of coffee beans mingles with the scent of a 100 different freshly ground spices to create […]

What’s On Your Summer Checklist?

So here it is mid-July. You’re probably stuck, toiling away at work somewhere. Before the summer slips away, it’s time to take stock. What are your favorite things to do in the summer? Make a list now, before it’s too late. And make sure you do […]

A True Roots Woman

Now, here is someone you need to check out: Musician and culinary school-trained chef Jen Kearney. I saw her and her band, “The Lost Onion,” at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, Mass. last year and was blown away. Her band –six pieces including trumpet, sax, and […]

Grilled Pork Chops with Peppers and Capers

Grilled Pork Chops with Peppers and Capers

There’s a thousand flavors in this summertime dish.

Roasted Vegetable Napoleons

Roasted Vegetable Napoleons

This vegetarian dish will please even the most ardent meat lover.