Minestrone is the classic Italian vegetable soup, and an excellent way to enjoy the bounty of summer. In Italy, the soup is often finished with pesto, which adds its beautiful, bright green color, as well as a great deal of flavor. The salty Pecorino or Parmesan cheese in the pesto also seasons the soup – [...]

The Chanterelle cookbook was one that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time, and recently finally decided to purchase. I love restaurant cookbooks most of all because they give us an inside look at some of the country’s top kitchens, and its an inexpensive way to explore the cuisines of well-known chefs. Although [...]

Cabbage goes well with apples and pork, so this cabbage braised in apple cider was a natural to go with the roast pork with sage & apples. The recipe is from Best American Side Dishes, a great source of recipes for vegetables that don’t taste bland and boring. I used red cabbage rather than green [...]

I knew this would be a fabulous dish before I even finished reading the recipe. Pork chops browned with bacon, then braised in beer and sauerkraut. I mean, how could you possibly go wrong there? Well, I guess you could burn the bacon, or use some nasty cheap beer…