Crock Pots and slow cookers came to the table a long time ago. They have a history, and I know you’ve used and loved one or the other. Now the newest craze is the Instant Pot, a pressure cooker that boasts seven functions in a single appliance (or even eight, depending on the model). While […]
Ask Chef Phyllis: You’d never guess that one of the most frequently asked holiday questions people ask me (and also the second most asked question of all, right after ideas for skinless boneless chicken breasts) is about…cheeseballs. That’s why I’m writing this day about a seriously good cheeseball recipe with a decidedly different twist. Years […]
I rely on eggs a lot for a quick and nutrient-dense protein source. They’re one of my all-time favorite foods: delicious, packed with tons of high-quality vitamins and fats, and limitless versatility. Plus, I can whisk up a couple eggs, pour them in a hot, buttered pan, and literally be sitting down to eat in […]
Homemade and Healthy in a Hurry I don’t really do New Year’s “Resolutions.” They’re vague, usually ignore the many steps needed for completion, and don’t really come with any sort of self-accountability. And because of this, they are easy to abandon when instant results aren’t achieved. Goals are more my cup of tea: realistic (if […]
Ask Chef Phyllis: I was at a class (kind of a party) where you were teaching cheese-making. I didn’t think about it until now, but you made dinner for the class using the cheese we’d just made. You prepared the meal while teaching the class and made it look easy. The lunch was Chicken Parmesan […]
The last twelve months have been so full of big happenings for me, it’s hard to believe it all fit into one year! Some events were terribly challenging: strings of trials that tested every ounce of my patience, peace, and perseverance. But these were offset by many things that were incredibly awesome and expansive. And […]
An original take on a traditional Italian cheesecake. I’ve always been a fan of cheesecake—at least, the more familiar American-style, made with cream cheese and a graham cracker crust. The richness, the dense texture, the combination of tart and sweet… I’m really not sure what took me so long to get with the program, but […]
Ask Chef Phyllis: It was interesting to see other bread recipes on your website. I love bread, and I liked the recipe for Portuguese sweet bread, which is famous in the Boston area. But I noticed not a mention of many other American breads. Have you ever heard of a Sally Lunn? My grandmother, who […]
Anyone who’s been reading my blog over the years knows I hold a distinct fondness for lamb. It’s a sentimental thing for me, and a main staple of the island where I grew up. We didn’t eat a whole lot of red meat in my family—mostly poultry and fish and the occasional roast. For most […]
Ask Chef Phyllis At Christmastime, I make a huge three-cheese, three-meat lasagna. I admit that it’s a lot of work to prepare, but when all done, it’s done. Put it in the oven, relax with my guests and family, and pour a glass of wine is all I want to do. An antipasto is an […]
The description of a new TV show says, “Friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things.” Well…yes. You can say the same thing about a life, and a marriage. But I wish to mention here that there’s so little information about the third stage of a girl’s life, widowhood, that I decided to […]
Fool-proof tricks for juicy chicken breast, every time I sure am enjoying the slow-down of the season this year. Last fall, I barely had a chance to breathe in that sliver of time between the bustle of summer and holiday preparations. I had a lot going on then—family obligations, unexpected traveling, tons of gardening—and simply […]
I’ve been writing this blog for years now, and it recently dawned on me that I’ve never shared my recipe for one of the most quintessential dishes of Thanksgiving: pumpkin pie. Maybe I wanted to be unique and opt for more exotic desserts (Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Peanut Butter Cheesecake, I’m looking at you). Or maybe […]
An upscaled version of a familiar classic, perfect for your holiday table. Once Halloween passes and we hit that first week in November, my mind shifts gears from fall wind-down to fall ramp-up as I contemplate the holiday season ahead. Thus starts a series of delicious holiday-themed recipes to share with you all. These last […]
Rice pudding will always hold a special place in my heart. I loved to prepare it as a child. I’d always ask my mum to make extra basmati rice for dinner just so I could make dessert with the leftovers. The creamy, custard-like texture, the aroma of the spices and vanilla, and the chew of […]
Last week, I was seeking inspiration for dinner. The weather had changed a bit. After months of hot and dry days, it was crisp and cool, and I couldn’t shake the yearning for a pot of stew or chili. Browsing through some of my old favorites, I remembered a dish I’d always loved but hadn’t […]
Now that the equinox has passed, fall is officially in full swing. And with that, so is football season. I’ve never been much of a sport spectator, and I don’t really understood the intense passion that people have for football. There, I said it. Sorry, guys. But! I do get the camaraderie of sitting around […]
I first came across the spiralizer—that nifty contraption that quickly creates long strands of julienned vegetables and fruit—at a trade show years ago, well before the thing became a regular item in households. At that time, to be honest, it seemed like just another bulky item to add to my list of one-use devices that […]
I never thought I’d welcome fall as much as I do this year. See, I’m that girl that holds on to every last bit of daylight, sunshine, and heat from the summer, refusing to admit the seasons are changing as I freeze my butt off in flip-flops on a November morning. Yet here I am, […]
Here we are, halfway through September, and I just realized I’ve gone the entire summer without a single post on tackling the bane of many a gardener’s season: the pervasive, prodigious, ever-so-fertile zucchini. Whether you’re a home gardener yourself or you have friends that grow, chances are at this time of the year you’re pretty […]