In Italy, meatballs were traditionally made from scraps, not sold in a package that said “meatball and meatloaf mix.” I used deli meats in the meatballs as part of the everything that I used. I used rich mortadella, spicy capacola, and salty salami which are the seasonings for the meatballs. Sure there is parmesan cheese…

This is a summer cheesecake. Now, I have done a few unique things: 1) elderflower syrup (from Erin’s Elderberries) for which strawberries are a great paring; 2) the strawberry topping might just taste like a Big Boy strawberry pie. The cheese cake is strictly New York: fluffy, creamy goodness. This one is a process, so…

I don’t do a lot of vegetarian recipes because I stay in my lane. I did get some fresh mushrooms from the Fruitful Forest at the Manassas Farmers Market. Virginie wild forages or grows everything, so nothing she sells has been hanging around forever. I was making meatballs, so I decided to go meatless for…

I was working on a Tuscan brunch menu (Italian style hash, lemon ricotta pancakes, proseco drink), but I felt like something was missing. Bread! No Italian meal would be complete without bread. Now, cinnamon rolls are common but not in Italy. I could do a bruschetta, but there are already tomatoes in the hash. So…

Now that Memorial Day is over, summer dishes are the order of the day. Stuffed clams are the quintessential summer fish house dish. Picture the outdoor patio on the water overlooking the water, seagulls perched on the wooden pier logs as the sun is going down. The smell of the ocean as your server brings…