My childhood borscht memories take me back to very hot summer days in Minnesota. I can't remember a summer without borscht. My mom (pictured above) always made sure she prepared the cold soup during the summer months. Beet borscht is a seasonal cold soup, and in my opinion, only desired during the summer months. I'm not saying you can't crave it during the winter months, but I usually plan to make cold beet borscht as least once during the summer months. Making this soup kee

Scaloppine al limone is a family favorite and usually requested by my kids when asked what to cook. My long time 'go-to' recipe was getting old and boring, needing pizzazz which compelled me to find a new method. As a personal favorite, I felt enticed to find a recipe combining roasted meat with balsamic; a light, flourless sauce with loads of zesty lemon. After discovering and creating this recipe, I was notably inspired by the combination of the ingredients and the simpli

This savory dish is a winner every time with family and friends. An amazing pleaser that will have your guests believing you spent hours in the kitchen. The addition of fresh coriander adds aroma and contrast to the divine robust red sauce. Twenty some years ago I ate this marsala dish at my sister Debbie's home. This recipe was so delicious, soon afterwards I recreated it in my kitchen. Since that time, this marsala has been a standard dish on my dinner table because it i

Left: Mushroom Quinoa Risotto accompanying Scaloppine al limone (without saffron) Right: Saffron Quinoa Risotto Quinoa is a healthy substitute to arborio rice, a side or main course similar to Italian risotto. I have used quinoa several times as an alternative to arborio rice for several dishes and have been pleased with the outcome. The light, fluffiness of the quinoa allows the added butter a creamier consistency and a richer flavor and not much is necessary! The mushro

All about the eggplants! I had a craving for a really tasty Thai eggplant dish and didn't think I could pull it off at home. I decided to give it a go and purchased ingredients. Unless you shop at an Asian grocery store, finding Thai eggplants can be a challenge, but I have been lucky to find the elongated Chinese eggplants and small round Thai eggplants at Whole Foods. I've also used Italian eggplants when there were no other options. I definitely prefer smaller eggplants