Mushroom

This dish combines fresh and pickled veggies. It tastes awesome hot or cold.

Leaving a little skin on the eggplants will add color and texture to the dish. The small, firm eggplants are not too bitter and when they are firm, they will not soak up as much oil, so they do not need to be salted and pressed. However, if you leave all the skin on, especially when you use baby eggplant, the skin overpowers the flavor of the flesh and the texture is too tough, overall.

Better than burritos and tacos, these wraps have crunch and the lettuce lets the flavors of the fillings shine through.

Thai-style food made with ingredients available in any grocery store. If you’re not into beef, try it with pork or chicken, instead.

This dish is what I call a “Retro Metro.” Back in the day, Chicken Divan—poultry, poulet sauce, broccoli, and mushrooms—was a continental cuisine staple. As a special treat, my mom would take me to NYC to the Magic Pan for Chicken Divan Crepes. This is an easy cosmopolitan update on the classic. The broccoli is swapped out for asparagus and the preparation time is reduced. Enjoy!

Pasta stewed up in red wine is a Tuscan invention: my kinda people! I toss it together with other usual suspects from the region: wild mushrooms, rosemary, and dark greens.