My first crop of kale finally came in (from the Red Russian plant) and while I had anticipated making something summery, like the Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad, it’s been so cool and rainy here that I decided to instead do a favorite that I never got around to this past winter (has winter really passed given that it’s been 60 and rainy?). I stumbled upon this recipe for Braised Lacitano Kale with Tomato and Anchovy Soffritto in the A16 cookbook, and it was the first way I ever made kale. I fell in love and didn’t branch out trying other recipes for quite a while.

This is the perfect meal for a chilly night. It feels somewhat healthy, but it’s hearty at the same time and will be sure to fill you up. (more…)

Filed under:
Comfort food, Dinner, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney

Caesar salad is the salad that turned me onto eating salads. The first time I visited La Pizzeria in Campbell (our local pizza joint), for some reason I thought, “What the heck! It’s a sunny day. Let’s eat some leaves with my pizza!”. So I did, and I liked it. Loved it, even! Couldn’t get enough. Something about the crispness of the leaves, the creamy yet minimal dressing, and the saltiness of the anchovies and parmesan really worked for me that day.

Fast forward a couple of years, and for some reason the restaurant decided to mess with my perfected salad. It tastes like they’ve taken the anchovies out of the dressing. At first I was sad, but then I took it as a challenge to recreate my favorite salad at home, which turned out to be very easy. When you add this to a homemade pizza, you’ll feel like you’re at the pizzeria! (more…)

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Dairy free, Gluten free, Italian, Salad by Courtney