Master Your Holiday Meal!

‘Tis the season for big family dinners and holiday entertaining!  Are  you hosting this year?  If you are looking for some last minute inspiration for your holiday meals, check out the Master Your Holiday Meals web cooking series that Brian Dunn, Corporate Development Chef at Roche Bros and I put together with 5 home cooks across Massachusetts! […]

September Roasted Peach Cake

I’m 34 weeks pregnant and love the extra 300+/day calories the pregnancy books all agree I should be consuming!  It’s September in New England and peaches are ready for  pickin’.  This Peach Cake is a dense and moist homage to the dog days.   The majority of the peaches are roasted off in the oven […]

Blueberry Avocado Detox Smoothie

AJ and I are lovin’ our morning smoothies.  This Blueberry Avocado Smoothie has become another one of our regular favorites.  I can’t wait to pick and freeze my own berries this summer!  The avocado adds a beautiful creamy texture and the mint makes this a refreshing *spa~like*  way to start the day:)  Surely summer will […]

MasterChef Mango Chutney

I loved Curry Nights growing up.  Imagine Trader Vics- 1969- San Francisco- style.  My dad would enthusiastically prepare a huge crock of aromatic yellow curry with chicken and coconut and pot of rice.  What would begin as a simple dish would take on an explosion of texture, color and flavor as we chopped, sliced and […]

Green Mango Tahini Smoothie

AJ and I are detoxing!  As if there is any question, I love to eat:)  I’m not one to “diet”, I don’t like feeling deprived and, while no saint, I keep a balanced nutritious diet.   However, a couple weeks ago, I woke up groggy and realized the “moving parts” in our lives were starting […]

Extra MasterChef Footage Revealed

As they say in Reality TV,  if it didn’t air, it didn’t happen.  Well, now this really happened.   No doubt for dramatic effect, these ego-boosting clips had been left on the edit room floor.  Husband verses wife?  Game on.  While AJ’s Dirty Lobster earned a resounding “YES” from all three judges that aired triumphantly […]

Macarons~ An Autumn Trio

Let’s face it, macarons are chic little buggers.  How can we even think of calories when something is this adorable and well dressed?  With a few basic tools and a little finesse, macarons are simple to execute.  Below is the my Basic Macaron Recipe.  The recipe provides a solid base structure to customize anyway you […]

Cocoa -Figgy Scone Rolls

This is an adaptation of my Oma’s Basic Scone recipe.  Just for fun, I rolled the dough like a jelly roll loaded with some yummy Ficoco spread slathered inside.  I loved the sweet treat but could also see going savory with cheese and herbs.  So fun to twist it up every now and then and […]

Anna & AJ chat with Cape Ann Fresh Catch Community Supported Fishery

AJ and I are passionate about seafood.  This was our first year participating in the Cape Ann Fresh Catch Community Supported Fishery out of Gloucester, MA.   Their direct-to-you model has been awesome, allowing us to chat with Fisherman Nick when he comes into Cambridge on Monday afternoons for the weekly share drop and enjoy […]

Pan Roasted Monkfish with Siena Farms Summer Vegetables

Monkfish, or  “poor man’s lobster”, came in our Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF this week!  Monkfish are opportunistic feeders and have a sweet tooth for shrimp, shellfish and sand eels.  The flavor  is rich, sweet and succulent reminiscent of lobster, without the hassle of a shell.  The texture of the meat is more firm than […]

Thyme Ginger Sole with Roasted Kohlrabi Fries and Sorrel Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Fisherman Nick brought us 4 gorgeous whole grey sole this week from our Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF.  If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a whole fish, here is a great fillet demo from their website.  Flat fish have a different bone structure than cod or salmon so the technique is slightly […]

White Clam Pizza…as seen (and tasted) on MasterChef USA/FOX

AJ and ANNA's famous White Clam Pizza!

Here she is…   This White Clam Pizza is about to go National!!!  I will be preparing this classic New England Pizza for Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot as my Signature Dish on the premiere of MasterChef USA/FOX tonight and tomorrow night, June 4th and 5th at 9pm on FOX.   My hope […]

AJ’s New England Dirty Lobster…as seen (and tasted) on MasterChef USA/FOX

What does a man who has been born and raised in New England serve to 3 of the most influential guys in the culinary scene? NEW ENGLAND. DIRTY. LOBSTER.   This dish is AJ’s rendition of Jasper White’s amazing Pan Roasted Lobster from the Summer Shack.  My favorite part of this dish is the countless […]

Linguine alla Vongole…alla AJ

Linguine alla Vongole

There are many reasons why I love this dish.   AJ made this for me the first night he cooked for me, early on in our “courtship.”  It was more like a test.  Could I “mangia” the bi-valve with as much passion and enjoyment as he had since he was a little boy?  Needless to […]

Joe Gets Sloppy….and Stays Slim!

With snow in the forecast and a long week under our belts, I thought I would try a lean take on a classic comfort food dish- the Sloppy Joe!  This recipe is inspired by Cooking Light but I made a few changes.  I added extra veggies (which are coming out of my ears thanks to […]