Dinner Planner – Week of August 15, 2022

This is my son’s last week at home before we take him to college.  Yes, Mr. Picky is going to college.  I am literally teary-eyed as I type this.  Mr. Picky is my last child, and also a ray of sunshine and the kindest, most wonderful young man. I love having him around and truly enjoy his company and dry wit, his thoughtfulness and curious mind.  I am very excited for him to begin this new phase of his life, but I am going to miss him.  I just am.  Maybe I’ll convince him to partner with me on my IG live on Monday. 

On another note, thank you for all the positive feedback on my new newsletter!  If you are not on my email list, don’t hesitate!  I’m sending out a free newsletter every week with lots of great tidbits, advice, product recommendations, exclusive recipes, and more.  Sign up here!  Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Layered Summer Vegetable Torte Recipe

I love giving you 15-minute recipes, but once in a while there comes a dish that is worth the extra effort.  This Layered Summer Vegetable Torte is just that.  Yes, you have to grill some vegetables and make a simple vinaigrette, but this is a hearty, delicious, veggie-centric showstopper.  Every summer I have a few recipes that I put on repeat when I entertain at home, and this was one of my go-to’s from the Summer of 2021 and now it’s back in the rotation!Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of August 8, 2022

We had the most lovely visit with my sister’s family and I am sad to see them go back to Long Island.  I am now in Get-Mr. Picky-Ready-for-College mode!  Eeek!  Hubs and I are almost empty-nesters, so if you have suggestions for how to make this transition, please share.  Also, I have started a newsletter for website subscribers only.  The second newsletter comes out on Monday.  It’s a free subscription and I won’t sell your info to anyone.  I am sharing favorite finds, new, unpublished recipes, little things that I am loving lately.  I am also going to organize an IN-PERSON Pamela Potluck in a month or so for anyone who is in town that wants to say hi in real life.  BUT, you have to be an email subscriber!!  Click here to sign up.  Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Spicy Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs Recipe

If you’ve been to Jon & Vinny’s in LA, you may recognize this salad which they call Gem Lettuce, Calabrian Chili Dressing, Parmigiano, & Bread Crumbs.   It’s basically a spicy Caesar salad with the most delicious breadcrumbs and baby romaine leaves.  It’s insanely good and worth every bit of the $16.50 they charge for one portion.  Or is it?  Well, we can make it at home and it’s just as good, friends!  I make it all the time when I have people over or we want a really great Caesar. Ok, let’s do it!Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of August 1, 2022

My sister’s family is arriving today for a week!  Sadly, my sister got sick and can’t travel, but we are thrilled to have her husband and kids visit with us.  For all my monthly online cooking class students, I just filmed the August class yesterday and it is in the editing process now.  I hope to have it to you by the end of this coming week!  If you give me an hour a month, I can teach you a lot about how to cook and eat more healthfully and turn you into a better, more confident and more efficient cook.  An hour a month!!!  Plus, I changed the structure of my subscription model – join monthly and you will have access to the ENTIRE library of classes and recipes.  Note – I’ve been teaching online monthly for many years! 

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Shrimp and Melon “Ceviche” Recipe

I am obsessed with ceviche and I order it all the time at my local Mexican restaurant as an appetizer or as a light dinner. I was in Mexico last fall and had the most amazing sweet and spicy ceviche made from local white fish, mango, avocado and I couldn’t stop thinking about how you can truly combine any fish with a juicy seasonal fruit + lime juice + onion + a spicy ingredient and it’s just addictive.  Ceviche is normally made with raw seafood and the citrus juice “cooks” the fish which denatures the protein networks, similar to cooking with heat. That’s why the color changes to opaque and the flesh gets firmer after sitting in a citrus marinade.  Here’s the deal – you need to be 100% confident that you are starting with the freshest of fresh seafood because no amount of lime juice is going to obliterate parasites and other nastiness.  So, when I make ceviche at home, I give the seafood a quick cook!  You can choose to get sushi grade fish and not precook it of course.Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of July 25, 2022

If it’s hot where you are, this dinner planner may help give you ideas for cooking when you don’t feel like turning on the oven!  I am thinking no-cook, grilling outside, and slow cooker (mine doesn’t add warmth to the kitchen like an oven.) If you take my monthly online cooking class, I am going live with you on Tuesday at 5:00 pm PT!  It’s an opportunity for you to ask me anything at all and interact with other students.  We always have a lively conversation and it has been fun getting to know many of you!  If you like learning from me, you should absolutely sign up for my monthly class.  No in-person classes anymore, so this is the next best thing! Here’s your dinner planner for the week: Continue reading

Pasta with Melted Zucchini Sauce Recipe

This pasta recipe is the ultimate summer dish!  My entire family goes crazy for it.  I accidentally overcooked some zucchini once and saw that it turned a bit mushy, almost like a sauce and immediately thought it would be delicious over pasta. And it was!!  I taught this recipe in a class early last summer and received rave reviews from my students too! After I filmed the class, I saw a similar recipe on Smitten Kitchen for “zucchini butter spaghetti.”  It is a pure coincidence and I came up with this recipe on my own.  My recipe uses quite a bit more zucchini, less butter and cheese, and the addition of shallot and lemon which I think makes the dish! 

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