I had never eaten porcini mushrooms before 1995.  That winter, we went on a vacation and stayed in the Florence suburb of Fiesole. There was a restaurant not too far from the guest house that we went to for dinner one evening.  The restaurant served all kinds of Italian food, but we decided to have [...]

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I never dreamed that food would become a subject of controversy in our home.  In general terms, my husband will eat anything I put in front of him and ask for more.  But in the last couple years, he is demanding that I make brown sauce for almost everything I cook. My feeling is this: [...]

Filed under: Sauce, Sauces, Vegan, Vegetarian, cooking, gluten free | 4 Comments »

Basic Tomato Sauce Makes 4 cups 4      tablespoons olive oil 6-8 cloves garlic, mashed 4      cups crushed tomatoes 1/4  cup chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dry basil salt and pepper to taste -In a heavy saucepan, place the olive oil and the garlic and cook over medium heat until you sear the garlic but [...]

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In this part, I would like to discuss herbs and spices that not only taste good, but are thought to heal illnesses by those who advocate the use of folk medicine. As an example, leaves of the spearmint plant used in salads, cheese and drinks are believed by advocates of folk medicines stimulate the appetite, [...]

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My Italian friends would scream if they knew I mention tofu and Italian in the same sentence let alone using it in Italian food.  One of the characteristic of tofu is that  it is flavorless.  Some people find that to be very disadvantageous. For me, I see that as a plus. Because tofu has no taste it can [...]

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Here is more recipes to use your old dry pita bread: Fattoush Salad , Pita Bread Salad serves 4-6 2        6-inch loaf pita bread 8        leaves romaine lettuce, chopped 1        punch parsley, chopped 2        tomatoes, diced 1        cucumber, diced 2        scallions, chopped 6        radishes, sliced 1        clove garlic, mashed 1/4   cup olive oil 1/2   cup [...]

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My grandfather is Syria always began his day by swallowing two tablespoons of olive oil. In his last years he lived alone, always taking care of himself, getting his exercise by walking three miles a day.  I do not remember him being sick.  He died at the age of 96 and his sister lived until [...]

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