I love making rugelach, the little crescent cookies with a nutty, fruity surprise tucked inside. I've been making these little treasures for years. It all started when a little Italian lady brought platters of her home-made cookies to my wedding shower to share with guests. One taste and it was love at first bite. I asked her for the recipe, which she generously shared, and made a bee-line to the kitchen to make my first batch. After pulling my first dozen out of the oven, I ceremoniously named the golden twirls "cinnamon twists" since the original recipe was unnamed. After making dozens upon…

When I’m short on time for dinner preparations, pasta is how I roll. And the pasta sauces I make are the type that can be whipped up while the pasta is bubbling away in a pot. No long-cooking red sauces that simmer for hours. Those I reserve for lazy Sundays when it’s frigid outside and I’m in hibernation mode. When I need to make dinner in a dash, I grab a stock pot, pull my favorite pasta du jour off the shelf and I’m on my way. Sometimes I swing by Tony's Seafood down the road in Seekonk to grab some mussels and a bottle of wine for Mussels Mariniere, tender mussels steeped in a fragrant …

I am a huge Super Bowl fan, but not for the reason you might think. I’m in it for the food, hilarious ads and half-time show. When the conversation in my Barrington living room is sprinkled with terms like fumbles, interceptions, punts and illegal procedures, my eyes soon glaze over. But ask me to help you plan a crowd-pleasing party menu and you have my rapt attention. My list of favorite Super Bowl party foods consists of casual, fun finger foods and lots of them: chips and dips, mini pizzas, taco bars and foot-long grinders. But the number one draft choice to propel your party into Super …

It’s time to make the doughnuts. Doughnut muffins, that is. I love doughnuts. Eating them, not making them. I don’t have time to fiddle around with yeast and wait for dough uprisings. Besides, in the time it would take me to make doughnuts from scratch, I could drive across the border to Mohegan Sun and buy a box of Krispy Kremes, the best doughnuts on the planet. Speaking of Krispy Kreme, do you remember when the company opened a store in Cranston in the spring of 2003? I was so excited I thought I’d have a heart attack even before I devoured the doughnuts. And the icing on the cake – or …

What do you mean you don't like grits? I know, we Barringtonians weren’t raised on them. Grits are more of a southern thing. But usually, when I ask grits naysayers if they’ve ever tried them, their response is an emphatic, “No.” Which compels me to ask, "Then how do you know you don’t like them?” I suspect that the negative response to grits is partly a visceral reaction to the word itself. “Grits” is just too darn close to “gritty,” which, of course, describes them perfectly because they are, indeed, coarsely ground dried corn. Grits are related to cornmeal, which is also made from dried …

The excitement continues to stir at the Tyler Point Grille, the popular Italian seafood eatery. Owner and chef Brian Thimme, who took over the reins in October of last year, recently unveiled the new menu. Featuring exciting new dishes such as Pistachio Salmon and Penne Lobster Gratin, the menu offers abundant variety and interesting dining options. “We’re excited about the new menu and have received lots of positive feedback from customers, both old and new,” said Thimme. Thimme is particularly proud of his Surf and Turf Bruschetta appetizer, featuring beef tenderloin, grilled shrimp, garlic…

Every once in a while, you’ve got to flip the script, mix it up, go the whole hog, shake things up. Just what do I mean? Many of us are creatures of habit, eating the same foods, day in and day out. And there’s something comforting about routine. But inevitably, daily routines lead to downright boredom. And this includes our food choices. After preparing the same dishes every week and eating the same familiar foods, you inevitably reach a point where your tastes buds crave a little excitement, a little pizzazz. And when that happens, it’s your body’s inner wisdom grabbing you by the shoulders…

Mother Nature strikes again.  The benches situated along the perimeter of our backyard deck told the story. I opened the slider and, jacketless and slipper shod, took giant steps through the snow to take a measurement. My trusty ruler revealed that Barrington received seven inches of the powdery stuff. “Not so bad,” I thought, especially since Tuesday night’s weather report had predicted seven to 15 inches. As I insulated myself with a neon pink ski jacket, Christmas mittens and snow boots to prepare for a morning of shoveling, I started thinking of a reward. Whenever I’m getting ready for a …

My New Year’s resolution? To eat more vegetables. Yes, I resolve to dial up my veggie consumption this year. My dinner plate will appear as a culinary kaleidoscope: red and orange and green and blue. Blue? Wait, there are no blue foods except, perhaps, blue corn. I’ve never been able to figure out why the color blue is underrepresented in the food world. Guess I'll have to file this away under “unsolved mysteries,” along with why the average man would rather stick flaming skewers into his eyeballs than admit to being lost. Oh well, thank goodness for blue Jello. One of the things I love about…

Every now and then I have a craving for duck. But, unlike other dishes that I prefer to make myself, I usually leave duck to the experts in Asian restaurant kitchens. I've tried my hand at making a whole roast duck at home. But, try as I may, it never tastes quite like the duck in those restaurants, with its lacquered, mahogany-hued skin and rich flavored meat. And so I'd pretty much given up on the idea of enjoying home-made duck that rivals the one made at my favorite restaurant. I have a secret to share with you. There's a market that sells the most amazing Asian barbecue and poultry you'…

One of the holiday gifts you may have received but wish you hadn't is a few extra pounds. If trimming down is on your New Year's resolution list, a great way to lose those unwanted pounds is to learn the art of the stir fry. Stir frys are a fabulous choice for healthy weeknight suppers. They're lightening quick to make and don't require any fancy cooking tools or ingredients. To save time, most of the prep work can be done in advance. And clean up's a breeze, since all of the action takes place in a wok or skillet. When it comes to ingredients, the sky is the limit. Your typical stir fry …

A trifle is a beautiful thing to behold. With layer upon layer of moist cake, creamy custard, sun-ripened fruits and whipped cream in a glass pedestal dish, the trifle is the King of Desserts. Trifle is the perfect dessert for the holiday season. As a centerpiece on the dessert table, the trifle is charming and flamboyant, the extrovert of the dessert kingdom, beckoning one to dip a long, slender spoon within to experience its treasures. And a trifle dish holds something for everyone. Even those born without a sweet tooth simply can't resist its magical allure. One of the best things about a …

I love casual entertaining, especially on New Year's Eve. There's nothing better on a blustery winter's night than ringing in the New Year at home with family and friends. And I don't think I'm alone. There's only one drawback when hosting: figuring out a way to actually enjoy your own party. With all the cleaning, shopping and food preparations, not to mention the pressure of making sure everyone is having a super time, I've often found myself tired, frazzled and not exactly in the holiday spirit on party day. For one holiday Open House I hosted many moons ago, I spent an entire week …

I'll admit it: I'm a French toast fanatic. Like many of you, I was raised on the ultimate breakfast comfort food that features day-old bread dipped in custard, fried in butter until puffed and golden and drenched in maple syrup. It's no wonder why many of us have passed down the French toast tradition. It's easy to make, inexpensive and tastes divine. My mother made hers with Wonder Bread, the ubiquitous '60s staple that you could squish into a doughy ball to toss to your baby brother across the kitchen table. Mom fried the custard-dipped slices in a buttery skillet and served them with …

December 25th is nipping at my heels, which means it's time to start planning my Christmas menu. I was born with an adventurous palette and enjoy experimenting with new twists on holiday dishes. But on Christmas day, I always serve a glorious standing rib roast with roasted potatoes, asparagus and horseradish cream sauce. Though I relish a well-marbled juicy steak as much as the next person, for obvious reasons it's not part of my daily meal plan. But on Christmas day I savor my favorite cut of beef, roast prime rib, without a sliver, a shred, of guilt. I've been a good girl all year long. A …

"That's the way the cookie crumbles" doesn't have to describe what happened to the Christmas treats you shipped to retired Aunt Clara in sunny Florida. Sending homespun Christmas cookies to loved ones is a thoughtful way to show you care. Shopping for ingredients, making dough, rolling, cutting, dipping and drizzling are a supreme labor of love. And after all your hard work, you want the recipient to enjoy your cookies, not mourn them. Here are some helpful tips to ensure that your holiday treats arrive intact, not in shambles: Choose your cookie: Not all cookies are able to withstand the …

"What's for supper?" -- the question that strikes terror in the heart of the official family cook. Even if one enjoys cooking, the pressure of having to prepare dishes that everyone enjoys can quickly become a chore, one of many swirling around the mental Rolodex. And so the knee-jerk reaction of many a cook is to fall into the habit of serving the same familiar foods time and time again. Celebrity cooks like Rachael Ray have shown families how to get a home-cooked meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. And that's terrific. But you still need a game plan to be able to successfully pull it…

Move over Cookie Monster. You're not the only one who's crazy for cookies. I'll take a cookie over cake or pie any day of the week. It doesn't matter the type of cookie, either: I'm an equal opportunity cookie lover. Sugar cookies, chocolate chips, snickerdoodles, I love 'em all. Now that doesn't mean I'll eat any old cookie. I'll admit I'm a bit of a snob. My rule of thumb is that the cookies must be homemade. The idea of eating a cookie that's mass-produced in a factory that churns out thousands by the hour is a total turnoff. I prefer cookies made one baker's dozen at a time by real people…

Welcome to "Dinner in a Dash," a new series of columns featuring nifty tips and recipes for delicious and healthy dinners that busy home cooks can easily prepare on hectic weeknights. Nothing beats a scrumptious home-cooked meal made with love. But with so many things competing for our time these days, it can be quite challenging to resist the allure of the golden arches and other fast food icons along Route 6. A well-stocked pantry makes getting fabulous weeknight suppers to the table a lot easier. Plus it helps keep those exasperating last-minute trips to the market at bay. Which staples …

I'm a casual kind of gal. And that's how I like my entertaining: casual, relaxed and fun. That's why I adore the idea of hosting a "Simply Soup Party." If you're new to this type of party theme, simply put, it's where guests gather in the dead of winter to enjoy each other's company over a selection of healthy and heartwarming soups. You're probably thinking: "Isn't that a lot of work?" After all, making a pot of soup entirely from scratch is a labor of love. No need to fear. The soup party offers a delicious opportunity to spread the love by inviting a few of your friends to whip up a batch …