Winter is here and that means it is time to cook up some comfort! With a polar vortex looming around New England this week, pulled pork and herby biscuits are calling our name.  This slow cooked, bone-in pork butt is loaded with flavor thanks to a tasty rub and a bottle of our good friend Sam Adams.  Did I mention, prep time is under 5 minutes???  Let your slow cooker do the finessing for the next 8 hours and enjoy the benefits.  Our Herby Olivio Biscuits are beautifully flak

Whether you are staying close to the fire this New Year’s Eve or planning your next Game Day Menu, this heritage dish speaks Winter Comfort all the way.  This is an early New England dish with a name the kids will love to say.  “Come on Kids!  Get your Rinktum Ditty!” I mean, I love it already:) Traditionally made with butter, we modified the recipe to use Olivio and goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil.  No one ever said comfort couldn’t be healthy too, right?  Think Grilled

Citrus is such a wonderful flavor to celebrate during the winter months.  I call this cake Fleur de l’Orange because of the layers of orange flavor.  The orange juice and Cointreau are forefront and the zest and Olivio Extra Virgin Olive Oil add fragrance, spice and a story.  I chose to use extra virgin olive oil because I like the subtle grassy note that makes me think of an orange tree when paired with the zest and Cointreau.  Olivio Olive Oil is the secret to this uber moi

Candy Apples are a favorite treat for us this time time of year.  While these Candy Apple “Nachos” are still finger lickin’ good, we have taken some of the commitment out of biting into a whole apple by serving these as wedges with all of you favorite fixings.  We made Olivio’s Salted Caramel for a healthy twist on this typically indulgent sweet treat and the kids had fun sprinkling healthy toppings like toasted coconut, roasted pecans, oats, flax seeds and raisins on top.  T

Part savory custard,  part polenta, think of this as “Soufflé Americana”.  Delicious and hearty, the corn meal is wonderful staple of the season.  The chives and buttermilk brighten this nostalgic side and the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil in the Olivio Buttery Spread keep your heart health in mind.  Now that is something to be thankful for:) Spoon this bread directly from the baker to your plate for a delicious Thanksgiving side that will belly up beautifully to your t

Note: “Compound” does not mean “complicated”.  Infact, these delicious additions to your Holiday spread are anything but… Easy and packed with flavor and the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil, we made our Holiday assortment of compound butters this year using Olivio Buttery Spread.  Whip with a variety of herbs, fruits and spices, reshape  into logs using waxed paper and chill until firm enough to slice. Sweet or savory, these festive spreads make a fabulous side that brigh

We love having friends and neighbors back to our place to warm up after a chilly night of Trick or Treating in the neighborhood.  These Spookalicious Wings make for the perfect casual snack that will certainly please the kid in all of us.  Sweet, sour and packed with a little heat, these are made with the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil using Olivio’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olivio Buttery Spread.  As a Mom, I love seeing the kiddos get some delicious protein even on a

If a donut and a muffin had a baby… DUFFIN: noun, a breakfast treat (or any time you need a pick-me-up snack) made with the ingredients and flavor of a donut, prepared with the technique of a muffin; fabulous and better for you! Baked, not fried and basted with Olivio and cinnamon sugar, these Mulled Cider Duffins satisfy any Leaf Peepers craving 🙂  Mini muffin trays make the perfect mold for these “Duffin Holes”.  The batter comes together quickly.  Make the night before an

Crisp Autumn air is a call to the kitchen for me.  The delightful yet chaotic summer schedule is replaced by a welcomed structure and my little family finds a fresh routine.  My orange clove candles are lit, cider is mulling, the millet is planted at the front door and I’m diggin’ harvest season!   Living on the Northshore in Massachusetts, farm stands are brimming full of appetizing staples of a successful harvest season.  As a nod to Summer-come-Fall, I thought I would shar

Grilled Strip Steak with Tarragon Orange Shallot Compound Butter and Grilled Potatoes with Crumbled Bacon Vinaigrette. I love simple food with big flavor!  Grilling wins my heart every time with its ability to elevate great ingredients and limit the time I spend in the kitchen.  AJ and I really stepped up our grill-game in collaboration with Fire Magic Grill.  If you are in the market for a state-of-the-art grill, this beauty is a work of art that delivers the performance of

AJ shook up this rockin’ Mojito at the peak of summer last year.  At the time, I was 28 weeks pregnant. (By omitting the rum, this drink makes a fantastic MOCK-tail that certainly delighted this Baby Mama!)  Back by popular demand, and with rum in-tow this summer, we are ready to toast the sun, the beach, dining al fresco and our little boy Max! Magic Wand Fruit Kabobs Tip: Use cookie cutters to cut the watermelon into fun shapes! I had an event last weekend making “Magic Wan

On Set with Brian Dunn, Corporate Development Chef of Roche Brothers at Gordon’s Fine Wine and Liquor ‘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!  Roche Brothers supplied beauti

AJ and I had were honored to be invited up on the Main Stage as presenters at the International Restaurant and Food Service Show of New York at Javits Convention Center last weekend.  We had a blast doing what we love to do best together… cooking and dishing about MasterChef:)  With over 18,000 attendees and food and product vendors as far as the eye could see, we made some amazing connections for the Blog and Catering Business.  Have you tried Sir Kennsington Spiced Ketchup

Hot olives, creamy goat cheese and a crisp panko crust?  Yes, I’m in love.  Go beyond the cheese board and crudite- think hot, toasty amuse bouche and give your guests an extra bite that says you were expecting them.   We all know the kitchen (no matter the size) is the favorite hang out in any house.   If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  Stay a step ahead and have these sitting up on the kitchen island ready for guests arrival.  My favorite thing about these bites is that they

Turkey Sage Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze This app is a shout out to the Queen Bird and her favorite Berry.  As AJ and I will be heading down to Connecticut to celebrate with the in-laws this year, we wanted to have a little get-together with some friends up in Boston.  Pavlov got it right…there is something about the flavors of the Thanksgiving spread that can help set a tone for a evening of gratitude and cheer.  Without having the time to commit to a full Turkey before we

Pan Roasted Monkfish with Siena Farms Summer Veggies. Want Some? 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 flaky.  *Personally, I am amazed that such a prehistoric looking fish contains such a sweet and

Lime Infused Watermelon with Minted Feta Guilty pleasure confession: I love to sit with an entire, chilled watermelon half on my lap and chow.  Give me a spoon and 15 minutes and there will be nothing but rind and one happy soul left over.  However, that’s when I’m alone, without a witness, as it looks like I am about 7 months pregnant after I finish.  Here is a refined twist on this summer staple.  A simple marinade of lime zest and juice, olive oil and sea salt bring out th

Virginia Belle’s Brownies My folks were out here this past week to celebrate the MasterChef premiere with AJ and me.  I didn’t waste a minute asking them to whip up a few of the dishes that remind me of my childhood.  I have lived over 3,000 miles away from them for over 10 years, so recipes are how I have learned to “visit” them in between our semi-annual get-togethers.  But what a treat to have the two of them so close and to capture the subtle nuances that make a small han

Cava Sangria with Brandied Fruit and Garden Mint If this drink could talk it would say, “I has hoping you would swing by!”  This is a toast to AJ and some of our most fun times together, laughing and making plans for our future over Cava Sangria at Pipa in NYC.  While I tried to weasel the exact recipe from the bartender without luck, this comes dangerously close…Dare I say, we may have just beaten Pipa at their own game!  The key to a stellar pitcher is to give the fruit tim

Our dear friends, Lynne and Laurence, visited me and AJ this weekend from Vermont.  Lynne is a theatre professor and author at the University of Vermont and Laurence is an accomplished CIA trained French Chef.  Because nothing says, “We think you’re special” louder than Gordon’s Beef Wellington, I decided to put Chef Jeff’s method to the test and thaw out the puff pastry.  Until two months ago, I had heard of Beef Wellington, but had basically no clue what was really entailed