ties that bind and define..

for as long as i can remember food played a key role in my family, it was something that brought us together in many ways. homework in the kitchen while mom cooked dinner. saturdays were for my dad and i, shopping at the italian market and watching football together over his famous sandwiches. family dinner on sundays which was never missed for any reason. holidays and birthdays spent at the table laughing, sharing and in the end learning that home and family were the place and people i could count on. coming from a big italian family on the east coast, when my parents decided to move us to california it was important to them to keep the sense of family ties and love. we spent our summers visiting relatives on the east coast for weeks at a time and while living and growing up in california my parents taught us to build an extended family through our friends. i can never remember a time when there was not a new face at our table and as the years passed our family of 6 grew to a family of now 14, plus various numbers that drop in from time to time. i believe that all of this brought me to where i am now and the passions, decisions and the life course i have chosen, wife, mother, friend, pastry girl and cook.
i now have my own husband and children. as the world seems to run at warp speed with tv, internet, school, sport and social activities i hold tightly to the values my parents taught me and do my best to instill the same on my children. we sit down as often as possible together for dinner, sunday dinners are still alive and well with different friends and family all the time. since cooking now is not only a passion, but my chosen profession, there are many hours with my children doing homework and chatting while i am cooking and baking.
as i spend the day packing for a trip to the east coast, now with my children, to spend countless hours with family, laughing and sharing around the table, i am reminded of my parents who are no longer with me. i plan to share with my kids the stories and recipes of their grandparents as well as do a little research for my cooking as well. so in closing my blog will be quiet for a few short weeks, and when i return i hope to have some new stories to share with my family and recipes to share with my friends and clients.

a lite summer snack!

while strolling through the farmer's market on a warm day, i close my eyes and take in the fresh scents of herbs, flowers, and fresh baked bread mingled with the ocean air. i love this place and go as often as possible, to check out the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season, as well as the specialty olive oils, cheeses and baked treats. the weather is warming up and i am a big fan of cooling down in the kitchen. this easy summer appetizer is fast, and involves very little cooking. in the end you will have a crunchy, salty snack and very little clean up!
smash a garlic clove and drop into about a 1/4 cup of good olive oil with a pinch of salt and heat just till warm in a sauce pan on the stove, turn off heat and allow to steep, for at least 10 mins. i keep a pan of this on my stove all the time and use for everything from frittatas to shrimp. it's great just to dip fresh, warm bread for a light snack.
preheat your broiler ( you can even do on the grill if you don't want to heat your kitchen). slice a baguette and place on a sheet pan.

drizzle bread with the garlic infused olive oil and sprinkle with grated romano cheese, you may also use parm, but i love the nutty salty taste of the romano. place under broiler (or on your grill) and toast till golden brown.


place on your serving tray and top each slice with a fresh leaf of basil and a piece of proscuitto. finish off by shaving a little romano cheese on top and drizzle with garlic infused oil and a sprinkling of pepper. that's it! fast, delicious and a perfect summer bite.