Italian Pork Roast dinner on a bed of Pastina pasta

This is really a easy dinner that is great over any pasta. Its a center cut pork roast. I seared it first then topped with with a few slices of bacon, a splash of marsala & topped it with my roasted butternut squash  sauce & let it simmer until tender, I added sliced mushrooms while I cooked the pasta-

Brick Chick

Brick Chicken

its seared first for a crisp crust- then oven roasted, the weight of the brick helps it cook evenly & it turns out moist.

Split the whole chicken so it lays flat & prepare with your favorite marinade. One I did was cuban with a little rum, brown sugar, o.j. celantro  and the other was olive oil, bell pepper, lemon. Have fun creating new marinades

the following day I made a pasta salad with the left over chicken-olives, marinaded artichokes, tomato, blue cheese, chopped peppercini, onion, pesto, cubed mozzerella with a drizzle of balsamic dressing & fresh basil

Baking French Macaroons with Tiara

Yummy for our first time~Will try again!

Farmers Market

Every weekend my daughter Tiara, my niece Amy & I go to a different local farmer's market~Looking for farm fresh seasonal produce, fresh baked breads & other favorites such as pestos, cheeses, flavored butters & yummy desserts. Sometimes homemade fire roasted pizza or fresh coconut water served in a coconut! Losta fun & makes for a nice Sunday supper~

This pasta reminds me of the curly ribbon along the lasagna

~fresh baked Italian cookies from the Mona Lisa Market

~fresh Ginger

Beef Braciole

Beef Braciole is a roulade, I stuffed mine with Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, shallots, garlic, parsley, pesto & parm

pan fried & browned

& cooked in your favorite homemade sauce for a few hours, makes a delicious Sunday dinner.

Dean & Deluca~Napa

A Epicurean experience~the celebration of fine foods & wines

delicious Artisan Cheeses 

Petit fours

Caviar, Smoked Salmon & Fresh Sardines

Olive you

My hubby loves Tequila 

Salume

We had the best proscuitto sandwich on a bagette with butter

fresh baked breads

...off wine tasting with Steve

Rustic Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce with Parmesan

Add oven roasted Butternut squash to your favorite pasta sauce~ It adds a savory flavor & pairs nicely with the tomato & parmesan.

Encinitas Grub Sprawl

Amy & I hit the streets for the best eats at the Encinitas Grub Sprawl

We started at one of our favorite places, Union Kitchen & Tap~for a glass of wine and  Shrimp & Cheesy Grits with Andouille & Roasted Tomatoes

Benvenuto-Our second stop, Vigilucci's Italiana 

a delicious butternut squash ravioli with meatballs braised in tomato sauce

Via Italia~As Paolo says "Verdy Good"

Spinach Gnochi

Ravioli filled with Swiss Chard & Ricotta

Our last restaurant Leucadia Pizzeria

~Pear Gorgonzola Pizza

                                                                        Lobster Mac & Cheese, very rich but yummy!