From Nonna's Kitchen: Once Upon A Tajine (A Lovely Trip to Morocco)

My Heirloom Kitchen has taught me so much more than culinary school ever did. Old world methods, recipes you many not think will work, but definitely do. In fact, you see how a few simple ingredients can be transformed into a dish families have (and will) enjoy for generations.

The most recent stop on my global tour was Morocco. A charming woman, Safoi, introduced me to North African cuisine, a type of food I hadn’t yet explored. Most importantly, she explained the benefits and infinite uses of a tajine, a cooking vessel used in so many Moroccan recipes. It is perfect for slow-cooked foods.

Safoi's chicken tagine is simple and delicious. The carrots are sweet and create a delicious base. The result is a hearty dish. If you already own a slow cooker, you don’t have to buy a tajine. However, honestly, now when I place my tajine on the stove and fire it up, I feel like I’ve already arrived in Morocco.

Morocco, From Nonna's Kitchen, North AfricaAnna GassDecember 8, 2016nonna's kitchen, tajine, Slow Cook Meals, Stew, Chicken Tajine

Don’t Be Chicken On Turkey Day! Tips For a Stress-Free (and Delicious) Thanksgiving...

Holidays are rough. So much to do, so little time and most of the time, the brunt of the cooking will inevitably fall on one person. However, if you create a solid game plan and are wiling to begin a few days early, the day of will turn out great and most importantly, enjoyable for you.

I love that Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday. That means, I have a crazy week but then three days after to recover physically and … mentally. My Thanksgiving dinner begins the weekend before, yes, Saturday before Thanksgiving is when I get it all down on paper. My holidays and big dinners all begin with food magazines for inspiration, Google and a trusty notebook with the last ten years of my menus.

United States of AmericaAnna GassNovember 17, 2016Thanksgiving, Holiday Entertaining, Holiday Meals, Turkey, How-To

Sunday Supper: Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs

This recipe is one of my favorite inventions. It shows that your oven is a magical place and sometimes, minimal effort can still produce maximum results. I’m a huge fan of ribs and never liked the fact that once summer ended, so did my enjoyment of a good plate of ribs. I stumbled upon a rib recipe that gave an oven variation. I tried it and it was ok, but not great. I still missed the grill.

A few years later, I found another recipe that was pretty complicated but touted one simple practice that I thought was genius. So, I grabbed that, made a few tweaks and came up with a killer recipe that produces the juiciest, fall of the bone ribs you will ever make!

Tuesday Treats (Fall Favorites): Candy Autumn Apple POPS

Starting In early September, when we go to the church fair, my kids beg for a candy apple. Always, I wince because the apples are big, really difficult to eat and prove to be a sticky mess! However, though it’s laden with candy, I do like the idea of a crisp organic apple at the center of this treat and I figured if I could make it easier to eat, it might be fun to make at home.

The solution? Apple POPS, of course!

Anna GassNovember 1, 2016

Sunday Supper (Fall Favorites): Lasagna Bolognese

My favorite aspect of Fall is how we all begin to crave some down-home cooking. Summer is for eating light and grilling everything. However, once the leaves begin to turn color and scatter, we break out the slow cooker, baked recipes and enjoy our Nonna recipes that keep us sated and warm, inside and out.

I’ve said in past posts how my mother’s brodo (tomato sauce) pops up in many of her recipes so I always have it on hand. First, I make a big batch of brodo on Saturday, divvy it up into Tupperware and store it in the freezer. Then, when I want to make a recipe, like Pasta Bolognese, I get fresh ground meat, pancetta frying up in the pan and add my brodo for a killer pasta sauce.

If I want to make an extra special dinner, I take it one step further, I make besciamella and roll out fresh lasagna sheets. These components come together for a truly stand out dish, Lasagna Bolognese.

Italy, From Nonna's KitchenAnna GassOctober 23, 2016Sunday Supper, Lasagna Bolognese, Sunday Sauce, Fall Favorites

Steaming Up Some Alaskan King Crab Legs!

I received another incredible shipment from Wild Alaska Seafood...this time it was filled with delicious crab legs. King Crab Legs are fun to eat -- the meat is unmatched in tenderness, sweetness and delicate flavor. It’s so easy to cook and fun to crack open and enjoy. Because they are so delicious, just a few ingredients are needed to cook them up and savor.

United States of AmericaAnna GassOctober 13, 2016Wild Alaska Seafood, King Crab Legs, Alaska, Seafood, Easy Meals

Super Mom Sunday: Why Your Slow Cooker Should Be Your New BFF

I always poo poo’ed the use of a slow cooker. It seemed so 1950s, creating a hot pile of mush to be eaten hours after prep time. It was an obligatory item on the wedding registry that me, a fancy pants chef, would just leave in the basement with the gift receipt still attached. However, recently, with my Facebook feed being bombarded with two minute videos of slow cooker recipes that actually looked edible I figured it might be worth a try.

What I discovered is that, with my trusty ol' slow cooker, I don’t have to stress that the minute we walk in the door I’m throwing food in a pan while answering homework questions, finding Peppa Pig on the DVR and stumbling over opened backpacks. In fact, after a little morning elbow grease, dinner is DONE! And, I can walk in, set the table and we can all eat like a (semi) civilized family.

Time to Think Outside the (Lunch) Box

Although it seems like summer vacation began yesterday, with a blink of an eye, our children have been loaded back on the bus and are beginning the new school year. With that, comes after school activities, various appointments and of course, homework. Every day seems like a race to the finish and early in the morning, without fail, we face a dreaded challenge…school lunch.

Kids eat with their eyes first. So, if they open up a lunch box that looks good, they are much more likely to dig in. From a Bento box that keeps one food from touching the other to a thermos that keeps last night's dinner warm - you really have to think outside of the (lunch) box to keep kids healthy, happy (and fed) .

United States of AmericaAnna GassSeptember 15, 2016School, Lunch, Bento Box, Lunchbox, Thermos, Easy Lunch, cooking with kids, Leftovers

I Left My Heart In San Francisco: Trattoria Contadina’s Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Trattoria Contadina is what every Italian restaurant should aspire to be. Family owned for thirty years, passed down to the grandchildren and a dedication to maintaining a high quality dining experience with locally sourced ingredients.

On my eat feast in SF, I had to check out this delicious spot. The pastas are fresh and delicious and the Veal Saltimbocca melted in my mouth. However, the true stand out for me, was a special that night, the Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms. Zucchini flowers stuffed with a delicious ricotta filling and then lightly battered and fried. They were crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside.

Luckily, my mother grows zucchini in her garden and supplies me with a steady supply of blossoms. So, as soon as I got home, I got to work on recreating this simple but delicious dish.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Lonely Chicago Pie

One of my favorite movies is The Waitress, starring Kerri Russell. It’s a film about a young girl in an abusive marriage, who waitresses at a diner. She is so depressed, but is able to shine creatively with her pie making. She hates her husband and her life -- creating pies keeps her sane. With each conflict that occurs, she makes a pie in its honor.

I relate to the character in the way she uses her imagination to create delicious food. She lies in bed compiling ingredients in her head for her next pie. I also do this when creating recipes -- working through a dish in my mind before I step into the kitchen to make it. I picture ratios, ingredient combinations and method over and over until I get it right. Once I feel happy with my idea, I begin to create. I believe my best dishes are the ones I cook, in my head, prior to practice.

Towards the end of the film, she makes ‘Lonely Chicago Pie.’ In this scene, she stands by the stove melting dark chocolate, mashing berries and sprinkling cinnamon sugar. Not only did I love the way this dish was portrayed; it gave me a serious hankering for pie. So, like the character, I found myself working this recipe through my head for the next few days. How much chocolate? I needed it to be dark chocolate, because it’s a “lonely pie.” I added some booze to the berries to represent her sadness and of course, I wanted to add sugar, like she does, to the base, because no matter dark a day may seem, maybe there is a little hope and sweetness somewhere beneath.

Social Saturday: Bonnie's Muffaletta

While I was in SF on my eating marathon, I received an email from Bonnie Penders, the wonderful mother of my friend Katie. I was in SF and the Penders’ clan was in Galveston, TX enjoying some family fun in the sun. Bonnie emailed me for some help. She had eaten a delicious sandwich and wants to recreate it at home, so she called upon me to figure it out. Based on what Katie told me about her mother, she is an A+ nonna. She loves to cook and teach her EIGHT grandchildren about good food. She is a master gardener that donates herbs from her garden to a local homeless shelter. Bonnie knows the benefit of a fresh meal and shares with those less fortunate. Martha Stewart could learn a thing or two from Mrs. Penders!

Therefore, this email made me all sorts of happy. It was exciting to be called upon to figure out a delicious recipe for a friend. If you have a cold; call the doctor. If you eat a great sandwich, call me! Your food advisor, Heirloom Kitchen, to the rescue! Needless to say, I was quite honored to be given this task.

Coming up with this recipe was so much fun. I did a little digging, a lot of research and came up with what I think is the perfect replicate of Maceo Spice & Import Co’s famous Muffaletta sandwich.

Wild Salmon Day, Teriyaki-Style

Today is Alaska’s Wild Salmon Day and I’m celebrating with some delicious salmon delivered straight from Anchorage, Alaska -- where more than ninety percent of the USA’s wild salmon supply comes from.

Salmon is a wonderful source of Omega-3 fatty acids, extremely high in protein and even a good source of potassium. A true super food! In addition, because it is such a sturdy fish, it stands up to delicious marinades, spices and sauces so the recipe possibilities are limitless. Grill, smoke, sear, bake or broil, there is nothing you can’t create with this wonderful fish.

One of my go-to weeknight meals is Salmon Teriyaki; a delicious soy based sauce on top of quickly seared fresh, wild Salmon.

Unites States of AmericaAnna GassAugust 10, 2016Wild Salmon Day, Salmon, Alaska, Teriyaki, Easy Meals

I Left My Heart in San Francisco: Farmer Brown's Chicken & Waffles

I LOVE BRUNCH! Is there anything better than sleeping in on a Sunday, rolling out of bed and heading out for Mimosas or maybe a Bloody Mary with some breakfast and lunch all rolled into one? Before our trip I searched best brunch in SF and Farmer Browns was on every list.

It’s a Soul Food spot in the heart of the city and I figured it would be nice to have a big, decadent meal to hold us over until our late dinner reservation. It also had a great menu that included all the classics; cheesy grits, biscuits with sausage gravy, collards and pecan pie. I had my heart set on some Chicken and Waffles. When we arrived at 10:45, and the line was down the street, I knew I was in for a good meal.

Now, service was super slow and the place was packed but if I’m truly judging, just on the food, it was really, really good. The biscuits were fluffy and salty (we got a extra plate gratis since we waited so long). The cheesy grits were super cheesy and very addictive. And, the Chicken and Waffles were absolute Soul Food perfection. The chicken was crispy, juicy and perfectly cooked. The waffles were yeasted, light, fluffy and the perfect match to the chicken. It was covered in golden maple syrup and I couldn’t have been happier. The best part was I knew already knew the two recipes I would combine to recreate this amazing meal. Paula Deen’s Fried Chicken recipe with Marion Cunningham’s Raised Waffles

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

New York City, for me, is my first love - my ‘high school sweetheart.’ It holds so many memories and when I am there I can’t help but feel energized and happy. Just like when in love for the first time, I never thought any other would compare.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of making a few trips to San Francisco and I am falling in love all over again. Now while it will never replace my first love, SF has great weather, that laid back California vibe and, of course, THE FOOD!

Touring San Francisco through my stomach was so much fun, and very filling. I had some amazing meals and really enjoyed figuring out what made them so good. And, while I am not a restaurant reviewer, I would like to give you my humble opinion of the places I visited. Each week I’ll present a restaurant I ate at, my favorite dish and how I recreated it in my own kitchen. So, invite you to come on this little adventure with me...maybe you will fall in love too.

Unites States of AmericaAnna GassAugust 1, 2016San Francisco, Restaurant Reviews

From Nonna's Kitchen: A Trip to Mumbai

Recently, I had the immense pleasure of cooking with Khurshid Mehta, a lovely Indian woman who immigrated to the U.S. in the 80’s with her husband and two young boys. She was born and raised in Bombay (now Mumbai) India. She is a proud Parsi woman and shared many stories of Parsi traditions and food culture. An example of immigrant work ethic and perseverance, Khurshid would work all day and would come home to cook delicious food for her family.

Khurshid taught me an immense amount about Indian cooking in our short time together. One of the delicious recipes I learned in my Heirloom Kitchen while cooking with her was for these turkey kebabs (little meatballs.) They make for a great appetizer or as a snack with your favorite beer.

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