Fab Foodie Mama

 A couple of years ago I read an article in The New Yorker where a man was describing his father recreating a pasta dish at home, made famous by the iconic River Cafe of London.  The River Cafe is a restaurant in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, specializing in Italian cuisine.  It was opened in 1987 by chefs Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, until Gray's death in 2010.  Since then, Rogers has been the sole owner and operator of the restaurant.    As I was reading the New Yorker article, I was intrigued about the pasta that was beautifully described.  Fragrant Italian sausage, tomatoes, herbs, cream.  I tried to recreate it myself without a specific recipe, but just from the author's description.  It turned out delicious, but I wanted to get my hands on the actual recipe so I searched for it and was able to find The River Cafe Cookbook, authored by Rogers and Gray, on Amazon.  Come to find out, there are two versions of this ...

Happy Thanksgiving week, Foodie fans! 🦃 Since we still have to eat during the week of prepping for the Thursday feast, I was looking for something simple and vegetarian for Monday's meal.  As I do quite often, I went to NYT Cooking and did a search on easy weeknight meals + vegetarian and this lovely recipe popped up.  I have to say, this recipe for Braised White Beans and Greens with Parmesan  became an instant favorite.  So simple but yet it tastes so complex with the fennel, rosemary, and the delicious creaminess of the beans.  The recipe calls for this to be eaten alone with some crusty bread; I served mine over linguine.   Below the recipe were my substitutions.   NYT White Beans and Greens with Parmesan Ingredients: Yield: 4 servings ¼ cup olive oil 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and small-diced 1 small yellow onion, small-diced 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme 5 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more t...

 A Houghton landmark, the Library Restaurant has been in operation since 1967 in a beautiful brick building on Isle Royale Street.  Prior to sitting dormant for several decades, the building was a cabinet making business and another eatery and pub known as the Board of Trade.  But it was Jon Davis who created the spot it continues to be today, after at least three other owners.  Their house soup was always a favorite of mine and so many.  Swiss Onion Au Gratin with its crunchy dark rye croutons and sprinkles of tart Swiss cheese has been on my top ten list since childhood. I got this recipe from a former employee but I did tweak it a bit, after several attempts, to ensure it was as close as I could come to the original, while also bringing the quantity down to feed 6, not 200. Swiss Onion Au Gratin Soup Ingredients: 2 med-large onions, small diced 1 T butter 1/2 c chicken broth 5 c water 3 T dry white wine 1 t dried basil  1 t dried thyme  1/2 t salt 1...

 I love White Bean Chicken Chili and I am surprised I hadn't yet posted the recipe I had been using for several years.  But recently, I have made it without flour, therefore it is gluten free.  I actually like this modified version better.  It is a bit lighter and it keeps in the fridge better than the version made with flour.  As we are in the Autumn season, and soon to be Winter, soups and stews (and chili) are always welcome and comforting. This recipe serves a big crowd (16) but it can be cut in half for a smaller batch.    White Bean Chicken Chili   Ingredients: 2 T  olive oil 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded) 2   onions, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 (15.5 oz) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained 2 (14.5 oz) cans  chicken broth 4 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies 2 t  salt 2 t  ground cumin 1 t  ground black pepper ½ t  cayenne pe...

Hello Fellow Foodies:  I has been a minute since my last post.  I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer.  I certainly am.  Have been spending a lot of time with my 2 year old grandson, Miles and it has been so much fun.  Speaking of Miles, I made this quick and satisfying cabbage roll casserole this week and he loved it!     Cabbage Roll Casserole (serves 6)   Ingredients: 1lb ground beef 1 small onion, minced 1 t salt 1/2 t pepper 1/3 c water 1/2 t garlic powder 3 t Worcestershire sauce 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (with liquid) 1/2 c uncooked rice 3 c shredded cabbage shredded cheese (optional)   Directions: Brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add minced onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and cook until onions are translucent and soft (about 7 minutes). Add the diced tomatoes, water and rice.  Stir to combine. Add cabbage. Bring to a boil and let cook for one minute.  Remove from heat. Transfer mixtur...

 Soups are something I am starting to appreciate so much more as I get somewhat 'older'.  A meal in a bowl is a magical thing.  I have made countless soup recipes from the Internet and cookbooks and will start to share some of my favorites here. This recipe for Red Lentil Soup was found on NYT Cooking and it was simple and so flavorful.  The bright color and the delicate texture were very appealing.  Hope you love this one.  It is ready in less than an hour! NYT Red Lentil Soup Ingredients Yield: 4 servings 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin Salt and black pepper Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup red lentils 1 large carrot, peeled and diced Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro   Preparation Step 1 In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high...