Italian food | Apple Crumbles

FoFF Caponata

I couldn’t leave the kitchen when this dish began to fill the air with such a tantalizing aroma. It was so easy. Just get that crock pot out, chop a few ingredients up, open a can, open a jar or two and let it cook. Peggy of Pantry Revisted made the Caponata and loved it. See what she had to say. You will LOVE this recipe by Carla Vavala. *Carla has a Facebook page, “Carla Vavala Creative Cook”. Make sure to keep up with her or better yet, cook along with us every Thursday and I’ll post your photos, your [...]

By Joanne|2011-09-14T11:32:29-04:00September 15, 2011|Fusion Food & Friends|8 Comments

CNYEats A Taste of Utica Stuffed Peppers

The first time I ever had stuffed peppers, a little Polish lady served them and I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread! She sometimes made them with pasta sauce but other times she made them with tomato soup. It didn’t matter which sauce/soup was used, they were always one of my favorites at her house. On page 125 of our book is the recipe for Stuffed Peppers using tomato soup. You might use green or you might prefer red bell peppers, either one will work in this recipe. Posted by Jo Giacovelli 6 large bell peppers, washed, [...]

By Joanne|2011-07-02T20:05:05-04:00July 3, 2011|Taste of Utica|1 Comment

Favorite Eats and Flavor of Fall Muffins

You have until TOMORROW but why wait – ENTER THE GIVEAWAY NOW! It’s November and I’m thinking about beginning my training for the BIG ONE. The race date is April 18th and it seems so far away right now but I won’t take my races lightly. I’m a bundle of nerves running a 5K so you can imagine the anxiety suffered when looking at 26.2 miles ahead of me. I train a little extra than what is expected. It’s beyond my comprehension how some people can run, for example a 15K race when they have only trained for 5 miles. [...]

By Joanne|2010-11-02T06:19:21-04:00November 2, 2010|Restaurant Review, Running|11 Comments

CNYEats A Taste of Utica: Pasta Fazoola!

Another winning recipe to warm you from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. “A mouth-watering dish created during the lean days of the Great Depression”. Pasta Fazoola is posted by Tony Leone, page 26 in our book... Tony reminds us to get out the “fresh slices of hard crust Italian water bread. Slop up the remnants, lean back and loosen your belt!” There are no measurements listed with this recipe. The quantities listed here are simply what I used to easily feed ten to twelve hungry mouths. This leaves [...]

By Joanne|2009-12-06T18:19:50-05:00December 6, 2009|Food|4 Comments

Eggplant Rolls, Sauce and Sea Scallops

A little Italian: "Ho Fame"...I'm hungry. "Andiamo a mangiare qualcosa"..."Let's get something to eat". We had Thanksgiving dinner with my sister and her husband's side of the family, the Scialdone's. That's pronounced "Shell-done" with a long "o". Of course we began discussing food and cookbooks. Loretta and Marie said there was actually a cookbook by a John Scialdone. Now Loretta and Marie have a brother John who has retired to Florida but this is a different John and of no immediate relation to the Scialdone's my sister married into. Anyway - long story short, I was given the cookbook to [...]

By Joanne|2009-12-03T15:13:58-05:00December 3, 2009|Food, Food thoughts, Quick Meals|4 Comments

Rosa’s: Simple and Good

My friend Joe Mezz sent me a note raving about a really good lasagna he had at a quaint little deli along Genesee Street in Utica. Rosa’s Italian Deli – Bakery. It is tucked into a corner and if you don’t look carefully, you might just miss it. What a shame that would be. There were four of us who enjoyed lunch at Rosa’s. Offered on the menu: fresh panini’s, hot subs, cold subs and specials which include homemade ravioli, cabbage stew, fresh lasagna, and eggplant ($6.95). They offer party trays of meats, cheeses, and COOKIES! It IS a Bakery! There are only 5 small [...]

By Joanne|2009-11-05T21:40:19-05:00November 5, 2009|Food, Food thoughts, Life, Quick Meals|2 Comments