Home At Last! with Patty Gironda

Asian-style Parrot Fish Dark soy, sesame oil mixed with a little olive oil, freshly-grated ginger and garlic! Yum. A little chopped green onion and blood orange. Yes! One of my last blood oranges was squeezed for a citrus marinade that made for a nicely-flavored and springlike taste! I might be rushing the seasons a little but this easy recipe would certainly be good anytime of the year! The Parrot Fish has a nice firm texture with lots of flavor. The bones were easily removed from the meat and so the yield is very good. I grilled the fish on the infrared for about eight minutes and finished it off in a very hot oven! Definitely worth a try!

I find myself going back to the same conversation about saving money and time. . .and still creating delicious, healthy meals at home. The gnocchi that I made early in the week were somewhat of a "cheat". I just can't indulge every craving and have to make substitutions that still deliver the results we have come to expect from eating out. The substitution in my cream sauce was homemade vegetable stock, a tablespoon of flour and a little half and half and a bit more 2% milk. AND, a great German whisk that makes a ultra smooth sauce of anything! It takes practice-but I challange anyone to really taste the difference. There is so much flavor, texture and substance that it really doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice! Tonight's meal was my leftover cream sauce, Goya White Beans (delicious) and canned black olives. Most of the added flavor came from slivered fresh garlic and the addition of my own garlic olive oil. The pasta was whole grain angel hair; one of the...

As a "spring/summer personality, I have always dreaded the thought of dreary winters filled with dark days and cold nights. Living in Georgia I can almost certainly count on a weird mix of mild, moderately cold or severe winter s . Rather than complain I have adapted to the odd winters and look forward to my winter rituals of warm, fragrant baths and lovely evenings in my wonderful kitchen recreating many favorite Italian dishes while enjoying a glass of Tuscan super-red wine. A chilly evening can be magically warmed by a serving of roasted Italian chestnuts tossed with fragrant garlic oil and a light sprinkling of kosher salt. The evening is further transformed with the addition of a Blood Orange and Brandy Apertif. I choose a beautiful, faceted crystal hi-ball, something special that reflects the intense garnet reds of the blood orange as they swirl into the coppery browns of the orange brandy. With a tiny silver spoon I ladle one delicate teaspoon of sugar and wait for the ge...