Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

Autumn quietly arrives in New England -  crisp mornings turn into warm sunny afternoons with the glorious fall sun setting a few minutes earlier each day: Farmers markets stocked with the last of nature's bounty before the first frost ends harvesting. Beautiful plump eggplant beacons me as I fill my market basket with copious quantities perfect to make my Baked Eggplant Parmesan. Coming from a long line of Italian cooks I've eaten and made this southern Italian dish my entire life. Like my mother I don't fry my eggplant - I prefer to bake - forgoing the extra fat from frying. And I've updated the recipe using Panko bread crumbs for a lighter breading. I love to taste the eggplant, not the breading. One more item - I only use San Marzano tomatoes. I like my sauce sweeter with less acidity.  The San Marzano  variety of plum tomato grows in the rich volcanic soil of the Sarno River valley, near Mount Vesuvius, resulting in a sweet flesh with low acidity. Its thick ski...

Growing up I was fortunate to have a wonderful cook for a mother. My mother is one of those intuitive cooks who effortlessly just knows how to marry spices for the most flavorful food. I learned how to cook watching my mother in her kitchen making her magic from cooking to baking. A solitary cook my favorite time to cook is when I am alone in my kitchen channelling my mother remembering my special time spent with her so long ago.   One my favorite chicken recipes from my mother is chicken paired wine and mushrooms. Chicken is very versatile capturing flavor from the ingredient you add. I especially like rosemary added to chicken releasing a flavorful aroma to the sauce. After cooking in the over for an hour and half the flavors are perfectly combine with the chicken so tender breaking away from the bone.   Chicken with Wine and Mushroom   4 lbs. cut up chicken, 8 pieces 2 tablespoon olive oil 8 oz slice mushrooms 1 shallot, chopped 4 cloves garlic...

Beef Bourguignon over Pasta 2 tablespoon olive oil 2.5 lb boneless beef chuck, cut in 1.5 inch cubes 3 tablespoons brandy 1/2 lb. small white onions, peeled (about 12) 12 whole cloves 8 ounces whole or sliced mushrooms 2.5 tablespoons flour 2.5 teaspoons meat-extract paste (not liquid) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 cups red wine 3/4 cup dry sherry 3/4 cup ruby port 1 1/2 cup beef stock 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 bay leaf 1 pound of pasta Recipe Instructions Slowly heat 4 quart Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid. olive oil; heat, but do not burn. In hot oil, over high heat, brown beef cubes well, using a fourth at a time, or just enough to cover bottom of Dutch oven. Remove beef as it browns. Continue until beef is browned, adding more oil as needed. Return beef to Dutch oven. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons brandy just until vapor rises. Ignite, pour over beef. As flame dies, remove beef. Add 2 olive oil to Dutch Oven; heat slightly. Stud each onion...

First let me just say that this is a very rich dish not meant to be eaten in large portions. A wonderful lunch or dinner with a salad eating only a small serving size.  Eating rich dishes and staying thin is all about portion control and exercise.  It's important to me that I don't encourage anyone to over eat.  With that said let's get on to this wonderful bread pudding.  Until recently I only thought of bread pudding as a rich dessert that I occasionally indulged. One summer in New Hampshire I ordered a savory bread pudding and I was hooked.  I made my bread pudding with heirloom tomatoes that I picked fresh from my garden along with my fresh herbs. You can add different veggies to recipe. Experiment, have fun and enjoy a wonderfully richly flavorful dish. Savory Bread Pudding with Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Mozzarella 1(1pound) loaf crusty white bread 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 2 tablespoon fresh basil 1 tablespoon fresh...