Bruschetta

I love bruschetta, but can’t bring myself to order it in a restaurant because it is so easy and inexpensive to make at home. The first time I made this bruschetta for my boyfriend he said, “This is the best bruschetta I’ve eaten in my life… and I’ve eaten a lot of bruschetta!”. Guessipe Toss…

Fried Heirloom Tomato Salad

More fun with heirloom tomatoes! Hearty enough to fry into a tasty topper for a bed of arugula. Drizzled with a creamy balsamic dressing, this made for a salad so good that my boyfriend (who’s preference is pretty much an all-carb diet) chose it over gnocchi. Guessipe 1/4 cup parmesan 1/8 cup cornmeal 1/8 cup…

Heirloom Tomatoes with Cheese Crisps

It’s tomato season, and I got some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes! It didn’t take much to make them into a killer midday snack, which has me itching to go back to the store for more heirloom tomatoes. Guessipe heirloom tomato, sliced balsamic salt and pepper to taste romano or parmesan cheese, shredded Drizzle the tomato slices…

Peperonata

One day I was looking for something to do with some spare bell peppers, and I remembered having peperonata when I was in Italy. It’s a stewed bell pepper dish which often also includes onion, garlic, and tomatoes. All I happened to have on hand was bell peppers and red onion, but it still came…

Mozzarella and Crispy Salami Focaccia Sandwich

I was looking for more ways to use up that delish fresh mozzarella from my friend, and came up with this mozzarella and crispy salami focaccia sandwich that used up all kinds of leftovers from pizza night (including this Pizza Dough Focaccia). I see a lot of these sandwiches in my future. Guessipe focaccia olive…

Caprese

More hookups from my friend at the cheese company! This time he gifted me fresh mozzarella! Of course the first thing that popped into my mind was caprese – the combination of mozzarella, tomato, and basil dressed with olive oil, balsamic, and salt is so simple yet so scrumptious that it’s no wonder it’s on…

Caprese Sandwich

I am a meat lover, but when I’m looking at a sandwich menu there is one vegetarian option that always draws my attention and often wins out over its meaty brethren… the caprese sandwich. It’s fresh and zingy, but substantial enough that I feel completely sated when I’m done eating. When I realized I could…

Green Bean Salad

It’s summertime, when I like a cool veggie side, but want something more substantial than a leafy salad. This green bean salad fits the bill, with lots of crunch from the beans, the nuttiness of toasted almonds, and egg for more substance. The dressing completes this simple tangy dish. Great for bringing to a summer…

Tomato Salad

Good tomatoes don’t need much to become a bright and fresh summer salad. Tomato salad may be one of those salads that actually gets better over time, as the juices release from the tomatoes and all the flavors meld. The liquid that is leftover after you’ve eaten all the tomato is so good that I’ll…

Breakfast Toasts

I am torn about the fact that “Toasts” have become a thing in LA restaurants. On the one hand, I quite enjoy them. On the other hand, I think it’s absurd to pay $12-$15 for what really amounts to a dressed-up bit of something on a slice of bread, especially when that something is often…