Viva la Italia

11/27/11 12:49 PM

What is the one thing Italy is most famous for? If any of you said pickpocketing, technically you are right, but no! Italy is most famous for its delicious food, the dishes that keep you wanting more. Lasagna, bruschetta, spaghetti, penne al vodka, fettuccine alfredo, pollo alla cacciatore, ossobuco, antipasti: even the names sound mouthwatering. Italian food is by far my most favorite thing to both eat and cook. There are so many variations you can make with these dishes, and in the end, one of the main parts to preparing these meals include boiling pasta. Not that difficult, I have to say. The richness of the food is delectable as you taste the basil and the parsley, the oregano and the salt, the garlic tomatoes and the melted mozzarella. I frequent Italian restaurants, much... 0 comment

Give the gift of food

11/22/11 22:39 PM

As the holiday season approaches and Black Friday beckons us with its enormous sales, I tend to reach in my pocket half-heartedly, knowing I’ll be a bit short this year. Christmas is my holiday, simply put, and as a broke college student hurting financially after all the bills are paid, it really does depress the mood when you realize the obvious. Either my friends are getting a lot of cheap stuff, or only a select few of my friends are actually getting presents they will want or use. And once again, as this is a cooking column, I turn to cooking to solve my financial problems. What better way than to give the gift of food this year? We’re broke, we’re usually lazy and we’re hungry—what college student wouldn’t love to have food given to them for...

Holy crockpot!

11/17/11 20:54 PM

As winter break draws near and the temperature actually goes below 70, I find myself looking for a more filling dinner. My taste buds begin to crave my mom’s chili, or my dad’s homemade chicken noodle soup. Though the winter season in Florida is certainly not as chilly as the snow in the North, I’ve grown accustomed to this weather and even the slightest drop in temperature causes me to reach for my winter jacket—and my crockpot. Every winter I break out my winter-esque recipes and relish in the thick and hearty dishes that will keep me full for the rest of the week. I’ve found that the easiest way to create a filling meal to provide leftovers for the next month is to cook it all in a crockpot. The crockpot is one of my favorite cooking appliances....

Give grandma some sugar

11/07/11 20:33 PM

It’s times when I’m the kitchen making homemade sugar cookies that I start to reminisce about the past, specifically my grandmother. It was a tradition whenever my brother and I visited my mom’s mother in North Carolina. Of course, the whole time James and I would sneak handfuls for ourselves to eat while rolling and cutting out dough for hours. I’ve always thought my grandmother, Carolyn Matthews, was synonymous with desserts. The kind of desserts where you walk into her house and you can smell the delicious goodies just waiting for you. The sweets that you know you shouldn’t have, but you end up eating anyways until you come back home with 10 extra pounds. And then there’s my dad’s mother, Ms. Barbara Pittman, who is infamous for her...