I’ll be back tomorrow with the recipe . . . sorry, don’t mean to be a tease, but I am awfully tired.

The past week has been a blur of refrigerator repairmen, work, a quick turnaround freelance project and finding every spare minute to spend with Will. Though I always spend as much time with Will (not being in the same room, but really doing things with him), this week I happened upon one too many newspaper articles about tragedies that befell families including a horrific triple homicide home invasion here in Connecticut. My heart just aches when I read about stories like this.

Several years ago, before I was married or a mother and while I was still a reporter for Connecticut’s second largest newspaper, I routinely wrote about untimely deaths – the tragedies. Children gone too soon, families left to pick up the pieces . . . and I was there to speak with them about their loss. But my specialty was digging up histories of people (and companies, when the need struck). My friends would occasionally ask me how I could write about such terrible things and not have it affect me. Back then, the loss and the tragedy of the deaths never got to me. Sure, it was sad to hear about the promising lives left behind but I was detached from the lives I wrote about. The pain, loss and suffering that was the cornerstone of much of my newspaper career didn’t touch me . . . until it did.

I changed. My life changed. After getting married and having Will, I realized that I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t immerse myself in other people’s tragedies all day long and then go home to my sweet little son and wonderful husband and not let it affect me. I quit, but kept freelancing for the paper for another year or so. As a freelancer, I could write about new developments proposed before the Planning and Zoning Commission and school improvements, but I didn’t have to cover death and destruction any more.

I’ve since left the newspaper behind for good, instead taking on new challenges in new publication areas. But when I read about children who are hurt or worse, it takes me back in time to when I wrote enthusiastically about these topics without a second thought. Time, age and parenthood changes us all. In my case, it was like going from perpetual darkness into a life filled with light. I had never realized that my life was in darkness, until it wasn’t anymore.

What does any of this have to do with cooking? It doesn’t exactly. But in my life, I didn’t start this blog, writing about food or even regularly enjoying cooking until I came into the light, getting married, having Will and leaving behind all the tragedy.

These days, as much as I would love to avoid those stories, I can’t. I still have to have my fingertip on the goings on around me. But when I read them, they make me want to rush home and hug my son. Often, once the day is through, that is exactly what I do. It also reminds me to enjoy the moments we have, so I get down on the floor and play with him before whipping up dinner. On nights when it’s just the two of us, I also try to cook up things that he’ll love to eat.

This week, I cooked these tiny onions you see here with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Will and I feasted on them along with several other vegetarian selections. But other than that, I didn’t do too much cooking on account of the failing refrigerator (current status: tentatively running, but it’s been deemed unable to permanently repair. Just waiting on the repair company to tell the warranty company that . . . any day now . . . so that we can get a new one).

This afternoon, I have big plans with some onions and other delicious ingredients . . . until then, go hug your children, tell them you love them and put aside whatever else it is that you feel like you need to do this Sunday. Take a few moments to just enjoy their company.

Well folks, the fridge is acting funny again – the freezer is very much not frozen (thank goodness for the deep freezer in the basement) and the fridge is being temperamental. Let’s hope they can fix it (for good) when they come out on Wednesday. I mean really! This is just insane.

In the meantime, we are using the mini-fridge and the regular fridge because I am not confident the fridge will hold out. UGH. This just stinks!

When I saw these two posts on radishes over at Kalyn’s Kitchen, I was intrigued but not driven to make them. But over the next few days, this one called sauteed radishes with vinegar and herbs remained on my mind. And when I say it remained on my mind, I mean I was virtually obsessed with it. I had to have it. So I bought a bunch of radishes at the store and prepared to make it. As fate would have it, it took me another week to actually get it in the pan.

This morning, I decided I would quickly throw it together while Will napped to have with lunch. I made a few minor adjustments – using regular balsamic vinegar instead of golden balsamic, substituting extra light olive oil (since it’s cooked at such a high temperature, the good properties of extra virgin olive oil with be lost in the mix), and eliminating the herb finish. I just didn’t have any to use.

So how did it come out? Um, except for the five bits I saved for Will to try (since I think he will love it too), it didn’t make it to lunch. My one little bite (to try it out, of course) turned into two, which turned into almost the entire two-serving batch. This is a you-have-to-try-it dish.

But when I sat down to write this and started loading up the photos, which is always my first step to blogging, I got a little misty eyed. No, no, it’s not that the radishes were all gone! It’s that I realized this is a dish that my grandmother would have loved. She may have preferred simpler preparations to complex in her cooking, but she adored good food, good company and good conversation. Unfortunately, since she passed away when I was just 14, I never had the opportunity to cook for her.

I wonder what she would say if I could cook her some of my favorite dishes? If I could have just one more day with her, I would prepare an exquisite day of food at the house by the beach where we spent every summer. For breakfast, it would be broiled grapefruit with toast and some good, freshly ground coffee. For lunch, seared tuna with sesame-soy drizzle over sliced avocado and some fresh sweet corn. For dinner, we would have fresh, homemade bread, homemade manicotti, a tossed salad and these delicious sauteed balsamic radishes. And for dessert? My dark chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream. It would be a delicious day.

But really, if I could have just one more day, cooking wouldn’t be my total focus – although I would want to spoil her with my time-developed skills. The focus would be on making the most of every single moment – making sure that she could enjoy Will, her great grandson, talking incessantly about everything she has missed and everything I hope for the future, showing off the photos from my graduations, wedding, Will’s birth and my latest ultrasound photos. Essentially, I would try to cram 13 years into a day.

I can’t have this day of my dreams. But maybe, someday, in some other dimension I will be able to. Who knows?

For now, I have my memories to share with my children, and old photos to help me go back in time, if only for a minute. And I have my cooking . . . to create new memories with my living family so that one day they can look back fondly too.

About Radishes:
Radishes are a root plant with edible leaves (you can wash them and use them in salads if they are extra fresh). Although raw radishes have a pepper-y flavor, the intensity is greatly calmed when you saute them a bit. In terms of nutrition, radishes are low in calories (only two calories per radish) but rich in potassium (47.6 mg of potassium per radish, which is 1 percent of your daily intake. So if you eat 10, then you have 10 percent of your daily intake.) and even richer in vitamin C (8 percent of your daily intake per radish - wow!).

Balsamic Sauteed Radishes
serves 2 (adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

1 tbsp extra light olive oil
1 bunch red radishes, ends trimmed and quartered lengthwise
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the radishes and balsamic vinegar. Cover with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Cook radishes, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes. The radishes are done when they are browned and slightly softened (they could still be a bit crisp too).

Remove from heat and serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of sea salt.

A lot can be said about the power of suggestion. It’s amazing how an iota of innuendo can lead to big things. And it’s amazing how, for a pregnant woman, the power of suggestion can lead to an necessary but delicious dessert.

Last night, I was innocently sitting here in my home office working when a good (pregnant) friend of mine came on and inquired what sort of chocolate concoction she should buy or make. I instantly thought of the delicious Happy Hippos that Virtual Frolic gave me. Okay, truth be told, I was already salivating about them . . . but that is besides the point. Anyway, somehow that whole train of thought and description led into me suggesting a Nutella and banana sandwich on toasted bread.

No, I have absolutely no clue where the connection came from (other than the Happy Hippo filling being somewhat like Nutella). In any case, it was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. It was so chocolate and banana-y.

Mmmm.

There is no recipe for this one. Just toast two slices of bread, spread generously with Nutella on one side of each slice, layer with banana slices and put together. Cut it all in half and enjoy.

Now see how easy (and tasty) that was?!?

Growing up, meals were pretty simple.

My grandmother favored menus with fewer ingredients and less fuss. Pork chops cooked in sauerkraut, or bratwurst, knackwurst or any wurst for that matter, were favorites. Sometimes we’d have lamb chops or a simple beef stroganoff (did I spell that right?).

But if were really lucky, she would spend hours in the kitchen making her wonderful tomato sauce with ground beef and sausage. Yum. That was her go-to dish for special occasions and everyone loved it. (Her lasagna and sausage and peppers were tasty as well.)

And woe was thee to anyone who didn’t just rave over the dish de resistance! Oh, I can still remember the dagger eyes that shot the poor soul who dared to exclaim, “This is really good. You know who makes the best marinara sauce? My brother …” Or something to that effect.

My mother on the other hand favored a different kind of simple – it came in a box and mixed with ground beef. And that is all I am going to say about that.

Anyway, there was definitely a comfort zone – however different for each – that my grandmother and mother would stay in while cooking. These are the foods that I now consider to be “typical” American dinner items – corn, green beans, peas, pasta, etc.

But me? I knew there was a whole world of great foods out there just waiting to be tasted. And I couldn’t wait to try them all. When I got to college in New York, I began sampling all sorts of foods that were exotic to me – fresh mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, couscous, Japanese dishes, Korean food, Ethiopian . . . and eventually, sushi.

Strangely, while I was willing to take leaps with foods I ate, I took baby steps with foods I cooked. Talk about comfort zoning! My staples were stir fry, pasta (in a variety of flavors, really), and . . . toast. No kidding. But over the past few years, those baby steps have turned into leaps and bounds though. Chard, bok choy, kalamata olives and a whole wealth of other things have wound their way into my cooking.

Now the truth? Will isn’t too fond of typical veggies like green beans, peas and carrots. But give him a ton of Brussels sprouts, a pile of chard or a head of broccoli (which is admittedly fairly typical) and he’ll go to town. He’s more likely to munch on a spear of asparagus than a French fry. And believe me, I am not complaining.

The funny thing is, at least to me, this dish, which I am submitting for Presto Pasta Night hosted by Ruth at Once Upon A Kitchen, is somewhat of a stir fry at heart . . . You can take the girl out of the comfort zone, but you can’t take the comfort out of the girl. Or something like that.

Actually, I am not sure I have a comfort zone anymore. I try everything. And the more fearsome, the better. I can’t tell you how nervous I was about strawberry jam before I made it. And guess what? It’s as simple as you can get!

The pasta portion of this dish is a rice noodle – mai fun – which is like an angel hair. Be sure to soak it in cold water to soften before you cook though (as noted). Otherwise it probably won’t cook through in time. And don’t be intimidated by the number of steps. Everything moves quickly.

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra light olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely diced
4 cups mixed veggies (I used chard, sundried tomatoes, carrots and snowpeas)
2 tsp barbecue seasoning
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup cold water
1 package (about 6.5 oz) mai fun noodles, soaked in cold water for at least 45 minutes and drained well
1/2 lb stir fry beef, just browned (but still red on the inside and perhaps a bit of the outside)

Gather all your ingredients and have them ready to go. This is a quick moving recipe.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Heat your big ol’ wok over high heat for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir in the onion. Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. You want them to be just starting to turn translucent but not cooked through – they have plenty of time to finish cooking through when the other ingredients are cooking.

Stir in the other tablespoon of olive oil along with the vegetables. Cook, tossing or stirring often, for another 3-4 minutes (if using a leafy green like chard, then look for that to just start to wilt). Sprinkle with the barbecue seasoning (it’s a dry spice located in the spice aisle of your grocer). Stir well for about 1 minute.

Now, get that reserved soy sauce mixture and stir again to ensure everything is mixed well. Pour into the wok and stir with the veggies. Add the vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat. It won’t take too long. Trust me.

Next step: get those well drained mai fun rice noodles and stir them into the wok. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. You want them to be softened and just tender enough to eat. There should still be plenty of liquid in the wok too.

Alright, you are almost there.

Take that just browned stir fry beef you’ve been dying to use and stir it into the wok. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been completely absorbed.

Serve immediately.

I started this post several weeks ago before going on vacation. Unfortunately, time constraints forced me to set it aside. And now, after careful thought, I have decided not to give you a recipe to go along with it. At least not yet.

But making jam? Not that hard. Canning? Not that hard. And the taste . . . oh the taste. It’s sweet and deep and rich in a way that even the fanciest store-bought jams can’t match. I can’t believe I never did this before. I’ve been missing out on a whole fireworks-laden sensation of eating.

See, I was a jam-making and canning virgin before a few weeks ago. And I was scared of these new things. So I read and read and read about it before actually doing anything. And I was worried that I wouldn’t be successful. The worry was for naught. Not only was the jam-making and canning easy, but it was fun. And it’s definitely something that will be repeated again and again and again. I can’t wait for blueberry and raspberry seasons here in the Northeast. I have big canning plans.

But even though it was easy and the directions from Preserving Memories were a piece of cake, I feel like I am still perfecting the whole process. For instance, my jam takes about 10 minutes longer than the directions say it should to reach a state of jelling. It still comes out great, but I want to figure out why. Is it the pan I am using? My technique? Something I am misreading? Whatever the case, I want to be sure before I pass along the word of how to do it.

Coincidentally, I have since also made and canned black raspberry jam which is out of this world. I spent much of my vacation pilfering berries from my neighbor’s bushes. And I have since discovered that there are more convenient sources for the wild berries. Mmmm.

But if you want to start canning too, I suggest picking up a large, sturdy pot, some jelly jars, a good pair of nonslip tongs and a copy of Preserving Memories. It’s definitely worth the effort.

Late last night, on a special call out to our house, the repairmen from J&R Appliance in New Milford fixed my refrigerator. It was an ordeal – with a store that made promises they wouldn’t keep and a repair contract company who made mistake after mistake. But in the end, it was J&R who came through for us. I couldn’t thank them enough when they were leaving.

As great as J&R was to get this taken care of so that we didn’t have to wait until last week, a friend was also really great today. In the midst of the calls, I had a crying breakdown (ugh, pregnancy hormones!) and Cate was so awesome to talk me through it and offer some really fantastic suggestions on how to get this whole mess solved. And it was one of her suggestions that did the trick.

Thanks Cate!!!

So, now the kitchen is up and running again. I can’t wait to start posting regular recipes again!!!

I am a Romano girl. Always have been, always will be. There is almost always a big chunk of Romano from Costco in my fridge, at the ready to be grated, sliced or chopped. Why do I love it? It’s like biting into certainty. That sharp, decisive taste adds dimension to many dishes in my kitchen. But lately, I have been craving something a little more subtle, a little lighter. Parmesan fits the bill in that respect. So, for a little while at least, my chunk of Romano will be substituted with a hunk of Parmesan. Hey, variety is good.

Last night it was just Will and I for dinner. I wanted to cook something and perhaps use the lone tomato I had laying about. But what to do with a perfectly ripened tomato?

I had to stop at the grocery store anyway for milk, so I picked up another lovely red tomato, a chunk of Parmesan, a ball of fresh mozzarella and some chicken prosciutto tortellini. Can you guess what I decided to make?

Pasta Fresca is a favorite of mine, and Will’s as well. We use basil straight from the garden. This is a lighter version than the one I have previously written about here . . . unless you use scrumptious tortellini like I did (more calories than a whole wheat or regular pasta).

Lighter Pasta Fresca
serves 2

1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes
8 leaves basil, chopped
salt
pepper
2 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 servings pasta, cooking while sauce is cooking
2 tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated

Heat olive oil in small frying pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute.

Stir in diced tomatoes and cover, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Stir in basil, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Add mozzarella cubes and stir, quickly removing from heat and turning on to the pasta.

Mix pasta and sauce well. Plate it and garnish with Parmesan.
________________________
This post is for Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast. It’s my first time participating in this fun weekly event.

Well, we are still struggling without a fridge here in my Cucina Bella. It’s certainly not easy. Meals are a challenge since everything has to be bought in the quantity to eat, no leftovers. Plus we are buying a new container of milk (and spending a fortune on smaller containers) because we can’t fit the gallon in the tiny mini-fridge. It’s almost worse than just not having power at all, since all the other appliances are just teases now . . .

We did request a loaner, seeing as we have one of those extended warranty thingys and are facing quite a bit of hardship thanks to this new fridge conking out. My husband was laughed at. Great. Wonderful customer service, right? But more on that another time.

So my question to you is, what dinner would you make that would use only enough ingredients to serve 3 without any leftovers?