Today is a special day. It’s Sarah’s Cucina Bella’s birthday!

It was four years ago today that I sat down at my computer, opened a Blogger account and started writing Cucina Bella. Back then, I didn’t think much about how long I would be writing this blog for. Perhaps it would be weeks, perhaps months–but I never imagined that it would be four virtually nonstop years. And now, I can’t imagine stopping.

That first day, I agonized. First, it was over what to name my space. I wanted to find just the right name, something that fit me and my style, my personality and my cooking. Finally, I decided on Cucina Bella … it sounded rustic, but trustworthy. And, since my kitchen was the first space in our house that we completed, it seemed perfect.

Then there was the matter of the first post. It was one of the most frightening writing experiences ever. I’ve always been a bit of a worrier, playing out thousands of scenarios in my head before anything even happens. This was so different. My thoughts were just on fire. What if I did it wrong? What if I made an error? What if it was just awful?? I wrote and rewrote, hesitating at every word. Was it enough? Was it right? Was I proud of it? But the worst was the actual hitting of the publish button. After years in the publishing industry, I was used to having layers of editors and paginators between me and the published word … but with blogging, there are no layers. There is just you. And to me, that was scary.

I didn’t even tell anyone I was blogging for at least a month … and then it was literally years before my family found out and started to read it. I think I really wanted to find my footing in this really uncertain world. And I did.

So much has changed since those first entries. My infant son, who was just a few months old, is now a four-year-old boy. I landed an amazing publishing job, had a daughter and decided to go back to freelancing. I’ve landed other fabulous jobs since then.

And on a grander scale, food blogging has changed a lot since 2005. Back then, there were far less food blogs out there. It was a smaller community, where many people knew each other. These days, there are just too many to know every food blogger. I am constantly discovering great new ones. Aren’t you?

Oh, four years. Thank you all for reading! I hope you keep coming back for many years to come.

After the jump, check out my recipe for Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Mash–perfect for any night of the week and totally kid-friendly.

Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Mash
serves 4

This acorn squash is sweet and rich. Best of all, it’s super easy. My son eats as much as he can get out of the shell — so that’s a testament to how kid-friendly this is. Serve it in the squash shell, and it looks pretty impressive too.

2 acorn squash
4 pats of butter, divided
4 tsp maple syrup, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside. Place the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the squash over. Place 1 pat of butter and 1 tsp of maple syrup in each hollow. Return to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the tops are lightly browned.

Remove the squash from the oven. Use a fork to scrape the flesh from the shell gently. Mash together with the liquid in the center. Serve inside the shell.

Remember recently when I told you about the fabulous Eggplant Parmesan that I made using Maris’ awesome (and healthier!) recipe. It was so good that I bought more eggplant at the farmers market. I also picked up some green tomatoes to try out an idea I have for a healthier fried green tomato recipe.

Unfortunately, it was an unbelievably busy week (I was working on a big project, which went live today) and before I knew it, my lovely green heirlooms were ripening. Yea, whoops. So I had to get creative. Using the method from my Slow-Roasted Plum Tomatoes, I drew out the sweetness in the tomatoes in the oven. Then I used the method for roasting the eggplant from Maris’ recipe to roast lovely eggplant.

Roasted veggies … yum. I could have easily tossed them with pasta and a spritz of lemon and called it a day. And that would have been absolutely delish. But no, I wanted bigger, better … I wanted pie.

Fortunately, I always keep frozen pie crusts around just in case (what, doesn’t everyone?). My fav is the Oronoque Deep Dish crust. It works equally well for sweet apple pies as it does for savory pies like this one.

So, back to the dish at hand … Into a deep pie crust went a thick layer of ricotta, followed by eggplant, tomato and mozzarella … and another layer of eggplant, tomatoes and cheese for posterity.

Seriously, how can you go wrong with that combination? The result was a satisfying dish that my kids loved — they scarfed down bite after bite. And as an added bonus, it reheats really well.

What would you have done with the eggplant and tomatoes?

Psst! Did you notice that live links are now showing up in pink? Hopefully that modification will make viewing and clicking a little easier here. Special thanks to Maddie from Better in Pink for making it happen.

Tomato and Eggplant Pie
serves 6

1 deep dish frozen pie shell
1 cup ricotta
1 large egg
1/2 grated Romano cheese
1 batch roasted tomatoes (click here for the recipe)
1 lb eggplant, roasted (use the method in this recipe)
3/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the frozen pie shell (in its tin) on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the ricotta, egg and Romano until smooth. Spread into the pie shell, making one even layer.

Layer one-half of the tomatoes on top of the ricotta mixture. Then, top with one-half of the eggplant slices (you may have to overlap them slightly). Top with 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, eggplant and 1/2 cup of cheese, reserving one tomato slice for the top of the pie.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit five to 10 minutes before slicing. Use a really sharp knife to cut into six even slices.

Oh, dear roasted tomatoes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways …

I could wax poetic about these slow roasted plum tomatoes for hours on end. They are sweet and tender, soft and perfect. And, yes, I ate the whole batch myself. In a day. They were just that good.

Tomatoes are part and parcel with summer. They scream of cool salads on hot summer evenings and sweet bites to snack on. But this summer wasn’t prolific with the ‘natos here. Late blight robbed Connecticut of most of the tomato crop. It wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that I finally spotted boxes of tomatoes. So, the first time I spotted plum tomatoes, I bought a bunch and rushed home to slow roast them.

Oh, were they fantastic. So fantastic that I bought more plum tomatoes in New Jersey and made them again.

You start with bright, brilliant, fresh tomatoes, sliced thinly and layered on a baking sheet. I let mine overlap slightly so I can fit the maximum amount on the tray.

Then they cook slowly, at a low temperature, shrinking as the juices evaporate. If you are lucky, some firm up like sun-dried tomatoes with really concentrated sweetness. Those ones I like to swipe from the tray before they can even get to the fridge. But once in the fridge, they get that little extra boost from the drizzle of balsamic vinegar … oh, it’s fab.

Here’s to hoping there are some sundried tomatoes at the farmers’ market this weekend …

Slow Roasted Plum Tomatoes

6-8 plum tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
dried basil
dried oregano
balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (alternately, spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray).

Slice the tomatoes 1/4 inch thick and place on the baking sheet in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with olive oil (go light!). Then sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Cook for 2 1/2- 3 hours until the tomatoes are shrunken and darker in color.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, transfer to a storage container and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar (seriously, I do mean a little). Close the container and shake lightly. Store in the refrigerator.

NOTE: These tomatoes have many uses. Eat them alone. Put them on crackers with a sliver of cheese (think Romano or asiago). Chop them and add to pasta. Spread pesto on bread and lay a tomato and fresh mozzarella on top.

It’s hard to believe that summer vacation is past tense and summer, the season, is soon coming to a close. I had really high hopes for this summer. There were thoughts of visiting lesser known museums and parks around Connecticut, spending lots of time on the shoreline and a daytrip to Mystic (for Will to see the boats and me to eat lobster rolls). I wanted to create a summer to-do list of things to see, eat and do … but none of that happened.

Summer got off to a slow start though, with car troubles and job troubles. But we rebounded and made the most of the time we had. It was wonderful to go camping (Will’s favorite memory from that: Roasting marshmallows – me too!). While we didn’t spend as much time beaching it as I would have liked, we did have a few glorious beach days. Sometimes, quality is better than quantity. There were weekends dotted with berry picking and farmers markets. Afternoons on the swings and running around the yard. Gardening. It was a relaxing summer overall, and I am happy with all the great things we did. For the uber-do-it-all summer, there is always next year.

One thing that was languishing on the mental list though was eggplant parmesan. It’s been years – YEARS – since I last had it. In fact, I remember clearly the (pretty much only) two times I ate it. The second time, my mother tried to pass it off as chicken parm, but the eggplant had big, noticeable seeds. I was horrified and swore it off.

But I have become more open to retrying things in recent years. Last year, I gave eggplant another shot and found that I sort-of liked it. This year, I wanted to do better.

So, when I saw the recipe for eggplant parmesan on In Good Taste, a delicious food blog written by my friend Maris, I had to make it. The eggplant is baked instead of fried, but it still has a hearty layer of breadcrumbs (minus the egg and oil!). I was concerned that the cheese in the recipe wouldn’t be enough for me, but it was the perfect amount. In fact, Will and Paige both gobbled up big portions.

It does take a little while to make, but you could easily prep the eggplant ahead of time. Serve it up with a big green salad (I’d suggest my basil vinaigrette to dress it!) and some buttery garlic bread. It’s perfect comfort for the end of a cold day (and geesh, is today cold here in New England, or what??).

Click here to head over to In Good Taste for the recipe. You won’t be disappointed.

It all started with the cabbage I’ve been growing. It was taunting me and I knew it was time to finally — finally — use it. Then the beets in the back of my fridge gave me a nudge. Before I knew it, I was writing a list of ingredients and trying to figure out how much dressing I would really need.

The result was the salad you see above. It’s light and refreshing, unexpected but delicious. The raw beets add a nice punch of color, flavor and snap. The vinaigrette is neither too acidic nor too meek. It adds just the right balance to the other flavors.

When I made this, it was to share. I intended it for our camping trip, another family’s camping trip and my newest neighbor. The recipe made plenty, and since it wasn’t a mayo-based dressing, this slaw stood up better to the challenges of chilling in a cooler. It remained crisp and perfect. I imagine this would be great for a backyard barbecue too (Labor Day is coming!).

Perhaps the greatest endorsement though? I gave Will and Paige each a taste before packing up our portion of the slaw. Paige stood next to me, chewing and then opening her mouth to demand more on repeat until I finally laughed and said we really needed to go. She just couldn’t get enough.

Vinaigrette Beet Slaw
serves 12

1 large green cabbage (10-12 inches in diameter)
1 small red cabbage (4-6 inches in diameter)
1 lb beets, scrubbed, peeled and ends removed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used purple basil, but regular basil works just as well)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt

Special equipment: Full size food processor

Using a large, full-size food processor, shred the cabbages and beets. Transfer to a very large bowl (you need room to stir) and use a large spoon to mix the cabbages and beets together.

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, parsley, basil, garlic and salt. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir well. Then transfer to airtight containers until ready to serve (be sure to evenly distribute the juices at the bottom of the bowl between the storage containers. Chill.

Stir well before serving.

Sometimes, I wish I could slow time down just a little bit. This month is flying by at warp speed and I just want to stop it for a little bit so that I can sit back and enjoy May. But time has other ideas, and we are just along for the ride.  Pretty soon, school will let out and it will be summer vacay for kids everywhere (Psst! Check out my guest post at Momversation on keeping kids of all ages occupied this summer).

Summer is a lovely time. It really is almost like everything slows down ever so slightly. We find ourselves outside more, basking in the sunlight and tending to the property. Weekends are spent strolling through farmer’s markets and picking strawberries and blueberries at pick-your-own farms. There are lazy days by the pool or on the beach and strolls near dusk.

And there are vegetables — many, many fresh, delicious vegetables.

We are still about a month away from the first harvest here in New England, but once we get there, this will be a perfect pasta to make from farmer’s market finds.

I’m the first to admit that I went through a phase where all I wrote about on this blog was pasta. Recognizing that it was a bit too much, I made a conscious decision to work on non-pasta recipes. That was probably two years ago or so … maybe even three.

So these days, if I write about pasta, you know it’s because it’s a pasta that I really, really love. That is totally the case with this pasta. Loaded with veggies, this one is a delicate, light, ever so slightly sweet (in that delectable, almost caramelized, way) dish. Serve this up with a tossed salad and some crusty bread. Then devour.

That’s exactly what the kids did tonight. Devoured.

Two Pepper Pasta
serves 4

Keep the vegetables cut pretty small for this so that they cook quickly and break down enough to coat the pasta.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, in a 1/4 in or less dice
1 red pepper, in a 1/4 in or less dice
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced – white and light green parts only
1 cup parsley
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper
1/2 lb pasta
1/2 cup grated Romano, plus extra for sprinkling

In a 12 inch skillet (a deep one), warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the green and red peppers, red onion and scallions. Stir briefly and then cover. Let cook 10 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, combine the parsley, garlic and white wine in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour this combination over the vegetables and lower the burner heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cook the pasta while you are simmering the sauce. When both are done, toss the veggies, the pasta and 1/2 cup of the Romano together. Sprinkle the top with a little grated Romano and serve.

When I picked up Will from school today, one of the other moms asked me about my writing. She’d noticed my email signature, which indicates that I am a writer and editor and a few of the sites that I regularly write for. The question caught me totally off guard — but in a good way.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. While other kids would pretend to be doctors or policemen, I used an old dressing table in my room to pretend that I was writing a novel or filing an important news story on deadline. It was just my thing.

Writing is very much a part of who I am. Someone on a message board recently remarked about how a profession can’t define you … I totally disagree when it comes to the arts. When you are a writer, an artist, a singer, musician or performer, it’s very much ingrained in who you are.

Since writing is such a big part of me, I am not used to people asking about it from such a ground level. It made me smile to talk — if only for a few seconds — about how I came to be a writer and what I write about.

What I failed to mention when I was speaking with her though was another important part of my job: creating new recipes. I love the art of creating. I love pulling together flavors that just work well together and using them in new and different ways.

One combination that I love is artichokes and lemon — particularly when we are talking about fresh lemon. After Cate confessed how she often uses bottled lemon juice, I started paying more attention to what I use and have found that the taste of lemon juice and zest are far superior than the bottle. Color me a total convert.

As for the roasted vegetables, I absolutely love roasting veggies and tossing them in pasta. Pretty much everything is better roasted. It really brings out the flavors in the veggies … so, when I read about a pasta that Patsy at Friends, Family and Food made with roasted tomatoes and asparagus, I had to make something similar for dinner.

The result? A slightly tangy, rich, light and fresh tortellini pasta … Mmmmmm.

Roasted Vegetables and Lemon Tortellini
serves 2

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup broccoli florets
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Romano cheese
cheese tortellini
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a large jelly roll pan with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread the tomatoes, artichoke hearts and broccoli on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 12 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the vegetables with the Romano cheese. Place it back in the oven and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, cook up enough tortellini for two people — I used about a half a package.

Zest the lemon and juice the halves.

Toss together the tortellini, roasted vegetables, lemon zest and two tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Of course, the commitment has changed things a bit in my kitchen. While I seemed to cook with a “better with bacon” philosophy last year (and still have some bacon grease in the freezer to prove it), this year, I am turning to healthier oils and fats. As a result I am rediscovering the joys (and health benefits) of trading oils for spray oils. You use less. (TIP: buy an oil mister and put canola oil in it for a cost-cutting spray. Be sure to label it if you use one for olive oil as well.)

Unfortunately, some of my very favorite recipes are not waist friendly (like my mouthwatering Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots. Mmmmm). However, Brussels sprouts are still very good for you, and I do love them, so I couldn’t possibility give them up entirely. The solution: a healthier, flavor-packed recipe that uses a quick cooking method and delivers excellent results. This is it for Brussels sprouts.

When I served these at a recent dinner, they were polished off in no time (in fact, a few adults, ahem, made sure that no scraps from the kids went to waste either. They are that good).

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Vinaigrette
serves 4-6

cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into 1/2 inch disks
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add Brussels sprouts. Salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the sprouts are softened and most are browned. Remove from heat, pour sprouts into a large bowl and set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced garlic. Cook, stirring and tossing for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and softened — don’t let it brown, or the garlic will become bitter. Immediately remove from heat and spoon garlic into a small bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk together until emulsified.

Pour the vinaigrette over the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary to achieve desired seasoning.

Serve hot, warm or cold … they’re delicious no matter what the temperature is.

Devour.

Where have I been? There are halls to be decked (check! just need to get the tree), cards to be sent (tomorrow, I promise!) and presents to be wrapped (ahhh, soon?). But meanwhile it’s mid-December and I am swamped. I’ve been baking cookies left and right. My office is buried under press releases, press kits and samples for The Voice of Mom. I am writing about town politics for a newspaper again. Then there are the columns and blogs …

Admittedly, it’s a lot. But as my friends always remark, I thrive under pressure.

Today, I wanted to share something that is very heart healthy, and tasty too. It’s a vegetarian dish that combines some very good-for-you ingredients with a very filling, hearty result. Now, don’t get me wrong. Brown rice? I barely touch the stuff. I hate how it’s always just a little chewy, like it might be undercooked or something. But I am slowly coming around to accept the important, fibrous grain. It is healthy and I want to be healthy. Yes, so I will just accept that it’s good for the digestive track.

But if I am going to eat the stuff, it’s got to taste good. In fact, it’s got to be delicious.

This recipe delivers. In fact, it is absolutely delicious. Since there aren’t any hot peppers or chile powder, it’s very kid friendly (but it still has a wealth of flavor). Sprinkle it with a little cheddar for a bit of dairy and the kids eat it up literally and figuratively.

Savory Black Beans and Rice
serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion (about 3 inches in diameter), chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes, until onions are softened and just beginning to caramelize. Add lime juice and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir to combine.

Add the tomatoes (with juices) and the black beans. Let cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.

These carrots made their first appearance on Thanksgiving (yes, I broke the no new recipes rule, but this was was pretty simple). I had accidentally planned a bacon-licious menu of some of our favorite dishes (I swear, it wasn’t planned … ), and then realized that we needed something that wouldn’t add to clogged arteries.

As it turns out, my tossed together carrot dish, which bakes in the oven to develop the sweetness of the carrots, was a huge hit with children and adults alike.

Roasted Herbed Carrots
serves 8

4 cups sliced carrots, cut on a diagonal
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp fresh marjoram, loosely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large, deep oven-safe dish, combine all ingredients.

Cover and cook for one hour.

Devour.