I went grocery shopping for the first time in forever the other day and I just went nuts.  I was in one of those – ‘well I haven’t been here in a while – I might as well go big’ kinda moods.  Let’s just say that my fridge is stocked with way too many overpriced imported French cheeses, among other yummy treasures.  For the first time – I also went up to the seafood counter and picked up some fresh calamari!  Turned out really well – this will not be …

This chicken recipe is a blend of so many different flavors that all come together perfectly. I would be lying if I said that I made this chicken on purpose… the only parts of this that were in the original plan are the chicken cutlets and the peppers. Everything else – including the cashews was purely ad hoc…. and it turned out super well. Plus it looks pretty damn fancy if I do say so myself – so feel free to make it for someone you’re trying to impress.

For some reason this year I’m already in the holiday spirit and it’s not even Thanksgiving time yet! I’m just counting down the days until I can throw my Christmas tree up! Today I even made my Christmas card list! Anyway – the point is – I’m already craving the turkey and cranberry sauce and roasted veggies…. mmm! Since my craving is a biiiit premature I decided to create something that isn’t exactly turkey dinner – but it sure hits the spot. And to give it a twist, I substituted crust for gnocchi!

Gnocchi was always a bit of a mystery to me. I ordered it in restaurants and just stared at it like some great culinary feat that I was too intimidated to try. Never before had I Googled some thing so seemingly simple (directions = BOIL) and gotten so many different results. I gave up after a few lunchtime Google sessions…. until a few weeks ago.
I was browsing through the grocery aisles talking to my best friend on the phone when I came face to face with a …

This week I’ve teamed up with my friends Max and Eli Sussman at Freshman in the Kitchen to try one of the recipes from their new book, “Freshman In the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef.” (Click the picture to order your own copy!) The three of us are all passionate about getting the Millennial Generation to delete Pizza Hut from speed dial and get into the kitchen!
They recently sent me their recipe for Salmon and Goat Cheese Napoleon – a dish that they actually prepared on The Today show earlier …