Do you ever come home from a long day at work and not know exaaaactly what to cook but you know that you want something that tastes somewhere between white truffle macaroni & cheese and basmati rice?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Alright – so maybe that’s a unique craving… but in any case – this recipe really hits the spot and is a perfect side to almost any dish.  It’s so flavorful that I’ve made it as a meal by itself on many occasions.

2 tablespoons EVOO (or just a big drizzle)
1 cup dry orzo
1.5 – 2 cups low …

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 fruity pear tart has layers of flavors that all come together beautifully to create a pastry that’s not overpoweringly sweet, but definitely hits the spot!

On the drive home from work last night, I remembered that I had a container of raspberries that I bought this weekend and still hadn’t used up!! I haven’t baked in a month or two – and thought I’d get back into it to bring something yummy into work today for my team. We moved into a new cube neighborhood yesterday and thought it would be nice for a “cube warming.” I ran to Publix and picked up some dough and some mascarpone cheese and got to …

The other day there was a seafood sale at the grocery store, buy one large bag of shrimp or tilapia and get another large bag for free! Needless to say, my freezer looks like a sad scene from The Little Mermaid. Last night I really really didn’t want to go to the grocery store. It was raining and I was tired, but I had almost nothing in my fridge. Literally – chocolate for breakfast and cheese and crackers for lunch. *blush*
Then I decided to stop whining, …