Here’s one of the best loved recipes on the site—tomato pie! Perfect at the peak of summer tomato season. One of the great things about going on vacation is I get to hang out with my friends, and sometimes meet their friends, who sometimes have OMG-this-is-so-GOOD dishes that they bring over. This tomato pie recipe is a result of one of these encounters. The first time I heard of it (“tomato pie”, hmm, oooookaaaay) my brain suffered a little cognitive dissonance (never heard those two words, tomato and pie, joined at the hip like that before). Seconds after taking a bite however, I was begging for the recipe. It’s a savory pie, not sweet, filled with fresh garden tomatoes, sprinkled with basil, and held together with a mixture of mayonnaise and shredded cheese. The egg in the mayo acts as a binder to help hold the filling in place. Many thanks to Diane Connolly (aka Lady Di) who graciously wrote it out on some post-it notes for me at the dinner table. It is the first thing I cooked wh

Here’s one of the best loved recipes on the site—tomato pie! Perfect at the peak of summer tomato season. One of the great things about going on vacation is I get to hang out with my friends, and sometimes meet their friends, who sometimes have OMG-this-is-so-GOOD dishes that they bring over. This tomato pie recipe is a result of one of these encounters. The first time I heard of it (“tomato pie”, hmm, oooookaaaay) my brain suffered a little cognitive dissonance (never heard those two words, tomato and pie, joined at the hip like that before). Seconds after taking a bite however, I was begging for the recipe. It’s a savory pie, not sweet, filled with fresh garden tomatoes, sprinkled with basil, and held together with a mixture of mayonnaise and shredded cheese. The egg in the mayo acts as a binder to help hold the filling in place. Many thanks to Diane Connolly (aka Lady Di) who graciously wrote it out on some post-it notes for me at the dinner table. It is the first thing I cooked wh

What is one sign of a good taqueria? The salsa, of course! Or I should use the plural and say “salsa-s”. Any decent Mexican dining establishment north of the border, whether a taco truck or full on restaurant will offer a variety of salsas to its patrons—tomatillo salsa verde, red chili salsa, and my favorite, a fresh tomato salsa otherwise knows as Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca. It’s easy to make, you just need chopped up fresh tomatoes, chiles, onions, cilantro, some lime juice, and seasonings. Use it as a dip for tortilla chips or serve it with tostadas, tacos, or my favorite, alongside steak and pinto beans. Because this particular salsa is made with fresh ingredients, it will last as long as you would expect cut fresh tomatoes to last. It’s best eaten right after you make it, chilled it should last about 5 days or so. When using fresh chile peppers always taste first before adding! Some peppers are hotter than others and you really can’t tell unless you taste them. Just tak

What is one sign of a good taqueria? The salsa, of course! Or I should use the plural and say “salsa-s”. Any decent Mexican dining establishment north of the border, whether a taco truck or full on restaurant will offer a variety of salsas to its patrons—tomatillo salsa verde, red chili salsa, and my favorite, a fresh tomato salsa otherwise knows as Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca. It’s easy to make, you just need chopped up fresh tomatoes, chiles, onions, cilantro, some lime juice, and seasonings. Use it as a dip for tortilla chips or serve it with tostadas, tacos, or my favorite, alongside steak and pinto beans. Because this particular salsa is made with fresh ingredients, it will last as long as you would expect cut fresh tomatoes to last. It’s best eaten right after you make it, chilled it should last about 5 days or so. When using fresh chile peppers always taste first before adding! Some peppers are hotter than others and you really can’t tell unless you taste them. Just tak

September always catches me unawares. It seems that one day we are wilting in the heat while neighborhood kids shoot hoops well past dusk (how can they see in the dark?). The next day a cool breeze comes in, the block is eerily quiet, the kids back at school. Even though summer isn’t officially over till later in the month, for all practical purposes, it’s gone. Playtime has passed. We put on our worker bee wings and get ready for the fall. This baked chicken dish is made for busy days. It takes all of 10 minutes of hands on time, and 45 minutes in the oven. Cherry tomatoes can still easily be found at the market, or in your garden in many parts of the country. A few cloves of garlic, a couple sprigs of rosemary, some balsamic, salt, and chicken thighs are all you’ll need. The chicken and tomatoes will produce plenty of juice, which you can use for dipping crusty bread, or reduce further and serve as a sauce over the chicken. My mother and father stopped by the other day for lunch and

September always catches me unawares. It seems that one day we are wilting in the heat while neighborhood kids shoot hoops well past dusk (how can they see in the dark?). The next day a cool breeze comes in, the block is eerily quiet, the kids back at school. Even though summer isn’t officially over till later in the month, for all practical purposes, it’s gone. Playtime has passed. We put on our worker bee wings and get ready for the fall. This baked chicken dish is made for busy days. It takes all of 10 minutes of hands on time, and 45 minutes in the oven. Cherry tomatoes can still easily be found at the market, or in your garden in many parts of the country. A few cloves of garlic, a couple sprigs of rosemary, some balsamic, salt, and chicken thighs are all you’ll need. The chicken and tomatoes will produce plenty of juice, which you can use for dipping crusty bread, or reduce further and serve as a sauce over the chicken. My mother and father stopped by the other day for lunch and