This is the best ricotta cheesecake I’ve ever had! It’s light, yet rich, insanely creamy, nestled inside a buttery crust, and topped with juicy plums.
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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Fried Shallots
Ripe heirloom tomatoes, creamy blue cheese, sweet + tangy sherry vinaigrette, and crispy fried shallots. This is the best heirloom tomato salad ever! THIS is the tomato salad that beats all other tomato salads in a battle. Fact. No other tomato salad even comes close. You can keep your Caprese. This is the one I dream about all…
Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños
Clams with bacon, tomatoes, + jalapeños makes a lovely dinner for two. It’s a simple, fresh, and tasty way to soak up the very last bits of summer! Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer for most Americans, but here in Brigantine it’s the beginning of what we call “local’s summer.” The island goes from bustling to sleepy…
Turkey Moussaka
This lightened up take on the classic Mediterranean recipe is easy to make and uses ground turkey and baked eggplant, but with zero sacrifice in flavor. This Turkey Moussaka post is sponsored by the National Turkey Federation. All opinions are 100% my own. How on earth is it September already? I’m pretty sure it was just…
Garden Diaries: August 2017 (Video!)
Late August is my favorite time of year. It’s still summer, but so much more chill. And I mean that literally – the humidity drops, temperatures hover around 75 degrees and it’s nothing but sunshine and cool breezes. We can finally open up the windows again, and the beaches are practically empty thanks to everyone…
Maryland Crab Cakes
This recipe for authentic Maryland Crab Cakes uses only a touch of Old Bay seasoning and just enough “filler” to hold them together. Crab cakes come in lots of different forms, but in my humble opinion, the classic Maryland style is undoubtedly the best.
Cucumber Melon Salad with Feta and Mint
This incredibly refreshing Cucumber Melon Salad with Feta + Mint is loaded with crisp cucumber, sweet summer cantaloupe, and salty chards of feta cheese. Simplicity at it’s best! This simple melon and cucumber salad is hands down my favorite dish of the summer. It’s crisp and sweet and juicy and salty and I just can’t seem…
Grilled Peach Panzanella with Burrata
This Grilled Peach Panzanella with Burrata pairs sweet caramelized grilled peaches and a big hunk of creamy burrata for a twist on this classic Tuscan salad. The Jersey peaches this season have been absolutely ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean good… no, actually, they’ve been great.
Lemon Blueberry Poundcake (Video!)
This Lemon Blueberry Poundcake is an insanely rich and buttery poundcake that’s lightly scented with lemon, and chock full of fresh summer blueberries. I love summertime in New Jersey for so many reasons, and one of them is most definitely the blueberries.
Garden Diaries: July 2017 (Video!)
Hey. Hello. Hi. Here I am! I know… it’s been a while. This has been such a wild, whirlwind of a summer. Owning a business on the island has been both an exhilarating and draining experience, not to mention a learning experience. Now that we’re a solid 2 months in, I’m thrilled…
Turkey Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
This Southeast Asian inspired recipe for Turkey Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce is sponsored by the National Turkey Federation. All opinions are 100% my own. Satay, you say? Yes! Something tells me there’s a good chance you’ve been putting in a lot of time with your grill lately. I know I have. This insanely tasty recipe is the perfect…
Cacio e Pepe
This simple classic Italian pasta recipe relies on good quality ingredients and proper technique to shine. Rich and creamy pasta perfection! When life gets hectic, I default to daydreaming about simpler times. Lately I’ve been reminiscing a lot about the trip we took to northern Italy a few years back. It’s had me thinking a lot about…
Rosemary Blueberry Vodka Spritzers
These Rosemary Blueberry Vodka Spritzers are made from fresh blueberries, fragrant rosemary, and vodka to make a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for picnics, BBQ’s and all other summer gatherings. The past few weeks have been next-level stressful, so I think that calls for a cocktail. Really though, stress or no stress, life always seems to…
Spring Vegetable Risotto (Video!)
This Spring Vegetable Risotto is a rich and creamy risotto that’s still light and fresh thanks to lots of seasonal spring veggies! Asparagus, radishes, leeks, peas, chives and more! I’ve been making a version of this risotto for years. It’s rich and creamy, but still light and full of so many gorgeous seasonal vegetables. Spring…
Scones with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, and Strawberry Butter
Scones bursting with salty prosciutto, tangy goat cheese, and slathered with sweet strawberry butter. Scones for Mothers Day or scones for any day. The difference between a good scone and a not-so-good scone is vast. At worst, a scone can be hard like a hockey puck, crumbly, dry, and bland. It will require a hot cup of tea…
Classic Italian Meatballs
This is my Sicilian family’s traditional meatball recipe using beef, pork, and veal. These are the best Italian meatballs you’ll ever taste! Hello and happy Saturday! I hope you’re enjoying a hot cup of coffee and some extra time off this weekend. I also hope you’re in the mood for meatballs because that’s what’s on…
Meyer Lemon Baked Doughnuts
These Meyer Lemon Baked Doughnuts are are yeast risen, so there’s no special pan required. They’re sweet, tangy and taste just as good as the real thing! After purchasing a doughnut pan last fall, I promised to post lots and lots of recipes for baked doughnuts in the future. Well, folks, the future is now. I love my doughnut…
French Onion Grilled Cheese (Video!)
French Onion Grilled Cheese: Caramelized onions, melted Swiss cheese, thick sliced buttery bread. The best grilled cheese sandwich ever! Yes, yes, YES! FRENCH ONION GRILLED CHEESE. So many yesses for today’s post. A grilled cheese has to be one of my all time favorite comfort foods. Crispy, buttery bread and tons of gooey melted cheese. What’s…
Celery Root + Pear Salad with Walnuts + Manchego (Video!)
This simple winter salad of celery root, pears, walnuts and manchego cheese is crisp, refreshing, and full of cold weather flavors. Late winter / early spring – aka, right now – is the absolute worst when it comes to fresh vegetables. Just about everything local is out of season and the produce department has become dull and…
Scaccia Ragusana: Sicilian “Pizza Babka”
This traditional recipe for Scaccia Ragusana is a simple and unique bread preparation from Sicily. It’s surprisingly easier to make than it looks! You may have heard of Scaccia Ragusana before, but I would be willing to bet that maybe you haven’t. I hadn’t until I saw it in an issue of Saveur magazine a…
Parsnip Cauliflower Soup with Puffed Quinoa (Video!)
This easy recipe for Parsnip Cauliflower Soup with Puffed Quinoa is vegan, gluten free, and perfect for a warm, nourishing dinner on a cold day. Man, March kills me. I can’t believe it’s snowing outside right now. Actually, that’s not true. I can totally believe it. Doesn’t this happen every year? Luckily, I made us…
Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles are a classic Sichuan street food made with ground pork and spicy chili oil. These noodles have the perfect balance of flavors and textures! I had my first taste of dan dan noodles many years ago at a trendy Sichuan restaurant in Philly. They were super spicy, salty, and crazy addictive. It was one…
Butter Poached Fish (Video!)
This video tutorial for Butter Poached Fish will teach you everything you need to know for how to poach fish in butter. Delicate, rich and so delicious. Today’s recipe is perfect for a chilly day like today. What happened to spring? I guess it’s technically still winter and we were all just getting spoiled with…
Blood Orange Almond Cake with Yogurt
This recipe for Blood Orange + Almond Cake is a beautiful winter citrus dessert with a tender, moist crumb from the addition of yogurt and almond flour. Well, she sure is pretty. But everyone knows it’s whats on the inside that counts. This cake is the culinary equivalent of a supermodel, but inside she’s lacking a bit in…
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (Video!)
These New Orleans style BBQ shrimp are simmered shell-on in a spicy, tangy Worcestershire butter sauce. It’s a quick, easy and ridiculously delicious recipe! It’s Mardi Gras weekend! Most of the country has no idea when Mardi Gras is happening, and they especially don’t know that it lasts for an entire season and not just on…
Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer.