Appetizers

  If there’s one thing we wait for each year, it’s the arrival of fresh, ripe figs. There’s something so decadent yet wholesome about figs—sweet, tender, and bursting with flavor.…

  My favourite of all of Venice’s cicchetti is also among the most classic on offer at any bàcaro and is one of the traditional dishes that Venetians take on…

  This simple onion tart is perfect as a main dish served with a side salad or as an elegant appetizer for your next gathering. This French tart is a…

  Yolanda and I went to City Island in the Bronx a couple of years ago to check out one of the many old-school seafood restaurants there. The house appetizer—garlic…

  This dish is also known simply as polenta e schie indicating how important it is that these prawns, tiny grey shrimp that are fished out of the Venetian lagoon,…

  Mmm… potato, and melting cheese, and creamy mascarpone, on crisp, golden pastry? Heaven. Make this once, and you will make it forever more, experimenting with different spices and herbs,…

  Who doesn’t love a prawn (shrimp) cocktail? This is a play on the classic, served in baby gem lettuce cups. Your prawn options include buying whole prawns and cooking…

  A few years back, we made Thomas Keller’s recipe for salmon rillettes. It was rich in flavor and texture. However, it was a complex recipe that made a lot.…

  The first Christmas I celebrated with Yolanda’s family in California was in stark contrast to the big overeating events of my Italian family’s holiday affair. There was no Feast…

  One of my first kitchen jobs was at an extremely busy bistro inside a pub in Perth, Western Australia. A trio of dips was on the menu, and most…

  I visited Graham and his lovely family in the summer when the cows were out grazing the lush Lancashire grass and the skies were a dark inky blue, though…

  Whether it’s stuffed into a samosa, tossed in a crisp cold salad, or fried into a cake, enjoying crab is a no-brainer. This warm bubbly crab dip combines the…