• Short rib lasagna with celery root béchamel

    A few months ago, my mother-in-law took a cooking class at the Cincinnati Women’s Club taught by a chef from a fancy Italian restaurant in town. She learned how to make a delicious, very gourmet lasagna. Then she made it for us when we stayed with her on our way to Toby’s college homecoming. You […]

  • Meaty lasagna

    I don’t make lasagna very often — in fact, I’ve only made it a few times, ever, and the last time was probably before I even met Toby. But when Toby asked me to make dinner for one of his Marines and his wife (because the wife is pregnant and on bed rest), I thought […]

  • Super-fast fettucine alfredo

    Back in my days of super-high metabolism and super-picky eating habits (aka the 80’s), fettucine alfredo was my go-to choice at Italian restaurants. I don’t order it very often anymore (a lot of restaurant versions aren’t good enough to justify the fat/calories/etc), but I was intrigued when I saw this recipe in the “quick and […]

  • Cacio e pepe – Spaghetti with cheese and pepper

    When I was little, I didn’t like spaghetti sauce. I’m not sure why. I do know I hated (and still am not a fan of) large chunks of tomato in my sauce, but for quite a while I wouldn’t do any sauce at all. Instead, I had spaghetti with butter and parmesan cheese. Now I […]

  • Rigatoni alla Norma

    This recipe came from Runner’s World magazine. Now that you’ve laughed so hard you fell out of your chair, please pick yourself up again so we can continue. (If you’re wondering why that’s funny… well, let’s just say I am not exactly a runner. I did actually complete a half marathon once, but that was […]