A fond farewell to a good friend...

My friend & colleague, Aida is moving to Manila on a 2 year assignment for our company. She & her husband are packing up their 2 beautiful little girls and heading out bright & early on Friday morning. I wanted to make sure to pay tribute to her on this blog… if it were not for Aida; there would be no blog and I wouldn’t be working as diligently on my book as I have been. If not for Aida, I wouldn’t have a fan base in a little cul-de-sac in New Hampshire or an honorary sister-in-law in New Jersey.


I just spent the last hour writing about all of the things that I love about her; her kind heart (sniff), wonderful sense of humor (err-hum), her love for her kids (sniff, sniff)… then I realized… this was not a tribute to Aida… it sounded more like a eulogy!!! So I deleted every word I wrote, dried my eyes and imagined her laughing at me & calling me a fool!

I will miss her none the less; the smell of Beef-a-Roni wafting out of her office in the morning while constantly insisting it was healthy to eat for breakfast… the little blue container of Nivea that she carries with her everywhere… the free Altoids that I managed to snitch while she constantly left her little tins everywhere… all of the instant message interruptions while I was busy working; asking for recipes, tips & techniques so she didn’t have to pay for my cookbook!  I always tell her that with each recipe I give to her, I'll tear that page out of the book and still charge her full price… aaahhhhh… friends!

In light of her departure (not from this earth; just from this country), I decided to post one of the first recipes that I ever shared with her; “Tangy Ginger Shrimp”… it’s quick, easy and what your taste buds will experience almost compares to viewing a sunset from the famous Manila Bay… add a nice “Rum Runner” or a couple of “Mai Tai’s” and you are good to go!

Tangy Ginger Shrimp with Yellow Rice

2 lbs. Uncooked Shrimp (peeled & deveined)

5 T. Olive Oil

1 Jar Ginger Marmalade

1 Lg. Lime

1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro

2 Lg. Boxes Goya Yellow Rice

Cook rice according to package directions; keep warm. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil then add shrimp; stirring constantly. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Turn heat to low then add the marmalade and the juice from the lime (you can actually use 2 limes if you like).

Pour cooked rice onto serving platter and top with shrimp mixture. Top entire platter with a couple of generous handfuls of cilantro.

Serve with green vegetable or salad.

**If serving as an appetizer, leave tails on the shrimp and delete the rice.

From this point forward, whenever I make this dish I will think of you fondly, my friend and quickly remember to write another page so the book is done by the time you return! Safe travels to you, Brad, Lily and Nora…

Thanksgiving is for Turkey; Everyday is for Dog Food!!!

When I was a little girl, for as far back as I can remember we always had Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma & Grandpa Hudd’s house with the whole family; it’s one of my favorite memories! I remember that there were tables put together in the living room that spanned from one side to the other. I remember my cousin, Janet and I almost always sat together on top of the wood stove while the others packed in around us. I remember the smells of the season, the huge turkey on the table, all of the milk that was spilled, all of the laughter in the air and we all loved each other almost as much as the table full of pies in the kitchen. I also remember one year when my grandfather was late to dinner because he was out hunting… there was silence at the table as he came in the door half soused and plopped down in his chair. As my grandmother famously raised one eyebrow, all she could say was, “Oh Orie!!!” She was so mad at him but she’d never let on to us or get us upset. Way back then… life was truly magical and nothing could ever hurt us if we were together…

As I pull out another tissue, (sorry, great memories like that make me cry and I miss my grandparents so much) I suddenly feel the need to tell you about another family tradition…

My mom’s sister, Martha was the epitome of caregivers to her own and all of her siblings’ children. Aunt Martie had 4 children of her own yet never turned down an opportunity to babysit for the rest of us… all of us! She’d pick us up on a Saturday, load us up in the old Volkswagen bus and take us to her house. We played for hours together and about 4:00pm we’d start to smell the sweet scent of our favorite meal… DOG FOOD! When Aunt Martie made dog food we’d all race to the table to get the first helping and pray that there would be enough for seconds! Now… before you call child protective services on my poor, old aunt… she knew what kids liked and she mixed it all together; there was macaroni (we never called it pasta), cut up hot dogs, tomato soup, corn… I’m not sure what else, all I know is that it was delicious and we loved it! The fact that she called it dog food made it even more enticing!

On those nights, sleeping on the floor in her living room, all huddled together underneath the mounds of blankets, we had no idea that we were poor; all we knew was that our wonderful and kind aunt loved us all and hopefully we’d be able to come back next weekend! “Go to sleep you kids… the bus is leaving at 8 o’clock sharp for church in the morning and if you’re not on it; you’re not going!” We were always up and ready to go…

This is a true story and let me tell you… as we got older there were many more! In the interest of time though, I won’t even begin to share with you the story about the cats in the freezer or the spaghetti in the pockets or even the time when my cousin rolled in dog poop at a family picnic and my Aunt Martie put him in a trash bag, tied it around his neck and made him sit in the car & sweat… good times!

I would like to wish all of you a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, good health and much joy. Remember your loved ones from holidays past and share your memories with the little ones; when they get older, they will cherish them as I do mine.

Here is a quick & easy recipe that I make for hors d’oeuvres every Thanksgiving; whether I am hosting or traveling home to be with my family…

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2 Containers Fresh Mushrooms

2 Boxes Store Purchased Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 Stick of Butter

1/2 Large Roll of Uncooked Breakfast Sausage (or links without casings)

1 Cup Grated Romano Cheese plus more for Sprinkling

2 Eggs

2 T. Red Pepper Flakes plus more for Sprinkling

Wipe mushrooms with damp cloth to remove dirt. Gently twist stems to remove. Prepare stuffing using package directions, let cool. Chop mushroom stems. In medium saucepan, melt butter then cook mushroom stems until soft & golden. Transfer stuffing to mixing bowl. Add cooked mushroom stems, raw breakfast sausage, cheese, eggs and red pepper flakes.

With your hands, mix thoroughly until sausage is evenly distributed. Stuff each mushroom generously & place on un-greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese & red pepper flakes. Bake uncovered in pre-heated 350 degree oven 45-60 minutes or until cooked through & just starting to brown on top. Serve immediately.

May your holidays be filled with flavor!!!

Hot Pepper Sundays leave a lasting impression… is Montezuma Italian???

Before I met my husband, my girlfriend, Alyson (who was also single at the time) and I would get together every Sunday afternoon to watch movies; as singles, we knew that Sundays were a lonely day and vowed to spend ours together. Every week, she showed up with 3 movies to last us the afternoon and the exact same items were always on the menu:

1 750ml Bottle of Merlot (for Alyson)

1 750ml Bottle of Chardonnay (for me)

Fresh Italian Bread from the Bakery

Provolone Cheese so sharp it makes your gums sting

Sautéed Italian Hot Peppers (about ½ of a bushel)

Whether at her house or mine, a huge frying pan would be on the stove; one of us peeling a whole head of garlic and the other snapping stems off of the peppers. First thing’s first… OPEN THE WINE! We would sauté the peeled & coarsely chopped garlic in about ½ an inch of Olive Oil until it was just turning brown. Then we would throw in the Italian Long Hot Peppers and stir them around so they would all be coated with the oil. Wait… GLASS #2…

We’d throw in some crushed red pepper flakes, a handful of chicken bouillon powder, black pepper and garlic powder then give it another stir. With the heat on high, we would then pour in about 1 inch of the juice from a jar of Hot Cherry Peppers. As the steam erupted in the pan, we threw in some of the cherry peppers then were quick to slap on the lid and turn the peppers down low to simmer. Boy, I’m thirsty… GLASS #3…

As the smell of the simmering peppers wafted through the room, neither of us could concentrate on the movie; that’s how we knew they were done! We had 2 recliners side by side with an end table in between them. On it was now a huge basket of bread, a board filled with sliced Provolone and a frying pan overloaded with these red & green gems… WE’D BETTER FILL OUR GLASSES!

By the time the first movie was over, the frying pan would be empty. As Alyson started to cough and my eyes started to water, we shared the best part… we sopped up all of the flavored oil with whatever was left of the bread! Our mouths were on fire! IS THERE ANY WINE LEFT?

Here we were… two best friends creating a tradition; sharing our Sundays together. By movie number 2 we would both be sleeping but we were extremely content. She had seasoned me into becoming a champ at eating these delectable hot morsels and I was very proud… until about 3:00am that is…

My eyes would pop open and I would quickly wake from a sound sleep! I had all I could do to make it to the bathroom and I always spent the rest of the night right there; the great thinker! These peppers were kicking my butt and the wine was making my head pound; how could I do this to myself??? NEVER AGAIN!!!



The next day I always felt like a million bucks though; nice and trim and (err-uh) cleansed, with the faint smell of garlic still sitting in the air. AHHHHH Sundays… to this day, every time I smell garlic simmering I think of Alyson; she can eat an entire frying pan by herself now; always could! Me, on the other hand… my poor tummy just can’t take it anymore… 1 measly pepper with the seeds removed has me up for 3 days!

I read somewhere that Montezuma was some sort of Greek god or something but the real truth is that he was actually Italian… by injection, of course! His wife was straight off of the boat from Italy and she was the only one in all of the land who could grow the long red & green peppers that he loved so much. She cooked these peppers with bushels of fragrant garlic and he ate them everyday. One night while they were sleeping… someone ransacked the garden and stole every last one of her hot pepper plants. Upon discovering this the next morning, Montezuma called the village together for a meeting to see if anyone would admit to stealing his wife’s missing treasures. All inquiries were blatantly denied. He clenched his fists tight as rage ran through him and lightning smacked across the now blackened sky and he declared his revenge; great turmoil in the hollow of the belly of all common man whose lips should ever dare to touch one morsel of these beloved gems, causing relentless upset and discomfort for all of eternity! Hence; “Montezuma’s Revenge”!!!

If you’re into hot stuff… give ‘em a try; they’re worth it!

Not quite red; not quite white; something in between just right…

I went home to New York this past weekend for my dad’s birthday and to visit with some family and friends. I had been toying around with the idea of changing my hair color; I wanted a light red, not blonde but something like a pink champagne color… like strawberry. I had found the exact color that I wanted and for 3 weeks have been placing it into my shopping cart, taking it out of my shopping cart, placing it in… blah, blah, blah. I went to the store with my mom on Friday and she talked me into buying it. I carried the box around with me all weekend and after some prodding by 2 friends, 2 aunts, 1 mom and a cousin, I finally got my nerve up yesterday to actually do it. The verdict??? I LOVE IT!!! I am no longer washed out; I am warm strawberry… not quite white, not quite red… almost PINK… Sir Charles is going to flip out!!!

When trying to think of a recipe to celebrate my new ferocious, bad-ass & edgy self, my strawberry color reminded me of a story…

Many, many years ago there was a successful restaurateur in our little upstate NY berg; his name was Ralph and his restaurant was called Il Giardino (the Garden). He was busy every evening and almost all of his customers were local folks who frequented his establishment on a regular basis. The dining room and bar area had just the right lighting, white tablecloths and a touch of Hunter Green for an accent; it was cozy, warm and very comfortable. Ralph prepared traditional Northern Italian dishes that melted in your mouth and were consistently scrumptious each & every time you ordered them. One of the most charming things about this restaurant was that Ralph would come out of the kitchen every chance that he had to personally greet his diners. He knew everyone on a first name basis, would prepare all special requests and even send every table a round of cocktails to show his appreciation for their patronage. He was a stellar example of what an entrepreneur should be and I felt as if I were walking into his home each time I was there. This is where the PINK comes in…

One evening, my girlfriends & I decided to visit Il Giardino for dinner. I had ordered a classic; Veal Parmigiana with Pasta. After some Clams Casino and a nice Caesar Salad, Ralph himself brought the meals out to our table. Only mine wasn’t there. He immediately started to apologize and said that he’d had an “accident” with my dinner in the kitchen. As he knew that I was very interested in cooking, he escorted me to his kitchen to show me what had happened; it was not the first time that I had been invited in. On the stove where he usually had a pot of his mouth watering Marinara sauce and a pot of creamy Alfredo sauce was a huge pink mess (this was long before Vodka Sauce had been created). Apparently, he had slipped while holding the pot of Alfredo and the whole thing dumped right into the pot of Marinara! He asked me if I would mind ordering something else as he could not serve this sauce with the veal. After much contemplation, and with drinks in hand, we decided to make the best of it and we tasted this new concoction… it was absolutely delicious!!! So we took the tender, battered veal cutlets and laid them on a baking dish. We decided to top it with very thin slices of eggplant and tomato. We doused it all in the “Pink” sauce, topped it with fresh Mozzarella cheese and threw it in the oven until it was baked to a bubbly perfection… and there you have it… Veal Valentino was born!!! We were excited… two foodies with a new creation; what could be better than that? Veal Valentino ended up being a staple on his menu and today, every time that I prepare it I think of him. Good times Ralphie, good times…

SCORE one for the kids!!!

I awoke last Friday morning to the sound of the cold wind rattling the glass in my bedroom windows. What happened; yesterday was 70 degrees?!! Today posed quite a challenge for me… I had opened my mouth and volunteered to cater the tailgating portion of a charity soccer event that my company was sponsoring with an organization called America SCORES... 60 kids and about 20 adults and it was absolutely freezing outside!!! This organization focuses on empowering students in urban communities by using soccer, writing, creative expression and service-learning… they help to inspire youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students and become agents of change in their communities. In keeping with the theme “healthy” yet needing the food to be cold, I settled on a Chicken Fajita Bar as the menu. I had already cleaned and cooked 40 lbs. of chicken breast and my partner & I had already purchased all of the food so I HAD to do it now… even if it was only 35 degrees outside!

I can now honestly tell you that neither a hurricane nor a monsoon could ever keep me from doing this again and by the time the event was over I had dozens of new friends and had helped put smiles on the faces of these extraordinary children that live in a place where life challenges them daily. I work with other charities, however, this one allowed me to actually interact with these children. They made some really cute comments to me about the food and were extremely grateful for all of the efforts… they figured we’d bring chips & soda and never dreamed it would be fresh chicken breast with all the fixins’ for make-your-own fajitas. One little girl with “low fat” pudding all over her face came to me and said, “Toni, I’ve just GOT to thank you… I just had a party in my tummy!”  I think I laughed & cried at the same time.

When all was said and done I was relieved to find out that we will have many opportunities to work with these kids in the future. I met my husband for dinner that evening and he even noticed that I was flying high! I feel sorry for people who have so much and don’t give anything back… they’ll never experience the sheer joy of actually making a difference.

I returned home with about 30 red & green peppers, a bag of onions that Danielle just could not get through after slicing the first bag, salsa, sour cream and a big bag of shredded cheddar cheese. First I thought, “Bonus!” But then I started to feel guilty; this food did not belong to me, it was purchased by funds provided by my company. What to do, what to do??? Finally, it came to me… I just added a couple of extra ingredients and came up with a new recipe; Spicy Stuffed Sombreros!  I brought them into work and fed some of my coworkers and co-volunteers. Feedback was great and I could finally feel good about having the leftover ingredients and a new recipe for the book! This is one of those things that you kind of just throw together; no measuring! With all of these tasty ingredients there is no way they could come out bad!!! So… in honor of those special kids from “Eastie”… give this recipe a try, close your eyes and feel the joy of knowing that YOU can make a difference!

Spicy Stuffed Sombreros

Red and/or Green Bell Peppers

Brown Rice (cooked & cooled)

Canned Black Beans

Italian Hot Sausage (removed from casings, cooked and crumbled)

Ground Beef (browned & drained)

Bread Crumbs

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (don’t be stingy)

Salsa

Sour Cream

Slice off top of peppers and remove core.

Combine the next 6 ingredients in a bowl and generously stuff it into the peppers. Carefully place in a baking dish and top each pepper with more cheddar cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in a 375° oven for 1 hour. Turn oven off, uncover peppers and leave in oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with lots of salsa and sour cream! Soooooooo yummy!

A couple of shots from the day:

This one’s for you, Renee!

At the end of August, my husband & I traveled back to my hometown for the wedding of one of the sweetest girls I have ever known, Renee. As expected, it was quite a joyful celebration on a day only God could have created and the bride and groom were jubilant. I spent a lot of time that day noticing how much Renee had changed; how she had flourished into a gorgeous young woman. The skinny, freckle-faced kid with the braces and frizzy hair who I had always thought was so cute was now tall and poised; scarlet locks framing a flawless face with the smile of an angel… she was stunning! When had this happened?  Here I was, standing there the entire evening trying to balance myself on my new "skinny heeled" shoes... I tipped a couple of times but never managed to hit the floor, thank goodness!  Where was MY youth?!!! Time passes much too swiftly for this old girl and I’m pooped just thinking about it.

Anyway, Renee and her handsome hubby, Paul both work hard and have extremely busy lives. As a new bride, she is fairly green around the kitchen (though she sure knows where to find the hooch in the fridge) and I promised to post some quick & easy recipes for her to try out on the mister. Well Renee… I hope you’re reading… this one is great for a quick weeknight meal. It boasts of being so quick & delicious that it will not only tickle his tongue, it will also tickle his fancy and leave plenty of time for you to reap its rewards… if you know what I mean!

Fiesta Chicken & Rice


6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1 jar Chunky Salsa
1 8oz. pkg. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg. Yellow Rice Mix (Follow package   directions to prepare)
1 Lime
Sour Cream
2 handfuls Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Rub chicken with the taco seasoning on both sides. Place in re-sealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

The next day after work, coat an oven safe frying pan that has a lid with the cooking spray and heat on medium heat until pan is nice and hot. Arrange chicken slices in the pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Pour in the salsa, cover and turn heat off. Transfer to a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Top with the cheddar cheese and place uncovered dish back in the oven for 5 additional minutes.

Divide yellow rice onto plates. Top with chicken breast.

Slice the lime into wedges and squeeze 1 wedge onto each chicken breast. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and lots of cilantro!

*You can top with sliced jalapeno peppers to add extra spice.
**Serve with fresh spinach and re-fried beans for a well rounded meal.

And now for the two of you, my 5 simple rules for happiness...

(1) Free your heart from hatred.
(2) Free your mind from worries.
(3) Live simply.
(4) Give more.
(5) Expect less.

If you had to sum up the rules to live a happy healthy life these five would most likely come up on top. So keep them with you. You can drop them in a jacket pocket, string them on a necklace, and even place them under a pillow. Anyway you chose to keep them close to you will benefit you and your soul and the many lives and souls you chose to share them with.

I love you guys!!!

♪ Happy Birthday Dear Neicey, Happy Birthday to YOU!!! ♪

Today my cousin, Denise celebrates her 44th birthday… we call her Neicey and she looks like she’s 24!!! She informed me last week that Chicken Marsala is her all-time favorite meal and asked me if I would share my recipe with her boyfriend, Chris who was planning on making it for her birthday dinner. Most of my recipes are either in my head or jotted down on one of the 500 yellow stickies that I have splattered everywhere and this one was no exception. Because I love her so much and I wasn’t there to make it for her myself, I needed to insure that Chris would be able to make it PERFECT! I spent extra time rummaging around in my brain to make certain to include every step until I was confident that he would be able to easily reproduce this mouthwatering symphony of flavors… it had to be PERFECT!!!

Last night, Chris and Neicey’s children prepared Triple Mushroom Chicken Marsala using my recipe. After the meal, she sent me a text telling me how great it tasted. I thought that I’d feel a sense of pride somehow because it was MY recipe but that’s not what I felt at all… I read her words and all I could feel was the warmth, caring, tenderness and love that her family put into the entire evening; they could have served her corn flakes and she would have been just as happy. It wasn’t the food… it was the people and the love that they share; the food was just the one ingredient that gathered them together. I am a happy girl! May God bless you and may this recipe bring you all together…

Triple Mushroom Chicken Marsala


8 or 10 Boneless Chicken Breasts (pounded or thin fillets)
Flour (enough to coat chicken)
4 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Milk
Vegetable Oil for frying
2 Pkgs. Brown Gravy Mix (dry)
1 Cup Cold Water
1 of Stick Butter
2 Cans Beef Broth
1/3 Bottle (or more to taste) Marsala Wine
Dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce
White Mushrooms (sliced)
Cremini Mushrooms (sliced)
Shitake Mushrooms (sliced)
Salt & pepper
Large handful of Parsley

Make sure that chicken breast cutlets are pretty thin. Pour flour onto a plate; adding more as needed. Dredge chicken cutlets in the flour making sure to coat each piece completely. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs & the milk together. Pour enough oil in a frying pan to amount to 1 inch. Heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, take a floured piece of chicken, dip it in the egg mixture and place it in the hot oil. You will only need to cook each piece for about 1 minute; turning once until the batter starts to brown (first piece sometimes does not brown). Repeat this process until all chicken pieces have been battered. Drain onto a paper towel lined baking dish.

Place the water into a medium saucepan; turn on heat to medium low. Whisk in the packages of gravy mix and stir until all lumps are gone and gravy starts to thicken. Add the stick of butter & stir until melted. When butter is melted, add the broth, Marsala wine and the Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir until mixture starts to bubble then turn off the heat.

Remove paper towels from the baking pan and stack the chicken at an angle like a row of dominos that has been tipped over. Pour all sliced mushrooms on top of the chicken. Pour the gravy mixture over the chicken & mushrooms. Sprinkle lots of parsley on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes (sauce should be simmering). Remove foil and serve immediately. This chicken will melt in your mouth... ENJOY!