michele becci

As the new year dawns, my body, as if on queue, begins to crave lighter, healthier foods after all the (wonderful) excesses of the holiday season.   Visions of sugar plums are replaced with visions of healthy grains and veggies, …

The simplest of meals can feed the soul.  With the Thanksgiving holiday (and all its excesses) behind us, it is the simple soups of fall that I crave.  A simple meaty mushroom soup or perhaps a simple pot of leftover …

Mother Nature has finally shed her winter coat in favor of the glorious, vibrant Spring.  For many of us across the US, what a long, cold winter it has been. So the slightest sign of Spring’s vibrant glory is enough …

Let me set the scene. You are leaving a cocktail party with a group of friends. You don’t want the evening to end quite yet. Everyone is famished.  In America, you typically head off to a pizza place, a diner …

Artichokes. Fava beans. Asparagus. Peas. Ramps. Spring’s glorious bounty is finally here after a long winter of turnips, potatoes, rutabagas and butternut squash. Don’t get me wrong – I love my root vegetables in the dead of winter but one …

When a chill fills the air, few meals up the comfort factor more than a succulent, warming braise…that fork-tender cut of meat bathing in some sort of aromatic bath of stock, or perhaps wine and plenty of aromatic, fresh herbs. …

Feeling the winter blues? Ready to put some pizazz back in your palate? Brightly hued blood oranges will certainly do the trick. Aah, the winter beiges. Trips to the local farm market this time of year tend to be rather …

Many of us grew up being forced to eat certain vegetables and our household was no exception. Although our mother meant well, those dark red, slippery beets led the pack in this ritual of parental torture.  Luckily, in adulthood, as …

A few years back, I was on a mission to visit as many of the islands of Italy as I could.  I still have quite a few to go but managed to visit Sardinia, Capri, the Aeolian islands, the little …

Forget fluffy marshmallow chicks or chocolate Easter eggs. For me, Easter is not complete without a slice (or two) of ricotta pie. Growing up, I would easily forgo the chocolate in my Easter basket in favor of the ricotta pie …