Dinner

Christmas, more than any other holiday, seems to stir memories with its scents. The smell of briny seawater in the kitchen brings pictures of my grandfather shucking oysters on Christmas Eve. The scent of browning flour and chopped onions remind me of the production line of making meatballs for the ragoût. Then there’s the chocolate…

With fall comes the bright red, yellow, and orange of sugar maple, oak, and birch leaves changing, along with frost warnings and brisker air. Nothing feels better on a cold, dark evening than warm soup, hot chili, or a piping casserole. Comfort food that makes the season that much more enjoyable.

I didn’t grow up eating spicy, so when we first moved to Fort Worth, even the mild salsa was too hot. But over the years we lived there, I learned to love the taste of chili, cumin and jalapeño peppers. Now that we’re back in New England, I like to revisit this taste I learned…

Peter’s potato-broccoli frittata is a quick, easy, healthy recipe, chockful of nutrition. Serve it with a salad and you have a light evening meal. Peter cooked this main dish for Adria in Personal Enemy to help soothe his stress. From Personal Enemy View my Catalog of Books Click here

Lazy day lasagna in this recipe refers to the cook feeling lazy. This was one of my kids’ favorite dinners when they were growing up. It’s quick and easy; perfect for busy school nights with too many after-school activities. This is recipe you can make with leftover spaghetti sauce from Ellen’s Easy Spaghetti Sauce from…

Ellen needs easy recipes because her days are filled with caring for horses in need. This spaghetti sauce fills the bill when a stranger shows up on her doorstep in Red Thunder Reckoning. On busy nights, I’m all for something quick and easy and this spaghetti sauce recipe falls into that mold. The bonus: it…

The way to a man’s heart is his stomach, goes the old saying. It worked for Beth in A Little Christmas Magic. This Shepherd’s Pie is classic New England comfort food.

Pizza is one of those versatile foods. You can put just about anything on a crust and turn it into a meal.