Category Archives: Dining

Antipasto, Family Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Loretta Giacoletto

Every region of Italy has its own version of antipasto, depending on local products that are readily available, and if the desired end result is a quick first course to a meal or if it’s preserving a huge batch to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Italian American, Italy, Lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s for Dinner?

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Loretta Giacoletto

How about bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin served alongside prune and walnut filled ravioli? That’s right–prune, p-r-u-n-e. And no screwing up of faces please. Don’t knock what you’ve never tasted. Trust me. Two or three of these Italian agnolotti will give you a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Italian American, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

See One, Do One, Teach One

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Loretta Giacoletto

See one, do one, teach one. I first heard this surgical term during my years as an administrative coordinator at one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. It’s an adage that works just as well with any number … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Friends, Italian American, Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Revisiting “The Furniture Whisperer”

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Loretta Giacoletto

I’ve written before about my passion for vintage Ethan Allen furniture, mostly notably in a blog from March 2012. And then there’s my penchant for discovering the occasional bargain on Craigslist. Put them both together and if the planets are … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Family, Furniture, Holiday meals, Italian American, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Shout-out to Young Chefs

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Loretta Giacoletto

An okay cook would best describe my culinary skill level, one earned through no particular effort on my part, but rather a process of elimination, one born out of necessity eons ago—as in feeding five active offspring. Plus an equally … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Lifestyle, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Repurposing with a Purpose

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Loretta Giacoletto

Yikes! Realizing I think like my mother once did is bad enough, but every now and then I take on the role of her mother, at least when it comes to Grandma D in the kitchen. For one thing Grandma’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wine vs. Diet Coke: Doing the Math

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Loretta Giacoletto

(Original Blog from December, 2011) The Euro and the Pound aren’t nearly as strong as they were five years ago when I first posted this blog but when it comes to value, table wine in Europe is still a better … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Food, Lifestyle, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bittersweet Memories

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Loretta Giacoletto

“An Italian Wedding” was originally published in 2011 and is one of my favorite blogs about the G family, our cousins who live in the Piemonte Region of Northern Italian. The following year the bride and groom and his parents … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Italian American, Italy, Lifestyle, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Tomato Sundae, Anyone?

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Loretta Giacoletto

I’ve written before about my friend E, caterer, farmer, and food preservationist extraordinaire who often challenges my ingenuity with summertime gifts of produce that require immediate attention to avoid spoilage. Such was the case several weeks ago when she passed … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Marinara Sauce, My Way

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Loretta Giacoletto

Hubby D and I were driving home from our place at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks when my cell phone rang. It was my good friend E, who along with her husband J, have a successful year-round catering business, mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Family, Food, Friends, Italian American, kitchen, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment