Food & Drink

Every year on July Fourth, my sister Emily decorates a giant vanilla cake to look like the American flag—colorful and festive, it’s always a big hit and feeds everyone at the BBQ. Emily usually uses Ina Garten’s recipe; while I think we can all agree that Ina is the queen and her taste impeccable, I wanted a one-bowl flag cake that could be made with just a whisk, plus a lightened-up frosting to pair perfectly with the decorative red and blue berries on top. The post Giant Flag Cake appeared first on Connecticut Public.

This recipe uses millet to make a savory base and showcases the irresistible sweetness and beauty of heirloom tomatoes. The post Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Millet Tart appeared first on Connecticut Public.

Everybody is familiar with the beefy T-bone steak, but did you know you can get that same cut from the pig? Bet your butt you can, and the payoff can be just as impressive! Similar in structure to its beef cousin, the pork T-bone features a strip loin on one side of the bone, with a tenderloin on the other. The strip portion is denser, packed with plenty of meaty flavor, while the tenderloin is super tender and flavorful. The loin and tenderloin sections tend to have slight variances in how they are cooked, so the key to perfecting this cut, in my opinion, is to grill the steak hot and fast over direct heat while using convection heat (by closing the lid) around the steak to ensure that it cooks evenly and quickly. The post T-Bone Pork Steaks with Caper Salsa appeared first on Connecticut Public.

A party in a pop: Your squad will bow down for these limeade-vodka icy cocktails.Pro move: Freeze your serving tray so the pops keep their chill. The post Moscow Mule Pops appeared first on Connecticut Public.

We’re talking about potato salad here, so: everyone has their way. Some people make it the day of; some people make it the day ahead. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The post Southern-ish Potato Salad appeared first on Connecticut Public.

In New England, lobster takes the summer season by storm. Every restaurant has some version of lobster pasta, and lobster rolls are abundant. I've never had lobster, but have been told that my take on it tastes quite similar to the real thing. The post Lobster Mushroom Rolls appeared first on Connecticut Public.

This salad is best plated (or shallow bowled!) so you can scrape up a bit of that pillowy feta sauce with your vegetables. The croutons will stay crunchier the larger they are, but I like how small ones find their way into the tangle of vegetables. It’s a great light summer salad, both satisfying and refreshing. Sweet 100 tomatoes are a specific line item here, because they are tiny and have incredible flavor. Yes, any smaller tomato will be fine, but this tomato-focused salad really shines when you work with some great ones. The post Summer Panzanella Salad appeared first on Connecticut Public.

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for—thick- cut, beefy rib eye steaks grilled to medium-rare perfection and slathered with a house-made garlic butter. Be sure to request a thick-cut steak from your butcher, about 1-1/2 inches, as that thickness allows you to develop a strong sear on both sides without worrying about overcooking the center of the meat. Over a hot fire, this recipe comes together rather quickly, so don’t forget the most important part: allowing five to ten minutes for the steaks to rest after they come off the fire. That cools the steaks down enough so that the butter is just melting as you serve it to your guests. The post Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Garlic Butter appeared first on Connecticut Public.

A spring favorite here, jammy and fragrant and definitely passable as a breakfast pastry. If strawberries are not in season, swap out your fruit: peaches in the late summer, or an apple and caramel layer in the fall! Rhubarb has a short window but can be replaced with another cup of any berry should it be unavailable. The post Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars appeared first on Connecticut Public.

The reality of walking the beautiful streets of Mexico City on a summer day is ... it gets very hot. Thankfully, the city is full of vendors selling refreshing snacks to cool you off, whether it is a raspado, or flavored ice; a mango cut like a flower and sprinkled with Tajín; or my personal favorite, agua fresca. Agua fresca is a simple juice that highlights just how awesome the fruit in Mexico is (there are also nonfruit varieties, made with flavors like hibiscus). As a kid, I wanted to try every kind. My all-time favorite was the watermelon juice, agua de sandia. The watermelon was so sweet, and the pink color was so pretty! The post Watermelon Agua Fresca appeared first on Connecticut Public.

This is one of the simplest dishes I know—and also one of my favorite crowd-pleasers. Can’t beat that. The most important factor in making this cake is not to overmix the biscuit dough. For the lightest, fluffiest biscuits, mix the dough until it just comes together and then stop. There’s really not much to this cake, so be sure to use the very best berries you can find. The post Strawberry Shortcake appeared first on Connecticut Public.

When it comes to sweet corn, my family is divided. Some of us are purists who like it steamed and simple, and others like to turn up the heat by grilling it with spices. If you're about to make this recipe, you're siding with my half. The post Grilled Sweet Corn With Spicy Rub appeared first on Connecticut Public.

My maternal grandfather, Giovanni, loved frittatas, and this one was his favorite. We had chickens growing up, so eggs were always available, and braided onions were always hanging in the […] The post Prosciutto and Onion Frittata appeared first on Connecticut Public.

This was a favorite salad at my restaurant Felidia, that Chef Fortunato Nicotra would always make. It was one of our best-selling salads, and it became part of our family […] The post Kale Salad with Avocado and Pistachios appeared first on Connecticut Public.

I am often asked, “My family loves chicken; how can I make it differently tonight?” Well, this is a little more complex recipe for chicken, full of surprises and flavor. […] The post Chicken Rollatini with Provola and Artichokes appeared first on Connecticut Public.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe are usually made to honor St. Joseph on his feast day of March 19, which is when Father’s Day is celebrated in Italy. “Zeppole” can refer […] The post St. Joseph’s Zeppole appeared first on Connecticut Public.

My grandmother used the differing temperatures and textures of boiled potatoes, beans, and vegetables to bring salads to life. I loved her approach, and try to bring it to all […] The post Warm Escarole Salad with Cannellini Beans and Mackerel appeared first on Connecticut Public.

Beef rollatini was not a dish I often ate growing up. Beef was scarce, and this was not a style of cooking my grandma often used, but I learned to […] The post Beef Rollatini appeared first on Connecticut Public.