Gorgonzola & Apple Baguette

Here's a very quick dinner idea (or dinner party idea) Takes about 15 minutes.

1/3 lb. Gorgonzola Dolce
1 small baguette
1 apple
honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the baguette in half (lengthwise) and spread (as best you can) the gorgonzola on the bread. Cut the apple in small slices and heat on the stove top with 4 tbs water and tbs of sugar. Let it cook for about 7-10 minutes on medium heat until the apples start to soften up and get some color.

While this is happening, put the bread with the gorgonzola in the oven for about 5 minutes or until you see the cheese melt. Take this out and place the apples over the bread evenly. Pour honey over the apples and you're done!

Gorgonzola Dolce is a milder version of gorgonzola. It's a bit wetter and is a bit more spreadable than traditional gorgonzola. If you're trying to ease into the bleu's, try this one for starters.

NYC Food & Wine Festival

Teaching a Cook on the Run Fan

Colombian Arepas

I created this site and these videos to show people how to cook very simple meals literally on the run. I also created these videos as a sort of time capsule for my family to learn how to make dishes that we grew up with.

Eating arepas with cafe con leche on weekend mornings is one of the special food memories held deep in my soul. I still to this day reminisce with my cousin about waking up in Paterson, NJ and starting out my day with both of these (yes, drinking coffee at the tender age of 4 is quite normal in certain Hispanic families)

What makes this recipe special is that years of wondering how they got the egg in the arepa, I decided to give it a try. It's one of the easiest recipes. It's not the healthiest, but damn is it good. To my family, now you know how to make! To everyone else, enjoy some of my Colombian culture.

Italian Comfort Mac N Cheese

I've mentioned before, I'm part Italian. What draws me to Italian cooking is the ease at which you can have an incredible meal using very few ingredients. Italian cooking is about simplicity. It's about using what's fresh, what's available, and most importantly, good quality. Again, as with many of my recipes, this was one I learned and stripped down to its most basic elements.

The recipes is 4 ingredients: Fennel, cherry tomatoes, mascarpone cheese, & parmesan cheese. (garlic is optional) From the time you walk in the door, dinner should be on the table in 20 minutes.

Fennel, Tomato, Mascarapone Sauce

2 Fennel bulbs

2 cups of cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

8 oz. of mascarpone cheese

Parmesan cheese

Cut the tops off the bulbs and rinse. Afterwards, cut in half and slice. Saute the fennel in a little olive oil (remember to add salt and pepper). Do this for 8-10 minutes or so on medium heat. Once the fennel becomes translucent, add in 2 cloves of sliced garlic and 2 cups of cherry tomatoes. Cook both the fennel and tomatoes for another 5 minutes or so until the tomatoes soften up. Once this happens, take a flat spatula and flatten the tomatoes.

Next up, add in about 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese. Mix it all together. Add in the parmesan cheese. Quick tip here: The sauce may be a bit thick, so add in about 1/3 cup of cooked pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit. Add it a little at a time and eye it. You'll know what's good) Serve this over penne or your favorite pasta. It made a great topping over chicken breast.

Quick tips/thoughts

• Add in some fresh basil for a bit more depth of flavor.
• Great substitute for the same old Mac n Cheese! - Use elbow macaroni for the kids.

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Pears

Time for a different salad green. Salad on its own can often times be quite boring. So quit using only the iceberg, romaine, and boston lettuces etc. Arugula, one of the more aromatic salad greens, packs quite the punch of flavor. You will notice it has a pepper, mustard flavor and slightly bitter taste (but good!)

It was another late night at the office. I swung by the store to pick up arugula and pears and was all set for dinner. I happened to have gorgonzola and lemon and olive oil at home and it was all I needed. 8:10 I walk through the door. 8:25, I'm eating a great dinner. I don't specify how much cheese to use, because it's such a strong flavored cheese. Taste as you go. (I used about 1/2 cup crumbled)

Keep your food simple and you'll notice a big difference in how you feel. When food gets complicated is when people tend to throw in the towel (or apron!) This simple salad goes a long way in terms of flavor and quality with just a few ingredients.

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Pears
1 bag of arugula
Gorgonzola cheese
2 pears (peeled and sliced)

Quick lemon/olive oil Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I like the darker the better)
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Quick tips/thoughts

• Close matches to arugula are dandelion greens, escarole, endive, and watercress.
• If arugula is too strong for you, mix in some boston lettuce, romaine, or spinach to balance out the the strong flavors.
• For a quick side dish, sauté arugula in olive oil (remember to heat the olive oil first) for about 30 seconds. Add some salt and pepper and you're done.
• Use any cheese that you want. Here's a few recommendations: Bleu, goat cheese, feta.

A little lesson...

Arugula is very low in calories and is a good source of vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, & magnesium. (just one note, on this...it's about 3-5% for each and not bad for a green, but it's no where near what you need in a day)

Other names for this green are rocket, Italian cress, roquette, Mediterranean rocket. (why rocket? It's the closest word to roquette.)

Hi there

I'm back. I've been absent from the posting a while. Dislocated my right finger during a rugby match. So there wasn't much cooking/typing. I'll be back on Monday 10/19 and everyday thereafter with recipes and videos. Start following me on twitter then for tips and very quick recipes.