Turkish Red Pepper & Walnut Dip by John Spottiswood

I've had this appetizer numerous times at my favorite nearby Turkish restaurant, New Kapadokia. I finally made it myself for a number of guests and it was a big hit. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and very flavorful. I served it with high quality hummus and babaganoush, and the red pepper dip was the most popular. Give it a try!

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan by Mihir Shah

Wonderful and lighter alternative to baked eggplant Parmesan and wonderful for summer or fall nights. I use canned pasta sauce (basil if you have it).

Parmigiana di melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) by Frank Fariello

Being a lover of good food, I find it almost impossible to answer the question 'what's your favorite dish?' But if I had to, my answer would probably be eggplant parmesan--parmigiana di melanzane--the way Angelina used to make it. This is a simple dish to make, but it involves several steps. Allow yourself a good two hours to…

Chilled Italian Zucchini Appetizer by John Spottiswood

This is a fantastic recipe that I adapted from Marcella Hazen. She recommends serving this at room temperature, but I've had a similar broccoli appetizer at a great local Italian restaurant and they chill it, so I thought I would too. I think it would be great either way. If it's hot out, and a chilled appetizer would be nice, then…

Sweet Potato Bourbon Casserole Recipe by marcia zeballos

I made this for Thanksgiving in the place of the usual sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I will NEVER go back to THAT dish...THIS RECIPE ROCKS! This is the best sweet potato dish I have ever had. I'm so glad I thought of it :)

Asparagus bread pudding by Chris Patil

It’s spring, the asparagus is in, and it sometimes seems like there aren’t enough ways to eat it. This dish can stand alone as a vegetarian entrée or serve as a hearty side dish alongside roast chicken or fish. My guests have compared the consistency to a calzone. This is a fairly forgiving recipe though I would caution against…

Sweet Pickles In 15 Minutes. Just In Time For The 4th! by kathy gori

It's been busy here in Sonoma getting ready for our annual 4th of July barbecue. In planning our menu this year, we decided to go for the traditional American organic beef burgers with all the fixings, two kinds of coleslaw, James Beards' sour cream slaw, a tart Indian cabbage dish, an Indian style potato salad, mixed wild greens…

Warm artichoke dip by Micheline

A tasty, elegant, warm dip to serve with rice or water crackers when entertaining.

Pickled turnips by Chris Patil

Last Thanksgiving, I went up to Portland to enjoy the holiday with a group of old friends. By Saturday, we were all stuffed and vaguely tired of food – but our friend Eric managed to revive our appetites with a creative light meal consisting entirely of homemade pickles and two kinds of fried carbs (polenta and a salty fried batter…

Vegetarian Lasagna by Kelsey Martin

Confetti Veggie Squares (aka Vegetable Pizza) by Salad Foodie

Recipes for vegetable pizza abound and are popular fare at parties and spreads. In my interpretation of this showy appetizer, I lightened the traditional recipe by using reduced-fat ingredients and embellished the top with a variety of minced vegetables. Guests appreciate a lighter munchy, and I never return home with leftovers when…

Picco De Gallo by Janelle Carpenter

A fresh salsa that brightens any plate.

My Versatile Hummus Dip Recipe by Micheline

By substituting the main traditional ingredient in this hummus recipe (chickpeas) you I can create various types of delicious hummus dips. Instead of chickpeas, substitute sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained and rinsed); OR canned artichokes (drained and rinsed); OR roasted, marinated red peppers (drained and rinsed); OR…

Creamy Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip by Denise Sherin

This is so good my son asks for a bowl and just eats it with a spoon! We have this every family get together/holiday, game days and a really for no occasion at all we love it. It's made on the stovetop and then baked for about 20mins, its so easy to make. And we use it in so many ways. As a dip its great with toasted bread or…

Georgian Eggplant with Walnut by John Spottiswood

This is a delicious dish that I had in a Georgian restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was delicious, and this rendition does it supreme justice. This will taste best if you use asian eggplant (chinese, japanese, etc.) which is much thinner than regular eggplant and had smaller and fewer seeds. Makes a great appetizer that can…