FineCooks

Crazy good. A perfect balance of “sweet” and “savory.” This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite local restaurants and reminds me of a blissful evening with special friends. I literally spent the weekend trying to recreate this dish READ MORE

Kickin’ it old school. Love me some Udi’s bread! When my son asked for a grilled cheese sandwich, I realized I’d forgotten just how awesome they were on Udi’s bread. This ooey gooey goodness is simple and perfect on a READ MORE

Simmering risotto (lid off for photo only) A bowl of hot risotto is always welcoming on a cold winter day. This is a very easy recipe, but takes about an hour from start to finish (including prep time). The ingredients READ MORE

There are a lot of people out there that may not think quinoa and “nirvana” should appear in the same sentence. Especially when this amazingly delicious veggie dish has quinoa that photographs, well, kinda like tiny little snails. So, my READ MORE

I like it when my friends spoil me. Especially when they cook for me! As much as I love to cook, it is always a nice surprise when someone shows up with a fully cooked meal. In this case, my READ MORE

I’m one of those “I never ask for help” people, so when I broke down and had to get some help putting large pieces of furniture together, I felt compelled to make a “thank you” dinner for my friends whom READ MORE

There was a time where I couldn’t make this delicious comfort-food dish because it called for cream of mushroom soup. That’s back when it was impossible to find gluten free soup of any kind, let alone cream of mushroom. Today, READ MORE

This is one of those “lick your plate clean” dishes. It’s a good thing that’s generally not deemed appropriate. But, I must say, with this dish it’s quite tempting. Very tempting. Really, just about anything seems to taste great when READ MORE

This delicious black quinoa sat in a package on my counter for far too long before I could decide something “different” to do with it. Finally, I decided garbanzo beans would be a terrific, high-protein addition, as well as black READ MORE

For my non-vegetarian, vegan and raw friends, I offer up a “can’t fail” recipe for grilling chicken. Chicken is one of the mostly widely consumed meats on the planet and is a great source of low-fat protein. I find this READ MORE

I’m always looking for the “fresh catch of the day” to throw on the grill. If I can’t get a reasonable “fresh catch,” I look for a sustainable fish (okay, except when I cook salmon!). For this recipe, I used READ MORE

To this day, I can clearly remember the night when I was five years old and my dad was standing in our kitchen in South Carolina making tiny hamburger patties over a frying pan. I remember looking way up at READ MORE

True love. Jay, also known as Jeanette, is my best friend Julie’s mom. Back when Julie was growing up, apparently there was a lot of salmon cooked on their yacht and this recipe was one of her best memories. We READ MORE

Whether you’re gluten free or not, setting up a “make your own pizza” bar for a house full of children is always a big hit. It not only covers the picky eaters, but aims to please the vegetarians, the carnivores, READ MORE

For some reason, I am still craving fresh fish on a fairly regular basis. Turns out that the “fresh catch of the day” today was halibut. The key word there being “fresh.” I really was going to just bake it READ MORE

One of my favorite things about having dinner at my friend Julie’s house is that we always get to cook together. Not everyone can cook together…and if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you know what I’m READ MORE

This week I’m celebrating my Greek heritage, among other things such as the month of May, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month and, of course, our official website launch of Fine Cooks. I have altered this ever so slightly from The READ MORE

Cioppino is considered an Italian dish, but actually was introduced in San Francisco by a Portuguese and Italian fisherman who settled in the North Beach back in the 1800s. The name gets its origin from chopping up the leftovers from READ MORE

Opa! As I channel my very Greek heritage, I still haven’t broken the code on gluten free phyllo dough for spanikopita. As I would never admit to my persistence failing me, I have found another way to embrace the spinach/feta/nutmeg READ MORE

Call it a “hot dish” or call it a “casserole,” this ensemble is always a crowd pleaser.  Plus, if you’re feeling to lazy (wait, that’s me) to actually roll enchiladas, this tastes exactly the same, but is cut into nice READ MORE

I remember when I was a newlywed and my sister-in-law would come to visit. She would always just “whip up” a nice roast chicken, twice-baked potatoes and green beans. I was in awe. It was so different than my chopped READ MORE

Get your healthy gluten free, high protein and low carb meal here! Again, I am cooking from the fabulous The Fresh 20 meal plan and I made something new! It’s not the quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wa’), which might be new to READ MORE

Of all the wonderful things we baked, cooked and consumed over the holidays, I have to say one of my favorites was this beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon). It’s so easy to make and, once you do, you might wonder READ MORE

Are you a meat and potatoes lover? Crazy about your slow cooker? Suffering through these long wintry days? If you’ve developed a craving for something delicious and filling to take the edge off the cold weather, look no further. This READ MORE

Yes! That is a gluten free crust and it’s fantastic. I used Bette Hagman’s Vinegar Pie Crust recipe (click here for step-by-step “how to”) and, as always, her recipe turned out perfect. If you don’t know who Bette Hagman is, READ MORE

THE Ultimate Turkey /2008/11/thanksgiving-turkey.html So, my plan to cook up a fresh Thanksgiving dinner for you all prior to Thanksgiving was slightly interrupted by a flooring project in my kitchen.  The good news is I have pictures of recipes that READ MORE

It is the time of year where the days have become shorter and the nights have grown longer. There is a chill in the fall air, and even in Southern California, I feel the need to put a fire in the READ MORE