Recipe by Carrie Hirsch

Serves 8 as a soup course, 4 as a main course

8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into
1/2” rounds 1/2 red or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups hot chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

Simplicity in Italian cuisine is the sign of perfection.

The beautiful red color of the pears is perfect for the holidays. Brightened by the red wine and reminiscent of winter, it makes an elegant presentation.

• 6 Anjou or Bartlett pears
• 1cupsugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cups of Chianti
• 1 tablespoon whole butter
• Powdered sugar for garnish
• Mint leaves for garnish
• Cinnamon or vanilla gelato

It’s traditional with a regional flair, great for entertaining and not too hard to prepare — plus it has a presentation that will impress!

Rustic flavor of this roasted chestnut soup pairs well with a festive salad course ov wintergreens 

• 1 medium diced carrot
• 1 celery, diced
• 1 small parsnip, diced
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 1 sprig each of bay !eat; thyme, parsley

Serves 8
Ingredients: 

Crust:
6 graham crackers, broken into pieces

¼ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon butter (to coat spring form pan)

By Carrie Hirsch

Coming late to the farmer’s market is like coming late to the party - most of the guests have left, the ice sculpture has melted and only a few wilted hors d’oeuvres remain on the platters. If you want to get the best of the bounty, arrive early and bring a tote bag or a backpack to carry your finds, which leaves your hands free to sample! You don’t want to be the one tussling over the very last stalk of rhubarb and making a scene…it’s just that you needed it for your strawberry and rhubarb pie!

by Carrie Hirsch

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Once the immune system decides that a particular food is harmful, it creates specific antibodies to fight it. The next time the individual eats that food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, to protect the body. These chemicals trigger allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and/or cardiovascular system. Some reactions can be deadly.

By Carrie Hirsch

Asian food covers a spectrum of endless possibilities – the myriad of spices procured and the combination of ingredients used to create recipes are so diverse and complex and rooted in culinary tradition. We tend to think of Asian food as Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai, but the largest country in Asia is Russia and the smallest independent state is an archipelago of islands known as The Maldives - two extreme examples of how the cuisines within Asia are vastly different.