Laura Rebecca's Kitchen

UPDATED! See below! I love butternut squash, but don’t think I’ve ever mashed it before. Aside from being exceedingly simple, it has a lovely flavor — particularly if you enhance it with salt, pepper, and butter. It’s also very good for you: 1 cup of squash cubes has only 60 calories and no fat (of […]

At left, buttermilk mashed potatoes accompanied with meatloaf and veggies. The word “buttermilk” in a recipe always sucks me in. Buttermilk pancakes? Yep. Buttermilk. Buttermilk fried chicken? Yes, please. Buttermilk mashed potatoes? Definately! Unfortunately, these are good but not as good as I expected them to be. They’re a bit creamier than regular milk would […]

They started out in neat rows, but as I didn’t have a turkey baster, I gently flipped them while baking. If you have a type A personality like me, it should come as no surprise that I’m already testing out recipes for Thanksgiving. It looks like a small one this year — just us and […]

It doesn’t get much easier than this, nor more delicious. The colors are gorgeous and flavors are perfect. As there isn’t much to this recipe, use the best ingredients available, especially when it comes to the fresh mozzarella. It should be very white, usually shaped like a ball, and packed in water. If there isn’t […]

These are something I remember vividly from my grandmother’s kitchen. We’d place them in a sandwich of fresh deli turkey and semolina bread with a touch of mayo, salt, and pepper – delicious. (Though the lack of good semolina bread around here makes me want to cry.) Italian Fried Peppers 1 pound Italian peppers, cut […]

Since there’s about an hour and a half left to Tuesday in the Eastern Standard Time zone, let’s get this show on the road: Roasting garlic is one of the easiest things that can be done in the kitchen. Slice the tip off a head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, pop in the oven, […]

Last night, I dreamt of zucchini. I’m trying not to focus on a Freudian interpretation of that, hoping instead that my subconscious was just thinking about this Zucchini Parmesan bread. I pulled this together last Friday in an attempt to use up some farmers’ market items before we left for NY. It’s based on this […]

Just before I popped it in my mouth. This is based upon a Cook’s Illustrated recipe that I found and lost a number of times. As a result, I have a vague recollection of the original recipe and now just wing it. It’s delicious, if I do say so myself. One note: there’s no cilantro […]

Sometimes, you just don’t have the time — or inclination — to create something extravagant. Fortunately, this time of year is perfect for understated cooking. The fresh produce speaks for itself. Two notes: make this salad shortly before serving (perhaps 20 minutes) and don’t refrigerate the tomatoes; doing so saps their flavor. Simple Tomato Basil […]

As a courtesy to you, I went through the hardship of trying out these recipes — Basil-Garlic Butter, Grilled Corn, and Doctored Baked Beans — yesterday so you might use them today. I know; such sacrifice and hardship is hard to believe. In all seriousness, I hope you’re Memorial Day is a warm and sunny […]