This week’s recipe is a tribute to my 89-year-old neighbor, Tullio Saffiotti, a Sicilian immigrant who came here as a young man and established the fine fine wine business in Baton Rouge. He passed away recently. The recipe reminds me of the foods you’d find in the healthy Mediterranean Diet.
I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make simple cupcakes from a boxed mix turn into something a little more original and upscale. With a family wedding coming up in March, the bride and groom want a cupcake wedding cake, so they can have lots of creative cake varieties. Here’s one I tried, “Champagne Mimosa Cupcakes.” 
This blog post started out as an idea for using my backyard persimmons but is really more about the pork roast. I’ve been experimenting with various spice rubs for a pork tenderloin and finally have one that I really like. Last fall, I added persimmons, potatoes and onions to the roast to make a one pot meal. The persimmons are gone, but I’m still making this peppery pork roast and substituted Brussels sprouts.
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Here’s a favorite family soup, “Loaded Baked Potato Soup.” It is a soothing soup; welcome on a cold winter night. When I bake potatoes, I often bake a few extra and then make this creamy, flavorful soup. There’s something about this soup made with potatoes — a comfort food — which is very satisfying.
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