THE LATEST FROM FRAN BERGER
Blogs
A Simple, Easy Treat: Great Golden Oven Fries
Wanna Enjoy a Pan of Deep Golden Fries? Did someone say you could get great French fries from the oven? I’m in! I am a serious potato lover in any form, it’s kind of pathetic- I can’t leave them alone...
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More than a Traditional Panzanella: With Beet and Rye
Beet and Rye Panzanella Salad – a Recipe with a Dash of Tradition I love a good traditional Panzanella Salad and will order it every time at my favorite Italian restaurants. But, when I saw the picture of this recipe...
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Thinking Big with Beer-Braised Carnitas
More than One Food Memory from Carnitas: Delicious Pulled Pork I love Carnitas on anything – only one problem – you can’t ever make a small amount of it. But, the great thing about bulk recipes is that they can be...
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Easy Recipe for Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes in a Skillet
Food Memory in the Making: All you need is your favorite skillet. This recipe for gnocchi on a skillet is so quick and easy. The big plus is that it looks beautiful on the plate – color in the dish...
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Light and Easy Recipe for Spaghetti al Limone
Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil This recipe for a light citrusy spaghetti from Smitten Kitchen’s post from February 24, 2011. It looks wonderful and reminds me of a pasta I loved in Florence on my last trip there –...
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Brunch? How about a Frittata with Fontina Cheese and Mushrooms?
Frittata with Mushroom, Leek, and Fontina Cheese Eggs are my favorite food and I could eat them all day long for every meal.  Frittatas are almost a perfect egg dish because they don’t have to be served hot to be delicious! ...
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Summer Salad with Arugula-Mint Pesto
Snap Peas and Green Beans with Arugula-Mint Pesto What a great way to spring into summer. I found this fresh Snap Peas and Green Bean salad recipe on Epicurious from the bon appétit June 2015 issue. It was created by...
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How a Foodie Eats the Perfect Meal
I always find it funny when someone asks me if I’m a foodie. I guess I am, I love eating both at home and out. It doesn’t matter how close or far away, how casual or fancy the place is,...
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Not Your Usual Pasta Making Class
I’m going to confess something here, (for those that know me it’s not that big of a secret), I absolutely love pasta in all its’ forms. I will eat it hot, cold, with or without sauce – I’m shameless when...
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Travel Planning is Everything Until It’s Not
Different people plan their trips differently. Some love to just “wing it” and decide what they will do and where they will sleep once they get to a destination. Sometimes they don’t even plan a destination past their original stopping...
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3 Truly Fantastic Italian “Relationship Recipes” from La Festa della Donna
A “Relationship Recipe” is a recipe I’ve developed over my whole life, but especially over the last 20 years as a restaurateur, to create, encourage and strengthen our connections to those around us – Friends, colleagues, family and loved ones,...
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Something for a Rainy Day: Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots Author: Recipe by Maggie Ruggiero One of the things I love about rainy days is how they beg for me to be in the kitchen for just a little while and after several hours...
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Recipe for Cranberry-Cherry Compote for Thanksgiving All Year!
Cranberry-Cherry Compote Recipe by Anna Stockwell Who doesn’t remember Cranberry Sauce, especially the Ocean Spray “jelly” kind in the can? I loved that stuff growing up and could never understand why we only ate it once a year at Thanksgiving. ...
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More Travel Hacks — Then, On to Italy!
It’s actually happening – down to zero hour when I start my trip to Italy! I’m so excited that I can’t stand myself (I have no idea what that means I just always say it when I’m more than excited...
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Getting Organized with Travel Hacks
I love to travel. The joke in my family has always been that I will have my bags packed before you can finish saying to me “Why don’t we go to … ?” I have two requirements — it must...
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Online Dating? Skype Before a Visit!
Dating sucks but online dating can REALLY suck. I thought, though, for a hot minute that it was a good idea for me, so I signed up for a couple of sites. I was cruising along checking it all out,...
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Recipe for a Sweet Potato Casserole You Can’t Put Down
Spiced Sweet Potato and Parsnip Tian This recipe is by Anna Stockwell I think everyone has had a Sweet Potato Casserole at Thanksgiving. It almost doesn’t matter if dinner was at your house, your Grandmother’s or a neighbor’s, someone made...
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The First 10 Minutes, Why They’re So Important
I’m reminded regularly of one of my basic truths. A person will tell you who they are within the first 10 minutes of meeting them. It’s funny but we all do the same thing when we meet someone for the first...
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How Many Full Moons Do We Have Left?
It’s funny. We all find ourselves getting cranky over something that someone else has said or done to us that we perceive as mean. I know for a fact that I’m guilty of that. I’ve always said that I may...
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A Recipe for a Different Kind of Carbonara
A Different Carbonara – Creamy Pappardelle with Leeks & Bacon The author of this recipe is Sara Jenkins published in the February 2013 issue of Bon Appétit. When I’m looking at new pasta recipes (a favorite carb), I always stop at...
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