Pomato Revival

9 Things that Embarrassed the Hell Out of Me Growing Up that I Wouldn’t Have Had Any Other Way

maria — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:24:22 +0000

It’s funny—I made quite a few promises to myself before I had a kid about the things I swore I’d never do as a parent. Above all, I promised I’d NEVER embarrass my kids the way my parents embarrassed me. I’d never be so strict—I’d let them live their lives, do whatever they want to [...]

My Name is Maria, and I Love to Eat Brains (Or, an Ode to Capozella)

maria — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:38:34 +0000

There, I said it. I can’t help it, and I’m through hiding it. I fell in love when I was a kid, long before realizing that this isn’t normal behavior. I thought nothing of it as I was growing up. Having brains for dinner was a special event in our house, something we only [...]

On Babies, Boobs, and Being Back (and Lactation Cookies)

maria — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:52:30 +0000

Oh, hi. Yes, it’s me. Funny, I feel like a stranger here, right in my own house, so to speak. I know it’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to say hello for a long time, but as the weeks and months passed, it became harder to just dive in. My time has been [...]

A Pasta Date with Mom (Tortellini from Scratch)

maria — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:23:22 +0000

This is what I dug out of the fridge and pantry this week: Semolina flour, purchased two years ago during a flurry of enthusiasm over all things Bob’s Red Mill. Due to expire this month. Found under a pile of tablecloths in the pantry. A mushy sweet potato, ready for the trash if I don’t [...]

Pistachio-Almond Cupcakes—Sicilian-Inspired, but Something My Mom Would Never Make

maria — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:53:09 +0000

My mom has never been creative in the kitchen. She’d be the first person to tell you: she just doesn’t know how to “invent” recipes. I hated this growing up. It meant the same rotation of meals for dinner, the same desserts at holidays. Even if she wasn’t doing the inventing, introducing a new recipe [...]

The Healing Powers of Pesto

maria — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:52:03 +0000

I spent all last week, from Monday night to Friday, plopped on my couch. It was one of those weeks you daydream about when you’re insanely busy: “If only I could stay home and forget everything, take naps, and watch Netflix on my cozy couch while everyone else runs the rat race.” Only, when that [...]

Grilled Pizza Madness

maria — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:31:48 +0000

Whenever I see a mound of pizza dough I’m reminded of a random afternoon when I was about four. We were in the Poconos. My mom was kneading dough for homemade pizzas and I was going through a phase where I was obsessed with eating raw food. Raw pasta, raw sausage, raw dough…I’d sneak bites [...]

Pantry Raid, Quinoa-Style

maria — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:51:35 +0000

I’m in a pantry raid kind of mood. These cupboards are so full, and yet every couple of weeks I stare at them, then over at the fridge, trying to justify takeout. There’s so much stuff lurking in the back corners of our kitchen, tucked behind coffee beans and tomato sauce, that I don’t even [...]

All Is Well When Pancakes Are Around (Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes)

maria — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:55:49 +0000

It seems I’m never home on weekends. I don’t even know what I do—not summery things like swimming or camping. The weeks just come and go and I can’t remember what I did with my time. When people ask on Monday how my weekend was, I look back at the blur of days and say, [...]

Rubber Ducky, You’re the One (Rubber Ducky Cookies)

maria — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:36:34 +0000

Here’s something you may not know about me: I’m a crazy, smothery, smoochy, obsessed aunt. My niece Sofia just turned one, and from the moment the party planning began I kept trying to figure out a way to sneak some of my baking into the day. It’s not that I wanted to crash the party [...]