As the temperatures plummeted outside yesterday, I was craving something light and warming for dinner.  With football and a fire planned for the evening festivities, this felt like the perfect dish for us to eat fireside.  This simple meal takes less than 30 minutes to pull together so I barely missed a play while steaming the clams in the kitchen.  Fennel adds a delightful sweetness to the broth. Serve with some nice crusty bread to sop up all the yummy flavors (yes, I watched with big sad puppy dog eyes as my boyfriend munched on his crunchy bread while I am still on my ‘no-grain’ kick for a few more weeks.)

You can substitute mussels for clams should you desire  – or mix it up and include both.

Continue reading Snowy Saturday Supper: Littleneck Clams in Fennel Broth at Our Italian Table.

Is there anything more comforting than a pot of stock simmering on the stove? With all the cooking going on around here over the holidays, I have a fridge chock full of leftover veggies, bones and carcasses waiting patiently for their turn in the stockpot. And with a day of toodling around the house, it was the perfect day to get started on refilling the freezers with homemade stock – from beef to chicken to fish.  

Continue reading Healthy, Healing, Homemade Roasted Beef Stock at Our Italian Table.