Gilly's Blog
Thoughts & Recipes
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A Better Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad)
Gilly has put a delicious spin on the classic Greek lettuce salad by adding Kalamata olives and finishing it with a red wine vinegar dressing. This salad has finely chopped romaine lettuce, fresh dill, creamy feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and a red wine vinegar dressing. Although the recipe is simple, the salad is bright, flavorful, and crunchy.
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Gilly’s Best Authentic Linguini With Clams | Linguini Alle Vongole
My friend Mili and I love to make Linguini Alle Vongole when we get together at her house in California. We have been perfecting the recipe for many years. The pancetta adds a smokey flavor. The first recorded recipe of a pasta alle vongole dates back to 1839. It originated in Naples and has remained very popular throughout the surrounding Campania region in addition to Rome. Delicious served with an arugula and parmesan salad and garlic…
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The Ultimate Smash Burger
The traditional Oklahoma Onion Smash Burger became famous along Route 66 during The Great Depression when meat was expensive, but onions were cheap.Because this burger is so straightforward and delicious, it remains as popular today as it was over 90 years ago. I prepare mine with my mouthwatering ‘Gilly Sauce.’
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Great Riff On The Famous La Scala Salad
This flavor-enhancing recipe is a riff on the famous Beverly Hills restaurant La Scala Chopped Salad by adding red onion, pepperoncini, and pecorino-romano cheese. Restaurateur Jean Leon invented the salad and served it at his Beverly Hills restaurant, La Scala, beginning in the 1950s. Today, many celebrities still visit the restaurant to enjoy the Italian-inspired salad with salami, mozzarella, chickpeas, and a mustard-based dressing.
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Intensely Rich Flourless Chocolate Torte
A simple confection, reaching barely two inches tall, the flourless torte is sometimes referred to as Queen of Montenegro because it is said to have been created in 1900 when Elena of Montenegro ascended the throne of Italy. Tortes are baked with heavy ingredients like chocolate, butter, and eggs, sometimes nuts and breadcrumbs, making tortes much richer in taste and texture. The difference between a cake and a torte is cakes contain other ingredients. If you…
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Easy and Amazing Creamy Tuscan Salmon Pasta
Easy Creamy Tuscan Salmon: Prepared with fresh pan-seared salmon in a Tuscan cream sauce made with butter, cherry or sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, thyme, oregano, basil, a splash of white wine to deglaze, half and half, freshly grated parmesan, salt, and pepper. Believe it or not, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
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Easy Organic Scrambled Eggs With Spinach Mushroom And Feta
Organic eggs, organic mushrooms, organic spinach, organic shallots, Valbrezo feta, with a side of herb toast and fruit. Substitute egg whites if you prefer.
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Coq Au Vin, Tender and Savory Chicken With Wine
Coq au vin is a classic French stew. The chicken is braised slowly in red wine with a bit of brandy to create a tender and savory sauce with bacon, pearl onions, thyme, and mushrooms. Delicious served with garlic mashed potatoes or noodles, garnish with fresh parsley. My mother used to cook this recipe on special occasions, and it was a favorite of mine. Legend has it that coq au vin dates back to Julius Caesar’s…
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Amazing Linguine With Shrimp Scampi
Keep in mind that half a dish’s ability to WOW is about the quality of your ingredients. To that end, I suggest you always use the highest quality, freshest, and most organic ingredients you can find.For this recipe, I use all fresh vegetables, double zero Italian pasta (no preservatives or sugar – just wheat and water), and fresh shrimp. Whole Foods has all these things – including the pasta and a choice of fresh shrimp.The organic…
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The Most Amazing, Crispy Onion Rings
This recipe is simple and delicious. The onion rings come out very crunchy and light. I love love love onion rings, but I do not love the thick breading on most onion rings. I’m constantly sliding the onion out and only eating a tiny bite of the coating just to get the crunch. Finally, after many years, I thought, ‘how hard can it be to make them myself?’ The answer is – not hard. The first time I…
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Make the Perfect Filet Mignon
Cover the steak with fresh cracked pepper, sauté in garlic butter and fresh rosemary – pan-sear to medium-rare and finished in the oven. Purchase the highest quality grass-fed beef you can find or afford.
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Classic and Sensational Caesar Salad
This Caesar is one of those “simple” recipes I’ve been trying to get perfect for years. I finally did. Now I make it a lot. I worked hard to reverse engineer it from both the famous Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood and the original Mexican Caesar recipe.
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Greatest Spicy Vegetable Soup – Tomato, Potato, Zucchini, Spinach, Jalapeño
I came up with this Spicy Vegetable Soup recipe one day when I was craving a healthy, hot soup, and I couldn’t find a recipe with the herbs and vegetables I was craving. I have been perfecting it for many months, and now I have it just right. Tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, spinach, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeños, Worcestershire, and various spices. CAUTION: Highly Addictive!
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Easy, Delicious Tagliatelle With Zucchini
Tagliatelle Alle Zucchine. This versatile Tuscan dish is wonderfully satisfying and easy to create. Other vegetables, such as summer squash, broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, or eggplant, can be added or substituted.
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The Secret to the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
My secret to the perfect grilled cheese is to use freshly sliced sourdough with organic mayonnaise, spread on one side of each slice. Six to eight pieces of good sharp cheddar cheese. Cook in a cast-iron skillet and use a cast-iron cooking weight. Toast each side until it’s nice and crispy (if the cheese isn’t quite melted – put it on a plate and cook in the microwave for five seconds). Serve immediately with a side…
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Easy and Addictive Baked Brussels Sprouts
I make this recipe often – the way many people make popcorn, but Brussels sprouts are much healthier and yummier, in my opinion. I like to make it simple, with olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan. You can also fancy it up with drizzled aged balsamic vinegar (bacon or prosciutto, crumbled cheese). Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable in the cabbage family and are very high in vitamin C, and have anti-inflammatory properties. It is…
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Gilly’s Beautiful Bodacious Bolognese Sauce
As with many of my recipes, I start by reading classic recipes and the recipes of my favorite chefs. I am often fascinated with a dish’s history – how and why it came to be. Then I built my recipe, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the flavors I coaxed out with this one. It is closer to the classic Italian recipes, and I did not add water or stock because why dilute these rich…
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Simple & Spectacular Spaghetti All’aglio E Olio
One of my favorite books is The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric. A chapter I especially love is one written by the famous chef Mario Batali. He describes this beautiful and straightforward pasta recipe and its relationship to life. Pasta, olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and fresh parsley; I have interpreted his comments to create my own recipe here. Please enjoy! Excerpt From: Katie Couric’s Book, The Best Advice I Ever Got. Mario Batali, Celebrity Chef…
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Healthy Little Red Potato Salad to Die For
Light, creamy, healthy, and delicious. Fresh celery and celery seeds add crunch and flavor. The red skins on the potatoes add color and texture. Serve on a bed of mixed baby lettuces for any spring or summer dish or as a side to cold chicken or roast beef. Potato salad originated in Germany in the 16th century, where its recipe is vinegar-based and served warm. The American potato salad is usually mayonnaise-based and served cold.
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New Basics Apple Pie With a Heavenly Cheddar Crust
This recipe makes a delicious apple pie. It’s fun to make and easily turned into a Dutch apple pie – I’ll describe how. And it’s great a la mode. I found it years ago in The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins. Their cookbook is lovely because it describes plenty of details for preparation and pairings and it is user-friendly, although it does not have any photos. Photos inspire me to cook a particular dish and offer…
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Flavorful and Easy Artichoke Recipe
Easy to make, delicious to eat. Artichokes can be roasted, steamed, boiled, fried, or grilled. This healthy, tasty veggie is packed with protein, antioxidants, fiber, and only 73 calories per serving, including the dipping sauce. I usually boil my artichokes with spices, and a dipping sauce (not always grilled) because it is easier to prepare. Serve with a simple pasta or garlic toast for a lovely lunch or dinner without much effort. Peak artichoke season is…
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Refreshing and Spectacular Caprese Salad
A classic is a classic for a reason, and the Caprese salad is over 100 years old. The first origin story for the Caprese salad dates back to post-World War I Italy. Like many Italian dishes, the Caprese salad is also famous because it is effortless to prepare. I recommend you don’t make this dish unless you use all high-quality ingredients. Because the dish is so simple, the ingredients’ flavor is where it’s at, baby!
