Peaches in white wine

Here's a dessert that couldn't be simpler. The ingredients: ripe peaches at their peak, slightly sweet white wine, a bit of Grand Marnier, and a bit of sugar. Allowed to marry for a few hours, the flavours only improve. It's the perfect end to a summertime dinner...

Spaghetti and meatballs

If you are looking for comfort food, then look no further. This is comfort food at its finest. The meatballs are a mix of ground pork and beef with breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. They are browned in olive oil and then slow-simmered in the tomato sauce (tomatoes, onion, garlic, Chianti, parsley, salt and pepper). The aromas that fill the house...incredible. The taste...bliss.

Roast chicken

Eating this made me soooo happy! The flavours may have been simple, but they were so good. I stuffed the chicken with onion, garlic, lemon, and thyme. I brushed melted butter on the skin and sprinkled salt and pepper liberally. I then roasted the chicken for just over an hour and the result was perfection. I served it with roast sweet potatoes and sauteed spinach. Absolutely delicious...

Sour cream coffee cake

Oh my goodness...this is so good! The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa Parties and it is an amazing treat to serve guests on a weekend morning. The cake is wonderfully moist and has layers of streusel (cinnamon, sugar, walnuts...YUM!) throughout. A drizzling of maple icing on top puts this one over the top. It's a party on its own, but an egg casserole and a fruit compote would round out the menu. Serve this and your family and friends will be singing your praises...

Swordfish with tomatoes, olives, and capers

I adapted this recipe from one found in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. In addition to the fennel, tomatoes, garlic, and capers found in the original recipe, I also added red bell pepper and pitted nicoise olives. It's a great dinner party dish, because not only is it beautiful and impressive, it's also just as good served at room temperature. And did I mention how healthy this one is?