My husband and I both grew up with dessert as a part of dinner. And dessert didn't mean "treat." It just meant the last course.In France and Italy, dessert is simply the finish — part of a meal. It's not a guilty pleasure or a bribe, just part of dinner. For me, most often my […]
Why One Pint Is Better Than a Half Gallon The secret to eating well — isn't about cutting things out. It's about choosing food with genuine flavor and high-quality ingredients, so you feel truly satisfied. This is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean way of eating. To see for yourself, take a taste test. Try one […]
In the U.S., much of the advice around feeding kids involves tricks or games, which can turn mealtime into a tiring negotiation. Hiding vegetables. Cutting food into shapes. Promising dessert if they eat their dinner. In this post, I'll share an approach that doesn't involve extra effort, bribery, or turning on an iPad or TV […]
And How to Bring It Home If you’ve ever had dinner in Italy or France — or even just imagined it — you might have felt something hard to name. Maybe you saw a movie where everyone is lingering around a table full of amazing food and thought, “I want to eat that!” Or “How […]
Serving Ideas for Your Tomato Sauce: Tap on the picture to view the caption and, if available, the link to the recipe idea. You may also be interested in reading about: Pasta from Italy Cooking Pasta to Perfection French and Italian Flour Freezing Summer Tomatoes
A Delightful and Easy Way to Entertain The Apéritif In recent posts I've written about the French apéritif. It's more than just a drink before dinner — it's a delicious tradition that helps you create easy, elegant meals and also supports healthy eating habits. (You'll find links to read more at the bottom of this […]
Cooking is an essential part of life. And yet, many people grow up without learning how to cook — or how to do it easily. With the rise of takeout, delivery apps, and convenience foods, it's easy to skip cooking altogether. Buying prepared foods and eating out costs more than cooking at home, and often […]
Cooking while you're on vacation may not seem like a break at first glance, but I'll show you how it can be both rewarding and, yes, relaxing! When you have the option to cook, making some meals in can save you money, help you eat better, and add an unexpected sprinkle of flavor, fun, and […]
You’ll find several posts about apéritifs here at Return to The Table — and yet, here is another morsel to try. Just like a good apéritif! In the post Easy Family Dinner Apéritif Style, I share the idea of turning an apéritif into dinner by pulling together a few small plates to create a fabulous […]
Like a sauce with its layers of flavors, the details of how you eat blend together to create something truly nourishing — your delicious diet, one ingredient at a time. Ingredients:Good foodConnectionHow you eat When you combine these ingredients, you have a special recipe for health and happiness. It’s the perfect diet. Your diet inspires […]
In recent posts, we’ve talked about creating your delicious diet and eating what you love — while maintaining your health and your weight. The secret lies in your lifestyle around food, which helps explain well-known phenomena like longevity in the Blue Zones and the French Paradox. The right diet isn’t about restriction. It’s about creating […]
Last week, I wrote about creating a diet you love. Not a restrictive plan — something different. Something delicious. A "diet" in the original sense. The word diet comes from the Greek word diatia, which means "way of life." Your diet isn't just about what you eat — it's how you eat too. How you […]
