We have encountered yet another Sunday at the senior center which means it’s macaroni time. Today’s meal of choice was the good old Neapolitan and childhood staple of pasta e patate, aka, pasta and potatoes. Yes, I spent the majority of my childhood eating double carbs because my grandmother made this weekly and, if I had it my way, I would have eaten it daily. Making this dish always brings up fond memories for my father, mother and brother — reminded of my grandmother’s overuse of red pepper and the way she would save the tiniest dish of leftovers and send it upstairs to our apartment for one of us kids to have as a leftover snack the following day.

dinner, mediterranean, vegan, vegetariantina corradoAugust 25, 2025pasta, potatoes

Zucchini Rollatini

At every catered event in the scope of my childhood — First Holy Communions, Confirmation parties, baby showers, bridal showers and, yes, even cocktail hours at weddings — there were trays, stacked on trays, of eggplant rollatini. Why? I don’t really know, but we’re Italian and I can only surmise that our love for cheesy dishes slathered in sauce runs deep, deep like a bottomless aluminum tray filled to the brim with hot food. I can recall my brother Louis and I having in depth conversations, as kids, about whether or not there would be eggplant rollatini at a family party or on a menu — and doing the same as adults. We don’t talk much, but we do talk about food and, I guess, that’s something.

dinner, mediterranean, vegetariantina corradoAugust 19, 2025zucchini, ricotta, red sauce, marinara sauce, cheese, vegetables

Pan Seared Zucchini with Feta and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Zucchini are plentiful and in season late May through August. We’ve been getting our fill of them in our home — AKA “The Senior Center” — because they’re readily available at the market and they make a quick and easy side to prepare at meal time. Last summer I loved pan searing zucchini whole and serving them with whipped lemon ricotta and feta, but this season I’m finding myself drawn to combinations of sweet and savory flavors, the use of a lot more herbs and a lot of garlic — of course.

dinner, mediterranean, sides, vegetariantina corradoAugust 9, 2025zucchini, feta, herbs, lemon, honey

Mediterranean Rice Salad

With so many nights of dinner to prepare a week, I’m always trying to think of new sides and pairings to balance our plates. Most of the meals I’ve been making have been very veggie forward, with protein and some sort of starch. To be honest, I got a wee bit reliant on the good old potato in its golden and sweet form — which really isn’t a problem — but we were all growing tired of them even if we’d eaten them roasted, boiled and as an air fried french fry.

dinner, lunch, mediterranean, sidestina corradoJuly 29, 2025rice, salad

Uncle Gino's Italian Tuna Salad

Uncle Gino would often prepare Italian tuna (yellowfin, canned in oil to the taste of the tuna is rich and moist — unlike a solid white albacore in water — Italian tuna is smooth, almost silky, and easy to flake) salad, nothing fancy, but my mother’s memory of it was so strong that I could hear the taste of it in her voice when she described it. I remember his cooking, watching him cook, his hugs — but my mother would not let up on this tuna salad.

mediterranean, lunch, dinnertina corradoJuly 29, 2025italian tuna, tuna, tomatoes, olives, capers

Pecorino + Lemon Oven Roasted Asparagus

If you’re looking for a way to add a little more green to your dinner table, look no further than the asparagus! And I’m not talking about steamed asparagus (although, I personally LOVE steamed asparagus with lots of salt, lemon and oil), but oven roasted asparagus takes about 10 minutes to prepare and really enhances the flavor profile of this lean green veggie — especially once you add a pop of lemon, garlic and pecorino romano to them.

dinner, sides, mediterranean, vegetariantina corradoApril 22, 2025vegetables, roasted vegetables, asparagus, oven roasted

Roasted Eggplant Farro Salad

When I was preparing salmon for dinner last week, I wanted to make a side that would have veggies and fiber but wasn’t a typical salad with a lettuce base. I love making creative salads, but I hadn’t made a grain salad in quite some time. I think grain salads are the perfect hearty but light offering to spring eating and, so, my aunt and I agreed on farro. Farro is a wheat based grain that has a nutty texture. It can be substituted with barley in many recipes,

dinner, mediterranean, sides, vegan, vegetariantina corradoApril 21, 2025farro, grain salad, beans, chickpeas, herbs, eggplant

Super Simple Honey, Lemon + Herbed Baked Salmon

Salmon is an easy weeknight meal that provides protein and heart and brain healthy OMEGA-3 fatty acids. It’s a powerful food that bakes in the oven in minutes. It’s one of those “no excuses” meals when it comes to cooking. This super simple salmon is made with a marinade that doubles as a vinaigrette for salads or steamed vegetables.

dinner, mediterranean, lunchtina corradoApril 21, 2025salmon, fish, baked fish, baked salmon, herbs, honey, lemon

Greek Style Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes

Last week, as I contemplated what to prepare for dinner, I stared down bell peppers, tomatoes and a package of meat that was in the refrigerator. The weather was cool, alarmingly cold, really, for April, and called for a warming meal. I recalled Susana’s meal, Stamatis stuffed peppers and tomatoes and swiftly got to work on recalling the flavors. I moved slowly, stopping to think about the taste, gathering all of the ingredients, and got to work. This recipe and process is not for the impatient or faint of heart in the kitchen.

dinner, mediterraneantina corradoApril 17, 2025Greek, stuffed peppers, rice, beef, onions, potatoes, herbs

Pasta e Fagioli

Few things remind me of childhood, my grandmother’s cooking and when my father used to cook, then a big, piping hot pot of fagioli. Growing up, beans were a staple in our home and they still are. Beans are a hearty, inexpensive, healthy and warming food — a food we ate 1 to 2 times a week no matter the season. I was that kid who looked forward to opening a lunch thermos full of beans and pasta, a bit odd, sure, maybe, but my love of cooking and eating, was born from watching the people I love cook their hearts out in the kitchen.

dinner, vegetarian, lunch, mediterraneantina corradoApril 13, 2025beans, pasta, soup, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

Imam Bayildi, Turkish Stuffed Eggplant

At a local Greek restaurant in Astoria, Queens, sitting in their hot steam table, prepared and ready to order, they had an eggplant dish called “Imam.” I would often order the stuffed eggplant when I went to the restaurant and on days where I was too tired to cook and, so, I’d pick it up as take-out fare. Imam is bathed in onions, tomatoes and herbs and, best of all, slick with oil. I’d often approach the steam table at the restaurant intent on ordering something different

dinner, lunch, vegetarian, vegan, mediterraneantina corradoApril 11, 2025eggplant, tomatoes, meatless, roasted vegetables

Tina To Table