all you need...

is a cast iron skillet. seriously. since i received this wonderful gift, i have probably used it 2-3 a week. why is it so important? well other than being super huge and durable, it has the wonderful function of ovenproof-ness. perfect for dishes like this baked fish. tomatoes, capers, and basil make this incredibly flavorful. after you pan fry the fish for a very short time (like 2 min), you add some vegetable stock and the rest of your ingredients, and throw it in the oven. this will help the fish to really soak up all of those flavors without drying out. bon-apetit! and enjoy the christmas decorations

my own dish!

no stealing from ms. ray this time. although i'm slightly stealing the name from a maggiano's dish if it sounds familiar. i call it...rigatoni d.j.k. this meditteranean pasta dish has rigatoni, grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, tossed in pesto, and topped with a few goat cheese crumbles. you get a lot of savory from the chicken, tomatoes and pesto, but the sweet goat cheese really creates a nice contrast.