my boys

Today, I want to shine the spotlight on the men in my life. When it comes to food, my hubs and my dad could not be more opposite, but they each present a fun challenge when I get to cook for them!

Here's Dru helping out in the kitchen, which he is happy to do (mostly in the reaching things up high category), and showing off one of his favorite things I've ever made.

The man loves carbohydrates and cheese. Anything Italian in nature is usually a winner. As you know, cheese is not something I try to eat a lot of, so this can be difficult. This tomato basil tart was a real winner at Sunday brunch, and I have to tell you, I also thought it was pretty darn good. A nice compromise for us - that we both actually really like - is margherita anything.

Here's the tart recipe:

Ingredients

- Pastry for a single-crust pie (9 inches)

- 1 1/2 cups shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

- 5 to 6 fresh plum tomatoes

- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

- 4 garlic cloves

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise

- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Roll pastry to fit a 9" tart pan or pie plate; place in pan. Do not prick. Line pastry shell with foil.

2. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 minutes more. Remove from the over, reduce heat to 375° and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the hot crust.

3. Cut each tomato into eight wedges and arrange over the cheese.

4. In a food processor, process the basil and garlic until coarsely chipped; sprinkle over the tomatoes.

5. Combine mayo, Parmesan, pepper and remaining mozzarella, spoon over basil. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. :)

As for my dad, he is the opposite of picky. I think the only thing he doesn't like is Parmesan cheese. Specific, I know, but he doesn't dislike any major group of food. The thing that can be tricky is that he often wants things to taste just like my grandma made when he was a kid. So, I think the thing he liked best that I've made was these dumplings. :)

Here's the low-down on Old Fashioned Dumplings (just came up with that name):

Ingredients

- 2 cups flour

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp baking powder

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 cup lukewarm water

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together, then add oil and mix with a fork. Add water to create the consistency you like. Drop a spoonful of dumpling mixture into water (or the broth of your choice) and let steam for 4 minutes. Repeat for as many as you can make. That's it!

Of course, these were steamed in water and pretty flavorless. You can add any seasoning you want or steam them in another liquid, if you want to create more flavor. They are really easy, great additions to soups, stews or anything else. Try it! You will like it.

Here's to the men in our lives and the things they like to eat! Let me know what some of your favorite comfort foods are!

Be well,

M