Most people think of risotto as a special occasion dish because the perception is that it takes a long time to make and a ton of stirring. It takes a bit of time and a little stirring but not as much as we tend to do here in American versus Italy, where it is a popular everyday dish.   I use to slave over risotto as well until I watched my friend's mother who was visiting from Italy make a most effortlessly and delicious risotto. The k...

I like a fresh fruit crisp but few ripe fruits come our way to Boston during the winter months.  So I do the next best thing and use frozen organic fruits, which are not too shabby and work very well for baking.  This crisp is made with a gluten-free and vegan granola by purely elizabeth (not capitalized), which is created by Elizabeth Stein, a certified holistic nutritional counselor.  The granola I used here is a cranberry pecan bu...