Once I had a boyfriend named "Claudio... gorgeous, Italian, living in Bogota, Columbia.  I met him at the farm where I kept my horses...  He was here to do some business as a consultant with a major international corporation who had business in Columbia.  Well, whoever got done with the horses first would go up to the house to start dinner, really a fun idea and we would all gather around this huge farm table in the kitchen..  anyway...  There I found Claudio chopping away in the kitchen... and I found out he could really cook...  He taught me how to make a wonderful white clam sauce...  I do my own twist to it..  but, I think you will love it too..  Have a glass of wine, a nice Pinot Grigio, while you are cooking and think of Claudio the beautiful Italian man.

CLAUDIO'S WHITE CLAM SAUCE

in a large deep skillet drizzle olive oil, any  kind about 3 tbls

add

3 extra large sweet onions sliced thin and quartered  (yep 3 onions) 

stir and cook on med high heat till translucent 

add 

4 cloves of garlic chopped thin  or 2 teas of garlic powder 

continue stirring till golden brown

add 3 bottles of clam juice and reduce heat to medium

let it go ...  while this is reducing, open a bottle of your favorite Pinot Grigio and have a glass

AND...don't forget to add a glass to the pot...  

This recipe needs to reduce down quite a bit.. so... this gives you time to set the table...  make a great salad of arugula, goat cheese , chives , toasted pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette..

cook you favorite pasta...

AND...

 

if you are truly inspired... 

take a glass of white wine and put it in a medium skillet add rosemary and 2 tablespoon of confectioners sugar and reduce... 

when it starts to thicken pull off heat ... wait till after dinner... then throw a hand full of fresh berries into the sauce and stir..  

clear dishes 

scoop vanilla ice  cream into bowls..

top with sauce with berries .... a sprinkle of cinnamon and something green as garnish... 

THE PERFECT SIMPLE ITALIAN DINNER....MANGA!

Cooking Ameristyle with Tracey Lee

Hi.....  My name is Tracey Lee.  There is so much to tell you I barely know where to start.

Ok, here goes.  A few years ago I came up with this idea called Ameristyle..  It is all about the way we live and who we are and what we do with our lives.  (see my website http://ameristyle.com/  ).  Anyway, part of the whole Ameristyle idea was about cooking and decorating and well our heritage.  So, I went to Scripps Howard Corp in Cincinnati, Ohio and talked to the CEO Ken Lowe.  YOU know I gave him the "pitch".  I really believed that what i had was a great idea for HGTV or Food network.  Scripps owns them.  Ken Lowe loved the idea and had a few of the other execs in the office while I showed them what it was all about.  

Anyway, he sent us to Nashville to the headquarters of HGTV and so the next day we (my friend Marion, who was helping me along with a couple of great and talented guys)  went to HGTV,  but , could not get in to see the "big guys" even though Ken Lowe had called and said we were coming..  Oh well..  so we left a pitch book we did and home we drove.  A few weeks later I get a call saying that they would like a "video" sample of me.  

HUmmmmm......  so, the guys start planning a video to do and well we sent it and they said the "idea" was too big.  well, I was discouraged and just gave up on it.  I know  I know..  I shouldn't have given up so quickly but, I felt in over my head and needed someone to just take the idea and run with it..  anyway, I have always had great ideas, it is just getting them to fruition..  

So,  I poured myself into my "real work" producing photo shoots for advertising and stock.  Then I also, started "shooting" myself.  You know its funny, but, a good friend of mine Ariel Skelley, a world class photographer said years and years ago that I should start doing photography myself.  I have a good eye and know models and locations and styling and producing and directing and well, it took a while but I did start.  I love it..  and I started with shooting food.  

I love  LOVE to cook.  and so I thought well, I should try to photograph what I cook. The tables capes I create to serve the food.  Lord knows that I produced enough food shoots and did the cooking and styling for them.  Mark Atkinson and I did the Tidewater of Virginia  Junior League Cookbook, Taste of Tidewater.  I tested the recipes and cooked or prepared what needed to be shot and well it is beautiful.. Mark is soooooo talented and the book and photos are just gorgeous.  I guess that is what got me started on this whole IDEA..    

I want to do a cookbook, with great fun quick recipes and beautiful photos to give the cook an idea of what they should be looking to create and well.... thats the beginning of what I am doing.  Pallavi, a very good friend told me to do a blog.  she got me the info and well,  we shall see right???

you can look for more of my story and for recipes and when I figure how to add photos maybe you will see them too..  bye for now Tracey