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Home | Ilda Costa-Sarnicki | Page 5

Ilda Costa-Sarnicki

Ilda Costa-Sarnicki subscribes to the Dalai Lama’s rule that suggests one should approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Her first recollection of having a foodie gene was, when at 4 years of age, her mom sent her outside for some fresh air and she returned with a bunch of parsley asking if that was it.

Ilda discovered food as more than sustenance by watching the Food Network with her daughter and then going into the kitchen to replicate recipes seen on the shows. Thirty years later, the kitchen experiments continue. All things food and cooking are a passion enjoyed on days off from her work as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse.

Over the years, Ilda has collected an arsenal of kitchen gadgets and has designed an ergonomic kitchen that maximizes efficiency and pleasure while minimizing stress and fatigue. She confesses she’s a hardcore foodist, and she does deep dives not only into cooking but also cheese making, charcuterie, food preservation, fermentation, and food gardening.

Recipe testing feeds into her motto of being continually inspired and of inspiring others to cook and be creative and confident in the kitchen.

Ilda Costa-Sarnicki
Four grilled vegetable skewers with harissa-marinated halloumi.

Grilled Vegetable Skewers

30 mins

Two jars of peach and rhubarb jam with some peaches in the background and a plate with a piece of bread topped with the jam.

Peach and Rhubarb Jam

15 hrs

Several cooked papo-secos on a wire rack.

Papo Secos ~ Portuguese Rolls

4 hrs

A bifana, a Portuguese pork sandwich on a white plate with a bottle of mustard in the background.

Bifanas ~ Portuguese Pork Sandwiches

2 hrs

A browned fennel potato gratin, garnished with rosemary in an oval casserole dish with handles and a glass of white wine on either side of the dish.

Fennel Potato Gratin

1 hr 45 mins

Two pouches of baked mushrooms in foil packets with a bowl of greens and another bowl of quinoa on the side.

Baked Mushrooms in Foil Packets

40 mins

A bacon Swiss burger topped with lettuce, tomato, and dill pickle chips.

Bacon Swiss Burger

1 hr

A bowl filled with fresh whole milk ricotta and a spoon on the side.

Fresh Whole Milk “Ricotta”

1 hr 50 mins

Four slabs of BBQ oven ribs on a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

BBQ Oven Ribs

12 hrs

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate ~ Chocolate Caliente

10 mins

Nine colorful braised carrots on a white platter.

Braised Carrots with Orange and Rosemary

30 mins

A plate filled with pasta with butter and Parmesan.

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

20 mins

A baked fresh peach pie with three slices missing.

Fresh Peach Pie

1 hr

A piece of Portuguese tea flan on a white plate, drizzled with caramel sauce.

Portuguese Tea Flan

4 hrs 30 mins

A white round plate topped with a serving of Portuguese salad of black-eyed peas with tuna with a fork resting in the salad and a crust of bread on the side.

Portuguese Salad of Black-Eyed Peas with Tuna

5 hrs

A floral plate with a slice of Portuguese almond torte, dusted with icing sugar, with a dollop of whipped cream and shreds of lemon zest.

Portuguese Almond Torte ~ Bolo de Amêndoa

1 hr 15 mins

Several chouquettes, or cream puffs with pearl sugar in a paper bag.

Chouquettes ~ Cream Puffs with Pearl Sugar

1 hr

A black bowl filled with Portuguese bread soup with shrimp on a grey folded cloth.

Portuguese Bread Soup with Shrimp ~ Açorda de Mariscos

1 hr 30 mins

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