Peter Pezzelli's family kitchen

"One of my favorite things in the whole world," says Peter Pezzelli (right), author of Francesca's Kitchen, "is to come home, especially after a long day, and smell dinner cooking in the kitchen when I walk through the door. When you're tired and cold and hungry, is there anything better? No matter how crazy your day might have been, sitting down to a nice meal with your family has a way of centering you and restoring your sanity. Sleep might be the balm that knits up the raveled sleeve of care, but good food is what keeps it from falling apart in the first place."

Here is a favorite Pezzelli family recipe from the author's sister, Sue, who makes a simple dish that, says Pezzelli, "always brings a smile to my face."

I plan to try this recipe soon with my three daughters, ages 4-9-13. (The four-year-old will, no doubt, get to do the spraying.)

As Peter Pezzelli would say: Buon appetito!

Sue's Zucchini Frittata
1 dozen eggs
1/4 cup grated cheese
2 thinly sliced zucchini
olive oil
1 whole chopped onion
garlic salt and pepper

Spray bottom of skillet with cooking oil spray. Beat eggs and grated cheese together. Sauté zucchini in skillet with olive oil and onion until al dente. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add eggs to skillet. Let cook. Use spatula to check bottom of eggs. When bottom of eggs is brown, place skillet in oven under the broiler to brown the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

—Tom