Cook's Book

Meatloaf Meatballs

2012-01-25T23:12:00.000-05:00

Ever since my hands could roll, they’ve been rolling meatballs. They are the first food that I ever learned to make. When I was a little girl, my mom would pull a stool up to the counter and I would help her to roll the meatballs for Sunday dinner’s sauce. One by one, I would follow her lead and try to make them as perfect as I could. As we would line the meatballs up on the counter, she would tell me that I was doing a good job and I would feel proud.

Those are some of my first memories in the kitchen. Perhaps it was then, that a little seed was subconsciously planted inside of me. A teeny tiny little baby speck of a meatball seed that would someday grow into the desire to become a chef and nourish the drive to eventually help me flower into one. You never can tell how these things happen. Maybe it really is because of meatballs.

Meatballs are the theme for the 5 Star Makeover cooking group for this month. The challenge is to create an interesting type of meatball. I went for interesting, yet practical, which seems to be the direction I always tend to lean. Using good old ground beef, I combined two dinner classics, wrapped ‘em up in bacon and stuffed them with cheese to make meatloaf meatballs.

The bacon melts onto the flavorfully seasoned meat, incorporating a delicious saltiness on the outside that only a slice of pork belly can do so well. One thing I particularly enjoy about meatloaf is the ketchup glaze. Half way through cooking, the meatballs are basted with a simple, no-cook ketchup glaze made with maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce.They are coated with another thick layer when they come out of the oven.

These have the portability of a meatball with the flavor of a meatloaf, and they come with a nice surprise inside—a melted hunk of mozzarella. Serve over rice and enjoy! To see all the other meatball creations that the group came up with, click the link below:

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Meatloaf Meatballs:

Yield: 10-12 Meatballs

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground sirloin
- 1 cup panko breadcrumb
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella, cut into cubes
- 5-6 slices of bacon, cut in half
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.
3) In a large bowl, combine the cooked onion and garlic with the meat, breadcrumb, garlic powder, thyme, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, cumin and the egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
4) To prepare the glaze, mix together the remaining Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
5) Form the meat mixture into balls a little larger than the size of golf ball; insert a cube of mozzarella into each, forming the meat completely around the cheese. Wrap each meatball in a slice of bacon and place seam-side down on a broiler pan.
6) Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, and then baste with half the glaze. Bake 15 minutes more until the meat and bacon are fully cooked. Brush on the remaining glaze and serve immediately.

Tapping into Tapas

2012-01-12T20:20:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, I purchased a tapas cookbook that I found on sale at the book store; it wasn’t a New York Times best seller and it didn’t carry the name of any big time chef or television personality, but it stood out to me (though they tell me I shouldn’t, I can’t help but to judge (actual) books by their covers—especially when there is a pretty picture of food on the cover). Boring story, I know. But as random as it was, that last-minute, cheap impulse buy turned out to be one of my favorite cookbooks and one that I always look to for inspiration.

It is no wonder I am drawn to tapas, the small appetizer and snacks served in the bars of Spain. I am one who would rather get full on tasting a bunch of little things than one big meal any day. I think I could live off of the crostini, marinated vegetables, cheeses, olives, croquettes and other various fried things which tapas menus are made of; in just one or two satisfyingly delectable bites, they are just enough and more than you could ask for all at once.

I was recently flipping through the pages of my trusty cookbook, when a recipe for empandillas caught my eye. Empandillas are a smaller version of the baked or fried turnovers, empanadas. What I enjoyed most about the recipe was that it used frozen puff pastry dough. To make, you simply thaw the dough, roll it out, cut out circles, prepare and add the filling, fold into a crescent and crimp the edges to seal; 15 minutes in the oven, and done. How ridiculously easy is that? I love it. Plus, there’s definitely something therapeutic about folding and crimping those miniature pockets of deliciousness.

You can stuff the empandillas with any creative filling of your choice. My version includes goat cheese, diced prosciutto and caramelized onions. I think I found a new “go-to” recipe and hope that I introduced one for you too. Make frozen puff pastry a freezer staple (always handy to have anyway) and prepare this whenever you need a quick appetizer or snack for guests. I served them on the side with the feast that I cooked up for Christmas. They are best warm and crispy straight from the oven.

Empandillas with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto
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Yield: 16-18 empandillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1box (2 sheets) prepared frozen puff pastry, thawed
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 egg, beaten
• Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 3 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the caramelized onion, goat cheese and prosciutto until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry dough. Using a medium-large round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out circles. Add a teaspoon of goat cheese filling to the center of each circle. Dampen half of the circles with a little bit of water, then fold the dough over the filling to form a crescent; pinch the edges to seal, then press with the tines of a fork to secure. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
• Using a sharp knife, make a small slit in the top of each pastry. Brush with the beaten egg to glaze. Bake until risen and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men

2011-12-22T01:44:00.003-05:00

Decked with friendly smiles and swirls of snowy royal icing, gingerbread men are an iconic symbol of the holiday season. The deep molasses flavor of gingerbread is warm and festive in itself, but the spiced aroma of a freshly baked batch, and the familiar sugary designs on the doll-like cookie cutouts are what truly make it feel like Christmas.

Though it always looks so appealing, the problem with gingerbread is that it is often break-your-teeth-status, hard as rocks. I don’t know about you, but when I’m presented with a delicious little man cookie that smells like cinnamon and sugar, I’m tempted to bite the head off of it. And when I can’t? What a tease! A lot of recipes are designed to make the cookies sturdy enough to be used as tree ornaments and decorations, which is perfect if that is what you want to do. However, if eating the cookies is what you’re after, soft & chewy is the way to go.

In search of a cookie that fit the right criteria, I came across this blog featuring the recipe for Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies by Baking/Cook’s Illustrated. With the description of “the perfect man,” I could not resist. As I am often very careful when it comes to baking, I followed the recipe exactly, and the cookies turned out awesome! Just look at them. They’re adorable and best of all, soft and chewy; the texture makes it so easy to savor all the deliciousness that gingerbread has to offer.

I decorated my gingerbread men simply and traditionally with standard royal icing made of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and egg whites. Because of the stigma attached to eating raw egg and getting salmonella, most royal icing recipes these days will call for meringue powder or egg white powder instead—both pricier alternatives that require a trip to a craft or specialty store. I’ve seen so many recipes like this, that I actually questioned myself for wanting to use real egg whites. Listen, people have been making royal icing with egg whites for years. The chance of getting salmonella from pasteurized eggs is already incredibly low; factor in the ratio of sugar to egg whites, and your risk is even lower.

You won’t be able to hang these soft gingerbread cookies on your tree, but they are too good to be used as decorations anyway. For many, the gingerbread man is the personification of sweet holiday memories. Baking them is a fun project to share with the ones you love, and they make thoughtful gifts as well. They are just the kind of cookies that are sure to put a smile on Santa’s face!

A gingerbread man once said, that you can take anything from him, just “not the buttons; not my gumdrop buttons!” Ladies and gentleman, the inspiration to all of my gingerbread aspirations, Gingy! :

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Here is the recipe. It is not mine, just one that I recommend. :-)

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
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Recipe edited. Obtained from sweetpeaskitchen.com; Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies, Baking Illustrated
Yield: About 20 Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Royal icing for decorating
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With food processor running, add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms a soft mass, about 10 seconds. (This step can also be done in an electric stand mixer; mix the dry ingredients, cut the dough into the flour mixture by hand, and then mix in the wet ingredients).
• Divide dough in half and roll into ¼ inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Once the dough is firm, cut out cookies using a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheets spacing cookies 1 inch apart. Bake until centers are just set and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 2 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Decorate as desired with royal icing.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

2011-12-04T12:33:00.001-05:00

I know what you’re probably thinking. “Forty cloves of garlic? That’s a lot of garlic!”

Yes, forty whole cloves. Seems like a whole lot of bad breath, a whole lot of peeling, and a whole lot of time trying to get the smell off your hands. At least, that was my first reaction. The sound of having so much of this one particularly pungent ingredient could either turn you on or off. At first glance, it seems that forty cloves just might be pushing the limits of aromatic enticement, even for the smelliest of garlic lovers.

Turns out, this dish is not nearly as intense or as in-your-face garlicky as the name might first imply. And that’s a good thing. That’s because after the cloves are evenly browned in the pan, they are braised along with a seared, whole cut up chicken, reducing them to rich, slightly nutty, sweet versions of themselves that melt into a tasty paste, similar to roasted garlic. You can eat the whole cloves and not even get garlic breath.

So did I peel every clove? Psht. No. Why would I do that, when the grocery store sells whole pints of em’ already peeled? Unlike the chopped garlic in the jar, which has a funny, unnatural smell/taste to it, it is still fresh garlic. I don’t care what kind of culinary purist you are, whether or not you sat there and peeled each clove will not be evident, nor will it make a difference in the dish. There is a trick to quickly blanching the garlic in boiling water to make peeling easier (see original recipe link with recipe), but I personally don’t want to do that either. Save some time and use pre-peeled.

Speaking of the original recipe link, I referenced Ina Garten’s well-reviewed Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic recipe for this dish. She’s not my favorite, but her food is good. Plus, it’s always fun to impersonate her while cooking. “Yeess, I’m going to be bringing to this to a faahbulous picnic in the Hamptons. My wonderful husband Jeffrey’s gonna love it.”

I wanted to alter the recipe more, but it seemed so good on its own. I especially love the addition of Cognac. The main difference in my recipe is that I used cloudy apple cider instead of white wine. Not that I have anything against white wine—apple cider was just more convenient at the time and it worked out deliciously. The chicken came out so tender; it was amazing with the rich garlic clove sauce (made by thickening the cooking liquid). It was great the first time with mashed potatoes, and the leftovers with couscous were even better. I bet you Jeffrey loved this one!

40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Derived from Food Network, Ina Garten, “Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic”
Yield: 4 servings
- 40 cloves of garlic, peeled ( I purchased pre-peeled ones from the grocery store)
- 1, 3-4 pound chicken, cut into pieces
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
- 1 ½ cups cloudy apple cider
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Clean and thoroughly dry the chicken. Season the pieces liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken in batches, skin side down first, until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-5 minutes. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve.
• Add the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and sauté 5-10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the apple cider. Bring to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the sauce and the flour, then whisk back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat; add the remaining cognac and the cream. Boil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Soup's Still On; Mexican Meatball Soup

2011-11-20T22:08:00.001-05:00

Two weeks of soup for you. I guess it’s a testament to just how much of it I’ve been eating. It is that time of year, and I just can’t help myself. Not only have I been making a lot of soup lately, but it seems to be a reoccurring lunch theme as well. A nice cup of soup warms me up, pretty much satisfies my hunger for the rest of the day, and it’s cheap!

I heard Dr. Oz saying on the radio the other day that eating soup is one of the best things for you because it’s loaded with nutrients, is often packed with veggies, and fills you up so that you don’t overeat. And who questions Dr. Oz? Obviously, I don’t think he’s talking about rich creamy soups, but hearty vegetable and squash purees and low-sodium broths are great choices for the above reasons. I’m thinking that there are also bonus points if it’s homemade. If health is what you’re after, there’s no better way to control what you’re eating than by making it yourself.

This week I made Mexican Meatball or Albondigas soup. It was an idea that I came up with for a recipe variation at work, and it sounded so good that I was inspired to make it myself. It is not as traditional as most of the recipes that I found; for example, I left mint out which seems like a key ingredient in some of the more customary versions. But this is mine.

In this recipe, small half beef/half chorizo meatballs swim in a flavorful tomato-based broth with white rice. The soup is spiked with a little lime juice and jalapeno for extra depth and spice, and is seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin, and fresh cilantro. It is a full meal in itself and is perfect served with tortillas or bread to soak up all the tastiness.

P.S. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Check out my Thanksgiving sides post from last year with ideas and recipes for dishes such as cranberry relish, buttermilk biscuits, homemade apple sauce, sourdough and chestnut stuffing, and more!

Mexican Meatball Soup
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Yield: 8 servings
Meatballs:
- ½ pound ground beef
- 12 ounces chorizo sausage, removed from casing
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
- 1/3 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1, 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 ½ quarts chicken broth
- ½ cup uncooked rice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, chorizo, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder & cilantro until well incorporated. Form into ping pong-sized balls and refrigerate.
• In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Sweat the onions and carrots, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the lime juice, tomato sauce, and chicken broth to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and season the broth with the salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Add the rice and the meatballs one at a time. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the cilantro right before serving.

Soup's On

2011-11-11T20:41:00.001-05:00

Everyone always asks me, what is your specialty? Or what is your favorite thing to cook? I’ll usually reply with something like, “I enjoy cooking more than baking” or “I just like being in the kitchen.” I don’t give a straight answer because I don’t have one. Mostly, I’ll simply answer, “everything.” But one thing I will say, when it comes to my favorite things to cook, soups are at the top of my list.

Building layers in the pot, starting with the basics and working up to the complexities, stirring it up, tasting, adjusting, making it perfect; it’s so many of the things that I love about cooking, all in one simmering pot of liquid goodness. From elaborate crystal clear consommé, to the most uncomplicated puree soup like this simple potato leek, I enjoy the comfort that soup brings me when I’m making it and when I’m eating it.

Soups are on everyone’s mind at this time of year. There is really nothing quite as cozy on a chilly day than a stick-to-your-ribs potage to warm you from the inside. This is a classically prepared vichyssoise, only not-so-classically, I serve it hot. It’s smooth, flavorful, substantial, and I feel, just a little homier when ladled into a bowl with some steam coming off the top. It’s always a crowd-pleaser as I’m pretty sure that most people can agree that anything potato is amazing.

Garnish this soup with a few snipped chives or make it baked potato-style with sour cream, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar on top. Another great thing I love about soup? A pot can make enough for a crowd, plus enough for lunch the next day, and maybe even the day after that. So enjoy it any and all ways, each time you reheat.

P.S. If you'd like, please check out the Media page for my recently published article on “The Healthiest Meal on Long Island.” Thanks. :-)

Potato Leek Soup
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Yield: 10 servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large leeks, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 ½ pound potatoes, peeled & diced
- 2 ½ quarts chicken broth or stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 oz half-and-half
- Snipped chives
- Salt and pepper, to taste
• Heat the oil in a large pot. Sweat the leeks, celery and onion until tender and translucent.
• Add the potatoes, stock and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes begin to fall apart, about 25-30 minutes. Discard the 2 bay leaves.
• Puree the soup until smooth in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Remove from the heat and finish with the half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately topped with snipped chives.

Tailgating with Beer-Braised Sausage

2011-10-26T23:24:00.000-04:00

I am not into football. I don’t know how to play, I watch it and I have no idea what is happening. One thing that I do know about football, are game day snacks and foods: wings, pizza, melted cheese, bacon, dips, grilled meats, and lots of beer to wash it all down. Yup, it’s the kind of stuff that makes you feel proud to be an American.

Apparently, it is the beginning of football season, and to celebrate the “kick-off” to another year of hiking, punting and slamming into each other on the field, or whatever it is they do out there, the 5 Star Makeover cooking group is having a virtual tailgate party.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

You’ve got to love tailgating. Beer in one hand, Buffalo wing in the other, it’s a time for relaxing, basking in the good vibes of team spirit and getting schwasted in a parking lot. Seeing as I’m not the biggest sports fan, the pre-game tradition is one I’ve never personally took part in, but would never pass up if I got the chance. Who cares about the game? I’ll root for any team you want me to, just pull me up a lawn chair next to your trunk.

If you’re real serious about tailgating, you’ve got to have one of those little mini grills going. For some reason, whenever I think about this my internal smell-o-vision tunes straight to sausage and peppers cooking. While I may have never tailgated myself, I have walked by them you know, and sausage and beer stick out to me as two major players. With this in mind, I came up with the idea to make a beer-braised sausage and onion dish, amped up with apples and thyme. A little fall inspiration in there too!

The beer mellows as it cooks, infusing the sausage, onions and sweet apples with delicious flavor, for a game day meal that really scores. It is simple, comforting, and can be served on a roll for optimal parking lot enjoyment.

Don’t’ forget to check out the other posts from the group by clicking on the link above. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more than just hamburgers and hot dogs.

Beer-Braised Sausage & Onions with Apple
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Yield: 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup beer
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned all over, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Slice the sausages in half, if desired.
• Sweat the onion in the pan, add the apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to lightly brown and the apple begins to soften. Add the vinegar and beer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
• Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the sausages back to the pan along with the thyme. Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 25 minutes. To thicken further, whisk a few tablespoons of flour into a few tablespoons of water, and slowly whisk into the liquid until you reach the preferred consistency. Serve on a roll, if desired.

Addicted to Crack...Pie

2011-10-23T12:41:00.000-04:00

My name is Marisa, M-A-R-I-S-A, and I’m addicted to Crack Pie.

I had heard about how great it was; the oddly, but soon-to-be discovered, aptly named confection of David Chang’s famous Momofuku Milk Bar bakery was talked about on the streets and in the media as outrageously delicious and indescribably addicting by all those who’ve gotten a taste. “Just one bite” they all said, one bite is all it takes.

Curiosity lured me in. I had seen Anderson Cooper and Martha Stewart rave about Crack Pie on TV and read articles like love letters, waxing poetic about its irresistible amalgamation of ingredients. But more persuasive than any of these things was learning that to get their fix, Crack Pie fiends are willing to pay the $44 price tag for a pie—almost 100 of which are sold every day, by the way. I didn’t know what was in it or what made it so apparently delicious, but was convinced that it had to be something special.

A block away from where I work, Madison Square Park hosted a really fantastic month long food fair called Madison Square Eats, where a bunch of different vendors gathered to share some of the city’s tastiest offerings. The last day was Friday but over the course of its run, I made my rounds, getting Pretzels from Sigmund Pretzel Shop, pizza at Roberta's, macarons from Macaron Parlour, barbecue pork buns from Fatty Snack, and finally tasting Wafels & Dinges.

Nestled into the tiniest spot of Madison Square Eats I found Momofuku Milk Bar. After looking over the menu of such noted sweets as cereal milk soft serve and compost cookies, I bought my first slice of Crack Pie. It came in a little cardboard box, too small for the average pie slice, branded with it its criminally delectable name and a little TM; yup, it’s trademarked.

I brought it back to my desk thinking like a fool that I could take “just one bite” and bring the rest home. It’s an ordinary, not very attractive-looking triangle of pie with confectioners’ sugar dusted on top. I took that tell-tale bite just to see what all the fuss was about, and mid-chew, just as I began to wrap it up and put it away, it happened. Something came over me; I needed to eat the entire thing right then and no one was going to stop me.

With simple star ingredients like brown sugar, sugar, and butter, inside of a toasted oat crust, Crack Pie is rich like flourless chocolate cake, but without an ounce of chocolate in sight. It is buttery and sugary, and it is addicting. Everything that everyone said about it was true; it seems to have the ability to not only make you want more, but to want to share it with everyone you could. Since my first taste, over the course of two weeks I’ve returned back not once, not twice, but three times to have and share a slice.

The demand for Crack Pie is so high that they ship it across the country. Get your taste today. Or try to make your own with this adapted recipe from the LA Times.

Apple, Bacon, Cheddar, Maple Pie

2011-10-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

When you think about apple pie, what are some of the first things that come to mind? Perhaps it brings out thoughts of waving American flags, fireworks and memories of smiling grandmas in their aprons; or if you’re like me, hungry behemoth visions of nothing but a big fat slice of pie with vanilla ice cream slowly melting over the top—with only one spoon. How dreamy…

I don’t know about you, but one thing is for sure, I’ve always thought of apple pie as a dessert. And up until now, apple pie was only a dessert. But the all-American sweetie pie just got a little savory; with some help from its friends bacon, white cheddar, and maple syrup, it becomes better suited as a meal than an afterthought.

It still looks like an apple pie and features some of the sweetness and classic flavor elements that we all know and love; it’s got cinnamon, spice and everything nice, but it’s also got the smokiness of bacon and the creaminess of cheddar and heavy cream, all wrapped up cozily inside of a pastry crust. Part pie, part quiche without the eggs, it’s perfect for lunch with a salad.

If this doesn’t say fall, I don’t know what does. And who wouldn’t want an excuse to have pie as the main course? I’d never tried or even heard of a savory apple pie before but when I came across this recipe, I knew that all had to change. Just something to keep in mind: this particular pie is still pretty sweet, and one thing I will recommend is to make sure that it is cooled thoroughly before eating so that you end up with a nice slice rather than a sloppy mess.

I love making pies, especially double crusted ones. I find it very relaxing and in the end you have a homey comfort food that clearly shows off in taste and presentation how much love you put into it. My favorite kinds of pies (in order) are pumpkin, blueberry, of course apple, and coconut custard. What are yours?

Apple, Bacon, Cheddar, Maple Pie
Adapted from Family Circle, Maple, Apple & Cheddar Pie
Yield: 8 Servings
Print
PIE CRUST
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 7-8 tablespoons water
FILLING
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 medium McIntosh apples, peeled & thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons white raisins
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg, whisked
• In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter and shortening until the mixture resemble coarse meal with pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over the mixture and toss with a fork. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until all of the dough is moistened. Divide dough in half and form each into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten 1 dough ball and roll into a 12-inch circle; wrap the dough around the rolling pin, and unroll into a 9-inch pie plate; ease the dough into the plate, being careful not to stretch.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For the filling, stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add apples; toss to coat. Add cheese, 4 tablespoons of the maple syrup, bacon & white raisins & stir to combine. Add the filling to the dough-lined pie plate and drizzle with the cream.
• Roll out the second half of the dough into a 12-inch circle & cut a small hole in the top; lay on top of the filling, trimming off any excess. Fold the top edge of the top crust under the bottom pastry & crimp edges. Brush the top with the egg & cover edge of pie with foil to prevent browning.
• Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 minutes more until the pastry is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and brush with remaining maple syrup. Cool 1 hour or more. Serve slightly warm.

Filling Up on Chocolate and Red Wine

2011-09-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

Transcending the limits of place and time, food can take us anywhere we want to be, all while sitting stationary at one single table. It can be our roundtrip passport to all of the countries and places in the world, or the time machine back to our great-grandmother’s kitchens; and sometimes, food can even be our spaceship, shooting us far beyond the surface of this earth like an express ticket to the heavens. Such is the case with red wine and dark chocolate.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

The theme for this month’s Five Star Makeover Cooking Group was “cooking with wine.” As most dishes have a tendency to start, I began thinking along the lines of every fancy sounding French dish I could shake an accent at. Carrying a certain appeal now that the fall season has officially made its grand entrance, wine-based stews like coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon came to mind. Then, one day in the middle of my food blog browsing while I wasn’t even looking for it, inspiration struck; no doubt, it was weird and far outside of the box, but I liked it—a lot.

Props to Koci at the blog, La Kocinera, and her lovely strawberry paté de fruits. I had never heard of the sugar-dusted jellies before seeing them on her blog, but I was instantly drawn to them. The idea of homemade gel candy really spoke to me because it reminded me of something I love to eat very much: chocolate covered raspberry jelly rings.

If you’ve never had them before, think chocolate covered gummy bear. And if you’ve never had a chocolate covered gummy bear, you need to get on that ASAP. We have a slight obsession with jelly rings in my family—like a go through two boxes in two days kind of slight obsession. And they are usually waiting right at the grocery store counter, so there is no avoiding them. Oh well!

As soon as I saw those lovely paté de fruits I pretty much immediately envisioned them being dipped in chocolate. I thought to myself, “I could make my own jelly rings!” Then, I had a gastronomical flashback of eating a Jacques Torres Grand Cru fine red wine and dark chocolate truffle, and suddenly, I remembered the jar full of coarse pink Himalayan sea salt in my cabinet. Can you tell where this is going, yet? Yep, dark chocolate covered red wine and raspberry jelly candies—with sea salt.

They start out like this: Sugar coated gummies

And end up like this:

What I made was not paté de fruits, but something similar: a variation of Lemon Gumdrops as found in The Essential New York Time Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century, by Amanda Hesser. The red wine and dark chocolate combination is so deeply indulgent and the few grains of sea salt on top make it even more so. A tablespoon of seedless raspberry preserves adds a touch of sweetness, but if you prefer a deeper red wine flavor, use two tablespoons of red wine in the gelatin mixture and eliminate the raspberry all together.

The inner gummy texture contrasts with the outer chocolate coating for a fun candy, that is a lot lighter than a truffle would be. Beware, these can be consumed in dangerous amounts—but they are definitively a trip to heaven every single time!

Don't forget to check out all of the other cooking with wine creations done by the group by clicking the 5 Star Makeover link above.

Chocolate Covered Red Wine & Raspberry Jelly Candies:
Print
Yield: about 40 pieces
- 4 packets powdered gelatin
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine
- 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
- 10 ounces dark chocolate
- Coarse sea salt
• Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Dissolve the gelatin in ½ cup water and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Combine 2 cups sugar and the remaining ½ cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly and washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization. Add the gelatin and continue boiling and stirring until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
• Add the red wine and raspberry preserves and boil for 5 more minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and let set up for about 1 hour. Once set, run a knife around the rim of the gelatin to help release the entire mold from the dish; place on a cutting board dusted with sugar.
• Put the remaining ½ cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Butter a large chef’s knife and cut the gel into squares; coat the pieces with sugar to prevent them from sticking as you would flour on dough.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot with only a ½-inch of water (double boiler). Once the water comes up to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and stir the chocolate until smooth.
• Place the gelatin square on a fork and dip into the chocolate until evenly coated; tap the fork to let any excess chocolate fall through. Line the chocolates on a baking sheet and sprinkle each with a few grains of coarse sea salt. Refrigerate to set the chocolate.

Focaccia Bread + Tomato Confit = Love

2011-09-18T23:00:00.002-04:00

The term “confit” usually describes a meat that has been slowly poached and preserved in its own fat. You have probably seen or heard of goose, pork, or the most common, duck confit. When this method is applied to meats, the result is melt-on-the-tongue tenderness. But this word can also be used to describe vegetables that are prepared and stored in oil in a similar way. Tomatoes are a perfect example.

Once quickly blanched and shocked to remove the skin, and the seeds are taken out, the tomatoes are laid out on a tray with seasonings and aromatics such as garlic and herbs, and then doused with olive oil. To balance the bitterness and acidity, a dusting of confectioners’ sugar is powdered over the top. As with meat confit, they are cooked low and slow until tender. The oil, which has been nicely infused from cooking, is then poured over the tomatoes to store under refrigeration, allowing them to marinate and become even better tasting over time.

I once read an article where confiting tomato was described as something like, “cooking the life out of it.” In a way, this is true, and I would never suggest applying this method to garden fresh summer tomatoes. But now that summer is coming to an end, it may just be the best way to make a not-so-great tomato taste amazing. Rather than sucking the being from a tomato, it incorporates new life, bringing flavor to what is otherwise lacking out of season.

Tomato confit (and its oil) can be used in a number of ways, either as the star ingredient or a base for something else. My favorite is baked on top of focaccia bread:

Having only a few basic ingredients and a short list of steps, both focaccia and tomato confit are incredibly simple—in essence. I’m not going to lie, they both take forever to make. Between having a total three hours rising time for the focaccia and the arduous peeling and seeding of the tomatoes for the confit, each requires a whole lot of patience and love. But in the end, I can promise you that your efforts will resonate in the taste.

I usually make this tomato confit focaccia for the holidays when there are already a ton of other things going on in the kitchen. All of the rising and confiting happens in the background between getting a bunch of other things done, and before you know it the bread is coming out of the oven. You can bake it in either a small sheet tray or a round pie pan; I prefer the round shape because you can slice it like a pizza and everyone gets a wedge or two. With all the right elements in place—tomato, garlic, olive oil and delicious bread—the taste is very similar to pizza as well.

You can use the tomato confit as an actual pizza topping, or for a great appetizer or snack, serve as is in a bowl with the oil and spoon it on top of fresh or toasted bread or crostini. As I mentioned earlier, it can also be a used as a base for soups, sauces, or vinaigrettes. To make a vinaigrette, puree about ¼ cup of the tomatoes in a food processor with a splash of sherry vinegar and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, then add the oil in a slow stream; season with salt and pepper.

Asparagus with tomato confit vinaigrette.

However you choose to enjoy your tomato confit, it is smart to always make a ton in advance, especially since it takes a while to make. It will keep for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge and the flavor will only get better over time—if it even lasts that long. Chances are you will go through this pretty quickly.

Here are the recipes for the confit and the focaccia. The yield for the confit is estimated and as for the focaccia, I apologize that my recipe is all in grams.

Tomato Confit:
Print
Yield: about 2 cups
- 10 plum tomatoes, blanched and shocked
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- About 1-2 cups olive oil
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Salt and pepper to taste
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Peel, quarter and seed tomatoes and lay them out flat on sheet tray(s). Sprinkle garlic slices and thyme leaves evenly over the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until they are all submerged. Dust confectionary sugar over top of the entire tray.
• Place the tray(s) into the oven carefully as not to spill any of the oil. Cook the tomatoes until they appear to be slightly shriveled or dried up, about 1 hour. *Keep an eye on them for the first 15 minutes or so. If the oil appears to be getting too hot, you may need to lower your oven, which will result in increased cooking time.
• Remove from the oven and cool. Spoon tomatoes into an airtight container and cover completely with the olive oil from the pan. Refrigerate. Serve as is with bread/crostini, or bake on top of foccacia bread.

Focaccia Bread:
Print
Yield: 1 loaf
Sponge:
- 20 grams yeast
- 75 grams warm water (105-155 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 17 ½ grams sugar
- 112 ½ grams bread flour
• In a small bowl, whisk yeast with the warm water.
• In a stand mixer, mix flour and sugar on low speed until well incorporated. Add the yeast mixture until a pliable but sticky ball forms.
• Put the ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly; let rest for 1 hour in a warm place until it doubles in size.
Bread:
- 200 grams warm water (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 85 grams olive oil, plus extra for oiling the pan
- 42 ½ grams sugar
- 15 grams salt
- 227 ½ grams bread flour, plus extra if needed
• Oil 1 half sheet pan or a round cake pan.
• In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the warm water to the sponge with olive oil, sugar and salt; mix on low speed, slowly adding the flour in parts. Continue to add more flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the bowl.
• On a lightly floured table, roll the dough into a ball; cover with a lightly damp kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled, slice an “X” into the top and spread it out into the prepared oiled sheet pan, lightly punching down the dough with the tips of your fingers as you go. Add toppings at this stage such as caramelized onions or tomato confit. Tightly wrap the pan with plastic and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Set the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the bread dough into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Brownies Have More Fun

2011-09-10T18:34:00.000-04:00

There’s nothing quite like a homemade brownie to give sight to all that is right in the world. No matter if you prefer them chewy and dense or soft and cakey, the rich chocolate center of a freshly baked brownie can lighten up the worst of days and make the best ones even better.

With the addition of both chocolate and peanut butter chips, this Hershey’s brownie recipe pays delicious homage to the genius flavor combination of the Reese’s peanut butter cup—another simple taste experience that can right all wrongs.

I made them a couple of weeks ago while stuck inside the house during the anticipation of hurricane/tropical storm Irene’s visit. Through all of the news hype and mandatory evacuations happening only a few miles away, I figured everyone could use a brownie.

Full of chocolate goodness and smooth peanut butter surprises on the inside, with a respectable crackle on top, each bite of the cakey brownies instantly deafened the sound of the harsh winds rapping against the windows. And I can tell you that the craving for these perfectly simple dessert bars lingered long after the last crumb was devoured and the storm had washed away.

So whether there is something you want to forget for a few minutes or something that needs celebrating, have a brownie and add peanut butter: it is a recipe for deliciousness that never fails—unless, of course, there is something wrong with your taste buds and/or brain ;-).

Here is a good place to start:

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Brownies
Recipe adapted from Best-Loved Hershey’s ® Recipes, Publications International, Ltd., 2006
Print
Yield: about 36 brownies
- ¾ cup cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup butter, melted and divided
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
• Stir together cocoa and baking soda in a large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup butter. Add water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, egg and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla, and salt; blend thoroughly. Stir in chips. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

Olive Oil: The Wonder Fat

2011-09-04T11:31:00.002-04:00

Olive oil is a many splendored thing.

Did you know that when taken in the proper dosage, extra virgin olive oil can be as good a dressing for you as it is your salad? Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, its various properties have been found to help prevent a myriad of ailments from hangovers and wrinkles, to heart disease and certain kinds of cancers.

Here is an article I wrote that was recently published in a brand new Long Island health and wellness magazine called Raw Beauty. In it, olive oil expert and author of the book, The Passionate Olive—101 Things to do with Olive Oil, Carole Firenze, and Controller of Veronica Foods Company/Delizia Olive Oil, Leah Bradley, tell us all about how olive oil is made and processed, what exactly the “extra virgin” label means, and various benefits the fat can provide to our bodies, inside and out.

Here is a recipe (if that’s what you want to call it) that just wouldn’t be the same without a healthy dosage of EVOO: marinated feta cheese. It’s a quick and easy appetizer/snack that is especially great to put out for company with assorted olives and crostini. The creamy cubes of feta cheese saturated with bright lemon and smooth extra virgin olive oil flavor are hard to resist.

I’ve never measured ingredients for this, so here is just a basic guideline. I’d say that this is more of a quick, throw-it-together kind of dish more than a follow-a-recipe one, anyway. Adjust as you please!

Marinated Feta Cheese:

- 1, 8 oz block feta cheese, cut into medium-sized chunks

- 1 lemon zested and juiced

- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

- ½ teaspoon dried oregano

- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest and juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil to form a basic vinaigrette. Add dried oregano and pepper.

• In a medium bowl, add the feta cheese and toss with the vinaigrette until well-coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Grilled “Ratatouille” Pizza

2011-08-24T23:40:00.003-04:00

I’ve had a lot of different food jobs; from my first to my current, normal to abstract, I’ve always worked in the field in some way. From country club server and kitchen extern to restaurant cook, food shopper and beyond, there’s been a little bit of just about everything in my culinary-laced work history.

Perhaps the most desperate and thankfully short-lived job for me was working at a kids’ cooking school. Based out of a multi-colored former KFC kitchen, the small business taught cooking classes for children as young as three years old. It was as impossible as it sounds.

There were step stools in front of the sinks, only plastic knives, and worst of all, a CD of kids’ party music that played songs like “The Name Game” and “Love Shack” on repeat, class after class. As I mixed jugs of Kool-Aid, I could have only hoped for a Chrysler as big as a whale to get me the hell out of there.

I was overqualified and underwhelmed, but it was a job with flexible hours that put a few bucks in my pocket while I was still in school. And it did involve being in a kitchen—somewhat. I worked there for such a short amount of time that I often completely forget about it until something triggers a memory, like whenever I hear “Love Shack,” or whenever I make pizza dough.

It all came back to me while I was working on my pie for this month’s Five Star Makeover pizza theme; I used to make pizza dough mostly every day there, sometimes twice a day, and it was the best part of that job. As one batch got pounded into oblivion at the hands of hyperactive five year olds, another would quietly rise on the counter.

As I molded my pizza dough into a crust on my kitchen counter, I suddenly had a newfound respect for the silence in the room. Then, I went out into the pouring rain and fired up the grill.

You see, it rained almost every day last week, and it rained hard. But I was dead set on my all-grilled pizza concept. Everything would be grilled: the toppings, the dough, everything. Of course, when I actually had time to make the pizza it was pouring. So I slipped on my wellies, threw on my rain coat and hood, and grilled with an umbrella. I’m just that badass, I guess.

Thanks to the movie, we all know that ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew. Ignoring the technicalities, I named this “Grilled Ratatouille Pizza” because all of the veggies that I grilled for my pizza are ones that you will commonly find in ratatouille.

Grilled sliced eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red onion and red bell pepper are layered decoratively on a grilled whole wheat crust over roasted red pepper tomato sauce and melted Asiago cheese. Finished with basil from the garden, every bite of this fresh pizza was worth standing out in the rain for.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Grilled “Ratatouille” Pizza:

Yield: 1 Pie
Print
Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus about ¼ cup for grilling vegetables
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 red peppers: 2 roasted whole, peeled and seeded, and 2 fresh cut down on all sides for topping
- 3 large tomatoes, quickly blanched to remove skin, seeded, and roughly chopped
- Handful of fresh basil, divided
Pizza Toppings:
- 2 large zucchini, sliced thin
- 2 large yellow squash, sliced thin
- 1 eggplant, sliced thin
- ½ red onion, peeled and halved
- 1 pound whole wheat pizza dough
- 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
• For sauce: in a small pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium high flame; add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, roasted peppers and tomato and cook until the juices release, about 5 minutes. Add half a handful of torn basil leaves to the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Pulse in a food processor until smooth.
• Heat the grill to medium high and clean well. In a large bowl, toss all of the pizza topping vegetables with ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill all vegetable slices on each side until they are soft and with grill marks; set aside on a tray.
• Pound out and stretch pizza dough to form a fairly thin crust—it does not have to be a circle. Lay the crust on the grill grates and keep a watchful eye. The dough will have a nice char, but you will need to spin it once or twice as not to burn it. When one side looks crispy and well-browned, flip the dough over. Each side takes about 4 minutes.
• On the cooked side of the dough, pour on red pepper tomato sauce and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with a layer of Asiago cheese. Continue to keep an eye on the crust, giving it a slight spin if needed to keep from burning. Turn off the grill and arrange the vegetables on top of the cheese. Garnish with fresh torn basil leaves, slice and serve.

Greek Salad Bites

2011-08-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

My favorite way to eat hummus is straight up as a dip with pita chips. It is so addicting. I usually prefer to make my own as it gives me the freedom to add as much or as little lemon juice or tahini paste as I like. And it’s so easy—with just few quick pulses in the food processor, you’re done.

In the past, I’ve tried store brand hummus and have never really been happy. As with any pre-made product, you always compare it to homemade. Is it really worth buying when you can just as easily make it? Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I recently received a coupon to purchase a Sabra Hummus product. I’m not blowing smoke when I say that this stuff is really good; creamy and with just the right balance of that classic chickpea, garlic and tahini flavor mix, it tastes as close to homemade as I’ve ever tried. If you’re pressed for time or even just feeling a little lazy, it’s worth it.

The Tastemaker Program allows Foodbuzz Featured Publishers to opt-in to try various food and kitchen products to taste, test and review, and with Sabra Hummus there was added incentive. By creating an original recipe with Sabra brand hummus and posting it on my blog, I am entered for a chance to win a free trip to the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco this fall and have my recipe featured during their Friday Night Festival Cocktail party.

At the store, there were so many hummus options to choose from, including Sabra’s two new Basil Pesto and Buffalo Style flavors. But to give me more freedom in my creation, I stuck with the classic.

Since I wanted to incorporate my personal favorite way to enjoy the chickpea dip, I built my idea on having a pita chip base smeared with hummus. From there, Greek Salad Bites were born. I topped the hummus/pita chip base with a mini Greek salad with small diced tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta cheese mixed with a basic vinaigrette.

They are simple, familiar, and pretty addicting!

P.S. 100th post! Woo hoo!

Greek Salad Bites:
Print
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced small
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced small
- 8-10 each kalamata olive, pitted and diced small
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bag pita chips (or homemade)
- 1 tub Sabra classic hummus
• In a medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese.
• In a separate small bowl, make a vinaigrette by slowly whisking extra virgin olive oil into red wine vinegar. You should only need several tablespoons to create an emulsion and thicken. Add oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and cheese; mix until well incorporated.
• Lay out several pita chips at a time and spread about a teaspoon of hummus on each chip. Top with Greek salad mixture and serve.

Lucky Lavender Ice Cream

2011-08-07T13:10:00.002-04:00

I like everything about lavender; the color, the smell, the taste; even the word “lavender” itself sounds elegant and poetic. The blue-purple shade of its buds is one I’d choose to paint a room with, and the sweet, clean notes of lavender’s perfume attract me to any soap or candle that holds its scent.

When it comes to the gentle aromatic taste of lavender, the immediate and best idea that comes to my mind is to turn it into ice cream. I tried the fragrant flavor for the first time last year and have been dreaming of making it myself ever since.

Without its pretty flowers lavender resembles rosemary, but all accusations are squashed at the first sniff. To sweeten and flavor the ice cream base, I added simple syrup which I infused with several of the spiky sprigs. For a little extra sugar, I also mixed in a couple of tablespoons of honey.

Now, I wouldn’t say that lavender ice cream is the type you’d eat piled high on a waffle cone three scoops at a time (save that for peanut butter ice cream); it’s more of a light palate cleanser after a heavy meal. The softness of the herb served frozen makes for an after-dinner treat that defines refreshing.

The only thing that is more refreshing than lavender ice cream is to finally say that I got a job. Yep, after over a year of searching and trying, I got my first, “real world” big girl job as Jr. Cooking Editor for a publishing company in NYC. Can I get a “Hell Yeah!”? I start in a week.

While writing this post, I found out that lavender is said to represent luck. Now that I think about it, it was only a day after I purchased my lavender plant at the farmers’ market and planted it that I got the call to interview for the position; coincidence? Maybe not! I knew I liked this stuff…

Lavender Ice Cream:
Print
Yield: About 5 cups
- ½ cup simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil)
- 4 large sprigs fresh lavender
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
• In a small pot, add lavender sprigs to simple syrup and bring to a boil to infuse. After the syrup has come to a boil, turn off the heat and let the lavender continue to steep until the syrup has become detectably fragrant, about 10 -15 minutes. Remove lavender.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the infused simple syrup (cooled) with milk, heavy cream, honey and pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
• Add the mixture to an ice cream machine and prepare according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Short and Sweet: Carrots and Roasted Beet Salad

2011-07-29T01:47:00.002-04:00

Long story short, I just got all my wisdom teeth yanked. I’m finally starting to snap out of the very unpleasant anesthetic aftermath and painkiller fog and am slowly but surely picking my butt up off of the floor, where it has been dragging for the past couple of days.

Whether or not you needed to know all that is debatable, but it does explain why I’m keeping this post to the minimum. Plus, I just heart my descriptive words; and here come the analogies…

As I sit here frustrated from a lack of snacks and/or solid foods with a face like Don Vito Corleone and a taste in my mouth like Hannibal Lecter, I’m thinking pleasant thoughts of sunny Sundays at the farmers’ market and technicolor beets.

Drawn to their vivid descriptions, I could already envision their “golden” and “candy striped” presence on my plate before I even cut into them.

[Raw golden and candy stripe beets]

Inspired by a nicely executed, simple dish that I had at a restaurant, I roasted the beets and combined them with shredded carrots for a really light summer salad that I topped with feta cheese, chives, and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cherry balsamic vinegar.

[The combination of yellow and candy stripe beets make for a beautiful presentation, even though after roasting the candy stripe beets they kind of bleed into no-stripe light pink--still pretty though! For an even more colorful appearance, I would add red beets too.]

Salads like this are the best. Easy peasy. The roasting and peeling are the hardest part when it’s hot out; I roasted these babies in a heat wave (granted, it was in the morning…and in the AC), and it was totally worth it for the tasty results that came at dinner.

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad:
Print
Yield: about 4 appetizer size salads
- 3 bunches of small-medium-sized beets (in an assortment of colors if desired)
- 2-3 medium-sized peeled carrots, peeled into curly strips with a vegetable peeler
- Feta cheese
- Fresh chives, chopped for garnish
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Good quality balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
• Preheat oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit. Cut the tops off of the beets and lay them out on a foil-lined sheet tray. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, until all are fully coated.
• Depending on the size of the beets, roast for 45 minutes- 1 hour or more, until they are fully cooked. Remove from the sheet tray and place into a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes to help loosen the skin. Peel the skin off of the beets and slice thin. (This step can be done a day ahead).
• On a small plate, arrange the beets so that they are slightly overlapping each other. Top with carrots strips, feta cheese and chives. Season with salt and pepper and lightly drizzle the top with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sour Cherry Shortcake, Goat Cheese Cream on Top

2011-07-24T00:21:00.003-04:00

Since I have so many great photos, I’m going to do things a little differently with this post. With only a few poetic words, I’m going to tell my story through images--like A Cook’s Book picture book. How artsy of me, I know. A short explanation of the dish follows.

Farmers’ market finds were this month’s theme;

Make whatever you can with whatever you see.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

So I started searching for my Five Star Makeover

When I came across beautiful sour cherries, which said to me, “Come over.”

So gorgeous and glossy, they didn’t look real

I wondered: do they make this color in heels?

I grabbed them, paid, and stowed them away

I could hardly wait to get in my kitchen and play.

Then I found goat cheese, but what are those specks?

Fresh ground black pepper and lemon zest flecks!

From one of the smiling vendors all lined in a row,

I bought a cute lemon sour cream pound cake, wrapped with a bow.

When I got home and looked at my loot;

There were berries and cherries and veggies that root.

A huge bunch of carrots, bright orange and fun;

I brought them home to share with my bun.

There were squash and herbs that smelled like perfume

What on earth would I make or do?

I took a moment to sit and smell the flowers

With so many ideas I could sit there for hours.

All of my thoughts went back to those gems,

Those bright red cherries, with their long slender stems.

A cherry shortcake is what I decided,

Where cherry compote, pound cake and goat cheese collided.

A twist on a classic and I liked it a lot;

Sour cherry shortcake, goat cheese cream on top.

The goat cheese cream for this shortcake was really experimental. In the electric mixer, I added sour cream, confectioner’s sugar and butter to the black pepper and lemon goat cheese. My goal was to sweeten the goat cheese without losing its great flavor, while also creating a more stable, whipped consistency. In the end, the cream tasted good but could have been a little thicker.

Now that I think about it, perhaps the goat cheese didn’t need to be sweetened at all. If I had more, it would probably have tasted just as good, if not better, to just whip it smooth and lay it on thick between the layers of pound cake and sour cherry compote.

I’ve provided the recipe for the compote. With a little bit of Grand Manier added at the end, it is delicious. If not used in shortcake, it can also be enjoyed over ice cream or yogurt, and even on savory chicken and pork dishes.

Don't forget, a roundup of all of the 5 Star Makeover cooking group's farmers' market dishes will be posted on Friday, July 29th; click on the blog links beneath the logo at the beginning of this post to check them out.

Sour Cherry Compote:

Yield: 1 cup

- 1 pint sour cherries, stemmed and cleaned over a bowl to catch any juice

- ½ cup sugar

- ½ cup water

- 1 tablespoon cornstarch

- 1 teaspoon Grand Manier or other orange-flavored liquor

• In a medium sauce pot, mix sugar and cornstarch together, then add water and mix until smooth. Add cherries and any juice to the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 2 minutes then drain cherries in a sieve set over a bowl and set aside.

• Return the juice to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. At the last minute, stir in the Grand Manier. Pour syrup over the cherries and cool.

Grilled BBQ Pizza

2011-07-16T21:07:00.002-04:00

As if good old oven baked pizza is not delicious enough, there is also grilled pizza.

Stepping into the pizza arena with flames blazing, the ingenious grilled pie makes its mark, “one upping” the classic slice with its smoky essence and char striped crust.

The best part about grilled pizza is that it can easily be made at home, cheap and for no trouble at all. Conveniently at the helm of your backyard grates, you can produce a pie with flavor and crunch reminiscent to those made in wood-burning brick ovens.

Like a culinary canvas for creativity, pizzas are a fun addition to the grilled fare of summer. Play around with different toppings to make personal pies, share a pie with friends as an appetizer, or cut larger slices for a meal. As two things that are often enjoyed communally, hanging out around the grill and eating pizza go hand in hand.

When making grilled pizza, you can start from scratch or purchase the dough; I found mine at Trader Joe’s. Seeing that floppy ball of dough resting somewhere near the cheese is what originally set the light bulb off to make my grilled maple barbecue chicken pizza with cheddar.

Once you stretch and shape the pizza dough, it goes directly over a medium high grill and cooks for about four minutes on each side until it is crisp and cooked through. After you flip the crust, assembly begins on the cooked side while the bottom half gets its turn over the flames.

Sweet homemade maple barbeque sauce made with quality syrup and whole grain mustard gives this pizza great flavor. A small part of it is tossed with the tender shredded chicken topping while the rest is ladled onto the crust as the first layer and base of the pizza. Sharp yellow cheddar is then sprinkled on top and slowly melts as the shredded chicken and scallions are added.

A pizza, topped with barbecue sauce, prepared on the grill--I’d say it’s just about the most perfect convergence of Italia and Americana there is.

Grilled Maple Barbecue Chicken Pizza with Cheddar:

Yield: 1 pie

For Maple Barbecue Sauce (Yield: 1 cup):

- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 2 heaping teaspoons of whole grain mustard
- ½ cup ketchup

- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

- 4 heaping tablespoons light brown sugar
- A dash of hot sauce

- ½ cup water

- Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

- 2 whole chicken breasts or thighs with skin removed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1-2 cups salted water
- 1 pound, homemade or purchased ball of pizza dough
- 2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar
- ½ bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• For barbecue sauce: in a medium pot, whisk all ingredients together. Simmer for 15 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.
• In another medium pot, cover chicken breasts with 1 cup chicken stock and 1-2 cups salted water (or however much is needed to cover). Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer; simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. Remove chicken from the cooking liquid and using two forks, pull in opposite directions to finely shred. Mix shredded chicken with about ¼ cup of barbecue sauce—you want to use enough sauce to coat the meat while still making sure you have plenty for the crust.
• Heat the grill to medium high and clean well. Pound out and stretch pizza dough to form a fairly thin crust—it does not have to be a circle. Lay the crust on the grill grates and keep a watchful eye. The dough will have a nice char, but you will need to spin it once or twice as not to burn it. When one side looks crispy and well-browned, flip the dough over. Each side takes about 4 minutes.
• On the cooked side of the dough, pour on barbeque sauce and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with a layer of cheddar cheese. Continue to keep an eye on the crust, giving it a slight spin if needed to keep from burning. Top the cheese with the saucy chicken and finish with a sprinkle of sliced scallions. *Towards the end, you may want to lower the grill and let the pizza sit for a few minutes to make sure that the dough is cooked all the way through on the inside and to get the cheese nicely melted.

Nuts about Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2011-07-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

Peanut butter ice cream is my latest obsession.

I’m pretty much always craving ice cream, but lately it’s been all about the peanut butter variety, and I know exactly what got me started on this kick.

It all began not too long ago when I first tried the creamy peanut butter ice cream flavor at Five Pennies Creamery in Rockville Centre, New York. The old-fashioned style parlor makes all of their ice cream and Italian ices from scratch, along with a variety of other fun treats like smooth Coney Island custard, Brooklyn egg creams, ice cream pies, and this mix of soft-serve custard and Italian ice, called a Cyclone:

Five Pennies has been in business for just about a year now. I visit often; whenever I’m looking for a sweet ending (or middle) to a nice day, it always hits the spot. The old-school feel of the shop along with all of their delicious homemade flavors make me light up like a little kid. Of course, I always scour the tubs to see if creamy peanut butter is on the day’s menu.

You know how sometimes you’ll get the urge to stick your finger (or if your more civilized, a spoon) into the peanut butter jar just to get a taste. Chances are that after you get that taste, you’re probably going back for more. Peanut butter ice cream is kind of like that, only colder and sweeter—and maybe sometimes with Reese’s Pieces or chocolate chips mixed in. It is so very…desirable.

I recently made my own peanut butter ice cream for the Fourth of July. The recipe described it as one of the easiest, richest flavors you could make. Rich it most definitely is, super smooth and creamy too. I added peanut butter chips and semi-sweet chips, and I was in heaven. It was almost as good as Five Pennies. A must-try for those who have ice cream machines.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Recipe adapted from Cuisinart, Recipe Booklet for Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, “Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.”
Print
Yield: about 6 cups
- 1 cup quality smooth peanut butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large handful peanut butter chips, optional
- 1 large handful semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
• In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add the milk and mix on low speed until the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or overnight.
• Add the ice cream base to an ice cream machine and prepare according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. When mixture is just about ready, add peanut butter and chocolate chips, if using. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer for about 15 minute before serving.

Cook’s Book One Year Blogiversary!

2011-06-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

One year ago from Tuesday I clicked “publish” for the first time; and just like that, Cook’s Book was born.

I finally decided on a name, created a bookish header, set up the layout and found the perfect background for my blog. It was everything I had pictured; but before I could go live there was just one finishing touch that needed to be completed.

Ponytail to the side, head buried in recipes, the stick figure I sketched out in my note pad to become my blog’s “logo” looked up at me from her book. My boyfriend worked his Photoshop magic and brought her to life, turning my cute little chef girl into the official face of Cook’s Book. Suddenly, my page looked official and I couldn’t wait to show it off.

Now, my girl is on business cards, tee shirts (they came with the business cards, Ok?), and even the bridesmaid amulet my cousin had personalized for each of us to stick in our flowers on her wedding day. Today, to commemorate this one year “blogiversary” milestone, here she is meticulously crafted out of fondant as the star of my very first fondant cake:

Writing this blog has prompted me to do a bunch of fun, instructive and sometimes crazy things. Example: spending hours making and decorating a cake for myself, just because. It’s kind of like spending hours writing a full blown essay on cabbage, reviewing sentences and checking facts, when you’re not even sure who—if anyone—is even going to read it (except for my mom—thanks mom!).

You can read the story behind Cook’s Book in the About, which was also my first post. It explains my motivation behind starting a food blog; a year later, I can say that it has done all that I had anticipated and more. It provides me with an excuse to cook and write when I don’t have one, and a reason to always keep learning about the things I love. I do this for myself and am just so grateful for the friends and fans I’ve picked up along the way.

Is this starting to sound too much like the last episode of Oprah?

Thanks to Cook’s Book, I’ve had a fiesta, a tea party, carved crazy pumpkins, made croquembouche for Christmas and king cake for Mardi Gras, was in the newspaper, had my recipes featured on Kelly Ripa’s blog, was interviewed for a live podcast, became a member of the Five Star Makeover cooking group, heard from people who have tried my recipes, was invited to write guest posts, and met tons of great people.

I made mistakes, created new recipes, tried new restaurants and dishes, learned (and am still learning) how to take a better picture, and have written about everything from Princess Leia cupcakes and gourmet food trucks to my favorite Spumoni Gardens pizza.

Thank you to everyone who reads, for all of the supportive bloggers, and for all the lovely comments that always make my day. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. I can only hope that it will be half as good as the first!

Pierogi!

2011-06-17T20:03:00.000-04:00

Ok, let’s talk about these delicious pierogi that I made.

I’m sorry, I mean, perogi.

Wait, no, pyrogy?

Um, pirogi?

…Pyrohy!??

Hmm…There’s got to be a way to settle this conundrum. I know!

Eenie, meenie, minie, mo, I pick, “pierogi” by the toe!

Ugh, I’ve never seen a word with so many freaking different spellings. If you put the “I” before the “E” or a “Y” in the place of the “I,” it doesn’t make a difference; there is no definitive “right” way to spell it and it’s always pronounced the same: pi-roh-gee.

How or why there have come to be so many different ways to spell one word? You got me. But no matter which way you write it out…wait for it…pierogi always spells delicious.

Pierogi are dumplings. Similar to ravioli, they are thin sheets of dough that envelope a filling of some kind; usually in the shape of a semi-circle, pierogi come filled with sauerkraut, meat, cheese, vegetables, and even fruit. A popular pierogi stuffing and my personal favorite, is a cheesy potato combo.

I’ve always known pierogi as being a Polish specialty, but their origins are not restricted to Poland alone. In general, they are said to descend from central and eastern Europe (Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, etc…). Of course, there are a lot of nerdy arguments on the internet about where pierogis “truly” come from, but guess what? I’m not going there.

These pockets of deliciousness are made with what is basically regular pasta dough that I added a little bit of sour cream to. Naturally, I filled my periogis with cheddar mashed potatoes. Once they are all folded and crimped, they are boiled and then pan-fried in butter.

Common accompaniments are melted butter, sour cream and caramelized onion. I serve mine with all of the above but brown my butter or make a “beurre noisette” for extra flavor.

Manufactured by the tons, there is a huge pierogi market in the United States. Here are a few examples of just how much we love them:

• In Whiting, Indiana, they have Pierogi Fest every July. The yearly celebration of Polish heritage features Mr. Pierogi himself:

• Based in Pennsylvania, Mrs. T., the largest pierogi manufacturer in America, has dubbed the area including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, and parts of the northern Midwest and southern New England as the “Pieorgy Pocket” since it accounts for the largest percent of annual U.S. pierogi consumption.

• October 8th is National Pierogi Day.

• Between innings of Pittsburg Pirates games they have The Great Pittsburg Pierogi Race in which four contestants dressed in pierogi costumes duel it out for the win. This is amazing:

Pierogi with Potato Cheddar Filling:

Print

Yield: About 25 pierogi

Dough:
- ½ pound AP Flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ ounce water
- Egg wash for sealing pierogi
Filling:
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into uniform chunks
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/8 cup milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or chives)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Accompaniments:
- 1 tablespoons butter, plus 1 stick to be browned/melted until golden brown in color—“beurre noisette”
- Sour cream
- 2-3 large onions thinly sliced and slowly caramelized over low heat with just a little bit of oil; stir often until nicely browned.
• Dough: mix salt and flour together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs, sour cream and water. Turn the mixer on low and stir until dough is formed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to knead by hand until the texture becomes smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and let relax at room temperature for at least an hour.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the cheddar mashed potato filling. Boil the potato until tender. Mash the potatoes and while they are still hot, mix in cheddar, butter, heavy cream, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Try to make the mixture as smooth as possible.
• Using a pasta machine, roll dough out into thin sheets. Cut out medium/large circles from the sheets using a cookie cutter. Brush egg wash onto one side of the circle and place a spoonful of the potato mixture in the center. Fold non-egg washed side over the potato and onto the other; securely seal by pressing down on the seam with the tip of a fork.
• Bring a medium/large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add perogies; they are done when they float to the top. Once removed, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the pierogi to keep them from getting sticky.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Cook perogies until they are nicely browned on both sides. At this stage, brown the 1 stick of butter for serving. Pour browned butter on top of pierogi and serve with sour cream and caramelized onion.

Melon Prosciutto Salad

2011-06-11T23:11:00.000-04:00

The combination of prosciutto and melon is proof that sometimes, there is a happy medium.

The marriage between thinly sliced dry cured pork and ripe juicy melon is an epic pairing of perfectly balanced proportions; sweet and salty, fruity and fatty; they meld together on the palate to form a deliciously contrasted and irresistible cocktail.

You’ll typically see melon wrapped in prosciutto; this recipe is different in that it dices the pair and mixes them together in a salad. Dressed in nothing more than a squeeze of lemon, thick shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a sprinkle of fresh mint are added for a refreshing antipasto dish that is perfect for summer time.

Make sure to use quality prosciutto. You want it sliced thin to the point where it literally melts on your tongue; anything less with alter your entire experience with this salad.

And that’s it. Could anything so delicious get much simpler? Chop, chop; mix, mix; then, go outside with a your melon prosciutto salad and a glass of wine, cue the Andrea Bocelli soundtrack in your head, and pretend like you’re in Tuscany somewhere overlooking the countryside—instant summer vacation!

I got this recipe from a 2007 issue of Cooking Light. I have provided the original as it was written here.

Melon Prosciutto Salad with Parmigiano Reggiano:
Recipe by Jaime Harder, Cooking Light, July, 2007
Print
Yield: 8 servings
- 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed honeydew melon (about 1/2 medium melon)
- 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed cantaloupe (about 1 medium melon)
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Cracked black pepper (optional)
- Mint sprigs (optional)
• Combine first 5 ingredients, tossing gently. Arrange melon mixture on a serving platter. Arrange prosciutto evenly over melon mixture; sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh mint sprigs, if desired.

Gotta Have Some Hot Stuff

2011-06-04T16:10:00.000-04:00

Barbeque season is finally here.

Or should I say cookout? Barbeque, cookout, grill fest—whatever you call it, the season is here to eat outside. Out in the sun, our backyards become dining rooms; where between laughter and conversation, hamburgers sizzle on the grill, mustard squirts onto hot dogs, beer bottles pop, and bare chicken bones clank down onto plates. Welcome to summer.

When Memorial Day rolls around, there is always one special dish that you can bet will be on our family barbeque table. It is red, it is saucy, and it is simply referred to as “Hot Stuff.”

Hot Stuff is a spicy cabbage slaw made of thinly sliced cabbage mixed with a little ketchup, a little vinegar, and enough hot sauce to help it live up to its name. It is for spicy lovers only; it packs the kind of punch that makes your mouth begin water with only a quick whiff; and the longer it sits, the hotter it gets.

It is a great topping for hamburgers, sandwiches, or anything you feel can use a good crunchy kick, but it is without a doubt the best on a hot dog.

As the story of Hot Stuff goes, it all began with a local bar that would make the slaw and serve it on their hot dogs. Everyone loved it so much that they began experimenting at home to try and recreate it. My Uncle Nunzi eventually began making and selling Hot Stuff at his deli and it became a huge hit.

Since I made the Hot Stuff for the first time this year, my dad kept joking that we couldn't serve it until Uncle Nunzi approved. We gave him the first taste and after a few anxious moments of watching him chew, I got the thumbs up. Whew!

Everyone makes Hot Stuff in the same basic way with a few of their own secret ingredients thrown in. This is my recipe:

Hot Stuff (Spicy Cabbage Slaw):
Print
Yield: About 2 cups
- ½ head cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
• In a bowl, mix together hot sauce, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste; if you would prefer to make it a little more mild, add more ketchup. Toss sauce with thinly sliced cabbage.
• Keep in an airtight container, where it can continue to marinate and become even hotter!
• Serve on hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, or anything you feel can use a nice crunchy kick.

I'm Going on a Picnic and I'm Bringing...

2011-05-25T22:52:00.000-04:00

It’s Five Star Makeover time again and this month’s theme is gourmet picnic food; just in time for Memorial Day.

When I think about it, gourmet picnic food is kind of an oxymoron. Designed to be eaten outdoors, maybe on a blanket or a wooden table, picnic food to me has always been casual and portable; delicious, but the opposite of anything too fancy or exotic. Even Ina Garten must not get too extravagant when making up a picnic for herself and Jeffrey in the Hamptons.

The biggest challenge here was just trying to strike the right balance, and to me nothing does that quite as well as the lobster roll. When it comes to being gourmet, what could be more so than lobster? Put it into a sandwich bun and it’s like changing from a gown into a pair of jeans: casual but still sexy.

I love a good lobster roll. Here on Long Island, they are pretty popular on the east end where lobster fishing is prevalent, but everyone knows that New England holds the lobster roll crown. Whether served warm with drawn butter Connecticut-style, or cold with a mayo base like they do in Maine, the New England states set the standard.

Lightly dressed with homemade lemon aioli, mine is a Maine lobster roll. Fresh herbs, celery, and a sprinkle of paprika mixed in give it great flavor and a little crunch. For more of a gourmet edge, I made the potato roll and chips from scratch.

Jordan Lobster Farm is my favorite place to get a lobster roll in the summer and a part of the inspiration behind my own. The wholesale and retail seafood distributor has been in business for over fifty years with locations in Island Park, Long Island and Brooklyn. In the summer, they have an outside patio right on the water where I’ve often sat and enjoyed their roll filled with huge chunks of lobster meat.

Starting Friday, click the link below to check out the roundup of all the phenomenal gourmet picnic ideas that everyone in the Five Star Makeover Cooking Group has contributed.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Lobster Roll with Lemon Aioli:
Print
Yield: 4 servings
- 2, 1-2 pound lobsters
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced and mashed into a paste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
- 4 potato rolls
- About 3 tablespoons of melted butter for buns
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Submerge lobsters into the water and cook for 8-9 minutes. When done cooking, submerge the lobsters into an ice batch. Remove meat from the shells and chop coarsely.
• To make the aioli: in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolk, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and red wine vinegar. In a very slow stream, vigorously whisk in the olive oil until a thick mayo is formed. Season with salt and pepper and chill. *If your first attempt fails, whisk another egg yolk and once again, in a very slow stream, incorporate the broken mix. You can also make the aioli in a food processor.
• Add celery, parsley, chives, and seasonings to the lobster meat and lightly coat with the lemon aioli. Slice potato rolls in half and brush the sides with a coating of melted butter. Spoon the lobster salad mixture into the rolls. Serve with homemade potato chips.

Potato Rolls:
Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats
Print
Yield: 6-8 hot dog bun-sized rolls
- 1 russet potato (big enough to make 1/2 cup mashed potato), peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk, warmed
- 1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
- 1/4 cup reserved potato water, lukewarm, with 1 teaspoon sugar added to it
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour
• Boil potato until tender. Drain cooking water, reserving 1/4 cup for use in the rolls. Finely mash the potato and measure out 1/2 cup. Let cool to nearly room temperature.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the mashed potato, butter, sugar, salt and egg. Mix together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
• Combine the yeast with the warm milk and reserved potato water; pour into the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook attachment on knead on low speed for 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to achieve a soft dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 60-90 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down. Separate into 6-8 equal pieces and shape into long rolls. Place the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle the rolls with a dusting of flour. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again until the rolls have grown into each other, about 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, until golden.

Homemade Potato Chips:
Print
Yield: 4 servings
- 3 unpeeled cleaned russet potatoes
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt to taste
• Heat the oil in a deep dryer to 375-380 degrees and line 2 sheet trays with paper towels.
• Slice potatoes paper thin using a mandolin. Place the slices into a bowl of cold water.
• Drain the potatoes from the cold water and lay out on one of the paper-towel lined trays. Blot the slices until they are very dry using several layers of paper towel.
• In small batches, submerge potatoes into the hot oil, turning occasionally until golden and crispy. Make sure that the oil comes back up to temperate after each batch.
• Drain the cooked chips on the other paper-towel lined tray. Season with salt while still hot.

Get Your Greek On: Zucchini Feta Fritters

2011-05-21T14:25:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, I was watching Food Network and got caught up in an episode of the special, "Giada in Paradise: Santorini."

With its famously photographed cliff side, breathtaking sunset view, and deep blue ocean backdrop, the beautiful Greek island is one that she justly described as “heaven”; from what I saw, she was just about right.

After watching the hour-long historical and culinary tour, I put a mental checkbox next to Santorini on the bucket list of places I hope to visit someday. Then, I put a bold mental underline beneath the checkbox that has been already been there for years now, that says, “Get a job like Giada’s.”

At one of the many food stops during the episode, Giada is served an assortment of Greek Mezze, or a sampling of different small dishes put out before the main course. Among the mezze were these amazing fried zucchini and feta balls with mint. Can you say instant obsession?

Check them out for yourself at the 3:11 mark:

So there was Giada in the middle of heaven and the one thing that stuck in my mind more than anything else in the entire episode was these zucchini balls. Zucchini, feta, and mint—oh, my! I couldn’t wait to deep fry my own inspired version of the delicious trio.

I made Easter dinner this year and decided that it would be the perfect occasion to try these babies out. They ended up looking a little different than what I had pictured, but tasted just as good.

At first, I tried making balls which were sort of tricky because the outside would cook way faster than the inside, so I made them flat and it actually worked out for the best.

Served warm, the delicate sautéed garlic and zucchini mixture holds up well beside the just-melted feta cheese. I also added lemon which really brightens up the flavor.

For the sake of simply needing a title, I just called these fritters. I think it sounds kind of boring. How about you? Perhaps a rename is in order. Can you think of a better name? Let me hear your ideas in the comments!

Zucchini Feta Fritters
Print
Yield: About 15 fritters

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium zucchini, shredded thin with mandolin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup chopped mint
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup breadcrumb
- 1 ½ cup flour
• In a large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant; add shredded zucchini and cook at medium-high heat until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
• The zucchini will have released a lot of liquid during cooking; remove zucchini from the pan with a slotted spoon into a large bowl.
• To the bowl with the zucchini: add lemon juice and zest, feta cheese, mint, egg, breadcrumb and flour. Mix until all the ingredients are distributed and well bound. You should be able to shape patties with your hands; if not, you may need to add more flour and/or breadcrumb until your mixture reaches the right consistency.
• Use an ice cream scoop to create equal-sized portions and flatten into patties with your hands. In a fryer or a deep pan, heat oil to around 325 degrees and fry until golden on the outside and cooked through on the inside. You may need to play with the temperature of the oil to see what works best.

Roasted Red Pepper Crostini

2011-05-13T16:58:00.000-04:00

Sweet bell peppers are just fine on their own; roast them, and you bring them to an entirely new dimension. Their thick skin takes perfectly well to a bubbling, blistering beating from a direct flame, which once peeled away, yields juicy soft flesh with a pronounced sweetness and light char flavor.

There are so many great ways to enjoy roasted peppers. Here is one of my favorites:

Roasted Peppers with Pine Nuts and Raisins Crostini

This recipe is one that is frequently made at the cooking school where I work. After tasting it for the first time, I loved it so much that I made sure to snag it for my own collection; and now, I’m sharing it with you.

Roasted peppers with plump golden raisins and toasty pine nuts all mingled together in olive oil with garlic and fresh parsley—that is love at first bite if I've ever heard it. On top of a slice of crusty Italian bread? Whoa! Forget about it.

This recipe calls for roasting your own peppers. It uses the broiler method, but there are several other ways to achieve the same result.

The many ways to roast a pepper:

• Over an open flame: just like roasting a marshmallow; hold the pepper directly over a burner, turning until the skin is completely blackened on all sides.
• Grilling: sticking with the direct flame, but allowing you to do more than just one at a time. Grilling also incorporates a little bit of a smoky flavor.
• Broiling: same idea as the previous two, but upside down. Lay the peppers out on a tray lined with foil and stick them under the broiler; keep a watchful eye and turn to singe all sides.
• Oven roast: on a foil-lined sheet tray, rub peppers with olive oil and cook at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes; turn to singe all sides.

No matter how you roast your peppers, they are always:

• Cooked until the skin is charred BLACK on all sides.
• Steamed at the end, typically in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This allows the inside to cook further and also helps to get the skins off easier. When peeling, some spots may be hard to remove; whatever you do, don’t rinse the peppers under water or else you’ll be rinsing all the tasty juices away too.
• Delicious

Now, had I roasted my own peppers this particular time…Wait, what? What do you mean I didn’t roast my own peppers? After all that, I went and used jarred?

Yep. I’m not even going to act like I didn’t. I’ll even be so bold as to recommend that you do so as well (gasp!) in certain situations. This is great to put out for company; if you are busy with lots of others things, want to make a ton, or are scrambling for something to make with last minute notice, the jar can be your friend.

BUT, I also recommend that you at least try this recipe with freshly roasted peppers. Like all things made from scratch, there’s just something about it!

Anyway, as I was saying…Had I roasted my own peppers this particular time, I might have made up a nice little picture demo for you, but I think that the recipe and previous descriptions do it justice.

This crostini recipe has become quite a hit around here—I even get requests!

A few weeks ago, we had family over so I made a bunch of crostini and pita chips and served the roasted pepper mix along with a schmorgasboard (great word) of other toppers like caponata, hummus, and marinated feta. It was a lot of fun; I love all that picky stuff.

Measurements aren’t really necessary for this preparation, but here they are as a general guideline:

Roasted Peppers with Pine Nuts and Raisins Crostini
Recipe adapted from the A La Carte Culinary Services adaptation of Frank Pellegrino, Rao’s Cookbook, Random House, 1998.
Print
Yield: 6 servings

- 6 red bell peppers (or for a quicker preparation use 2, 12 oz jars of roasted red peppers)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, toasted*
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the crostini:
- 1 loaf Italian bread sliced ½” thick
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• To roast peppers: heat broiler. Line a sheet tray with foil. Place the peppers, skin side up, on the pan and set 5-6 inches under the broiler. Broil, turning until the skin starts to blister and blacken all over, watching closely. Remove peppers from heat, place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let stand for about 10 minutes. Remove the seeds from inside the peppers, and remove skin. Cut peppers, lengthwise, into ¼” strips.
• Combine peppers with oil, raisins, nuts, parsley and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour before serving.
• For the crostini: on the grill or in a 350 degree oven, toast the bread until golden. Rub bread slices on one side with garlic and drizzle with olive oil.
• To serve, spoon the roasted pepper mixture on each toast.

*To toast pine nuts, toss them in a hot skillet until fragrant. Watch carefully; they burn easily and do not need to brown. Immediately remove from pan to cool.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Margarita Sorbet

2011-05-05T02:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

How about a margarita?

This margarita sorbet, tequila and all, is just like having a frozen margarita. It is so refreshing. Every spoonful tastes like a party…on the beach…in Mexico!

I’ve been celebrating Cinco de Mayo for as long as I can remember, just because; just because it is a fun excuse to eat Mexican food, drink Mexican drinks, listen to Mexican music and catch the fiesta vibe.

Everyone loves a reason to celebrate, even if they’re not quite sure of what that reason is…

Many people tend to think that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day (you can count me in on that; guilty as charged), but it’s actually the celebration of the victory of the Mexican army over French invaders at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Mexico was already a free nation at that time, having declared their independence in 1810.

Over the years, Cinco de Mayo has become more and more popular in the United States. But while much of us are donning sombreros and clinking our Coronas together on May 5th like “yeeeah!” it’s not as big of a deal in Mexico; while Cinco de Mayo is still commemorated in small celebrations around the country, it can’t be compared to their actual Independence Day.

As you might guess from last summer’s “Fiesta Week” dedicated entirely to posts on Mexican food, I love Mexico and its culture and traditions. So pass the margaritas (or the margarita sorbet!) and let’s have a Cinco de Mayo party. :-)

Margarita Sorbet
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com, Bon Appétit, August 1996
Print

- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup lime juice
- 6 tablespoons tequila
• Stir water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Pour into a medium bowl. Mix in lime juice and tequila. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Transfer the sorbet mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to a container, cover and freeze.
• Fun serving suggestion: serve in a margarita glass with a wedge of lime. To “salt” the rim, run a slice of lime around the rim of each glass and dip into granulated sugar.

White Asparagus is the New Green

2011-04-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

Prized by chefs for its tender spears, white asparagus is lighter and more delicate in flavor compared to its well-known sister, the green asparagus. It is highly seasonal, only available for a scarce few weeks at the end of April and into the beginning of May.

With this being its month to shine, the Five Star Makeover Cooking Group was challenged to create a dish using white asparagus as our theme ingredient.

Germans are said to have been the first to introduce the production of white asparagus or “spargel,” made by depriving the spears from sunlight so that they cannot produce chlorophyll.

Natasha of the blog 5 Star Foodie, who co-hosts these monthly makeover events, prefaced April’s star ingredient with an interesting tidbit about how the Germans celebrate the brief season, explaining how restaurants in the country will often offer special “Spargel Karte” menus that showcase the white spears in all their glory.

Take a look at what’s on my Spargel Karte menu:

White asparagus custard topped with roasted shallots and pancetta crisp, served beside a baby spinach salad in creamy white balsamic vinaigrette

The minute I found out that this month’s star ingredient was white asparagus, my wheels had already started turning with thoughts of what I wanted to do. Oh sure, I had tons of ideas, but I didn’t have a clue on where I was going to find the stuff! That’s kind of like a major factor…

I underestimated the rarity of white asparagus, calling and visiting every store around with no luck. With the equivalent of mere minutes to the finish line—right about the time I started to consider where I might be able to get some in a jar—I finally found them.

Like most things you can’t find, it was in the last place I looked. It was not at any chain supermarket or popular specialty store, it was just some random mom and pop-type gourmet fruit and vegetable store right next door to one of the big names.

Anyway, I was so happy to finally have some beautiful fresh white asparagus on my hands, that I made my dish as soon as I got home.

The custard turned out nice and light and the flavor of the asparagus really came through. Together with the custard, the smokey crunch of the pancetta crisp, sweet roasted shallots and tangy white balsamic-dressed spinach all made for an excellent lunch. A few blanched spears on the side to showcase the white asparagus at its purest, and it was complete!

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

White Asparagus Custard
Topped with roasted shallots and pancetta crisp, served beside a baby spinach salad in creamy white balsamic vinaigrette.
Print

Yield: 6-7 servings in small-medium sized ramekins

- 3 eggs
- 8 white asparagus spears + extra for garnish (optional)
- 12 ounces heavy cream + 2-4 ounces extra, heated for pureeing
- Salt for seasoning
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• To prep asparagus for blanching, lightly peel each spear with a vegetable peeler, and cut off the thick bottoms. Bring a pot of water to a boil and lightly salt the water. Also, prepare an ice filled water bowl for shocking.
• Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. When done, shock in the ice water to stop the cooking process. After removing the cooled asparagus from the ice water; coarsely chop 8 spears and add to a food processor. Set the rest aside for garnish (if using).
• Pulse the white asparagus in food processor while slowly adding the hot heavy cream until you have a thick puree. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the puree with eggs, 12 ounces of heavy cream, and salt. Pour the mixture into ramekins, then place the ramekins in a pan filled with ½ inch of water. Bake until custard is set, about 45 minutes.
• Allow the custard to completely cool before removing from ramekins. The custard should easily come loose after running a knife around the edge.
• Pancetta crisps: Place 6-7 thin slices of pancetta on a sheet tray and bake in a 350 degree oven until crisp, 15-20 minutes.
• Roasted shallots: peel and quarter 2-4 shallots (depending on size), and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; lay out on a sheet tray and roast in 450 degree oven until soft and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Chop and toss with a little bit of the white balsamic vinaigrette before serving on top of the custard.
• Creamy white balsamic vinaigrette: In a medium sized bowl, mix 6 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar with 1 clove of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and ¼ teaspoon of honey. Slowly whisk in about ¼ of regular olive oil until dressing becomes thick and creamy; season with salt and pepper. Toss with baby spinach or similar green to lightly coat.

Tortellini: Breaded, Baked and Skewered

2011-04-23T01:22:00.001-04:00

Barilla recently challenged Foodbuzz Featured Publishers to think of an Italian-inspired recipe using their tortellini for a chance to win a trip to Italy.

Being a “got to be in it to win it” kind of girl, I put my thinking toque on, got my tortellini, and am taking my chances with this outside-the-box pasta recipe:

Baked Tortellini Caprese Skewers with Lemon Tomato Dipping Sauce

I love tortellini; cold in salads for lunch or saucy and steaming for dinner, they are simple, satisfying, and delicious. But what inspired this dish was actually thinking of ways that I’ve never had tortellini before.

Breaded? Baked? Skewered? Check, check, and check.

My goal was to make a recipe that was unpredictable—one not exactly considered your average tortellini dish yet still inviting and easy enough for anyone to see themselves making for family and friends.

Using Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini, I boiled the pasta briefly until it was just soft. I then cooled and breaded each piece in flour, egg, and a mixture of seasoned breadcrumb and parmigiano cheese.

Around twenty minutes in the oven and you are done. Baking rather than frying allows the flavor of the tortellini to remain present and not get lost when cooked.

With this dish being all about Italy, I chose to incorporate the fresh flavors of a basic Caprese salad which also showcase the colors of the Italian flag. On the side, a lemon-infused marinara sauce for dipping provides a bright compliment to all of the elements on the skewer.

This is a great recipe to make when you are having guests over. Buon Appetito!

Baked Tortellini Caprese Skewers with Lemon Tomato Dipping Sauce:
Print
* For the skewers, I have not given exact measurements; adjust to how many servings you plan to prepare.
Skewers:
- Long Bamboo skewers
- Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini, briefly boiled until just soft
- Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- Fresh mozzarella (cubed or use whole small bocconcini)
- Fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
Breading:
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bread tortellini in flour, eggs, and seasoned bread crumb. Lay the pieces out on a tray and bake for about 20 minutes in 400 degree oven until golden.
• Wrap each mozzarella cube or bocconcini ball with a strip of basil. Skewer two tomato halves, two tortellini, and two basil wrapped mozzarella balls. Serve with dipping sauce.

Lemon Tomato Dipping Sauce:
Yield: 1 ½- 2 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ onion, small dice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1, 14.5 ounce can diced tomato
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
• In a medium sauté pan, heat olive oil. Cook onions until soft; add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato, lemon juice and zest, and chicken stock. Cook down for a few minutes until slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley.
• Transfer sauce to a food processor and lightly pulse until you get a thick/chunky consistency.

Pork "Chopped"

2011-04-16T02:01:00.001-04:00

Sometimes stepping into the kitchen can be like walking into an episode of Food Network’s Chopped.

Whatever is sitting in your cabinets and stocked on your refrigerator’s shelves—that’s your mystery basket. Maybe you haven’t gone food shopping in a while? Bring on the extra challenge.

No matter how random the revealed ingredients might be, the goal is to turn them into a winning ten thousand dollar recipe (wouldn’t that be nice?). Point is, you want it to taste good.

Of course, your family/friends are the judges; and their hunger is the only ticking clock needed to get you on your toes and moving towards the finish line.

So what was in my most recent mystery basket? Dun dun dunn: pork chops. More commonly known around here as, “Ugh, pork chops…(sigh).”

I can’t help it, pork chops will forever be tainted by memories of being dry, tasteless, and Shake n’ Baked. In theory, they are an easy weeknight meal, and yet, they are so easy to screw up.

Nevertheless, I continue to give pork chops a shot, only I refuse to let them be boring. Even when it seems like there is nothing left in the house, I am determined to find a way to make them delicious.

This time, I sliced open the chops and filled them with a quick apple stuffing made with several other items from the “mystery basket” of found items hiding around the kitchen. I sautéed the chops in butter and olive oil, then added apple juice and maple syrup to the pan to make a sauce with the leftover drippings.

The “judges” approved, and so did I, making me recipient to the theoretical ten thousand dollar prize and the rights to say that this recipe is WINNING. Duh.

So if you’re looking for something good to make during the week, and you too, refuse to be bored by the same old, plain old pork chop, try this recipe!

Remember: do not be afraid of a little pink in your pork chop; if you are, you will forever be doomed to a dry, tasteless hunk of meat. Trichinosis, the parasite associated underdone pork, dies at 137 degrees Fahrenheit. If the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re good.

P.S. Please nominate my blog (http://www.cooksbookblog.com) for Saveur Magazine's 2011 Best Food Blog Awards in the "best cooking blog" category. It's worth a shot! Thanks so much for your support, I really appreciate it. :)

Apple and Mustard Stuffed Pork Chops with Maple Pan Sauce
Print
Yield: 4 Servings

- 4-6 boneless pork chops
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon separate
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon separate
- 2 celery sticks, small dice
- 1 large shallot, small dice
- 1 golden delicious apple, small dice
- 1 cup apple juice, divided
- 1 cup plain breadcrumb or panko
- 2 ½ tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup maple syrup
- Flour for thickening
• Slide knife sideways into the middle of each pork chop and butterfly; make sure not to slice all the way through. Cover the opened chops with a Ziploc bag and lightly pound. Season the chops with salt and pepper on each side.
• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil together over medium heat. Add celery and shallots and sweat. Add apples and cook until soft. Pour in ½ cup apple juice, add mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and slowly incorporate the breadcrumb until everything is bound together well.
• Fill each of the pork chops with stuffing. To secure, pinch the largest side together and weave a toothpick through.
• In a clean skillet, heat tablespoon of butter and olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the pork chops until nicely browned and cooked through; about 6-7 minutes on each side.
• Remove the pork chops from the pan and reserve covered or in a warm place. Remember to remove the toothpicks from the pork chops before serving.
• Over medium high heat, deglaze the pan with remaining apple juice, scraping up all of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; add maple syrup. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. To lightly thicken the sauce whisk in a tablespoon or two of flour.

Showers of Delicious for a Soon-to-Be Mrs.

2011-04-05T14:06:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we had a bridal shower for my cousin, Eloise, who was surprisingly, surprised. Success!

The theme for the party was “Eloise at the Plaza” based off of the children’s book with her name. There were little “Eloise” touches everywhere: hot pink accents, a different book from the series on each table, and tea favors as a nod to the character’s adventures at the Plaza’s Palm Court.

Plans for the shower had been in the works for months, and it all turned out perfectly. It made me such a happy bridesmaid to have been a part of making my cousin’s special day a memorable one for her.

Now, onto my tasty contributions…

I volunteered to make the punch, and decided to to make it mai tai. Pineapple, orange, and lime juice make up the concoction, along with cream of coconut and maraschino cherry juice for a nice pink color. For garnish, I added pineapple rings, orange slices, and cherries.

The punch was originally supposed to include rum, but the restaurant we had the shower at would not allow it. I substituted club soda for the alcohol, and it ended up working out for the best; the bubbles made it more refreshing, even easier to drink. The punch received rave reviews, and the best compliment of all—it all went.

Virgin Mai Tai Punch. (Recipe at end of post).

For another special touch, I made Oreo truffle lollipops. I had prepared the super easy chocolate covered Oreo and cream cheese truffle balls a little while back, but this time I wanted to add the sticks for a better presentation and to make them more fun to eat.

Here is what I found: when making the lollipops, it is important that the truffle balls are nice and firm before adding the sticks so that they won’t slide right off; a few minutes in the freezer does the trick. Once the sticks are secure, you can dip the truffles right into the chocolate. I decorated mine with little heart sprinkles. Then, to keep the chocolate from getting flat at the top, I stuck the lollipops into a foam block until they hardened.

Here is the updated Oreo truffle recipe with instructions for making lollipops.

Quick craft lesson! To make the pops look like little edible decorations, I got plastic low ball glasses from the party store and filled them with foam balls that I cut in half. I hid the foam with pink confetti, and stuck six to seven lollies in each. They looked like little bouquets on all of the tables.

I recommend these lollipops for any kind of celebration. Customize them any way you want. They are so much fun, are a lot easier than they look, and guests love it.

P.S. Please nominate my blog (http://www.cooksbookblog.com) for Saveur Magazines 2011 Best Food Blog Awards in the "best cooking blog" category. It's worth a shot! Thanks so much, I really appreciate it.

Virgin Mai Tai Punch
Print
Yield: about 3 gallons/ 3 batches (serves around 50 people)

- 1 gallon pineapple juice
- ½ gallon orange juice
- 1 cup lime juice (about 15 limes)
- 2 cans cream of coconut
- 3, 1 quart bottles of club soda
- 3 medium-large sized jars maraschino cherries, strained with juice reserved
- 2 oranges, sliced (optional)
- 2 cans pineapple rings (optional)
• Combine pineapple, lime, and orange juice, with cream of coconut and maraschino cherry juice. You will notice that the cream of coconut will leave behind small little white bits; if desired, blend punch in a blender until the white bits are dissolved. This step can be prepared ahead of time.
• Add 1 bottle club soda as each batch is served. Garnish with maraschino cherries, orange slices, and pineapple rings. Serve over ice.
• If you would like serve this punch with alcohol, substitute equal parts light and dark rums for the club soda (about a cup of each or more depending on desired strength).

If You Like Piña Coladas…And Sustainable Fish

2011-03-30T23:12:00.000-04:00

I was recently invited to join the Five Star Makeover cooking group. Every month, the group is challenged to create an original dish using specially chosen theme ingredients. It’ s a great opportunity to get the creative juices flowing in the kitchen; I am excited to be a part of it and to see what is in store for the coming months.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

This month’s theme was sustainable fish. A smart topic, I thought, that would be as fun to work with as it is purposeful. Through this dish, not only did I become more aware of overfishing and the importance of opting for sustainable seafood, but now I can spread that knowledge to you.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, “Nearly 75% of the world's fisheries are fished to capacity, or overfished. Our seafood choices have the power to make this situation worse, or improve it.”

Various fishing methods worldwide put our oceans in peril by endangering fish populations, destroying their habitats, and polluting the water. By choosing to purchase sustainable seafood you no longer contribute to these harmful practices, helping to conserve diverse, healthy and long-lasting ocean ecosystems.

Of course, our personal efforts are only a small advance in a much larger movement. The restaurant and retail stores that sell seafood must be tuned in as well; many have begun, with major companies like Walmart, Whole Foods, and Costco vowing to sell only sustainable.

While I was familiar with the premise of sustainability, I found that when trying to think up a dish, I wasn’t exactly sure of what fish were most sustainable and where I would be most likely to find them. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website is a very helpful resource.

As part of their Seafood Watch program, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has developed a list of recommendations for the most sustainably conscious fish to buy in different regions of the United States. They’ve done careful research based on each fish species and the factors that affect them individually, rating as “best choice,” “good alternative,” and “avoid.”

Other than on their website, recommendations are also available in pocket guides and mobile apps.

Baked Cornflake-Crusted Tilapia with Piña Colada Sauce, & Pickled Mango and Pineapple Relish

I ended up picking U.S. farmed tilapia, which is one of the most widely available sustainable fish. The piña colada inspiration came from warm, tropical thoughts, and my fidgety anticipation of spring to finally get a move on.

I’ve wanted to cornflake-curst something for the longest, so here she is. The cornflakes don’t take away from the fish at all, especially since it is baked; they just add a nice crunchy consistency. I did not crush my flakes too much, but that was just my preference. For the accompaniments, tangy pineapple and mango relish offsets the sweetness from the sauce, and the simple coconut rice is great for sopping up all that is leftover. So delicious!

Baked Cornflake-Crusted Tilapia with Piña Colada Sauce, &

Pickled Mango and Pineapple Relish:

Yield: 4 Servings

For Tilapia:

- 4 tilapia fillets

- 1 can coconut milk

- 1 egg

- 1 box cornflake cereal (use as much as needed; crush to desired consistency)

- ½ cup flour

- Salt and pepper

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Prepare breading procedure: lay out 3 separate vessels with flour seasoned with salt and pepper in one, egg whisked together with coconut milk in another, and cornflakes in another.

• For each tilapia fillet, bread with flour first, then coconut milk mixture, and then cornflakes. Lay on a sheet tray and bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the fish is white and flaky.

Piña Colada Sauce:

- ½ pineapple, cubed

- 6 oz pineapple juice

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons minced shallots

- 2 tablespoon coconut milk

- 1 tablespoon rum

- Slurry: (1:1 ratio) 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water whisked together

• In a food processor or blender, puree pineapple with pineapple juice; reserve.

• In a small sauce pot, heat butter and add shallots; cook until translucent. Add puree to cooked shallots, and then mix in coconut milk and rum. Bring to a boil.

• Strain the pineapple sauce through a sieve back into a small pot. Bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer. To thicken, slowly whisk in slurry.

Pickled Manago and Pineapple Relish:

- ½ pineapple, small dice

- 2 mango, small dice - ¼ cup red onion, small dice

- 2 jalapeno, small dice

- Juice of 1 lime

- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

- 1 cup orange juice

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 8 tablespoons rice vinegar

- ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• In a small sauce pot, bring orange juice, sugar, and rice vinegar up to a boil.

• In the meantime, mix together all ingredients up to grated ginger in a medium bowl. Once the orange juice mixture has come to a boil, pour over. Add cilantro, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

To serve:

• Spoon sauce onto plate and place tilapia fillet over the top. Serve with the pickled pineapple and mango salsa on the side and coconut rice (recipe follows).

Coconut Rice:

Yield: 4 servings

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 1 cup rice

- 1 cup coconut milk

- 1 cup chicken broth

- Salt and pepper to taste

• In a small/medium pot, heat butter until melted. Add rice and stir until well-coated with butter. Add the coconut milk, broth, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until done.

Princess Leia Cupcakes

2011-03-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

It is a period of celebration. On the 21st of March in the year 2011, Adam has won his 24th victory against the forces of life to survive another year on Earth.

During this day, his girlfriend, Marisa, secretly managed to execute the perfect dessert for the ultimate Star Wars fan, the PRINCESS LEIA CUPCAKE, a confection with enough delicious frosting and Oreo hair to destroy an entire appetite.

Pursued by the cupcakes sinister good looks, Adam races to the table aboard the starship in his head to devour the edible clones and become custodian of the birthday cake that can save his sweet tooth and restore freedom to his nerdiness…

My boyfriend is a BIG nerd.

I say this in the most affectionate way. In fact, he takes it as a compliment. Lucky for him, he is a cute nerd, so I deal with it, and obviously support it too.

He loves everything Star Wars, and ever since I came across these adorable Princess Leia cupcakes on http://www.justjennrecipes.com/ back in October, I’ve wanted to make them for him.

With these being Princess Leia cupcakes, of course the hair is the most important detail. Star Wars nerd or not, the two braided buns are immediately recognized as a ‘do that is distinctly hers. Two Oreo cookies adhered to each side of the cupcake with frosting complete the look.

Justjennrecipes, recommends using cream cheese and black frosting for the face and hair; I made vanilla and chocolate buttercream frostings instead, but after the fact I think the cream cheese would have been much easier to spread/pipe. And as you can see, pink or red heart sprinkles work perfectly for the lips.

To make these for the Star Wars fan in your life, get the step-by-step design instructions, here.

St. Patrick’s Day Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-16T00:31:00.001-04:00

In preparation for the one day when everyone gets to becomes Irish, I cooked a meal true to my inner brogue-talking, green-wearing, Irish self.

I’m really not Irish at all. I don’t know what a shillelagh is and the “o” in my name comes at the end, not the beginning. What I do know, is that Ireland is a beautiful country with a fun, spirited holiday called St. Patrick’s Day that typically gives people in America an excuse to drink lots of beer and get wasted.

From a culinary standpoint, I can appreciate the hearty, homey and cozy foods that come from Ireland and the northern European area. To me, nothing fits the above description quite as well as pot pie. Creamy, flavorful chicken pot pie, bubbling beneath perfectly browned pastry, hugs you from the inside out. It won’t be too much longer before it will be too warm to enjoy foods like this, so there is no better time to really appreciate it.

Maybe there was four leaf clover stuck under my shoe or a leprechaun in my pocket; perhaps there was even a rainbow leading to my stove top, because my pot pies might as well have been pots of pure gold. They were…magically delicious! Was that enough clichés for you?

Man, I like being Irish. This is so easy to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients right in your refrigerator. So go get to making some pot pie, grab a green beer, summon your inner Irish self, and have a Happy St. Patty’s Day!

P.S. If you haven't yet, please visit Kelly Ripa's Tea Party for a Cause at Kelly Confidential by Electrolux. Simply pick a tea party dress and Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. While your there, I would love for you to check out some of my featured tea party recipes under, "Host Your Own Tea Party." :-)

Chicken Pot Pie
Print
Yield: 8-10 servings

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless chicken (breasts/thighs), cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons whole, unsalted butter
- ½ cup onion, small dice
- ½ cup celery, small dice
- ½ cup carrots, small dice
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces flour (weighed)
- 4 ounces whole, unsalted butter (weighed)
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 box/3 quarts chicken stock, warm
- ½ fresh or frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tubes, premade dough sheets ( I used Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough Sheets)
- 1 egg, whisked to egg wash the dough
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large, deep pot, heat olive oil and add chicken until it is almost fully cooked. Remove the chicken and reserve.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onion, celery, carrot, and leeks and sweat. Add flour and 4 ounces of butter; mix continuously to create a roux. Once the mixture looks like wet sand, stir in white wine and then all of the chicken stock. Return chicken to the pot.
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently throughout as not to let the flour burn at the bottom. Reduce to a simmer and cook until nicely thickened, about 30 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally. In the last few minutes, add peas, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.
• While waiting for the soup mixture to cook, roll out the dough and cut into circles large enough to cover the crock or bowl you will be serving the pot pie in.
• When ready, ladle into crocks or bowls and cover with dough; pinch the sides of the dough to secure. Line up on sheet tray. Brush egg wash over dough for a shiny presentation. Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes until the dough is puffed and browned.

Tea Party for a Cause: Cook’s Book Tea Party Recipes Featured on Electrolux Ovarian Cancer Research Website!

2011-03-10T13:13:00.005-05:00

As you might remember, back in September I took part in the Foodbuzz 24 x 24, a monthly event where 24 bloggers are chosen to host a unique meal within the same 24 hours and post them all on the same day.

September’s event was unique in that it was in support of Ovarian Cancer Research; for every meal hosted, Electrolux donated $250 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. I was so happy to be able to contribute to such a great cause, and knew exactly what I wanted to do. In the spirit of getting women together, I chose to host a tea party.

Today, Electrolux launched a new website in support of Ovarian Cancer Research and guess what the theme is? Tea Party! And guess whose tea party recipes they recently asked to feature? Yes, Mine!

The site is called Kelly Confidential (Kelly as in Kelly Ripa), where you can join Kelly’s virtual “chari-tea” party for a cause. When you do, $1 will go towards the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and you are entered for a chance to win an Electrolux washer and dryer.

There are a bunch of fun “tea party” themed links to click around on the site, including ideas for how to host your own. Under “host your own tea party” you’ll see my picture next to “tea party recipes.”

It’s like, there’s Kelly Ripa and Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss, and then there’s me! I’m very excited about it and I love that it is all for a great cause!

Mardi Gras King Cake

2011-03-06T21:37:00.001-05:00

With a rich food culture immersed in pride and tradition, New Orleans is one of my top-desired culinary destinations.

From bananas foster to the Bloody Mary, it is the birthplace of many favorites that I would love to experience straight from the source. I can just see myself taking large gaping bites of po’ boy and mufaletta sandwiches, devouring Cajun and Creole classics like crawfish étouffée and jambalaya, and having deep-fried love affairs with hush puppies and biegnets.

Mardi Gras is coming up this Tuesday and to celebrate I made another New Orleans food that I’ve always wanted to try: King Cake. The customary Mardi Gras King Cake is a round, braided cinnamon brioche bread that is covered in glaze and drenched in decorative green, purple and gold sugar sprinkles. The colors are said to represent faith (green), justice (purple), and power (gold).

I am so proud of how this cake came out. It looks so authentic and festive; I could harldy take my eyes off of it! P.S. Those alligator beads are really from New Orleans. My cousin Eloise brought them back from when she visited.

I found John Besh’s recipe for King Cake on Epicurious.com. Besh is the acclaimed chef of six New Orleans’s restaurants, most notably, August, so I trusted him for a great recipe and definitely got one. For the icing, I just have to note that I ended up using a lot more lemon juice than the recipe called for to make it pourable (about 3 lemons).

King Cakes were originally made to celebrate the coming of the Epiphany. In Louisiana, they are usually only baked and eaten during the Mardi Gras/Carnivale season, which stretches from Twelfth Night (January 6) to the day before Ash Wednesday, aka Fat Tuesday.

It is tradition to insert a small plastic baby into the large coffee cake-type loaf to represent the baby Jesus. Pecan halves, fava beans, peas, coins, and other trinkets are also used as substitutions. I didn’t have a plastic baby, so I made one out of Sculpey clay. Isn’t he the cutest?

Looking for the baby is all part of the fun; among the many different explanations, whoever gets the piece with the baby is said to be king/queen for a day, have good luck in the coming year, and is appointed to host the King Cake celebration next year.

We cut into the King Cake tonight, and so far no one has found the baby. I wonder who it will be…

King Cake:
Recipe from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh, found at epicurious.com.
Print
For the cake:
- 1 cup lukewarm milk, about 110°F
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons dry yeast
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup melted butter
- 5 egg yolks, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- Several gratings of fresh nutmeg
For the icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (plus more as needed)
- Purple, green, and gold decorative sugars
- 1 fève (fava bean) or plastic baby to hide in the cake after baking
• For the cake, pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, mixing until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved.
• Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, whisk in the butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula.
• After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
• Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft-free place to let it proof, or rise, for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your palms into a long strip, making 3 ropes of equal length. Braid the 3 ropes around one another and then form the braided loaf into a circle, pinching ends together to seal. Gently lay the braided dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
• Once it's doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the braid is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
• For the icing, while the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, condensed milk, and lemon juice in a bowl until the icing is smooth and very spreadable. If the icing is too thick, add a bit more condensed milk; if it’s a touch too loose, add a little more powdered sugar.
• Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold decorative sugars while the icing is still wet. Tuck the fève or plastic baby into the underside of the cake and, using a spatula, slide the cake onto a platter.

Beer and Lime "Touchdown" Chili

2011-03-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

Beer and lime chili is one of the first recipes that I ever created on my own; it remains one of my favorites, and a popular request. A little tangy and a little bit spicy, this chili is the epitome of the flavorful, hearty comfort food that we all crave in the winter.

A few years ago, I started making this chili for the Super Bowl. The top-watched televised sporting event of the year and biggest American food holiday second only to Thanksgiving was never an event here. You can keep the football, and you can even take the commericals, but I will not be skimped on the snacks.

Now, “Super Bowl” at my house stands for a super bowl of chili. None of us watch, care about, or really have a clue when it comes to football, yet we’ve been tuning in the past few years to see what happens anyway. I’m starting to learn a little bit about the game, but haven’t really learned to like it yet. I’d much rather be watching the Yankees play.

I know enough that a touchdown is a good thing, which is why this year I deemed our now-standard pot of Super Bowl chili as “Touchdown Chili.”

The picture doesn’t really do it justice. Despite my efforts to pretty it up a little bit, ground meat is just not all that photogenic. If only I could give you all a taste! My boyfriend describes it as, “the best chili ever in his life,” and until you try it out for yourself, I guess you’re just going to have to take his word for it. :-)

P.S. Please vote for Cook's Book on foodblo.gs. Just look for my Web address on the list--it's all the way down there somewhere! I appreciate it!

Beer and Lime Chili:
Print
Yield: 6-8 servings

- 1 large white onion, small dice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium hot peppers (I usually use the long green cayenne peppers but you can use any kind), small dice
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced on bias
- 1-1 ½ pound ground beef
- 1, 6 oz can tomato paste
- 4 limes, juiced (about ½ cup)
- 1 bottle/12 oz beer, such as Budweiser
- 1, 15. 5 oz can kidney beans
- 1, 19 oz can black beans
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Chili powder, curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste
- Put in bowls for garnishing: 2 scallions slices on bias, grated cheddar, sour cream
• In a large, deep pot, sweat onions over medium heat. Add peppers and cook until soft, then add scallions and cook until lightly wilted. Lastly, add garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Turn up the heat a little, add ground meat and brown. Once the meat is browned, stir in tomato paste and lime juice. Add beer and beans, and cook down until thick and saucy, about 15 minutes. Add sugar and seasonings to taste.
• To serve, garnish with scallions, grated cheddar, and sour cream, or put bowls out for everyone to do themselves. Enjoy the chili on its own, in a baked potato, or with tortilla chips and/or corn bread.

Making Pasta and How I Got a Brand New Kitchenaid Mixer for Free

2011-02-25T21:03:00.003-05:00

I got a pasta machine as a gift for Christmas and finally got around to using it last weekend; it’s the Kitchenaid stand mixer pasta roller and cutter attachment.

Back in October, I wrote about making tortellini from scratch and rolling the dough out by hand. As I remark in that post, the entire time spent sweating it out, pushing and tugging at my rolling pin, I was wishing that I had a pasta machine.

Well, wish granted! Much to my excitement and to the relief of my unfit arms, this quick attachment makes enjoying fresh pasta at home much simpler. All you have to do is stick it into the mixer and it runs off of the motor, flattening pasta dough in seconds.

Homemade Fettuccine with Puttanesca Sauce

I made really nice dough, and all was going well. Beautiful long sheets of pasta dough were rolling through the attachment until just lightly translucent. Then, I noticed that the mixer was starting to get a little warm. A couple of minutes later, it started to make a funny noise and smelled like burning. Ok, that’s not right—I shut it down.

WTF? It can’t be the pasta attachment, I thought; it’s the same thing as just running the mixer. I let it cool down for a bit, and tried again, but when I turned it back on it was suffering real bad. Just like that, my trusty Kitchenaid mixer crapped out on me—and right in the middle of my much-anticipated pasta making!

While I never got the chance to try out the pasta cutter attachment, I was able to roll out a decent amount of dough before the mixer went AWOL, so I just cut out fettuccine myself. To cut pasta, all you have to do is loosely roll up the sheet of dough and slice into strips. When unraveled, the pasta will be long and generally uniform. I think my fettuccine came out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

As for the mixer, it turns out that the little switch on the side that changes the speeds was broken. We blamed it on age, saying that it was just its time to go. Time to get a new one—sigh. So long, mixer! We all know that the Kitchenaid stand mixers are pretty pricey, but they are a great investment if you love to cook and bake.

But listen to this…we brought it back to Bed Bath & Beyond where it was purchased--like 7 years ago, and they just gave us a new one. For free, no problem, brand new! It’s true! It turns out that no matter how effed up or old an appliance is, if you bought it at Bed Bath & Beyond and it breaks, they will just replace it. You don't even need a receipt, just bring back the old one with all of its parts. Sweet!

Here is my recipe for the homemade pasta and the puttanesca sauce that I put on top. Everything is from scratch—I didn’t even use canned tomatoes. Simple and delicious!

Homemade Pasta with Puttanesca Sauce:
Yield: 6 Servings
Print

Pasta:
- 1 pound AP Flour + as needed
- Pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 fl oz water (or as needed)
• To make pasta: mix salt and flour together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add eggs and water to well. Work as quickly as possible, gradually pulling the flour into the wet ingredients, and stir until a loose mass forms. As dough is mixed, you may need to adjust with additional flour or water. (The pasta dough can also be mixed in a food processor or electric mixer). Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the texture becomes smooth and elastic. Gather the kneaded dough into a ball, cover and let relax at room temperature for at least an hour. When the dough has finished resting, roll out by hand or with a pasta roller and cut into desired shapes.

Puttanesca Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ½ onion, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6-7 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced**
- ½ cup sliced green olives
- ½ cup red wine (you can use white if you want)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried basil and oregano to taste
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Sweat onions, then add garlic and pepper flakes. After about a minute, add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the tomatoes cook down, then add olives.
• Add wine and cook down for about 2 minutes, then add chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, and let the sauce cook down until it becomes thicker.
** To peel and seed tomatoes: cut out the stem end with a paring knife, and cut a small “X” into the bottom. Bring a pot of water to a light simmer. Drop tomatoes into the water. After a few seconds you will see the line from the “X” begin to extend across the tomato. Remember, you do not want to cook the tomato, just loosen the skin. Immediately remove tomatoes from water and shock in an ice water bath. Peel and seed.

P.S. Don’t forget, homemade pasta take much less time to boil than dried. Keep an eye on it, and keep tasting. It will literally be done in like three minutes.

Frankenfood: It's Alive!

2011-02-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

I report for a local news website called Patch where I cover community events and write a weekly restaurant column for a nearby Long Island town. For one of my most recent articles, I volunteered to cover a lecture called The New Generation of Food.

During the program, a nutritional consultant who has dedicated much of his career to learning about the subject spoke about genetically modified foods or GMOs. He explained that almost 80% of food in the United States has been genetically manipulated.

These “Frankenfoods,” as they are sometimes referred, are injected with the live DNA of other organisms such as fish, insects, and bacteria, to create high-yielding crops and food products that are made to (among other things), resist high levels of herbicides and pesticides and have longer shelf life.We are talking ice cream made with flounder genes and tomatoes stemmed from bacteria.

To the rising concern of those who were in attendance, the lecture raised the question:

Do we really know what we are eating?

Since GMO foods are not required to be labeled in America, you may not. Furthermore, since this is still such a new technology, scientists still don’t know what, if anything, might be the effect of these space age-sounding foods on our bodies in the long-term. It was described during the lecture as an “experiment” on human kind.

There is much debate surrounding this topic and a lot more questions and concerns like: whatever happened to pure, naturally grown foods? Why are they becoming outnumbered? And without labels, how can you avoid GMOs?

In my article, there is a helpful guide to reading PLU/price lookup stickers--you know the tiny round stickers that you find on some fruit and produce? The first numbers on those labels can actually provide some insight to how a product was grown.

I am sharing the article with you here, as I thought that many of you might find it interesting. Check it out: Frankenfood: It’s Alive!

A Piece of My (Red Velvet Cake) Heart

2011-02-14T00:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Heart Day!

Here is my Valentine to you: a red velvet heart cake with classic cream cheese icing.

Isn’t it pretty?

This was my first time making red velvet, and looking at the ingredients list it is no wonder why it is so popular. Aside from the cream cheese icing (because who doesn’t like that?), this cake has got all the good stuff: buttermilk, tons of sugar, butter AND shortening, and of course cocoa powder.

Hey, Valentine’s Day is only once a year, and if it’s good for anything (besides, you know…love) it’s the sweets.

I have a heart cake pan, but a regular round pan can easily be Cake Bossed into the right shape; you can either free hand it, or cut a piece of parchment or regular paper into a heart and carve along the outline.

Hope your Valentine’s Day is delicious!

Red Velvet Layer Cake
Cake recipe derived from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, found at swEEts
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Yield: 2-3 cakes (you can make a 3 layer cake, or do 2 layers and cupcakes)

- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 cup boiling water
- 12 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 2 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Icing (3 cups):
- 3, 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
- Juice of ½ lemon
- About 3 cups confectionary sugar (use as much as you need until thickened)
• Preheat oven to 325. Prepare cake pans for baking with parchment paper/butter & flour/spray, etc. Also prepare at least half of a cupcake pan (6 cupcakes).
• In a small bowl mix cocoa powder, food coloring and boiling water- set aside.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter and shortening until blended. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mix. Alternate adding flour and cocoa mixture into butter/sugar mixture.
• In another small bowl, sprinkle baking soda over vinegar and mix. Pour over batter and mix until incorporated.
• Pour batter into cake pans and cupcake tins and bake each cake for 30-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• In the meantime, to make cream cheese icing, beat cream cheese until smooth; add lemon juice and slowly incorporate confectionary sugar until thickened.
• After all cakes and cupcakes are baked off and cooled completely, begin assembly: lightly apply icing to first cake; add extra on top ( ½ - 1 cup) for the middle filling. Place second cake on top of first cake and filling, and thickly ice entire cake.
• In a food processor, lightly pulse 4 cupcakes to make crumbs. Apply crumbs around the edges of the cake for decoration.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Forever

2011-02-07T01:55:00.000-05:00

You know what goes perfectly well with ice storms? Ice cream, of course!

What better suited occasion could there be for enjoying a luscious frozen treat than when frozen rain is falling out of the sky?

Ok, so ice cream tends to go a lot better with warm, sunny beach days, but I’m making lemonade here people—the lemonade being homemade strawberry ice cream.

Avoiding the crappy weather last weekend, I stayed busy indoors and tested out my brand new ice cream maker for the first time. For my inaugural batch, I kept it straightforward and used one of the recipes from the recipe booklet that the machine came with.

Watching my pureed strawberry, milk and cream mixture swirl around and slowly bulk up from a liquid to pure and bona fide ice cream, I was so excited! I could hardly wait the only 15 minutes that it took to complete. I was really making ice cream—how cool! (No pun intended).

When I could finally dip my spoon into my freshly churned strawberry ice cream, it looked and tasted like straight up Baskin-Robbins or something; smooth, refreshing, and delicious—it was the real deal.

Unless you have an ice cream maker, a recipe for ice cream may seem useless, but I know that seeing homemade frozen desserts on other blogs is what ultimately convinced me that it was something I needed to have.

I got the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker. It is not that expensive and it makes the job pretty much seamless.

I can definitely see how this ice cream making business can get addicting. I’ll be making many more frozen desserts as the weather warms up!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream:
Cuisinart
Print

- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Put the strawberries into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse strawberries until rough/finely chopped (depending on preference). Reserve in bowl.
• In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Stir in reserved strawberries with all juices. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
• Turn on ice cream maker; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Using My Noodle

2011-01-30T19:01:00.001-05:00

As you’ve probably heard about (or have been digging yourself out of), here on the East Coast we’ve been getting slammed with a record breaking number of consecutive snowstorms. This month, it’s been snowing in blizzard-like proportions just about once a week. It seems like we’ll be living in a colorless snow globe for quite a bit.

Snow can be beautiful. Even despite the impending hassle; it’s hard not to be taken by the marshmallow world of fresh and untouched snowfall. For a short while, it’s an excuse to just stay inside and be cozy. Then, there’s the reality: stuck cars, dirty slush, and who can forget the absurd apocalyptic panic mode people go into when they hear that accumulations are on the way again?

The weather man could be calling for two inches or two feet; either way, you can bet droves of people will be on their way to the store to shop for their lives. Apparently, no one has enough food in their house to make it through one possible day of being snowed in. Without a bag of white bread and a carton of milk, one just might starve to death.

As the food manager for a local culinary school, grocery shopping is pretty much my job. Whether it is going to snow the next day or not, I still have to go to the store to buy food for classes. Crazed mobs of snow shoppers taking up all the parking spaces and forming lines out the door are simply in my way.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself caught in the snow shopper madness a lot and it’s been pretty interesting to see what people stock up on when they think the sky is falling. Of course, milk, bread and eggs make the top of the list (maybe there is a big blizzard brunch that no one is telling me about where everyone makes French toast and scrambled eggs?). Of course, canned goods are also a big one, and another item that I’ve really started to notice lately—peanut butter.

It makes sense. Peanut butter is a pantry staple. Although I wasn’t snowed in (yet), it came in handy for me the other night. Luckily, I happened to have a bunch of other great flavors on hand to make a delicious spicy peanut and coconut noodle bowl: cilantro, peanuts, one trusty lime, sambal oelek chili paste, and a can of coconut milk—very Thai-ish. It’s really easy to make, and is a perfect way to use up some of that peanut butter when you’re stuck inside!

Spicy Peanut and Coconut Noodle Bowl
Print

Yield: 4-6 servings

- 1/2 pound round udon noodles or spaghetti
- 1, 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- 1 lime, juiced + lime slices for garnish
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, lightly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, lightly chopped
- Toasted coconut to garnish

• In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, peanut butter, sambal, soy sauce, and grated ginger until fairly smooth.

• In a medium sauce pot with salted water, cook noodles until done and strain.

• In a wok, heat vegetable oil and add minced garlic; cook until fragrant. Pour in sauce and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes until thickened; add cilantro at last minute and salt and pepper to taste.

• Mix the noodles into the sauce. Put into bowls and garnish with peanuts, toasted coconut, and lime wedges.

Let Them Eat Polenta Cake

2011-01-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

Simply boiled cornmeal, polenta, a traditional Italian porridge, is considered as a peasant food. Filling, readily available and inexpensive, back in the day it was the poor man’s dinner. Then again, some of our most favorite Italian foods (pizza, pasta) originated as such.

As the frugal-minded know, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it can’t be good. Depending on how you accessorize, you can easily work a dress from Target like it was from Neiman’s. Same deal with polenta; while it’s just fine in its simplest form, how you prepare this “peasant food” and what you serve it with can make all the difference.

These days, polenta is on a whole new level. It has moved on up and is comfortably residing in its deluxe apartment in the sky. Served creamy and spooned high on plates topped with hearty ragu, or set and cut into shapes--perhaps even fried, polenta has become a popular item on restaurant menus, served in an endless number of rustic but rich ways.

Polenta Cake with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce, Caponata, and Parmigiano Tuile

As with polenta’s history, this polenta dish is a classic case of using what you got and making it taste good. Sun dried tomatoes from the Sunday before = sun dried tomato sauce. A block of Parmigiano in the refrigerator cheese drawer = Parmigiano tuiles or cheese wafers. I admit, I had to go buy some of the caponata ingredients, and for the polenta, I used instant.

Instant polenta is amazingly, well, instant. Simply whisk into boiling water or stock and it bubbles up and expands into a delicious mass of cornmeal mush. To make polenta cakes, pour out soft cornmeal onto a sheet tray, spread out, cool in the fridge until set, and cut out shapes. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can cut triangles or squares with a knife.

The polenta cakes work really nicely with the caponata and sun dried tomato sauce. Of course, you can just pile all these components together and it will still taste just as good, but depending on the occasion, a circle cookie cutter is all you need to create the pretty layers you see in the photo.

And how cool are the Parmigiano tuiles? They add a nice extra touch to this great appetizer and aren’t as hard as they might seem (please see recipe for instructions).

Polenta Cakes with Caponata, Sun Dried Tomato Sauce, and Parmigiano Tuile:
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Yield- 12-15 cakes

Polenta:
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking polenta
- 4 ½ cups water
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pepper to taste
Caponata:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 eggplant, small dice (2 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons raisins (black or white)
- 5 large green olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons marinated sun dried tomato, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato sauce (recipe follows)
- 4 oz water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sun Dried Tomato Sauce:
- 4 oz marinated sun dried tomato
- 1 cup chicken stock, hot
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Liberal sprinkling of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano Tuile:
- 2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees F.
• Polenta: Bring water to a boil and season with salt. Gradually pour in polenta, while stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer while continuing to stir; cook for 3 minutes or more for thicker consistency. Add seasoning and mix in 2 tablespoons of butter to finish. Pour polenta into a greased half sheet pan and spread out evenly. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. When cold, cut into circles or other desired shapes (triangles, squares…).
• Sun dried tomato sauce: in a blender or food processor, process tomatoes. Add hot chicken stock in two parts, and blend until smooth. Return sauce to a medium pot and put over medium heat. Add balsamic, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Caponata: heat olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and sauté until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and sauté until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent. Add sundried tomatoes, olives, raisins, oregano, sugar, vinegar, water, and sun dried tomato sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Parmigiano tuile: on a sheet tray, place grated cheese inside of a round cookie cutter to give it its shape. Cook in preheated 220 degree oven until melted, about 5 minutes—keep a close eye on them. Once out of the oven, allow the tuiles to completely cool and set before carefully removing from tray.
• To assemble: spoon sun dried tomato sauce on a plate and top with polenta cake. Spoon caponata on top of polenta cake and finish with a Parmigiano tuile.

Stuffed

2011-01-15T23:32:00.002-05:00

Today on the menu, we have a couple of delicious stuffed foods: baked clams & mushrooms filled with traditional duxelles.

Wheather you’ve got your seafood legs or are still a little wobbly on the fish eating deck, baked clams is the kind of fish dish that works for most. In my take on the popular appetizer/side dish, panko bread crumb absorbs a flavorful broth of white wine, lemon and clam juice, along with a finely diced mix of sweated shallots, fennel, and red pepper.

These baked clams are a staple on my Christmas Eve dinner table. If you love clams, keep them chunky; and if you like the flavor but the consistency grosses you out, chop ‘em up small! My advice: make it easy on yourself, and get the fishmonger to open up the clams and give you the shells.

Duxelles is basic, go-to, traditional, stuffed food 101. A mixture of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter—it’s as simple as that. Duxelles can be used to stuff vegetables such as tomatoes and artichokes, and also with meat, fish, and poultry. For my mushrooms, I bought large stuffer caps, and topped them off with grated parmigiano reggiano.

The duxelles recipe provided is from the Culinary Institute of America’s, the Professional Chef. The Pro Chef is pretty much the bible at CIA. Everything you need to know about the art and science of cooking is in there, and if you’re really serious about culinary arts you should own it. I referenced it all through culinary school, and I continue to do so. With a broken binding and dog eared creases on like every other page, it definitely shows.

Baked Clams:
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Yield: About 20 Littleneck Clams
- 10 littleneck clams, opened
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided into 2 tablespoons each
- 1 small-medium bulb fennel, small dice
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 red pepper, brunoise/very fine dice
- 1 cup white wine
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 8 oz plain panko bread crumb
- Salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove clams from the shells and save extra juice. Clean shells and line up on a sheet tray. Chop clams as large or as fine as you like; reserve.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet; add shallots, fennel, and red pepper and cook until soft.
• Add white wine and lemon juice; bring to a simmer and let cook for about 2 minutes. A handful at a time, mix in panko until all of the liquid is absorbed. Add as much panko as needed. Mix in clams and clam juice, and finish with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Stuff clam shells with the mixture and bake until slightly dried and browned, about 30 minutes.

Classic Duxelles Stuffing/ Stuffed Mushrooms:
Translated from the Professional Chef, the Culinary Institute of America
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Yield: 2 pounds
- 6 ounces minced shallot
- 2 ounces clarified or whole butter

- 2 pounds white mushrooms, cut into small dice

- 1 teaspoon salt

- ¼ teaspoons pepper

- 8 fluid ounces heavy cream

- 8 ounces fresh or dried bread crumbs such as panko

- Large stuffer mushrooms

• Sweat shallots in butter for 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season with salt and pepper.

• Add the heavy cream and summer until thickened. Add the bread crumbs and combine well. Can be used to stuff mushrooms, tomato, and artichokes. Chill well before using to stuff meat, fish, or poultry.

• For stuffed mushrooms: clean mushrooms and remove the stems. Line the empty caps on a sheet tray and fill the mushrooms with duxelles. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the mushrooms are soft. If topping with grated cheese such as gruyere or parmesan, reserve until the end; sprinkle on top of mushrooms, and bake or broil until melted.

Better Late Than Never: Christmas Croquembouche

2011-01-08T20:25:00.002-05:00

What is croquembouche?

Besides being an incredible word (pronounced, “croak-ohm-boosh”) that I could never get enough of saying, croquembouche is a mountainous French dessert. Bound together with sticky caramel, rows of creampuffs are stacked to form a delicious pastry pyramid that is usually decorated with chocolate or webs of spun sugar.

Such a showpiece of a dessert is reserved for occasions that call for celebration. Traditionally, Croquembouche is served at French weddings either on its own, or on top of a regular tiered cake. They can be as tall as the ceiling or as small as an individual portion. Croquembouche is especially great for Christmas time because it looks like a tree.

I don’t remember what it was that sparked it, but it was all the way back in the summer when I decided that I wanted to make a Christmas Croquembouche. I wrote the word down on a piece of paper and it stayed on my desk until December. I had envisioned walking into my aunt and uncle’s house with a Croquembouche tall enough to cover my face.

In real life, it wasn’t nearly as big, but it was just as pretty and I couldn’t have been more proud to have accomplished my little goal.

I follwed this recipe by Food Network as a guide for the pate a choux, aka cream puff pastries. I have to say, I thought it was a really well-explained recipe for pate a choux, which can be a little tricky sometimes. It was practically seamless. I used my CIA Baking and Pastry cookbook for the pastry cream that I filled them with, and added Nutella to give the cream a little chocolate-hazelnut flavor.

As for the caramel “glue,” I really don’t know what the hell it is about anything caramel, but it wasn’t the most pleasant experience for me. A simple formula of 2 ½ cups of sugar to 2/3 cups of water boiled until golden, and I could barely get it right. It took two batches and a nice burn ring on our wooden kitchen table until I got something decent. One of these days I’ll get it right.

Croquembouche literally translates to “crunch in the mouth,” and between the pate a choux and caramel candy spun around it, that is exactly what it does. I also decorated mine with red and green M & M’s to make it a little more Christmassy. Everyone really liked it, and my pretty pastry pyramid looked so nice on the table!

P.S. After Victoria showed them on her blog, Mission: Food, I had to visit the holiday window display at Barney’s this year. The theme was, “Have a Foodie Holiday” and they featured celebrity chefs! The windows were divided by women, innovators, and my favorite--a food fight among the men. Here are a few photos. And yeah, I don’t know why the women are all wearing snuggies.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:29:00.000-05:00

Sweetest Wishes for 2011...

Gingerbread house made from template downloaded @ Bon Appétit. Visit Building The Perfect Gingerbread House for recipes, step-by-step photo guides, and helpful tips on everything you need to know about gingerbread house construction from royal icing to decorating tips.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-24T02:45:00.002-05:00

For as long as I can remember, my mom and I have helped Aunt Jo make and wrap Christmas cookies a few days before the holiday. Aunt Jo makes tons of delicious cookies every year, and it just wouldn’t be Christmas without them. When I was little, I would leave a few out for Santa; now, there’s more for me!

Aunt Jo bakes off hundreds of cookies, but waits for us to make the candy cane and butter cookies or “Fa La La La Las.” The candy canes are a classic favorite that everyone enjoys. Taking their position right at the top of the cookie tins, they are the first to be seen and the first to go.

I especially look forward to the tradition of making (and eating) the candy cane cookies each year. Using the recipe from her junior high home ec. class (!), Aunt Jo prepares the dough the night before, and my mom and I roll them into shape.

To form candy canes: take a small amount of each color and use your hands to roll each out into two long, fairly-thin logs. Join the logs together and twist. Lightly roll the twisted dough with hands to smooth out; form cane shape.

Cousin Jake hung out in the kitchen while we baked--with his reindeer antlers on. :-)

For the butter cookies, I make the dough, and using an electric cookie press we squish them into festive shapes like Christmas trees and snowflakes, and then decorate with sprinkles. They are super simple and just melt in your mouth. In a well-timed operation, Christmas music plays over the hum of the cookie press as one tray gets decorated, another goes into the oven, and another comes out.

Once everything is cooled, Tupperwares and Tupperwares of cookies are placed onto the kitchen table. In addition to the candy canes and butter cookies, there’s traditional chocolate chip, chocolate with peanut butter chip, Snicker bar and Hershey Kiss-filled, sesame, amaretto, and more! It’s hard to pick a favorite because every one is so good. All are then put into tins and wrapped up for friends and family.

Other than, of course, the cookies themselves, the best part of our Christmas cookie bake is honestly just being together and getting into the spirit of the season; throughout the years, many memories have been created over the butter cookies and candy canes.

Below is the recipe for the candy cane cookies, so that you can enjoy them too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Candy Cane Cookies:
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Yield: about 2 dozen

- 1 cup butter/ 2 sticks
- 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp red food coloring

• Preheat oven to 374 degrees F.

• Mix butter, sugar, extracts and egg in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt; gradually stir flour into butter mixture.

• Divide the dough and mix half with red food coloring. Wrap dough halves individually, and refrigerate overnight.

• To form candy canes: take a small amount of each color and use your hands to roll each out into two long, fairly-thin logs. Join the logs together and twist. Lightly roll the twisted dough with hands to smooth out; form cane shape.

• Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.

Eat Like A Star: The Brown Derby Cobb Salad

2010-12-13T00:09:00.002-05:00

The legendary Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood was a celebrity hotspot in the twenties. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, movie stars would summon one another to dine at the upscale hat-shaped establishment, saying “Meet me at The Derby!”

Illustrious faces that passed through were captured as caricature drawings which were then adorned along the restaurant’s “Hollywood Wall of Fame.” And while the Brown Derby is particularly well known for these sketches and its star-studded clientele, it is perhaps most coveted for being the birthplace of the Cobb Salad.

In 1937, owner of the Brown Derby, Bob Cobb is said to have first created the Cobb Salad as a late-night snack. As recorded by the Brown Derby, one evening, Mr. Cobb raided his restaurant refrigerator and whipped together the now-famous salad with whatever he pulled out: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, cold chicken breast, a hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese, and French dressing. After chopping everything up, he completed his creation with some bacon that he swiped off of a busy chef.

On his website, http://www.thefoodmaven.com/, culinary connoisseur, Arthur Schwartz informatively describes the story of how the Cobb Salad first came to be. In the article, he writes, “It is most often the dish you slap-dash together out of desperate necessity (and usually leftovers) that is the biggest triumph.” So true!

Quoting the Brown Derby’s records, Scwartz shares its instant rise to fame. Apparently, Sid Grauman of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was with Cobb the night he created the salad. It was so good that he ordered it the next day, and it was soon put on the menu. Cobb Salad became an instant hit at the Brown Derby, requested by the likes of Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart. Actor, William Holden orders one in this episode of I Love Lucy:

Since it was first put on the menu, the Brown Derby Restaurant Group has reportedly sold more than 4 million Cobb Salads! The two original Hollywood locations have since closed, but sold their name to Disney, who opened a recreation at their Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando. Disney later signed an agreement to open one in all their locations.

The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney is where I had my first authentic Cobb Salad. From the celebrity caricatures surrounding the restaurant to the original recipes of signature dishes, Disney—as with anything—brings you as close to the real Brown Derby as you could ever get.

Like Cobb, I made my version of the salad with whatever I had in my refrigerator: grape tomatoes, feta cheese, iceberg lettuce, slab bacon, and eggs. I skipped out on a lot of the original ingredients, but the dressing recipe which I acquired from Schwartz’s website, is really what made it taste authentic.

Now that I’m famous, I might as well eat like it. JUST kidding! Here are the original recipes for the Brown Derby Cobb Salad and dressing, so that we can all eat like stars!

The Brown Derby Original Cobb Salad and Dressing:
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Salad:
- ½ head lettuce, about 4 cups
- 1 bunch watercress
- 1 small bunch chicory, about 2 ½ cups
- ½ head romaine, about 2 ½ cups
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled
- 6 strips of crisp bacon
- 2 breasts of boiled chicken
- 2 hard cooked eggs
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
- 2 tablspoons chopped chives
- About 1 cup Cobb Salad dressing
• Cut lettuce, half the watercress, chicory and romaine in fine pieces and arrange in a large salad bowl.
• Cut tomatoes, bacon, chicken, eggs, and avocado in small pieces and arrange, along with the crumbled Roquefort cheese, in strips on the greens.
• Sprinkle finely cut chives over the Cobb salad and garnish with the remaining watercress.
• Just before serving, mix the salad with the Cobb salad dressing.

Dressing: (makes 1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dry English mustard
- 2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup full flavored olive oil
- ¾ cups salad oil
• Blend all ingredients together, except oils. Add olive and salad oils. Mix well.
** A note from the Brown Derby: "The water is optional, depending upon the degree of oiliness desired in the dressing."

Cook's Book on "The Delicious Story"

2010-12-07T12:24:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, December 4, I was a guest on “The Delicious Story,” an all-things-food podcast hosted by husband and wife duo, Sherry and David Borzo. The friendly couple conducts interviews every Saturday on internet radio station, Des Moines Local Live.

With the motto, “Food conversation that feeds the soul,” the show’s dialogue is focused not only on food itself, but on the stories behind dining experiences. Guests include cookbook authors, journalists, home cooks, business owners, professional chefs, and bloggers.

Sherry contacted me a few months ago, with an invite to be on “The Delicious Story”, and I was thrilled. Looking at the archives of past guests, I am even more flattered that they took enough of an interest in Cook’s Book to want to talk with me.

Watch the entire show below, and get to know me a little bit in person:

During our discussion, we spoke about my background, family, life on Long Island, photos and culinary tips. I have never done anything like this before--the thought of stepping out from behind the safety of my written words and speaking on camera was both exciting and a little intimidating. Thankfully, Sherry and Dave are great hosts; with such fun personalities, they were very easy to talk to. They made me feel famous, if only for a half hour!

Check out the accompanying blog post here: TDS 57 Marisa Musto Cook’s Book

For archived and upcoming shows, follow Sherry and Dave at The Delicious Story, and stay updated through Facebook and/or Twitter @delishstory.

Here a Chick, There a Chick

2010-12-02T16:47:00.004-05:00

There were chicks all over the kitchen last night: chickpeas, chick-en, and this chick right here, whippin’ it all together.

In a crisis of craving, the can of chickpeas in my cabinet needed to be used ASAP. You see, my grandma makes this amazing pepper salad with sweet peppers, artichokes, and olives; she calls it “Marisa’s Pepper Salad” because I love it so much. About a week ago, Grandma made some for company and gave me the leftovers; but something was different this time. In a surprising new twist, there were chickpeas in there, kicking back in the juices with all the regulars.

I find chickpeas to be addictive in a potato chip kind of way—once you get a taste for them, it’s hard to stop. One meaty little pearl at the tip of my fork prong, and like a fish to a lure, I get hypnotized with stomach grumbling desire. Once discovering them in the pepper salad, I was set off on a foraging spree for more, picking over and pushing around anything in my way, just to feel another bean squish between my teeth.

Chickpea Salad

Even after the very last chickpea had been scoped down and chomped up, I wasn’t finished. Like a hungry giant, I stomped over to raid the tiny town of tin cans inside of the cabinet; kneeling down, I opened the door, shedding light on my shadowed victim who stood tall among the rest. “What are you looking at, can of garbanzo beans? You’re next.”

As I’ve posted in the past with Greek and Mediterranean chicken, I’m always trying to think of ways to make boneless, skinless chicken breasts more interesting. Since I had both "chicks" on hand, I came up with this chicken in lime sauce with chickpea salad. While I don’t think I would call this a Moroccan dish, the chickpeas and cilantro along with the spice blend of cumin, paprika, tumeric, and cinnamon definitely showcase an underlying Moroccan influence.

This dish only takes about a half hour to make from start to finish, but it's sauce, essence, and substance make it seem as if it has been cooking for hours. Served with a side of simple couscous with white raisins, this was so good!

Chicken in Lime Sauce with Chickpea Salad:
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Yield: 3-4 servings

- 1, 15 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 heaping tsp tahini
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon each, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, paprika
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- About 1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
- Olive oil to sauté chicken
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour

• In a medium bowl, mix together tahini, garlic, ginger, shallot, red wine vinegar, and spices. Slowly whisk in olive oil to form an emulsion. Add cilantro to dressing, season with salt and pepper. Toss garbanzo beans and tomatoes with dressing; set aside.
• Dredge chicken cutlets in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a medium-large skillet and cook chicken through; reserve. In the same skillet, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux; add chicken stock and lime juice, continuing to whisk and scraping up all browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken back to the pan until it is thoroughly cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Plate chicken with sauce, and top with chickpea salad. Serve with couscous if you would like.

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving Sides

2010-11-27T23:05:00.003-05:00

By now, what was left of Thanksgiving has been gobbled up. The turkey was sliced, the gravy passed, scoops of seconds and thirds cleaned off of every plate. All that remains now are depleting Tupperwares of leftovers, maybe a few slices of pumpkin pie in the fridge, and the memories of a feast to be thankful for. Of course, our tried and true recipes also stick around—perhaps even literally.

Left stiff, crinkled, and bleeding with greasy ink spots, our recipes often take the brunt of the holiday. You can say that it’s the aftermath of having been recklessly thrown around in the bout of turkey-making madness, but it’s probably because those same pieces of paper have been referenced for like, a million years. At Thanksgiving, we’ve all come to expect the traditional staples and so every year the same index cards and magazine clippings come out.

Vary too much from the Thanksgiving recipe norm and you are venturing into dangerous, unwelcome territory. Bring out a tofurkey or a turducken, and your likely to experience some protesting. The reactions you get might go a little something like those in this scene from Everybody Loves Raymond:

I agree with the Barones. You want to get fancy? Pick another holiday. In fact, don't ever bring me a tofurky. Who doesn’t look forward to the once a year spread of Thanksgiving table veterans? Classic roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes in some shape or form—they never get old.

The bird is the word on Thanksgiving, but the sides are what I look forward to the most. Like a lot of people, I'll eat a little bit of turkey, and then go to town getting full on all the other good stuff. To save on time, oven space, turkey guts, and mainly Mom skeeving out, whenever Thanksgiving is at our house we order our bird from a caterer who slices it up and even provides the gravy. They do a great job and it allows me to focus on everything else.

Since culinary school, I’ve built up my own pile of Thanksgiving recipes, tweaking them a little bit each year. Along with Mom’s famous broccoli puff and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, here is what I made: Click on the name of each dish for recipe.

Vegetable, Fennel, and Herb soup in Paremesan Broth
This soup is perfect before a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner because it is so light. It gets a nice sweetness from the fennel, but the real secret to its great flavor is the parmesan rind.

Buttermilk Biscuits
I found this recipe for James Beard's buttermilk biscuits on Kathy Gori's blog, The Colors of Indian Cooking.
Here's her post with great step-by-step photos.

Apple Sauce
I made this recipe especially for this Thanksgiving. My favorite part is the addition of amaretto and maple syrup. I'll definitely be making this again.

Boulangerie Potatoes
The underlying slab bacon, leek, and thyme mixture in Tom Colicchio's oven-roasted,"baker's" potatoes make them taste even more amazing.

String Bean Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Apple Cider Dressing
I love string bean salad. It's a great way to have your veggies on a holiday without having to worry about something else in the oven. I think the apple cider dressing gives it a nice autumnal touch.

Cranberry Relish
Made with apple cider, orange juice, and granny smith apples.

Corn Bread
Light, fluffy, and sweet.

Sourdough Chestnut Stuffing
This comes out awesome and serves a ton. My suggestion would be to buy the chestnuts that come premade and save yourself a lot of trouble. Roasting chesnuts on an open fire is fun if that's all you're doing--not when you're preparing a Thanksgiving feast.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I’m a little late, but I didn’t want to give you the recipes before testing them out and making sure that everything was Ok. I’ve also been getting a little busier lately—Thanksgiving eve I worked on my first freelance assignment writing local news for Patch.com. By the way, most of these dishes don’t have to be just for Thanksgiving; while you can always save the recipes for next year, they work well for any dinner!

Click here for print out recipes of the entire Thanksgiving Sides menu.

Getting Older Never Tasted So Good!

2010-11-20T18:18:00.002-05:00

I can’t think of a better way to spend an occasion than to enjoy delicious food, with good company, in one of the greatest cities in the world. It’s a formula that always equals a memorable time. I turned 23 on Wednesday and celebrated another year of living with a short trip over to Manhattan for a night fit for a foodie.

A birthday is like your own personal holiday to be commemorated in any way you choose. They are special once-a-year occasions, reserved for special, once-a-year type things. For me, that thing is usually a reservation at a restaurant in the city that I’d like to try. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be treated to some pretty fancy places. While not as exclusive as the restaurants I’ve picked in the past, this year I chose to go a more “exotic” route and went Greek with a table at Kellari Taverna.

Our reservation was a little late, and while I do live near Manhattan it is still a bit of a trek to get to. If you’re going to travel over bridges and through tunnels to eat, you might as well do something else while you’re there. Luckily, there is always something new to discover in New York. I’ve been dying to check out Chelsea Market and finally got the chance to go. A haven of all things delicious, the rugged-looking indoor arcade is lined with restaurants and specialty food shops. It is also the home of Food Network.

Within only a couple of minutes of walking into the architecturally charming market, we were reduced to an almost uncontrollable state of voracious indulging. Surrounded by Italian specialty stores, bread bakeries, artisanal meats and cheese shops, we excitedly stormed through the halls like Hungry Hungry Hippos, purchasing almost everything in our paths and gobbling some up along the way. Here are a few highlights:

Oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt shop, The Filling Station. Dispensed from large metal drums, a large selection of balsamic vinegars and dozens of extra virgin olive oils from around the world are sold, along with a variety of exotic sea salts and sugars. All products can be tasted before purchasing. As an environmentally-friendly excuse to return, the owners offer a 10% discount to customers who bring back their bottles for refills.

Pink Himalayan sea salt from The Filling Station.
Rosy in color, the salt is so pure; it is like getting hit by a wave with your mouth open.

Lucy’s Whey, an artisanal cheese shop that specializes in all American cheeses. As described by the sales person, they are all distinctly flavored hand-crafted cheeses that are special in their own way and rare to come by. After grabbing a few tastes, we bought three delicious cheeses: Dante sheep’s milk cheese similar to a Spanish Manchego, Wisconsin; Prairie Breeze cheddar, Iowa; and Sofia goat milk cheese laced with ash, Indiana.

Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres, has a small shop right inside Chelsea Market. And what kind of birthday would it be without chocolate?A few years back, I visited one of his main locations in Hudson Square where you can see (and smell) the chocolate being made right from within the store. I remember every chocolate I tasted like it was yesterday. That day, we also tried Jacques’s famous wicked hot chocolate. Why wicked? It’s flavored with allspice, cinnamon, sweet ancho chili peppers, and smoked ground chipotle! A must try if you get the chance, and you can get it all at Chelsea Market. We left with a box of chocolates, along with chocolate-covered marshmallows and graham crackers—yes, it was all good!

So what about Food Network? Their offices and studios are upstairs from the market and private. We might have had a possible Bob Tuschman sighting, you know, Food Network General Manager and one of the judges from the Next Food Network Star? I can’t confirm that since by the time I turned around, I only saw the back of a gray-haired head. Anyway…Fun fact about Chelsea Market, it used to be the building for the National Biscuit Company, aka Nabisco. It’s really a cool place. I only wish that it was closer so that I could visit more frequently and do my food shopping there!

Dinner at Kellari Taverna was very enjoyable. I had been there once before for a cocktail party and liked it so much that I wanted to try it out for dinner. As a Greek seafood restaurant, it is not the normal fare for us, but picking at our plates, discovering new flavors together, and humming with “yums,” made it all the more fun. We started out with an appetizer of toasted pita chips and several dips including, tzatziki, roasted pepper and feta, eggplant, and fish roe. Off to the side inside of the restaurant, the fresh fish sit on ice as it would in a market, the lobsters still squirming in place. One of those fish was my dinner. And for dessert--loukomades, fried honey balls similar to an Italian zeppoli. Sorry, no photos of the food. I was too busy eating it!

Houston’s Thai Steak and Noodle Salad Look-Alike

2010-11-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Whenever my dad says, “we’re going out to eat” it loosely translates to, “we’re going to Houston’s.” You can say that I’ve been there a lot.

It’s certainly not a bad deal, and I’m not complaining. Houston’s has great steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs, an awesome hamburger, a melt-in-your-mouth French dip sandwich, good fish, and efficient service to boot. And who can argue with their famous spinach artichoke dip? Every one of the million tortilla chips that I’ve ravenously dipped into that steaming crock of creamy spinach, melted cheese, and artichoke hunks, has been awesome.

At Houston’s, consistency is the name of the game. The luxury of knowing what you want before you even get to the restaurant, then receiving that item just as you last remembered, exactly as you craved, is what brings customers back every time. What do you think made McDonald’s, or any major restaurant chain for that matter, so successful? Instead of two all beef patties and special sauce, Houston’s has quality steaks and spinach dip.

My go-to item on the Houston’s menu is most frequently the Thai Steak and Noodle Salad. Large, juicy pieces of filet mignon sit over a bed of Asian noodles, dressed in a spicy, tangy dressing, garnished with tomatoes, mangoes, peanuts, and toasted coconut. (It also comes with avocado, but it’s “no avocado, please!” for me). My latest attempt in the kitchen was trying to recreate this dish.

The udon noodles I used in the salad.

In order to mimic the original, I used my memory of the salad, while also keeping in mind traditional Thai flavors like garlic, ginger, lime, peanut, spicy chilies, palm sugar, basil, cilantro, and fish sauce. When composing the dressing and marinade (which are very similar), I tried to incorporate all of the flavors of these elements. I just continued to taste until it was where I had imagined it to be. Some of the stranger ingredients like the noodles, fish sauce, and sambal oelek chili sauce are always available at Asian markets, but they have become so common that you can probably find them in the Asian aisle of most major grocery stores.

The outcome was a Thai Steak and Noodle salad look-alike; the dish in its entirety was similar but different. It needed some more spice, more dressing, perhaps a different noodle, and a little more of just something else. I totally forgot the shredded cabbage and carrots that it usually comes with, but have added them to the recipe. I didn’t nail it, but was definitely in the ball bark. The dressing and steak marinade were especially close. Although I couldn’t stop comparing it to the original, it’s not like I was having a Bobby Flay-style Thai Steak and Noodle salad “Throwdown” or anything. If you could have seen my empty plate you would know that I was satisfied with the end result--but I will try it again, and it will be even better!

Houston’s Thai Steak and Noodle Salad Look-Alike:
Print

Yield: 4 servings

- 1 ½ pound round udon noodles or any other thin, round noodle, cooked
- 4 filet mignon steaks, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil for cooking steak
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup shredded savoy cabbage
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tsp sambal oelek chili sauce (add a little more if you want more spice)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, lightly chopped or torn
- 1 teaspoon basil, lightly chopped or torn
- ¼ cup peanut oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon sambal oelek chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
• Combine all marinade ingredients with steak in a zip-lock bag and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-2 hours.
• Cook noodles for about 7 minutes or until tender. Strain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. If not plating immediately, put noodles in a bowl and toss with a little bit of peanut oil to keep it from sticking.
• To make the dressing, combine all ingredients except for peanut oil, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly incorporate peanut oil, whisking until an emulsion is formed. Add fresh herbs last and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a pan and sear steak pieces for about 3-4 minutes on each side. You want the meat to have a nice sear on the outside and a pink center.
• Toss noodles, mango, cabbage, carrots, and tomato together with the dressing. To serve, pile noodles and other toppings on plate along with and 5-6 pieces of steak. Finish with toasted peanuts and coconut.

Lentil Salad: Simple, Healthy, Goodness

2010-11-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

When you hear, “lentils” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the mush in your soup bowl at the diner? Perhaps it’s the blah, healthy alternative to juicy ground meat and fat in a burger (sorry, vegetarians), or maybe even Dal, a staple Indian stew made from the legumes. For me, French lentil salad is the first thought and drool-evoking memory upon hearing the word.

Everyone knows that the French love to fancy up their food. With a little bit of “oui oui” and “huh huh,” even the meager little lentil, becomes magnifique! Lightly coated with a simple, tangy dressing, fresh herbs, and other add-ins, the not-too-exciting lentils of your past, are converted into a delicate and rustic side dish or meal. A high source of protein, fiber, and iron, tiny lentils are a big source of nutrition—especially if you are a vegetarian, and unlike other legumes, they cook fairly quickly.

Although green and brown are the most common, there is a rainbow of colored lentils ranging from bright yellow to stark black; the difference in color delegates the flavor, cooking time, cuisine, and preparation of each type. The delicate French green lentils which are used in salads hold their shape well and maintain a slight bite, but take a little longer to cook through. Although there are varieties of French lentils such as Lentills du Puy, considered superior for salad making, easy-to-find dry green lentils from the grocery store can be made up to be lavish—just be aware that they very easily become mushy if overcooked.

I made this lentil salad as a side dish for dinner the other night and finished the leftovers yesterday for lunch. I literally did not want it to end. I don’t know what it is about lentil salad that I find so addicting. Maybe it’s the texture of the small round discs, the often described light “peppery” flavor of the lentils themselves, or the way that the dressing soaks into each pulse or grain in just the right amount. Garlic, scallions, basil, diced plum tomatoes, and feta cheese are what make this salad special, but the pancetta is by far, my favorite part. I look forward to getting a little nugget of porky goodness on every forkful. Lentils prepared this way work nicely beside just about anything.

Pancetta, essentially an Italian bacon, is a flavorful addition to this lentil salad.

I’ve been doing a lot of job searching lately, and have to say that it feels much better writing to sell lentils rather than myself. I don’t discuss it much because I don’t want to jinx anything, and frankly, I think you’ll agree that it’s not a fun topic to talk about. But if you’re interested in what I’ve been up to lately, it can’t hurt to tell you that I’ve been writing cover letters and sending out resumes left and right. That’s enough of that—I’m snoring already, over here.

Do you know that I am currently trying to read Moby Dick? Without school in my weekly routine, I feel the need to self educate, so I’m reading this brick for fun. Between the letters, the blog, and the classic literature, I have so many words spinning around in my head--including some pirate talk. Friggin’Captain Ahab. I need a job. Cook’s Book and working at the culinary school are keeping me fairly sane. Thanks to everyone who stops by and reads. I love all of the positive reinforcement in the comments—they always bring a smile to my face. I’m excited about what I have in store for you in the next post, so visit soon! :-)

Lentil Salad:
Print

Yield: 4-6 side servings

- 1 cup dry green lentils
- 4 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons pancetta, small dice
- 1 large garlic clove, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup/ 3 plum tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 large basil leaves, chopped or torn
- 2 large scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

• Add pancetta to a medium heavy saucepan, and cook until fat is rendered and the pieces are slightly crispy. Cook garlic in the pancetta fat until fragrant. Add lentils, water/stock, and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered until lentils are just tender about 25-30 minutes.
• In the meantime, make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine, red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When lentils are done cooking, drain in a large sieve and transfer to a bowl. While still warm, toss with the dressing. Mix in tomato, basil, sliced scallions, and top with feta cheese.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

2010-11-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

During the ballgame, at the fair, in the mall, or off of a street cart in Manhattan, soft pretzels are always there as a satisfying go-to snack wherever hunger may strike. Smeared with mustard or dipped into melted cheese, the crisp and salty deep brown exterior and soft chewy center make the twisted snack an irresistible portable comfort food. Pretzels are one of the many great ways to enjoy bread (as if there were a bad way?). Homemade, they are a lot of fun and surprisingly simple with a taste that is deliciously close to the real deal.

In authentic pretzel-making, the dough is typically submerged in a lye or sodium hydroxide water solution before baking to give it its distinctive brown color and crispy outer texture. Lye is a highly corrosive alkaline substance commonly used to make soap, drain cleaner, and biodiesel.

Save the cringing for your binging; your favorite stadium snack does not get dipped into a vat of Drano before you eat it. Food grade lye, the variety utilized in making pretzels, bagels, and hominy, is less harsh and must meet certain requirements mapped out by the United States FDA. In any grade, lye is still very dangerous and can burn skin and surfaces if spilled. It is not something to be messed with unless you are prepared to take the proper precautions (gloves, goggles).

To spare you the science project duds and the worry, this homemade soft pretzel recipe calls for a substitute that everyone has on hand at home: baking soda. A lighter kind of alkaline without the intense power to say, eat through your insides if accidently ingested, baking soda delivers a similar effect as lye in pretzel-making without the hazard. I used lye in culinary school with an experienced chef, in an experienced kitchen where many a pretzel had been crafted before. At home, baking soda is much friendlier, especially if kids are involved.

Enticed by the recipe and photo in my cookbook, The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites, I’ve wanted to try making soft pretzels for a while. They came out surprisingly great, and all it takes is a few simple steps:

First, make the dough; knead and let rise for about 40 minutes until the dough doubles in size:

Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions. Roll and twist into a pretzel knot:

1. Roll out dough into a thin rope with tapered ends.
2. Cross one end of the rope over the other to form a circle, leaving about 4 inches at the end f each rope. Twist rope at the base of the circle.
3. Fold ends over circle into a traditional pretzel shape. Pinch end to seal.

Simmer pretzels in baking soda water on each side for about 15 seconds. Use a slotted spatula to flip and remove the pretzel from the water. Drain on a wire rack.

Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with your choice of topping. I used kosher salt and cinnamon sugar. The salt pretzels were my favorite. I wanted to make cinnamon sugar pretzels like they have in the mall but found that without mass amounts of butter they don’t taste nearly as good.

Bake for about 12 minutes and voilà! Delicious soft pretzels, straight from the oven!

Soft Pretzels:
The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites
Print

Yield: 10-12 servings
- 1 package dry yeast (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup warm water ( 100-110 degrees F)
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (about 14 ½ ounces), divide 3 cups from ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon corn meal
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 3 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky).
• Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough, if indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Divide dough into 10-12 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll each into an 18-inch-long rope with tapered ends. Cross one end of rope over other to form a circle, leaving about 4 inches at end of each rope. Twist rope at base of circle. Fold ends over circle into traditional pretzel shape, pinching gently to seal. Place pretzels on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 10 minutes (pretzels will only rise slightly). Combine 6 cups water and baking soda in non-aluminum Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer. Gently lower 1 pretzel into simmering water mixture, cook 15 seconds. Turn pretzel over with a slotted spatula, cook an additional 15 seconds. Transfer pretzels to a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining pretzels.
• Place pretzels on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Combine 1 teaspoon water and egg in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until smooth. Brush a thin layer of egg mixture over pretzels; sprinkle evenly with kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes or until pretzels are deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

You Can Do It, Put Your Hands into It

2010-11-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

Although this next dish is not one that requires much fondling, preparing it led to an enlightenment on two of my best assets: my hands.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry and White Raisins

Setting out the diced butternut squash on a sheet tray, I proceeded to sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil before putting it in the oven to roast. On impulse, I picked up the spoon resting beside me to mix everything together and just as quickly, placed it back down; this was a job suited for none other than my very own two hands.

Your hands and the five digits that extend from each one are as vital a tool as any in the kitchen. Just a few quick tosses and that sheet of squash had a sheen slicker than a well-greased Jheri curl; every square inch of those orange cubes was thoroughly covered in seasoning. My hands, oily and flecked with grainy condiments had done their duty and they had done it well.

Would mixing the squash with a spoon really have made a huge difference to the final product? Not exactly, but by using my hands I added a little bit of love to the dish. That love, my friends, has got to be the number one secret ingredient in making everything taste better.

Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Get in there and bond with your food; squish it in between your palms and let it fall between your fingers. Utensils can be so impersonal at times. Besides, when something looks so sexy it can be hard to keep your hands off. By literally becoming closer to your food and getting acquainted on a more intimate level, you’ll feel all the more proud when the final product comes out awesome. It might be greasy or sticky, but so what? Wash your hands. If you’re worried about ruining your nails than why are you even in a kitchen?

The main component of a dish, usually a protein, might be the star of an entrée course but the sides are what help it shine; they complete a meal and make it more exciting. This roasted butternut squash with curry and white raisins is incredibly simple and tasty. The curry gives it a deep flavor that is perfectly suited to accompany cold weather dishes. This would go great with pork or even on its own as a crostini topping for an appetizer.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry and White Raisins:
Print

- 1 large butternut squash, diced
- Olive oil, salt and pepper to season for roasting
- ½ cup white raisins
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp curry powder
- 2 Tablespoons diced pancetta
- 1 shallot, diced
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a sheet tray, spread out butternut squash and season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of regular olive oil; mix all together. Put in the oven until the squash is tender and starts to brown, about 30 minutes.
• While the squash is roasting, sauté pancetta. Once some of the fat has rendered from the pancetta, add the diced shallot and cook until pancetta is slightly crispy and shallot is translucent.
• In a bowl, mix roasted squash, sautéed pancetta and shallots, and all other ingredients together; finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve as a side dish with pork or as a crostini topping.

A Halloween Horror

2010-10-30T19:32:00.001-04:00

I had planned to share with you the happy adventures of dipping apples into gooey homemade caramel and luscious bright red sugar. When finished, the candy apples would glisten like rubies on the table while the rest would sit draped in an irresistible layer of soft, chewy caramel. Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way. I wanted a treat, but got a trick instead.

This is what should NOT happen when dipping caramel apples.

While I could just hide under a blanket and call myself a ghost, I’m going to be honest and share all the sticky details of my apple dipping horror show. Although often concealed in the spotlight, conveniently cut and edited until only the perfect parts are showing, kitchen mishaps happen to all of us—sometimes even despite the most valiant of efforts. This is how we learn.

Lined up on their wooden sticks, I had ten apples prepared for the plunge: five were destined to be candy coated, while the other five would go for a swim in the caramel. (P.S. Finding sticks was a project in itself; after searching through several grocery stores, I ended up buying an instant caramel apple kit just for the sticks inside.)

The recipes for each of the sugary shellacs made enough for twelve apples so I cut both of them in half. As they bubbled away on the stove, it seemed as though things were going smoothly. Not for long: ending with a sink full of sticky pots, a melted spatula and enough frustration fuming out of me to liquefy another, my fun fall project had suddenly morphed into an all-out Halloween nightmare. Insert: blood curling scream.

Homemade caramel-dipped apples had been on my mind since coming across Alice’s recipe on her blog, Someone Who Bakes. I could already taste the creamy caramel that was engulfing each of the apples in her photos and immediately bookmarked the recipe. Check out the post here to see how these should come out. While cooking the caramel it looked just as it ought to; stirring away, I imagined light strings of caramel floating behind my apple lollipop as I pulled away from each bite. If only…

After pouring the caramel out to cool, I realized that something was wrong. It was getting too hard too fast. Only a few apples had the chance to be dipped before the caramel refused to stick, just sliding off at every attempt. It tasted good though! Once set, it was like a rock—CRACK—the caramel shattered under the immense pressure that it took to even cut through it. I blame all of this on not having a candy thermometer. I thought I could get away with it, but when it comes to melting sugar to the proper temperature you can’t just wing it; a few degrees can make a big difference.

At least the candy apples came out decent. I ended up only having enough red sugar syrup to dip two of the intended five apples, but those lonely two looked pretty damn fine. Hard and sticky enough to potentially break teeth and crack skulls, they passed the test in comparison to any candy apple I’ve ever tasted. But were these measly couple of triumphs worth all of the red gunk that was caked at the bottom of my pot, dripped into the burners, and spotted along on the counters? Not really! The disaster with these was more in the mess than the end result.

I don't know about you, but I thought that was a pretty scary story. Until I get a candy thermometer and can give these another try the right way, I’m good just buying my candy and caramel apples!

The survivors. Warning: looks can be deceiving, caramel is inedible.

*Tip: If you find yourself caught in a sticky situation and have something sugary glued to the bottom of a pot, fill the pot half way with water and bring to a boil--everything with melt away and you can just pour the mess down the drain.

Happy Halloween!

Candy Apples:
Woman’s Day, October, 2010
Print

Yield: 12

- 12 small red delicious apples
- 12 clean twigs, thin wooden dowels or candy sticks
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup each light corn syrup and hot water
- ¼ tsp liquid red food color

• Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Wash and thoroughly dry apples; remove stems. Insert twigs firmly into stem ends.
• Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reach 250 degrees F (wipe down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to prevent crystallization). Continue to cook until 300 degrees F, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and swirl in food color, tilting saucepan, until blended. Let mixture settle for a minute until bubbles slow down.
• Holding an apple by the twig and tilting pan, dip and swirl apple until coated. Lift apple and gently twirl over saucepan, letting excess drip back into pan. Place on prepared baking sheet, twig up. Repeat with remaining apples.
• Allow apples to stand at room temperature until candy coating hardens, about 1 hour. Candy apples can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.

Smashing Pumpkins

2010-10-28T00:49:00.005-04:00

Stepping over and around a labyrinth of twisted vines, I begin my search to find a face among a crowded patch of pumpkins; which of these large orange squashes will provide the canvas for the funny, geometric expression of my jack o’ lantern?

Some tall and skinny, others short and round, character waits to be carved into every stature. Randomly stopping at the most promising jack o’ lantern hopefuls, I disturb their sunning for a thorough inspection of poking, prodding and utter violation in search of hidden bruises, holes and signs of rotting. I continued to probe the field until finally, I spotted the pumpkin that I would fashion a personality and place into my window sill; it was if it had been waiting there all season, especially for me. Like the headless horseman, I tucked the bright orange “head” under my arm and started home, leaving all of the rejects in my dust.

Carving pumpkins for Halloween is one of my favorite traditions at this time of year. I look forward to the pumpkin picking process, designing a face, and even pulling slimy orange guts out with my hands; it’s all part of an annual project that helps encourage the Halloween and autumn spirit. For the past five years, my boyfriend and I have been carving jack o’ lanterns together. We’ve done happy faces, scary faces, and even two different faces that interact. This year, I wanted to challenge myself with something I’ve never tried before: an illuminated pumpkin. You know those pumpkins that aren’t perforated but have crazy intricate designs shaved into their skin so that the light inside just glows through?

I am so impressed by what some people can do with a pumpkin. Real artistry, craftsmanship, and creativity are required to sculpt detailed portraits and spooky scenes into lowly winter squash. I had a vision to chisel a Day of the Dead-style skull or “sugar skull” into my pumpkin, but otherwise had no idea what I was doing. My goal was to successfully execute this project and prove that it can be simple enough for anyone to do. I did a little internet research, picked up some tips along the way, and even bought a special tool at Michaels:

Pumpkin carving tool found at Michaels. On one end, there is a small knife for intricate carving;
on the other end, there is a specially designed skin peeler and scraper.

The rounded edge of the tool is pushed down along the lines of your design to peel the skin off of the pumpkin. The flat edge that looks like a rake is used to scrape the already-peeled lines to make them deeper and/or thicker.

Other than knives, actual workman’s tools like a router are used in serious pumpkin carving. Of course, having the right tools for any job is imperative for ease and success. With this being my first try at making an illuminated pumpkin, I wanted to stay away from the power tools and keep everything as simplistic as possible; my little pumpkin carver thingy actually proved to be very helpful!

Once you are equipped with the right tools, the next step is to find a good pumpkin and get your design on paper. We were lucky to find a perfectly head-shaped pumpkin and my boyfriend is a great artist so he was able to draw up the sugar skull in only a few minutes. If you are not artistically inclined, you can print a simple black and white, thick-lined design from the computer.

1) After you’ve drawn up or printed out an image, cut it out and tape it onto your pumpkin.

2) Using the tip of a small knife, poke holes along the lines of the image through the paper and into the pumpkin. Make sure that the holes are close together and are moving in the same direction as the lines. When you remove the paper, you may need to retrace over the lines with a marker to help you to see the design more clearly.

3) Cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove all guts and seeds. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin right behind where the image is placed so that it’s thin enough for the light to come through.

4) Using the proper tool, peel and scrape the pumpkin skin along the lines of the image.

5) Clean pumpkin and apply Vaseline to carved areas to seal in the moisture and keep it from quickly rotting. Place a candle or bright flashlight inside, turn off the lights, and watch your pumpkin glow!

So proud of how this turned out!

I have always thrown my pumpkin seeds out after carving, but this year, I saved and roasted them. I attempted to make three different varieties: salt and butter, cumin and chili, and sugary maple cinnamon. Sadly, the sugary maple cinnamon got lost during battle, burnt to a blackened crisp in the belly of my oven. The others came out fine; I just wasn’t sure how to eat them.

When confronted with whole roasted pumpkin seeds, I didn’t know if should eat the entire thing, shell and all, or crack it like a sunflower seed and only eat the pepita inside? So, I Googled it! Turns out you can eat them whole if you want, but it’s preferable to remove the tough outer shell first.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: cumin and chili; butter and salt.
The gravestone is Godiva chocolate!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
Print

Yield: ½ cup of each variety

Salt and Butter
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon salt
Cumin and Chili
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Melt butter; in a small bowl, pour melted butter over pumpkin seeds and mix with salt/spices. Spread seeds out on a parchment lined sheet tray and cook for 15 minutes. Check occasionally and mix at half way.

Our traditonal jack o' lantern. Looks like he thought that he was going to be left out this year!

Spooky Skull Cookies

2010-10-24T18:05:00.000-04:00

Ding dong. “Trick or treat?”

Welcome, ghostly gatherers, to the doorstep of my blog. Open your bags of loot; Halloween is almost here, and I have a treat for you.

With a sweet tooth as big as my entire head, I always look forward to the treats of the spooky season. Coming home on Halloween with my bag and veins weighed down with as much sugar as each could handle, I was the kid who would dump all of their candy on the living room floor and meticulously sort it all out. With an excitement comparable to what I feel today when walking into Dylan’s Candy Bar, I would look over my sugary accumulation with glutinous fulfillment. Then, as if each confection were gold, I took stock counting and organizing every piece. No missing candy would go unnoticed and no wrath would be held back from one who dared to sneak something that I liked. To this day, I will share anything with anybody, but it’s a different story when it comes to candy.

There are so many cute Halloween recipes on TV and in magazines; ghoulish edibles with creative presentations that are perfect for parties or any spooky table setting. This past week, I’ve seen everything from cheese ball ghosts and human finger cookies, to graveyard cupcakes and ice cream cone witch’s hats. Martha Stewart has some of my favorite recipes and ideas .While there was plenty of inspiration, coming up with my own Halloween-themed treat was a bit of a challenge. It seemed like everything I could have imagined had already been thought of!

I had skulls in mind the entire time and was thinking Halloween colors when the light bulb finally went off for these chocolate short bread cookie sandwiches with peanut butter buttercream filling. Using a regular round cookie cutter, skull shapes are formed by simply pinching in the sides a little bit past the center of the circle. A smaller round cookie cutter makes the eyes, and then a knife is used to cut out a triangle shape for the nose and a slit for the mouth. You can play around with the faces but even if you make them all the same, you’ll notice that they all kind of take on their own little personalities when baked.

Soon, a masquerade of princesses, superheroes, and ghouls will be crunching along your driveway on fallen colored leaves in search of a treat. Be prepared to satisfy the sugary solicitation of your fiendish friends, big and small, with these spooky skull cookies.

Stay tuned for more treats throughout the week!

Spooky Skull Cookies:
Print

Yield: about two dozen sandwich cookies

Chocolate Short Bread Cookies
Recipe by Maria Helm Sinskey, Food and Wine
- 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Peanut Butter Buttercream (about 1 cup)
Recipe by Martha Stewart Living, January 2004
-2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- Fine salt (optional)
• For the cookies: in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla, and then beat in the cocoa on low speed. Beat in the flour and salt; the dough will be very soft. Divide the dough in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll dough out to ¼ inch on a lightly floured work surface. Using a round cookie cutter, stamp out cookies. You can continue to re-roll the scraps, and stamp out more cookies.
• A little past the center of each of the cut out circles, pinch in to make a skull shape. Transfer the cookies to parchment paper–lined baking sheets. On half of the skull shapes, use a small round cookie cutter to make eyes. Use a knife to cut out a small triangle for the nose and a slit for the mouth. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until firm. Let cool.
• For the buttercream: cream peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed. On low speed, mix in sugar until combined, then beat mixture on high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste, if desired.
• After the cookies have been cooled completely spread the peanut butter buttercream on top of each plain skull cookie and top with skull face cookie to make a sandwich.

Strong to the Finish, 'Cause I Eats Me Spinach!

2010-10-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

Packed with vitamins and nutrients, delicious when cooked or raw, and as proven by Popeye, a mighty leaf that posses the power to enforce superhuman strength; the pure greenness of spinach may make a child whine with repulsion, but it makes me smile from ear to ear.

While downing a can of spinach from your back pocket might not make you suddenly invincible to a punch in the face from a behemoth-sized dude, it really does have a few super powers packed inside its leaves. Spinach not only strengthens muscles, it fights aging and certain types of cancer, helps to maintain good blood pressure, and prevents memory loss.

I got this recipe for spinach with apples, pine nuts, and raisins off of one of the menus from the culinary school where I work. The sweet add-ins and all of the different textures immediately caught my eye. This easy side dish requires no more than a few minutes to prepare, and it presents itself like colorful spinach confetti.

Spinach with Apples, Pine Nuts, and Raisins:
Recipe from New York Times, December 14, 1994

Yield: 8 Servings

- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 large whole onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 large granny smith apples
- 2 pounds loose spinach
- 6 Tablespoons raisins
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- Salt and pepper to taste

• Heat a large pot at medium heat. Add oil and butter, and sauté onion. Meanwhile, wash, core and seed apples; cut into small cubes. Reduce heat, add apple to onion and continue cooking.
• Trim tough stems from spinach and wash well. Add spinach and raisins to pot; cover and cook for a couple of minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Stir occasionally. Add pine nuts, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Read All about It! Cook's Book in the Newspaper

2010-10-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Cook’s Book and I had our first major debut! Beneath the bulk of the Sunday pages in Long Island/New York City newspaper, Newsday, I was profiled in “Who’s Cooking,” a long running column that spotlights a new home cook every week.

Reporter Linda Perney asked me a few questions about the blog, my interest in cooking, and background in the kitchen. Along with the brief Q & A, I got to provide a recipe and have my photo taken. In a whirlwind of clicks and flashes, busy Newsday photographer Kevin Coughlin dashed into my house and around my kitchen quickly snapping photo after photo. Look here! Click. Smile! Click. Look busy! Click, click. Before I could say “Vogue” he was onto the next assignment.

I wanted to provide a recipe ideal for the cool weather seasons. Hearty, simple, and full of great flavor, the answer was white bean and escarole soup with chorizo sausage and Parmigiano croutons. I took a classic and spun it my way. Meaty white cannellini beans and escarole, a slightly bitter green, always work very well together. The chorizo adds a little extra kick to the soup and even more substance to every bite. Parmigiano croutons are my complimentary “gourmet” alternative to saltine and oyster crackers.

Chorizo is a pork sausage that comes in both Mexican and Spanish varieties. Although the two share a name, a large dose of garlic, and hog ancestry, there are a number of differences that set the two apart. In the simplest terms, Mexican chorizo is made of fresh pork and chiles, while Spanish chorizo is prepared with smoked pork and seasoned with paprika. Spanish chorizo (the kind that is used in this recipe) does not need to be cooked. You will find chorizo in the Latin aisle or section of most large grocery stores; Goya makes a pretty good one.

After a few weekends of anxiously checking the paper, there I finally was, right in the center of the “life” section, smiling and holding up my soup. Very cool!

White Bean and Escarole Soup with Chorizo Sausage and Parmigiano Croutons:
Print

Yield: 6-8 servings

Soup:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3 plum tomatoes, diced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 pound escarole, chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2, 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans
- 4 oz/ 1 cup Spanish chorizo sausage (cured smoked pork sausage), remove casing, slice sausage in half length-wise and cut into half- moon shapes.
- Leaves stripped from 2 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Croutons:
- About ½ loaf Italian, French, or other crusty-type bread, sliced and cut into ½ inch cubes.
- ½ cup (or more as needed) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus extra peeled with a vegetable peeler in strips to garnish top of soup (optional).

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onions and cook until translucent. Next, add tomato, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant--about a minute. Add escarole and cook for about 2 minutes until wilted. Add white wine. After the wine comes to a boil, add lemon juice, chicken stock, beans, and chorizo; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add thyme leaves and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes, allowing liquid to slightly reduce.
• Put bread cubes onto a sheet tray and toast in the oven. Keep a watchful eye. When the bread is midway to being completely toasted, remove from the oven and sprinkle each cube with grated Parmigiano cheese. Return back to oven and finish until the bread is golden and crispy, and the cheese is melted.
• To serve, ladle warm soup into bowls and garnish with croutons and Parmigiano Reggiano strips.