Shared by a friend...

This looked great, and healthy to boot! Who da thunk it possible?!? Of course, our goal os to post unhealthy stuff, but I guess it's ok to break tradition once in a while. I'm actually a big fan of veggies (esp next to a ginormous steak...). Anyway, enough silly banter, here it is:

Vegetable Tian (thinly sliced veggies topped with cheese and then roasted)...

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow squash

1 medium potato

1 medium tomato

1 tsp. dried thyme

to taste salt & pepper

1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown

Buon Appetito!

Italy pics

Alberobello, Puglio  Photo- Vito Palmi

Boccadasse, Genova  Photo- Paolo Margari

Brunico (Bruneck), South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige  Photo- Mundus Gregorius

Children playing soccer, Venice by Michelle Amadio Melby.

Lungomare Valencia, Alghero, Sardinia  Photo- Th_Bounzer

Weekend dates

So, we were without mom this weekend, and we survived. It worked out that Friday night the boy (Anthony, 12) and I had a guys night as big sis was at a friends and then Saturday, Val (15) and I had a date night since the boy was at a friends. I found it amusing at how different the 2 nights were, since each kid got to have a say in what we did.
Friday night was Golden Corral (not my forst choice) and Iron Man 2 (in preparation for Iron Man 3) and Saturday was Wen Hwa Asian Fusion and Sixteen Candles (as our daughter is on an 80's movie kick right now). Anyway, both nights were great and this is where we insert a commercial:
Golden Corral: $20
Iron Man 2 movie rental: $3
Asian Fusion: $20
Sixteen Candles movie rental: $2
Time shared with each kid: Priceless. For everything else there's...and so on.
Here are a few pics, though the kids did not really "allow" many...

The only pic the boy allowed...

Spring rolls (only food pics allowed...)

Crispy spicy noodles

Singapore Street Noodles

So, not too many pics, but alas, good times. I'm still chuckling at the totally different tastes...

Buon Appetito!

Warm Quinoa Salad with Edamame & Tarragon

At the last businessmen's retreat I was fortunate enough to be a part of, I was on the kitchen staff. There were about 140 guys or so, and the kitchen was a great deal of work, and long hours (very early mornings) but very rewarding. No matter where I go, I usually end up in the kitchen anyway, so it seemed apropos. One of the tasks I got to help with was the special diet meals. One such meal was this warm quinoa salad with edamame and tarragon that we prepared for one of the guys. It looked way too healthy for my liking, but I did, in fact, like it. We are big fans of edamame anyway. So, I thought I would share the recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa, (see Note)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed (10 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers, (3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted (see Cooking Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add edamame. Cover and continue to cook until the edamame and quinoa are tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Drain any remaining water, if necessary.
3. Whisk lemon zest and juice, oil, tarragon and salt in a large bowl. Add peppers and the quinoa mixture. Toss to combine. Divide among 4 plates and top with walnuts.

Credit: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/warm_quinoa_salad_with_edamame_tarragon.html

Buon Appetito!

Cool Presentation

So, I saw this pic on FB and when I tried to find the original or at least who to credit, I could not. As I'm a bit gun-shy now (and partly why I have slowed down on posts, also been busy) I had really wanted to credit the photo. It is everywhere from FB to Pinterest to several blogs...Alas, I tried but cannot find a credit to give, so forgive me if it's yours...This looked like a really cool idea and there was no need for a recipe. I'm not even sure what it was called, however, the presentation is cool.

It's simply kiwi, watermelon, and cheese, some said feta, some said fresh mozzarella, I think the saltier the cheese, the better the contrast in flavors. Cube and stack (yea, legos or lincoln logs for the kitchen) and garnish with mint if you like. I didn't see any pics with a balsamic reduction, but it seems like that might add a nice touch perhaps...

Buon Appetito!

This is a great little story that I read on BON APPÉTIT. It sums up my feelings about cooking. Recipe? We ain't got no stinkin' recipe!

(Credit: Carla Lalli Music)

By day, Carla Lalli Music edits food features for Bon Appetit, but at home she shuns instructions. Here's how she feeds her friends and family while Cooking Without Recipes.

"No one knows how to cook like my friend Stephen Kelemen. He's got pots and pans hanging from wood beams in his kitchen of his house on the north fork of Long Island, rhubarb, mint and alliums of every variety twisting out of the earth in his garden, access to the most pristine seafood and seasonal produce at the farm stands that line both sides of the road to his place, and he knows what to do with it all. I love being his guest: I'll happily make the trip to KK's farm or Sang Lee to see what they've got while I'm there, I'll do dishes, I'll chop and prep whatever's put in front of me, but I'd prefer it if Stephen did the cooking.

Stephen's the kind of guy who makes majestic pastry dough without consulting a recipe, bakes it twice as long I would, then serves a pie that grown men fight over. He's got a fire pit in his backyard that we've cooked whole animals on, to great success and basically through trial and error. Suffice it to say, if Steve is at the stove, you want a seat at the table. 

I watched him assemble this seafood stew a couple of weeks ago for a late, lazy Sunday lunch. It started with a generous amount of coconut oil in one of his cast iron pans. Why coconut oil? "Oh, I don't know," he said, " I just love the flavor." Enough said. Then he seared pieces of monkfish, which he had cut crosswise so the spine bone was still running through them. When those were browned, he set them aside and added a bunch of sliced leeks to build flavor, along with sliced fennel he'd gotten from a farm nearby. The inspiration was bouillabaisse, albeit a saffron-less, very pared-down version. 

After the leeks and fennel were tender, he added his own jarred, roasted tomatoes (I know, I know--try Muir Glen's fire-roasted ones instead) and a few glugs of pork stock leftover from braising pig's trotters (use chicken stock). Salt and pepper were involved, along with fresh thyme and basil. When the tomato-y liquid was tasting delicious, he added the monkfish back to the pan, just to finish cooking through. We ate it outside, with plenty of good baguette to dip in our bowls, picking the fish up with our fingers to eat it off the bone. 

When I called to ask for the recipe, Stephen laughed at me. What recipe? After talking through the parts we could both remember, he said, "Well, you still don't have a recipe--just make it taste good, and design it to your friends." Good advice under any circumstance."

Good stuff. 

Credit: http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/06/monkfish-stew.html?mbid=recipes__20130607_8640994

Buon Appetito!

Sweat Shop (not to be confused with "Sweet Shop")

So, I often force the children to help me, against their will, of course. My hope is that someday they will enjoy cooking and feeding people, too. We shall see. At the very least, they will know how to do a lot of things. I remember the good ol' days, when kids had chores and learned to work...I'm guessing we hated it, too back then, but eventually became thankful for it. As for my kids, they will most likely be well rounded in the "domestic arts" and hopefully look back thankfully someday...
We worked on an order of tiramisu and panna cotta with triple berry compote today. They did well and didn't complain too much...here's some proof of their sentence of hard labor.

Grating chocolate and assembling tiramisu

Panna Cotta cooling

tiramisu cream

Happy little panna cottas

So, yeah, make 'em earn their keep! They will be thankful...someday...maybe...I hope...

Buon Appetito!

Recommendation (slight follow-up for "To Beer or Not To Beer")

I am always on the lookout for full bodied beers that aren't too bitter (insert "I like my beer like I like my women..." joke here?). I believe I have found an inexpensive beer that seems to agree with my criteria. It's the Third Shift Amber Lager., very nice indeed. I highly recommend.

You are welcome fellow beer drinkers.

Buon Appetito!

 

Another Ceviche, from a friend (sorry no pic)

Chez Lopez Ceviche’

Cut 1 pound of halibut (or choice of fish) into ¼ inch chunks. We did this with Spanish Mackerel in Mexico and man it was to die for! Note that if you use salmon it will milk out a bit but it does not change the taste.

Marinate halibut in juice mixture in a glass or plastic bowl for 6 hours. A large zip lock bag works great too. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.

Citrus Marinade

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup lime juice

2 tsp. cilantro

Fine minced clove garlic

Dice the following ingredients. I like it a little course but a lot of folks like corn kernel sized pieces.

1 avocado

2/3 cup bell pepper

1/3 cup onion (I like red ones)

2 med tomato

3 tbsp. olive oil

12 green olives

2 TBLS sriracha or a teaspoon tabasco (we used Valentina or Chalula in Mexico)

1 tsp salt

1 TBLS shedded fresh basil

Mix together with the marinated fish and its ready in about 5-10 minutes.

Comfort Food

Sometimes very basic, old fashioned, comfort food is in order. Simple often equates to great in the culinary world. I remember when we were in Italy (more stories to come on that btw), on most days, our lunch would consist of a crusty loaf of bread, some good Italian cheese, olives from the open market down the street, and wine. What could be simpler, or more satisfying. So, last night I threw together a pot roast stew and crostini dinner that turned out to be one such comfort food occasion. Some roasts have to be done low and slow, like in the 275°-290° range. Here's what I did:

3# beef rump roast
carrots
potatoes
celery
onion
6 C beef stock

I used a large pot with metal handles and a glass/metal lid so I could put it in the oven later. The basic rule of thumb for low and slow roasting is about an hour per pound, which can be done in the oven or in a crock pot.

I heated the pot and browned the carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes separately with a little olive oil and garlic salt. Then I seasoned the meat with salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper and seared it on all sides in the same pot I had used for the veggies and then set it aside.

While the pan was still hot, I poured in the beef stock to deglaze (loosen all the yummy bits stuck to the pan). I added a little salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper to the stock as well. Then I gently put the roast back in along with all the vegetables. I covered it and put it in the oven (preheated to 275°) for about 3 hours.

I realize that I had said I would start doing my cooking with pics of the process as a "pic tutorial" sort of thing, and I will. At the time, though, I thought that it was so simple I probably wouldn't be posting about it, but then figured that maybe it's simplicity is the beauty of it?

Anyway, it's even better the second day, and while I wish I had been able to leave the meat in a bit longer, the flavors worked out well. As far as the crostini goes, it is beyond simple. Find a nice baguette (or make one) slice it thin, lightly brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle a little garlic salt on top, and bake at about 325° for 10-15 minutes. These are so versatile, you can use them for the componatta (older post), or put a dab of pesto as an appetizer, or use them on soup night, etc, etc...

Simple, comforting, filling, and even pretty healthy. Have fun with food.

Buon Appetito!

Cheesecake toppings-Review

So, I had wanted to jot down a quick thought I had about cheesecake toppings. I had just posted about the plain cheesecake and the raspberry amaretto sauce, so I won't bother with that one again so recently.  In that same vein, though, I also do a berry compote that's pretty easy that I had mentioned in the panna cotta post as well. When I mess with recipes, I look at a bunch, glean what I like, and ultimately come up with my own. I look at recipes as guides not commandments. I also look for versatility. Like with the two I just mentioned, either can be used on top of cheesecakes, panna cotta, ice cream, etc. I also do two toppings for when I make the hazelnut cheesecake or the maple pecan cheesecake that I have also mentioned, but they can stand on their own and are worth another nod. I like these because they are simple and delish...

Maple Pecan Topping:

1 C cream
1 C maple syrup
1 C pecans, roasted and chopped

Boil cream and syrup for 15-20 min, take off heat, pour over pecans, stir, then top uncut cheesecake (usually maple/brown sugar cheesecake)

Hazelnut Topping

1 C cream
1 C brown sugar
1 C hazelnuts, roasted and chopped

Same as above...

Brown Sugar/Maple Syrup/Pecan

Hazelnut

Of course, there's also the chocolate ganache topping for the triple chocolate cheesecake or the chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Talk about versatile! Ganache is good on anything and everything!

Chocolate Ganache:

24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 C cream, scalded

2 oz butter

2 T corn syrup

Scald cream, add butter and corn syrup, pour over chocolate chips. Once chips melt, stir. Done. Easy.

Chocolate Raspberry

Just threw this in to brag on momma a bit...I made this white chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake for an order, but momma made the white chocolate leaves and decorated it along with fresh raspberries. I cannot take credit for the artistry.



Buon Appetito!

More Italy

A wonderful photo of Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, sent by Danishad Appu. 

Capri  A beautiful photo sent by Carmen Matos-Raia

Civita di Bagnoregio, by Ellen Valtri Knauer.

Menaggio, Lago di Como  A lovely photo sent by Danishad Appu

Varenna, Lago di Como (Lake Como)- photo by Danishad Appu

View of Val di Chiana from Cortona, Tuscany-photo by Jason Burick

The simple things...

We had the pleasure of hanging with some wonderful friends last night, and I brought a plain cheesecake for dessert. I had previously posted about cheesecakes earlier, but here's a follow up, mainly to show some pics.

Here it is served with my raspberry "amaretto" sauce (in quotes since I didn't actually use amaretto, I used my homemade almond liqueur)

Someone had mentioned that I should take more pics and walk people through the entire process, since there are those that are just getting into cooking/baking, etc. I will start doing that. However, since the cheesecake is now basically gone, I will do that next time...

My basic recipe is:

Crust:

2 C of crumbs (I like to use biscotti, but graham crackers work ok, too)

1/4 C sugar

6 oz melted butter

Mix and spread in 10" springform pan. Press firmly with hands or flat bottomed cup. Bake @ 325° for 10-15 minutes. Take out and let cool as you finish mixing filling.

Filling:

2 1/2 lbs cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 C sugar

3/4 C sour cream

1/8 C flour

5 eggs

1/4 C lemon juice

1/8 C vanilla

Very basic, but there's something very satisfying about the simple creaminess of a plain cheesecake. So, I usually leave the cream cheese out overnight since it makes it much easier to work with. Blend the cc by itself for a while (at this point you can mix on medium or high, but later, once all ingredients  are added, I always mix on low. Otherwise it will get too fluffy). Add sugar, mix, scrape often. These first couple of steps are the most important since it's nigh unto impossible to get the little lumps of cc smooth if it's 1. not room temp, and 2. once other ingredients are added. Also, scrape often, I reiterate.  I also add the flour along with the sugar, since it's a small amount and doesn't seems to make any difference at what point it's added. Add all other ingredients and mix on low, stopping to scrape often.     Slowly pour into springform (to avoid bubbles) and bake @ 235° for 4-4 1/2 hours. Yes, that is correct. This will ensure, a nice texture with no browning or cracking. I usually put a pan of water on the bottom rack for a bit of extra moisture, too. 

Raspberry Amaretto Sauce:

So, I cheat a little now. I used to use fresh or frozen rasberries, but now I use seedless raspberry jam. 

1 jar of seedless jam (size depends on amount you want, I usually use an 18 oz jar).

Lemon juice 

Amaretto

As you can see, there are no amounts to the liquid. That's because I do it to taste. I'll try, though. Add the whole jar of jam to a medium sauce pan, about 1/4 C lemon and 1/4 C Amaretto (again, I used my homemade almond instead, basically the same). Heat just until it all comes together in a sauce, no need to boil or cook. Again, to taste, if it needs more of either lemon or amaretto, go for it. You can use a little water instead of amaretto, too, but why??? Anyway, cool and serve. I use a squeeze bottle. This stuff is good on a variety of things, not just the cheesecake, ie. ice cream, brownies and ice cream, etc. 

This pic makes it look very short, hmm, interesting. Anyway, it's in a 4" deep pan. Here it is cooling after baking.

When the center is convex, and it doesn't jiggle too much, it's done. Here's a point that I must mention, let cool completely before covering! Yes, it deserved an exclamation point. If you're making a cheesecake that will have a topping it's not as crucial, but with a plain cheesecake, if you cover it too soon, condensation will drip off plastic onto the top of it and pock mark it. Very sad indeed. Once cooled, plastic wrap and store in fridge until cutting time (no more than a day, it will start to get a faint metal taste from pan). 

Ok, to cut. It is an issue, I promise. I always sold them cut, since it's a huge pain to cut them and they look nice if you do it right. I once had a customer that insisted they did not need it cut, because they wanted to have Happy Birthday written on top of it...they later told me they would never order on uncut again...

Find a long, thin, very straight bladed knife. I use a salmon filet knife actually. Boil water, stick blade in water, wipe water off on towel, make first cut (we cut on a lazy susan). Wipe knife blade clean, dip in water, etc. It is a chore, but as ou will see, it make very nice slices. We then cut deli papers in half and put one on both sides of each piece so they don't stick together and put them onto a 12" cardboard round.

There it is. Looks nice, eh? So, if this seems like too much of a pain, and you don't have a 10" springform, this recipe will also work for 3, 9" pre-made graham crusts. Again, there is something very satisfying about a plain cheesecake. If you do go through the trouble of making a real cheesecake, please, I beg of you, DO NOT RUIN IT WITH STORE BOUGHT PIE FILLING! Sorry to yell, but it's a serious offense. 

Ok, that's the last pic, I promise. I will attempt the step by step recipes later on, for now...

Buon Appetito!

 

Waited a long time to try this...

So, this was but a rumor several months ago...now it is a reality. Someone had sent me a pic of this a while back, maybe last fall, but it did not appear in our grocery stores down here until very recently. I had given up my search, and then just happened to stumble upon it the other day. It is very good, but not life changing. I still prefer a good cannoli, of course, but I think they did well with the flavors and bits of chocolate covered cannoli shells. I'm a fan, but it's probably tied for second with Red Velvet Cake, both coming in after Cherry Garcia...It must have done ok in their test run as it's listed as one of their new flavors.

Buon Appetito!

Sent to me, looked awesome, gotta try...

Salt n Peppa Cupcake_credit Doron Petersan

Smoked Black Pepper Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Frosting, and Smokey Salted Caramel

Ingredients

11.25 ounces sugar
2.5 ounces cocoa
10 ounces flour
3/4 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground smoked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
11 ounces water
2 ounces coffee
3 ounces oil
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons ground smoked black pepper
Vanilla Bean Frosting (recipe below)
Carmel Sauce (recipe below)
Smoked Salt

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a standard cupcake pan with 18 cupcake liners. Stir the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, smoked black pepper and salt into a medium-size bowl. Set the bowl aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. Add the vinegar and incorporate. Do not over mix the batter.

Fill the 18 standard cupcake cups 3/4-full and bake for 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into each cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely.

Vanilla Bean Frosting
Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients
8 ounces non hydrogenated vegetable shortening (recommended: Earth Balance)
8 ounces non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
2 pounds 10x powdered sugar
Seeds from 2 vanilla beans
3 teaspoons vanilla paste
1/3-1/2 cup soymilk, as needed

Procedure

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip shortening and margarine until completely combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. On low speed, slowly add sugar a little at a time. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla bean seeds, vanilla paste and soymilk and mix on low until the liquids are incorporated. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, and mix on medium-high speed until all ingredients are combined and frosting is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Put the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Caramel Sauce
Yield: 2 cups 

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup soy creamer or coconut milk
2 teaspoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)

Procedure

In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir together sugar and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Let boil until mixture starts to turn brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir with a whisk. Add creamer and salt and continue stirring. Once bubbling stops, add margarine and whisk until melted and distributed. Let cool completely and pour into a clean squirt bottle

To assemble: Pipe a dollop of Vanilla Bean Frosting on top of each cupcake. Drizzle the top with Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with Smoked Salt to garnish.

Recipe courtesy Sticky Fingers Bakery, Cupcake Wars, 2011

Sent from: http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/salt-n-pepa-cupcakes

Buon Appetito!