Ginger Ale

Last summer I experimented with ginger ale. I really like ginger and ginger ale, but I find it's tough to find a really good ginger ale. There's one I have tried called Blenheim's like I like a lot, but it's not always easily located, and it's about the same price as beer. If I'm going to spend that much, I'd rather it have an alcohol content. In light of all that, I decided to make my own. It turned out great, I thought. It had a bit of a kick, and a strong ginger taste. I find a lot of drinks tend to be too sweet (ie. liqueurs) which is why I like to experiment with my own recipes. Here's what I did:

2 large ginger roots (or enough that when ground will make 2 C pulp, add 2 C sugar and it will last for a long time refrigerated)
3 gallons water
8 C sugar (original recipe called for quite a bit more)
2 packages of champagne yeast (.175 oz/5 gram) (called for one, but it didn't get fizzy enough)
2 lemons thinly sliced (they add a really nice flavor and mix great with the ginger)

Boil all ingredients in a large pot for about 10 minutes, let cool, then store in fridge. My 5-gal jar is not airtight so, ince I let it steep for a few days, I strained it into 1-liter plastic bottles to start carbonating. The recipe originally said to leave in a warm place to start the carbonation, but I put the whole thing into the spare fridge and it still worked fine. If you don't have airtight containers (like my 5-gal one) it will not carbonate. When I did filter it, I basically strained it through a fine metal strainer. I did not really "filter" it like through a cheesecloth or anything. I wanted it technically "unfiltered" so very small pieces of ginger stayed in the mix and I didn't mind it being cloudy. It turned out better than store bought in my opinion.

Not airtight, so ok for steeping for a few days, but not for the actual carbonation (note the cloudiness).
  

I ended up buying cheap 1-liter bottles of some unidentified drink at WalMart and dumping it out so I could have the bottles. I ended up with 11-12 bottles. I gave a few away, but drank the majority of it. It was a fun project, and not a terrible amount of work. I think I'll try it again soon.

Buon Appetito!

Old school "sweet pie"

I was privileged enough get to try this ricotta pie recipe from a friend at one of our Friends of Italy meetings. It was amazing so I asked for the recipe, of course. She made a copy of what had been in her recipe box for what I imagine was a very long time. The only way to post it was to either type it out or scan it...So, here it is.

Buon Appetito!

Quickie...

So, I preach a lot about doing everything homemade, but sometimes post recipes that are quick and easy. I know how life can get busy. Anyway, here's quick one I happened to try a while back. If you have ever made candy, caramel, fudge, etc, you know it can be a real pain. For a quick caramel fix (not that quick, but easy actually), try this: sweetened condensed milk caramel. Just take a can of sw con milk, and put it in a big pot of boiling water for 3 1/2 hours (remove paper if you can). Make sure to check the water level occasionally, can needs to be submerged at all times. remove and let cool. Here's a pic:

 
Ok, so it may not be the best pic, and this is really just a fun fact post, but it does work.

Buon Appetito!

More Italy

Campo de' Fiori, Roma  Photo by Andrea S

Riva del Garda, Lake Garda  Photo by Andrea S

Seaplane Piper PA 18 on Lake Como, Lombardy

Spiaggia di "San Michele" (San Michele beach, south of Ancona), Sirolo, Marche

salita castello celleno E — in Celleno, Lazio.

Panna Cotta

Here's my recipe for panna cotta. I've messed with it a few times and read several recipes to finally get something I liked that was easy to replicate. Panna Cotta is always a crowd pleaser, it looks good and tastes great. When I make it, I just do a straight up "sweet cream" version (sometimes with vanilla, sometimes without) because it's smooth and creamy and comforting and delicious without any extra flavors. Having said that, panna cotta is another of those amazing, yet simple, desserts that has endless possibilities. You can add any number of flavors, from vanilla, to coffee, to chocolate, to various fruits, etc, the only limitation is your imagination. I've seen recipes where the fruit is added as a garnish or added to the mixture before it sets up. I've seen it layered with a gelee, garnished with caramel, chocolate, fruit compote, etc. I've even seen savory panna cotta recipes. All that to say that, it's easy and versatile and everyone should add a basic recipe to their culinary repertoire. As time and creativity permit, I plan on experimenting a great deal more. The basic recipe is a mixture of milk, half and half, or cream, sugar, and unflavored gelatin. You can make it with just milk, but, it of course loses a great deal of the richness that it's known for. I have found that a mix of cream, half and half, and milk, produce the greatest result but that using all cream tends to be a bit cloying and can easily separate with a butter-like layer on top, which is not very appetizing.

Panna Cotta 

1 C milk (whole preferably)
1 C cream
8 C of half and half
4 packages (.25 oz) envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1 C white sugar (although brown sugar has an amazing flavor and I substitute as much as possible, though you won't get that traditional white panna cotta look)
1 1/2 T vanilla (optional. I have also used pure almond extract, 1-2 t or to taste)

Pour milk into small bowl, add gelatin, and whisk until gelatin is almost dissolved, set aside and let fully dissolve.
Add cream, half and half, and sugar to a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Keep a close eye on mixture, you just want it scalded basically.
Add milk/gelatin mix and continue to stir. If using mostly cream, stir slowly and occasionally, too much can cause it to separate as it cools.
Take off heat, and add vanilla. Pour into ramekins and put in refrigerator to cool (overnight preferably).
I serve them in the ramekins themselves, but if you dip them in hot water for a few seconds they should slide out fairly easily. I typically garnish with a berry compote:

Berry Compote:

Bag of frozen mixed berries thawed in a saucepan over medium heat, add some lemon juice (about 1/4 C depending on amount of berries, typically 12 oz to 1 lb), add sugar (about 1/2 C, or to taste), cook down while stirring. If you prefer it smoother use the immersion blender, but I don't mind it "lumpy". Let cool, store in refrigerator until serving.

Buon Appetito!

If it's got bacon in the name...then I'm game.

Another amazing looking pasta dish...

Avocado Cream Pasta with Chicken and Bacon

Ingredients

• 1/2 box whole wheat pasta
• For the sauce:
• 1 avocado, halved and pitted
• juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste
• olive oil, to taste (I used 2-3 tablespoons)
• garlic, minced, to taste (I used three cloves)
• fresh parsley, to taste
• For the chicken:
• 6 slices of bacon, or more
• 3-4 chicken breast tenders
• paprika to taste
• cayenne to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring salted water to a boil to cook your pasta. Once the water is bubbling, toss in your pasta and let it cook to your desired tenderness.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine lemon juice, minced garlic, and olive oil in a bowl or food processor and mix well. Toss in slices of avocado, fresh chopped parsley, and a bit of salt and mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Rinse and drain your pasta and set it aside.
4. Put a pan over the stove and let the pan heat up to cook your bacon. (You can add a touch of salt to the pan to keep the bacon grease from splattering). Cook your bacon to the desired crispness and set aside on a paper towel. Chop up the bacon into pieces, and reserve a bit of the bacon drippings in the pan for your chicken.
5. Season your chicken with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook your chicken tenders in the pan over medium heat, both sides, for about 2-3 minutes (or more if necessary) on each side. Remove them from the heat and let them cool on a cutting board for a few minutes.
6. Combine your pasta and avocado sauce, mixing well. Top with bacon and slices of chicken.
7. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest and fresh parsley, if desired.

Originally from: http://www.yummly.com/blog/2013/05/avocado-cream-pasta-with-chicken-and-bacon?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=pagepost&utm_content=bacon1&utm_campaign=avocado-cream-pasta-with-chicken-and-bacon

Buon Appetito!

Italian Stuffed Eggplant

This looked great, kind of a twist on eggplant parm...

Italian Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

3 Tbsp salt

olive oil, for brushing

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp butter

3 or 4 shallots, finely diced

1/2 lb (250 g) cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/4 cup red wine

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1 14oz (400 g) can tomatoes, drained

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

1/2 cup pecorino, diced (plus more grated)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).

2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and cut out the flesh leaving about 1/4 inch inside the

shell. Dice what you removed and set aside.

3. Salt the inside of the eggplant shells well, then put them cut side down on a plate and let sit for

about 30 minutes then wipe them dry with a paper towel.

4. Brush the eggplant shells inside and out with some olive oil, and place them cut side down in a

casserole dish.

5. Pour a 1/4 cup of water in the dish then cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

6. While the shells are baking, heat the butter in a skillet above medium low heat and add the

shallots - cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

7. Add the mushrooms and saute until they have given up most of their juices, then increase the

heat to high and add the wine and parsley.

8. When about 1/2 of the liquid has evaporated stir in the eggplant and cook on high heat for

about 3 more minutes.

9. Stir in the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce

the heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

10. When the eggplant is done, remove it from the oven and increase the heat to 425 F (220 C).

11. Stir the pecorino into the mushroom mixture, then stuff each eggplant shell and bake in the top

third of the oven for 10 minutes.

12. Turn the broiler on high, sprinkle the eggplants with a little of the reserved grated pecorino and

broil for about 2 minutes, until browned.

Originally from: http://www.yummly.com/blog/2013/05/hearty-italian-stuffed-eggplant

Buon Appetito!

Just because...

https://www.facebook.com/officialoccupybacon

Yes, please.

Is there nothing that bacon does not make better?!? (Besides your cholesterol, of course). These look amazing...must...make...them.

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

Ingredients

• Butter Cake:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Paper baking cups
• Vegetable cooking spray

• Maple Frosting:
• 1 cup butter
• 1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons maple flavoring
• Toppings:
• 12 cooked bacon slices, broken to pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

To prepare frosting, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in evaporated milk, baking soda, and light corn syrup; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let cool. Transfer caramel mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in maple flavoring. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Icing firms up quickly, so use immediately. Makes 3 cups.

Frost each cupcake with Maple Frosting using metal tip no. 2D. Top each with bacon.

Note:

The experts at Dreamcakes say that it's the baking soda in the frosting helps prevent the caramel from becoming grainy.

Originally from: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Maple-Bacon-Cupcakes-MyRecipes-242018

Buon Appetito!

Gotta try...

Salted Pretzel Caramel Brownies

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownies (for a 9x13 pan)

2  eggs

1/4 cup water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pretzels

1 jar caramel sauce

coarse sea salt


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray.

Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions.

Pour about 1/3 of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.

Spread until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated.

Then add two even layers of pretzels, covering the entire surface.

Carefully spoon the remaining brownie batter on top to cover the pretzels.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out clean.

Remove and set on a cooling rack to cool

Spoon the caramel sauce onto the top of the brownies in an even layer. (If it is too thick, spoon the sauce into a small bowl first and microwave for 30 seconds to thin.)

Sprinkle the caramel with a few pinches of sea salt.

Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature then serve.

Recipe by gimmesomeoven

                                   Buon Appetito!

Comfort food...

Sometimes, you just want the good old, time tested standby's. An easy, relaxed dinner last night with our Italian comfort food.

Homemade sauce, homemade meatballs, but not homemade pasta...I do that, too, but only when I have a lot of time. Incidentally, I used all beef for the meatballs, the old school method, and one I recommend, is to use ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal, very nice...Also, to keep them moist, you can take old bread and soak it in milk or buttermilk and add it to the mix. I also add italian bread crumbs, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, and an egg or two, as well. Then I bake them. Sorry, I don't have a meatball recipe to post, I always wing it. 

Buon Appetito!

Looked too good not to share...

Anita Compton

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup flour

2 eggs, large

2 tbsps lemon zest

2 tbsps lemon juice

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the tart lemon glaze:

4 tbsps lemon juice

8 tsps lemon zest

1 cup icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.

3. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.

6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.

7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.

8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.

9. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.

10. Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.

11. Cut into bars and serve.

Originally from: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hillbilly-Recipes/412046715548890

Buon Appetito!

When there's not much time to cook...

Loaded Potato and Chicken Casserole

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1")

8-10 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes

1/3 cup olive oil

1&1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

6 Tbsp. hot sauce

Topping:

2 cups fiesta blend cheese

1 cup crumbled bacon

1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray a 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mixture as possible. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the left over olive oil/hot sauce mixture and stir to coat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken. In a bowl ix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mixture. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.

Originally from: https://www.facebook.com/soulgazer02

Buon Appetito!

Shared with me, therefore I shall share...

CROCKPOT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

Ingredients

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips

1 cup beef consumme

½ cup soy sauce

⅓ cup brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)

Hot cooked rice (brown rice, or riced cauliflower)

Directions

1. Place beef in a crock pot.

2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar/honey, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached).

4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.

5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Originally from: https://www.facebook.com/carrie.luscombe

Buon Appetito!

Been slack in posting pics, but here we go...Places I must visit.

Golden Florence

Isola Bella gardens, Lake Maggiore

Lake Como view

Marciana Marina, Elba island  Photo- lo.tangelini

Trieste - Castello Miramare

Villa Rusconi Clerici, Lago Maggiore