A Twist of Spaghetti

Thanksgiving in August

2010-08-24T17:01:00.000-04:00

Its a cool, rainy day here in New York. Despite the fact that it is August, autumn decided it wanted to show us Yankees what is waiting in the wings for us come September.

And speaking of weather, I am home sick today under it.

I still needed to make something for dinner and was not in the mood for anything strenuous despite craving comfort food. So, I took out my Crockpot and decided to make something that reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner (one of my favorite dinners each year). I have been taking cookbooks out of the library all summer and one I am currently reading is Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes. The author, Beth Hensberger, adapted the gravy for this dish from a Marcus Samuelsson recipe, and that is why it also caught my eye. It also caught my eye because I am a huge fan of sweet and savory together.

Turkey Cutlets with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

For the gravy:

One package of turkey gravy mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons half and half

1/4 cup dried cranberries

For the meat and vegetables:

3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch thick slices

4 ounces of French green beans (fresh), trimmed

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 pound turkey breast cutlets

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the gravy mix, water, wine, and cranberry sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and whisk until thickened and the cranberry sauce has melted. Stir in the half and half and dried cranberries. Set aside.

2) Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the sweet potato slices in the bottom of the crock. Then add the green beans and the slices of garlic. Salt and pepper the turkey cutlets and then roll up each cutlet, placing them in a layer on top of the vegetables.

3) Pour the warm cranberry gravy over the cutlets and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the turkey and the sweet potatoes are tender.

Summertime...and the Livin' is Easy

2010-08-15T16:23:00.008-04:00

Its not that I haven't been cooking this summer.

In fact, I have week's worth of back posts to add here between now and September!

Being on the lam of this blog was both good and bad. I am having an amazing summer and the days have been filled all the goodness that is summer. However, I am disappointed in myself for not sharing all the good summer eats with everyone.

I sense that fall is in the air as the sun goes down a little sooner and the vegetables in the garden have all peaked for the most part. The air was cooler here in New York this weekend, so I took advantage of that and decided to throw together a summertime roast of chicken and vegetables on this lazy Sunday.

This is definitely one of those Mark Bittman recipes where you can interchange the vegetables and herbs depending on what you have in your summer garden. I have so much oregano that I am definitely going to be drying a good deal of it once summer ends. Rosemary would also work nice with this dish, as would dill.

Greek Style Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

juice of one lemon

1 pound of chicken thighs

1 onion, cut into thick slices

1 green pepper, cut into strips

handful of baby carrots

6 baby red bliss potatoes, scrubbed

1 clove of garlic, whole pieces peeled

1 lemon, sliced

fresh springs of oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 300 degrees

- Salt and pepper the chicken and vegetables

- Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the lemon wedges and mix

- Place ingredients on a shallow roasting pan and cover with lemon wedges

- Cook for 3o minutes - take pan out and discard any watery juices

- Cook for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender and the onions have started to caramelize

- You can take the whole roasted garlic cloves and spread it on bread to have with the dish

Caribbean Cooking!

2010-07-17T20:59:00.007-04:00

The best way to come back after a small hiatus is with a post about my amazing supper club! This month's theme was Caribbean cooking, so we gathered at my place and enjoyed some amazing dishes on the patio!

There were only three of us today - summertime is so busy for everyone and we aren't even meeting in August for that reason, but I admit tonight the intimacy of the small supper club was quite enjoyable.

For main dishes, we ate corn fritters, curried rice, bacon, and cabbage, a salad of hearts of palm, avocado, and mango, and jerk chicken with pasta in a cream sauce. For dessert, there was FLAN. And oh were the flans amazing! I give the cooks credit since flan is not an easy dish to make. These were so perfect, and I want leftovers for breakfast with my coffee! One was a coconut flan and the other was a cream cheese flan.

The recipe I am posting is for the salad. It was the quintessential summer salad and a last minute dish Jo made...and I am glad she did decide to make it! It was like summer in my mouth!

Although it is posted on Foodnetwork, this is a recipe from WALKERSWOOD CARIBBEAN KITCHEN! Walkerswood has great recipes and great sauces.

PALM HEART SALAD

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/2 lime or lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 (14 or 15-ounce) can palm hearts, drained and sliced crosswise

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 ripe avocados (or 1 large), peeled, stoned, and thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 Scotch bonnet or other hot chile pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped

1/2 lime or lemon (to be squeezed the avocado to prevent discolouring)

Directions

To make the dressing: Mix the first 4 ingredients and then drizzle olive oil in slowly while stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Assemble all the salad ingredients in a bowl and serve the dressing on the side.

The Spaghetti Series - Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs (#5)

2010-06-13T11:55:00.014-04:00

I love al fresco dining in the summer. I have a lovely patio that is just meant for it! Last weekend the weather was beautiful and sunny, and I had a quiet evening to myself to enjoy dinner outdoors as the sun set. My garden has started to take off, and I was able to use the oregano I am growing in my chicken meatball dish. I realized that I had not posted a classic spaghetti and meatball recipe on this blog yet, and I was quite overdue. Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups Italian style breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, making sure everything is fully combined. Shape mixture into 12 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and cook meatballs until golden brown, 5 minutes. They will finish cooking in the sauce (recipe below).

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 small onion, diced

5 fresh basil leaves, torn

1 28 ounce can of peeled plum tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic and onions, sauteing until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Add the basil and stir for another minute, allowing it to flavor the base of the vegetables. Add in plum tomatoes, squishing them with your hand before putting them in the pot with their juices. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, and wine, and let simmer for 1 hour on low heat. Add the meatballs 45 minutes into the cooking time and serve with your favorite spaghetti and fresh cheese on top.

Back to Blogging with Back of the Box Recipes - Supper Club!

2010-06-06T07:57:00.023-04:00

I am BACK to blogging with this month's Supper Club Back of The Box Recipes theme! We gathered yesterday for this delightful spread of food. I had been ill for the past few weeks with a stomach issue that has finally ceased, and it was wonderful to be able to enjoy all the foods yesterday after having a week during the illness of barely being able to have liquids! I would say that the recipe I enjoyed eating the most, and they were all delicious, were the peanut butter and jelly muffins made by Marianne. The recipe is literally on the Gold Medal Flour bag, and I am going to the supermarket later to buy a bag even though I have plenty of flour. I must have that recipe!

There is not one dish I didn't love, and I would recommend all recipes. I made the Quick Dill Dip and the Salsa Macaroni and Cheese. Two websites that have a great collection are these:

http://www.backofthebox.com/recipes.html

http://www.favoritebrandrecipes.com/Finder/SearchLists/132.htm

The Meal:

Salsa Mac (Ragu), Bisquick Sausage Cheddar Balls, Impossible Green Chili Pie (Bisquick)

Tuna Noodle Casserole (Campbells), Corn Souffle (Jiffy)

Wild Rice with Cranberries (Craisins)

Ambrosia, Quick Dill Dip (Miracle Whip)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins (Gold Medal Flour)

Baker's Chocolate Brownies (Baker's Chocolate)

Strawberry Shortcakes (Bisquick)

Quick Dill Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup Miracle Whip Light Dressing

1 16 ounce container Breakstone's fat-free sour cream

1 tablespoon dill weed

1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions: Mix all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or, ideally, overnight.

Serve with vegetable crudite and crackers.

Salsa Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 jar Ragu Double Cheesy Cheddar Sauce

1 jar Tostito's hot salsa

1/2 cup plain tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Chili Powder (I used my Penzey's 9000)

1 pound cooked elbow pasta (I used mini wagon wheels and it was fun)

Directions:

Prepare pasta as directed. Mix in all other ingredients when pasta is cooked and drained. Yep, its THAT simple.

The Bolognese Blues

2010-05-22T18:13:00.010-04:00

I have the Bolognese blues.

This weekend's Bolognese sauce battle has been in the works for months at my request, and I am home instead of being in Connecticut at a farm house with my beloved families (my two friends since grade school and their parents).

The head cold I had from 3 weeks ago manifested itself into my body, and I am on the mend from not having an appetite for a week now and only eating simple foods (hence lack of posts here on A Twist of Spaghetti). After getting scolded this morning by my doctor for not taking care of myself and being run-down, I sent my beautiful Bolognese sauce to battle without me.

I slept throughout the day and will sleep early tonight, drinking lots of water in between.

I did make some pasta to be topped with my sauce so I could post it here. I had a few bites, and I have to say this is a winner. I think I have a good shot at first place this despite my absence and hope that my family enjoys it. I miss them so very much tonight.

Bolognese sauce is a wonderfully rich "sugo" that takes time and attention to make right and perfect. You cannot rush the sugo, and the trick is to layer the sauce at each phase with lots of flavor. This is my recipe adapted from others - I am proud of how it has grown since I started making it over 8 years ago! It really is better the day after since it has time to sit with all the flavors and aromatics.

Amy's Winning Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 slices of thick, center cut bacon

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon sage

2 pounds of ground beef, pork, and veal mixture

1 cup dry red wine (I used Shiraz)

1 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 14 ounce cans of beef broth

1 1/2 cups canned tomato puree

3 splashes of Worcestershire sauce

3 splashes of low sodium soy sauce

splash of heavy cream or half and half

grated pecorino romano, for serving

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and saute until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.

2) Add onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and sage, sauteing for 5 minutes.

3) Add ground meat mixture to brown, breaking up meat with back of fork, for about 10 minutes.

4) Add wine and bay leaves, simmering until liquid is slightly reduced, 10 minutes.

5) Add broth and tomato puree. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 hours, stirring constantly.

6) Once sauce has thickened, add the splashes of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and the nutmeg.

7) Blend sauce with a few pulses in the food processor for a good texture.

8) Splash in some cream before serving and top with grated pecorino romano. You can use whatever pasta you wish...I really like mine with rigatoni or rotelli.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

2010-05-10T19:13:00.014-04:00

Giulia Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (a memoir of good food and bad boyfriends), is not just an amazing writer and amazing cook, she is an amazing person.

If you have not read the book, I suggest you go on Amazon immediately or head to your local bookstore. Whether you are male or female, heartbreak is universal, so I recommend this book to anyone, especially a foodie!

Why is she an amazing person? I had emailed her last week and she responded within 24 hours with words that were kind, supportive, and truly funny! I am meeting her next week at a book signing and cooking demo and look forward to writing more about my interaction with her and posting some photos from the special event.

In the meantime, I am making her recipes! And wow, are they fantastic! This weekend I made an adapted version of a delicious pasta sauce called Lachlan's Rigatoni with Eggplant. He was a bad boyfriend but a good cook. Enjoy!

Lachlan's Rigatoni with Eggplant (adapted from Giulia Melucci's ex-boyfriend)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 large (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes (I used Red Pack's Italian style)

1/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon sugar (tomatoes, wine, and eggplant are acidic, do not omit this!)

1 pound rigatoni (I used rotelli primavera to be healthier), cooked al dente

freshly grated Romano cheese

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and saute until onion is translucent.

2) Add the eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 20 minutes, allowing the eggplant to get a little brown.

3) Add crushed tomatoes, wine, sugar, and the remaining salt. Place lid half open on the pot and simmer for 1 hour.

4) Serve over hot, cooked pasta with grated cheese on top.

I Would Have Licked the Wok!

2010-05-04T20:17:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, Mark Bittman posted a recipe in the beloved Dining Out section of The New York Times for vegetable pad thai. It inspired me to make my own despite having a good Thai restaurant not too far from where I live.

I was going to try his recipe, but I wanted some kind of protein in the mix. I then started looking for recipes that included chicken and shrimp, and as I read more and more, they all varied greatly! There are no two pad thai recipes alike on the interwebs! Some called for tamarind paste, some for honey, some for fish sauce, others for oyster sauce. Some had egg on top, others did not. All had cilantro, and I hate cilantro, so that was not happening on my plate. I did not want rice noodles at all. I am now officially a Dreamfields fan and prefer that as my noodle choice, and linguine worked just fine!

I was getting discouraged and then decided to Thai in all the recipes together and create my own based on what I had and what my tastes were. I also wanted to make this a weeknight meal...some of the recipes were complicated. This took me 45 minutes start to finish. It would have taken a bit longer had I opted to add the egg, and I would go back and do that on a weekend! That being said, I had one bite and wanted to lick the wok, let alone the plate after I was done!

What is your favorite dish to cook in your wok?

Chef Aimee's Pad Thai

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut satay sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

3 tablespoons wok oil (available in Asian aisle - has some great flavors)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup of zucchini, sliced julienne style

1/4 cup Chinese chives, diced (these are my FAVORITE kind of chives)

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut up into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 pound linguine noodles (Dreamfields is my choice), cooked and drained

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Chopped peanuts, for garnish

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, satay sauce, hot sauce, and oyster sauce until smooth.

2) Salt and pepper the chicken and then coat with ground ginger.

3) Heat a large wok with the wok oil and make sure oil is very hot. Once hot, add the garlic and let cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the chicken and vegetables and stir fry until chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Add noodles and toss to coat.

4) Add satay/spice paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and lime juice and toss to distribute. Cook until heated through, another minute or so.

5) After plating, top with chopped peanuts. (You can also add mung bean sprouts and cilantro)

Soup's On!

2010-04-24T17:34:00.008-04:00

I was under the weather during the week and decided to make some soup that was healthy but flavorful. Any Asian-style soup is one I have an affinity for. There is nothing like a good hot pot to warm the soul. This recipe caught my attention because it has one of my favorite beans: edamame! I am quite fortunate to live so close to an HMart (a wonderful Korean supermarket) and I bought some other items for some fun stir-fry this week, including Chinese brown rice cake and some firm tofu. I also got some oyster sauce since I saw a recipe for pad thai that Mark Bittman wrote about in The New York Times.

Asian Chicken, Edamame, and Noodle Soup (courtesy of Weight Watchers)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped roasted chicken breast

1 (10-ounce) package frozen, shelled edamame

1 (32-ounce) can low sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1 (3-ounce) package of chicken flavored ramen noodles

1 cup thinly sliced Chinese chives

Directions:

1) Heat first three ingredients in Dutch oven for 3 minutes.

2) Add soup noodles and spice packet and cook according to directions.

3) Add chives and ladle into bowls. Eat with chopsticks and enjoy!

Cooking Light with my Supper Club!

2010-04-18T21:18:00.015-04:00

Tonight was another wonderful supper club gathering with the most amazing women who also happen to be amazing cooks. Our theme this month was Cooking Light recipes, and every single dish tasted wonderful. There was so much variety and each dish was decadent. Conversation was enjoyable, as always, and certain subjects came up that were especially pleasing (i.e. Anthony Bourdain)! Here is what we all cooked...most of the recipes are linked to the Cooking Light website.

Jo made Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Herbs. I popped them in my mouth like they were candy...so good! I love dill and there was plenty in the seasoning of the egg filling. It was the perfect spring appetizer plate.
Jo also made a wonderful Kofte with a yogurt harissa sauce. Being Armenian, I absolutely loved these and the sauce was a great accompaniment.
Jo made Green Beans with Orange and Hazelnuts, another spring dish that would be perfect along side any dish. The zest of the orange and rich hazelnut flavor were complex and added so much to the beans.
Alex made a Provençale Pepper-Chicken Salad that looks even better than the photo does on the Cooking Light website! And oh it tasted so good! The herbes de provence and sun dried tomatoes gave each bite-full such a pop of flavor, and the sweetness of the peppers was delicious.
Alex also made a Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew that was perfectly spiced; she even made her own Berbere spice mix! I look forward to making this as well...the spices were phenomenal.
Jo made a basmati saffron rice dish with some green onions to compliment the kofte. There is just something about the color that saffron creates that makes a dish even that more enjoyable to eat.
I made a fun dish called Dracula's Revenge that was a garlicky mix of pasta and sausage! I loved that the recipe called for roasted garlic mashed up into the creamy cheese sauce.
Marianne decided on a Fresh Coconut Cake that was so decadent, it was hard to believe it was light! The frosting was heavenly and had a slight meringue taste that made it over-the-top rich and creamy. I could have eaten her entire cake in one sitting.
Stephanie made a dessert I would be too scared to attempt and gave her lots of credit for: sour cream donut holes! They were absolutely wonderful and the maple glaze just made them all the more appealing since I love anything and everything with maple!
I also tackled a cake recipe and absolutely enjoyed both making it and eating it! Its a Nutty Graham Cake that had orange notes. I look forward to eating a slice tomorrow morning with a cup of coffee. I would definitely make it again.

Alice's Chicken

2010-04-13T19:02:00.006-04:00

My brother-in-law's cousin, Alice, is an amazing cook. Even she needs a break once in a while after a long day at work and looks to make something quick and easy. She served this once for my sister and brother-in-law, who served it to my other sister (twin), who then served it to me. The recipe goes back to Alice to gave it to my sister who gave it to my twin sister who gave it to me! Its from the back of the Lipton Onion Soup box! I had another packet left over this week after my last recipe and said, why not?

There has been so much going on lately professionally and personally, but this weekend is supper club and I look forward to diving into some more complicated dishes. On deck is a pasta dish with lots of garlic and a nutty graham cake (both from Cooking Light). I am shopping around for a new barbecue and look forward to menu planning once that nice little gas burning baby is on my patio, ready to roll for weeknight grilling!

In the meantime, its cold here again and hence some good comfort food! Many thanks to Alice for taking the time to look at the back of the box!

Alice's Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup of white or brown rice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 packet onion soup mix

2 1/2 cups boiling water

1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken (white or dark meat)

pepper to taste

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2) Add rice, olive oil, soup mix, and water to a 9x13 glass baking dish and mix well.

3) Place chicken on top (pepper the chicken to taste) and then dollop the mushroom soup on each piece of chicken, spreading it out evenly.

4) Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then add breadcrumbs on top.

5) Place back in the oven for another 15-25 minutes, until chicken juices run clear, rice is fully cooked, and liquids are absorbed.

The Spaghetti Series - Bacon Cheeseburger Spaghetti (#4)

2010-04-10T14:45:00.001-04:00

After a long work week, I am craving comfort food.

I wanted to make a spaghetti dish that was easy since I am exhausted, but one I could also indulge in! What could be better than bacon cheeseburger spaghetti? I browsed the internet and found many variations of this, and I pulled ideas from each one. Some really took it literally and added pickles and such, but I was rather skeptical about that element. I also did not want to feel guilty about eating fatty red meat or dealing with the calories of a homemade cheddar cheese sauce, so improvised with ingredients!

The result? A perfect plate of pasta!

Bacon Cheeseburger Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 pound of 92% lean ground beef

salt

pepper

1 can of cream of cheddar soup

1 cup 1% milk

1 packet of onion soup mix

2/3 cup diced tomatoes in juices

3/4 pound cooked spaghetti

Bacon bits for topping

Directions:

1) In a large nonstick skillet, brown meat over medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2) In a large saucepan, combine soup, soup mix, milk, and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add in meat and stir well, simmering another 2 minutes.

3) Add pasta to the large saucepan and combine pasta and sauce well.

4) Serve immediately with bacon bits crumbled on top.

I Love Christopher Kimball!

2010-04-06T18:59:00.003-04:00

I only got The Cook's Country Cookbook as a gift little over a year ago and already many pages are stained from various sauces and liquids made for dishes from the book. I could watch the dvd's of season one over and over, and finally I am getting around to season two on dvd this weekend since its going to rain here in New York. I love America's Test Kitchen, but there is just something even better about Cook's Country!

And lets face it, who doesn't love Chris Kimball? He is a true farm boy from Vermont with the foodie snobbery of a top New York City food critic. And that bowtie - what a character! I would actually be quite nervous working for him and find he is always giving Jack too much of a hard time with tastes tests. Julia and Bridget are master chefs, though, and just plain hold their own when it comes to Kimball's doubts about a recipe! The cookbook is a favorite gift of mine, as are subscriptions to both Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated, all from dear friends.

I never eat fried chicken and wish I could, so how could I pass up Chris Kimball's oven fried chicken if he is telling me its crispy and I won't miss the deep fried flavor? No matter what, any foodie worth his salt will tell you that you have to use corn flakes for oven-fried chicken.

And he did.

I served mine with buttermilk mashed potatoes and asparagus roasted with onions and garlic. Enjoy!

Fiery Oven-Fried Chicken (courtesy of Cook's Country)

Ingredients:

2 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

pepper

1 tablespoon hot sauce

6 bone-in chicken thighs (skinless)

1 slice of hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces and pulsed in food processor into coarse crumbs

2 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes

1/2 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning (I used Penzey's)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1) Whisk buttermilk, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the hot sauce together in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat well, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

2) Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on the sheet, and coat with vegetable oil spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3) Gently toss the bread crumbs, corn flakes, remaining garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne in a shallow dish until combined. Drizzle vegetable oil over the crumbs and toss until well coated.

4) Working with one piece at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge in the crumbs mixture, firmly pressing the crumbs onto the sides of the chicken. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet leaving 1/2 inch between the pieces.

5) Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the juices run clear, about 35-45 minutes.

A Perfect Pesach

2010-04-03T17:31:00.024-04:00

This past week is the celebration of Pesach (Passover), and it is a holiday I look forward to each year. Although I celebrate Easter, my best friend and her family celebrate Pesach. Since I consider her my sister in addition to my best friend, her family is also my second family. This year marks what I think is my 23rd or 24th seder with them! As always, it was perfect. Not because of the deliciously good food, but because of the deliciously good company and generous blessings we have. My best friend and her mom did all of the cooking, but I made a flourless chocolate orange cake for dessert. The Pesach meal is one of my favorite meals from start to finish...

The matzoh ball soup recipe comes from my best friend's great grandmother. It is, by far, the best matzoh ball soup I have ever had...and I have tried many! There are some years that when I take home leftovers, I eat it for breakfast the next morning. The matzoh balls (knaidlach) are light, airy, and perfectly textured. Here you see them swimming in a homemade chicken broth with lots of carrots, celery, fresh parsley, and fresh dill!
Gefilte fish gets a bad rap because most people have tasted it out of a jar. Well, not my best friend's mom! She makes hers homemade! It is phenomenal and there is not one iota of fishy taste to it! The horseradish (morror - bitter herbs) is a great accompaniment. I love dipping matzoh into the extra jelly that remains on the plate.
Green bean salad is something I also look forward to each year. It is also referred to as the "vegetarian chopped liver" and it is quite addictive. I try not to fill up on it before the seder meal, but that is impossible. Trust me.
Usually my best friend's mom makes a delicious brisket, but this year she decided to make a leg-of-lamb. Being Armenian, I admit that as much as I love brisket, I didn't miss it this year! My best friend's mom did the usual garlic and rosemary, but basted it as her mother would have: with beer! Let me tell you, that worked!
Here is the traditional seder place. Please read here to learn more about the beautiful symbols that mark this holy plate on the evening of seder.
And here is my dinner plate! The lamb, potato kugel, and roasted asparagus with red onion. Oh, and of course a glass of Manischewitz wine! If you have not tried it, you are not missing much! Its grape juice with a kick! I enjoy many other Kosher wines now after years of B.Y.O.M. (Bring Your Own Manischewitz).
The flourless orange chocolate cake is one I apparently have to make again. I do not consider myself a baker, but this came out well and not one crumb was left. I also candied my own orange slices from a Food and Wine recipe here. Enjoy!

Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake (courtesy of Epicurious)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

flour, for dusting

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)

1 cup of sugar (I used a tad less and it worked perfectly)

zest of one large orange

4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

10x sugar/powdered sugar for dusting (I omitted this and made candied orange slices)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and flour a 10-inch (25-cm) round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment paper. Gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir the butter into the chocolate to melt, and stir until smooth. Remove from the double boiler and whisk the sugar and orange zest into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk well. Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk the batter until totally smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top has formed a good crust. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Thank You, Earl of Sandwich!

2010-03-28T17:50:00.015-04:00

I honestly am so tired from work last week that I was too tired to cook anything complicated on this rainy and cold Sunday evening in New York. With the holidays this week, I am preparing to cook for both Easter and Passover. Still, I needed some comfort food tonight without the guilt. I cannot believe I am saying this, but this was one of the *best* grilled cheese sandwiches I *ever* had! I can't believe its a healthy recipe, too! I have made these zucchini chips before and they are a wonderful side dish to any hot or cold sandwich.

I sipped a lovely and local white wine: Local Flavor Chardonnay by Peconic Bay Winery out on the North Fork of Long Island, New York. It was light and crisp and paired perfectly.

Apple and Cheddar Grilled Cheese (courtesy of Weight Watchers Magazine)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

8 slices of thick, whole wheat bread

8 slices of 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese (I used Kraft)

1 medium Gala apple, cored and thinly sliced

Cooking spray

Directions:

1) Combine mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Spread evenly on bread slices. Layer each of 4 bread slices with 1 slice of cheese, 1/4 of apple slices, and 1 slice of cheese. Top with remaining bread slices. Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.

2) Heat large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Cook sandwiches 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese has melted.

(Yields 4 sandwiches, 7 points per sandwich)

Zucchini Chips (courtesy of Weight Watchers Magazine)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 egg

Cooking spray

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2) Place breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over zucchini slices.

3) Dip zucchini slices into egg and dredge in bread crumbs, pressing firmly to coat. Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spay.

4) Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. (I served mine with some light blue cheese dressing - delicious!).

(Yields 4 servings of 7 chips at 1 point each plus extra for dipping)

Labor of Love Lasagna!

2010-03-24T21:55:00.007-04:00

My supper club decided that next month's theme will be recipes from Cooking Light Magazine. I started thumbing through recipes already and saw a dish that I wanted to make this week since it looked so good and was easy to freeze. This lasagna was a labor of love, let me tell you! I can't believe I prepared this dish on a weeknight, but it was well worth it.

Three different pots, a casserole dish, multiple bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a garlic press, two different wooden spoons, a large ladle, and a dirty spoon rest are all piled high in my kitchen sink!

I tweaked the recipe originally published by the magazine and was happy with the results! It was light, yet the creamy spinach sauce and browned cheese on top were rich in flavor and made for a guiltless piece of comfort food!

Garden-Style Lasagna (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped yellow onion

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chopped zucchini

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

1 box of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 1/2 cups of 1% milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

dash of nutmeg

1 tub (16 ounces) of 1% whipped cottage cheese (Friendship brand is best)

2 cups reduced fat shredded Italian blend cheeses (Sargento brand is best)

16 lasagna noodles, cooked and divided

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees and coat lasagna pan using cooking spray

2) Add one tablespoon olive oil to dutch oven on medium heat and cook onions until they are translucent and light brown, 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into bowl.

3) Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and stir in zucchini. Saute for 8 minutes until it begins to brown; add onion mixture back into dutch oven.

4) Add a teaspoon of olive oil to pan and stir in carrots, sauteing for 8 minutes. Add thawed broccoli. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute for another minute and set aside.

5) In a medium saucepan, place flour in and slowly whisk in milk. Bring do a low boil, constantly whisking for 2 minutes. Add spinach, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep on low simmer so sauce stays warm.

6) Cook lasagna noodles according to directions minus 2 minutes since they will soften in the oven.

7) Assemble the lasagna: Place noodles on bottom of pan. Spread cottage cheese over the noodles. Add the spinach sauce and then the vegetable mixture. Repeat until you have noodles on top. Add the last of the spinach sauce on top and then place Italian cheese over the sauce.

8) Bake for 20 minutes

9) Place oven on low broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese on top browns nicely.

Cooking with Kids!

2010-03-23T21:50:00.009-04:00

I love cooking with my four year-old nephew! Our culinary repertoire is limited because, well, he is four, but he loves to assist in the kitchen! With my sister, his mommy, he helps out by mixing cookie dough, sprinkling cinnamon on French toast, and whisks eggs for scrambling.

He and I make homemade pizza together and he does most of the work as we sing "That's Amore" by Dino (he knows the words) and flips the pizza dough. In his chef hat and choo-choo train apron, he is quite a talent in the kitchen already. I have my agenda...I would love to see him as a famous chef one day!

Last week I gave him The Toddler Cookbook by Annabel Karmel in order to expand our recipes in the kitchen. I went out and got some new ice pop holders (if you have kids, get these because they have a straw on the bottom which takes care of drips - no mess!) so we could make Tropical Pops. They were basically pina colada pops minus the rum...they were delicious! As you can see from the photo, they were also nephew approved! We made them on Saturday when New York was having gorgeously warm spring weather, so it was the perfect treat. He was a good sous chef and helped measure out and pour ingredients! I think his favorite part was playing with the citrus juicer!

Tropical Pops (Courtesy of The Toddler Cookbook by Annabel Karmel)

Ingredients:

1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple in juices

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1/3 cup of superfine sugar

juice of one lime

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender and then pour into ice pop molds and place in freezer. Allow pops to freeze for at least six hour but preferably overnight.

Blissful Brunch in NYC

2010-03-21T17:12:00.017-04:00

There is nothing quite like brunch in New York City on Sunday. Today was our first spell of spring weather on a weekend, so everyone was out and about. I had the most blissful brunch with my best friend, J.S., on the Lower East Side at a small and sweet spot called Little Giant. I have had amazing meals in my life with family and friends, but the best meals of my life are always with my best friend. Little Giant seemed rather apropos. Though she and I are both around 5 feet in height, we make up for stature in the depths of our friendship.
Sitting in the corner of the petite restaurant, we felt the breeze of the warm day flow into the open windows in front of us. No coffee is served here, just americano, so she had an espresso and I a cappuccino since we are both caffeine addicts. Getting that out of the way, we then looked at the brunch cocktail menu. We toasted to spring this afternoon, she with a perfectly peppery Bloody Mary and I with a perfectly peachy bellini.
Brunch was absolutely delicious and we both finished our entire plates! J.S. ordered Pig in a Poke: Crock of creamy stone ground grits topped with two poached eggs & andouille sausage. I I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy: Buttermilk-chive biscuits, two poached eggs, speck, and roasted garlic herb gravy. I enjoyed my dish immensely and the eggs were cooked perfectly. The speck was delicious and on the lighter side. The biscuits and gravy were, by far, the star of the plate. The biscuit was light and buttery and the gravy was thick with rich garlic notes. I tasted J.S.'s dish and the andouille sausage was spicy and delicious and really paired well with the creaminess of the grits. The prices are extremely reasonable and the service friendly. I would recommend brunch here anytime, and its a great place even if you are from out of town. There is al fresco dining available in the warm months as well!
After a leisurely brunch we walked into Soho and meandered in and out of shops. My heart stopped when I saw the storefront to the Miniature Stuffed Cupcakes baked by Melissa. J.S. said she had them before when they first opened and were giving away free samples. I had to try, despite being on a weight loss regiment! 3 for $3 is not exactly cheap, but popping these in your mouth is a priceless experience.
We had the mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and jelly, and the peanut butter cup!
After more walking and leisurely browsing stores (including Sur La Table), we ended up having a late afternoon refreshment in the winter garden at La Lanterna di Vittorio. Our view included a fountain situated right next to our cafe table. We sipped a lovely rose together and toasted once more to a beautiful day...

Oh Goodness, My Guinness!

2010-03-17T07:26:00.010-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

To celebrate the festivities, what could be better than eating Beef and Guinness Stew? I love Guinness and although it is a meal in and of itself, it is also a great ingredient for a meal! For those of you who are Irish, and those of you like me who are honorary Irish folk for the day, enjoy your celebration. I hope it includes lots of soda bread, Guinness, merriment, and luck!

Beef and Guinness Stew (Courtesy of The Gourmet Slow Cooker Cookbook by Lynn Alley)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of flour

2 1/2 pounds very lean stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large yellow onions, quartered

2 sprigs of thyme

2 cups of Guinness stout or other very dark, hearty beer

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place flour in a re-sealable plastic bag and add the beef, shaking to coat completely.

Heat a large saute pan on high heat and add the oil. In batches if necessary, add the beef and cook until brown on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towel to drain.

Place the beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, and thyme in the slow cooker and pour the beer on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (until the meat is very tender). Season with salt.

Enjoy stew with a pint of Guinness!

K-Town's Cuisine!

2010-03-14T09:22:00.000-04:00

West and East 32nd Street just past 5th Avenue in both directions in NYC is known as "K-Town" to us locals, short for Koreatown. The row is a long conglomerate of the best Korean restaurants, take-out places, boutiques, and karaoke bars! One favorite restaurant I have been to several times now is BCD Tofu House. The name is misleading because there are plenty of delectable meat options, and they even serve the deadly puffer fish in a cold soup form! The tofu here is supreme and you can order it in many different textures and tastes...the best way to enjoy it though here is in the hot soup pots. Although I have had the soup pots, tonight's dinner with a friend had me craving yet another favorite Korean dish of mine: bibimbop.
The meal starts with ponchon (complimentary appetizers) which include kimchee, pickles, and a whole deep fried crocker fish with a dipping sauce. The kimchee here is quite good and has the perfect balance of spice. My favorite korean appetizer is the pickled daikon radishes.
My friend and I both ordered the bibimbap in the hot stone with ground beef, cucumber, radishes, bean spouts, zucchini, sea aster (a plant), egg, and a delicious sweet chili paste to mix in. The best way to enjoy it is to mix all the ingredients in with chopsticks but not to scrape the bottom of the hot stone. The rice at the bottom cooks and forms an amazing crispy cake by the time you are done with the rest of the bowl.

As I walked back to Penn Station after the meal, I had to stop into Koryodang bakery. It is a well know Korean bakery that has shops in the city and Queens. The bakery is set up like any other Asian bakery, with plenty of room to sit and enjoy teas and sweets for those who have time to relax. For others who don't, big trays and tongs are there for you to pick your breads and pastries and head to the register.
I treated myself to a slice of sponge cake with apricot filling. Sponge cake is one of my favorite types of cakes, and I only get it when at an Asian bakery since I feel it is prepared best with all of the fillings like honey and fruit.

If you are in New York City, it is worth having a meal in K-town, especially at these two eateries! Enjoy!

http://www.bcdtofu.com/

http://koryodang.com/

You Say Potato

2010-03-02T22:04:00.003-05:00

I admit I have a preference in the pecking order of potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are first, followed by latkes, with roasted potatoes and scalloped potatoes tying for third. After that I like baked potatoes and my least favorite form of Solanum tuberosum is the french fry (though I admit a good steak frites is wonderful from time to time at a bon bistro). I could easily enjoy sweet potatoes in any of the aforementioned forms, and am eyeing a scalloped sweet potato recipe with apples that I am wanting to try before the weather gets to warm and the only potatoes I am making will be chopped up into a salad.

The red potatoes at the supermarket looked inviting to me, so I grabbed a bag and came home and looked up some ideas for the scarlet spuds. I found a great recipe from Bon Appetit, tweaked it a little, and the result was probably the best roasted potatoes I have ever had. The onions tasted like candy...sweet and caramelized. The potatoes were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This would pair well with any rich chicken or beef dish.

Once you read the recipe list, its pretty clear what ingredient made this dish shine. As my friend Lime says, onion soup mix makes everything taste better!

Roasted Onions and Potatoes (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

2 yellow onions, cut into chunks

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 envelope of onion soup mix

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees

-Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat onions and potatoes

- Spread out on a baking sheet

- Bake until potatoes are crisp and golden brown and , stirring occassionally, about 30-35 minutes

- Sprinkle with pepper to taste

Pineapple Express

2010-02-28T05:06:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more inviting than a pineapple, and it is no wonder that the fruit became the symbol of hospitality in the United States over 200 years ago. If I had to choose only one fruit to eat and enjoy for the rest of my life, it would be pineapple.

I don't think there is any form the pineapple comes in that I dislike, whether it be grilled, upside down in a cake, baked on top of a ham, and of course on a pizza pie! The only form of pineapple I think is mediocre, but I would still eat, is dried pineapple. It tastes good, but is there really a point to pineapple without its luscious juices? I enjoyed doing a little bit of research about pineapple and found an enjoyable page written by a journalist about the social history of the pineapple. http://www.levins.com/pineapple.html

This recipe is one inspired by what I gave up for lent: cookies and cakes (mainly in 100 calorie pack form...which always ended up being 300 calories by the time I ripped open 3 bags in 1 sitting). Not that I feel I had to give up anything, to be honest. I have had enough tragedy in the past year to last me an eternity, so I don't exactly feel I need to repent for much. Still, I decided to forgo those types of sweets even though I have a sweet tooth. So what is the understudy until Easter? Puddings, iced treats, and yogurt! I made this easy recipe within ten minutes, and it is absolutely delicious.

What is the one fruit you could live on for the rest of your life?

Pineapple Pudding (Courtesy of lowfatlifestyle.com)

Ingredients:

1 package of sugar-free and fat-free instant vanilla pudding

1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, not drained

1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Spoon in serving dishes and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite garish: berries, lime wedges, whipped topping, etc.

Straw and Cheese (Spaghetti Series # 3)

2010-02-26T17:47:00.011-05:00

Snowed in with about a foot outside my door, I was upset this late afternoon knowing I was missing out on making macaroni and cheese with my sister tonight - we had planned to make it together at her house for my family. Instead, I am home alone and craving the dish badly. I went to my kitchen and realized I had all the ingredients for my own macaroni and cheese. Not exactly the same, because I miss their company tonight, but at least I get my cheesy noodle fix!

I was grateful to have the time to leisurely browse recipes. I borrowed a little bit from here, a tad from there, and what I came up with was one incredible dish! Of course normally I would use elbows or fusilli, but this IS A Twist of Spaghetti, fellow foodies, and we need to stay true to our roots!

I am sipped a glass of Shiraz with this meal, and it certainly paired well! Cheers!

Straw and Cheese

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons flour

1 cup fat free half and half

1 cup shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I used Jack Daniel's Old No. 7)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3 slices of deli ham, sliced into julienne strips

1/2 pound cooked spaghetti, cooked 2 minutes less than directed

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish

- Generously salt a pasta pot and bring to a boil; cook spaghetti as directed above

- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add flour, whisking for 5 minutes until you get a light caramel-colored roux

- Slowly add in milk and whisk for another 2 minutes

- Stir in cheese, mustard, paprika, cayenne, and salt.

- Drain spaghetti and reserve 1 tablespoon of the pasta water and add this to the sauce mixture

- Add pasta to the cheese mixture and gently fold in ham

- Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a bowl in the microwave. Add the breadcrumbs and Romano cheese and mix well.

- Pour pasta mixture into the baking dish; place topping over pasta

- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

- Place oven on low broil for 2 minutes until topping is nicely crisp (a light brown color)

Sweet and Sour

2010-02-25T20:10:00.007-05:00

It is a sweet and sour day.

It is sweet because it was my last day at work for the week and I look forward to a nice, long three day weekend.

It is sour because New York City has yet another snow storm and tomorrow I am supposed to spend the day with my nephew and now I am worried we will all be snowed in. It is also sour because the snow made me miss a Peking Duck dinner tonight with my team from work! I came home in the slushy mix of weather cranky and upset, too tired to cook but not wanting take out.

So, sweet and sour is the inspiration for this recipe. I absolutely love Hawaiian Pizza and decided to try my own twist on the recipe tonight! Success, indeed, though next time I will add less sweet and sour sauce...a little goes a long way and I used a cup and would halve it...but it was absolutely a sweet dinner for such a sour evening!

Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients:

1 premade pizza dough crust (I used Boboli thin crust)

1/2 cup of Sweet and Sour Sauce (I used World Harbors)

4 slices of deli ham, torn into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup sweet corn kernels

1/3 cup diced pineapple

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 stems of diced green onion, white and green parts only

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Place pizza dough crust on a pizza pan. Spread sweet and sour sauce with the back of the spoon all over the crust. Top with ham, corn, pineapple, cheese, and onion.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

The Spaghetti Series - Sausage and Cream Sauce (#2)

2010-02-22T18:40:00.012-05:00

A member of my supper club is one phenomenal cook (they all are), and I give her extra admiration since she balances cooking with three young boys...the youngest just a few months old! At our last gathering, she made two recipes from a cookbook called Creme de Colorado Cookbook that were out of this world. One was a Greek chicken recipe and the other was lemon bread. I could not stop eating either. They were delectable.

I then looked back and previous lists from gatherings and saw that she had made other recipes from the cookbook that were successful. It was all I needed to hit Amazon the following day! I ordered a used copy of the cookbook on Amazon and am thrilled with it. I admit I love climbing into bed before I sleep with a cookbook. Tonight's Spaghetti Series recipe comes from the pasta section of the cookbook. I had a vacation day today and it was good to be home and not have to rush through the aisles at the supermarket or wine store. I took my time, and this dish takes no time at all. It was great comfort food on a cold winter's night.

Pasta with Sausage and Cream Sauce (adapted from the Creme de Colorado Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used chicken)

2 cups heavy cream (I used half and half)

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh, minced parsley

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon dried sage (I added this)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

12 ounces of cooked spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained (I used angel hair)

salt and pepper to taste

Extra parsley and Parmesan for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet, melt butter. Stir in sausage and fry until brown. Remove sausage and drain grease. Return sausage to skillet and stir in cream, wine, parsley, nutmeg, sage, and Parmesan. Salt and pepper to your tastes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Place pasta in heated serving dish and toss with sausage sauce, topping with extra parsley and Parmesan.

A Great Recipe from a Great Friend

2010-02-17T20:46:00.006-05:00

I owe two dear people in my life for tonight's post.

The first for the recipe - the easiest sweet and sour chicken recipe! I had it at a barbecue he hosted two years ago and it was, by far, one of the best chicken dishes ever! So moist and flavorful and tangy. I asked him for the recipe and could NOT believe how easy it was, and how much flavor the few ingredients added to a piece of chicken!

The second for the new tablecloths I am setting my plates on. He currently works in the fabric industry and got me some beautiful pieces that were leftover cuts. It was thoughtful and sweet and I am so excited to use them as part of a tablescape for photos of my recipes.

It has been a tough week, but their thoughtfulness makes life easier. I am tired from work and a bit fried like an egg, but looking forward to some days off next week and cooking up a storm! I couldn't handle much more than this tonight, but at the same time, it was the ultimate comfort food and ultimate plating thanks to two ultimately wonderful men in my life.

Sal's Amazing Chicken (courtesy of my dear friend, Sal)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs or legs

salt and pepper to taste

1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix

1/2 cup Ken's Country French Dressing

2 tablespoons of Apricot marmalade

Directions:

Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients.

Place chicken in dish and spoon mixture on top.

Bake in oven for 35 minutes, spooning juices of chicken halfway through.

Oh Captain My Captain!

2010-02-14T18:07:00.003-05:00

I love Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch, and my favorite boat is the Cornelia Marie.

Captain Phil Harris was my favorite captain, and his death this week saddened me greatly. What I loved the most about him was how good a father he was, and how much hard work he put in to raising his sons and providing for them in addition to teaching them about crab fishing on the bearing strait. The love for his children was evident on each episode, and for that I think he will be remembered for the most.

There are many forums to honor his memory, but the one I joined seemed most appropriate: Eat Crab Legs in Memory of Captain Phil. While I cannot afford crab legs at the moment, I splurged on some great lump crab meat for crab cakes. Sipping some chardonnay, I raise my glass to Captain Phil...a great captain, but an even greater father. The show will never be the same for me, nor will the seas, nor will your sons.

Cornelia Marie Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over

1/2 juice of a lemon

1 small red pepper, seeded and diced

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon hot sauce

3/8 cup of plain bread crumbs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for pan frying

Lemon wedges, for serving

Tartar Sauce, for serving

Directions:

Combine first ten ingredients and form into desired crab cake size. Place on a plate and cover with saran wrap and place in freezer for ten minutes. Heat a nonstick skillet with enough oil to coat the pan. Pan fry (time will depend on the size you make). Serve hot with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

(For a crab recipe right from Captain Phil, click here.)

Love = Guacamole!

2010-02-13T11:02:00.006-05:00

What better food to dip into for Valentine's Day than guacamole? It is rich like love, spicy like a good romance, and layered with goodness like any good relationship. Maybe it turns brown here and there to symbolize some darker times, but there is always pockets of fresh green to make up for that. Guacamole could very well mean "I love you" to some people!

It is also unique, like love, because you make it your own depending on what your likes are. For example, cilantro is a deal breaker for me since it tastes like soap (I usually refer to it as soaplantro), so I add parsley instead. The amount of cayenne really depends on what your tolerance is, and adding mild chilis or zesty jalepenos is your call as well. Just like a relationship, its what you bring to it that makes it special. In any event, I hope you have the chip to your guacamole this Valentine's Day and enjoy!

AK's Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 ripe haas avocados - halved, seeded, and peeled

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 14.5 ounce can of zesty diced tomatoes with mild green chilis, well drained (I used DelMonte)

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, squeeze out the juice of a lime

2) Cut, pit, and scoop out the avocados right into the bowl of juice so they do not brown

3) Mash avocado with a mashed potato masher

4) Add onion, diced tomatoes, and garlic

5) Add salt, cayenne, and cumin and half of the parsley

6) Mix well and sprinkle with remaining parsley when plated

6) Serve with your favorite chips...and margaritas!

To Bake a Cake on a Snowy Day

2010-02-10T14:54:00.003-05:00

The Northeast is experiencing the blizzard of 2010. I am home from work today and after reading the weather reports, I am rather skeptical about getting in tomorrow morning. Hopefully by the afternoon I will be back at my desk on the trading floor. It is nice to be at home and bake and read food blogs, but at the same time being cooped up past one day will drive me a bit stir crazy.

Speaking of stirring...

In the meantime, it is coming down about an inch an hour and I craved baking a cake today. However, I did not want all of the fat and calories. I searched high and low and found a winning recipe for a gorgeous and delicious cappuccino cake! This was featured in a contest, so trusting it seemed just fine. It is the perfect cake for a snowy day. You can have it with a coffee, hot chocolate, or a nice glass of Shiraz! Also, for you vegans out there, just use soy yogurt and you are good to go! I must say that this cake is delicious and extremely moist, and you don't even need the glaze. The powdered sugar would be fine as a topping!

If you are experiencing a snow day today, too, enjoy!

CAPPUCCINO CAKE RECIPE (Courtesy of Cut the Calories Cook Off Contest, GMA, 2000)

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey's)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Fage)
3/4 cup strong coffee (cold - I used vanilla flavored)
1 teaspoon coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)
1/4 cup oil

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl until well-blended.

3. In separate bowl, whisk yogurt and cold coffee, oil and liqueur together until smooth.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until cake batter is well-blended.

5. Pour batter into on 8-inch round pan (wax paper bottom and grease/flour sides) and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

6. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan, then remove wax paper from bottom of cake.

Ingredients for the glaze

Ingredients for glaze:

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate (melt for glaze)
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)
1/4 cup icing sugar (to dust on top of chocolate)

Directions

1. When cake has totally cooled, melt chocolate in microwave.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur and mix well until you get a glaze-like consistency.

3. Drizzle melted chocolate in zigzag pattern over top of cake.

4. Once the chocolate has set, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

2010-02-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

Who dat? Dat is the best chicken jambalaya! In the "Supperbowls" of Nawlins-style jambalayas, this is a winner!

To honor the New Orleans Saints today, I made a pot of jambalaya with lots of spice to hope they heat things up against Indiana. I took a chance on a recipe that I actually found on a website for a northern city covering the topic of Louisiana. I am not sure how authentic it is according to anyone living in Acadia, but I can assure you that it is absolutely delicious with quite a depth of spice! I do not use chili powder from the average supermarket, and I hope you don't, either. The chili powder I use is from the Indian market, Patel Brothers, and is the finely ground powder. It is ten times spicier than the supermarket kind, thankfully!

I have been trying to play around with effects on my camera to start taking better food photos! I like how the photo came out, but I have a long way to go. Speaking of a long way to go, Geaux Saints! Lets hope they get lots of yards and plenty of touchdowns to make laissez les bon temps rouler!

Chicken Jambalaya (courtesy of Courant.com)

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 green onions, white and green parts, diced

4 large chicken thighs (skinless or skin on)

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon medium-hot to hot chili powder

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup long-grain rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Brown bacon pieces in large skillet. When crisp, add sweet red pepper, garlic and green onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken thighs and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Spoon out excess fat.

Add thyme, marjoram, salt, chili powder and bay leaves. Mix gently. Add rice and chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender, liquid absorbed and chicken is done, about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

(Note: double if cooking for a crowd and cut up chicken in bite size pieces)

Goddess In the Kitchen!

2010-02-06T15:46:00.009-05:00

The New York Times published a wonderful guide to great snacks to prepare for Superbowl Sunday! Although tomorrow's dish that I cook will be Chicken Jambalaya in honor of the New Orleans Saints, I had to make something to snack on as well! There was a fantastic recipe for Greek Goddess Dip. After reading the recipe just yesterday, I knew I had to make it; the number of herbs in it was just irresistible. It took me all of ten minutes to make from start to finish. Although the dip itself does not contain traditional tailgating flavor, it is still absolutely delicious and would go wonderfully with any kind of pilsner beer. I made a few changes to make it a little healthier, so enjoy!

Greek Goddess Dip (courtesy of The New York Times)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh packed dill

1/2 cup fresh packed parsley

1/3 cup fresh packed basil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts only

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch of Kosher salt, to taste

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil (I used 1/4)

1/2 cup of crumbled feta (I used lowfat)

1/4 cup mayonnaise, optional (I used lowfat mayo and added 1 cup for extra creaminess)

Directions:

1. Place dill, mint, parsley, basil, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped.

2. With motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Add feta and process until smooth; pulse in yogurt. Taste dip and add more salt, if desired. If you like a creamier, richer dip, add mayonnaise and pulse to combine.

3. Serve dip immediately with vegetables or pita chips or cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The Spaghetti Series - All'Amatriciana (#1)

2010-02-01T20:13:00.006-05:00

Lets face it: Monday's are as bad as those leftovers sitting in the back of your fridge for over a week.

In order to brighten Mondays up a bit, I decided to create a weekly piece known as The Spaghetti Series. Each Monday I will post a new dish made with spaghetti for readers. It will be something simple, since Monday nights one is usually rather exhausted, but flavorful and fun to make.

Tonight I begin the series with a sauce called Amatriciana - a traditional Italian sauce based on dried pork cheek, pecorino, and tomato - from the town of Amatrice. There are many recipes out there with many variations, so I took the basics and then made it my own. It had a wonderful heat to it for a cold winter's night, and of course bacon is one of the ultimate comfort foods (in moderation, of course!).

Spaghetti All'Amatriciana

Ingredients

2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes

4 pieces of unsmoked bacon, center cut

2 medium onions, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 cups of dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz of cooked spaghetti

grated pecorino romano

Directions

- In a heavy saucepan, cook bacon until its well done and crispy. Remove and drain. Crumble.

- Pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon goodness and place pot back on low heat

- Add garlic and stir, 1 minute

- Add onions and stir, scraping up the nice brown bits, 5 minutes

- Add 1 cup of white wine (the 2nd cup is yours to drink), red pepper, marjoram, oregano, and parsley and let reduce (about 5 minutes)

- Add tomatoes and let simmer for 30 minutes

- Working in batches, puree the sauce in a blender

- Return to pot and let simmer for another 30 minutes

- Serve over spaghetti and top with grated romano cheese and some crumbled bacon.

The Goodness of Hummus

2010-01-30T18:32:00.008-05:00

My supper club's theme this month is citrus. A great theme considering its the deep cold of winter and foods with citrus are bound to invoke thoughts of warm, summery days.

What are your favorite foods with citrus? I love lemon the most and would choose a lemon dessert over a chocolate one any day, and I consider myself a chocoholic. I love key lime pie and I love eating clementines right out of the box. There is nothing better than a lemon ice from The Lemon Ice King of Corona during the summertime. I love blood orange sorbet, Asian orange beef, Greek lemon and egg soup, orange cranberry muffins. The only citrus I dislike is grapefruit...unless its juice is mixed into my favorite cocktail called The Papa Doble.

I made three dishes for supper club. The first was an appetizer - lemon artichoke hummus. I must say the word "garlic" should be in the title of the recipe as well! The original recipe I saw called for 6 cloves, but I reduced it to five and that was quite enough, thank you very much!

Other posts to come this week will be the two other dishes I made: lemon parsley mashed potatoes and an orange chocolate trifle.

If you are not in a supper club, I highly recommend it. It is a wonderful way to meet new people, talk food, and have fun sharing recipes. The women in my club are amazing, and I look forward to it each month.

Lemon Artichoke Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 can of Artichoke hearts

5 cloves garlic

2 Lemons

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon White pepper

1 tablespoon parsley flakes Virgin olive oil

Directions:

Juice the lemons. Combine all ingredients but the oil in the bowl of a food processor, turn on, and slowly drizzle in olive oil as the ingredients are being processed to a creamy consistency. Serve with drizzled olive oil and lemon wedges on top.

My Blossoming Birthday Celebration!

2010-01-27T17:20:00.004-05:00

Today is my actual birthday that I share with my beloved twin sister.

Life lately has been beautiful. Celebrations with friends and family have been abundant, and I am so grateful for a life rich with a close family and strong friendships.

Life has also been blessedly hectic lately between my new niece, a promotion at work, and so many great outings with friends and family. Hence, I decided to take this day off from work and spend it relaxing and enjoying rare quiet time alone. The gift to myself today is downtime and a chance to text and talk with friends and family instead of being at my desk at work on the trading floor. I woke up and went out for coffee and a bagel with a good schmear, pampered myself today at the nail salon with a manicure and pedicure, cracked open a bottle of pink prosecco, and also enjoyed this dish that was prepared in my Crockpot (no way was I making anything today that would ruin the nails!). I served this on top of white rice. I would have done brown rice if it were not my special day to make it healthier, but I wanted to indulge! Oh, and of course I read food blogs ALL day. Fellow foodie bloggers, you make my day and being able to read them leisurely today was a great gift!

I highly recommend this dish any time of year in the Crockpot. It was delicious and full of wonderful flavors and so easy to make. The next time I make this I may do half pineapple juie and half orange juice for even more great flavors, but it is truly perfect the way it is!

Orange Blossom Chicken Teriyaki (a recipe for a slow cooker)

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (you can also do half thighs if you want, but use dark meat; I also used skinless since skin slow cooker recipes make little sense to me - it gets too soggy)

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (I was fortunate to have this particular spice given to me recently by a friend who was in Ethiopia, so I cracked the outer shell and ground the pods in my mortar and pestle!)

1 thinly sliced, unpeeled orange

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1) Mix onion, garlic, and olive oil and place at bottom of slow cooker.

2) Place the chicken on top (sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste).

3) Whisk together orange juice, soy, honey, brown sugar, ginger, and cardamom in a mixing bowl. Pour over chicken.

4) Cover chicken with sliced oranges

5) Cook on high setting for 4 hours or low setting for 8 hours (I did low).

6) Remove chicken and oranges with slotted spoon.

7) Add cornstarch to the water and mix - then stir into the juices and whisk to thicken.

8) Place chicken and oranges back in the pot and keep on warm setting until ready to serve.

Tailgating At Home!

2010-01-25T01:59:00.004-05:00

I am a huge football fan and a die hard New York Giant's fan.

Although the Giants did not make it to the playoffs, I still love football enough to watch the playoffs and Superbowl, each game start to finish. I truly enjoy cooking on Sundays during football season and like to stick to some traditional tailgating foods. I love Buffalo wings, but rarely eat them since they are so fattening!

However, I was determined to figure out an alternative, and that came in the form of meatballs! After reading various recipes for Buffalo chicken meatballs, I came up with a recipe that combined details of a few delicious sounding ones and came up with this one. Instead of dipping them in blue cheese sauce, which you can do as a great appetizer, I decided to make blue cheese mashed potatoes and make it into a meal with carrots on the side. As far as beer, I was sipping Michelob Ultra and miserable. I don't know why I bother with that beer. The lack of flavor is just not worth the lack of calories.

The meatballs were rich tasting and nice and hot with the sauce on it. The mashed potatoes had a great sour tang to them that complimented the meatballs well. I love fresh parsley and decided to keep it coarsely chopped since I enjoy biting into pieces that have tender leaves cooked into them.

My cheers go to the New Orleans Saints! I hope they win the Superbowl! What team are you cheering for? Hopefully fellow food bloggers will have some great tailgating recipes in the next few weeks leading to the Superbowl!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 medium onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) Combine chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, egg, and salt and pepper to taste

3) Mix with your hands and cut into 4 equal portions - this should yield 16 meatballs

4) Arrange meatballs on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil

4) Bake meatballs until golden brown (about 12 minutes)

5) Heat butter and hot sauce in a saucepan and spoon over meatballs in a serving platter.

Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1/3 cup light blue cheese dressing

1/2 cup milk (or more depending on what consistency you like)

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, mash

2) Add milk, blue cheese dressing, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Restaurant Review: Bourdain's Brasserie- Les Halles

2010-01-24T10:09:00.000-05:00

I admit having a crush on Anthony Bourdain that has lasted for years and has no chance of ceasing anytime soon.

Growing up a good girl, there is something about a bad-ass chef that is extremely attractive. Though I am glad he has mellowed out over the years, he still is a wonderful chef with a wonderful voice in the culinary world. No Reservations is one of my favorite shows, and I enjoy his writing style in A Cook's Tour.

On Friday evening I met my dear cousin for dinner at Les Halles. It was the first time for the both of us at a Bourdain restaurant, and a long overdue dinner for us both together! We both stared out with glasses of red wine - a must on a cold winter's night at a brasserie! She had a Cote De Rhone and I had a lovely Malbec.

Although there were so many wonderful French brasserie appetizers on the menu (escargot, onion soup), we decided to go against the rules (Bourdain would be proud) and split a plate of macaroni and cheese with serrano ham as our first course. As you can see from above, it came right out of the oven with a crisp crust of cheese on top. Below was a melted blend of amazing cheeses and ham. I would say it actually is one of the best macaroni and cheeses I have had, and gives Artisinal's a run for its money. As much as I love American macaroni and cheese with cheddar, there is nothing like this French style with gruyere.

The main courses were steak, of course! They were so good I forgot about taking photos. I was too lost in the moment of beef bliss to even think about pulling out my camera.

Again, we were rebels and did not order the Steak Frites, the classic dish of the restaurant. My cousin had a filet mignon with bernaise sauce and I had a skirt steak with blue cheese sauce. I was confused by the sauces being there at all - the cuts of steak were tops and did not need any extra flavoring. Having a sense of this, we both ordered our sauces on the side. Instead, we used them as a nice accent to mix into our mashed potatoes (which were thick,gooey, and quite good).

I had profiteroles for dessert with a chocolate sauce that was drinkable on its own, and my cousin had a chocolate mousse that was perfectly textured and rich.

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles is a brasserie I highly recommend.

http://www.leshalles.net/ny_downtown.php

Meat and Potatoes

2010-01-21T19:17:00.002-05:00

Tonight was meat and potatoes night!

Its been a long week and the week is not even over, so meat and potatoes for dinner is good comfort food. Many of you may not know this, but I have been without Food Network for almost a month due to New York's Cablevision being in a battle with Scripps network. Tonight it is back, and I am glad I can watch Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives once more!

I am on a Penzey's kick this week it seems. This was actually the first time I used their poultry seasoning after purchasing it around Thanksgiving. A good investment for quick chicken dishes on a weeknight, let me tell you! I found a basic recipe from Martha Stewart for buttermilk baked chicken and made it my own. I had a baked potato sprinkled with parsley and some honey glazed carrots. The wine was a lovely Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 cups of plain breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (I used Penzey's)

1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used lowfat)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet

2) Combine bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, and cheese in a bowl.

3) Combine buttermilk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in another bowl and whisk well.

4) Pat chicken pieces dry and dip into buttermilk, shaking excess coating off. Dip into bread crumb mixture and fully coat.

5) Bake for 25 minutes until chicken is a nice golden brown.

To order Penzey's Poultry Spice: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspoultryseas.html

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice!

2010-01-18T13:16:00.017-05:00

I wanted to make something sweet for my sweet sister who brings home my sweet little niece tomorrow. Something with sugar, spice, and everything nice! I chose a recipe from Penzey's (I love Penzey's and am fortunate to have a store close to me) that I thought would be perfect: "Perfect Peach Cake."

Don't let the peach element fool you at all into thinking this is a summery cake! This is definitely a recipe for cold winter months since ingredients include brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttermilk. It was easy to make - I was able to find fresh peaches that were nice and ripe, imported from Chile. A bit pricey, but absolutely worth it. The smell in my apartment as the cake baked was decadent!

I have many Penzey's spices, including the cinnamon used in this recipe. If you have never checked out Penzey's, please click on this link and enjoy:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

If you love making chili, than I suggest you order the Chili 9000 immediately for the rest of the winter! I purchased it this past fall and it is the best Chili powder ever!

The cake came out perfectly, as the name says. The burst of peach amid the dark brown sugar was delicious, and the topping made it a nice hard sugar coating to add a wonderful texture above the moist cake.

Wishing everyone a sweet day!

Perfect Peach Cake (courtesy of Penzey's Spices)

2/3 Cup butter or margarine, softened (I used unsalted butter)
11/2 Cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Cup buttermilk (I used lowfat)
4 medium peaches, peeled and chopped, or 3 Cups frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and chopped (I used fresh peaches)
1/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp. PENZEYS CINNAMON
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9X13 pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and pure vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in the peaches by hand. Pour the batter into the pan. In a small bowl combine the sugar and CINNAMON. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Dinner Impossible

2010-01-17T19:50:00.012-05:00

The Scenario: My dear niece, Emily, was born on Friday to my older sister and her husband. She is their second - my nephew, Jack is four years old. I was alone in their kitchen as my sweet little Jack's eyes were drooping as he watched Scooby-Doo on the couch before naptime. Other family members would not be here until the evening. It was just around three in the afternoon.

The Challenge: Make dinner for Jack and my parents with ingredients from the pantry and fridge all while keeping up Jack's expectation for me to nap on the floor in a sleeping bag and especially expect me to be there when he woke up. I opened up the pantry and knew I could make a baked ziti, though I really needed sauce simmer time.

The Outcome: I did it! I waited until Jack was asleep and tip-toed out of the room and ran downstairs to simmer sauce. I knew I had about an hour before he potentially woke up. I just finished a good 20 minute simmer after I made the sauce, ran upstairs, snuck back into the sleeping bag, and voila! Within ten minutes he woke up, leaned over the bed and said "MAIMY!" I pretended to wake up, smiled wide, and smelled the sweet smell of success! We came downstairs afterwards, and he helped me here and there making a tray of baked ziti...of which he ate two bowlfuls. (note: for all you mom's out there making fast meals: my upmost admiration to you for even getting dinner on the table!)

JACK'S "SUPER FAST" TOMATO SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning

freshly ground pepper and Kosher salt to taste

Directions: Heat oil in a large pot at medium heat and add garlic. Sweat garlic for 3 minutes and add onions. Cook for another 5 minutes, until onions are tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with lid slightly ajar and let simmer for 20 minutes. Yields about 3 cups - use for lasagna, baked ziti, or a quick tomato sauce for spaghetti and meatballs.

The Cheese to my Macaroni

2010-01-12T19:21:00.017-05:00

I think one of my favorite restaurant items is the spinach and artichoke dip at Houston's, served hot and oozing with cheese as you dip a hot chip into the middle of the souffle cup its in. What is even better is it makes a hot mess of your napkin as you wipe your mouth each time you take a bite into its creamy goodness.

Another one of my favorite restaurant items is the macaroni and cheese at Artisinal. It is creamy and rich with stinky cheeses laced with ham bits as its served in a silver platter right out of the oven. I could like that platter clean if it were not for the very stuffy French staff that accompanies the macaroni and cheese (zut alors!) whose eyes gaze down on those lowly Americans devouring their precious cheeses.

What I am not in favor of anymore is any kind of weight gain. So, I found a recipe that combined two favorite foods - spinach dip and mac and cheese - that was actually healthy. Yep, you better believe it! There was no lack of flavor here, but lack of fat and calories that could make your hips a real hot mess!

Creamy Baked Spinach Macaroni and Cheese (courtesy of Dreamfields Pasta back of box)

Makes 8 1-cup Servings

8 ounces (2 cups) Dreamfields pasta, uncooked

2 Cups of 1% Milk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

salt to taste

8 ounces of lowfat swiss cheese, shredded (I used 6 ounces, it was more than enough)

10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x11 inch casserole dish

1) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta two minutes less than time indicated in directions. Combine pasta with spinach and set aside.

2) In a saucepan, heat milk over medium heat and simmer (do not boil)

3) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly (do not let the roux burn). Slowly whisk in the hot milk and whisk continuously until the mixture is bubbly and thick, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

4) Remove from heat and add pepper, salt, nutmeg, and cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted and smooth. (Note: I made this a day ahead and it was thick, so I added some more milk to make sure it would not become to thick when I placed it in the oven - eyeball it)

5) Pour pasta and spinach into the pot and mix well.

6) Pour mixture into the casserole dish and top with the grated Romano cheese.

7) Bake for 35 minutes and serve immediately. I served it with a white wine from Sicily called Grecianico Sicilia.

The Institute of Culinary Education

2010-01-11T17:34:00.000-05:00

The day's events at I.C.E.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza with Pepperoni and Sausage

Beer Poached Bratwurst and German Potato Salad

Cincinnati Chili Five Ways, Beer and Cheddar Soup, Wisconsin Fish Fry with Cole Slaw and homemade tartar sauce, Miller High Life Beer

Last week it seemed that all of the United States had snow in the forecast! The Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E.) here in New York City had the right idea when they decided to create a series called "American Comfort Foods" for their winter semester in the recreational class division.

Yesterday evening a friend and I had the pleasure of taking "Comfort Food from the Heartland" with Chef Daniel Stone, who grew up in the Midwest and is an expert on the cuisine. He talked a great deal about the culinary history of the region, and it was inspiring enough for me to want to visit all the cities he spoke of one day and eat my way through them.

The dishes we made yesterday were amazing and not at all difficult to make even on a cold winter weeknight. Here is the menu of all the delectable foods we made: Cheddar Cheese Beer Soup, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Cincinnati Chili Five Ways, Friday Night Beer-Batter Fish Fry, Tartar Sauce, Harry's Mom's Cole Slaw, Wisconsin Beer-Poached Grilled Bratwurst, Brat Mustard, German Potato Salad, Michigan Tart Cherry Pie, Ohio Buckeyes, and a Brandy Old Fashioned Cocktail.

In good conscience I cannot reprint the buckeyes recipe. They are basically the chocolate and peanut butter version of crack if chocolate and peanut butter were crack. I am, however, reprinting the soup recipe! It was not all that heavy and would be a meal on its own with some crusty bread and a salad on the side.

Cheddar Cheese Beer Soup (courtesy of Chef Daniel Stone)

Serves 6

2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

1 (12 ounce) bottle of ale, such as Bass

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound extra sharp cheddar, preferably English, rind removed

4 slices bacon, roasted in the oven and crumbled

1. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leeks and spin dry in salad spinner.

2. Cook leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and sprinkle flour over vegetables, then cook stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add milk, broth, and beer in a stream, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Adjust season to taste.

3. Add cheese by handfuls, stirring constantly. Cook until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes. *do not boil* Discard bay leaf

4. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish each serving with crumbled bacon.

With Thanks to my Refrigerator...

2010-01-06T20:06:00.015-05:00

There is nothing better than sitting in a French bistro, ordering quiche, and sipping some wine. After a long day on a trading floor, I decided to create a bistro night here at home with ingredients I had from previous dishes this week. Alton Brown, whom I adore, would call this dish "Refrigerator Pie." I say to that: zut alors! Quiche sounds much more sophisticated! Though I admit, this really is a refrigerator pie. Extra pie crust from Thanksgiving in the freezer, leftover mushrooms from spaghetti pie, sour cream from Christmas day corn pudding. This quiche has quite the representation!

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Quiche

1 frozen pie crust, thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 cup diced baby portobello mushrooms

1/2 cup diced ham

5 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup of asiago cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat and add onion. Saute for 20 minutes until a light golden brown. Add diced mushrooms and saute for another 10 minutes until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated and onions have reached a caramel color. Whisk eggs, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour mushroom and onion mixture into the pie crust, sprinkle ham on top. Pour egg batter over the mixture and the ham. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until center is set. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a side salad and a nice glass of red wine.

Bon Appetit!

Elvis has left the Oven

2010-01-04T19:58:00.011-05:00

Monday Night Banana Bake a La Elvis

Ingredients:

1 Really Hectic Day at Work after a Vacation

1 Lingering Cold

1 Overripe Banana

2 Tablespoons of organic crunchy peanut butter

1 Handful of semisweet chocolate chips

A dollop of Fluffernutter (optional)

Directions: Invoke your inner Elvis, stuff that banana with goodness, wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Then, stuff yourself with goodness and smile knowing that Monday is over.

Amy & Julia? Now That's More Like It!

2010-01-03T11:59:00.003-05:00

There will be no end in sight for the arctic temperatures enveloping the Northeast! Here in New York, it is painful to even step outside. Having a big pot of soup (today it is split pea) on the stove to help get the chill out of your bones is a must!

Speaking of bones, I absolutely love that Julie Child calls for making a nice ham broth first with the ham bones that has to simmer for four hours with vegetables and an herb bouquet that includes whole cloves. The aroma in my kitchen was like no other from any broth I have made. My best friend is stopping by today for afternoon tea and muffins, as well as quarts of soup to take home since her kitchen is in the process of being redone! I have amazing foodie moments with my best friend, and one of them was seeing Julia Child's kitchen at The Smithsonian. (Click and enjoy going through many of her cooking tools - her "spoonery" jar is one of my favorites!)

What kinds of soups are you making to keep you warm this January?

Julia Child's Split Pea Soup (Courtesy of Julia Child from her book "The Way to Cook")

Part I: Ingredients for the Ham Stock:

2 well-washed and scrubbed split ham-hocks (I had my own leftover from a huge Christmas ham)

3 quarts of water

1 cup of coarsely chopped carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 stalk of celery, chopped

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

5 whole cloves or allspice berries

Directions: Place the ham hocks in a soup pot with the water, making sure the bones are covered by two inches of water. Taking cheesecloth, make an herb bouquet of the bay leaves, cloves, and thyme. Add bouquet to the pot with the vegetables and let simmer with the pot slightly covered for 3-4 hours. (Note: I suggest you do not skim as it simmers, but rather make this the day before the soup and skim it when you take it out of the refrigerator - much easier!)

Part II: Ingredients for the Soup:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup diced celery

2/3 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrots

3 tablespoons flour

2 quarts of ham stock, heated

1 1/2 cups split green or split yellow peas (you may use a half cup more if you like it really thick since this recipe is on the thinner side)

Directions: Set a large saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the vegetables, cooking for 5 minutes. Add the flour, cooking for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool briefly. Blend in the ham stock and the split peas. Cover and simmer for an hour until peas are tender. Salt and pepper to taste a half hour into the cooking process. When cooked, you may mash or blend the soup depending on what consistency you prefer (I blended it). Serve with sauteed ham bits as garnish (I like mine really crispy) and keep a nice loaf of crusty bread next to your plate.

Note:I doubled the recipe you see below, which would normally serve six.

Spaghetti Pie

2010-01-02T21:07:00.001-05:00

It is fitting that the first recipe on this blog (and new year) has to involve spaghetti, but the challenge was making it somewhat healthy for the new year since most of us, myself included, are done with the overindulging of the holiday season! I perused many recipes for spaghetti pie and found one on Cooking Light. I tweaked it a great deal and made it my own, since the midwestern twist of cheddar cheese and base of sour cream was not all that appealing to me for this particular dish of Italian origins (though is divine when it comes to Cincinnati chili - mmm).

Its cold here in New York, and I have a slight cold. I have been in my pajamas all day cooking ham broth for tomorrow's split pea soup recipe and making this pie for dinner. I am proud to admit to my fan base that I read the book Julie and Julia, but not proud to say that I have yet to see the movie!

Before the chiding starts, note it is in my dvd player right now and I will commence watching it after eating spaghetti pie! I had this pie with a 2008 Crow Canyon Vineyard Chardonnay to compliment the chicken in the dish.

Spaghetti Pie (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 pound of ground chicken

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup diced baby portobello mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

2 cans (8oz) of tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups reduced fat ricotta cheese

1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese

1/4 cup green onion

4 cups (8 oz) hot cooked spaghetti

1 1/3 cups reduced fat Italian cheese blend of smoked provolone, romano, asiago, and mozzarella (Sargento makes a good blend)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
-Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, adding Italian seasoning, stirring to crumble. Drain well.
- Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and mushrooms for 3-5 minutes. Return meat to pan and stir in salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
-Combine the ricotta cheese, green onions, and cream cheese in a small bowl, and add cooked spaghetti, blending well until cheese melts. Place the spaghetti noodle mixture in a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
- Add one layer of blended cheeses.
- Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with more of the cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. (I put the broiler on for two minutes so the cheese would be a nice caramel color and a tad crispy)

Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar

2009-12-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

It is a Caesar Salad that will spoil you.

I cannot go back to eating a "regular" Caesar Salad after my appetizer this past Sunday at Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar in the East Village.

The salad was part of their Sunday Evening Prix Fixe menu that my best friend discovered (I cannot take credit for the restaurant pick) and decided that this is where we should have our annual holiday dinner on our annual New York City "Holi-day" (for approximately 16 years we have gone to the city together during December to see the tree, see windows, and see that we fill ourselves up with some good eats).

On top of the greens were fresh anchovies that were sliced perfectly and glistened next to the best part of the salad: the poached egg. Most of the time, Casear Salads are prepared with the egg already incorporated into the dressing, but not so for the "aroma" version. Cracking the bright yellow yolk and swirling the oozing goodness into the greens and then tasting was the second best part of the meal for me (the company was the best part, of course). I got to taste my friend's salad choice of mesclun, beets, radishes, ricotta, basil, and mint that was also delicious.

I love making bolognese sauce and have a staple recipe that is just about a decade old that I use, so I was curious about their bolognese. I had the fettucine verdi with the bolognese ragu and was impressed, but still think mine could be a contender along side Aroma's. That prompted my best friend to officially call a recipe throw down this spring: mine vs. hers vs. her dad's bolognese sauces! Our friend Tea and her mom will be the blind judges - stay tuned! I plan to win! My best friend had the "Sunday Lasagne" which was rich, hearty, and came right out of the oven in a small ramekin and I would definitely get the next time I go there on a Sunday evening.

Dessert came and I chose a scoop of spiced pear sorbet and white chocolate gelato that were delicately placed on mini tart-shaped cookies. I tasted my best friend's gianduija panna cotta, which was smooth and creamy, tasting of hazelnuts. Think Nutella and multiply its goondess times ten.

As you can see from the photos, we pretty much had the place to ourselves despite the communal tables in the downstairs seating area known as the "Farmhouse Room." We had to walk through a small alleyway outside and I almost tripped because it was so narrow, but it would have been well worth breaking something for breaking that yolk into the romaine. The restroom was straight through the kitchen, so I lingered on the long walk back to the table to peruse the huge bags of flour and industrial sized bowls and utensils cluttering up the entire space.

Since my best friend ordered the half bottle of wine and I was already in quite a state after two champagne cocktails, I do not remember what she ordered...but oh it was lovely! If you live in New York City, this is especially a must try for a cold winter's night. If you are planning to visit and want some authentic Italian food and good wine, I would recommend dining here.

This is my first true restaurant review. Hopefully I sounded more like a Ruth Reichl and less like a Frank Bruni!

Cheers!

http://www.aromanyc.com/index.html

Western Spaghetti

2009-12-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBjLW5_dGAM

A Twist of Spaghetti

2009-12-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

"Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner." ~ Sophia Loren

Blogging about food for me as been much like working to perfect a dish...it takes a few times to get it right with the perfect flavor, balance, and taste. My first food blog was linked to another blog I no longer compose and most recent has a negative premise that I no longer want to link to my creative work. Both were only focused on recipes, which is a problem for me because, as a true foodie, I feel compelled to explore all kinds of food blogging. I want to add restaurant reviews, wine tasting notes, and even some anecdotes about my experience with food.

Being a curvaceous cook in the Nigella-esque sense, I have always loved Sophia Loren's quotes about spaghetti. The fact that Sophia Loren discusses her poor self image when she was rail thin tells you something important about beauty, doesn't it? Her expression about pasta shows what she truly values when she looks in the mirror.

I, too, value spaghetti. It is a staple food that has always been there in various ways, shapes, and forms, both during the highest and lowest points of my life.

So, grab a fork, twist, and enjoy, because finally this plate is full with the perfect ingredients for a food blog!