Turkey Talk

The "Willie Bird" turkey was a success.

Here is the finished product.  Very moist and tasty.

and the gravy -- excellent-- but that is another blog.

-D

Update -- Motto of the Day

Lesson learned -- Stick with Martha Stewart -- she knows best.

I will never be a professional pie baker, but I can hold my own using Martha's pie crust recipe. The recipe using Crisco just didn't work -- very soft and difficult to roll out.

Oh well.

-D

Motto of the Day -- Do not be afraid.

Well to be honest  I am very afraid, intimidated, and basically scared of making pie crusts and any type of dough.  They are frankly not my thing and I avoid making them at all costs. Give me a 26 pound turkey to deal with and I have no fear; right now I am unsure if it will fit in any roasting pan that we have and as of this moment  the turkey has not even been delivered.  I am feeling no anxiety and very confident we will figure it out.

How difficult can it be to mix flour, cold water and butter or crisco - to me - very.  I am never sure of what they really mean by "until the dough resembles a coarse meal" or "until it just comes together".  Then there is the ever fearful rule of "never over mix the dough".  What does all that mean?

As much as I hate using the packaged pie crusts, I have to admit using them sometimes but never for a holiday; it just doesn't seem right.  So this morning it is all about making a pie crust. (By the way G is extremely talented at making pie crusts so that just makes things worse).  If I succeed, I promise I will  never buy the packaged kind again.

FYI -  I am attempting two kinds of pie crust recipes,  Martha Stewart's pate brisee and a recipe from the Pioneer Woman (which is a blog I follow).  I am not posting the recipes until I master them.  I am in charge of the pumpkin pies that will be made tomorrow, so I need the pie crusts to be made, chilled and delightful by then, it promise to be a very long day.

Wish me luck.

-D

Thanksgiving!

Ok - the biggest food day of the year has arrived,  G and I are in full swing,  we are adding menu items daily.  Yesterday was all about side dishes, today the turkey is being delivered, tomorrow is "prep" day and pie making.  Here we go!

First issue -- Ordering a 26 pound turkey was possibly not the best idea, not sure if we have a roasting pan big enough, G is bringing one from her home, hopefully it works out.  Also perhaps 26 pounds was a bit more than required, we are 10 people this year so that works out to approximately 2 pounds of turkey per person.......a bit much.

We are trying a free range "Willie Bird" turkey this year, supposedly it is the best.  My guys who usually eat anything that can be topped with a gallon of ketchup seem to be finicky when it comes to turkey,  they are very concerned that it might be too dry.  Its a tough crowd, I have promised to deliver a succulent moist turkey this year.  Wish us luck.

-D

Olive Oil Cake

Olive Oil Cake

(adapted from “Rustic Italian Food” by Marc Vetri – we’ll remind you here about our cookbook obsession, and this new book is worth buying)

Olive Oil Cake is not a “showy” dessert and this cake is special in its simplicity: its charms are not obvious but once sampled this cake is hard to pass up. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

pinch of sea salt

3 eggs

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups olive oil

1 ½ cups whole milk

grated zest of 3 oranges

confectioners sugar for dusting

Coat a 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda an salt in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar until well blended.  Whisk in the oil, milk and orange zest.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack in the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.  The cake will be very moist.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove the springform sides and cool completely.  Dust with confectioners sugar.

Serves 10 to 12.  Or in our family: maybe 6.

OLIVE OIL – HOW DO WE LOVE THEE

Okay, we’re just going to say it: we love olive oil.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.   And we use, try and buy all different kinds.  We’re purists, but not snobs.  We have bottles that cost more than we’ll admit to (husbands look away now), and others that come from Trader Joe’s that are very affordable and delicious.  And we love them all.  

We’re always looking for new olive oils to sample and there’s a seemingly inexhaustible supply of different choices.  Italian, Spanish, French, Greek, Tunisian, Californian . . . what a change from when we were growing up: the choices were limited to “Extra Virgin” from Italy, or NOT.  In our endless quest for something new to try and since our ancestors emigrated to the United States from Calabria, we’ve spent some time searching for olive oils from that region and stumbled upon a website for “Tre Olive” which allows you to “adopt” an olive tree for a year.   Tre Olive is a company run by three cousins living in the US but who are committed to developing the family business in Calabria.  Once you adopt a tree, they send you the tree’s olive oil production from that year.  Our initial thoughts: “Genius!”  “Who knew this was possible?”  “We have to write about this!!”

The naysayers in our midst were dubious.  “What if it’s a sham, they said, or a ponzi scheme (seriously ??) or worse, what if there’s no oil?”  “What if it’s no good?”

Party poopers.   We won’t be jumping for joy at their next idea.

Ever the optimists, we rushed to send in our payment of $110 and received a beautiful certificate as our “adoption papers” which we’ve photographed and feature prominently in this post.  We are proud parents, and may actually pay our tree a visit.   We promise to send photos.

In the meantime, while we wait for our harvest, we’re sharing a recipe that will put some of that olive oil in your (and our) pantry to good use.  Go forth and bake.

Equipment of the Day -- Tomato Knife

This is my new favorite thing ---   G's new knife.  Take a look.

I am definitely getting one ASAP.

-D

Tomato Day - Part One

Rain, Rain, Rain.   It's raining outside, but we are inside busy cooking with one of our favorite ingredients: Tomatoes!

G took a cooking class while in Tuscany in June and learned to make this creamy tomato sauce - “Fonduta Piccante”.  Fresh mozzarella is the key ingredient, so it’s worth finding the real thing.  Do not even think of using the shrink-wrapped stuff in the grocery store.  And by the way, in Italy one can find superb mozzarella everywhere, even in gas station/food stops on the Autostrada. 

It’s great any time of year, but we love it during the summer when you can use fresh tomatoes to make the marinara sauce. 

Note on Equipment

As you may or may not know we have an obsession with kitchen gadgets and appliances (D is even thinking about a part-time job at Williams Sonoma to be closer to the latest and greatest in kitchen gear).  Often good equipment will make the difference between success and failure and this dish is no exception.

We made it first with G’s “ordinary” blender (name of manufacture withheld) and then again in D’s kitchen with the almighty “Vitamix”.  This particular sauce should be extra creamy and it’s hard to achieve the creaminess with an “ordinary” blender.   Using the Vitamix did result in a creamier more cohesive sauce, the "ordinary blender created a slightly grainy sauce,  but the taste was not altered.  Still, with us being all about appearances (remember our aforementioned shoe obsession) the Vitamix was our first choice.

Recipe to follow

-D&G

Fonduta Piccante

“Fonduta Piccante” or Creamy Tomato Sauce with dried chili pepper

2 pounds dried pasta - like thin spaghetti or farfalle

2 cups fresh marinara sauce, warm but not piping hot (recipe to follow below)

2 large balls of fresh whole milk mozzarella, each cut in four pieces

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Olive oil (optional)

In a blender, combine the fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce and red pepper flakes.  Blend until thoroughly combined.   You can add a glug or two of olive oil, if you wish

Cook whatever pasta shape you’re using until al dente (and we’re adamant about this!!) and place in a large serving bowl.  Pour sauce over pasta; add salt and additional red pepper flakes to taste.

Serves 8 (or the 2 of us for a day or two).

-D&G

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

This is our basic “go to” sauce that we always keep on hand in the refrigerator.  We use it for everything.  This recipe makes more than you’ll need for the Fonduta recipe above.

1 large yellow onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic

4 large cans (28 ounces) of whole plum tomatoes (we prefer Pastene “DOP” but they’re a bit expensive, we like Muir Glen from California as a more affordable alternative).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

In a large stockpot over medium heat, pour enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pot and add the chopped onion.  Sauté until soft, add the two garlic cloves then the tomatoes.  The tomatoes will break down as they cook, but you can give them a head start by chopping them quickly in the can with a knife or put them in the food processor for a few seconds.

Add 1-tablespoon salt, and continue to cook over a low flame for 30 - 40 minutes.

-D&G

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

In the mean time, for those of us who don't have a vegetable garden planted*, here is a recipe that I have made many times to great reviews.  You can use it as a appetizer or small meal.  


( *I am very proud of my pot of basil....just saying)


-D

ROASTED GARBANZO BEANS

3 cans garbanzo beans, drained – chick peas

½ lb. minced chorizo sausage

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 onion chopped – Red

Olive oil

Sherry vinegar

Smoked paprika

2 large chopped red peppers – small chop

Salt and pepper – crushed red pepper

½ cup chopped flat Italian parsley

Shaved Manchego cheese

Place drained beans, sausage, onion, pepper, and garlic, paprika and olive oil on cookie sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees until onions are caramelized.  Remove from oven and drizzle with sherry vinegar.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.  Mix in fresh herbs.  Top with shaved Manchego.  Serve with toasted bread.

Notes:


- You can can cook the sausage separately and drain for less fat

- make sure you add the vinegar after it cooks, if you can't  find a sherry vinegar you can substitute a white wine vinegar.

Were Back.........

After a short hiatus we are back in the kitchen.  We have been busy:  G has a unbelievable vegetable garden almost exploding with produce,  and I am proud to say I have a pot of basil on my deck.

Stay tuned as we put all of this to good use with some late summer recipes.
It might be stifling hot outside right now but that doesn't stop us: we'll be making Pappa al Pomodoro (tomato and bread soup), Bistecca all Fiorentina (Tuscan grilled steak with fresh herbs), Caponata with eggplant and squash, and perhaps some ice cream to finish the meal.

Stay tuned . . . 

Milk Chocolate Cake.

Just in case all the chocolate from the Easter Bunny has disappeared and your craving for chocolate has not, here is a recipe that really tastes like a milk chocolate candy bar (really, trust me on this).

This is a great cake for snacking on. The cake is lighter than a traditional pound cake, so all the dieters out there can feel better about taking a slice.  Myself included.

RECIPE (adapted from the Charleston Cake Lady)

Easter is Over!!

Easter is over,  a good time was had by all.  All of the food was tasty, the "Ham in coca-cola" got a thumbs up and will become a favorite in our recipe collection.

Bring on the Next Holiday.

FEEDING A VILLAGE: ITALIAN EASTER SUNDAY, PART THREE... Cheesecake

Although the traditional dessert for Easter is the Italian Rice Pie or a Ricotta Pie- we always had a cheesecake, that’s the way it was, we referred to it "Easter Pie", we loved and waited for it - and for some reason it was made only on Easter.  Not sure why.  It was just a rule.  Easter = Easter Pie, Christmas = Jam Tarts (a future blog I am sure).

Easter pie was made in a pie dish with a graham cracker crust and a sour cream topping.  However since I am a cream cheese fiend/addict - I changed tradition to a NY Style Cheesecake with a Sour Cream Topping.  This increases the amount of cream cheese needed from 16 oz to 32 oz - (hey - high cholesterol has never run in our family, just diabetes, and if you follow my father’s advice of  "cutting the sugar” with a cup of strong coffee after eating a very high caloric dessert, you can eat a piece of this cheesecake with very little guilt - these are words of wisdom I personally live by).

Actually both cheesecakes are very good, I just prefer more cream cheese - and it’s the holiday so no rules barred

Recipes to follow –

-D

Cheese cake - NY Style with Sour Cream Topping

  

 

RECIPE:  NY Style with Sour Cream Topping

Cheese cake -- "Easter Pie"

RECIPE:  Classic Cheese cake

The Trouble with Cheesecakes...

Since we are on the topic of Cheesecakes (one of my favorite things to bake) here are some of the pitfalls that go along with the making of a “perfect “cheesecake.

Cracking on the surface – This is caused either by over beating the batter or over baking which causes too much moisture to be lost as the cheesecake bakes.

To prevent cracks:

– Only beat the ingredients at low speed, so not to incorporate a lot of air into the batter; and just beat until smooth.

-Bake only until firm – the cheesecake should still wobble a bit when the pan is shaken and the middle should still look a little wet.  Once it cools the cheesecake will firm up and be the correct consistency.

If all else fails – just add a fruit topping to cover up the crack – who is to know – it will still taste great.

Cheesecakes should not made be eaten right after baking – they need to cool completely and be refrigerated for several hours or overnight, so the flavors blend and the texture becomes nice and firm.

To freeze a cheesecake – place a cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze uncovered until firm.  Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag.  Seal and return to freezer.  It can be frozen for several months.

Thaw the uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

Good Luck!

FEEDING A VILLAGE: ITALIAN EASTER SUNDAY, PART TWO... Frittata

Frittata -- which is very similar to an omelet is one of the main dishes of our traditional Easter meal -- our family made it with fresh ricotta cheese, eggs and fresh sausage. The sausage was usually handmade at home, and we actually had a neighbor who made fresh ricotta - how great was that.  We were not really into vegetables but I have heard rumors of other families also having a vegetable frittata along with the sausage.

Frittata with Asparagus

RECIPE:

Frittata with Sausage

RECIPE:

EASTER FEAST: BRING ON THE HAM

While the centerpiece of our holiday meal has always been a ham, we doubt that anyone has ever put much thought into it’s preparation save for following the instructions on the packet of glaze that usually accompanies the packaging.   This is possibly the reason that the Easter ham usually sticks around long after the holiday has come and gone, a situation that we have come to refer to as “ham fatigue”.

Hurt feelings and tradition be damned: throw that seasoning packet aside and follow our lead.


This year we decided to give ham the attention it deserves and as a result, will be making “Ham in Coca Cola” a recipe we’re adapting from Nigella Lawson’s book “Nigella Bites”.  While we don't often advocate using high-fructose corn syrup in anything, this recipe makes a ham that’s shockingly good; and besides, the idea of cooking something in a large quantity of soda was just too much fun to resist.  And remember, Easter comes just once a year.

RECIPE:

Gumdrop Bread -- The other Easter Bread.

While G is up to her forehead in flour trying to perfect the Easter Bread recipe, I am sitting back and taking the easy route - my mission is to try out the Gumdrop Bread Recipe from the same cookbook.  Yes - gumdrop bread -- candy and bread - sounds intriguing and raises some questions - like why gumdrops?  Was it to use up the remaining stale gumdrops that sit around forever at the bottom of the candy dish?  Or to add some color to the Holiday table?    Hard to tell -- after some research on my part - it seems like this was a popular bread made in the late 1940's, maybe for the kid's table at family gatherings.  Who knows but it sounded fun and easy enough to make.  So here goes --

EASTER BREAD

 
G makes the bread: the original recipe did not specify the actual quantity of yeast (no one said Aunt Mary was a professional recipe writer) and it took several attempts to get it right.   In my first attempt I used WAY too much yeast and the resulting dough looked like something from a science experiment gone awry.  It took several more tries to figure out that even with the amount of flour called for, one packet of yeast yields the perfect dough.  A large stand mixer makes this dough easier to work with, although some kneading by hand at the end is probably necessary.

RECIPE:

FEEDING A VILLAGE: ITALIAN EASTER SUNDAY, PART ONE

Easter is one of our favorite holidays, not just because of it’s religious significance but also because it reminds us that Spring is finally here and it gives us an excuse to recreate the Easter feasts of our childhood.  We’ll also admit to a fondness for jelly beans, chocolate cream eggs and those garish Peeps that seem to stick around long after the holiday has passed.

While we never called it “brunch” (a word we’ve never actually heard an Italian-American utter) the holiday meal is typically served late morning and continues throughout much of the day, and for our family always included an enormous ham, several versions of frittata, side dishes too numerous to mention and the ubiquitous Easter bread, the recipe that we’re attempting first as it can be made several days (if not a week) in advance.

For inspiration, we’re pulling out D’s copy of  a community cookbook published by the Catholic Church of our youth entitled “Our Favorite Recipes: Created by the Parishioners and Friends of the Immaculate Conception Church”.  Not only is it a culinary history of our community and a bygone era, it’s a record of many cherished family recipes since we are related to a significant number of contributors.  It’s also very typical of many self-published community cookbooks in that there are often multiple versions of the same recipe (eggplant parmesan versions 1 through 4, for example, along with at least six recipes for “Italian” cookies).  We especially love the recipes for baked goods that merely list ingredients and then say “shape and bake”.  Shape into what, exactly?  And bake for how long, and at what temperature?  More often than not, the assumption is that the reader is not only familiar with the recipe itself but also the person who contributed it, making detailed instructions unnecessary.

This year, we are using our Aunt Mary’s recipe for Easter bread, a large braided anise-flavored bread often decorated with colored hard-boiled eggs (which we were warned never to eat, but more on that later).  Aunt Mary’s version of this family favorite is really the best in our memory, and fortunately for us the tattered, much used copy of our Church cookbook includes the coveted recipe.

Original Recipe

-G

The Easter Bread Quest

Everyone has holiday memories.  Some of us even try to recreate them.  For Easter it was a tradition to have a family brunch and a special bread was baked at that time -- the infamous "Easter Bread".  This bread was twisted into a rope with hard boiled eggs entwined inside.  yup... rope and eggs..
We have been on a quest to find the recipe that recreates this bread, it has not been easy - no written recipes can be found that actually make the same bread.  So this year we have found an old recipe book published by our old parish that has a recipe an Aunt of ours used to make.  Problem is the recipe seems to be missing something -- like the amount of yeast -- and how many it loaves it makes -- 5lbs of flour seems like a lot for 1 loaf don't you think???  So here we go.

-D & G

Recipe Book

Chili

Since it is spring and I have had enough (till the fall) of heavier fare - I love this lighter chili recipe, it's  easy.  It has plenty of flavor and lower calories than other recipes that I have tried -  the addition of butternut squash adds something.  So for those of you health conscious addicts - try it.  

Serve it with sour cream and grated cheddar cheese for garnish, and a healthy salad on the side and you have a meal!

I always grate my own cheese -- it is worth the effort, believe me it really is.

RECIPE:

Question

Can you give me the great recipe of the Brussels sprouts?  Thanks

Posted by Merce on Two Kitchens on 3/23/11

New Knives

Take a look at these beauties --- I finally worked up the courage to buy new knives,  they are a little intimidating but I think I can get a handle on them (no pun intended).  The best thing a kitchen can have is a sharp knife - is the advice I was once given.

So far they are a thumbs up!

Shun Classic 7" Rocking Knife

Shun Edo 8" Chef’s Knife

http:/www.williams-sonoma.com

Banana Bread

Its mid week , its snowing again and I need to use up a bunch of ripe bananas.  The snow doesn't really have to do with anything - just thought I would mention we are having a spring snow storm.

So its banana bread time.  This is the best recipe I have ever come across - my guys can finish off a bread in one sitting.

-D

RECIPE: