Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding has been a favorite of ours for years. We generally serve it at the Christmas meal with a standing rib roast, green beans, gravy, and mashed potato.


Yorkshire-Pudding batter needs to be cold. Make it a day ahead, and refrigerate.Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk

1. Sift together flour and salt. Place in bowl; make a well, and place eggs in center. Slowly whisk eggs into flour mixture until a paste forms. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup milk.Gradually whisk in remaining 2 cups milk. Cover with plastic; chill in the refrigeratorat least 4 hours, or overnight.

2. When roast is finished, set oven at 425 degrees. When pan has been deglazed, pour 1/4 cup reserved pan drippings into roasting pan. Heat pan and drippings until very hot, about 5 minutes. Remove batter from refrigerator, and shake or whisk well; quickly pour into hot pan. Cook until crisp and golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Alternate method would be to melt one stick of butter in a glass baking dish 8 1/2" x 11" then pour the batter into the dish with the melted butter. You can also make individual Yorkshire pudding servings by using a muffin tin with 1-TBS melted butter in each muffin section. I suggest getting a Texas-sized muffin tin.

Pasta Primavera

With most fresh veggies fully available most of the year , pasta primavera is a nice meal - or anytime. It can be served hot or cold as a salad.

12 ounces uncooked spaghettini, vermicelli, penne, or ziti

• 2-1/2 cups (3-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 1-1/2 cups shelled green peas (about 1-1/2 pounds unshelled)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 cups diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or ham, chopped
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago or fresh Parmesan cheese


To keep the prosciutto from sticking together in the pasta, lay it out on a plate to dry after you chop it. The rich, nutty flavor of the Asiago complements the saltiness of the prosciutto, but Parmesan can be substituted if necessary.

1. Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven, and add the pasta. Cook pasta for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, and cook 2 minutes. Add the peas, and cook for 1 minute. Drain well, and set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; saute 5 minutes. Add onions; saute 1 minute. Add broth and wine; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta mixture, basil, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon oil, salt, pepper, and prosciutto. Spoon 1-1/4 cups primavera into each of 8 shallow bowls; top each serving with 1-1/2 tablespoons cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Quick and easy Italian summer meal

This is quick and tasty. You can do it outside on the grill in a matter of minutes.

2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1/4 Cup Marsala Wine
1 Green Pepper Sliced in 1/2 " slices
2 Large Portabella mushrooms sliced in 1/2" slices and halved
1 Large onion sliced in rounds - 1/2" slices
2 Italian sausages sliced lengthwise OR a grilled B/S chicken breast
2 Kaiser or Hoagie rolls
Garlic powder for veggies and rolls

Grill sausages then slice in half lengthwise. In the mean time, sautee veggies in oil,butter, and wine until fairly soft. Split rolls in half lengthwise and toast on grill with a tad of garlic powder.
Place sliced sausages on bottom half of roll.

Drain and distribute veggies on roll - close roll with the top. You might want to spread a little marinara sauce on it too if you have it in the fridge. Also great on pasta.

Mangiare buono! Piacere!

Hot and Spicy Marinade

This is guaranteed to 'tickle' your fancy if you like tender and spicy.






Blend together:

4 minced green onions
2 seeded jalapeno or habanero peppers
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
a pinch of nutmeg.

Put meat in a sealable plastic bag, then pour in the marinade. Turn over from time to time. Best if marinated 4-hours or over night for an EXTRA surprise.

Blend all until smooth in a blender. This is good with chicken, beef, or pork. WARNING!! Be prepared for the morning after.

Bracioli and Meatballs

This recipe is simply fantastico!!! If you have the time and the hunger for an exquisite Italian meal, try this. Your guests and family will keep coming back for more. Served with sauteed zuchini squash, garlic, onions, and mushrooms, and REAL garlic bread, linguini or rigitoni and chianti? Oh MY!!

For the braciole:

1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cubed (1/2 inch) day-old Italian bread
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into 12 slices, each 1/2-inch thick
12 slices (about 6 ounces) imported Italian prosciutto
1/4 pound imported provolone cheese, cut into 1/4- by 1/4- by 2-inch sticks
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions (about 8 ounces), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 (35-ounce) cans crushed Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 bay leaves
Water, as needed
Salt, to taste
Crushed hot red pepper, to taste
2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage

Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds rigatoni
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For the braciole:

Pour the milk into a medium bowl, add the bread cubes, and let soak until the bread is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the bread, squeeze out the excess milk from the cubes with your hands, and return it to the bowl. Stir in the chopped eggs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, raisins, pine nuts and garlic to create a stuffing. Mix well and set aside.

With the toothed side of a heavy meat mallet, pound each slice of beef into a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Arrange one of the pounded meat slices in front of you with one of the short sides closest to you. Top with a slice of prosciutto, and tap the prosciutto with the back side of a knife so it adheres to the beef. Spread 2 tablespoons of the stuffing along the edge of the meat closest to you, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place a stick of provolone over the stuffing. Fold the border over the provolone, then fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing. Roll into a compact roll about 4 inches long. Secure the end flap with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining beef and stuffing, then season the rolls with salt and pepper.

To brown the braciole, heat olive oil in a large heavy casserole over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add as many of the braciole as will fit in a single layer and cook, turning as necessary, until golden on all sides, about 7 minutes. If necessary, repeat with any remaining braciole. Adjust the heat under the pan as necessary to prevent the beef from scorching.

For the sauce: Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze with your hands until coarsely crushed, removing the cores as you do. If necessary, return all the braciole to the casserole. Pour the wine into the casserole, bring to a boil and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste and bay leaves and stir until the paste is dissolved. Season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, adjust the heat to simmering, and cook, adding water as necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged until the beef is tender, about 3 hours.

After the braciole have been simmering in the sauce for about 1-1/2 hours, add 2 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausages, poked all over with a fork and browned.

For the meatballs:

Crumble pork and beef into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated cheese, parsley and garlic over the meat. Beat the egg with salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Pour over the meat mixture. Mix the ingredients with clean hands just until evenly blended. Don't overmix. Shape the meat mixture into 1-1/2-inch balls. Dredge the meatballs in the flour until lightly but evenly coated. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil and the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slip as many meatballs into the skillet as will fit without overcrowding. Fry, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat as the meatballs cook to prevent them from overbrowning, and add them to the pot after the braciole have been simmering for 2 hours.

When the meats are cooked, transfer them to platters, spoon a little sauce over them, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions, drain well and return to the cooking pot. Add enough of the sauce to coat the rigatoni lightly, season with Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, and transfer the sauced pasta to a large platter. Pass any remaining sauce and some grated cheese separately. Remove the toothpicks before serving. The braciole can be prepared up to two days in advance, then reheated over low heat until warmed through.

Hoagie Rolls

These rolls or bread make a total and complete sandwich for a barbeque. This is an adaptation and variation of the Bread Baker's Apprentice... written by Peter Rinehart... recipe for Italian bread. It’s a combination of the Italian bread recipe, which includes Paté Fermentée in lieu of the biga(*). It yields a delightful hoagie roll with a soft, golden topped crust. These rolls go very well with just about anything you want to put on them like roast beef, turkey, char-broiled Italian sausage, BLT, BBQ beef or pork, or ham and cheese.

Dough Ingredients by Volume:

2 ½ cups Unbleached, high gluten bread flour
1 2/3 tsp non-iodized salt
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp diastatic barley malt powder
1 TBS olive oil
7-8 Ounces milk
1 Egg yolk
8 Oz Pate fermentee
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting
Stick butter

Instructions:

Paté Fermentée should be at room temperature.

With a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and barley malt powder in your largest mixer bowl. Add the olive oil, egg yolk, and milk. Mix until it forms a ball, adding flour and/or water according to need. Mix on medium speed with dough hooks until you get a dough that passes the ‘windowpane’ test, is slightly tacky and soft, but not too stiff. The dough should clear the sides and bottom of the bowl

Knead for 10-minutes on floured counter, or 6-minutes in mixer bowl with dough hooks. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Roll the dough in the bowl several times so it is coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it ferment/rise until double in size. Because of the small amount of yeast used, the rising will take about 3-4 hours. DO NOT increase the amount of yeast.

Once doubled in size, add the 8-Oz of Paté Fermentée. Knead the Paté Fermentée into the raised dough, adding flour as necessary to get a silky, yet fairly stiff, flexible dough. Lightly dust with flour and return to bowl and let rise to double once again. This rising should take no more than 45-minutes.

Divide into either four or six equal pieces, depending on how large you want the rolls. Let the pieces rest for 10 minutes. Roll and shape into hoagie shaped rolls - about 8” long by 4” wide by 3 inches thick (for 4-roll.) The roll ends should be blunted, not pointed so you have a rectangular shaped creation.

Place the shaped rolls on a sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper, lightly oiled, and dusted with semolina flour (preferred) or cornmeal. Spray tops of rolls lightly with olive oil. Cover loosely with dry waxed paper and let rise to one and one half the original size.

Turn on oven and set to 500F. making sure there is an empty steam pan in the oven. Score the rolls with two horizontal slashes. Pour several cups of water in the steam pan, and spray the walls of the oven with water. Place the rolls in the oven. After 30 seconds, spray the oven walls again and quickly close the oven door. Repeat spraying again after another 30 seconds. After the final spray, lower the oven temperature to 400, and rotate the pan 180 degrees. It should take about 15 - 20 minutes for rolls to complete baking.

When rolls are golden and cooked through, remove them from the oven to a cooling rack and rub the tops of the rolls with a stick of butter for a soft, golden crust.

Paté Fermentée(*)

Paté Fermentée translates into fermented bread. It is NOT a sourdough, but rather a process that many bakeries use for either French bread, or Italian bread. The Italian version is called biga, and another French version is called poolish. Each version is different in consistency and has different uses depending on what kind of bread you are making. Each one is a key in breadmaking; a little bit from each batch is held over to the next day to make another batch, etc. the following day. I might add, that a frozen then thawed batch of the Paté Fermentée seems to have better bread rising qualities than the original.

This recipe yields approximately 16 ounces. Use only 8 Ounces for the roll recipe, and freeze the remaining 8 ounces in an air-tight freezer bag. It will last about 3-months. Lightly oil the inside of the freezer bag before you put in the Paté Fermentée.

Paté Fermentée Ingredients

1 1/8 Cups of unbleached high gluten bread flour
1 1/8 Cups of All Purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp instant yeast
6-7 ounces of bottled water at room temperature


With a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast in your largest mixer bowl. Add the water. Mix until it forms a course ball, adding flour and/or water according to need. Mix on medium speed with dough hooks until you get a dough that is neither too sticky nor too stiff.

Knead for 4 to 6 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes in the mixer with the dough hooks. Dough should be soft and pliable and tacky, but not sticky.

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Roll the dough in the bowl several times so it is coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it ferment/rise until 1 ½ times the original size.

Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to de-gas, and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator over night. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze in an airtight plastic bag for up to three months.

A P.S. here - always use bottled or spring water at room temperature. Chlorinated water and the yeasties don't always get along, and it can change the taste and texture of the bread.

Home

Calamari with Lemon Myrtle

Ok, OKAY - I agree, this is a bizarre salad recipe, but I can assure you, once you try it, you WILL be back for more!! :-)

Lemon Myrtle is an Australian native tree indigenous to the coastal, sub-tropical rainforests of Queensland. The Lemon Myrtle leaf has a unique, refreshing flavour and aroma of a blend of lemongrass, lime and lemon.




Ingredients:

3 cups calamari (squid) tubes
5 fresh lemon myrtle leaves (very finely sliced) or 1/2 tsp powdered lemon myrtle
4 shallots finely chopped
1 large red chili pepper (optional) Jalapenos here are great
1 TBS chopped ginger root
1/4 cup roasted unsalted macadamia nuts
2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 TBS sesame oil
1 lime
1/2 cup sliced or shaved fresh coconut
salt

Instructions:

Cut calamari in 1/4" rings. Squeeze lime and retain juice and skin separately. Boil 2 quarts of water in saucepan - add lime skin and tablespoon of salt.Plunge calamari into boiling water until water comes back to boil but no more than two minutes.Remove calamari and drain. Allow to cool rapidly. Do not rinse or refrigerate.

Wash and slice shallots, chilli, coconut and ginger. Combine with remaining ingredients and calamari. Allow to marinate for one hour. Serve as an appetizer or entree on a bed of crisp lettuce with a dry white wine, or a white burgundy.

Sicilian Sausage

Italian sausage is very easy to make; even easier if you have a meat grinder with the sausage tubes for stuffing. This recipe calls for pork and beef. I prefer using all pork, but that's my taste.





SICILIAN SAUSAGE

3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt (*)
1 1/2 pounds beef
5 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups minced Italian parsley chopped (flat leaf)
3 tablespoons fennel seed
2 tablespoons anise seeds
3/4 cup coarsely grated Romano cheese
3/4 cup coarsely graded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup water
¼ cup red wine (Marsala sweet is best)
1/2 pound sausage casings (natural casings preferred)
4 cloves of garlic fine chopped

Grind pork with beef, using medium blade on grinder, or have butcher do this for you. Combine ground meat with salt, parsley, fennel seed, anise seed, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Pour in water slowly and mix until all ingredients are bound together. Refrigerate over night for flavors to develop and blend with meat.

Place mixture in sausage press and have fun. If press is not available, stuff skins by hand, or form sausage mixture into paddies and pan fry. Let fresh (thawed) sausage sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to grilling or pan frying.

(*) Don’t use pork loin, as there is not enough fat to give it the proper sausage taste, and they will be too dry.

Biscuits

This recipe is not one of my inventions, but I guarantee, if you like biscuits as many of us do, you'll find yourself making them often. The recipe was first posted by David Lee on the King Arthur Baking Circle. David passed away recently at a very young age. He left a legacy of wonderful recipes; and, a legacy in the form of a person who truly cared for those of us who cook and bake. His memory lives on. I suggest to all reading this that you join the King Arthur Baker's Circle - www.bakingcircle.com. It costs nothing, and you will find some of the most wonderful people in the realm of baking and those of us who try to cook, and those who DO cook - not only for pleasure but as a profession as well. Join us. There is much to be learned here.

These biscuits are as quick and easy to make as opening up one of those biscuit tubes available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and 1000% better - sooooooooo flaky and tender!! You will NEVER go back to store bought!~~

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder (double-acting)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
• Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 425F.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet or baking pan. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then stir to combine them evenly. Add the cream and fold it in until a soft dough forms that can be easily handled. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and gently and lightly knead it for around 1 minute (max.)

Do not knead the dough like you would a bread dough -- handle it as lightly and as little as possible. You are only kneading it to make sure the dough has come together and is smooth -- you DO NOT want to develop the gluten like you would for regular bread dough.

Gently pat the dough out using your hands until the dough is around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut into rounds, dip the round into melted butter and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Leftover dough should be gathered together, rekneaded just until it comes together again, then pat it out and cut again. Continue until all the dough is used.

The first cutting will be the nicest biscuits -- save those for "company!" Bake at 425F for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot!

Notes on cutting the dough -- first dip the cutter in flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter, then cut straight down and DO NOT TWIST. Lift the cutter up quickly and the round will come out of the dough easily so you can pick it up and dip it in the butter. OR if you lift the cutter slowly you can pick up the uncut dough and the rounds will stay behind (like die punching!)

Pollo alla Scarpariello

Did you ever get the impression that I like chicken? Well, it just so happens I do. It's versatile, inexpensive (by comparison) and if you get the right brand of chicken, it can be, well, gastronomically orgasmic. (I hope that is not offensive to anyone - if it is, tell me and I will change that term.) When buying chicken, try to get 'air-chilled' chicken, not water chilled. And there's only one producer of air-chilled pollo in the U.S.A - MBA Poultry - Smart Chicken. In New England, you can find it at the Big Y stores. Water chilled chicken is the stuff you buy, and when you open the package all the reddish slime water pours out. The chicken should be thoroughly rinsed at best before cooking. Don't ask me how they do it, but Smart Chicken cooks in half the time, and is actually jucier. Enough!! On to the recipe.

Scarpariello means "shoemaker-style", and it is thought that the name might have originated as the result of chicken bones protruding from your mouth as you eat them much like a shoemaker might hold tacks in his mouth as he works.

Another southern Italian origin to the name comes about from the fact that even the family of a poor shoemaker in southern Italy could afford to make this dish, while another version is that all of the ingredients in this dish can be easily "cobbled" together. Whatever the source of it's name might be, the dish is delicious. Some versions of this dish add sausages and vinegar in place of the lemon. All of the recipes I have come across use cut up chicken pieces. (*)

Cut the chicken breast into 2 or three pieces to ensure all of the chicken pieces cook evenly. You can remove the skin as well if you prefer. I like to serve simple side dishes to accompany this dish such as mashed potatoes or polenta, linguini pasta, and a nice crisp green vegetable.

1 (2 1/2 to 3 Pound) Chicken Cut Into Pieces
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp Oregano
4 TBS Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup White Wine
Juice From 1 Lemon
3 TBS Unsalted, Softened Butter
1 TBS Flour
1/4 Cup Chopped, Fresh Parsley

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix together the flour and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Rinse and dry the chicken pieces, and then dredge them lightly in the seaoned flour mixture. In a heavy, ovenproof skillet, large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, heat the olive oil, and then brown the chicken well on all sides over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the oil by using too much heat. Once all of the pieces are well browned, remove them to a plate.

Pour out the left over oil in the pan, leaving just a tablespoon or two with the browned bits at the bottom. Add the onion and cook until soft, and then add the garic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the wine, and stir the browned bits at the bottom while you reduce the wine by half over medium high heat.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Break up the rosemary into pieces, and add it to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over top. Bake the chicken until done, about 20 minutes

Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Add the remaining butter to the sauce in the skillet, and mix well.

Remove the rosemary pieces from the sauce. If the sauce is thin, stir in a little of the flour and butter mixture, wisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chopped parsley, and pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter. Serve immediately.

(*) Y'know, you could avoid the bone-in chicken, and use boneless/skinless chicken breasts; or, boneless/skinless thighs. Either way, it's exquisite. Mangia, mangia!! AND, be sure to have some Chianti or Bordolino on hand. IF, and it's real iffy, you can find or order a bottle of white chianti, you will be in for a treat beyond belief. REAL garlic bread is a must here.

Polish Kielbasa

This recipe is an Easter, Christmas, and New Year's treat that we've made for a lot of years. It's great served with lots of HOT horseradish and brown mustard.



5 lbs, lean boneless pork shoulder or butt
3 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic, crushed and very finely chopped
2 TBS. mustard seed
2 TBS Crushed Peppercorns
1 TBS ground Marjoram
1 TBS flaked marjoram
1 Cup of crushed ice
3-4 feet of well-rinsed hog casings- inside and outside

Cut the meat into small chunks (1/2” to ¾”) removing all gristle, bone, skin and any silver membrane. It will be much easier to trim if the pork is partially frozen. Add seasonings and mix well; refrigerate overnight. Next day, grind the meat mixed with the seasonings into the casings. Use a 5/16" or 1/4" cutting blade. Smoke in your outside smokerin apple wood chips following the manufacturer’s directions, or you can place the sausage in a casserole, cover it with water. Bake at 350 degrees F. until water is absorbed, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you choose not to smoke the sausage, just grind into casings, coil, vacuum seal, and freeze until ready to cook.

When making sausage by hand, tie a knot about 3 inches from one end of a cleaned and well rinsed – outside and inside – sausage casing. Fix the open end over the spout of a wide based funnel, easing most of the casing up onto the spout then knot. Spoon the mixture into the funnel and push it through into the casing with your fingers or a dowel if you don’t have a grinder, or grind it directly into the casing if you do have a grinder. Knot the end and roll the sausage gently on a firm surface to distribute the filling evenly.

To cook, place stuffed casing into cold water and slowly bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-hour. We like it boiled and served with brown mustard and fresh horseradish served with Slavic sweet bread, and a veggie tray with dips.

Powdered Spices

More and more recipes are calling for powdered rosemary, basil, oregano, and many other spices. The only problem is they are hard to find, and very expensive if you can even find them.

You can buy the most inexpensive dried spices, and turn them into an intensely flavored powder. All you need is a Krups or other coffee bean grinder. The powder goes twice as far because you need half as much as the recipe calls for. AND, the grinder will pay for it self in a VERY short time.

Just make sure you store the powder in a dark place, and seal the spices. We use a food saver for vacuum sealing just about everything. It's worth the investment.

La Pastiera Napoletana.

This sweet cheese pie is made with cooked grain, and is flavored with lemon or orange. Other rich, sweet ricotta based cheesecakes or pies are popular in many regions, but as the title suggests, it's a prominent pie from the Naples region made around Easter.

It's a cheesecake, but one that has cooked wheat berries added to it which changes the texture considerably. The pie is lightly flavored with citrus, and cinnamon, and it is unbelievably delicious.

These days, you can find cooked wheat in many Italian specialty stores, but if you wanted to, you could easily cook your own following these directions:

1/4 Pound purpose flour
1/2 Cup powdered or confectioners Sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Orange Juice
8 Tablespoons unsalted, cold butter cut into small pieces
1/4 cup milk
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
1 Teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, or lemon extract
2 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
2 Pounds Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons candied citron, cut into tiny diced peices
2 Tablespoons toasted, slivered almonds
1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water for topping

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Mix together the flour, and powdered sugar. Make a well in the center, and add the two egg yolks, and orange juice. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, mix in the butter until the dough is in pea sized pieces. Add just enough milk so the dough comes together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Place the dough in the bottom of a deep 10 inch pie pan. Trim excess dough around edges and reserve for topping. If the dough is too soft to roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, orange zest, lemon extract, and sugar. Add the ricotta and mix well. Stir in the cooked wheat, candied fruit and chopped almonds. Mix well.

Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pie pan. Using the remaining dough, cut strips about 3/4 inch in width, and place them in a crisscross pattern over the cheese. Brush the strips lightly with the egg and water mixture, and then bake the pie for about 1 1/2 hours until lightly. browned on top. A topping of fresh strawberries adds to the visual impact and the taste,.

Cool before serving.

(Cooking Your Own Wheat: Take 1/4 pound skinless wheat and soak it overnight in cool water in the refrigerator, changing the water three or four times. Cover with lightly salted water in a heavy saucepan, and cook for about 1 hour. Drain, and rinse the wheat in cool water in a sieve. Use as needed.)

This is a special project for special guests.

Penne with Shrimp

For those Lenten meals, or simply something different, try this Penne with shrimp.

Ingredients:

3 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup quality, extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, 1/4 inch diced
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1-2 TBS dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tin whole flat anchovies drained and chopped
1 lb. med or large shrimp
1 lb pasta shapes, such as penne, rigatoni or med. shells, cooked al dente
2 TBS quality, aged balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 TBS red wine vinegar
10-15 fresh basil leaves, minced
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from stem
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Cut broccoli into florets and blanch in boiling water for 4 or 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Transfer to large bowl, combining with pasta. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they release their juices, 5-6 minutes.

Add garlic, tomatoes, diced pepper, anchovies and balsamic vinegar and stir for 3 or 4 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook until pink. Transfer to bowl and combine with broccoli and pasta.

Combine remaining oil, red wine vinegar, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper in a small bowl
Combine with pasta. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Oil and vinegar amounts can be adjusted to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. (Should be fairly salty already from anchovies).

Penne with shrimp just might be one of the best, and one of the simplest pastas you've ever tasted.

I would try a Sangiovese or Borolo wine with this one.

Scallops with Linguini and Orange Sauce

For a uniquely tasting pasta dish, a refreshingly different light taste, try this

Scallop Preparation:

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TBS butter
25-30 Bay Scallops or about 8 large sea scallops, quartered

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 Cup finely minced onions or shallots
2 TBS red jalapeno peppers, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup fresh Orange Juice or 3 TBS frozen concentrate
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup red or green bell pepper, minced
3 cloves finely sliced garlic
16 ounces cooked and drained linguine or angel hair pasta
Minced fresh Italian Parsley for final garnish

Preparation:

Heat 2 TBS olive oil over medium heat. Just before adding scallops, add the Butter. Remove from heat after scallops become pale but not cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Sauce:

Heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos. Sauté for about 6 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the orange juice and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cream and scallops with all of their remaining juices, and let the sauce reduce for about 10 minutes.

Add the pasta and combine with the sauce. Remove from heat. Garnish with minced fresh Italian parsley. Serve with REAL garlic bread, and a slightly chilled dry Chardonnay wine

Eggs Benedict with Crab on Toast

This is wonderful for a late brunch.

2 Ciabatta bread loaves or English Muffins, cut in half lengthwise toasted and buttered
12 ounces of fresh crab meat
8 poached eggs
1/2 cup of quick Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
4 wedges of lemon

Butter the toasted ciabatta to taste. Spread 1/4 of the crabmeat over each half of the ciabatta loaf. Gently place two poached eggs on top of the crabmeat. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of hollandaise sauce over each egg. Sprinkle a teaspoon of chopped chives over the sauce and serve immediately.

A bowl of the remaining hollandaise sauce and fresh lemon wedges can accompany the meal.

Quick Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon minced herbs - parsley, thyme or tarragon (optional)


Place egg yolks in the blender. Blend at low speed until thoroughly mixed. While the motor is running, slowly add the boiling water, followed by the hot butter. The butter should be added very slowly in the thinest stream possible. When the butter is completely incorporated, add the lemon juice, salt and herbs if you're using them. If the sauce is too thick, add a few drop of boiling water. The sauce will hold as you poach the eggs and prepare the other ingredients.

Serves 4

Spezzatino

This is a tasty veal stew that would be a perfect cold weather meal. Serve it with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Polenta, or rice.

2 1/2 Pounds of Veal, Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Carrots, Chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
1/2 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Beef Or Veal Stock
1/2 Cup Good Brandy
Salt & Pepper

Sprinkle the veal cubes with flour. Melt the butter with the oil, in a large casserole. Add the veal cubes, and sauté until lightly browned. Add in the vegetables, and continue cooking until they are lightly browned as well. Stir in the brandy, and cook until it has almost completely evaporated. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and broth, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish, and simmer over low heat for 45 minute to an hour. Add additional liquid during the cooking period if it seems to be drying out. Serve hot, over rice, polenta, or with garlic mashed potatoes on the side. A must is REAL garlic bread.

Penne With Artichokes And Shrimp

This should tickle your fancy - especially if you like shrimp.

This easy pasta dish combines two of my favorite ingredients, artichokes and shrimp. I added some ripe cherry tomatoes, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some chopped fresh parsley and mint. The only trick to making this dish sensational, is to be careful not to overcook the shrimp. If you were in a rush, you could use canned or frozen artichokes, although you would lose something in the flavor. You could also add other vegetables in as well if you chose to.

1 Pound Penne Pasta
4 Medium Artichokes, Cleaned, Choke Removed, Cut Into Quarters and Dropped In A Lemon Water Bath
1 Lemon
2 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/4 Cup Good Quality Olive Oil
16 (or more) Large Shrimp, Peeled, Deveined and Cut Into 2 Or 3 Pieces
16 to 20 Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, Washed and Cut In Half
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Mint
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes As Desired

Place the artichokes in a pot, and cover with enough of the lemon water to just cover them. Bring this to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook just until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Heat half the oil in a saucepan, and add the garlic. Heat for a minute or two until sizzling, but do not burn.

Add the artichokes with half of the fresh, chopped herbs, and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, shrimp, salt and pepper to season. Add a small amount of red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the tomatos begin to soften, and the shrimp turn pink. Taste and add additional pepper flakes if you would like more heat.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and return to the pot, keeping a small cup of the pasta water aside. Add the sauce ingredients, the olive oil, and a few teaspoons of pasta water if needed to moisten to the pot and cook a minute or two until combined. Add the rest of the fresh herbs, and serve, topping each serving with some of the remaining sauce.

A delicious meal.

Beef Carpaccio

Carpaccio of beef was created in Venice, and has become famous throughout the world as being typical of modern Italian cuisine.

There are many variations of sauce used to drizzle over the paper thin slices of raw beef, but a simpler presentation would be to use peppery arugula, shaved parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. There are oher variations which use sauces of a similar nature to what they still serve in the place of origin. If possible, to make things easier, ask your butcher to slice the beef for you in paper thin slices. Or, Partially freeze the beef, and slice it by hand yourself with a razor sharp knife.

This meal serves wonderfully as a light lunch or as an appetizer for dinner.

1 Pound Beef tenderloin, bright red
2 Cups Fresh, washed and Dried Arugula Leaves
A Wedge Of Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
Lemon Wedges

Arrange the arugula leaves on individual plates, and lay the beef on top. Drizzle with the olive oil, and season with the salt and pepper. Shave some of the parmesan cheese over the dish, and serve with a lemon wedge.

Sauce Variation:

If desired, simply arrange the carpaccio slices without the above ingredients, and drizzle with the following sauce.


1 Egg Yolk
1 Cup Of Olive Oil
Juice Of 1 Lemon
Salt & Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard dissolved in 1 Teaspoon Warm Water
Dash Of Hot Pepper Sauce

Place the egg yolk in a blender with half the olive oil. Pulse to mix. Turn the blender on, and add the oil in a very slow stream. Add the lemon, mustard and seasonings. Pulse. Drizzle the sauce over the carpaccio slices and serve.

If you simply cannot stand the thought of raw beef, stir fry the slices in olive oil for no more than 10 seconds on high heat, but you'll be missing a real flavor treat.

Serve with slices of REAL garlic bread found on this BLOG, and a glass of slightly chilled Chianti wine.

Lemon-Chicken Marsala

To complete this meal, serve over a bed of linguini pasta or penne along with a fresh green salad or antipasto.

1 oz. Dried Porcini Mushrooms
8 oz. Fresh White Mushrooms
4 Chicken Breast Halves, Skinned
Flour For Dredging
Salt & Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 TBS butter
2/3 Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
Juice from one lemon
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
Heavy Cream (Optional)

Re hydrate the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for about 30 minutes. Remove from the water, pat dry with paper towels, and chop coarsely. Strain the porcini water, and set aside to use later. Slice the fresh mushrooms thinly.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, and then brown in a skillet with the oil over medium heat. Once well browned, remove the chicken and set aside.Cook the sliced mushrooms in the same pan until tender and golden brown. If the pan becomes too dry, use a little of the porcini liquid to moisten it.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the mushrooms, and add the porcini, the Marsala wine, 1/4 cup of the porcini liquid, and the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed. Turn down to medium low heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. If the juices begin to evaporate too much while cooking, add a few tablespoons of the porcini water and/or 1/4 cup heavy cream for a lighter sauce.

When completed, the sauce should be thick and creamy. To serve, place chicken pieces on a platter, spoon over the juices, and sprinkle with the fresh parsley. A very sparse sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese is also a nice addition and adds the final touch for a delicious, quick meal. A glass (or 2) of Chianti wine is a must.