Roast Chicken
1 small young roasting chicken
1 lemon, halved
black pepper, ground
salt, finely ground
basil, powdered
garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the chicken down one side of the spine and press it flat into a roasting pan with the skin side up. Squeeze each lemon half over half of the chicken. Sprinkle the spices lightly (and evenly) over the exposed skin. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven and brush the skin with the pan juices. Raise the temperature to 425 degrees and roast until golden brown and crisp (10-20 minutes).
Serve with garlic smashed potatoes and honey roasted carrots.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes
For our family, a traditional feast starts with a cold course including vegetables, cheeses, salads & bread baskets overflowing with an assortment of breads. This portion of the meal usually decorates a buffet table (or bar area) for nibbling as guests arrive and mingle. After a couple hours, everyone settles in to the formal dinner. Linguine with red sauce is mandatory. This might be a red clam sauce or a mixed seafood sauce including calamari, octopus, shrimp, and/or mussels. The other pasta might be a white or butter sauce. Shrimp with butter and garlic usually makes an appearance with or without pasta. Then, after a break to fry, bake and grill the remaining fish, the seafood salads find their way to the table. Marinated eel and octopus hit the table first. Heaping platters of fried calamari, shrimp, and smelts follow quickly behind. Broccoli and broccoli raab (or, friarielli) appear in an attempt to offset the ridiculous amounts of fried food. Baked, stuffed and grilled fish find their way to the table as soon as the fried bits vanish.
A brief (sometimes not so brief) intermission occurs for coffee & espresso to be brewed as the wine is polished off. Wine and rum soaked fruits appear. Fruit bowls and baskets filled with roasted nuts (hazelnuts and chestnuts are mandatory) decorate the tables. When the coffee finally appears, huge platters of cookies, rum balls and struffoli garnished with candied cherries and orange finish off the few remaining die-hard eaters. Sometimes chocolate oranges are cracked on unsuspecting skulls. Oops, we almost forgot the torrone.
La Cucina
With a collection of cookbooks that numbers in the hundreds, I know a thing or two about cookbooks. La Cucina is a real winner. 2,000 recipes are labeled by region. And, when recipes overlap regions, multiple variations of the most common traditional recipes are available for comparison. La Cucina takes traditional Italian home cooking and raises it to a higher level. Authenticity is clearly the focus here.
Like many, I’m guilty of the crime of embellishing and enhancing recipes. La Cucina is a breath of fresh air in that regard. These recipes aren’t meant to be doctored. These recipes illustrate the elegance of simplicity. They are the recipes my grandmother prepared through rich and lean times. And, written in a style that she would use, they assume a general knowledge of Italian cooking. So, the recipes might appear brief to some. But, make no mistake, this is the real deal. Tradition beats trend hands down… no contest. This might be my favorite cookbook of the year.
Pros: Undoubtedly authentic, incredibly rich and diverse content, & 2000 recipes!
Cons: The encyclopedic size makes organization by chapter difficult. (The index by region is priceless) And, to the glossy picture lovers…. no pictures. But, personally, I’ll take additional content over glossy photos any day.
With just a handful of ingredients, this dish is quick, tasty and incredibly satisfying. A crisp top is created by the use of cream and feta. We meticulously consume each crispy bit off the top first. (Do you see the light spot in the middle of my photo? …someone stole a crispy bit.)
Baked Pasta with Feta
1 box ditalini, boiled as directed
1 square of feta, cubed
1 cup cream
1 cup yogurt
1 onion, quartered
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
salt, to taste
olive oil, drizzle
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
While boiling pasta (as directed on the box… be careful not to over-cook the pasta), place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. When the pasta is almost fully cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta liquid. Drain the pasta and return it to the stock pot. Gently stir in the cream and feta mixture. (If additional moisture is needed, add splashes of the reserved pasta water until the desired consistency is achieved.) When thoroughly combined, pour pasta and cheese mixture into a casserole dish. Drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. (If you don’t have olive oil… don’t even bother) Place casserole dish in the oven and bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes.
(Or, until the top has crisped to your liking.)
I can’t seem to get gingerbread out of my mind. So, in an attempt to reduce the damage, I’ve slashed the fat in half. This is one of my favorite gingerbread recipes. It’s quick, simple and full of flavor. Is it the same with half of the fat? Honestly, no. I clearly notice the lack of butter. And, the normally well-rounded full flavor falls a bit flat. To return this recipe to its former glory simply substitute 1 cup of butter for the 1/2 cup of oil.
(Also, note the tiny speckles of imperfection… my fear of over-beating resulted in a couple under-mixed lumps)
Slashed Gingerbread
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all of the dry ingredients and stir vigorously to fluff some air into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the fluffed up flour mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Beat briefly with a hand-held mixer until combined.
Spray two medium-sized loaf pans with baking spray. Divide batter between the two loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. (Or, pour batter into cupcake wrappers. Fill each cupcake wrapper to 65-70% capacity. Bake for 18-20 minutes.) Test for doneness and remove from the oven, if done.
Gingerbread Biscotti
In our house, biscotti means a delicately sweet twice-baked cookie flavored with vanilla and ground fennel. But, around the holidays, we throw out all the stops. Hazelnuts, chocolate, chestnuts and gingerbread spice appear at random. To me, nothing says Christmas more than a house bursting with the scent of gingerbread. Filled with tons of butter, sugar, molasses, and honey, real gingerbread is an indulgence we save for Christmas Day (and Thanksgiving). With only a fraction of the sugar and a minimal amount of oil gingerbread biscotti takes away most of the guilt and offers plenty of satisfaction.
Gingerbread Biscotti
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-blended. Make a well in the center and add the remaining wet ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just barely combined. The dough should come together to form a firm ball. (If the mixture is too wet add heaping tablespoons of flour until desired consistency is achieved.) Use your hands to shape dough into one long narrow loaf on a cookie sheet covered with parchement. Sprinkle and press 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar into the top of the biscotti loaf.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for a couple minutes. While still warm, carefully cut the biscotti into 1 inch slices. Return to oven and lower heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and turn biscotti slices over. Then, bake for another 10 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from the oven and let biscotti cool completely. Stack on a plate and allow to dry uncovered for several hours.
Three Bean BBQ Baked Beans
1/2 cup dried black beans
1/2 cup dried navy beans
1/2 cup pinto beans
water
2 cups beef stock
3 cups BBQ Brisket Sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup molasses
Place all of the dried beans in a colander and rinse. Then, pour rinsed beans in a large stock pot full of water. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain. Fill stock pot with water. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain. And, since the third time’s the charm. Fill stock pot with water. Boil for 10 minutes. Let beans sit in water for 30 minutes. Then, drain for the final time.
Transfer beans to a dutch oven. Cover beans with beef stock, bbq beef brisket sauce and all ingredients listed above except for the molasses. Set dutch oven in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours. Test tenderness of bean. If the beans are still tough, continue cooking beans for an additional hour. Add molasses and 1/2-1 cup water, if additional liquid is needed. Salt to taste, if needed. Return to oven for another 30 minutes. The beans should be buttery tender when completely cooked.
Serve over yellow rice with a small tomato salad on the side for a hearty lunch. Or, serve with grilled chicken and fresh green beans (steamed or sauteed in butter with a squeeze of lemon).
After days of high maintenance cooking, I’m ready for an easy dinner. BBQ beef brisket fits the bill to perfection. With only a handful of ingredients, the result is surprisingly good for faux barbecue.
brisket of beef
2 cups of your favorite BBQ Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic
Process tomatoes, onion and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Set aside. Place brisket in a large dutch oven and brown the fatty side of brisket in olive oil to form a golden brown crust. Turn, and brown the remaining side. Pour tomato mixture and bbq sauce over the brisket and bring to a gentle simmer. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place lid on dutch oven and allow brisket to bake in the oven for 3-4 hours. (Or, until fork tender)
Slice and serve with Texas toast, smashed potatoes and arugula & sweet onion salad with lemon vinaigrette.
I remember my mother making stuffed mushrooms for every Thanksgiving… well, maybe it was just every Thanksgiving of my grade school years. Lately, we’ve dropped the habit. But, this is a great way to use leftover stuffing. And, they’re a great little blast from Thanksgiving days of my past.
Stuffed Baby Portobellos
15-20 baby portobello caps
portobello stems, finely diced
2-3 slices of challah bread, processed ultra-fine
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced (Vidalia or Walla Walla)
1 clove of garlic, super-fine dice
1/4 tsp powdered basil
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste
one egg
1-2 tablespoons sour cream
Emmentaler or a tiny hunk of brie or young provolone
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Saute onion in a small frying pan until light golden. Lower heat and add garlic & diced mushroom stems, cooking long enough to remove the raw garlic taste. Add remaining spices and let cool slightly. When cool enough(to NOT cook the egg), add egg and sour cream. Mix to combine and stuff mushroom caps. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. (Or, until cheese is yummy-looking and bubbly.) Devour immediately.
Coconut Bread Pudding
1/2 loaf stale bread processed to crumbs (4 1/2 cups)
1 cup sweetened coconut shreds, ground in a food processor
2 cups plain yogurt
4 eggs
1 heaping cup of sugar
1/2 cup coconut rum
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Then, pour into a generously-buttered large round casserole dish(or two loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes. The result should be firm and cake-like. Glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and coconut rum, if desired.
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