The crew menu

• Insalata with an orange vinaigrette (which received high marks and one request for the recipe)
• Lasagne in three flavors
• Salciccia
• Salciccia e funghi
• Roasted veggies (squash and zucchini)
• Braciole di Pollo two types
• Sundried tomatoes (which recieved several compliments)
• Sage and Orange (my fav!)
• Polpette di tachino turned out great. I attribute part of that to the clay bakeware

Dolci? (thanks, KB!)

• Parozzo (from Abruzzo) Chocolate cake
• Tota di Arancia Caprese -orange tart Capri style -yummy
• Gateau au Yaourt (yogurt cake- yes french, but REALLY good)

San Marzano tomatos

My pasta for the day. Simple quick penne with San Marzano tomato sauce. yummy. (and since we were making Diavolo, I added some zip to this with some chili oil.)

One other thing is that the penne was al dente. Even KB likes it that way. I'm starting to hate overcooked noodles unless they are homemade. One more reason to skip Carrabas and Olive Garden.

Pollo Diavola

Mario's recipe (senza pomodoro). I think that if you get the skin roasted properly and then further roast it with the spicy mustard on it, it will turn out beautifully. I tried roasting entirely in the oven. He browned the skin in a skillet and I think that makes the difference. Tasty, but not reaching it's potential. will need another go! 

Chicken Divan

This is a 1950's classic. It was once a specialty of a now defunct New York city restaurant called Divan Parisien The dish was described as a runaway success dish, year in and year out.

Don't think many people make this anymore but it's easily recognizable; and surely some bastardization was created by the frozen microwaveable contingent after it's restaurant success. It brings back some fond memories of childhood, but can't seem to remember actually eating it. (mom?? any ideas?)

Actually it's dang good, dang rich and probably not all that good for you, but I ate 3 servings myself. The broccoli makes the dish. KB is saving hers for lunch tomorrow.

(I made an alternate version with roasted redpeppers as well and not as good w/o the broccoli)

Lasagne Bolognese

Made this classic from the SilverSpoon recipe. Buonissimo.

Great Balls of Tachino

Had to make a test batch of Turkey balls as it's been a while. I asked the crew what they wanted for their holiday lunch and it was unanimous-turkey meatballs and lasagne.

C'mon....give me a challenge!

Anyway...I had leftover Cilantro and use that in the turkey balls. Was OK, but not sure it entirely worked.

Saumon Poche a la Mayonnaise

This was in the latest issue of Saveur. I used Trout instead of salmon. Since we don't have a poaching tray, I let is 'braise' in the wine. Upper half was delicate and mostly steamed. The lower half that was in the wine took on a firmer texture but had more of the wine flavor. BOTH were great. Why don't we eat more fish like this??

I made the mayonnaise from scratch too:
1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp dijon, 1/4 cup sunflower oil (I used peanut) and 1/4 cup olive oil.

Then I proceeded to forget about it when I got into the fish.

c'est la vie.

The key to making a decent mayonnaise is having all the ingredients at room temperature.

Spanikopita

These were also for the party and a hit. think that we had 4 left (one guest took 8 of them home-good thing we made about 40)

I busted out a classic cookbook (that mom gave me a long time ago; Frugal Gourmet cooks three ancient cuisines) Instead of Feta we used Ricotta though. The dill and spinach filling are a super combo. (dried dill at that....would be spectacular with fresh dill or even tarragon)

Braciole

OK, finally got em right. Made two batches for the GB Party; Mushrooms and carmelized onions and the other had roasted red peppers. Both were a hit and hardly any leftovers :( but as usual I set aside a few for me during the cooking)

more Morracan lamb

The butcher gave us multiple packages of ground lamb so I put it to good use last night. made the north African lamb stew formula only with meat balls. tasty and the polpetti just fall apart in your mouth.

these might be an option for the Gingerbread party and maybe even the crew party.

Peanut Shrimp Rolls

Second Batch! yummy 

Tempura Rolls

Go KB. well done

 

Orzo con gorgonzola

This was thrown together at the last minute using leftover ingredients. turned out nicely. The pasta is from Farmer Market vendor (Parpadelle)

Lamb Chops with lemon and mint

Marinate these fine chops in lemon juice and chopped mint for about and hour and grill. tasteee

Testing one, two, tachino

Roasted a bird tonite. It came out quite nice. Brine worked well, but the damn thing kept falling off the rack in the oven. Also need to learn to truss a bird. (that and learn numbchuck skills)

Peanut Shrimp rolls

KB took charge for dinner tonite and the lamb stew went by the wayside. What we got instead was a nice set of peanut shrimp and avocado rolls. Delish....

way to go, babe.

Io contento.

French North African Lamb Stew

Sta Notte...I am making the north african lamb stew again (this time with beef)

should be good.

kb opted for something lighter for the meal, so she's making a few california rolls - yeah baby!

More Stews....did someone say Goat?

It's that time of year for stews.

Last Sunday at the farmers market, KB and I bought a few goat chops. I didn't want to go thru the hassle of firing up the grill, so I trimmed them off the bone and made a stew with them. Turned out quite well.

When browning the meat, you could definitely tell it was something "different" but they were tender but kept a nice bite to them (kind of al dente), lean and tasty in the stew. I used a version of a Trieste pork stew recipe I made last year. The goat was a great substitute. No marjoram (which is traditionally the fall herb addition) but used a surprisingly hearty Thyme that is STILL doing great in the garden. yummy.

I remember eating grilled Goat in Cameroon. Was really tasty. The only drawback was that they never cut out the gristle or even the skin for that matter. For every skewer we bought there would be several pieces of grilled skin that were completely inedible. Even Yuri wouldn't eat them. The farmer at the market said that the goats are super easy to take care of too. They are quite hearty, much more so than Lamb, take little to no medications for ailments (rarely get sick) and the meat is tasty and lean.

There was plenty of fat on our chops though and after trimming there were some nice stew meat chunks that browned up nicely. Might try a roast next, but that'll have to wait until next spring when the market comes back online.

Pollo Piccata

This dish has been on my to do list for a long time. Tonite it came out beautifully. In the base is the Lindemann's Chardonnay and a glass really complements the final result.

Sorry you missed it, KB. Mangia solo sta notte, ma va bene. 

Gourmet Doggie biscuits?

Sunday, KB got the urge to try her hand at wholesome, home-made doggie biscuits. Awesome. they love em (and we know what's in em so they are good for them.) rock on, KB! 

Eggplant Parmigiano

This recipe is Mario's verson. Not bad and not nearly as greasy as the traditional version. I made it again last night, but brushed the slices with oil and broiled them instead of quick pan fry. Even less oily, but the skin toughens so there is a trade-off. Both were good and just depends on your mood. My mood now dictates that I try the greasy, oily original.

Siagon Sizzle

first batch of roasted pumpkin seeds

These turned out quite well, despite me burning them slightly.

Kind of sweet at first, but if you munch on them for a while, your lips begin to tingle...

Tarte Tatin

Apples? texture between euro and american style.

Peaches ? like butter or firm?

things I've been thinking about.

(the tarte tatin that KB made was wonderful! dollup of marscapone really rounded it out; think a glass of good port would do the trick)

Tagine d' Agneau

The word tagine refers not only to a popular dish in Moroccan cuisine, but also to the earthenware pot used to make it. The tagine pot is almost like a mini-oven in itself. A tagine is shaped almost like a vase. The bottom is round, much like a skillet. The top continues up, like a coned smokestack with a wide mouth. This keeps the right amount of heat inside. They are used to make what is essentially a meaty stew. Spiced meats (usually lamb, the meat of choice in Morocco) and plenty of vegetables (and sometimes fruit) are placed inside the tagine and very slowly cooked over a charcoal fire. Now, before you go running out to buy your tagine, find a Moroccan restaurant near you and see just how amazing tagine is.

I made a Tangine lamb stew (not with the tangine of course, since i don't own one, but in my Mario dutch oven.) and it was friggin' awesome.

Paired with a spicy, fruity Zin and it was an incredible meal.

Demi Glace

In the works. Both beef and lamb (still working on the latter) Starting to think I know a thing or two about making good stock.

Big head!

Chicken with Orange and Sage Sauce

 

Making Stock

testing
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tempe burger with cheese

Steak au poivre (Dianne)

StirFry with changes

I'm loving the simplicity of a quick Stir Fry. Last night was basically the same as the other night just a little simpler and with rice. Found some nutty black, fatty wild rice in the pantry (was really good) so I made that ahead of time.

the Stirfry was sesame seed oil, shallots / LOTS of ginger, the chicken meat (a few slices of leftover zuchinni) and a few hot peppers from the garden. that's it! mix the rice in at the end and you have yerself a pretty asian looking dish.

I made the gribiche with KB again so that she could try the leek salad. Better than before. yummy (just use a good red wine vinegar and don't over do it)

Leek salade avec gribiche

Interesting and suprisingly good salad, even if a bit laborious to make

Poulet au Pot

Right before the cream was added towards the end. 

The finished product

Just a tad bit of salt and red pepper flakes to liven it up. Bon! 

stir fry

Saw that Hu Hot guy from Chinatown make this on TV over the weekend. Took me about 1/2 hour to prep and complete. He did it in under ten (although he did have noodles ready)

but it turned out great and the planned leftovers got eaten second round. sorry pooches, no leftovers for you either.

Jambon Braise au Madere

Fact...the Morvan district of Burgundy is known producing fine quality, mild cured hams. That with a Madiera sauce?? I'm down.

It's up ahead in the distance. I see it now.

Disaster

Charlotte de Chou et de Pommes de Terre. This one kicked my ass. REally did. I even had to recruit kris help, but it beat us both.

Will we try again? maybe....I have notes of everything that wen't wrong so we might sidestep a few mines next time.

Moules Marinieres

Haven't had these in a while and had the craving. Got an order at Dominics and they were very nice, if little heavy on the garlic. (maybe use a shallot to tone it down??)

Tried em over the weekend as well (now the itch is scratched) and realized that you'd better get the freshes moules you can find and your dish will be that much better. We lost over half our bag by time we got home. But maybe that was our fault a little too. it WAS hot out and we didn't exactly hurry home.

Saumon a l'Orseille

I had some frozen Alaska Salmon that a friend brought over. I threw it in the freezer and there it sat for about 3 monts. ( 3 month!!!) I kept putting it off and putting it off and then this weekend decided to make the move.

Even after 3 thaw days I still felt some reluctance to eat it for some reason. I still can't figure out what that was.

But....I did find something inspiring about a grilled salmon steak with Sorrel sauce (never had this, I decided it was time! Heck I didn't even know what Sorrel was. And, really.....I'm not sure that I know now other than to look at it and know that it's a slightly bitter herb)

The thawed salmon came out and was washed and I noticed some freezer or cut damage. I removed that and kept thinking that there seems to be more bones in wild salmon than farm raised. But the kicker was the flesh. It was much richer, firmer and much much much more tasty than farm raised. That is after I grilled it up.

Then it occured to me that the firmer flesh, the stouter bones are simply because these fish have to work. They don't have more bones, just more VISIBLE bones. They are out there swimming in that cold ocean. They are out there navigating up those rocky rivers and streams. These are tough fish and the better for it.

The sorrel sauce was simply and elegantly; butter, sauteed shallots, salt, pepper, cream and chopped fresh sorrel. Easy peasy, 5 Minutes and that butter, shallot smell permeated the house.

For a moment, I thought that I was with KB, sitting in a bistro in Paris, waiting for our meal. As a matter of fact, there were only a few bistros that actually met my expectation by cheaply and richly bringing out a dish like this Saumon a l'Orseille. Bon!

Daube Provencal

Le daube, the neck meat. I used what I had which was loin.

Le Daubier......A beautiful piece of oven wear that in NO WAY be confused with a modern slow cooker. You just can't do in a betty crocker what you can do in a daube. Better yet? A dutch oven. Porcelain Cast iron. Now we're talking. Spend the money, it's friggin' worth it and this dish will display that.

Daube Provencal: Basically a lamb or pork stew Provencal style. This 'style' is amazingly simple, properly spaced and exceptional in it's product. This is country French and what I'm finding to be utterly magnetic to me.

The reason we have the dutch oven, is to properly brown the meat, make the deep base for a climatic finish 2 hours later (and really, with not a lot of effort on your part, which I REALLY like)

Have some good stock or demiglaze around too. One thing that you could do that would easily change this from country french to turkish is throw in some aromatics instead of L'erb de Provence.

Back to business. Really?? .....not really. All that I'll say is that when I was making it....A G A I N....I felt like me and KB were there. And that's SUCH a good feeling.

It came out beautifully. It's too fun to make instead of spelling it out. You'll just have to try it yourself. Look it up.

Scampi pour la bistro

Somehow fell into this marinade. simple, easy and not much like any shrimp you're finding out there these days (at least in landlocked FC)

KB and I came to the conclusion that a french bistro would HAVE to have grilling device, to toast bread and make grilled yummies like these Scampi. it just doesn't taste the same any other way and that's a good thing!

Braciole Messinese

Why can't I get this right! (it's gettin better, but it ain't close to the first few times.) What is with this slump!?

Bruschette Nuove

I think this was either a Puckster concoction or we came across it on the internet. Try this as crazy as it might sound (and I don't think it really sounds that crazy).

Nice grilled slices of Boule (don't use ciabatta or baguette), sliced mango, some sauteed fennel/ onion, gorgonzola chunks, little reduced basalmic and a touch of olive oil.

Bake for few minutes at 400 until that Gorgonzola beautifully oooozes around the mango.


Via Nuove. I'll take it!

Porc au Reisling

The original French recipe is made with chicken parts and peices (and after making it with pork, I'm convinced that it should be made that way.) Not that the pork was necessarily bad, just think the sauce, stock and chicken work better together.

Sauce was wonderful. be careful not to use too much oil or the creme fraiche, butter and oil will separate pretty easily.

Lastly, I used the saporito method at the end to do the shrooms up right and added them at the last minute (again use butter sparingly and either little or no oil to saute them for the finish)

Il Guanciale

Il Guanciale e finito.
After 3 weeks of air drying, they are done. I cut off some of the stuff that was TOO dry and cut into a few of em to see inside. Great!

Now, we make Bucatini alla Amatriciana (however, I'm waiting for kristine to return and not letting her have any. Not out of meanness, but just to be safe. At least one of us will survive (and maybe she can take me to the hospital))

The smell awesome; sweet and peppery. I added crushed peppercorns and hot pepper flakes to spice em up a bit. 

Pomodori di San Marzano

Probably the best tomato sauce I've ever made (really like the way it tastes in Italy). But, I think it has less to do with me and mostly to do with the fact that these were San Marzano tomatos. Il Migliori 

Pomodori di San Marzano

picked these up at Whole Foods. little pricey but we'll see how they work out in a sauce. They were a nice addition to the squash and fave over the weekend, but want to have them standout as the solo performer in a simple tomato sauce.

Fave and Squash alla Francese

This is pretty simple and really tasty with the addition of good tomatoes. I had just a tad too much pepper flakes at the end, but season to your delight! 

Spaghetti con Fave

Made this dish twice in two nights. Pappa gave me a huge bag of fresh picked frozen fave from his garden. they made the journey of 1000 miles to find their way to ma belly! Yummy

Olive oil, Shallots and white wine. Then a little chopped peeled tomatoes. Basil and little white wine (dry please). Heavy cream and reduce. Put the shelled Fave in about 2 minutes before the pasta was done (I like them with a little bit) and serve with Parmeggiano Reggiano.

We also grilled up Harry's lamb chops (3 each both nights) and they were awesome. Just salt and pepper and a hot grill is all you need for these babies.

Disaster

OK, so we're at the cousins lake house. Lots of people from both families. My brother convinces me (about 2 hours before lunch) that I should cook something. Ok....we go to the store with no plan in mind. Get there and I decide to do Braciole (capers and lemons) and (fortunately) a backup .....one of my favorites.....turkey Meatballs.

We get back ....no one in the kitchen except mom. We go to work and suddenly it becomes Emeril Live. Everyone looking to ME to do something fantastic. Where do they get this expectation from?? I'm batting about 70% on the meals that I make at home. The other brother goes to work (seeing that we're having fun) on making Bruschette and hogging the oven.

Meatballs came out great (thanks bro for the mixing and forming) and the braciole turns into a disaster. The oven is opened so often due to the bread that there is no way they will roast properly (and they don't) I had to crank the heat, and pulled them early because everyone ws waiting (the pan didn't even get hot so they weren't roasted on down side) and had to Broil them on high to get them close to a "roasted" look. And way late too. Everyone was done eating (all the meatballs, thank you!) before these even came out.

What a mess. and to top it off, they weren't even that good. too much lemon zest, not even cheese filling. Couldnt taste the capers. a true mess and I felt terrible!

Next time...have a plan and plan for many delays from the family. Next year we do it right.

Pollo Saltimbocca

Couple things wrong with this dish.
1) it's chicken not veal cutlets (but that's OK)
2) Summer sage is different that Spring sage
3) Too much butter on the fry
4) Sweet White wine instead of dry
5) Used Baked Bacon and it was still greasy making the entire dish greasy. need to light it up, season it right and finish with a dry white instead of a sweet one

Veal Patties and mellanzani involtini

 

Mellanzane Involtini ancora

Best way so far to make these, is get a nice heavy guage stainless steel saute pan, drizzle oil and lay in the 1/8"!!! strips. don't try to make them thicker. And don't try to use non-stick. you won't get the same effect. The filling has to have just enough nutmeg too. Don't over do it! I added some mozzarella so that it would hold better. either way is good. The benefit of adding the mozzarella is that the texture of the tube doesn't collapse when you serve and eat it. No sloppy!

Best attempt so far! (actually maybe this is it? (I've got it??) because these were simply wonderful tonite.)

Penne con salsa, insalate fresca

Tonite, leftover tomato sauce with a bit of freshly cooked, al dente penne. You HAVE to put the parmeggiano on right after you drain (to melt a bit) and become between the sauce and the noodle. You HAVE to do it this way to get it right. don't try it the other way ever again! THIS is the proper succession. Some fresh, chopped basil, made it a nice early summer pasta.

Insalata had just olive oil, reduced balsamic, crushed parmeggiano, little sea salt and course ground pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Braciole di Pollo Involtini

Made the Braciole again, this time with a pea, ricotta and mozzarella stuffing. They oozed out (have to remember to put in the toothpick) but the taste was wonderful. Since it all oozed out, I added some cream to the pot and made a nice sauce to pour over it all. Yummy!

ok...the hand injury is fake

that's not really me with the injured hand. Was kind of funny when we posted it, but clearly some people got the wrong idea and (thankfully) expressed concern. Sorry for the misinformation.

my hand looks and works as good as ever.

Penne alla Amatraciana

One more time with the Amatraciana. This time it came out beautifully. Think the penne holds this sauce better than bucatini, but either is great. And...you have to get that sharpness of fresh grated Pecorino Romano.

This reminds me of Rome!

ooops!

Dang Knife!!!

Danial Boulud Santoku

 

The nicest knife I've ever owned (and it's not THAT nice....but pretty darned cool!)

Kris got this for me Sunday afternoon. Well balanced, has some heft so it's easy to work with. Debating the usefulness of the anti-friction notches in the blade, but.... overall a super knife. This one doesn't get thrown into the drawer (with most of the rest) thanks, babe! 

Spaghetti alla Gricia

 

Made with the Guanciale, this is the tomato-less cousin to Amatriciana. There is a sweetness to the onions and garlic contrasting to the saltiness of the Guanciale and Pecorino that is just wonderful.

yummy leftovers for tomorrow. 

Le Game hens

Good but not great. The best part about these was the leftovers; pieced up and sauteed with mushrooms and garlic, baked with penne and tomato sauce (and the only thing that would have made THAT better was a besciamella) 

Roasted Potatos

We had roasted game hens and needed a starch. These buggers roasted nicely with a coating of lard from the guanciale (making the Amatriciana)
Highlight of the meal. (game hens were only OK)
 

Tarte de Pomme Parisienne

the custard was wonderful. throw in a little vanilla ice cream e Voila! magic