Most bloggers read other blogs and I am no different. There are a few that I am loyal to and Anecdotes and Apple Cores is one of them. Monet is the author and for the past year or so, I've read of her move back to Texas, her cozy and busy kitchen and the stories of her family. Most have been bright but along the way, and especially recently, she has lost loved ones to terrible things.
A few bloggers, Kate and Lizzy, got together to make a scrapbook of comfort food to send to Monet, and I was more than thrilled to share a recipe that she commented on months ago. So here is to Monet, and anyone out there who may need more than a little encouragement. Happy thoughts and well wishes are coming your way!
Alfredo with Roasted Asparagus 2 cups low fat milk 1/3 cup cream cheese (regular OR low fat.. not fat free) 2 tbsp AP flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp butter 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces Cooking Spray 8 oz wheat spaghetti, uncooked 8 oz white spaghetti, uncooked 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
When I think of a great meal now, I think of grilled vegetables, fresh proteins with lots of flavor and something that leaves me feeling light and satisfied.
When I was fifteen, a great meal was cheesy, creamy, and filled with pasta.
When you are entertaining for twenty-four teenage girls, save yourself a lot of trouble and make this dish.
You will save yourself a lot of headache, and they will love it.
Creamy Italian Chicken Casserole 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 lbs chicken, cooked and chopped 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 oz cream cheese, softened 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 10 oz pasta, (I used a combo of macaroni and angel hair) Oregano, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package and keep warm. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. 2. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes, or until tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, let boil for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. 3. Add cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cook while stirring constantly until cheeses are melted. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. 4. Spoon entire pan into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and bake for 30 minutes.
So, word on the street is that when you're pregnant, you can eat anything you want. I'm so game.
This is just what I've heard. I've never been pregnant. Surprise!
But though I've never been pregnant, last week, I imagine, I had pregnant woman hunger. Every day. That growling empty pit-like feeling never left. Maybe a better analogy is a garbage disposal.
Whatever. I stood somewhere between a pregnant woman and a garbage disposal, and I couldn't be stopped.
I know perfectly well why I was hungry. It was the last week before my half marathon, and between the high mileage and long days I was left ravenous at all points. And my race was yesterday, which means today was for replenishing... in a major way.
I usually never eat cream sauces. They just aren't my bag. But today, because I was feeling adventurous and well deserving, I whipped up a fantastic pasta dish that I will definitely keep on hand.
Crab Pasta in a Garlic White Wine Sauce 1 lb linguine 1 tbsp butter, divided 1 onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped 1 cup dry white wine Salt and Pepper, to taste 1/4 cup flour 1 cup milk (more to thin out sauce) 1 lb crab meat Old Bay
1. Prepare linguine as directed on box. 2. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is tender. Add wine and turn heat up to high until liquid reduces by half. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Meanwhile in another skillet, melt butter and add flour. Cook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the milk slowly, just a few tbsp at a time. It will look like some sort of dough but keep adding milk and stirring and it will smooth out. 4. Once smooth, add onion mixture into flour mixture and stir. Add crab meat. Serve over cooked pasta and top with old bay seasoning.
I am at Penn State for the weekend. For Valentine's Day maybe? But most likely no, because Alex and I don't celebrate V-Day. We're too cool. Or he is. I would totally celebrate it.
I love Penn State. It's the best place on earth, don't get me wrong, but, I can tell I am no longer in college. Right now, Alex's upstairs neighbors are blasting music. Horrible awful music. But it doesn't bother me because it's 9:30 at night. You know when it does bother me?
When they played it last night from 1:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the morning, took a two hour break, and then played it from 5:00 to 7:00. In the morning. I about lost it. So, as much as I love Penn State and college and my friends and my boyfriends, this ain't the place for me.
And though I love Waffle Shop (not Waffle House), Panda Express at the Hub and the outstanding tomato, basil and mozzarella panini in the dining hall, sometimes good old suburban cooking is the way to go, so when you have a little more time, whip up this creamy vegetarian pasta dish, from Wegmans.
You'll see the recipe calls for basting oil. Well, basting oil can be expensive, so I whipped together my own version with equal parts olive oil and canola oil and a sprinkle of parsley, garlic powder and thyme. Feel free to play around with those flavors, and Happy Valentine's Day Eve!
Vegetarian Pasta al Forno 1 box (14.5 oz) Penne Rigate cooked per pkg directions 2 pkgs (8 oz each) Food You Feel Good About Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms 1 head cauliflower, cut into flouretts 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Basting Oil, divided Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup Italian Classics Parmesan Cream Sauce (available in most grocery stores) 2 cups Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 1/2 cups frozen peas Zest of 1 lemon (1-2 tsp) 1 pkg (.25 oz) Fresh Thyme, stripped, leaves rough chopped 3/4 cup Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Toss mushrooms, cauliflower, and 1/4 cup basting oil in bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet in single layer. Roast 25-30 min until mushrooms are lightly browned. Remove from oven; set aside. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees. 2. Rinse cooked pasta with cool water; transfer to large mixing bowl. Add mushroom and cauliflower mixture, cream sauce, mushroom soup, peas, lemon zest, thyme, 1/4 cup cheese, and olive oil. Stir together to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 3. Add panko, remaining 2 Tbsp basting oil, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese to small bowl; stir to combine. Set aside. 4. Spray braising pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer pasta mixture to pan; top with panko mixture. 5. Bake about 1 hour until thoroughly heated and top is golden brown.
Are you sick of me saying that yet? I know, I know, but I really do. The air is just cold enough to have on sweats and fuzzy socks. I LOVE fuzzy socks, ask my college friends. When you're dressed cozy, you crave comfort. I wanted something filling...something stick to your ribs.
I wanted creamy, crispy, cheesy, chewy. That's a hard combo to mess up. Oh, and I wanted it light. Well geez, how do you do that?
This dish. How I came up with it I'm not sure, because I didn't really know what I was doing. I just kind of zoned out and threw stuff together.
I think it's the vicodin... making me think funny. Anyway, see if you can resist this delicious autumn pasta that tastes rich but certainly isn't!
What ya need:
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium delicate squash
4 large carrots, (sliced in about 1/4 inch pieces)
1 tsp olive oil
6 ready to serve slices bacon
1 medium onion
6 ounces uncooked tube pasta
2 tbsp heavy cream
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
What ya do:
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash, carrots and onion on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 40 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450° and remove squash.
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Crumble bacon and combine with provolone.
Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Add heavy cream, provolone cheese and bacon (and salt and pepper to taste). Mix in with the squash mixture and put into an oven-safe casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until cheese browns.
Hi everyone! Thanks for all the well wishes you've been sending my way! I'm feeling much better with every passing day, so whatever you're sending, keep it up! Today, I have another guest post, from Polly Motzko, the creator of Cooking Up a Storm All Over the World, a foodie website dedicated to her recipes and traditions. Polly contacted me about my request for guest posts, and sent a yummy looking dish my way. So without further ado, here comes Polly!
Polly Motzko’ Farfalle Bolognese with Zucchini and Fresh Basil for Garnishing.
Adapted from “Bolognese Meat Sauce” by Marcella Hazan
Text & recipe greatly adapted from the original by Marcella Hazan,
I was going through my many bookshelves of cooking books and ran across this wonderful new edition of Marcella Hazan’s that is a combination of her first book and the second and then 50 more wonderful recipes. This printing is dated November 5th, 1992. (My parent’s anniversary is on that day, only quite a few years before in 1949. So, when I make this dish for them it will be special because the book was printed on the day when my mother Ramona Hart and dad, Ernest Le Pore-became an item!
Rather than watching this on the stove for hour on end, I have streamlined it for modern day busy people like me, who want to make something wonderful up in advance and have it on hand to use in countless wonderful recipes. I am not sure if Marcella Hazan realized how the crock pot could come in handy for slowly simmering this sauce and in braising more economical cuts of meat; I don’t think she would object to my adaption here.
You can leave the minced garlic out if you want and be true to Marcella’s original recipe, or you can add however much you like in it..and some fresh basil if you feel inclined.
I was raised in a house where a marinara didn’t “taste right” without it in it…so this version reflects my personal tastes, and since I am going to make this for me and my “family” then this version it is.
Ragu, as the Bolognese call their celebrated meat sauce, is characterized by mellow, gentle comfortable flavor that any cook can achieve by being careful about a few basic points.
• The meat should not be too lean a cut to extract its juices for the subsequent benefit of the sauce.
• Cook the milk in milk before adding wine and tomatoes to protect it from the acidic bite of the latter.
• Do not use a demiglace or other concentrates that tip the balance of flavors toward harshness.
• Use a pot that retains heat. Earthenware is preferred in Bologna and by most cooks in Emilia-Romagna, but enameled cast-iron pans or a pot whose heavy bottom is composed of layers of steel alloy is fully satisfactory.
2 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon to toss pasta with.
4-1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, with juice. I increased this substantially because I made almost exactly to the recipe and the dish didn’t look or taste right-to me. (Everyone is different of course, which is what makes the world great. In my world I added garlic, increased the tomatoes to more of a “meaty marinara”, cut the butter back and that is about it.
The rest of the dish is my invention entirely.
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups or more of pasta-I used jumbo multicolored Farfalle here.
1. Marcella Hazan’s choice of pasta is tagliatelle or tortellini and green lasagna goes really well with this sauce.
2. Put oil, butter chopped onion in a pot and heat to medium. Cook and stir until translucent then add celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat well.
3. Add ground beef, large pinch of salt, and a few grindings of black pepper. Crumble meat with fork, stir well and cook until beef is not raw and no longer pink inside.
4. Add milk and let simmer gently stirring frequently, until milk has bubbled away completely.
5. Add the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn heat down. Simmer sauce at the laziest boil.
Or
PUT IN A CROCK POT ON 250 DEGREES FOR 3 HOURS OR UP UNTIL 6 HOURS, STIRRING AFTER 2 HOURS.
While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out, and the fat will separate from the meat, unless you use a very lean meat like I did-Polly Motzko, that is.
To keep it from sticking, continue the cooking, adding ½ cup of water whenever needed. In the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt if needed.
Toss with cooked, drained pasta, adding the tablespoon butter and some of the freshly grated Parmesan on the side.
(Inspired by Marcella Hazan’s “Bolognese Meat Sauce”)
Make pasta sauce at least 3 to 6 hours ahead of time and arrange making the pasta after the sauce is through simmering for its total time-3 hours is recommended.
Cook pasta of choice until al dente and then put some in a shallow pasta bowl, then arrange some of the cooked farfalle on top of the sauce. Put enough sauce in the bowl so that you can “sop up the sauce” and you can also drizzle some more on top. I did this type of presentation because I wanted to show off the colors and shape of the jumbo multi-colored farfalle…you could use penne here and it would work out great too! This multi colored pasta-I bought at World Market-was one of my all-time finds in the pasta world. (Even my friends in Italy hadn’t seen anything like it!)
Top the zucchini/squash/garlic mixture on top of the pasta of your choice.
Grate some fresh Parmesan and put on top to crown the dish…and lastly ENJOY! The Parmesan gives the dish the extra SALTY flavor that it needs, so don’t make the dish without it…or substitute something very similar like Romano.
If you have made variations of this dish, email them to Paulette Motzko at:
CookingUpAStorminCA@gmail.com
Polly Motzko will include them in her upcoming cookbook, with your permission, that is.
Happy Cooking!
Yours truly in food and all that is wonderful on your plate!
So where were we? Oh yes, the final days of vacation.
By day five, you should have seen my nose. That was Saturday, and today (Wednesday) people are still coming up to me and literally calling me Rudolph. Oh, how original. I put sunscreen on! I really did.
Meal upon meal of heavy food was really starting to get to me. Fruit and vegetables were absolutely on the bottom of the totem pole, and I'm not the type of person to be on vacation and order the healthy things on all the menu; that would be just a waste. So, Saturday night, Vanessa and I chose the lightest dinner fare we could think of-- sushi.
I could eat it everyday, and my mom says that's okay! Oh wait, that's goldfish. Well, you get the idea. Six bitesize cream cheese filled munchies. Okay, I know the Philly roll isn't the healthiest or exciting, but I knew I liked it and you don't want to dislike your sushi. That's a crime, my friends. I ordered a seaweed salad which I adored, and had a few nibbles of my sisters boiled tofu. Try that for a real treat. Sarcasm. It was good, but rather, what's the word? Bland. Let's put it this way, as my dad says, "I hope this is healthy."
Anyway, afterward we went to her friend's going away party. It was a barbecue-- a Korean barbecue. I've never had bulgogi before, so I had to try it. Slightly sweet and spicy. Awesome. I've got to try it. My friend Chris told me he'd show me some mighty fine Korean bbq, so I'm going to hold him to it. We headed home and I suffered from major cat allergies for one more night.
I ran out of eye drops on Saturday. Not one more little drip of liquid. I squeezed and squeezed but to no avail. I woke up the next morning and I looked like a drug addict who was coming down hard. My eyes were completely blod shot and puffy. It was bad. Stupid cat. He actually slept on my face. Cat on the face is not good for one allergic to cats. Remember that. Still slept well, minus one nightmare-ish like moment where Monty was giving me the stink eye at 3:00 in the morning.
Sunday morning rolled around and I was excited. Want to know why? It was crepe time. Vanessa and I were supposed to get crepes on Tuesday night from this adorable little place in Harvard Square. After having our minds set on it all day, we ventured over only to find it was closed early. Unbelieveable. Needless to say, the buildup and anticipation of Arrow Street Crepes was intense.
The place is a hole in the wall and as you walk in, you can see the two chefs whipping things up. There were a bunch of options, and though the Crepe Ridiculous was calling my name with it's layers of chocolate and fruit, I went with the California, because I cannot say no to avocado. It had avocado, mozzarella, basil walnut pesto, turkey bacon, tomatoes, greens and balasmic. I liked it. I didn't love it. I wish I got one with chicken, mozz and garlic butter, but next time I suppose. I think what got me was that the crepe was a little too sweet and the filling was a little too savory. I can only imagine the heavenly goodness of their sweet crepes. Oh my lanta. But, the place was charming; the options were plentiful. I was a happy camper.
Vanessa headed back to work and I had just one more afternoon to soak up the city I love so much. I drove around with my Dad and we reminisced about all the great things we saw, ate, and experienced. When can I move here, I thought.
Because it was our last night, this only meant one thing. We had one more meal to do it big. It was like our Last Supper. That important. And, if you've been keeping up with The Messie Kitchen, you saw how much I enjoyed Boston's North End, so this was the only logical choice.
We headed away from busy street entertainers by Quincy Market, and toward the small slice of Italy a few blocks away. It was early enough that we could sneak right into just about any restaurant.
My sister recommended Florentine Cafe, which was a classy looking restaurant with big windows overlooking the busy streets. I loved the setting. The food was a little pricey, but that's only because I'm a cheapo. And guess what? Daddy paid! Perks of living with your parents shining through! Unfortunately, I think what we ordered must not be regular menu items but I'll try to remember all the yummy ingredients. And I should warn you, my pictures do not do the food justice. It was delicious authentic Italian food and I loved every bite.
Vanessa and I split a side salad with fresh mozzarella and cracked pepper. Fresh ingredients make an average salad great, in my opinion. That's it! Oh please, you know we got more than that.
Dad ordered a Gnocci al Pomodoro. It was cute little potato dumplings with tomato basil sauce. I sopped up his last few bites with a piece of crusty bread. So good.
Vanessa ordered a Pumpkin Ravioli in a Cream Sauce. Now, I associate pumpkin with fall, but it was paired with a sweeter filling which was tasty, especially with the sauce.
It made me crave the cool breeze of autumn, and I hope I can make it back up to Boston that time of year-- it's my favorite.
I ordered something that I've never had before: Rigatoni D'Anatra, which translates to roasted duck. It was in a white wine sauce with cremini mushrooms and it was delectable. It was filling but not heavy, and I learned that I loved duck. It's like chicken but way more tender and flavorful, leading me to believe it's fattier. It was moist and went perfectly with the mushrooms. A definite "go" in my book.
The combination of all three covered all my bases. It was a great dinner. Know what makes a great dinner better? Knowing that you're just a few steps away from some of the best bakeries around.
Now, Cooking with Coley has recommended Modern Pastry. Well Coley, I checked it out! And I am so glad I did. First of all, when you're in Mike's it is an all our elbow throwing battle to make your way to the counters. Modern... not so much. A nice line formed along the display cases filled with cheesecakes, cookies, canolis and cupcakes.
It was tough to decide, but I used my eyes completelty.
Vanessa choose a chocolate covered cheesecake and I went for a chocolate mousse.
Beautiful, no? If you taste with your eyes, these are for you. I must say I preferred the cheesecake, but I did love the creamy mousse filling of my sweet treat.
I do have a giant sweet tooth, but I could muster up only a few bites of each before I could have no more. It seems as if my hunger for New England cuisine and rich food has faded.
At this point, I could almost taste my high fiber maple and brown sugar oatmeal calling my name. And just when we were ready to head out... our flight got cancelled!
Another night in Boston!
Well, not really. We managed to find another flight and it brought us home to good old Fairfax. Though it was nice to sleep in my bed and get back into my routine, I will miss the feeling of the streets in Boston, and the windy evenings of Maine.
One day, I will make it up there again. And this time, I will live there. I hope you enjoyed my trip up the east coast as much as I did.
Now, I'm laying down on my couch for the next week for so after my surgery. I cannot cook and I cannot bake. This means I need your posts! So keep them coming.
