France - Week 1

Ok so after this week I am making a conscientious effort to get my posts in sooner; so you can see everything up to the minute (so to speak). This week we made cuisine traditional to the country of France...I know we have done a lot of French cuisine. Then again they are considered the fore-fathers of the modern kitchen/cuisine.

The menu consisted of: Soupe de Legumes aux Petits Coquillages (Vegetable Soup with Shellfish); Le Blanc de Poisson Belle Mouginoise (Fillet of Fish Bell Mouginoise); Filet de Porc Farci Lyonnaise (Stuffed Pork Tenderloin); Ratatouille; Salade de Poire (Pear Salad); and Mousse au Chocolat (Chocolate Mousse). Peggy made the vegetable shellfish soup and chocolate mousse, Kelsey (sp) made the pear salad and ratatouille, Maria made the white fish (fillet of fish), and I made the stuffed pork tenderloin.

The vegetable shellfish soup was really good; it included clams, mussels and scallops (which were added in at the last minute; just before serving so they do not get tough). The clams and mussels are steamed open in some clam juice and placed aside. You then sweat some vegetables, add some diced tomato, place the mussels back in bring to a boil with the clam juice, and then add the clams and scallops at the end. Viola, a great cup of shellfish soup; of course remember to taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. The fish was prepared by Maria and it was perfect...

Maria began by thinly slicing tomatoes, cucumbers and white mushrooms; she then arranged them nicely on top of the lightly seasoned fish fillets (any skinless, boneless, firm white fish will do in this recipe). You can see the pattern in the picture shown here. You then add the layered fish onto a buttered pan; large enough to hold the fillets. Almost forgot...make sure to also spread some minced shallots to the buttered pan; then place the fish on top of the shallots. Add some vermouth and white wine to the pan (approximately 4 1/2 oz)...place in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F; the cooking should not take more than 4 -6 minutes or until cooked (do not overcook). Remove the fish from the cooking liquid and set aside to keep moist and warm. Add some fish stock (fume) and a little heavy cream to the cooking liquid, reduce the liquids to sauce consistency (coating the back of the spoon). After it is reduced you whisk in butter and chives vigorously; until shiny and creamy. Correct the seasoning in the sauce and then pour over the top of the finished fish layed out on a serving platter.

The stuffed pork tenderloin is made by the same method I have spoken about a few times now in this blog. Start by butterflying a pork tenderloin; pound it out with a meat clever; lightly season with salt, pepper and olive oil; then stuff with a prepared stuffing. In this case the stuffing consisted of sauteed onions and garlic, raw ground pork, salt, pepper, chopped herbs (oregano, chervil, sage, and parsley), breadcrumbs and one egg. Of course roll up the stuffed tenderloin tightly and secure closed by trussing it in twine. Pan sear the roll ups in a small amount of oil; place aside and drain off the fat. Deglaze the pan with red wine; add in a bay leaf or two, some herbs (sage, oregano, parsley stems, chervil); place back in the pork and fill halfway up the meat with brown stock and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and braise in the oven at 350 degrees for about 35 - 45 minutes. When finished take out the pork and keep warm in a covered plate...reduce the sauce and take out the leaves, stems, etc. Add a little dissolved arrowroot (or cornstarch) and finish off with a little melted butter. Slice the pork on the bias, thinly, and serve on a plate topped with the reduced sauce. This meal goes great with Ratatouille; which Kelsey made and it turned out great! Kelsey's ratatouille was also served by itself in a small bowl; accompanied with toasted french bread brushed with olive oil.

The chocolate mousse is made using the same recipe I have outlined before in past posts (use the search bar above to find recipe). The difference in this mousse was the presentation; I got creative and split an orange. I then carved out the fruit from the skin from half; and used a melon-baller to scoop out the rest of the fibers stuck to the rind. The other half of the orange I segmented and julienned some of the skin. Peggy piped the finished mousse into the empty half of orange and I topped it with julienned orange zest. We then surrounded the finished product with the segmented orange slices. Again a night of great food and awesome photos...

Butter and Cheese and Cheese and Butter - Nothern Italy

The Northern Italians have the opportunity to keep things like dairy chilled in the winter and of course they like food that keep them warm as well. Welcome to butter and cheese and cheese and butter...lol

Last week we made dishes classic of Northern Italy; they consisted of Vitello Tonnato (Veal in Tuna Sauce), Osso Buco Milanese, Risotto Alla Zafferano (Risotto with Saffron), Panna Cotta, and Gnocchi Di Patate Salsa Di Parmesan Reggiano E Poire (Potato Gnocchi in Parmesan Cheese and Leeks). Phew! that was a mouthful and believe me the menu was nothing short of big dishes.

Veal Tonnato

The veal in tuna sauce was made by Peggy; and is made a nice size of veal, eye round or top round, seasoned with salt and pepper wrapped in cheesecloth and tied up like a salami. You then combine brown stock, wine and a bouquet of parsley, bay leaves and oregano; and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil you add the veal; cover and remove from the heat. The meat will poach for about 10 -15 minutes and will be kept medium rare. Finish making the tuna sauce which consists of pureed anchovies (canned in oil - drained), tuna fish (canned in oil - drained), capers, olive oil, salt and pepper. Take out the veal and chill in the fridge or place in a bowl with an ice bath underneath. After the meat is completely chilled slice into very thin pieces, line on a plate with thinly sliced lemon and accompany with cornichons, capers, tuna sauce, etc. This was not a winner with most; but I thought it to be pretty tasty once you added the tuna sauce.

Osso Buco with Risotto alla Zaffron

I made the Osso Buco which was pretty easy to make; not intimidating at all. Start by lightly seasoning your veal shanks and then in a small amount of olive oil sear the meat in a rondeau (Picture of a Rondeau); set the seared meat to the side. Add some diced mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) to the pan and deglaze; then add minced garlic until aroma is released. Next add some red wine to the pan (off of the heat - after pouring in wine place back on heat); add some diced tomatoes and replace the meat back into the pot. Make sure to add brown stock to the pot; halfway up the side of the shanks. Put some bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, etc into the pot for seasoning. Bring to a boil, place the lid on the pot and braise in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone; be careful to not let the meat boil, but rather simmer in the oven. You can also flip the meat once or twice while waiting for the final verdict. Our dish turned a=out great and I topped it with a Germalotta (minced - parsley, lemon zest, garlic & boiled micro-diced carrots).

Gnocchi

Maria made the Risotto with Saffron; it was awesome...great compliment to the richness of the Osso Buco. She made it using the standard risotto procedure; pan frying the risotto in a pan with a little oil and then adding wine to the rice until absorbed. Always stir the risotto making sure it does not stick to the pan because it is very easy to burn. You then add a little chicken stock at a time to the risotto until absorbed; continue this process until the risotto is no longer crunchy. Halfway through the cooking of the risotto with the chicken stock; add the dissolved saffron. You dissolve saffron by placing a pinch of it in a couple tablespoons of warm water (or chicken stock). Finish the risotto off with a little butter, cheese and serve with the Osso Buco. Risotto is a Northern Italian short grain rice which becomes very creamy; and can served as an appetiser or main dish at times.

Fresh Fruit with Mint

Overall the night was great; except for a couple of unexpected hiccups...the gnocchi tasted great! However, it either overcooked or was placed in too many at one time; so they clumped up in the strainer. I stress this however, the gnocchi tasted great. It is not an easy pasta to make and if it remains wet before placing it in the boiling water, it will fall apart on you. Also our Panna Cotta did not have enough time to set up in the oven; so we improvised; Maria made a fresh fruit plate with fresh mint and light sugar coating (pictured to the left).This week was awesome and I look forward to making some of these dishes a little on the lighter side.

Central Italy

This week we made dishes from Central Italy; which also includes Rome. The dishes from the region are very simplistic and easy to make. The ingredients are very fresh and homemade pasta is the norm for this area.
The dishes we prepared included: Homemade Tagliatelle Red Pepper pasta with a roasted garlic/olive oil sauce; eggplant rollatini; bruschetta, chicken sauteed with mushrooms and polenta; asparagus with Parmesan cheese and tiramisu.

The fresh pasta was made with 3 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 1 tsp of powdered (crushed) red pepper flakes, 1 tsp of salt, 2 tbsp of olive oil, and 1/2 tbsp tomato paste. I started by by pouring the flour onto a clean surface and making a well in the middle of the flour; then crack the eggs into the well, add the olive oil, salt, paste and pepper flakes. Beat the mixture well with a fork in the well; then start incorporating some of the flour along the edges of the well with the fork. After a while you will begin to work it together with your clean hands and a dough scraper. Knead the dough using the heel of your hand until all of the ingredients are incorporated and smooth. If the dough is too wet slowly add some flour to get the smooth, silky feel. Form the dough into a round and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit out while you prepare the rest of your meal. Once the dough has rested for at least an hour uncover and cut into 4 equal pieces. With your pasta roller feed it through; constantly dusting it with flour to keep it dry. Be careful not to roll it out too thin, square off the flattened dough, and slowly roll the two sides into the middle. Slice the dough across both rolled in sides about 3/4 inches wide; slide your knife under the slices and lift. The dough should hang off of your chef knife and you can then separate the strips. Lay the strips of pasta out on a lined cookie sheet and dust with flour to dry. I have actually seen some homes where they line the pasta on a clothing line in order to dry it out. Be careful to not over cook the pasta (only to al dente) and make sure there is enough water to allow room for cooking. If you need to cook in batches, it is ok to do so...I roasted some garlic pressed out the finished product; mashed up the garlic with some salt and added it to 2 tbsp of olive oil and white wine in a pan. Brought this just up to a boil while constantly whisking; then tossed the pasta in the sauce and served with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Maria made the Eggplant Rollatini; which was dredged on paper towels after lightly dusting with salt; then pan fried to soften the eggplant; and stuffed with ham, asiago cheese. Finally they are rolled up and placed on a baking dish; topped with sauce and more asiago/mozzarella cheese. They are baked for a short period of time to heat and melt all of the ingredients.

The bruchetta was wonderful and made by Mike; he diced and concassed some yellow and red tomatoes into a bowl with minced garlic, shallots and chopped basil. The mixture is then tossed with olive oil, red wine and balsamic vinegars. Seasoned the mix with salt and pepper; then add thin slices of red onion which have sat in ice water to make crisp. The mix is served in a small bowl or plate accompanied with slices of country bread which is topped with a garlic aioli. The garlic aioli (garlic mayonnaise) gives taste and keeps the wet ingredients of the bruschetta from making the bread soggy.

The asparagus is made by snapping off the ends gently where it naturally breaks; then sliced at the bottoms to even them out. Then you place them in a pan and cover with slightly salted water; place it on the heat and bring to a boil. At the boil shut off the heat and remove from the pan from the coils/fire. Pull the asparagus out of the water immediately and place on paper towels to dry. Top them dry asparagus with grated Parmesan cheese and melt in the broiler.

Pollo alla Toscana; chicken with mushrooms is a dish which I think resembles chicken cacciatore. The dish consists of lightly flour chicken which is pan fried then removed from the pan to be put back in later. You then add sage leaves and wine, reduce to almost dry; add mushrooms and chicken stock and reduce by half. You add tomatoes, simmer for about 10 minutes and then correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Place the chicken back into the sauce and let stew until chicken is done. The chicken is then served with slices of polenta; which Peggy made with mushrooms so it complimented the chicken well.

The tiramisu was a tricky dessert because it needs time to set up in the fridge and we did not have a lot of time that evening. The custard is a mixture of whipped egg yolks which have hot sugar (candy state) poured in while still being mixed. Marscapone cheese is then incorporated into the mixture and spread over layed out lady fingers. More lady fingers and then more cheese/cream; espresso, amaretto, or brandy is added to the cream as well. The idea is to allow the dessert to set up in the fridge overnight...overall the week was awesome and we made some pretty tasty dishes.

Southern Italy

Two weeks ago we made pretty impressive dishes celebrating the cuisine of Southern Italy. Some of those dishes included a couple of antipasti dishes; Peperonata (stewed peppers) and Caponata. A pasta dish of Orchietti Pasta with Artichokes (orcechietti con carciofi); Salad of Squid and Shrimp; Tuna Palermo Style; Focaccia (Sweet onion and roasted garlic); Braciole Calabresi (stuffed Pork Bundles) and Torta Caprese (Chocolate Almond Cake).

The two antipasti dishes (before pasta) were made to go with the yummy focaccia bread I made. Peperonata is basically stewed peppers, onion and garlic; along with tomatoes and basil. You cook the mixture until the skin begins to fall off of the peppers. The Caponata is a mixture of stewed eggplant, olives, tomatoes, celery, and red onion. Both antipasti dishes should be served at room temperature with bread; in this case Focaccia. The Focaccia is made by mixing active dry yeast treated in warm water, 3 3/4 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of water, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp yellow corn meal, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/3 cup dry white wine. Mix all together in a straight dough method and proof in a warm moist place. Spread out the dough onto a well oiled sheet pan; carefully kneading it until the dough fills the pan resting for an hour to rise. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes; take out and spread with rosemary, onion or garlic (whatever please you) and place back in for another 5 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve with the anitpasti dishes...

The Braciole was pretty easy to make; start by flattening out slices of pork loin (cleaned of fat and silver skin). Make a mixture of parmesan or romano cheese, 1 egg, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and 2 cloves of minced garlic. The mixture should be a paste and easily spreadable; if it is too wet sprinkle some breadcrumbs in to thicken the mixture. Next make sure you moisten the pork with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread a small amount of the cheese mixture on the middle of the pork. Roll the pork into bundles; tucking the sides in as you roll. Close with toothpicks and place in prepared tomato sauce (recipe can be found in earlier entries of blog) you can add a little red wine and some brown stock to the sauce as well. Make sure you do not boil the sauce or the meat will seize and stiffen up...

The Torta Caprese was wonderful and very moist...one of the best deserts I've had including baking class. The Tuna Palermo style was good but I am not a big fan of the sardines...Mike however did a killer job with grilling the Tuna. Maria made a very good orechietti pasta with fresh artichokes and pancetta. Overall the week was excellent and brought back remembrance of my late great grandparents and their cooking.

No Meatballs Aboudit!

   So this paper is pretty much right up my alley; something to do with my Italian heritage I think. I grew up with big family Sunday dinners and a large pot of gravy on the stove. Like most Italian-American families you grow up with meatballs, sausage, gravy (sauce), pasta, ricotta cheese, pizza, etc. But did you know Southern Italian cuisine did not touch a tomato until it was brought over from the Americas. In fact Southern Italian cuisine is associated with seafood, olive oil and spicy food. The Northern Italians are the ones who are associated with meat, butter and cream. So in retrospect all the fat belly Italian food we know and sometimes love does not represent true Southern Italian food.

   Let us start with the history of Southern Italy cuisine; and the multiplicity. The country as a whole has been influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Normans and Arabs. It started around the twelfth century B.C. with the Etruscans; ancient Romans who named the land Etruria. They expanded through modern Italy and are descendents of Latins and Campania. They cultivated a local grain called farro (a type of spelt) which fed Mediterranean people for thousands of years. This grain was extremely difficult to produce so it led to the push and popularity of wheat. Spaniards brought the Grenache grape to the Sardegna region; it is now called Cannonau [1]. A famous Genoan named Christopher Columbus brought back peppers, chiles, corn, potatoes and of course the staple of modern Italian cooking…the tomato. It is hard to imagine that Southern Italians waited over 2000 years to cook with a tomato. Tomatoes use to be considered dangerous and poisonous; I am so glad they figured out they were not poisonous. The meat herded in this mountainous, volcanic, hot region of Italy; are pigs, sheep, and lamb. Of course the Greeks left their mark in regards to churches and of course on the food. They taught Southern Italians how to cook seafood and how to work a good lamb.

   Most of the food we enjoy in the United States today came from the boat loads of immigrants from Southern Italy. The country of Italy has had its problems between the North and South just like the US did in the 1800's. Northern Italy has always been the industrial part of the country and where all of the wealth resides. The South was always poor; because of this groups were created to help feed the families living in these neighborhoods. In fact the country was not united until the 19th century. This poor region however has created some amazing foods we eat today. Napoli or Naples is the birth place of the pizza; which was a peasant food that kept people warm in the winter when food was sparse. Along with the pizzas of Southern Italy came the great varieties of red sauces. Other nuances of Southern Italian cooking can be found in the pasta and the cheese. Most Southern cheeses are hard outside of mozzarella. Most of the cheeses are also made from the milks of all types of livestock; except for pigs [7]. The pigs of course are definitely used for of course its meat, but Southern Italians of course love their sausage. I find this extremely ironic since Sicily was conquered in the 9th century by Muslims and was created into an Emirate. Muslim heritage, cuisine and the way of life is a large influence on Sicily today. The Muslims introduced spinach, almonds, rice; and when the Normans ruled Sicily they introduced casseroles, salt cod and stockfish. Refrigeration did not of course exist and the South was a warm climate; so meat and fish were smoked, dried, brined, pickled, etc. This led to of course using the pig again…the pig's fat was used to cook; mortadella, bacon, pancetta, and ham among other numerous dried sausages were created.

   Dry Macaroni is another staple of Southern Italy because it is suitable for storing, trading and transporting [3]. Shellfish and other seafood were extremely prominent in the South because of great fishing waters and climate. Major dishes using the shellfish and other Mediterranean frutti di mare; can be found cooked in wine, grilled over a fire, deep fried or tossed in pasta. One great recipe for frutti di mare is: Linguine ai Frutti di Mare the following is the recipe. I hope after reading this and trying out this recipe you will be inclined to try your hand at other Southern Italian cuisine; rather than just the fat belly lasagna, creamy cheese pastas and dressing drenched salads.

Linguine ai frutti di mare
This recipe makes four servings and the ingredients include:

1 tbsp olive oil,
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
Red Pepper flakes
½ cup of dry wine
dozen littleneck clams
10 oz of linguine
3/4 cup of tomato sauce (or your own homemade light gravy)
Dozen mussels
8 shrimp, shelled, deveined
4 sea scallops quartered, or 16 bay scallops
5 oz of calamari rings
1/4 cup fresh flat parsley, coarsely chopped
Boil water in a pot and cook the linguine; in a large pan heat the olive oil and cook the garlic slightly to release the aroma. Add the wine and bring to a boil to release the alcohol; add the clams, mussels, and red pepper flakes then cover. Make sure you do not over cook the pasta and only to al dente. Uncover the pan and add the tomato sauce; add rest of the seafood. The clams and mussels are done cooking when the shells are all open. Remove from heat toss in salt and pepper to taste, parsley and toss with finished linguine.

Mangia Mangia!!

Work Cited
1.      http://www.italian-cooking-made-easy.com/historyofitaliancooking.html
2.      http://www.epicurean.com/articles/food-of-southern-italy.html
3.      http://www.annamariavolpi.com/what_is_italian_cooking.html
4.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Italy
5.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_cuisine
6.      http://italianfood.about.com/od/regionalcuisines1/ss/southern.htm
7.      http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/itlsouth.html
8.      http://www.italian-food-info.com/
9.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_civilization
10.  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Linguine-ai-Frutti-di-Mare-238646

The British Isles

This past week was all about the Prime Rib (Roast Beef), Yorkshire Pudding, Langoustine Souffles, Fennel and Red Onion Salad, glazed shallots, cheese and herb bread, and for dessert Strawberry Shortbread.

Langoustines are like mini lobsters and are sometimes called Norway Lobsters; even though they are mainly found in Brittany. Peggy made the souffles and they were awesome! You poach the langoustine tails in fish stock, drain and chop while reserving the fish stock. Sweat some shallots and stir in some flour; gradually add the reserved fish stock and stir until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolks and langoustines. Season with cayenne, lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutmeg; cool slightly. Whisk some egg whites until peaks form and fold in the langoustine mixture. Spoon the mixture into ramekins which are greased and coated with toasted breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and the souffle should be puffed, browned and fairly firm.

The fennel and onion salad was easy to make...I recreated it for the bbq I had at the house this past weekend. I made the roast beef/prime rib; which was pretty easy to make. Coat a nice cut of a standing rib roast (bone in or out) with kosher salt and coarse black pepper. Of course before you rub it down with the salt and pepper make sure you truss the meat. Place it in the oven at over 400 degrees for the first 5 min if you desire and then finish at 350 degrees. You want the meat to be about 130 - 135 degrees Farenheit; if  you have guests who like their meat burnt, dry or the consistency of a boot you can always throw a slice in the oven to dry it out...lol. While the meat was resting the Yorkshire pudding was in the oven and I had a pan gravy going on the stove. Yorkshire pudding is very simple to make...take a tablespoon or two of the rendered fat from the pan which housed the rib roast; and place it into a nine inch saute pan. Get the fat REALLY HOT!!! and then pour in a batter which has sat for 30 minutes; consisting of water, milk, egg, salt and flour. Place the pan into the oven at 350 degrees F and cook for about 30 minutes or golden brown and puffed up. As for the pan gravy...mmmmm...I poured out most of the rendered fat from the pan which again housed the rib roast; and whisked in enough flour to thicken the fat. Next you whisk in a cup of red wine and work out all the clumps...along with scrapping the dripping off the pan. Once this comes a boil add brown stock (about a cup) and reduce to consistency. Strain the sauce into a sauce pot and finish with melted butter, salt and pepper.

All together the beef with the glazed shallots and Yorkshire pudding with gravy was awesome! The cheese bread was another really easy process and it came out hot, crusty with yummy cheese toasted on top. Check out the pictures below...

Sunday Gravy

Ok so with this one I know my father and grandfather (also Al's) will probably want to comment :)

I will say I got this from them to begin with; every Italian family has a recipe for their sauce and our's is no different.

I have two sauces which I like to add or subtract from...

The first sauce; my fresh sauce was posted in my blog earlier and I have perfected it since then...this one is a good ol' stick your bones pot of gravy.

Start with a frying pan and a large sauce pot; you will also need 1/3 pound of veal chunks for stew, enough oxtails to equal 3/4 pound. In the sauce I made I purchased one large size ox tail piece from Doris' Italian Market. You will also need a medium size yellow onion; half of a green pepper; 4 cloves of garlic; 2 large bay leaves (or equivalent); 2 large cans of crushed tomato; water as needed; 1/4 of red wine (ehhhh maybe a little bit more); 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil; sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.

First dice your onion, green pepper and mince your garlic; then open your packages of meat. Season your meat lightly with sea salt and black pepper on both sides. Heat half of the oil in the sauce pot and the other half in the frying pan. When you get a light smoke on the oil add the onion and green pepper to the sauce pot; careful not to burn. In the frying pan place the veal and oxtail; brown lightly to get color do not burn either. Now add the garlic to the onion pepper translucent mixture; remember to turn the meat in the pan. Open the two cans of crushed tomato and pour into the onion, garlic, pepper mix; stir to not burn. Use tongs to take out the meat and place into the sauce pot. Take the pan off of the heat and add the wine to deglaze the pan; heat until it boils while scrapping the pan with the sauce spoon. Pour the wine into the pot with the meat, tomato, onion, garlic and peppers. Add just enough water to one of the tomato cans and make sure the meat is just covered with sauce. Next add the bay leaves to the pot and stir to combine. This is where I add about on 1 tsp of concentrated stock to the pot as well...bring the sauce to a slow simmer and reduce the heat for just a few bubbles. Cover the sauce and fahgedaboudit for about 6 or so hours.

When you return to your sauce make sure you stir it well and the meat should fall off the ox tail. Remove the bone from the ox tail and the bay leaves; now is a good time to "smoosh" the veal chunks with the sauce spoon so that it incorporates into the whole sauce. Stir the sauce well and remove lid to allow it to breathe...then add your salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you have you favorite crusty Italian bread handy to dip in and taste test...!

Serve with your favorite pasta (I used Dreamfield Spaghetti) and top with a dollop of Ricotta Cheese. Of course make sure there is a good parm on the table with slices of that yummy bread you have been sopping up the sauce with...remember save some for everyone else.

What to make for dinner?

If you are ever on the way home and wondering "what should I make for dinner," I hope you have a grocery store close by (in my case Doris' Italian Market).

Remember you are cooking for tonight; so why pick up the pre-made chemically engineered boxed dinners? In the same amount of time you can put something together you will be able to eat for the next few days, and feel good about it. I know a lot of you are thinking, I DO NOT WANT TO COME HOME, COOK, CLEAN, Blah blah blah... The whole idea is too cook for a more than one day and get creative with leftovers. I have taken left over chicken and made quesadillas, sandwiches, soups, etc.

Back to the task at hand; stop into your local market more so than your grocery store, and you will find produce that needs to be sold RIGHT NOW! At Doris' they always have a food service rack/ cart on the floor of the produce section; where you will find produce slightly bruised, sort of wrinkly, but $0.99 cents!!!!

Now take this new found knowledge and use it...in the old country/ about 50 yrs ago our grandparents use to buy fresh food and use it through out the week. In fact on Sunday Italian families would use up the rest of the food and have Sunday feast. Hence the awesome meat sauce, sourdough breads, meatballs, etc. Food is reusable so long as you allow it to be...make sure you stretch your food rather than just your dollar. And if you really do not like leftovers, get a dog...or make a compost.

Stuffed mushroom caps

Wow these were a hit...

If you guys want to make a quick appetiser that's aimed to please; make sure you make this one.
You need two packages of white mushrooms (non-sliced); give them a good wash and pull out all of the stems. Buy a good loaf of sourdough bread and slice 2 cups into 1/4 in cubes; toast in toaster oven for 15 min or until lightly toasted. Place bread in a bowl and pour 2 tbsp of white wine, 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp mayo, 2 good sized cloves of garlic minced, 3 good size leaves of basil chopped, 1 tsp of oregano, 1 tbsp of shredded parm, 1 tsp of sea salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and 1 tsp of hot sauce (I used Crystal)...I also added 1/2 cup of chopped imitation lobster meat (use crab meat, etc) Mash all of the ingredients together extremely well, it's ok if the bread stays a little chunky.

Next fill the 'shrooms with the mixture and pack tight. Place on a baking sheet with tin foil and top the 'shrooms with parm. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. You can even finish them off on broil for 3- 5 min.
Awesome!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Soda - "Pop"

An American Icon

Pop, soda, soda-pop, fizzy drink, soft drink; all names of a product that Americans consume an average of 1.6 cans per day. This equals to an average of 584 cans of pop (1.6 cans x 365 days) per American each year. Wow, even bigger if you take the estimated American population which is roughly 309 million Americans, as of June 2010. We consume an average of 181 billion canes of soda!!!! The following number is probably a reason why American icons such as; Coca Cola and PepsiCo are included in the Forbes Fortune 100 list (#52 & #73 as of 2009). The term “soft”, in soft drink, is given because it is the opposite of “hard”; and alcoholic drinks were hard drinks because of their high alcoholic content. But where did we get this burping machine of a money maker in the United States?

We can trace the history back to the mineral waters found in natural springs; which was considered extremely healthy and people often bathed in it for its healthy properties. These waters were said to cure ailments and soon scientists discovered that carbon dioxide was behind the bubble formations in natural mineral water. Thank you scientists for your exploration of Carbon Dioxide bubbles, but how did you make them taste good you ask. In 1810 the first US patent was issued to mass produce “imitation” mineral water; to Simons and Rundell of Charleston, SC. Twenty-two years later in 1832 John Mathews, of New York City, invented an apparatus for making mass produced carbonated water; the mass produced modern soda fountain was then created.

At this point soda pop was available at your local pharmacy (drugstore) or ice cream parlors; pharmacists would concoct mixtures of roots, fruit extracts, flowers, bark, leaves, and elixirs such as pepsin. We will get back to pepsin because I am sure by now you are all ready putting two and two together. By now we started to mass produce soft drinks in bottles for sale to home. These first soda pops were capped with corks, caps or lids; but the carbon dioxide would escape because of the immense pressure. Some of the first bottle soda makers were pharmacists; in 1885 in Waco, TX a young pharmacist named Charles Alderton named a soda after his friend Dr. Charles Pepper. A year later in 1886 a doctor named John Stith Pemberton of Atlanta, GA created a soft drink called Coca-Cola. In 1893 a drink first known as “Brad’s Drink” was created by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, NC. Another notable is from a guy who was a salesman and marketer named Charles Leiper Grigg; whom created a drink called “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Sodas” it was later shortened to 7 Up. Soon after the loss of carbon dioxide in bottled sodas; a Baltimore machine operator was granted a patent in 1892. The machine operator was William Painter and he created the first very successful method of keeping the bubbles in the bottle; the “Crown Cork Bottle Seal” or the simply the bottle cap.
So for most of us we know the history of Coca Cola; but if you do not it is very hush for the most part. The name Coca-Cola was suggested to Pemberton by his bookkeeper Frank Robinson; who also penned/scripted the famous logo of today. Nine servings of the soft drink were sold each day in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta. The first year sales of Coca Cola totaled an amount of $50; which was a loss for Pemberton whose expenses totaled $70 for the year. I do not think he complained for too long since Coca-Cola products are consumed at a rate of more than one billion drinks per day.

Brad’s Drink created in 1893 was made with carbonated water, sugar, vanilla, rare oils, cola nuts and pepsin. In 1898 Caleb wisely bought the trade name Pep Cola for $100 from a competitor in New Jersey. In 1903 Bradham’s neighbor designed the first logo for this new company known as Pepsi Cola. Believe it or not Pepsi went bankrupt in 1923 during the Great Depression. In 1931 Pepsi Cola was bought by Loft Candy Company and their CEO struggled to make the company a success; he even tried to sell the iconic company to the Coca-Cola Company who refused the offer.

Throughout the years cans were introduced in 1957 and plastic bottles in 1970. The tastes have changed and more competition has been introduced around the world. Even the icons of Coke (Coca-Cola) and Pepsi were forced to change their original brews. However, after 120 plus years of yummy goodness; we continue to consume the syrupy liquid commemorating belchers across this incredible country of the United States of America.

References
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8459550/Fortune-100-Companies-List-2009
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/wr/5/wr5_08_21_5.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population
http://www.usfirehouse.com/SodaHistory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpepsi.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/soft_drink.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/soft_drinks.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsin