Quinoa Puttanesca

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed.

Okay, the picture might now do this dish justice. You wouldn't believe how many wonderful flavors this recips for Quinoa Puttanesca by the wonderful Isa Chandra Moskowitz has! I am a fan of traditional Pasta Puttanesca (a/k/a "pasta of the whore's" which cracks me up), but this is a vegan version made super healthy by serving over quinoa instead of traditional pasta.

It's quick and easy too. The only chopping is for some garlic and olives which doesn't take long at all. And while the recipe is made to serve four, they are really hearty servings. This is one of those dishes that is great to make on a weeknight and then take for leftovers a couple of days during the week. It lasts well for a few days and heats up great in the microwave.

Quinoa Puttanesca Serves 4 2 cups cooked quinoa Sauce 2 tsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes A generous pinch of dried tarragon A generous pinch of dried marjoram 1/4 cup white wine 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped roughly 1/2 cup capers 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes Freshly ground pepper

Preheat a saucepot over medium heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pot and stir for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the herbs, spices, and wine; cook for about a minute.

Add the olives, capers, and tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. You can serve by scooping quinoa into individual bowls and pouring the sauce over it. Another way is to just mix everything into a bowl together.

Cjalsòns rustìcs

What are Cjalsòns? I'd describe them as a type of dumpling. But I didn't know until I played with this recipe and made them for myself. And I did so because Rossella of Ma che ti sei mangiato?, and Italian food blog, asked us to all try them.

We had a lot of fun converting the measurements and trying to figure out the recipe. I guess I am used to recipes with more detailed information. For example, "some parsley" is usually measured. But we were laughing and guessing so it was a fun evening.

I don't know that you need to cook the potatoes as specified in the recipe - feel free to peel and cook them any way you like. The starting point is just to have some cooked and mashed potatoes.

I'm not sure how many these were supposed to make, but we got about 14 Cjalsòns and could have had 2 or 3 more with the extra dough we had left over.

The original recipe I received is European so I have converted everything into ounces and cups and shared below. Hope I did it right... it turned out okay so I must have done it okay.

I'm looking forward to the roundup to see how everyone else fared attempting to make these!

Cjalsòns rustìcs
Rustic pirogi
Adaptation of a traditional recipe

For the dough:
10.5 ounces potatoes
1 2/3 cup flour
1 egg
a pinch of nutmeg
some parsley

For the filling:
3.5 ounces sausage
1/2 glass of white wine
1 beaten egg

For the dressing:
1 2/3 cup ricotta
3/4 cup milk
pepper

Prepare the dough by boiling the unpeeled potatoes. Afterward, peel the potatoes & pass through a sieve and allow to cool. Then mix them with the egg, flour, nutmeg and parsley.

To make the filling, in a pan saute the crumbled sausages, moisten with white wine and let evaporate.

Roll out the dough onto a floured pastry board (or surface) making sure it does not stick. Cut discs of 6 cm in diameter, & place at the center of each a spoonful of filling.

Fold the discs in half and close them by pressing the edges well.

Cook the discs in boiling salted water for several minutes, then drain.

Separately prepare a warm whipping cream made of ricotta and hot milk. Pour this sauce of each plate, place the six warm Cjalsòns on the sauce and sprinkle with freshly crushed coarsely ground pepper.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

Surprised at how fast this yummy, gooey, Italian gnocchi dinner came together! I did have a bit of a problem though... the recipe calls for "package shelf-stable gnocchi" and but I couldn't find any so I purchased a bag of frozen potato gnocchi from Whole Foods. I let it defrost before using because they were to go right into the skillet. Directions on package said to defrost and boil. So they ended up being pretty mushy. They didn't want to brown either. But I just cooked it all a bit longer and didn't care when the gnocchi all mushed together - the end taste is so satisfying and no one even noticed.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans Serves 6 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup water 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pesto

I'm not usually a big pesto fan, but here I think pesto is more like a secret ingredient! Using it as a base for sauteing onions made the kitchen smell wonderful. Also, I admit that I DID buy a real squash for this, but I also found frozen squash at Whole Foods. So when I couldn't figure out how to peel the butternut squash within 90 seconds, I tossed it and started defrosting the frozen stuff. Perfect!

I did not create this recipe but and I printed it out from Notepad so I have NO IDEA where it came from or who to attribute it to. I wish I knew though because it came out so well I want to know some more recipes from this source.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pesto
Serves 6

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen onion
1½ cups Arborio rice
3 cups fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash (1 small squash)

Bring broth and 2 cups water to a boil in large saucepan; turn off heat.

Heat 1 Tbsp. pesto in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 6 minutes. Stir in rice, followed by 1/2 cup hot broth. When rice has absorbed broth, add another 1/2 cup. Continue adding broth in this manner 5 minutes.

Stir in squash, and season with salt and pepper. Resume adding broth, 1/2 cu pat a time until rice has absorbed all liquid. (This should take about 15 minutes.) Remove from heat, and stir in 1 Tbs. pesto. Spoon risotto into 6 bowls and top each with 1 tsp. pesto.

Irish Cream Tiramisu

Ever think about making Tiramisu with Bailey's Irish Cream? When I saw this recipe for Irish Cream Tiramisu in Nigella Express I was definitely intrigued because I thought Bailey's would be really great in Tiramisu. And I was correct. You can usually depend on Nigella Lawson to come up with tasty recipes which are simple to prepare as she does with this one.

Irish Cream Tiramisu Serves 12 1 1/2 cups espresso coffee, made with 1 1/2 cups water and 9 teaspoons instant espresso powder 1 cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur 2 7.05-oz packages Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers) cookies or other ladyfingers 2 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1 lb/2 cups mascarpone cheese 2 1/2 teaspoons cocoa

Make the coffee and let it cool (the espresso powder does mix fairly well in room temperature water).

Mix the coffee and 3/4 cup of the Baileys together in a shallow bowl.

Dip the ladyfingers into this liquid; let them soak on each side enough to become damp but not soggy. Line the bottom of an 8 1/2-inch square glass dish with a layer of ladyfingers.

Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. Whisk the two yolks and sugar together until thick and a paler yellow, then fold in the remaining quarter cup of Baileys and the mascarpone to make a moussey mixture.

Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy; you can do this by hand with such a little amount. Fold the egg white into the yolky mascarpone, and then spread half of this mixture on top of the layer of ladyfingers.

Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, and then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, push the cocoa through a small fine-mesh sieve to dust the top of the tiramisu.

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto

I was really intrigued by this recipe for Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto I found in the November, 2007 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. I absolutely love risotto, but I HATE standing over the hot stove stirring the rice. All the steam comes up in my face and I end up a big sweat box. So the thought of doing some prep work and then letting it all cook by itself in the slow-cooker was very novel to me. I was doubtful though . . . would the slow cooker turn out good risotto? Would it be moist enough? Would the rice end up tough?

The risotto turned out perfect! I was so excited that it turned out so well. It was rich and creamy just how risotto is supposed to be. I hope I can learn how to adapt other risotto recipes to be made in my slow cooker!

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto 6 servings 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed 3 tablespoons water 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 cups arborio rice (14 ounces) 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 tablespoon kosher salt 5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces) 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving Freshly ground pepper

Turn a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker to high. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. In a skillet, cook the sausage with the water over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a spoon until the water has evaporated and the sausage is browned, 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker.

In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until the wine is reduced by half, 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until all of the wine has been absorbed. Scrape the rice into the slow cooker. Add the hot broth, zucchini and salt and cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring once halfway through. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the slow cooker.

Stir the spinach into the risotto until just wilted. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated cheese, season with pepper and serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table.

Chilled Tomato Somen

Lucky me, I got to work from home today! I made myself a nice fresh lunch. Chilled Tomato Somen from Japanese Light is a hybrid of Japanese and Italian cuisine. The tomato topping is like an Italian bruschetta with the addition of soy sauce. The somen noodles are Japanese and have the perfect consistency for a chilled salad. The author, Kimiko Barber, mentions that this dish was inspired during a stay in an Umbrian farmhouse while visiting Italy.

I used a box of imported Italian chopped tomatoes. It would have been better if I used fresh vine-ripe tomatoes as suggested in this recipe. But it still came out okay because these tomatoes still kind of had their chopped shape. I just hate the whole process of peeling tomatoes!

Chilled Tomato Somen (Serves 2) 1 pound very ripe vine-ripened tomatoes 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 7 ounces dried somen noodles plenty of freshly ground black pepper fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, cut into strips

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water and immediately plunge them into ice water. Peel, halve and discard the seeds. Chop them coarsely and mix with the grated garlic, salt, soy sauce, and olive oil. Refrigerate the tomato sauce while you cook the somen noodles.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the noodles. Stir to ensure that the noodles stay separate. Add a glass of cold water when the water is about to boil over. Return to a boil, drain and rinse under cold running water. In a large mixing bowl toss the noodles with the tomato sauce. Divide the noodles between two serving plates, season with pepper, garnish with the fresh herbs and serve.

Orecchiette with Cool Chickpeas

This recipe for Orecchiette with Cool Chickpeas is my favorite so far from the On Top of Spaghetti cookbook. I think it is my favorite because it surprised me. I'm always surprised when recipes are quick and simple to prepare and yet they end up having very complex flavors.

I wanted to try this recipe because of its use of chickpeas. I am trying to add more legumes in my diet as a form of protein. And lets face it, pasta and chickpeas by themselves do not seem to be too tasty. Not bad, but nothing special. However MARINATING the chickpeas as suggested by the authors Johanne Killeen and George Germon is an absolutely brilliant concept.

Would you believe me if I told you my chickpeas were sweet? Well, they were. And notice that there isn't even any sugar in this recipe. The sweetness comes from the sweet natural flavors of the mint and red onion. And on my first bite I was so surprised by the sweetness that I forgot about the hot pepper that I added. The heat poked through surprising me twice! If you like it spicy, make sure to keep the seeds and add them into the marinade.

I made a few modifications to the written recipe. I used a very high quality Greek olive oil. I knew this would not be cooked and the oil ended up providing flavor but also not being too thick or sticky. I omitted the parsley in the marinade and the lemon wedges for garnish. I also added a bit of extra mint for garnish. I hope you all try this for yourselves!

Orecchiette with Cool Chickpeas (serves 2 to 3) Ingredients: 1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped red onion 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon or more finely chopped fresh hot pepper 1 cup cooked chickpeas 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 large fresh mint leaves 8 ounces dried orecchiette or pasta shells Lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the onion, olive oil, hot pepper, chickpeas, parsley and lemon juice. Slice the mint into a fine chiffonade and stir into the chickpeas. Allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and drop in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until al dente.

Drain the pasta and toss in the bowl with the chickpeas. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread to dip into the sauce and lemon wedges to spritz each serving, if you like.

Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto"

I know, I know. Another pasta recipe from On Top of Spaghetti. But they are all just so simple and fun to make that I can't help myself. For the Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto" I didn't even have to cut anything up. Just throw a bunch of things in the blender to make the pesto while the water was boiling for the pasta. Perfect for a Friday night after a long work week.

Even though the recipe is very simple, I somehow messed it all up. The first problem was that I had a hard time finding the capers. This recipe calls for salted capers and I could only find regular capers. I soaked them anyways.

Then, I screwed up and only added 1/4 cup of capers instead of 3/4 cups as the recipe calls for. Of course I didn't even notice that until now. Proof I'm at that point where I need to get glasses.

My mint leaves were very tiny and I was not sure what size mint leaves are supposed to be. So even thought the recipe calls for 6 to 8, I'm not sure I added the correct amount. I would have liked more mint in the pesto. Especially since I chose mint to be my herb of choice for Weekend Herb Blogging.

Look for the roundup of Weekend Herb Blogging at Anna's Cool Finds who is hosting this week.

But even with my screw ups I am happy I tried this recipe. Many people probably won't try this it because it has anchovies in it. On top of that it has capers which many people also don't like. I didn't even taste any anchovies. They got pureed and mixed in with all sorts of flavors.

While I'm glad I made this recipe I probably will not make it again. Only because I am not a big fan of any kind of pesto. I prefer a tomato or cheese based sauce with my pasta. But that's why I like this book so much, it gives me ideas to change it up now and then.

Rigatoni with Caper and Almond "Pesto" (serves 4 to 6) Ingredients: 1/4 salted capers, soaked for 15 to 20 minutes in cold water 6 anchovy fillets 1 1/2 ounces (1 cup) ground blanched almonds 2 tablespoons fin unflavored bread crumbs 1 plump garlic clove, peeled and trimmed 6 to 8 large fresh mint leaves 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound dried rigatoni

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Drain the capers and dry on paper towels.

Combine all the ingredients except the pasta in a blender jar. Blend until you obtain a chunky puree. Set aside. (You may cover and refrigerate the pesto for a day or two. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before you cook the rigatoni.)

Salt the boiling water and drop in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the rigatoni reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a heated serving bowl. Toss with enough pesto to coat the rigatoni. Add a little pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, if the sauce seem too thick. Server right away, passing any remaining sauce at the table.

Spaghetti and Potatoes

Tonight was a movie night for me. I really needed some rest time after my hectic week. I was thinking about ordering a pizza, but that just seem right. I decided to check out On Top of Spaghetti to see if there was something simple I could throw together, and I found a whole bunch of options. I settled on Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Potatoes, Sage, and Gorgonzola since I had some sage leftover from the chicken I made the other night and some Gorgonzola left over from a different pasta I made from this same book.

Pasta and potatoes is something I have had before, but not with Italian seasonings. I've mixed noodles with potato curry a few times. I thought I came up with potatoes and pasta together! But this recipe is a new way for me and it is just as easy. The end result is a nice creamy pasta. The Gorgonzola is stronger in this pasta dish then the other recipe. I think the spinach in the other balanced it out. This one seemed to be missing something . . . maybe some pancetta. That would make it perfect!

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Potatoes, Sage, and Gorgonzola (serves 6 or 8) Ingredients: 4 small Red Bliss potatoes (8 ounces total), peeled and cut inti 1/2 inch cubes 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage (do not substitute dried sage) 1 pound dried spaghetti alla chitarra or spaghettini 10 to 12 turns of a pepper mill

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Combines the cubed potatoes and at least 6 quarts of water in a large pot. Bring to a rapid boil and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, with a fork, mash the butter, Gorgonzola, and sage together in a serving bowl large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta. Set aside in a warm place.

After the potatoes have boiled 5 minutes, add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water and drop in the spaghetti. Cook at a full rolling boil until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and potatoes in a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Transfer the potato cubes and pasta to the serving bowl. Gently toss the Gorgonzola and butter. Grind the pepper over, add 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss again. Add more water if necessary. The sauce should be glossy, with the consistency of heavy cream. Serve immediately.

Sauteed Chicken with Fresh Sage

Tonight I made Petti di Pollo alla Salvia (Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Sage). This is from Trattoria, one of my favorite cookbooks. It is a meal that I have not made in a long time. It's funny because after I first made it the first time I swore I would make it again and again. I am not big on repeating recipes because there are so many good ones out there still to discover. But this was one of the first "impressive" dinners I had ever made. Up until that point I had made a lot of spaghetti and broiled alot of meat. Accomplishing the recipe brought me alot of joy and pride. The first time it came out perfect. The second time I burned the sage leaves and the third time something was missing. So then I tired of it.

Now it is about twelve years since that last attempt and I am enjoying it again. It feels good to pull out a recipe from the past every now and then. I am as amazed as I was back then. The ingredients are so simple, but the chicken turns out with an amazing flavor. It's one of those things you can't believe that you made yourself. Sage is a gorgeous herb and it smells so wonderful when it is fresh. But while cooking it with the chicken it crisps up just a little bit. You can't believe how wonderful it tastes. I realize that even though the ingredients are simple, you should take your time making this. Don't cook it with too much heat because you may burn the butter or sage. Watch the chicken until it browns but do not overcook.

I hope you all try this one! Look for the roundup of Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen hosted this week by Kalyn herself.

Petti di Pollo alla Salvia (Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Sage) Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 28 fresh sage leaves 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 lemons, halved, for garnish

Instructions:
Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil and the sage leaves. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat drive. Strain the marinade into a bowl and remove the sage leaves, reserving them.

Melt the butter and 2 remaining tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until hot and bubbly. Add chicken and cook until one side is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn breasts and season the cooked side generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the sage leaves around the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned on the bottom and just white throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the sage.

When done, place the chicken on a cutting board and season the bottom side with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into thick slices. Place them on a serving platter with the sage leaves placed over the chicken. Cover loosely with foil.

Discard the fat from the skillet and heat it over moderately high heat. Add the reserved marinade and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. The sauce will boil almost immediately. As soon as it reduces to a brown glaze (less than one minute), pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with lemon halves and serve immediately.

Spaghetti with Fresh Spinach and Gorgonzola

I love pasta. Love it, love it, love it! I had pasta at least once a week while growing up. Probably even twice a week. Each Sunday my mom would make a big pot of gravy with homemade meatballs and sausage. And she'd also make 6 loaves of homemade bread. You can imagine the wonderful smells I got to grow up with. . .

Consequently, I am very picky about pasta. I do not make the same gravy that my mother makes. I keep that in my heart as coming from her and I like to eat it at her house in her kitchen and bring back all my happy memories of childhood. I play with the more gourmet aspect of pasta. My standards are Pasta Puttanesca, Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce and Spaghetti con Pomodoro e Tonno (Pasta with Tuna). I make those three very well and usually make one of these when I need my pasta fix. Besides those, I lean towards using Asian and Thai seasonings when working with noodles.

I feel that most Italian cookbooks are quite pretentious about their pasta recipes. The importance of fresh pasta is always discussed. And I'd love to make fresh pasta, but that will be a special occasion for when I have alot of time. My normal life calls for dried pasta. And I finally found a book that acknowledges the ease of use and even celebrates dried pasta. On Top of Spaghetti is written by Johanne Killeen and George German, owners of the famous Al Forno restaurant in Rhode Island. These are two chefs who work in the kitchen making high quality gourmet food all day. But at night, they come home, often late and tired, and throw together quick pasta dishes for themselves. They call it "Midnight Spaghetti". The two of them started challenging each other to come up with the most unique pasta dishes created from items they already had around the house. Night after night as each took their turn, they would try to think up something new. And with this book they introduce us to many of those great creations.

The first 200 pages are dedicated to dried pasta ideas. That is a lot of different pasta recipes for dried pasta! And you won't find any "classic" Italian recipes in this book. Pasta is featured with so many different things that you may not normally think of adding to it. The chapters are separated into making pasta with vegetables, legumes, and herbs; tomato sauces; seafood, poultry, meat, and rabbit; and eggs and cheeses. Another 50 pages are dedicated to fresh pasta recipes including ravioli and lasagne. So there is something for every kind of pasta lover (and preparer) in this book.

The name is cutesy, but don't let that turn you away from the quality in this book. I am in love with this book and it has sparked my creativity for all things spaghetti (including macaroni, linguine, penne, and pasta of every kind). I haven't gotten very far . . . I only got to the 6th recipe before I had to stop reading and start cooking. I can't wait to turn the page and see what I'm going to try next!

I did change it up a tiny bit. I halved the recipe since there was no way I wanted to make an entire pound of pasta just for myself. And after I had a few bits I decided to try crushing up some Peperoni Cruschi imported from Italy to sprinkle on top.

Spaghetti with Fresh Spinach and Gorgonzola (serves 6 or 8) Ingredients: 4 ounces Gorgonzola, at room temperature 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 8 cups firmly packed trimmed young, fresh spinach 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 pound dried spaghetti or spaghettini 10 to 12 large fresh basil leaves (optional>

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

In a small bowl, mush together the Gorgonzola and butter until you have a smooth paste. Set aside but do not refrigerate.

Wash the spinach in plenty of cold water. Drain in a colander, leaving the water clinging to the leaves.

Heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat. Add the spinach and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Toss the spinach with tongs until it has wilted. Taste it to add more salt if necessary. Turn off the heat, but keep the spinach warm on the side of the stove.

Generously salt the pasta water and drop in the spaghetti. Cook at a rolling boil, stirring until al dents. Drain the pasta, reserving about up of the cooking water. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet and toss with the spinach. Add the Gorgonzola-butter mixture and toss to coat each strand of spaghetti. If the pasta seems dry, add a bit of cooking water and toss again. Add as much of the cooking water as you need to make a creamy consistency. If you have fresh basil, tear the leaves and toss into the spaghetti. Serve right away.

Tortino Gorgonzola

Everyone who cooks has at least one cookbook that they turn to for comfort. Maybe it is their latest find. Maybe it is a comprehensive cookbook with a lot of recipes. Mine is my first cookbook. I received it as a gift for my bridal shower when I was 21 years old. I lived at home until I got married and never cooked a meal for myself until I moved out. I love Italian cooking and I registered for Trattoria by Patricia Wells and made my first several dinners from that book.

I happened to pull it off of the bookshelf the other day. When I was flipping through it I found a recipe for Tortino Gorgonzola (Individual Gorgonzola Souffles). I immediately thought it would be a good choice to make for this month's Hay, Hay It's Donna blogging event hosted by Running with Tweezers. The theme is Souffles. I have never eaten, let alone baked, a souffle before. So it seemed fitting that the recipe I chose is from the same cookbook I cooked my first official dinner from.

This recipe challenged me a bit. First of all, it serves 8 and I am only 1, so I decided to half it. Actually, when I saw that the Gorgonzola is sold is 4 ounce packages, that confirmed my decision to half it. But 5 eggs are called for! I had to half one egg! And not only that, I had to separate the yolk from the whites of this half egg. It was amusing.

Also, I do not have 1/2 cup ramekins, I have 1 cup ramekins. So I had to double the amounts in the ramekins of my half recipe. More amusement. Of course the cooking time needed to increase, but I just watched until "the souffles are well risen and the tops are browned" as instructed and they came out fine. The souffle was well risen but I just didn't get a picture of it fast enough. There is a good reason 1/2 cup ramekins are suggested however. The souffle is VERY RICH! I could only eat about 2/3rds of one until I absolutely had to put my fork down. So the doggies got what was left from that one plus the whole other souffle. For future reference, do souffles reheat well? I assume they do not.

I enjoyed the individual souffle with a small salad and a wonderful 2004 Dierberg Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley that my wine guy suggested when I told him what I was making. He told me it would be good but it was great. Definitely one of the best Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted, and I have tasted many because Pinot Noir is my favorite red wine. I almost choked on it when I was reading the back of the bottle as I sat enjoying my dinner. It was at that time I noticed the price tag: $42.99. The wine guy kept me too busy talking about the souffle I was going to make and I forgot to ask him about the price point of the wine! What a trickster. I'm going to have to watch him from now on. And at that price I figured it might not taste as good if I saved any of it, so I drank the whole bottle and made cupcakes!

Tortino Gorgonzola (serves 8) Ingredients: Butter for preparing the ramekins 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt Fresh ground black pepper to taste 3/4 cup (100 g) unbleached all-purpose flour 5 large eggs, separated 5 ounces (150 g) imported Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature, crumbled

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly butter the bottoms and sides of eight 1/2-cup (125-ml) ramekins.

In a large saucepan, combine the cream, salt, and pepper, and scald over moderately high heat, bringing the mixture just to the boiling point. Reduce the heat to low, and add the flour all at once, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. The sauce will thicken almost immediately. Remove from the heat, and stir in the egg yolks one by one. Then add the Gorgonzola, and stir until the cheese melts into the cream mixture. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites until still but not dry. Whisk one-third of the egg shites into the souffle mixture and combine thoroughly. (Do not be concerned about deflating the egg whites at this point.) With a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites. Do this slowly and patiently. Do not over mix, but be sure that the mixture is well blended and almost no streaks of white remain.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling them three-quarters full, and smoothing out the tops with a spatula. Place the ramekins on a heavy-duty baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Bake until the souffles are well risen and the tops are browned, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and place each ramekin on a small salad plate. Serve immediately.

Eggplant Ricotta Bake

Oregano: widely used in Greek and Italian cuisines


I chose oregano as the featured herb for my Weekend Herb Blogging entry hosted this week by Scott of Real Epicurean. Fresh oregano, not dried. I cook with oregano all the time but I barely ever buy it fresh. That will be changing. The fresh oregano that I added to ricotta cheese to make an Eggplant Ricotta Bake really made the dish.

Last week Everyday Food on PBS featured this healthy recipe and I new I wanted to make it sometime this week. I have been trying to cook with eggplant in different ways. While watching this recipe being prepared, it seemed to me that it was like an eggplant lasagna. Eggplant was being used instead of any noodles. It is stacked between tomato sauce and ricotta cheese layers.


Since it is made in an 8x8 dish, I made four portions of out it. I had it right out of the oven last night and really loved it. But it was even better when I had some leftovers for lunch! This is a great meal to make and take to work during the week. I think the flavors melded together a little bit more, plus the shape held together better after it cooled completely. This is a healthy meal that is filling without making you overly full.

Eggplant Ricotta Bake (serves 4)

Ingredients
2 large eggplanats (1 to 1 ¼ pounds each), sliced lengthwise ¾ inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
(1 2/3 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 jar (16 ounces) store-bought marinara sauce (2 cups)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Brush lightly on both sides with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden, turning halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, ½ cup Parmesan, oregano, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoons pepper. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil.

Lay a fourth of eggplant slices in bottom of prepared dish; spread with half of marinara sauce. Top with another fourth of eggplant; spread with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat layers, ending with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Food Destinations: Bari Foods

Food Destinations is a food blogging event that occurs every few weeks. My entry for Food Destinations #4: My Favorite Gourmet Gift Shopping Spot is quite obvious to anyone who grew up with me in Chicago.

Bari Foods in Chicago, IL is the place my family has been shopping for special foodie treats for as long as I can remember. Located in "the old neighborhood", as my grandma would say, you can not beat Bari for fresh Italian meats and cheeses. Even though we live a half an hour away, my mom would drive down to get some goodies for every special occasion or party that we had when I was growing up. And she still does! We all do even though we have moved to various places. You wouldn't expect anything special when walking in the store for the first time. I think it only has three isles. But keep walking because all the magic happens in the back - at the meat counter.

They are an original butcher shop. Not like the butchers at a regular supermarket or Whole Foods. They are the real thing. And in America, this is a novelty. They have a wide varitey of fresh meats, including their own homemade sausages and meatballs. Their meat is so good that my grandmother, even though she was financially restricted because she lived off her social security checks, would treat herself to their lamb chops a few times a month. She could get lamb chops someplace else much cheaper, but that were never near the quality of Bari's lamb chops.

Our family's normal order from Bari includes a big container of their olive salad, hot pepperoni which they slice for us, soppresatta, salami and sometimes prosciutto. We spread these out in an antipasti arrangement with some additional cheese and crackers. And of course my mom buys all her parmigiano-reggiano in a chunk right off the wheel which we shred ourselves. Actually, my sister is the one who is still usually tasked with the shredding - hee hee.


In addition to their amazing meats, Bari Foods offers interesting imported Italian groceries that YOU CANNOT FIND anywhere else. They have a variety of olive oils and pastas. They sell some of their own foods like homemade marinara sauce, meatballs, and ready to go meals in the refrigerated section. For the gourmet food lover, you can find things like Cipriani's egg noodles, anchovy-stuffed olives, and all sorts of Italian and Mediterranean food items.

I didn't discover it until I was an adult, but Bari also makes and sells fresh Italian sandwiches in the back. Don't even try to go there at lunchtime without expecting to wait. You can get the obligatory Italian "sub" and hot meatball sandwiches, their own special sandwich creations or anything you want since they will custom make something for you. They offer a 9-inch and a 12-inch in version of every sandwich and the prices are much cheaper than chain sandwich shops.

Oh yeah, and next door is D'Amatos Bakery. Fresh Italian bread, pizza, cookies, canolli, tomato bread . . . You can smell the bread baking blocks away! They supply most of the Chicago restuarants with fresh bread. I have had a feast many-a-night by making a quick stop at these two shops.

Bari Foods
Neighborhood: Near West Side
1120 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 666-0730



To read about other bloggers’ favorite gourmet gift shopping spots check out mango&lime for the round-up of posts shortly after the January 6th deadline for submissions. There are usually entries from all around the world.

Rachael Ray's Tuscan Cacciatore Risotto

I love risotto. I sometimes order it at restaurants, but I don't make it. It just takes too much time. So I don't get to enjoy the delights of risotto that often. But when I saw Rachael Ray's recipe for Tuscan Cacciatore Risotto featured in the December/January 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray, I knew I wanted to make it. This past long weekend was the perfect time.

And I am glad I did! This is definately a restaurant-quality recipe. The end result is rich, creamy and filled with delicious cold-weather flavors. While I was making the risotto, I nibbled on melon wrapped in prosciutto. It was the perfect fresh start before indulging in the rich risotto.

Quite a bit of rosemary is called for in this recipe. I am not a rosemary fan and I was hesitant. But I made the recipe according to Rachael's instructions and added 2 full Tbsp. And I'm glad I did because I think this is the first time I truly ENJOYED rosemary. You could definately taste it, but it blended perfectly with the red-wine, bits of chicken and rice. The balance was perfect.

Will I make it again? For myself, probably not. I had to stand over a steaming pot of aborio rice for about 45 minutes constantly stirring. And there are many other risotto recipes I would like to try if I am going to go through all of that work. However, I would definately make this for a special dinner for a small group. It sucks to be in the kitchen like that for entertaining, but if I ever do a risotto, I would choose this one. It is very impressive.