My Top Five Favorites of 2011

Let me start out by saying 2011 was an incredible year for me.

My blog traffic has more than tripled. The photo of my S'more Chocolate Chip Cookies was selected to be featured in Feast Your Eyes on by NBC's Today.com. BonAppetit.com featured my goat meat adaptation of their Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots recipe in their What People Are Cooking column. My recipe for Linguine with Chorizo, Clams, Shrimp and Calamari was featured as Winner of Editor's Pick on Food52.com. And, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, those simple little Caprese Skewers were featured all over the web.

I would have never thought when I started to blog about food the summer of 2007, I would have touched so many hungry eyes and stomachs.

I was touched, too, by so many of my fellow bloggers. Two of my top five come from the blogs I read religiously.

I love to try new recipes and new foods from different cultures, in addition to creating new copycat recipes from foods I've tasted at restaurants. With that in mind, my top five favorites of 2011 are as follows:

Number 5: Spaetzle

Believe it or not, I had never made spaetzle until this year. I saw Elly's recipe back in September, quickly saved it to my recipe file and ordered this spaetzle maker. I haven't looked back. It is the perfect accompaniment to stews or soups and it's faster to make than boiling noodles.

Number 4: Chicken Scaloppini ala Macaroni Grill



I've been making this dish for several years, but just posted it last March. I have modified it significantly from the "original" recipe you can find online, cutting down on the fat just a little bit. It remains one of our favorite pasta dishes.

Number 3: Goat Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots



This is the dish featured on BonAppetit.com and "Tagine" is the traditional Moroccan stoneware cooker used to prepare stews and other traditional dishes, but I made this dish in my electric roaster. We loved this Moroccan stew and I will make it again and again, with either lamb or goat.

Number 4: Pork Banh Mi Burgers with Vietnamese Slaw



When I can find daikon radish, I always buy quite a large one and make the Vietnamese slaw, even if we're not having the Banh Mi Burgers. Tom is addicted to the slaw. He will eat it for lunch with his sandwich or as a snack. We've even had it as a side with Bang Bang Shrimp or even barbecued ribs. But those burgers topped with a nice big spoonful of the slaw and a side of sweet potato fries....irresistible.

Number 1: Bang Bang Shrimp



Yes. What was number 5 on my readers' list, was number one on ours. I made the dish for the first time last October and I'd guess I've made it no less than another half a dozen times since then, including over the Christmas holiday at our son's house.

The method of preparing the shrimp with milk, cornstarch and panko bread crumbs renders the crunchiest, perfectly cooked fried shrimp I've eaten anywhere.

So, what's in store for this year? Stick around for the adventure.

Top Five Readers Choice for 2011

I know that I have been absent for quite some time....almost a month. But I do have a good excuse. I've been sick since the day after Thanksgiving and I'm still not fully recovered.

It hasn't been anything life threatening...only that horrible cold/flu/crud that has been sweeping the country with a vengeance...but at my age, recovery is a slow, tough process.

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't bake one holiday goodie. No cookies. No breads. No cakes. Nothing. It was all I could do to get myself ready for our trip to Reno to visit our oldest son and his family for Christmas.

But, I'm happy to say it feels like I am on the mend and ready to start posting again.

I'm going to start the year with a resolution: take better photos. Tom gave me a tripod for Christmas and I'm going to purchase some good lights. I'm looking forward to sharing much better photos with you in the future.

But this post will include old photos because this post is about last year, specifically the top five posts you liked, according the the number of hits the post received. Then tomorrow, I will post my top five favorite recipes for 2011.

Let's start with your top five:

Number 5: BANG BANG SHRIMP

I posted this recipe back in October 2011 and it instantly became one of the most downloaded recipes. It's a simple, but delicious dish: shrimp dipped in panko bread crumbs and fried and served with a spicy, sweet mayonnaise based sauce.

Number 4: TIMPANO

Posted back in March 2008, this recipe has topped the list every year since then. It is a traditional Italian dish that requires a lot of prep work, but is worth every second.

Layers of homemade meatballs, Genoa salami, hard cooked eggs, chunks of provolone cheese, cooked ziti and a rich Italian meat and tomato sauce baked in a homemade crust!



Number 3: GRANDMOTHER BREAD

I started making this bread last January after I scoured the inter-webs for what to do with the leftover whey from making ricotta cheese. Now, every time I make ricotta... a simple 30-minute process... I save the whey in plastic zip-lock bags in 3-cup measurements and store it in the freezer to use for making this bread. It makes two beautiful, delicious loaves.



Number 2: ASIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH SESAME DIPPING SAUCE

Since posting this recipe back in 2010, it has been consistently popular with all of you, as well as the guests at my dinner table.

I've made the meatballs as a main dish and served them with steamed or fried rice and sauteed cabbage, and also made smaller, bite-sized meatballs for appetizers. They are a low-cal, low-fat delicious dish.



And finally......

Are you ready????

You are not going to believe this!!

Taaa Daaaa!!!

Numero Uno!!: CAPRESE SKEWERS

These skewers were part of a post that contained ideas for five separate appetizers. So how do I know it was the Caprese Skewers that were popular? Because this photo....

....has been "pinned" on Pinterest several thousand times, as well as featured in the Health and Fitness Blog on GlamourMagazine.com and in Food Served Best on a Stick at TheKitchn.com, in addition to being linked back from several other individual blogs.

Who knew that putting Caprese Salad on skewers in bite sized morsels would be such a hit? I sure didn't. But a hit they were....and I thank all of you for spreading the word!

Tomorrow, I will post my top five choices for 2011. Stay tuned.

Chicken Scaloppini ala Macaroni Grill

On of my favorite things to do during the spring and summer is to spend about one Sunday afternoon a month eating a late lunch/early dinner on the patio at Macaroni Grill.

There aren't many people who dine on the patio because of the dense southern heat, but the patio is shaded, ceiling fans provide a breeze and it's much quieter than dining inside, where crowds of diners have to almost shout to be heard over each other and the 'background' music sung by singers long passed away, i.e. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, et al.

Generally, our meal starts with the Mozzarella Alla Caprese: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. Tom will almost always order some sort of fish for his main course. I always have the Chicken Scaloppini: Sauteed chicken with artichokes, mushrooms, prosciutto and lemon butter over pasta.

We haven't been to Macaroni Grill for quite some time, maybe a year or so, but one day I was craving the Chicken Scaloppini and tried to find a recipe for it on the internet. The recipe I found serves 10 people and contains a whole pound of butter! Um, no thanks.

I decided to try to duplicate it on my own. I use pancetta or regular smoked bacon instead of proscuitto. Either works very well. And although I do use heavy cream, I use Smart Balance spread instead of butter! My version comes really close. Though not identical, it is really tasty.





Chicken Scaloppini ala Macaroni Grill

For the sauce:

• Juice of one lemon
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons Smart Balance or butter

For the Chicken & Pasta

• 2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally then pounded thin
• Blended oil for sauteing chicken (equal parts olive oil and vegetable oil)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
• 4 ounces pancetta or smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 8 to 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced, or 1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 - 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained well and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 pound angel hair pasta, cooked
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

To Make the Sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat the lemon juice and white wine over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid by one third. Add the cream and simmer the mixture until it thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the Smart Balance or butter until it's melted and completely incorporated. Season with a little salt and pepper, then remove from heat and keep warm.

To Make the Chicken and the Pasta:

In a large frying pan, cook pancetta or bacon until just crispy. Remove from pan to paper towel and set aside. Drain grease from frying pan.

Cook pasta and drain.

Heat about 3 tablespoons blended oil in the large frying pan. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and saute in hot oil, turning only once, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan to a plate. If you are using raw mushroom slices, add to pan and cook until mushrooms are softened and cooked through, then add chopped artichokes, and capers to pan and cook until heated through. (If you use canned mushrooms, you can add the mushrooms, artichokes and capers to the pan at the same time.)

Add the chicken and bacon back into the pan with the other ingredients. Add the prepared sauce to the pan, mix well and bring to a boil.

To serve, place a portion of cooked pasta on the plate. Top with chicken mixture, using a little extra sauce on the pasta if needed. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Served with a nice green salad and a glass of Chianti....yummy!

Pasta with Sausage, Onions & Fennel

My husband Tom started to become an adventurous cook back in the late 70's and early 80's. Our two growing and very hungry sons were in middle and high school. My career was taking off and I was working late hours and commuting back and forth to work over an hour each way, which left little time for cooking up great meals every night. Tom's schedule was far more flexible than mine, so he did most of the grocery shopping and cooking. I rarely asked him what he was cooking for dinner. I would just come home from work and eat what was put in front of me. Everything was generally pretty good and I was so appreciative that Tom had just jumped in with both feet and made certain all of us were well fed.

By the time both boys had graduated from high school, Tom was quite an accomplished cook. He had even purchased a couple of cookbooks that included several recipes we've used for many years.

I remember the fall of 1992, my sister-in-law invited me to her cabin at Lake Almanore to vacation with her and a couple of her friends. Carol taught me to cross stitch that fall and the four of us talked, walked, played cards, read and had a great time.

At the end of our vacation week before we left the lake, I called Tom to let him know that I would be home between 5:00 or 6:00pm, in time for dinner. He was excited to let me know that he was going to prepare a new pasta dish for my homecoming.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Pasta with sausage and peas," he said.

My heart sunk. It sounded just awful. Honestly, I was hoping that at the very least I wouldn't gag when I took my first bite.

When I got home, Tom started cooking. I looked at the ingredients (Italian sausage, peas, onions, garlic, fresh rosemary, white wine) and tried not to roll my eyes in disgust. How can this possibly taste good, I thought. There's hardly anything in it!

My reaction seems silly now when I think back. At the time, I considered myself an adventurous eater. I didn't have a problem eating escargot (snails) or ceviche (fish "cooked" by the acid of lemon and lime juices). But I was turning my nose up at these "normal" ingredients he was about to put together for dinner.

Boy, was I proven wrong. Not only was the dish delicious, it became one of my favorites. When I'm craving pasta that's fairly light but big on flavor, pasta with sausage and peas is my choice.

So, a couple of weeks ago (with the aforementioned culinary experience under my belt) when Tom pulled out an old recipe he'd cut out of a magazine years earlier and said, "I'm going to try this dish," I said, "Go for it."

Pasta with Sausage, Onions & Fennel is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine. I only know that because on the back of the torn magazine page in a separate article it says, "Cooking Light." I couldn't find the recipe on the Cooking Light website, but, guessing from the yellowing magazine page, the recipe is several years old.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of tomato paste, which Tom eliminated and added white wine instead and reduced the pasta cooking water by half. He also added the butter at the end to finish.

This recipe is so good. It's light, but quite filling and comforting. The sauce is not thick, but lighter and thinner than the usual pasta sauce and full of flavor.

If you've never used or tasted fennel, this would be a great recipe to try. The light anise flavor gives a real brightness to this dish.



Pasta with Sausage, Onions & Fennel
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

• 1 (1-1/4-pound) fennel bulb
• 6 quarts water
• 2-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 pound uncooked penne or ziti (short, tube-shaped pasta - Tom used Penne)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (you could substitute turkey sweet Italian sausage)
• 2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) onion wedges (about 2 medium onions)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter

Trim fennel, reserving fronds and bulb. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; cut each bulb half lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices. Cut bulb slices into 2-inch-long pieces. Chop fennel fronds to measure 1/3 cup.

Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 8 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to Dutch oven; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Push sausage to one side of pan. Add onion to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until onion begins to soften. Stir onion into sausage. Push onion mixture to one side of the pan. Add fennel bulb to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until fennel begins to soften. Stir fennel into onion mixture. Stir in the red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 2 minutes.

Add reserved 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and the wine to the pan, stir to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until fennel is tender. Add the butter, fennel fronds and pasta; cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, tossing to combine. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately.
PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

It's Fall and Time for Soup

It has cooled down considerably. Yesterday, the high was in the very low 70's and today is cooler and raining. Even with the rain, I'm enjoying it. This afternoon, I am wearing a long sleeve shirt, long pants and socks. It's been several months since I've worn long sleeves. Next stop, turtlenecks and Ugg boots.

Another thing I like about the onset of cool weather is having a nice hot bowl of homemade soup for dinner.

My mom was a soup maker. Not professionally, mind you, but I thought she made darn good soups. When I was growing up, I came to love the thick soups or chowders she would throw together with just a few ingredients. The seven of us (five girls and our parents) would sit down to dinner and make a meal of a large pot of thick soup and some bread. It was delicious, filling and warmed the tummy.

When Tom and I married over 40 years ago (41 years on the 19th of this month, thank you very much), the only type of soup I knew how to make was thick and hearty, made with beans, potatoes, rice or noodles ~ anything to thicken the broth. The first time I sat down to a meal of soup at my in-laws, I thought I might come away from the table still hungry. The soup pot was filled with a thin beefy broth, a few pieces of meat, some chopped vegetables and homemade "noodles." It filled me up, but it was nothing like I was used to.

Although I now appreciate a nice brothy soup, I still gravitate towards thick, hearty and flavorful. My favorites are clam or seafood chowder, bean soup, wild mushroom soup and the Tuscan soup my sister, Karen, introduced to us when she lived with us earlier this year. This is Karen's favorite soup, her rendition of a soup she had while living in Las Vegas.

Although I really liked her soup...you know me, I cannot leave well enough alone. I had to doctor it up with some herbs and spices to suit my palate. I have also made the soup using two different methods to cook the Italian sausage: 1)cooking the sausage with casings on, then slicing it, or (2) removing the casings before cooking the sausage and breaking it into chunks as it cooks (much like cooking hamburger). I like either method, but I'm lazy and often use method #2 because it takes the slicing step out of the recipe. The photo is of the soup using method #2.

Tuscan Soup
by Terri Powers (adapted from my sister, Karen's recipe)

• 1-1/4 lbs sweet Italian sausage, about 5 (I have also used sweet Italian turkey sausage with great success)
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 medium potatoes (I use Yukon Gold and don't bother peeling them), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 bunch kale, stems and center veins removed and roughly chopped
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

In a large pot or dutch oven, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and (Method #1)cook the Italian sausage links until cooked through, about 6 or 7 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pot to a plate and allow to cool slightly. ~ OR ~ (Method #2) Remove the sausage from the casings and cook the sausage meat, breaking up with a fork, until cooked through. Remove from the pot to a plate or bowl.

Add the bacon to the pot (with the drippings) and cook until done, but not too crisp.

Add the onion to the pot with the bacon pieces and saute until the onion is translucent, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, fennel bulb, potatoes and spices to the pot and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and hot.

Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

If you have used Method #1 to cook the sausage, slice it now into approximatey 1/4 inch slices and add back to the pot and mix well. If you have used Method #2 to cook the sausage, add it back into the pot and mix well.

Simmer the soup until the potatoes are almost soft enough to pierce with a fork, then add the kale and the cream. Bring back to a simmer and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with hot with a crusty bread.

Window Wednesday and a Simple Tuna in Lemon Broddetto with Pea Puree

There's a lot going on in my kitchen...



but, there's not much going on in my yard. It's surviving, but just barely. I think I even caught one of my goldfish panting, if that's possible.

The soaker hoses and compost have been laid in the garden and around the roses...



We have a small pile of compost left and Tom is building a compost bin to contain it (photos next week). When it's finished, I will begin to add kitchen scraps and yard waste to replenish it and use it later in the summer.

We continue to have a few grape and roma tomatoes, but nothing to write home about.



And my heirloom tomato teases me with what looks like emerging blossoms, but...nothing yet.



Those nasty little leaf bugs make my poor sweet potato vine look like it's been hit with shotgun pellets...



but I don't feel so bad after a visit to the Memphis Zoo over the weekend. Their sweet potato vines look just like mine. But, I still refuse to use poison.

Sadly, as you can see, my yard is not flourishing, but I still have ample herbs for cooking. I may just have to visit the Farmer's Market here in Conway. It's open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I suppose a trip there tomorrow morning for fresh vegetables might be a good idea.

Last week, as I was prepping for the weekend in Memphis, I was watching Food Network off and on (mainly to avoid the entire All-Michael-Jackson-All-The-Time thing that permeated every other channel) and I happened to catch an episode of Everyday Italian. This time Giada DeLaurentis was preparing a salmon dish with a lemon broth and pea puree. It looked really beautiful, light, tasty and easy to make so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I didn't have salmon in the freezer, but I did have some nice Ahi Tuna I bought at Sam's Club a couple of weeks ago and froze for just such an occasion. And, lucky me, I found a bag of peas in the freezer as well.

I cut Giada's recipe in half because I was just preparing the dish for the two of us, but it still made two very large, satisfying servings. I followed the recipe except that I substituted the salmon with tuna and left out the mint altogether (you may remember I ripped out my skanky looking mint plant weeks ago). But, since I don't really care for much for the flavor of mint anyway, I didn't miss it. I personally don't think the dish suffered. It was delicious and fresh tasting, and I can't wait to make it again.

What follows is the recipe as I prepared it, but you can get Giada's original recipe here.

Ahi Tuna in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis' recipe @ Everyday Italian

Lemon Brodetto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 lemon, zested
1 cup chicken broth

Pea Puree
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Ahi Tuna
1/8 cup olive oil
2 pieces (4 to 6 ounces each) ahi tuna
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

To Make Lemon Brodetto: Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender and translucent. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and broth. Bring to a simmer and keep warm, covered, over low heat.

To Make the Pea Puree: Combine the thawed peas, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the pea puree to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside.

To Make the Tuna: Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Sear the tuna until a slight golden crust forms on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish.

To Assemble: Divide the Lemon Brodetto between 2 dishes.


Place a large spoonful of Pea Puree into the center of each bowl.


Place the tuna piece on top of each mound of Pea Puree.


Serve immediately.

Debbie @ The Friday Friends is on vacation, but check out her blog for what's outside her kitchen window.

Karen @ Karen Cooks may also be on vacation, but do take a look at her beautiful peonies outside her kitchen window. I covet them.

The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~ G.K. Chesterton

Since we got back from Yellowstone, we've been cooking up a storm.

The ricotta cheese I made last week was delicious and I will make it again next week after we return from Memphis.

We used a little of my first batch for our little bruschetta appetizers, but we had about 1-1/2 to 2 cups left so Tom decided to stuff a chicken breast.

I've been buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts in bulk, vacuum sealing and freezing them. I used to buy large bags of pre-frozen breasts and break them down into serving size portions. The large bags contained 10 pounds of chicken breasts and you couldn't tell one from another. They were all just about the same size. Lately, though, I have been buying packages of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the "family packs" and it's turned out to be a much better deal for us. Some of the breasts in the packages are so big, we can use one to serve both of us, so I generally vacuum pack them one per package. One of those chicken breasts was all we needed for Tom to prepare the Ricotta & Basil Stuffed Chicken Breast.



Tom really doesn't use a recipe for this dish. He just adds what he likes. Sometimes he uses basil, particularly when it's fresh from our garden, and sometimes he uses sage. Both are delicious.

Here's what he did:

• He first preheated the oven to 350 degrees.


• He sprayed a shallow baking dish with cooking spray, then poured about 3/4 cup of white wine in the bottom and added about 2 Tablespoons butter, then set it aside.


• In a small bowl he mixed the remaining 1-1/2 to 2 cups of ricotta cheese with a handful of chopped basil, some minced garlic, salt, pepper, about a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.


• He used a knife to cut a large pocket in the chicken breast, making sure not to cut through to the outside.


• He then stuffed the pocket with the ricotta mixture until the pocket was almost overflowing (some stuffing will be leftover). When he finished, he tied the breast with string to keep it closed and to achieve a uniform size for even cooking. (NOTE: Tom said next time he will butterfly the breast, spread the mixture across the meat, then roll it and secure with string).


• Tom heated a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and quickly seared the chicken on all sides; then he placed the chicken breast in the baking dish.


• He laid whole basil leaves over the top of the chicken breast; then pressed the rest of the ricotta filling on top of the basil leaves; then sprinkled with a little more parmesan cheese.
  


• The chicken goes into the oven for about 30 minutes, longer if the breast are large (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Serve the pan juices as a sauce on the side.

The basil and ricotta mixture fell off the chicken while baking, so Tom just served it on the side. It was mighty tasty anyway.



The pasta I served with the chicken couldn't be more simple or delicious. I just put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of butter in a frying pan; add about a tablespoon of garlic and cook it on medium until it is translucent. Then I add a lot of chopped fresh basil, maybe two good handfuls, and a cup of white wine and reduce to about half, then add salt and pepper to taste and a nice pinch of crushed red pepper for a little heat. Add about a half a pound of cooked angel hair pasta, mix well and serve.



Fresh ricotta, fresh basil, juicy chicken, a little wine...what could be better?

Chicken Marsala with Parmesan Grits

I'd like to say that my mom was a great cook. I'd like to say that, but it would be a lie.

Mom was not a great cook, but she was an abundant cook and most of the meals she prepared were hearty, plentiful dishes: chili, burritos and beans, pork chops and mashed potatoes, pot roast, liver and onions, spaghetti. You know, the normal 1950's and 1960's family fare; cheap and plentiful. She was feeding a family of seven with 5 hungry, growing girls during a time when young girls did not define themselves by their dress size and size "zero" had not even been invented. We ate and we ate a lot.

My parents had a culturally diverse group of friends with whom my mom shared recipes, so she was always experimenting with foods from other cultures ~ Japanese, Indian, Portuguese ~ and added Chicken Teriyaki, Sukiyaki, Shrimp Curry and such to our menu. Dishes that could be supplemented with an abundance of rice, noodles or beans were the staples for their 5 growing daughters. As long as the recipe was economical to prepare, my mom would try it and more than likely make it often.

But, there were dishes that were special to our family; dishes that mom would prepare just every once in a while even though the ingredients were more costly than usual and exceeded her weekly budget. A dish we called Veal Scallopini, actually Veal Marsala, was one of those. My mom sauteed thinly pounded veal medallions and served them covered in a velvety, savory sweet sauce of butter, garlic, mushrooms and nearly a whole bottle of a good Italian marsala wine. I can taste the sauce to this day even though it's been probably 30 years since I've eaten my mom's Veal Marsala.

I rarely use veal. It is not a meat that is abundant here in Arkansas. Instead I use skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces pounded thin. I have also tweaked my mom's recipe some by reducing the amount of butter (she used 2 cubes - a full half pound) and adding a little chicken broth. My mother served this with mashed potatoes. I served this with Parmesan Grits. But, you can serve it with angel hair or spaghetti pasta or egg noodles.

Chicken Marsala with Parmesan Grits
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour, for dredging
1 tablespoon flour, for the sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 of a cube) of butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 shallot, finely minced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 cups Marsala wine
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Slice each chicken breast lengthwise so you have four long fillets. One at a time, place each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently using a flat mallet until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut each piece in half, yielding 8 pieces.

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Put the 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour.

Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and saute each piece of chicken quickly until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat until all pieces are cooked.

Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are just cooked. Sprinkle the mixture with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix well. Add the butter to the pan and cook until it is melted. Mix the chicken broth and Marsala wine together in a 2-cup measuring cup and add slowly to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauces thickens, about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken to the sauce and cook until chicken is warmed through.

Parmesan Grits
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

I had never eaten grits until I moved to the South. I still don't care for plain, undoctored-up (I know, that's not a word) grits, but I've had fun adding different ingredients to change the flavor to compliment other dishes. This one is particularly easy.

I've tried instant grits and quick cooking grits. The quick cooking grits have more flavor and the texture is more predictable.

This recipe serves 4.

3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup quick cooking grits (not instant)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a small pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the butter. When the butter has melted, slowly add the grits to the boiling broth and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring well. Serve.

Is It Antipasto, Antipasti or Antipasta?

Personally, I think the correct word is "antipasto" which means "before the meal," but a large tray of Italian cured meats, marinated vegetables, olives, cheeses, pepperocini (mild yellow peppers) and maybe some anchovies by any other name is just as tasty. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or your favorite vinegrette and sprinkle with a little bit of parmesan cheese. Heavenly.

Tom and I have been serving this for years and the ingredients change based on what sounds good at the time and is readily available. Our favorite meats are mortadella and cotto salami, although mortadella is not easy to find here, but you can use whatever meat you like. Also, I don't limit my vegetables to only those that were marinated. As you can see, we like fresh tomatoes, radishes and celery and don't hesitate to use them.



Before I start arranging the ingredients on the tray, I will cut up a head of romaine and spread it on the tray, then lay the other items on top of it. The lettuce will be flavored by any of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that drizzles through the meats, cheeses and vegetables.

All you need is a cold or warm baguette and dinner is ready. Mmmmm.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." ~ Fellini

I love pasta so much that I used to think I was Italian in a previous life, reincarnated as a Norwegian/German/Russian Jew. How did that happen??

After Tom and I got married and when the kids were growing up, I think the only pasta I cooked was spaghetti and lasagna. They were economical, easy to prepare, filling and tasty. But, as the boys hit their teens, we began to venture out more, culinarily (is that even a word?) speaking. When I returned to the workforce in the late 70's and early 80's, Tom also started cooking more and Italian food, including pasta, is simple fare and easy to prepare. It was right up his alley.

One day at the mall, Tom came across this book.


It has been a treasured volume in our cookbook collection ever since.

The only recipe in this book that I have ever prepared is the Bolognese Sauce on page 12. This has been essentially Tom's cookbook and he has prepared the majority of the recipes and I can't think of one dish that we haven't really liked. A few of our favorites, though, are Penne with Sausage & Peas, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca and Spaghetti Carbonara.

I've been in kind of a funk lately. We've had so much rain, very little warm weather and basically dreary skies. Although temperatures have remained constant in the 60's and 70's and don't dip particularly low, I still feel like I need comfort food. Enter Spaghetti Carbonara. Bacon...and cheese...and eggs, oh my!

Granted, this is not a dish you would want to serve every week. It is loaded with fat and cholesterol. But eating this pasta is like putting on sweats and fuzzy socks and sitting by the fireplace on a cold winter day. It's that good.



When Tom cooks, he is usually faithful to the recipe. The only change he made to this recipe is the addition of a little cream. I have added that to the recipe, but in italics. The rest of the recipe original to the book.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
(Spaghetti Charcoal Vendor's Style)
adapted from 99 Ways to Cook Pasta
by Flora and Robert Alda
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon freshly grated parmigiano cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions, finely chopped
3/4 pound lean bacon, diced
1 pound spaghetti
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 pound parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
2 Tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, 1 Tablespoon cheese and heavy cream. Set aside.

In a small skillet, heat the oil and lightly brown the scallions. Add the bacon and sauté until well done but not too crisp. Turn off the flame and let stand.

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water (only 1 Tablespoon salt is needed here) until a moment less than al dente. (You will be reheating it in a few minutes when you blend in the other ingredients.) Drain well. Melt the butter in the spaghetti pot over a low flame and return the spaghetti to the pot. Mix in the bacon and scallions and stirring well with a wooden fork and add the egg/cheese/cream mixture. Keep tossing constantly over a low flame while adding the 1/4 pound of cheese and the pepper. Within a couple of minutes, at the first sign of the eggs cooking and the sauce is thickening, the pasta will be done. Serve from the pot into warmed pasta bowls.

Serves 4 to 6.

Timpano ~ When Inspiration Becomes Reality...

I wander around the internet quite frequently. Every morning while enjoying my coffee, rather than read the paper or watch television news, I read bits and pieces of news sites online. As my attention span reaches it's max, I begin to wander to food sites looking for something new and delicious to cook and eat. That is how I found Proud Italian Cook and her post about Timpano.

Tom and I saw the movie, Big Night, years ago and afterward I searched the internet for an authentic Timpano recipe. There were lots out there and we did try once to make a Timpano, but for some reason, it didn't really turn out like we had hoped. When I came across this recipe, the photos were so beautiful and the dish looked so delicious, I thought, okay, let's get this one done!

I bought the book, Cucina & Famiglia, on the internet. Then I ordered the 14" basin that Proud Italian Cook recommends. But I ran into a snag! When I received the basin, I realized I didn't have a plate or tray with a diameter wide enough to plate the entire Timpano. Tom and I scoured Conway, Arkansas for a tray. Store after store, no luck: Kohls, Kirklands, TJ Maxx, Pier One, both Walmarts. Nothing wide enough. Everything was too small. By the time we finally stopped at Target, Tom was talking about making a large, cutting-board-type serving tray out of wood. Target saved him the trouble. It's not pretty. It was really cheap ~ $4.99, I think ~ but as you will see by the photo, it worked. So we were ready. Sort of.

We went shopping for the ingredients. We searched through 2 Walmarts and 2 Kroger stores and not one of those stores carried ziti, so I substituted rigatoni. That was an error in judgment. I think the rigatoni was too big, so next time I would use something smaller, like penne. Rather than make my own meatballs, I bought a pound of pre-made mini meatballs. They worked okay, but next time I would make my own in advance. We bought the salami and provolone at the Kroger deli and it was sliced to order. Now we were ready!

Saturday morning I started by making the sauce. I used the recipe in the book, but Tom and I both thought it was rather bland, so I added more herbs: dried oregano, dried basil and a couple of bay leaves. But I think any good basic meat-based tomato sauce would be fine as long as you have the required 8 cups.

When the sauce was ready, we prepared the rest of the ingredients. Tom made the crust and put it in the bowl.



While Tom made the crust, I cut up the rest of the ingredients.



Then we started layering everything in the crust.



It was finally time to top everything off with the final bit of sauce...



and fold the dough over the filling and trim all the excess.



I know it must seem like I am easily amused, but it was so exciting when it came out of the oven and looked so beautiful!



When we cut the Timpano, we could see how much of a difference the rigatoni made to the overall substance of the dish. I think a smaller pasta would have helped hold the mold in place when cut.



We cut two slices out of the Timpano and served it for dinner with a little extra sauce. It was delicious! What did we do with the other 14 servings? We cut the Timpano into slices, put 2 slices in each of 7 vacuum bags, sealed them up and put them in the freezer.

We pulled out one bag this week for dinner. Tom made a spicy Arrabiata Sauce to serve with it(2 tablespoons olive oil; 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced; 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 5 cups marinara sauce. Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often).

If you decide to make this, please let me know how it turns out!

Timpano Alla Big Night
(Drum of Ziti and Great Stuff)
Recipe from the book: "Cucina & Famiglia"
by Joan T. Tucci,Gianni Scappin

FOR THE DOUGH:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water

TO PREPARE THE PAN:

Butter Olive oil

FOR THE FILLING:

2 cups 1/4 x 1/2-inch Genoa salami pieces
2 cups 1/4 x 1/2-inch sharp provolone cheese cubes
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, cut in 1/4's lengthwise, then cut in 1/2 to create chunks
2 cups little meatballs
8 cups Ragu Tucci (Meat-Based Tomato Sauce Tucci-Style)recipe follows
3 pounds ziti, cooked very al dente (about half the time recommended on the package) and drained (18 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
4 large eggs, beaten

PREPARATION

1. To make the dough, place the flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. (A large capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons of the water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (To knead the dough by hand, mix the flour and salt together on a clean, dry work surface or pastry board. Form these dry ingredients into a mound and then make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the center of the well and lightly beat them with a fork. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the water. Use the fork to gradually incorporate some of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Continue mixing the dry ingredients into the eggs, adding the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough with your hands to make a well-mixed, smooth, dry dough. If the dough becomes too sticky, add more flour. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.)

2. Flatten the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16 inch thick and is the desired diameter. Generously grease the timpano baking pan with butter and olive oil. Fold the dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place it in the pan. Open the dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping the extra dough over the sides. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. To prepare the filling, have the salami, provolone, hard-boiled eggs, meatballs, and ragu at room temperature. Toss the drained pasta with the olive oil and 2 cups of the ragu. Distribute 6 generous cups of the pasta on the bottom of the timpano. Top with 1 cup of the salami, 1 cup of the provolone, 6 of the hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup of the meatballs, and 1/3 cup of the Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups of the ragu over these ingredients. Top with 6 cups of the remaining pasta. Top that with the remaining 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup meatballs, and 1/3 cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups of the ragu of over these ingredients. top with the remaining 2 cups ragu over the pasta. Pour the beaten eggs over the filling. Fold the pasta dough over the filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough.

4. Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Then cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F), about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife. Grasp the baking pan firmly and invert the timpano onto a serving platter. Remove the pan and allow the timpano to cool for 20 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice the timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces.

Ragu Tucci
(Meat-Based Tomato Sauce Tucci-Style)
Recipe from: Cucina & Famiglia
by Joan T. Tucci,Gianni Scappin

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound stewing beef, trimmed of fat, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into pieces
1 pound country-style spareribs, trimmed of fat, cut in half, rinsed, and patted dry
1 cup roughly chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups warm water
8 cups canned whole plum tomatoes (about two 35-ounce cans), passed through a food mill or pureed in the blender
3 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1. Warm the olive oil in a stew pot set over medium-high heat, sear the stewing beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside in a bowl. Add the spareribs to the pot and sear until they are brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside in the bowl with the stewing beef. (If your pot is big enough to hold all of the meat in a single layer, it may be cooked at the same time.)
2. Stir the onions and garlic into the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions begin to soften and lose their shape, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot clean. Add the tomato paste. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm water into the can to loosen any residual paste and then pour the water into the pot. Cook to warm the paste through, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes along with the remaining 1 cup warm water. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover with the lid slightly askew and simmer to sweeten the tomatoes, about 30 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Cover with the lid slightly askew and simmer, stirring frequently, until the meat is very tender and the tomatoes are cooked, about 2 hours. Warm water may be added to the sauce, in 1/2-cup portions, if the sauce becomes too thick. (If you have made meatballs, they may be added during the last half hour of cooking. The meatballs will soften and absorb some of the sauce.)

NOTE: When preparing ragu for timpano only the sauce is used and the meat is served as a separate course. The sauce for timpano should be thin, so measure out 7 1/2 cups of prepared sauce and stir in 1/2 cup water before proceeding with the timpano recipe.

VARIATION: Sweet Italian sausage may be added to this sauce. Sauté it after the spareribs and then proceed with the recipe as written