PIGNOLI COOKIES

December 12, 2007 by 19 Comments

I’ve been wanting to make these cookies for so long. I always buy a few when I go to the Italian bakeries out here.

These Pignoli cookies are made with pure Almond paste, that are rolled in pine nuts and baked until golden brown.

The cookies were very easy to make, the hard part was locating the Almond paste. I actually went to several stores before I found it, but that was probably because its holiday baking time. Anyway, this is not to be confused with Marzipan, that’s not what you want to use. Also, There’s a brand called Solo, which makes Almond filling, don’t use that either! You just need straight up Almond paste! but and you won’t believe how much this little can cost… can you believe, 8.99!!! I thought that was quite expensive!

But after looking on the Internet I found out you can make your own Almond paste real easy at home, so next time I might try that if I get adventurous.

This is what it looked like out of the can, it’s really thick and has to be broken up in the food processor. This is a very good brand though, and as soon as you take the lid off the can the smell of Amaretto fills the air!! I found out there’s another good brand out there and it’s called Odense, which comes in a tube. Just remember… Marzipan and Almond paste are two different things, and Almond filling is not what you want either.

These actually turned out Soooo good! but now I really have a new found appreciation as to why the bakeries charge so much for these little gems. Between the pine nuts and the Almond paste!$$$$$!! But with that being said, they’re very “special”cookies, and I’d definately make them again!

HERES THE RECIPE:

1 (10 oz) can of Almond paste

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of flour

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

At least 10 0z of pine nuts in a bowl to roll them in before you bake them.

Continue using the food processor after breaking up the Almond paste into small pieces.Pulse the sugar and the flour, add egg whites till dough comes together.

Scoop out a small piece of dough, and roll in pine nuts till covered, and place 2″ apart on cookie sheet. Bake 300 degrees about 32 min. Freeze them if you’re not going to use them right away, then take out as needed.

Happy Baking!!!

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PENNE W/ PROSCIUTTO AND SPINACH

December 9, 2007 by 11 Comments

This is a rustic and hearty meal that is perfect on a cold winter night!! Everything can be combined ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.

First, start out by making a thick and smooth besciamella sauce, by whisking some butter, flour,milk, salt and pepper. ( nutmeg optional)

Next, toss in 1lb. of al dente pasta with the warm besciamella sauce in a large bowl, stir in a 10 oz. of frozen chopped spinach which has been thawed and squeezed dry. Fold in 1/2 lb. of diced prosciutto, 1 cup of grated Parm, salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, pour everything into a roasting pan, dot with butter, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake at 450 for about 30 min’s or until golden and a little crunchy!!

Buon Appetito!!

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NOT YOUR MAMA’S CHICKEN SOUP!!!

December 6, 2007 by 9 Comments

Sometimes I just don’t have the time to slow cook a chicken for some great homemade soup. But yet when it’s cold outside that’s exactly what I want! We just had 6″ of snow drop on us with more to follow this weekend.
Yaay some may say…not me! The older I get the less I like winter, but I guess I better grin and bare it because it’s only the beginning!So with that being said, here’s my quickie roasted chicken noodle soup.

Warm and comforting  just like you simmered it for hours, but in reality, it only it took 20 min’s.

The key ingredient is this roasted chicken, that I threw in the oven along with something else I was making the other day, you know, like 2 meals in one! Seasoned with lots of thyme, salt and pepper and olive oil. Actually, it’s the seasonings that makes the soup tastes so good. Now if you don’t have the time to roast some chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken at your favorite grocery store, it works just as well.

Then I simply just shred all the chicken up and stick it in my fridge until I’m ready to make the soup.

Take out your favorite soup pot and add a little olive oil in there. Next sauté 3 cloves of garlic, 3 or 4 diced carrots, 3 or 4 stalks of celery and 1 large onion, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.

Add in some great boxed, organic, low sodium chicken broth like the one from Trader Joes, or Costco( or any of your favorites) and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. I used. almost 2 quarts.

In addition to that I always throw in a couple of Parmesan rinds that I always keep on hand in my freezer, it takes the broth to another level, then just toss in your shredded chicken.

I always cook my egg noodles or pasta on the side and add them into the bowl as needed, otherwise they tend to blow up from sitting in the hot broth too long.

And of course, you must top it off your steaming hot bowl of soup with some freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Another quick meal for this busy time of year!!

Buon Appetito!

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" STUFFED PORTOBELLA’S"

December 3, 2007 by 8 Comments

This is my idea of FAST FOOD! This is something I make quite often especially when I’m in a hurry, and we’re not in a meat mood.

The ingredients are simple, as you can see above. I usually make a quick marinara with good tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic. In the meantime, I scrape the gills out of the portabella’s, you don’t have too, but I personally think it makes my sauce dark looking sometimes. Next, I mix some GOOD ricotta with romano cheese, 1 egg, you could use fresh parsley, chopped spinach, whatever! I also mix a little shredded mozzarella in there too, finish with salt and pepper.

Now, layer your pan with sauce, place your caps in, drizzle them with olive oil, and then put sauce as the first layer. Now, take your ricotta mixture and fill your cap up with it. Finally, top it off with a little more sauce. Thats it!! Bake till mushroom gets tender at 375


A nice salad, a glass of wine, and you got a light and tasty dinner!!

Buon Appetito!!!

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AN INVASION OF BUNNIES & A TRIP TO THE BAKERY!!!

November 28, 2007 by 15 Comments

For the last couple of days I’ve been helping my girlfriend prepare for a baby shower she is giving for her daughter this weekend. This will be her first Grandchild and as you can imagine she is so excited. Being the friend that I am, I had told her about a shower that I went to over the summer that had these cute little Bunnies made out of washcloths and shower puffs, as party favors. What was I thinking???? So we Googled the directions and off to the craft store she went, buying little eyes, ribbon, and everything else she needed. No problem I thought, we only had to make 36, we could pull this off in no time!!! WRONG!!! She arrived at my house at 9:00 pm after I put a big pot of coffee on. How hard could it be? Well, the folding of the washcloth was hard to figure out! It took us almost 2 hrs. to finally master that! Then we had to figure out how to attach the shower puff, and finally, we had to hot glue all the nose and eyes on. She left my house close to 2:00 am!!! But after about 5 hrs…….

These cute little Bunnies were born!! Aren’t they adorable??? I just had to share them with you!!…. Needless to say, I dreamt of Bunnies that night!!….. Now, on to the bakery part.

Her daughter requested ONE thing only if she was to have a shower, she wanted a Cannoli cake!! My friend, not being of Italian decent,knew I would point her in the right direction. So off we went to my favorite Italian bakery to order her cake!
When I told the Hubby where we were going, he got so excited and said ” make sure you bring me home something!” So with my camera in tow this time, I thought I’d share some pictures with you.

Crunchy, flaky, and creamy “Sfogliatelle !!!”

Don’t these look good?????

Check out the cookies!!!!!! All butter!!!! We each bought a few to have later with coffee, they never made it home ( ha ha)

Hubby’s favorite, fig cookies, like his Mom use to make!!

And finally, this was his little treat that was waiting for him after dinner! Sfogliatelle, and Cannoli. Oh, and by the way, the Cannoli is to die for!!! made fresh to order, creamy and good with a nice and crunchy shell…. I have to say the Cannoli is my favorite!!!

Chicago still has many great Italian bakeries around, but they are getting few and far between. Some of the fantastic ones I remember as a kid are gone, and as the owners are getting up in age it seems the “new generation” of kids aren’t as eager to carry on with the family tradition. Oh, so sad!!! But for now, we’ll savor the “special ones” that are left!!!!

Have a great day!!!!

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POST TURKEY DAY REFLECTIONS!!!

November 23, 2007 by 13 Comments

I’m sure everyone is out of their” Turkey Coma’s” by now, and have eaten their leftovers at least once! I know we have! I hope every ones dinners came out fantastic and you all got to enjoy your day with family and friends!! There will be no recipes on this post, because we all have our specialties that our family’s love, just a few pictures of the main characters.

This actually was the first time I didn’t stuff the bird ( believe me, I heard about it!!) But I wanted to do something different since my kids won’t let me put a modern twist on any of the old standbys. And besides it was a 24lb. bird and it would have took forever to cook!

So I just stuffed it with a bunch of fresh herbs, lemon, and whole garlic cloves. I also rubbed the outside with butter and herbs. I tried to make it look pretty by stuffing fresh sage under the breast skin,but that didn’t turn out as nice as I wanted it to. But at least the turkey had a lot of flavor!!!

One of the highlights in my family is of course, stuffed artichokes, a favorite for “special occasions” I searched for 3 days to find some decent ones, then I finally came across these beauties!! They were huge, un– blemished, with plenty of room to stuff them. I steamed them first to get them tender, then I baked them. They weren’t cheap, but they were worth every penny!

Our deserts consisted of pumpkin pie, lemon bars, chocolate cake, banana cake w/carmel frosting, and to top it off my daughter made some killer gingerbread lattes!!! The day was filled with family, food, games with my Granddaughter, movies for the guys, Shriek3 for B, and holding a new baby.
When it was all said and done, we had a ton of leftovers!!! so everyone got a nice care package when they left! Even my daughters dogs!!

Looking forward to reading all of your blogs!!!

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PENNE W/SHRIMP & BROCCOLI AGLIO OLIO!!

November 21, 2007 by 7 Comments

If you are opting for something a little lighter before the big turkey showdown this is a quick and light meal to make. Hubby and I had this last night. I usually always have a bag of shrimp in my freezer, it’s something easy to defrost and quick to cook!

THIS IS ALL YOU DO:

Put a pan of water on for your pasta, when it boils blanch the broccoli for 1 minute and scoop out with slotted spoon, then drop pasta in the same water and cook al dente.
While that’s cooking, saute at least 4 cloves of of shaved garlic with olive oil till golden, then you want to put your shrimp and broccoli in the oil and saute, next deglaze everything with some white wine. When the sauce reduces a little and all the flavors are blended, put in your pasta so it soaks up the sauce, add salt & pepper to taste, and in this case I added some sun dried tomatoes, which I think adds color and flavor. That’s it!!!!

Buon Appetito

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ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP!!!

November 18, 2007 by 18 Comments


I’ve been to many Italian weddings in my life and I have NEVER been served this soup! So how did this name come about? That was the exact conversation my Sister- in- law Jennie and I had on the phone the other day. So I decided to do a tiny bit of research and came up with this… Somewhere along the way, the name Minestra Maritata got mis-translated.
The literal translation is “married soup” which in this case, refers to the ingredients, which are a perfect “marriage” of the meat and greens in the soup.

That sounds logical, doesn’t it? If any of you have a little trivia on Italian Wedding Soup, I would love to hear about it. Now on with the recipe!!

First of all I want to say, that there are many, many variations of this soup, I just prefer a little more color, so I add some tomatoes and carrot to mine.

INGREDIENTS

Your favorite Italian meat balls with lots of Romano cheese in them and made tiny, of course
About 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 onion
1 big carrot or 2
1 cup of orzo pasta
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 cups of kale, escarole, or chard (shredded) more if you want!
1 small can of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Get your nice heavy soup pan out, then take the garlic, carrot, onion, and saute in a little butter.
Next throw in broth and tomatoes.
I like my broth clear so I don’t put the uncooked meatballs right in my soup pot just yet. I separately put them in another pan with some extra broth and softly cook them, so this way there is no foam in my soup. When they are mostly cooked through I scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them right into the big pot! The result is a nice clear broth!
After it’s been simmering for a while, I throw in my greens, which in this case was chard, and my 1 cup of orzo.
Also, if you have any leftover rinds of Romano or Parm, this would be an excellent time to use them.

Buon appetito!!!!!

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BLACK RASPBERRY POLENTA MUFFINS W/ LEMON GLAZE !!

November 14, 2007 by 12 Comments

 

muffins
Note: This is a much needed update on this archived post of 2007, same exact flavors with some better visuals and a recipe card at the end.
These delicious muffins have the addition of polenta, the polenta gives the crumb a nice texture which holds up well to the berries, and they’re topped off with a bright lemon glaze.
In my updated version I used blackberries but honestly any berry would work. I prefer using fresh berries but in the past I used some frozen berries and it still works fine.
making muffins
I like using paper muffin cups for this recipe because I find that sometimes the berries stick to the bottom of the tin if only greased, and you certainly don’t want to loose any of that goodness.
polenta muffins
The added polenta gives the muffins a slight crunch and added sweetness to each bite and a little more sturdiness and structure.
polenta muffin
Delicious straight from the oven but even better with a generous drizzle of lemon glaze!
lemon glaze
Fresh lemon juice and zest make up the glaze which give the muffins an added zing.
blackberry muffin
Easy to make with no mixer involved and the end results are amazing, hope you give them a try!
BLACK RASPBERRY POLENTA MUFFINS W/ LEMON GLAZE !!
 
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This is an updated 2021 post from the original date of 2007 when I first published it.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup instant polenta
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • ⅓ cup of oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • zest of 2 lemons, one for muffins and 1 for glaze
  • 8 oz. preferably fresh berries like blackberries, blueberries or mixed berries
  • GLAZE
  • 1 cup or so of powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350F.
  2. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
  3. In a small bowl add in the flour, polenta, sugar, baking powder, salt, whisk together.
  4. In a larger bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, zest and oil.
  5. Add the dry to the wet and with a rubber spatula, mix well.
  6. Fold in the berries and fill the paper liners.
  7. Bake time is 25 to 30 minutes, you want a nice golden color on top.
  8. While muffins are baking mix up your glaze in a small bowl.
  9. Add the powdered sugar, zest and enough fresh lemon juice to make a semi thick glaze, you don't want a runny loose glaze, something a little thicker.
  10. When muffins are finished baking, let them cool then brush the glaze on top.
  11. Enjoy!
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"ITALIAN STYLE" POT ROAST!!!

November 12, 2007 by 18 Comments

POT ROAST!! What a great comfort food! So rich in flavor. A one pan wonder!! 3 1/2 hours to do whatever you want! I love meals like this! This is good to make on a lazy sunday afternoon.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
3 or 4lb. chuck roast

Lots of garlic

Fresh rosemary and thyme

1 whole onion

Canned diced tomatoes ( I like fire roasted) about 15oz

2/3rds of a bottle of good red wine

1 1/2 cups of beef stock

Stud the beef with garlic slices, then salt and pepper all over on both sides. Heat up your pan till it’s extremly HOT! Put olive oil in pan and sear meat on both sides till it’s nicely carmelized. Take out the meat and throw in at least 6 whole garlic cloves that have been smashed with the side of your knife, along with a whole onion thats cut up,and chunks of carrots. Next take whole branches of rosemary and thyme and just throw them in, stem and all. Don’t be shy!!! ( the herbs fall out and you can take out stems later) When every thing is carmelized, add tomatoes, wine, and broth. Bring it to a boil, then place meat back in, now put it all in the oven for about 3 1/2 hours at 325 and fagetaboutit!!!!

You can serve this with mashed potatoes, wide egg noodles, or it’s delicious with a creamy polenta!!!

Buon Appetito

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THE FOUR MEME!!!!

November 12, 2007 by 6 Comments

Yes, I got tagged for the very first time, for my very first Meme! I’ve read other Meme’s before and it is kind of cool because you get to know just a little bit more about some of your blogger friends that you visit! The person I want to Thank for this tag is Maryann, over at findingladolcevita she has been a great support to me from day one!! So here it goes! Oh, I just wanted to say, I felt I needed a picture added and this one gives you a little more insight to me.
I love coffee!! I need glasses to read!!! and I’m from the Chicago area!!


What 4 Jobs Have I Had?


1. Cookie Decorator
2. “Faux” Painter of wall finishes
3 . Airbrush Stencilist
4. Real Estate


4 Places I”ve Lived?


1. City of Chicago
2. Suburbs of Chicago
3. Pacific Northwest
4. Sorry only 3

4 Places I’ve Been On Holiday?


1. Florida
2. Arizona
3. Vegas
4. Italy

4 Favorite Foods?

1. Authentic Italian
2. Spicy Anything
3. All kinds of Veggies
4. Cannolli’s


4 Places I’d Rather Be?

1. Disney World with my Grandaughter
2. Walking the streets of Florence
3. Gazing at the Oregon Coast
4. San Marco ,Venice

4 Bloggers I’m Tagging!!! (They might have been tagged before,but even so, I’d like to learn a little bit more about them)


Well, I’m finished!! Hope I didn’t bore you to much! Have a great day, all of you!

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Cucina Italiana!

November 10, 2007 by 9 Comments

Cucina Italiana! That was the name of a cooking class that I was asked to host this past Friday. The theme was Italian Appetizers! Recently we became members of a local Italian American Club and once a month a different member gets asked to host a cooking class. After much thought I decided on doing 4 appetizers. The photo above is of Crispy Shrimp w/White Bean & Rosemary Bruschetta. It’s actually made with canned cannellini beans mashed up with garlic, parsley, rosemary and olive oil, slathered on a toasted baguette slice, then garnished with one crispy shrimp.
Next, was a Grilled Polenta Cake w/Roasted Tomatoes & Sausage, I made the polenta seasoned with Parmesan cheese, olive oil. After it was cooked I spread it all out on a cookie sheet to cool, then cut the polenta into circles with a cookie cutter. The roasted tomatoes were then placed on the warm polenta and garnished with a slice of Italian sausage.

I also made Mini Meatball Sliders that I did a previous post on. Homemade mini meatballs cooked up in a nice marinara,placed on toasted mini buns garnished with arugula.

It was a very casual and informal event, just the way I like it! Everyone gathered around in my kitchen drinking wine, laughing and eating while Italian music played in the background.

And last but not least, was a Creamy Pesto Cheese Ball. This is a really nice appetizer to serve with wine and to mingle with. It’s very simple you just have to allow time to chill it.

INGREDIENTS

2 8oz packages of cream cheese (room temp)

4 oz of Mascarpone cheese (also room temp)

1/4 cup of prepared pesto

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan

toasted pine nuts

basil and sun dried tomatoes for garnish

In food processor mix together pesto and 3 cheeses and blend till completely mixed.

Line a round bowl with plastic wrap, place basil and sun dried tomatoes on bottom. Scoop cheese mixture into bowl. Pack down firmly and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove from bowl, take off wrap, place on platter and press pine nuts on the outside of cheese ball. You can then place it back in the frig till 1 hour before serving. Serve with your favorite crackers or mini toasts!

Oh, and by the way I wasn’t crazy to cook all that in front of everyone, I made most of it ahead of time, and all I had to do was talk and give a demo as I was putting it all together.

That pretty much wraps up our Cucina Italiana, it was a fun night with a great group of people!

Buon Appetito!

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400 IN 2 HRS!…RAVIOLI’S THAT IS!!!!

November 4, 2007 by 19 Comments

Today the girls in the family got together to make our annual Meat Ravioli’s. This cherished recipe is from my Daughter in Law’s Nana,
who by the way, is a Die Hard Foodie, and the women is in her 80’s!!! I thought I would share the fun day we had making them,with all of you.

Thank goodness for modern conveniences! The food processor makes wonderful dough!

The meat mixed with spinach and cheese were carefully formed into the perfect sized balls, not to big and not to little! and then placed on the dough in the ravioli trays.


Then another piece of dough was rolled out nice and thin and placed on top to cover the meat mixture.


Here’s how they looked when they first popped out of the trays!


I think they turned out just right with the perfect amount of meat!!

We put them on cookie sheets, and popped them in the freezer to freeze individually, then placed in zip locked bags. We counted them all up and realized we did 400 in 2 hours! We were on a roll!! We all had our specific jobs and it worked out great. We said our goodbyes and I went home with my bag of goodies!


Of course we had to try these fresh little Rav’s right away so, as soon as I got home Ipulled out my pan and made a quick marinara, olive oil, a little garlic, some basil, and good tomatoes!


I cooked them up, and as you can see NONE of them broke up in the water!!! Hubby was downstairs watching a football game ,he quickly ran up to get a plateful, then ran back down, and I didn’t hear anything from him, so I yelled out “Well, what do you think??” His exact words were” I can’t talk, …these are exquisite!!!!” I laughed, and called my daughter in law and she got a kick out of it too.

I guess that sums it up!!

Thanks Lena!!!

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PANETTONE STUFFED WITH PISTACHIO CREAM!!!

November 2, 2007 by 17 Comments

Years ago, I mean YEARS ago, somewhere in a magazine I saw a picture of a store bought Panettone that was stuffed with pistachio cream, I have always keep that in my memory bank for something I wanted to try, since Hubby loves Panettone.

Well today, friends called and I invited them to stop by later for coffee. Of course it’s never just coffee! I had to have something to go with it. So I went into my pantry and there sat a box of Panettone, and I instantly recalled the stuffed one I had seen in an Italian magazine years ago. I even had some shelled pistachios! So I got on my computer and googled pistachio pudding, found something that sounded good ,so I quickly whipped it up, because it had to cool down for a couple of hours. When it finally cooled I folded in some freshly whipped cream!! Oh so sinful!!!
I even got adventurous and spun a little sugar on top, as that is what was in the picture. Never having done that before, it really didn’t turn out, I wanted it to be like thin strands, but mine turned out like thick brittle!!! Oh well, I kept it on for the pictures anyway!

I sliced the Panettone in 5 sections, and lightly brushed some Amaretto on the layers for some added flavor.

It did take a little longer because of the pistachio cream, maybe Cannoli cream would be good with it??? All in all it turned out pretty good!!

Have a great weekend!!!!!

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ROASTED CAMPARI TOMATOES!!

October 31, 2007 by 8 Comments

Cut side up, on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, shaved garlic, fresh thyme, salt & pepper. Roast at 425 till you get a nice carmelized color on them!

One staple that I always have in my home, are these little gems!! I can’t say enough about them! Long gone are the days of the tasteless winter tomatoes, because these babies are available all year long!! Campari Tomatoes were developed in Europe and imported to the US in the 1990’s. They are sold in clusters still on the vine to ensure freshness, grown in a greenhouse herbicide free, always unblemished, sweet, and delicious!! If you haven’t tried them yet, please do! You’ll be hooked like me! And if you don’t see them in your grocery store ask about them! One thing you must know, is that you never, never, refrigerate them! Always keep them at room temperature and they will be as sweet as the day you bought them.

Some of the ways I use them of course are sliced up in a salad, bruschetta, I sometimes stuff them with rice and basil, as a side dish, but I have to say I love them roasted the best! You can put them in pasta, on a nice piece of fish, or chicken, or on top of your favorite pizza, you get the picture, I’m crazy about them!!! Try them if you can, you won’t be disappointed!!

Buon Appetito!

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TUSCAN-STYLE PORK ROAST

October 28, 2007 by 12 Comments

I had a small pork roast and a lot of fresh herbs still left in my garden, and unfortunately tonight in Chicago will be our first frost!!! So, I gathered up the last of my Rosemary and Thyme to use for our dinner tonight. I thought I would try something a little different, normally I would rub the outside with lots of herbs and roast it like that, but this time I made a paste of olive oil, smashed garlic, finely minced Rosemary & Thyme, salt & pepper.

I generously rubbed the whole outside, with lots of garlic and all the herbs I brought in.

But the new thing for me was to cut open the roast, in half, not all the way through, but like a book. Next, I took out my meat tenderizer and gave it a few good wacks!!! and then I rubbed that aromatic, yummy paste all over it!! I rolled it up tight like a jelly roll, and tied it with string, and let it sit in my frig a couple of hours before I cooked it. The result!!! Unbelievable flavor infused through out the whole roast! I will definitely do this again, it was well worth the little extra effort!


As a side dish I made cauliflower and prosciutto in a garlic cream sauce, it went well with the pork. All in all, it turned out to be a nice Sunday Dinner!! Hope your’s was too!!
Buon Appetito!

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SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP!!

October 25, 2007 by 18 Comments

 

soup bowl
There’s something so comforting about a big pot of soup simmering on the stove on a cold day or when maybe you just need a little more comfort in your life. The first time that I  posted this recipe was way back in 2007 when I started my blog. It’s now the year 2020 with my updated pictures and to tell you that I’m still making this wonderful soup.
pot of soup
This lentil soup can easily become a vegetarian version by using a vegetable broth base and eliminating the sausage, and believe me it’s just as good!
It’s hearty and filling and you really don’t need to serve anything else with it, unless you have a weakness for warm, crusty bread with butter like I do.
soup pot
This lentil soup comes together quickly because it’s made with pantry ingredients, dried lentils that cook up quite fast and staples like carrot, onion and celery.
One ingredient that I think really enhances this soup is dried, ground fennel. If you have whole fennel seeds you can grind them down into a powdery consistency with a coffee grinder, put it in a little jar and save it.
Try it, I think you’ll love it, if not you can double up on the other spices, no problem! I always like to taste as I go along anyway I’m always adjusting for salt, pepper and spices.
Lentils tend to blow up a little and they really absorb flavors so don’t be shy, I’ll give you basic guidelines but make it your own.

lentil soup

Easy, hearty with delicious Italian flavors all throughout, this soup is a classic and will never ever go out of style!
Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.
SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP!!
 
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This recipe can easily become vegetarian, by eliminating the sausage and using veggie broth
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups dried, brown lentils, rinsed
  • ½ lb. Italian sausage, bulk, precooked so you no longer see any pink
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1- 14 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes, or chopped tomatoes
  • 1 quart broth, chicken or veggie + 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, dried oregano and dried fennel
  • pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • grated Parmigiano or romano for garnish
  • NOTE; sometimes I add a few leaves of chopped swiss chard stirred into at the end but that is optional.
Instructions
  1. In a heavy bottomed pan drizzle with olive oil and add in the carrots, celery, garlic and onion.
  2. Toss in the cooked sausage.
  3. Saute til soft then sprinkle in all the spices mixing and coating everything well.
  4. Toss in the rinsed lentils, coating them with veggie mixture.
  5. Pour in the broth and water.
  6. Add the tomatoes.
  7. Bring it to a soft boil, then let it simmer until lentils soften.
  8. Taste for seasoning, adding more if needed.
  9. If lentils thicken the soup too much for you I always adjust with a little water or more broth to loosen it all, lentils tend to blow up.
  10. Feel free to double the recipe, it's that good!
  11. Garnish your bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkling of grated cheese if you like.
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PUMPKIN MINI CAKES FILLED WITH CINNAMON MAPLE MASCAPONE!!

October 23, 2007 by 13 Comments

The change of weather put me in a baking mood, so I looked in my pantry and found some canned pumpkin, I knew right then and there that cupcakes were on the horizon! A while back I bought a Tall cupcake pan from Wilton, and I only used it once, WHY?? Because they are sinfully big!! I mean it’s like 2 1/2, cupcakes in one! So I don’t call them cupcakes, they are mini cakes, and they are meant to split with someone otherwise you will feel real guilty!!!

In an effort to try to make them a little more healthy (ha ha!) I altered the recipe a little. Actually, I think they taste even better!!

Keep in mind, you can put these in smaller pans and not use the substitutions I used.


INGREDIENTS

*4 eggs

*2 cups of sugar ( I used Splenda)

*3/4 cup canola oil

* 1 can (15oz) pumpkin

* 2 cups of flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour)

* 2 t. baking soda

* 1 t.salt

* 1 t. baking powder

* 2 Tbl. pumpkin pie spice

* 1 Tbl. cinnamon

Take the wet ingredient’s and combine in a mixing bowl, and beat till just mixed. Combine dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture and beat till all incorporated. Fill sprayed muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 18-22 minutes. My tall pans took about 30 min. Cool on rack.

FILLING

This could be a regular cream cheese frosting, with butter and confectioners sugar, but in my effort to make them healthier I just took a container of Mascapone cold out of the frig in a bowl, put some Splenda in it, to sweeten it up, a couple of shots of real maple syrup, and cinnamon, all to taste. However sweet you want it!!

Finally, take a small knife and cut a small circle deep on the top… stuff the cream filling inside and all over the top, and put the little cut out back on top, and sprinkle with cinnamon!

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FALL…CHICAGO STYLE!!!!

October 21, 2007 by 5 Comments

It hasn’t felt much like fall here because the weather has been so warm, with many days still in the 80’s. Until today!! Finally, fall has arrived! The temperatures are cooler, the trees are full of color, and the leaves are falling everywhere! So today is not a cooking post, because the whole day was spent outside enjoying this beautiful day!! Thank goodness for leftovers!! because that is whats for dinner tonight!!!
Here are a few pictures of Fall Chicago Style!
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STUFFED PEPPERS WITH SAUSAGE AND FONTINA

October 18, 2007 by 18 Comments

My Hubby called from work the other day and with much excitement he said,”Guess what I got today?”so I’m thinking WOW!, maybe he got a raise or something! Instead he said, ” A gigantic bag of Melrose peppers!! I could see how happy he was so I said, “Great!!” It just so happens, my Hubby did a favor for some nice Italian man who grows tons of them in his backyard, and to say Thanks, he brought him a huge bag.

I previously wrote a post on Melrose Peppers a while back just because my Hubby loves them so much, and as I said before, he would just eat that for dinner with some good Italian bread. I normally just saute them in a pan with olive oil, a little garlic and salt and pepper, then add a little red sauce at the end. So, because there were so many, I did a bunch like that, and the ones that were really big, I decided to stuff them. I happen to have a big hunk of Fontina cheese in the frig, and some Italian sausage in bulk. So all I did was cook up the sausage, cube up the cheese, and stuffed the peppers, I also had some leftover marinara, that I layered in also.

There were pans of peppers everywhere!!! So I made a quick call to my Son,( who’s taking after his Dad in the Melrose Pepper department) to stop by on his way home from work for a care package to take home. And without hesitation he said, “I’ll be there”!! So ,as you can see , although they are a very simple dish they are one of my family’s favorite!!

For those of you who never heard of Melrose Peppers, they look like a Cubanelle, banana shaped, very sweet and tender. I wonder if any of you heard of them, or is it just a Chicago thing? I hope my pictures do them justice!!

Buon Appetito!!
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SPAGHETTI WITH PANCETTA AND MUSHROOMS

October 16, 2007 by 2 Comments

I like to make a pasta dish at least one night during the week, normally I do it with vegetables, whatever I might have on hand at the time. Yesterday I looked and saw this beautiful package of Cremini mushrooms, which also are called Baby Portabellas. I also had a small container of diced Pancetta. “Nice combo” I thought!! So I pulled out my trusty saute pan and started to cook up the Pancetta till nice and slightly crispy, after which I drained. Then back in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil & some onions, & garlic When the pasta was done I drained it and tossed it in the pan with everything. It was finished off with a generous amount of Romano cheese and a sprinkling of fresh parsley!! It’s a quick meal that doesn’t take much time, but definitely tastes like you did!!!

Buon Appetito!!

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LIMONCELLO RICOTTA TART

October 10, 2007 by 15 Comments

Tucked away in my freezer is this wonderful bottle of Limoncello that we bought on our trip to Italy. Every time I look at it I get reminded of the great time we had there. I try to savor every drop of it and only use it for special things. Yes, I could buy a bottle of Limoncello at my neighborhood liquor store at any time, but it just won’t be as “special”. And so, I pulled it out to make my Ricotta Tart, and just that little hint of Limoncello puts it over the top!!!

INGREDIENTS

2lb’s good ricotta, drained

1/2 cup of sugar

Zest of a whole lemon

3 lrg eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 cup of shaved semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/2 Tbl cake flour

2 Tbl’s or “More” of Limoncello liqueur ( according to your taste)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 in. tart pan, and fill it with your favorite pastry dough.
Mix together in a large bowl the sugar into the ricotta, add your zest, cinnamon, and then fold in your shaved chocolate. **** IMPORTANT POINT HERE!!! At this point, before the eggs are added, I would take a spoon and taste your ricotta filling to see if all the flavors are strong enough to your liking. If not, you can add a little more zest, cinnamon, or Limoncello.
Next, add your eggs one at a time, along with the cake flour.

Now take your leftover dough and cut into strips to make a basket weave top, brush top of the dough strips with milk, this will make it golden brown.
Bake for about 55min’s or until toothpick comes out clean and golden on top
.
Buon Appetito!!!

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POLENTA CAKE WITH FIGS

October 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment

After wondering around in Whole Foods the other day, a beautiful container of fresh figs caught my eye, I had to buy them. I really didn’t know what I was going to do with them at the time. And then I remembered that the Daring Bakers did a challenge with figs not to long ago. So, getting inspiration from the many recipes I read, I decided I’d give it a try. Polenta cake was something I always wanted to make, and what better way than to par it with figs!!! All in all, it turned out well, my hubby loved it! But then, he’s a sweet freak!! But on the second day it started to dry out. It’s worth trying again, but it needed more moisture!

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CHICKEN MARSALA

October 4, 2007 by 6 Comments

 

What a Classic!!!… But yet it is so simple and easy to prepare! I often make this mid week when I want to whip something up fast, and yet it’s ELEGANT enough for a great dinner party! The Star of the whole dish is of course, the Marsala wine, what a wonderful aroma and flavor it gives to the sauce, it just elevates mere chicken to a new level!! I pretty much just brown the chicken, I don’t even dust it with flour. After that, I remove the chicken, saute the mushrooms & onions and some smashed garlic, deglaze with a little chicken broth, and of course the key ingredient!! the Marsala wine (don’t be skimpy!) and to smooth out the sauce, I put a few dollop’s of mascapone. Put the chicken back in ,with a lid on the pan and simmer till done sprinkle with fresh parsley.
For an updated version of my favorite sauces please check out my new ebook launched in 2013, here’s the link.
As a side dish, I made some easy fingerling potato’s tossed in lemon infused olive oil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.
So, if you don’t have a bottle of Marsala laying around go and get one! With just a little effort you can turn out a great meal!!
Buon Appetito!!

 

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GRILLED PIZZA!

October 2, 2007 by 6 Comments

Prosciutto, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and shaved parm is one of my favorite pizza’ to make on the grill. Have you tried grilling pizza, the crust turns out great!

Rolling out the dough, crossing my fingers hoping my picky eater granddaughter will will take a bite of the pizza she makes!
Brush the top with olive oil, flip it over and keep it on the grill till it starts to bubble up, check for nice grill marks.

When you can see grill marks and the dough is crispy, flip it over again, now on the cooked side brush with olive oil then lay on all your ingredients, close lid and cook till cheese melts.


The freshest of ingredients taste the very best! Cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. BTW, my granddaughter ended up eating the pizza she made, cheese only, hey, but it’s a start!

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MEATBALL SLIDERS!!!!

October 1, 2007 by 4 Comments

I have to admit, after seeing the September issue of Bon Appetite, with the cover being Meatball Sliders, I knew this was something I had to make! Sliders have a different meaning today, we use to think of them as tiny greasy burgers, well a lot has changed!! Now these tiny Gourmet mini sandwiches are popping up all over the place . Some of the Best Restaurants, Bar’s and Parties are serving up these little Jewels!!

I take pride in my meatballs! ( don’t we all?) only using the Best ingredients, and with some Good Home Made Sauce, I knew I could pull this off!! The hardest thing was trying to find good mini buns. Well after much searching I found them!!

As with Bon Appetite,I toasted the bun as well,which I think is key! Then place a couple of baby Arugula leaves on the bottom, 1 Meatball for each slider, a little dollop of sauce! and finally, a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano completes it!!! Can you imagine a tray of these at your next party?? They will be gone in a heartbeat!!
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MORE VEGGIES!!!!

September 27, 2007 by 2 Comments

It’s such a nice day today in Chicago, the weather is in the 70’s.

So I went outside and turned on my grill and cooked up the rest of my veggie’s I had laying around!! When the weather turns COLD, you won’t catch me out there! Instead ,I’ll be roasting them in the oven!!!!!
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I’M IN A "VEGGIE" SORT OF MOOD!!!

September 27, 2007 by 3 Comments


As I looked through my Frig today, I took stock of all the Veggie’s I had in there, and I decided I better do something fast before they all go to waste!! So I whipped up some Pasta with some of my favorites, and that was dinner! What’s better than eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, red onions,peas, sun dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, sauteed in some olive oil and garlic, topped off with some good pesto and lots of grated cheese! Yum!!!!

Buon Appetito!

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    ITALIAN POTATO SALAD

    September 23, 2007 by 4 Comments

    INGREDIENTS

    * Red Potatoes (cooked)

    *Steamed Fresh Green Beans

    *Vine Ripened tomatoes

    *Red Onion

    *Calamata Olives

    * Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Wine Vinegar

    *Oregano

    *Salt&Pepper
    Toss together and taste, till it’s nice and seasoned

    BUON APPETITO!!!
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    MY NEW BEST FRIEND!…(in the kitchen)

    September 23, 2007 by 3 Comments

    I just have to spread the word about a great little gadget I bought for myself.It’s a garlic shaver from Williams Sonoma, you might walk right by it because it looks like a cheese grater, but, be sure to check it out! It will shave your garlic fast and paper thin, and it’s worth every bit of the 15 dollars I paid for it!! I use it all the time and love it!! You will too!!!
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    HOME MADE PESTO

    September 15, 2007 by 4 Comments

    After successfully growing tons of Basil this year, and before the first frost comes, I new I needed to get busy and make some pesto. Last year I made it for the 1st time and after a day, it turned a dark green, not to appetizing! So this year I did a little research and found that if I just blanch the basil in boiling water for 15 seconds, then immediately take it out, and put it in an ice bath it stays a vibrant green!! Then all you have to do is squeeze it out, throw it in a food processor, with 1 lg clove of garlic for every 2 cups of basil, 1/4 cup of walnuts (or pine nuts) salt and pepper, and then stream a little EVOO in there and the result is not only delicious, but 4 days later it is sill as green as ever!! It was so easy and so much more flavorful then store bought!! You must try it sometime!!
    For an updated version of my favorite pestos and other sauces please check out my new ebook that was launched in 2013, here’s the link.
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    CANNOLI CAKE

    September 14, 2007 by 8 Comments

    I decided I was going to to try and make a Cannoli Cake for the 1st time today. Because you see, I have a husband and a Brother-in -Law that are OBSESSED with it!! They are connoisseur’s (so they think!) Whenever they try Cannoli Cake from a new bakery, or a wedding, or whatever, they make comments like “It tastes Blah,” or “not enough rum” “or their famous word is “garbage!”. So believe me, I knew what I was up for. True Cannoli Cake has sponge cake layers, which that alone was alot of work. You had to separate the eggs and fold the whites into the creamed yolks. Bake that, let it cool, then slice into layers. Actually that turned out perfect. But I could see why you need to soak the layers because sponge cake is actually dry, there is no oil, or butter in it. I made a syrup of sugar, rum, orange slices and boiled that down on the stove. Let that cool. Then I had to mix the Ricotta, confectioners sugar, mini chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon for the filling. To frost it I made a vanilla buttercream and folded in some whipped heavy cream. When that was all done I proceeded to assemble everything. 1st I brushed on my Rum syrup, I didn’t put enough on, I should have polked holes in it and then brushed it on, it would have penetrated much better, and the FUSSY guys would have liked it better!!

    Then a layer of filling , a layer of cake, more syrup, another layer of filling, then frosting all over. For decoration I put crushed cannoli shells on the side. All in all, it turned out pretty good, but it definitely needed more moisture on the cake layers. Would I make it again??!!! Heck No!!! It’s a lot of work with a lot of steps. My kitchen was totalled!!! And besides, there’s a great Bakery about 10 miles from me who makes it just the way they like it… SOAKED with Rum!!!

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    THE RAVINIA EXPERIENCE!! A CONCERT AND PICNIC UNDER THE STARS!

    September 2, 2007 by 4 Comments

    If your from the Chicago area and haven’t been to Ravinia, you NEED to go!! It’s located in a Northern Chicago suburb called Highland Park, and it’s one of the oldest outdoor music festivals in North America. The ambience is incredible! It’s a parklike setting on 36 acres with beautiful old trees. It happens every summer between June and September, with popular Artists performing a range of music from Classical and Pop, to Jazz. Theres an open air pavillion with reserved seating, but the main attraction is the LAWN. This year once again my Family and I attended the Tony Bennett concert. It’s just not summer unless we go to Ravinia at least once! My Son says ” It’s like a rite of passage into Fall ” and it certainly is!! Now, before I go on about the picknicking aspect of it all , I have to speak about Tony Bennett, what a class act! In his 80’s and sounds as good as ever! never misses a beat. This was his 23rd season at Ravinia, and the crowd loves him! it was a record night there. When he sang CHICAGO the crowd went wild! With beautiful weather and his voice being broadcast to the lawn audience, well, you can’t get better than that!! Now, about the picnicking, this is not for the faint of heart! This is DIE HARD picknicking that would put Martha Stewart to Shame!! The first time you go there you will be in AWE. Ill never forget the first time I went, I saw a complete Turkey feast on a silver platter no less, with linens and candles, flowers , It put our meager picnic to shame!! Since then,we have upgraded quite a bit, with our special “Ravinia Tables” and a 9×15 Decorative mat to stake our claim on the lawn! Once the gates open it’s a mad dash for the perfect spot! We have our favorite, and manage to get it everytime. ( Thanks to the runners!) Once the mats down we start to set up, as does, the whole crowd. I would say,this years menu was the best so far, we all really pulled it off!! Here was our menu:

    APPETIZERS
    Crab dip
    Spinach and Artichoke dip
    Blue and Brie cheeses
    3 kinds of Hummus
    Assorted crackers and Pita chips
    Olives

    MAIN COURSE
    Pesto Pasta Salad
    Mozzerella and garden fresh Tomato Salad
    Grilled Chicken Kabobs
    Grilled Shrimp Kabobs w/Mango Salsa
    Italian lunch meat Stromboli
    Grilled Vegetable Stromboli

    DOLCI
    Lemon Poundcake
    Triple Chocolate Brownies
    Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Fruit Kabobs

    Plenty of Red and White Wine , and of course Coffee, for later!

    I just want to say “Thanks” to Everyone who made it such a Great Evening!( you all know who you are) and look forward to next years RAVINIA EXPERIENCE!!!

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    MELROSE PEPPERS

    August 28, 2007 by 27 Comments

    melrose peppersmelrose peppers
    I felt I had to write a blog about Melrose Peppers. They are my Hubby’s absolute favorite! He waits eagerly every summer when they appear at our local Italian store.
    You won’t find them any where else, in fact many people don’t know what they are. I’ve had women and men come up to me as I was picking them out, asking “what do you do with these?” “how do you make them?” Well the answer is very simple. You have to rinse and dry them off, then you cut the tops off and scoop out the seeds, (don’t worry if you don’t get all the seeds out because they taste sort of good!)

    Leave them whole, then sauté them in a hot pan with olive oil, salt and pepper and a little granulated garlic until they’re nice and  golden brown, then lower the heat and throw in a small 8oz can of tomato sauce.( Italian brand preferred), or some cherry tomatoes like I did above.

    Cook them till they are nice and soft, NOT mushy. Every time I make melrose peppers  the smell brings my Hubby back to his childhood when his Mom use to make them. They’re not a fancy food, their plain and simple comfort food.

    His famous words are (“I can make a meal out of these!”) And he does, with some good Italian bread and a plate of Melrose Peppers he’s a Happy Man!!

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    27 Comments Filed Under: Chicago, Summer, Vegetables Tagged: ,

    SUNDAY SUPPER

    August 20, 2007 by 3 Comments

    Last Sunday was a rainy day in Chicago, actually it rained all weekend so I decided to make homemade sauce with meatballs and sausage. The day before, my Hubby and I, went to our local Italian store to replenish my cans of San Marzano Tomatoes, and to get some fresh sausage. Although they are pretty pricey San Marzano Tomatoes are the BEST! There absolutely is no bitter taste to these tomatoes, none at all! My favorite brand is called Gia Russo, they make a great sauce!! They are worth every penny! You must try them, if you haven’t already. Throw a little fresh Basil in there’ and WOW! You can’t get any better than that!!!! Oh yeah, The aroma is out of this world!!! You can find my favorite sauces in my ebook, Italian Sauces My way, here’s the link.

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    Ah… Sweet Basil !!

    August 15, 2007 by 4 Comments

    Is there any thing better than the smell of fresh Basil ?? With an abundance of it growing in my back yard I feel guilty not using it every day. So I try to incorporate it into many of my weekly meals. Caprese salad is a staple,and fresh tomato sauce is just not the same without it. Fresh Basil was the star in a rice salad I made the other day, without it , the whole thing would have been Blah. I even make a bouquet of it and place it in a vase on my counter in my kitchen so I can smell it and savour whats left of summer. My next project is to make pesto, I believe I have perfected it, keeping it green is the key! I can’t wait to hand some out to family! It will be a sad day, when again, I have to start paying for my basil through fall and winter here in Chicago.You may ask “why don’t you dry it or freeze it?” the answer is I have.
    It’s just not the same!
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