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.

Home Cooking, Italian American Style
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.
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!
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.
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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!!
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!
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!
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.
It’s such a nice day today in Chicago, the weather is in the 70’s.
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!
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
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!!!
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!!!
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!!
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.
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {Read More About Me}
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