Posted on 06/28/2018 4:06:28 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’ve become very interested in Italy lately, and am especially drawn toward the Sorrento Peninsula/Amalfi Coast area. Searching for recipes from the region – and continuing in the interest of finding ways to use all of those squashes that are beginning to burgeon in your gardens - I found a recipe for Spaghetti alla Nerano. This is a pasta dish that comes from the fishing village of the same name, and uses fried zucchini.
I found the recipe on a beautiful website dedicated to Italian cooking: ‘Memorie di Angelina’. Frank Fariello has done an amazing job with this blog, which is dedicated to his grandmother and his memories of her home cooking. He is passionate about his subject, and writes beautifully and thoughtfully about it:
http://memoriediangelina.com/2017/09/09/spaghetti-alla-nerano/
(While you’re there, check out his recipe for Frico, a crispy potato-cheese wonderfulness.)
I happened to find a neat way of cutting a hard-boiled egg, in case you are presenting them in a Chef’s Salad or some other dish This type of garnish cut is apparently called a ‘Van Dyke’ (after he of the beard style?) and there are a couple of ways to do it.
Here, YouTuber 'cheekyricho cooking' uses a knife:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUGJGhwZAY0
And DaveHax of 'Egg Life Hacks' uses a drinking straw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XxrgwjRBCQ
If I could, I would go to Sorrento just to visit Terrerosse, the ceramics studio of Alessandro Ottone and his wife Enrica Cerchia. They don’t appear to have an online shop, but they do have a YouTube channel full of beautiful videos mixing magical scenes of the rugged coastline of their home with some of their work in ceramics. The way that Alessandro celebrates the sea creatures and natural environment of Sorrento – tender but not sentimental - is very moving to me. I can only imagine the satisfaction that comes from possessing talent like this and being able to devote one’s working life to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0odXD6M1Ww&index=16&list=PL4rRCviH_yjBaNKMnSIFEldN_NHUFpE0D
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What first led me to become interested in this area of Italy was a YouTube channel, ‘ProWalks’, which features walking tours of several of the towns in the region. Among the videos of the resort towns, this YouTuber also has interesting tours of the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The definition of the video makes you feel as if you are actually there – and cause me to think that very realistic VR “vacations” are not too far away for us.
Some of the tours are quite long, but they are fascinating and relaxing to watch, if you are interested and have the time:
-JT
I need that! I’ve just been outside watching the local fireworks, and we’re in a heat wave!
METHOD Reheat/stir til hot cooked seasoned beef (can use leftovers), 1/2 c salsa.
ASSEMBLY Spoon 1/3 Jack cheese on centers of 6" Pillsbury Grands round. Fold in half over filling; press/seal.
Bake golden on greased sheetpan 375 deg 9-14 min.
SERVE with spicy salsa, dollop sour cream, chp scallions.
GARDEN FRITTATA
ING •tb ea butter and peanut oil or herbed veg oil •8 eggs, beaten •2 tsp Dijon or coarse ground mustard •1/2 cup diced green pepper, •1/3 cup white or red onion, diced • cup mushrooms, thin-sliced •1/2 cup cho blanched broccoli, •2 cups blanched/wrung dry spinach, •2 minced gar/cl •2 tb ea chp parsley and chives, •S/p •4 oz shredded cheddar •1/3 cup seeded/diced garden tomato
METHOD Heat a 10-12" pan on moderate •While pan heats, whisk eggs/mustard til blended but not frothy •When the pan is hot enough (water droplet sizzles), add the butter/oil combination •When butter stops foaming, add peppers, onions and then the mushrooms; saute' 2 min. •Add broccoli, spinach, garlic and herbs; heat about one min.
Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients
4 (5 oz) chicken breasts*, pounded to an even 1/3-inch thickness
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced into 1 Tbsp pieces, divided
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
Place flour in a shallow dish then dredge both sides of chicken breasts in flour, one at a time.
Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Add olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter, let butter melt, then add in chicken breasts in a single layer.
Sear until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 5 minutes then flip and continue to cook until chicken registers 165 degrees in center, about 4 - 5 minutes longer.
Transfer chicken to a plate while leaving any little bit of excess oil in pan.
Reduce to medium heat, add garlic and saute 20 seconds, or until just lightly golden brown, then pour in chicken broth while scraping browned bits up.
Pour in lemon juice then bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat slightly and let simmer until liquid has reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
Add in remaining 3 Tbsp butter and lemon zest, stir to melt butter.
Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
*2 (10 oz.) chicken breasts may be used instead. Then simply butterfly and halve the breasts (cut through the thickness of the 2 large breasts), to create 4.
https://www.cookingclassy.com/lemon-butter-chicken/
New York Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 stick, cut into small pieces, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick, melted and still warm
1 3/4 cups cake flour 7 ounces
Additional:
powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
Crumb Topping:
Add sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter into a bowl.
Whisk together and add in cake flour until combined. Form into a dough ball.
Let sit until you are done making the cake.
Cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Use baking spray or butter and flour a square 8x8 pan.
In a stand mixer, add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt
On low speed, add butter in pieces.
Mix for 1-2 minutes, or until you no longer see the butter and the mixture looks like a crumble.
Add in your remaining cake ingredients, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk
Mix until light and fluffy, another 1-2 minutes.
Pour and spread cake batter into greased baking pan.
Take the topping dough and break apart into chunks about the size of marbles over the dough in a uniform pattern.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife is inserted and comes out clean.
Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar.
https://dinnerthendessert.com/ny-crumb-coffee-cake/
Soft and Chewy Brownie Cookies
Ingredients:
12 ounces dark chocolate from a bar, chopped and divided into 7 ounces and 5 ounces (I used a Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Pound Plus Bar 54%; do not use chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar (or superfine sugar if available)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
Directions:
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 7 ounces of chocolate, butter, and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Stop to stir. Heat in 10-second bursts until mixture can be stirred smooth; set aside to cool briefly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use an electric mixer), add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and beat for 5 to 8 minutes on medium speed, or until pale and creamy. (Donna Hay recommends beating for 15 minutes, but I saw no changes in the mixture after about 5 minutes and believe 8 minutes is ample).
Add the flour, baking powder, melted chocolate-butter mixture, and remaining 5 ounces chopped chocolate and mix to combine, about 1 minute on medium-low speed (the machine will make lots of noise and shake from the chopped chocolate). Remove the paddle, cover bowl with plasticwrap, and allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour in order for batter to firm up (Hay suggests 10 minutes but my batter was like chocolate sauce and it needed 1 hour).
Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop, scoop out mounds of dough onto Silpat-lined baking trays, placing 8 mounds per tray. Do not crowd them in case your cookies spread a fair amount (mine didn’t but I can foresee it). Allow mounds to remain on trays, uncovered, for about 1 hour before baking to help batter set up more.
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until puffed and cracked (I baked for 9 minutes). Allow cookies to cool completely on trays. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-and-chewy-brownie-cookies/
CHOCOLATE MINT CAPPUCCINO
MICRO milk on HIGH 1 -1 1/2 min (hot but not boiling). Then elec/mixer hot milk upping speed
as milk begins to thicken; beat foamy. Add microed syrups. Stir in coffee.
ADD steamed milk, spooning foam over top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. SERVE immediately.
ING 1/2 cup milk • 1-2 tsp peppermint syrup • 2 tb Smucker's Chocolate Sundae Syrup
• 1/4 cup strong Folgers® French Roast Coffee OR 1/4 cup strong Folgers® Black Silk Coffee.
VARY Instead of peppermint, add a bit raspberry extract and some whipped cream atop coffee. No sugar needed.
I love big crumbs on cakes :)
Big AND plentiful....oh heck, I’ll just double the crumb recipe.
I just went though ten pages of crumb cake on an image search and these are the best ones. The links will be a reminder so I can try each one haha..
http://shaunasever.com/2010/01/i-deserve-a-medal.html
https://www.baking-sense.com/2015/07/16/blueberry-crumb-cake/
https://www.savingdessert.com/lemon-crumble-breakfast-cake/
https://hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/2015/12/crumb-cake-cookies.html
https://lifeinbetween.me/2015/07/25/cinnamon-creme-crumb-cake/
https://entertainingwithbeth.com/classic-crumb-cake-recipe/
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/cream-cheese-filled-crumb-cake-366204
http://www.treats-sf.com/2011/07/crumb-cake.html
https://bigalittlea.com/2013/06/13/golden-butter-crumb-cake/
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/blueberry-crumb-cake/
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-chip-crumb-cake/#more-1322
https://laurarebeccaskitchen.com/2008/04/02/new-york-style-crumb-cake/
http://www.whatsontheplate.com/new-york-style-crumb-cake/
https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/spiced-pumpkin-crumb-cake-2124616
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-crumb-cake/
This looks worth trying..
Slow Cooker Cheddar Corn
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16-oz) package frozen corn
1 (12-oz) package frozen corn
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Stir before serving. (I also like to stir the mixture half way through cooking)
https://www.plainchicken.com/2017/04/slow-cooker-cheddar-corn.html
That does look good; maybe something different for Thanksgiving.
Struffoli (fried Honey Dipped Dough Balls)
ING 1¼ cups Flour ¼ tsp Salt 2 Eggs Veg Peanut or Canola oil
METHOD mix flour and salt. Make a well; break in eggs. W/ fork, gradually beat the flour into eggs until stiff dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead vigorously, 8-10 min to a smooth, compact dough. Shape it into a dish, saran and let rest 20 min. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch slices. Between the palms of your hands, not on a board, roll the dough slices into 1/4 inch thick ropes. Cut the ropes into 1/4 inch pieces.
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch oil until a piece of dough sizzles immediately. Fry the struffoli, turning them in hot oil with slotted spoon, until they become dark, nutty brown on all sides. They will expand to more than double their size, so do not crowd the pan. When done, drain struffoli on absorbent paper.
FINAL In large pan, heat cup honey over low heat very hot-not boiling. Add struffoli/stir coat well with wooden spoon. Offheat stir until honey has cooled and thickened and is coating well. Stir in any options.
PLATING Pour dough balls onto server, mounding into a Christmas tree shape (or a wreath).
Scrape residual syrup over to drip down the struffoli. Garnish w/ suggested options. Let stand to thoroughly cool before serving.
Optional Garnishes: 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Candied Orange Peel or Mixed Candied Peels; 2 T. To 1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds or Coarsely Chopped Hazelnuts or Pistachios, multicolored sprinkles and/or candied cherries.
That looks festive! and like the French Croquembouche:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croquembouche
I had a little vacation last week, and continuing in my Italy obsession I found a great BBC series called ‘Italy Unpacked’. All of the episodes are available on YouTube; the hosts are an art historian and a chef, who take you on an art history/culinary tour of many beautiful areas. Here’s the first in the series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9-b3J3-DY
Fabulous....thanks for the links.
Pasta with Prosciutto and Fontina Cream Sauce
PREP Cook al dente any pasta of choice in boiling salted water about 10 min.
SAUCE Saute/caramelize 2 tb olive oil, 4 oz ea shitakes, chanterelles, onions. Deglaze pan with chix stock.
Add pint h/cream, 1/4 c ea shredded Mozzarella, Fontina, Parm, 2 oz Gorgonzola, 4 oz shredded prosciutto.
FINAL Fold in pasta, tb ea Oregano, parsley. Drizzle w/ evo.
SERVE w/ a shower of Parm, parsley bouquet garnish.
CHEF'S NOTES: can add chunks of grilled chicken for the heartier eater.
STRAWBERRY GELATO
ING 2 cups whole milk, cup h/cream, 4 lge yolks 2/3 c sugar; lb strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, tb l/juice
PREP Heat/stir milk/cream til bubbles begin to form at edges (170 deg on therm).
CUSTARD While heating milk/cream, whisk egg yolks. After a min, add in 2/3 c sugar; continue to whisk til thick and pale yellow.
Next, temper yolks by slow-pouring in cup hot milk/cream; whisk constantly. Then slowly pour mixture into rest of milk; whisk constantly.
FINAL Pour mixture back into pan; cook/stir constantly. Ready when custard coats back of spoon (185 deg).
STRAWBERRIES Simmer strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and l/juice on medium about 10 min
(starts to thicken; strawberries soften. Refrigerate 2 or more hours (can be do day ahead).
Blender puree smooth 3/4 of strawberry mixture.
FINAL Mix puree into custard. Churn ice cream as per mfg. Add unpureed strawberries during last 5 min.
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