The Vivaldi Pasta Concerto Finale

We celebrated the arrival of the Winter Solstice with the last recipe from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Pastas: L’Inverno from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Folks, this one is worth making! The cheese makes a very creamy and delicious sauce. Add a tossed salad and a glass of Cabernet and you will be in heaven!

Here's L'Inverno!

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ cups large walnut pieces

1 pound St. André cheese, rind removed, cheese cut into irregular pieces

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

8 ounces thinly sliced Parma ham, shredded

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon best-quality olive oil (next time I'll use only ¾ cup)

4 quarts water

1 pound dried linguine (I used spaghetti)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine the garlic, walnuts, St. André, parsley, ham, ½ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and oil in a large serving bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 4 hours.

2. Just before serving, heat the water to boiling in a large pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt. Add the pasta and boil until tender but still firm, 8-10 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta and immediately toss with the walnut sauce. Serve immediately. Pass the peppermill and Parmesan cheese.

4 portions

Autumn Pasta Concerto

In my opinion, besides fresh apples, there's no better reason to welcome fall than to enjoy this pasta dish, part of Vivaldi's Four Seasons pasta dishes, from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.

Here's L’Autunno:

¾ cup best-quality olive oil
15 cloves garlic, 6 minced and 9 cut into thin slivers
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, or 1½ teaspoons dried
¾ cup dried apricots, cut into slivers
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound linguine (I used spaghetti)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (my own addition)

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced and slivered garlic and sauté until just browned.
2. Stir in the white wine. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and apricots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender but still firm; drain.
4. Place the pasta, sauce and parsley in a serving bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle cheese. Serve immediately.
4 to 6 portions 

Simple and Fresh, As Summer Ought to Be

This is the second pasta dish of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.  It is easy and light, encouraging us to pluck the cherry tomatoes off the bush in the backyard, and use up some of the basil growing wantonly next to it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, L'Estate:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
5 ounces Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
¾ cup pine nuts (pignoli), lightly toasted
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2½ cups extra virgin olive oil (I only used ½ cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound linguine (I used spaghetti)
Cherry tomato halves, or tomato wedges

1. Combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a medium-size bowl. Pour the olive oil over it all. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for three hours.
2. Cook the linguine (or spaghetti) in boiling salted water until tender but still firm. Drain and toss immediately with the sauce. Place in a large serving platter and arrange the tomatoes around the edge.
4 portions

Cooking Inspired by Vivaldi

For the Instrumental Solo Festival during my high school years, I chose to play the 1st Movement of Vivaldi's Concerto in A Minor, where, much to my astonishment, I received a “Superior” rating.  Since then, Vivaldi has held a special place in my heart.  So, when I saw the Four Seasons Pasta recipes in the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, a book that was published in the 80s, I knew that, sooner or later, I'd have to try making them all.  But, as so frequently happens, life gets in the way, and I never got around to it.  Until now.  This is it.  This is the year!

Here's La Primavera . . .

Here's the recipe:

2 quarts water

1 lemon, cut in half

1 lb. medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 pound bay scallops (I used sea scallops)

8 oz. Nova Scotia smoked salmon, thinly sliced and shredded into 2-inch pieces

2 cups mild olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes

½ cup chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salt, to taste

1 pound linguine

1.  Heat the water and lemon halves in a large saucepan over medium heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat and add the shrimp.  Simmer for 1 minute.  Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and cool under running water.  Pat dry and place in a large bowl.

2.  Cook the scallops in the simmering water for 1 minute.  Drain and cool under cold running water.  Pat dry and add to the shrimp.

3.  Combine the oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, dill, shallots, and pepper in a separate bowl.  Pour over the seafood and toss gently to combine.  Let stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator up to 12 hours (warm to room temperature before serving).

4.  Cook the linguine in boiling salted water until tender but still firm.  Drain and toss immediately with the seafood sauce,

6 portions

The salmon, lemon and dill made for a not-so-Italian flavor profile, but it was delicious just the same.  I wish I had taken the time to find the bay scallops, they would've provided a more delicate, seasonal touch.  Then again, would Vivaldi have been able to find those tiny scallops while working in Venice?  I've also discovered that my husband doesn't care for linguine, he prefers a thinner pasta, so the next three recipes will be prepared using good ol' spaghetti instead.

Cuban Night

 Once in a while I get such a deep longing for my Cuban soul food . . .

. . . including Black Beans, White Rice, Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef cooked in Sofrito and Tomato Sauce), and Tostones (Fried Green Plantains), that, well, I'm powerless to resist.  I spent a whole day in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

Naturally, we had to have leftovers the day after.  This time, to mix it up, instead of tostones, I made Mariquitas — homemade banana chips.  It was all so delicious.  This will hold me for a while.

Sunday lunch

We are living through the month of excess.  Everywhere you go there are cookies and hot cocoa.  The office counters are groaning from food that vendors are sending in, or office party potlucks.  You need a will power of mighty proportions to resist all that.  So, at home, we go light:

A wedge salad.  Not a new invention but a rediscovered one:  Iceberg lettuce, crumbled hard-boiled eggs and bacon, and dotted with some blue cheese dressing.  It was light, delicious, and surprisingly filling.

Give it a try!

Quinoa Recipe from AARP

It's a telling sign of my age that I actually find myself browsing through the AARP magazine.  This recipe came from an article in the August/September 2013 issue about former President Bill Clinton's new vegan diet.  I've been experimenting with quinoa lately as part of my on-going search for foods with a lower glycemic index, so I gave it a try . . . It.  Was.  Fantastic!!!  You MUST try this!  My husband gave it his very persnickety stamp of approval.  What else could you possibly need to know?

SPICED AND HERBED QUINOA WITH GREEN ONIONS
This recipe is adapted from Rhys Rosenblum, executive chef, Restaurant Associates.
Serves 4

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock or water (I used chicken stock)
½ cup hothouse cucumber, diced
½ cup tomato, diced
2 tablespoons, red onion, diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1.  Cook the quinoa according to package directions, using stock or water.  Let cool completely.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with the remaining ingredients.  Toss to mix thoroughly.  Serve chilled.

Nutrients per serving:  268 calories, 6g protein, 34g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 13g fat (2g saturated fat). 0mg cholesterol, 483mg sodium.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

The first time I made ratatouille, the kitchen caught on fire.  Really.  The oil from the pot boiled over and before I knew it, grease was spitting and hissing and flames were shooting up to the ceiling.  I grabbed my 3-month old baby, wrapped him in a towel - I had started to give him a bath - and ran out of the house while shouting to my neighbor to call 911.

I greeted some very hunky firemen with my hair sticking up and my clothes plastered to me from a very wet baby.  I was quite a sight.  But the fire was actually put out by another neighbor, even before the fire trucks arrived.  Still, the firemen insisted on checking out the house completely, and I just couldn't get rid of them fast enough so I could change my clothes . . . and put a diaper on the baby.

Miraculously, the ratatouille was not ruined.  In fact, it was amazing.  Here's a dish that embodies all the glory of the Mediterranean:  Tomatoes, olive oil, eggplant, basil, peppers . . .  Serve it with lamb, roast pork, or even just parsleyed rice . . . It's so delicious!

Here's the recipe:

1½-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
4 small eggplants, roughly 4 lbs., cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons of salt
2 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 zucchini, washed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thirds
2 red peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
2 green peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 14.5-oz. Italian Plum tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
a pinch of red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. Pour one cup of olive oil into an aluminum roasting pan (easier clean up), add the eggplants with the salt.  Stir.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for about a half hour until the eggplant is cooked but not too soft.  Stir a couple of times during baking to coat the eggplant with the oil.
3. In a large dutch oven, heat remaining cup of oil and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add the eggplant mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, especially the salt.

If you serve it as a side dish, it should yield at least 12 portions.

And here's a picture of John plastered to me, right after his bath (but on a different day).  I've posted this photo before, but it always makes me smile and brings back such happy memories.  I thought this was the perfect excuse to show it one more time . . .

And, be still my beating heart, somehow I've managed to be on theme for the Photo of the Day Weekly Challenge - Been There, Done That!

Couscous . . . couscous . . . don't you just love saying that word?

Couscous with Apricots and Almonds

—from "SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life"

Healthy side dish, great flavor, nutritious . . .

Didn't love the texture . . . the dish was saved by the almonds and apricots, otherwise it would have felt too mealy on the mouth. I've since learned that couscous is great stuffed in pita bread, with other veggies. I'll have to keep it in mind when I make it next time. Yes, there will be a next time, I have to finish the package!

I blame my mother-in-law . . .

It's all Lillian's fault. Actually, it was Mrs. C. That's what I always called her. She's been gone for many years now, and we miss her, especially her cooking. That woman could cook. She was born in the U.S., but her parents came from Italy; passed through Ellis Island, as a matter of fact. Anyway, she introduced me to Roman Potatoes, which she also called Rosemary Potatoes.

Last night, I tossed and turned, and woke up several times, and each time, I would think of her potatoes. I wonder what a dream analyst would have to say about that. Naturally, I had to make them today. My husband reacted in that cool way that people do when they really want something but are afraid to make too big a deal, just in case it doesn't come true . . .

So I started with a 5-lb. bag of red potatoes. If you are going to make these, you may as well commit - there's no point in making less than 5 lbs. When she made these, Mrs. C would start peeling potatoes first thing in the morning. To feed her large family, she would sometimes make 15 lbs.!

The recipe is quite simple, really. You peel and cut the potatoes, add rosemary leaves, fresh if you can get them, olive oil, salt and pepper . . .

And . . . oh, yes, one last ingredient: Garlic. Um . . . I'm afraid this is the one change I've made to her recipe. Mrs. C's idea of adding garlic was to take one single clove, rub it on the bottom of the pan, and then discard the clove.

My idea of garlic is . . . Well, let me give you a visual . . . Imagine me as Dirty Harry, only shorter and rounder, Dirty Harriet, if you will . . . She is standing in front of the stove, facing down a vampire . . . Then, Dirty Harriet, curling her lip, says to the vampire: "I know what you are thinking. 'Did she add six cloves or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a powerful weapon, an herbal wonder drug, and delicious to boot, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" That vampire doesn't stand a chance.

You put them in the oven at 350º for an hour and a half until they are tender and brown and a bit crispy. I made a pot roast to go with these beauties, but it was totally irrelevant. However, the bottle of Chianti we opened up to go with dinner was a nice touch.

And then we could raise our glasses: Here's to you Mrs. C. Thank you for the memory . . . and your wonderful recipe!

Oh, well . . . more for me . . .

I knew before I made it that they wouldn't eat it . . . Still, it's so disappointing when they don't . . .

My persnickety family would not go near this Creamy Cauliflower Soup, from the Fit For Life Cookbook, made with a shiro miso base, and no dairy. It truly is delicious, light and flavorful (not to mention healthy), but would they even try it? Nope.

So, I ladled it into soup mugs, sprinkled a little extra nutmeg on top, and froze enough portions to last me two solid weeks (if I were to take it to work every day).

Their loss . . . (sigh!)

Easter Sunday - Food and Family

I made my sister-in-law, Angela's, Morning Glory Muffins. Ahh . . . cinnamon . . . is there a more glorious kitchen smell? Here's a link to her recipe:

http://mypixelatedoasis.blogspot.com/2010/03/morning-glory-muffins.html/

Then, my husband cooked my sons' favorite breakfast: Pancakes and sausage. I made the scrambled eggs.

Wow! I caught him twice in one day! This has to be a record. He doesn't like to pose for pictures!

Here's my son, John, displaying his bored college look . . .

And David was doing his imitation of a statue . . .

My family likes very basic, unpretentious food, which is usually a source of frustration to me since I like to cook and experiment in the kitchen, but on days like this, it's nice to relax and just enjoy them. (Whew, that was a long sentence!)

Impromptu Chicken

I almost ordered a pizza tonight. Both, my husband and I, worked hard around the house today and were pretty tired. Then I remembered I had some chicken in the fridge and decided to make Impromptu Chicken - a super easy recipe with only one iron-clad rule: Anything goes! Here's the recipe (well, here's today's recipe):

Start out with some boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Cut each piece in half, and flatten them a bit with a mallot so that they'll cook evenly . . . or skip this step if you don't feel like it. I certainly didn't feel like it. Place them in a large pot with some extra virgin olive oil . . .

Add some garlic, fresh is better, but today I used garlic powder. Add whatever herbs and spices you like . . . Today I used Herbes de Provence because it's been in the pantry for a while and I wanted to get rid of the bottle . . . Add some salt and pepper . . .

Brown over medium heat on both sides. Add veggies, if you like. Today I added baby carrots that were leftover from John's birthday lunch last Sunday . . .

Cover and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes. You want the chicken to steam and cook in its own juices and olive oil. Remove the chicken from the pot, raise the heat and continue cooking the carrots until tender and caramelized, about 3 minutes. I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes that I discovered in the back of the pantry (I think we got it for Christmas in a gourmet food basket).

It was becoming apparent that the chicken wanted to go Italian today, so I also added some fennel seeds and put a second pot with water on the stove to cook some pasta. Place the chicken back in the pot and cook another minute or so . . .

Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti is so delicious your family won't believe it's also good for them. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I use Romano, it's a family thing). That's it! The entire meal was done in just under 30 minutes . . .

I'm basking in the glory of all the compliments . . . and now I won't feel so guilty about ordering pizza in the middle of the week . . .

Every good cook I know has a unique version of Impromptu Chicken. I'd love to hear yours . . .

Family, food and birthday brownies!

We had a birthday luncheon today for my son, John, who turned 21 last week. My brother and his family came over to spend a little time with him before he goes back to school tonight. So we had a little food . . . O.K. we had a lot of food - including enough potato salad to feed a small army . . .

Some family stories and photos were shared . . .

There's my nephew, Kevin, sporting his newly acquired sling for a torn ligament . . .

And birthday brownies! John doesn't like cake, poor thing, so I baked him some brownies instead.

The "21" flag was a last minute inspiration carried out with a little help from Visio and a wooden skewer.

The lovely dessert stand was a Christmas present from my friend, Julie, and has elevated this homey dessert to new heights . . . (hee, hee, hee!)

See those rabbits on the shelf in the background? I've moved them all over the house trying to keep them out of camera shot until it gets closer to Easter, but the darn rabbits won't stay hidden! Today, I think they just couldn't resist the veggies . . .

Drunken Polish Chili

What would Superbowl commercials be without a pot of chili to accompany the entertainment? Actually, although I'm very, very fond of soup of all types, especially those that contain beans, I make chili very seldom because a) I like the meat in soup to only make a cameo appearance, not be the star, and b) I don't generally like spicy hot foods. Yes, I know, I was born in Cuba, and grew up with Cuban food, but, in fact, Cuban cuisine is not very hot.

This recipe was given to me by my friend Julie, who assures me that it has won the Chili Cook-Off at her work two years running. The recipe gets its name from two key ingredients: Merlot (Drunken) and Kielbasa sausage (Polish). I lightened it, as per her instructions, by substituting ground turkey for the beef. And here's the verdict . . . Yum!

I am going to have some awesome brown-bag lunches this week! Lentil soup from yesterday and Chili from today . . . I better keep my eye on that refrigerator at work . . .

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

My husband, who is not particularly fond of sweet potatoes, had two helpings of this soup!

It was tasty, and came with impeccable nutritional credentials . . . and it just warmed us all the way to our tippy toes . . . Here's the recipe:

1 lb. dried lentils, picked over and washed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, sliced in thin rounds
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled, minced or crushed
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
6 C. chicken stock
1 T. thyme leaves
1 T. oregano leaves
2 large bay leaves
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautée the onion, green pepper, garlic and celery in the olive oil until the onion is transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, covered over low-medium heat for a couple of hours, stirring occassionally, until the lentils are tender and the soup thickens. If the liquid has been absorbed but the lentils are still a bit tough, add additional water or broth, stir, correct seasoning, and continue cooking until the desired consistency is reached. Serve with a crusty multi-grain bread.

Happy New Year! . . . but it's still Christmas . . .

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking . . .

Here's a Raisin Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce - a sweet treat to end the year!

Natilla (pronounced Nah-tee-yah)

Here's the recipe for my Cuban Vanilla Custard. Thank you to my co-workers for all your kind words, but you will see how easy it is to make:

Ingredients:

5 C. milk (I use whole milk, but if you prefer, you can use 2%)
1 C. sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 T. vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
½ C. corn starch

1. In a saucepan combine 4 C. of milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla extract and salt. Cook on medium heat until it simmers, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved in the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cup of milk, egg yolks and corn starch. A small whisk is most effective for mixing the corn starch into the milk and egg mixture.
3. When the milk on the stove is simmering, add the milk/egg yolk mixture to the pot, straining it through a fine sieve to catch any undissolved corn starch.
4. Continue to cook on medium heat until the pudding thickens, usually no more than 3-4 minutes. The whisk will come in handy again to make sure that no lumps are formed.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into ramekins while still hot, as the mixture cools it gets harder to pour. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and chill.
6. Call the kids and/or husband to the kitchen and dispense spoons so they can scrape the pot clean.

Two tips:

1. Separate the egg yolks before you put the milk on the stove. You don't want to get distracted by the eggs when you should be keeping a close watch so the milk doesn't scorch.
2. Use a non-stick saucepan if possible. I use a Calphalon dutch oven and a silicone whisk so it doesn't scratch the pot.

These squash-shaped ramekins, a gift from my friend Susan, make a timeless comfort food seem a bit more seasonal. Let me know how it turns out.

The local farm stand

Here are some of the treats I picked up at a local farm nearby. The corn from this farm is fabulous, but the little new potatoes stole my heart (to appreciate their size, I placed them inside a chili bowl).

I was going to make potato salad à la Niçoise. Instead, I cut the potatoes in half, boiled them until tender, then sprinkled them with a little salt, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar - and greedily ate the whole thing for lunch!

Note to self: Next time eat lunch before starting to cook dinner!

Quest for the Perfect Peach Cobbler

Peaches have been wonderful this year in Illinois, sweet and plentiful, and I'm determined to finally learn how to make the perfect peach cobbler.

The one I made today was Paula Dean's recipe. It was easy to make and tasted terrific, but Lee would have liked a crumblier texture, more like a pie. Alas, we'll just have to suffer through this disappointment . . .

My husband hovered while I took photos of the finished product, and the moment I put down the camera, he absconded with the prop! The picture below is out of focus, but this thief couldn't wait to eat his prize.

The cobbler quest continues . . .