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Spaghetti and Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce

Posted on October 21, 2010 by amydeline

My husband can’t sit down at an Italian restaurant without ordering Spaghetti and Meatballs. It could be the finest Italian restaurant with a menu dripping in tempting options and all he wants is Spaghetti and Meatballs, preferably with garlic bread. It’s truly one of his favorite meals and he craves it the way that I crave a good piece of dark chocolate or wedge of brie with baguette. So, when I decided to make this simple, classic dish for dinner yesterday, I knew he’d be thrilled.

My timing was impeccable. By the time my husband walked through the door, the sauce had been simmering away on the stove for three hours. The meatballs had been baked and added to the sauce. The garlic bread had been prepared. Our house was bursting with the warm, delicious aromas of tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Upon stepping into the house, out of the chilly autumn air, my husband took one breath before his eyes lit with joy. What are you cooking? I told him to take a guess. Spaghetti and Meatballs??? His reply was dripping with eager anticipation. I nodded. And garlic bread?? Yes, of course. And I could see him physically buzzing with excitement. Such joy from such a simple meal.

And in that moment, as he stood there, still removing his jacket and shoes, with a child-like grin on his face, it occurred to me that I could profit from this glee. Maybe I should ask for something. Perhaps those fuzzy winter boots I’ve had my eye on. Or a Mercedes E320! No, no! A pony! I’ve always wanted a pony. Yes, that’s what I would ask for.

Then, as fast as it arrived, the moment was gone. The kids began climbing his legs while the dog anxiously communicated his desire for a walk in his typical brutish manner. So, no pony for me. Though, my husband’s evident joy was sufficient reward.

During the hot summer months, when tomatoes have reached their glorious peak of flavor perfection, it would be a pity to use canned tomatoes in your sauce. (Click here for my Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce recipe.) But, right about now, when tomatoes have become mealy and bland, you’d be silly to use anything other than canned tomatoes. Most canned veggies have a justifiably bad rep for being loaded with salt and drained of their nutrition. But, tomatoes may be one of the rare exceptions. I actually read an article once, which claimed that tomatoes may actually benefit in both flavor and nutrition (lycopene content) from the canning process. Just look for tomatoes which don’t contain extra sodium.

Both my sauce and meatball recipes are simple, classic preparations. No fancy ingredients or interesting twists. Just basic, delicious spaghetti and meatballs, cooked the way I remember from my childhood. The sauce is slow cooked for about 3 hours to allow a rich tomato flavor to develop. Onions, garlic, basil, parsley, and crushed red pepper provide just the right amount of seasoning. The meatballs are basic beef meatballs, blended with a bit of cheese and a few seasonings, then bound together with an egg and a touch of bread crumbs. You can use any type of ground beef or other ground meats in your meatballs, but as with hamburgers, the higher the fat content of the meat, the juicier and moister the resulting meatball will be.

Classic Slow-Cooked Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 Onions, chopped
  • 6 cloves Garlic, smashed
  • 3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 28-ounce cans Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 6-ounce can Tomato Paste
  • 1 6-ounce can Water
  • 5-6 sprigs Fresh Parsley, leaves only
  • 6-8 Basil Leaves, chiffonade
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • Salt and Crushed Red Pepper, as desired

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and smashed garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are tender and translucent. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill the tomato paste can with water and add to the saucepan. Stir in the fresh parsley leaves, basil, and bay leaves. Cook over low heat, partially covered, for about three hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with crushed red pepper and salt, as desired.

*This recipe makes a great big batch of sauce, perfect for leftovers or freezing!

Classic Baked Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands to blend, until all ingredients are evenly combined. Using your hands, roll 12-15 meatballs with about 1 1/2″ diameter each. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Set aside or add to the sauce as it cooks.

Makes 12-15 Meatballs

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Posted in Beef, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Apple Cinnamon Rangoons

Posted on October 13, 2010 by amydeline

I was seated on a comfortable bar stool set up against a large granite island countertop in the most bright and beautiful kitchen. I was eating a mouthwatering salad of mixed greens, lobster, and avocado, dressed in a fresh vinaigrette. It was course two of a nine course tasting menu. On the other side of the island countertop, dressed in a dalmation print apron, was Chef Patrick O’Connell, busy at the stove, artfully crafting the most perfect dishes. Then it occurred to me. I’m sitting in the kitchen at The Inn at Little Washington and Patrick O’Connell is personally preparing me a nine-course tasting menu. That’s when I realized that I was probably dreaming. But I took another bite of lobster and then proceeded to share a story with my new pal, Patrick, about how the cast of The Hills randomly stopped by my beach house one afternoon to use the bathroom. He laughed and then told me of his encounter with the cast of Jersey Shore. Mind you, I neither have a beach house, nor have I ever even watched The Hills, let alone met the cast. I took another bite of my salad.

Patrick took a piece of foie gras out of the fridge and raised the heat on the skillet. Course three would be foie gras. Fantastic. In the background, I heard an unusual roar and a thump. I turned my attention to a woman who’d entered the kitchen and was standing on the opposite side of the island countertop. Clearly she was an acquaintance of Patrick. She was flipping through the pages of a scrapbook. Feeling right at home, I began flipping through the pages with her; pictures of a grandson. I heard the pop and sizzle of the foie gras hitting the hot pan. And then that strange roar and thump again.

Patrick began preparing my plate, with a perfectly petite mound of baby watercress and a drizzle of a thick, dark sauce. Is that a cherry-balsamic reduction? My mouth was watering. Roar and thump. I opened my eyes. Roar and thump; the sound of the garbage truck passing down my road. I quickly closed my eyes, pressed them tightly together, desperate to return to The Inn at Little Washington. Come on! The foie gras was almost ready! I tried to will myself back into that dream. No such luck. Moments later, a small voice, magnified by the effects of the baby monitor, called to me, Mommy, I’m done with my nap, followed by the sound of small footsteps as he ran to exit his room.

You owe me seven more courses, Patrick O’Connell, starting with that foie gras!

Back to reality… Today’s recipe is the brainchild of three hungry minds. It began with a discussion of an apple cinnamon cream cheese, which my sister enjoys at the bagel shop near her office. Within moments, we’d developed a fully formed idea for a decadent treat, which we named Apple-Cinnamon Rangoons. Think crab rangoons, but take away the crab and throw in some cinnamon apples instead. Pure genius. I’d have made them that very moment if I wasn’t missing the essential cream cheese and too lazy to run down to the grocery store. But I made these little babies yesterday and boy are they spectacular! They’re a tad tedious to assemble, but the result is well-worth the small labor. Make sure you make these when you have a crowd of people around to help you eat them. Or trust me, you will eat them all yourself.

Cinnamon-Apple Rangoons

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • 4 ounces Cream Cheese, chilled and cut into cubes (approximately 1/2″ each)
  • 40 Wonton Wrappers*
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1/8 cup Sugar, for sprinkling
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, for sprinkling

*My grocery store carries Wonton Wrappers in the frozen foods section. Some grocery stores carry them near the refrigerated produce. Defrost before using.

Directions

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water. Stir until the brown sugar  begins to melt and coat the apples. Cook for a few minutes until the apples are tender, but not mushy. Cool before using.

Set up a work station with the cinnamon apples, cream cheese cubes, defrosted wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, and a large piece of wax paper.

To Assemble the Rangoons:

Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of a wonton wrapper.

Place a small spoonful of the cinnamon apples around the cream cheese.

Use your finger or a pastry brush to wet the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper in half, over the filling, to create a rectangle.

Use your finger or a pastry brush to wet one corner of the rectangle. Fold the corner down to form a diagonal edge.

Turn the wonton wrapper over and fold down the opposite corner, to form a triangle packet. Place the prepared rangoons onto the wax paper.

**It’s not absolutely necessary to fold the wonton in this manner. You can create any type of packet, even as simple as folding the wonton wrapper in half diagonally.

Repeat until you’ve used all of the filling.

To cook, heat about 1/2″ of vegetable oil in a skillet. Get it good and hot. Add a few of the rangoons and cook for a minute or two on each side, until golden brown and crispy. If they seem to be cooking too quickly, turn down the heat. Remove the rangoons from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Sprinkle the hot rangoons with a mixture of the cinnamon and sugar. Serve hot.

Makes about 40


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Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

Posted on September 28, 2010 by amydeline

Recently, my sister had the good fortune of taking a trip to Hawaii. As you might imagine, we’re all insanely jealous. During our conversations about the Hawaii trip, someone mentioned a food truck on the north shore of Oahu, which sells the most delectable garlic shrimp. It didn’t take too much cajoling to convince me to investigate further.

Now, in my dream world, I’d hop on the next available Hawaii-bound airplane, with my sights set on shrimp. I’d comb that island until I discovered the mysterious shrimp truck and then I’d force myself to eat as many orders of that shrimp as necessary until I’d discerned the magical recipe. And well, if I had to drink a few fruit-garnished, tropical beverages during my travels, I guess I’d do that too. All in the name of commitment to a cause. But, considering I live in the real world, bound by time and financial constraints, I limited my research to the internet.

Identifying the shrimp truck was easy. Giovanni’s Aloha Shrimp is served out of a white, graffiti-covered truck on the north shore of Oahu. They offer three options; Hot and Spicy, Lemon and Butter, or Shrimp Scampi. It’s the shrimp scampi recipe we’re after. So, I did a bit more searching around and actually found a video, which walks through a garlic shrimp recipe, based on the famous Hawaiian shrimp trucks.

Hawaiian Sea Salt, a gift from my sis

After watching the video, I rescheduled my whole day around making these shrimp. I even dragged the kids out in the pouring rain to get down to the grocery store for fresh shrimp, which they enjoyed for the exciting opportunity to wear rain boots. The result was well worth it; tender shrimp oozing with garlicky flavor and dripping in butter sauce. In Hawaii, they serve a pile of 12 jumbo shrimp with a mound of sticky rice. I added a side of steamed broccoli to complete the meal.

For authentic Hawaiian style, use the biggest shrimp you can get your hands on. To serve it up shrimp-truck style, devein the shrimp, but leave the shells on. This makes for a messy meal, so be prepared with extra napkins. In the future, I’d probably remove the shells before cooking, so more of the garlic sauce ends up in my mouth rather than on my fingers.

Hawaiian-Style Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large shrimp, shell on, deveined
  • 3/4 cup clarified butter*
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1-2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges

*Clarified Butter is recommended, since it has a higher smoke point than regular butter. This will help to prevent the butter and garlic from burning as it cooks. For my easy photo guide to clarifying butter, click here. Two sticks of butter will produce just the right amount of clarified butter for this recipe.

Directions

Check that the shrimp have been deveined. Combine the flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a dish. Toss the shrimp in the flour mixture to coat. (There will be flour leftover.) Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the clarified butter and garlic. Cook for a minute or two, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes on the other side. Add the white wine and salt. Cook for a minute or two. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the shrimp. Serve with a side of white rice and a lemon wedge.

Serves 2

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Apple Walnut Crisp

Posted on September 21, 2010 by amydeline

I ate apple crisp and ice cream for dinner last night. There, I said it. We might as well be honest with each other. I had dessert for dinner. It wasn’t an accident or the result of poor self-control. It was a conscious decision, well thought out and carefully calculated.

You see, I subscribe to my own personal balance theory of healthy living. I love food and I’m almost always hungry. Whereas my husband can easily go for six hours or more between meals, I’m hungry again two hours after a big meal. Every two hours or so, my belly sounds the alarm and if the response isn’t immediate, hunger anger ensues. Ask my husband what I’m like during a hunger anger attack. It’s not pretty.

The Face of Hunger Anger

Anyway, back to balance. I like to eat and I eat a lot. So, in order to counter the effects of my endless appetite on my waistline, I seek balance. I usually find it through a healthy breakfast and a light lunch. Healthy snack selections, staying active with the kids, and a few runs every week help too. The combination of these behaviors allows me a little leeway with a few indulgent cheesy, delicious dinners and the occasional gooey, sweet treat.

But recently, my neat little healthy-living balance equation has been thrown off by the early sunset. I’d had a good routine going for a while. Put the kids to bed at seven, then hit the pavement for while. But, lately it’s nearly dark by the time the kids are in bed. I’ve lost my run time. I need to rework my running routine.

In the mean time, I’ve got this little gap in my balance equation, which means I need to be a little more careful on the indulgent side. So, this afternoon, when I pulled the apple crisp out of the oven and gave it a little taste test, I knew I needed a plan. The problem was that the moment that first bite hit my mouth, I knew that a small, reasonably sized portion wasn’t going to satisfy me. No. I know myself all too well. Only a heaping bowl of the hot, cinnamon-doused apples, mounded with crispy nuts and oats, and a huge scoop of vanilla bean ice cream would fit the bill.  It wouldn’t matter how much or how little I ate at dinner. I’d eat a heaping bowl of that apple crisp for dessert, even if it hurt me to do so.

A heaping bowl of apple crisp and ice cream, tacked on to the end of an already full day of eating, would most definitely throw off the balance. So, I did the only thing I could think of and substituted the apple crisp for dinner. Balance maintained. Well, sort of.

Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

Apple Walnut Crisp

Ingredients

For the Apples

  • 6 cups Apples; cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • Dash of Nutmeg

For the Walnut Streusel Topping

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2/3 cup Walnuts, chopped
  • 2/3 cup Oats
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 stick Butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 13×9 baking dish. Toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, vanilla, and nutmeg. Pour the apples into the prepared baking dish. For the topping, mix together the flour, sugar, walnuts, oats, and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until combined. The mixture should appear slightly moist and crumbly. Generously sprinkle the topping over the apples. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.


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Eggplant Parmigiana

Posted on September 15, 2010 by amydeline

Winter comes on fast here in Syracuse. It seems like one week you’re sweating in 90 degrees weather at the fair and the next week you’re rummaging through the house trying to figure out where you stashed your scarf when winter finally ended in June. It’s a long, cold, snowy winter ’round here, predominated by gloomy, gray skies and frostbitten noses.

But, there’s a short period of time between the summer and winter, where the sun is still shining, but the air carries just a touch of chill; sweater weather. The leaves turn a beautiful rainbow of rusty reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows. Apples are ripe for picking. It’s perfectly autumn.

And though I don’t particularly care for the long periods of Syracuse winter gloom, I feel a buzz of excitement on the day I wake up to that perfectly autumn weather. To me, the first cool day in September is shouting one thing, loud and clear… Welcome to Comfort Food Season!

Comfort food season. It’s the time for spending a little longer in the kitchen. Time for heating up the oven and letting the warm aromas permeate the house. Time for hot, cheesy dishes, casseroles, and slow-cooked meats with roasted potatoes. Time for forgiving stretchy pants and bulky sweaters. Comfort food season makes this Gourmand Mom a very happy girl.

So, in honor of comfort food season, I’m making one of my childhood comfort food favorites. You see, I’m Irish, Scottish, and Armenian by heritage, but a good part of my family is Italian. I was raised on Italian food. There may not be a drop of Italian blood in me, but there’s the heart of an Italian cook hiding in there. And, as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than Eggplant Parmigiana. Breaded and fried eggplant, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked until perfectly hot and delicious.

My recipe is based on the recipe I was raised with. The secret comes from the combination of three different cheeses between each layer of eggplant; parmigiano-reggiano, mozzarella, and ricotta. The ricotta’s the real key, if you ask me. You can use any kind of tomato sauce in the dish. Homemade marinara or a high-quality store-bought sauce would be fine. I’m using a jar of Bertolli’s spicy Arrabbiata Sauce, which I received in the welcome gift bag over the weekend.

My process for making eggplant parmigiana begins with salting the eggplants. If you’re using freshly picked or baby eggplants, you can probably skip this step. For larger eggplants, which have been off the plant for a few days, salting serves a dual purpose. The salt draws out the bitter liquids which can accumulate in older eggplants, leaving you with a better flavor. Also, as a result of removing some of the liquid, you’ll have a firmer eggplant which will absorb less oil during the frying process.

The entire process of composing the eggplant parmigiana is a little time-consuming, but not complicated. The great part is that is can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to eat. If baking from refrigerated or frozen, be sure to add some additional cooking time to ensure that the dish gets thoroughly heated through.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients*

  • 2 medium/large Eggplants, sliced into approximately 1/3″ slices
  • Salt
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 cups Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups Ricotta Cheese

* All measurements are approximate. Adjust according to the size of your eggplants and your preferences.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Generously sprinkle the slices with salt. Allow the salted eggplant to rest for 15-20 minutes. You will begin to see droplets of liquid forming on the eggplant. Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry.

Then, set up a dish of flour, bowl of the beaten eggs, and a dish of bread crumbs. Press both sides of each slice into the flour, dip in the beaten eggs, then press into the bread crumbs to thoroughly coat. Repeat this process with all eggplant slices.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Places slices of eggplant in a single layer in the pan. Cook for about two minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for two minutes. Both sides should be a golden brown. Place the slices on layers of paper towels to drain. Continue this process, adding more oil as necessary, until all of the eggplant has been cooked. If the bread crumbs remaining  in the pan between batches begin to burn, wipe out the pan and replace with fresh oil before beginning the next batch.

Pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. To compose the eggplant parmigiana, spread a spoonful of ricotta onto a slice of eggplant. Place the slice on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella. Then drizzle a small spoonful of tomato sauce on top. Repeat with additional eggplant, cheese, and sauce to create layered towers of eggplant, cheese, and sauce, each without about four eggplant slices. After placing the final slice of eggplant on the tower, top with sauce, then parmigiano-reggiano and a generous amount of mozzarella.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. For a firmer cheese crust, leave the baking dish uncovered. For a meltier, gooey cheese topping, cover the baking dish with foil for the first 25 minutes or so.

Serve over spaghetti with extra sauce and cheese.


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Fine Food meets Fashion ~ What a Night!

Posted on September 13, 2010 by amydeline

Well, we’re back in Syracuse. Home, sweet home and happy to be snuggling my little men. But what a great weekend we had!

Following the welcome dinner with the other winners and the Bertolli team on Friday night, we visited with some friends, then settled in at the hotel for a good night’s sleep. We woke refreshed on Saturday morning and began our day with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese bagel sandwiches. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you probably could have seen that coming. There’s just nothing like a NY bagel sandwich!

Then, we trained our way uptown for a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

After a few hours of wandering the museum, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the big event of the weekend, the Zac Posen fashion show and Bertolli after-party.

We met the four other winners and their guests in the lobby of our hotel. Everyone looked absolutely smashing. We were picked up by a small fleet of towncars, which shuttled us over to Lincoln Center. Once at Lincoln Center, we were greeted by the chaos known as New York City Fashion Week. Holy Schmoly! For a Fashion Week newbie, navigating the crowds and finding our way to the Zac Posen show was quite a feat.

Once we found our way to the correct location, we stood in a mob/line with the other anxious ticket holders. While we waited, we got to peak at the Bertolli event being set up in the courtyard. I’ve got to say, it’s a pretty exciting experience to watch a catering team preparing a recipe you developed.

The doors finally opened and we made our way through the crowds and past a wall of photographers and videographers, who literally appeared to be stacked one on top of another, to find our seats. While we waited for the show to begin, we watched Carmen Electra, Claire Danes, and America’s Next Top Model judge, Miss J get interviewed at their seats in the front row.

Finally, the lights dimmed, the music rhythmically pounced, and the show began. It was much a faster event than I’d expected, maybe 5-10 minutes long tops. But it was definitely very cool. There’s something very exciting about viewing the culmination of an individual’s hard work, displayed for all to see. Well done, Zac.

Check out Miss J in the bottom right corner, scoping out the fashion.

The models walk the runway at the end of the show.

Zac Posen, triumphant after a successful showing of his Z Spoke collection.

Following the show, we found our way over to the beautiful courtyard for the Bertolli after-party, where a crowd had already begun gathering. The party was lovely and planned to perfection, though somewhat of a surreal experience. I had a hard time slowing my nervous heart rate for long enough to relax and enjoy the delectable food and charming company. Being the focus of any attention has always made me a little weak in the knees.

Thankfully, most of the attention was on the slew of attending celebrities who each took a turn in front of the brightly lit army of cameras. We watched from afar as Claire Danes, Michelle Trachtenberg, Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), Jillian Jacobs (Community), and others were photographed in front of a large Bertolli banner. To Rashida Jones, who passed in front of me while navigating the crowds, I said, and I quote, Hi, to which she responded, Hi. I know. You’re jealous of how smooth I am with the celebrities.

Kimora Lee drew quite a bit of attention when she entered the party followed by the film crew for her reality show. She certainly makes an entrance. She is stunning! Absolutely stunning. I was told later by one of the Bertolli crew, that Kimora was filmed eating my Braised Lamb Shanks and loving them!

During one part of the evening, the camera light was focused on each of the winners as we were interviewed about our dishes. Talk about being out of my element. I was shaking so badly that I’m lucky I didn’t drop the dish of lamb I was displaying. The videos have been uploaded to the Bertolli Facebook page. (Click here to see the video.) You can also follow the Bertolli Facebook page to see the five winning recipes, which are gradually being shared. One recipe, for Andreann’s Sausage and Kale Four Cheese Rosa Soup has already been posted. I tasted it at the party and it was fantastic. Definitely worth trying. Keep an eye out for my recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks with Mushrooms and Brown-braised Onions which should be coming up soon! Also look for Margee’s Bean, Poultry & Sausage Polenta Au Gratin, Ally’s Walnut Pumpkin Ravioli with Ricotta and Bertolli Vidalia Onion Pasta Sauce, and Gaylenn’s Easy Seafood Quiche, all delicious!!

Andreann's Sausage and Kale Four Cheese Rosa Soup

We also got to meet Rocco Dispirito, the very gracious host of the event. After saying a few words, he invited each of us in front of the army of cameras to pose for a few pictures. To Rocco, I said something to the effect of, Would you, could you, uh, hi, before motioning to my husband holding the camera. Rocco, possessing much better social skills than I, politely responded, I don’t think we’ve met yet, at which point I introduced myself. In retrospect, an introduction definitely would have been the more courteous way for me to begin a conversation. Clearly, social skills are not my best asset. Sorry for my sloppy manners, Rocco.

Rocco and The Gourmand Mom

The party slowly wound down after that. It was definitely an event to remember!

We spent Sunday eating bagels and pizza and visiting with old friends. This morning, a towncar delivered us back to the airport, beginning our short journey home. It was a lovely weekend, to which I owe many thanks to the Bertolli, Unilever, Ogilvy team! You’re all wonderful and it was truly an honor to meet you!

I’ve got a couple jars of Bertolli sauce in my suitcase just begging to be used! New recipes coming up soon…

Margee, Andreann, Ally, Me, and Gaylenn ~ Winners!

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Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Posted on September 7, 2010 by amydeline

During a recent episode of Man v. Food, host Adam Richman visited the city of Syracuse, the city I call home. Though, admittedly, I don’t regularly watch Man v. Food, I recorded this episode, since I’d heard there would be a segment featuring one of my favorite places, Dinosaur BBQ. And there was. But the segment which really caught my attention featured a place I haven’t been to, called Mother’s Cupboard, home of the six pound frittata. You heard me right. Six. Pound. Frittata.

Now this frittata is not like any frittata I’ve ever seen. If I had to guess, I’d say that about 5.95 pounds of it is composed of the fillings; sausage, peppers, onions, pepperoni, and a full pound of potatoes. The entire pile of food is bound together with 4 scrambled eggs and served with 4 ends of Italian bread. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE to eat and I have a very healthy appetite, but watching Adam Richman eat that entire mass of food turned my stomach just a bit. The small percentage of diners who do manage to eat the entire meal, as Mr. Richman did, get a T-shirt and their picture on the wall. I don’t think I’ll be attempting the challenge anytime soon, but it was sure fun to watch.

I like frittatas quite a bit and don’t make them nearly enough. Frittatas are an egg dish, similar to an omelet, filled with any combination of ingredients and typically finished in an oven. Once you’ve got the idea, the possibilities are infinite. They make a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re also perfect for using up leftover vegetables, cheese, or meat.

For my frittata, I made use of some chorizo I’ve been storing and a few potatoes I purchased for another meal. The potatoes get cooked with the chorizo and a bit of chopped onion. As the chorizo cooks, it releases its tasty flavor to coat the potatoes. Once the potatoes are tender, the egg mixture gets poured over the fillings, cooked for a few minutes on the stovetop (try not to burn the bottom like I did), then placed in the oven to finish. A bit of melty Fontina cheese adds the finishing touch.

Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Ingredients

  • 4 Baby Red Potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1/2 small Onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup Spanish Chorizo, chopped
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1/3 cup Milk
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley
  • 1/3 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an oven-proof skillet with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, potatoes, and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are tender. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook for a couple minutes until the eggs appear cooked around the edges. Sprinkle the fontina cheese over the egg mixture and place the pan in the oven.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are completely cooked through. The top will appear golden brown and the center should look a bit puffy.

Serves 4

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Fair Day!

Posted on August 30, 2010 by amydeline

Well, we did it. We had our day at the New York State Fair. Excuse my slip. I mean the Great New York State Fair. It was hot, crowded, and slow to get around, but it was still great! What’s not to love about the fair?

Painted horses, spinning round and round, up and down.

Crazy wind men, mesmerizing as they flap through the air.

Time to smell the roses (or other assorted potted plants).

Shopping, shopping, shopping.

The annual sand sculpture…

…and the sand sculptor, hard at work.

The ferris wheel, glowing in the clear evening sky.

Buildings full of prize-winning cows and rabbits, horse shows, butter sculptures, giraffe-feeding, and free Styx concerts. These are all valid reasons for attending the fair. But there’s one main draw for me. Fair food!

Gyros, oozing with Tzatziki Sauce.

Corn dogs, a sweet and savory meal on a stick.

Chocolate-Vanilla Twist Ice Cream, a sweet treat for my sweet kids.

But, I didn’t eat a gyro, or a corn dog, or ice cream. And I didn’t eat the bloomin’ onion, salty butterfly fries smothered with cheese, or fried dough sprinkled in sugar, all of which my family enjoyed. I was saving myself, exercising my most remarkable fair day self-control ever, for this year’s grand-daddy of fair food offerings; Nick Tahou’s Garbage Plate.

Nick Tahou’s is a well-known Rochester, New York joint, famous for its greasy, sloppy, and delicious Garbage Plate. My college days are marked by more than a few 3 a.m. garbage plates. I hadn’t had once since, until our fair day, that is. Boy, did it bring back memories!

The Garbage Plate. A messy mound of deliciousness. Bed of french fries and macaroni salad, topped with two, hot cheeseburgers, then smothered with Tahou’s signature, greasy-beefy hot sauce, chopped onions, and mustard. Other options include hamburger, white or red hot dogs, Italian sausage, or chicken tenders for the meats and baked beans or home fries for the sides.

This year is the first year that Nick Tahou’s has made an appearance at the fair and I certainly hope it’s not the last!

Here piggy, piggy.

Some time later in the evening we found our hunger again. This time, a huge ear of sweet, roasted corn on the cob, brushed with cajun butter, satisfied my cravings.

A creepy clown lured us towards his fried dough van…

…where he tempted us with Funnel Cakes and powdered sugar.

The grand finale of the evening came in the form of twinkie, dipped in batter and deep-fried, until the outside took on a crispy golden brown and the inner cake and cream blended together to create a deep-fried twinkie heaven.

Until next year, dear fair…

In other news…

I’m currently the proud owner of my first domain. You can now find The Gourmand Mom by going to http://www.thegourmandmom.com, which will take you right back here to this site!

And…

I’ve set up an email account specifically for The Gourmand Mom, so to contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback about this blog, you can email: thegourmandmom [at] yahoo [dot] com

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Posted on August 13, 2010 by amydeline

Like Batman spotting the bat-signal in the starry night sky or Spiderman sensing the tingle of his spidey-sense, I’ve been beckoned to help a family being torn apart by a culinary crisis. The trouble centers around a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie, a current featured dessert from our local grocery store, Wegmans. According to my sister-in-law, several battles have already ensued over the last piece of this dreamy, creamy pie. Even worse, there will come the day when Wegmans switches over to its seasonal pumpkin pie, leaving this poor family sorrowfully crying over the supermarket dessert case. No, no. This will not do. I must devise a suitable recipe to replicate this family’s beloved treat.

First, I need to know what we’re going after. So, I went down to the grocery store to purchase one of these battle-worthy pies. According to my son, who is a master of imagination, the grocery store is ridden with wolves. Luckily his younger brother was around to save his day and we left unharmed with the pie in hand.

Hmmm… Chocolate wafer crust, smooth moussey peanut butter filling, a layer of chocolate pudding (that was a surprise), fluffy whipped cream, peanut butter drizzle, peanut butter cup, chocolate curls…

Better taste it again, to make sure I’m not missing some important detail.

Is that a bit of vanilla? Let me just check…

Alright, I think I’ve got it. Seriously, I deserve some sort of hazard pay for this stuff.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups Chocolate Wafer Cookies, crushed*
  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Dark Chocolate Pudding

  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 3 oz Semisweet or Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Peanut Butter Filling

  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1 8 oz. bar Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup Confectioner’s  Sugar, divided
  • 2 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

For the Peanut Butter Drizzle

  • 1/8 cup Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup Corn Syrup

For the Garnish

  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Mini Peanut Butter Cups

*The easiest way to crush the cookies is to place them in a ziploc bag and roll a rolling pin over them until they are completely crushed.

Directions

For the Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the sides and bottom of a deep pie shell. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

For the Pudding:

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of milk, stirring until combined. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of cream. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, continue cooking for another minute or two. Be careful to whisk into the corners and along the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla, stirring until fully melted. Allow the pudding to cool at room temperature, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming. Meanwhile, prepare the peanut butter filling.

For the Peanut Butter Filling:

In a large bowl over an ice bath, beat 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream with 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep the mixture cool over the ice bath. In a separate bowl, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, and 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar until evenly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture. Then, gently fold in another 1/2 cup whipped cream, just until combined. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Keep the remaining whipped cream cool over the ice bath or in the fridge.

For the Peanut Butter drizzle:

Combine peanut butter and corn syrup. Mix to combine.

To Assemble the Pie:

Spoon the peanut butter filling into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set the mixture. Pour the cooled pudding over the peanut butter filling. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set the pudding. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top of the pudding. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Drizzle with the peanut butter mixture. Garnish with a mini peanut butter cup. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the pie to cool completely.

Now, I have to be honest with you. There’s a reason why there’s not a lovely picture of a perfect slice of peanut butter heaven. When I cut the pie and tried to plate a pretty slice, it became a peanut butter, pudding, and cream mess. The pudding was the real issue. I substituted 2% milk instead of whole and as a result of a minor toddler crisis, I didn’t cook it as long as it should have cooked to properly thicken. If you follow the recipe as written, you shouldn’t have this problem. This is the same pudding recipe I wrote for the Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Squares a month or so ago. Cooked as written, it’s a thick, dark chocolate pudding, firm enough to stand up to slicing. So, do I as say, not as I did, and you should be golden.

Hey sis… You know where to find your pie! Better hurry!

Edited to add: After having that first tricky piece of pie removed and a few more hours of chilling in the fridge, it was much easier to slice and serve. Here is a pic of the chocolate-peanut-buttery treat…


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Berry Pickin’

Posted on August 8, 2010 by amydeline

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect yesterday. It was warm, but not too hot. The sun was out, but it was not scalding. A refreshing breeze passed through the air. So, we took the boys and our niece berry picking. The beauty of living in an area which offers us the comfort of a quiet neighborhood, the convenience of being able to walk to the grocery store, and fields full of fresh berries within a few minutes drive is not lost on us.

We had the blueberry fields all to ourselves.

It was quiet, breezy, peaceful. A few shiny bugs were our only companions.

The kids enjoyed filling their buckets with the sweet berries.

More than a few berries were sampled by sneaky children.

But we managed to bring home enough berries for some fresh berry shortcake dessert.

I used an Alton Brown recipe for the shortcake, found here. I added about 1/4 cup additional milk to give the dough the right consistency. Next time, I’d also add a bit more sugar, but it was otherwise delicious!

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