Jersey Girl in the Kitchen

Chicken Take 99

2012-02-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

It’s safe to say my kid is an eater.

Put some deliciousness on Baby Evan’s tray and he shovels it in, wolfs it down and I’m pretty sure he says, “Please sir, may I have some more?” in between gulping a chilly sippy of ice water and cleansing his palette with 5, 6.… er, 12 blueberries.

Breathe, Baby Evan, breathe!!!

Baby Evan eats often. I’m confident he consumes something every two hours. Not that I’m counting.

Basically, my kid breaks into fits of laughing/crying because he’s THAT excited for yum yums.

So, if you need to find me, look in the kitchen. I’m most likely mopping up the remnants of Evan’s meals from my once-shiny floor, wiping down his greasy paw prints from my countertops and scrubbing the high chair - again! - while sorting out what he’s going to eat next.

It is now clear to the Jersey Girl why my Mom always had enough meals to feed an army in the house at all times. I can not fathom how much food this kid will eat during his teenage years.

And I completely understand why my Mom was so OCD about housekeeping. And why she drinks heavily. KIDDING!!

Word on the street – aka unsolicited pointers from moms my age – is that once Evan turns 2, he will no longer eat anything ever again. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Seriously, Mom. Ummm. Stop taking my picture and feed me.

These days, I am so over-the-moon thrilled when Evan eats something new and totally digs it, especially if the foodie item came from a good place - like a farm - rather than a package. (Yeah, Mr. Animal Cracker and Pepperidge Farm Goldfishie, I’m talking to yous.)

Chicken with Leeks. Yes, it’s good stuff! Sure, cleaning leeks is a pain in the bootie, but the final product is worth the effort. Make sure you soak those suckers, drain, rinse and repeat – maybe twice.

The fact that Evan eats leeks fills my heart with joy because it’s a not-so-obvious vegetable choice. This is food that grownups can eat as well, natch. And really, we all could use a good new way to cook up boring old chicken breasts every now and again. The green leeks taste so yummy with the simple chicken. And leeks just make me long for springtime, right?

Leeks cooking up. Smells fab.

Chicken with Leeks

6 good size chicken breasts

¼ cup flour

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 medium leeks, sliced into discs and rinsed really really well, drained

½ cup white wine

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a shallow dish, combine flour with ¼ tsp. salt and pepper. Mix together.

Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture. Set aside.

In a large, deep pan, heat 1 Tbsp. butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Once bubbling, cook chicken breasts, about five minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter, olive oil and chicken breasts.

Remove chicken to a covered dish to keep warm. Return pan to heat. Add leeks to pan. Cook until glistening, about five to 10 minutes. Add white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits off the pan. Add chicken broth. Simmer leeks for about 10 more minutes. Return chicken to pan. Cook for about five minutes more. Make sure your chicken is cooked through and leeks are tender!

Party Like a Rock Star

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Crostini and bruschetta make the perfect party food. And the Jersey Girl should know, since she is such the partying fool.

Yeah. You got me. That was so five years ago. OK. Make it like 15 years ago.

True. My throwdowns these days are usually a party of three involving The Husband, The Baby and The Wifey/Momma.

But when we’re not playing beer pong or downing Jell-O shots as The Beastie Boys and Nine Inch Nails blare away with me, a raring-to-go Susan, shimmying across the dance floor in my vinyl go-go boots, you will probably find us chilaxing on the couch sharing a bottle of red with a plate of crostini on hand as Evan drops his sippy cup and points to the TV saying “Boo” in reference to his beloved Blue of Blue’s Clues fame.

Reality check: We don’t REALLY play beer pong or do Jell-O shots or listen to Nine Inch Nails at Chez Jersey Girl. Do I look like an animal? Just having a reminiscent moment of my days as a Delta Gamma, that’s what I am-a. I sometimes imagine my house as a skankadelic fraternity basement trapped in the 90s.

Kidding.

Sidenote: I think if I presented The Husband with a tray of Jell-O shots he would probably ask for a trial separation. However, he would totally dig the vinyl go-go boots.

So crostini and/or bruschetta. They sound so fancy pants, right?! So simple to make, peeps. So simple.

No joke: I cooked these babies in September, making use of the final days of the majorly awesome Jersey tomato. Way to stay on top of things, Susan. Good job!!

Procrastination is not my middle name, but “Really Bad Blogger” probably should be. Trust me, when I’m doing my fifth load of laundry of the day, vacuuming, organizing toys and scrubbing the floor, I really REALLY would much rather be blogging.

Maybe if I get a bumper sticker that says, “I’d rather be blogging,” I would more actively pursue this hobby.

Working moms have hobbies?!? Say what?

I’m giving all y’all two recipes: One by Giada and one by moi.

Obviously, the one invented by me – piano teacher by afternoon/night, average mom who is always cleaning by day – is vastly superior to that of Giada De Laurentiis - seasoned Food Network glamazon/New York Times best-selling author/culinary empire owner who probably has a staff of 100. It’s like the choice has already been made for you. Duh.

I made both of these on the same day. And, they were awesome. They go fab with a glass of red wine. But really, who are we kidding? Make that a bottle of wine.

Baked Caprese Salad
4 to 6 servings
From “Everyday Pasta”
By Giada De Laurentiis

1 baguette, sliced ½ inch thick (30 to 36 slices)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Roma tomatoes, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ¼ lbs. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Leaves from 1 bunch of basil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Top each slice of bread with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with salt. Return the baking sheet to the oven until the cheese and tomato are just warm, about 5 minutes.

Arrange the toasts on a serving platter. Top each toast with a basil leaf. Using the brush, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Note from the Jersey Girl: I cooked these at 400 degrees Fahrenheit just because high temperatures from the oven always set off my smoke detector (no matter how often I clean the oven). I snipped the basil into ribbons. Also, I only salted the tomato. Giada goes kind of overboard with the salt, in my very humble opinion. Also, I only made about 12 of these because me and The Husband would NEVER eat that much. Jeez.

Prosciutto Arugula Bruschetta

1 baguette cut into 12 slices
Olive oil for drizzling
12 slices prosciutto
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Arugula
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss dressing with arugula.

Place a small bunch of dressed arugula on top of each slice of prosciutto. Place a slice of mozzarella on top of the arugula. Roll up the prosciutto around the arugula and cheese.

Remove crostini from oven and top with prosciutto wraps. Serve!!

And....... Back

2012-01-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

What up, party people?

Yes. The Jersey Girl has been so totally MIA these past few months. Le sigh. Truth is, sometimes I need a break from doing it all. And the blog somehow got buried on my Things to Do List, which has been overrun by a whole list of boring stuff. Yucky.

I'm not a huge believer in the whole New Year's Resolution thang, but I do hereby resolve to get my bootie in gear and recharge the blog. Honest to goodness.

So much has been shakin' in the Jersey Girl Household.

The Husband got a new job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Um. I guess you can say we are over-the-moon excited about this development.) We are totally free from the chains of the newspaper world for reals. Yay! And if you've ever been enslaved by the newspaper industry, you know what I'm tawkin' about. Measly pay. Crap hours. 15-hour work days. Delirium. Headaches. Ulcers. Excessive cursing. Paranoia. Heavy drinking. Cranky pants syndrome. It's freakin' awesome!

Don't get me wrong. The Husband and I didn't walk away from our daily grind in newsrooms empty-handed: For instance, we totally have a stellar vocabulary, exemplary grammatical skills and can work for 12 hours straight without eating. Oh right, and The Husband got to meet me and woo me and make me his woman.

We also made AMAZING friends in the land of newspapers. Lifelong pals, who are just stand-up peeps. So, for that we are blessed.

I'm just so proud of The Husband for taking a leap with his new gig. Woo-hoo! And he loves it! So happy for him!!

Meanwhile, my bubbalicious Baby Evan has turned the big ONE. Seriously, I can't even believe it. He is so big and cuddly and awesome. He had a rockin' time at his Elmo birthday party. And he has been housing the Jersey Girl's eats. For reals. This kid eats everything. I can't even keep up with him. Two weeks ago, I made beef manicotti and he inhaled a portion that The Husband would eat. Comfortably. And he wanted more. Plus blueberries. Plus Mommy's Mango Banana Surprise (really just mango and bananas smushed together in a blender, but my recipe name has so much more allure, right?) Plus cookies. But Evan's got that one all figured out because cookies make the world a better place.

The Babes is not walking just yet. A fact that I am reminded of every day by the fam. But he's pulling himself up and cruising all around. He's rockin' out an impressive vocab. Among his fave words are: tree, zoo and duck. Not too shabby, right? He's got at least eight teeth, maybe more. Of course, whenever Baby Evan is having an off day, I blame teething. So, according to my math he probably has about 50 pearly whites.

Evan had a grand time at Christmas. The Grinch and Charlie Brown are on his hit list, for sure. And of course, he grooved to some Elvis Pressley while his Jersey Girl Momma baked some fabalicious cookies.

Santa hooked him up with some MAJOR gifts, and the grandparents treated him to his first set of tricycle wheels, which he tried out this week and loved. Thanks, Nanny and Poppy! He was stoked about hanging with all of his cousins and aunts and uncles. And he was rightly impressed by the din dins his family whipped up for him. Feast of the Seven Fishes. Holla!

So, I'm sure at this moment, dear readers, you're all like, "What about you, Jersey Girl? What amazing life-changing experiences have YOU undergone in the past two months?"

OMG. You are so not going to believe it?!?!

The Jersey Girl got a haircut.

Seriously. I got nothin.' I think I am officially The Most Boring Girl Who Ever Was. I've organized a closet, and I'm currently cleaning out the basement.

Riveting.

Onto the food....

Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto and Goat Cheese.

O.M.G.

So super delish. This recipe was inspired by the Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad.

And when I say "inspired" I really mean that the following scenario transpired: I want to make this, but I'm missing two of the three main ingredients. I so did not have fresh basil or fresh mozzarella in the house, so it was my way or the highway. Sometimes, that's how a recipe comes to life, in my opinion. You gotta do what you gotta do. Plus it was New Year's Day, so no stores were open. Plus, I was recovering from the night before and this is what my muddled mind came up with:

Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto and Goat Cheese
Serves 4

6 plum tomatoes, cut in half
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil for drizzling
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 Tbsp. goat cheese
1 Tbsp homemade or storebought pesto.
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a sheet pan, place plum tomatoes cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper and chopped garlic.

Roast for two hours. The tomatoes will look dry and crispy on top. Remove from oven. Set aside. (I covered mine with foil to keep them warm.)

When ready to serve: Place three tomatoes on small salad plates. Top with 1 Tbsp. of goat cheese in the center of each trio of tomatoes.

In a small bowl, combine pesto with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Drizzle the pesto oil over each plate. Serve!

This salad was really quite awesome. I can't believe I came up with on the fly. Yay, Susan. This is a good way to make use of winter tomatoes, which are totally not as yummy as summer tomatoes, especially in Jersey.

Here are some updated pics of my wonderful Evan as well. He's so big!!!

Evan's all set for his big B'day extravaganza in November.

Photo shoot for The Jersey Girl Household's 2011 Christmas card.

And Now I Need to Feed Yous Guys?!

2011-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

A Rachael Ray pizza salad.

This is what it’s come to.

Yes, dear patient readers. The Jersey Girl has not blogged in well over a month, and all I have is this measly 10-minute I-just-worked-all-freaking-day/took-care-of-a-baby/washed- 10-loads-of-laundry/cleaned-the-house-and-I’m-totally-over-it recipe. By Rachael Ray.

It’s not my proudest moment.

But for reals, peeps. This pizza tastes AWESOME.

And it’s not take out. Plus, you can do it on zero sleep/patience/brain cells.

(Yes, there is a jarred pizza sauce involved, but get over it. And give me a bottle of wine, why don’t ya?)

So, hopefully all y’all have been doing fab.

We have been rocking out at Chez Jersey Girl.

Baby Evan is a super big biggie who is creepin’ and crawlin’ all over the joint.

He’s reaching many milestones: Waving to Daddy; saying hi to Daddy; whacking Daddy in the face; gazing at Daddy when asked, “Where’s Mommy?”

Guess it’s time to get all Bob Dole/Elmo on Evan and start talking about Mommy in the third person.

Anyhoo, to make this pizza I used a prebaked pizza shell, such as a Boboli, or as my Aunt Lorraine says, “Baba-lo,” because as proven on such astute television programs as, “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” we pretty much mispronounce everything in my parts.

The actual recipe calls for unbaked pizza dough. So, yes. As I hang my head lowly lowly lowly in shame - I am taking even MORE shortcuts than Rachael Ray.

I asure you, dear readers, that the Jersey Girl is still a Domestic Goddess of the highest order. It's just that time is not on my side.

Back to the cooking before I have to go fold laundry:

I always have the ingredients for a Pizza Salad on hand: container of designer lettuce, prosciutto, garlic, mozzarella, lemons, hot pepper flakes.

And I buy two pizza shells at once – because that’s how my rocking Italian market Bagliani’s packages them. So, I use one now and freeze one for later.

See. Even with Mommy Brain, I can still plan.

The recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic, but I seriously quadruple the amount. Sometimes, I go crazy and chop up 10 cloves of garlic for it. (The Husband lurves his garlic.)
So please enjoy the recipe below.

And here’s a picture update on my lovely Evan, who is the cutest cutie pie to ever be in my world. I can't believe he's going to be turning the big ONE soon. Eek!

Pizza Salad
"From Cooking Around the Clock"
By Rachael Ray

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Store-bought pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian-4 cheese blend
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 lb. prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
3 cups arugula leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle a little flour on a clean work surface. Roll or press out dough to form a 12-inch pie and place dough on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce on dough and top with garlic and red pepper flakes. Top with cheese. Bake pizza until cheese is bubbly and crust is crip. About 12 minutes. Top the hot pizza with sliced prosciutto, working all the way to the crust's edge and covering the whole pie. Toss arugula with lemon juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season arugula with salt and pepper. Pile arugula up on the cetner of the pizza. Cut into quarters and serve.

Yield: 2 servings.

Please note: The Jersey Girl bakes her pizza at 375 degrees for 12 minutes because she uses a prebaked pizza shell, such as Boboli.

Singing the Blues

2011-08-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

One of the many male vs. female myths that has been debunked during my almost-eight-years of marriage is that the lady of the house isn’t the only one who gets a craving for certain food-type indulgences.

Take, The Husband. I suppose if we were cooking up his Last Meal on Earth, it would most certainly involve: Caesar salad (Boring, I know, but don’t give up on my hubs yet. It gets more interesting.); foie gras, escargot, scallions, shark, roasted pork, margarita pizza, key lime pie, crème brulee, pineapple, chocolate chip cookies, non pareils, a really top-notch bottle of wine and limoncello. He also grooves on blue cheese. Every summer he declares that he wants a big, bad blue cheese burger. So the summer of 2011, the Jersey Girl decided to make his dreams come true.

A blue cheese burger is quite simple to make. Yes, you so can get one at home rather than solely at a dark and smoky pub. Well, I guess they’re not really smoky anymore. The Husband wanted blue cheese stuffed in the middle of it all. So I did that, and then topped the burgers with some blue cheese sauciness. Because I’m from Jersey, and our motto here is, “More is More.”

I cooked the burgers on a grill pan due to the fact that our for-reals grill is swimming with the fishes.

If you do cook these on your outdoorsy grill, I would totally cut down the time to 6-7 minutes per side.

Blue Cheese Stuffed and Topped Burgers
Makes four

1 pound ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ small onion, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Blue cheese crumbles, about 1 Tbsp per burger
Olive oil

In a medium-large bowl, combine sirloin with garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Gently mix with your hands. Once combined, form four patties with the sirloin mixture. Set aside on a platter. Place about 1 Tbsp blue cheese crumbles in the center of each patty. Gently rework patty to cover the cheese.

When ready to cook, brush each side of each burger with a drizzle of olive oil.

Cook on a grill pan over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes per side.

Serve on a roll with Blue Cheese Sauce (see below) and your favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Blue Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh chives
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup blue cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand-mixer until well combined.

Shark Attack

2011-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Jersey Girl lurves learning a new thing or two, especially when it comes to cooking up something fab. The fishmonger at the Hammonton ShopRite had me at hello with some big slabs of shark recently. I thought for sure they would put a smile on The Husband’s gorgeous face.

(The Jersey Girl’s Husband has a thang for mako shark, which we get every summer down the shore.)

When it comes to seafood, I tend to keep it simple and the shark steaks were no exception. I seasoned them with a little salt and peppa, brushed with olive oil. Cooked up on my trusty grill pan, the steaks were then splashed with lemon juice and dotted with the sunshiny zest of lemon and the green leaves of fresh parsley.

Yay!

I served them with Couscous and Zucchini.

I apologize, dear trusty readers, for my prolonged absence from the world of blogging. I am on hiatus from teaching, and I thought for sure that my bloggery would be front and center of my summer break. But, the truth is my Baby Evan has been the focus of my adult ADD attention's along with trips to our beloved Stone Harbor. That’s where The Husband’s fam rolls, and well, Evan can’t get enough of the bay and the beach and our long walks and sunshiny days. And since my technological wares date back to 1982, a laptop and/or Smartphone are not in my mix of tricks. Yes, I’m old school that way. I actually speak to real people on a dusty old landline rather then texting them in broken English or IMing on Facebook. Gasp!

Anyhoo, as I’m sure any of you in the family way can attest: Hauling a baby anywhere requires mucho preparation. And then, returning home, requires time and focus to readjust to the normalcy of it all.

But, dear readers, The Jersey Girl and The Husband had a heart-to-heart this week, and we decided that in addition to hardwood floors, a mac daddy TV stand from Crate and Barrel, a back yard deck, a vacay to Aruba and a killer new black Kate Spade bag and animal print wallet (Oh wait, The Husband could probably live without the last item), that a laptop is strongly needed/coveted at Casa di Jersey Girl. That way, I can blog while nursing, feeding, diapering and running around after a baby.

In the meantime, please enjoy some pics of Baby Evan kickin’ it at Carmen’s in Sea Isle City, where his Daddy-O housed some mako shark recently.

And, I hope you get a chance to cook up some shark at home. It’s really very meaty. Really quite delish. And do not fear it!!

The couscous is a Pat and Gina Neely recipe. I love those two. The recipe is light and refreshing, perfect for a summer night. That recipe is listed below as well. You can also check it out here.

Grilled Shark in Parsley Lemon Sauce

3-4 shark steaks, an inch thick
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 or 2 lemons
¼ flat-leaf parsley

Season shark steaks with salt and pepper. Brush with olive oil.

Preheat grill pan over medium heat. Grill steaks five minutes per side or until cooked through.

Remove to platter. Top with burst of lemon juice and sprinkle with the lemony goodness of zest and the chopped parsley.

Couscous and Zucchini
Pat and Gina Neely
10 ounces couscous
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 tablespoon green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons mint, sliced thin
Salt

Add couscous to boiling water, remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes.

In a large saute pan heat olive oil. Add red pepper flakes, garlic, zucchini, green onions, mint and salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Fluff couscous with fork and fold in vegetables.

Hey Mom, What's for Dinner?

2011-06-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

“You should write about your baby food.”

So says The Husband to a hazy-eyed wifey one night at din.

“For reals?” I mumble in reply, reaching for a glass, well probably a bottle, of wine.

“Yes,” says The Husband. “Your readers probably want to know about it.”

So, peeps. This is The Baby Food post.

Making baby food is really not very challenging and the final products do not look appealing, which is why the notion of writing about them totally failed to dawn on me.

My instructions are pretty much as follows: Cook the living daylights out of XY or Z, and puree the pants off of desired item in your food processor.

Done and done.

Some things don’t need to be cooked. A banana can be smushed up with a fork. But it needs to be majorly over-ripe, like the banana that is headed to the trashcan or your banana bread. Mmmmmm. Banana bread.

You hear all different theories about when to feed the babies. My doc told me to get cracking at 4 months. But some books I have read say 6 months, and I’m sure if you hang with a gaggle of baby-obsessed mommas, you will get a variety of opinions that will probably make your head explode.

We started with the oatmeal and the rice cereal. Next came the carrots, bananas, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, peas, peaches, butternut squash and mangos. Prune juice was also involved because, well, the solid food kinda messes with the bambino’s system at first. Sorry for the TMI.

My doc told me to give each new food a day and then moveon.org to the next.

Now that Evan is nearing 7 months of age (yikes!), he’s been grooving to some yogurt and blueberries and some chicken concoctions. I’m hoping to try out zucchini this week. I just need to find a moment to cook it.

So, I’m not tsk tsking if you feed your baby food from a container. I totally rock out Gerber every now and again because of convenience. Let’s be real, I barely have time to cook a proper meal for Mommy and Daddy these days. The good news is that you can freeze a ton of bambino food. In fact, once the weather turned warm in my parts, one of Baby Evan’s outings was to the dollar store to get ice cube trays. We also visited the liquor store, but who are you to judge.

Basically, Evan loves to eat anything and everything. My 20-pound roly-poly baby doll is totally down with yum yum time. Yes, sometimes he straight-up gives me WTF face when I’m shoving smashed peas into his gourd. And I can’t blame him. If someone was force-feeding me mushed up peas and pureed sweet potatoes, I would tear a bitch down with my multi-colored Munchkin spoon and Playtex sippy cup. And, Elmo would totally have my back.

But, it’s times like these when I get all Jessica Seinfeld on Evan and camouflage the offensive greens into the happy sweetness of carrots, yams or squash. He also takes the peas mashed into some rice.

His faves are peachies better known as peaches and of course, apples. I make a boatload of apples each week. The gala variety is a win for my Baby Evan. He digs pears as well, but not, I repeat NOT the anjou variety. The anjous produced a grainy puree, and Baby Evan was thoroughly disgusted. So was the Jersey Girl for wasting her time. Plus, I made the babes gag and then felt immense amounts of guilt for causing this situation.

I thin out a lot of the veg and the meat items - yes I puree, chicken - with breast milk or formula. And, there truly is no rhyme or reason to the quantities that Baby Evan consumes. Some days he just wants it shoveled in, and some days he picks a little here and there. C'est la vie.

On a final note, I highly recommend this baby cookery book: "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Annabel Karmel.

Here’s a recipe I made for butternut squash from the book. There's two ways to do it. I did the baking way. Baby Evan loves the orange foods. One squash made a ton of servings, so I was able to freeze some in my ice cube trays. Here's how the squash was transformed from odd shaped veg to smushy baby food:

I also did a batch of sweet potatoes since the oven was on and I am the queen of multi-tasking:

Butternut Squash

From "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Annabel Karmel

6 months. Makes 4 portions. Suitable for freezing

1 medium butternut squash (1 pound), cut in half and seeded

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (optional)

2 Tbsp. orange juice (optional)

Brush each half with melted butter and spoon 1 Tbsp. orange juice in each cavity. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours or until tender, then blend to a puree.

The Long and Short of It

2011-05-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

“I can’t live like this anymore.”

I declared this to The Husband one night after FINALLY getting the Babes to sleep and sitting down for five minutes to down dinner in one gulp. It was 11 p.m. Dinner was a scrambled egg with toast. I think I was shaking from malnutrition, and I’m sure my head was pounding.

Next, I’m going to tell you I chased my late-night gourmet meal with a shot of tequila before sweeping glitter on my eyes and pulling up my go-go boots to hoof it up Forbes Avenue to the dive bar for a night out with my sorority sisters.

Oh, wait that happened in my mind. Well, really that happened probably on a weekly basis back in 1995.

Yes, I’m THAT old.

Of course, in 1995 I was not a baby momma or a wifey or a bizness owner.

I was just a clueless Carnegie Mellon University student trying to make the Dean’s List and find a good seat at a bar (preferably next to a boy who would buy the drinks.) Seriously. Those were my two biggest concerns.

And so this got me a thinking: My 1995 diet consisted of coffee and tea (this was the 90s afterall, when the whole coffeehouse thing was intriguing), ramen noodles (gag!), Kraft mac and cheese (super gag!), cereal, Pepperidge Farm milano cookies (these are still a part of my diet today in moments of desperation. Don’t judge), gummy bears, an apple or orange here or there, and Vladimir vodka mixed with raspberry Crystal Light and/or Snapple fruit juice. Honestly, I think I just threw up a little.

Fortunately, the Jersey Girl’s Daddy-o hooked me up with a credit card and upon dropping me off in good old Pittsburgh said, “You can put any charges on here that have to do with food. Make sure you eat.”

In fact, spending time with fam and friends to eat is one of my most favorite things to do. But the reality is, my life’s schedule or, lack thereof, makes the possibility of sharing a meal with others a rarity. Just like during my college days. Truth be told, this is how it’s always gone down during my adulthood because I’ve always worked jobs that have insane hours.

But, I was thrilled when one day during February or March I had the time and focus to make Short Ribs in Barolo for The Husband. The recipe comes from Mario Batali, and it is made of awesome meaty awesomeness. I served the short ribs with some rigatoni, which held up nicely to the big sauciness of it all.

Hopefully, you can whip some up before it gets too summery out. Short ribs seem like a cool night treat to me. The recipe calls for boneless short ribs, but mine were not boneless. They become so tender, the meat just falls right off. I also did not re-season with salt and pepper. But, I tend to cook with a lot less salt than called for in recipes. Also, be careful when searing the short ribs. The hot pan causes oil to spatter.

I used my Mean Marinara Sauce instead of Mario's tomato sauce. For my recipe, please click here.

Oh, and have no worries: Baby Evan these days is MUCH easier to put to bed. So, hopefully my cookery will get back on the exciting track soon! I don’t know if the same can be said of my social life.

Short Ribs in Barolo
Makes 4 servings
From “Molto Italiano”
By Mario Batali

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large Spanish onions, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium carrot, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 ribs celery, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
2 cups tomato sauce

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat all over, turning frequently, until dark, golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside

Pour the excess oil out of the pot. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the meat and bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter.

Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to 2 ½ cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the meat and serve immediately.

Nice and Easy

2011-04-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

There really is no denying it: The Jersey Girl is the worst blogger eva.

I have no excuse, well, I guess I do have some excuses but as I tell my piano students: We can come up with a million different reasons to NOT do something, when really we only need ONE SUPER AWESOME REASON to DO something. And, my bottom line is that I LOVE beyond a reasonable doubt to cook and to write so I need to get it together and do this blog thang more regularly. For reals.

So, here is a turkey meatloaf. The funny thing is I made this back in February. Eek. Procrastinating is SO not my bag, baby. And, yet, here we are in April and I am finally sharing with you the recipe. The second funny thing is that I’ve actually made two turkey meatloaves in the past few months, but the other one doesn’t look as pretty, even though it tasted equally as delish.

This particular recipe comes from Giada. I don’t know. Ever since bearing my child, I’ve been cooking a lot of Giada recipes. I think the reason is because they are quite easy. I’m totally not knocking her, because easy is what I’m all about at the moment. The meatloaf includes sundried tomatoes and feta cheese and it’s way yummy.

I normally tell all y’all what else I served with the recipe at hand, but I made this so long ago that I actually forget.

God, I get an F-minus today. I probably made mashed potatoes, but I also have a recollection of cous cous being involved so I may be off on the potato thing. And there of course was a veg, because no matter what time of day something green or yellow or red or orange is always on my plate.

Anyhoo, this is majorly yum yum. And in our house yum yum is good. Just, ask Baby Evan, who today is 5 months old and has been loving his yum yum carrots, squash, pears and peaches. Yay!

I cut way down on the salt. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp. which is way high in my humble opinion. I used 1/2. tsp.

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes
By Giada De Laurentiis
From "Giada at Home"

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, olive oil, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

Please note: The recipe link to the Food Network Web site calls for 2 Tbsp. whole milk instead of 1/4 cup olive oil. The Jersey Girl used extra large eggs. She also used 1/2 tsp. of salt instead of 1 1/2 tsp. of salt.

Losing my Marbles

2011-03-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Really the title of this piece has nothing to do with anything including the recipe at hand, except for the fact that the word “marble” is a part of it.

And well, perhaps I do feel a bit crazy these days. Or at least that’s the overall aura of my world come Wednesday.

Yes, by the week’s Hump Day I do long for a respite. You see, dear patient readers, the Jersey Girl loves beyond a doubt being a baby momma and a wifey and a piano teacher and a home owner, but sometimes the hecticness of it all makes me feel a bit insane.

Always the multitasker, I seriously never have a spare moment nowadays what with teaching and mothering and wifing it up. And cleaning. Damn, that cleaning.

A personal assistant would be a plus. I mean, those Real Housewife broads have a staff, and do they really do anything besides lunch and shop?

Ahhhh. Lunching and shopping…. A girl can dream.

Listen, I have time to watch mindless entertainment because I’m a breastfeeding momma, and well, that’s pretty much eating up 90 percent of my day. Literally. Not to say I don’t enjoy getting snuggly with Baby Evan. I mean it rocks my world. He’s getting so big and gorgeous right before my very eyes.

When I’m not nursing or playing with the babe or teaching music or scrubbing a floor or folding laundry of some sort or hanging with The Husband in a sleep-deprived haze, I have been getting my cooking on.

In fact, these here Marble Squares were baked up for The Husband’s journalisto bff, Joel. Our boy recently got a new gig at one of my former stomping grounds, The Press of Atlantic City. And in celebration of breaking free from his old job shackles, I made him some Marble Square goodness because at some point during our years of knowing each other Joel declared to The Husband that Marble Squares were the greatest foodstuffs he has ever had ever.

I guess Joel doesn’t get out much.

Kidding.

Actually, Joel is a frequent reader of my pathetic excuse of a blog. He especially enjoys my jibs and jabs at that love of my life, The Husband. But today, Joel gets to be the subject of my witty observations.

Joel is a lova of texting The Husband, sending him messages at all hours of the day, particularly during the height of the Phillies’ season during any and every Phillies game. No matter the hour. Such as din din time, which is why The Jersey Girl has implemented a No Texting While Eating Rule in our house. Because having a conversation with The Husband sans beeping and pressing phone buttons is important to moi. And I kind of dig it when he’s looking into my eyes rather than down at a shiny black piece of gadgetry every 30 seconds.

You know I love you, Joel. Hope the new gig is going swell. And here’s the recipe for Marble Squares - which are a cakelike brownie topped with swirly cream cheese and chocolate chips (yum yum) - in case you ever get bit by the baking bug and want to make them yourself. If not, you know where I live.

Most children will agree with our pal Joel - Marble Squares rock. If you don’t dig these, something is wrong with you. Seriously.

Marbles Squares
From the “Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook” - 1993 edition

½ cup margarine
¾ cup water
1 and ½ 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs beaten
½ cup sour cream

Topping:
1 8-ounce pack cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine margarine, water and chocolate in saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in combined flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add eggs and sour cream. Mix well.

Pour into a greased and floured 15 by 10 by 1 jelly roll pan

To make topping, combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing until well blended. Blend in egg. Spoon over chocolate batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen.

Baby Spinach Salad with Thyme Dressing

2011-03-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

I totally should be taking a nap right now.

But peeps, I so miss my blog. So, I’m skipping on nanni time – that’s our lingo for some shuteye in casa di Jersey Girl.

This past month has been a bit cray cray. In addition to planning Baby Evan’s Baptismal Throwdown, we also had our first foray into dealing with a sick bambino. Fortunately, Evan came down with your everyday common cold, but being the OCD kinda gal that I am, I perhaps wigged out at first. Then, The Husband got the cold. Then, the Jersey Girl got the cold. Awesome.

Truth be told, our Baby Evan is an angel. His normal personality is that of Mr. Smiles or Mr. Cuddles or Mr. Giggilies (That’s a guy who laughs a lot). Sometimes Mr. Crankypants comes to town, but I think our baby is absolutely perfecto. Not that I’m biased or anything.

Evan understands that din din time is one of Mommy’s most fave moments of the day. He often is Kool and the Gang when I’m getting my cook on. I just need to work into my schedule some time to actually write about my recipes so that I can share them all with you.

Here is one of my fabu spinach salads. This can be made in five minutes flat. And if you don’t eat veggies, I just don’t know what to say. I don’t understand peeps who refuse to eat entire food groups. So those who are vegetarians baffle me. And those who hate the wonders of earth and vine equally baffle me. Likewise, life is too short to NEVER eat dessert. And seafood is pretty freakin awesome. So, yeah. Hope you get to give my baby spinach salad a whirl.

Baby Spinach Salad with Thyme Dressing
4 ounces baby spinach
½ small red onion, sliced real thin
1 red pepper, chopped

Combine spinach, onion and red pepper in a salad bowl.

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together. Pour over salad.

Donzo.

Makes 4 servings.

Product Review: Cuisinart Party Pop Popcorn Maker

2011-02-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

What it does: Makes super awesome fluffy fantastic popcorn, please see below:

A bowl of delishness. I add a bit of melted butter and a sprinkle of salt, natch.

OK, I admit it: I used a high-falutin' popcorn kernel. But The Husband deserves only the best.

White Cat Corn is available at Sur la Table.

Watching the kernels spin round and round provides minutes of entertainment.

Baby Evan has nothing to do with popcorn, but he is super cute, so

I thought I would share his loveliness with all y'all.

Why I love it: The popcorn produced is divine. I mean, you could go with a bag of microwaved mediocrity, but why would you when perfection can be made from this amazing piece of equipment? It is so worth the splurge if popcorn is your snacky poof of choice. Plus the popcorn maker is red, and red is my fave.

The backstory: This was a Christmas gift for The Husband, who is a huge fan of popcorn. The Jersey Girl could take or leave popcorn prior to eating popcorn made in this gadget. The popcorn coming out of this machine has cracklike qualities. Seriously.

I bought the popcorn maker while on maternity leave in an effort to get some Christmas shopping checked off my checklist before popping out a baby. Chances are the order was made during a 3 a.m. spell of insomnia/obsessing about pending baby (please see above.) After the bambino came out and I had a moment to reflect on my pregnant decision-making re: holiday shopping, I declared in a hormone/pain-killer induced haze, “Did I seriously buy a popcorn maker for The Husband? He’s going to think this is the lamest gift eva eva.” But in addition to the beer-of-the-month club subscription and authentic photo of Roy Halladay throwing a no-hitter during the Playoffs (The Husband was at the game), the Husband was all smiles about his ho ho gifts in 2010. Yay, me.

The bottom line: The Cuisinart Party Pop Popcorn Maker produces super yum yum popcorn that beats the pants off of faux microwave popcorn. Plus, it makes your house smell awesome. Plus, you can watch the kernels go pop, pop, pop, so you can amuse your 5-year-old, or 35-year-old. Gah. I’m going to be 35 in a few months. Yikes.

Anywho, The Jersey Girl household lurves our snazzy popcorn maker. Here are the deets and a link to its awesomeness.

Cuisinart Party Pop Popcorn Maker
Cost: $59.95
Where to buy it: Sur la Table
Comes with: a serving bowl, measuring cup and nifty recipe book.

Burning Down the House

2011-01-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

The fact that The Husband and I were able to sit down and actually eat this dish is made of a miracle.

That’s because the Jersey Girl decided to cook rice without the water. Or, the rice. It’s safe to say that heating up an empty pot could in fact trigger smoke. Then a fire. For all you cooking newbies, may I advise you to NOT DO THIS.

The funny thing is as the smoke detector was blaring its piercing annoying sound (just after we got Baby Evan to doze off for a bit. Irony, yes.), the Jersey Girl stood before the offending empty burning saucepan saying aloud to The Husband, “I wonder why the alarm is going off?!?!”

Because you’re an idiot, Captain Obvious.

You know, I could see how a person who uses the kitchen as a shoe closet, or orders takeout seven days a week or is mentally unstable could make this party foul. But, peeps, as I tell Baby Evan every day – the kitchen is my office.

Fortunately, the evening had a they-all-lived-happily-ever-after ending. And, Team Jersey Girl was able to enjoy din din with a glass of wine and without the house going down in flames. Yay!

The reason for my absentminded/idiotness was that I was preparing this meal the day before going back to work after a two-month maternity leave. And well, I was wiggin’ on the inside. And the outside. I don’t know why. I blame hormones. Because it’s not like I have a job that invokes dread, hardship or horror on my part. Actually, all I feel is love for my occupation of piano teacher. Sure, I hear a lot of wrong notes, but my work is all about music and inspiration and passion. How can you loathe those things?

I suppose my fear of the First Day of Work was brought on by the realization that my days and nights would no longer be spent solely staring at my little boy and watching trash TV. But a little less Camille Grammer and Snookie is really a good thing. And I definitely was worrying if the Jersey Girl could truly do it all – take care of a baby, teach piano, clean the house, cook, blog, organize, eat, breathe, sleep, shower.

The first week was a success, and a bit of a whirlwind. It also has prompted a newfound appreciation for mommas who are single or have a real job or have a commute that is more than five steps down a hallway or don’t live near grandmas and aunts who want to spend every waking moment with a newborn bambino.

Anyhoo, my last day as a Stay-At-Home Baby Momma went out with a bang and a yum yum dish by Giada called Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce. Saffron is known as the spice that costs the most dollas dollas in the whole entire land. So, I could understand if you don’t want to make this. But, all the other ingredients are el cheapo, so I encourage you, dear readers, to go for the splurge. I bought my saffron at Sur la Table.

The dish is very subtle and smooth. I think it would be nice to serve to picky eater people because the flavor is not overpowering at all.

I served the chicken with some basmati rice (previously mentioned) and a fabu salad.

Done and done.

Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound chicken cutlets (scallopine)
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat to medium, add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated.

Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Parsnips

2011-01-13T05:57:00.000-08:00

I usually rock out butternut squash more frequently, but the whole popping-out-a-baby situation has hindered my butternut squash cooking frequency this fall/winter. I guess you could say butternut squash is one of those high-maintenance types of veg with its seeding and skin-peeling requirements.

Nonetheless, I came up with this dish in time for New Year’s Day. I threw in some parsnips for good measure in an effort to shake things up. Whoa. Getting wild and crazy there, Susan.

Parsnips resemble carrots but in a lighter hue. They’re very neutral looking, actually. You peel them just like carrots, too.

The ingredient that makes these veggies stand out is the fresh sage. You don’t need a ton of sage. In fact, I snipped in just five leaves upon taking my baking sheet out of the oven. Add the sage while the squash and parsnips are still hot because the heat mellows out the sage flavor, which can be strong.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Parsnips
Makes 4-6 servings

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into ¾-inch dice
3-4 parsnips, chopped
4-5 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a large baking sheet, toss squash and parsnips with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables out on baking sheet in one layer. Roast in hot oven for 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven. Toss vegetables. Return baking sheet to oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Snip sage leaves on top of vegetables with kitchen shears. Toss and place in serving dish.

This dish may be made ahead and reheated before serving.

Here's to You, Mammom

2011-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

This New Year’s Day was a bit different in the Jersey Girl household. For one thing, we had our Baby Evan – a holiday first. And, The Husband and I found ourselves both off from work. It truly was a day to celebrate!

For our many years together, usually one or both of us were hard/hungover at work on Jan. 1. That’s because we are news peoples (The Husband still is; I am fortunately retired.)

Back in the day, when we both toiled all in the name of news at a daily (a newspaper that comes out each and every morn), we usually got stuck working all but two holidays. And, or course, we always vied for Christmas off. Working Christmas is made of evil. Hell, working any holiday is made of evil. Holidays are meant to be with family, not in a newsroom with no windows. And being the lovas of the Shore that we are, we usually tried for Fourth of July.

Since retiring from the world of news, I always have New Year’s Day off, but The Husband usually had to go into the office. So, my New Year’s time was spent de-Christmasfying the homefront and recovering from the previous night’s festivities.

But, this year some clear-headed cookery ensued. And The Husband made a special request: “Do you think you can make spaetzle like my grandmother?”

Sure thing, Dear Husband.

I had previously read the recipe in my tattered Betty Crocker cookbook. (I read cookbooks like novels, you see.)

And the recipe was easy enough.

The catch was I wasn’t quite sure if they would turn out like Mammom’s. That’s The Husband’s grandmother. During her day, she would make spaetzle – a German dumpling of sorts – each and every New Year’s to accompany a pork roast.

The Husband had shared his stories of making the dish as Mammom’s trusty assistant, dropping the batter into boiling hot water while breaking it into strands with a fork.

The tragedy is that The Husband does not have a recipe written down. Like most grandmothers, Mammom cooked from her head and heart rather than paper.

I had the opportunity to enjoy Mammom’s spaetzle many years ago when The Husband and I were dating. But that was only once or twice. Mammom was starting to take it easy when I met her. The reality was dementia was beginning to wreak its ugly havoc on Mammom’s beautiful soul. So, I guess you can say, I never really got to know the Real Mammom. But, I love learning about her from the stories I hear from The Husband and his Mom, Nancy.

Mammom was the sweetest lady you ever met. And, she did anything and everything for her family. These traits were passed on to her daughter, Nancy, who is my rockin’ mother-in-law.

In 2010, Mammom passed away. So, it was only fitting to kick off 2011 in her honor. As my mother-in-law always says, “Mammom is looking down on us and smiling. And she is Baby Evan’s guardian angel.”

I was a bit nervy making the spaetzle, wondering if I was going to need to bust into a bag of potatoes to get some mash on as backup. But The Husband’s family proclaimed the spaetzle were on the money.

“They’re just like Mammom’s,” my mother-in-law declared.

“Outstanding,” said my father-in-law, when I asked if they tasted right. He explained that the purpose of spaetzle is to soak up the flavor of the gravy.

I’m providing for all y’all the recipe from “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook.” But the colander method described in the book did not work for the Jersey Girl. Methinks the holes in my colander are too small, because the batter wanted no parts of fitting through the holes. I simply took a teaspoon and a fork and dripped and drabbed the batter into a pot of boiling water. That’s how Mammom did it, according to The Husband. But, it sounds like her batter was thinner than this batter. Nonetheless, the fork method worked for me.

I then fished the dumplings out of the bowling water with my trusty spider ladle:

The final product: Roast pork served with Spaetzle and Roasted Butternut Squash and Parsnips.

(I will share the squash recipe later this week. Possibly today, if my bambino takes a nap.)

If you have spaetzle tips, please share in the comments!
Spaetzle
From “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook”
6 servings

2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk or water
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1 Tbsp. butter or stick margarine

Mix eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper (Batter will be thick.)

Fill 4-quart Dutch oven half full with water; heat to boiling.

Press a few tablespoons of the batter at a time through colander (preferably one with large holes) into boiling water. Stir once or twice to prevent sticking.

Cook about 5 minutes or until spaetzle rise to surface and are tender; drain. Toss with butter.

Go On with Your Bad French Self

2011-01-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Confession: I made these dishes B.E. (Before Evan).

These days, everything I’ve been cooking up is tres simple. Or, I’ve already blogged about it. For instance, right now as we speak, there is a pot of Chicken and Dumplings brewing. But, I wrote about that already.

The thing that’s challenging my cookery is neither time nor screaming child. (Evan quite digs it in the kitchen, thank you very much.)

Rather, it’s my inability to get my bootie to the grocery store. I’ve been quite reluctant to take a person who is weeks old and about in the freezing cold. So, I revolve my grocery shopping excursions around those who can stay with the bambino. This wouldn’t be so tough if I had a husband who works a normal 9-5 job. But I don’t. I have a husband chained to a desk in a newsroom 24 hours a day.

So, my grocery trips require more strategery and planning than ever before. But, I promise I will have new and exciting recipes in 2011. For reals.

Today, we’re taking a look at my French Onion Soup and the Barefoot Contessa’s Goat Cheese Tart from her “Barefoot in Paris” cookbook.

First off, I loves me some French food. Truth be told, I love all different cuisines. I have to be super careful with the Asian sector of the world due to my whole food allergy thing, but I love trying out dishes from all over the place.

It’s not like either of these dishes are super fancy or unique. They’re quite standard French fare. Classic, if you will.

Sure, cutting a bazillion onions is a pain in the arse, but the effort is so worth it.

Regarding the tart: If you fear making pastry dough, please try to get over it. The more you do it, the better you become. (That’s the piano teacher in me lecturing you.)

I do recommend keeping the butter as cold as you possibly can for the tart, and be sure to fill up the tart with beans or pie weights all the way up to the top of the dish to prevent the crust from shrinking.

When rolling out dough, make sure your surface and rolling pin are well-floured. Also, turn your dough after six to eight rolls to prevent sticking and tearing.

For the Goat Cheese Tart recipe, click here. I will also list it below.

In addition, I’m sharing with you my recipe for French Onion Soup. This is the perfect time of year to rock out this soup, since the weather is all chilly willy, at least that’s how it is my neck of the woods.

Be sure your Gruyere is very cold. That makes shredding it way easier. And my tip for preventing teary eyes while cutting up a bazillion onions is to run the kitchen faucet and slice up those bad boys really really fast. Scientific, I know.

Make sure you have soup bowls that are a.o.k. for popping in the oven. If you need to purchase some, I recommend these from Sur la Table, where a major sale is under way right now.

I served these dishes with a salad.

Goat Cheese Tart
From “Barefoot in Paris”
By Ina Garten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board

Kosher salt
13 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4 shallots)
10 1/2 ounces garlic-and-herb soft goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet}
1 cup heavy cream
3 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until the dough becomes crumbly. Don't overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.

Scatter the cooked shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

French Onion Soup
Makes 6 servings

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5-6 large yellow onions, sliced
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. flour
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
3/4 cup white wine
Baguette, sliced and lightly toasted
Gruyere cheese, shredded

Melt butter and oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Once the butter bubbles, add onions. Saute for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and thyme. Add sugar. Cook for about 20-25 minutes. Onions should be golden and soft.

Add flour. Stir, cooking for a minute or two.

Add broth, water and wine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

To serve:

Ladle soup into ovenproof ramekins or soup bowls placed on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place a toasted baguette slice on each bowl of soup. Sprinkle with shredded Gruyere. Place under a hot broiler until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Fa La La La La

2010-12-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

I’ve officially joined the ranks of a group of person I vowed never to become: Those who send Christmas cards of their offspring.

This phenomenon part fascinates me/part annoys me. Why do we think all of our friends and acquaintances want pictures of our little childrens and then big childrens? Are we all THAT self-absorbed?

Now, don’t get me wrong: I love receiving pics of my fab nieces and nephews and the children of close friends and family and my piano students. They always bring a smile to my face. And, I save the pics for years upon years upon years.

But doesn’t it crack you up when you get Christmas cards from people 10 times removed from your life? No? This is just my hangup?

Thank God the whole check-out-my-awesome-kid-in-reindeer-sweater motif wasn’t a trend when I was a child because if my Mom and Dad wanted to put my mug on a Christmas card, I would no doubt answer with a, “Bitch, please.” Or, at least I would have said that inside my truck driver-language filled head.

I asked my sister Monica what the age cutoff is with kiddies in Christmas cards. She had no idea. Do I mortify my son throughout his entire life or just the pre-10 years? Does this madness stop in high school? College? During post-graduate studies? Anyone? Bueller?

Meanwhile, The Husband dropped a major bombshell on me: He wants us to send out a family portrait for next’s year’s Christmas card.

Seriously.

So, here’s my hypocritical blog shot of Baby Evan decked out in Ho Ho hat. No, this is not The Christmas Card Photo, but it is from the holiday photo shoot and it came in a close second. And, well, I quite love this photo. It is so cute I can’t stand it. I did post it on my Facebook page, and now I’m sharing it with my blog peeps.

And, please do not call Child Protective Services on me due to my bambino’s nakedness: There was warm and snuggly blanket on hand to cover him up in between takes.

Love.

Yesterday, Baby Evan let his Momma get on with her Christmas baking. You know, if it wasn’t Christmas time, I would feel quite normal. It’s just that getting all the Christmasy stuff done – including sending Christmas cards – is quite overwhelming immediately after having a super cute and cuddly baby, because all I want to do is stare and hold my cute and cuddly baby.

But, Christmas baking is my most fav thing of all the holiday chores. Shopping, too. Wrapping and card sending, well, I could do without.

I’m sharing with you a recipe for Crisp Chocolate Bites. I love these for Christmas because they are covered in powdered sugar, which resembles snow in my humble opinion. Perhaps, you can tell from my photo, which pales in comparison to the shots taken by The Husband.

My rules for Christmas baking are as follows: The Christmas tree must be all aglow and Elvis’ holiday tunes must be pumping through your veins. Plus, have all your ingredients out and clean up as you go along. Oh, wait those are the cooking rules set by my seventh grade home ec teacher. (Yes, I went to school when they actually had home ec.) I explained all of this to Baby Evan, who most likely cooed or drooled in response, and then dozed off to the sounds of “Blue Christmas.”

Crisp Chocolate Bites
From Williams-Sonoma Cookies

6 Tbsp. (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract (essence)
¾ cup (4 oz/125 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ cup (3/4 oz/20 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup (2 oz/60 g) confectioners’ icing sugar

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the butter and chocolate. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until they are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the granulated sugar until evenly moistened. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Gradually add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Shape the dough into ¾-inch (2 cm) balls and roll in the confectioners’ sugar to coat completely. place the balls about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) apart on the prepared sheets. Bake the cookies until puffed and cracked on top, about 12 minutes. They may appear underdone in the center but will turn crisp as they cool. Let cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 ½ dozen cookies.

Cozy up with a Muffin

2010-12-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

The good news is Baby Evan lets his Momma get her groove on in the kitchen.

The bad news is Baby Evan’s Momma is often so tired she limits her cooking to really easy dishes that require few brain cells and/or energy.

This past weekend I rocked out some chocolate chip muffins. They are really loaded up with chocolate chips. And they’re super awesome. And they’re way easy.

I like mine with a cup of tea, preferably Harney and Son’s Paris Tea, which is my fav. I reviewed it here last year. It’s pricier than your standard grocery store teas, but it’s sooooooooooo worth it. So are these muffins. You could totally buy some chocolate chip muffins, but these babies take 10-15 minutes to mix up and they make your house smell all cozy and yummy.

I’m so thankful that Baby Evan let me get some baking in because whisking flour and baking soda with eggs and sugar makes the Jersey Girl very happy. As does good music and shopping. Me and The Husband were able to get out and about on Saturday, thanks to my Moms and Pops offering to babysit their grandson. We went out to din and we did some shopping, which was so liberating. Oh, J. Crew and Banana Republic, how I’ve missed you so.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
From “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book”

½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (12 fl oz/375 ml) buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
¾ cup (6 oz/185 g) sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
½ tsp. salt
2 cups (12 oz/375 g) semisweet (plain) chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter flavored nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the buttermilk mixture, and beat until smooth and well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a large silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Our Miraculous Masterpiece: Evan James Leiser

2010-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

My little perfect Babycakes is here!

Minutes after Baby Evan is born. Please keep your eyes on the baby, and not the hot mess that is me.

Hangin' with his grandmom, aka Nanny.

All dressed up and ready to leave the hospital. Thank freakin' God.

Asleep at last. Evan was not a fan of the car seat at first.

Tummy time with Daddy.

Mr. Gorgeous.

When I look at him, it still astounds me.

He is only the Cutest Baby Ever in the Whole Entire World. I say this 10,000 times a day.

Baby Evan arrived home on Wednesday, Nov. 17 after what seemed like a foreva eva stint in the hospital.

Induced labor kicked off at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 12, and progressed until the pushing began around 11 p.m. An hour later, the doctor declared that this babe was not coming out the old-fashioned way.

Hysterics on my part did ensue. The Jersey Girl wanted no parts of a C section. But, my crying could not put off the inevitable: We were going under the knife to get a happy and healthy baby out already.

Evan wriggled his button nose and flashed his dimples at us around 1 a.m. Saturday while “I’m Coming Out” serenaded his journey from womb to world. (Seriously. That song was on during the surgery.)

Our stay in the hospital was never ending, clouded by pain meds, yucky food and hormones. Fortunately, I had the most perfect little angel to look at when the hospital stay was wearing me down.

We made a valiant attempt to master breastfeeding. (I’m happy to report that this is going well. I think. Well, I’ve heard no complaints from the mouth being fed.)

And, we tried to get some rest. Of course, nurses and doctors and room service and other random peeps knocking on your door every 20 minutes make that a bit difficult.

Needless to say, we were SO FREAKING HAPPY to leave the hospital and come home. The Jersey Husband and Aunt Lorraine rocked out mad baby decorations. So cute!

And I’m just trying to get back to normal while having the best time ever with my little Evan. Or Babycakes. Or Pumpkin. It seems like he digs it here. He’s been meeting the fam and listening to Mozart and Debussy and catching up on General Hospital.

We had an amazing Thanksgiving. And, I am so very thankful for Baby Evan, and The Husband and for my super wonderful fam.

Hope you all had a great holiday.

Recipes and more regular posts will be back on track this week!

Love,

Susan

Waiting is the Hardest Part

2010-11-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Words of wisdom given to the Jersey Girl, who is patiently and at times not so patiently awaiting the arrival of her Jersey Baby, over the past two weeks include the following:

Go take a ride on a bumpy road.

Wash your windows.

Eat spicy food.

Take a long, brisk walk.

Keep moving.

Stop cleaning and go lay down.

Rest now because you will never rest again.

Observations made to the Jersey Girl regarding the fact that she is still insanely prego:

We thought for sure you’d go over the weekend.

You’re all baby.

The baby must be really comfy in there.

You must be due any day now.

You look lower.

You don’t look lower

You look ready.

You don’t look ready.

How do you feel?

Yes, pregnancy means the whole world is your own personal peanut gallery. I know all my fam, friends and that random lady in the grocery store mean well, but when your baby is past his due date, these conversations get old.

I guess you could say I’m just really ready for the Jersey Baby to get his cute bootie here. His lateness is driving me and his Daddy loco.

Each night we think this is The Night, and we’re always totally wrong. I’ve been rockin the Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks now. Awesome. But they never lead to much more than a tossing and turning and groaning and sometimes cursing Susan who wakes up every hour.

I am 2 centimeters dilated. Hurray!

But yeah. We have a Friday morning appointment to get our induced labor on. I’m sure I’m going to sleep so soundly Thursday night. Ha ha.

When trying to stay calm, I love to bake. I’m sharing with you a recipe I made in September or October. I don’t even remember, and I don’t know what I was trying to calm down about. Apples are the star of the show, so you can still make it now and get a super yum yum result.

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake is featured in “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book.” I know, I know. You’re thinking, “This cookbook? Again? Really?”

Yes, I totally pimp out “The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book,” but I have to say it rocks. Seriously. If you have anyone near and dear to your heart who loves to bake, you should totally gift them this cookbook. Its awesomeness revolves around the gorgeous pictures, clear and concise recipe instructions and helpful baking tips. All the things I look for in a baking cookbook. So, that’s why it has the Jersey Girl’s heart.

The cake is very fall. I did substitute all-spice for the cardamom that was called for in the recipe. The reasons are as follows: 1. Cardamom was not to be found in my house. 2. I did locate the spice in a local grocery store, but that cat cost 20 smackaroos for a teeny, tiny container. No thanks, McCormick. I’m all for spending dollas dollas on good quality ingredients and cooking items, but for a spice that I’m going to use once, I don’t think so.

Anyways, all-spice works fab in spiced cakes and desserts, so that’s the way this cake went down in the Jersey Girl’s house.

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm.) cake

1 ¼ cups (9oz/280 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup (2 ½ oz/75 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb (500 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped, then tossed in 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (pippin, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith)
½ cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (12 oz/375 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows cake recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Grease and flour a 9-inch (230cm) round springform pan or square baking pan or baking dish. If using a glass baking dish, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the apples and toss to coat.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat well until smooth. Using a large spatula, gently fold in the apples just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown, 60-70 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan, if using, and place the cake on a wire rack set over a piece of waxed paper to catch any drips. Drizzle with the glaze Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges or squares to serve.

Vanilla Glaze
To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup (3 oz/90 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar, sifted; 2 Tbsp condensed skim milk, warmed; and ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more milk, a few drops at a time, if necessary.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used all-spice instead of cardamom. She also bakes with extra large eggs. In the Vanilla Glaze, she used regular milk instead of condensed skim milk. She made the cake in a 9-inch square baking pan.

You are My Obsession

2010-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

So, the final weeks of pregnancy can really bring out the OCD qualities in a gal.

The thing that’s making me extremely loco is that I stopped teaching the last week in October. Up until this point, I could focus on mentoring my budding maestros and worry if they’re practicing enough.

Consequently, for the past eight days all I can think about is the bun in the oven.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve filled up my hours with activities. But there’s only so much compulsive cleaning, organizing, early Christmas shopping and Suduko puzzle solving a girl can do. I’ve also been working diligently on two Mozart sonatas and cooking up a storm. Meanwhile, I over analyze every twinge and pang that takes over my achy bod by referring to books, Web sites, sisters, friends in the hopes that they will confirm that I am finally entering a major stage of labor.

And yesterday, I had The Husband take me to lunch and DSW, where I bought a fierce pair of flat boots that I will be rocking post-baby.

(Listen, my fashion is ALWAYS a priority, no matter how prego I am. And in a bit of divine intervention, my feet did not swell at all during my nine months. Yay!)

I’m well aware that the lesson learned here is: Good things come to those who wait. And we are over the moon that the Jersey Baby is thisclose to being here. But, he’s officially past his due date, which is today. Doesn’t he know that his Mom and Pop are two journalists. The Deadline is not to be toyed with.

Kidding.

Today, I’m sharing with you a delish chocolate muffin recipe courtesy of Anne Byrn, aka the Cake Mix Doctor.

These are called Triple-Chocolate To-Live-For Muffins.

They are super fabulous. They are great for bake sales because they pack up well. There’s no frosting involved. So, they are also your kind of treat if sweet, sugary icing is not your thang.

I made them to thank a friend for a favor. And, there were some left over for The Husband and moi.

So, back to the Cake Mix Doctor.

I dig this broad. Sure, she’s all about the boxed cake mix. But, I must admit, every thing I make from her cookbooks rocks. Her philosophy is: Take a cake mix, doctor it up with some fabulous baking ingredients, make a from-scratch frosting and the result is perfection on a cake stand.

If you’re a beginning baker, I highly recommend Anne Byrn’s books. She offers lots of tips on how to get the best cake performance. And she has tons of yum yum frosting recipes.

You can check out her Web site, by clicking here.

Triple-Chocolate To-Live-For Muffins
From “Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor”
By Anne Byrn

Makes 24 muffins (2 ½ inches each)

24 paper liners for muffin pans (2 1/2 –inch size)
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each liner three quarters of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the muffins until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.

Run a dinner knife around the edges of the muffin liners, lift the muffins up from the bottom of the pan using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

*Store the muffins, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw muffins overnight on the counter before serving.

The Waiting Game

2010-11-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Patience is a virtue that I usually have, but awaiting the arrival of the Jersey Baby is starting to drive me bananas.

I know, I know – he’s totally not due until Nov. 8. But based on last week’s doctor’s appointment, I was convinced he would be arriving early. So was the doctor. Unless, he was pulling me leg. Or propping up my delusional high hopes. I thought for sure when I was grabbing my belly in pain on Monday night, that the Jersey Baby would be arriving on Election Day. A fitting date, since his Daddy and I are news/politics junkies.

But alas, he’s still not here. And today, the doc started the labor induction talk. Oy.

While waiting, I’ve been getting my cleaning on. And I started Christmas shopping. And, I’ve totally been cooking up a storm. Of course, I had to slow my roll on my culinary concoctions since I only have one mouth to feed, and well, I hate to dispose of good food. There’s only so many leftovers The Husband can eat.

I love this time of year. Especially for cookery purposes. That’s because it’s all about comfort food. And since I’ve been stuck at home, the need to be comfy has taken over my being.

On a recent chilly willy night, I rocked out my Chicken and Dumplings. This dish reminds me of my childhood, when my Moms would make Chicken and Dumplings using Bisquick. I always loved it as a kid, but no offense, Mom, dumplings from scratch are way way way better than the Bisquick variety.

My Chicken and Dumplings dish is super easy to make. You do need cake flour for the dumplings.

This is perfect to eat on a cold dreary fall night. Hope you get a chance to do so!

Chicken and Dumplings
Makes 5 servings

For the soup:

2 lbs. chicken breast or tenders, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 baking potato, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 dry bay leaf
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. flour
4 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups water

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add oil and butter.

When butter melts and begins to bubble, add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, onion and garlic powders, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Chicken should be cooked through and vegetables should be tender.

At this stage you may add the dumpling batter.

Dumplings
Inspired by “The Joy of Cooking”

1 cup cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 extra large egg
Scant ½ cup milk

In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together milk and egg. Slowly pour into dry ingredients. Stir together with a spoon.

Return soup mixture to a simmer.

To cook, drop dumpling batter into simmering pot of soup using tablespoons so that the batter is scattered throughout the top of the soup. Once all the batter is in the pot, cover the pot with a tight lid. Simmer for 10 minutes.

You may serve at once, but be careful! The dumplings will be hot.

Lucky Seven

2010-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

For seven years, I’ve felt like the Luckiest Girl in the World.

That’s because I’ve got The Husband.

He is totally my best friend and the love of my life.

God. This sounds like a Hallmark card.

Fitting, since today is our wedding anniversary. And all of the greeting cards I’ve perused in the past week to mark the occasion have been totally lame.

This year’s anniversary is particularly awesome because our baby is due for arrival any day now. And we have waited for him for what seems like an eternity.

Well, just about four years.

It’s funny how life works out sometimes. Back when Mark and I were engaged, we attended pre-Cana classes, as required by the Catholic church. During our classes we each confirmed that we wanted two children – preferably a boy and a girl. We decided we would have our first three years into the marriage. No. 2 would come a couple years later.

It’s safe to say that the plan was an epic fail. And despite our many years of crazy happiness and good times, our inability to have a baby brought us much stress and tears and worry and woe. But, we did learn that sometimes matters of life and love don’t work out based on a planned timetable.

No doubt, The Husband is going to make an amazing Daddy.

How do I know?

It’s evident each night when he talks to my belly and the biggest smile ever lights up his face. Or, when he practices his storybook reading skills while the bambino kicks me and I just laugh. Or when we patiently put together baby gear and install car seats whose instructions were written by crazy people. (No offense, if you write baby equipment manuals.) The signs of Awesome Daddy in Training are all over his face during my doctor’s appointments or when I’m folding freshly washed baby clothes or when he's planning for Junior's future finances.

And then there are those moments when I wake up in the middle of the night obsessing about having a happy and healthy baby. I toss and turn, then pace the house, peruse the Internets or play solitaire or clean a room or organize a pile of clutter. Inevitably, I will eat a bowl of cereal. Three hours later in an attempt to find sleep again, my jostling around sometimes will wake The Husband and he’ll hug me and say, “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be OK.”

And with that, I can rest soundly.

I hope our baby inherits many of his Dad’s qualities: Gorgeous smile, charm, good humor, passion for life, patience, determination. Because, for reals, The Husband rocks.

And I really am the Luckiest Girl in the World. Happy anniversary, Baby Doll! You know I love you.

Today, I’m sharing with all of you one of The Husband’s hands down favorites: Gnocchi. I go by the Giada De Laurentiis recipe, but I do mix the dough with my Kitchenaid handmixer, rather than a fork as the recipe calls for.

I made gnocchi for The Husband a couple weeks ago. They were fab. Making homemade pasta is fun, and I envision my little boy helping me do this one day. Maybe they will be his fav, too.

I served the gnocchi with my Mean Marinara. For the recipe, please see below.

Gnocchi

From “Everyday Pasta”
By Giada De Laaurentiis
Makes about 54 gnocchi

2 baking potatoes, such as russet (about 12 ounces each)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup all-purpose flour

Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on high until tender, about 12 minutes. (You can also bake the potatoes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes, or until tender. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Stir in the egg, salt and pepper. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and stir just until blended.

Scoop out a large spoonful of gnocchi dough.

Roll each scoop on the work surface into about a ½-inch-diameter rope.

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines or a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet while you form the rest of the dough.

Working in two batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they have all risen to the surface, about 3 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi into a colander with a slotted spoon while you cook the second batch.

Serve gnocchi with your favorite sauce, warmed and top with grated cheese.

Please note: The Jersey Girl makes her dough using a KitchenAid handmixer, instead of a fork and spoon. The mixer leads to a smoother dough. When rolling out the dough, lightly flour your surface so that the dough is easier to handle.

Mean Marinara

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion or half a medium/large onion, finely chopped
8 (yes 8) cloves of garlic, finely chopped
¾ tsp. red pepper flakes (you can cut back this)
1 can Cento pureed tomatoes (28. oz)
1 can Cento crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
A little bit of water – probably half a cup
20 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion. Sweat the garlic and onion for five minutes. They should be very fragrant.

Push the garlic and onion to one side of the pan and toast the red pepper flakes for a minute. Mix into the garlic and onion.

Add the pureed and crushed tomatoes. Use a little bit of water to rinse off the tomato on the sides of the cans and pour into pot. (We Italians don’t like to waste food!) The water should measure to a half cup.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I did 20 grinds of my pepper mill and a scant 1/4 tsp. salt.

Snip basil leaves into pot with cooking shears.

Turn your heat down to low. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Make sure you stir every 5 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy now or tomorrow or freeze for later on in your life.

Dusting Off the Cobwebs from My Blog

2010-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

What’s up, dear readers?

Hopefully my MIA-ness will subside as I wrap up piano lessons this week for my impending maternity leave. I can’t believe it’s here. I can’t believe HE will be here any day now.

I’m officially within the two-week mark of the Jersey Baby’s due date. And if he’s anything like his Daddy and moi, he will be very deadline oriented. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. And me and The Husband tell The Bump every night that we really want to meet him, so please don’t be late. He also was not permitted to come while the Phillies made their dismal World Series run. Nor is he allowed to make a push for this world on Sundays or Mondays due to Daddy’s newspaper deadline.

(I’m kidding about the World Series and Sunday and Monday thing.... Well, not really.)

So, I’m sharing with you a massive dinner that I cooked back during the tail end of summer. These days, everything kind of skeeves me. And I don’t think I could finish a din din this big and substantive.

Give me an apple and banana, and I’m happy.

First up is a Lidia recipe: Veal Chops with Spinach and Pecorino Romano. I actually made the dish with pork chops, because veal chops were nowhere to be found in my moving and shaking town of Hammonton. I would just like to say that I love living here, but sometimes finding the food products you need is such a challenge. Guess that comes with living in the sticks. And that everyone knows your bizness. And you’re likely related to or somehow within Six Degrees of Every Person who Lives in Hammonton.

Anyhoo, here’s the recipe:

Veal Chops with Spinach and Pecorino Romano
Makes 6 servings
From “Lidia’s Italian Table”
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

6 loin veal chops, each 1 to 1 ½ inches thick and about ¼ pound
Salt and freshly ground pepper
7 Tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ½ lbs. fresh spinach, tough stems removed, well washed and drained
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 pint red or yellow cherry tomatoes, stems removed and cut in half
4 basil leaves, washed, dried and cut into thin strips

Prepare a charcoal grill or heat two large grill pans or cast-iron skillets over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Pat the veal chops dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil over the chops. Grill the chops or cook them in a skillet or grill pan, turning once, until both sides are well marked (or well browned if using a skillet) and just a slight trace of pink remains in the thickest part of the chop near the bone, 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill or pan and the thickness of the chops. Transfer the chops to a broiler pan or sturdy baking pan and preheat the broiler.

Meanwhile, divide the 3 tablespoons of the olive oil between two large, heavy skillets. Add 1 garlic clove to each skillet and cook over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Add half the spinach to each skillet and season very lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, the spinach can be prepared in one skillet in two batches.) Drain the liquid from the skillets and remove the garlic cloves.

Arrange the spinach evenly over the veal chops. Sprinkle the spinach with the grated cheese and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing the tomatoes in the skillet, just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove the garlic cloves. Remove the skillet from the heat and cover it to keep the tomatoes warm.

Meanwhile, broil the chops until the cheese is lightly browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. (If a broiler is not available, set the baking pan in a preheated 475 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 5 minutes.) Transfer the veal chops to plates. Spoon the tomatoes alongside the veal chops and serve hot.

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The chops were awesome. And the broiler makes the spinach get a crispiness on. I loved that.

The second dish is Whole Grain Spaghetti with Pecorino, Prosciutto and Pepper. I used regular pasta instead of whole grain. The dish was fantabulous. Very peppery. I had fun grinding the peppercorns with my mortal and pestle.

Both the Lidia and Giada recipe can easily be cut in half. And, I have to say they really worked well together. I thought I was at a fancy pants Italian restaurnt. Kidding.

Here’s the pasta recipe:

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Pecorino, Prosciutto and Pepper
By Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound whole-grain (or whole-wheat) spaghetti

2 tablespoons mixed colored peppercorns, coarsely ground
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups grated (6 ounces) pecorino
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking: Heat a small, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppercorns and toast for about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the oil and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Drain the pasta reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the spaghetti to a large serving bowl. Add 1 cup of the pecorino and toss to combine, gradually adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen up the pasta. Add the oil mixture, prosciutto, 2 tablespoons of parsley, and 2 tablespoons of basil. Toss well to combine all ingredients.

Garnish with the remaining pecorino, parsley, and basil.

And the end result:

Amazing Dinner, Courtesy of Lidia

2010-10-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer, I made a couple of fabulous Lidia Bastianich dishes that I will share with you today.

Better late than never.

My blogging has taken such a back seat to my real life goings-on. Please accept my apologies!

I’m still cooking and shooting pics like crazy, but finding the time to write has been tough since I’m back to a very full piano-teaching schedule (43 students!). Then there’s all of my baby preparations, obsessions, cleaning compulsions that have taken over my world. Technically, I could write during my frequent bouts of insomnia, but my words would probably be gibberish or psychotic. So, you may want to thank me from shielding you from my insanity.

Anyway, this post involves two recipes both by Lidia, the goddess of Italian cooking.

The first is Stuffed Rolls of Veal. The second is Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella. Both are from the amazingly awesome cookbook, “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen.” I cook from it all the time. This was the first time I made the veal dish. It was so delish, and it is a perfect main course on a chilly night. It’s comforting, but not too heavy.

The penne dish is so easy to make. I often make it when I’m craving pasta and The Husband is working late. I often substitute the mozzarella for goat cheese. In today’s pic, the dish is served with mozzarella. I made it with gemelli instead of penne because that’s what I had. The dish also works great with orecchiette, pasta shaped like little ears. The dish is easy to adjust for portions if you're with a smaller crowd.

The two dishes work really well together because both call for tomatoes and mozzarella. And both have elements that can be prepared ahead of time. So, they work well for a dinner party.

Stuffed Rolls of Veal
From “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen”
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup fine, dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices veal (1 ½ lbs.)
6 ounces provola (young provolone), fresh mozzarella or Fontina, cut into ¼ by 1 ½-inch sticks.
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded cut into 1/4-inch strips (See note)
Thin lemon slices, optional

Let the oil and garlic steep in a small bowl for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Toss the bread crumbs with half the infused oil and the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place two of the veal slices between two sheets of plastic wrap and with the smooth side of a heavy meat mallet, pound each slice of veal into a rough rectangular shape about ¼ inch thick. Don’t pound the veal too thin or there is a possibility that the filling will leak during cooking. Repeat with the remaining veal. Divide the cheese and tomatoes evenly among the slices of veal, placing them along the center of one of the longer edges. Sprinkle half the seasoned bread crumbs over the tomatoes and cheese and drizzle on half the remaining infused oil. Roll the scallopine around the filling into compact rolls. Secure the flap with two toothpicks to keep the rolls intact while they cook.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly brush a baking pan into which the veal rolls fit comfortably with some of the remaining infused oil. Arrange the veal side by side and seam side down in the prepared dish. Scatter the remaining bread crumbs in an even layer over the veal and drizzle on the remaining infused oil. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the cheese in the filling is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve as is or with a slice of lemon.

Note: To peel and seed plum or round tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water near the stove. Cut the cores out of the tomatoes and cut a small “x” in the opposite end. Slip a few tomatoes into the boiling water and cook just until the skin loosens, 1 to 2 minutes depending on the tomatoes. (Overcooking will make them soggy.) Fish the tomatoes out of the water with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and drop them into the ice water. If necessary, let the water return to a boil and repeat with any remaining tomatoes. Slip the skins off the blanched tomatoes and cut the tomatoes in half – lengthwise for plum tomatoes, crosswise for round tomatoes. Gently squeeze out the seed with your hands. The tomatoes are now ready to dice or cut as described in the recipe.

- From “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen” by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.

Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella
From “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen”
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Makes 6 servings

1 pound ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, rinsed, dried and cut in half
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling over the finished pasta if you like
1 tsp. sea salt, preferably coarse
Pinch crushed hot red pepper
4 cloves garlic peeled
1 pound penne
10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
½ lb. bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozzarella), cut in half

Toss the tomatoes, oil, sea salt and crushed red pepper together in a large bowl. Whack the garlic with the side of a knife and toss it into the bowl. Let marinate at room temperature, tossing once or twice, for 30 minutes.

While the tomatoes are marinating, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Stir the penne into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the garlic from the marinated tomatoes and toss in the basil. Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl, and toss well to mix. Check the seasoning, adding salt and more crushed red pepper if necessary. Gently stir in the bocconcini and serve.