Kitchen Contessa

2012 Black Eyed Pea Soup

2012-01-12T19:21:00.000-05:00

Holiday season over! Christmas tree history! Wrapping paper and decorations pushed back into the closet! It's time to get back to work. The fall was busy. When Thanksgiving rolled around, I decided to take a breath, dedicate more time to the girls, and not take any orders. I really wanted the girls to enjoy the lead up to Christmas this year. I wanted to enjoy it myself. It's the time between the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and Christmas morning that they really enjoy the most. Going to holiday concerts, braving the crowds in shopping malls, getting to see the holiday lights around town and decorating the tree, is what they remember, and talk about with their friends, when they get back to school. So, I put work on hold, and went full steam ahead making Christmas 2011 the merriest yet! We made cookies, drove 45 minutes to a cut your own tree farm, and took the Acela train to NYC. We stood in lines, visited with Santa, went to American Girl and Dylan's candy shop, managed to squeak in Disney on Ice and celebrated Iris' fourth birthday!

I was ready for it to end and satisfied when it did. As Rose made her way to bed Christmas night, she looked at Big Daddy and told him it was the "best Christmas ever"! Her declaration made all the craziness worth it! Feeling extremely content I was ready to ring in 2012. The year ended focusing on family, friends and cheer.
Before the break something peeked my interest. Caught my attention. I feel re-energized and very excited to find out where it is going to lead. Today it has led to this really great soup. My grandfather loved making soup with beans and greens.

He would have loved this one. Here is the recipe!

Note: I never soak my beans. I add them to the pot while frying the vegetables and then let them cook in with the stock. It takes about 45- 1 hour before they are tender. You can soak them ahead of time if you would like and cut down on the amount of cooking time. The jalopeno peppers and red pepper flakes give the soup a nice bite. If you don't like spice then leave them out.

Black Eyed Pea Soup

makes 4-6 servings

2 cups dried black-eyed peas

1 smoked ham hock

1⁄3 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped cooked ham

1⁄4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 10oz can Ro-Tel© tomatoes chunky with green chilies

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño (seeds removed)

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

8 cups of chicken stock

1 lb. collard greens, ribs removed,

  leaves roughly chopped

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

5 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Chopped fresh scallions for garnish

Spring of fresh cilantro

1.    In a soup pot, heat oil and sauté onions, garlic, bay leaf, carrots, ham and ham hock until tender and translucent. 3-5 minutes

2.   Add beans, bay leaf, jalapeño and red pepper flakes. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

3.   Add Ro-Tel© tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1  hours or until beans are tender.

4.   Add lime juice and collards. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5.   Season with salt and pepper.

6.   Serve over white rice. Garnish with scallions and cilantro

Chicken Fricassee a Quick One Skillet Weeknight Meal

2011-09-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

My mother has been making a lot of great one skillet meals for dinner. She just looks in the fridge pulls out whatever meat and vegetables she has and sautes them without any seasonings, except a little salt and pepper. I walked into her kitchen the other night and it smelled so good. She was "frying" (as she calls it) in a little olive oil, chunks of pork tenderloin, strips of poblano peppers and summer squash. It was DELICIOUS! She had some bread on the side. Last night she sauteed thin pieces of sirloin, fresh spinach and mushrooms. Again, it was great. It made me start thinking about how easy it is to cook something, healthy, without all the bells and whistles, in a jiffy, and have it taste amazing.
My chicken fricassee is a quick, one skillet meal that is perfect for a weeknight dinner, but could also be served to guest on the weekend!

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Fricassee
serves 4

4 pieces of chicken with bone and skin (thighs, breasts, drumsticks-your choice!)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 spanish onion, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
1 large carrot or 2 small, cut into 1 inch chunks (I used 2 cups of baby carrots)
2 cups of new potatoes, cut in half if small or quarters if large
1 cup chicken stock (you can use water)
1 28oz can italian peeled tomatoes, crushed with your hands as you add them to skillet
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked spanish paprika (you can substitute with regular paprika)
1 bay leaf
1 cup pitted green olives with pimentos
1/2 cup currants or raisins
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Heat oil in skillet until very hot but not smoking. Add chicken pieces skin side down. Don't touch! If you try to turn too early, skin will stick to skillet, so just leave it alone! Cook for 5 minutes skin side down and check to see if skin is golden brown. Turn and cook for 5 minutes on the other side. Take chicken out of skillet and set aside.

2. Add the onions, carrots and potatoes to skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, bay leaf and stock. Let it come to a boil and add chicken pieces back into skillet. Try to bury the chicken under the sauce. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. (you could stop at this point, refrigerate and keep for another night-heat on low flame until simmering then go on to next step)

3. Add olives and currants, cover and cook 5 more minutes until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve.

Easy Peasy!

Pizzelle Cookies

2011-08-31T13:40:00.002-04:00

Pizzelle

Well, we tried another podcast. I am not sure if we are improving or getting worse. It will definitely make you laugh!

The recipe is below. Love The Kitchen Contessa and Her Kids xo

Pizzelles (Cremaldi Cookbook, Doubleday 1988)

makes 24 cookies

3 eggs beaten

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter melted and cooled

2 teaspoons of anise seed, vanilla extract or fresh zest

3 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (3 cups was too much and made them tough instead of crispy with a snap)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1. Combine the beaten eggs, sugar, anise seed and butter in bowl. Wisk until sugar is dissolved. In another bowl combine the flour and baking powder, then add to the egg and sugar mixture.

2. Heat the pizzelle iron.

3. ~~Using two tablespoonfuls for each, make balls of dough~~. We used an ice cream scoop. Because we used less flour it was too hard to roll into balls. Place both balls inside the iron and press down. If you're using an electric iron, ~~cook 1-2 minutes, or until the steam stops~~ 45 seconds.

If your iron is hand-held cook over medium high heat on either a gas or electric stove for 2 minutes.

4. Repeat step 3 until you have used up all of the dough

Squash Blossoms and Backyard Chickens

2011-08-20T09:19:00.001-04:00

Fried Squash Blossoms with Chevre and Basil

On March 15, 2011 a "peeping" package arrived at our local post office. I got home and put eight tiny chicks into their new brooder home in our attic. Rose named all eight. Fuzzworth, Cuzi, Kiki, Peep, Nugget, Cutie Pie, Mary and Milly were shipped as soon as they were hatched. They were only 24 hours old when we received them from the hatchery. Two black astrolorps, two americanas (easter eggers), two salmon faverolles, and one black copper maran.

A few weeks later Big Daddy and my father-in-law broke ground on our new urban chicken coop. My mother has been extremely verbal about her disapproval of her neighbors decision to raise chickens. We all have learned quickly about raising chickens in a few short months. We have to deal with things like "pasty butt" and ripped combs. We even had our first dog attack last week, which made us realize how close we have become to these fuzzy butts! Who saved all eight of our chooks? MY MOTHER! I found her in the middle of the street screaming at the dog with a huge rock in her hands ready to use it if the dog came back for another chicken.

Milly

Rose and Cutie Pie

Our first three eggs!

They perch at the back door waiting for us to come out with a treat. They follow us like dogs, sit on our laps and have even allowed the girls to use them in place of baby dolls as they roll around the yard in baby carriages. They have won ALL of our hearts and have become family members
.

Nugget trying to reach the grapevine

Well, finally after 23 weeks Cutie Pie and Cuzi have laid their first eggs!!!! It was so exciting! We had almost forgotten the reason for getting them in the first place. FRESH EGGS.

So what the hell does this have to do with squash blossoms???

NOTHING!

My Grandfather loved to fry vegetables or make fritters out of them. His batter recipe, which is like a tempura, is very easy. My mother and I thought we could use his recipe and one of my fresh eggs to fry some squash blossoms that we bought at the farmer's market today.

Here is the recipe: 7oz All Purpose Flour (1 1/2 cups)

1 egg

Sparkling Water

Mix flour and egg together in bowl using a fork. Add sparkling water to thin. Use your own judgement on how thin you like your batter. The thinner the batter the less will stick to whatever you are dipping. Use a small frying pan (6 inch) with 6-8 tablespoons of oil to fry. Just enough to cover the bottom of pan. Fry until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to drain.

There is a little tedious prep work you have to do on the blossoms before you fry them. You have to gently remove the pistel from the center of the flower.

We fried some plain and stuffed some with Brie. Really good!!!

You can stuff with ricotta and fresh herbs or even chevre.

Yum!

Grilled Avocado and Lima Bean Salad with Chipotle Dressing

2011-07-22T12:31:00.001-04:00

I'm back! After suffering from many months of "blogger's block" I decided to just get up and make something! ANYTHING!
Back in the spring we went out to a mexican restaurant with friends. Most of us ordered their grilled avocado appetizer. It was unbelievable. I fell in love with it and decided to try to copy the recipe.
Here is my take on a grilled avocado with lima bean salad.
There are three parts to this salad but don't let that intimidate you. All of the components are extremely easy to prepare. The dressing and lima bean salad can be made a day or two ahead. The avocado is best served warm or room temp. I put it all over a bed of slightly dressed mesclun greens. They give the avocado a little platform to sit up on.

Grilled Avocado Lima Bean Salad with a Buttermilk Chipotle Dressing

Lima Bean Salad

1 ½ cups Frozen Lima Beans, thawed
¼ cup finely diced tomato
2 Tablespoons finely diced red onion
3 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon finely diced jalopeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
Zest of Lime (reserve for dressing)
Juice of ½ a lime
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combined all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Buttermilk Chipolte Dressing

½ Cup Sour Cream
¼ Cup Buttermilk
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Lime Zest
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon chipotle pepper, finely chopped
2 Teaspoons of the chipotle pepper sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combined all ingredients and wisk until smooth. Set aside.

Right before serving or shortly before serving you want to grill the avocado. It is surprisingly easy to grill an avocado. Cut it in half, lengthwise, and remove the pit. Lightly coat each half with olive oil. LEAVE SKIN ON. Place face down on a hot grill and DON'T MOVE IT!

Leave it on the grill for 5 minutes and voila!

I get my mesclun greens mixed. I use a little olive oil and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. The sweetness of the balsamic works really well with the spiciness of the chipolte.
I use a large spoon to scoop out the avocado.
Assemble the plate. Mixed greens. Prop Avocado up on greens. Spoon about a 1/4 cup of lima bean salad across the avocado and drizzle chipotle dressing over the everything.
IT IS SOOOOOOO GOOD!

1.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-02-22T10:49:00.001-05:00

This is a really easy recipe for kids and adults to make for a quick weekend breakfast. You can add herbs, grated cheddar cheese, bacon or ham to the recipe to make them more interesting. Although, there is nothing like a plain hot biscuit, straight out of the oven with more butter and jam! They also great for a ham or turkey sandwich.
We are still practicing the podcasts! Watch at your own risk!

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 stick Unsalted Butter, cold and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup Buttermilk

Preheat oven 375 degrees
Place Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Sugar in a bowl. Wisk to combined. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture looks like course meal. Pour the buttermilk into the butter and flour and stir. DO NOT OVER WORK OR BISCUITS WILL BE FLAT. You want to see chunks of butter in the dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and cut using a two inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops of biscuits with a little extra buttermilk and place in oven for 15-20 mins or until tops are golden brown.

Gnocchi-Our First Podcast!

2011-01-18T18:37:00.003-05:00

My mother and I have decided to try a series of podcasts about cooking with kids! Aside from the fact that I look like a hag and can't bring myself to look at the camera, we managed to get through the first episode! Hopefully they will get better over time!

Ricotta Gnocchi
3 cups All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Ricotta Cheese

1. Add the 3 cups of flour and ricotta into a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Pulse 8-10 times until a soft ball of dough forms.
2. Turn the ball of dough out onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball.
3. Slice the dough like a loaf of bread. Each slice should be about 1 1/2 inches wide.
4. With your hands, roll out each dough slice to form ropes the thickness of your index finger.
Slice the ropes into 1/2 chunks.
5. Toss with flour as you cut and gentle separate to prevent them from sticking.
6. To cook the gnocchi, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Shake the excess flour off the gnocchi and drop them into boiling water. Stir the water vigorously for the first minute. When the water returns to a boil cook the gnocchi 6-7 minutes or until they float to the surface. (If your gnocchi have been frozen, cook without thawing them first.)

Genevieve Joanna Trio

December 3, 1922-October 13, 2010

Coming Soon Kitchen Contessa Cooks With Kids

2010-12-30T17:40:00.001-05:00

Cheese Puffs

2010-10-10T14:33:00.003-04:00

I got this idea the other day when I started thinking about how it's already October! When fall rolls around, I start thinking about having people over for dinner. Then I start thinking about the holidays. If you don’t start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas now, then before you know it, they're over! It happens to me every year! I say to myself, “Gen, this year you will buy the tree and do all of your shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Leaving plenty of time for a couple of holiday gatherings and maybe a quick trip to NYC for more shopping!” NEVER HAPPENS!

I roasted turkey a couple of weekends ago. Broke in our new kitchen! While the turkey was roasting I made the best buttermilk biscuits for breakfast. They came out of the oven at the same time as the turkey. I thought what a great "open house" meal to have on a weekend after let’s say, apple picking…oooooor after sledding…ooooooor on a Sunday if you want to invite some friends for brunch (which, by the way, I NEVER do!) It would be so Martha Stewart of me. I started envisioning inviting friends to join us for a morning of ice-skating, and then back to our house for turkey and biscuits! This is how it plays in my head. The snow falling gently outside, a toasty fire going in the fireplace, cups of spiked hot mulled cider and yummy bite size morsels awaiting us as we come back from a morning of ice skating. It will NEVER happen, but it sounds sooooo nice! (We don’t even have a fire place in the new house.)

Store Bought Puff Pastry Dough

I started thinking about what was coming up besides the holidays, that would be a great excuse for a gathering??? Hhmmmmm…I’ve got it! The Head of the Charles Regatta is next weekend here in Cambridge. People get together from all over the world to row and watch the races on the Charles River. I’ll invite friends over for a hot cup of mulled cider and a snack. Then we can head to the river and watch the races. Will it happen?? I don't know, but if it does, I am going to make these! Cheese Melts.

I’m not one for using store bought ingredients. Sorry Sandra Lee, but semi home cooking is not my style! I like everything made from scratch. EXCEPT for puff pastry dough! Making puff pastry is a labor of love. I always keep a box of frozen pastry dough in the freezer. Trader Joe's is a great place to shop for this treat. They have the frozen dough and tons of reasonably priced cheeses that are great for the fillings! I found a cranberry covered goat cheese, which I paired with walnuts for one filling. You can get creative on the shape. I tried a couple of twists, but I ate them before I photographed them. They were really pretty, but tasted even better! You can make these cheese melts way ahead and freeze them on sheets of parchment. Then when they are frozen carefully drop them into a baggie to take up less space in the freezer. When you are ready for them, take them out, lay them on a sheet pan, let them thaw, paint them with the butter, and bake. PERFECT FOR HOLIDAY GATHERINGS!

These are the combos I tried the other day:

Swiss, Parmigiana and Dijon Mustard

Roquefort and Fig Spread

Cranberry Chevre with Walnuts
They were all really good!

1. Let puff pastry thaw. Take one sheet and roll out to 1/8 of an inch thick

2. Lay your ingredients in a strip across the sheet of dough. (I started with a thin spread of dijon, then a sprinkle of parmigiana)-continue down the dough with strips of filling-in the picture above I started by making individual strips 2 inches wide-both methods work well

3.Take a second sheet of dough and roll out to 1/8 of an inch thick. Place on top of the sheet with the fillings and gently roll with rolling pin to seal the two sheets together. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes or cut strips 1/2 inch x 3 inches and twists. Lay on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Using a pastry brush, brush tops with melted butter. Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or room temp.

**Coming Soon-Podcasts**

"Kitchen Contessa Cooks with Kids"

Fresh Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

2010-09-26T08:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know I promised this a while ago, but I got a little caught up in the construction of my new kitchen. Finally after many weeks of peeking through a plastic wall, which was separating the kitchen from the rest of the house, it is FINISHED. Well, a few more moldings, kick boards and handles.

I got up early this morning (big daddy and the kids still snoring away) and put a turkey in the new oven. Roasting turkey wafting throughout the rooms and the house immediately became HOME!

The markets still have wonderful tomatoes, so I am encouraging you to make this tart! Actually it would make a wonderful accompaniment to my roasted turkey!!! Gotta go!

Fresh Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart

2 cups flour

1 stick butter

1/3 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 10.5oz log of plain goat cheese

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons lemon zest

juice of half a lemon

two nice big juicy tomatoes

drizzle of olive oil

1. In a bowl combine the flour, butter, sour cream and fresh thyme. Using your finger tips smoosh the butter into the flour. Once all of the butter is broken up into the flour lightly mix until a dough starts to form. DO NOT OVER MIX. You just want the dough to come together. It is ok if there are still chunks of butter in your dough. You can make this dough in the bowl of a food processor.

2. Roll dough into circle and fit into 8 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick with fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with dough weights or dried beans. Bake 400 degrees 15 minutes or until edges of dough are slightly brown and bottom is not doughy. Let cool.

3. While shell is baking start prepping the goat cheese filling. In a bowl combine goat cheese, fresh rosemary, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Mix well. Fill cooled shell.

4. Top with fresh tomato slices in a circular design. Drizzle with olive oil and bake 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until tomatoes are wilted. Serve hot, room temp or cold.

Tomatoes

2010-08-26T01:14:00.001-04:00

My Great Grandmother Louisa Colaiuta

Two summers ago, my mother and father made a trip to my great grandmother’s house in Republic, PA, which my grandmother now owns. Republic is a very, very, very small coal-mining town in southwest PA. My great grandfather built the house for the family after immigrating from Italy. My great grandparents had an amazing garden, raised chickens, had a bootlegging business in the basement and owned a little restaurant called Cozy Nook!
The garden is probably where my mother get’s her fondness for straight out of the garden tomatoes, still warm from the sun.

Canning 2008

Canning 2010

Getting back to my parents detour…instead of coming home through Amish country, which they usually do, they decided to head to my great aunt’s house in Buffalo. While they were driving back from Buffalo to Cambridge they discovered a farm in upstate New York. It was tomato heaven. They filled their Suburban to the brim and headed home with three bushels of the most amazing tomatoes. We canned for three days! My daughter Rose, who at the time was three, helped. (hmmm 3,3,3?)

I really didn’t want to do a post on tomatoes because every food blog in creation is posting on tomatoes! I changed my mind the other day when our 83 year old neighbor, Sammy, stole a bunch of tomatoes from someone's garden in the neighborhood and brought them over! Along with a few peaches from a yard down the street. Sssshhhh!

Every time we pull out one of the jars full of our upstate NY tomatoes and turn it into something spectacular someone always says, “You can your own tomatoes? I have always wanted to learn to can.”

It’s not so hard!

We never put any seasonings in our tomatoes. Not even a basil leaf! We like to save the seasonings for whatever we are making with the tomatoes. We have made it a yearly tradition. So here it is…our very simple way to put up some fresh August tomatoes so that in the middle of February we can taste a little summer!

Rose and Chubby's Recipe for Canning Tomatoes

(this recipe made 1 quart of tomatoes-you can adjust accordingly)

6lbs Fresh Picked or Farm Stand Tomatoes Beefsteak or Plum

(plum tend to be a little dryer and take less cooking time)

1 Ball Canning Jar with Fresh Lid and Ring

Pot of Boiling Water

Bowl of Ice Water

1. Cut core out of center of tomatoes

2. Place in boiling water until skin begins to crack

3. Place in ice water bath to cool so that you can peel skin off of tomatoes without burning fingers-as well as shock tomatoes which helps them peel easily

4. Cut peeled tomatoes into chunks and put into medium size pot (we used 5 quart dutch oven)

Yes that is an AK-47 lighter in my mother's hand!

5. Cook the tomatoes down over medium low heat for two hours or until they are the desired thickness. We do not like ours watery but at the same time we don't like them super thick. The time also depends on the moisture in the tomato.

We DO NOT seed our tomatoes! If you would like to take the seeds out you can you a food mill or sieve.

6. Make sure not to over fill the jar (follow the manufacturer instructions that come inside the Ball box). Clean rim with a clean towel and put lid and ring on jar.

7. Completely submerge jar in boiling water. A canning pot holds several jars at once. If we are only making a few jars we just use any pot that will hold enough water to complete submerge jar. Follow the manufacturer instructions for time. We boiled our jar for 40 minutes. We you take the jar out set it on top of a towel and let it rest. After a few minutes you will here the top pop. The pop means the seal is correct. We always label the top of the jar with the date.

My dad Cosmo! I learned to can from him! Now he just
drinks wine and supervises!

After a glass or two of wine he smiles!

Salute!

Ok, I have one more tomato recipe for you coming soon!!! Couldn't resist! Stay tuned for a

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

Ah huh!!!!

A Perfect Time to Make Ice Cream!

2010-07-16T22:27:00.002-04:00

I can’t believe how fast the summer is going by. Our new house is still a total mess and we only have two weeks before moving day. Why is it impossible for such talented people (the electricians, plumbers and carpenters) to come together and renovate a house in ten weeks? What’s the big deal! Houses are built in a week on TV! Yes, some work is required, but they certainly charge for it, so why aren’t they willing to break a sweat or show up for that matter! Trying to manage all of the little details and stay on track is a full time job and on top of everything, there are the EGOS! In the course of one day, my title goes from mother, to general contractor, to on site psychiatrist. A typical day starts like this:

1. 1. Get up at the crack of dawn and try to have one sip of hot coffee before my angels get up.

2. 2.. Just as I go to take the first sip, I see Jack and Ruby (our two Maine Coon Cats), noses pressed up
against the glass door, begging to come in to eat.

3. 3. Put coffee down…get up and feed them.

4.   4.  Just as I put the cat food on the floor I hear Buster, our 8-year-old canary, making lots of weird
   chirping noises. His way of telling me to change his water and give him some fresh greens. I try to
   ignore it, but the site of him being helplessly trapped in a cage, life in my hands, gets the better of me.

5. 5. Sit back down to sip the coffee, which is now lukewarm and the phone rings. Put coffee back down
and search for one of four cordless phones.

6.     6.  It’s the electrician who is yelling about a 2x4. He tells me that he is NOT going to screw a four-inch
   piece of 2x4 to the wall, which he needs to attach a switch box. He yells that the carpenter told him he
   would do it three days ago and never did it, putting him behind. I tell him not to worry about it and
   that he is the best thing since sliced bread. Hang up.

7.     7.  Call carpenter to tell him that he will see me in a couple of minutes, as soon as I wake up the children,
   haul them off in the car to the new house (half asleep and hungry), to screw in a four inch piece of
   2x4, so that the electrician can put up the switch box. He feels bad for me and tells me to stay
   home and let kids sleep; he will screw in the 2x4 right away. I tell him he is the best thing since sliced
   bread!

8.     8. Notice while I am on the phone that Jack the cat brushed his very fluffy, very powerful, tail up against
   the coffee table hitting my coffee cup. I now have to wipe his dripping tail and the table and pull his
   cat hair out of my coffee.

9.     9. Finally sit back down, pick up coffee and hear girls coming down the stairs. Get up fix breakfast.
   Pick up all of the clothes that they fling on the floor as they get dressed, and look at the clock. I am
   now late to meet the plumber.

1 10. Rush to get myself dressed. Skip bushing my hair. Attempt to put on mascara so I look somewhat
presentable. Brush my teeth and run the girls to the car, leaving my cold, untouched, cat hair filled

cup of coffee behind.

Stella (left) and Rose

On top of everything, my neighbor asked me to watch his little girl, Stella, for four days. Stella is
Rose’s new best friend and they have been together every day since school got out. I feel like Stella

lives here already, so to watch her for four days while her father went on an unexpected business trip, was nothing out of the norm. Before Stella's dad left he offered to take all of the girls raspberry picking. They came back with several pints of huge, bright red raspberries. They were so beautiful that they made me stop, take a breath and enjoy the wonderful, warm July day. I decided to make some ice cream!

The addition of rose water gives the flavor of the raspberries a wonderful floral note, which you pick up in the back of your palette in the same way as a truffle.

Raspberry Rose Ice Cream

1 pint of fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons rose water
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
(1/2 cup reserved raspberry juice after you macerate and strain)

In a small bowl combine raspberries with 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice. Let macerate for a least an hour or more. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the raspberry juice. Mash or puree the berries. (you can strain out the seeds if you don't like them)

Combined egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and wisk until pale yellow.
Heat milk, cream and vanilla in a small sauce pan and heat gently over low flame until steaming but not boiling. Carefully pour 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture to the egg mixture in a slow steady stream while wisking. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly, over medium low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. DO NOT OVER COOK OR IT WILL CURDLE. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard and chill completely. When it is chilled pour the 1/2 cup reserved raspberry juice,
puree /mashed raspberries and 2 teaspoons of rose water to custard.

Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream machine. Follow mixing directions for the type of machine you have.
(I mixed for 25-30 mins)

You can substitute any berries in place of raspberries.

When The Dust Settles

2010-06-08T19:03:00.003-04:00

Three years ago we decided that our family needed more space. We were out growing our wonderful home at the edge of Harvard Square and steps to the Charles River. We took the plunge and moved to another great house, in a very close-knit neighborhood, on the other side of Harvard Square. In my father words, we went from the 02139 zip code to the lace-curtain section of 02138.

I grew up in Cambridgeport (02139) on a little street, which, at the time, was the not a nice section of Cambridge. I lived in a big three family house. My Grandparents lived on one side of the house, we lived on the other and my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin lived above us. In ten steps, I would be in my Grandparents kitchen without even letting my mother know where I was going. I spent many evenings watching TV with my Grandfather. He sat in his faux blue velvet La-Z-Boy chair and I sprawled out on the couch. We would snack on candy that filled a lazy Susan on their dining room table. We watched shows like, Laurence Welk and Barney Miller. My Grandmother would stay in the dining room handicapping the next day’s racing form.

Getting back to houses, just recently, the house RIGHT NEXT DOOR to my parents went on the market. Big Daddy and I bought it! The backyard pretty much connects with my parent’s backyard. Call me a mama’s girl or what ever you want, but I made the decision (Big Daddy graciously came on board quickly figuring out the benefits) entirely based on the fact that my two little angels would have the same opportunity as I did growing up. Ten steps away from their Grandparents kitchen!

We are now beginning our journey through the nightmare process of house renovation. It is not the first time Big Daddy and I have renovated a house together but hopefully it will be the last. The process certainly is a testament to the power of those wedding vows that we recited to each other! Will it be “until death due us part” or until the sledgehammer finds it way to your head? What is it about renovation or even a trip to Home Depot that brings out the worst in people?

My new kitchen!!! Uuuuugggghhhh!

On top of everything else I HATE CHANGE! I don’t know what it is, the memories of first, second and third birthday parties or my astrological sign, but change is a big deal to me. I did pretty well with the last move until the first morning in our new house. As usual, when fixing up a house the time line ALWAYS changes. We were forced to move in and our kitchen was three weeks from being finished. We had to use the disgusting sink in the basement and the grill to cook all of our meals. There I was, sitting on the one piece of furniture in the living room, having a cup of coffee, which I had brewed on the grill, crying away! I have a very strong feeling that come July 26^th,2010 most of our meals will be cooked in our new backyard. Coffee will come from the neighbor’s house!

This Lemon Chicken is sooooo good! It only takes 40 minutes on the grill thanks to cutting out the backbone. You could just roast it in the oven but it is June! Make a cocktail and get out and grill! I love lemon with chicken. I thought about adding some aromatics. Rosemary? Maybe a little fresh marjoram? Parsley? Nope! I just wanted lots of lemon and garlic!

Lemon Chicken on the Grill

3 lemons (rind, juice and lemon carcus!)

Coarse Sea Salt and Pepper

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 big cloves of garlic, chopped

1 3-4lb chicken, backbone removed and flattened (see below)

I think flattening a chicken is such a wonderful way of cooking it. Every bit of skin gets crisp and it takes way less time to cook. IT IS NOT HARD TO FLATTEN A CHICKEN! DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED! Warning pictures are not for the faint hearted!

1. Flip chicken over so backbone is facing up.

2. Using a pair of kitchen shears start on one side of the back bone and cut down through ribs. The bones are very small and it is easy to do.

3. When you are finish cutting down one side then start the other. Hold the end of back bone as you cut.

You will be left with this!

4. Take a sharp knife and give the breast bone a little crack!

I REPEAT THIS IS NOT HARD!!!

5. Give it one more flip and flatten with the palms of your hands. Done!

6. Put the flattened chicken in a shallow baking dish and coat with the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better.

7. Put it bone side down on the grill and top with all of the lemon rinds. Low flame to medium on gas grills. If using a webber or other charcoal grill shift to the side where heat is less intense. Cover and let cook 15 minutes. Flip to skin side and place the lemon rinds back on top. Cover grill and cook 15 minutes. Flip back onto bones (sometimes the chicken will fall apart it's ok just pile it together) let it cook covered for the last 10 minutes. Let the chicken rest a few minutes before carving.

Plavix, Pudding, Pounds and Stents!

2010-05-14T12:08:00.003-04:00

A week before his 42^nd birthday, Big Daddy went and had a heart attack on me! It all started on a Sunday morning when he agreed to watch the girls for a few hours, so I could take a break. Shortly after I left the house I got a call on my cell. He said he wasn’t feeling well and asked if I would come back home. I have to say, I got a little irked and thought he was just being a wussy about watching the girls for a few hours. But as he began to describe the pain going down his arm and into his face, I knew I had to get home. B.D. refused to take himself to the emergency room. It wasn’t until Monday morning when he tried to go to work that the pain got so bad he had to leave his office and take himself to the doctor.

Tuesday night, as B.D. rested comfortably in his hospital bed, his new Cobalt Chromium Stent in place, I stood next to him in shock. Receiving the news that his right coronary artery was 95% blocked was hard to believe! When Big Daddy got home, with his new regimen of Plavix, Lipitor and Toprol, reality hit us smack in the face!

Big Daddy and Rose

The cardiologist had called right after the procedure to warn me that 40% of coronary artery disease patients, who require a stent, might suddenly hit a patch of depression and that I should be on the look out. B.D. seemed to be doing just fine! It was his chef wife who hit the patch! How could I possibly change the way I prepared our meals? You can’t roast a chicken without slathering it in butter! No more crepes for breakfast on a Sunday morning! No more huge bowls of homemade macaroni and sauce with a side of grilled hot Italian sausage! And dreams of curing pork belly for BLT’s during tomato season…poof… gone like the wind!

Many pounds lighter we are finally settling in to our new life style. I am not going to lie. After eating a wonderfully healthy meal of broiled fish, vegetables and a small serving of brown rice I feel somewhat satisfied. However, hours later I could eat the curtains! I’ve tried increasing our serving of vegetables from 2 cups to a bucket, but I am hungry and could use a cheeseburger by the time American Idol comes on! I even find myself hiding in the basement eating chocolate pudding cups late at night! Let’s face it nothing can replace the feeling of an over stuffed stomach after feasting on a 20 oz grilled NY strip, mashed potatoes and salad with blue cheese dressing!

What we have learned so far is that you can be really really good to a point and then you have to be a little more realistic. A splurge every now and than ain’t gonna kill you! In fact, it helps you to stick to the really really good diet even longer.
This baked fish is very easy and very low in fat, low in sodium, calories, and carbs, but does not lack flavor. It is a super easy one-dish meal great for weeknights. To all of the Cobalt Chromium Stent card carriers out there, this one is for you!

P.S. Great with roasted baby carrots
Mediterranean Baked Fish

1 6oz piece of cod or halibut

½ cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
½ cup whole or sliced in half cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Coarse pepper to taste

Place fish on top of sliced onions like a bed in a small baking dish. Put cherry tomatoes on top of fish and sprinkle with fresh dill and coarse pepper.
Pour lemon juice and wine over fish and cover with foil. Bake 350 for 20 mins. Uncover fish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, olive oil and fresh basil. Bake uncovered for 5-10 mins.

Roasted Baby Carrots
1 bunch of baby carrots greens trimmed to one inch above carrot
drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix to coat with olive oil. Spread in single layer on baking sheet
Roast 350 degrees 20 mins or until tender (depends on thickness of baby carrots)

Baba au Rhum-YUM!

2010-03-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

I don’t have favorites when it comes to food. I don’t have a favorite cake. I don’t have a favorite meal and I don’t have a favorite restaurant. I get asked all the time and I can never really answer.

I do have favorite memories (and of course two favorite little girls!)

My grandparents owned a ravioli company in the North End of Boston. They were on Hanover Street for forty something years. I grew up in their “ravioli store”. In addition to my grandparents and my uncle Louie, there was Nadale, Julio, Charlie, Vinnie and lots of other’s who came in and out of the ravioli shop and were like family. Charlie would come in to ask if anybody wanted coffee from Modern Pastry across the street. Julio owned the shop next door and he would wander over to check in and talk about the neighborhood happenings. Nadale was my grandmother’s bookie and he would stop in at least once a day. Vinnie was…well that’s another story!

I would go "down to the ravioli store" on weekends and help make ravioli or wait on customers. My grandfather taught me how to make change when I was six. He sat on a really tall wooden stool in the back room facing out to the front door. He would sit with his long legs crossed and peel head after head of garlic. I wonder where that stool is today. I wish I had it.

My Grandfather Tony Trio (left) and Julio

I remember one day it was pouring rain and my grandfather wanted to go around the corner to the produce shop. I went with him. I stayed close as I could to him, holding his hand under an umbrella. He was over six feet tall and walked always in a rush, with his toes pointed in, just like my daughter Rose. Everyone loved him. Anyway, the produce shop had a front that completely opened up. No doors you just walked from the sidewalk under an awning and you were inside a huge space filled with all kinds of produce. I remember the sawdust on the floor. I also remember that my grandfather would buy me prickly pears and pomegranates and big huge purple grapes that we would eat together. My grandfather would always tease the man who owned the produce shop. Italian’s are very superstitious. You never put new shoes on top of a table. You are never to sweep close to someone’s feet, and you NEVER; I mean NEVER walk inside with an open umbrella. Do I have to tell you what my grandfather did on that rainy day as we entered the produce shop? You can guess.

Me and my Grandmother Genevieve Trio

After lunch my grandmother would send us out to Maria’s Pastry for dessert. The cases at Maria’s were filled with cookies, pastries and cakes. The window always had a huge display of colorful marzipan fruits and vegetables. I was always tempted by the slices of marzipan watermelon but was always so disappointed when I took a bite and tasted the almond flavor. It was not until my parents opened their shop in Cambridge that I became addicted to marzipan (Sometimes for breakfast, at Cremaldi’s, I would have a piece of marzipan with my hot coffee. YUM!). At Maria’s, I would always choose a slice of rum cake with WHITE frosting, jimmies and a maraschino cherry on top. It was not a triangular slice of rum cake but a half moon shape that sat up inside a cupcake wrapper. Mmmmmmm…I loved those. The cake was so moist, dripping with rum and the custard in the middle was half chocolate and half vanilla. My grandfather always picked Baba au Rhum.

Those are some of my favorite memories.
I have been craving a Baba Rum. I decided to try making one of my own. I think I did a very good job except I forgot the maraschino cherry on top!

baba molds

Here is the recipe:

Dough:

2 cups of unbleached flour

1/2 cup warm milk (115 degrees)

1 package of dry active yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Rum Syrup:

1 1/2 cups dark Rum

3 cups sugar

4 cups water

Spray 12 Baba molds with non stick cooking spray or smear with butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment combine 1/2 cup of the flour, milk and yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to raise until double in bulk.

When flour mixture has doubled use stand mixer and add eggs mixing until very well combined. 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining flour, sugar and salt. Mix well another 3 minutes. Drizzle melted butter in bowl as you continue mixing; beat for 4 more minutes.

Dough will be very elastic. Do the best you can to scoop dough out of bowl and into a pastry bag with a #806 tip or no tip at all. Squeeze the batter into the prepared molds until the are 1/3 full. Use a pair of scissors to cut the dough away from tip of pastry bag.

Put filled molds onto a sheet pan and place in a warm spot to raise for 30 minutes or until dough reaches top of mold. Make sure the molds are spread far enough apart so that Baba's will not touch when being baked.

While Baba's are raising put rum, sugar and water into medium size pot over medium flame and bring to a boil. Let sit on very low flame until Baba's are finished.

Bake until golden brown about 25-30 minutes. Using a towel or pot holder carefully life one of the Baba's out of mold to check the base for good brown color. Cool completely on cooling rack.

When cool add a few at a time to rum syrup and submerge for 30 seconds- 1 minute. Place on platter or in plastic container.

Note: After I soaked my Baba's in the rum syrup I put them right into a tupperware container with a cover and stored them overnight. They were PERFECT in the morning when I had enough energy to make a vanilla pastry cream to fill the centers. You do not have to fill them. They are excellent hot out of the syrup with fresh whipped cream and berries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Covered Pizza

2010-02-06T22:48:00.002-05:00

We sold a lot of pizza at Cremaldi’s. It was a thick pan pizza that you would have to eat with a knife and fork, unless you were prepared to use a lot of napkins. I have really gotten into making pizza lately. Personally, I am a thin crust pizza person and that is what I have been making at home. Thanks to Chris Bianco and his amazing topping ideas I can't get enough of my own homemade pizza. I mean if I lived in Arizona than I think I would be at Bianco's every night! Not just for the pizza but to look at Chris Bianco. It's ok! Big Daddy knows about my infatuation with certain star chefs. I tell him all the time that if I had to choose between Bobby Flay..well you get the idea!

Getting back to pizza...I love making my own dough. Nobody, including my mother, believes how easy it is to make. Paired with really fresh toppings it is better than any pizza you buy and bring home.

We also used to make a lot of covered pizza at the store. We filled them with everything from spinach and feta, to sausage and peppers, broccoli, and even one with ham and Swiss.

Ok, I wasn’t going to tell this story, but I have to! I can’t possibly talk about covered pizza and not tell this story. I have to preface the story with the fact that at Cremaldi’s we always cut our pizza with scissors. When a new employee would start and witness the cutting of a pizza for the first time they would look at us like we had three heads. It is the easiest way to cut pizza...trust me again! One of our favorite employees of all times, very close friend, best counter person ever, Lisa G. was working. She is Italian American and so nothing we did would ever faze her. Not even a loud disagreement in the kitchen, which on numerous occasions would lead to the throwing of objects, would ruffle Lisa’s feathers. She get's it! She's Italian!

One morning it was crazy busy and I think we had a television crew coming in to film for a local show. My mother decided to pitch in and help out in the kitchen. She started to fill a covered spinach pizza that was featured on the menu. Side note...if we were in a rush we would put on rubber gloves so that if something was oily or wet we could just whip the gloves off and have clean hands. My mother, who was wearing gloves while she piled the fresh spinach onto the bottom crust, got called away. She whipped her gloves off and left the kitchen. She eventually returned and finished the pizza. Later that morning Lisa came into the kitchen, grabbed our pizza scissors and started to cut. When she got half way across the pizza the scissors got stuck on something. She tried to keep cutting a couple of times but they wouldn’t budge, so she pulled the scissors out. We were all standing there watching, when out came a rubber glove! It was hanging off the end of the scissors! We never had my mother make a covered pizza, ever again!

Probably not such a great story to tell but I can’t help it. It was funny! Don't worry Lis, I won't tell the story of your sweat shirt and the pasta cutter!

ANYWAY...I decided to make a covered pizza tonight with some left over meatballs I made yesterday (no rubber gloves!). It was so good. The crust was crunchy and the center cheesy. It had so much flavor and the dough was delicious. You can take my word that the dough is very easy to make and use my recipe or just go out and buy a pound of dough at the supermarket or specialty food store. Just make sure when you buy it that it doesn’t look wet or gray. Two signs of old dough.

Pizza Dough

2 cups warm water

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

5 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

olive oil for bowl

Mix water and yeast in small bowl or measuring cup and let sit for 5 minutes. Yeast should start to bubble.

In a large mixing bowl add 3 cups of the flour and salt. Mix with a wisk to incorporate. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon. It will be very sticky but will start to pull away from sides of bowl.

Add 1 more cup of the flour and mix until until it forms more of a dough it will still be very sticky. Dump onto table and gradually add more flour as you knead until dough is easier to work with and doesn't stick so much to your hands. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH FLOUR. Your dough will turn out tough. You can add up to the 5 cups but no more. Keep kneading for 2-3 minutes and then form a ball.

Place ball of dough into a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in warm place for three hours. After three hours deflate and put in zip lock bag in fridge until you are ready to use. It will keep for up to one week and freezes beautifully!

Now for the pizza...you can make it as big as you would like. I used a sheet pan that is 8x12. I used 1/4 of the dough for the bottom crust and 1/4 dough for the top crust. Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. It takes time because dough will spring back a little but you can do it! You can stuff your pizza with ANYTHING! Just like the frittata get creative! I used sliced meatballs, 1 cup of grated fontina cheese and one cup of shredded mozzarella. My meatballs have a lot of flavor so I didn't add any seasonings.

After you put the top crust on pinch the edges closed and rubbed the top of the pizza with a drizzle of olive oil. I put fresh sliced tomatoes on top and then shredded Pecorino Romano, cracked pepper and fresh parsley. It was really good!

Bake 400 for 20-30 minutes until it is golden brown.

Don't forget to use your scissors to cut it!

Frittata

2010-01-16T11:33:00.004-05:00

You have people coming for lunch. It’s Sunday at 10:30 and you are still dilly-dallying around the house in your bathrobe.

A friend has given you a bag full of fresh herbs and vegetables out of their garden and you would like to use them before they spoil.

You’ve invited 30 people for brunch and you would like to keep it delicious and simple…fruit salad, fresh squeezed orange juice, a loaf of really great store bought brioche and hot coffee.

You get home from work or picking up your kids and you don’t feel like cooking dinner. You are having pangs of guilt about ordering another pizza.

These are all perfect scenarios to pull out your eggs and get cracking!

Frittata is so easy. It doesn’t matter how low your provisions are a frittata can be pulled together.

Here is the recipe for the frittata I made this morning. Feel free to embellish in anyway you would like. You can change the cheese, vegetables or herbs. You can even add pepperoni, salami, oil cured olives, tomatoes confit, artichoke hearts or chorizo ANYTHING! Go into your fridge and create! It is a beautiful thing!

Leek, Potato, Roasted Pepper and Provolone Frittata

10 eggs

½ cup heavy cream (yes I add cream to my frittata)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek cleaned and sliced

1 roasted red pepper peeled and seeded, cut in strips

(you could add whole grape tomatoes in place of the pepper-yum!)

2 red potatoes boiled until tender and cut in small chunks

½ cup fresh chopped flat Italian parsley

½ cup goat cheese

1 cup of shredded provolone cheese

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Beat the eggs and cream in a small bowl season with salt and pepper, set aside

3. Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch iron skillet over medium heat. When hot add leeks

and sauté until caramelized

4. Add eggs and cream lower heat

5. Add cubed potatoes, goat cheese, parsley and provolone (or whatever else you

would like to add-artichoke hearts and oil cured olives are fantastic in this

frittata)

6.Mix carefully just to coat ingredients with egg not too much

7.Place roasted red pepper strips on top (or grape tomatoes) slightly push into

egg

8. Place skillet in oven for 3-4 minutes until eggs are just set-do not over cook

otherwise frittata will be dry-If the top is still loose after 3-4 minutes than

place under the broiler for 30 seconds. DONE!

You Little Devil

2010-01-05T00:40:00.002-05:00

The other night my mother called me. She had a question. She needed a frosting recipe and asked if I had a good one. She was baking a cake! She took me off guard. I was a little confused. I needed more information! It wasn’t the question about the frosting that stumped me, it was the fact that MY mother was baking a cake. My mother hasn’t baked a cake since 1978!!!

What was going on? Who’s birthday did I forget? What kind of a cake was she baking? Where did she get the recipe for the cake?

I should preface the story by explaining that my mother and I are two peas out of the same pod. We get a bee in our bonnet about a particular recipe, soup, vegetable, sauce, drink or in this case, a cake, and we become obsessed! What is the history? What will make the recipe the best possible recipe ever! We talk about it. We share it. If necessary we will serve it three days in a row, until it is out of our system, and then as quickly as we have become obsessed we loose interest. We drop it like a hot potato!

It all began when my mother’s friend (for the sake of anonymity we will call my mother’s friend Sylvia), showed up with a big slice of Red Velvet Cake. Sylvia loves Red Velvet Cake. It must be her southern roots that attract her to the cake and she orders it every time she goes to this Italian restaurant in South Boston. Yes, that is right, I said Italian restaurant in South Boston. Why Red Velvet Cake would be on the menu is beyond me but that is a question for another post.

Sylvia has been experimenting with Red Velvet. She too, along with her husband, What’s His Name, also gets a little obsessed over food. Anyway getting back to my mother, I guess her hillbilly roots came out the night Sylvia showed up with the cake and she started calling it Devil’s food. My mother has never heard of Red Velvet. Where she is from they have always called that kind of a cake Red Devil’s food. She also calls a roof, "a ruff" and you don't wash your hands you "wush" them.

Well Sylvia and What’s his name invited my parents over for dinner a couple of days later and my mother decided that she was going to surprise Sylvia with a Devil’s food cake. That is where the phone call to me came in. It made me start thinking.. what is the difference between Red Velvet and a Devil’s food? I needed to find out. I had to try it myself! My goal was to create a very moist, tender cake that is every so slightly flavored with cocoa powder and blood red from massive amounts of food coloring! There are many takes on who invented the Red Velvet Cake. Some say it was created at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City during the 1920’s. From what I can tell there really isn’t much of a difference between the two cakes except maybe the addition of the red food coloring. Both cakes are made with cocoa powder and not melted chocolate.

So Sylvia and What’s his name, if you are reading this post get ready to taste MY take on Red Velvet Devil’s Food Cupcakes! I think I did a pretty good job!

Red Velvet Devil's Food Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 tablespoons red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper cups and set aside (makes 18 cupcakes)

In a mixing bowl combined flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl with a hand beater or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs, sugar canola oil, vinegar, and vanilla until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Add buttermilk and food coloring.

Divide batter evenly into cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way up. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely

Now you are ready to frost!

Frosting for Red Velvet Devils Food Cupcakes
1 stick butter
1 8oz package of Cream Cheese
1 pound of Confectioners' Sugar

Beat until combined. Chill slightly if too soft.

For the devil's horns I used a little rolling fondant colored black.

I cut out little triangles and then shaped them into horn using my fingers. I let them get hard over night.

You have a choice with the frosting. You could color the frosting red and pipe in on or you can do what I did and that is to give the frosting a very thin coat of red chocolate. I used the colored chocolate wafers. I melted it over a double boiler and then dipped the frosted cupcakes into the chocolate.

Then you just stick the horns into the cupcake and use a little royal icing to complete the eyes and pitch fork tail!

Happy Eating! They are sinfully good!

http://www.allthingscupcake.com/2011/01/25/red-velvet-devil’s-food-cupcakes

Heavenly Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-12-25T23:50:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving…check. Christmas…check.

I have officially gobbled, wolfed, munched, chomped and devoured my way through the holiday season. Do I have any room left for New Year’s Eve? Of course! After that, I don’t plan on looking at another piece of roasted meat for quite a while!

I have to say, I am not a huge fan of New Year’s Eve. I don’t like rowdy crowds of drunken people and the song “ Auld Lang Syne” makes me cry. I don’t want to forget old acquaintance. I don't like change.

I am not saying my aversion for the night got in the way of woopin’ it up in past years. I have certainly done my share of serious celebrating. But now that our angels are here, the only count down that has taken place in our house is how long it takes from the time my head hits the pillow until the time I enter into la la land! I would have to classify the past four New Year’s Eves as seriously lame. Big Daddy and I haven’t even been able to make it to midnight! I know! We are pathetic!

This year it is going to be different. The girls, age 2 and 4 are not draining quite as much energy from our exhausted bodies and they will hopefully be in bed before the ball drops (finger’s crossed). I have it all planned. I am hoping to sit back on the couch with my honey, a bottle of champagne, some munchies and On Demand!

I am thinking maybe some nachos, a few Buffalo wings and these really yummy sausage stuffed mushrooms. I might even splurge on my favorite, a bottle ( or two) of Veuve! Oh yeah!

If you are looking for a great recipe to help you ring in the New Year give this one a try!

I found these big beautiful babies at the market last week. They were huge. Start by removing just the stems. Don't scoop any of the meat out of the mushroom.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

16 extra-large white mushrooms

5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided

2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala or sherry

3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from the casings

6 scallions, white and green parts, minced

2 garlic cloves minced

2/3 cup panko crumbs

5 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup freshly grated Asiago Cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped the stems and pour the Marsala and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over and stir lightly to coat. Set aside.

In a skillet heat the remaining olive oil and fry the sausage meat, chopping it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until sausage meat is brown 10 minutes.

When the meat is brown add the mushroom stems and garlic. Cook until tender 4 minutes. Add the scallions, bread crumbs and mascarpone cheese. Stir gently until mascarpone melts. Take off the heat and add the Asiago cheese.

The mixture will look a little oily from the sausage fat but don't worry. You will need the moisture when baking the mushrooms.

Spoon the mixture into each of the mushrooms and place on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

By the way...small detour...I LOVE parchment paper. Even if a recipe doesn't call for a greased sheet or lined pan I use parchment. It makes clean up so much easier. If I am baking something on a sheet pan that may drip (meatloaf) I line the sheet with parchment and then I don't have to scrub the pan.

Another side note. The silver spoon you frequently see in the posts belonged to my Grandmother. It is an over sized tablespoon and I use it all the time. It is my most valued kitchen utensil. It is also the spoon my daughter Rose is holding in the banner for Kitchen Contessa!

Pour any of the left over fat onto the mushrooms! Don't be shy!

Bake the mushrooms 350 degrees 40 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender when poked with the tip of a knife.

Happy New Year!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in a Brown Butter Gorgonzola Sauce with Crispy Sage and Chestnuts

2009-12-03T19:37:00.089-05:00

I grew up on my grandparent's homemade potato gnocchi. They were made with russet potatoes and flour, that's it. They always served them with the tomato sauce they made famous, "Trio's Sauce" A big handful of Pecorino Romano was put on top of each serving.

If I had put a plate of these sweet potato gnocchi in front of my grandfather he would have snubbed his nose, made a "yuuuuukkk" sound and given me a look of disgust. My grandmother would have tasted them, and probably loved them, but would have called them "nouveau" which she mocked.

I was making a batch of gorgonzola sauce out of the Cremaldi Cookbook and I noticed three sweet potatoes sitting on my counter.

I cut off a piece and dipped it into the sauce. Mmmmmm was it good! I started thinking...gorgonzola sauce over sweet potato fettucini...gorgonzola sauce and potato...GNOCCHI!

Gnocchi have a bad rap for being difficult to master. The addition of egg in this recipe helps hold them together during cooking and makes them very light.

It is a great first course or main course during the holidays.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
1 lb sweet potatoes or yams
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 egg
½ teaspoon nutmeg

1. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a knife and place in a 350° oven for 30-40 mins until tender. Cool and peel.

2. Squeeze sweet potatoes through a ricer.

3. In a small bowl combined egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Wisk.

4. Make a well in the mound of sweet potatoes and add the egg mixture (I used a fork for the whole process) incorporate well.

5. Add the flour and knead until a dough forms. It will be very soft and slightly sticky.

6. Flour your work surface and cut dough into 4-5 pieces. Roll into ropes ¾ inch thick.

7. Cut the ropes into ½ inch pieces. Lay out on well floured sheet pan in a single layer. Freeze. Once the gnocchi are hard put in ZipLoc© bag and store in freezer for up to two months.

To Cook Gnocchi:

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi and stir carefully. When water comes back to a boil and gnocchi begin to float (3 mins) strain and add directly to sauce.

Now at this point you have a choice. You can go ahead and make the Brown Butter Gorgonzola Sauce or you can just make a Brown Butter Sauce without the gorgonzola. I am going to give you both recipes.

Brown Butter Gorgonzola Sauce with Chopped Chestnuts
2 tablespoons of butter
½ cup imported Gorgonzola Dolce
1 heaping tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
Jarred Cooked Chestnuts

1. In a small sauce pan melt the butter until it is bubbling and starts to turn brown.

2. Add the sage and fry until crispy (30 seconds)

3. Add the gorgonzola and melt. Remove from heat and wisk to incorporate.

4. Add gnocchi and coat well. Plate and garnish with chopped chestnuts (I used cooked chestnuts out of a jar. You can buy at any specialty shop. Some are packed in water and that is fine)

Brown Butter Sauce with Crispy Sage Leaves and Sliced Chestnuts
2 tablespoon Butter
Fresh ground pepper
Whole sage leaves, enough to garnish all of your plates (2 per plate)
Jarred Cooked Chestnuts
Pecorino Romano, shaved

1. Melt butter in small sauce pan over medium flame until bubbling. Add sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.

2. Let the butter slowly brown. Add gnocchi to pan and coat. Plate and garnish with shaved Pecorino Romano, Crispy Sage Leaves and thinly sliced Chestnuts.

Enjoy!

The Cremaldi Cookbook

2009-12-02T16:38:00.002-05:00

THE WINNER IS...Lleia!
Thank you Lleia and Congratulations! Please email me at gcremaldi@hotmail.com so that I can get your signed cookbook out to you! Genevieve

I am feeling very bad about not having any new posts for the month of November. I have been working on a Sweet Potato Gnocchi in a Brown Butter Gorgonzola Sauce with Crispy Sage and Chestnuts post. I promise it will be up soon!
I am going to give away a signed copy of The Cremaldi Cookbook!
All you have to do is answer this question in the comment section by 7 pm EST Sunday December 6, 2009. A randomly drawn winner will be picked and announced right here on the blog by Monday December 7, 2009 3 pm EST!
Ok here is the question...

Time's Up! A winner will be posted by tomorrow at 3 pm EST. Thank you for everyone who entered! I really enjoyed reading about your favorite holiday dishes. Genevieve

What is your favorite dish to serve during the holidays?

Good luck!
Thanks for being so patient! Genevieve

Cracked Pepper and Romano Biscotti

2009-10-29T23:13:00.012-04:00

The holiday season is right around the corner! It is always around this time of year when I start thinking to myself, wouldn't it be nice to have a holiday party. I have it all planned perfectly in my head. A fire burning in the fireplace, the smell of pine from the Christmas tree, a silver punch bowl filled with eggnog, carols playing in the back ground and a room full of friends munching on Hors d'œuvres. It never works out. In the blink of an eye the season is over and we are celebrating Valentine’s Day.
I started thinking about party foods that would be easy to have on hand for an impromptu holiday gathering or a gift for someone you would like to recognize during the holidays, like the mailman or a teacher. There is nothing like giving something homemade.

Cracked Pepper and Romano Biscotti are perfect to have on hand to pull out with some delicious cheese and a bottle of wine and wonderful to give as a gift. They are also incredibly fast and easy to make.

1 1/2 Tablespoons Mixed Peppercorns, smashed
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups grated Pecorino Romano
1 1/2 sticks cold butter cut in cubes
4 eggs
1 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl combined flour, baking powder, salt, romano, peppercorns and butter. Using your fingers cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
Add eggs and milk and mix with your hands until just combined.

Using a little extra flour roll half the dough into a 12 inch log and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the roll with the palm until it is 1/2 inch thick.

Paint with a beaten egg, sprinkle with extra cheese and cracked pepper. Bake 350 degrees for 30 mins. Cool completely and slice in 1/4 inch slices. Place the slices back onto a sheet pan and place in a 200 degree oven for another 30 minutes until hard.

Pretty good on a fall night! The cheese is a White Stilton with Apricots. The sweetness of the apricots is so good with the peppercorns. Next time I am going to try the recipe with a few juniper berries. YUM!

I am adding this picture because I think they look so pretty!
The flavor is a million times better today! I can't stop crunching on them!!!!!
MAKE THEM!

The Perfect Empanada

2009-10-23T23:54:00.004-04:00

A very special person (VSP) asked me if I have ever made empanadas. Truth be told, no.
She has been trying to duplicate a pumpkin filled empanada that a friend had eaten and loved out in California. VSP has been having a problem with the dough. I forgot to ask her if she was making a savory pumpkin filling or a dessert filling. Hmmmm, I will have to find out!
For the past three weeks I have immersed myself in empanadas to try to help this VSP in her attempt to recreate the pumpkin empanada.
What I have found through my endless hours of research and development, is that empanada dough is basically flaky pastry dough or pate brisee. When you ask connoisseurs of empanadas about the ingredients they use for their dough, the answers vary as much as asking pie makers what goes into their crust. Some empanada makers use all butter and others use all shortening. Some use a little of each. Some have egg in their recipe and some use masa harina in place of flour. Some fry their empanadas and some go a healthier route of baking.
It was my mission to figure out how to create the perfect empanada!

Let's start with the dough. I have to admit I am a purest. I don't like using shortening (with the exception of our family nut roll recipe) After experimenting ad nauseam with different empanada recipes I think the perfect dough is a mix of butter and shortening! It is light. It is flaky. It holds together perfectly while shaping the empanadas. It is perfect!

Perfect Empanada Dough

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
• 10 tablespoons cold water

Making empanada dough is just like making pie crust. The butter and shortening should be cold. Use your hands as little as possible. I used my food processor.If you don’t have one it is just as easy to use your fingers and a bowl (and then run out and buy a food processor!) Put all of the ingredients except water into the bowl of a food processor and with it running pour water in a steady stream. Pulse until dough pulls together. DO NOT OVER PROCESS AND DO NOT OVER MIX WITH YOUR HANDS. The chunks of butter and shortening make the flaky layers. Chill for 30 mins.

Now on to the filling. I went the savory route. I decided to make a spicy chicken filling.

• whole chicken breast bone and skin
• 1white onion, halved (1/2 onion finely diced)
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds coarsely chopped
• 1 fresh poblano chile, charred over an open flame and sliced into strips
• 6 cups (48 ounces) vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 canned plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups shredded Queso Blanco cheese
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place chicken breast in a pot with 1/2 onion and cover with water. Poach for 15 mins. Cool until it is easy to handle. Remove skin and shred meat. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid. In a skillet heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the finely diced onion and chopped garlic.Cook until translucent and tender.

3. Add the cumin and cinnamon and cook 1 min. Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, shredded chicken, poblano pepper and reserved cup of poaching liquid. Cook over medium flame until liquid is reduced and has thickened.

4. Remove from heat and stir in chopped almonds and fresh cilantro

Take a ball of dough (1 1/2 tbsp) and roll out into small circle

Place a small amount of chicken filling on lower half of circle. Top with 1 tbsp of the shredded Queso Blanco cheese and with a pastry brush and water moisten the bottom edge. Fold over into a half moon shape.

Heat the 6 cups of vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Carefully fry empanadas until golden brown. 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towel. I served them with Cabots Sour Cream with Salsa and a wedge of lime!

These are perfect party appetizers!

Hey VSP when do I get one of your pumpkin filled empanadas???

A Soul Cake For Every Little Ghost and Goblin!

2009-10-05T00:26:00.004-04:00

Soul, Soul, a soul cake!

I pray thee, good missus, a soul cake!

One for Peter, two for Paul,

three for Him what made us all!

Soul Cake, soul cake, please good missus, a soul cake.

An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, anything good thing to make us all merry.

One for Peter, one for Paul, & three for Him who made us all.

Because the last couple of posts were savory and because it is October, and because there is no better time, I am going to finish my post on donuts!

When I think autumn, I picture the bright hues of foliage, apple picking, mulled cider, pumpkins, Indian corn and donuts.
Why are donuts associated with fall? I did some investigating!

I learned that Soul Cakes (square cakes similar to donuts) date back to medieval times in Ireland. Baked to ease malevolent spirits on All Hallows Eve, the cakes were filled with currants, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Of course we mollify modern day ghosts and goblins with Snickers, Kit Kats and M&M’s. Can you image what would happen if when greeting Hannah Montana, Sponge Bob or Ironman you were to hand them a soul cake!
Well maybe if your soul cakes looked like this it wouldn't be so bad!

When I decided that I wanted to make donuts there was the big decision yeast or no yeast. I opted for yeast.
Here's the recipe. It is not hard! If you do not like nutmeg leave it out. If you do like nutmeg it probably seems like a lot BUT IT IS NOT! It is subtle and delicious! You could replace with cinnamon but I think cinnamon is over powering and should be reserved for a little sprinkling at the end or mixed into glaze. One more thing...the dough is not super sweet. YOU HAVE TO TRY THE GLAZE!

1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2oz vegetable shortening
4 1/2 tsp yeast or 2 packages
1/3 cup warm water
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
23 oz flour

Place milk in pan and heat over low flame until just steaming not boiling. Measure out shortening (approx 1/3 cup) and place in bowl. When milk is hot slowly pour over shortening. Stir until shortening is melted. Let cool.

In a separate bowl sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let sit 5 mins until yeast starts to bubble.

Pour into stand mixer (if you don't have a stand mixer you can mix by hand with wooden spoon-it will be a real arm work out!) Add milk and shortening mixer and mix with paddle attachment until incorporated.

Add eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg and half of the flour. Mix on medium until well incorporated.

I had to do a little math when weighing the flour!

Gen's brain working hard...16oz in a pound...23oz divided by 16 = 1 lb 7oz...phew!

Add the rest of the flour mix on a slow speed for a minute then increase to medium speed and mix until the dough starts to pull away from sides of bowl.

DON'T PANIC!

This is a very sticky dough!

Flour your hands well when removing from mixer. Flour table. Knead slightly to get dough off your hands and formed into a ball. Place dough in a large bowl cover with towel and put some place warm free of drafts at let rise for 1 hour.

Again sprinkle your work surface with a little flour. Deflate dough and pat into circle 3/8 inch thick.

Cut circles.

I had help with the blog this week! The new hands belong to my mother! It was so much easier than taking pictures one handed. Thanks Mum!

We had fun making these together!

My mother even tried a cruller.

After they are cut carefully place on floured board or sheet pan. Again cover with towel and place in warm spot. Let rise 30 minutes. Then you are ready to fry. Pour oil into a frying pan 1/2 inch up sides of pan.

Heat oil to 375° and very carefully place donuts into oil.

Check after a minute or two. When they get to a golden brown carefully flip and brown other side.

Mom that is too brown!!!!

Drain on paper towels.

For glaze mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tbsp of milk. Wisk until thin but still coats back of spoon. When donuts are cool dip one side into glaze and then place on rack to let dry. If you want you can dip into jimmies or other holiday sprinkles OR sugar and cinnamon.

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Look a little goblin!

Happy Halloween!

Quiche Lorraine

2009-09-25T13:13:00.009-04:00

Fall is now in full swing. I am ready for the change of seasons. The change from summer...grilling, beaches and fruity beverages into fall..cool nights, hearty stick to the ribs stews and spiced laced desserts.

Right before summer ended I dragged Big Daddy to see the movie, Julie and Julia. We enjoyed it very much. The movie made me cry and think back on all of the wonderful memories I have of Cremaldi’s.

Julia Child was a friend of my mother and father. We have a 20 x 24 Polaroid picture, taken by photographer, (and friend extraordinaire) Elsa Dorfman, hanging in our kitchen. It was one of many Elsa Dorfman's 20 x 24 photos, that hung on the walls at Cremaldi’s, for over a decade. In the photo dated, October 18, 1988, Julia’s husband Paul, my father Cosmo, my mother Catherine and Julia (towering over all of them) stand, smiling with their arms crossed, in typical Julia style.

My mother Catherine Cremaldi (left), Julia (middle) Paul Child (right)

I remember one story my mother tells about the night my parents were invited to the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University for a special tribute to Julia. They started off the evening at Julia’s house, where they were served goldfish crackers and cocktails. Then they were of to the library where my parents were seated on either side of Julia in the front row. Half way through the tribute Julia fell into a deep sleep. Everyone started whispering and staring at the sleeping icon. The evening continued without interruption even though it was obvious that the honoree was not listening! The night was over and many people clambered around Julia offering to take her back home to Irving Street. She insisted that my dad Cosmo escort her home. In the car, Julia fell back into a deep sleep in the front seat, and my mother started snoring from the back seat.

Another time Julia invited my parents to a new Italian restaurant. The chef/owner was Danish. He had super blonde hair and a thick Danish accent. Julia asked my parents to accompany her into the kitchen to meet the owner and to try to figure out why a Danish man owned an Italian restaurant! Not noticing the large “OUT” letters on the swinging kitchen door, Julia casually walked through and in her unique high pitched tone, asked the man "What qualifies you to be an Italian cook?” He responded “I took a two week course in Italy.” In her usual pleasant yet blasé manner, Julia smiled, accepted the answer and went back to the dining room.

We have lots of Julia stories. I remember one of the first times I met her. For some reason it was decided that Julia would sign thousands of copies of her new book, Baking with Julia, at Cremaldi's??? No body filled me in on the plan and I went down to my dad's office to grab something. When I opened the door there she was, Julia Child, surrounded by stacks of her own cookbook. She looked up and said "well hello!" I was so nervous. I am sure my mouth was hanging open. She very kindly signed one of the books to me with a big heart and arrow and her famous words "Bon Appetite!"

I decided that I wanted to honor our friend Julia and the movie. Julia’s traditional Quiche Lorraine in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, is one of my favorites. In the United States we have morphed quiche into all kinds of shapes and styles. Some are thin and have pretty fluted edges, some are made with puff pastry dough, and some are even free form. The fillings in quiche have become as far out as cupcake flavors in trendy cupcake bakeries.

I want to honor tradition… the multiple sticks of butter, the numerous eggs, large amounts of heavy cream, and pounds of bacon. Characteristics that have made Lorraine the first word to pop out when conducting word association with Quiche. I want to make Julia proud! Bon Appetite!

Here we go...

I used a 9 inch pastry ring set on a cookie sheet with parchment paper

Pâte Brisée Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking:

2 cups flour (3 1/2 oz)

1/4 lb chilled butter cut into 1/2 inch bits
3 tbsp chilled vegetable shortening
2 pinches of sugar

5 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Put the flour, butter, shortening, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Rub the flour and fat together rapidly between the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes .Do not overdo this step ast the fat will be blended more thouroughly later.

Add water and blend quickly with one hand fingers held together and slightly cupped as you rapidly gather the dough into a mass. Sprinkle up to 1 tbsp more water by droplets over any unmassed remains and add them to the main body of the dough. Press dough firmly into a roughly shaped ball.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight

Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick and place in pastry shell/ring. You can do this one of two ways...fold circle of dough into quarters and place in ring. Unfold dough carefully (method I used) or you can pick up dough using your rolling pin and lay over ring carefully fit down into bottom of shell.

Don't be affraid to use your fingers. My pastry ring is 9 x 3. I would have been better off using a 9 x 2. If dough cracks don't sweat it! Just press it back together or use a scrap piece of dough to make the repair. You don't want your filling leaking out when you pour the eggs and cream into the shell.

Line shell with parchment or foil and fill with dry beans or baking weights

400 8-9 minutes

Remove parchment and beans bake 2-3 minutes

It is now ready to fill with filling!

Here is the recipe from the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck:

6-8 slices bacon
1 quart of water
8 inch partially cooked pastry shell placed on baking sheet
3 eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg
1-2 Tbsp butter cut into pea sized dots
I added Emmenthaler Cheese to my Quiche Lorraine making it Quiche Lorraine au Fromage de Gruyere. I also decided to add sliced onions
2 onions - light coat the bottom of a saute pan with canola oil. Cover onions low flame and let onions release water. Uncover and sweat for 30 mins until tender

Cut bacon into pieces about an inch long. Simmer for 5 minutes in the water Rinse in cold water, dry on paper towels and brown lightly in a skillet
(this step is optional)

Layer bacon on bottom of par baked pastry shell
At this point I covered bacon with 1/2 cup of grated Emmenthaler and the onions

Beat eggs, cream, milk and seasonings in mixing bowl until blended. Pour into shell.
I covered the top with another 1/2 cup of grated Emmenthaler

Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until quiche has puffed and browned. Remove ring. Let cool before slicing.

Just found joy

I'm as happy as a baby boy

When he's playing with the choo-choo toy

When I'm with my sweet Lorraine...

-Frank Sinatra