Kitchen Notes

Too Much Fun, Too Little Time...Plus A Favorite Cookie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Over the past couple years, I have loved cooking up new dishes and sharing them here on Kitchen Notes. I couldn't have known what to expect when I first started this site after Thanksgiving back in 2006 (2006?? Yikes!). From culinary school, to kids' cooking classes, to a little baking work at a local restaurant, it has been an exciting adventure to say the least!

Lately, though, my posts have been few and far between. I still love trying out new recipes as much as ever, but I've been more and more focused on the new adventures in my life. Things like...

A baby on the way! She's due on November 20, right around Thanksgiving. We can't wait for that Little Turkey to make her big arrival!

A new house! Who knew that picking paint colors, organizing closets, and unpacking boxes could be such a blast? (Really!)

Catching up with loved ones. Quality time with friends and family has been so important lately and there just aren't enough hours in the day! We were lucky enough to meet up with friends recently for a San Francisco getaway and it was the highlight of the summer! I guarantee you, there were lots of laughs, fun, and good food (especially our dinner at Chez Panisse!)

With all of these new and exciting developments, it's been harder and harder to find time to sit down at the computer. There's just too much fun to be had right now and I don't want to miss a thing! So although I'll still be cooking up a storm (and figuring out how to fit all of my stuff into the new kitchen), I'm going to take a break from Kitchen Notes for a while. When I come back, I'm sure it will be with a slew of great new recipes!

In the meantime, though, please enjoy this recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies. They are top of my list when it comes to cookie recipes- just so delicious and easy to make!

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 1/2 sticks margarine (Don't substitute butter- it will make the cookies spread too much!)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Demerara sugar, for rolling cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the ginger, margarine, and sugar.

3. Add in molasses and egg. Continue mixing until ingredients are fully combined.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and blend well.

5. To make each cookie, scoop out an even, small scoop of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball.

6. Roll each ball in the demerara sugar to coat evenly.

7. Place on baking sheets lined with silpats or parchment paper.

8. Bake at 350° until tops crack and cookies brown.

KitchenNotes Summer Giveaway: CSN Gift Card!

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:56:00 +0000

My, oh my! Is it just me, or is this summer just flying by? Things have seemed especially busy lately as we are getting ready to move into a new house. The days have been a blur of organizing, packing, cleaning, and taking care of home improvement projects before we move in. I definitely feel like I'm on a first name basis with the folks at my hardware store and paint shop these days!

My friends at CSN stores must have sensed the craziness that is my life because they contacted me for another KitchenNotes giveaway! Hooray! The first giveaway went so well (hope you're enjoying the LeCreuset baking set, Laura!), that I jumped at the chance to do another. This time around, the prize is a $50 gift card to spend as you wish in any of CSN's 200 stores. I guarantee you that you will have a blast spending this prize! They have a huge variety of products, great prices, and a BBB rating of A+. I, for one, have been browsing their shops quite a bit lately as we decorate the new place. Too bad I can't win this prize myself! If I could, I might pick up...

Some new wine glasses. We broke a few in the move- oops!

Anything from Dwell Studio- perhaps these cool placemats?

Or maybe I'd put it towards a great accent lamp!

What would you do with $50 from CSN?? In order to win this fun giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment with your first name and last initial, as well as how you'd like to spend the prize. Be sure to enter before Friday, August 6 at 11:59 P.M.! I'll announce the winner on Saturday, August 7. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Fresh Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:37:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but when the weather is this hot and sticky, the last thing on my mind is a big, heavy dessert. Anything frozen (popsicles!) or anything fruity, and definitely nothing that's going to heat up my kitchen any more than necessary. Despite this streak of hot weather, I was in the mood to do a little baking recently, and decided to make cupcakes with some limes I had on hand. These were surprisingly easy to put together and the fresh lime flavors were perfectly refreshing...especially when topped with some cream cheese frosting. Yum!

Fresh Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
*Juice and zest of two medium limes*
Green food coloring, optional

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
-Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
-Cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
-Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
-Add the flour mixture and blend ingredients together until only just combined.
-Stir in the milk, lime juice and zest, as well as a little green food coloring. Blend mixture until ingredients are fully incorporated.
-Portion batter into muffin cups. This recipe with make about 16 cupcakes.
-Bake in preheated oven until cakes are light golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
-After removing cupcakes from the oven, cool completely on a wire rack.
-Once completely cool, top with fresh lime frosting (recipe follows).

Fresh Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces butter (1 1/2 sticks)
12 ounces weight powdered sugar
*Zest of two medium limes*
*Juice of 1 medium lime*

Directions:
-Cream together the cream cheese and butter until blended.
-Add the powdered sugar gradually until ingredients are combined.
-Blend in juice and zest.
Mix on a high speed, and if icing is too thick, you can add a little milk or cream until frosting is smooth and creamy.
-Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe frosting over the top of each cupcake.

*Note: The limes I used when making these were medium-sized. If the ones at your market are very small or very large, adjust the amount of lime juice and zest accordingly.*

Easy Summer Cooking: Pasta Caprese

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Quite a while back, I promised my friend Heidi some simple and summery pasta recipes. The task was certainly easy enough! After all, my go-to hot weather dinner is often a combination of farmers' market finds and whatever pasta I have in the pantry. (You should definitely try my mom's summer pasta salad or this greek orzo salad before the end of the summer, by the way!)

Unfortunately, I've been a little lazy with my posting and that promise of recipes was almost forgotten. This evening, though, I realized that I had the makings of a very tasty and easy dish already on hand. Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil- how could you possibly go wrong with a combination like this? Throw it together, serve warm (maybe alongside some grilled chicken), and you've got a perfect summer dinner!

Pasta Caprese

Ingredients:
16 ounces penne pasta
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup chiffonade of basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
-Bring a pot of water on to boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain and put pasta in a serving bowl.
-Toss halved grape tomatoes and vinegar together and set aside while preparing other ingredients.
-Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add minced shallots and saute over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
-Add tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking until tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes.
-Remove from heat and pour tomato mixture over pasta. Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the juices out of the pot and into the serving dish.
-Fold in the fresh mozzarella cubes and plenty of basil. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
-Serve warm!

Sundried Tomato Basil Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Julia Child once said that "with enough butter, anything is good." If said butter is kicked up with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil, I'd tend to agree! Compound butters add great flavor to all kinds of dishes, and this one is especially yummy. Finish a piece of grilled chicken or steak with it for a subtle hint of flavor, or use to punch up baked potatoes and veggies. I don't imagine it would be half bad on some crusty bread either!

These butters keep really well in the fridge or freezer, and are perfectly easy to make when you've got extra ingredients (like fresh herbs) on hand. I often make lemon dill compound butter to complement roasted chicken or grilled fish, but this tomato basil might be my new favorite. With the abundance of fresh herbs right now, why not make a batch of each and put aside? You'll be surprised with all the different ways you'll use them!

Sundried Tomato Basil Compound Butter

Ingredients:
8 oz. butter, softened
1/3 cup drained and finely chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
-Cut the softened butter into pieces and place in mixing bowl.
-Add remaining ingredients and bring together with a rubber spatula or bowl scraper.
-Take half of the compound butter and place dabs in a line along the length of a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
-Fold one side of the parchment over the butter.
-Press and shape together to make a log of butter.
-Repeat with remaining half.
-Refrigerate logs until firm, then twist ends of paper together.
-The butter can keep for several days in the fridge, or longer in the freezer. Store paper-wrapped logs in a resealable plastic bag if freezing.

Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:07:00 +0000

At this time of year, when there is an abundance of fresh fruit (especially berries!), there's nothing better than a beautiful tart for dessert. I think this one is sure to please both chocolate lovers and fruit fans alike! I made up a simple chocolate tart shell and filled it with rich chocolate ganache and lots of fresh berries. This chocolate tart dough is a variation on my walnut tart crust- omitting the nuts and swapping some of the flour for cocoa powder. It turned out great- good chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. You get plenty of sweetness from the ganache and raspberries, after all!

Although the length of the directions may fool you, this is a fairly simple dessert to put together. Plus it looks so lovely served on a nice plate! It's one of those recipes that's great to do when you have other things going on in the kitchen- while the tart dough is chilling and baking, you can do the dishes or work on another recipe. Once that shell is cooled, making the ganache and assembling the dessert couldn't be easier. It is a fantastic summer treat!

Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Tart

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups of flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 ounces cold butter, cubed
2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Filling:
8 ounces heavy cream

8 ounces chopped semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate

1 Tablespoon raspberry liqueur
Topping:
Fresh raspberries
Raspberry preserves

Raspberry liqueur

Special Equipment:
9 inch fluted tart pan
Rolling pin
Parchment paper or a large coffee filter
Pie weights or dried beans

Directions:

-Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and the salt. Place the dry mix in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
-Add the butter and pulse a few times- just until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in pea-sized pieces.*
-Add the egg, milk/cream, and vanilla and pulse a few more times- just until the dough starts to come together.*
*Be careful not to overwork the dough in these steps! Overworking the dough will yield a tough crust!
-Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic and chill.
-While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling for the tart. In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove pan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk gently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add in the raspberry liqueur.
-Cool ganache at room temperature until needed.
-Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-On a surface floured with cocoa powder, roll out the dough to a size slightly larger than the size of your tart pan (account for the height of the pan sides when rolling the dough). Use the rolling pin and roll up the dough around it and unroll the dough over the tart pan.
-Press down lightly all along the bottom lip of the pan. Roll the rolling pin across the top of the pan to trim off the excess dough.

-Prick surface of crust a few times with a fork and chill the dough for a few minutes.
-Line the tart dough with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
-Remove parchment and weights and continue baking until crust is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let the crust cool.
-Once it is completely cool and ganache has thickened slightly, remove tart from pan and fill with the ganache. Chill for an hour or so in the fridge until ganache is slightly firm.

-Top with concentric rows of fresh raspberries.
-Warm raspberry preserves until fluid and stir in a splash of raspberry liqueur. Brush over the top of the berries to glaze.
-Chill until ready to serve!

Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:45:00 +0000

Have you heard about this glut of tomatoes that we are currently experiencing? I read in the Wall Street Journal recently that tomatoes have gone from shortage to surplus and I therefore eagerly anticipated this week's Farmer's Market. I had a feeling it was a little early for perfectly ripe tomatoes here in this neck of the woods, but I hoped for some green tomatoes to use for pickling. (If you've never had a green tomato pickle before, you are truly missing out on something good!) Alas, not a tomato to be had- green or otherwise- but I did come home with a bucket of pickling cucumbers, among other things. This was not a bad consolation prize as I had a pretty fantastic recipe for bread and butter chips laying around.

The recipe is taken from my binder of culinary school recipes. I remember how delicious the pickles turned out when we made them in class, but there were a lot of holes in the directions that left me feeling confused. So I prepped all my veggies, covered them with ice, and headed on over to my father-in-law's for a crash course in canning. Vance Scarsella is an absolute pro when it comes to preserving and canning- his pantry is stocked with homemade jams, fresh tomato sauce, and jars and jars of veggies straight from his garden. After looking at my recipe, he tweaked it a little and filled in all those informational gaps, resulting in a pickle that was even more amazing than I remember. Plus, they weren't too hard to make either. This is definitely one I'm holding on to for future use!

*If you are interested in learning more about canning, my father-in-law recommends The Ball "Blue Book of Preserving." It is his go-to reference book for all things canning!

Bread and Butter Pickles

Yield: About 4 pints

Ingredients:

3 pounds of 4- to 5- inch pickling cucumbers

1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced onions

1/4 cup canning or pickling salt**

2 cups white vinegar

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbs. mustard seed

2 tsp. celery seed

1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

**I've learned that pickling salt is somewhat hard to come by, and most people don't use it anyway. You need a salt that is free of additives. My father-in-law just uses Kosher salt, and I've read that others grind Kosher salt in a food processor to get the fine grain of pickling salt. Do not, however, use table salt- it won't work!

Directions:

-Prep jars and canning equipment: Wash jars, caps, and bands in hot soapy water and rinse carefully. Have a large pot of water ready on the stove. Prior to canning, you will add the jars and lids to the water and bring to a simmer. The water should be kept simmering until jars and lids are needed.

-Wash cucumbers thoroughly and slice off ends. Cut cucumbers into 3/16-inch slices.

-Cut off the ends of each onion and peel. Cut onion in half and slice into thin slices.

-Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and stir in pickling salt until thoroughly combined.

-Cover vegetables with a 2-inch layer of cubed or crushed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed to keep vegetables covered.

-Drain and rinse vegetables. Set aside until needed.

-Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

-Add the drained and rinsed vegetables to the pot and slowly reheat to boiling. As the vegetables will be quite cold, this will take some time. Once the mixture has reached a boil, remove from heat.

-Remove jars and lids from the pot of simmering water. Keep the water simmering and fill jars with vegetables and cooking syrup, leaving 1/4- inch headspace at the top of each jar.

-Use a nonmetallic spatula to remove any air bubbles from the jar and wipe the rim clean with a damp cloth. Place lid on the jar and tightly screw the band in place.

-Add jars to the simmering water and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, process for 10 minutes.

-Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Then, check for a seal. Properly sealed jars can be stored in your pantry until ready to use.

From the Kendall Files: Focaccia Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:39:00 +0000

If you've ever thought about baking your own bread, this is a great recipe to get you started! It was one of the first breads I made while in school and it helped me get over that silly aversion to yeasted doughs. Why? Focaccia is made with simple ingredients, boasts straightforward and fairly quick directions, and can be adapted in countless different ways. It's like the little black dress of the bread world!

The original version is simple and so good- flavored with just a sprinkling of chopped rosemary and salt. I had some roma tomatoes laying around, as well as some parmesan cheese, so they were used to jazz up this batch just a little. Feel free to put your own twist on this recipe with the fresh ingredients you have on hand. My recommendation, though, is to go easy on the toppings. This bread is meant to be light and airy, and too much on top will weigh the bread down. Focaccia is so good straight out of the oven, or leftover slices can be toasted lightly and served for up to three days afterwards.

Focaccia (Roman Flatbread)

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
12 fl. oz. water, lukewarm
18 oz. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
Olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
Additional toppings:
2-3 blanched whole roma tomatoes
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Line a half-sheet pan (12x18 inches) with parchment paper. Use olive oil to grease the pan, paying special attention to the pan's sides.
2. Combine the sugar, yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
3. Stir in the flour, 4 ounces at a time.
4. Stir in the salt and the onion. Mix well, with the dough hook on low speed, until dough is smooth. Alternately, you can knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside until doubled. This will not take too long!
6. While dough is rising, thinly slice the roma tomatoes and lay slices on paper towels to drain.
7. Punch down the dough, then flatten it onto the prepared sheet pan It should be no more than 1 inch thick. (I flattened my dough the length and width of the pan, but for a thicker focaccia, you may not want to flatten it this much). Use your fingertips to make indentations across the surface of the bread dough.
8. Brush the top of the dough with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Arrange tomato slices across the top and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary, parmesan cheese, and salt, to taste.
9. Let the dough proof until doubled, approximately 20 minutes.
10. Once the dough has doubled, bake in a preheated 400°F oven until lightly browned, approximately 20 minutes.

Greek Orzo Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Although the current patch of bad weather would lead us to believe otherwise, summer is really upon us! I'm definitely looking forward to the warmer weather, time at the beach, BBQ's, and picnics on the lawn at Ravinia. Living just minutes from Ravinia growing up, packing a picnic and catching one of their concerts was a favorite summer tradition. I've definitely seen Tony Bennett, the CSO, and Peter, Paul, and Mary more times than most would deem necessary!

Now, I'm not one of those intense glassware-and-candlebra-toting Ravinia goers , but I do pack a mean picnic. This orzo salad is one of my favorite things to bring. Easy to assemble, full of yummy stuff, and yielding enough for a crowd, it is well suited for a picnic, a party, or a barbeque. I brought it along to Ravinia the other night to listen to Earth, Wind, and Fire with friends. Despite almost getting washed away due to a burst of rainstorms, we had a great time and there was plenty of orzo salad for all. I wish the same could be said for the lemon bars I made- they suffered a wet and soggy fate!

Greek Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
16 ounces orzo pasta
2 bell peppers, diced (I like to use either red, orange, or yellow peppers to add color to the salad)
1 medium cucumber, deseeded and diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 good-sized lemon
A couple tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions. When al dente, drain and set aside to cool.
2. Prepare all veggies and stir into cooked and cooled orzo.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and dill.
4. Pour over the orzo and veggie mixture and stir to combine
5. Fold in the crumbled feta and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Homemade Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:28:00 +0000

One kitchen tool I wish I made better use of is my pasta machine. The ingredients used to make fresh pasta couldn't be simpler, the result is so good, and it happens to be pretty fun to make. Pasta-making is a little bit of a process, though, and not something I tend to do after a long day of work when I want to get dinner on the table. Over a long weekend when things are a little less chaotic? Sure, no problem! We made a few batches of pasta- a little to enjoy now, a little to keep in the fridge, and a lot to freeze. I think that's definitely the way to do it, especially since fresh pasta will keep nicely in the fridge for about a week and in the freezer for a couple months.

If you decide to make your own pasta (which I think you should- it's lots of fun!), here are a few things to keep in mind:

-For the flour, you have a variety of options. You can use a blend of all-purpose flour and semolina (about 2/3 AP flour and 1/3 semolina), type 00 flour (available at Italian markets), or just all-purpose flour. King Arthur also makes a great pasta blend, but all of these options work just fine for home pasta making.

-Allowing the dough rest after kneading is really important. Don't underestimate this step! It allows the glutens you've developed to relax so your finished product will be tender.

-You can make fresh pasta by hand or a machine. The machine is lots of fun to use and you can pick one up relatively cheaply at kitchen stores or Italian markets. I've included links that show you the step-by-step for both handmade pasta and pasta made with a machine.

-You do not need to buy a special drying rack for pasta. Thekitchn.com has some great ideas for drying pasta without a rack. You can also take portions of cut pasta, twist slightly, mound into nests, and sprinkle with a little flour. I like this method as it preportions the pasta and makes it easy to store.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

A pinch or two of salt

4 eggs

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour and salt.

2. In a large bowl (or on the counter, if you're brave) mound the flour. Use the bottom of the measuring cup or the back of a ladle to make a well in the center of the flour.

3. Crack eggs into the well and use a fork to beat the eggs lightly.

4. Once the eggs are beaten, use the fork to draw flour into the eggs. Continue incorporating flour into the eggs until a dough starts forming.

5. Use your hands to bring the dough together and turn out onto your work surface.

6. Knead the dough by hand until smooth and pliable, about 8-10 minutes.

7. Flatten slightly to form a disk and wrap in plastic. Put dough in fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

*To make the pasta by hand, click here for some great directions.

*To make pasta using a pasta machine, follow directions for your machine or click here.

*When you are ready to cook the pasta, these tips are just great!

Michael Romano's Famous Mustard Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:33:00 +0000

It is always a treat to stop by the Romano's house, especially when there's cooking involved! Whether it's his delicious biscotti or signature tomato sauce, Michael Romano's dishes are the ones you want to recreate at home. So when Mike and I were invited over to make lasagna and meatballs, we jumped at the chance. I fully intended to take tons of pictures and copious notes for future use, but the problem is, I got totally distracted. You see, there always seems to be a dish of pretzels and the famous mustard dip out for nibbling when we stop by. This isn't just any mustard dip either- it is highly addictive! Over the years, I'm pretty sure I've eaten my weight in pretzels and Romano mustard dip. It's a little sweet from the honey and brown sugar, but not overly so. The tabasco sauce and crushed red pepper flakes give it a little kick to balance out that sweetness.

It is so so good and coincidentally, so so easy to make. Believe it or not, the recipe I've included is one fourth of the original- the Romano's make it in bulk and share! I contemplated cutting the recipe down even further, but it is so convenient to use 1 jar of mayo, 1 jar of mustard, and 1 bottle of honey rather than a little bit of each. What could you do with all of that leftover mayo anyway? Even at one fourth of the original, the recipe still makes quite a lot, so I always have a few clean and empty jars on hand for bottling it. It keeps so well in the fridge and is perfect for sharing!

The Famous Mustard Dip

Ingredients:

32 ounce jar regular mayonnaise
16 ounce bottle yellow mustard
16 ounce bottle honey
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 ounces dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste

Directions:
1. Combine first six ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Fold in onion flakes, poppy seeds and red pepper flakes.
3. Stir until ingredients are fully combined and season to taste with a little salt.
4. Portion into jars with tight-fitting lids and refrigerate.
*This dip is best made ahead of time so the flavors can really develop.

Grill Pan Pizza: Artichoke A La Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:49:00 +0000

(Image courtesy of onmilwaukee.com)

Did you ever go to Pizza Man? I hope you had the chance, especially as it sadly burned down in January. Pizza Man was this super popular restaurant on the east side of Milwaukee with one of the most extensive wine lists I've seen. The pizza was by far my favorite- hands-down. It had this thin crisp crust, amazing sauce, and some of the most interesting topping combinations you could imagine. When we were in college, my now-husband and I had a few dates there (as well as a few too many selections from that large wine list, but that's another story entirely).

Our favorite thing to order there was the "Artichoke A La Mode" pizza. It was topped with artichokes, cream cheese, and sliced tomatoes. The combination only seems crazy if you've never tried it- that pizza was one of the restaurant's most popular. I've had such a hankering for it lately and figured I could try to recreate it at home. To get the crisp crust, I used my All-Clad grill pan, first on the stove and then in the oven to finish the pizza. The method is really simple and you can use it for just about any combination of toppings, as long as you don't load the pizza up too much. Less can be more, especially with this unbelievable combination of artichokes and cream cheese. Yum!

Artichoke A La Mode Pizza

*Makes 1 12-inch pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 recipe of my pizza dough (recipe follows- make the whole batch and save 1/2 for another pizza)

Olive oil

2/3 cup (or so) pizza sauce

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts

2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese ( I used 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup romano, and 1/4 cup parmesan)

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Place 12-inch grill pan (or cast-iron skillet) in oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Once pizza dough has doubled, punch down and allow to rest while preparing other ingredients.

3. Have artichokes chopped, cream cheese cubed, cheese grated, and tomatoes sliced before you start working with the dough!

4. After assembling all of the ingredients, lightly flour your work surface and roll out dough into a 12-inch circle.

5. Use an oven mitt to remove grill pan from preheated oven and set on stove top. (The pan's handle will be very hot!)

6. Drizzle a little olive oil over the surface of the pan and set the heat to medium high.

7. Quickly and carefully transfer the dough to the hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

8. Use a pair of kitchen tongs to flip the crust over. While pan is still on the heat, quickly top the pizza with prepared ingredients- sauce, then artichokes and cream cheese, grated cheese, and a topping of fresh tomatoes.

9. Use an oven mitt to transfer grill pan to oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

10. Once pizza is ready, slide out of grill pan onto a large plate, cut, and serve.

My Favorite Pizza Dough

*Makes 2 12-inch pizzas

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place the warm water and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water.

3. Stir the yeast into the water, making sure the yeast is fully dissolved. Set the bowl aside and allow the yeast to proof for a few minutes while measuring and preparing other ingredients.

4. In another mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt.

5. Check the yeast- it should have bubbled a bit and look foamy. If not, your yeast may be outdated.

6. Into the yeast mixture, add the flour mixture and the olive oil.

7. Stir the ingredients together until they start to form a ball.

8. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

9. Lightly coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with olive oil.

10. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top.

11. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

12. When ready to use the dough, punch dough down and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before rolling out, topping, and baking.

Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:51:00 +0000

I love this time of year! The weather is getting warmer, flowers are blooming, and we are getting the first of our seasonal and local produce. I've been enjoying the asparagus, of course, as well as fresh greens. At this time of year, though, I really love baking with strawberries and rhubarb most of all. Whether in a sauce, a simple crisp, or these turnovers, strawberries and rhubarb are a combination that can't be beat. Plus, rhubarb won't be available for too long, so take advantage of it while you can, right?

The balsamic vinegar may seem like a funny addition to the recipe, but it definitely makes a difference. It really brings out the flavor of the strawberries without tasting vinegar-y, and I've long used it to punch up a variation of my panna cotta. However, it didn't occur to me to use it in a recipe like this until Mike's grandmother passed the tip on to me. I loved the simple difference that it made. The fruit tasted just a little bit more sweet and flavorful, which complemented that flaky pastry so nicely. It is such a tasty and simple spring treat!

Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers

Ingredients:
2 cups diced strawberries
1 3/4 cups diced rhubarb
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Flour, for dusting work surface

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine strawberries and rhubarb in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
4. In another small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.
5. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture to the fruit and incorporate fully.
6. Set fruit mixture aside and lightly flour work surface.
7. On the floured surface, unfold a sheet of puff pastry and roll out into a square of about 12x12 inches.
8. Cut pastry into fourths and brush edges of each square with egg.

9. Use a slotted spoon to spoon fruit mixture neatly onto half of each pastry square. The slotted spoon will prevent excess liquid in your pastry.
10. Fold the pastry diagonally over the fruit and seal edges with a fork.
11. Cut three small slits along the top of each pastry, brush with more egg wash, and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
12. Repeat process with the other sheet of pastry and remaining fruit.
13. Arrange turnovers on two baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats.
14. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and puffy.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blackberry Coulis

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:46:00 +0000

I haven't been the most diligent about posting recipes here on Kitchen Notes lately, I know that. There's been lots of baking going on in my kitchen, I promise, I just haven't been taking the time to post as often as I should. I'm awfully sorry for being such a slacker, but the problem is that I'm totally distracted. You see, several files of my Nonny's old recipes have come into my possession and I have been poring over them for weeks! Every time I think I've looked over them all, I come across a new and interesting one that I haven't seen before. It has been great fun going through all of them!

Although my grandmother would never have considered herself a great cook, she really knew her way around the kitchen and loved to collect recipes. Her files were full of newspaper clippings, carefully written recipes from family and friends, and notes in Nonny's handwriting explaining when she enjoyed that particular dish- "served at Lenoir's birthday party" or "Marjorie made this for our ladies' tea." I was especially touched to see so many of my Mom's recipes included in there! Poking through these recipes has definitely been a nostalgic experience.

Now this recipe for cream cheese pound cake looked pretty unassuming- a yellowed newspaper clipping with an Ovaltine ad on the back- and I don't remember my Nonny ever making it. However, I couldn't put it back into the file without trying it out first. I am a firm believer in the fact that cream cheese makes everything better, and I loved the simplicity of the ingredients. The cake turned out unbelievably good- light, flavorful, and especially tasty when served with my simple blackberry sauce and vanilla whipped cream. The only thing I'd change in the future is to have some extra blackberries and maybe a few mint leaves to garnish each dessert.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste)
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1 /2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and cream cheese until light. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly, then add the vanilla.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture, beating well.
4. Pour into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 75 minutes, or until wooden pick in center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn onto rack to cool completely.
7. Slice into triangles and serve with blackberry coulis and vanilla bean whipped cream

Blackberry Coulis

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
24 ounces fresh blackberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar. Add blackberries and bring mixture to a boil.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, until blackberries break down slightly and mixture is thickened.
3. Puree using a blender or food processor and strain into a clean bowl using a fine mesh strainer.
4. Stir in lemon juice and cool before serving with the cream cheese pound cake.
5. When ready to serve, pool a little coulis on the dessert plate and arrange pound cake triangles on top of it. You may not need all of it!

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

*Make just prior to serving!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream, very cold

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Directions:

1. Store metal mixing bowl and wire whisk in freezer until ready to make whipped cream. Remove from freezer and add sugar to the mixing bowl.

2. Pour the cold cream over the sugar and whisk until mixture reaches soft peaks (the consistency of a milkshake).

3. Add the vanilla bean paste and continue whisking just until mixture reaches stiff peaks.

4. Serve a spoonful of whipped cream with the pound cake and blackberry sauce.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Raspberry Gelee

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Over the weekend, my school had "Nite Lites", its big, annual benefit. It's lots and lots of fun every year- definitely a can't miss event! The entire school is transformed for dinner, drinks, music, and fun in a theme more and more creative than the year before. This year, the theme was "Night at The Museum" and I was amazed at all of the fun and festive touches- reproductions of famous paintings created by our junior high art students, an Easter Island head built by one of the dads, and of course, a huge T-rex "skeleton" was on display. Everything looked awesome!

As in previous years, I was asked to do desserts for the event. Also as in previous years, I waited a little longer than I should have to start making the desserts. Someday I'll learn my lesson not to wait to the last minute, but I have to admit that I was pretty happy with how my treats turned out. I went with my standby- buttermilk panna cotta- because it is simple to put together, the recipe multiplies easily, and you can adapt it in countless ways to create an impressive dessert (see my recipes for panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and panna cotta with cranberries and cinnamon shortbread). For Nite Lites, I topped the panna cotta with a layer of raspberry gelee and garnished it with fresh raspberries, a mint leaf, and a mini meringue kiss. I dipped the bottom of each kiss in a layer of white chocolate and let the chocolate set fully before garnishing. This meant that the meringue wouldn't get soggy sitting on top of the dessert. The desserts turned out really tasty and were simple enough for the procrastinators (like me) who wait until the night before!

Buttermilk Panna Cotta
*Makes 12!

Ingredients:
3 cups buttermilk
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Directions:
-Pour buttermilk into a mixing bowl and set aside.
-Bloom gelatin in the water and set aside.
-In a medium saucepan, combine cream and sugar.
-Bring this mixture to a simmer.
-Remove from heat, add vanilla, and incorporate bloomed gelatin fully.
-Strain this mixture into the buttermilk.
-Cool slightly.
-Pour panna cotta into glasses or punch cups and chill until set (3-4 hours).

Raspberry Gelee

Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 Tbs. cold water

16 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
-Bloom gelatin in the water and set aside.
-Puree raspberries and use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds.
-Combine puree with sugar in a medium saucepan.
-Bring to a simmer, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
-Remove from heat and incorporate bloomed gelatin fully.
-Once gelatin is dissolved, pass the gelee through the fine mesh strainer set over a clean mixing bowl.
-Allow gelee to cool slightly before portioning equally over the chilled and set panna cottas.
-Refrigerate until raspberry gelee is set.
-Serve with fresh raspberries, mint leaves, and meringue kisses, if desired.

My Dinner with Charlie Baggs (and LeCreuset Winner!)

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:11:00 +0000

Thanks to all who entered the first ever Kitchen Notes Giveaway! Who knew that having a contest could be so fun? To select the winner, I used Random Integer Generator...

...and the winner is comment #10, Laura. Congratulations, Laura! The cobalt blue bakeware set is yours! Please email me at meghanscarsella@yahoo.com with your contact information and I'll send the prize your way.

Now, on to the next matter at hand- my dinner with Charlie Baggs! You may or may not have heard his name before, but I guarantee, he's had an impact on what you eat. Charlie runs a food service consulting firm specializing in product and flavor development, culinary training, and nutritional labels for a wide variety of big-name companies and restaurants. His clients include Gerber Baby Food, Tyson Chicken, Tropicana, and Hershey's, just to name a few! Mike and I, along with our friends Matt and Lindsay, had the opportunity to have dinner, prepared by Charlie and staff, in his research kitchen. What a treat it was!

Charlie and his staff set a beautiful table and dotted the kitchen with votive candles and bunches of flowers. We were greeted with some canapes and shooters of butternut squash soup. Then one of Charlie's chefs, Adam, served as mixologist and whipped up some amazing cocktails using Hum Spirits to start the meal, as well as a trio of non-alcoholic libations to be paired with the amuse bouche. For the life of me, I can't remember what each one was, but they complemented the flavors of the amuse perfectly!

As we were seated for the meal, Charlie and Katie, his intern from Kendall College, were hard at work finishing and plating the meal. They didn't at all object to me nosing my way into the kitchen to take pictures and ask questions. It's always fun to watch the chefs at work!

On the menu for the evening?

1. Arugula salad with shaved fennel, blood oranges, avocado, spiced pumpkin seeds, and a citrus vinaigrette.

2. Pan-seared whitefish and asparagus puree with slow roasted eggplant and tomato sauce.

3. Roasted chicken, flank steak with chimichurri, whipped potatoes, and roasted vegetables.

4. Cheese plate with dried fruits and spiced nuts.

The meal was amazing- focusing on flavorful presentations of simple ingredients. The highlight of the meal, aside from having Charlie's 10 year old son as our special guest and honorary server, was the dessert. They prepared a s'mores pudding parfait, which was so delicious and as I learned later, quite easy to put together. Chase, Charlie's son, generously shared a copy of the recipe with us and I think it is the perfect dessert to serve when company comes. Try it for yourself and see what I mean!

S'Mores Pudding Parfait

From The Hershey Kitchens

Ingredients:

1 package (4-serving size) vanilla cook&serve pudding and pie filling mix*

1 cup Hershey's semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided

Toasted miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Prepare pudding mix as directed on package.

2. Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate chips and stir until melted.

3. Cool 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour into bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or until cold.

5. To assemble each parfait, place 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs in bottom of each dessert or parfait glass.

6. Top with 3 tablespoons chocolate pudding.

7. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs on top, followed by two more tablespoons of chocolate pudding.

8. Just before serving, garnish with toasted miniature marshmallows. (Katie simply placed the marshmallows on top of the dessert and toasted them with a kitchen torch)

9. Serve immediately! (Makes 6)

First Ever KitchenNotes Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:58:00 +0000

Eeek! How is it April 15 already? Time has just flown by and I can't believe I haven't posted anything here on KitchenNotes for over two weeks. Between sunning and swimming with my family in Florida over break and then coming back to find that my laptop's hard drive had crashed (don't get me started on that one), I guess I've been a little preoccupied...

It's nothing that a giveaway can't cure, though! That's right- KitchenNotes is having a giveaway for the first time ever and I happen to think the prize is pretty great. I am an unabashed fan of all things LeCreuset, so the lucky winner will get a LeCreuset Bakeware set in the color of your choice. The set includes a 9-inch and 5- inch stoneware baking dish in either Caribbean, Cobalt, Cherry, or Kiwi. I'm awfully partial the caribbean and I use my set for just about everything- especially for whipping up a quick tiramisu.

This fun little contest is thanks to CSN Stores. You might be familiar with their site, Cookware.com, because of the amazing array of all things kitchen-related (and their great sales). In my opinion, they have an especially good selection of LeCreuset. Beyond that, I'm pretty sure CSN sells everything under the sun- dinnerware, grills, even home bars - and has a BBB rating of A+, so you can online shop in peace!

I encourage you to check out the CSN sites, but to win my contest, all you have to do is leave a comment here on KitchenNotes with your first name, last initial, and the LeCreuset color you like most (caribbean, cobalt, cherry, or kiwi). Easy, right?

The deadline for entering is Saturday, April 17 at 11:59 P.M.

I'll choose the winner randomly on Monday, April 19 so be sure to check back and see if you won. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

From the Kendall Files: Decorated Butter Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:49:00 +0000

With Easter right around the corner, I feel like I've been in baking overdrive! All the usual items for the restaurant, plus lots of treats for my upcoming family parties, mean the dishes are piled a little higher in the sink and my counters are looking awfully floury. I can't complain, though, especially with cute cookies like these! Although they are a bit more labor intensive, I love making decorated cookies for holidays and special occasions. They can be decorated as simply or as elaborately as you'd like and look so sharp when individually wrapped in cellophane bags tied with a colorful ribbon.

I can't even begin to tell you how many of these cookies I've made over the years and all the different ways they were decorated- tuxedoes for a cake decorating event at Lincoln Park Zoo, hearts for an end of the year event at my school, and lots of snowflakes for a fun and edible Christmas tree. Each time, I find myself going back to the same recipes for simple butter cookies decorated with royal icing. The recipes are pulled from one of my old Kendall textbooks- "Professional Cake Decorating" by Toba Garrett and are just about perfect, with one minor adjustment. One of my chef instructors told me that the secret to really precise cut-out cookies is to omit the leavener (the baking powder or soda). So I've left it out of this recipe here and I guarantee you won't miss it, especially when you see how perfect the finished cookies are for decorating.

For some great tips and ideas for decorating your cookies, please click here!

*These measurements are by weight, and not volume, so break out that digital scale!

Best Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

8 oz. unsalted butter, softened

8 oz. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

12 oz. all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line several half-sheet pans with parchment or silpats.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another minute or two.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is well combined.
4. Sift flour and add to the butter mixture gradually, a few ounces at a time, until just combined. Reserve the last few ounces of flour and sprinkle over work surface.
5. Turn dough out onto the floured surface and knead gently into the flour until it is all incorporated into the dough. Don't overwork the dough!
6. Divide the dough into four parts. Place three of the pieces of dough into a large ziploc bag and leave one out to roll and cut.
7. Flour the work surface and roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Run a large offset metal spatula under the dough to prevent it from sticking.
8. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters and arrange on baking sheets.
9. Gather remaining scraps and knead into next ball of dough. Repeat process until all dough is used.
10. Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges begin to brown lightly. The time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the cookies.
11. Let cookies rest on baking sheet until cool. Transfer to a wire rack and decorate.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

4 ounces cold water

1 1/4 ounces Meringue Powder (found in the cake decorating section of craft stores)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

16 ounces powdered sugar

Corn syrup, for flood icing

Gel paste food coloring

Directions:

-Measure the water into the bowl of a mixer. Add the meringue powder and stir to dissolve slightly.

-Whip the meringue powder and water together until soft peaks form (this looks like the consistency of a milkshake).

-Add the vanilla and gradually add the sugar while whisking at a low speed until combined.

-Whip at a medium high speed until stiff peaks form- it will be very thick and glossy.

-When ready to decorate cookies, prepare icings. Separate royal icing into two separate bowls. Cover one bowl and set aside. This is what you will use to pipe details. Add light corn syrup to the other bowl, one tablespoon at a time, just until the icing has a slight flow consistency. This will be the "flood icing" you'll use to cover the surface of each cookie. You want the flood icing to be easy to spread on a cookie but not too fluid as you want the icing layer to harden and dry.

-Tint flood icing as desired and spread evenly over the surface of each cookie. A small offset metal spatula is great for this job!

-Allow flood icing to harden completely before piping details.

-When ready, tint the royal icing (the portion without corn syrup) and pipe onto cookies to create detail. Sprinkles, small candies, and candy melts can also be used.

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip AuntCakes

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:11:00 +0000

My niece and nephew came for a sleepover last night and it was loads of fun. They took Elwood for a walk, or more accurately, Elwood dragged Connor and Susie around the neighborhood by his leash. We went to go see a movie- "How to Train a Dragon", which was "half good and half scary." And of course, the weekend wouldn't be complete unless we did some cooking. I promised them some kitchen time, so this morning, we got up to make a breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

Connor, being quite the math guy, was super excited to measure all of the different ingredients. We used Michael Ruhlman's pancake ratio as a starting point, making a few of our own tweaks here and there. He really seemed to get a kick out of using the digital scale and I was so impressed with how quickly he figured out the different measurements.

Susie then jumped in to offer her pancake flipping expertise. She manned the stove from a kitchen stool and needed very little assistance to create perfect pancakes. We used an ice cream scoop to easily portion out the batter and she seemed to know just when to flip them! The pancakes, or "auntcakes" as Connor and Susie nicknamed them, turned out so delicious. Especially when served up with some strawberries and maple syrup.

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:
8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) buttermilk
2 ounces (4 Tbs.) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl- flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Continue whisking while adding in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Overstirring will result in a tough pancake. The batter will be slightly thick.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips and allow batter to sit for a few minutes.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add enough butter to grease the pan.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter into the pan and use back of scoop to spread batter slightly.
7. Cook until pancakes brown lightly on bottoms and bubbles begin to appear on the top.
8. Use a metal spatula to flip the pancakes and cook on other side until lightly brown.

9. Stack finished pancakes on a plate and serve with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries, and maple syrup.

O'Tiramisu

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Growing up in a big Irish family with the last name of Dempsey, you might guess that St. Patrick's was a big day for us. You'd be quite wrong. St. Patrick's wasn't just a day- my family seemed to stretch out the fun for what seemed like most of March! There were, of course, the requisite trips to Hackney's and Grandpa's to hear the Sullivan Brothers perform our favorite Irish songs. They never seemed to mind a few out-of-tune voices chiming in! Then we had the long stream of parties and events that yours truly danced at (have I ever mentioned my past life as an Irish dancer?). Finally, back when Chicago's St. Patrick's Day Parade was still on March 17, you'd better believe our parents pulled us out of school to attend.

Each year at each of these events, my Dad would, without fail, find an unsuspecting individual so he could retell his favorite joke: "Do you know the shortest book ever written?" (Long pause) "A Complete Guide to Gourmet Irish Cooking!" (Hardy har har!) I guess that's what a solid month of corned beef and cabbage will do to you!

Although I definitely look forward to making that traditional dinner of corned beef, cabbage, and soda bread each year, I couldn't resist making this tiramisu in Dad's honor. He loved Italian food and I think he'd appreciate the touch of Bailey's Irish Cream and kitschy shamrock on top! It would certainly be the perfect opportunity to find a new person with whom he could share his Irish humor!

Bailey's Irish Cream Tiramisu

From BakingBites.com

Ingredients:
8-oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
Packaged ladyfinger cookies (I used a package of 24. You may need more or less)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for finishing

Directions:
-In a large mixing bowl, beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla at high speed until mixture is fluffy and very smooth.
-In a small, shallow bowl, combine coffee and Bailey's. Quickly dip both sides of each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture so that it soaks up some of the liquid. Place in the bottom of a 8×8 baking dish. The bottom of the pan should be completely covered with the ladyfingers in a single layer.
-When there is a full layer of ladyfingers, spread half of the cream mixture on top of them.
-Repeat with remaining ladyfingers and cream mixture to create another layer of each.
-To create the shamrock, draw or print a large shamrock on a piece of parchment. Cut out and lay the shamrock on top of the tiramisu and dust with cocoa powder. Once the surface is dusted, gently brush excess cocoa from the parchment. Carefully peel parchment from the tiramisu.
-Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Back in July, when Mike and adopted our puppy, we commented on our good fortune landing such a "perfect dog". Part Boxer, part AmStaff, and cute as a button, Elwood's calm and docile nature won us over immediately. We brought the sleepy little pup home, he recovered from the bad bout of Kennel Cough that was making him so sleepy, and has been streaking around the neighborhood like a bolt of lightning ever since. There is nothing calm or docile about him!

Whether running off to chase squirrels, barking at our neighbors from outside their living room window (seriously!), or jumping on any visitor who comes through our front door, Elwood keeps us busy. High energy is an understatement, but it's nothing that can't be tamed by a handful of homemade dog treats. The very sight of these peanut butter biscuits, and Elwood's butt is on the floor with his paw up to shake hands in the hopes of being rewarded with one. Until about 3 seconds later, when he's impatiently jumping up to grab the treat out of my hand. (We're working on breaking that jumping habit, I promise!)

Being such a high energy dog, Elwood seems to burn off everything he eats (lucky!) and is looking a little ribsy these days. So his treats are chock full of good stuff- peanut butter and egg yolk for protein, oats for fiber, and powdered milk for the calcium and vitamins- that also happen to be really easy to throw together in the food processor...

Process the oats into oat flour:

Add the powdered milk and baking powder:

Pulse in the peanut butter, yolk, and a little water:

Then roll em out, cut, and bake:

You will have one happy, and healthy, dog!

Elwood's Favorite Dog Treats

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup dry milk powder

2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 egg yolk

Water

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Place the oats in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process oats until you have a fine powder (oat flour).

-Add the powdered milk and baking powder. Pulse a few more times to combine.

-Grease or spray your measuring cup with a little olive oil and measure out the peanut butter. Using a little olive oil will make the peanut butter glide out of the cup plus it is great for dogs!

-Add the peanut butter and egg yolk to the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together. The dough will be crumbly.

-Slowly stream in just enough room-temperature water to make the dough come together. It will neither be too crumbly nor too sticky.

-Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (I either flour mine with a little extra oat or whole wheat flour) and work gently to bring together.

-Roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes.

-Bake on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets at 350 degrees, rotating halfway through, until lightly browned.*

*The specific baking time will depend on the thickness of the cookies and the size of the shapes you cut. My trays of small dog bones took about 20 or so minutes.

-Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

From the Kendall Files: Perfect Ciabatta Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:45:00 +0000

On my kitchen bookshelves, along with my stacks of cookbooks, I have several thick portfolios of the recipes and projects I completed when I was in culinary school. I often lament not making better use of the recipes contained in those binders, but unfortunately, not all of them are meant to be recreated in a home kitchen. Whether calling for hard-to-find ingredients or requiring specialized equipment, there are some doozies in my collection of Kendall recipes! This ciabatta bread recipe, however, is not one of them. Requiring just 5 ingredients and a minimum of hands-on work, you can bake up a perfectly tender and delicious loaf of fresh ciabatta as long as you have the time to let the dough rise!

Like many of the recipes contained in those portfolios, the ingredients for this bread are measured by weight and not by volume. A good digital kitchen scale is an indispensable tool and you can pick one up without spending too much money. So use this recipe as an excuse to get one, and I guarantee you won't regret it!

While you're out shopping, you'll also need to pick up a package of fresh yeast. Unlike active dry yeast, you won't find this in the baking aisle of your grocery store. You'll find small blocks of it in the refrigerated section- somewhere between the tubes and packages of premade doughs and those imported jars of pickles. Fresh yeast is potent stuff and lots of fun to work with- so don't let it, or the three different rising times- scare you off of this recipe. Yeast does the work for you, so while the dough is rising, fermenting, and proofing, you can watch some TV, check your email, or maybe do some dishes. Would you like to come over and wash mine? Please?

Perfect Ciabatta Bread

Ingredients:
Sponge (The starter for the bread):
8.5 oz water
1/2 oz fresh yeast
8 oz. bread flour
3 oz extra virgin olive oil
Dough:
2 tsp. salt
4 oz bread flour

Directions:
1. Place 8 ounces of bread flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Warm the water to about 100°F. Dissolve yeast in the warm water.
2. Add the yeast mixture to the flour for the sponge. Add the oil.

3. Stir ingredients together to form a soft dough. Using the dough hook, knead well for approximately 5 minutes or until the sponge starts to become smooth.

4. Cover and leave at room temperature until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
5. Stir down and add the salt and 4 ounces of bread flour. Using the dough hook, knead together for few minutes to form a smooth dough, which will be very soft and sticky.
6. Cover and allow to ferment at room temperature until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
7. Lightly grease and flour a sheet pan. Deposit the dough onto the pan.
8. With floured hands, shape very lightly into a rough oval or rectangle. (I decided to shape mine into two rectangles so I'd have a small loaf to keep and one to share.) The dough will be very sticky; handle as little as possible.

9. Dust tops with extra flour. Proof at room temperature until the dough doubles in volume and the flour on the top starts to crack slightly, approximately 1 hour.
10. Bake at 425°F for about 30 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream of Chicken and Apple Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:25:00 +0000

One good habit I've picked up since working at Fuel is making every ingredient count and not letting good food go to waste. In any restaurant, there is already a lot of food that goes to waste. Just think of what you didn't finish on your plate the last time you went out to eat! Therefore, it is really important for the cooks in a kitchen to minimize the problem by being as resourceful as possible.

When we ordered too much asparagus for an event, the next day's special was an amazing prosciutto and asparagus omelette. Vegetable scraps from prep work- the tops of celery, the ends of carrots- get tossed into the pot for chicken stock. I've learned that you never want to be the one throwing out a perfectly good ingredient when it can be used for something else.

So that's why when we had company over to our house for dinner the other night, I knew I could use the extra and leftover ingredients to make dinner for Mike and I the following night. The bones from my roast chicken, the carrot scraps, and extra thyme were used to make some chicken stock which served as the base for this delicious soup. I happened to have an extra apple or two after I made some apple turnovers, so those went into the soup as well. The puff pastry left after my turnover-making became a batch of cheese straws to serve alongside the soup. After a long and very cold wintry day, a dinner of soup and cheese straws was just right, even more so when it prevented the leftovers of the previous evening from going to waste.

For some great tips on being resourceful with your leftovers, click on these links:

1. The Kitchn- Save Vegetable Scraps for Stock

2. Whole Living- Recipes that Make Use of What's In Your Fridge

Plus, this looks like an awfully interesting book, doesn't it? I think it might be worth a peek!-

The Green Kitchen: Techniques and Recipes for Saving Energy and Reducing Waste

Cream of Chicken and Apple Soup

Adapted from "The Secrets of Jesuit Soupmaking"

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 quart homemade chicken stock
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup light cream
1 generous cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Directions:
-Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the apples and onions until the onion is translucent.
-Add the flour and salt, stirring the mixture to combine.
-Add the stock and wine.
-Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
-Whirl the mixture 2 cupfuls at a time in a food processor until it is smooth. Return to the saucepan along with the cream, chicken, and rice.
-Heat soup through and season with pepper, nutmeg, and additional salt, if needed.
-Ladle into bowls, garnish with a sprinkle of green onions and a pinch of nutmeg.

Blogging It Forward!

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:54:00 +0000

Yesterday I wrote about the Beautiful Blogger Award passed on to me by the Social Secretary, Katie Hickey. I managed to come up with 10 (hopefully not too random) things to share about myself. That was harder than I thought it might be!
Passing the award on, though? That's a snap. I hope you enjoy checking out a few of these great blogs!

What's Cookin, Chicago? (http://joelens.blogspot.com/): I've been a fan of Joelen's great cooking blog for years now! I happened upon it my chance- I emailed her a cookie recipe for a recipe roundup she was doing. I was really pleased when I learned that she was an incredibly nice blogger from Chicago, my hometown. Her blog is one I check regularly for great recipe ideas and I couldn't help but cheer for her last year when she was competing in Red Eye's Virtual Kitchen Stadium challenge. She won, of course!

Language School Advice (http://www.languageschooladvice.com): This website is run by my lovely cousin Laura. I'm not sure you'd consider it a blog (it is so much more!), but I can't pass up the opportunity to promote it. Laura speaks flawlessly fluent Spanish due to many years of hard work taking classes, studying abroad, and continuing her education with language immersion programs. The purpose of her website is to provide a forum for students to discuss the variety of programs out there and assist them in making an informed selection. Wow!

Reel World Views (http://reelworldviews.blogspot.com): I've known Addie for a long time. We went to high school and college together. We were also housemates my senior year. I have lots of great memories of our crazy times in the AXO house! Addie is hands down one of the funniest people I know, plus she has amazing taste in movies. Her blog is a great place to go for honest reviews of some new movies, as well as lots of classic titles that I want to check out.

Annie's Books (http://annieesbooks.blogspot.com/): Annie and I have worked together for several years and I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't here to laugh and vent with! Plus, she's saved me from reading a lot of crummy books over the years. Annie works in books and I can't even count the number of book recommendations she's given me. They've all been top notch and I spent a lot of time pressuring her to compile them into a blog. She did (because I can be very pushy when I want to be) and I love checking her site to see what she's been reading.

Dining Room Office (http://diningroomoffice.blogspot.com/): I couldn't resist including my friend Ted's new blog on this list. I thought he'd get a chuckle out of receiving a "Beautiful Blogger Award." Plus, he's got some kind of elite club called the D.R.O.P. list going on over on his blog and I want in on it. I thought about offering him a dollar, but his wife Jenny is totally wise to that trick and would probably tip him off. In all seriousness though, Ted is an incredibly talented and funny writer. I'm not just saying that because he's married to one of my best friends. Over the years, Jenny has shared chapters from his manuscript with us and they are laugh-out-loud funny. I can't wait until his book is published, and until then, I'm really enjoying reading his blog.

Hope these links provide everyone with a little distraction to speed up an otherwise slow Friday afternoon at work. Compiling the list definitely perked up my morning! Bloggers, if you're willing to accept my award and keep the fun going, please acknowledge the person who sent it to you, list 10 things about yourself that your readers may not know, and pass it on to other bloggers! Thanks!

Blogger Award!

noreply@blogger.com (Meghan Scarsella) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Katie Hickey, the Social Secretary herself, has passed on a Beautiful Blogger Award to me! Thanks Katie- you made my day! Her blog is one of my new faves and I think you'd love it too! She updates it frequently with tons of fun, creative ideas. I enlisted her help for a recent event at the restaurant, and was so pleased with how everything turned out. Plus, it was nice to finally meet her in person!

Here's how this whole thing works:
-Thank the person who nominated you and insert a link to their blog.
-Say 10 things about yourself.

-Pass on the award to others and let them know.

For the sake of brevity, I'll pass the award on in another post. For now, here are my ten things, in no particular order:

1. I am a poor excuse for a blogger. In fact, for the first YEAR of Kitchen Notes, the only people that really knew I blogged were my husband and my sisters. I think it's because I have a hard time believing anyone actually wants to read about what I cooked for dinner last night. I'm awfully grateful that people do now, though! It makes trying out a new recipe or technique fun because I get to share it. Plus, I think I'll really like looking back at my collection of recipes and thoughts someday.

2. I feel incredibly lucky for all of the amazing people in my life- family, friends, co-workers, etc. They make the good days better and the bad days easier.

3. One of my prized possessions is my tattered and splattered copy of "Pillsbury's Best of the Bake-Off." I haven't made too many recipes out of it, but my mom was a great cook and a Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist. Her recipe for "Chocolate Almond Crescent Braid" is in that book. If she were still here, I think we'd have a lot of fun baking together.

4. I own way, way too many cookbooks, but can't bear to part with any of them.

5. I got into cooking for all the wrong reasons, but it turned out all right for me! My reason? A guy. Really and truly. Don't get me wrong, I always loved puttering around in the kitchen but it wasn't something I was very serious about. Back in college, I started dating someone from a big Italian family full of fantastic cooks. I had a feeling he was the one and I definitely wanted to impress. Armed with a copy of "The Barefoot Contessa" borrowed from my younger sister, I headed to the kitchen and got cooking. Fast forward to now, I've been happily married to "the guy" for almost five years. And I still really, really love to cook for him.

6. I am a total condiment person. Barbeque sauce, thai peanut sauce, any kind of mustard- give me a bag of pretzels for dipping and I'm a happy camper.

7. My dream job would be running an Italian market and catering business with my husband. This was something Mike and my Dad always talked about doing together. Now, more than ever, I would love to see it become a reality.

8. As a little girl, fruit snacks and fruit roll-ups were my favorite treats to enjoy. Nowadays, pate de fruits top my list. Pate de fruits are fruit jellies...fruit snacks all grown up. I got hooked on them when I was in culinary school. It's good to know that some things never change.

9. When I feel strongly about something, I go for it. I think people call that impetuous, but it's always worked for me! Case in point...I toured, applied to, and had my first day at Kendall College all in the same week. My friends and family most certainly thought I was nutty at the time! Going to culinary school at night was one of the hardest things I have done, but I loved every minute of it. I learned so much and wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

10. I have terrible time management skills. I am always trying to cram too many things into any given day. This also explains my coffee addiction and my collection of speeding tickets.

So there you go! 10 things about me plus a list of other great blogs on the way. Thanks for reading!