Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine

Build A Better Me....Training on the Go!

2012-01-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

In my quest to Build a Better Me I've started training with a co-worker (remember it's always easier to do these things with a friend) 2 mornings a week. One of the things I like best about our sessions is the body weight training. Why? because it doesn't allow for any excuses...once you learn a body weight routine you can do it anywhere, anytime.

Below is an article about the benefits of body weight training and a sample routine that you can follow graciously provided by fitness trainer, Tyler Webb.

"Tyler Webb graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University where he got a degree in Health and Fitness studies. He's currently the General Manager/Exercise Physiologist at Life Start Fitness in Phoenix Arizona. Tyler's philosophy on fitness is: "it's not about working out harder; but rather working out smarter" You can follow Tyler on twitter for more fitness tips"

The New Year has come and gone; along with most of our resolutions. One-month into the year and thousands of fitness related resolutions have gone by the way side. We can ask ourselves why, how or what went wrong. Unfortunately, the answer always comes to the same conclusion, ME.

Currently, Americans are fighting a never ending battle of too many daily appointments and not enough hours in the day. Most families have obligations taking them from 6 AM to 8 PM with little time for themselves, their family or their friends. Many have problems finding time to cook a healthy meal at home; which can lead to over spending, a higher risk of heart disease and a bigger waist size. What many individuals fail to realize is that the answer to their health and fitness woes is right under their nose, Themselves!

Body Weight training has become increasingly popular with our ever revolving work schedules, kids, activities, etc. Body weight training allows for a demanding and efficient workout in a short amount of time, while utilizing minimal to no equipment and allowing for a workout anywhere at any given time.

The benefits from body weight training emphasize all aspects of health and fitness. Individuals will see strength and cardiovascular endurance increase, while weight and pants sizes decrease. All of this is possible in as little as 30 minutes a day.

Still wondering where to start? Give this great body weight workout a try.

Body Weight Workout, by Tyler Webb

Start with 5 minute dynamic warm up (including a combination of lunges, squats, toe touches, & side lunges)
Follow with 2 rounds of the exercises below (each round 4-8 minutes)
Rest 1-3 minutes between rounds

10 Burpees
20 Squats
15 Push-Ups
20 Step Ups (10 each leg)
20 Hip Raises
20 Mountain Climbers
20 Lunges
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats
1-3 minute rest
10 minute cool down (stretching, light jogging, bike, etc.)

Total Time: 25-37minutes

All of the Lemon Pie with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

2012-01-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

I hate to see good things come to an end but I guess sometimes it has to happen. This is our final week cooking with Bob’s Red Mill and California Olive Oil and I’ll admit I’m sad. I’ve had a blast this month experimenting with their products and following all of my VP friends adventures. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed it too. But wait…there’s still one more recipe and a chance for you to win a bottle of every day fresh olive oil and a bag of whole wheat pastry flour. (see below for contest details)

When deciding what to make for this post I have to admit I was slightly swayed by the fact that it's citrus season here in Arizona and my lemon tree is full of fruit. So I thought I would take my favorite lemon pie recipe and tweak it a bit to include the whole wheat pastry flour and olive oil....making it just that more healthy.

All of the Lemon Pie with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust
2 large lemons
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 whole wheat olive oil crust (see below)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbs limoncello
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

The day before you plan to make the tart, wash the lemons well, then slice them as thinly as possible, using a sharp knife. Remove the seeds from the lemon slices and place the slices in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add the sugar and toss to coat the lemon slices. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, preheat the oven to 325 and position a rack in the center.

On a floured board, roll the tart dough to an 11 inch circle 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom by rolling the dough around the pin like a carpet and then unrolling it onto the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim it so it is flush with the top of the pan. Chill the tart shell while you make the filling.

Remove the bowl of lemon slices from the refrigerator and place the entire mixture in a blender. Add the lemon juice and blend the ingredients on high speed until the lemon rinds are finely chopped. Transfer the contents of the blender to a medium nonreactive bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, limoncello, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Add the egg mixture to the lemon mixture, whisking well to combine thoroughly.

Remove the tart shell from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the filling into the shell and bake the tart for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan so the tart cooks evenly. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still pale and the crust is lightly golden. Allow the tart to cool completely on a rack before carefully removing the sides of the pan.

Before serving, dust the surface of the tart lightly with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serve the tart at room temperature or chilled. Wrapped in plastic it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
freshly grated zest of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup milk

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, lemon zest and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add the oil, milk and almond extract mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly until the dough comes together into a ball.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball of dough and on the rolling pin, and roll the dough out into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan.

Transfer the dough carefully into the prepared pan and line it neatly. Place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Contest Details
All you have to do is visit CORon Facebook and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then come back here and leave a comment using that word. Contest ends midnight EST on 1/29/2012

You can get additional entries by visiting our host blog for this event and look for the list of participating bloggers; leaving comments on their pages will also get you an entry.

Follow me on facebook and leave a comment here for another entry.

Be sure to visit the California Olive Ranch online store and use the coupon code BLOGFRIENDS for a 10% discount!

Congratulations to last week's winner: Christopher Sorel.

Warm Spinach & Steak Salad; BaBM

2012-01-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

I’m a weeknight meal planner. With working all day I don’t have the time or energy to try to figure out meals when I get home each night. So instead I plan them all out on the weekend and know exactly what I’m having each night.

That being said I can also be a little lazy and sometimes I just don’t feel like planning in advance. Those days are usually not fun. They usually start out early with a call to my husband….”hey, what do you want for dinner tonight” “I don’t know, what do you want?” “I don’t know what are you in the mood for” “I don’t know, you?” and round and round we go until finally one of us is just like let’s think about it later.

And then later comes and the scenario is pretty much the same. As you may guess these days often don’t end well…we usually just eat something we really don’t want just for the sake of eating. But there are a few instances were these days turn out awesome with one or the other of us coming up with a meal that just blows us away.

Last week was one of those dinners…we waited until the very last minute and then my husband had a brain storm. “Let’s do warm spinach salads with steak.” Now, why didn’t I think of that? We stopped at the store (another reason I like to have my meals planned) went home and put together this amazing dinner.

Moral of the story: planning is good and sometimes not planning is even better.

Warm Spinach Salad with NY Strip

1 package baby spinach

1 red bell pepper, cut in strips

1 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Feta cheese, crumbled

Dried cranberries

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook bell peppers and mushrooms until desired consistency is reached. Put aside. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Grill steak until medium rare.

Remove steak and veggies from pan. Mix pan juices together and add your red wine vinegar. Cook several minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

To plate: Place spinach in bowls, add veggies. Slice steak very thin. drizzle with warm dressing and serve.

Kettle Cuisine Soup Review

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

January is national soup month. I’m a huge soup eater. I usually eat a bowl every day for lunch. Mostly it’s homemade soup I make in bulk and freeze in individual servings. But every once in a while; when time is of the essence I will purchase a store bought soup. Never anything in a can…just not my thing…but usually the semi fresh soup available at most grocery stores.

I was recently contacted by someone at Kettle Cuisine, a company that’s been around for 25 years, to review some of their soups. After reading on their website how the soups are all prepared with natural fresh ingredient; how their stocks are made from scratch and how all of the vegetables and meats are prepared by hand; I was intrigued.

Frozen in single serve bowls these soups are perfect for my lunches. They come in 10 different flavors ranging from Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans to New England Clam Chowder to Organic Mushroom and Potato. So far I’ve sampled the Chicken Soup with rice Noodles and the Tomato Soup with Garden Vegetables and have loved them both. Loaded with fresh veggies these 10oz single serving soups are very filling.

Although, I will continue to make my own soup Kettle Cuisine soups are a great alternative. They are available in the freezer section of most Whole Food Stores and I would highly recommend trying them.

Quinoa Primavera

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's week three of the Bob's Red Mill and California Olive Ranch Healthy & Tasty Cooking Challenge. This week the Virtual Potluck Group was asked to create a main dish using BRM Quinoa and COR Arbosana Olive Oil.

For those that don't know Quinoa is gluten free, loaded with fiber and highly nutritious. It's also a complete source of protein making it an excellent option for vegetarians.

One of my favorite vegetarian meals is Pasta Primavera. So I thought it would be interesting to try it with the Quinoa. I sauteed a variety of diced vegetables in the peppery Arbosana oil and mixed them with the Quinoa. The result was very tasty...maybe even better than the pasta version.

***Don't forget you can win this week's featured grain and olive oil. All you have to do is visit COR on Facebook and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then come back here and leave a comment using that word. Contest ends midnight EST on 1/22/2012***

You can get additional entries by visiting our host blog for this event and look for the list of participating bloggers; leaving comments on their pages will get you an entry.

Be sure to visit the California Olive Ranch online store and use the coupon code BLOGFRIENDS for a 10% discount!

Congratulations to last week's winner: Rachel Blom

Quinoa Primavera
6 tablespoons Arbosana olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 ounces asparagus, stalks sliced 1/2-inch thick on a bias, tips reserved separately
1 cup frozen peas, thawedsea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup Quinoa
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until barely golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the sliced asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, then add the asparagus tips, and peas; season well with salt and pepper. Cook stirring, until all the vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the Quinoa and cover. Cook for 12 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

When ready mix with the veggies and chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

What is Healthy? Build a Better Me

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year, when everyone jumps on the “healthy” bandwagon. But does anyone really know what it means to be healthy?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “health” is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. So being “healthy” is about taking responsibility for yourself and making wise choices for your body that will not only affect you today but also in the future. Eating right, getting physically fit, and being emotionally stable, are all part of being healthy.

What do I do to be “healthy”

1. I eat "real" foods and lots of them. I focus on fresh, often local fruits and veggies. I even grow my own when I can.

2. I practice moderation; in all aspects of life…I don’t make anything off limits…rather I limit the amount of everything.

3. I do my best to avoid the intake of chemicals; which means little to no processed foods. I may eat dessert daily but it’s always something I’ve made from scratch. So I know exactly what’s in every bite.

4. I try to be good to my body. I wear sunscreen all the time; and I don’t smoke.

5. I exercise daily; because I want to; because it makes me feel good, helps me relieve stress and gives me tons of energy

6. I try to surround myself with positive people and try to give off positive vibes myself.

7. I am happy with who and where I am in my life. I have made conscious decisions that I am proud of and have learned to not focus so much on the past.

So there you have it. To me being “healthy” is much more than diet and exercise. It's something we can all attain…no excuses allowed. The goal is to first figure out what "healthy" means to you and then go with it full force. Don't let anything or anybody stand in the way.

Mediterranean Whole Grain Salad

2012-01-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's week two of cooking with ingredients from Bob's Red Mill and California Ranch Olive Oil. Our challenge was to come up with a side dish that pairs BRM Grande Whole Grains with COR Miller's Blend Oil.

A little goes a long way with Miller's Blend Oil; which is a good thing. Just a drizzle added to the cooked grains in the recipe below really made them pop. The Grande Whole Grains is a unique mixture of red white wheat, long grain brown rice, whole oats, whole rye, whole barley, white buckwheat, and sesame seeds. An interesting combination indeed.

After taste testing each item I decided they would blend nicely with some chopped veggies to make a healthy Mediterranean side salad served cold. Since both the grains and the oil are "good for you ingredients" this recipe is perfect addition to my "Build a Better Me" campaign.

Don't forget each week a lucky reader has a chance to win that week's ingredients...see below for details. Last week's winner was Shannon from the blog Tri To Cook

Mediterranean Whole Grain Salad

1 cup Grande Whole Grains
2 1/2 cups water
black olives (chopped)
feta cheese (chopped)
artichoke hearts (chopped)
roasted peppers (chopped)
Olive oil

Place grains and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed.

Mix with chopped ingredients and drizzle with olive oil.

To enter the contest:

Visit either Bob’s Red Mill or California Olive Ranch’s Facebook pages and retrieve this week’s Virtual Potluck code word. Then come back here and leave a comment using the code word. Thats it.

Be sure to visit the California Olive Ranch online store and use the coupon code BLOGFRIENDS for a 10% discount!

Build A Better Me

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

“It’s a shame for a (wo)man to grow old without even seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable.” Socrates

About a year or so ago I decided I no longer wanted to be that woman. I wanted to see and feel what my body was really cable of. I knew my eating habits were far from perfect and that I had probably done some damage to my body in the past. Since then I've made some changes and have seen some awesome results. But we can all stand to do a little more for ourselves. So this year I am committing to “Build A Better Me”

This challenge is the brain child of my Virtual Potluck group. As food bloggers it’s hard to keep check on ourselves; what we eat and do to our bodies. So we've decided to work together as a group in our efforts to each “Build A Better Me” This is not going to be a scheduled event occurring every week or month. But rather we are going to each do something for ourselves and post about it when we feel the time is right.

I want to share with you what has worked for me so far and what hasn’t. (keep in mind I'm not an expert) What keeps me up at night and what keeps me motivated. Don’t worry you will still see all the yummy posts your used to on this blog but in between you will see a lot more “healthy living” posts.

I hope you will join us in our journey to “Building a Better Me” and I hope that maybe we might inspire you to take part in your own journey.

VP Bloggers participating in BaBM:

Heather from Farm Girl Gourmet
Rachel from Not Rachel Ray
Shelby from Diabetic Foodie
Matt from Thyme in our Kitchen
Milisa from Miss in the Kitchen
Marnely from Cooking with Books
Donna from Cookistry
Vanessa from Groovy Foody
Susan from 30AEats

Happy Healthy New Year with Bob's Red Mill & California Olive Ranch

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Virtual Potluck group is teaming up with Bob's Red Mill (BRM) and California Olive Ranch (COR) during the month of January to demonstrate how easy it is to incorporate olive oil and whole grains into your meals making every course a healthier one.

Both BRM & COR seem to be great companies passionate about their products and where they originate from. You can read more about them here and here.

Our first challenge is to create an appetizer featuring BRM Hard White Whole Wheat Flour and COR Arbequina extra virgin olive oil. I love bruschetta type appetizers....fresh grilled bread topped with varying flavors...you can't go wrong. So I adapted my standard bread recipe to incorporate the BRM Whole Wheat Flour and came up with a delicious tasting "good for me" bread. I topped it with pesto that I made using the fresh fruity flavored Arbequina oil, some oven roasted tomatoes and fresh Buffalo mozzarella. The result was amazing.

Want to win the grain and oil of the week? Visit COR on Facebook and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then come back here or to any of the other VP pages and leave a comment using that word. Contest ends midnight EST on 1/8/2012

For an extra entry you can follow VP on twitter and tweet about this contest using the #virtualpotluck hashtag and leave a comment here letting me know.

You can get additional entries by visiting our host blog for this event and look for the list of participating bloggers; leaving comments on their pages will get you an entry.

Whole Wheat Caprese Bruschetta

Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt

5 T COR Arbequina olive oil
6 1/2 cups BRM Hard White Whole Wheat Flour
Cornmeal for the pizza peel

And then, you know the drill. Mix with a spoon in a food-safe bucket, let it rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours. Shape and let raise for about 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350 along with your baking stone if using, and pour 1-2C water into a metal pan at the bottom of the oven. Bake 40 mins.

Pesto

1 1/2 cups COR Arbequina olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
6 cups fresh basil leaves

Mix everything in a food processor until desired consistency.

Oven Roasted Tomato

12 Plum tomatoes cut length wise

1/2 cup COR Arbequina olive oil

sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1/2 cup of COR and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with sugar. Place cut side down on a small baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours, or until the tomatoes are softened.

Putting it all together:

Grill slices of bread drizzle with some COR oil. Top with oven roasted tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and drizzle with pesto.

Virtual New Year's Party

2012-01-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! I'm expecting it to be another delicious one. To help ring in 2012 I've joined in on the Virtual New Year's Party being hosted by Lora and Sanjeeta kk Bloggers from all over will be recapping their most popular posts of 2011.

logo thanks to Heather from Farmgirl Gourmet

So pull up a chair, grab yourself a drink and enjoy a look back through some of this year's yumminess on the Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine. And be sure to check in on all of the other bloggers that are linked at the end of this post.

Pasta with Peas & Artichokes

Wok Seared Duck Salad

Strawberry Tiramisu

Pasta with Green Olive Almond Pesto

Tuscan Bean Soup with Broccoli Rabe

Ricotta Pear Cake

Virtual PotLuck Holiday Party & Barenjager Honey Liqueur

2011-12-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our first Virtual Potluck Holiday Party sponsored by Barenjager Honey Liqueur. Produced in Germany Barenjager is made from 70 proof grain alcohol and all natural honey from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It was originally created to aid bear hunters by louring the animals out of hiding.

The VP group has come up with some pretty creative ways to use this amazing (and it is pretty amazing) liqueur. Here's a teaser...feel free to stop by their blogs for the full recipes.

First up is the Colorado Bee Sting, created by Donna from Cookistry. After making a yummy ham glaze with her honey liqueur Donna realized she wanted more. Inspired by the classic White Russian cocktail Donna came up with the Colorado Bee Sting.

Milisa from Miss in the Kitchen is bringing her famous baklava. Always impressive and delicious the added Baenjager has made them even better. These Barenjager Honey Lemon Bakalava are the perfect dessert to bring to any party.

Looking for a cool martini to try how about the Barren Pear Martini that Rachel from Not Rachel Ray is bringing to the party. And in case that's not enticing enough for you how about trying her Barenjager Honey Caramel Sauce. Sounds perfect drizzled over ice cream.

Another cocktail inspired by the legendary White Russian Jay from Bite and Booze brings us the Honey Chocolate Holiday Cocktail. This holiday cocktail replaces coffee liqueur with Barenjager Honey Liqueur and a dash of chocolate liqueur to create a palate-pleasing, easy drinking cocktail! Honey and chocolate are a great combination that now have their place in the cocktail world too!

Heather from Farmgirl Gourmet is bringing this to die for BoozyBarenjager Shrimp Cocktail. Large prawns marinated in Barenjager Honey Liqueur, Lime & Cilantro, grilled and served with a quick boozy Honey Liqueur Cocktail sauce. This will make an elegant start to your holiday festivities.

They've been abuzz (and buzzed) all month over Bärenjäger's many uses over at The GrooVy Foody, trying it in drinks, in a Honey Bundt Liqueur Cake and adding it's nectar to a dark toffee sauce for use in Banoffee Pudding. Want the recipes? Visit The Groovy Foody

Another awesome cocktail brought to us by Tara the Foodie. A mixture of Barenjager, Maker's Mark, Midori melon liquor, and juiced cucumber. Garnished with melon balls and a cucumber slice. It's a sweet drink with a fresh taste. It would be great as a digestíve or a drink to sip in the summer.

How about a nightcap...one last drink before the party is over. I'll fix us up a few Barenjager Cabin Honey Hot Toddies. They are perfect for cold winter nights by the fire. (you can find the recipe here)

The Barenjager Cabin Honey Hot Toddy

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

What does one do on a cold winter night in a secluded cabin in the woods? Drink Hot Toddy's of course...now what were you thinking?? And what makes this Hot Toddy better than any other you've ever had? Barenjager Honey Liqueur. Made with real honey; Barenjager has a pronounced honey flavor that mixes well in different recipes and is even better straight up.

I'm bringing this special Honey Hot Toddy to our Virtual Potluck Holiday Party. Don't forget to stop by all of the other VP blogger's pages to see what they are serving up.

Cabin Honey Hot Toddy

Ingredients

2 ounces boiling water

2 ounces Barenjager Honey Liqueur

3 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 slice lemon

1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

Pour boiling water and whiskey into a mug. Spice it with the cloves and cinnamon, and put in the slice of lemon. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle, then sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg before serving.

Happy Holidays From Virtual Potluck!

2011-12-24T10:40:00.003-07:00

Join us on Wednesday December 28, 2011 for our very first Virtual Potluck Holiday Party. We will be celebrating with food and drink featuring Barenjazer Honey Liqueur (this means lots of cool recipes for you).

You won't want to miss this event so stop by here on the 28th to see what I'm bringing to the party and for links to all of the other VP posts.

Until then Happy Holidays from all of us at Virtual Potluck!

Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti

2011-12-20T16:00:00.001-07:00

VOTING IS NOW OPEN: Please head over MarxFoods and vote for my Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti. Voting ends midnight on 12/22. Thanks Much!!

Biscotti are probably the most versatile cookie out there. Every Italian family I know has a recipe they call their own and all seem to be different. I’ve seen them flavored with anise (that’s how I make mine), almond and just about everything in between. Some people make them with butter, some use Crisco and others like myself use a mixture of the two. Even the size of these cookies vary…short and fat, or long and thin…it really just depends on your tradition.

I usually don’t deviate from my family biscotti recipe but when Marx Foods announced its Capricious Chocolate Challenge and picked me to participate my wheels started turning. With the holiday season in full swing I already had cookies on the brain. So why not go with that. The challenge was to create an original chocolate recipe using one or more of the following ingredients supplied by Marx Foods: fennel pollen, dried chilies, coconut sugar, granulated candy cap mushrooms, or vanilla beans.

I thought long and hard about the best flavor combination and decided to do a Double Chocolate & Fennel Pollen Biscotti. Why fennel pollen? Well for one thing I’m intrigued by this spice. Collected from the flower of the fennel plant it’s a highly aromatic spice that will transform just about any dish. I would highly recommend trying it if the opportunity arises.

Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fennel pollen

1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1/3 vanilla bean)

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. grease a large baking sheet.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, fennel pollen and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla.

Mix in flour mixture a little at a time. Stir in chocolate chips.

On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, approximately 2 inches wide.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.

Cut logs diagonally into slices. Arrange cut sides down on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti

2011-12-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

VOTING IS NOW OPEN: Please head over MarxFoods and vote for my Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti. Voting ends midnight on 12/22. Thanks Much!!

Biscotti are probably the most versatile cookie out there. Every Italian family I know has a recipe they call their own and all seem to be different. I’ve seen them flavored with anise (that’s how I make mine), almond and just about everything in between. Some people make them with butter, some use Crisco and others like myself use a mixture of the two. Even the size of these cookies vary…short and fat, or long and thin…it really just depends on your tradition.

Double Chocolate Fennel Pollen Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fennel pollen

1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1/3 vanilla bean)

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. grease a large baking sheet.

Mix in flour mixture a little at a time. Stir in chocolate chips.

On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, approximately 2 inches wide.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.

Cut logs diagonally into slices. Arrange cut sides down on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Do you Smorgie?

2011-12-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Smorgie is a totally free foodie application available both on the web and also as an iPhone app; that will help you remember and share your favorite foodie destinations. Brought to you by the Design and Innovation group at Gannett, the parent company of USA TODAY and over 80 local newspapers you know this Smorgie is going to be around for awhile.

It's easy to create an account on Smorgie and once you do setting up your lists is a cinch. Just give it a name and start adding all your favorite restaurants. There's no limit to the amount of lists you can make. How about one for each of your favorite cities or your favorite types of foods…it’s up to you how you want to stay organized.

The best part is that Smorgie allows you to link up with friends and see their lists. This is a great tool to use when traveling; to find cool places in an unfamiliar city

I'm really glad I found Smorgie; as I can definitely benefit from something to help me stay organized. I'm looking forward to creating and sharing many lists. So when you sign up be sure to add me as a friend.

Smorgie.com - Make and Share lists of Yummy

This sponsorship is brought to you by Smorgie.com who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Gruyere & Cheddar Mac & Cheese & Trader Joe's Cookbook Review

2011-12-12T04:26:00.003-07:00

Ever wonder what to do with all the cool food items you see on the shelves at Trader Joe’s? Wonder no more. Cherie Mercer Twoky puts an end to your dilemma of what to do with things like Trader Joe’s Satay Peanut Sauce or Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne in her new book I LoveTrader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook.

With over 140 recipes this culinary atlas is your guide to making delicious ethnic meals using products from your local Trader Joe’s. It includes lots of color photos and easy to follow directions for everyday go to meals.

A few weeks back, with book in hand, I headed over to my local Trader Joe’s and spent some time browsing the shelves…picking up ingredients to make Palaver Chicken and Moroccan Sweet Potato and Squash Stew. While I was there I got a bit side tracked; which seems to happen to me a lot. I found myself browsing at the cheese selection focusing on the Gruyere and Cheddar mix. This blend sounded perfect for macaroni and cheese.

Now I'll be honest...I've never actually made mac and cheese but for some reason this cheese was calling out to me so I said what the heck I'll give it a try. Hence my version below.

Gruyere & Cheddar Mac and Cheese

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups grated Trader Joe’s Gruyere Cheddar mix
1/2 pound elbow macaroni

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper and 2/3 of the cheese. Set cheese sauce aside.

In the meantime fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Baked Pasta with Spinach & Sausage for Nelly's Big Day

2011-12-08T22:00:00.001-07:00

“And …I said YESSSSS!”

It happened one November midnight, in Twitterverse, we saw the above tweet from our dear Nelly @nella22. Without missing a beat, we all knew Nelly had “said YES” to her beloved “M”, as she sweetly calls Brian Murray, her fiancé.

If you don't know Nelly from Cooking with Books, you should. She's a wonderful person and writes an exceptional blog. Well today is her Virtual Bridal Shower. While I've been to many real bridal showers, this is my first virtual one. How does this work? Basically a bunch of Nelly's blogger friends will be posting recipes today to help her celebrate this special occasion. Be sure to check out everyone's post to see what they're bringing and don't forget to stop by and wish Nelly well.

Baked Pasta with Spinach & Sausage

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup vodka

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 lb penne pasta

10 oz baby spinach

12 oz sausage

8 oz mozzarella cheese (4 oz cut into 1/2 in. cubes and 2 ounces grated)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in garlic. Remove sausage from casing and crumble. Add sausage to oil and cook until brown. Remove pan from heat and add vodka, return to heat cook until almost evaporated about 1 minute.

3. Stir in tomatoes and oregano, cook about 10-15 minutes. Add cream and cook until warmed through about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. In the meantime cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Drain and return contents to pot.

5. Add tomato sauce, sausage and cubed mozzarella cheese to pot. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a baking dish.

6. Top with grated mozzarella cheese and parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp 20-30 minutes.

The Treats Truck Baking Book Winner Announced....

2011-12-07T04:47:00.002-07:00

The lucky winner of The Treats Truck Baking Book by Kim Ima is Patsy from Family Friends and Food. Be sure to stop by her blog when you have a chance and congratulate her.

I've got lots of great things planned for you over the next few weeks and more chances to win. So stay tuned.

Pasta with Bella Sun Luna Sun Dried Tomatoes & Roasted Zucchini

2011-12-05T04:11:00.008-07:00

Several weeks back I was contacted by someone at Mooney Farms to do a review of their Bella Sun Luci sun dried tomato products. Little did I know when I accepted the offer that besides two bags of dried tomatoes, I would also get two jars of oil packed tomatoes and two jars of sun dried tomato bruschetta. The possibilities for using these products seemed endless and I couldn’t wait to get cooking.

First let me tell you a little bit about Mooney Farms. They were a small family owned business based out of San Francisco around 1987. Their Bella Sun Luci brand brought them much notoriety; with the winning recipe for sun dried tomatoes. In 1994, to meet their growing demand, they moved to a bigger facility in Chico, California. To this day they continue to use the original sun dried tomato recipe which has been handed down over many generations.

Over the past few weeks I've been experimenting with all of the sun dried tomato products I received. Who knew that cooking with these little gems could be so much fun. Unlike other brands the Bella Sun Luci tomatoes are very moist and tender...able to be eaten and enjoyed right from the package. In other words there's no re-hydration needed as with most similar products.

So far I've used the tomatoes to enhance salad dressings, add dimension to crostini spreads and bring some basic dishes to a new level. My recipe for Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Roasted Zucchini is now a new favorite at our house. Try it and let me know what you think.

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Roasted Zucchini

2 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

2 garlic cloves, left unpeeled

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/4 pound pasta, cooked, drained, 3/4 cup cooking liquid reserved

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 Bella Sun Luna jarred sun dried tomato halves, chopped

grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss zucchini and garlic with some olive oil in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.

When the zucchini is tender remove from oven. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat add sun dried tomatoes, zucchini and red pepper. Squeeze roasted garlic from shell and saute with the vegetables until everything is heated through.

In the meantime cook pasta according to directions on box.. When still al denti add to pan with the vegetables; also adding some pasta cooking liquid. When pasta is well coated add the fresh basil and serve sprinkled with grated cheese.

The Treats Truck Baking Book Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-11-30T04:18:00.002-07:00

It’s that time of year when everyone is on the lookout for unique holiday gifts to give family and friends. Maybe you need an idea for the aunt that has everything. Or maybe your looking for something for your favorite neighbor. Whatever the situation I think the Treats Truck Baking Book by Kim Ima would be a good fit.

Ima is the creator of the Treats Truck; one of the first baking trucks in NYC. She describes her goodies as “fun to eat and fun to bake” which shows in her new book.

The Treats Truck Baking Book includes recipes for old fashioned goodies like peanut butter cookies, caramel brownies and the original rice crispy square. Although the recipes aren’t anything a seasoned baker wouldn’t already know it does provide a fresh look at these yummy classics. And for the novice among us this book makes baking easy; with detailed instructions and lots of tips.

I think The Treats Truck Baking Book would be great for anyone on your Holiday list.

*****For your chance to win a copy of this whimsical little baking book all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite old school treat is. Deadline to comment is midnight EST 12/6/2012*****

Peanut Butter Cookies

(adapted from The Treats Truck)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups smooth peanut butter no sugar added

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup crushed roasted peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a baking sheet. In a small bowl combine the eggs and vanilla and set aside. Place the peanut butter in a large bowl and pour in the egg/vanilla mixture. Stir with a sturdy spoon until combined.Add sugar and salt and mix well.

Scoop the dough with a spoon and roll it into balls with your hands. The size is up to you; depending on the size of the cookie you want. The dough will not spread. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Slightly flatten and top with crushed peanuts if you desire.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until centers look as light and baked as the edges. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Phoenix Area Food News & Marx Foods Winner

2011-11-28T03:49:00.013-07:00

Just a couple of Phoenix area food updates I wanted to share:

Nicolli's Deli
Have you heard that Nicolli's Italian deli now has a dining room? Stop by and enjoy all your Italian favorites in their new seating area. Perfect for those out of the area shoppers who want to grab some lunch while picking up their Italian supplies.

Aunt Chilada's
On November 29, Aunt Chilada's in Tempe will be hosting its first-ever Holiday themed Twitter party! Think of a Twitter party as a moderated chat room where your discussions are all public. Share how your holiday season has been so far and what plans you have in the next month. You'll be rewarded with goodies from Arizona Grand resort just for joining in.

Here's how it works:

First, RSVP on Twitter. There will be a door prize of a 2-night stay to a random Twitter user who RSVP’s with this: I'm going to the @ArizonaGrand Aunt Chilada’s Twitter party November 29 at 6pm/5c! Are you?
#auntchilada Throughout the hour, @ArizonaGrand will be asking questions about your holiday season, and people who answer will be randomly selected throughout the chat to win prizes from Arizona Grand Resort!

Remember--add #auntchiladas to your Tweets, and happy chatting!

Aiello's
Have you been to the new Salumeria on 7th st. & Thunderbird? They're serving all the great Aiello classics in a more casual atmosphere. Worth a stop for sure. More importantly Aiello's is your seafood connection this holiday season. Order your baccala and other specialties now.

Winner
Congratulations to Monet from Anecdotes & Apple Cores; she is our Marx Foods winner. Please stop by her blog and congratulate her.

Thanksgiving Virtual Potluck & Marx Food Giveaway

2011-11-20T22:02:00.008-07:00

Do you remember me telling you about Virtual Potluck: that special group of bloggers working together to give you cool information on all sorts of food related products. Well we’re at it again. This time all 12 of us volunteered to work with Marx Foods to put together a Thanksgiving meal that will make your mouth water. The turkey is made. Our job is to fill in the rest of the dinner with cool recipes inspired from ingredients provided by Marx Foods. We also have giveaways and discounts for our readers. (see below for more info)

Marx Foods is an online food store selling gourmet foods in bulk at wholesale prices. They are the go to site for hard to find ingredients; selling things like Geoduck and fiddlehead ferns. The ingredients we were sent included 2 different types of dried mushrooms, 2 types of dried peppers, vanilla beans and risotto.

So what does one make with this array of pantry staples to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? I was initially thinking dessert…maybe a spicy vanilla rice pudding. But I was really intrigued by the mushrooms and decided to do something savory; an appetizer or a small first course. After much deliberation I decided on to make arancini stuffed with a spicy wild mushroom sauce. For those that don’t know arancini are deep fried balls of rice usually stuffed with a meat sauce and cheese. They are a delicious treat but not easy to make.

Have you ever tried rolling cooked rice into a ball and stuffing it??? Well I have and it's tough but the end product is so worth it. If you have the patience I would recommend trying it; you won't be disappointed.

Let’s talk about the mushrooms I was sent a package of dried black trumpet and matsutake mushrooms. Dried mushrooms are great…they store well, are easily reconstituted in warm water and add lots of flavor. I like to add them to sauces or soups for that little something extra. The matsutake variety have a very intense pungent piney flavor. A little of these goes a long way. They are very dense and meaty similar to portabellas. Black Trumpets are a more delicate variety. The flavor is almost buttery, with a slight hint of smoke. I can’t say which of these I liked more… they were both such a treat.

If you want to see what the others are bringing to dinner and have more chances to win cool food products head over to Cookistry

Arancini Stuffed with Spicy Exotic Mushroom Ragu

For the Rice
5 cups water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups arborio rice

4 large eggs
2 cups Pecorino Romano, grated

To Coat and Fry the Rice Balls
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
⅔ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup olive oil, plus extra for frying

For the Ragu
2 cups favorite sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ozs chopped dried mushrooms reconstituted

½ teaspoon red pepper, crushed
1 cup frozen peas
1 fresh mozzarella ball, cubed

Make the rice. Bring the water and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Stir in the rice, return the water to a boil, then adjust the heat to simmering. Cook the rice uncovered, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain the rice and spread out on a tray to cool to room temperature. When the rice is cool, scrape it into a mixing bowl and beat in the 4 eggs and the grated cheese.

Meanwhile make the ragu. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms until soft. Add your favorite tomato sauce and cook down until thickened. Add frozen peas and crushed pepper. Simmer until peas are cooked through.

Forming the Arancini
Take a handful of the cooled rice mixture and shape it into a small ball in the palm of your hand. Make a well in the center of the ball and drop in 1 tablespoon of the ragu and a piece of cheese. Work the rice so that it completely encloses the ragu, and re-form the rice into a smooth ball. Continue forming arancine with the remaining rice and ragu.

Whisk the 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. Spread the flour on one plate and the bread crumbs on another, in an even layer.

Dredge a few of the rice balls in the flour to coat all sides. Tap off excess flour. Roll the rice balls in the beaten egg to coat, allowing any excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Finally, roll the rice balls in the bread crumbs, pressing lightly to coat evenly with the crumbs.. Remove to a clean baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rice balls.

Pour the olive oil into a deep skillet. When the oil comes to temperature, carefully slip about a third of the rice balls into the oil. Fry, turning as necessary with tongs or a slotted spoon, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove to the paper towel-lined baking sheet, keeping them hot in the oven if you like. Fry the remaining balls. The arancine can be served hot or at room temperature.

Giveaway

****Give Away Details: Marx Foods has given me some extra habanero peppers to share with one lucky reader. All you have to do is head over to Cookistry pick one other blogger, check out what they're bringing and leave a comment on this post telling me what you think. Contest ends midnight 11/27****

****Shopping Discount Details: Want to shop at Marx Foods between 11/21-11/27...Enter the word "Potluck" into the coupon code section and receive 10% off your entire order*****

Virtual Potluck....Are You A Cookbook Winner?

2011-11-19T13:42:00.001-07:00

Did you enjoy our first Virtual Potluck? I hope so....I sure did! We have several exciting events planned over the next few months so be sure to stop back often.

Want a little sneak peek of what's coming up on Monday? It involves vanilla beans, chili peppers, dried mushrooms, risotto and a giveaway! That's all I can tell you right now.

As for our cookbook winner: Congratulations to Stacy @luvchampagne If your on twitter you should follow her; she's a foodie that loves collecting recipes and cookbooks.

Thanks to everyone that participated in this event. See you Monday.

Dolci: Italy's Sweets....Strawberry Summer Tiramisu and a Giveaway

2011-11-16T04:48:00.005-07:00

I am really enjoying my review copy of Dolci: Italy's Sweets, (You can read my original review here), so much so I decided to share with you another recipe I made from this awesome cookbook put out by Abrams publishing. It's called Summertime Tiramisu and takes just seconds to put together. It calls for peach jam but you can substitute just about any flavor. I went with strawberry and even added some fresh fruit to the mix. The results were yummy!

Just a reminder this is a Virtual Potluck post and there's a chance for you to win a copy of this book or one of the other books being blogged about this week. Head over to Cookistry for a full list of bloggers and book giveaways.

Strawberry Summer Tiramisu
16 ounces ricotta cheese
4 tsp sugar
8 heaping Tbs of strawberry jam
1/2 cup warm water
4 Tbs Amaretto
24 lady fingers
1 package strawberries sliced

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, sugar and cinnamon and beat with a fork until smooth. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine the jam with the warm water and the liqueur. Dip the lady fingers, a few at a time, into the mixture until they are nicely moistened. Place 6 on a serving plate, side by side, and spoon some ricotta mixture over them. Top with sliced strawberries. Repeat. finish with a layer of ricotta cheese and a fanned berry.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold.

*****For the giveaway; there are 4 ways to win. The first two are mandatory*****

1.Leave a comment on this page telling me your favorite Italian dessert.

2. Head over to Cookistry check out all of the other posts; leave a comment on one of them and come back here to let me know.

3. Tweet about this giveaway leaving a comment here letting me know. Use #virtualpotluck in your tweet.

4. Follow me on either Facebook and/or Twitter....and come back here to let me know

Contest ends Friday November 18th at midnight EST. Winner will be picked by random generator and announced shortly after.