Risotto with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta

Alright, I'm not gonna lie. This was really, really good. It's just the usual risotto recipe, this time with - you guessed it - broccoli rabe and pancetta. I buy two huge bunches of rabe each week these days, because Joef loves it so much, and this was a great and different way to get our bi-weekly fix. The risotto actually sweetened the rabe up a little (while preserving its characteristic bitterness), and the pancetta...well, what more can you say about that?

I also should note that Joef added habanero flakes to his - and that was really tasty, too!

1-2 tbsp olive oil, plus 3 tbsp olive oil
2 or so handfuls broccoli rabe
1 slice pancetta, diced
1 small/medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth, simmering, with a few tablespoons reserved
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine the 1-2 tbsp olive oil with the rabe and pancetta in a large, deep saute pan. Cook over medium-high, adding a 1/2 ladle of chicken broth, until rabe has wilted. Remove rabe and pancetta and set aside.

In the same pan, combine the olive oil and onions in a large, deep saute pan, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and stir one more minute.

Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated. Then add the wine and stir over medium heat until the wine absorbs into the rice. Then, add a ladle of the simmering chicken broth and stir it in until the broth is absorbed into the rice. Keep doing this until the rice is al dente and until right before your last ladle of broth. (If you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, you can use a ladle or two of simmering water.) Add the reserved rabe and pancetta to the risotto, stir, then add your last ladle of broth or water and let it absorb.

Add your cheese and the reserved broth and stir it into the rice. Reduce the heat to low (or turn it off entirely), cover, and let sit for three minutes. Done!

Tortellini in Brodo (Chicken Soup with Tortellini)

Joef was sick this week, so I had a great excuse to make chicken soup, which for me is really just an excuse to make tortellini. I love tortellini. I made extra, plain, and just popped them like candy the next day. That's good for me, right?

Anyway - this recipe cheats a little bit, because I used chicken broth instead of letting the chicken make its own broth (use water to just cover the chicken, season with salt, and let cook for a nice, long, long time). Usually I also prefer to use chicken drumsticks, but hey, you work with what you got. In either case, it's good for what ails you.

Splash or two of olive oil
2 chicken breasts (or five chicken drumsticks), chopped into cubes
1/2 or one whole white onion, quartered
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
6-8 baby carrots, chopped into thirds
8 cups of water
4-5 tsp chicken bouillon
Dried or fresh dill
1/2 package tortellini
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Splash a little olive oil in a large pot, and turn the heat to medium-high. Add chicken, onion, celery, and carrots, and top with a little ground black pepper and a couple of dashes of dill. Stir and brown the chicken on all sides, then add water and bouillon and more dill. (I love dill, so I add plenty.) Bring to a boil, then turn to low and allow to simmer, covered or partially covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. Return to a boil and add your tortellini right into the pot, and cook according to instructions. Done!

Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

(from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

My oh my, it's been a bit of a food dry spell over here, hasn't it? Well, two posts today to make up for it. First, these cupcakes - white chocolate ganache frosting (adapted from Martha's regular recipe), with coconut flakes and coconut milk in the cupcake batter. I will say that they didn't taste that coconut-y, which was surprising. Maybe it's because I used low-fat coconut milk. Another thing I'd try next time would be to sprinkle shredded coconut on top.

Makes about 20 cupcakes.

CUPCAKES
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut (plus more for topping, if you choose)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large whole eggs, plus 2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Place paper liners in cupcake/muffin tins. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Grind the coconut in a food processor and add to flour mixture.

Mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high - allow to become pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the whole eggs, whites, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two rounds of coconut milk. Beat until combined.

Pour the batter evenly into the cupcake tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating once, until a piece of spaghetti inserted into the middle of one comes out clean - should take about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then top with frosting.

GANACHE
22 oz white chocolate chips
2 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup white corn syrup

Put chocolate chips in a large, heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and corn syrup just to a simmer over medium-high heat, then pour mixture over chocolate. Let it stand until the chocolate begins to melt. Then, beginning in the center, stir the chocolate into the cream until it's combined and smooth, being careful not to over-stir. Refrigerate, stirring every five minutes, until the frosting begins to hold its shape. I didn't let my frosting refrigerate long enough - and, as you can see, it was plenty messy. Still tasted good, but, you know. So - if you have the patience, refrigerate the frosting long enough for it to get more firm - 30-60 minutes, depending on how it comes out and your own preference.

HOT Fudge (with Indian Ghost Pepper)

Ah, the quest for the elusive Indian Ghost Pepper. Last week, Joef and I were visiting our friends Ali and Patrick in Boston. We found ourselves at a local spice shop, where Joef asked if they sold Indian Ghost Pepper. The reply: "Yes, we do." (Joef's heart leaps.) "But we don't have it today." (Joef's heart falls.) "We usually have it every day." (Joef's heart falls further, and he proceeds to pout for the next few hours.)

This past weekend in New York, we were taken to another spice shop - and this time, we called ahead. Yes, indeed, they could supply Indian Ghost Pepper. And so we came to possess a probably lethal quantity of this spice, which, you see, is generally recognized as the hottest chili in the world. And now Joef can be happy again.

Then it came to what we might actually do with this stuff, and Joef's sister had the rather brilliant idea of adding it to hot fudge. Joef's mom, Betty, whipped up a batch of her unbeatable hot fudge sauce - half made with ghost pepper powder, and another half made with raspberry flavoring for the more sane among us.

Alright, so - was it good? Joef loved it. I have to admit that it was a really nice combination of flavors, the sweet and the smoky-spicy. I also have to admit that it had a semi-numbing effect on my mouth, and yes - it's crazy spicy - and yes, I just had a taste. But we did what we set out to do, and I can now say that I've truly had hot fudge.

Betty's recipe:
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder (like Hershey's)
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp white caro syrup/corn syrup
Half-and-half - enough to make kind of a chocolate "soup" - Maybe 1/2 cup
1 tbsp butter
Flavoring of choice:
-1 tsp vanilla, or
-1 tsp raspberry flavoring, or
-Dash of Indian Ghost Pepper (which was quite spicy - adjust to taste)

Combine all ingredients except the butter and flavoring in a small pot. Bring to a boil while stirring. Cook until chocolate will completely coat a metal spoon - dip a spoon in, and if it comes out patchy, keep cooking until it coats the spoon. Remove from heat and add butter and flavoring of choice. Let the butter melt, then stir just enough to combine (stir too much, and it'll get grainy and loose the right consistency). Serve over ice cream!

(UPDATE: As of 12/3/2010, Naga Jolokia has been replaced by the Naga Viper chili pepper as the hottest in the world. But when we made this, Naga Jolokia reigned supreme!)

Joef's Candied Yams

Joef's Thanksgiving tradition is these yams. They are also his ultimate comfort food. I have to say, I was dubious about these yams at first, despite their being a fairly traditional - as I've learned - Thanksgiving dish. My family, too, was skeptical when Joef made these for our first Thanksgiving together. But I have to say I've come around, and my family brings them up (with yearning, in some cases) every year now. They are incredibly simple and deliciously sweet.

3-4 yams, peeled and sliced into circles
Brown sugar
Marshmallows, big or small (Joef prefers the big ones)

Preheat oven to 375. Take a square or rectangular baking dish and arrange sliced yams in the dish. Top with generous amounts of brown sugar. Really generous amounts. Place in oven and cook until yams are soft and brown sugar has turned to liquid. Cover the top with marshmallows, then pop back in the oven to allow the marshmallows to brown (making sure they don't, er, catch fire). Remove from oven and serve!

Spinach Pie

Spinach pie is really one of my favorite pies. I've always been a savory-vs.-sweet kind of gal, and this just hits the spot - it's even good, if not better, cold the next day. This pie was my (small) contribution to the Thanksgiving feast this year. We did Thanksgiving with family in New York this year, thanks to Kaylynn and Alexis, and it was a blast. The food - none of which I can take any credit for, aside from this pie - was out of this world. We even had oysters. Oysters!

The pie seemed to go over well, and was enhanced by the fact that it was a collaboration between myself and Joef's Aunt Sylvia, who made a delicious gluten-free crust for my filling. I need to get that recipe from her - for now, I've posted the usual and always satisfying crust recipe, and will update with the gluten-free version when I have it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 lb frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1/2 lb muenster cheese, grated
1/2 cup granted parmesan
Sprinkle of nutmeg
1 egg
1 onion, diced
2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled
Milk
Butter
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Pie crust (below; gluten-free recipe to follow)

Put some olive oil in a large frying/saute pan and heat over medium. Add onions and allow to begin to soften, then add spinach. Stir around and let the spinach get hot and the onions soften. Add a little butter - 1-2 tbsp - and melt that in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, break your egg into a large mixing bowl, beat it, then add your two cheeses and stir. Sprinkle in a little nutmeg (remember a little goes a long way). When your potatoes have boiled, mash them up with a little milk and butter, then combine in the large mixing bowl with the egg and cheese.

When you feel the spinach is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it cool a little bit so it doesn't cook the egg. Then mix it in with ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir well, adding a little milk if you feel that it's dry. Pour it into the crust (see below).

CRUST (with gluten)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick butter, cut roughly into tablespoons
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the flour and butter in a bowl, and mix with your hands until fluffy and combined. Add the cold water, and again mix with your hands until you have dough that you can roll out. Add flour if it's getting too sticky. Place floured wax paper on your counter and roll out the dough on the paper (lightly flour the rolling pin, too) until it's about the thickness you want for your crust. Lift the dough over your pie tin, press down into the tin, and trim the edges (save them). Patch as necessary, then pour in the filling.

Take the remaining dough and roll it out again. Crust should cover the top of the pie. Use your fingers and thumb to pinch together the edges of the pie to get that ripply effect, and pierce top with tines of a fork.

Bake until crust is golden-brown.

Original Stuffed Shells: With "Sauce"

Yes, we have a stuffed shell repeat. But I think it's fair, because this is really a completely different dish. I made it for the in-laws because it's great for feeding a large group, and because last week at work I asked my co-workers what they were making for Thanksgiving, and they responded, simply: "sauce". Inspired, I had to make sauce, too.

This one takes some time to prepare - from absolute start-to-finish, it took about three hours. I was ever-so-intelligent and neglected to write down the exact proportions, but I think I got it close.

And yes, it is delicious (see Exhibit A)! Another one to be excited about, at least according to young nephew Finn (Exhibit B).

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

There are three main parts: making the sauce, making the filling, and then baking the dish. Two casserole/baking dishes holding a total of 23 shells fed 6 adults and two babies perfectly.

So - first, the sauce.

SAUCE
6-10 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise, then thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 28-oz cans Hunt's tomato sauce
1 28-oz can Hunt's whole tomatoes
1-1.5 lbs cubed beef chuck
White wine
Dried parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

You'll need a very big pot. Pour a couple/a few tablespoons of olive oil into the pot and turn heat to medium-high. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and season with a little salt and ground pepper. Stir around until it starts to get aromatic and soften slightly.

Add the beef to brown it on all sides. Pour in a little white wine and let the alcohol cook off while you brown the meat.

When the meat is browned, add all of your tomatoes/tomato sauce. Crush the whole tomatoes against the sides of the pot with a wooden spoon to break up. Season again as needed with salt and pepper, and sprinkle in a little dried parsley. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for about 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is doing its thing, you can make the filling (measures are approximate):

FILLING
1 lb fat-free ricotta cheese (approx)
3/4 of a large brick of mozzarella, grated
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Salt to taste
A little ground pepper
Light sprinkle or two of nutmeg (a little goes a long way)
Sprinkle of dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir together, set aside in the fridge.

OTHER
3/4 lb jumbo shells
Grated mozzarella for finishing

Preheat the oven to 400. When the sauce is almost done cooking, boil the water to make your shells. When they're ready, rinse them in cool water and drain. Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside in a separate bowl. Take your two baking dishes and ladle in the sauce to cover the bottoms of the pans, then add more (the sauce shouldn't cover the shells when you put them in, but should come up about 3/4 of the way up on the shells). Take each shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta filling, then place it in the sauce in the pan. When the pans are full, place them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve with the sauce meat on the side. Grate a little mozzarella cheese over the shells to finish. Green beans drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and pepper make a nice side. Done!

Stuffed Seafood Shells

I have to say I'm a little bit proud of this one. Not because it was perfect - I think there's room for improvement, and plus I broke a major cooking rule with the combination of cheese and seafood - but because I truly made it up. Not a family recipe, not an improvisation - just made it up. Which, upon reflection, is probably why there was room for improvement - but hey, whatcha gonna do.

This made way more than we could eat. I'd say it'd serve 3-4 people; it does not make for good leftovers. If you have ideas for how to improvise on this, I'm taking suggestions. But overall, my only real hesitation is the ricotta-seafood combo (maybe just the scallops with some other seasoning for the filling? omit ricotta?); it was really pretty tasty.


You'll need:
1 egg
3/4-1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb bay (small) scallops, chopped in food processor
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced or roughly chopped
Olive oil
28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lb seafood "medley" (I found a great one, frozen, that had cooked clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, etc.), defrosted
18-20 jumbo shells

Preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl, combine your ricotta, egg, parsley, and scallops. Mix, then season with salt and a little pepper. Set aside in the fridge.

Meanwhile, get your water boiling and cook your shells. Cook them very al dente - probably a minute or two less than you usually would. When they're done, rinse them briefly in cold water.

Prep an oven dish by drizzling it with olive oil, then add your San Marzano tomatoes. Break them up with a wooden spoon, then add garlic, dried parsley if you want, the fresh tomatoes, and more salt and pepper. Add your seafood medley and stir around a little.

Take each pasta shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta-scallop filling. Place the shell in the oven dish and nestle it in the tomato sauce. Repeat until your dish is full; use a spoon to drizzle some of the sauce over the tops of the shells as well.

Pop the oven dish in the oven and cover with tinfoil; cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil, turn oven to 400, and cook another 15 minutes. (The sauce came out kind of liquidy - maybe not using tinfoil would help the sauce thicken. Your call.)

Serve!

Pollo all'Arrabbiata

(adapted from Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking")

What a perfect fall dish. We absolutely loved this one - I think it's the best new recipe I've tried in awhile. I mean, I guess it's hard to go wrong when you're cooking chicken in pancetta, but still. It's just a very satisfying meal, and even though the cook time is a little longer than my usual, it's very simple to make.

Here's how it goes:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 red onion, cut into 8 or so wedges
5 chicken drumsticks
1/2 - 3/4 of a whole garlic bulb, cloves peeled and slightly crushed with the flat side of a knife
1/2 cup plus two splashes red wine (we used a Chilean wine called Korta, a Carmenere, which was great to drink, too)
2 serrano peppers or hot red chilies, chopped (I would've used the red; serrano were all I could find and it turned out great)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instant polenta for serving (or, if you have a picky husband, rice)

Plus (soffrito):
2 large cloves garlic
2 slices pancetta
1 tsp rosemary leaves, dry or fresh (I used dry)

Make a soffrito with the "Plus" ingredients - place the garlic, pancetta, and rosemary in a small food processor and chop.

Add the olive oil to a heavy-based pot or dutch oven, and add your soffrito ingredients. Cook and stir over medium for about 5 minutes, allowing the pancetta to become lightly browned. Turn the heat up to high and add the onion, chicken, and garlic cloves, browning the chicken on each side. Add the wine and cook for about a minute, then add the peppers and tomatoes and salt for seasoning.

Bring the chicken to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 40 minutes. Add salt as needed. Serve over polenta (instant takes about 3 minutes or less to cook once the water boils).

Ricotta Cheese Dumplings

(adapted from Mark Bittman)

When the latest Minimalist column boasted homemade "ricotta gnocchi" without any pre-cooking or dough-rolling, I thought back to my own failed attempt at potato gnocchi, and was hooked. He was right - these are much, much easier than their potato cousin.

Now, I don't know that they satisfy the seemingly-constant true gnocchi craving that plagues me - the best way to describe them is more like ravioli without the pasta covering (hence the modified name) - but they were different, rich, and tasty. And really pretty simple.

I was just cooking for myself, so the recipe below made way too much for just me, and they don't keep well. The below should make about four servings; adjust accordingly. Bittman made them with a sage brown butter sauce, which I bet is fantastic; I opted for a simple tomato sauce (two diced Roma tomatoes, 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tbsp of butter, and basil flakes, salt, and pepper to taste, sauteed until the sauce breaks down). What will you try them with?

You'll need:
Salt to taste
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese (nonfat is fine, I promise)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup flour

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Combine the ricotta, eggs and parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour. (They will come apart a little; I think that's OK.)

Drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches so as not to overload the pot.

When the dumplings rise to the surface, give them a couple minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. When you have enough, top with the sauce of your choosing and serve!

Vegetable Latkes

(adapted from the New York Times)

One of my absolute favorite things is my Aunt Wendy's potato latkes. Oh my Lord. I crave those things. These "vegetable" "latkes" don't really do her justice; that being said, I scarfed just about a whole plate down. The recipe claims that these are a great way to get your daily veggies - maybe your daily veggies with a heart attack. Wow, am I selling these yet? In all seriousness - these were fun to make, yummy, and definitely a do-again.

So:
1 zucchini and a few baby carrots, grated - about 2 1/4 cups
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Ground black pepper
1 egg
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
Olive oil for frying

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a different bowl, mix together the milk, egg, lemon zest, and pepper. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined. It should be a little thicker than cream. Add the carrots, zucchini, and scallions and mix them in, then let them sit 20-30 minutes.

Fill a wide frying pan with 1/2-1 inch of olive oil to deep-fry, or less to shallow-fry, and heat until a small drop of the batter browns immediately. Have paper towels over a sheet of aluminum foil ready for draining the latkes. Drop the battered veggies into the oil in batches using a large spoon. Cook the latkes, flipping occasionally, until they're crispy and golden on both sides. When they're done, transfer them to the paper towels to soak the oil up a bit.

And that's it!

La Piccina Cucina is on Twitter!

Yes, folks, we've entered the 21st century and are now officially on Twitter. Follow the blog @lapiccinacucina! Let the social media-ing commence!

Blueberry Cupcakes for Ali

(from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes")

Hmmm, Blueberries for Sal...My best friend Ali, whom I've known since 6th grade, came to visit with her fantastic fiance, Patrick this weekend. It just so happened to be Ali's birthday, so we celebrated with these delicious cupcakes. They're definitely the easiest cupcakes I've made yet; I will say that they turned out a little messier than Martha's looked (probably because of the liquid released by the blueberries), but hey - they tasted great. The topping is a simple whipped cream, with a little sugar added.

So, for 30 cupcakes:

BATTER
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, room temp
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish

Preheat overn to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Mix together flours, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a handheld mixer on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk. Mix in blueberries by hand.

Divide the batter evenly in the tins, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake, rotating halfway through, for about 25 minutes. Allow them to cool, then top (see below).

TOPPING
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Whip with a handheld mixer until thick. Dollop onto cupcakes once they've cooled, then top with more blueberries.

Eggnog Waffles

We've done regular Belgian waffles, Belgian waffles with ice cream batter, and now - Belgian waffles with eggnog batter, courtesy of Joef.

We stuck with Krusteaz Belgian Waffle Mix, which never seems to disappoint. These are a little less dense than the ice cream version, but more dense than if you were to only use water, and have almost a bit of a french toast taste, as our dear friend Ali pointed out. They were fantastic.

For 4-5 waffles, you'll need:

Krusteaz Belgian Waffle Mix, 3 cups
Eggs, 2
Oil, 1/3 cup
3/4 cup eggnog
3/4 cup water

Blend the ingredients together with a whip, and you're ready to spoon it onto your waffle maker. When done, top with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.

Betty's Oven Beef Stew

This is Joef's favorite meal. His mom makes it the best, of course - it's her recipe, to give full credit. But I think we got it pretty close tonight. It takes several hours, but most of that time is in the oven, so it's perfect for a weekend. A great, hearty meal just in time for fall.

2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
1 1/2 lbs beef chuck cut in 1" cubes/stew meat
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 smallish potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 handfuls or so baby carrots
1-1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag; add the meat and shake to coat.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium and add the meat to brown on all sides. In a casserole dish, add the soup, 2 1/2 cups water, onion & basil.

Bake at 250 for about 1.5 hours. Remove and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 2-2.5 hours. Turn the heat to 400 for the last 1/2 hour, and remove foil. Throw in the peas right before serving. Serve with crusty bread - butter the bread if you're feeling decadent.

Chicken Paprikash with Homemade Spaetzle

It ain't so pretty...

...but mmm, I love this dish! And it's about time I give Italy a break food-wise and get back to the other half (or 1/4) of my roots - Hungary! This is one of those meals that I was always asking my mom to make growing up. Oddly enough, I think this is the first time I've made it myself. It's yummy, different, and the dumplings are a blast to make (always something my mom and I would do together when she cooked it at home - a wonderful memory).

Next time - and this is probably sacrilege - I may try adding some chopped carrot and onion in at the beginning, just to play around a bit. (UPDATE! I made it with chopped onion and sliced carrot - see new photo - and it was great! Also, I cooked the drumsticks with the sauce, but in the end, took the drumsticks out, cut the meat off into bite-sized pieces, and returned them to the sauce, and that was great. AND, the sauce was a little thin, so I put a tablespoon or so of rice flour in a small bowl, added a little sauce to it and stirred until the rice flour and sauce were combined, and then returned that to the pan and stirred it in. Great thickening trick taught to me by my friend Archana.)

CHICKEN
1-2 large cloves garlic, chopped
Olive oil
1 package chicken drumsticks (5)
Flour
Ground black pepper
3 tsp good Hungarian paprika, plus more
5-6 cups chicken broth
Little squeeze of lemon
Salt

SPAETZLE/DUMPLINGS
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup flour or so
Salt

Coat the chicken lightly in flour with a little paprika and black pepper mixed in. Saute your garlic in a few tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven, then add 3 tsp of paprika. Stir, then add your chicken and brown it well over medium heat. If it starts to get dry/near burning, add a little chicken broth. Once the meat is browned, add enough chicken broth to cover the drum sticks. Bring to a boil, then turn down and allow to simmer for at least an hour.

In the meantime, make the spaetzle. Beat the eggs, then add the flour 1/3 of a cup at a time and stir in to the eggs to make a soft, sticky dough.

About 5-10 minutes before you're ready to eat, bring the chicken and its broth to a boil again. Use a spoon to scoop out small (maybe 1/4 spoonfuls? 1/16?) bits of spaetzle dough, then dip into the boiling broth. The spaetzle should fall off the spoon when you do this. Repeat until you've gone through all the dough. The dumplings will rise to the top as they cook. Let it boil another minute or so, then serve!

 Love.

Tuna Fish Spaghetti

Well no, it wasn't with spaghetti tonight - "Tuna Fish Spaghetti" is just what we called it when my dad made it (or something similar) at home. And yes, this is akin to another recipe you've seen before. But this version omits the green olives and adds a little more tomato. There's nothing wrong with variations on a theme, folks, especially on a weeknight!

So here's this version, for the olive-averse:
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped and lightly salted
Red pepper flakes to taste
1-2 cans tuna fish in olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 lb pasta

Get your water boiling so that you can cook your pasta while you make the sauce.

Put the garlic, olive oil, and olive oil from your can of tuna in a pan and heat over medium-high. After a minute or so, add your tomatoes and parsley along with the chili flakes to taste. Let that cook for a couple minutes more, turn the heat to medium, and add the tuna, crushing the tuna into smaller chunks with a wooden spoon. Let the flavors cook together for a couple more minutes, then stir in your tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn down to low and allow to simmer. Add more flakes if you want 'em. Cook for about 10-15 more minutes. If you time it right, your pasta will be done cooking right around the time the sauce is ready (although you can always cook the sauce a little longer if you want a deeper flavor - just keep the sauce on low and partially covered to make sure it doesn't dry out.) Add the pasta right to the sauce, toss, and serve.

Pasta with Egg and Homemade Sausage

(adapted from Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking", of course)

This is a two-recipes-in-one deal: first, homemade beef sausage, sans casing; and second, a carbonara-esque pasta dish using that sausage.

I have to say that the pasta recipe probably isn't a whole-crowd pleaser, and I myself prefer a traditional carbonara. I also took a few shortcuts with the recipe, leaving out the pancetta that was called for. I've included the directions for using the pancetta - if you have the constitution to handle two types of meat in one dish, it's probably delicious.

As for the sausage, you could follow the same recipe with ground pork. And wow, they are easy. I made the sausage last week and kept them in the freezer.

SAUSAGE
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 clove garlic
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 3/4 lbs ground beef (or whatever meat you want)
1/4 tsp chili flakes
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Crush the salt and garlic into a paste using a mortar. Add the red wine vinegar. Put the beef in a bowl and add all the ingredients. Mix well with your hands.

Divide the mixture into 4-5 even parts and roll each into a sausage shape. Wrap snugly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends, and freeze.


PASTA WITH EGG AND SAUSAGE
4 eggs
Juice and zest of one lemon
3/4 cup parmesan
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
(1/4 lb pancetta, chopped)
1 lb homemade sausage, crumbled
3/4 lb pasta
Parsley for garnish, chopped
Red pepper flakes, optional

Combine the eggs, lemon juice and zest, and parmesan in a bowl and beat together. Season with black pepper.

(Combine the oil and pancetta in a large pan and cook over medium for 3-4 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.) Add the sausage to the pan and saute until cooked. (Return the pancetta to the pan and keep warm.)

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, reserving a small cup of cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan, with a little of the cooking water, and cook over high for about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and immediately add the egg mixture to the pan along with the parsley and red pepper flakes. Stir and watch the egg cook, then serve.

PIZZA!

I've been wanting to make and post pizza on this blog since, oh, about March of this year. I'd been making it successfully for a few months, and decided to make it for my dear friend Ali (who suggested I start this blog) when she visited us in Madison. Unfortunately, that attempt was a total disaster. I somehow got the dough recipe wrong, and the pizza was un-postable. I've been pizza-shy since then.

But, joy of joys, homemade pizza is back in our lives! Homemade pizza was a New Year's Eve tradition in the Popolizio household, so I'm thrilled to have a dough recipe that works. And this time, I'm writing it down.

This was also probably the most workable dough I've made yet. The recipe below is enough for four personal, thin-crust pizzas. Your toppings are, of course, up to you - below are what our friends Matt and Marina and we decided on.

If you're going to make this, you need to plan ahead - it's simple, but not necessarily easy, and it takes some time to prep. It is also completely worth it.


DOUGH
4 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 tbsp olive oil

Stir your yeast into the water, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. When the water/yeast mixture is ready, add that to the dry ingredients and add the olive oil, too. Stir the mixture briefly into a rough ball - don't worry about all the pieces coming together at this point.

Dump the bowl out onto a lightly-floured surface, and knead the dough until it really is a ball, this time. Continue to knead the dough, sprinkling flour if it becomes too sticky, for 15-20 minutes. The longer the better.

To make four pizzas, cut the dough into quarters, and knead each ball individually for 2-5 minutes.

Prepare four bowls by placing a drop or two of olive oil in each and spreading it around until each bowl is lightly greased. Then put one ball of dough in each bowl, rolling it around in the olive oil to make sure it's lightly coated, too. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for about 2 hours to rise.

After two or more hours, take each ball of dough out, pound it once or twice with your fist on a lightly-floured surface, and knead it again for 5-10 minutes. Place each ball back in its bowl and cover, repeating the olive oil process if necessary (you shouldn't have to use as much this time around - one drop if any). Let sit for about one hour to rise.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, with the pizza brick in the oven. Let the pizza brick get nice and hot. When you're ready to make the pizzas (we did each one individually), place the risen ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gradually stretch out the dough into a flat disc (you know, like a pizza) - about an 1/8 of an inch thick. I sort of rotate it, using the tips of my fingers to go around and push out the edges of the dough in a circle. You can toss it, if you like, too.

Prep a pizza "paddle" with cornmeal or semolina to keep the pizza from sticking to the paddle when you place it in the oven. Put your flattened dough onto the paddle, then add your toppings, starting with the sauce. Gently shift the pizza off of the paddle onto the brick in the oven, and cook until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove with the paddle and serve!

SAUCE
We had two sauce options: tomato sauce and garlic-habanero olive oil (guess who!). For the tomato sauce, put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a small pot with 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, and heat for a couple minutes over medium. Add a little salt if you want, then add a can of tomato sauce and some dried basil. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and allow to simmer for a bit.

For the garlic-habanero: Combine olive oil, minced garlic, and minced habanero and stir together.

TOPPINGS
We used, in a number of variations:
Arugula
Fresh mozzarella
Prosciutto
Chorizo
Cayenne pepper
Rosemary
Red chili flakes
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh tomato slices

Specifically:
THE JOEF: Garlic-habanero oil, mozzarella, basil, fresh tomato, prosciutto, salt


THE MARINA: Tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, prosciutto


THE MATT: Garlic-habanero oil, cayenne pepper, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil chorizo


THE JULIA: Tomato sauce, rosemary, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, prosciutto; arugula (post-baking)

Penne with Zucchini and Tomato

This is one of those, "How can I use these veggies before they go bad?" type of dishes, which generally, in my experience, can have mixed results. This, however, turned out pretty darn good for a quick lunch. Make sure to top it with plenty of parmesan cheese. Recipe is for one.

1/3 lb pasta
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered then sliced
1 large Roma tomato, chopped and lightly salted
Sprinkle dried basil
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese for serving

Cook your pasta. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil in a saute pan, add garlic, and cook over medium-high heat until garlic is sizzling (don't let it brown/burn). Add the tomatoes and the zucchini, and mix in. Sprinkle with a little dried basil. Turn the heat down to low-medium and cover or partially cover. Cook until the zucchini has softened.

Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce, cooking and stirring over low until the pasta is covered. Serve with parmesan.

Not Chili

Well, I call it chili. But the husband insists that if it has rice in it, it can't be chili, no matter how good it is (and it is good!). This is how my ma always made chili at home - served over rice - and it's still my favorite (and it might soon become the husband's, too).

1 1/2 cups white rice
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Olive oil
A little salt
A little ground pepper
1 lb ground beef, thawed
1 tbsp chili powder, plus more
1/2 tsp ground cumin, plus more
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans (you know, whatever the size is between 8 oz and 28 oz - the regular size), drained and rinsed

Cook your rice.

Meanwhile: drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil into the bottom of the pot, then add your garlic and heat over medium, adding a little salt and ground pepper. Just let that get hot and aromatic, then mix in the ground beef, red chili powder, and cumin. Let the beef brown.

Once the beef is browned, add your tomatoes and tomato sauce. Break up the whole tomatoes well with a wooden spoon. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn to low and partially cover, simmering for about 1/2 to a 1 full hour. You can sprinkle more chili powder and cumin in at this point, according to your taste.

15 minutes before the sauce is done, add the kidney beans and cook another 15 minutes.

Serve over/mix into rice - yes, RICE! - and enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

For the second half-post of the day, we have a side dish: broccoli rabe (or maybe it's broccoli di rabe, or rapini, or what have you), sauteed with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Broccoli di rabe, as previously discussed, is not for everyone - it's bitter, biting, unusual. I think Joef summed it up best: "It's so angry!" And that's why we like it. Plus, when you're not feeling well, as I'm not this weekend, eating something "angry" makes you feel like you're really giving your cold what-for.

Here ya go:
1/2 large bunch broccoli rabe, bottom stems removed, washed
2-3 tbsp or so olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, a couple sliced and a couple minced
Red chili flakes to taste
Salt to taste
3/4 - 1 cup water

Prep your rabe, then add olive oil and garlic with some chili flakes and salt to a pan over medium heat. Let those warm up and let the flavors combine, then add all your rabe to the pan. Let it start to wilt, stirring it around. Add more salt and chili flakes, if you want. Then add the water. Continue to cook and rotate until the rabe wilts and most of the water has boiled off. Serve as a side dish.

Pesto with Chicken

Two posts today, since one is a side dish and the other is really just a variation on a prior recipe. First, the prior recipe, pesto - this time, with grilled chicken added. (You know, just like they do at Noodles and Company, hehe!) This turned out really good and was a nice way to make pesto a little heartier.

It's essentially the same recipe, only I used 3/4 lbs of pasta, and I grilled up two chicken breasts and added them in. Nevertheless, here it is again, updated:

2 oz fresh basil leaves
Garlic (2-3 cloves) (note that this makes a VERY garlicky sauce)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup grated)
2 chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets
Pasta - something with ripples or ridges to hold the sauce (3/4 pound)

Sprinkle your chicken cutlets with a little salt and pepper, then grill each cutlet until fully cooked. Slice into strips or cubes.

Cook the pasta (I used shells).

Put the garlic in the food processor first. Chop it up and scrape it off the sides as needed. Next, add the basil and do the same. Add the olive oil a 1/4 cup at a time - grind it up until it starts to make a paste, scraping off the sides as needed.

Put the paste into a large bowl and mix it with the parmesan. Add the pasta into the bowl and mix it until all the pasta is coated, then add chicken and do the same. Serve with more parmesan cheese as needed.

ALT: Noodles and Company style, with cavatappi and tomatoes!

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Ceci

(adapted from Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking")

UPDATED 2/5/11
Alright. I just made this again, and I made it slightly differently, and it was both easier to make and more delicious. So, give this a shot:

2 thick slices pancetta, diced
Olive oil
1/2 can ceci beans, drained
Habanero flakes, to taste
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped large
2 cloves garlic, smashed flat
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 lb pasta

Drizzle olive oil in a large pan and turn heat to medium-high, then add the pancetta. Cook for a couple of minutes, turning down if necessary. Add the ceci (and habanero flakes, if you choose) and let them cook together for a few more minutes as the pancetta renders its fat. Remove the ceci and pancetta and set aside. Add the rabe and garlic into the same pan, adding a little olive oil if you need it. Add more habanero flakes, if using. Turn back up to medium-high and add the chicken broth. Cook until wilted and your pasta is ready, then add the chicken and ceci back into the rabe and cook for a minute or two, then add the cooked pasta and mix. Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil, and serve. Not half bad with grated parmesan.

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ORIGINAL POST
I can't get enough of this cookbook. This woman is brilliant. The recipes are simple, using just a few common ingredients, and the outcomes are delicious and different. This particular recipe gave me an excuse to buy pancetta again, and also the chance to cook broccoli rabe for the first time. Broccoli rabe is like the arugula of the broccoli world - bitter; probably an acquired taste (at least it was for me, growing up). It's much leafier than typical broccoli; cook it up with plenty of garlic and it's great.

I decided to add red pepper flakes to this - optional, but I think a good variation. And I didn't have dried chick peas/ceci/garbanzos, so I had to improvise a little bit there.

So:
1 cup canned ceci beans, drained
2 large cloves garlic, flattened/crushed with the flat side of a knife
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp olive oil, plus 3 tbsp
5 oz pancetta (I got 3 thin slices, more wouldn't have hurt), thinly sliced
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems removed, cut across into 1/2 inch strips
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper
3/4 lbs short pasta

Put the ceci in a small pot with the crushed garlic, a little salt, and 2 tsps olive oil. Add water to cover. Place them over low heat on the stove. (You may be able to skip this step - I was trying to get as close as possible to her directions for dried beans.)

Combine 3 tbsp of olive oil and the pancetta in a large saute pan over medium heat until the pancetta turns crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel.

Add the 4 chopped garlic cloves to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the broccoli rabe. Saute until it all wilts.

Drain the ceci in a colander set over a bowl to retain the liquid. Add the ceci to the rabe, then add a cup of the reserved liquid and stir it in to the rabe and ceci. Add crushed red pepper flakes Cook another 10-15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the meantime, cook your pasta in salted water, reserving a cup or so of the pasta water. Add the cooked pasta right to the rabe in the pan and toss around for about a minute, adding the pancetta. Add pasta water if it seems dry. Serve!

Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Caramelized Onion Omelette

Here we go, another "recipe" whose name pretty much sums things up. But I've never actually successfully made an omelette, so this was an accomplishment for me. Plus, say you have leftover goat cheese from a certain salad, and leftover tomatoes from a certain fish dish...well, there you go.

3 eggs, beaten
Butter
1/4 cup (ish) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (ish) white onion, sliced or chopped
A few sprigs arugula
As much goat cheese, crumbled, as you want

First, caramelize the onions: take a frying pan and grease the bottom with butter, then add the onions and cook them on medium until they begin to soften and brown. Put them aside.

Second, do the same with the tomatoes (will take less time).

Butter the pan again and pour in the egg (turn up the heat a tad). Lift the pan and shift the eggs until the bottom of the pan is covered; you can lift up the sides a bit and let the egg run under itself a little, too. Cook until the top is nearly not runny, then add the onion, tomatoes, arugula, and cheese to one side. Fold the other side over the filling, then flip. Repeat the flip until the cheese is melty and all the egg is cooked. You could even serve it with a little arugula salad on the side.

Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese, Green Apple, and Walnuts

OK, so posting a "recipe" for a salad is cheating a little. I mean, the title of the post is basically the recipe. Done. But hey - it doesn't hurt to share the idea, right? Particularly if it's a three-minute idea that tasted pretty dang good.

1 container/bag mixed greens, plus a handful of arugula, if you please
Crumbled goat cheese to taste
Small bag of chopped walnuts
1 green apple, chopped
3 large spoonfuls/tbsp olive oil
1.5 large spoonfuls/tbsp balsamic

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large salad bowl, then add the olive oil and balsamic, and toss!

Tilapia with Beans and Tomatoes

(adapted from, what else, Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking")

My goodness, it's been a whirlwind of activity around here lately. Not a cooking, whirlwind, clearly - or at least not of new recipes. I finally got the chance today for lunch, which worked out because I 1) had time (although this doesn't take much), and 2) wanted to cook something I knew the husband wouldn't go for (not a tilapia fan). I've had this recipe in mind ever since my dad called raving about it. And he knows what he's talking about.

This is a dinner dish as well, or maybe preferably. In any case, it's easy, fast, and delicious.

3 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup cannellini (great northern) beans, drained
1 handful flat-parsley leaves, coarsely chopped - or, in my case, a healthy dash of dried parsley
3 tilapia filets (or other white fish)
Lemon wedges, to serve (grilled bread suggested and highly recommended, if you have it, also to serve)

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium (it will need to be large enough to fit the filets next to each other without overlap, and it should have a lid). Add the garlic, chili flakes, tomatoes, and wine and simmer until the tomatoes get soft, about 10 minutes. Add salt partway through if you need it (I did). Add the beans and the parsley and cook another five minutes or so.

Lay the fish on top and season with salt (they can touch, but should not overlap). Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the fish cooks through and is flaky - about 10-15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and, if you're lucky, grilled bread. That's IT!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes")

Yesterday was Joef's and my one-year anniversary (!). Celebrations included running a 5K (you'll know why when you read this recipe), dinner at Pacifico (raw bar platter, shrimp ceviche, plantains, and duck quesadillas, mmmm), an upcoming stint in Cape Cod - and, these cupcakes.

Most people know how I feel about cakes and cupcakes, etc. I generally prefer, say, some ceviche or duck quesadillas, if they happen to be around. But I gotta say, there's a big difference when sweet things are made right - and (thanks to Martha Stewart), these were.

A shout-out to my other inspiration for the cupcakes - my mother-in-law, Betty - who makes a mean Boston Cream Pie that is pretty much one of Joef's favorite things in the world. I'm not sure these can top the actual "pie", but they're a fun alternative.

So, to make 20:

CUPCAKES
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for tins
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for tins
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pastry Cream (see below)
Chocolate Ganache Glaze (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease muffin tins with butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and set over very low heat.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar into thick, fluffy, and pale yellow - about 5 minutes. (The mixture should be able to hold a drop of itself on its surface for a couple seconds when you lift the mixer.) Reduce speed to medium, and gradually add the flour mixture, whisking just until it combines.

3. Bring the milk and butter just to a boil. With mixer on low, add the hot milk to the batter in a slow, steady stream, and mix just until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. (Note - the recipe says to fill the cups halfway; I ended up the first round with cupcakes that were too small and went for 3/4 full the next time around. Use your judgment based on the kind of muffin or cupcake tins you have.) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean - about 15 minutes. Let tins cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let them cool completely.

5. To finish, use a serrated knife to split the cupcakes in half horizontally. Spread about 1 tbsp pastry cream on the bottom half of each cupcake. Spoon about 1 tbsp chocolate glaze over the top of each cupcake. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long.

PASTRY CREAM
(Two notes: one, Joef and I agreed that while this filling was delicious, if you were strapped for time, you could probably use a mix. Two, I just realized that I used egg yolks and whites by accident when I made mine. Hmmm. Well, they turned out fine - but you, you follow the recipe, gosh darn it!)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. (Be patient.)
3. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks (you do this first to prevent curdling). Now pour this into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough to hold its shape. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (gets rid of any pieces of egg white). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right onto the surface to keep a skin from forming. Directions say to refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours - but who has time for that? I popped it in the freezer until the cupcakes were ready to go, but I found it a little too stiff. I'd probably just go with the fridge next time.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup

1. Place chocolate in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl.
2. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it stand without stirring until the chocolate begins to melt.
3. Use a flexible spatula to gently stir the chocolate and cream together until totally combined. It helps to begin near the center of the bowl and slowly work your way out. Don't overstir. Will be smooth and glossy. And delicious.

Archana's Apple Brownies

(from Archana, who got it from Jessica, who got it from...)

My friend Archana was generous enough to share this delicious recipe with me after our apple-picking excursion. I loved this recipe not just because it tastes amazingly good, but because it's simple. And my experience with baking to-date has been complicated and time-consuming. Don't get me wrong - it's still fun, and the results are worth it, but it's also nice to know you can whip up something sweet without too much effort.

I'm going to give it to you just as she gave it to me. Pass it on!

"1 C. softened butter
1 3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. chopped apples (i have done them by hand or in a cuisinart)

combine butter and sugar. add eggs and vanilla. in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. mix with wet ingredients until just moistened. fold in apples. bake in a greased pan at 350 for 45 minutes. can put a glaze on it made of 1/2 C. powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp. vanilla.

they are magical."

Yes, yes they are.

Risotto with Arugula and Parmesan

(adapted from Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking")

I love risotto. I just do. It's the ultimate comfort food. And even cooking it is vaguely comforting, as you add the broth ladle by ladle and watch the rice soak it up. Maybe that part's just me. In any case, eating it is good. I really enjoyed the arugula in this (surprise) - the rice is savory, the arugula a little bitter, and it all works out.

The original recipe calls for taleggio rather than parmesan, but seeing as how I not only didn't have taleggio, but had to look up what the heck taleggio is, parmesan worked just fine.

Here we go:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth, simmering, with a few tablespoons reserved
1-2 handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine the olive oil and onions in a large, deep saute pan, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and stir one more minute.

Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated. Then add the wine and stir over medium heat until the wine absorbs into the rice. Then, add a ladle of the simmering chicken broth and stir it in until the broth is absorbed into the rice. Keep doing this until the rice is al dente and the broth is used up. If you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, you can use a ladle or two of simmering water.

When that process is complete, add your cheese, the reserved broth, and the arugula, and stir it into the rice. Reduce the heat to low (or turn it off entirely), cover, and let sit for three minutes. Season with salt as needed, and serve!

400 Visitors and Facebook Page

La Piccina Cucina hit 400 new visitors this month, and I decided to celebrate by making it its very own Facebook page. At facebook.com/piccinacucina you can become a fan, browse pictures and watch for new posts, share your own recipes or tell me how to improve mine, and easily link to this blog to find recipes.

Of course, you can always follow the blog directly - or you can just check in from time to time as the mood strikes!

To food!

Peach Hand Pies

(filling and concept adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

I've been wanting to make hand pies ever since the first time I heard the phrase "hand pie". There is something incredibly appealing about that term - it just sounds so comforting and delicious. So when I found myself with more fruit than I could possibly eat before it went bad after a fruit-picking (apples, peaches, and asian pears!) trip to a local orchard, it was time to fulfill the dream, as it were. And this time, I remembered to use my mom's much-easier-and-equally-delicious crust recipe, this time. Bonus!

FILLING
2 pounds of peaches
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus - I used more because my peaches weren't quite ripe
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon bourbon, if you have it - I used drambuie
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and chop the peaches into small chunks. Mix them with the flour, sugar and pinch of salt, and add the drambuie and vanilla. Add more sugar to taste. Set aside for awhile if you have the time - I let them sit for about an hour plus.

CRUST
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick butter, cut roughly into tablespoons
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup cold water

EXTRAS
1 large egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten - to act as the glaze
Extra sugar for dusting

The less you handle the crust mixture, the better - it makes for a flakier crust. Combine the flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl, and mix with your hands until fluffy and combined. Add the cold water, and again mix with your hands until you have dough that you can roll out. Add flour if it's getting too sticky.

Place floured wax paper on your counter and roll out the dough on the paper (lightly flour the rolling pin, too) until it's about the thickness you want for your crust. Use a bowl to cut out circles of dough. My first roll-out made about three rounds - I prepped those, then rolled out the dough again and repeated the process. Do this until you've used all your dough. I had seven and a half pies by the end; I also had leftover filling. (If you want a bigger filling-to-crust ratio, you might make them larger so as to fit more filling.)

The filling process works this way: place your rounds of crust on an ungreased baking pan/sheet. Brush the circumference of each with your egg mixture, then spoon in some filling on one side of the round. Fold the other side of the round over the filling, and press the edges of the crust together. Use the back of a fork to make a design on the edges, and poke a couple of holes in the crust with the fork. Then, lightly brush more egg mixture over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Once the pies are filled, place them in the fridge for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375. Then place the baking sheet with the pies in the oven and cook until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Then enjoy - eat them right from your hands!