It's Christmas? Oh, Good. I guess it's time for ZEPPOLE

  Zeppole. Not Zeppelin. Get with it. These little puffs of sweet happiness are my family's favorite thing to make! My cousins and I always laugh when we make these - mostly because one particular cousin's version always ends up looking like dumbbells :D They are a holiday tradition, going back to the early 1900s. So please, make yourself some zeppole with your family. It will be a BLAST. Doing with this kids is an unforgettable experience. Just please keep them away from the hot oil.

For the Dough:
3 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/3 cups of Warm Water, 110 degrees
1 Envelope of Yeast

To make the dough:

1) Add the yeast to warm water and set it aside for about 3 minutes.

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with a dough attachment, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure its all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture.

3) With the speed on medium, mix until everything is combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix for 10 minutes.

Ingredients
1 Ball of Pizza Dough
Vegetable Oil, for frying

For topping,
Regular Granulated Sugar
Confectioner Sugar
Cinnamon Sugar, (half a cup of sugar with 1 Tbsp of cinnamon and mix)

Preparation

1) Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Cut the dough into strips and shape the strips into little squares.

3) Fry them in the hot oil until golden brown all around, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4) Drain on a paper towel lined plate and immediately dip into desired topping.

5) Serve right away for the best donuts you will ever have. 

Chocolate Mousse: You Just Died And Went to Heaven

When I die, I want to be remembered for my contribution to the Chocolate Mousse community. Pastry and Bakery owners worldwide should cut me a check for promulgating their product everywhere I go, especially since mine is beyond anything you've ever tasted in a dessert. OH, Sweet Lord. Why must you make food so fattening??? I JUST WANT TO EAT THIS FOREVER. OH. But it's the Holidays, you can eat it :) I'm not even going to describe this dish. You just need to make it and find out for yourself. Make believe you're Indiana Jones discovering new territory. You're rewards will be great and I can promise you that, in this case, you won't get killed by some pygmy in a rainforest. You may, however, die of taste overload. 

Ingredients

8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup water, divided

2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)

3 egg yolks

5 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups whipping cream, whipped

1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons of Bacardi Rum 

Strawberries

Preparation

1. In a microwave or double boiler, heat chocolate, 1/4 cup water and butter until the chocolate and butter are melted. Cool for 10 minutes. In a small heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and remaining water. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate mixture. Set saucepan in ice and stir until cooled, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream, rum, and walnuts. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Enjoy with some Strawberries!

Un Po' di Struffoli

 Struffoli is a very, very, very traditional Italian Christmas dessert. There is no Italian Christmas without struffoli. Kids love it, adults re-kindle their youth, and we all get to enjoy the happiness of fried goodness with some honey. Do yourself a favor, either make it, or go buy it. But I know some of you guys do not have access to Italian bakeries in countries like Kazakhstan or Mongolia (whoever you are readers, HELLO! It's cool to see the blog being seen in such foreign places!!!), so you have no choice but to make it for yourself. Which is the way it should be done. This way you know it will be delicious and you can do it with friends and family, laughing, joking, and arguing :)

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups of Flour
3 Eggs
Zest of 1 Orange
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Tbsp of Sugar
Small Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp of Limoncello or Orange Juice
1 cup of Honey
Vegetable Oil for frying

Preparation

1) In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients (dough will be very sticky) dump dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball (add more flour as you pull it together so it’s no longer sticky.

2) Sprinkle a little flour in a small bowl and set the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

3) In a large pot or a deep fryer, add enough oil to get up to about 3 inches. Heat over medium high heat until the oil is about 370 degrees when tested with a thermometer.

4) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour, set aside, also line another baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

5) Once the dough has rested, place it on a floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope shape and cut ¼ inch pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball and place them on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

6) Fry the struffoli carefully in the hot oil making sure to constantly turn them around as they fry for even cooking, once they are deep golden brown, remove onto the paper towel lined baking sheet.

6) Heat the honey in a small pot until slightly runny, add it to a big bowl and add in the cooked struffoli, toss them well for a few minutes or until they are well covered in the honey.  Sprinkle over some sprinkles and let them sit for a while before serving.

Rice Pudding. The Happy Way.

In Portugal, Rice pudding can get VERY COMPLICATED.  Not so much in making it - that's uber simple - but rather because people make VERY intricate designs with cinnamon on top of the dessert while it is on its serving tray. I've seen the Eiffel Tower done in cinnamon, checked patterns, and words - they DO NOT PLAY. I make some abstract design and call it a day. It's visually appealing and DELICIOUS. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients

1 cup of Whole Milk (you can use whatever percentage, but if I'm having dessert, I'm having a real dessert)
1/3 cup of Arborio Rice
¼ cup of Granulated Sugar
½ tsp of Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp of Ground Cinnamon
1 lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon of Almond Extract

1/2 teaspoon of Bacardi Rum

Preparation

1) Add the milk and lemon to a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat, add the rice and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender

2) Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 more minutes.

3) Remove from the heat and put it in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap is actually touching the rice. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. 

4) With cinnamon, make a design on top, then Serve!

Triple Chocolate Biscotti

  Before we open gifts on Christmas morning, the WHOLE family needs to have breakfast together. SO out come the biscotti, the bathtubs of Cappuccino and Espresso, and the hot Cocoa. You can have this whenever you want - not just Christmas - because it is just too delicious to not have it. We use three chocolates (my mother says it's to represent the trinity, but I think she's lying. It's really because she likes the three chocolates and that's a perfect excuse to use 'em. When all else fails, blame politics and religion :D hahaha) In any case, hope you enjoy it. Mangia Bene!

P.S. Brush your teeth after eating them. You don't want to take pictures smiling if you haven't brushed your teeth after eating them. I have had great laughs with my cousins because of these biscotti. You'll see.

Ingredients
1 ½ Cup of All Purpose Flour
1 Cup of Sugar
½ Cup of Cocoa Powder
1 tsp of Instant Espresso Powder
¾ tsp of Baking Soda
1/8 tsp of Salt
1 cup of Hazelnuts, Toasted
1/3 Cup of Chocolate Chips
3 Eggs
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
¾ of a Cup of White Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp of Heavy cream

Preparation

1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2) In a large bowl add the first 8 ingredients and mix until combined.

3) In a small bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla and add it to the dry mixture. Stir everything until the dough comes together.

4) Portion the dough in two pieces and using a little extra flour or a little water to help form them into 2 logs about 2 inches in diameter. Make sure to place them about 4 inches apart.

5) Bake for 35 minutes and let cool for about 15 minutes.

6) Cut each log on a slight diagonal into ¾ inch thick slices. Place them cut side down on the parchment lined baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and return to oven for 25 mire minutes. Let cool completely.

7) Mix the heavy cream and white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and and microwave them until the chocolate has melted.

8) Drizzle or dip the cookies into the melted white chocolate and place them on a wire rack to let the white chocolate harden.

Stuffed Braised Calamari in Red Sauce

  OH. OH. OH. OH. That's what comes to mind with this dish. I would personally like to thank God and or Poseidon for Squid. IT'S JUST TOO GOOD. JULES VERNE, REST ASSURED THAT THE GIANT SQUID IN 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. MY MOTHER AND I WENT OUT WITH A HUGE HARPOON AND TURNED HIM INTO CALAMARI. RIGHT OFF THE JERSEY SHORE. HE RESISTED LITTLE - HE WANTED TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE RED SAUCE MY MOM MAKES. Another one of our fishes on Christmas Eve, there are 7, Stuffed Calamari is a dish I am very fond of. I can still remember my great-grandmother, Emma, sitting at the table, closing each squid with a toothpick to keep the filling inside.  We still do it today, so this way, she's still around. The only thing is, she used to do it while drinking a glass of Scotch Sours. I drink Chivas instead ;) Mangia Bene!

Ingredients
1 lb of Clean Whole Squid

For the filling,
½ cup Plain Bread Crumbs
3 Tbsp of Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp of Capers
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley
2 Olive Oil
1 Small Clove of Garlic, finely minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the sauce,
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
1 32oz Can of Italian Peeled and Chopped Tomatoes
½ cup of Tomato Puree
1 cup of Dry White Wine
Few Leaves of Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation,

1) In a large bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients and set aside.

2) Using a teaspoon fill each squid with the filling, going about ¾ of the way full. Secure with a toothpick and set aside.

3) Preheat a large non stick skillet with high sides over medium high heat. Sautee the garlic in the olive oil until golden and fragrant. Add the hot pepper flakes and cook for a few more seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and the wine. Bring to a boil and add the stuffed squid to the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover with a lid. 

4) Cook for 45 minutes, stirring once in a while and turning the calamari over to insure even cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn the heat off. Add a few fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

This sauce is out of this world! We take crusty Italian bread and put it in the bottom of the bowl and scoop the sauce right on top. OHHHH.

Rice with Octopus (Arroz com Polvo)

     YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, OCTOPUS!!!!!!! I LOVE OCTOPUS. SO MUCH. Is it expensive?? YES. WORTH IT? YES. Octopus is one of our seven fishes on Christmas Eve and I am so happy it is. If you don't like octopus, I feel so sorry for your soul - please pray to your maker that you get an appetite for octopus because for real, you're missing out. I don't know how other cultures enjoy it (if they even eat it), but this is how we do it. I'm not saying run out and buy yourself an octopus (yes, I am), but on a day like Christmas Eve, you gotta do it. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients

One 3 pound frozen octopus, thawed

1 cup  water 

1 medium  onion, unpeeled

2 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, peeled, coarse chopped 

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

Coarse salt as needed

A pinch of red hot chili flakes

2 cups long grain rice (not instant or parboiled)

4 ½ cups cooking broth*

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped 

Preparation 

1.  Cut the tentacles into 1-inch pieces.  Reserve the body for another use or if you are making a large quantity cut up the body as well.

2.  In a pot, combine the water, unpeeled onion with the octopus pieces.  Cover tightly and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Extra water will be given up by the octopus.

3. Heat olive oil in a separate pot.  Add the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, parsley and chili peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent. When the octopus is nearly tender, reserving the cooking water transfer the pieces to the onions. Pour in about 4 ½ cups cooking broth the cooking broth.  If you don’t have enough broth, add some water to make up the difference. Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the rice for 12 to 15 minutes until the rice is tender.  Mix in the parsley and serve.

Boiled Codfish with Potatoes and Garbanzo Beans (Bacalhau Cozido)

  Listen, I hated this growing up. Codfish is such an ugly fish. and the fact that we had to eat it EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE IN 3 DIFFERENT WAYS DROVE ME UP A WALL. Thankfully, THE FEAST OF SEVEN FISHES HAS 6 OTHER ONES SO I FILLED MYSELF UP ELSEWHERE. But listen, TRADITION IS IMPORTANT. I am big on principles and traditions - the fact that my family has had codfish on their dinner table on Christmas Eve for over a hundred years means one thing only: WHO THE HELL AM I TO END IT? This dish is a mainstay of Christmas Eve in Portuguese cooking - and a record of my family's eating habits during the holiday season. SO even though it may be not the most appealing dish to everyone, it is delicious and even more important, it means something to me. Eating this dish makes me feel close to my grandparents, the people I come from, and to Portugal. Mangia Bene, or rather, in this case, Come Bem!

Ingredients

4 thick slices of salted cod

8 potatoes

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 whole eggs with their shells

green vegetables, broccoli, green beans, spinach, as desired

1onion, minced

1 bunch of parsley, chopped

2 cans of chick peas

wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt 

pepper

 Preparation

Preparation using chickpeas - 2 hours

1. Desalt the cod and soak the chickpeas in the same water for 12 hours;
2. place some salted water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil; add the chickpeas; lower the heat and let simmer covered for 1 hour 40 minutes;
3. check the water level from time to time; if you have to add more water, pour in boiling water - otherwise you risk ruining the cooking;
4. continue as below.

Preparation with potatoes - 20 minutes

1. To the saucepan containing the chickpeas, or another pot half-filled with boiling water, add the eggs, vegetables, potatoes and cod;
2. let simmer uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are completely cooked;
3. drain the eggs and shell them.

Serving

1. Place the cod on a serving platter surrounded by the potatoes, chickpeas and vegetables;
2. garnish with the hard-boiled eggs;
3. place small cruets of oil and vinegar on the table so that guests can dress their plates to their own taste;
4. offer the chopped garlic, parsley and onion in separate little dishes.

Eggplant (Melanzana) Parmigiana

  

Growing up, I hated Eggplant. I hated most vegetables. It is the weirdest looking vegetable out there. It's purple, looks like a tear drop, and has this utterly ridiculous green vine thing on top that makes it look like a hat. Just not appetizing. SO, for years, grandma made it, and what did I do, I ATE something else. WHAT A BAD LIFE CHOICE. ALL those years I could've been eating like a king, and instead, I was being a schmuck and not eating vegetables. Idiot. This is delicious. It is so good. And incredibly healthy. My favorite part is taking some nice crusty Italian bread and making a sandwich out of it. But you don't have to. You can just dunk it in the sauce, which is what my family does. It's a Win in my book. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients
1 Large Eggplant, about 1 ½ pounds, sliced lengthwise about 1/8 of an inch thick.
4 cups Meat Sauce (click on my meat sauce recipe to see how to make the ultimate homemade meat sauce)
5 Eggs
Vegetable oil, enough to have about 1/4 inch of oil in the pan
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmiggiano Reggiano
5 oz Fresh Mozzarella

Preparation

1) In a shallow dish whisk the eggs, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the flour into another large shallow dish, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2) Preheat your oil over medium heat until nice and hot.

3) Dredge the eggplant into the flour, shaking off any excess, dip into the beaten eggs and add to the hot oil. Cook for about a minute on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with some salt as soon as they come out of the oil. Continue cooking up the rest of the eggplant making sure to put a layer of paper towels between each layer of eggplant to soak up any oil.

4) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

5) Take a 9 by 9 casserole dish and spread a little bit of meat sauce in the bottom. Add your eggplant in a single layer and add just enough sauce to cover the eggplant but don’t make it too saucy otherwise it will be very soggy. Sprinkle over the top with lots of fresh parmiggiano reggiano and dot the top with fresh mozzarella. Continue with the remaining eggplant. The very top layer should be lots of parmiggiano and mozzarella.

6) Bake for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Hunter's Style or rather, Una Buona Pollo alla Cacciatora. JUST CALL ME, ROSETTA STONE.

  

Buon Giorno e Benvenuto a l'Italia! Oggi, noi facciamo un piatto di pollo che e un tesoro di cottura! It is. It really is a treasure of Italian cooking. JUST CALL ME ROSETTA STONE. AND FOR REAL, I DON'T EVEN CHARGE. YOU'RE WELCOME. If you ever go to an authentic Italian restaurant and try to be international, and pronounce it POY-YO, you may get the Malocchio - the evil eye. And if you're waiter's name is Massimo, do the Italian culture a favor and pronounce it Maah-c-mow, not Mah-SEE-mow. Oy. Mangia Bene and enjoy it!

Ingredients

2.5 Pounds of Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh
2 Large Red Bell Peppers (cut into bite size pieces)
1 Large Onion (cut into bite size pieces)
1 Pound Cremini Mushrooms
1 tsp Hot Pepper Flakes
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 cup Red Wine
1 28oz Can of Whole Plum Italian  Tomatoes w/ juice
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
10 Leaves of Fresh Basil
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation

1) Salt and pepper the chicken and set aside.

2) In a large deep pan, on medium heat, heat the olive oil, sear the chicken breast on each side for about 5 minutes total , you just want the chicken to be light golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.

3) In the same pan sauté the onions and peppers until they start to cook down and begin to caramelize about 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and garlic and season with salt and pepper, toss everything and place a lid on the pan so that everything cooks down together and all the natural juices from the mushrooms come out about 7 minutes.

4) Once all the vegetables are cooked down and the hot pepper flakes and add the chicken back in the pan with the vegetables, add the red wine and cook down for 1 minute, add the tomatoes and half of the basil, season with salt and pepper and let this cook covered for 1 hour and 10 minutes on low heat .  

5) After 1 hour and 10 minutes turn the heat off and sprinkle in the remaining fresh basil, plate on a beautiful shallow bowl and serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

A Caprese Pasta Salad aka Una Insalata Caprese con Pasta

 So I have been pressed for time these last few days. LSAT studying, essays, exams, work, homework, auditions, rehearsal, Chapel Choir, Georgetown Events, HALLOWEEN! It's enough to actually drive someone crazy. Eating has become anything I can make quick - and no RAGU or CHEF BOYARDEE will ever touch these lips. Hell will freeze over first before that ever happens. Though it did snow in D.C. this past weekend.....Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this: It's easy prep, delicious, and doesn't dirty that many dishes a.k.a. less crap we all have to do ;) Mangia Bene!

Ingredients
8 oz of Orecchiette Pasta, Farfalle, or any other short cut pasta, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes, halved
8 oz Ball of Fresh Mozzarella, cubed
1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
½ tsp of Dried Oregano
½ Clove of Garlic, finely minced
Salt and Pepper, to taste

A couple of Black Olives (or whatever you prefer) (can be cored)

Bocconcini mozzarella

1/2 jar of chopped Roasted Red Peppers in Water

Preparation

1) In a blender add the basil, vinegar, garlic, oregano and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Turn the blender on and when the basil has turned into a paste, drizzle in the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

2) In a large bowl add the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, red peppers, and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and basil vinaigrette. Toss everything to combine and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Croissants with Prosciutto and Muenster Cheese

This lunch is great and reminds me of breakfasts during my summers in Portugal. I highly advise you all to enjoy this because I can promise you that it will make you a happy individual. Croissants are LOADED with butter, so you already know it's going to be delicious. Anything uber-delicious has butter in it. As long as you maintain a healthy exercise regimen, EAT AWAY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

Ingredients

San Pellegrino Arranciata

1 Croissant

1/5 pound of Prosciutto

1/5 pound of Muenster Cheese

1 Small Hershey's Chocolate Bar (for dessert and a pick me up)

Pot Reast in Chianti. I Really Outdid Myself. No Joke.

SO LIFE IS BUSY - and I feel like I haven't eaten a real meal in about 5 days. Between law school applications, papers, exams, and work, I am literally going stir crazy. So Sunday night, I made it my intention to eat well this week. And eat well did I last night. Sweet Lord Jesus Did I. Sunday night was marinating night and for about 20 hours, my cut of beef swam happily in a bath of herbs, garlic, vegetables and CHIANTI.  When Monday afternoon came around to cook the dish, I was more than excited to eat my dinner. AND SO ladies and gentleman, the happiest roast on this side of the globe. WHO SAYS COWS DON'T SWIM? THEY DO WHEN I'M INVOLVED :D Mangia Bene!

Ingredients

1 4 lb Boneless Chuck Roast
3 Large or 5 small Carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 Stalks Celery, diced
1 Large Onion, diced
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
about 1/2 pound to a pound of Button Mushrooms
2 Sprigs of Rosemary
4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
3 cups of Chianti Red Wine
1 15 oz can of Chopped Tomatoes
¼ (or as needed) cup of All Purpose Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
4Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 bag of Frozen Pearl Onions, thawed

Preparation

1) Season the beef well with salt and pepper all over. Sprinkle over the flour and rub it all over.

2) Preheat a large pot over high heat with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil, add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and add in the carrots, onion and celery, and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and let them cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.

3) Add the beef back in along with the wine, tomatoes, the fresh herbs and mushrooms. 

4) Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let cook for 2 and half hours flipping the meat half way through.

5) After 2 and half hours, add the pearl onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat back up to medium high and cook uncovered for 30 more minutes flipping the meat over half way through.

6) Simply slice and serve over some roasted garlic mashed potatoes and spoon over the delicious thick sauce. Enjoy!

Today's Tasty Lunch - Prosciutto Muenster Cheese Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Mustard & Basil

Hi everyone! So TGIF, which means I have time for a proper lunch a.k.a actually sit down, at a table, to some good music and enjoy some tasty creation. Today's lunch was awesome and I pretty much just threw it together - 5 minutes and my stomach decided to be friends with me again :) If you're interested in enjoying it as well, here's the recipe

Ingredients
Half a jar of fire roasted red peppers in water (you can find it in your local supermarket - you can buy the vinegar kind as well - I just don't like it - it overpowers the prosciutto)
3 Tablespoons of Mustard
3 Slices of Sliced bread
3 or 4 leaves of Fresh Basil
4 slices of Muenster Cheese
1/5 pound of Prosciutto

Rigatoni a la Bolognese

Bolognese Sauce derives its name from Bologna, Italy's Emilia-Romagna's capoluogo (the region's capital city). And I would like to be that individual to point out to you that Bolognese sauce, real Bolognese sauce, is not that mediocre-I wish I were Italian-I tried really hard, but failed-sauce that you bought out of a jar at your local supermarket. SO let me be the first one to give to you a happy Bolognese sauce. Made from scratch. You don't even need to get up earlier on a Sunday. Make this. Live WELL. From my family to yours, MANGIA BENE!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion, finely copped
1 Large Carrot, finely chopped
1 cup Frozen Defrosted Baby Peas
1 28oz can of Italian Crushed Tomatoes
1 cup Red Wine
1 lb of Rigatoni
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmiggiano Reggiano


Preparation

1) Fill a large pan with cold water, add a nice handful of salt and bring to boil for the pasta.
2) In a large high sided pan preheated over medium high, cook the beef with the olive oil for about 2 minutes until almost cooked through. Add the chopped onion and carrot and let cook about 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions and carrots start to cook down and soften season with lightly with salt and pepper.
3) Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and turn the heat to medium. Partially cover and cook for about 30 minutes, check on it periodically.
4) After 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper and add the peas. This is also the time to add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook the peas in the sauce for the same amount of time it takes for the pasta to cook.
5) Once the pasta is cooked al dente, (don’t overcook your pasta it’s a big no no) turn the heat off on the sauce and mix the pasta and sauce together. Add in some fresh basil and serve up piled high on a shallow plate and grate over some parmiggiano reggiano.

Balsamic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Pearl Onions

This is comfort food at its best. People talk badly about pork - oh, it's too fatty, or it's difficult to work with - and I have something to tell all those people: PORK IS DELICIOUS, YOU'RE MISSING OUT, BABE GREW UP AND FOUND HIS WAY INTO MY POT, AND HE WAS OH. SO. GOOD. Make this. Not a request. Mangia Bene!

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) Piece of Pork Tenderloin
6 Yaby Yukon Gold Potatoes, halved or quartered if very big
1 Cup of Frozen Pearl Onions, thawed
3 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary, picked off the stem
3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation
1) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a 9 by 13 pan with aluminum foil and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil to avoid the pork from sticking.

2) Lay the potatoes in one layer on a microwave safe dish and microwave for about 10 minutes or until just about cooked thru.

3) Make little slits all over the pork tenderloin and stuff each one with a couple pieces of rosemary and 1 sliver of the garlic. Season the outside well with salt and pepper and set aside.

4) Preheat 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat.

5) Add the prepped pork tenderloin and sear on both sides until it’s brown and crusty. Remove from the pan and place it on the foiled lined baking pan.

6) In a large bowl, add the partially cooked potatoes, pearl onions, 2 Tbsp of the balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, remaining rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste and mix until everything is combined.

7) Add the potato mixture all around the pork tenderloin and roast for 25 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the pork reaches 150 degrees. Remove the pork tenderloin to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Put the potatoes back in while the pork is resting, about 10 minutes.

8) Once the pork has rested slice thinly and place it on a platter, arrange the roasted potatoes and pearl onions around the pork loin and drizzle a touch of balsamic vinegar over the top before serving.

Prosciutto and Asparagus Bruschetta

Bruschetta di Prosciutto e dell'Asparago a.k.a. the title of the post. JUST CALL ME ROSETTA STONE FOR FOODIES. AND I DON'T CHARGE. LANGUAGE FOR FREE. I KNOW, MINDBLOWING. This appetizer is beyond delicious: my father HATES vegetables with every bone in his body and he eats this. Anything that will get him to consume a green, I will do. Please make this. LIVE FOR ONCE. ENJOY YOUR LIFE. CALL A FEW FRIENDS, OPEN A BOTTLE OF WINE, and EAT. Food is love - and if you have an addiction to food, I'm sorry to be your enabler. (except not really).

Mangia Bene!

Ingredients
6 Asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Medium Shallot, thinly sliced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
8 Large Basil Leaves
2 oz of Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
2 oz of Smoked Mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 French Baguette
Salt and pepper (to taste)


Preparation
1) Preheat your broiler to low and also preheat a grill pan to toast the bread.
2) In a small non stick skillet on medium heat, sauté the shallots and garlic with the extra virgin olive oil, until the shallots and garlic and light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3) Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. The asparagus should be crisp tender.
4) Meanwhile slice the baguette into 8 slices on a diagonal and drizzle lightly with the extra virgin olive oil. Place the slices of bread on the preheated grill pan and toast them until golden brown on both sides. About 2 minutes per side.
5) Once the asparagus is cooked and the bread is toasted, line the bread on a foiled lined baking sheet and top with a couple pieces of asparagus a little of the shallot and garlic mixture. Place 1 small thin piece of prosciutto over the asparagus and top it with a slice of basil and a slice of the smoked mozzarella. Place them under the broiler to melt the cheese, making sure you don’t step away because the cheese takes a matter of seconds to melt and it can burn very quickly.

RICE RICE RICE. NICE NICE NICE.

OKAY, so my dad's favorite food is RICE. I don't think he cares how it is done or what it comes with: if it's rice, he is as happy as a Turkey when it figures out it has survived another Thanksgiving. Gobble Gobble (this should be a subtle hint to you that I have holiday cooking on the mind - AND I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO PREP YOU ON THE EXTRAVAGANZA THAT WILL BE. PREPARE YOURSELVES CERCA LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER. I WOULD SUGGEST EXERCISING NOW SO YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE THE IMPENDING FOOD COMA(S) YOU WILL UNDERGO. LOVE, NICO.) So, back to the Rice. I tend to a number of different rice recipes - curry rice, pork fried rice, egg fried rice, spanish rice, etc. - but I usually make this one. WHY? Because my mom always made it, which solidly makes this dish a delicious one. SO, leave behind the rice cooker, and enjoy a walk through the rice paddies. 

Ingredients
1 cup of Rice
2 cups of Water
1/2 cup white wine, can be omitted
1 beef bouillon cube, chopped (chopped so it incorporates better into the dish)
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preparation
1. In a sauce pan, over medium heat, fry up your rice, garlic, onion, and bay leaf. The trick here is to: one, watch the rice turn opaque (Rice is relatively translucent when uncooked, and when it's cooked, it turns opaque) and two, not to burn the garlic - it will turn bitter on you. 
2. After the Rice has turned opaque, slowly add in the water. SLOWLY, as in a few tablespoons at a time! WATER AND OIL ARE NOT FRIENDS. NEVER WERE. NEVER WILL BE.
3. After the water has been completely incorporated, add in your beef bouillon cube and the wine. 
4. After having done this, stir it up until the beef bouillon cube has completely incorporated itself into the dish, then PUT A LID ON IT. LEAVE IT ALONE. LET THE RICE HAVE ITS TIME IN THE PAN JACUZZI.
5. After 5-8 minutes, check on your rice - if the water has mostly evaporated, and the rice is still uncooked, add in a half a cup. If the rice is mostly cooked, and the water has mostly evaporated, leave the lid off for the duration of its cooking to ensure the full evaporation of water. BE CAREFUL HERE - YOU CAN EASILY BURN THE RICE.
6. Remove the Bay Leaf, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!


NOTA BENE:  THIS IS THE SECRET. IF YOU USE A COFFEE MUG, it still applies. ONE MUG OF RICE TO TWO MUGS OF WATER.


Mangia Bene!

We Gon' Fry Us Up Some Chick'n

There's a little Southern in all of us. I mean it. This past weekend, I invited some great friends over for dinner and what else would be more homey than a good Southern cooked meal? Suffice to say, we had Corn Pone, Fried Tomatoes, Biscuits, Carolina Sweet Tea (done Collegiate Style), Rice, and Fried Chicken. Yes, you heard me right: FRIED CHICKEN. While listening to some Brooks & Dunn, Dolly Parton, and Lynyrd Skynard, I got to cooking and let me tell you something, frying chicken does make you feel better about life. So here it is, my fried chicken recipe, done the right way:

Ingredients

• 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 cups low fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Flour, for dredging
• Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

2. At slightly below medium heat, add about an inch of vegetable oil to a soup pot. 

3. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. 

4. Drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags.

Broccoli in a White Wine Garlic Sauce

A perfect and healthy side dish to any dinner, Broccoli in a White Wine Garlic Sauce, is not only tasty but extremely quick to make. Literally, you can put it together in about ten minutes :) Sometimes, the tastiest things are the easiest things to make. Mangia Bene :)


Ingredients
olive oil (five tablespoons or so)
1 32. oz bag of Frozen Broccoli
5 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup White Wine
salt and pepper to taste


1. In a microwave, cook your broccoli for about 3 or 4 minutes depending on your microwave.
2. In the meantime, fry up your garlic and olive oil for about 3 or four minutes on medium. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC - IT WILL TURN BITTER AND RUIN YOUR DISH.
3. Then add your wine and cook for about two minutes, or until all the alcohol has cooked out.
4. Add in your broccoli, salt and pepper, cook for three minutes stirring every 15 seconds or so and then serve! Enjoy!

Meat-Stuffed Peppers in Gravy (Where I Come From, It's Called Gravy. Deal.)

Meat-stuffed Peppers hold a special place in my heart for a number of reasons: one, there is something about stuffing a pepper that is oddly SO MUCH FUN, two, its great to do with a number of people so that this way you can catch up and laugh as you cook, three, it's my grandma's favorite dish, four, IT'S DELICIOUS. Oh, and it uses wine, making the entree all the more better.

Did I also mention that it's delicious? Gotta say it twice for emphasis. Oh, and if anyone in your house is vegetarian, like my girlfriend, well then, I guess you win because it's MORE for you. ;)

Ingredients

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

5 red or green bell peppers (cored and washed of all their seeds and inside ribbing - just make a round cut at the top of the pepper for easy access into the pepper)

4 pounds of ground beef (seems like a lot, but I will tell you why soon)

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

Two eggs

3 cups of Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1 1/2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce (can be omitted)

Two 28 oz. cans of Tomato Puree (use these cans for two cans of water, also needed in the recipe)

2 cups dry red wine (don't forget to pour a glass for yourself)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, mix together the meat, tabasco, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the wine, bread crumbs, Parmigiano, eggs, onion, and garlic. 

2. Then, take your clean, hollowed out peppers and begin to fill them with the meat mixture. Fill each pepper up completely until the rim of where you cut it at the top. 

3. In a large saute pan, fry each pepper, on medium, turning it every 4 or 5 minutes or so, to cook the meat, but also not to burn the pepper. 

4. When all peppers are cooked ( I found that I wanted to speed up the process, so I used two saute pans on the stove, using 1/4 cups of extra virgin olive oil in each, then putting everything together in a big soup pot for this next step), set them aside on a dish. IF YOU STILL HAVE LEFT OVER MEAT THAT DIDN'T ALL FIT IN THE PEPPERS, BALL UP THE MEAT INTO 1 1/2 INCH MEAT BALLS, FRY THEM UNTIL COOKED AND ADD INTO THE GRAVY AT STEP 6! This way you can have a tasty dinner on another night!

5. Transfer all the meat and pepper juices in the pan, scraping the pan for all those tasty bits and pieces (this is called de-glazing the pan) into a soup pot. On medium, cook the tomato puree and the rest of the wine. Do so for about 4 minutes, or until all the alcohol cooks out of the sauce. Then add in your water, and some more salt and pepper - REMEMBER YOU WANT TO SEASON EVERY ELEMENT OF YOUR DISH!

6. Add in the peppers into the gravy and cook for 45 minutes (this will soften the peppers and make the most delicious sauce of your life). If you had meatballs, incorporate them into the sauce now.

7. Put the meatballs in a freezable container, freeze them, serve the peppers with a side of rice or pasta and enjoy! You can also freeze any leftover peppers :)

Did you know Tiramisu means Food of the Gods? No, but it should be.

To me Tiramisu is a great summer dessert, but don't get me wrong - you can eat it in the winter too! After it's chilled, it's great to have on a hot summer day with a good spiked iced drink (this is the college edition, of course). Nonetheless, I made it for a few friends over the summer and it's a good thing they aren't diabetics, because this is one unbelievably sugared dessert. I guess the only healthy part is the strawberries I like to put on top (an excuse to eat Tiramisu? Pfft I don't need one). Enjoy this classic Italian dessert, whose origins, though debatable, are found in Siena when a few Sienese pastry chefs concocted this dish to honor Grand Duke Cosimo III D'Medici - this, of course, in the late 1600s. 400 years of awesome-ness. Mangia Bene, people, Mangia Bene!

Ingredients
1 lb of Mascarpone Cheese, softened
1-½ cup of Heavy Cream
1/3 cup of Granulated Sugar
1 tsp of Vanilla
2 ½ cups of Really Strong Coffee or Espresso, cooled
2 Tbsp of Dark Rum
2 Tbsp of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
30 Ladyfingers (preferably Savogliardi, not sponge cake ladyfingers - buy the harder ones because this way they won't fall apart on you when you dip them into the combined liquids)
1 box of strawberries


Preparation
1) In a large bowl whip the heavy cream and set in the fridge until you are ready to use it (cream stays stiffer longer if kept cold) .
2) In a large bowl cream together the mascarpone, vanilla and sugar, fold in half of the whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream being careful not to over mix.
3) To assemble, in a large bowl mix together the coffee and rum and set aside, also have ready the cocoa powder and ladyfingers. Have a 9 by 9 square baking pan ready to start assembling. Dip each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture and lay in the bottom of your pan, once the whole bottom of the pan has the coffee and rum soaked ladyfingers ready pour over half of the mascarpone and cream mixture, spread evenly over ladyfingers and sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. (USE A SIFTER FOR NICE EVEN COVERAGE)
4) Arrange the remaining coffee soaked ladyfingers on top of the layers and spread over the remaining filling. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. (USE A SIFTER FOR NICE EVEN COVERAGE)
5) Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours before serving.
6) Garnish the Tiramisu with some strawberries and whipped cream, if you like. 

Let's. Get. To. Roasting. Welcome to the World of Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

There has been many a day when I have been on the run with classes, work, and if a Thursday, Chapel Choir Rehearsal, where I make this my go-to dish. It's super quick and all you have to do is put it together and put it in the oven. It's that simple. Just leave it alone. Let the chicken roast. Why Febreze when you can have this great smell in your house? Mangia Bene! Great, now I'm hungry. 

Ingredients

6 Chicken Pieces (thighs, legs, breasts, wings)
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
3 Large Potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
Juice and zest of one small Lemon, and cut the lemon in quarters when done
3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 cup of wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 onion, chopped


Preparation
1) Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces, lemon zest, juice, remaining quartered lemon, the wine, chicken broth, onion, 3 garlic cloves, the fresh thyme, the two roughly chopped sprigs of rosemary, 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything together and let it marinade for minimum of 20 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
3) In a large baking dish add the cubed potatoes, remaining rosemary, garlic cloves, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss the potatoes to make sure the oil is coating everything.
4) Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, with the marinade, around the potatoes and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Serve right out of the oven and enjoy!