In a Pickle!

We're finishing off the Lasagna for dinner tonight. I'm taking advantage of not having to cook, and am going to put up my homegrown jalapenos,the hottest I've ever had! I'm also going to put up some Giardiniera,it's Italian pickled vegetables popular for Antipasti.
For the jalapenos, I slice them and pack them in sterilized jars with sliced or baby carrots and chunks of onion. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a saucepan add salt to taste and a few peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over veggies top each jar with a drizzle of olive oil. Seal tightly and allow to cure at least 6 weeks. Refrigerate after opening.
The Giardiniera, I used califlowerettes, baby carrots, pearl onions, celery chunks, garlic cloves, roasted red peppers, pitted Spanish olives, and pepperocinis. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a saucepan. Season with salt, sugar, whole cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Add the first 5 veggies (the raw ones) to the mix and simmer for about 10 minutes. Distribute the veggies evenly into jars and top with vinegar water mix. Top each jar with olive oil and seal tightly. Allow to cure for at least 6 weeks. Mangiare!

Merry Christmas!

This is just a quick post. I've got a ham baking in the oven, I made Mac n' Cheese from scratch and have brussel sprouts ready to steam and crescent rolls to round it out.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas, we did!

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's Christmas Eve and I've been busy all week with the last minute details. I haven't done a lot of cooking, mostly leftovers, sandwiches, and, of course the Food Court at the mall. Today we did some last minute shopping with the other crazy people out there. I swear every year not to do that, but I always do! Oh well maybe next year. We had dinner at what used to be one of our favorite Mexican food places, Don Pablo's. We probably won't be going back. The quality of food and service have gone down hill. I guess we'll be getting our Mexican food fix at home for now. It won't be easy to find a restaurant that can measure up to my Mexican cooking!

Leftover Spaghetti Sauce

There are a lot of uses for leftover sauce, one of my favorites is lasagna. My Mom makes the Best! I did something different this time, I used the no-boil noodles. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they cooked and will be using them again. I would like to caution you about the recipe on the box, the portions were off. If you use it as a guide, I would use twice the amount of Ricotta and Mozzarella and more sauce than is called for. This is my kind of dish, make it ahead of time and relax while it's in the oven!

Subway.

My first recollection of a Sub, Grinder, Hoagie, ect... was at a small off-campus place called David's. It was located just on the outskirts of North Texas State University, now University of North Texas. It was, as usual, with Mom. I remember watching as they piled on different meats and cheeses and veggies all on a smaller size of french bread. This was new to the south. The real surprise was when they topped it with vinegar and oil!! I didn't think I would like this, but one bite and I was hooked! Today you can find many variations, but I always go back to the original. Tonight I took a loaf of Italian bread and layered ham, salami, bologna, swiss and american cheeses. I topped that with cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, onion, and baby spinach. I served it with zesty italian dressing and chips for a trip back to the original sub experience.

Take a Wok.

Did you ever wonder what to do with leftover spaghetti noodles? One of my favorite ways to use leftover noodles is Spaghetti Carbonara. I first experienced this dish in Naples when we were staying the summer with my late brother Mike. He was stationed there in the Navy and took us to the Officers Club for dinner one night. It was very impressive, they prepared Spaghetti Carbonara table side! The Chef cooked strips of bacon in a large Wok until crisp, he removed the bacon and put in on a paper towel to drain. Then he added a pile of cooked spaghetti and some eggs scrambled with cream. He tossed that around with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. Then when the eggs were just about cooked, he crumbled the bacon and added it back to the pasta in the Wok. He poured it out to a big platter and topped it with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I was only 11 and had never had anything fixed table side before, it was quite a show!

Thanksgiving revisited.

Tonight I was going to fix chicken and rice, but I wanted something a little different. Remembering how much I enjoyed Thanksgiving, I decided to do chicken and dressing. You can use what ever chicken parts and dressing recipe you like. I used boneless breasts and my Mom's curry bread dressing. I seasoned the chicken with sage and Curry Powder and browned them in margarine in a skillet. Remove the chicken and saute` chopped onion and celery. Dry 6 slices of bread in the oven on a cookie sheet at 250 for about 45 minutes. Break up dried bread into a large mixing bowl and add the onion and celery. Season with pepper, sage, and Curry Powder , add 1 egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, and a can of chicken broth. Spoon into 2 quart casserole and top with chicken. Bake uncovered at 325 for about 30 minutes until dressing is set and chicken is cooked through. We had honey glazed carrots, chicken gravy, and brown and serve rolls.

The calm before the storm.

It is supposed to get nasty the next three days, in the low to mid 30's and possible freezing rain. It should be one of the coldest fronts so far this season here. We spent time in the yard because it was beautiful today, about 78 and just a light breeze out of the south. I cut back my roses and peony and harvested the last of the jalapenos and tomatoes before cutting down their bushes.
It was a good day for grilling. I went to the store yesterday and had picked up a couple of tenderloin steaks, I must be spoiled because it's the only kind of steak I'll eat anymore. I had the butcher cut them to order, God I am spoiled! I wrap them in bacon and grill them medium rare, something I learned at an early age from my late sister Patty, Mom always cooked steaks well done. I think I learned a lot of what I consider spoiling myself from her, she sure knew how to live to the fullest!
I made twice baked potatoes and spinach salad to go with the steaks. That should satisfy me until it gets nice enough to grill out again. This being Texas, grilling shouldn't be too far in the future. The only thing you can count on with Texas weather is, it's going to change quickly!

I've been cooking all day!

I used my favorite pot today, my Crockpot! I use it a lot in the winter because it's so good for roasts, and stews, and chili, and a lot of other warming dishes. It makes the house smell so good! Today was spaghetti sauce, I browned about a pound of Italian sausage and about a pound and a half of ground beef in a skillet (in batches). Remove with a slotted spoon to drain the fat and put in the Crockpot. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Add one each, medium chopped onion and bell pepper. Add two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes and a half pound of sliced mushrooms. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook about 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. We're having spaghetti noodles (of course), salad, and cheesy garlic bread. Simply delicious!

Wiener Schnitzel.

Tonight I wanted some German food, so I made Wiener Schnitzel. Mom used to make this. I had some Veal Scallopini (you can also use Pork Scallopini), I just seasoned it with salt and pepper and dredged it in flour, then dipped it egg wash, then seasoned bread crumbs. Saute` in a little oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve with fresh lemon slices. I'm also having new potatoes sauteed in butter and thyme and applesauce. Reminds me of what a wonderful background in cooking Mom gave me.

Credit Where Credit is Due.

I had a lot of business to take care of today, as we all do this time of year. I believe in taking the easy way out when it comes to dinner on days like this. There's nothing worse than going all out and not enjoying the end results, so pick something easy when you have too much on your plate, so to speak. Tonight we had Cajun Crab Cakes (store bought), potatoes au gratin (Betty Crocker), and steamed broccoli (Birdeye). I love it when other people make the food and I get to take credit.

Cold Front Comfort Food.

It was 44 for a high today and is supposed to drop to 29 tonight, so I wanted something hearty. Mexican food is always warming. I made tacos, enchiladas, Mexican rice and guacamole. I added a can of refried beans and soft flour and corn tortillas for a Fiesta. Very satisfying.

What's in the Pantry?

I was supposed to go to the store this evening. We had a cold front move in and it got colder, sooner than I thought. Suddenly the store didn't seem too appealing! I checked my pantry and decided Tuna Casserole for dinner. I almost always have the ingredients on hand. Boil the macaroni from a box of Mac and Cheese. In a skillet saute` about 1/4 onion chopped, add a 4 oz can of sliced mushrooms (drained). Stir in a can of cream of mushroom soup ( you can substitute cream of celery) and powdered cheese from Mac and Cheese. Season with black pepper, garlic, dill, and a dash of red pepper. Add 3 cans, 5 oz., of tuna (drained). Drain cooked macaroni and add to skillet, mix lightly so you don't break up the tuna and macaroni. Transfer to 2 qt. casserole and top with shredded cheddar. Bake covered @ 325 for about 25-30 minutes. I'm having corn muffins and apple sauce.

Gimme a break!

I've taken a couple of days off to "smell the roses". I needed a break from the computer. Today I gave myself another break, I did the Crockpot thing, when I got up this morning I put a roast in. I always use Chuck Roast because I like the way it's so tender it just falls apart. I put chunks of onion, celery, carrots (you can substitute peeled baby carrots) and new potatoes in the Crockpot. Sometimes I leave out the new potatoes and make mashed potatoes, but I wanted easy today. I season the roast with salt, pepper, and garlic and dredge in flour. Put the roast on top of the veggies add an envelope of onion soup and enough water to cover veggies. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until tender. If needed thicken the gravy with cornstarch and water mixed. I'm having brown and serve rolls and salad.

Quick Casserole

Tonight we had a version of a Hamburger Casserole my Mom used to make. I browned a lb. of hamburger in a skillet, and drained the fat. Add one large potato peeled and sliced fairly thin and about 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper. Add a can of soup (cream of mushroom or cheddar cheese are good) and half a can of milk. If you use mushroom soup you can add a 4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole and bake, covered, at 350 for about 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove cover and top with shredded cheddar and continue to bake until cheese melts. Serve with a salad and rolls.

Oops!

I got so involved in my Pizza story yesterday, that I forgot to talk about what we were having.
It was a nice day, 72 for the high and a calm southerly breeze, so we fired up the grill for Bacon Cheeseburgers. We use charcoal, not gas, so it's best if the weather is nice. I really like homemade cheeseburgers, they're so different from fast food burgers and much healthier!
I also put on some marinated boneless chicken breasts on that I had in the freezer so that we could have Fajitas today.
When I buy chicken breasts, or just about any meat, I package them either individually or by portions. For Fajitas I just marinate them in orange juice and salsa and put them in the freezer in the marinade. All I have to do today is fix the sides, Guacamole, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. I'll also serve sour cream, tortillas, Mexican rice, and refried beans. I undercook the chicken slightly, because it cooks the rest of the way in the skillet with sliced onions and bell peppers. If you prefer beef Fajitas use the same method with Skirt Steak or Flank Steak.
I think Mexican is my overall favorite cuisine and the one I'm best at.

Pizza!

I spent the day yesterday running errands, paying bills and catching up on correspondence. For dinner we called Pizza, I love Pizza!
When I turned 12, my parents took me and my younger sister and baby brother to Europe. For my birthday mom took me and my sister to the black market shopping area of Naples, it was so exciting! We bought new outfits and had a good day shopping, just the girls. For lunch, we found a little cafe` and I got my first taste of Real Pizza. I remember it vividly Pizza con Fungi, we had to look up the word for mushrooms in our English-Italian dictionary. It was spectacular, it came out whole, with a layer of olive oil drizzled over it. It had a ton of sliced Mozzarella and Parmesan, and big thick slices of mushrooms on it. It had been cooked in a brick oven, the crust was thin and crisp. It was that summer I became enamored with food.
I always thought of that as the ultimate Pizza experience until a last year when I went to Chicago. There I experienced a Stuffed Pizza at Gino's East, I liked it so much we order another one the next night to be delivered to the hotel from Giordano's! I can't say which was better they were both great! It's almost difficult to call that a Pizza, at about 2 inches thick, it had crust on the bottom and sides, a ton of cheese, a lot of spinach, another crust, and marinara sauce on top. When you cut it the cheese tried to stay with the Pizza in the form of a long string, but it couldn't get away from me!
Which was the better Pizza? I can't compare the two, they're too different. I can say when I think of what Pizza is supposed to be, I think of the one I had in Naples. That is as it should be, Naples IS the birthplace of Pizza. On the other hand, the one in Chicago I've tried to recreate at home. I guess it's a matter of geography.