Happy New Year!

Red Pepper Crostini

7 ounces of red peppers from jar, sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, clopped finely
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon capers (optional) to garnish
1 halve a loaf of french bread, sliced

Mix the toppings, except for the capers and spread on to the bread slices and bake for 5-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven until edges of bread are golden brown.

MY TIP: These are great served as a festive appetizers in December and especially on Christmas because of the red peppers and the green parsley. These are also a nice alternative to bruschetta when serving Italian.

Mini Frittatas

I made these as part of our Christmas breakfast and these tiny frittatas just disappeared. This recipe can be doubled.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/2 tomato
• 5 mushrooms, sauteed and chopped
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 1 mini muffin tins (with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 10 minutes. Using a butter knife, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately. This made 16 frittatas.

MY TIP: You can substitute the meat, vegetables and cheese to your liking, just keep the meat and vegetable to about 6 ounces.

MY OTHER TIP: If you don't have enough egg mixture to fill all the tins, fill them with water, so you don't burn your pan!

Holiday Party

We have had a holiday party every year since we have been married. We typically have 50 -6o friends join us despite the tradition of a snowstorm on the evening of the party. This year the terrible weather hit the night before but still left our friends braving 8 degree frigid weather the night of our party.

My favorite part of the evening is towards the end, when some of our closest friends gather in a large circle in the living room, sipping wine and laughing. And as tradition has it, two of my friends present me with their wrapped joke gifts giggling with anticipation of my response!







These are some of the desserts at our holiday party:


decadent chocolate cake


and 15 pounds of assorted homemade chocolates


Chocolate raspberry walnut torte

french vanilla petite cakes with coconut



New York style cheesecake


a white chocolate sliegh filled with white chocolates snowflakes surrounded by petite vanilla cakes with whipped cream frosting




Apricot and Raspberry Kolacke


Chocolate torte with chopped walnuts and chocolate chunks

I also made Mexican wedding cookies, Italian pizzelles, Oreo truffles, Bavarian nuts, candied walnuts and phyllo cups with custard and topped with a raspberry.

Bacon Wrapped Baked Potatoes

These are not your average baked potatoes! These were so good that they disappeared before I could even snap a picture of them! But WARNING: these are calorie laden!!!

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• one baking potato per person,
  
• 2 thick sliced bacon (I used Oscar Meyer Hickory smoked) per potato
  
• 2 pads of butter per potato
  
• garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Scrub potatoes really well, cutting imperfections off the potatoes, but leaving most of the skin intact.
2. Slice the potatoes horizontally. Polk 15 times with a fork tine on each side. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the potato.
   
3. Layer butter, onion slice and another butter slice on cut side of potato halves; top with other potato half.
   
4. Wrap each potato with two bacon strips. Season bacon with pepper. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
   
5. Place on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until potato is tender and bacon is crispy.
   
6. Discard toothpicks.

MY TIP: It's important to polk the holes with a fork to allow all the flavors to seep into the potato.

Shrimp Creole

A few years ago, my husband and I took a getaway without the girls to New Orleans. My husband said we could eat at Emeril Lagasses' restaurant. Although that sounded tempting, I suggested that instead of spending (on what I assumed would be a lot of money on one meal) that we sample the best that New Orleans has to offer. So I got on the internet and did some research. We spent 3 days and nights walking through the French Quarter going from one restaurant to the next just to sample their signature dish and grabbing drinks from "to go bars"! I loved the party in the street atmosphere and the blaring jazz music. The trip was a culinary delight as we ate the best oysters, po' boys, muffulettas, gumbo, creole, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish étouffée, etc! One of my favorite memories was exploring the farmers market and buying bar-b-que shrimp and crawfish and then finding a bench along the Mississippi River to relax and enjoy our food. We also did manage to take a trolley to the Garden City and a horse and carriage ride to enjoy the beautiful architecture that the city has to offer.

So here is my favorite recipe from the "Best of New Orleans".

2 T butter
1 large onion chopped)
1 large green bell pepper(diced)
2 cloves garlic
Saute in large pan until soft

Add:
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) bottle of clam juice (I prefer Look's Atlantic)
1 /4 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t dried thyme
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Cook on medium heat for 25 minutes.

Before serving add the 1 half pound of large raw, cleaned and divined shrimp and cook until it turns pink and opaque (around four minutes). Remove the bay leaf.

Serve with with rice.

MY TIP: The original recipes doubles the amount of the spices that I used, so if you really like spicy hot Cajun food you may want to add more!

Oreo Truffles

If you like Oreo cookies than you will love these:

Ingredients:

• 1 sleeve OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 16 ounces of white Chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Crush the cookies into fine crumbs in a food processor. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin, but it is easier to use the food processor.) Add cream cheese to processor, mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into balls, about 1-inch in diameter. I use a one inch scoop to insure they are all the same size. Add the sucker sticks and put in the freezer for 30 minutes.
   
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
   
3. Spoon the chocolate over the balls, twirling the lollipop to remove the excessive chocolate. Place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.)
4. Refrigerate until firm or freeze for 1 month.

MY TIP: I like to put these in plastic sucker bags and tie a ribbon around them for a pretty presentation.

MY OTHER TIP: These can also be made with nutter butter cookies and milk or dark chocolate for an alternative.

Bavarian Almonds

If you have ever been to downtown Chicago during the Christmas season you know that it is a feast for the eyes with one million white lights illuminating Michigan Avenue to the elaborate animated storefront windows on State Street at Macy's that tells a different holiday story each year to the two story high ornately, decorated Christmas tree that graces the Walnut Room. It is also a feast for the stomach at the annual Chistkindlemarket, which provides an opportunity to devour German delicacies, like brats, potato pancakes, goulash and Gluhwein (a warm spiced wine). My daughter Kim loves the cinnamon almonds that can be found there. Here is my version:

Bavarian Almonds

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups almonds
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Clip on candy thermometer. Cook until 238 degrees or soft ball stage. Take out thermometer and remove from heat. Use wooden spoon to beat for 1 minute until mixture us creamy. Add vanilla and nuts and stir until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Use two forks to separate the almonds into single nuts. Store in an air tight certainer.

MY TIP: Bring your own skates and skate right away at Millennium Park for free, that way you avoid the hour long or longer line to buy skates for $10!

MY OTHER TIP: Go up to the 8th floor of Macy's in the gallery and take in the splendor of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree! And don't forget while there to take the elevator to the fourth floor to see the Tiffany Dome! It is over 100 years old with over 1.6 million glass pieces! Breathtaking!

Deck the Halls!

hmm...naughty or nice?

Holly Berry

HOLLY BERRY

The calendar has quickly turned to December, which means it's time to start celebrating the coming season. My daughter's boyfriend who lives in the Netherlands brought us a nice bottle of German Mosel, I decided to make this festive drink for a girl's night in. I like making and naming signature drinks as I think they add to the fun of the evening.

Recipe: 2 parts Mosel
1 part cranberry juice
Garnish with three frozen cranberries

MY TIP: It's important to chill the Mosel and the juice, because the cranberry garnish is more for looks than for keeping this drink cold.

Cheers to a wonderful season ahead!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

My husband and I recently returned home from one of my favorite cities-- Chicago. While we were there we ate at the Italian Village, which is downtown in the Loop. I have wanted to try this restaurant for awhile. The Italian Village is not just one restaurant, but three restaurants in one location. The top floor is traditional style Italian, the main floor is contemporary Italian and the Cellar is more seafood oriented. After perusing the menus that were hanging in the lobby numerous times and my starving husband saying "just pick one", I finally did! The seafood restaurant was the winner and a great choice! I choose the "tortellini con frutta del Mare". This dish was so flavorful and wonderful. I tried to figure out what the ingredients were in it and came up with this recipe. I think it's pretty close.

Ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato pasta sauce (I prefer Dei Fratelli, which is found in some groceries and Italian specialty markets)
  
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• handful of raw shrimp
• handful of raw baby scallops
  

Directions

1. In a large saucepan combine pasta sauce, half and half, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer over low heat for 45 to 50 minutes; do not boil.
2. Right before serving, toss the shrimp and scallops and cook until they turn opaque--this only takes a couple of minutes, so watch carefully so you don't overcook the seafood.
   
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or to your taste, drain.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Although my dinner at La Cantina had freshly made tortellini (yum!), I opted for (Barelli's) angel hair, because it is my husband's favorite and to be honest I have never made homemade pasta. This could be used with any pasta, but I thought the angel hair had better presentation with seafood than say spiral or penne.

MY TIP: My husband is not a huge seafood lover like me, so you can make the sauce to the point of adding the seafood. And if you love seafood like me, you can quickly add it at the end since it only takes a few extra minutes to cook the seafood. Like most sauces, this is even better the next day.

Olive Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
  
• 8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)

Directions

Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.

To serve, slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place, slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the olive and parsley mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and serve.

Tomato salads are best in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak, but because of the intensity of the other ingredients, this salad is good anytime.

MY TIP: You must use a good quality balsamic vinegar or the vinegar will not reduce to a sweet syrup. Balsamic vinegar from Modena, found in an Italian specialty shoppe is recommended.

Easy as pie!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! I love everything about it--drives in the country to see the changing leaves, hiking in the woods, hayrides, bonfires, pumpkin picking, harvest parties and football (well, maybe it's tailgating and hanging with friends that I like more!).

When I saw this recipe, I knew I would try it to use up the apples leftover from apple picking. I actually never make apple pie. That task is left to my husband and daughter Jenny. It is their tradition. As soon as we come home from a fun afternoon of picking apples, they start right into making the pies.

Apple Raisin Pie Slices:

1 refrigerated pie crust (I used Pillsbury)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups finely chopped, peeled baking apples
1/4 cup dark raisins
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll crust. Place crust in center of cookie sheet.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar, the flour and cinnamon. Add apples and raisins, toss to coat. Spoon apple mixture lengthwise down center third of crust to from 5 inch wide strip to within 1/2 inch of top and bottom ends, pressing lightly to distribute evenly. Dot apple mixture with butter.

Fold sides of cruse to center, overlapping center slightly, to enclose apple mixture . Fold top and bottom ends over about 1/2 inch. Brush lightly with water, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake for 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

MY TIP: I noticed the top and bottom edges were browning faster, so I covered the edges in tin foil (just like you would do for a pie).

I think what appeals to me most about this recipe is the rustic shape. I also like that the addition of the dark raisins adds a little color. The taste was also good, so I will use this at our next Oktoberfest party or Beer Tasting Party.

Holiday Party Invitations

I just finished my holiday party invitations for this year. Last year, I found the cutest invitation saying on the internet. Since it is tradition to have the largest snowstorm of the season on the evening of our party, I thought this verse was appropriate:

Oh, the weather outside might be frightful.
But our party will be delightful.
(then the details of the party)
RSVP to xxx-xxxx
Let us know,
let us know,
let us know!

This year, after singing every Christmas carol I know and coming up with nothing, I ended up with a play on "Twas the night before Christmas".

The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
in hopes that you would attend
our holiday affair!

So let's hope for snow, just not a lot of it!

Chicken three ways

My "Go To Chicken"


NOTEWORTHY"S "Incredible Chicken"




NOTEWORTHY"S "Just Good Chicken"




I love chicken. First, it's healthy and second, it's easy. I like whole roasted chickens but when it's just my husband and me I make drumsticks. There are only 80 calories in a drumstick and since I don't eat the skin there are even less! It is my "go to meal" when I don't feel like cooking or just want to make something simple. Chicken is NEVER requested in my house, because I make it so often. Usually when someone says "What's for dinner?" and I reply "Chicken", I usually hear a very sarcastic "That's great!" followed by me saying "It's healthy for you!" So you can imagine the excitement when I announced that we were going to "taste test" chicken!

I actually decided to make my "go to" recipe and two recipes I found in the NOTEWORTHY cookbook. I had to made the "Just Good Chicken" and "Incredible Chicken"--I am not making these names up! They are baking now so I can be a little sarcastic myself and wonder if they will live up to their names!

So here are the recipes and the verdict will be in shortly.

All the recipes require that you rinse your chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. And cook them for 40 minutes in a lightly oiled roasting pan turning half way though.

"My Go to Chicken": (such a humble name!) Sprinkle with garlic salt, basil and fresh ground pepper.

"Just Good Chicken": Brush chicken with Dijon Mustard. Season with salt, paprika and basil.

"Incredible Chicken": Season fairly heavily with garlic salt. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar.


The verdict is in. Nobody thought the "Incredible Chicken" was ... incredible. The results were mixed on the others. All were good. The "Just Good Chicken" scored the best. The "Go to chicken" was identified as one liked a lot but familiar. The incredible chicken was sweet and it you like sweet food you would probably enjoy this recipe. So I guess you will have to decide!

MY TIP: If you need an easy and simple meal, just rip open a bag of baby carrots, toss some extra virgin oil on top and toss them in the pan with the chicken!

Pear Crostini

I saw a recipe for pear crositni and thought I would just make it for Thanksgiving without testing it first (which is something I never do!). Well then I remembered I had two recipes for pear crostini. Both similar, yet slightly different. So it was pear crostini day at our house! Both recipes were judged first on presentation and second on taste. I know that your thinking that taste should be the first criteria. But for me, if it's not pretty I don't like to serve it no matter how good it tastes!

Recipe 1:
Ingredients:
french baguette
green pear
good quality blue cheese
butter

Directions:
Slice french baguette
Core and slice a pear into thin strips
Saute pears in a little butter until tender
Put 3 pears slices on baguette in a fan style
Top with blue cheese
And bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts

Recipe 2:
Ingredients:
french baguette
green pear
good quality blue cheese
Philadelphia cream Cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Slice french baguette
Lightly oil the baguette slices and bake at 350 degrees until the baguette is toast-like
Core and slice a pear into thin strips
Mix cream cheese and blue cheese to taste
Spread on the toasted baguette and top with a pear slice

It was unanimous: THE WINNER IS RECIPE #2

I am glad I tested them because I was just going to serve the first recipe. Although it was good, the second was better. These will be a good reminder to me that no matter how similar the recipes may be it's always best to try them out before serving them to company!

I think the cream cheese gave the flavor some extra depth. And the crunch and freshness of the raw pear was preferred over the softer sauteed pears. I liked the presentation and thought the green pear gave it more color. I also liked that the pear did not turn brown, which I thought it might. So this was super simple and will make a great addition for my fall appetizers and this will definitely be served at Thanksgiving!

MY TIP: I have used the same cream cheese/blue cheese combination on endive leaves and topped with crushed walnuts. It makes for a little more formal presentation and is great for a cocktail party!

Toffee Candy

I am getting ready for our annual holiday party and I always make my own chocolates.

Making candy is one of the easiest things to do. All you have to do is use good quality chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. Once melted, add in anything you want from nuts to raisins to dried fruit to crushed hard candies. Here I just mixed in toffee and spooned it into candy molds and let it set up. I think it took me longer to wrap the candy than it did to make it! I love how festive these look wrapped!


MY TIP: It is important not to get any steam or water into the chocolate or it will ruin it.

Butterleaf Salad in a nest of Parmesan


When I saw Giadia's beautiful salad on television I was inspired! And with all recipes I believe you should make it exactly the way it is intended the first time and then make changes. I went for a walk that morning with my neighbor and told her about this gorgeous salad that I was going to make, she said she would love to try it. And she preceded to tell me how she had every kind of salad dressing in her refrigerator. I told her I have none! (I make mine from scratch.)

Later that day I made the salad. Well I loved the presentation but did not care for her dressing--a lemon and orange vinaigrette (although my neighbor liked it). So I experimented with some other options--a Caesar and a poppyseed (that I borrowed from my neighbor). So here is my version:

For the Parmesan Nests:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Take 1/4 cup of good quality grated Parmesan cheese and spread in a circle (I used a tool for making eggs into a perfect circle--I am neurotic like that!)
Spread evenly and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown.
Once done, remove with metal spatula and press gently using a glass to form a nest into a muffin pan. That's it!

For the salad--
Chiffonade the butterleaf lettuce. I then added very thin slices of red onion and added a little Marzetti's poppyseed dressing and topped with a slice of clementine (I sliced the membrane off one side so the color would pop. I garnished it with a purple mum which picked up the purple from the onion for a beautiful presentation. It not only looked great but tasted great! And YES, I will actually use a store bought dressing!

MY TIP: I have made the Parmesan circles before and left them flat. They make a pretty presentation for sitting on top of a toasted slice of baguette floating in french onion soup!

Pot Stickers

So I always wanted to use won ton wrappers and for some reason I thought they would be hard to use (like phyllo dough is for me!). Turns out they are super easy to use. I found this pot sticker recipe online:

• Filling:
• 8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
• 3 tsp salt, divided
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
• 1 TB white wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Dash white pepper
• Dipping Sauce:
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Other:
• 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 ounces of chicken stock
  

Preparation:

Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.



Place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the won ton wrapper. Follow the directions on the back of the won ton wrappers for folding instructions.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 5 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. MY TIP: use a metal spatula for releasing these as there is a reason they are called pot STICKERS!

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Since my family requested this 3 times in one week (which NEVER happens!) I knew this recipe would be good to serve for friends! I was right--they ate 75 pot stickers! I am glad I kept the rest of the menu simple because these were labor intensive and took me 4 hours to make!

I served oriental snacks from the Oriental Market and put them in Chinese takeout boxes for presentation. I cut the pineapple and stuck in maraschino cherries for color. I cheated and used Sushi from the grocery. I had experimented with Asian lettuce wraps but they were too sloppy so I skipped those. And of course there were fortune cookies! For drinks I used Chardonnay, mixed in a little cranberry juice for color and put sliced plums on the bottom for a garnish and called it "Plum Fusion". I knew my friends would not drink plum wine or sake! I have used this drink before once for a girls night in and called it "Tickle me Pink" and once for an evening of appetizers with friends before Christmas and called it "Sugar Plum Fairy". It always get rave reviews! And who doesn't like a signature drink!

Sushi Party

Potstickers:

Since my family requested this 3 times in one week (which NEVER happens!) I knew this recipe would be good to serve for friends! I was right--they ate 75 pot stickers! I am glad I kept the rest of the menu simple because these were labor intensive and took me 4 hours to make!

I served oriental snacks from the Oriental Market and put them in Chinese takeout boxes for presentation. I cut the pineapple and stuck in maraschino cherries for color. I cheated and used Sushi from the grocery. I had experimented with Asian lettuce wraps but they were too sloppy so I skipped those. And of course there were fortune cookies! For drinks I used Chardonnay, mixed in a little cranberry juice for color and put sliced plums on the bottom for a garnish and called it "Plum Fusion". I knew my friends would not drink plum wine or sake! I have used this drink before once for a girls night in and called it "Tickle me Pink" and once for an evening of appetizers with friends before Christmas and called it "Sugar Plum Fairy". It always get rave reviews! And who doesn't like a signature drink!