"Grilled" Good Salmon & Sides

This was really easy.. nothing spectacular or earth shattering preparations to talk about, but I loved the photo with the smoke curling over the salmon. I did prepare this by marinating it with white wine, crushed garlic, ground black pepper and lemon. And it did have a fresh and earthy taste with an aroma of fresh chopped dill permeated through the house.

Simple salad of romaine lettuce and my favorite ingredients of feta cheese, avocado's, pine nuts, tomatoes and cranberries,


Don't forget the dessert! These cookies were just a fanciful play on Lorna Doones. I melted good quality chocolate and added a sliver of butter and added some amaretto too. I dipped one of the flats of the cookie and immediately pressed it with another cookie. We loved them.. and hey, I was a little Semi-Homemade! :)

Have a wonderful weekend you all! And to you Super Bowl Fans I hope you cheer loud and feast hearty!

Buon Appetito,
Laurie

Penne All'Arrabbiata Bianco

Pasta All' Arrabbiata is most of the time cooked with lots of fresh cut up tomatoes. It is a spicy and wonderfully wet pasta dish. Not made with paste or canned sauce, this is a very fresh tasting pasta. In my present days, I often make this dish with the pancetta or sometimes even anchovies as being the star of the show. The roasted red peppers, the pepper flakes and the protein source, such as the pancetta or anchovies give this such a wonderfully flavored meal. I give many of my white pasta dishes an added crunch with pine nuts. For more flavor toss the pine nuts around in a dry skillet to release more of the nutty earthy flavors of this delicate but luscious nut.

I specify in this recipe imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. There are many parmesan cheeses on the market, even Romano will work. But my preference to make this white pasta dish really stand out is the higher quality of cheese you use. It is so tender as cheeses go. It melts in your mouth and is not overwhelming with added salt, which a lot of domestic cheeses have. When you have it freshly ground, ask for the meat of the cheese and not the rind, which many local producers will use as fillers to save on their costs. But if you buy it in bulk and grind it yourself, save your rind as many Italian woman do and cook it in tasty bean dishes or soups or baccala. When the meal is finished cooking, take out the rind and toss it.

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 oz pancetta, cut into thin strips
2 whole, peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped & seeded
2 roasted red peppers sliced thin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper
salt
1/4 cups pine nuts
12 fresh basil leaves, the larger ones julienne and the smaller ones keep whole
1/2 cup Imported Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Directions

Pour the olive oil into a large skilled, over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it just begins to sizzle.
Add the pancetta and cook until it is brown, but not crisp.
Add the tomatoes, roasted peppers, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper mill.
Simmer till all ingredients are incorporated well.
Toss in the pine nuts and the julienned basil leaves and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and toss with the sauce in the skillet. Stir in the grated cheese and decorate with remainder basil leaves. Serve at once.

Buon Appetito!
Laurie

Panino Imbottito Italian Stuffed Sandwhich

This may not be your typical Panino.. one made on a ciabatta roll in a Panini press, but it is nonetheless stuffed, grilled and abundant with the typical Italian fare to satisfy even the most discriminating foodie critic!

With deli meats on hand like coppa, prosciutto and salumi, fresh leafy basil, peppers, tomatoes and portobello mushrooms, an array of cheeses like buffala mozzarella and a not so Italian, creamy Blue Moon cheese, it took no time at all to grill up this luscious and hearty stuffed Italian sandwhich.

Although I roasted the peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms drizzled with a bit of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt, a stuffed sandwich doesn't necessarily have to be made with fresh ingredients. Growing up my mom always had on hand, giardiniera, peperoncini, muffuletta, salumi, sun dried tomatoes... these are jarred condiments that keep well in the pantry and are always available for a delicious stuffed sandwich. When shopping for groceries I always have on my list, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, vine ripened tomatoes, Italian deli meats, fresh Italian cheeses, cured olives, fresh herbs and rolls, that way I'll always be ready to make panini's for my family when we want a simple and quick meal.
Ciao and Buon Appetito!
Laurie

Meringue Cookie Kisses & Dreaming In Color

I love meringue cookies. They're so light and crunchy and other than the carbs, they are a yummy sweet snack if your on a low fat diet. I make these little treats often but the other night I was thinking of how I could embellish them to look nice for photo's. I'm so happy I dream in color because I dreamt of these swirled pattern designs similar to the lollypops I used to get as a child at Disneyland. You know the ones.. great big suckers coiled into a round shape of brilliantly colored jeweled tones resting on a white lolly stick. Between those and the three foot red licorice rope I felt like I was the luckiest girl at the happiest place on earth!

The next day I was exited to get to the task of coloring meringues. I prepared the meringue as usual except for using two different flavor extracts. As you can see in the pictures, some have a caramel coloring. Those are the meringues flavored with vanilla, and the white ones with pink swirls are flavored with hazelnut extract. I used a large star tip and striped the inside of a few bags with different colored food dyes. Then I filled the bags with the meringue and piped little star shaped kisses.


A little peek from the box!

I had some leftover dipping chocolate from filling some Lorna Doone cookies so I decided to dip the tips of a few meringues. They had such a lovely taste. I had some amaretto on hand and incorporated a little drizzle into the melted chocolate.. it was delightful! We all loved the chocolate and packaged in a cellophane bag and ribbon, they made a lovely little thank you gift!

Ciao and Buon Appetitio!
Laurie

Basic Meringue Cookie Recipe

3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup superfine or castor sugar *
1/4 teaspoon pure hazelnut or vanilla extract

*(if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30 seconds in a food processor)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees� and place the rack in the center of your oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch star tip, or I often use a plain tip to make the cookies.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle with a few shaved almonds, if desired.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight.

Amaretto Marble Bundt Cake

I love Marble cakes! They're so pretty and versatile. This wonderful recipe adapted from Sherry Yard's, 'The Secrets of Baking' was a simple and lusciously moist cake and perfect to try with a variation on flavors. With the basic Italian pantry liqueurs on hand it was easy to transform this into a recipe con l'amaretto. Amaretto is a sweet almond flavored liqueur which blends wonderfully with chocolate and the aroma of it is so alluring which is only enhanced more baked along side the white of the cake perfumed with pure bourbon vanilla.

For the icing I chose an Italian Whipped Meringue. Although this cake would be just as wonderful with a simple sugar glaze too for a not so formal affair. * Daisies aren't edible.. just fresh picked from the winter garden! :)

Ingredients
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Amaretto
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure bourbon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk


Directions
* If you are using a dark colored bundt pan, make sure to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). This is done because dark colored pans absorb more of the energy coming from the oven walls so the pan becomes hotter and transmits heat faster than light colored pans. Reducing the oven temperature slightly will help compensate for this.


Preheat oven to 350 � and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick spray, a 10 inch bundt or tube pan.

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the semisweet chocolate with the Amaretto. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add beaten eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the pure bourbon vanilla and sour cream.

With the mixer on low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

After preparing the batter, pour half of the batter into a separate bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into one half of the batter, mixing well. Place the batter into the prepared pan by alternating spoons of vanilla batter and chocolate batter. Then, with the end of a wooden spoon, gently draw swirls through the batter to marbleize it. Don't over mix or you won't have that wonderful marble affect.

Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. This cake will keep for a couple of days at room temperature or it can be frozen.

Italian Whipped Meringue Frosting

Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 egg whites (room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions
Mix 2/3 cup sugar and water together and bring to a boil until a temperture of 275 is reached on a candy thermometer.
Brush the cystals on the side of the pan down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water as needed.
As the syrup reaches its temperature, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, 2 tabespoons sugar until the whites form soft peaks.
Remove syrup from heat add the syrup in a small stream while continuing to beat the mixture with the electric mixer.
Beat about 3 more minutes. The mixture will form glossy peaks and thicken.
Add the vanilla and mix a bit more.
Frost the cake immediately.


Ciao and Happy Baking Italian Style!
Laurie