Fallen Souffle

I don’t know why I have the uncontrollable desire to please people…and I mean everyone…even people I don’t really care too much about. At work I am constantly bringing in baked goods for people even though I can count on three fingers the number of people I actually like. People rave about the things I bring in…I should really start charging for it- they get home made treats weekly. Some of it has to do with the fact that I like to experiment a lot and if I kept it all in the house, Evan and I would be 400 pounds…each!

I recently received a “request” for French Silk pie from the agency manager, I actually like this guy so I thought I would take a crack at it. The only silk pie I have ever made was from a box, like the no-bake jello cheesecakes. Ironically, I was flipping through a recipe book my Mom let me borrow and I found a recipe for the silk pie. With only 5 ingredients (not including the pie crust) I thought I would give it a whirl. For some reason I was extra motivated today because I was at my breaking point with some of the office dynamics, so to take my frustration out, I baked up a storm tonight- go figure.

This pie is easy to throw together. I am learning to love those pre-made rolled pie crusts in the section with the Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, they are cheap, freeze well and taste pretty darn good. Who wants to deal with pie crust when it is 80 degrees outside (I can’t believe I am saying that in the middle of October!) This recipe is defiantly a keeper, though be careful as it does have raw eggs, I need to see if EggBeaters will work with this recipe.

French Silk Pie
(from the Cooking Club of America cookbook “You Deserve Dessert”)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
2-1 oz, squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-9 inch baked and cooled pie crust

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar at high speed for about 5 minutes or until fluffy, should be white in color Add eggs one at a time, beating 1-2 minutes in between each addition. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla to egg mixture and beat until fluffy.

2. Pour mixture into pie shell, refridgerate several house or overnight, serve with whipped cream. Store in refridgerator.

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One of our fondest memories of Italy is a pizza shop in Milan called Da Willy’s. We frequented this shop about twice a week suring our three week visit but nothing will compare to the first night we were in Milan when we introduced to this quaint shop and an amazing liquor, limoncella. I sweet, syrupy lemony tear, usually sipped after dinner. Well there was no sipping for us, come on we were from ECU, we were taking shots like it was Tequila Night at PB’s. We paid the price the next day when we had to be up and dressed in business attire in 100 degree heat and 100% humidity with no A/C.

Ahh those were the days, we drank much more limoncello while in Italy but had not had since then until our honeymoon. One night on our cruise was Italian night and they sold shot glasses and unlimited limoncello for $3. That was a bargain, we could drink a gallon of it between the two of us, the the older people watched in amazement as we quickly sipped our favorite libation.

So I somehow was feeling nostagic and was staring at a bag of lemons about to turn on me when I felt motivated to make limoncello. As Evan put it, “you don’t have enough to work on, now your making your own booze!?”, well it’s no Moonshine. I had read the review of this recipe and alot of people companied that it was hard to do. Rubbish! As long s you have a good sharp vegetable peeler you are good to go. I would also recommend having a gallon size glass jar with a lid to keep it in. I keep the jar in the freezer and a smaller pretty bottle in the fridge.

Adapted from Everyday Italian’s Giada de Laurentis.
Limoncello
10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 1 week at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours, can be frozen.

This liquor should be sipped, not shot and is used after dinner.

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Evan and I love pizza. You could almost say it’s what brought us together in Italy when we met…well not quite, but we did eat alot of pizza while we were there and I think it’s safe to say we have had it every week since then. We have a couple of our favorite pizza places, Big Apple in Greenville where you can get a huge, thin NY style slice for 99cents on Tuesdays , Brooklyn Sal’s in Raleigh which also has great NY style pizza, and our new favorite “gourmet” pizza place Lilly’s also in Raleigh which combines unusual toppings such as feta, zucchini, kalamata olives, and roasted tomatoes. Yum!

Every once and a while we do like to make our own at home. I don’t know if it’s due to laziness, our need for creative expression or just being cheap but we usually make pizza about once a month. I love making the dough, it is so easy and you really can’t mess it up, though a store bough pizza shell or dough works well too.

Evan and I make very different pizzas. His consists of the typical “manly” toppings of mozzarella, parmesan, pepperoni, sauce and some red pepper flakes. I must admit he makes a fine pie.

I on the other hand like to mix it up and add anything from the fridge. This week I started with a layer of olive oil, added chopped garlic, fresh basil leaves, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, mozzarella and red pepper flakes. The prosciutto added a wonderful saltiness while the sundried tomatoes added some sweetness and just a hint of red pepper flakes added just a bit of heat. It was perfect, who says you need sauce to make a good pie!?

Here is a simple pizza dough you can whip up. This dough recipe makes 4-10 inch pizzas, I usually freeze half in a plastic bag sprayed with Pam, just pop it in the fridge for about 2 days to defrost before you use it. I also like to let it get to room temperature before I use it, just makes it easier to work with.

Pizza Dough
about 5 cups of flour (I like to use a combination of wheat flour and all purpose or bread flour)
1 tablespoon of honey or sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoon of yeast (if you are using the little packets, just throw the whole package in there)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of warm water

1. I like to add the yeast to about 1 cup of warm water. I never measure the water temperature, just run the tap and when you can’t hold your finger under anymore, that’s a good temp. Stir the yeast and water than add the sugar or honey to “feed” it. Let sit for about 5 minutes. I usually do this to ensure I have active yeast

2. Start with about 2 cups of flour. I usually start with 1 cup of wheat and 1 cup of bread flour. Add salt, olive oil and one more cup of warm water. When yeast has started to get foamy dump that in and stir. Add the flour a cup at a time until is starts to come away from the bowl.

3. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead in flour until the dough is smooth. I usually don’t use all 5 cups, this is why I add about a cup at a time. Depending on the type of flour you use will determine the amount of flour you will use in total. For example, I find I use less flour when I start with wheat flour.

4. Spray a large bowl with Pam and plop the round of dough in the bottom and roll around the bowl to coat the dough in oil. Cover in a dish towel rinses with warm water and allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubles in size. You can also stick the dough in an oiled plastic bag and stick it in the fridge overnight to rise.

5. I like to use the back of a cookie sheet as my “pizza pan”, divide dough into 4 pieces and spread out onto a greased pan. Add toppings and bake in 426 degree over for about 20 minutes, depending on thickness of dough. Just keep an eye out and look for your cheese to start bubbling and for the crust to start to turn a golden brown.

6. Let cool for a bit to let the cheese set, or just be like Evan and dig in, drippy cheese and all.

Mangia! Mangia!

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I can’t help it, it’s probably my favorite picture of us. We just past the 7 month mark, and it’s been the best 7 months of my life.

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I have been craving pumpkin muffins since I read that Starbucks has pumpkin cream cheese muffins. I try not to visit this establishment too often, as I get myself in trouble with the $3.00 coffee drinks and caloric baked goods. So, as I usually do, I decided to make them myself. I save money, and make alot more friends at work.

I’m always after finding recipes lower in fat and calories, so I don’t feel so bad when I eat 5. I found a recipe on a certain recipe website that had no oil or butter, but instead used applesauce. I have always had luck using applesauce as a replacement for fat when making other quick breads and I thought this would be no exception. Well I was wrong, dead wrong.

What I ended up with was a gummy, dense…brick of pumpkin, some eggs and flour. I really hate when I waste ingredients. Even thought nothing was expensive, I just hate it.

So I ventured over to my favorite bread blog, The Fresh Loaf and sure enough there was a picture of a light and fluffy loaf. I knew Floyd wouldn’t let me down.

So the next night I let my butter soften and prepared for another round of pumpkin bread. I was nervous, as I didn’t want to waste another batch of ingredients. The batter was stiff so I added a bit of unsweetened applesauce to loosen it up. I made a dozen muffins and a small loaf for a swap this month. After only about 5 minutes the muffins had already started to puff up (I guess the two tablespoons of baking powder were super fresh!) After 25 minutes, I ran in to peek at the outcome. After swiftly removing the muffins from the oven, I popped one out and cracked it open to inspect the interior. SUCCESS! Light, fluffy, moist…just perfect. I slathered on some butter and took a bite….my craving has been satisfied.

A perfect pumpkin muffin. Check out the recipe here. Thanks for a perfect loaf Floyd!

I took the batch to work and everyone raved about them, even my manager who doesn’t really care for pumpkin devoured one with a grin on his face.

I really need to start a snack cart at work…..

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I married the best man on earth. No I’m not kidding, and I’m sure you think your guy is as good as mine…but he’s not. Not only does my husband put up with my moodiness, minor OCD (ok, major at times), rants about work, and spasticness but…he also COOKS! Now I don’t mind cooking dinner, but it is hard when I come home 90 minutes after he does and he has already about eaten his left arm, there is only so much I can throw together before the mutiny. So Evan has a few “signature” dishes which includes meatballs, grilled burritoes, baked ziti and now Maple Pork Chops. I don’t know how this recipe came about, and I don’t know if he does either, but I could literally eat it everyday. I love it. And I normally don’t like my food to mix, but I sop up whatever is left of this luscious sauce.

Maple Pork Chops
In the words of Evan R.

1/3 cup olive oil
2 12oz porkchops
Salt and pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup maple syrup (use the good stuff, though we have used the cheapo stuff before)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

In large oven-safe saute pan over high heat, heat the olive oil until oil ripples. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Sear the chops, presentation side down, until browned. Then flip and cook until the other side is browned. If the chops are more than 2 inches thick, sear them on the sides as well, using tongs to hold them.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the syrup over the chops. Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. A meat thermometer should register 150 degrees F.

Remove pan from oven (Jen note: remember- hot handle!), place on burner on high heat for a minute to thicken glaze… flip chops so they are evenly covered.

Serve hot.

Yep, he’s a keeper

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As I have mentioned before, I have fallen in love with the produce department at Kroger. I try to pick something new up each time I go, which sometimes poses a challenge when I go late on a Sunday night when the place has been swept clean of all edible fresh foods. Nonetheless, I try to go earlier to have the best pick of the crop.

I have become increasingly more interested in brussel sprouts,it started when Evan and I were in Austria and I had these little gems so simply sauteed, they were wonderful! My Mom does not understand where I got a taste for them, no one eats them in my family, including my Mom and sister who even eat lima beans :shiver: I have been getting them frozen for convenience sake but the sauce they come in can be overwhelming and heavy. Therefore I picked some up fresh this week to experiment. I have started roasting veggies as a way to keep their nutritional value and develop their natural sugars so I decided to do the same for these guys. And I was, luckily, not disappointed.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
(method can also be used for broccoli and cauliflower)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash and clean sprouts, by removing any blemished leaves and cutting off tough stalk. You may also want to half or even quarter the sprouts to bite size as they cook up much better when small.
Spread sprouts on sheet pan in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.
Pop in over for about 20 minutes or until brown and toasty. The insides will be tender and the outsides golden. Scoop into serving bowl or plates and top with parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, or red pepper flakes.

Your Momma would be so proud!

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So for some odd reason, as I awoke at 7:30 to let the mutts out, I decided it was time to clean out the pantry and spice cabinet. I pulled everything out of the pantry and grouped it on the counter, I was amazed at the amount of items we have had since moving to NC a year ago…scary! I also like to hoard baking items…apparently..as I had 4 bags of chocolate chips, numerous dried fruits and plenty or flour…all types! I am ready for any major holiday or natural disaster, which at times may be one in the same

So I sorted through things we really don’t need and threw it all in a big shopping bag for my poor college sister, hopefully this will diversify her current menu of PB&J’s and Lucky Charms. I did realize that we are not eating as much processed foods, or I should say I am using fewer “meals in the box” like the hugable puffy glove we all grew up with. I am proud of myself for branching out and making things from scratch.

After the pantry was nice and neat I venured to the spice cabinet. I have become a bit of a spice snob, I will only buy from a lady at the flea market, her spices are always fresh and much cheaper than the grocery store. Though I must admit, when Kroger has a 10 for $10 sale on spices, I am tempted to buy a few

After sorting all of the bottle I found that we had 6 bottle of garlic powder! I am totally serious! Some bottles date back to when Evan started college and were now a weird orangey color. We also had an abundance of cinnamon, I hope Steph likes garlic bread and snickerdoodles.

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So my little sister is out of town which means Aunt Jen and Uncle Ev take in her dog Lexi while she is gone. I really love Lexi and she is an awesome dog, she is just so full of energy! Our dogs have mellowed out a bit, they are hyper at times but at night they chill out nicely. Lexi on the other hand is on the go all the time. It’s not like an annoying hyper though, she just plays alot with our sheprad mix Sasha alot.

We are lucky enough to have a decnt size backyard for the dogs to romp around in. The bad part is, we don’t have alot of grass, between to weird irrigation in our backyard and that damned North Carolina clay, he have had some challenges getting our grass to grow. Therefore whenever it rains it is a mud pit for days. We could probably do some killer mud wrestling back there.

Well as luck would have it it has rained the last 2 out of 3 days. Mind you, we have been in a drought all summer, I can’t remember the last good rain we had, and it now decides to rain. So Sasha and Lexi run laps around the downstairs and our poor lab Bella just lays under the coffee table, trying to stay away from the madness.

So we are hoping it dries up a bit this weekend so they can play more outside, in the meantime, I have a nice layer of clay on my kitchen floor. Ah the joys of pet ownership….I wouldn’t trade them in for anything!

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A fellow food blogger at la dolce vita has developed an awesome food event called In the Pink to raise awareness of breast cancer, since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The rules were simple, develop a yummy food item that was…PINK!

So I really wanted to make something sweet, because I love to bake and who doesn’t love something sweet and pink! I immediately thought about making fluffy white cupcakes with a sugary pink frosting. But, it is so generic, I wanted to be different and creative. So I pondered other pink possibilities…ham, grapefruit, salmon. Then I realized, nature did not produce alot of pink foods (what a shame!).

Then EUREEKA! What has become my favorite italian dish recently?! ROSE sauces, mixing some sort of dairy into a red sauce to create a beautiful and smooth PINK sauce! So I went to one of my favorite weekday recipes and knew this would fit the bill. It is easy to make, yummy, healthy…and ofcourse, pink

I am lucky as to not have any immediate family members stricken by this diesease, yet my mother in law has been a breast cancer survivor for many years now, so in her honor, I present to you…

Laura’s In the Pink Rigatoni
(aka, Rosa Rigatoni)

In a sauce pan heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and brown chopped onion and chopped garlic. Once browned,add one can (15 oz) of plain tomato sauce, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes or so. Slowly add 1 cup of cream or half and half (I actually use fat free half and half), 1 box (10 oz) of frozen peas, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Allow to simmer until peas are cooked through. Pour over 1 pound of cooked rigatoni. Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan and dinner is served.

I hope you will try this recipe and think about those that have been affected by this disease. I wish you all peace and good health!

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