CHILE CHEESE BALL

For all of you party animals and/or people having guests for the holidays, or for a wine and cheese event, here's an easy and delish as in YUM! recipe from Jane Brownley of www.plainjanescloset.com (gorgeous Christmas items for holiday gift-giving!)

CHILE CHEESE BALL

1 package Wispride cheddar cheese cold pack
1 - 8 ounce package low fat cream cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
garlic powder to taste
chili powder to taste.

Soften Wispride cheddar and cream cheese.
Mix together with garlic and walnuts until combined.
Shape into a ball and roll in chili powder.

Chill ball before serving.

Taste for yourself...YUM!!

French Coconut Pie (stolen from Marni!)

French Coconut Pie


Stolen and adapted from mystery writer Marni Graff (creator of the indomitable, gutsy and spirited sleuth Trudy Genova) who stole it from ... ???

~Quick and easy and delicious! And versatile~see below.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter, melted*
2 eggs, beaten*
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar *
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup milk*
1 9 inch unbaked pie shell*

Preheat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into pie shell. Bake until firm and golden on top, about 45-55 minutes.
"Easy-peasy," as Jamie Oliver says!


Everybody loves this recipe because you can substitute ingredients where there are asterisks ( * ) all the way through and still have a great dessert.



Any combination of these substitutes work well to good effect: Land o’Lakes butter spread to reduce trans fat, egg beaters for same, Splenda for less sugar/carbs, and low-fat milk, and still have a reasonable dessert. The pie crusts that are boxed and refrigerated to roll out are great in this, too.


Or use frozen Marie Callender's Deep Dish Pie Shell. It’s one of those quick pies you can throw together unexpectedly if you need to take something somewhere, or your body is "calling for a sweet," or to pull you out of the mid-week cooking doldrums--just as long as you keep coconut on hand, which I'm sure you will from now on… I do.


Enjoy!

Thanks, Marni!

Clam and Sqaush Soup

Oct.24th

Clam and squash soup

Ingredients:

1 ½ butternut squash, cut, skinned, chunks tossed with 1 tbs. of oil, baked for 25 minutes
1 lb of Navy beans, soaked and cooked for 1 ½ -2 hrs. Reserve one cup of broth
9-10 dozen little neck clams, steamed open and shucked and reserve one cup of juice
1 cup of chopped celery
5 ounces or 5 pieces of bacon, cut small and fried
1 cup of chopped onion
4 gloved of garlic, minced
1 cup of heavy cream
1 ½ cups of white wine
Salt and pepper to taste.
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tbs of olive oil
Total cooking time: 2 hours

While the beans cook, pop the squash into the oven, steam the clams open, shuck and discard all the shells. Filter the water from the clams. Reserve 1 cup.

Hint for cooking the beans: cook in a little water—about an inch or less over the beans, and keep adding the water as it evaporates.

Fry bacon….when crisp, add butter and fling in the celery and onions. When veggies are wilted, toss in the vino—let the alcohol burn off. Add cream and let thicken a few minutes.

Then add all the liquid and stir. Transfer this mix to the beans, add clams and squash. Heat through. Serve with bruschetta. For you wimps who think you’re going to live to 110, don’t add the bacon…you’ll lose a ton of flavor, but oh well…you avoid clogged arteries, cholesterol and triglycerides.

A crisp wine will go nicely with this—a buttery Chardonnay, or a fruity sauvignon blanc…I’ll stick to Pinot Grigio. A nice touch would be champagne…Veuve Clicquot, for instance. Don’t wait to turn 80 to try it.

Poem: His Gesture, Starbucks Cappucino

A poem by Nina Romano
Photo curtesy of Free Foto .com



HIS GESTURE

is so sweet,
I want to melt.

He’s blond, a little taller than she
and stands behind her
as she orders Starbucks’ cappuccino
rich and tall with froth on top.

He gently rubs her back,
his hand moves in tiny circles
that spiral up and down.
It is at once sensual,
yet tender and protective.

He loves her.
He nuzzles her back

then slowly lifts
and leans his head
onto her shoulder,
turning inward slightly

pushing back her hair
to kiss her bare neck,
and I want to swoon.
I want to be a part of this love
so private

yet made in such a public
display

so easily expressed.
Then I think of the times
when I was young
and my husband dropped

my hand in public.
So I will go home now
to caress the dog behind his ears
to feel his hot breath
on my cheek and on my neck.

A lillte bit of everything, including movie run-downs

To all the readers of this bloggerino--

I would like to thank those of you who've recently purchased my poetry book. It does my heart a world of good to see those sales numbers change on www.amazon.com

I would also like to congratulate three lovely poets from the FIU Creative Writing Program, whom I was privileged to know before they published: Emma Trellis, Susan Briante, and Rita Maria Martinez. Emma will read from her chapbook, Little Spells, along with Rita, who will read from her clever book, Jane-in-the-box, a collection based on Jane Austen, at the Miami Book Fair International this November. Congrats, Lovely Lady Poets!

Next I'd like to say that I saw a most wonderful and thought-provoking Italian film called Saturno Contro. It's the story of a group of friends and follows their lives and loves. What a shame that American movies make films for the young, forgetting that their is an older, maturer population, who still love to go to the movies!

Appaloosa was a loser...a shame because Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson are two wonderful actors. No plot, no story. Slow and dull--and I love westerns, and surely there are others out there hankering for a good one. The lean men had a great look--but the film fell short and squat.

Nights in Rodanthe. I'm sure every writer wonders why Nicholas Sparks' novels translate so well to the screen. Predictable plot, but nonetheless engrossing, thanks to the chemistry between Richard Gere and Dianne Ladd. At least this tear-jerker entertained.

I missed seeing Body of Lies, starring Leonardo Di Caprio, who in my opinion has made leaps and bounds, hurtling a so-so career to become a fine actor. the movie got lukewarm reviews, but that never stops me from seeing a movie and judging for myself. Maybe I'll catch this one on DVD.

End of soapbox. New recipes to follow...

Katie's KY Derby Pie

Katie’s KY Derby Pie

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of all purpose flour
1 ½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cup broken pecans (or chopped)
½ cup of KY Bourbon

Soak the chocolate chips in bourbon for 20 minutes before adding to mix.

Beat eggs with cooled butter.
Add flour and sugar.
Beat until mixed.
Stir in pecans, chocolate & bourbon.
Pour mix into uncooked pie shell (not deep dish)
May also use a handful more of whole pecans on top if desired
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minute, or until set.

Serve with fresh whipped cream (vanilla added) or vanilla ice cream…or both!

Nico's 29th birthday menu

Here's the menu for tonight:

Calamari in umido
Rolled stuffed eggplant
Pasta with shrimp and peas in a brandy cream sauce
Grilled Eggplant with basil, olive oil and garlic
Fillet Mignon
A medley of mushrooms
Spinach with garlic and oil
Cake (Homemade by Katie!)

If anyone wants these recipes...get in touch:

FR's Birthday Menu

Happy birthday Felipe, 70 years young...he walked 5 miles this morning!!!

Party is in the works for 15 guests...I made all sorts of goodies with Stefan's help.

Here's the list--

Stef's recipies:
wrapped shrimp with prosciutto and cheese
cheese rolls

I made or will be making:
little stuffed empanads
caponata
roasted peppers
Asian eggplant Sicilian style...
zuppa di cozze e vongole (mussels and clams)
lentil risotto with asparagus
penne a alla vodka
baked "loaded to the ex-gills" swordfish
fresh Italian bread
cibatta
vino up the wazoo
two cakes!

Happy, happy birthday , BABY! Cento di questi giorni!

Asian Eggplants Sicilian Style with Zing!

October 2, 2008

Asian Eggplants Sicilian Style with a super-duper ingredient to give it just enough zing: Bob's Country Sauce!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs of Asian (the long skinny kind) of eggplants…don’t panic, if you can’t get them—just use regular ones…cut long and skinny, leaving the skin, but take most of the seeds out.
½ onion cut to feathery fineness
6 scallions, cut thin, including the green tops
6 garlic scapes, sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic (large chunks)
6 tablespoons of tomato sauce—plain, a dash of olive oil, a clove of garlic
1 lb of baby bellas (portobellas)
1 lb of ground pork
4 ounces dices sweet pimento (or use a finely cut and diced sweet red pepper )
olive oil
white wine
hot pepper
salt
ginger
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of Bob’s country Sauce (the super-duper ingredient for zing!)


Fry the eggplant and set aside
Fry the mushrooms and add the garlic scapes and scallions. Set aside.
Fry the pork and set aside

In a little olive oil, wilt, thin cut onion with the garlic whole so you can take find easily and take out…and hot pepper for those that like it!

Add wine, then tomato sauce, soy, sweet diced pimento—if you have only red pepper—you need to cook this with the onion, and finally Bob’s “Zingy” Country Sauce

Add the eggplant, mushrooms, and pork. Stir so that the sauce wets all the ingredients.
Add salt, ginger and adjust for taste…may need more of bob’s country Sauce, or a dash or tomato or wine…up to you—my dish is happily drunk and merrily tomato red!

This dish may be made more sweet and sour by adding a dash of sugar and a splash of vinegar.

Look for a mention of my blog on Bob’s Country Sauce website and/or blog.

Sarde beccafico

October 1

Sarde beccafico

Becafico: a small bird. (Silvia hortensis), which is highly prized by Italians for the delicacy of its flesh in the autumn, when it has fed on figs, grapes, etc.

Becco means mouth in Italian.

Apparently, the small sardines when stuffed and lined up in a pan, look like tiny birds and are very tasty.

Sardines beccafico (very Sicilian!)

lb of sardines, fresh, filleted—no heads or spines.
olive oil
garlic
garlic powder
paprika
salt
black pepper
parsley
oregano
bread crumbs
grated cheese
lemon
white wine
capers
2-3 figs or fig jam (or small raisins, or not)
pine nuts (or not)

This is my recipe that my nephew Stefan made the other night for his mother's birthday--he did the sardines without the nuts or sweet fruit and they were scrumptious. Of course the fresher the better and these were caught only hours before by nephew Stefan…the only one in the family who cooks like me! As a kid, he was always checking out what I was making and what I did in the kitchen and pitched in with anything and everything. He learned the way I did--by stealing with his eyes--the only way to learn to cook and rip-off recipes!

When he went away to UF I gave him The Joy of Cooking because he couldn't take me with him...though I got many a phone call: "Zia, how do you do this or that???"

Okay, okay, okay. Enough sentimentality here...let's get to it!

Lay out the filleted sardines in an oven proof pan that has been rubbed with olive oil and garlic.

Squeeze juice of three lemons and drizzle olive oil and a splash of vino over the sardines.

For the stuffing:
In a bowl combine the olive oil, bread crumbs, grated cheese, and seasonings: garlic powder or some crushed garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, chopped parsley, paprika and capers

Smush together the stuffing ingredients, yes, with your fingers! The stuffing should be moist to the touch. Fill the sardines.

Bake in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes. May garnish with a mint or basil leaf.

Serve with bruschetta, or without!

(You can actually do this stuffing and method with any small fish, but of course, you knew that, right? I love that you're catching on!)