Recipe by Silvia Baldini — "MILK AND VINEGAR WHOLE TURKEY BREAST ROAST is a variation on a classic, inspired by Maiale al Latte, a dish from Emilia Romagna featuring pork and milk. Traditionally, the milk is curdled with lemon and spiked with herbs. As the milk caramelizes, it tenderizes the pork, imparting a deep, nutty flavor to the meat. It is a dish that represents comfort and economic sensibility, making it a perfect choice for a Sunday family meal.
My mom adapted the recipe and used a whole turkey breast. It was one of our favorite roasts growing up. She used white vinegar instead of lemon for a less acidic taste. As the caramelized milk reduces, it separates into extremely delicious curds and the sauce it's infused with the vinegar and the herbs. The luscious curds add a delightful texture to the sauce. Each spoonful tells a story of the slow-cooked love. It’s sweet and sour and tender, and what I make at thanksgiving almost every year. We serve it with sautéed mushrooms and lot’s of fresh chopped parsley.
It's a dish that transcends generations, a culinary journey that started in my mom’s kitchen and found a special place on our American Thanksgiving table, reminding us that traditions, when embraced with love, can evolve into something truly extraordinary.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — "MILK AND VINEGAR WHOLE TURKEY BREAST ROAST is a variation on a classic, inspired by Maiale al Latte, a dish from Emilia Romagna featuring pork and milk. Traditionally, the milk is curdled with lemon and spiked with herbs. As the milk caramelizes, it tenderizes the pork, imparting a deep, nutty flavor to the meat. It is a dish that represents comfort and economic sensibility, making it a perfect choice for a Sunday family meal.
My mom adapted the recipe and used a whole turkey breast. It was one of our favorite roasts growing up. She used white vinegar instead of lemon for a less acidic taste. As the caramelized milk reduces, it separates into extremely delicious curds and the sauce it's infused with the vinegar and the herbs. The luscious curds add a delightful texture to the sauce. Each spoonful tells a story of the slow-cooked love. It’s sweet and sour and tender, and what I make at thanksgiving almost every year. We serve it with sautéed mushrooms and lot’s of fresh chopped parsley.
It's a dish that transcends generations, a culinary journey that started in my mom’s kitchen and found a special place on our American Thanksgiving table, reminding us that traditions, when embraced with love, can evolve into something truly extraordinary.
Extra fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season, plus one teaspoon white vinegar
chopped italian parsley to garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
Season the boneless turkey breast. Rub the salt and pepper evenly all over the roast. Set it aside. Heat the olive oil in a 10 - x 4-inch-deep Dutch oven or similar pot, large enough to hold the roast. Brown the meat on all sides over medium-low heat; this will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
In the same pot add the onion and scrape the bottom of the pot. Lower the heat and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and stir. Meanwhile tie all the herbs together with kitchen twine. Place the herb bundle with the onions and stir.
Add the vinegar and cook for a few minutes scraping the bottom and making sure not to burn the onions. Add the Turkey breast back in to the pot.
Slowly pour in the milk and the stock almost to cover the roast. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for about 1 hour and half to two hours. As the roast cooks the milk will start to coagulate.
When the meat is cooked, remove it to a board and let it cool. Remove the twine, wrap the roast in aluminum foil and place it aside.
Return the pot on the stove to a medium heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and thickened. Discard the herb.
Taste and add seasoning if needed and one teaspoon vinegar. Reduce for a few extra minutes.
Cut the breast into 1/4-inch slices and return them to the pot. Slowly heat the meat in the sauce until hot and serve immediately with a lot of chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes
Note: You can make the roast in a Instapot. Follow the recipe until the resting step. Set the Instapot to an hour. Turn off the pressure cooker. Quick-release pressure and proceed with the sauce reduction.
Using tongs, remove the pork to a serving platter. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Turn on the sauté setting (on the “more” or hot setting, if you have it), and bring the milk to a rolling boil. Let the milk boil until it is reduced by about half and has darkened to a golden caramel color, about 20 minutes.
A simple white risotto is the perfect canvas for pungent and creamy Piemontese Toma cheese and luscious toasted hazelnuts.Toma is a very aromatic cheese with fresh notes of earth and grass derived from the high mountain Piemontese pastures.
It's nutty, even a little sweet, and buttery. It makes a good companion to hazelnuts in this extra creamy risotto.
A simple white risotto is the perfect canvas for pungent and creamy Piemontese Toma cheese and luscious toasted hazelnuts.Toma is a very aromatic cheese with fresh notes of earth and grass derived from the high mountain Piemontese pastures.
It's nutty, even a little sweet, and buttery. It makes a good companion to hazelnuts in this extra creamy risotto.
Melt one tablespoon of butter with the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Reserve the rest of the butter for later use.
Add the finely chopped onion in the pan and cook slowly until translucent. Add the rice and toast it until you hear it popping.
Add the white wine and deglaze the rice, continuously stirring with a wooden spoon. When the wine is reduced and you don't smell the alcool any longer add a few ladles of the vegetable broth. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon. Add the bay leaf. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Keep adding the broth in increments, and stir the rice over a low flame. Once the rice is almost cooked, and all the broth is absorbed, discard the bay leaf, add the diced Toma, the reserved butter, and the parmesan. Stir slowly until the cheese is melted and the risotto is very creamy. Cook and stir for one or two extra minutes to make sure the risotto is fully cooked but al dente. The whole process should take about 20 minutes.
Move the risotto away from the heat and set aside for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Portion the risotto in serving bowls and sprinkle with the chopped and toasted hazelnuts. Add the chopped parsley and some extra fresh pepper. Serve.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I have baked hundreds of wheat pies in search of the perfect one. This recipe is the one. I make a quick pasta frolla (crostata dough) by combining crumbly butter, flour and one egg. I cook the wheat berries in milk until creamy then blend half for a smooth but textured consistency. I mix the wheat with the drained ricotta, sugar, eggs, candied fruit and real orange blossom essence for the creamy filling. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't warn you— this pie is laborious and steps intensive. But the results are intoxicating.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I have baked hundreds of wheat pies in search of the perfect one. This recipe is the one. I make a quick pasta frolla (crostata dough) by combining crumbly butter, flour and one egg. I cook the wheat berries in milk until creamy then blend half for a smooth but textured consistency. I mix the wheat with the drained ricotta, sugar, eggs, candied fruit and real orange blossom essence for the creamy filling. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't warn you— this pie is laborious and steps intensive. But the results are intoxicating.
Place the butter, flour, sugar, lemon zest, egg and baking powder in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until all ingredients are blended, then process just until you have a smooth dough. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least an hour, or up to 1 day.
Wheat Filling
Put the wheat grain in a heavy bottom medium sized pot. Mix in the milk add the butter and the lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer on a low flame and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wheat kernels are tender, and the milk is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom occasionally to avoid burning.
Place half of the cooked wheat filling in to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Scrape back in to the cooked wheat, mix well and set aside to cool off.
Ricotta Filling
Drain the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl until all the liquid is gone. You can drain the ricotta overnight or at least an hour before making the filling.
Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sugar and mix with a wooden spoon then beat until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, the orange blossom water, vanilla, salt and cinnamon if using. Mix. Scatter the candied fruit, if using and fold together with a rubber spatula until blended.
Fold the cooled wheat filling in to the ricotta cream and mix gently until incorporated.
Pie Assembly and Cooking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough into a 14-inch circle. Fold the circle in quarters, place one of the points in the center of the buttered pan and unfold the dough, pressing it gently against the bottoms and sides and into the corners of the pan.
Scrape the filling into the dough-lined pan. Make a lattice top by alternating strips of the pre-cut dough in alternating directions. Join the strips of dough to dough along the sides of the pan by pressing gently.
Traditionally in Italy we use 7 stripes of dough to make the lattice. Place 4 strips diagonally at the bottom and 3 on the top.
Bake until golden brown and the center feels springy, about 1 ½ hours. Remove and cool completely before serving. It will be better a day or two after baking. Once the pie is cooled off rest in a cool place wrapped with foil. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Recipe Notes
Use fresh sheep ricotta if available or a good quality artisanal cow milk ricotta
Drain the ricotta overnight. Place in a sieve over a bowl and rest covered in the refrigerator
You can buy canned or jarred cooked wheat on Amazon or in any good Italian deli
Use good quality orange blossom flower essence to avoid soapy taste
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I roast butternut squash and then purée it with a little stock to make the base of this gorgeous fall dish. I drizzle the ravioli with brown butter and sage. I add abundant Parmesan and I top it with a few crumbled amaretto cookies, then I finish it with crispy sage leaves. This pasta recipe is drop dead gorgeous and it starts a meal with a bang. It’s creamy, nutty with a lovely crunch and a sweet bite from the Amaretto cookies. Butternut is always dependable; it’s tempting to use it exclusively. But you would be missing out on the Fall bounty. Try Kabocha, Crown Prince or even the humble Acorn for a change. Also, no shame here, consider using a package of cubed precut squash to save time.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I roast butternut squash and then purée it with a little stock to make the base of this gorgeous fall dish. I drizzle the ravioli with brown butter and sage. I add abundant Parmesan and I top it with a few crumbled amaretto cookies, then I finish it with crispy sage leaves. This pasta recipe is drop dead gorgeous and it starts a meal with a bang. It’s creamy, nutty with a lovely crunch and a sweet bite from the Amaretto cookies. Butternut is always dependable; it’s tempting to use it exclusively. But you would be missing out on the Fall bounty. Try Kabocha, Crown Prince or even the humble Acorn for a change. Also, no shame here, consider using a package of cubed precut squash to save time.
2½poundsbutternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces
4mediumshallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4tablespoonsvirgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and black pepper
1bunchthyme springs
1cuplow-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
½packed cupfresh sage leaves
1stick(8 teaspoons), unsalted butter
coarse sea salt
1poundartisanal store-bought ricotta filled ravioli, squash or sweet sausage ravioli can be used
4smallAmaretto cookies crumbled
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and shallots on a lined sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper then top with thyme sprigs. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing a few times throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.
Cut the unsalted butter into 8 pieces. Place in a medium light-colored pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color goes from yellow to golden-caramel to, a toasty-brown and the sage leaves turn crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Be careful not to burn the butter. I usually remove the pan from the heat a minute before it turns a dark color, and I let the browning process finish on its own. Remove the crispy sage leaves, drain them on a paper towel and set aside.
Discard the thyme sprigs from the roasted squash and shallots and transfer to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. Work in batches if necessary. The consistency should be between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed if it seems too thick. Set aside.
Add the ravioli to the boiling water, along with a generous tablespoon of coarse sea salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Cook until al dente. About four minutes.
Drain the ravioli, gently with a large, slotted spoon and place in a shallow large bowl. Drizzle with ¾ of the browned butter and the parmesan. Reserve the rest of the brown butter for finishing.
Spoon a generous amount of the puréed squash at the bottom of four shallow pasta bowls then spread nicely with the back of the spoon. Portion off the cooked ravioli and lay gently over the squash. Sprinkle them with extra grated Parmesan, drizzle with the remaining brown butter. Add a few crumbs of the Amaretto cookies on each plate and finish with the crispy sage leaves. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Amaretto cookies add a nutty and sweet note to this lovely fall pasta. They are often mixed into the filling of squash ravioli in the northern of Italy. If the idea of adding cookies to your pasta is too daring, just omit them and substitute with crispy pancetta or caramelized and crumbled sweet Italian sausage.
This dish works great also with a short pasta like penne or gemelli for a less formal weeknight dinner.
Ravioli take time and dexterity to make from scratch. Don’t agonize, these days you can find great artisanal options at your local grocery store.
A Ratatouille is a beautiful summer excuse to transform humble ingredients like onions, garlic and herbs in to a glorious and delicious dish. This recipe is very healthy but packed with big flavors. I use zucchini but you could add eggplant, peppers and thin slices of potatoes for a more powerful version.
In a food processor add the chopped tomatoes, shallot, carrot and the garlic. Chop all the vegetable but stop before they become a puree', leaving a rough texture.
Pour the chopped vegetables, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and half of
the chopped fresh herbs into a medium baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a mandolin, or a really sharp knife, thinly and evenly, slice the vegetables. Make the slices thin, about 1/8’ (3mm) thick.
Make mini-stacks of about 20 slices in sequence. Arrange a few stacks at a time into the prepared baking dish in a concentric spiral from the outer edge to the inside, fanning them out a bit so that you can see the top 1/8” of all the slices. “Stand” them up a little, so you can it as many vegetable slices in as possible, but you may still have some leftover veggies. Save the smaller rounds for the center of the dish.
Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with more salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining chopped herbs. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to it just inside the dish rim, directly on top of the vegetable arrangement.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
1medium pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 6-8 wedges
SPINACH
3tablespoons pine nuts
2tablespoonsolive oil
1red onion, sliced
1/2teaspooncrushed chilli flakes
1tart apple (Granny Smith or similar), peeled, cored and diced
2garlic cloves crushed
1teaspoonground cumin
2 teaspoons runny honey
1poundwashed spinach sliced in ribbons
5tablespoonsdouble cream
1tablespoonchopped fresh cilantro
1pinchsalt
1pinchfresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400F
Put coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon and chilli with the salt into a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground. Add the garlic and olive oil and pound to a paste. Rub this spice mix evenly all over the pumpkin wedges. Arrange in a single layer in a roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
Make the spinach topping when the pumpkin is nearly done. Toast the pine nuts in a dry heavy frying pan over the low heat, shaking the pan once or twice, until nutty and golden, about 5 minutes.
Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion and chilli and cook until soft and wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the apple and garlic ad cook until the apple starts to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, honey and two tablespoons of the pine nuts. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes, then pour in the cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the roast pumpkin onto a serving platter, pour over the spinach sauce and sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and remaining pine nuts. Serve at once.
Recipe Notes
THINK AHEAD
You can bake the pumpkin a day ahead; reheat gently in a 300F oven, about 20 minutes. The spinach sauce is best made just before serving as it loses its bright green colour if you leave it sitting around but it takes only a few minutes if you have your pine nuts ready and toasted and your spinach chopped.
Welcome back to school!
Of course with peace and back to school we also get back to lunches, dinner, snacks and the dreaded stinky soccer shoes. I don’t know what to do about smelly shoes, but I know how to cope with meal’s prep anxiety.
I personally enjoy cooking for my family because I believe nourishing is the best part of being a woman and a mother.
The food I like to cook straddles both my vision, and passion for eating well and my love for taking care of family and friends. I truly enjoy cooking wholesome recipes that are good for the mind and body. Then I find immense joy in sharing my recipes. Essentially, I believe in the power of food to nourish the body and in the power of women to nourish loved ones. I also know how hard it is to find the time to shop and cook healthy but delicious meals for a family every day.
This is way I’m excited to be working and to be sharing my recipes with RealEats.com RealEats is a prepared meal subscription service that makes it quick and simple to eat real food. Meals are vacuum-sealed in food-safe, recyclable pouches to lock in the freshness, flavor and nutrients, then shipped directly from our kitchen to consumers weekly. Meals stay fresh for seven days when refrigerated, and can simply be reheated in a pot of boiling water, ready to eat in under 10 minutes. The first 3 meals are $30 Among many yummy recipes you can try my shrimp, beans and pancetta, a shiitake chicken and a braised chickpeas and tomatoes vegetarian stew, a brilliant meat free dish. It’s served with a delicious spinach couscous for extra energy. This toothsome and tender chickpeas stew is seasoned to perfection. The tenderness comes from the slow and low cooking; the punchy flavors come from the healthy and powerful blend of spices. The braised chickpeas and tomatoes vegetarian stew is a brilliant meat free dish. It’s served with a delicious spinach couscous for extra energy.
If you are still not convinced you can read the raving reviews in The Manual or watch me tomorrow live on Good Morning CT at 9 when I demonstrate how easy it is to prep a meal in less than 8 minutes.
1lb.Shiitake mushroomscleaned, stemmed and halved if too large
1organic lemon sliced
1tsp.sherry vinegar
2large cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tsp.thyme leaves
1/2cupchopped parsley
2tbsp.sherry vinegar
extra lemon slices and parsley for garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 450F. Line a thick rimmed oven tray with parchment.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper then place on the lined oven tray. Drizzle the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the lemon juice and add the thyme sprigs.
Place the chicken in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken begins to brown,
then pull out of the oven.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl, toss the cleaned mushrooms with the lemon slices and two tablespoons of the olive oil, one teaspoon of the sherry vinegar, the garlic and the thyme, then scatter around the browned chicken. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms are browned at the edges.
While the chicken is cooking, mix the remaining olive oil with the 1/2 a cup of parsley the 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Season the sauce with salt.
When ready to serve, squeeze the remaining half of the lemon on the chicken then spoon some of the parsley sauce on top of the chicken and mushrooms. Serve with the remaining sauce. Garnish with lemon and extra parsley.
Recipe Notes
I adore Shiitake. Of course fresh porcini would make a wonderful substitute. I have also used marsala instead of the sherry vinegar for a slightly sweeter finish.
COME AND SEE MY COOKING DEMO ON THE MAIN KITCHEN STAGE AT THE FABOULUS COUNTRY LIVING FAIR IN RHINEBECK, NEW YORK, JUNE 1ST AT 2 30PM.
AND TO SEE A PREVIEW OF
I cannot wait to meet all the amazing artists, chefs, crafters and designer that will be there.
I’m giving away two pairs of 3-day weekend passes to the Country Living Fair.
To enter your name to the raffle simply share this post and leave a comment here or tag me and share on my Facebook page or on my Facebook StrawberryandSage page or on my Instagram
The contest starts on May 29th and ends on May 30th at 8pm.
The winners will be chosen by draw and they will be notified on May 31st.
The Country Living Fair brings the magazine’s content to life and gives readers access to a unique shopping experience featuring more than 200 vendors from 25 states, including antiques sellers, food purveyors, artists, furniture makers, crafters, and more. Guests will also have a chance to meet Country Living editors and their special guests; attend cooking, crafting, and DIY demonstrations, workshops, and book signings; sample locally sourced, artisanal food; and shop the Country Living General Store.
Don’t miss out on this fabulous three day event! Come And Meet Me On:
Friday, June 1 @ 2:30 pm on the Kitchen Stage
The Fair is June 2, 3, 4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Gates open for Early Bird ticket holders at 8:30 a.m. Friday & Saturday at the Duchess County Fairgrounds at 6550 Spring Brook Avenue in Rhinebeck, NY 12572 for more in formations click on the Country Living Magazine link.
The 2017 Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck is sponsored by The 2017 Ford Experience Tour, Jelly Belly®, and JOANN Stores, and is produced by Stella Show Management Company. For tickets and additional information, including a list of vendors and discounted hotel rates, contact Stella Show Management Co. at 1-866-500-FAIR orwww.stellashows.com.
Euphoria has been building in our home. The infamous puberty class is happening today. Questions have been flying in for months as well as large packs of manly Axe Deodorant. I have spent hours at the local pharmacy waiting for my son to choose between Gold Temptation, Anarchy For Him and yes, something named Excite Deodorant Stick.
Secretly I want my boy to remain cute, cuddly and stinky forever but as a mother I feel the responsibility to give him the chance to grow up in to a strong, confident, respectful, kind and hopefully succesful man. The way I see it, we have enough puberty-trapped, spoiled men-children disrupting our lives at the moment.
Below you’ll find some of the questions my husband and I answered this year. My younger daughter of course felt the need to jump in abundantly and she was not shy with her queries. The creatures seem to be the most curious at inopportune times and/or when guests, grandparents or church ladies are close by, but we have learned to deflect when necessary and to answer with— I hope — honesty and humor.
If you feel the need to sit with your family and have “the talk” or any talk, consider making my recipe for a lighter version of a lasagna tray made with pane Casarau. Pane Casarau is an ancient flat bread from Sardegna. The airy flat layers are simply delicious, salty and crunchy. They are made of flour, yeast, water, and salt. The dough is rolled out thin and baked, then split into two layers which are baked again. The result is a thin, crispy cracker like, bread. This crispy bread is great on its own or served together with a fresh but dry pecorino and thick slices of prosciutto. It’s also delicious when layered in this version of the ultimate family comfort food, my easy and light ragu’ and mozzarella lasagna. This lasagna is healthier, lighter than the original version. The Casarau bread while satisfying has less gluten than pasta resulting in a more digestible dish.
I believe ancient wisdom is always the best ingredient therefore I cannot wait to sit around the family table tonight and dispense my knowledge. I’m sure the discussions will not disappoint. Happy Wednesday to all the ladies working hard at growing boys in to good men, not an easy task. #RESIST
Puberty Questions:
Does it hurt to get a baby created?
Why do you have sex?
How do you have sex
When you are going through puberty would a person have mood swings?
When do you start having your period?
When do you start growing hair under your armpits?
Does it feel good to have sex?
What happens if puberty doesn’t happen to you?
Why does puberty happen?
Why do people stop doing puberty?
What is it called when you have a tingling in your private part? Is it called an orgasm?
Can a man have a woman’s part and a woman have a man’s part?
What is an orgasm?
What are the side effects of sex?
What makes semen?
What color is sperm?
If I had all the symptoms of a period would I get it soon even if I’m only 10?
What do men and women have to have to make a child?
Does the flow of the period last days?
How many hormones are in the human body?
What age do you start have and stop having baby?
Why do girls go through more things than boys do?
Why do you have a half cup of blood when you have your period? Why not ¼ or 3/8?
How does the HIV virus go into other person by having sex?
What are AIDS?
What happens when a man’s penis becomes hard?
Why is it wrong to have sex before you are married and who came up with the idea that it is?
How do you know someone is in love with you?
Why do people have sexual change of feelings about a man or woman?
How do I know it’s time to wear deodorant?
Why can some women can’t have baby?
Is it normal for a 5th grader to have pubic hairs?
Why does my penis get big? I mean I know what’s supposed to happen but why does it happen randomly?
Do you have to have sex?
I just wanted to know if the sack behind penis ever runs out of sperm?
Why are kids mental when there parents are related?
Is having sex the only way to have a baby?
What are the positions for having sex?
Where do you have sex?
How does sex change your life?
How large does your penis grow when you hit puberty?
How do condoms work?
Can a man to man make babies?
Will my personality change in puberty? Will I become unnaturally gloomy?
Can puberty be disturbing sometimes?
Where does the liquid from the boy’s penis come from?
How are ferternal twins born?
My question is, what happens to your body after experiencing “it”!
For breast feeding where does the milk come from?
When is the right time to start wearing bras?
What happens if one of your breasts is bigger than the other? Is that bad?
Will it hurt when my body changes?
Why are we even talking about these things?
2cupstomato sauceyou can use Pomi strained tomatoes
4cupsvegetable stock or water
8/12crackers pane CasarauI used 1 and 1/2 square pack available at Trader Joe's
salt and pepper to season
2cupsmeat ragu'
1poundfresh mozzarella sliced
1/4cupfreshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4cupfreshly grated parmigiano
1bunchfresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Servings: people
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350°F.
Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Wet the Pane Casarau crackers with the vegetable stock or the water to soften them. Then cover the tomato sauce with one layer of the Pane Casaurau. You can break the bread to fit pan.
Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bread and season highly with salt and pepper. Add a thin layer of ragu' sauce and spread. Sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of the grated pecorino and parmigiano. Add 4 to 6 thin slices of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with basil leaves.
Cover with a layer of the softened Pane Casarau and repeat for 2 or 3 more layers using all the ingredients. Top with a layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle evenly with the grated cheeses.
Bake for 30 to 35 minute, or until the cheese on the top is melted and slightly golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil to finish.
Recipe Notes
I used a square version of Pane Casarau from Trader Joe's. You can find the bread online at hwww.amazon.com/Pane-Carasau-Flatbread-Classic-gram/dp/B007W5OUB6
I have made the lasagna without ragu' and I increased the amount of tomato sauce and the mozzarella.
I have a badass little daughter. She loves science, math, singing songs from Matilda the musical, unicorns and all things rainbow. I’m fond of cooking and since cooking is also a science, we teamed up for her school fair project. I knew she had her eyes on the rain and clouds experiment so after some digging in our pantry we managed to turn a tin of spun sugar in to fluffy clouds and butterfly pea flowers tea in to pretty rain. We filled the glass with bright yellow lemonade, we topped the lemonade with a cloud of spun sugar and we poured the hot blue tea on to the sugar. We wanted to prove that as a cloud gets full of water or mass, the water has to go somewhere and will break through the cloud and start to fall to the ground. As we poured our hot tea over the spun sugar cloud, we watched the sugar/cloud disappear and change its composition; we were mesmerized by the blue tea slowly dripping like rain in the yellow lemonade and then turning in to a lovely and might I add, yummy rainbow. The cotton candy will melt and the lemonade will react with the tea and change color. The color of the butterfly pea flower tea changes depending on the pH of whatever it’s mixed with. That, dear ladies, is culinary science! If you add, as suggested by one of the parent at the fair, a generous shot of vodka, its’ also a mother’s helper.
Our cloud was not the only disappearing act. Last week our administration revealed the budget outline known as the skinny budget. The cuts in the proposed educational budget are fast and furious; among other debilitating cuts, they include eliminating support for after-school programs and teacher professional development. If science, and the dreams of your children are important to you, download thishandy pocket-sized action guide and get to work on your next project. Your kids can help you writing postcards while sipping on rainbow tea(the non alcoholic one, that is). #RESIST
A woman’s place is everywhere, therefore we need all the help and stamina we can get to get to gallop through the day and win our battles. Lentils and Chickpeas are a ginormous source of energy and they taste darn good when slow cooked with savory ingredients. I like to combine them with ground lamb, tomatoes, potatoes, cumin and a pinch of smoked paprika for an easy all inclusive one pot family dish.
1poundlean ground lambyou can also use small cubes
3tbspsherry vinegar
1/4cupred wine
1poundblack lentils, rinsed
1canchickpeas, drained
1tspcumin powder
1/2tspsmoked paprika
3tbsptomato paste
1cupcanned tomatoes, chopped
1tspfresh thyme chopped
1cuppeeled and cubed potatoes
3cupschicken stock
2bay leaves
1salt and pepper
3tbspchopped parsley
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and add the carrot, celery and onion. Cover and cook for until softened, which should take just a couple minutes. Then add the garlic and lamb and cook, stirring and crumbling the ground lamb or turning the lamb chunks as needed, until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and wine and cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
Add the lentils, chickpeas, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, thyme, potatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but not mushy, sorta like cooking pasta until it’s al dente. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the parsley.
Recipe Notes
Add some sliced avocado and fresh spinach for extra green power. Leftovers are outstanding spooned on flat bread—we call it lamb pizza.
Time to reset, clean out and get back in my jeans. Beetroots are packed with iron, folic acid, magnesium and antioxidants. Combined with orange juice and spinach in a delicious, gorgeous, deep red juice, they’re sure to kick start my day.
5mediumorangespeeled and segmented or roughly chopped
1cupspinach leaves, rinsed
2/3cupcold water
Servings: glasses
Instructions
Push the beet, oranges and spinach through a juice extractor. Stir in the water and serve. If you don't have a juice extractor, use a high-powered blender and then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
Everyone has a favorite pancake recipe and this is mine. It rises high and with a soft, sponge like texture, ready to soak up creamy butter and syrup. Add bananas, or berries and a dollop of whipped cream for a truly decadent breakfast. Sometimes I have the kids prepare and weight all the ingredients the night before. Wet ingredients in a bowl and dry in another bowl, even the eggs. Then in the morning we are ready to go.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Put the milk, eggs, and cooled melted butter into a second large bowl and mix with a whisk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently combine. Do not overwork the pancake batter. It doesn't matter if the batter isn't smooth. Rest the batter for at least half hour for higher and fluffier pancakes.
Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a pat of butter and reduce the heat to medium-low or low. When the butter is melted, pour the batter into the pan in batches of 3 or 4 rounds and cook for 1 minute, until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Turn the pancake and cook until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar or even whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
You can add a sliced banana or some berries to the batter right before cooking or some chocolate chips, a teaspoon of poppy seeds and honey.
Preheat oven at 350F. Prep baking sheets and lined them with parchment paper
Melt 1 and 1/2 cup of the chocolate with the butter on double boiler over simmering water, or in the microwave on a low setting. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
Reserve the remains chopped chocolate to mix in the batter.
Whisk the sugars and the eggs together in a large bowl for a couple of minutes. You can use a stand n mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Frankly, I like to make cookies by hand. It's good exercise and then I don't feel guilty licking the spoon. Add the vanilla extract the melted chocolate and butter mixture, and stir until smooth.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, making powder and the salt together, then mix into the cookie mixture and stir until smooth. Add the reserved chocolate chunks, the pecans and the fresh ginger and mix until combined.
Using a desert spoon or a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, drop the batter on the lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly and bake in batches on the middle shelf until set. About 10-12 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the sheets on wire rack for two minutes. Transfer the cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Stored in air tight containers the cookies will keep for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
Dry cherries, almonds, hazelnut or coconut can be added or substituted. White chocolate chunks work well too.
Big, pillowy sugary treats. I like to add hot sugar to the egg whites to get the inside of the meringues chewy and marshmallowy while keeping the outside crispy and crunchy. They are delicious on their own or divine with a generous spoonful of softly whipped cream.
Big, pillowy sugary treats. I like to add hot sugar to the egg whites to get the inside of the meringues chewy and marshmallowy while keeping the outside crispy and crunchy. They are delicious on their own or divine with a generous spoonful of softly whipped cream.
Preheat the oven an 400F and line a think baking sheet with baking parchment.
Put the sugar in a small tasting pan and heat in the preheated oven for about 7-8 minutes, or until hot to the touch.
Place the egg whites and salt in a bowl of a free standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Remove the hot sugar from the oven and turn the temperature of the oven down to 225F
Quickly tip the sugar on to the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed for 8 to 10 mines, until the meringue is very stiff, white and cold.
Using a large metal spoon fold the cocoa in to the meringue, using three or four light strokes. The trick is to keep the mixture marbleized in the appearance.
Spoon the mixture on to the prepared baking sheets in 4 to 6 large peak meringues. This is the fun part, don't smash the meringue, free from it.
Cook in the middle of the shelf for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until crisp and dry. Remove from the oven a leave to cool on the baking sheet.
Recipe Notes
You can use cooked and sieved raspberries, or chopped almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and desiccated coconut to swirl the meringues.
I cook the raspberries with a spoon of sugar and half juice of a lemon until soft then I sieve the mixture. This is a basic coolie.
My mother taught me how to use a knife and prep at a young age. I started helping her in the kitchen when I was 5 or 6. I would peel potatoes, carrots and apples for her. I shelled peas and beans, chopped herbs, I stirred sauces and I coated baking pans for her cakes. She was very adamant I should not waste anything. I had to learn to scrape the flesh from the peel of an apple and to squeeze a lemon till the last drop. While I prepped, my mother would cook and bond with me. Those were precious years where I learned mothers have infinite patience, women have been working for no money in the kitchen for years, and a savvy cook must know how to use and finish everything she buys to cook for the family. Zero waste cooking, scrap cooking, frugal gourmet, it’s what thrifty and smart women have done for century. I believe the ability to use all parts of produce, reinvent leftovers, not only reheat them in to a chewy microwave blob, repurpose everyday food scraps into useful ingredients, it’s what separates a real cook from the pretender.
Since we never threw away anythings, stale bread turned in to useful bread crumbs and crunchy crostini; used vanilla pods were saved in glass jars to scent sugar and baking powder; the rendered fat from the pancetta was reserved for frying delicious potatoes; we even kept espresso grounds in an air tight container to get rid of odors and to keep ants away. I believe cooking with scraps is a must not only for the thrifty but also our obligation to our enormously abused planet.
In the next couple of weeks I’ll be sharing some of my favorite frugal tips and recipes here on my blog as well as in an article, soon to be published, in Reader’s Digest. Today, I’m starting with the basic.
Bread Crumbs:
To make my bread crumbs I keep the left overs loafs of breads out on the counter for at least a day. Once the bread is hard and stale I pulverize it in a food processor. If I’m in a rush and I don’t have stale bread I slice fresh bread and bake in the oven at 250F for 10 minutes and then pulverize it. I store the bread crumbs in air tight container for up to two months. I like to add dried herbs to the crumbs, or even grated lemon or orange peel, ground pepper, cayenne pepper or curry powder for a bit of a kick. If I add spices or herbs to the crumbs, I save them in parchment paper for up to one week. Bread crumbs are perfect for breading cutlets, to thicken soups and sauces, to soften meatballs mixes, to line molds and baking pans.
Croutons and Crostini:
I dice the stale bread in 1 inch cubes or for rustic croutons I tear the bread in to thumb size pieces. I toss the croutons with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then I place them on a lined baking tray, and toast them in an oven preheated at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. For an infusion of flavor I add chopped herbs, like rosemary and thyme, chopped garlic, chili pepper flakes, paprika or grated parmesan.
To make crostini, I cut the stale bread, I like to use old baguettes or italian crusty loafs, in to regular slices about 1/2 inch high. I drizzle with olive oil and toast the slices in the oven at 350F until golden brown. Both the crouton and the crostini will keep in an air tight container on the counter for up to two weeks.
Saving energy tip:
If you have an hot oven that’s finished being used and cooling down, put the bread crumbs or the crostini inside overnight. You will use the free heat that you have already payed for and save energy and gas!
Hassleback Potatoes:
Then there is the best ever recipe for hassleback potatoes, a big favorite at my Thanksgiving table. I have attached the recipe below, it’s always a winner.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Peel and halve the potatoes in half. Place them on a chopping board, cut side down. Slice the potatoes one at the time thinly, but be careful not to cut through the potatoes. I place a chopstick along each sides of the potato to prevent the knife going all the way through.
Combine the oil and the melted butter. Place the potatoes cut side down on a lined baking dish in a single layer. Coat the potatoes with the oil and butter mixture using a brush.
Bake for 45 minutes basting frequently with the remaining oil and butter. Combine the crumbs and the grated cheddar cheese.
After 45 minute sprinkle the potatoes with a little salt and the combine crumbs and cheddar cheese. Bake for an extra 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Boil the water with the salt. When the water is boiling add the spaghetti and cook al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
Add the anchovy paste and mash in to a paste. Add the garlic cloves, stir in the crumbs and cook until browned and dark brown. Discard the garlic cloves.
Drain the pasta, toss in a bowl with the bread crumbs and anchovies mixture, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and if desired some chili flakes. Enjoy with a cold beer and good friends!
Thank you for all the great comments and posts about why you would love to attend the Taste of Fairfield on Sunday October the 9th, the scrumptious event organized by TownVibeand Fairfield Magazine !
We worked hard to read through all the comments; Then we realized we have a bit of a soft spot for cute romantic couples, so Kirsten won the two free tickets and she will be celebrating with her foodie husband on his birthday at the Southport’s Delamar Hotel.
TRAY CHIC!
There is still time to buy your tickets online at tasteoffairfield.com General Admission tickets cost $50: including food, drink, and entertainment. VIP Admission—with access to the Black Rock Galleries Fusion Lounge costs $100 and includes ongoing food service, drinks from VIP bar, entertainment, private parking, and a TV.
For more information you can contact TownVibe at 203-431-1708 or Robin Phillips at rphillips@townvibe.com
After reading all your comments I got really hungry, so I decided to make a quick late dinner and wouldn’t you know it! my fridge was full of cheese. Tuesday, after listening to my wise foodie and glutton friend Alina, I had stopped by at Liuzzi in Hamden, Ct and loaded up and I mean, loaded UP, with fresh mozzarella.
So what does a hungry chef make late at night with a lot of fresh, gooey mozzarella in less than 15 minutes?
Mozzarella in carrozza is the ultimate italian, comfort food. Bread, cheese, salt, egg, bread crumbs, FRY. Yeassss! move over grilled cheese.I have attached the recipe below. It’s so easy and good once you make it and bite in to it, you will never go back. Carrozza means chariot. So even if this sandwich is perfect for a quick dinner or a cozy meal, I think it is truly a royal treat. You can also add some prosciutto for extra saltiness and substance, but I’m kind of a purist and I like to bite trough the crunchy and salty bread, in anticipation of a mouth full of the warm and melty mozzarella.
Arrange 4 slices of bread on a wooden board. Whisk the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Prepare the bread crumbs on a piece of waxed paper. Cut the mozzarella in even thin slices.
Arrange the slices of mozzarella on the bread, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, then cover with the remaining four slices and press to close well.
Dip the sandwiches one by one in the egg mixture and then coat with the bread crumbs, making sure to shake the excess off.
Heat up a pan with the oil and then gently fry the sandwiches until golden brown and crunchy. The Mozzarella will be warm, almost melted and should form ribbons when pulled.
Arrange 4 slices of bread on a wooden board. Whisk the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Prepare the bread crumbs on a piece of waxed paper. Cut the mozzarella in even thin slices.
Arrange the slices of mozzarella on the bread, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, then cover with the remaining four slices and press to close well.
Dip the sandwiches one by one in the egg mixture and then coat with the bread crumbs, making sure to shake the excess off.
Heat up a pan with the oil and then gently fry the sandwiches until golden brown and crunchy. The Mozzarella will be warm, almost melted and should form ribbons when pulled.
I made a Kit Kat cake for my daughter 8th birthday and it was a huge success. You can find similar cakes on Instagram and Pinterest but this is my decadent version. It’s homemade, it’s fun to bake, it’s easy decorate and it tastes like a birthday cake should; sinful, gooey and of all things chocolates. It’s definitely a show off kind of cake. Kids go crazy for it and adults turn into kids when they see it.
The base for the layer cake is similar to an Italian sponge cake, except I use baking powder in my version. Sponge cake is an airy and fluffy cake. It’s the base for many desserts. You can slice it, fill it and layer it. (Hello Zuppa Inglese)
It’s best if you make it the day before and cool it well. It keeps for up to 3 days in an air tight container and it can be frozen.
Now, if making a sponge cake intimidates you, just bake two vanilla box cakes, I won’t tell anyone, but I encourage you do give it a try. Once you learn to make a sponge, it will become your go to cake, I promise.
The filling for the cake is a chocolate custard. Yum! If you don’t’ want to make a custard (but why not!), then use a chocolate frosting.
Finally, I use Nutella to cover the whole cake and to glue the bars, but again you may use frosting if you prefer or if you have a nut allergy.
Once your cake is assembled, just have fun decorating it with the Kit Kats and the M&M’s. I love Smarties too, but they are hard to find in the USA.
Finally, if you are making the cake for adults you can soak each layer with rum or an orange liquor before spreading the custard, it gives it a delicious boozy extra kick!
I’m sharing the recipes below. If you have any questions, email me! I love hearing from you and if you bake this fab cake share it on your socials and tag me #silviabaldini #traychic #sharefood
Happy Birthday to all and happy end of the summer!
3packskit Kat barsget a couple of extra packs for safety
1bagM&M'ssmarties or jellybeans are fun too
1medium Jarnutellachocolate frosting can be used instead
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the oven at 350, butter and flour or spray with baking spray two 10 inches baking pans.
Put the eggs, sugar and lemon zest and vanilla extract in a bowl of your stand mixer. Beat the eggs until very fluffy and pale yellow (about 15 minutes on medium/high speed). To test that it has been beaten enough, let some of the mixture fall into the bowl, it will make stiff ribbons.
Sift the flour and baking powder on top of the egg mixture, a little at a time, and fold it gently with a wooden spoon.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Don't smooth the top or bang the pan on the counter, leave it as it is!
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Remember: do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes!)
Turn off the oven but leave the cake inside (put a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly open) for at least 10 minutes so it can cool down slowly. After that, remove it from the oven, let it cool 10 more minutes, loosen around the edges with a knife, then flip the cake on a wire rack upside down (without the pan) to cool completely.
Chocolate Custard
Melt the Chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, set aside.
Heat milk in a medium heavy saucepan with the lemon zest until bubbles appear around edge.
Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with wire whisk or mixer until pale yellow and thick. Beat in flour until well mixed.
Gradually beat in hot milk; pour all back into saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to boiling, lower heat. Mixture will be lumpy in the beginning, but lumps disappear during cooking and stirring.
Add the melted chocolate and stir well.
Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, over low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will be quite thick.
Chill at least 2 hours. If filling becomes too stiff after it's chilled, gradually stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Assembly and Decoration
Slice the 2 cakes in 4 even layers.
Place the first layer on a cake stand or a card board round mat if you plan to transport the cake. You can spread a dollop of cream on the cake stand base or on the cardboard to glue the cake.
Spread enough chocolate cream to cover the surface on the top of the first layer then place the second half of the cake on top of the cream. Repeat the process until you have all for layers stacked.
With a metal spatula or a knife cover the whole cake in an even coat of Nutella or chocolate frosting. This will be the glue for your Kit Kat bars.
Break apart approximately 36 Kit Kats, 2 at the times. Begin to place them around the cake and cover the diameter. Tie with a ribbon, if desired. Top with M&M's.
Recipe Notes
Make the cakes the day before. Keep overnight in an air tight container. You can bake them 3 days ahead or even freeze them.
Make sure your layer cakes are not taller than a Kit Kat.
You may want to freeze your Kit Kats to avoid fingerprints.
You can use your favorite frosting instead of the custard and the Nutella.
Christmas is gone, lips have locked under the mistletoe, the Tiffany ball has dropped, 2016 has made an entrance. Here we are, some/many pounds heavier, with a bit of a hangover, decorations to take down, a long cold winter pushing in and no good holidays till Valentine. I say the hell with it.
There is no better time than now to get some glitter on and attack the next few months and extra pounds with some tasty but clean foods and listen to some good advice not only on how to keep the party going but also on how to start the New Year with positive energy.
I personally foresee sunshine, no remorse and unquestionably no sad or limp vegetables in the future. To confirm my predictions I contact Janet Horton. Janet is a one of the most accredited psychics in NY. She has been successfully reading cards in Manhattan for years.
She has a huge and devoted following and she is the trusted psychic to the stars and to the exclusive Broadway set. For years she turned her tarots upstairs, at Raoul’s on Prince Street, one of my favorite hangouts in the city. I find her on LinkedIn and after a quick exchange of emails we set up a phone meeting.
I call Janet Horton in the morning and she graciously agrees to give me a reading and a prediction on the outlook of 2016 for women, specifically for my women readers. She pulls two cards, and I immediate feel a surge of positive energy and relief coming from her voice. Janet takes her reading very seriously, and she tells me she is extremely pleased with what she has uncovered, she affirms she couldn’t have turned 2 better cards.
The Lovers and the Ace of Pentacles.
She continues explaining the Lover Card represents perfection, harmony and attractiveness. The Lovers card also symbolizes the establishment of a personal belief system and becoming clearer about your own values. This is a time when you are figuring out what you stand for and what your personal philosophy on life is. This card means a lot to women in 2016.
It means they will connect with someone that gets them; they will feel more attractive and will connect with a special soul mate.
Then Janet talks about the Ace of Pentacles. She tells methis card is one of the most important ones in the deck. It expresses financial matters, empowering, balance, new opportunity, and it’s very positive. In short it means money is coming in. That’s good news for all of us! She also adds that the Ace of Pentacles is about manifestation of your goals, and that you are moving into a more positive state of mind about what you are capable of achieving. Your ideas are ready to be turned into something tangible. Figure out what will work and make it a reality.
I couldn’t be happier with Janet positive reading. She was truly surprised to get both these cards. I can hear a little bit of a snicker and skepticism coming my way, let me just add, many years ago, she predicted I would marry at 38 a very detail oriented, math obsessed man.
And wouldn’t you know it.
I thank her and I make an appointment to see her in a couple of Mondays.
If you are interested in a personal reading you can find Janet on Sunday evenings at La Lanterna
in the Village from 6 to 11 pm and at Winnie’s Jazz Bar in the Refinery Hotel on Monday evenings
6-10PM I suggest you make an appointment to see her because she books really quickly and she is also busy finishing her novel titled “Behind the Veil.” A murder mystery set in Manhattan in 1939.
The plot revolves around a Psychic that predicts a murder and she consequently becomes in danger of being killed her self. You can contact her via email at TarotbyJanet@gmail.com , by phone on her office number at
201-963-3173 or on her mobile at 201-360-9958. She is also available for events, parties and phone readings by appointment.
With such a positive out look on 2016 I move on to the next issue. Exercising and getting back in to my jeans. I call upon Jill Valente.Jill is my favorite instructor at SoulCycle. She describes herself as a dancer for life. She is stunningly beautiful and motivating. I love taking her classes. When I ride with her I feel, not only the pounds literally melt away, but I also recharge my positive attitude.
Jill is focused on making every class a journey, filled with amazing songs, hard work, passion and sweat. Let me also add, when not on the bike, Jill is busy teaching her daughter how to be a rock star and making sure people don’t confuse her identical twin boys.
I ask Jill for some advice on how to squeeze back in to some form of non-elastic pant and she writes me back a.s.a.p. I can feel the sweat starting to percolate from my back. Jill thinks that dealing with post holiday weight gain is tricky mainly because we have all fallen into so many bad habits. We have been indulging and enjoying special foods and while that’s fabulous, it categorically should be done only once a year. Then she writes: “…after the holidays I like to attack those extra few pounds slow and steady. I am not a fan of cleansing or completely restricting your diet because I just don’t think that’s a realist habit to maintain. I pick a few problems foods that I have been indulging in and I cut them out week by week. Right now I’m having a huge issue with eating too much pizza so on week 1 of January I cut out pizza, week 2 will be bagels and week 3 will be sweets. After I return my body to better foods and/or I have reached my normal weight I start to introduce them back in moderation”. Jill also writes me her thoughts about exercise. She says: “The trick to exercise and staying fit it’s finding something YOU LOVE! There are so many incredible options nowadays that it is easy to find the one that best suits you. Obviously my heart is with SoulCycle but I also do a lot of hot vinyasa yoga and love to power walk outside. People often ask me how to prepare to come to a SoulCycle class and there is one thing you have to do…BOOK A BIKE!!! There is no preparation, there is nothing you have to do or be, you just have to SHOW UP and that goes for almost anything!”.
Jill you are right! I have booked my bike already. The more the better! Here’s Jill schedule in CT,
I hope to see you there.
With my butt in check I finally attack the elephant in the room. That would be food, not me.
We all have been eating and drinking too much. It’s time to clean out the fridge and our arteries. Like Jill, I don’t believe in cleansing, or in completely eliminating and restricting food. I like to eat and I like to be happy. I say life is too short to crunch on a celery stick. I believe in smaller portions, fresh produce, good oils, no snacking on empty calories and a good dose of planning. That means think a week in advance what you are going to have for dinner. Change your protein every night. Plan 7 good and satisfying dishes, shop for all the ingredients, make enough to have left overs for lunch, spend some time in the kitchen prepping them and enjoy dinner time with your family.
This is my 7 day plan:
Orange lentils and carrots soup, Meyer lemons roasted salmon and brown garlic long beans.
Whole grain pasta with a chick peas rosemary sauce, poached chicken and charred broccoli
Black-Eyed peas and pancetta minestrone, roasted lemon and rosemary potatoes salad
Herbs and prosciutto frittata, salad and lemon steamed zucchini
Fennel steamed Mussels, rice and peas
Black lentils, feta, avocado and pistachio salad with baby spinach and pomegranate seeds
Quick grilled flat iron steak, a crunchy green salad and steamed parsley purple potatoes.
You can shop for all the ingredients in less than 45 minutes. Prep all in one day, and cook each meal every evening in less than 30 minute. I pay attention to my portions and I load the plate with vegetables.
I give out small desserts to the kids/husband. Something simple, a couple of cookies, a chocolate pudding or a scoop of ice cream and I keep my fruit bowl filled with good seasonal choices.
In January I love to cook with a lot of lentils, black eye peas, pomegranate, fish, long beans and even longer noodles. These ingredients are eaten at the beginning of the year and they are meant to bring wealth, good luck, long lives and good health. You can watch me on CTSTYLE talking about my 10 favorite lucky foods and making my very simple but delicious and filling black lentil and avocado salad.
I also believe in keeping a little of the party going. Just because the holidays are over it doesn’t mean you have to leave in darkness and gloom. The Italians believe in wearing red to encourage good and plenty of sex during the year. I say why not!
My friend Jana Platina Phipps, the famous and much admired TrimQueen, decorates her table and her house with her exquisite trim creations. She has an impeccable eyes and even more fabulous collections of napkin rings created out of vintage brooches. Read about Jana and drool over her creations in my sharing corner.
Finally the recipes are below. Feel free to email me with any cooking question you might have, or questions about a 7 day plan, but mostly I hope you have a sparkling, healthy, wealthy 2016.
Keep the party going!
4cupswashed green spinach leaveskale, cabbage or swiss chard can be used
1 1/2cupsdried black-eyed peassoak overnight in water
6cupschicken stockvegetable, beef can be used
3sprigsparsleychopped
1bay leaf
Servings: people
Instructions
In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta, onion, celery, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes.
Add the soaked black-eyed peas and stock, bring to a boil. Add the parsley, bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the black-eyed peas are tender, 25 minutes.
Add the spinach or whatever green you are using and cook for 5 additional minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Season and serve.
Recipe Notes
Finish with olive oil. You can add some cooked small pasta or rice to the finished dish. Freezes well
Wash and trim the beans. Cut in 4 to 6 inches pieces.
Add the sesame oil to a pan and the garlic. Brown slowly on medium heat. Add the beans. Shake a couple of times. Add the soy-sauce, the fish sauce and the lemon juice. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until cooked but still crunchy. Season with salt and pepper and add the cilantro.
I have had this Julia Child picture, framed and hanging on my wall for years. It makes me smile, it reminds me to slow down, and it’s a delightful prompt for someone like me who has a bit of a hard time asking for help.
“Back to School” is one of those times I wish I had a team of professional handlers, shadowing me and making my life just a little less muddy. I don’t. Therefore the last couple of weeks have been, more or less, hell and spent arming the whole family with new soccer shoes, tennis outfits, cellos, violins and let’s not forget, discovering the virtues of my new favorite, Mode Podge Glue and did I mention consulting about new cute outfits?
I also have had to organize 2 birthday’s celebrations, inclusive of multi-layered, glittery cakes, I have been at one open house, a welcome back coffee, I had a drum stick drama and I worked on a lengthy time line project. I cannot wait for week 3 in September.
I have commiserated with many of the parents and apparently I’m not the only one with these kinds of issues. Generally speaking back to school is a war zone for all.
One place where I do better than the organizational inferno of my kids closets and their activities, it’s the kitchen. My pantry is ready to go and my fridge and freezers are stocked up for lunches, snacks, dinners and post games hunger freak-outs—I didn’t know, before becoming a mother and a wife, men turn in to famished werewolves immediately after sport practice.
Furthermore, since I suspect, you are like me at home and don’t employ a swarm of chefs and pot washers ready to chop, prep and clean at your command, I thought you might enjoy learning about my 5 favorite, ready to go meals and pantry helpers that make my life easier and my dinners more enjoyable.
Roasted Tomatoes Sauce– It’s a simple, healthy, quick but brilliant way to make a tomatoes sauce. The full power, garlicky flavor and the smooth consistency make it a perfect versatile companion for pastas , soups and a phenomenal base for sauces and stews. I make it in large batches and freeze it in my latest obsession, stand alone ziplock bags.
Bolognese- We all have a bolognese recipes. This is my version and It reminds me of home. My kids know the taste so well by now, if I change the recipe even by one ingredient they complain. It’s a slow cooked project I usually do once a months on a weekend. I like to lace a mix of equal parts of double ground veal, pork and beef with a small amount of cumin and nutmeg and once it’s cooked and cooled I freeze it in pre weighted portions. I use it on pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, polenta or semolina.
Olive Oil Frozen Herbs- This is my favorite last minute flavor trick and a great way to preserve all the herbs I grow in summer. I wash, dry and chop finely my leafy herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro and tarragon. I put them in ice cube containers packing at least half of the cube and cover them with good olive oil. I then freeze them, pop them out and keep them in ziplock bags ready to use in sauces and sautés. Read more about Olive Oil in my sharing corner post about Alina Lawrence, she is the fab owner of Olivette.
End of Summer Minestrone-I make huge pots of this healthy and hearty minestrone. It’s loaded with beans and good vegetables. I add cooked orzo, barley, pasta or rice and finish it with parmesan and crispy pancetta for a full power one dish meal.
Mashed Potatoes for the week-I keep a container of home made mashed potatoes in the fridge. They last for a good 5 to 7 days. They are a smart and efficient way to produce a meal in less than 10 minutes. Just add bolognese, cheese, a fried egg, peas and bacon, sausages for a cozy dinner or use them to top left over stews, grilled salmon, or really what ever you have in the fridge, sprinkle them with a mix of cheddar and parmesan, then brown them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
So welcome back to school with an empathizing nod to all of you trying to get a last minutes cello delivered to your door!
Halve the tomatoes and arrange them in an oven proof dish lined with parchment. I like them tightly packed but not on top of each other.
Season with the salt, drizzle the olive oil evenly. Scatter the garlic and basil on the tomatoes.
Roast for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly charred. Pass through a sieve or a food mill and discard the seeds and the skins. Use immediately as a great pasta sauce or preserve in zip lock bags and freeze.
Recipe Notes
The seeds and skin of the tomatoes are best removed as they can cause allergies and irritate the stomach.
Tomatoes cook and taste better if the pepper is added after cooking.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I make meat sauce every week. It's our to-go meal. We use it on pasta, veggies, polenta and mashed potatoes. I like to mix veal, pork and beef and I slow cook it for a couple of hours.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I make meat sauce every week. It's our to-go meal. We use it on pasta, veggies, polenta and mashed potatoes. I like to mix veal, pork and beef and I slow cook it for a couple of hours.
1 bouquet garnitie bay leaves, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme together
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Servings: people
Instructions
Warm a couple of table spoon of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pan. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until soft but not browned. Add prosciutto/mortadella and keep cooking for an extra 10 minutes on a low flame. Rise the heat to medium high add veal, pork and beef. Cook stirring occasionally until browned.
Add wine, cook the alcohol out for a couple of minutes on a low the flame.
Season with a sprinkle of nutmeg, cumin, salt and pepper. Add tomato concentrate and cook for a couple of minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stock and the bouquet garni.
Cook on slow heat for at a couple of hours or until the sauce is nicely reduced and compact. Taste for seasoning and discard the herbs before serving or freezing.
1bunchkale leaves or large spinachcleaned and deveined
2mediumzucchinicubed
2cupsgreen beans sliced in small sections
salt and pepper
1bouquet garnitie together rosemary, parsley, thyme, 1 bay leaf
Servings: people
Instructions
Warm olive the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots . Cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften. Add the bacon or pancetta and crisp.
Stir in the beans. Stew slowly for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock and bouquet garland season. Add the parmesan rind.
Bring to a boil and slow simmer for 25-30 minutes until soft vegetable are soft.
Remove from heat. Discard the bouquet garni and parmesan rind and with an immersion blender whiz to a chunky consistency. YOu can also use a blender or a food processor.
Return the soup to the pot on a medium/slow heat and add remaining
vegetables. Cook for 15/ 20 minutes. The vegetables should be cooked but with a bit a of a bite.
Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with pesto, crunchy pancetta, a grain and some parsley.
Recipe Notes
Freeze before adding kale, beans and zucchini for up to 6 months.
Even before becoming a chef I have been loyal and I confess, obsessed with one and only magazine. I own every issue of this magazine, since its inception in 1994, and I often refer to it as the cooking bible. The precious object of my gastronomic fantasies is Saveur.
Saveur magazine just does it for me. It’s food porn at its best, but classy; it retains an aura of old world, an highbrow tone and an authentic love for wordily cuisine, the photographs are always elegantly real, the writing is impeccable and the recipes are infallible.
So this week, as I was invited by the digital editor in to the test kitchen to make summer fruit pies and jams for a series of videos, I felt extremely honored and even dare I say it, a little kinky. Just imagine. I got to make my own food porn in the reverend kitchen.
Of course, I had a lovely day, not only because I got to fulfill one of my long-time fantasies but also because I uncovered a beautiful truth and the reason why Saveur is so noble.
The graceful team that makes the magic happen, composed by editors, photographers, and food testers, is as food obsessed as I am, and truly dedicated to create perfection in the test kitchen and for the magazine.
The Saveur Team and My Dream Kitchen
So once I settled in to my area and after a brief but succulent moment of reflection on how lucky I am to have left advertising, I happily got to work on my fruit pies.
Making pies and jams is a clever way to investigate and capture all the sweetness of summer fruits and since I had stopped to shop for my ingredients at the Westport farmers market, I arrived in the kitchen with a beautiful bounty from all the local farms.
We decided to work with yellow and white peaches, apricots, sour cherries, berries, nectarines and melons.
I constructed all the pie fillings by macerating the fruit with sugar and lemon, and by then reducing the juices to a syrupy consistency on the stove. This is a great way to condense the flavor and use less starch. In the end I completed 3 baked pies.
A juicy peach and cherry pie, an open faced apricot and raspberries tart, and a nectarines and blackberries crostata. They all came out beautiful even if my crostata almost melted in the heat of the kitchen because the air conditioning was not working, and the temperature reached dangerous peaks melting my dough a couple of times. Even heaven gets hot as hell sometimes.
I then made 2 icebox berries pies, by filling 2 blind baked shells with the fresh fruit mixed with reduced juices, and by letting the fillings set in the fridge, instead of baking the pies. A great techniques for hot summer days when its’ wise not to turn the oven on.
By the end of the day, with halation I got to work on the melon butter. A bright yellow jam, I always do in summer when the melons are at peak, sweet, and full of running down the elbow juices. It’s a fantastic treat to have during a grey winter day to remind your self , the clouds will part and the snow will one day cease.
I like to pair it with prosciutto, smoked and cured meats and strong cheeses.
When I finished I felt exhausted but gloriously satisfied and as all the fantasies even this one came to its end. I packed my tools and I left the Saveur kitchen with a large smile on my face. No walk of shame for me.
Below you can find all the recipes. I hope they will make your summer just a little sweeter. On my tray chic page you’ll find my top picks for all sorts of stylish but smart goodies to help and just perhaps seduce you in to making your own pies and jams.
Roll the bottom crust to a 1/8 of an inch thick 13 inches circle then transfer to a 9 inches pie pan. Fold under the excess and crimp the border. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Remove from fridge, line with parchment and fill with dried beans, rice or weights.
Bake for 20 mines. Lift the parchment and the beans. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool the crust on a rack. you can then if you like brush the crust with egg white for added protection.
Measure 1 cup of blueberries and put them in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk cornstarch and the 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.
When the water and blueberries have come to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes then add the cornstarch mixture, lemon juice and salt, simmer for a couple of minutes, remove from heat and add to the 3 cups of fresh blueberries.
Spoon the mixture in the baked shell and allow to sit room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.
Can be served with mascarpone cream, whipped cream or creme patisserie.
Store up to 3 days room temperature.
Techniques: Maceration and reduction of fruit juices.
Servings
Prep Time
6/8peple
45minutes
Cook Time
50/60minutes
Servings
Prep Time
6/8peple
45minutes
Cook Time
50/60minutes
Ingredients
19 inches pie crust ( brisee)recipe below
2 and 3/4 poundsfresh apricotsabout 4 cups, halved pitted, sliced in half
6tablespoonssugar75 g
2tablespoonscorn starch19 g
1/2cupraspberries60g
1/3cupapricot preserve113 g
Servings: peple
Instructions
Pre-heat oven at 425F
Roll the bottom crust to 1/8 inch thick and not bigger than 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9 inch pie pan. Trim the edges almost even but leaving a small part overhanging, to prevent shrinkage. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 3 hours.
Line the pastry with parchment paper, fill with dry beans or weights and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, prick with a fork and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until pale golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on a rack
Transfer the sliced apricots in a large bowl and sprinkle sugar, ans corn starch. Allow to macerate for 15 minutes.
Arrange the apricots decoratively in the baked shell side up. Place a foil ring around the border to protect the edge from over browning and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until apricots are tender. Cool pie completely. When pie is cool arrange raspberry, if using, in the spaces between the apricots. Heat the apricot jam and using a brush paint the apricots and raspberries with the jam.
Recipe Notes
Brisee, pie crust
Other combinations: Blueberry, nectarines, raspberries and peaches, black berries and peaches, nectarines and raspberries, cherries and berry mix, strawberries and rhubarb. Starch for pies no starch for crostata.
2 and 3/4 poundspeachesabout 8, 1kg, peeled, pitted, sliced in to 16th
1medium lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar112 g
1pinchsalt
4 teaspoonscorn starch12 g
Servings: peple
Instructions
Pre-heat oven at 425F
Roll the bottom crust to 1/8 inch thick and not bigger than 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9 inch pie pan. Trim the edges almost even but leaving a little part overhanging, to prevent shrinkage. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 3 hours.
Transfer the sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, add the salt and toss them gently. Macerate for minimum of 30 minutes up to 1 hour.
Drain the peaches in a colander over a bowl and reserve the juice.
Reduce the juice on medium to high and boil down to about 1/3 of a cup or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Don't stir.
Toss peaces in a bowl with corn starch until cornstarch disappear. Transfer in to the pie shell. Pour syrup over the peaches.
Roll out the top crust large enough to cover the pie. Cover the pie. Tuck the overhanging under the bottom crust. Make 5 slashes, crimp and decorate. Refrigerate covered for at least on hour to relax the dough.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the juices are bubbling over and through the slashes. Cool for at least 3 hours.
Store room temperature up to to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Brisee, pie crust recipe to follow
Other combinations: Blueberry, nectarines, raspberries and peaches, black berries and peaches, nectarines and raspberries, cherries and berry mix, strawberries and rhubarb.
Do not use starch for crostata, arrange fruit and reduced juices on uncooked pastry, decorate and bake
4cupsstrawberries1 pounds 450g cleaned and hulled, if large halved
3tablespoonscorn starch28g
1/4cupsugar50g
1mediumlemon juice
1/4cupwater or cranberry/orange/raspberry juice
1pinchsalt
1mediumegg whitelightly beaten
Servings: people
Instructions
Pre-heat oven at 425F
In a large bowl mix 3 cups of the strawberries with lemon and sugar. Reserve one cup of strawberries. Macerate for at least half hour up to overnight in the fridge.
Roll the bottom crust to a 1/8 of an inch thick 13 inches circle then transfer to a 9 inches pie pan. Fold under the excess and crimp the border. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Remove from fridge, line with parchment and fill with dried beans, rice or weights.
Bake for 20 mines. Lift the parchment and the beans. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool the crust on a rack. you can then if you like brush the crust with egg white for added protection.
Drain the macerated strawberries over a bowl. Set the strawberries aside and put the drained juices in a small sauce pan.
Add the corn starch, the water or juice if using, mix until smooth.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Cool.
Gently fold in the macerated strawberries and add the reserved 1 cup of fresh strawberries.
Spoon the mixture in the baked shell and allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Can be served with mascarpone cream, whipped cream or creme patisserie.
Store up to 3 days room temperature.
sugar500g for every 1 kilo of melon flesh, peeled and seeded
Servings: 8.5 ounces/ 250 ml jars
Instructions
Peel, remove seeds and dice melon. Weight flesh. Add half of the weight in sugar. 50% sugar ratio. 1 to 2 ratio, add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil then simmer in a non reactive pan for about 40 to 50 minutes. Cook until thik and syrupy. Candy thermometer 108. Transfer in to jars, wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath.
Recipe Notes
Works best with cantaloupe or tuscan melons.
Great with prosciutto, smoked meats and strong cheeses.
Yesterday I woke up with no will nor power for fussy cooking.
I have been in the kitchen non-stop for the past 3 weeks testing and tasting for clients and projects, the thought of spending additional time preparing dinner was unquestionably out of the question. Yet it was a lovely afternoon and I wanted to treat my family to a good meal and spend some precious time with the kids outside. We are very taken by badminton at the moment and my son had an explosive science project he wanted to show me. The science project was explosive indeed. It required a large amount of my cornstarch and soda water, we survived in one piece and dinner turned out even more explosive and a slam-dunk with the family, something I feel is,
at times, more rewarding than a Michelin star.
What I made was insalata di riso. That’s a very Italian rice salad. It’s a classing dish made on summer days and it mostly appears at large gatherings and picnics.
The rice is boiled for 15 minutes with fresh or frozen peas and rinsed in cold water to cool it off and to get rid of most of the starch. Then the fun starts. The classic recipe calls for good canned tuna in olive oil, hard boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, some green olives, pickled vegetables, roasted peppers and yes, don’t run away, wusterls. They are the German or the Italian equivalent to the American hot dogs. Once you taste them sliced , cold and combined with all the other goodies, you’ll be forever hooked, because I strongly, believe, one cannot always feed on balsamic reductions.
In the end the whole thing gets dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper, a sprinkle
of chopped parsley, some basil, parmesan slivers and if you feel frisky also with a couple of spoons of good mayonnaise. It’s best to let it rest it in the fridge for at least an hour to combine all the flavors but a full stop overnight makes it even better.
Of course as you can imagine, the variation are many. You can boil the rice with aromatics or saffron to get a flavor kick, change the rice to a black or a red rice, add all sorts of ingredients like shrimps or swordfish or humble chicken or substitute the wurstel for a cured fancy salame or prosciutto, but who has time or the will to go to Brooklyn and run in one more bearded artisanal butcher. Besides I love the original recipe too much to change it.
I made the insalata di riso, in less the 25 minutes, if you are smart and organized you can chop all the ingredients while the rice is cooking and cook the eggs in the rice water during the last 10 minutes .
I also poached some sweet cherries in red wine, then since I cannot help myself, I made a vanilla budino. It was a great meal, everybody was happy and my kids kicked my derriere at badminton. I posted the pictures on facebook and instagram and this morning I was inundated with requests for the recipe, so here it is.
I hope you have a great lazy and tasty 4th of July and for once don’t spend too much time in the kitchen.
1/2cupparmesan sliversdiced fontina or pecorino are good substitute
2 teaspoonschopped parsley
6leavesbasilteared in small pieces
1mediumlemon juice
3tablespoonsolive oil
salt and pepper
2tablespoonsmayonnaiseoptional
Servings: people
Instructions
Boil the rice in salted water for 15 minutes, add the peas during the last 7 minutes. Drain well and rinse in cold water.
Reserve in a large bowl. Meanwhile cook the eggs for 9/10 minutes till hardboiled. Peel and cut in to eights. Cook the hot dogs for a couple of minutes in boiling water, then drain and slice in small rounds. Add the tuna, the tomatoes, the olives, the peppers, the pickled vegetables, the sliced hot dogs, the parmesan to the rice. Dress the salad with the olive oil, lemon salt pepper and mayonnaise if using. Add the chopped herbs mix well, and lastly add the eggs. Cover with film and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Overnight is better.
There are glorious moments in the kitchen when things go exquisitely well and we picture our face,
in all its sweaty glory, on the cover of Bon Appétit and then, there is that slow motion, non returnable instant, when all goes terribly wrong. Every chef, every cook knows disaster can strike
in a split second.
We get distracted, we make mistakes, we make a mess, we don’t follow directions, or simply there is mechanical failure. Even Julia Child was no stranger to dropping the occasional raw chicken or letting her flambé’ turn in to serious flames.
I’m no stranger to those “OOPS Moment” myself. I have for sure had my share of flat cakes, bland soups, raw chickens, dry breads, explosive blenders, and bloody fingers. I could go on for days. Luckily, no one has to know. That’s when I’m in the privacy of my own little kitchen.
And that’s when I always leave my self some extra time to either cook something new or run out for rotisserie kitchen.
However there are those times when I have to cook live and I only have 30 minutes to do it right. I’m talking about this past weekend at the Audubon Greenwich, where I had the pleasure and the honor to be invited to do 3 cooking demonstrations during the Sustainable Farm Expo.
I was excited to work with fresh farm eggs, marinate and grill a yummy bavette steak, show how to home cure a salmon and use some great organic, local produce form the Westport Farmers Market.
Poached egg. 3 minutes.
While the eggs and home cured salmon where smooth sailing, my mise for steak was not in place and when I went to cook the beautiful grass fed steak, the burners were not working and the grill pan was cold.
Bavette steak demo.
There is a nothing fun about 50 piercing eyes, including the ones of the butcher, staring at you and the hungry silence that descends during a cooking demo going south. But there is always a way to come back north. Luckily I had an electric pan in the back. The steak was saved and so was lunch.
Following are a few tips for when Murphy’s Law “If anything can go wrong, it will” rears it’s ugly head and my recipe for home cured citrus salmon.
Never try something new and don’t improvise or substitute ingredients when cooking for guests.
Prep everything ahead. I mean everything.
Make lists of what you will need. Don’t forget your list.
Even ovens with the best intentions may be off, but an oven thermometer will solve the mystery of the real temperature.
Hot liquids will explode in a blender. Cool everything off before pushing the start button.
Keep your knives sharp.
Try everything before serving and before cooking.
Salt is your friend.
Don’t panic. Think.
Make ahead some pizzas, a meat stew, meatballs, soups, a pasta-bake and freeze all for emergencies.
Never apologize. If you are cooking for someone you are doing him or her a favor. Whatever the out come is they should kiss the ground you walk on or at least do your dishes.
Some pine for the perfect storm, I hunger for the perfect meal.
I spend hours of the day and sometimes of the night exploring and obsessing about ingredients and flavor combinations to create a flawless meal to share with people, no matter if I’m conceptualizing for one of my more intricate events or a laidback dinner with friends.
Some might think of it as OCD, I call it love for both scrumptious food and dedication to my guests.
Elegant, no frills, standing up, meat, vegetarian, kids, no kids, celebratory, winter, summer, only a nosh. The possibilities are endless.
Then, there are certain times in life when nothing will do but a steak.
When steak is king, a vast selection flows in to my brain while I go through the different textures, flavors and degrees of tenderness. Rib eye, sirloin, t-bone, dry aged, Fiorentina, Porterhouse, these are all cuts with merits and singular degrees of juiciness and oral pleasure.
If I want flavor and texture, one cut is firmly lodged in my mind and that’s undeniably flap steak. And since the name it’s a bit unappealing, you can add a bit of je ne sais quoi and call it Bavette like the French, or go south of the border and refer to it as Fajitas. I name it my favorite.
And I’m not the only one. Before becoming a darling of the hipster chefs in Brooklyn, it was known as the butcher best-kept secret.
The Bavette is similar to skirt and flank in that it comes from the less tender regions of the animal. Often cheaper than more popular cuts, this little underdog of the beef world has a wonderful meaty flavor and a fine texture.
It demands a good marinade, high heat quick grilling, a mandatory slice against the grain at an angle, and resting time.
This is a steak I would serve to my close friends, at boy’s night or perhaps the poker crew but I’m certain it would impress any diehard foodie hanging around.
My marinade of choice for Bavette is a whiskey, honey, coffee and garlic marinade. Salty and slightly bitter from the espresso powder but with a hint of sweetness from the honey, it enhances the already powerful flavor of the, if cooked right, charred but tender meat.
Photo by Beatriz da Costa, styling by Erin Swift
I like to serve the steak, medium rare, sliced, with a caramelized onion marmalade I have learned to make at Ritz in London that I adore for its sweetness and silky texture and a simple but bright and slightly vinegary salsa verde. Nothing else.
Photo by Beatriz da Costa, styling by Erin Swift
Except, speaking of talented hipsters, a glass of my friend Sarah’s whiskey from Van Brunt Stillhouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn that I like to use for the marinade as well and of course good bread for mopping up the juices.
van brunt stillhouse
If you cannot find Bavette steak, a flat iron, a flank or a skirt steak would be a beautiful and equally tasty substitutes.
A generous helping of coffee affogato could end the evening well, making this, in my mind, a perfect meal and for others a fun poker night.
If you want to learn more about how to prepare and cook steak come by May 31st at the Sustainable Food and Farm Expo at Audubon Greenwich where I’ll be doing 3 demonstrations during the day and using some great cheaper cuts from the skillful and renowned Fleisher’s Craft Butchery.
The Farm Expo will be from 10 am to 5 pm and it will showcase twenty food exhibitors and vendors plus talks, demonstrations, and tastings with a wide range of experts every thirty minutes. The Sustainable Food & Farm Expo is a production of Audubon Greenwich, the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and Strawberry and Sage.
For more information and to purchase tickets click on:
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Flank demands a good marinade to add flavor but also to promote browning and crispness. It needs high heat quick grilling, a mandatory slice against the grain at an angle, and resting time. I marinate the meat for thirty minutes to two hours. For rare steak, I grill it on really high heat for three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Larger steaks might take longer.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Flank demands a good marinade to add flavor but also to promote browning and crispness. It needs high heat quick grilling, a mandatory slice against the grain at an angle, and resting time. I marinate the meat for thirty minutes to two hours. For rare steak, I grill it on really high heat for three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Larger steaks might take longer.
2 tablespoonsespresso powderbrewed strong coffee can be substitute
1tablespoonsherry vinegar
salt/ black pepper
olive oil
Servings:
Instructions
Marinate the steak. Place the steak in a ziplock bag. Mix the garlic, whiskey, honey or syrup, soy, coffee and vinegar until well combined, then pour over the steak and close the ziplock bag.
Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours in the fridge. Return to room temperature before cooking.
Remove the steak from the marinade. Put the marinade in a small sauce pan and reduce over medium heat, Bring to a boil then simmer until thickened. About 5 minutes. Reserve.
Cook the steak. Season well with salt and pepper. And drizzle a little oil on it. Heat a grill pan or a regular pan over high heat. Grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare.
Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice at an angle and against the grain. Drizzle the reserved and warmed marinade over the steak before serving.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil until shimmering add then butter and melt. Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15/20 minutes.
Tie the bay leaves and rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine. Add the herb bundle to the onions and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and cook, without stirring, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until an amber-brown caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer over low heat, stirring a few times, until the jam is thick, about 5 minutes. Discard the herb bundle. Season the jam with salt and pepper and let it cool to warm.
MAKE AHEAD
The caramelized onion jam can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The park, the beach, a shady spot, your favorite secret corner. Like in real estate, location is everything when scouting for a picnic site. Keep it simple, easy to reach and close to a storm shelter.
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Sunday on the Banks of the Marne, 1938
Semantic:
Picnic, or pique-nique, is of French origin, formed from piquer, the French for “to pick at food”, and nique meaning something small of no value.
The word picnic has existed in English for a long time, with different meanings including a kind of hat and a morally suspect club started by lord Chesterfied in 1748 that was associated with card-playing and drinking. No matter. Picnicking is what you make of it. I call mine alfresco dining and I pack it as tasty and as fun as I can.
Thomas Cole’s A Pic-Nic Party, 1846
Style:
The art of the picnic should require resolute rejection of plastic when it comes to food packing. Plastic makes everything smell funky and it’s, in my opinion, unbecoming. Paper, glass, cloth, cardboard, wax paper, are all beautiful alternatives.
Alcohol:
Don’t forget the bottle opener for the booze. Or better forget it and stick to champagne.
Packing:
At the beginning of times a picnic was a way to take a whole meal outside. Originally servants and coaches used to come at 4am to pick up a picnic hamper. Well I have news for you. Times have changed. Keep you packing light and organized. Select fresh ingredients and recipes that are easily sharable with your tribe. On the other hand, if you have kids in the group, by all mean, load them up.
Food:
In the end, packing good food is what a picnic it’s all about. It doesn’t have to be fine dining or complicated but it has to be memorable and refreshing. Jars salads are a great idea. Dressing goes on the bottom, veggies and other goodies get piled on top. Everything stays separate and dressing-free until you toss the salad together, you’ll never eat another soggy salad.
A pressed sandwich is another fabulous idea. You can prepare it in advance, by cutting a good loaf of crusty bread, loading it with layers of greens, creamy cheese, salty cured meats, a good drizzle of strong olive oil and wrap it in lots of cellophane. Put it at the bottom of the picnic basket and weight it down with all the other goodies. Once you a get to your spot, ask the kids to sit on it. It will help you flatten the sandwich, and making sure all the flavors are properly combined while giving you the time you need to unpack in peace. Don’t forget scotched eggs and an aioli for dipping, I’m partial to my tarragon infused recipe, some pickled veggies for tanginess, and of course strawberries because it’s not a proper picnic with out sweet strawberries to stain your clothes.
All the recipes from my lecture at Olivette are now online.
To make the vinaigrette, mix the shallot and vinegar in a small bowl, and gradually whisk in the oil with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the bread horizontally into even top and bottom layers. Turn the top over, then drizzle olive oil all over the cut sides of both layers, using 2 or 3 Tbs of oil on each.
Make layers of all the filling ingredients. First, completely cover the sandwich bottom with 5 or 6 lettuce leaves, then arrange the slices of Brie on top. Scatter the chopped olives and cover with the tomato slices in a single layer.
Spoon about half the vinaigrette over the tomatoes, then separate the anchovy fillets and distribute evenly. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette and the oil from the anchovy can all over the filling. Finally, replace the top layer of the bread to close the sandwich.
Wrap the sandwich well with several layers of plastic wrap and place on a cookie sheet or pizza pan or tray. Lay another tray on top of the sandwich and center some heavy items to press and flatten the loaf (a heavy pan and a 5-lb bag of sugar, for example).
Place the weighted sandwich in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Before serving, remove the weight, unwrap the compressed sandwich, and let it come to room temperature. Cut into serving-size wedges or, as an hors d'oeuvre cut in thin parallel slices, and again into short, bite-size lengths. 1 large sandwich makes 8 large wedges or 24-hors-d'oeuvre-size pieces.
Forget Chopped, Bologna, Italy is were the real war is. Every year, my mother in law Betta and her Sister Giorgia have a food competition. Betta takes on Easter lunch and Giorgia rebuttals with the Christmas meal. I don’t know how far back this tradition dates, but I can assure you , the competition is brutal.
Months before the meals, family recipes are sourced out from books, secret phone calls are made, and long consultations with other close family members and sometimes Guido, the local butcher and known gourmand, take place behind closed doors. Food creativity, presentation, and table settings are taken in consideration. No detail is overlooked.
Me, I stay out of it. If consulted I just make up an excuse and change the subject. I have learn not to come between the sisters. But I reap the benefits. I, in fact, have had the pleasure to attend Betta’s Easter feast for 2 years now, and enjoy the creations while sinfully indulge in the verbal banter between the sisters.
And let me tell you, Betta didn’t disappoint this year. The spread was spectacular, each dish was designed with a nod to local ingredients and family recipes. Some of my favorite dishes were: buttery and flaky parmigianini, handmade sting nettle tortelloni, inspired by a recipe from signora Patrizia’s arsenal, stuffed guinea hen, veal mosaic, and a stunning fruit aspic.
Betta also scored extra points not only with the menu design, that with the help of my brother in law, his girlfriends and pinerest, was designed to resemble a cootie catcher, but also with the place settings, which were hand carved by my father in law Gigi, from local walnut trees and esquisitely hand painted with everybody’s first names.
Menu by Francesco and Irene
Place Setting by Gigi
Augusto and Valentina settings
Parmigianini are a tradition at Betta’s table. They are small, buttery, flaky, loaded with parmigian, crunchy biscuits. They are served as an aperitif. Once I locate them, I cannot stop eating them. They are evil and addictive. This time, they were accompanied by Crodino’s and Aperol. These are bitter orange drinks meant to stimulate the appetite at the beginning of the meal.
Parmigianini
Crodini and Aperol
I was told the sting nettles for the tortelloni were picked in the fall and frozen especially for this meal. They are mixed in, while making the dough, lending not only a beautiful green hue to the tortelloni, but also a very distinctive aromatic flavor, reminiscing of mint and spinach. The tortelloni were a work of art. The dough was thin, slippery and encasing fresh, just made, salty ricotta and chopped sting nettles. Dressed in a creamy sauce reduced with parmigiano, these tortelloni are possibly one of the more remarkable pasta dish I have ever had. I could taste the love, the passion and the patience of the experienced hands of Betta and Patrizia in each one of them.
Sting Nettles
Dough
Betta’s tortelloni
I loved the stuffed guinea hen. It’s a beautiful and decadent dish, perfect for company. The veal mosaic was silky and tender, I would say it is the elegant cousin of the meatloaf. It came at the table all dressed up and studded with emerald green pistachios and specks of delicate pink prosciutto.
Veal Mosaico
There were many other side dishes, salads and desserts served. This was not a meal for the faint of heart. Once it was time for the grand finale, the fruit aspic, took the cake. Aspic is an old fashion and sentimental dish in Italy. Every family has a recipe and it appears at times, at the end of the meal in all it’s trembling glory. Some people might over look the aspic and go for the creamy and more chocolaty contenders, but, I just love the refreshing qualities of it. Betta aspic is loaded with berries, fruit and encased by a delicate sweet but tangy gelatin. Of course to be fair, I also tried the famous chocolate sandwich cookies and all the other dessert. and enjoyed all of them, but the aspic is were my heart and taste buds were at.
Aspic
Filling the chocolate cookies
I cannot wait to go back next year. I can not even imagine how Betta will top her self. Truth is, I cannot imagine what her sister Giorgia will do at Christmas. She sure has a tough act to fall. Although I have heard through the grapevine, she has already started looking trough the books, and I can hear her wheels turning from here.
The sting nettel tortelloni, courtesy of Patrizia is posted below.
Betta and Gigi, the hosts and winner of this year feast. For now.
Silvia’s tray is a combination of my favorite recipes, ideas, stories and foods that I like to eat, cook and share. In the end, Silvia’s Trays it’s about my true passions. Eating, cooking, family, friends, the people I cook for and I eat with and the relentless pursuit for balance, peace and equality.
New Canaan Library invites all to get ready for Valentine’s Day with another amazing event by culinary experts Silvia Baldini and Analiese Paik. Join them on February 12 from 10 – 11:30 AM in the Lamb Room for Foods of Love, a culinary event centered on foods known to get us in the mood for love. There will be a $25 fee to cover ingredients and beverages.
Learn about everyday aphrodisiacs including strawberries, honey, figs, artichokes, chili peppers, edible flowers, chocolate and coffee, and how to incorporate them into an irresistible Valentine’s Day menu.
Chef Silvia Baldini will teach guests how to prepare a three-course, restaurant-quality, Valentine’s Day menu inspired by these foods of love. Analiese Paik will inform guests about the importance of sourcing high-quality, sustainable ingredients and highlight local resources including retailers, farms and artisan food producers. The morning culminates with a tasting of all three menu items and networking. Special guest Ed Freedman of Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters will demonstrate how to brew the perfect cup of espresso roast coffee and provide guests with tastings of three different roasts.
Each guest will receive Chef Silvia’s recipes to prepare at home and sourcing guidance for each ingredient from Analiese Paik.
Tasting Menu:
Artichokes, Honey and Figs with Hot Chili Bruschetta
Strawberry Risotto
Artisan Chocolate, Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters Espresso, and Vanilla Ice Cream Affogato
I personally foresee sunshine, no remorse and unquestionably no sad or limp vegetables in the future. To confirm my predictions I contact Janet Horton. Janet is a one of the most accredited psychics in NY. She has been successfully reading cards in Manhattan for years.
With such a positive out look on 2016 I move on to the next issue. 
