Navigation

Tag Archives | #trachic

Soufflé-Like Herbed Frittata

May 5, 2019 By
Soufflé-Like Herbed Frittata
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is a mix between an Italian frittata and a Soufflé because the texture is light and fluffy. It rises high after you beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and you gently fold them in the egg mixture before cooking it in a hot pan with a splash of good olive oil. Herbs are a great addition to this frittata but any leftover cheese, ham or chopped vegetable would make a great filling. I particularly like a variation made with zucchini flowers if you can find any at the local market or in your garden. I like to serve it with green salad tossed with vinaigrette homemade by whisking extra virgin olive oil and peach or grapefruit white Balsamic.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Soufflé-Like Herbed Frittata
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is a mix between an Italian frittata and a Soufflé because the texture is light and fluffy. It rises high after you beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and you gently fold them in the egg mixture before cooking it in a hot pan with a splash of good olive oil. Herbs are a great addition to this frittata but any leftover cheese, ham or chopped vegetable would make a great filling. I particularly like a variation made with zucchini flowers if you can find any at the local market or in your garden. I like to serve it with green salad tossed with vinaigrette homemade by whisking extra virgin olive oil and peach or grapefruit white Balsamic.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Ingredients
  • 4 large organic eggs
  • 4 large organic eggs whites
  • 1/2 cups grated parmesan
  • 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
  • extra virgin olive oil
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large metal bowl, whisk the 4 eggs. Add the Parmesan, heavy cream, parsley, and salt. Add the nutmeg and mix well. In a large metal bowl, beat the eggs whites with a small pinch of salt and the vinegar until they form stiff peaks. Slowly fold the whites into the frittata mixture.
  2. Heat a seasoned medium cast-iron pan or nonstick pan over high and add enough oil to coat the bottom, then lower to medium. Gently pour the frittata mixture into the pan, lower the flame, and cook until the frittata doesn’t stick to the bottom, about 7 to 10 minutes. Finish the frittata in the oven, 5 to 10 minutes. The center should still be a little creamy. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Tips:

  • If you are using a cast-iron pan, make sure to rub it with 1 cup kitchen salt and 4 tbsp oil. I also use a paper towel to rub the bottom of the pan in circular motions. This helps seal the pan and make it nonstick. Throw out the paper towel and salt mixture when you’re done.
  • Folding is a simple technique. The goal is to preserve the air you worked so hard to produce by beating the eggs. First spoon a small amount of egg whites into the mixture and beat vigorously to combine the molecules and even out the texture, then gently fold the rest of the whites in with a rubber spatula in 3 batches. If you really want to be precise and make sure the mixture is well combined, you can slowly turn the mixture from one bowl to the other and keep folding, repeating this process at least twice.

 

Variations:

Anything you have in your fridge will make a great frittata add-in. Some ideas and traditional variations:
Cubed Fontina Cheese and Ham
Four Cheeses
Sautéed Zucchini
Caramelized Onions
Cooked Spinach
Herbs
Leftover Spaghetti (a kids’ favorite)
Pancetta and Peas

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Easy Grilled Oysters

April 3, 2018 By

Recipe by Silvia Baldini— I live in New England, therefore I love raw oyster. I can eat them by the dozen, freshly shucked and with a simple squeeze of a lemon. However sometimes, throwing them on the grill is so very rewarding. The flame concentrates that briny flavor, which pairs deliciously with butter, herbs, chiles, and all the other things you can toss in the shells on the grill. Plus, the heat naturally opens the oysters, so there’s no obnoxious shucking necessary.

Easy Grilled Oysters
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Easy Grilled Oysters
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 dozen large oysters
  • tarragon herb butter recipe to follow
  • lemon wedges
  • hot sauce
Tarragon Herbed Butter
  • 1 cup, packed fresh leaves tarragon
  • 1/2 cup, packed fresh herb leaves. Such as flat-leaf parsley, chives.
  • 1/2 smal garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • chili flakes
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Scrub oysters.
  2. Place, cupped side down, on grate, cover grill, and grill until oysters begin to open, about 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer opened oysters to a platter (discard any that do not open). Let cool slightly, then use an oyster knife or screwdriver to pry shells open, keeping cupped side down and retaining as much liquid as possible. Using an oyster knife or paring knife, cut muscles connecting oysters to shells. Serve warm with butter, lemon wedges, chili flakes and hot sauce.
Herbed Butter
  1. Pulse herbs and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Butter can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

School Break

February 2, 2018 By

Things I don’t look forward during School Break:

  1. It will take me approximately 3 to 7 days to pack for the whole family; we will have had 37 different marital blow ups before even leaving the house.
  2. Immediately upon arrival to destination everyone, including my husband, will develop an ear infection or an obscure rash that will require a) finding a pharmacy open in the middle of the night and b) a winner disposition for Charades to explain, in a foreign language, what hurts.
  3. The guilty feeling I nurture when I pretend my kids haven’t been on their tablets for 48 hours straight watching twat Jelly on youtube playing Minecraft.
  4. The “ME FIRST” arguments. Me first in the car, me first out of the car, me first opening the hotel door, me first taking a shower. Note nobody never, ever shouts: Me first to bed!
  5. Hotel room sex interrupted by wandering children looking for their tablets.

Things I do look forward during School Break:

  1. Even if I’ll be tired as hell when I get back I know I’ll have great memories about my lovely family. I’ll remember with warmness my daughter shoving her gigantic bunny toy through the tiny security detector at the airport, while a line of disgruntle travelers forms behind us.
  2. My son talking poop and farts non stop and making me laugh so hard my Prosecco comes out from my nostrils.
  3. Sharing time with the people I love the most and eating unforgettable meals that I didn’t have to prepare.

If you are smarter than me and decide not to travel but you have to cook for the family I suggest my ginger, turmeric, chickpea, cumin and tomatoes Braise
This meal is the ultimate immune boosting secret packed with plant based ingredients and natural anti-inflammatories like turmeric & ginger. Flu season and kids snot ? bring it on.

Watch my video recipe on FabFitFun.com or just follow the recipe below.

 

Vegan Chickpea Stew with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Vegan Chickpea Stew with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon powder cumin
  • 2 cups canned chickpeas drained
  • 1 large fennel bulb, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups stock vegetable
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups shredded kale or Swiss chard, or cabbage cabbage or Swiss chard 
  • ½ lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot. Add the onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes. Stir in the ginger, turmeric and cumin powder.
  2. Add chickpeas, fennel and vegetable stock, then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley and the bay leaf. Lower the temperature to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes.
  3. Stir in the kale, making sure it’s mostly submerged, and cook until tender, 5 additional minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Squeeze the lemon half into the stew and double check the seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls garnished with the chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes

Finish with olive oil. You can add some cooked small pasta or rice to the finished dish. Freezes well.

You can add 2 cups of cubed chicken or lean ground beef with the chickpeas and braise for 10 to 15 minutes longer if you desire a heartier dish.

Roasted salmon (oven 14 minute at 350 degrees) would be delicious as well.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Engagement Chicken

CAST-IRON ROASTED HONEY AND CITRUS CHICKEN WITH CRISPY POTATOES

December 12, 2017 By

This is one is one of my favorite and deliciously nurturing recipe for roasted chicken. It’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; It’s cooked in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. This chicken is comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. Honey and tangerines not only donate a sweet and sour taste, they also infuse the meal with vitamins and winter goodness. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet and the potatoes come out crispy and flavorful. This roasted chicken is great for a family winter meal or be like Harry and Meg and make it for your engagement night.


Cast-Iron Roasted Honey and Citrus Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is one is one of my favorite and deliciously nurturing recipe for roasted chicken. It’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; It’s cooked in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. This chicken is comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. Honey and tangerines not only donate a sweet and sour taste, they also infuse the meal with vitamins and winter goodness. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet and the potatoes come out crispy and flavorful. This roasted chicken is great for a family meal or be like Harry and Meg and make it for your engagement night.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Cast-Iron Roasted Honey and Citrus Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is one is one of my favorite and deliciously nurturing recipe for roasted chicken. It’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; It’s cooked in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. This chicken is comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. Honey and tangerines not only donate a sweet and sour taste, they also infuse the meal with vitamins and winter goodness. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet and the potatoes come out crispy and flavorful. This roasted chicken is great for a family meal or be like Harry and Meg and make it for your engagement night.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 3 1/2 - 4 pounds whole chicken
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 medium white onion, halved
  • 4 leaves fresh sage
  • 3 medium tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fine sea salt
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Prep the chicken. Season with salt and pepper the cavities and the outside. Stuff the chicken with the garlic, the rosemary, sage and the 2 onions half. Slice one of the tangerines in thin slices and place the chicken and the tangerine slices aside.
  2. Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425° F.
  3. Meanwhile, toss potatoes, butter, thyme, and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Once oven reaches temperature, drizzle the oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place the tangerine slice at the bottom of the skillet and the chicken in the center of tangerine and arrange potatoes around.
  5. Juice the 2 remaining tangerines. In a tall jug combine the tangerine juice with the balsamic vinegar, the honey, the garlic cloves, the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz with a hand held blender for a minute or two.
  6. Spoon all but 1/4 cup of liquid over all the chicken. Place chicken in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Spoon accumulated juices back over chicken, reverse pan back to front, and return to oven. Repeat a couple of times, basting every 10 minutes and switching pan position each time. If chicken browns too quickly, lower heat a bit. If juices dry up, use reserved liquid and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
  7. After 50 minutes of roasting, insert an instant-read thermometer into a thigh; when it reads 155 to 165 degrees, remove chicken from oven, and baste one final time. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Birthday Hell

September 26, 2017 By

What kind of mom are you? Tiger mom, helicopter mom, MILF, sanctimommy, yummy mommy, alpha mommy, holistic mommy, yelly-bossy mommy? I’m the kind of mom that needs a glass of wine at the end of the day or even better a Negroni neat.

Welcome to September. September is not only back to school, clean last year wrappers from the back packs, realize all shoes smell and look like a wet rat, sign up for swimming at incredibly inconvenient to reach pool, travel soccer bonanza month. It is also lucky me, every-one in my family, birthday month. Don’t get me wrong. I do love a good birthday party and I give it up big for my kids. No restraints when it comes to baking a layer cake or singing as loud as I can the happy birthday tunes at Skyzone — in case you don’t know, that’s were lucifer fell from the sky and decided the build his headquarters while making a profit off kids high on sugar jumping on trampolines and hitting each others as hard as the can during the ultimate dodgeball game.

My son has simple taste when it comes to cakes. Boston Cream is his favorite cake. Every year we leaf together through all my recipes and my cooking books in search of the perfect birthday cake. Every year we come back to this custardy and chocolaty three layer wander. The soft sponge cake layers are sandwiched and kept in place with a smooth and silky vanilla custard and then topped with an intense and bittersweet chocolate ganache, the kind that drips gracefully down the sides. The cake looks impressive and it might seem hard to make but it’s actually very simple — if you get organized and follow the directions step by step. I make the sponge layers and the custard they day before the birthday; then I assemble the cake on a pretty stand and make the ganache an hour or two before I need  to serve it. My son measures all the ingredients and he is in charge of bowl and spoons licking, something he manages to do very efficiently.

Oh, hey just in case  you are interested, a good and nerve calming Negroni is 1 part dry Gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part Vermouth rosso. Ice. Stir. Repeat.

 

 

 

 

Boston Cream Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Boston Cream Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
  • 3 sticks butter unsalted room temperature and cut in to pieces
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups self rising flour
  • 1/4 cup corn flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk lukewarm
Vanilla Custard
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 large eggs yolks
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate in small pieces about 6 ounces
Servings: people
Instructions
Sponge Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and line three 9 inches cake pans with parchment paper. Put all the ingredients except the milk in a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a blade. Beat until you get a smooth batter and then slowly add the milk a little bit at the time. You can be a purist and beat cream the butter and sugar first and then add the eggs one at time, the vanilla and then the flour, corn flour and baking powder one spoon at the time then the milk; but honestly, for this kind of sponge, it doesn't make much of difference.
  2. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and level with a knife. Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown, the cakes come away from the pans sides and the sponge is springy to the touch.
  3. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently turn them and leave them on the racks to cool completely. Once they have cooled I wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to plate.
Vanilla Custard
  1. Combine the corn starch and 1/4 cup of the milk in a non reactive medium bowl. Whisk in the eggs yolks Set aside.
  2. In a stainless steel medium saucepan combine the remaining 3/4 cups milk and the sugar, the vanilla extract and bring to a boil then simmer unit the sugar is all dissolved.
  3. Ladle one third of the sweet milk on to the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk the egg mixture in to the remaining hot milk in the pan. Whisking constantly bring to a boil then reduce the heat and boil very gently for a minute until thick and smooth.
  4. Transfer the custard in a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin to form. Refrigerate to chill and keep cold until ready to use. If the custard curdle, don't panic, you can strain it through a thin mech strainer or blend it.
Chocolate Ganache
  1. In a small heavy pan saucepan, combine the cream and the corn syrup. Bring to a simmer over low heat and stir to blend. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, let is stand for a minute or two then whisk well until smooth and shiny.
Recipe Notes

You can freeze the sponge cakes up to 3 months.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Summer Survival Tips

June 12, 2017 By

It has been a long month. News and astonishing tweets kept coming fast and furious and I just couldn’t keep up with all of it. Potus, Flotus and annex circus went on their fist big boys and girls trip. There was a hand swat, an unhappy-unlucky Pope photo op, a Covfefe frenzy, followed by awkward tweets about the British Mayor; lets not forget the mocking video from a former Mexican president, the inflated non conclusive FBI hearing and the oncoming Sessions’s Russia testimony.

Luckily I had the opportunity to take a break from all the frenzy and enjoy a visit at the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck.  I was very honored to be invited to cook on the main kitchen stage. We prepared a Power Lunch and we ended the demonstration by tasting my recipe for Slow Baked Rhubarb, one of my Spring obsession. At the Country Living Fair I had the chance to clear my head and I was happy to meet many talented artists and friends. I did some great shopping, I ate yummy food and I attended many inspiring craft demonstrations. Including three fabulous workshops by my dear friend Jana Platina, the famous Trim Queen. 

Right after the Country Living Fair I got swept away to the beautiful Culinary Institute of America  for the annual Chef Challenge sponsored by Barilla and organized by  NY Moves Magazine . I was paired with super talented  Anthony DiLorenzo, Pixx 11 News  reporter.

We cooked our hearts out. We had 30 minutes to prepare a 3 courses meal with a basket of secret ingredients. The judges got to taste our creations. We had a surprise visit from stunning  Jessica Pimentel who plays Maria Ruiz on the girl-power cast of Netflix Original Series Orange Is The New Black. Loved her! We then headed to a star studded red carpet event at Barilla Restaurant where I got to hang out with the delicious editors of NYMoves Magazine.

Meanwhile, and this I’m excited for, we are testing my recipes for RealEats. If you sign up now you will get three free meals!  RealEats is like having your very own personal chef at home. We use our own version of a helpful cooking method called sous-vide. We craft the recipes, prep and cook the meals, then vacuum-pack them to seal in the freshness, flavors, and nutrients. All you need to do is put the vacuum-packed pouch in a pot of boiling water, and in under 10 minutes, voila, you have a fresh, delicious and nutritious meal. We are getting ready to start shipping my recipes in July. I hope you are hungry.


Finally, I’m sure we are all painfully aware school is coming to an end. Translation — all kids are expected to be home for three months. As a loving mom I’m looking forward to the cozy, lazy afternoons in the sunshine and lots of cuddles in the hummock but as an older and wiser woman I’m preparing for two bored and always hungry children with waaaay too much time to waste and not enough WIFI privilege.

These are few of my summer tips:

  • Put the kids at work. The little one are expensive and often smelly. Force them to earn their living and wash often; example of acceptable chores are : car washing, patio furniture cleaning, garden weeding. Give them water , sponges and soap; then promise, after inspection, a couple of dollars. Please don’t kill it for all of us by throwing ungodly amounts of money at them.

  • Play bank: dump all your coins, lose change and pennies on the table and ask them to organize them and count them. Tell them you will, after they complete the task, give them the loot and perhaps even throw in their own personal bank account, your local bank will let them open a free of charges account with a minimum of $25

  • Start a “Bored Jar”: fill a big jar with written tasks – the grosser the better –  that range from cleaning their room or the toilette after they use it, or baking to doing laundry and cleaning the basement. If they say they are bored send them to the jar. No pity please.

  • Send them to the neighbor (sorry Amy)

  • Make them run up and down the garden at least 25 times. Time them. The kid with the fastest time at the end of the races wins an ice-cream. No mercy win. This will keep the game competitive and you will be able to milk it for a couple of days.

  • Organize a tag sale. Give them a label machine and tell them to price all the items. Negotiate how much they will be able to keep from the sale before hand.

  • Give them water soakers and put them in charge of chipmunk control in the garden. They can take pictures and start a youtube channel. Tell them the best pictures will be uploaded  at the end of the day. This will give them a break on their mounting online addiction and some sort of computer time relief.

  • Last but not least cook together. This is my favorite under 20 minutes summer pasta. It is a bowl of fresh chopped tomatoes, diced mozzarella, basil and garlic oil tossed with a short cooked noodle, then sprinkled with parmesan. It’s very easy to prepare and it taste better at room temperature or cold.  Make sure your tomatoes are ripe and local and choose good quality mozzarella. This is a simple and humble dish but it’s packed with flavor and the whole process is ridiculously easy. It will keep the little one occupied and well fed. #RESIST

Photo By Silvia Baldini

Photo by Silvia Baldini

 

Fresh Summer Tomatoes Pasta Bowl
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10-12 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10-12 minutes
Fresh Summer Tomatoes Pasta Bowl
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10-12 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
10-12 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 pack pasta penne, sedanini or rigatoni
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large fresh mozzarella, drained and diced
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • a handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled sliced really thin
  • 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Boil a large pot of water, add sea salt and cook your pasta according to the directions. Drain, quickly rinse under cold water and place in a large bowl. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, toss the tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl with the basil leaves. I like to rip the basil leaves by hand in small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
  3. In a small pan add the olive oil and the slivers of garlic. Cook on low until the garlic is golden then remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. With a slotted spoon remove the garlic and place on paper towel to drain. Reserve the garlic oil and the slivers for later use.
  5. Toss the tomatoes mixture with the pasta. Add the some of the garlic oil and the parmesan. Add a touch of black pepper and toss well. Serve at room temperature with extra parmesan and the garlic slivers on the side.
Recipe Notes

You can make the garlic oil in advance and keep in a glass container at room temperature for up to three weeks. I like to substitute pecorino cheese to the parmesan. Burrata is a delicious and creamy alternative to regular mozzarella.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Puberty Class

May 17, 2017 By

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?

 

Pane Casarau Lasagna Bake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Pane Casarau Lasagna Bake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6/8 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 cups tomato sauce you can use Pomi strained tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 8/12 crackers pane Casarau I used 1 and 1/2 square pack available at Trader Joe's
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 2 cups meat ragu'
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella sliced
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Risi Bisi Bowl

May 10, 2017 By

Comfort in a bowl in less than 25 minutes. It’s called Risi e Bisi. It’s rice and fresh peas. Onions , celery, carrot, pancetta and good chicken stock.

Risi Bisi Bowl
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8/10 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8/10 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Risi Bisi Bowl
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8/10 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8/10 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced pancetta
  • 1/2 cup diced onion, yellow or white
  • 1/3 cup diced carrots
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 3 cups arborio rice
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 7/8 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups shelled fresh peas, frozen can be used
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • sea salt and black ground pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Warm one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add onion and sauté until soft (do not brown), about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, the celery and then the pancetta and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring until coated, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and 1 cup stock. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until stock is almost absorbed, about 1 minute.
  2. Add 1 cup stock. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until stock is almost absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue adding stock by the cupful in 5 more additions, stirring constantly and allowing stock to be absorbed between additions, until rice is almost tender. Add peas and remaining cup of stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy and tender but still firm to the bite, about 22 minutes total. Stir in 1/4 cup hot water if rice seems dry.
  3. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. oil, Parmesan, and parsley. Season rice and peas with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls or plates, and serve.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Bad Ass Moms

May 5, 2017 By

The moment I become a mom I felt like I had made it to the top, then I came back from the hospital with a hungry, screaming, pooping machine. I looked like shit, I smelled even worst and I was pretty convinced I would not make it through the night; I’m happy to report back, 10 years later, I am alive, showered and somewhat mentally stable.

Being a mother, so far, has been the best and most fulfilling job/career/racket/diversion/horror-comedy show I have been in charge of. I love my kids; I love nurturing them. I love having a family.

Unlike Ivanka T., mommy survival mode to me has nothing to do with not having enough time to meditate or treat myself to a massage, but rather it reflects the constant state of chaos I live in as a working mom, burning the candle at both ends just hoping to make it all work.

Let’s give a shout to all the bad-ass mothers who don’t have millions under their mattresses, or a butler to make sure their every need is met along with their children’s. The ones who are just trying to raise good (clean) humans and make it from one day to the next in one piece. And the ones hoping that the folks in Washington will finally have our backs.

Once we are done shouting, lets cook a nice brunch for mom. I suggest a frittata.

The frittata is to Italy as the omelet is to France and just as much an art form. Every Italian family has its own recipe and masterful way of turn it. My mom made a great soufflé-like frittata by adding stiffly beaten egg whites, and she turned it on a large lid over the sink without ever breaking it. When turning my version of her frittata, I prefer to use a large plate and turn it by firmly holding the pan and the plate together with two hands and then quickly inverting both. Once the frittata is turned, I gently place it back in the pan and cook for a couple minutes more.

When I want to impress and am seeking extra height on my frittata, I don’t invert it. I finish it in the oven instead. You can also use a special double frittata pan. (Once, on a long overnight trip to Paris to visit family, my father, tired of my brothers and me quarrelling, produced one of these and swiftly but not so gently hit us over our heads. We were quiet the whole remainder of the trip. The pan was a gift for my relatives, or so he told us.)

I call this frittata No-Fear Soufflé because the texture is light and fluffy, and it can rise pretty high after the egg whites are folded in. It makes a lovely present for Mother’s Day when presented in a cast-iron pan, sprinkled with edible flowers and accompanied by a green salad and a sizable hug. #RESIST

photo by silvia baldini

Soufflé-Like Herbed Frittata
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is a mix between an Italian frittata and a Soufflé because the texture is light and fluffy. It rises high after you beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and you gently fold them in the egg mixture before cooking it in a hot pan with a splash of good olive oil. Herbs are a great addition to this frittata but any leftover cheese, ham or chopped vegetable would make a great filling. I particularly like a variation made with zucchini flowers if you can find any at the local market or in your garden. I like to serve it with green salad tossed with vinaigrette homemade by whisking extra virgin olive oil and peach or grapefruit white Balsamic.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Soufflé-Like Herbed Frittata
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is a mix between an Italian frittata and a Soufflé because the texture is light and fluffy. It rises high after you beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and you gently fold them in the egg mixture before cooking it in a hot pan with a splash of good olive oil. Herbs are a great addition to this frittata but any leftover cheese, ham or chopped vegetable would make a great filling. I particularly like a variation made with zucchini flowers if you can find any at the local market or in your garden. I like to serve it with green salad tossed with vinaigrette homemade by whisking extra virgin olive oil and peach or grapefruit white Balsamic.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
15/20 minutes total
Ingredients
  • 4 large organic eggs
  • 4 large organic eggs whites
  • 1/2 cups grated parmesan
  • 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
  • extra virgin olive oil
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large metal bowl, whisk the 4 eggs. Add the Parmesan, heavy cream, parsley, and salt. Add the nutmeg and mix well. In a large metal bowl, beat the eggs whites with a small pinch of salt and the vinegar until they form stiff peaks. Slowly fold the whites into the frittata mixture.
  2. Heat a seasoned medium cast-iron pan or nonstick pan over high and add enough oil to coat the bottom, then lower to medium. Gently pour the frittata mixture into the pan, lower the flame, and cook until the frittata doesn’t stick to the bottom, about 7 to 10 minutes. Finish the frittata in the oven, 5 to 10 minutes. The center should still be a little creamy. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Tips:

  • If you are using a cast-iron pan, make sure to rub it with 1 cup kitchen salt and 4 tbsp oil. I also use a paper towel to rub the bottom of the pan in circular motions. This helps seal the pan and make it nonstick. Throw out the paper towel and salt mixture when you’re done.
  • Folding is a simple technique. The goal is to preserve the air you worked so hard to produce by beating the eggs. First spoon a small amount of egg whites into the mixture and beat vigorously to combine the molecules and even out the texture, then gently fold the rest of the whites in with a rubber spatula in 3 batches. If you really want to be precise and make sure the mixture is well combined, you can slowly turn the mixture from one bowl to the other and keep folding, repeating this process at least twice.

 

Variations:

Anything you have in your fridge will make a great frittata add-in. Some ideas and traditional variations:
Cubed Fontina Cheese and Ham
Four Cheeses
Sautéed Zucchini
Caramelized Onions
Cooked Spinach
Herbs
Leftover Spaghetti (a kids’ favorite)
Pancetta and Peas

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Easy Peasy Spring Peas, Snow Peas and Prosciutto Salad

May 1, 2017 By

This bright, green and crunchy salad is a take on the classic italian side dish of Peas and Prosciutto.  I like this nutritious salad, it makes a very yummy power lunch or a delicious side dish and since I care about what I eat but I don’t want to lose sleep over it –the past 100 days have been enough of a snooze disruptor — I’m happy when a recipe this balanced takes less than 15 minutes to throw together. #RESIST

Spring Peas, Snow Peas and Prosciutto Salad
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings
4 people
Cook Time
15 minutes total
Servings
4 people
Cook Time
15 minutes total
Spring Peas, Snow Peas and Prosciutto Salad
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings
4 people
Cook Time
15 minutes total
Servings
4 people
Cook Time
15 minutes total
Ingredients
  • sea salt for boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups cups shelled fresh green peas (from about 1¼ pounds pods), or frozen peas, thawed
  • 12 ounces snow peas, trimmed and washed
  • 8 slices prosciutto, sliced medium-thick
  • 1/2 cups shaved parmigiano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Cook green peas and snow peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water then drain and dry on paper towels.
  2. Whisk lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly until emulsified; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
  3. Add green peas, snow peas, and mint to a bowl with vinaigrette and toss until well coated with dressing;
  4. Arrange salad on a platter and top with prosciutto. Add the shaved parmigiano.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb

April 5, 2017 By

This pistachio and herbs rack of lamb is absolutely delicious and easy to make. I suggest you ask your butcher to French down the racks, so there is no fat or silver skin left – making them extremely tender, lean and juicy. The racks are easy to prepare and they roast in about 20 to 25 minute in a hot oven, the herbs and pistachios will flavor the meat beautifully making this a show off Easter meal.

Recipe by Silvia Baldini

Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
  • 1 medium grated lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sea-salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 1- to1 1/4 pound well trimmed racks of lamb
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Combine the garlic, the mint, the parsley, the pistachios, the bread crumbs and the lemon zest in a food processor. Blend until the garlic is finely chopped. Add 4 tablespoons oil and blend until a coarse paste forms. Transfer half of herb paste to small bowl and reserve
  2. Sprinkle each lamb rack generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Place 1 lamb rack, meat side down, in the skillet. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes; return to baking sheet, meat side up. Repeat with remaining lamb racks. Cool off for a couple of minutes.
  3. Spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the lamb, then spread the herb and pistachio paste over the lamb racks. Place on to a lined baking sheet, meat side up.
  4. Roast the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb registers 130°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a platter. Let it stand 15 minutes. Mix any pan juices into the reserved herb paste. Cut the lamb between the bones into individual chops. Serve with the herb and pistachio sauce.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Food Science For Girls

March 28, 2017 By

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 this handy 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

Continue Reading

Rainbow Tea

March 28, 2017 By
Rainbow Tea
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 5 minutes
Rainbow Tea
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup butterfly pea flowers tea available at whole foods and online
  • 4 cups lemonade
  • white cotton candy
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Boil the water for the tea. Rinse the butterfly pea flowers with a couple of spoon of hot water. Place the rinsed flowers in to a tea pot and pour the boiled water on the flowers. Infuse the flowers with the water for a couple of minutes.
  2. Divide the lemonade in to four heat-resistant tall glasses. Top the glasses with a generous cloud of cotton candy.
  3. When ready to serve, slowly pour the hot tea on the cotton candy. 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. Have fun!
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Little Women

March 20, 2017 By

When I turned 13, my mother gave me a signed first edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. She asked me to read it and she promised to one day discuss with me
her favorite character.

For years, she had been piling books in my room. Greek and Nordic mythology. Arabian fables. Anthologies of Dante and The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni. Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers. Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men In A Boat. Ulysses. Anything by Primo Levi. And Italo Calvino (please, gift your children with his writings). A full series of Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. And even one small pocket edition of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe that scared the bejesus out of me.

While I loved reading about Laura and became fascinated by her descriptions of churning butter and tapping freshly sugared sap and an attic full of winter squash and other supplies to get her through the winter, which was something very foreign and intriguing to an Italian girl, Little Women became one of my favorites. I immediately gravitated to Jo, the rebel. She lived unchaperoned in NYC, offered inappropriate stories to publishers, cut her hair short and turned down the rich boy next door.

While Jo will forever be my girl, I later concluded that Mrs. March was the true feminist character, the constructive one, the mother who allowed her four girls to thrive and follow their dreams by building their beloved castles in the clouds. She is sort of a gentler, old-fashioned, go-ahead kind of mom. She nourished her daughters with thoughts.

Nourishing is the best part of being a woman and a mother. We feed, listen, cook, teach, work, produce, give life, care, advocate, hug and fight. Nourishing doesn’t preclude  women from being seductive, and it shouldn’t stop us from being leaders. Nourishing is a female privilege. That’s not an insult to men, who, by the way I love and appreciate. But nourish is largely the land of females. Nourishing deserves respect like women deserve equal rights.  

The four March girls have kept coming back into my life in many ways, becoming even more daring, modern and, at times inflammatory. I rooted for the ladies in Sex in the City. I cried and laughed along with Hannah and the Girls on HBO (shall we talk about Matthew Rhys’ prosthetic Penis for a sec?!) And every decade I bump into a real-life incarnation of the four ladies in the form of my formidable girlfriends who are my lifeline. We bond over our need for love, respect and nourishment and our shared knowing of the importance of being allowed to be vocal, heard and successful. And I’m extremely thankful for each and every one of these women in my life.

A short while before the 2016 election, I took a walk with an argumentative friend. It became clear she was not going to vote for Clinton. What distressed me most at the time, though, was not her political viewpoint but a statement she made while discussing her choice. “The least of my concerns,” she said sternly, “is women’s rights.” Not acceptable, lady.

Dilma Rousseff once said, “I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say, ‘Yes women can.’” We, as women, have the responsibility to propel the movement for women’s rights forward. We also need energy and power to continue the journey we have ahead of us the next four years. Our daily fights are many but we need to persevere.

My mother died six months after giving me Little Women. I was never able to discuss with her which character was her favorite, although I like to think she, like me, was fond of Jo, the rebel.  I consider myself incredibly lucky that in the short time she was with me, she fueled my passion for reading, writing and cooking; she supplied me with an insubordinate mind; and that she nurtured me and taught me to stand up for my beliefs. I want my daughter and my son to grow up with the same ideals but hopefully in a more forward-thinking, more accepting society.

So get your favorite foursome together and dial your elected officials to nourish your country back to normal. And remind everyone you know to do the same. And if you’re hungry for more than good intentions, try my mom’s honey and tangerine roasted chicken. It’s a recipe that will keep you happy while satisfying your hunger for food and equality. #RESIST 

Honey, Tangerine and Rosemary Chicken
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Honey, Tangerine and Rosemary Chicken
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 3 1/2 -to - 4 Lb. organic whole chicken
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 4 Sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 leaves fresh sage
  • 1 Medium white onion, halved
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 2 cloves peeled garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a nonstick roasting pan and line the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Prep the chicken. Season with salt and pepper the cavities and the outside. Stuff the chicken with the garlic, the rosemary, sage and the 2 onions half. Slice one of the tangerines in thin slices and place the slices at the bottom of the pan. Place the prepped chicken on the sliced tangerine in the pan.
  3. Juice the 2 remaining tangerines. In a tall jug combine the tangerine juice with the balsamic vinegar, the honey, the garlic cloves, the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz with a hand held blender for a minute or two.
  4. Spoon all but 1/4 cup of liquid over all the chicken. Place chicken in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Spoon accumulated juices back over chicken, reverse pan back to front, and return to oven. Repeat a couple of times, basting every 10 minutes and switching pan position each time. If chicken browns too quickly, lower heat a bit. If juices dry up, use reserved liquid and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
  5. After 50 minutes of roasting, insert an instant-read thermometer into a thigh; when it reads 155 to 165 degrees, remove chicken from oven, and baste one final time. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes

Substitute oranges with tangerines for a sweeter version. I also like adding fresh ginger to the basting sauce.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Mermaid Toast

March 19, 2017 By

A girl’s sleepover must. Mermaid toast is blue, glittery and actually kind of healthy. All you need is cream cheese and butterfly pea flower tea or a natural plant base blue dye and of course LOTS of edible gold or pink glitter.

Mermaid Toast
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Mermaid Toast
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 slices bread slices toasted
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon natural plant base blue dye
  • glitter
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Toast the bread.
  2. In a small bowl whip the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add the blue coloring a little at the time. It looks better when you have some white streaks combined with blue, so don't over mix
  3. Spread the cream cheese on the toasted bread and go to town with glitter.
Recipe Notes

I also make the mermaid toast with ricotta and whipped cream. YUM!

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Honey, Tangerine and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

March 18, 2017 By

I think everyone should learn to roast a chicken properly. It’s a perfect go-to family meal, but you can be sure guests will appreciate it.  This is my mother delicious and nurturing recipe for roasted chicken and it’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; it’s comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird  because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet, I loved them spooned over a good rice. I love the power of a good family meal, it restores my energy and brings me joy.

Honey, Tangerine and Rosemary Chicken
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Honey, Tangerine and Rosemary Chicken
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 3 1/2 -to - 4 Lb. organic whole chicken
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 4 Sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 leaves fresh sage
  • 1 Medium white onion, halved
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 2 cloves peeled garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a nonstick roasting pan and line the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Prep the chicken. Season with salt and pepper the cavities and the outside. Stuff the chicken with the garlic, the rosemary, sage and the 2 onions half. Slice one of the tangerines in thin slices and place the slices at the bottom of the pan. Place the prepped chicken on the sliced tangerine in the pan.
  3. Juice the 2 remaining tangerines. In a tall jug combine the tangerine juice with the balsamic vinegar, the honey, the garlic cloves, the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz with a hand held blender for a minute or two.
  4. Spoon all but 1/4 cup of liquid over all the chicken. Place chicken in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Spoon accumulated juices back over chicken, reverse pan back to front, and return to oven. Repeat a couple of times, basting every 10 minutes and switching pan position each time. If chicken browns too quickly, lower heat a bit. If juices dry up, use reserved liquid and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
  5. After 50 minutes of roasting, insert an instant-read thermometer into a thigh; when it reads 155 to 165 degrees, remove chicken from oven, and baste one final time. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes

Substitute oranges with tangerines for a sweeter version. I also like adding fresh ginger to the basting sauce.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Clams, Mussels, White Beans and Chorizo Sauce

March 15, 2017 By
I hear microwave cooking on high for 2-3 minutes is the Pop Secret to espionage. I’m a chef, not a spy, I don’t care much for microwaves.  Unlike our advisor to the president, what I really care for is my health and the health of my family. I also deeply care about cooking nourishing dishes for us and I yearn to satisfy my cravings  for clean, light but filling dinners. I choose fish often instead of meat, I always offer crunchy vegetables, good grains and lots of legumes and once in a while, I indulge in the comfort of a bowl of pasta or a thick slice of wholesome, crusty bread; PHO and Ramen amuse me — but spaghetti aglio e olio do it for me.

When I spot fresh clams and mussels at the local store I’m quick to snatch them. Clam and mussels are low in fat and low in cholesterol and they are a great source of fish oils like salmon and cod. Frankly, I find them addictive, sort of like potato chips. I cannot resist them. They are really easy and fast to prepare—no worries, a quick steam it’s all they need, no risk of wiretapping from appliances.

I cook my clams and mussels together with humble white beans, fennel and chorizo.  These lovely treasures always turn out deeply satisfying and saucy. The beans are a powerful and a healthy alternative to high fat proteins and contain lots of iron, something women often need; the fennel adds a clean and bright crunch and the chorizo gives an indulgent smoky flavor to this all star-family favorite. I like to gobble down my big bowl with crusty bread. The kids and my husband “order” them on spaghetti. It’s a win-win situation, the adults pretend to be in the sunny riviera, the children throw the empty shells at each others.


Okay, besides nourishing the family, and cursing at the 5 am 2 hour snow delay text from school, I know you deeply care about what’s happening in congress, so double the portions up, get your “Girl’s Gang” over and in between saucy bites be productive and call your elected officials —non stop. This is – believe you me – the truth: we can eat all the healthy beans we can fit in our tummy, but if the Affordable Care Act is repealed at the end of the month more than 10 million Americans could lose their healthcare and it will be harder for the poorest Americans to afford health insurance. Be a force; the people in your life will be grateful and well fed. #RESIST 

Happy snow day! Share this post if you like it.

Clams, Mussels, White Beans and Chorizo Sauce
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 Minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 Minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Clams, Mussels, White Beans and Chorizo Sauce
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 Minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 30 Minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes, if desired
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 medium celery stalk finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup diced chorizo or pancetta
  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves chopped
  • 1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 medium fennel bulb sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup diced sundried tomatoes, if desired
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 36 little neck or manila clams scrubbed and rinsed
  • 36 mussles scrubbed, debearded and rinsed
  • 1/2 lemon
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium to low. Add the garlic cloves, the chili peppers flakes, if using then the onion and the celery. Gently cook and soften the onion for 5 to 7 minute with out browning.
  2. Add the sliced fennel, the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring for an extra minute. Add the beans, the sun dried tomatoes if using and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium.
  3. Add the sherry vinegar and the white wine, stir for 5 minutes on medium low heat to cook the alcohol out. Add the Thyme and a hand full of the chopped parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. When ready to serve add the clams and mussel to the beans, squeeze the lemon juice and stir. Then cover with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and stir with a wooden spoon and cook until some of the clams and mussels start to open. Season lighlty with salt and pepper.
  5. Keep cooking and with a slotted spoon transfer the opened clams and mussels to a bowl as they open. It should take 7 to 9 minutes. Discard the unopened ones.
  6. Stir the beans on low heat, loosen with water if necessary, taste and season with salt and pepper, add the remaining chopped parsley. Discard the garlic cloves and thyme.
  7. Add the reserved clams and mussels to the beans, mix and drizzle extra olive oil. Serve with good bread.
Recipe Notes

This is a great dish for a crowd.  You can prep every thing ahead and cook the clams and mussels at the last minute. I like to serve it with good crusty bread or as a delicious sauce for spaghetti.

 

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa

March 13, 2017 By

Asparagus mimosa is a simple, fresh and super easy way to cook this crisp, sweet vegetable.  It’s also one of my Easter brunch favorite dishes. I look for asparagus at the farmers market or my local shops, as soon as March and April come around and I choose spears that are brightly colored and have a compact tip. Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Asparagus is also a brain booster because it’s loaded with vitamin B12, a vitamin with anti-aging property and known to prevent cognitive impairment. Brain power for pretty ladies, now that’s my kind of brunch.

 

Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Place your eggs in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and after cooling down for a couple of minutes, peel them.
  2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Grate the yolks and the white in two different bowls. I like to use a coarse cheese grater.
  3. Bend the asparagus until the tough bottom end snaps off. Discard the end. With a peeler gently remove some of the tough skin from the stalks. Place the spears in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 3 to 6 minutes.
  4. Drain and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Top with grated eggs, making sure not to cover thetas of the asparagus.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, CHICKEN ONE-TRAY DINNER

Immune System Power Booster

March 10, 2017 By

I was driving to a meeting when I heard Leonard Lopate, on NPR, declare that advertisers only care about women between 18 and 34. Ladies above 34 are worthless. I love you Leonard, but the hell with that. It’s not the 1950’s anymore. I’m in full swing with all sorts of life happenings and a decade and a half out of that target. I still shop, cook, spend, dress, exercise, travel, work, take care of my children and nourish my family.
Like many of my girlfriends, we kick ass and need to keep our “aging bodies” healthy, happy and always ready to shake a little booty when necessary.

Mushrooms are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D and they promote immune boosting functions by increasing production of antiviral proteins. Some of my favorite mushrooms are Shiitake. They are simply delicious and they taste particularly divine in this, always fool-proof, oven roasted lemon and parsley chicken one-tray recipe. It takes 35 minute in the oven and minimal prepping. Even my children, those little rascals always poo-pooing mushrooms, after falling from their chairs laughing when they heard the word SHIITAKE, gobbled these ones down! #RESIST

Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon, Chicken, One-Tray Dinner
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon, Chicken, One-Tray Dinner
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium organic lemon, juiced
  • 6-8 thyme sprigs
  • 1 lb. Shiitake mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and halved if too large
  • 1 organic lemon sliced
  • 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 2 tsp. thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • extra lemon slices and parsley for garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. Place the chicken in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken begins to brown, then pull out of the oven.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Share this Recipe

 

 

Continue Reading

Shiitake Mushrooms, Chicken and Lemon, One-Tray Dinner

March 10, 2017 By

Mushrooms are the only natural source of vitamin D and a study by the American Society for Nutrition found that mushrooms promote immune functions by increasing production of antiviral proteins. Shiitake are really delicious,  and they taste particularly divine in this, always fool-proof, oven roasted lemon and parsley chicken one-tray recipe.

Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon, Chicken, One-Tray Dinner
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon, Chicken, One-Tray Dinner
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium organic lemon, juiced
  • 6-8 thyme sprigs
  • 1 lb. Shiitake mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and halved if too large
  • 1 organic lemon sliced
  • 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 2 tsp. thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • extra lemon slices and parsley for garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. Place the chicken in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken begins to brown, then pull out of the oven.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

7 Yogurt Containers Yellow Cake

February 8, 2017 By

The 7 yogurt containers yellow cake. Aways a smashing success. You don’t even need a scale or measuring cup to make it. Just use the small single-portion container from the yogurt to measure the other ingredients. The perfect project for a beginner baker! Immune-boosting probiotics make this heavenly vanilla scented confection a relatively healthful pièce de résistance for any occasion, whether a dinner party or a rainy afternoon baking project. And it’s low in sugar compared to many cakes and has no butter. Watch those tall slices disappear.


7 yogurt containers yellow cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 to 10 slices 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 to 10 slices 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
7 yogurt containers yellow cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 to 10 slices 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 to 10 slices 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 125-ml container plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
  • 2 containers granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 container mild olive oil plus more for the pan
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 container potato starch
  • 2 containers all-purpose flour 00 flour is also a good choice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Servings: slices
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9-inch round springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper cut to fit the pan.
  2. Place the yogurt in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.
  3. Separate the eggs and place the yolks and whites in separate bowls. Set the egg whites aside for the moment. Add the egg yolks to the yogurt mixture, 1 at a time, mixing until each yolk is incorporated before adding the next. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and the vanilla extract.
  4. With the motor on low, slowly add the potato starch and mix until incorporated. Then add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.
  5. Whisk the whites until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently and slowly fold the eggs whites into the batter by hand and mix just until incorporated. Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
  6. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. You may need to cover the cake with parchment paper during the last 10 minutes to prevent the top from burning.
  7. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cake and let it cool completely.
Recipe Notes

I like to dust this soft cake with a generous amount of powder sugar. Those times when I want a slightly less sweet cake, I modify the recipe by cutting the granulated sugar in the batter to one container.

Share this Recipe

Continue Reading

Vanilla Pound Cake

January 30, 2017 By

Yesterday I shared a picture of my vanilla pound cake and a quote: “Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing.“ Likes all around. But the main response was, “Nice quote! But where’s the recipe?!” Here it is! This pound cake is a family favorite and one of the simplest cakes you can bake. You cannot mess it up. I promise.

 

 

Continue Reading

Edamame, Fava Beans and Pancetta on Toast

January 18, 2017 By

Energy packed edamame beans, bittersweet fava beans, salty pancetta, all coated in delicious and healthy olive oil and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon juice. I like to pile up this satisfying and chewy medley on thick slices of toasted sourdough.  Prep your beans and pancetta ahead of time, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week, keep them waiting and ready for lunch, side, snack or a last minute lite supper.

Edamame, Fava Beans and Pancetta on Toast
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Edamame, Fava Beans and Pancetta on Toast
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 cups Fava beans shelled frozen or fresh
  • 1/2 cup diced pancetta or good bacon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 1 medium lemon, juiced
  • 4 thick slices sourdough bread
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • olive oil to finish
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Prep the beans. Shell the fava beans and edamame. Keep them separate.
  2. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the fava beans. Simmer for 2 minutes and then scoop them out. Squeeze each fava bean out of its outer bitter skin, toss in a colander to drain and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Then add the edamame to the boiling water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. Fry the pancetta or the bacon in a skillet until crisp and brown. Remove from the heat.
  4. When ready to serve, in a large bowl combine the fava beans and edamame, the pancetta, the olive oil and the lemon. Mix delicately.
  5. Toast the bread. Spoon the beans and pancetta mix on the toasted bread, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Finish with a little sprinkle of chopped mint.
Recipe Notes

Grated Pecorino or aged ricotta would make a nice salty and savory addition to the toast.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing

January 17, 2017 By

This salty and addictive anchovy-based dressing is similar to my beloved Italian classic, bagna cauda. It’s very easy to whip together and you can keep it in a jar in the fridge for weeks, ready for whenever you need some extra flavor. Serve it with a rainbow of good-for-you veggie crudités or with simple steamed broccoli. I swear, kids love it.

veggies-crudite-silvia-baldini

Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 6/8 fillets drained canned anchovies
  • 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 1 small cloves garlic peeled
  • 1/2 tsp thyme leaves chopped
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp cider or red wine vinegar
  • butter unsalted
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a glass jar and whiz together with a hand held blender until cream and smooth. I like to leave the dressing aside before using for at least half hour to allow all the flavors to mingle and develop.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing

January 17, 2017 By

This salty and addictive anchovy-based dressing-similar to my beloved Italian classic Bagna Cauda is very easy to whip up. Serve it with a rainbow of good for you veggies or with steamed broccoli. Keep it in a jar in the fridge for weeks, ready for when you need some extra flavor. I swear, kids love it.

Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Veggie Board and Anchovy Dressing
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 6/8 fillets drained canned anchovies
  • 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 1 small cloves garlic peeled
  • 1/2 tsp thyme leaves chopped
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp cider or red wine vinegar
  • butter unsalted
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a glass jar and whiz together with a hand held blender until cream and smooth. I like to leave the dressing aside before using for at least half hour to allow all the flavors to mingle and develop.
Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Menopause Cake

January 12, 2017 By

Who needs boring and fattening pound cake when you can have menopause cake? This dense and not-so-sweet cake, adapted from a Women’s Weekly recipe, is packed with ingredients that can help minimize menopausal and menstrual symptoms. It uses all the healthy goodness of soy, oat flour, and almonds along with the sweetness of sweet potatoes, banana, prunes and figs. One slice a day is all you need for pure girl power bliss!

menopausal-cake-silvia-baldini

Menopause Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
12 slices 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hours
Servings Prep Time
12 slices 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hours
Menopause Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
12 slices 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hours
Servings Prep Time
12 slices 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hours
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sweet potato (about 5 oz) peeled and chopped
  • 3 1/2 oz dried figs roughly chopped
  • 3 1/2 oz soy flour
  • 3 1/2 oz self rising wholemeal See note below
  • 3 1/2 oz oatmeal
  • 1 1/34 oz flax seeds Ground
  • 1 1/34 oz pumpkin seeds
  • 1 1/34 oz ground almonds
  • 3 1/2 oz chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 4 oz chopped pitted prunes
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup or molasses
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 1/2 fl oz skim milk
  • 1 medium or large ripe banana, mashed
Servings: slices
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 350°F and line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Microwave the sweet potato pieces on high in 1 tablespoon water for 5 minutes or until soft, and then use the back of a fork or spoon to mash the sweet potatoes with the water. Soften the figs in 4fl oz of hot water for 10 minutes and then mash the figs and the water with a handheld blender.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the flours and oatmeal in a large bowl. Stir in the seeds, nuts, the allspice and then the chopped prunes.
  4. In another bowl, combine the syrup or molasses with the eggs and milk. Stir in the sweet potato mash, the fig purée and the mashed banana and combine well (you can whizz in the blender, if you like).
  5. Thoroughly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
  6. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 1 hour or until nicely golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack and then remove the cake from the pan and cut into slices. You can store leftovers (if there are any!) in an airtight container or wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze.
Recipe Notes

If you cannot find self rising whole meal flour you can easily make it at home. Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour,  1 cup all wheat flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Marinated Goat Cheese

December 21, 2016 By
Marinated Goat Cheese
Yum
Print Recipe
Use fresh, young goat cheese and fruity olive oil.
Servings Prep Time
4 large jars 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 large jars 20 minutes
Marinated Goat Cheese
Yum
Print Recipe
Use fresh, young goat cheese and fruity olive oil.
Servings Prep Time
4 large jars 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 large jars 20 minutes
Ingredients
  • 16 small crottins (or rounds) fresh goat cheese
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary thyme, oregano are really good substitutions
  • 4 small chili peppers
  • 1 large lemon
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 cups olive oil enough to cover the cheese in the jar
Servings: large jars
Instructions
  1. Divide the cheese among 4 sterilized jars. Add the bay leaves and the rosemary sprigs to the jars.
  2. Cut the chilis in half. Cut 8 strips of zest from the lemon. Arrange the lemon strips and the chili next to the cheeses in the jars. Add the fennel seeds and the garlic cloves to the jars.
  3. Pour in enough olive oil so the cheeses are completely covered. Seal the jars and place them in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes

Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Eat with some crusty bread or crumble on salads or grill on slices of baguette for a quick and easy crostino.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

All Time Favorite Muffins

December 20, 2016 By

These are my all-times favorite muffin. The blueberries keep their shape through the baking process and the buttery and crumbly topping renders a crunchy and luxurious first bite. Measure all the ingredients and prepare the crumble at night. Bake the muffins on Christmas morning in no time!

Share joy !

mufffins-berries-silviabaldini-trychic

Raspberry, Blueberry Muffin Crumble
Yum
Print Recipe
These are my all-times favorite muffin. The blueberries keep their shape through the baking process and the buttery and crumbly topping renders a crunchy and luxurious first bite.
Servings Prep Time
10-12 muffins 25 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10-12 muffins 25 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Raspberry, Blueberry Muffin Crumble
Yum
Print Recipe
These are my all-times favorite muffin. The blueberries keep their shape through the baking process and the buttery and crumbly topping renders a crunchy and luxurious first bite.
Servings Prep Time
10-12 muffins 25 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10-12 muffins 25 minutes
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Ingredients
Muffins
  • 4 3/4 cups all pourpus flour
  • 5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup caster granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter unsalted melted
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 medium zest of lemon
  • 1 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup raspberries
Crumble
  • 1 cup all pourpus flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick Butter unsalted, cold and cubed
Servings: muffins
Instructions
Muffins
  1. Preheat the oven at 340F. Line two trays to bake 12 muffins with paper cases.
  2. Sift the together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg with the sugar and the melted butter. Whisk in the milk and lemon zest then gently fold in the berries. Keep a few berries aside to decorate the top.
  4. Add the sifted dry ingredients very gently with a spatula and combine the ingredients but make sure to stir enough to combine enough although some lumps should be visible. Do this by hand!
  5. Spoon the mixture in the muffin cases to fill them up. Cover with the crumble topping and dot with a few extra berries.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Take out of the tray and cool over a rack.
Crumble
  1. Put the flower, sugar and butter and mix with you hands until you have a uniform breadcrumb consistency. Don't over do it or you will be left with a baking dough. No panic if this happens just make cookies out of it! and restart the process.
  2. Double the recipe and keep the crumble in a ziplock bag up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes

You can substitute the butter in the muffins with 1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for a light crumb.

You can also use different fruits, chocolate and nuts combinations. My favorites are white chocolate chips and bananas, pear and fresh ginger or walnut and apples.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading

Kit Kat Cake

September 1, 2016 By

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.

kitkatcake

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!

Kit Kat Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
birthday cake delight
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Kit Kat Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
birthday cake delight
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
  • 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 10 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Custard for filling
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted
  • 3.5 ounces baking chocolate semisweet or dark
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 medium grated lemon zest
Decorations
  • 3 packs kit Kat bars get a couple of extra packs for safety
  • 1 bag M&M's smarties or jellybeans are fun too
  • 1 medium Jar nutella chocolate frosting can be used instead
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven at 350, butter and flour or spray with baking spray two 10 inches baking pans.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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!)
  5. 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
  1. Melt the Chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, set aside.
  2. Heat milk in a medium heavy saucepan with the lemon zest until bubbles appear around edge.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Add the melted chocolate and stir well.
  6. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, over low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will be quite thick.
  7. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Share this Recipe
Continue Reading