Barefoot Bloggers: Panzanella

For the first August Barefoot Bloggers recipe, Melissa, of It's Melissa's Kitchen, chose panzanella. Early August is a perfect time to make panzanella because of the abundance of ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil.

I halved the recipe (approximately) and had panzanella for dinner. Although it was my main dish, this would also be an excellent side dish (especially for those whose husband believes that meat is the only acceptable choice for a main dish). I'm so glad I decided to participate in Barefoot Bloggers . . . I may have overlooked this delicious recipe if not for Barefoot Bloggers!

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread loaf or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced (I omitted the onion)
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper (I think this [salt] is one of the reasons the panzanella is so delicious). Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

101

Please accept my apologies in advance - this is a long post!

I have tons of recipes flagged in cookbooks and magazines . . . a few months ago I decided to make a "priority" list of recipes I want to try. This is my 101st post, which seemed like a good opportunity to share the list of my top 101 recipes/items to make. I'm sharing this with you for two reasons:

1) to get feedback on my recipe "wishlist" - especially in the "misc. items" category - if you have a great recipe for any of these items, I would be grateful if you would share it; and
2) to help me stay organized - it is easier for me to find this list on my blog than it would be if I printed it out and filed it somewhere.

101 Things to Make:

Recipes from The Pastry Queen
1. Hill Country Peach Cobbler
2. Apple Smoked Bacon & Cheddar Scones
3. Peach Kolaches
4. Tuxedo Cake 8/27/08
5. Texas Pecan Pie Bars
6. Apple-Almond Chicken Salad with homemade mayonnaise
7. Brie & Brisket Quesadillas
8. Chicken Pot Pies 12/08
9. Pretty-in-Pink Shortbread Pigs 9/26/08
10. Bananas Foster Shortcake

Cookbook, Blog & Magazine Recipes, part 1
11. Buttermilk Frozen Custard with Bourbon-Roasted Peaches and Brown Sugar Walnuts - Visions of Sugar Plum 8/23/09
12. Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream - Epicurious
13. Braised Beef Cheeks - Gourmet
14. French Onion Soup - Thomas Keller’s Bouchon
15. Almond Cake - Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert
16. Gianduja Roulade - Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert
17. Cheddar-Polenta Biscuits with Ham Salad -Food and Wine, 2006
18. Warm Pumpkin Cake - Food and Wine, 2006
19. Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding - Paula Deen Celebrates! (Yes, this may be a little over-the-top, but seriously - doesn't it sound interesting?)
20. Butterscotch Bars with Brown Sugar Meringue Topping - Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters

Recipes from Cooking Light
21. Lemon Basil Sorbet
22. Asparagus, Ham, and Fontina Bread Pudding
23. Pork Saltimbocca with Polenta
24. Buttered Sweet Potato Knot Rolls
25. Citrus Cream Cheese Pull-Aparts
26. Lemonade Layer Cake
27. Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles
28. Peach-Glazed Barbecue Pork Chops and Peaches
29. Gruyere, Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce 5/13/09
30. Mocha Latte Freeze

Recipes from The Silver Palate
31. Green Lasagna
32. Pheasant with Leek & Pecan Stuffing 12/3/08
33. Avocado and Ham Salad
34. Brioche
35. Apple Walnut Cake with Apple Cider Glaze
36. Hummus
37. Swiss Potato Gratin
38. Marinated Beef Salad
39. Crisp Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata 8/27/08
40. Pasta Primavera Gregory

Family Recipes
41. Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Grandma Margaret
42. Spritz cookies, Grandma Margaret
43. Corn (to freeze), Ken’s family (Mom, Aunt and Grandma)
44. Deviled Eggs, Grandma Helen
45. Chocolate Chess Pie, Dad 11/08
46. Jambalaya, Aunt Nancy
47. Chicken Enchiladas, Mom
48. Georgia Peaches and Cream, Mom
49. Sugar cut out cookies, my Mother-in-Law
50. Homemade mayonnaise, Dad

Recipes I have flagged in Bon Appetit/Gourmet Magazine
51. Hot Milk Cakes with Strawberries and Cream
52. Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro 9/24/08
53. Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Filling
54. Fried Mozzarella with Arugula and Prosciutto
55. Coffee-Marinated Grilled Pork
56. Farmer’s Market Salad with Spiced Goat Cheese Rounds
57. Basil Lemonade
58. Banana and Mango Spring Rolls with Chocolate Ganache
59. Spiced Banana Ice Cream
60. Beef and Avocado Finger Sandwiches

Misc. things to make (no recipe source yet)
61. Biscuits
62. Rice (I have problems cooking rice!)
63. Miso soup
64. Toffee
65. Crepes
66. Popovers
67. Quesadillas
68. Rosemary bread (like Twainland Cheesecake used to make)
69. White chicken chili
70. Pizza dough
71. Yeast rolls
72. Homemade donuts 5/25/09
73. Chicken or beef pot pie 3/5/09
74. Chocolate crème brulee
75. Fresh, homemade pasta
76. Mole sauce
77. Gnocchi
78. Marshmallows
79. Batter bread
80. Panna cotta 12/31/08
81. Thin Mint cookies (a replica of Girl Scout Thin Mints)
82. Palmiers
83. Beef Wellington - 8/27/08
84. Caramel corn
85. Brown sugar mojito
86. Pulled pork
87. French baguette
88. Sun-dried tomatoes (or maybe oven-dried)
89. Homemade beef stock

Cookbook, Blog & Magazine Recipes, part two
90. Creamy Chicken-Apple Chili, Everyday with Rachael Ray
91. Chocolate Flank Steak with Pineapple Salsa – Paula Deen’s Chocolate Celebration
92. Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera – Everyday Food
93. The Barefoot Contessa’s Guacamole Salad
94. Hot Buttered Popcorn Bread – A Passion for Baking
95. White and Dark Chocolate Bread – A Passion for Baking
96. Stacked Crepe Cake – A Passion for Baking
97. Pheasant Ravioli with Rosemary Jus - Silver Spoon
98. Roasted Ricotta Roma Tomatoes – The Pioneer Woman Cooks 8/27/08
99. Portobello Lasagna Rollups with Tomato Sauce – The Food You Crave
100. Turkey Roulade with Apple Cider Gravy – The Food You Crave
101. Chocolate Gelato – Baking with Agave Nectar

Thanks for enduring this long post - let me know if you have experience with any of these recipes - or suggestions for any of the items I do not yet have a recipe for!

"Tell me what you eat . . .

. . . and I'll tell you who you are." ~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

If the saying holds true, you should know me pretty well (after the past 99 posts). But just in case you have some doubts about that theory, I have a few things to share with you:

1. I hate fish and seafood. HATE it. Even shrimp. Even lobster. Even lobster dipped in warm butter. I know, it's weird . . . but it's true.

Tonight, in honor of the 100th post on Kenzie's Kitchen, and because I want to stop hating fish, I tried salmon.

2. I talk to my parents a lot. In fact, I called my mom to tell her I was eating salmon tonight. I should have asked her to sit down first . . . I swear I could hear her jaw drop all the way through our cell phone connection.

3. I'm afraid of using the broiler. Approximately 9 of the 10 things I have tried to broil have burned to a crisp. I thought by broiling fish, maybe I could overcome two fears at once.

4. I love my dog. Love her so much that she's also going to have salmon for dinner. Well, at least that's what I'm telling her about why she gets salmon for dinner. (Shh . . . don't tell her it is really because, although I tried, I didn't like the salmon)

So there you have it: after selecting the best piece of wild caught salmon I could find and a recipe that actually sounded like it would be appetizing, I tried salmon and confirmed what I knew all along: I don't like it! However, if you do like salmon (and you should - it is good for you), you might like this recipe:
















Miso-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons miso (soybean paste)
4 (6 ounce) salmon filets (about 1 inch thick)
olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Arrange fish in a shallow baking dish coated with olive oil. Spoon miso mixture evenly over fish.

Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting twice with miso mixture. Sprinkle with chives. - Adapted from RecipeZaar

5. I love to bake, which is really no secret at all. I like to try new recipes, but I also like old/simple recipes, too. And I really like giving old recipes a new twist; here is one of my new favorites:














Pan Toasted Rum Cake
In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1-2 tbsp. butter. Add slices of rum cake. Turn after 3-4 minutes (or when cake begins to turn brown and crisp). Toast opposite side 3-4 minutes. Serve with fresh whipped cream. I added almonds, both in the cake and over the whipped cream.

So, since you know what I'm eating and therefore who I am, I would love it if you would leave a comment and let me know who you are . . . or at the very least, let me know what you're eating and I'll try to guess!

A Post-Wedding Feast for Becca & Caleb

My good friends Becca & Caleb got married last Saturday and to help them celebrate, Dad and I cooked the "post-wedding-gift-opening" lunch for them (and their families). Since Dad offered to cook, they let him choose the menu . . . after a few consultations with me and with his stash of Bon Appetit magazines, we ended up deciding on a couple of recipes he found in the August issue [of Bon Appetit] and a couple of my favorite summer dishes.

Although everything turned out to be absolutely WONDERFUL, there were a few times I began to wonder if people were going to have to stop at McDonald's on the way home . . . especially when I realized the couscous recipe called for raisins.

Grilled Lemon Chicken and Moroccan Couscous Salad
Couscous
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 10-oz. box plain couscous
1/2 cup raisins
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (1.5 cups)
1-2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
1/2 cup baby carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green beans (or trimmed sugar snap peas)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Chicken
2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
6 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Couscous instructions:
Bring chicken broth, 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in couscous and remove from heat. Scatter raisins over, cover, and let stand until couscous softens, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork, breaking up any lumps. Transfer couscous to large bowl. Add cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, green beans, and lemon peel. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in small bowl. Add to couscous; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chicken instructions:
Place 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and seal bag, releasing any excess air; turn several times to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes (or chill 1 to 3 hours and bring to room temperature before continuing).

Prepare barbecue grill (high heat). Brush grill rack with oil. Transfer chicken from bag to barbecue with some marinade still clinging and grill until slightly charred and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter and let rest 10 minutes. Stir 3/4 cup chopped cilantro into couscous. Sprinkle almonds over, if desired. Drizzle chicken with oil, sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup chopped cilantro over, and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with couscous.
- Adapted from Bon Appetit (we tripled this recipe)

Note: I did not get a picture of the finished version of this recipe (although the couscous portion is the yellow stuff you can barely see in the metal bowl above). Between the bright yellow couscous, the colorful vegetables, and the lemon slices and cilantro, it should be an appealing dish to look at when it's all put together. About the raisins . . . they were actually not bad and gave the dish a nice bit of sweetness. However, if you hate raisins, it wouldn't have much of a negative impact on the final dish to omit them.

Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa
1 12-ounce container grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
5 large green olives, pitted, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed

Mix tomatoes, celery, onion, olives, chopped oregano, capers, garlic, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl. Whisk red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in small bowl; pour over tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season caponata to taste with salt and pepper. Caponata can be prepared 2 hours ahead (let stand at room temperature).

Prepare barbecue grill(medium-high heat). Peel eggplant lengthwise to create alternating 2-inch-wide intervals of peeled and unpeeled skin. Cut eggplant crosswise into 6 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Brush eggplant slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices until slightly charred and very tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes per side.

Place 1 grilled eggplant slice on each of 6 plates. Spoon caponata over, garnish with oregano sprigs, and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Bon Appetit

Again, no picture of the final version (the chicken and eggplant were still grilling when I took the pictures). The "salsa" topping is in the glass bowl at the top right of the photo. Don't skip the step of seasoning with salt and pepper! Even the people who didn't think they liked eggplant enjoyed this dish!

Sangria
2 oranges , sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 lemons , sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
3 peaches , pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 pint strawberries , hulled and halved (optional)
3 bottles white wine (dry to semidry), such as Pinot Grigio
1 liter sparkling water
Ice

Place all fruit in a large pitcher or bowl, add wine and allow to sit at room temperature 4 to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add sparkling water and ice. Serve in a bowl with a ladle (make sure there's fruit in every serving)
- O, The Oprah Magazine

If you end up with leftover peaches in the pitcher - they are very delicious after "marinating" in the sangria (and twice as delicious with homemade ice cream)!

We rounded out the menu with:
Caprese Salad (using big tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes like I usually do)
Watermelon & Feta Salad (with cantaloupe)
Baguettes with Fresh Herb Butter (Basil/Dill/Chive)
Fresh Fruit
Strawberry Panzanella
Wedding Cake (leftover!)
Homemade Ice Cream (thank you to someone in Caleb's family!)

Although cooking in someone else's kitchen can be challenging, we really had fun making all these dishes . . . and using Becca's new Pampered Chef stuff! I wish someone would show up at my house and cook a meal like this! =)

The Good Stuff

With all the celebrity chefs, beautiful glossy food magazines, and mouthwatering food blogs out there, it's easy to get caught up in the "glamor" of food. The professionally styled food photos, the exotic ingredients . . . especially when you're working on your own food blog. It's easy to lose sight of the good stuff.

Earlier this week, as I was visiting with my mom on the phone, she mentioned my miserable stuffed zucchini experience. She told me there was a great stuffed zucchini recipe from a neighbor in the Methodist Church cookbook. Now, let me pause and tell you about this cookbook. It is something of a phenomenon in my family. Throughout my childhood, both my parents were forever looking for their copy of the Methodist Church cookbook. Every recipe they were looking for seemed to be in that cookbook. Things got a little complicated when a new edition was released . . .

"Was it in the first edition or the second edition? Where is my first edition? I have a first edition at my house but I don't know if it is your first edition. Was her recipe for ___ in the first edition or the second edition? Ask your (mom/dad) if they have seen my Methodist Church cookbook; I need the recipe for ______. I think there is a recipe in the Methodist Church cookbook for that . . ."

It was, to my parents, what the Joy of Cooking is to some people. So how could this seemingly indispensable cookbook slip away from me? Easily, actually . . . it got lost in the shuffle of Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, The Barefoot Contessa, and all the beautiful food blogs in my google reader.

I received a copy of the Methodist Church cookbook as a wedding gift, with a very thoughtful inscription written inside the cover by the gift giver (second edition, by the way). But I hadn't even opened that very cover for well over a year. Until I went to find the good stuffed zucchini recipe, that is.

As you may have noticed in the picture, this post isn't really about the stuffed zucchini recipe; it's not in the second edition. However, as I flipped through the pages, thinking about all the great recipes so carefully submitted by all the great people from my hometown, one caught my eye. Zucchini bars. So, in the midst of the county fair, work, wedding season, and trying to protect my garden from the almost daily thunderstorms, I stopped everything to make zucchini bars.

I just baked them. I didn't even make the frosting. Nothing fancy, just good, moist, tender zucchini bars. I froze 3/4 of the batch and left the rest on the counter. When Ken got home from the fair tonight, I encouraged him to try the zucchini bars (I think he was a bit skeptical at first; after all, we have been eating a lot of zucchini). He loved them, and had seconds and thirds. I mentioned the frosting, which he quickly dismissed, saying they were so moist there was really no need for frosting . . . "they just couldn't be any better."

This zucchini experience has helped me regain my focus . . . it's not really about the pretty pictures or the exotic ingredients, or even how well your recipe experiments turn out or whether or not your garden looks good. Sharing your time, your talents, (your zucchini) and your favorite recipes with the friends and family you love . . . making them smile . . . that is the good stuff.

Zucchini Bars from the United Methodist Church cookbook

4 eggs
1 1/2 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)

Mix ingredients in order given and pour into a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.

Icing:
One 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 stick oleo (I would probably use butter)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. nuts
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together and spread on cooled bars.

Creative Kitchen Storage

Do you have enough kitchen storage? If you answer 'yes,' I'll be shocked . . . it seems that very, very few people have enough storage space in their kitchen. So, sometimes we just have to be creative.

I don't devote a lot of time to devising creative kitchen storage ideas . . . and I've certainly not spent any time preparing to blog about it. However, tonight as I was prepping some chocolate chip cookies, I realized that a few of my kitchen storage methods are a bit . . . unusual. For example, I have a green vase on my counter. It coordinates with the green in my kitchen and living/great room. I bought it thinking I would fill it with flowers or twigs and find a place for it in the great room. But my counter needed a little shot of color, so that's where it ended up. And before long, it was put to use . . .

as a place to store seldom used (and too tall) kitchen utensils . . .And then there is the chocolate storage . . . an iced tea box. It fits nicely in the top of one of my cabinets. When I'm baking (or having a chocolate craving), I just pull the box down from the shelf and instantly have access to my entire collection of chocolate. I'm thinking of adding another box for cocoa powder, etc. - because this one has clearly reached its capacity!

While you're waiting to win the lottery and build a dream kitchen, save those tea boxes . . . they can really come in handy!

Missouri Wine Country

As you can tell, Missouri wine country is beautiful!

Yesterday, I went on a day trip to Missouri wine country (the Hermann and Augusta area) with some of my husband's family. Seven area wineries participated in the Very Berry Wine Trail event, where each paired a berry dish (mostly desserts) with wine. We made it to all seven wine trail participants, plus one additional winery - the Augusta Winery. After sampling dozens of wines throughout the day, we unanimously determined that Adam Puchta is still our favorite. Their vignoles and homemade strawberry shortcake were a perfect pair for a hot July day.

Zucchini (bread) for breakfast

I tried another zucchini bread recipe this week - this one from The Sisters' Cafe.
I added pistachios to the mix, and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about that addition.
Although we have a few loaves of zucchini bread in our freezer already, I'll probably make at least one more batch - using another different recipe. I have so much zucchini, I'm trying out all the zucchini bread recipes in hopes of finding a favorite to add to my permanent recipe collection. Let me know if you have a favorite zucchini bread recipe - I'll give it a try!

Barefoot Bloggers: Salmon OR Roast Beef Spread

Once again, it's Barefoot Bloggers time! I love participating in Barefoot Bloggers, but I didn't love the July selections (Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread and Smoked Salmon Spread). Both of the June recipes were absolutely wonderful, and I'm sure the upcoming selections will be more interesting for me. This week's recipe, Smoked Salmon Spread, was chosen by Ashley of The Spicy Skillet. I know most people like salmon, so it was a good choice . . . but unfortunately, I'm not a salmon eater (although I am going to try it soon - watch for that post). I substituted roast beef (deli style, sliced) for the salmon and fresh garlic chives for the dill (ahh . . . the joys of the rural Midwest . . . no fresh dill in the little grocery store, so I used chives from my garden). I also added some red pepper to give it a little spice. Overall, the dip was okay. I think some of its appeal was lost in translation when I made the substitutions. Maybe I'll try it again someday if I learn to like salmon. I have learned to like tomatoes as I've grown older, so maybe there's still hope!


Smoked Salmon (or Roast Beef) Spread

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic chives)
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced (or ¼ pound sliced roast beef)
(I also added about 1/8 tsp. red pepper)

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill (or chives), horseradish, salt, and pepper(s), and mix. Add the smoked salmon (or beef) and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.
Ina Garten recipe courtesy of The Food Network

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Finally . . . a Giada recipe worth making!

In a recent post, I shared how my recent attempts at recipes by Giada DeLaurentiis, the host of Food Network's Everyday Italian, didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. Despite having a small list of fabulous ingredients, the crostini wasn't very good at all. The chocolate chip marscapone cupcakes were good . . . but not fantastic, as I imagined they would be. So, I set out to find a Giada recipe worth the effort of making. I chose lemon ricotta cookies because they had a good rating on the food network's website, and because I had all the ingredients - including a container of ricotta cheese on the verge of expiring.

The result? Soft, fluffy cookies with a great lemon flavor, sweet, but a little tart. If you're not a fan or soft cookies - or lemon - skip this one . . . but otherwise, it's a great way to use lemons and ricotta cheese! For me, it's a keeper.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis, from the Food Network

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

zucchini fever

It's that time of year. You know the time I'm talking about - when friends, co-workers, and even people you barely know offer to share zucchini. There are jokes about how you have to lock your car - not for fear of having your GPS stolen - but for fear of finding excess zucchini inside when you return. Every grocery store is stocked with it, every stand at the farmer's market has buckets and baskets full. Everyone with a garden is slicing, dicing, and shredding it, and it seems that every food blogger is writing about it. Yes, it's zucchini time.

I fall into several of these categories - I've shared, baked with, cooked with, sliced, shredded, and now blogged about zucchini. First, I made zucchini bread from The Silver Palate:

Next, I made pasta . . . zucchini fettuccine (say that five times in a row!). It was kind of a hybrid between the fettuccine recipe in The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper and this recipe from Chronicles of a Fledgling Home Cook. Basically, the sauce was butter, cream, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh basil, fresh oregano, salt and pepper (combine with sauteed zucchini and fettuccine cooked al dente). I added a little splash of fresh lemon juice just before serving, which made it extra delicious.













If you need even more zucchini ideas, the Pioneer Woman made farfalle with zucchini. Last summer, Molly at Orangette made pasta sauce with zucchini blossoms.

Still have extra zucchini? One of my favorite zucchini recipes is crispy zucchini coins from Cooking Light. By the way, Cooking Light has 292 zucchini recipes on its site. Heidi at 101 Cookbooks makes chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Truly, the options are endless. There's zucchini pizza, zucchini pie ("tastes like apple" - really?) . . . you can fry it, bake it, stuff it, grill it . . . but my favorite is to share it.
Anyone want some zucchini?

Barefoof Bloggers: Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Alternate Title: It is generally a good idea to follow the recipe!

I admit it, my heart wasn't really in it tonight. Jalapenos are a little too spicy for me (but I thought I should at least try including them), and I also wasn't crazy about baking a big batch of cornbread for just the two of us. But I love the Barefoot Bloggers group and I've never had a Barefoot Contessa dish I didn't like, so I baked the jalapeno cheddar cornbread anyway. But it was only a half-hearted effort. And I was in a hurry to get it baked and posted.

My first mistake was substituting polenta/grits for the cornmeal. It is more coarsely ground than cornmeal, and left the cornbread with a . . . gritty . . . texture. My second mistake was pouring the melted butter - still warm from being melted - into a bowl with eggs and milk. I know better . . . I really do . . . but that is what happens when you're in a hurry. In case you didn't take time to read the last two sentences, here is a summary: raw eggs + a hot ingredient = disgusting.

I also baked the cornbread in muffin pans instead of a 9x13, which I think is probably an acceptable switch (just reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes). I also used canned jalapenos (I'm not sure if this is a good substitution or not, because I'm not a jalapeno person), and left off the topping of cheese and extra scallions (because at that point I didn't want to waste any more cheese on this project).

The moral of the story is this: follow the instructions, use the right ingredients, and take your time!I think this would be a great cornbread recipe if followed correctly (and for me, if the jalapenos are left out!).

Birthday "Cake" and Funny Stories

My husband made me dinner last night for my birthday . . . including this birthday cake. Although it looks strangely familiar to brownies, make no mistakes - this is a CAKE! (I did refer to it as "brownies" once, and was reminded that it was my birthday CAKE . . . either way, it was good!)

Apparently when he was buying the candles the clerk at the store struck up a conversation with him and asked him who was turning 72; he thought it was hysterical. I look at this picture and 27 seems kind of old . . . I'm definitely not ready for 72!

Speaking of funny stories, I will share with you why I no longer have time to update my blog often: I cannot stop reading the hilarious stories on the Postcards From Yo Momma website! If you need a good laugh, it is definitely the place to go!

tastes from a 3 day weekend

Fourth of July dinner on our deck . . .
pork chops or flat iron steaks, fettucine, French bread, and salad - not too exciting, but good . . .
thank goodness for salad, giving some much needed color to the plate!













Strawberry Panzanella (with cherries and blueberries, too) for dessert . . .
add real whipped cream - you absolutely cannot beat this!







And a pan of egg (muffins? omelets? souffles?) with cheddar, pancetta, and green peppers for quick breakfasts this week . . .


These [egg things] turned out okay - but the texture on the bottom is a little weird, kind of spongy. They're also hard to peel out of the paper liner. For 12 [muffins], I used 10 eggs, about 1/2 cup milk, and a little bit of shredded cheese, pancetta, and green bell peppers. I baked them at 350 for 25 minutes. Any suggestions about the texture issue? Should I have added flour/beaten egg whites to make it more like a souffle?

Wheat

It's wheat harvest time, which marks the end of normal meals as we know them. When my husband gets in from the farm and I get in from the garden, etc. (well after dark) -it's all we can do to have a sandwich, salad, or bowl of cereal. Nothing blog-worthy, for sure.

Apparently wheat harvest also marks the end of other good things. . .
The Busy Bistro (our favorite restaurant in Quincy) closed last Friday and the little grocery store in town quit selling glass bottled milk from a local dairy. Clearly, these things are not actually related to wheat harvest, but they did coincide with the timing. I'm bummed.

We did have a nice, causal dinner on our deck Saturday night (before wheat harvest madness began) - BBQ chicken drumsticks, green bean gremolata (recipe coming soon), salad, French bread, and chocolate marscapone cupcakes.

Until wheat harvest is over - or until it rains - we'll be enjoying our fast and easy late night meals (I'll try to make something fun for the 4th of July).