Once Upon a Plate: Cookbooks

Showing posts with label Cookbooks. Show all posts

Friday

The Butcher's Pasta Sauce ~ From the Slow Cooker

There is no doubt that I love those quick pasta sauces that can be put together at a moments notice, especially in the warmer months when fresh produce is abundant.
However, when the temperatures drop I usually long for the deep flavors of a slow cooked sauce, the kind of sauce that can simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours while the flavor develops. The kind mom and grandma used to make.
That's fine if you have a leisurely day to check on the sauce while it's cooking and give it a stir every so often, adding more liquid if necessary.
Sometimes we don't have that luxury of time -- that's what makes this recipe stand out; long simmered flavor without having to babysit it.

Slow Cookers ~ you may love them or not, there is no doubt they are a convenience.
In years past I could count on one hand the recipes I really loved made in the slow cooker. Too many times the food cooked in these units tasted and looked like bad cafeteria food ~ left on the steam table for far too long mushy, gray and not much in the way of flavor.

My slow cooker aversion took a turn around with the introduction of the more modern slow cooker cookbooks, like this one from Michele Scicolone.

Click image to learn more

"The Italian Slow Cooker"
Michele is a genius when it comes to what type of recipes really benefit from slow cooking. Instead of just dumping ingredients into the cooking vessel, sometimes a little prep takes place stovetop to get the recipes started. This one extra step makes all the difference in the world when it comes to a superior finished dish. So worth it!

I've had the book for a while ~I've shared another favorite from book a while back; "Spicy Tuscan-Style Sausage Ragu". Very, very good.)
The book covers everything from soups, sauces, risotto, polenta, grains, seafood, eggs, poultry, meats, veggies and beans, plus desserts. She offers special techniques that assure perfect results even with the most delicate ingredients like eggs, fish, and tender desserts.
The one I'm sharing today is The Butcher's Sauce, a recipe from Puglia. The unique thing about this recipe, and the reason for it's name ~ as Michele explains is that it is made of any kind of meat you happen to have, either fresh or in your freezer. (A good way to use up raw scraps of this and that such as a bit of raw ground beef, a pork chop, a sausage or a chicken breast.) Just chop the meat up in your food processor and proceed with the recipe. I have the basic recipe over on my recipe blog.

photo: Doris Italian Market
Usually served with orecchiette, cavatelli or any chunky pasta. I used perciatelli (pronounced: "pear-chuh-TELL-lee" as it is known in Naples.) Almost everywhere else, the cut is refered to as bucatini. About twice as thick as spaghetti and hollow as you can see from the photo.

This one is a keeper, friends! And like most tomato based cooked sauces, it freezes very successfully ~ you can double batch easily if you have a very large slow cooker.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you can find it over on my recipe blog HERE.
Please come see what's cooking for Foodie Friday!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Mari xo

Thursday

Spicy Tuscan-Style Sausage Ragu (Slow Cooker recipe)

This is one of the very best pasta sauces I have ever tasted, different, but just as good as my own ~ surprisingly one of the easiest I have ever made, and from the slow cooker! Thick and rich, full of sausage chunks and flavorful tomato pieces. I could eat it by the spoonful, but it's meant to be served with large chunky pasta.

First the preliminary step is to brown the sausage in a skillet in a little olive oil, next 1 large red onion and two cloves garlic are finely chopped and added to the meat, cooked until onion is translucent, then 1/2 cup of dry red wine poured in to deglaze the pan. At this point the meat mixture is poured into the slow cooker, canned tomatoes are added (chopped whole tomatoes, and tomato puree; 1 -28 ounce can of each.) A sprinkling of salt, and the mixture is placed on low for 5 hours. One cup of heavy cream is stirred in, and the sauce is allowed to cook for another hour.

A there you have one fine, delicious recipe for Spicy Tuscan-Style Sausage Ragu with barely any work involved! I hope you'll try it ~ it is soo good.

KEEPER!!!

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you'll find it HERE.

The recipe adapted from "The Italian Slow Cooker" by best selling cookbook author and expert on Italian cooking, Michelle Scicolone. (Scroll down if you are interested in looking through her book or purchasing it.)

After many years of cookbook collecting, I'm now fairly selective about which cookbooks will have a place in my library. I highly recommend this one ~ it is loaded with delicious Italian recipes such as: Pasta with Meat and Mushroom Ragu, Osso Buco with Red Wine, Chicken with Peppers and Mushrooms.

Healthy and flavorful recipes for soups, stews, beans, grains, pasta sauces, meats, poultry, fish and vegetables are included. Polenta and risotto, dishes that ordinarily need careful timing and lots of stirring, are perfectly cooked using Michele's methods and recipes. Meat loaves emerge moist and flavorful, tough cuts of meat turn fork-tender and juicy. Even desserts are included in the book, such as Cheese Cake, Chocolate Truffle Cake, Espresso Walnut Cake, and Baked Apples with orange, and more, all from the trusty slow cooker!

You can click below to look inside the book before purchasing.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, friends! xo

Visit Foodie Friday!

Olive Flatbread with Hummus to Dip (or Spread)

If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably know I favor salty, tangy or spicy over sweets . . . (although I do like a little sweet snack or dessert once in a while.)

Hmmm... salty... as in olives?

When it comes to olives, I love them all. I haven't met an olive I have not liked. Particular favorites are Greek Kalamatas and Dry-Cured olives ~ so naturally I was immediately drawn to this recipe for Olive Flatbread.

It's another recipe from Christina's Orchid's cookbook "Christina's". I've previously posted about Christina, and her 25+ year career with her very successful restaurant on Orcas Island, off the coast of Washington state... here and here.

This flatbread is incredibly flavorful; it is at its' best when served warm (which I recommend.)

You can use any kind of olive or a mix of olives that you prefer, although the watery canned or bottled ones probably will not work so well in this recipe. I use pitted Kalamatas in brine from the market. You can usually find them at the olive bar in the store, or in the refrigerated Deli case. If you cure your own olives ~ all the better!

The olives become a bit more assertive after being baked, a perfect paring to the smooth (yet garlic laced) hummus. And even if you don't care to serve it with hummus, it is fabulous served along with some fruity olive oil for dipping. Even the less expensive second pressing of olive oil, when warmed and steeped with some flavorful herbs and/or a garlic clove makes this one a winner as well. A little dish of Balsamic vinegar and olive oil to dip the warm bread? Oh that works, too!

Note on the hummus: After making hummus a few times, you won't even need a recipe. Two good recipes to get you started is one from
The Barefoot Contessa, and another
from Giada DeLaurentiis.

I generally use garbanzo beans (or cannellini beans), some tahini (ground sesame seed paste/spread), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a little water to thin it out, if necessary and a couple of shakes of hot sauce if you like it a little spicy. The tahini is optional in some recipes, but I like to add it for the depth of flavor it provides. Cook your own dried beans, or simply used canned.

If you would like a printable copy for the flatbread, you'll find it on my recipe blog HERE.

Reminder ~ It's not too late ~ to enter
the drawing for the $50. gift certificate.
(See details at the top of the right hand column.)
Contest ends at 9PM (Pacific Time) TONIGHT!
(March 31, 2011)

Thank you for visiting today! ~m.

Friday

Roasted-Garlic Soup with Cheddar Cheese & Mild Green Chilies

Honk if you're ready for some Spring weather!

Many of the early spring bulbs are blooming in the garden, but old man winter seems reluctant to leave us just yet... As evidenced by the nasty storm that blew through last weekend.
I like soup almost any time of year, something light, or chilled when the weather warms up ~but for now it's still "hearty soup" time in these parts. This one is from Christina Orchid, as found in "Christina's Cookbook" ~ Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen.
I recently posted about Christina's recipe for (Herb Salsa and Chevre Crackers), and a couple of years ago I did a post about another of her recipes (Fennel and Oregano Breadsticks) ~ my favorite breadsticks. And they are EASY to make.

This was one of Christina's most popular soups during the 25 years she owned and and cooked at her legendary restaurant named, appropriately enough, "Christina's", located on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington state.
Chicken stock, roasted garlic, onions, potatoes, cream, buttermilk, mild cheddar and mild green chilies make this soup a substantial one that will warm you from the inside out. It received thumbs-up at my house. It's flavorful, yet mellow ~ not spicy.
Leftovers reheat beautifully (you'll need to add more stock, milk or cream though, because it thickens up after being chilled)
You can also garnish it this way:

That's the way I like it, put some more calories on top. Uh-huh! :D
Would you like a printable copy of the recipe (including my time-saving shortcuts?)
Come on over to Once Upon a Plate ~ The Recipes!

Wednesday

Chèvre Crackers and Fresh Herb Salsa

If you're looking for a somewhat healthier option for a snack, or accompaniment to your favorite beverage, you might like this one. It is at once, very fresh, a little tangy and the flavor is derived from the herbs you choose. No heat at all in this one.

I am drawn back again and again --out of the many-- to one of my most beloved cookbooks; "Christina's Cookbook ~ Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen" ~ and this is yet one more of the fresh and delicious recipes from Christina's book.

Christina Orchid owned, operated and was chef of "Christina's" a well known and enormously popular restaurant on Orcas Island, Washington for nearly 30 years. She sold the restaurant a few years ago, you can read more about it from the "Seattle Times" Here and Here.

I love Christina's style of cooking ~

For this fresh appetizer or snack, you can cut the goat cheese crackers into any shape you like.

Taking into considering the emerald green of the salsa, and since we're approaching St. Patrick's Day ~ well, you know... where I decided to take this one. :)

Holding to Christina's philosophy of fresh and local (and preferably organic), this is a salsa that you can make from ingredients that are local to your area.

It calls for 2 cups of almost any kind of greens and herbs. I used Upland Cress, Flat-leaf Italian Parsley, Cilantro, finely diced, (seeded) cucumber, scallions, a clove or two of garlic; finely minced, and any fresh herbs that are available ~ fresh mint, thyme, oregano, marjoram, chervil, etc.

Simply stir those up with some finely grated lemon zest, two tablespoons of good olive oil, and two tablespoons of vinegar (Christina uses red wine vinegar ~ I use white wine vinegar) and a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper. So simple, so good, and so healthy!

This salsa would be delicious spooned over grilled chicken, beef or seafood, as well.

The crackers ~ I like that you can shape the crackers any way you like; cut them with a knife, or use shaped cutters.

Since we're approaching St. Patrick's Day I couldn't resist choosing a Shamrock shaped cookie cutter.

Bonus: This dough is VERY easy to work with, and rolls out easily. (I didn't have much luck re-rolling the scraps, so I just baked off the "in-between" pieces, and they taste just as good... not "company" worthy as far as presentation goes, but believe me, nobody here complained.)

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you can find it on "Once Upon a Plate ~ The recipes".

Thanks for stopping by today, and any comments you would like to share. I read and appreciate each one.
xo ~mari

Tuesday

Healthy No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread and My Grain Mill

Strive as we might, like most families, we sometimes stumble when it comes to eating a 100% healthy diet.

We try to eat food products grown locally when possible, choosing produce that is organic and in season, whole foods and grains... and we continue to introduce into our diet lacto-fermented foods (those are foods which contain the 'good for your gut bacteria' to help promote a healthy digestive system.)

To keep on track with healthful eating habits I try to keep in mind the advice which goes something like this~

"If your great grandmother, or great-great grandmother wouldn't recognize the food, it's probably best to avoid it."

(That kind of leaves cheese puffs, for example, out of the picture. :D)

One thing that I like to do on a regular basis is make whole grain breads usually each week, or every other week. (On the day I make bread I usually set a loaf aside and after it has cooled, I wrap it well and stick it into the freezer so there is always some good, wholesome bread on hand.)

Here is what I made recently ~

When our son was young I used to bake our favorite whole wheat bread once a week, mixed and kneaded by hand.

I still find it therapeutic to knead the dough by hand on occasion ~ but I don't always have the time. That is when the No-Knead (aka Artisan bread in 5-minutes a day) method is so welcome.

I was very happy when Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois released their follow-up book to their first book ~

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day .

Their second book focuses on teaching us how to make more nutritious breads, and other baked goods using whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free ingredients.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day:

100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

We love the full flavor and wholesome texture of this bread.

Delicious any way it is served; room temperature, warmed up, or toasted.

Several months ago we invested in a grain mill to assure our flour is as fresh as possible; whole grain flour loses nutrients rapidly and goes rancid rather quickly once milled. If ground ahead it should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. That is why I'm not so keen on buying whole grain flours off the shelf.

Here is an additional article that may be of interest regarding the shelf life of whole wheat flour ~ also raised is the question of whether the 'whole wheat flour' found in the grocery store actually contains the entire wheat berry, or if the perishable oils have been stripped to make it shelf stable for months.

Years ago when I used to make whole grain bread every week I was able to buy it from a local health food store. The grains were milled on premises and refrigerated in plastic bags for sale. I don't find that to be the case near my home now.

That is actually what compelled me to look into grain mills so I could grind my own. There are a number of high quality mills on the market, and after doing a fair amount of research I decided upon the L'Equip 760200 NutriMill Grain Mill.

I have been using it for a little over six months and am very pleased with its efficiency and ease of operation.

I buy organic whole grains in bulk from my local health food store, and can have freshly ground flour within just a couple of minutes (it's FAST!) with very little effort on my part.

Here you can see the whole wheat berries and the freshly ground flour.

We've found that there is a remarkable difference in freshly milled flour when compared to flour from the bag. The whole wheat flour is enticingly aromatic and very sweet smelling when freshly ground. I noticed a similar pleasing aroma when grinding oat and rye berries, though they each have their own particular fragrance.

The baked things just seem to taste better when the flour is absolutely fresh, it is also very satisfying to bake with flour you have ground yourself only minutes earlier.

I'm participating in Tuesday Twister, hosted by Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS (please click to learn more.)

Upcoming Soon . . .

Working with homemade Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter.

I'm currently taking another e-course hosted by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWGFLINS ~ this time it's all about Sourdough. I've worked with sourdough starter in the past, but always with store-bought starter, and never with a whole grain starter.

I urge you to check out Wardeh's blog and the e-courses that are available~ Wardeh is a great teacher and the GNOWGFLINS support forum is wonderful!

~*~*~*~*~

If you are interested in learning more about my grain mill, you can click the image below.

Thank you for stopping by today ~ I love to read your thoughts and comments.

Have a wonderful and healthful week, my friends.

Friday

Crazy-Good Spiced Nut Mix

When I hear David Lebovitz's name mentioned, I usually associate it with dessert recipes as he is a former pastry/dessert chef with Chez Pannise restaurant, among others, as well as the author of some remarkable desserts/sweets cookbooks. Yes!

But there is way more to the man than that ~ besides the four wildly popular books on desserts he has written, he also is the author of one of my favorite blogs:

http://davidlebovitz.com/

I adore his writing style and sharp yet subtle wit, as well as his marvelous photography and great recipes.

The recipe for this nut mix is from his book
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City ,
a highly entertaining read about his life in Paris since moving from the U.S.

Bonus Alert~ throughout the book David shares over 50 of his recipes for appetizers/snacks, main dishes, sides and glorious desserts. I love that!

When I read about this spiced nut mix I knew I wanted to make it right away.

The combination of seasonings (brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, chili powder or smoked paprika and coarse salt) may seem a little odd; but trust me this combination is perfection.

David has the proportions of the spices calculated concisely so no one flavor dominates ~ a seductive combination of slightly sweet, salty... and other rich flavors which defy identification--- but it all just works seamlessly ---
I can't describe it, you simply must try them for yourself !

The recipe could hardly be more simple ~ toast the raw nuts of your choice, and while the nuts are in the oven mix up the seasonings in a large bowl. Then toss the warm nuts with the seasoning to coat thoroughly, mix in the pretzel twists and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

And that's all there is to it.

The seasoning ingredients meld into a glaze while roasting, adhering to the nut mix in a most delightful way ~ once cool break into clusters and serve. They keep up to 5 days or so, stored airtight at room temperature.

These would make a perfect little gift from your kitchen.
If you try them, I hope you like them!

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe,
please visit the Once Upon a Plate recipe blog HERE.

Thank you for stopping by to visit today; I truly appreciate any comments you would like to share.

Monday

Give Away ~ Tate's Bake Shop Cookies and Cookbook !

Recently the people at Tate's Bake Shop, the highly regarded bakery in Southampton, NY, offered to send me a generous sampling of their cookies, plus a copy of "Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook*" by founder Kathleen King for review.

*Click link above to peek inside the book.

I have heard fabulous things about Tate's Bake Shop, and I learned that Ina Garten offered everything Tate's Bake Shop produced at her exclusive specialty food shop "The Barefoot Contessa", an impressive testimonial as to the quality of Tate's products if you ask me.

The cookbook includes 125 mouthwatering recipes; cookies, cakes, pies, muffins and scones, breads, plus healthy alternative recipes.

How could I turn this fabulous opportunity down?

The best part is that a follower of this blog will be randomly chosen to receive a duplicate gift box, just like the one I received from Tate's Bake Shop ~

Three boxes of cookies and the cookbook!

When the cookies arrived I was impressed with the smart, attractive packaging. Not a broken cookie in the bunch, as soon as you open the inner cellophane package be prepared for the heavenly, freshly baked aroma of homemade cookies.

Okay, so after diligent taste testing(s)... my opinion of the cookies? Deliciously addictive. These are the real deal, people.

Pure butter and wholesome ingredients, nothing artificial.

And just as the package states: "Crispy and buttery, rich but not overwhelming, they simply melt in your mouth ... and just one is never enough." I completely agree with that description.

The irresistible aroma overcame me and I couldn't resist tasting one as I was setting up the display. Delicious!!

I am not surprised that Tate's Bake Shop has consistently received glowing reviews from such publications as The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Everyday by Rachael Ray, among others.

THE GIVE AWAY DETAILS

A chance to win:

3 boxes of Tate's Bake Shop Cookies, attractively packaged and suitable for gift giving. (But you're probably going to want to keep them for yourself!)

AND

A copy of Kathleen King's "Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook"

Rules for entry ~

1.) Must be a follower of this blog, Once Upon a Plate (see side bar to sign up)

2.) For your first entry leave a comment on this post and name your favorite cookie.

Increase your chances to win:

3.) Sign up to "Like" Tate's Bake Shop on facebook (click to link), and come back here and leave a second comment on this post to let me know you did.

Fine Print:

Give Away open to residents of the continental United States only