Lemon Drop Champagne Punch

Martha Stewart Living is one magazine that I recommend investing in, and don't worry, this isn't an "inside" tip that's going to land either of us behind bars. In fact my sister and I invested my mother in a subscription for the past year, and the entertaining guru has only made us better off. Her ideas are endless and she has improved our notion of entertaining, from elegant table settings and eye-catching centerpieces to savory foods and drinks that are ever memorable.
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Being that I am from an Italian family, I am sure it is no surprise that our dining room table is the focal point of our home. Not only does my mother get very technical in creating a beautiful table setting presentation, but last Christmas my sister-in-law brought over a Martha Stewart inspired, homemade, centerpiece that certainly added that eye-catching touch. However, this year I hope to bring to the center Martha's Lemon Drop Champagne Punch, which I know will look pleasent, but intend for it to be more pleasing to the palate than the eye.
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I am certainly a fan of of champagne, I believe lemon complements just about everything beautifully, but this recipe is what first introduced me to candied lemon peels, which I believe give this punch that added pizazz. Sure you can add fresh fruit, raspberries or strawberries, or even lemons, but I think the candied peels are more effective for a winter drink. No matter what your choice of garnish, if you enjoy punch, this is a universal flavour that is sure to please all guests.
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And don't stop there, visit Martha's new daily blog, The Martha Blog up close & personal, to discover more of her trendiest ideas.

The Recipe

Ingredients: (for 6 to 8 guests)
3 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle champagne, chilled
3/4 cup vodka, chilled
4 ounces candied lemon peels

Remove zest from each lemon, juice lemons, and strain pulp. You should end up with 3/4 cup of juice. A trick to removing the zest is to use a vegetable peeler, peeling in a continuous spiral. Lemons are easier to peel, and will release more juice, at room temperature than when chilled.
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In a saucepan over medium high heat, heat the sugar and a 1/2 cup of water, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Add zest, and let the "syrup" cool completely, about 2 hours.

Pour champagne, vodka, lemon juice, and syrup into a punch bowl, and stir. Serve your glasses of punch with candied peels.
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Perfect for Christmas, New Year's, and all season long,
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Haley

Chocolate Toffee Snowballs

It seems fitting that the first snowfall of the season began just hours ago on my part of the globe. Luckily this year I have found a new way to enjoy the snow just as much as I did as a child, other than having a snowball fight with the neighbours' children. In fact, I say leave the snow outside altogether. Make a snow angel or two for old time sake, but in general, leave the snow outside. Instead, you can enjoy the taste of a nice warm chocolate toffee snowball from right inside your toasty kitchen, which will melt in your mouth in a way that is just a tad bit more tasteful than yellow snow.

I flipped my way through to this "Choco Toffee Snowballs" recipe in the 2008 Milk Calendar that I just received in the mail not to long ago. I got pretty excited when the issue came, as I was talking about my anticipation just a couple weeks prior to its arrival. The anticipation for the calendar being quite the equivalent to my anticipation for some light snow. What you may not be aware of is that, at my house, we have a stack of old milk calendars on our recipe book shelf that we certainly treat as prized possessions. If you are not aware of the milk calendar, then you are definitely missing out on 12 yearly delicious recipes that coordinate with each month's season, as well as about 10 added extras. Just for an idea, flip to this coming year's April and you have a beautiful Salmon and Rice Primavera, turn to July and you have Sensational Smoothies, and move on to October and you have a lovely Sweet Potato Bake with Crispy Garlic Topping. It just makes the year pass through swiftly and that much more pleasant.

So, nearly last, but not least, my eyes stumbled across these choco toffee snowballs near the end of the calendar. Sure, I am getting ahead of myself oh, about a year, but can you blame me? I may have to send some of my candy cane cookies away as present toppers, because these snowballs are making their way up on my winter list of goodies.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup toffee bits

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light. Beat in vanilla. Gradually stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Finally, stir in your toffee bits and chocolate chips.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets, a couple inches apart.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottom, and firm to touch on the top.

Once baked, sprinkle with icing sugar in case your snowballs need to be a little more snow inspired.

It goes without saying, there is no better Christmas than a white Christmas,

Haley

Candy Cane Cookies

So you like candy canes, and you love cookies, what then, is better than candy cane cookies. If you are anything like me then candy canes are good to eat sparingly, better appreciated for their festive appearance, and mostly cute as an accent on the top of a present. Cookies on the other hand, are the best snacks of all time that are always good to eat, especially when they have that festive appearance. Candy cane cookies then, give you the best of both worlds. And thanks to good old Betty Crocker, they have been the best part of my winter wonderland since I was a little baker in training, well, mom obviously did the majority of the baking, but I was always a good taste tester.

Candy cane cookies have always been a nostalgic element in my life. As I sifted through my mother's Betty Crocker recipe card library, in search of this very recipe, I could not help but be reminded of so many childhood visuals: me sifting through the recipe cards as a little girl, the image on the candy cane cookie recipe card, my mom's yellow tub of flour, the kitchen...all covered in flour, her rolling pin, my rolling pin, and me sneaking into the freezer to grab just one cookie several times throughout the night.
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Every Christmas holiday my mother and I put some days aside for baking Christmas cookies, in fact the discussion about making candy cane cookies this year has already come up. These memories cannot even be displaced by the ones of me opening presents on Christmas morning (especially not of the year I balled my little eyes out because Santa brought me ice skates instead of the toy TV and remote control I wanted...that did not exist). Christmas has always been far more about the moments shared with family, and not so much about what was under the tree. I hope I have a little girl one day who I can make candy cane cookies with, and I hope you can enjoy the experience as well.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon red food colour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Mix your butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and flavourings (almond extract and vanilla). Blend in flour and salt. Once blended well, divide the dough in half, and add your food colouring to one half.

One cookie at a time: Shape about "1 teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope". I recommend rolling your pieces back and forth on a floured board, for smooth ropes. Place your ropes (one white, one red...for us, the other usually turns out pink, you could try green food colour or any other as well) side by side, press together lightly, and twist. Curve the top of the cookie to form the handle, and you should have a candy cane cookie! Continue with the rest of your dough and it should make about "4 dozen cookies".

Place on a baking sheet, and bake for about "9 minutes", or until very light brown. The Betty Crocker recipe mentions sprinkling crushed peppermint over your cookies if you wish, however I recommend having them without.

I could not help but notice this recipe is Copyright 1971, well before I was born, but to this day beats any Christmas cookie around. For a time saving twist, try Betty Crocker's new Christmas Candy Cane Cookies (Cookie Mix) recipe, made with her cookie mix found in stores and just 3 other ingredients. But, I do recommend opting for traditional holiday baking!

Freeze your cookies (dividing each layer with wax paper), so you don't eat them all up at once before your guests arrive. Although, that might not stop you since they are just as good frozen ;)

Haley

An Early Christmas Gift

I would like to announce that I am a new member of the baking group Daring Bakers, and you can expect my name to appear on the Daring Bakers Blogroll this upcoming week! The group is basically a community of people with one main thing in common: we like to bake! And obviously, we like to talk about it! As an early Christmas gift, per say, I have received the groups logo:


...which you may have noticed me sporting on my blog (side bar). I hope to share with you some of the "challenging" recipes I come across while being a part of this group, and I hope that from the group's blogroll you will check out some of the active members' personal baking blogs. As the group welcomes non-bloggers as well, I encourage people to join!

We knead to bake,

Haley

My "Favourite Thing" this Christmas

While it is undeniable that everyone is still talking about Tuesday's episode of Oprah, the annual "Oprah's Favorite Things 2007" episode (where she shows off her 20 or so favourite gifts to give this Christmas), I am still talking about Giada De Laurentiis's appearance on the show just a week before. Sure all of the items that made Oprah's list, including the Samsung camcorder (approximate value: $800), Ugg crochet boots ($120), crystal watches ($150-$1500), KitchenAid Artisian mixer ($350) and panini press ($100), to name a few, were all amazing gifts. Even more, I am sure that all of the audience members who were given one of each item to take home felt just as amazing, especially considering that this year's gifts included the most expensive gift to make the list in "Oprah's Favorite Things" history: an LG stainless steel refrigerator ($3800), with a built in TV, DVD hookup, radio, digital photo display, more than 100 built-in recipes, and that is about enough to get a grasp on all the Christmas excitement that is surrounding the show.

But back to reality for a moment...

Holiday recipes, as seen on Oprah the week prior, is my favourite thing this Christmas.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner, just about one month away too be exact. With your Christmas tree, decorations, and lights already or nearly already up, it is now that time to begin preparing your holiday menus, and to be creative while you are at it. One of my favourite Christmas edibles is antipasto, the Italian equivalent to hors d'oeuvre, meaning before the meal (anti = before, pasto = meal). While I am used to delicacies, cheeses, and marinated vegetables, which never get old, Giada De Laurentiis's Easy-to-Make hors D'oeuvres may make your first creative steps in preparing your holiday meals that much easier.

Experimenting with hors d'oeurves can be a lot of fun, and even more fun actually eat them. One of Giada's recipes that I have been exercising is her fried ravioli. Never had I thought of enjoying pasta this way, but having tried making mine with simply a basic cheese ravioli, I certainly did enjoy it tremendously. (While frying the ravioli I was reminded of a trick I learned to do with leftover pasta: instead of reheating your pasta in the microwave or in a saucepan, put your leftovers in a frying pan, add some oil and mozzarella cheese, and fry 'til crunchy. This is the one and only way I actually enjoy leftovers as much, if not more, than the fresh meal.) The concept of fried ravioli closely reminded me of fried won tons that you can get at your local Chinese restaurant, made from the traditional style of won tons used in won ton soup; both ravioli and won tons are a traditional stuffed pasta per say, now put to an entirely new flavour and given a new tasty texture. I am going to experiment with the fried ravioli again soon, with maybe a meat and spinach, sausage, or vegetable filled ravioli, which are some ideas I recommend as well, as I definitely recommend serving this recipe in general for a definite crowd-pleaser!

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The Recipe: Fried Ravioli by Giada De Laurentiis

I find this recipe quite straight forward and the process is similar to the breading and cooking of meats and vegetables.

Now, if only I had that LG refrigerator to store my ingredients in,

Haley

Haley's Pork Chops

I am not one to brag, but it has been far too long for my pork chops to have not made an appearance on my blog, being that I have never made pork chops without people preaching about how good they are.

To get your taste buds in motion...
This week a few of the ladies in my apartment were getting together for dinner, which is not a rare occasion, and being that it was at my place I decided to make a nice shrimp fettuccine alfredo and some greens. However, being that I am my mother's daughter the menu certainly could not stop at just that. And so I decided I would prepare some of my favourite pork chops because they are easy to make, and more importantly, they are always critiqued well. When making my alfredo sauce I experimented a bit, adding garlic and white wine, which I had never added to my original alfredo. This experiment was going to end up on my blog, however, once again, my pork chops out-shown what was supposed to be the highlight of the meal, and I thought it would be wise to just put the uninteresting alfredo on the back burner.

Now, I can tell you story after story about exactly how delicious these pork chops are, or I can let your try them for yourself. I hope your taste buds are at full speed, because I am letting my secret loose.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
boneless pork chops, thin fast fry
olive oil
garlic, diced
onions, sliced
red peppers, sliced
white wine
lemon, and fresh squeezed lemon juice
lemon pepper
parsley flakes

Note: Never be afraid to experiment by adding new flavours; this recipe began with only 3 ingredients aside from the pork chops (olive oil, onions, and lemon juice).

Marinate your pork chops in an olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon pepper marinade, for several hours. You can prepare them the night before, or the morning of. However, I sometimes marinate just several minutes before and they will still turn out tasty.

Line a large frying pan with olive oil, and saute a hearty amount of garlic, onions, and red peppers. You do not just want to add these ingredients for appearance or minimal flavours, rather, you want to be able to fill your pan.

Once your vegetables are soft, discard the marinade from your pork chops and place them in the pan. Allow the chops to cook on both sides, adding white wine and lemon juice to the pan to keep them from burning. Do let your pork chops brown, but keep adding liquids right before they are about to burn. It is almost like you are playing a game with them; you want to make sure your chops brown, yet you want to keep them fairly moist. Your juices should eventually be browning and have a rather thick consistency.

Add lemon pepper and parsley flakes to taste, and I sometimes add entire rings or wedges of lemon to the pan. Your final result should be browned chops, bathed in "sticky" juices and vegetables.

I was watching The Main tonight, on the Food Network, and Chef Anthony Sedlak referred to the mushrooms that he topped off a beautiful red snapper with, as having "a sticky texture that's kind of sexy". And that is exactly how I want to refer to the garlic, onions, and peppers that are smeared in with my chops.

Haley

*Read more about The Main, on a blog in conjunction with the Food Network, Food for Thought.

French Onion Soup

The weather lately has had me craving a nice hot bowl of french onion soup, and I got around to making some this week, one day at 3:00 in the afternoon. One thing I like about french onion soup is that you can have it as an "in between lunch and dinner snack", especially good when you are walking in from a chilly fall walk after a 2:30 class or appointment. You know, when an afternoon coffee just will not due.

Now, my french onion soup is one that is easy, and fast! To me, an onion and beef broth based soup should not be time consuming and should be able to wear the title of a homemade soup that can be thrown together nice and quick, on days when it is a snack well-needed. It is a "cup of tea", that sure beats - a cup of tea.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large sweet onions

butter (few tbsp)

black pepper, to taste

red wine

beef cubes (or french onion soup mix)

french baguette

garlic powder

parmigian cheese

olive oil (or Swiss or Gruyere cheese)

In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute your onions until golden, adding pepper to taste. I like adding a lot of pepper, making sure my onions are visibly seasoned, which will give your soup a noticeable bite. Add red wine, to taste, which will also give your onions and final result of your soup some colour.

Add water to the pan, enough so that your onions are paired with a good amount of broth. Bring to a boil, adding your beef cubes (or french onion soup mix). Once your broth has gained its deep colour, turn to low heat and allow to simmer.

While your soup simmers, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut your baguette into slices just about 1 inch or so thick, keeping it on the thinner side. Lay your slices on a baking tray and add a spread of butter to each, topped with a sprinkle of garlic powder, and a generous amount of parmigian cheese. Add an additional cheese of choice if your appetite prefers, otherwise just drizzle over with olive oil. If you are adding another cheese besides parmigian, you may not necessarily need or want to add oil.

Bake you baguettes briefly, until the cheese is melted and they are browned and crispy. Once they are done, remove your soup from heat. You can eat your baguettes alongside your soup, or for the more traditional experience, place them directly atop your soup and eat directly from the bowl.

Who knew what was historically known as "food for the poor people" could be so good,

Haley

The Pastabilities are Endless

Pasta, pasta salads, and pasta casseroles - from greek pasta salad to pasta pizza casserole – the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can do with pasta in the kitchen. Enough said, let's get busy!

I would like to share a favourite of mine, as well as some simple substitutions that can be made to turn the dish around. You might even gain your own ideas for substitutions as we go along.

What I am starting with is a tuna pasta salad, which I will guide toward turning this dish into a tuna pasta bake, as well as toward a traditional pasta salad and a vinaigrette pasta salad.

The Recipes

Ingredients (Tuna Pasta Salad):
pasta noodles, of choice
white onion, diced
celery, chopped
one can white chunk tuna in water, drained
Hellmann’s mayonnaise
salt, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
oregano, to taste

In a saucepan, boil your pasta noodles, adding salt to the water. Cook el dente, and drain. Allow your noodles to cool, you can hurry this process by running them under cool water, or by putting them in the refrigerator momentarily. Once your noodles have cooled, add your onions, celery, and tuna, mixing well. Mix in Hellmann’s mayonnaise and add salt, lemon pepper, and oregano to taste. Lemon pepper is my not-so-secret ingredient that gives this dish a beautiful taste. You can never go wrong when pairing seafood and lemon flavours.

Turn your tuna pasta salad into a tuna pasta bake by substituting the mayonnaise for one can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and milk, enough so that your pasta will not dry out as it bakes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and place in an oven-safe casserole dish. Mix in cheeses if desired, and top with bread crumbs (or I have even heard of people using potato chips), and bake until thickens and topping is browned.

Note: Accordingly,
you will not need to cool your noodles, and your noodles should be cooked a little less than el dente as they will continue to cook in the oven. Lemon pepper may also be substituted for a regular black pepper when making your cooked version.

Turn your tuna pasta salad into a traditional pasta salad by substituting the tuna with sliced red peppers and carrots.

Turn your traditional pasta salad into a vinaigrette pasta salad by substituting the mayonnaise for oil and vinegar, of your choice.

One thing you should not feel with all these substitutions, is confused. There are so many combinations that you can never truly go wrong,

Haley

Fast, Fresh, Fabulous Fish

I understand that not everyone is a seafood lover, but I do not understand why. My dad and I have always been the only two in our immediate family who will eat almost anything - I can remember as just a young girl, my dad coming home from work and often surprising me with octopus salad, which we would share right from the container until he would leave the last piece for me - let me just say I can count the number of foods I do not like on one hand. And if I do not prefer a food, it is usually not a distaste for the food itself, but rather for the way in which it was prepared. "Distaste", what an awful word, I can't believe I just said it.

Being that Lake Erie is practically my backyard, it is no surprise that there is great fish in this area. So, it is inevitable that my mom, and older brother and sister, have become accustomed to some seafood and I do not just mean shrimp. This recipe, in fact, is one that even they will taste on the occasional Christmas Eve when, for us, meat is not an option.

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It is breaded, oven fried perch. Do not tell me that does not make you hungry. And my trick here is slicing your perch fillets into small pieces, that way you do not have a huge piece of fish merely coated with the the breading flavours, but rather a bite size piece that does not allow for the fish to overpower the tasty seasoning. Do not get me wrong, the breading is not your typical thick, beer battered deep fry, and I guarantee you won't eat just one!

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The Recipe

Ingredients:

perch fillets

dry bread crumbs, of your choice

grated parmesan cheese

thyme

milk

Cut your fillets into small pieces, not too small, enough to allow for a couple bites worth. Combine your bread crumbs, parmesan, and thyme. Dip your fish pieces in milk and coat with bread crumb mix.

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Lay your breaded perch pieces on a greased, flat baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over the pieces or I sometimes just slice some shavings of butter to put atop each piece, which will melt on its own once in the oven.
Bake at 450 degrees, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. The length of time will depend on the thickness of your fish.

Once cooked, eat as is or add lemon, pour on tomato sauce, or add slivers of parmesan or parsley flakes.

Serve as an appetizer or meal,

Haley

Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and Cucumber wrap

As a current University student, I know the feeling of constantly being "on the go" and I am sure that these days almost everyone can relate to leading a busy lifestyle. And wouldn't you know, one of my favourite parts of the day is taking a solid hour or two or more to indulge in a relaxing and tasteful dinner experience, which is usually a late one. Needless to say, lunch breaks do not always, realistically never, allow for a fabulous, homemade, sit-down meal.

Therefore, I have an "on the go" treat, which involves one of the few tricks I keep up my sleeve - who said "trick-or-treating" had to end last week? I have never been the type of person to get used to take-out or having fast-food "meals" on a daily basis, and so this is where these tricks come in handy. On the go? Looking for something quick, easy, and healthy? I don't mind if I do: The Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and Cucumber wrap.

The Trick to your Treat of a worthwhile Lunch a.k.a. The Recipe

Ingredients:
pita (whole wheat for a healthier option), I recommend using Lebanese pita for a wrap as opposed to the thicker Greek pita; Lebanese pita is thinner and about 2 inches longer in elongation
garden vegetable cream cheese
cucumber

Lay your pita flat and spread your vegetable cream cheese over the surface, to your liking. The amount may determine the wrap's health factor. Slice your cucumber, and place the slices in a row as you would for a taco or fajita. Then wrap as you would a fajita, and you are all set.

You may be wondering "is that it?", but what seems like nothing special will prove otherwise to your taste buds. This wrap is extremely refreshing for an afternoon lunch. The crunchy cucumber slices allow for an added texture that pairs well with the cream cheese. You might even try adding feta cheese as well, but I recommend keeping it simple, allowing for the cucumber to be the prominent taste.

When I am running out the door, 15 minutes to where I have to be, who would guess that something so simple is one of my regular cravings. Forget that you forgot to have lunch, with that being said, this craving is possible to satisfy in those mere minutes.

That someone who occasionally walks down the street with a wrap in hand, say lunch time, (eyes shut, going mm mm) is me,

Haley

Viva Las Vegas: The Cheesecake Factory

This past weekend some friends and I stayed at The (Venice inspired) Venetian in Las Vegas! Similar to previous visits, one of the most memorable aspects of Vegas to me, is the food. Instead of trying to mimic one of The Venetian's fabulous Italian dishes, I would like to focus on a smaller plate, in a bigger place (with big taste!) - cheesecake at Caesar's Palace.

Dinner at Caesar's The Cheesecake Factory was a spectacle from beginning, with an incredible 200 item menu, to end. With portions so large they could be shared by two, it was still a must to save room for one of their more than 40 flavours of cheesecake. The cheesecake of course, shared by one.

After contemplating between my top three cheesecake choices, which I was finally able to narrow down to a white chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake, a Kahlua cocoa coffee cheesecake, and a tiramisu cheesecake, I opted for the tiramisu. Now you are probably wondering why I settled for a traditional tiramisu flavour, however, I was convinced on the tiramisu cheesecake when I discovered it was not just tiramisu flavoured cheesecake, but a deliciously flavoured cheesecake layered on an actual tiramisu cake bottom. Literally combining tiramisu with cheesecake. Oh God.

Along with this fantastic idea, I am going to give you my very simple, yet delicious, cheesecake recipe, which you can try pairing with any of your own dessert foundations, whether it be a tiramisu base, brownie base, cookie base, and the possibilities are endless.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

Mix cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed. Once blended, and there are no clumps, add your eggs mixing on low speed. Pour over your choice of crust, and bake until centre is almost set.

One thing worth placing my bets on in Vegas?

You can bet I cashed in this idea, and took it home,

Haley

Veal Saltimbocca

Saltimbocca Italian: "jumps in the mouth"

Forget jumps, this entree leaps, twirls, and does summer saults in my mouth. This is probably because veal is my favourite meat and prosciuitto my favourite delicacie. While everyone is likely familiar with veal, sliced prosciuitto on the other hand, is usally served in sandwiches, as an antipasto, and often pairs with cantaloupe melon. It is a delicacie that is also especially popular in Italian cuisine, used in pasta sauces, on pizza, or involved when cooking other meats.

My mother claims to this day that she has never had better veal saltimbocca than at a little restaurant in Italy, on her and my father's honeymoon. *Sigh* That obviously cannot be topped, but I am told mine comes close (thanks mom and dad). This recipe is simple to make and even easier to eat. What better than the combination of veal topped with proscuitto and Italian spices, marinated in wine.

The Recipe

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Ingredients:
olive oil

butter

dry white wine

veal cutlets

proscuitto slices

sage leaves

Place the veal between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet. Season if desired, cover each veal piece with a slice of prosciutto, and place a sage leaf on top. You can secure the sage in place with a toothpick.

Heat your oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the veal in batches, with the proscuitto facing up, and fry over medium high heat until the veal is cooked through. This will only take few minutes.

Try to drain most of the oil from the pan and add your wine. Cook over high heat, adding more butter if desired.

Spoon the juices over the veal when serving.

Jumping with flavour,

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Haley

To Puree or Not to Puree: Potato Leek Soup

At the onset of fall, amongst the cool and rainy weather you can huddle under an umbrella, like my mother, so you can still barbeque your favourite meats and grill your favourite vegetables, or you can embrace the "soup season". Whether you are someone who finds it easy or one who finds it hard to accept that summer has passed, I have a recipe that will help you ease into the fact that fall is here. So when the clocks "fall" back an hour, and you are walking in from the cold to your home at hours of darkness, you will see that there is no better dinner than cozying up to a quick and easy, but not ordinary, warm bowl of soup.

When I walked into work this weekend, and we did not have many customers' orders to satisfy, I found my boss gathering ingredients together with her own craving to satisfy, potato leek soup.


Potato leek soup is like a soup version of a baked potato with chives (or "the works" baked potato, depending on your garnishing). A leek belongs to the onion and garlic family, and looks like a green onion in appearance, but on a larger scale. And a potato, well, is only the best ingredient for endless possibilities in the kitchen.

Interested in this soup, I peaked over my boss' shoulder to learn her recipe. When I get to the recipe, you will understand why this soup looked absolutely appetizing to me. Why I say lookED is because when I sat down for lunch the most terrible thing had happened. She had pureed the entire soup. "Why did you puree the soup?" I asked, to which she answered, "you're supposed to puree potato leek soup...well, I guess you don't have too". To puree or not to puree? Two roads diverged, and sorry I am not, I can travel both.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
oil
white onions
celery
red skinned potatoes
leeks
sour cream
cheddar cheese & green onions to garnish

In a pot over medium heat, sautee your onions and celery in oil until soft, do not brown.

Cut your potatoes, which I recommend not peeling, into cubes or chunks. Once the onions and celery are soft, add your potatoes, while also adding more oil to coat the potatoes.

Slice the white base and light green part of the stalk of your leeks and add to the pot, feel free to add a taste of white wine or chicken stock at this point, and cook until your leeks are wilted.

Fill your pot with water and bring to a boil, adding water just enough so that your soup is still thick/chunky.

The best of both worlds
Although the pureed soup was not all that appetizing to look at, it still tasted delicious. However, if you choose to leave your soup looking hearty, do not puree, add or top with sour cream, and enjoy. Otherwise, puree, but top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions to give it some texture.

Now put your grills away with no reason to be sad about it,

Haley

Bye Bye Banana Bread, Hello Banana Snack Cake

I baked my heart out at work this weekend. Everything from your classic brownies and chocolate truffles to lemon cheesecake squares and brandy snaps! I even fit in some no-bake nanaimo bars.

I work for a family owned and operated Italian catering and specialty food store, and in terms of our desserts we have an absolutely talented elderly lady who bakes the intricate Italian cookies right out of her basement, while at our kitchen, we usually stick to a binder of laminated all-around favourites that make the average customers happy. Every now and then, however, a new recipe may find its way in. And this is where the banana snack cake comes in, into the baking binder, into my heart, and into my tummy.

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If you like banana bread (I know it is a favourite of mine that I have tested several recipes for) then you will love this cake. With a twist, it is full of extra goodies from oatmeal oats to chocolate chunks and shavings that mmm melt in and all throughout this treat. To gain an idea of how good it is, the owner's elderly mother called over to me as I was cutting the cake into squares, while she sat grinding what she had dried of the summer's Italian herbs, "can I have the ends". She then proceeded to eat all of the edges that I removed from the cake and for some reason her facial expression did not lead me to believe this was just because she refuses to throw anything away. A sample was also enjoyed by several customers who were in the store at the time, other workers, and of course myself.

The recipe was obviously copied and taken home with me, and the cake is likely to appear into my coffee breaks this week. If you are feeling a little envious right now, I am sure it can make an appearance with you as well - in your kitchen, breakfast nook, lunch bag, hidden in your apron at work (guilty), pocket during class (may be guilty of this week) - oh, it is just so good and I would be more than happy for you to experience it too!

The Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

(I recommend sifting the dry ingredients listed above)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips, or cut up a chunk of chocolate

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk (1 tbsp vinegar, fill with milk to 1/2 cup)

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13X9 inch pan. In a large bowl combine your butter, eggs, buttermilk, and bananas. Blend well. Stir in the rest of your dry ingredients. Spread the batter over your greased pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Slice up your cake, pour a cup of coffee, and you are all set,

Haley

Chinese Coleslaw

It has been said that the Chinese invented pasta. Although I do enjoy a variety of Chinese food, when it comes to pasta, I will have to stick by my fellow Italians who I believe perfected it. So then why am I even making reference to Chinese Cuisine? Well, because there are many other "Chinese inspired" recipes that ought to be noted, aside from simply their noodles. One I get very excited about, which I am not sure whether or not it is an adaptation of a Chinese recipe, is however "Chinese coleslaw". This probably cannot be found at your favourite Chinese restaurant so you will be very interested in following up with this recipe.

Do you do potlucks?

If you have ever been to a potluck party, or are ever looking for a potluck idea, this is one of my favourites. Every Christmas holiday I attend an "Annual Cousins' Christmas Party" where every one of the 25+ cousins brings a favourite dish. And, right between the pastas, antipastos, and four competing homemade pizza recipes (one handed down from each of the four aunts) you will find this Chinese coleslaw that somehow made its way into this rather Italian smorgasbord. And no, it is not me who brings it into a cousin's Italian home, but let me tell you, I have found a way to bring it back to mine by way of the recipe. Since we have had the recipe, my sister - who is a nurse - uses it from time to time when her floor at the hospital has their monthly or so potluck!

What does it taste like?

From the ingredients you can probably gain a feel for its flavours. Note: It does take on a sweeter taste, like most Asian/oriental salads do. Just remember, its a potluck favourite so the majority of a crowd will love it!

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cabbage, sliced (or 1 bag of coleslaw mix)

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup slivered almonds (or flat)

2 packages of beef ramin noodles (oriental or Mr.Noodles)

green onions

Dressing:

1 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

seasoning packets from your noodles

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients and pour over your coleslaw mix. Refrigerate, which will allow your coleslaw to absorb the flavour.

Final tip: Try toasting your almonds (on a baking sheet) in the oven before adding them to your coleslaw,

Haley

Hummus: Healthy and Delicious...and Easy to Make!

Although I live by Italian cooking, among many other ethnic favourites of mine is Lebanese cuisine! One reason is that I consider the foods to allow for a very healthy, balanced diet. It is also especially suitable for vegetarians. And so you could conclude that I eat Lebanese food more than I make it. However, a hummus recipe that comes from a best friend of mine's mother is one that keeps me quite busy.

I wanted to first introduce Lebanese cuisine with hummus because it is a universally tasty dip that does not necessarily call for an acquired taste. It is a chickpea dip with its second most important ingredient tahina (ground sesame seed paste), and so this dip is also referred to as hummus bi tahina, "chickpeas with tahina". This also tangy and garlicky dip can be found in your local grocery store, but the only time I have purchased hummus is from the market I used to work for, where my friend's mother made it from scratch! Of course, I recommend making it yourself as well, and this recipe will make it all that much easier.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tahina
1 tbsp, lemon juice (or more, to your taste)
water, to thin
salt, to taste

Wash and drain your chickpeas and add them to a pot of water to boil. While your chickpeas are warming, put your garlic into a food processor and crush.

Once your chickpeas are warmed, strain them, and add on top of your crushed garlic. Begin to whip your chickpeas, scraping the chickpeas from the edges if and when necessary. While the machine is on, add water slowly to thin, but until the consistency is still quite thick, at this point it should be like peanut butter. You do not want to add a lot of water otherwise your chickpeas will start to clump.

Now add your tahina and lemon juice. Again, it is important to add your ingredients slowly, so your hummus is not watery. Your final texture should be smooth; not thick and not watery. Remember, it's a dip/spread!

Add your salt to taste and garnish with olive oil and parsley. There are numerous other ways you can garnish hummus including cucumber, turnips, olives, green onions and/or paprika. Hummus is traditionally eaten with pita bread or various flat breads, but is increasingly popular as a dip for crackers or tortilla chips. I think it pairs well with raw vegetables as a veggie dip.

It cannot get easier! Chill and serve,

Haley

Fondue

Being that today is one of my best friend's birthdays, I have decided to pull out a party-inspired recipe favourite. Fondue! Easy to make; makes friendly gatherings easy. Easy, however, is an understatement when referring to this dip. More importantly, fondue is the center of social gatherings and makes get-togethers cozy and fun! Even more importantly, it's delicious.

About fondue...

Fondue is a dish that is shared. The contents of the fondue pot, which is kept over a burner, are kept in a liquid state available for assorted dippers. Long forks are used to spear assorted dippers that are dipped into the pot and eaten. It is a good idea to have a separate pot for every four to six people. I also recommended using actual fondue pots, which range in price and can be found almost anywhere...try a local department/kitchen store!

Cheese fondues are probably the best known, but there are several other possibilities. I am going to share my version of cheese fondue as well as a perfect dessert choice to follow up this appetizer/meal...what other than, chocolate fondue!

The Recipe

Ingredients:
Cheese FUNdue
1/2 lb/1 cup Swiss cheese: Emmenthaler or Jarlsberg, shredded (your dry cheese)
1/2 lb/1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (your sweet cheese)
1 clove garlic
1 cup dry white wine (thinning agent)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch or flour (thickening agent)
3 tbsp Kirsch
1/4 tsp pepper
nutmeg, to taste

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with your garlic clove. Afterward, I add the clove to the pot, you can add or discard. Heat your white wine and lemon juice, until hot, but do not boil. Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in your cheeses. Slowly add the remainder of your ingredients.

To Dip: crusty Italian or French bread baguettes, cut bite-size. It is important to use crusty bread, so it does not become soggy or get lost in the cheese. Also try, cubed ham, broccoli, or cauliflower.

Chocolate FUNdue
1 cup chocolate, chopped

1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)

Heat cream until warm, do not boil. Slowly stir in chocolate, mixture will become smooth. Stir in liqueur.

To Dip: strawberries, banana slices, pineapple chunks, angel food cake, marshmallows

After a few trial runs, it will be no time before you are ready to host your own fondue party!

Melting and dipping often,

Haley

Dessert Liqueur, Correct your Coffee

Traditional Italian meals end with dessert, café, e "digestivo". In my experience, Italians always finish a meal with "something for the digestion"; an after-dinner drink to aid the digestion of heavy meals. This is usually one or more shots of liqueur(s). And so it is, digestivo is a small alcoholic beverage consumed at the end of a meal, which therefore does not simply involve your typical coffee.

Sta sera, or this evening, I visited my cousins after dinner for "coffee", where a shot of limoncello soon followed. Limoncello is traditionally served chilled, as an after-dinner digestivo. It is bright yellow in colour, with almost a syrupy lemon flavour, as it is very sweet in taste, not sour. Limoncello, in fact, is a great example of a digestivo, as opposed to a casual drink, because its sweet taste makes one or two shots satisfying, whereas more may be overpowering.

A more common Italian liqueur that can fulfill the role of an Italian digestivo is sambuca, best known for its anise flavour. (It is no coincidence that you may have seen sambuca served with 3 floating coffee beans dropped in it, which actually represent health, wealth, and happiness, or together, good luck). Grappa, the grape-based Italian equivalent of Brandy, is also a common after-dinner drink. As there are numerous other Italian liqueurs, too many to mention, I recommend trying different ones each time. And you do not have to be Italian to pick up on this tradition. Bailey’s Irish Cream, for example, is likely one of the largest selling liqueurs in the world, and you can start out by adding a shot to your coffee. Dessert wine, or ice wine, is also quite universal, and both Bailey’s and dessert wine can also be poured over or mixed right into your favourite desserts. In no time you will be adding sambuca to your espresso and drinking your way through a wide variety of liqueurs.

So remember when having your next coffee, opt to try out this tradition by maybe starting out with mixed drinks, which in Italian are called "café corretto", meaning literally, corrected coffee.

Salute/Cin Cin/Cheers,

Haley

A Slice of Heaven: Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is just around the corner eh? Well, for us Canadians anyway. But do not be discouraged if you are not from our part of the continent because that just gives you more time to perfect this fall inspired dessert before your holiday guests arrive.

My recipe comes from my sister-in-law, the queen of baking, however I became very consumed when reading the article and recipe Make pumpkin pie from scratch, by Eric Akis in yesterdays Food section of The Windsor Star. I am definately going to combine the two recipes this holiday, as Akis's draws the comparison of using fresh pumpkin over canned pumpkin as the main ingredient. So don't get intimidated, get messy!

From the crust, to filling, to cream on top...
I have such high hopes for making pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin, because I know that making homemade pumpkin pie in general does not even compare to store-bought. It just seems as though using fresh pumpkin could only make it better! I find that homemade pumpkin pie does not have that thick texture and extra rich and super sweet taste. Instead, from it's crisp crust, to it's light and smooth filling, to it's creamy topping, it is no wonder why I call it "a slice of heaven". This overall flavour does not cover your taste buds with the taste of sweet sugar, but you can truly enjoy the true taste of pumpkin and cinnamon flavours. In fact, you may be able to eat an entire pie without even feeling guilty about it or sick to your stomach, not that I have done that before. Now, let's not get side-tracked.

The Recipe

Ingredients
For the crust:
Pick up a a stick of Crisco vegetable shorting and the easiest thing to do is follow the recipe on the back of the package. Other ingredients, a la no preservatives, will simply include:
flour
salt
cold water

Keep your pie shell in the fridge until the filling is ready. This would also be a good time to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

For the filling (of one pie crust):
2 large eggs
1 and half to 2 cups canned pumpkin or cubed raw pumpkin
1 and a half cups golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

If you are using cubes of raw pumpkin rather than canned pumpkin: in a saucepan add about a half a cup of water to your pumpkin and simmer over medium heat until soft. Drain, and mash or puree your pumpkin (just like making mashed potatoes!).

Beat your eggs in a large bowl, whisk in your pumpkin, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and you are ready to pour your filling into your pie shell.

IMPORTANT: Bake in your preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then, reduce your heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes more until your filling still jiggles slightly.

For the topping:
whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
1 tsp vanilla

With an electric mixer, beat whipping cream at low speed until foamy. Increase your speed and add in sugar, beating until whippy. Stir in vanilla.

Try replacing your vanilla with a tbsp of your favourite liquer and/or garnishing with pecans, and remember, no one ever said pumpkin pie is only good on Thanksgiving,

Haley

If you are interested in other baking/dessert recipes, I would like to refer you to the much talked-about blog: Tartelette.

Pinot Grigio: A Multitasking Wine

Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio as it is known in Italy, can be noted as the most popular imported wine in our country. Being that it is a wine that is produced in mass quantities, by definition it is tragically considered of little interest to connoisseurs. However, this "uninteresting" wine has rocked my world of friendly and informal get-togethers for some time now.

At home, my family's preference has traditionally always been red wines, and it was upon being out with friends that I became more accustomed to chilled whites, and so it is that I discovered Pinot Grigio.

Not only do I enjoy Pinot Grigio as my choice of drink, but with a dry fruity flavour it pairs nicely with antipasto, light pastas, chicken, and seafood. And not only does it pair well with these foods, but I do not hesitate to add wine directly to my fish or chicken dishes, and tomato or cream sauces!

Brands

For cooking you can save some money by opting for the basic Pelee Island Winery brand, however my preference is the Folonari Pinot Grigio, product of Italy.

If you are interested in simply a "fun" drink, wines produced from this grape vary in colour from golden yellow, to copper, and even a light shade of pink, which brings me to Pink Pinot Grigio, also made by Folonari. Although Pinot Grigio is a white grape, Italy's Pinot Grigio grape has a dark skin, and contact with this skin during the fermenting process produces its pink colour.

If you are interested in food and wine combinations, visit Food & Wine blogs: Mouthing Off and Tasting Room for tips. I would also like to refer you to a Lemon Chicken recipe of mine to pair with your Pinot Grigio!

The Recipe

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Ingredients:

boneless chicken breasts (I recommend cutting them down the middle or tenderizing them so that they are thin/flat)
flour
butter
white onions (diced or sliced)
juice of lemons
Pinot Grigio, white wine
salt and pepper (to taste)

Saute your onions in butter, while you coat your chicken breasts in flour. Once your onions are soft/golden, add your chicken breasts to the pan in a single layer, close together. Pour lemon juice and white wine over your chicken to allow to simmer, on medium-low, covered. Simmer until the chicken is cooked throughout.

Once cooked, remove the lid and fry over high heat on each side, so the chicken can absorb most of the juices allowing it to brown. Add extra butter, lemon juice, and/or white wine to taste. Flour will allow these juices to thicken and turn brown, which you can later pour over your chicken breasts before serving.

While you finish cooking, pour some of your Pinot Grigio in a tall glass and enjoy,

Haley