Dessert Pancake

I was first introduced to this "pancake" by my parents. It was a big treat in our house. My dad would top it with grape jam and confectioners sugar. My parents saw it made some 30 years ago on the Late Show. It is an easy recipe and quite tasty!

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick of butter
jam
confectioners sugar.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in an oven proof skillet. Mix first three ingredients together until smooth. Once your butter is melted and the oven is at 425 degrees add your egg mix to your hot butter. Then put the pan in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes. The pancake will puff up and brown around the edges. I top it with warmed grape jam and confectioners sugar. Enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

I can't quite recall where I first heard of making your own marshmallows, you buy them at the store right?!? I believe it was the cooking show, Good Eats, that introduced me to the idea of making my own marshmallows. I heard comments about homemade marshmallows being much more than your everyday store bought marshmallows. I have to brag a bit. My uncle informed me that my grandmother, who was an excellent baker, was not able to make homemade marshmallows. I was thrilled to be able to 'beat' the marshmallow for her.I researched many recipes for homemade marshmallows. Some believe you have to have egg whites in your marshmallow. I went with this recipe from Alton Brown, with no egg whites. I had no problems with it at all. My mixer did not die, a complaint I noted from research, and my marshmallows were awesome. The first batch I flavored with peppermint extract and tinted with red food coloring. I added more than the recommended 1 teaspoon of extract and it resulted in over flavored marshmallows. My next batch would be the regular marshmallows, half with toasted coconut.Since I wanted to add toasted coconut to my half of my second batch I began by toasting the coconut so it could cool to be added to the top of the marshmallow once it was ready.Toasted CoconutPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Toss shredded coconut with confectioners sugar and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Once the oven is up to temperature put coconut into the oven. Stir the coconut every few minute. Once it begins to brown, it is done. I pulled mine out while it still had some white left in the coconut.I don't have a candy thermometer so I used my digital one with an added bonus. I set it to go off at 238 degrees so I could ensure I would not over cook the sugar syrup. I rested the thermometer on the spatula so the tip wouldn't read from the bottom of the pan.The end result of my second batch was a half sheet pan half plain and half with toasted coconut. I dusted the top of the plain half with a mix of confectioners sugar and cornstarch.

Lime Salsa

I love homemade salsa. I also happen to love it with lots of lime juice. This time when I made it I even added some lime zest right in the mix. Make this salsa to your liking, and taste as you go! If you can get them use San Marzano tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS
28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained if you can get peeled & seeded even better
14 oz can of crushed tomatoes(If you have fresh tomatoes you can peel, seed, and chop them instead of canned)
1+ cup finely chopped onion
4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 minced jalapenos
juice of 3 limes and the zest of one lime (I love lime, try the juice of 1 lime if you want)
1 tablespoon salt

INGREDIENTS
Mix everything together and enjoy. Resist the urge to put everything in your food processor. This results in an evenly textured salsa, not really what you want. As this sits overnight the flavors will meld and change. Don't over salt when you first make this. Sorry no picture, I will try to get one later.

Dom's Mom's Meatballs

Dom's Mom's Meatballs
These are my favorite meatballs. I didn't realize how much I loved them until my mother stopped making them in favor of store bought frozen meatballs. Not that the store bought meatballs were bad, but I had the taste of these meatballs and they are wonderful.
Source: Dom's Mom's Meatballs Eat This by Dom De Luise.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound of ground pork
2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup pignoli (pine nuts) (optional)

METHOD
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Let stand 1/2 hour. Shape into medium-size meatballs. Fry gently in olive oil until lightly browned, or place on foil on a cookie sheet and bake for 1/2 hour at 35o degrees.Gently place in your own hot spaghetti sauce and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour.(Dom's note) P.S. What I like to do is quadruple the recipe (you'll have about 100 meatballs) and then place the meatballs on large Teflon baking pans. After they're baked and cooled, I put twenty at a time in large Ziploc bags and pop them in the freezer. Then they're ready, willing and able anytime.*My note: I make a large batch of sauce and meatballs and freeze it for easy dinners. A great way to freeze it to freeze it in containers until hard. then pop the "sauce cube" out of the container and put into a Ziploc bag or if you have a vacuum sealer system seal them in baggies to store in the freezer.

The Oyster Bar, NYC

Bobby Flay did a show on The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal, in NYC. Since that show I have wanted to eat at The Oyster Bar. We got the chance a few days before the New Year. We arrived at GCT and it was packed! People were everywhere. There was a light show going on and people were crowed around taking pictures. My dad made a reservation for lunch and we headed out to check out a few sights. We went down to the Time Square, which was amazing to see so close to the ball being dropped. If you are a foodie it is also a lot of fun to walk through Grand Central Market. The food in this place is beyond inspiring! So much to see, taste, and buy!Once back at GCT we headed to The Oyster bar for lunch. The ambiance is very cool. the subways tiles throughout do not give the chatter of the patrons anywhere to go but bounce around the area, so be prepared for the noise. The menu is stuffed onto an over sized piece of paper. We started with some soup and the bivalve platter. It was great!!! We shared a tuna salad and a pasta dish. Everything was very good. Next time I will not get anything cooked, ALL RAW! I did take a picture of the bivalve platter, but it was after we finished it off. Totally forgot to document before eating! If you like raw oysters and clams, or seafood in general it is a must eat at place!

Sweet Potato Fries

The outside of these fries were almost like candy, yum!

INGREDIENTS
2 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
fresh grated nutmeg, I'm not sure on a measurement
a bit of oil

METHOD
Slice sweets into fries slices. Mix the rest of the ingredients listed and toss sweet potaotes to coat. Bake at 400 degrees until they are brown, enjoy.

Kettle Fries

I almost lost the tip of my thumb making these. I began by chopping a shallot. I was using a dull knife and I thought to myself the last time I used it I should get rid of it. I didn't and the mangling of my thumb taught me a lesson, no dull knives!

INGREDIENTS

1 shallot, diced

1 clove of garlic

4 potatoes, mine were small

I diced the shallot and garlic and sauteed in the pan until soft. I "baked" the potatoes in the microwave then peeled and chopped them. I tossed them in with the shallots and garlic after adding a bit more oil to the pan. I added salt and pepper and tossed to coat the potatoes. I got a piece of tin foil and sprayed one side with vegetable oil spray. I put the foil on top of the potatoes and then put my teakettle on top of the foil. I first filled my teakettle with water, and heated it before I put it on top of the potatoes. The kettle pushed the potatoes against the pan and they got nicely browned and crispy.

San Marzano Tomato Soup

Having a craving for tomato soup and no can of Campbells in sight I figured I would make my own. I googled a few recipes and checked my Joy of Cooking for some ideas. I didn't have all the ingredients for the recipes, but I would have to, as Tim Gunn says, "make it work". My father once told me some things aren't worth making from scratch, he said tomato soup was one of them. I have to disagree!INGREDIENTS3/4 cup onion1 rib celery1 bay leaf28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes15 oz can of tomato sauce2 cups chicken bouillon (stock, broth, whatever)1 cup instant rice1/2-1 cup of milk1 teaspoon of baking sodasalt & pepper to tasteMETHOD3/4 cup chopped onion1 rib chopped celerya bay leafSautee the above in vegetable oil until everything is soft, remove the bay leaf.Add one 28 oz can of San Marzano (DOP) tomatoes, I used peeled plum tomatoes.Use your spatula to chop up the tomatoes in the pot. Cook the tomatoes down until you can draw your spatula across the pot and the tomatoes leave a "path".Add the tomato sauce, bouillon and rice. You don't have to add the rice, but I thought it would be a nice touch. Once the rice is cooked then add the milk. You can leave this out too if you want. Lastly I added some baking soda to cut the acidity.I don't have a picture, but it is yummy!

Broccoli Fritatta

On Saturday mornings I like to treat myself to something yummy for breakfast. I have a habit of making fritattas for myself. I make it on Saturday then I have some left over for Sunday morning and for a quick week night meal for one if needed.





INGREDIENTS
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped broccoli, I use frozen from the freezer
1 medium baked potato, I "bake" it in the microwave
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of chopped onion
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD
In a oven proof skillet, sautee the onion and garlic in oil until it is soft, about 5 minutes. I sprinkle the oninons and garlic with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt while they cook. Add the baked potato in cubes and the chopped broccoli. Once the mix is heated add your beaten eggs. Let the eggs set for a minute or two then pull the side of the egg mix in letting the raw egg flow out to the sides. Push the fillinf around so it is evenly distributed. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is set in the center. I keep my left overs in a ziploc bag.

Corn Chowder by eye

When I bake I measure, when I cook I throw things together until it looks/tastes good. While I was preparing this chowder I knew I was going to put it in my blog, that forced me to measure, a little. Since I cook by eye I also end up with lots of whatever it is I'm making, that is what happened here.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 pound salt pork fat back
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 small/medium potatoes, I scrub them and leave the skin on, cubed
1 14.5 oz can of white corn, save liquid
1 14.5 oz can of yellow corn, save liquid
1 14.5 oz can of creamed corn
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of cream
1 teaspoon of chives
1/8 teaspoon of dill

METHOD
I began by rendering the salt pork. Cook it in a stock pot over medium heat until it is golden brown, drain it on paper towel. Add a bit of vegetable oil and saute the onions. This will help to get the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. If you have some white wine you might want to add a bit of this too.
Once the onions are soft add your garlic and your cubed potatoes, stir. Add the broth and the liquid from the corn, the potatoes should be covered, if they aren't add just enough water to cover them. Turn the heat to high and boil the potatoes, cook until they are just tender. Add milk, cream and the spices, along with salt and pepper to taste. I let this simmer for another 15ish minutes. Serve with corn bread and butter.

Buttermilk Slaw

WOW! This was so yummy. I began by salting the cabbage. While that was wilting I mixed the rest of the ingredients. I added more lime juice and cilantro, but other than than, this is perfect! This is where I got the orginal recipe.If you are planning to serve the coleslaw immediately, rinse the salted cabbage in a large bowl of ice water, drain it in a colander, pick out any ice cubes, then pat the cabbage dry before dressing.INGREDIENTS1 pound cabbage (about 1/2 medium head), red or green, shredded fine (6 cups)1 teaspoon table salt1 medium carrot , shredded on box grater1/2 cup buttermilk2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 tablespoons sour cream1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves1 teaspoon lime juice1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar2 scallions , sliced thin1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper1. Toss shredded cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt in colander or large mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Rinse cabbage under cold running water. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain; pat dry with paper towels. Place wilted cabbage and carrot in large bowl.2. Stir buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Coleslaw can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)