Cooking
Grill Out!
Chef Fabio has some tips for grilling ribs with a perfect marinade. (My parents’ recipe also calls for partial oven cooking and grilling also.) As a bonus, we have an additional drink pairing. Now that we have a brief respite from the heat in the Midwest- get out and grill! Make sure to have balsamic vinegar on hand. I love the complexity of it on grilled asparagus, one of our frequently-made recipes.
Naked!!! (Ravioli)
Chef Fabio shows us how to make Naked Ravioli– no pasta required! I can’t wait to try this with some CSA spinach!
The Maligned Dandelion
Maybe it’s odd that I’m not bothered by a few dandelions in my lawn. Given the alternative of spraying my lawn with anti-organic compounds, a few flowers are a welcome alternative. But gourmands as well as gardeners can take pride in this hardy, resilient plant that many call a weed. Real Epicurean (where the photo’s from) has noted several culinary options. Or make coffee. If you’re still in doubt of what dandelion can do- check out a dandelion cooking contest!
“The Sistine Chapel… of Green Tomato”
Chef Fabio has a quick and tasty way to enjoy green tomatoes. This may be the only way I’ll get to enjoy tomatoes from our garden, as just about the time they are ripe, they are gone! (e.g. my wife has eaten them right off the vine, or the vexing planting zone 5 phenomenon also known as the “tomato monster”) We always plant quite a few plants in our limited space to maximize tomato production.
These stuffed green tomatoes were making me hungry!
I just had to share this one, as I love kale and my wife does not. We needed to find a way to use our CSA box add-in, and I’m also fond of kale chips, which are strangely addictive: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Kale-Chips/Detail.aspx
I’ve also tried it chopped in a beef, tomato, and bean soup; I like that it can hold its texture upon cooking.
Welcome to my new food obsession: Kale smoothies
Until recently, I knew of only one way to prepare kale. That was to braise it with some pork fat until it became soft. It’s actually one of my favorite braised greens.
But then I heard people talking about kale smoothies twice in three days, so I tried it and fell in love with it. Now I’m totally obsessed with kale smoothies.
Kale is one of the superfoods. It’s a cruciferous vegetable from the Brassica food family that also includes cabbage, collard greens, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Kale, which is also known as borecole, is so chocked full of vitamins and minerals that it is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet.
It has significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol. Plus, everytime I have one of these kale smoothies, I swear I feel a burst of energy.
Oh, did I…
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Chow Ciao Chocolate (Bacon) Muffins
“Muffin- it’s like a chef cupcake.” Fabio and Niecy mix up a batch of chocolate bacon muffins. While the Wisconsin State Fair and its chocolate covered bacon is a ways away, make some chocolate bacon muffins! Everything’s better with bacon – and not just Jim Gaffigan thinks so!
Pasta Phenom!
Chef Fabio highlights a tasty pasta carbonara for Chow Ciao! Try out his recipe for a quick spaghetti meal. I love cooking pasta for all the versatility it offers- pair it with a main dish, serve it as the main dish, create one of a cavalcade of possible sauces. There are so many options. You can’t go wrong with pasta.
Appetite: A Hunger for Italy
Elena Bertozzi has written a delicious book for both the mind and the palate in Appetite: A Hunger for Italy. The book details the main character’s travel to Italy to explore food. Replete with a picturesque narration, as well as several tasty recipes, the novel is truly a journey for the senses. Few books can sensibly incorporate the sense of taste, but here Bertozzi has triumphed. Bertozzi’s writing style clearly elicits images, writing with brushstrokes and providing a window that allows the reader to gaze into a narrative memory.
These two elements would be enough to warrant adding this one to your library or recipe collection, but the book also provides thoughtful points about cooking, culture, and food’s significance to family and friends. A consideration of cuisine is long overdue in today’s swiftly-moving, health-conscious society. What do we eat and why? How can we enrich the eating experience? Food can be so much more than sustenance.
I will not spoil the story for you, as you must try this book for yourself. It is a must read! (and the recipes are must tries!)
You can buy copies at Lulu.com or in bulk at Ardea Arts (great as a gift for the chef or book-lover in your life!)
The freshest lasagna
Fabio prepares a classic for us: lasagna. Everyone seems to have their own twist on this dish (over 200 recipes on All Recipes alone!) There are the time-saving, yet deliciousness-sacrificing easy use store bought noodles (boil and no-boil) for making lasagna, but Fabio has a much tastier fresh noodle (still no-boil!) option. Who needs ricotta? Check out this Chow Ciao!
The recipe: lasagna
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