Archive for the ‘food’ Category
Weekend o’ Cookies: Ricotta and Chocolate Chip
Last weekend was spent baking cookies, and this weekend is being spent delivering them to their new homes. So far all of the Italians have expressed nothing but love for the American biscottini. As if we had any doubt, right?
So as I’ve already shown you, I made thumbprints and kolaches.
Now here are the ricotta cookies:
and my favorite, the chocolate chips:
Does this look like anyone to you?
More cookies tomorrow! Stay tuned!
12 Christmas Memories: Part IV
For Part IV of My 12 Favorite Christmas Memories as inspired by Wanderlust Scarlett’s meme, I’m going to stick with the childhood theme. If you haven’t yet, you should also check out Parts I, II, and III.
Now here are three more that come from my earlier years, and since we just talked about cookies, let’s stay there for a moment.
7. Jeanie & Joe eating all the kolaches
Jeanie was my great-aunt’s daughter and Joe was her husband. That might sound rather extended to you, but since my Aunt Babe lived about 30 seconds away from her sister (my grandmother), our families were always quite close, especially around the holidays–and my Aunt Babe remains one of my most favorite people in the world. She knows everything!
And what are kolaches? My mom’s version looks something like this:
Walnut goodness wrapped in cream cheese dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I made these this year, but I had to improvise because I couldn’t find a square ravioli cutter like she uses. In Italy! I couldn’t find the ravioli cutter I needed! Harumph!
So I used a round one, which makes smaller ravioli and that made rolling these babies a lot more challenging. They’re still delicious though, and that’s what matters, right?
Well kolaches were probably the most sought after cookie at my grandmother’s house (she also made them) during the holidays–so much so that my mom used to make a tray just for my grandfather to keep *in his bedroom*. Yes, this grandfather.
Anyway, Jeanie and Joe lived a couple hours away from us, so they came in for the holidays right as they were beginning, which left their visiting time to a minimum. And so, they’d come over, often individually, on Christmas morning, which as you can imagine, was always quite hectic as anywhere from 5 to 15 people would be eating dinner there at noon.
My grandmother always played the perfect hostess, though, despite having a million other things to do–she truly loved their visits.
But after a while she noticed that there would always be a huge dent made in the cookie tray in the area of the kolaches after Joe left–and let’s be honest, it was mainly Joe who was the culprit. So my grandmother would purposely take most of the kolaches off the tray (she’d leave him a few of course), often literally as he was coming up the walkway.
“Joe’s coming! Grab the kolaches!” *was* shouted.
Jeanie was mostly innocent in the Great Kolache Fiasco but she’s thrown in this memory because her Christmas morning visits were always such a huge part of the holidays, and also because she recently passed away.
Jeanie was just 62 years old, and her husband Joe passed away last year after a long debilitating illness which included a heart transplant. Their children are around my age, and I think of them more often than ever.
And now with the holidays, wonderful memories of their parents have really come rushing back to me, and I hope they do for them as well.
8. I’m Mary!
OK, let’s lighten things up with a fun memory from about fourth grade–when I was chosen to play Mary in the church play of the Nativity Scene.
I was never the one chosen for things like that, and to be honest, I thought one of my best friends who eventually became the angel would be Mary, but nope. I was Mary! Everyone was so proud!
I think we picked names out of a hat or something, so it really was no big feat to have won the non-speaking role. But whatever. I was Mary! I wrapped the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes!
And I do have a photo of it somewhere, just not here. Sorry. Maybe next year.
Also, attached to this memory? I was also the one who got to put the Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning in our nativity scene at home. Woohoo! The benefits of being the youngest in the house!
9. Caroling with Friends
They don’t really do the caroling thing around here (not that I’ve seen/heard anyway), but I do have a fond memory of caroling when I was about 12 years old.
A group of girlfriends, probably about 10 of us, went around one evening and sang and sang and sang–and if anyone wonders why I know the words to just about any Christmas song, this is probably why. Seriously, try me.
One blustery December night, instead of going home after school, we all went to the house that would serve as Caroling Central. We got all bundled up (it was *freezing*!), and then walked around town, avoiding slushy puddles and snow piles, stopping at random houses, especially near those that were all lit up, assuming they’d certainly appreciate the effort.
We got invited into so many homes, drank far too much hot cocoa, and even made some cash–which we spent later that night on pizza if I recall correctly. Guess we could’ve donated the money, but hey, we were 12. And hungry.
Ah, and of course there was a huge slumber party afterwards.
I had almost forgotten about this memory until Wanderlust Scarlett and I got “talking” via email. I’m so happy that she reminded me! I don’t have contact with most of those girls anymore, but some of them are still my best friends–and you know who you are–and I’m certainly thinking of you this Christmas.
Ah, small town America in the late 1980s.
Come back tomorrow for the final installment of My 12 Favorite Christmas Memories!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Thumbprint Cookies
Or, “12 Christmas Memories: Part III. ” If you haven’t yet, do check out Part I and II.
6. Cookies!
I simply couldn’t do a series on my Christmas memories without cookies.
My grandmother always made cookies for the holidays, but my mom? She goes crazy. In addition to making them for the family, she’s now started selling trays of homemade cookies and candy–and she’s doing so well that I just may have to go to America to help her next year. Go Mom!
And so, making cookies is definitely one of my fondest Christmas memories. From the time I could walk, I was around the kitchen helping make cookies–although for a while there I didn’t do much other than steal chocolate chips off the table, earning me the nickname “Cookie Monster” from my mom’s friend, her baking partner for many years.
But eventually I worked my way up to working with sprinkles and candied cherries. You know, the Big Time.
My mom made it fun not only for me but also for the friends I was allowed to invite over to help decorate the cut-out cookies–there were far too many stockings and Santas and snowmen and bells and wreaths for just one or two people to decorate.
So at my mom’s house, we’d have decorating slumber parties every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just the other day, in fact, one of my best friends and regular participants in the bake-a-thons left a comment here on the blog longing for the days of such innocent fun.
And I’m so with her on that.
(I’m the one without a blurred face; maybe 12-13 years old here? Not sure.)
And yes, in case you’re wondering, my niece is fully prepared to keep this tradition going. Just the other day my mom said that she’s getting to the age where she can have some friends over to help decorate (she already helps my mom with the cut-outs).
So next year, 9-year-olds at Nana’s!
Before this year, I have never done the Christmas cookie thing by myself–why would I when my mom had it covered? But now that I’ve been here for a few years and have really missed those tastes of home, I decided that this year I’d make some of my mom’s recipes and give out trays to Italian family, friends, and neighbors.
I highly doubt any of them have ever even seen the cookies I made, so it’ll be an interesting experience for all of us.
Yesterday I finished up the last of six types that I made this year, and I’ve already decided that next year I’ll try my hand at even more. My mom had sent me some things like chocolate chips and brown sugar, but since I decided on Operazione Biscotti at the last minute, some cookies just weren’t going to happen this year for lack of the proper ingredients and tools.
But look out Christmas 2008!
I’m not going to share all the recipes with you now, or even the photos just yet, but I will let you in on what has to be one of the easiest and tastiest cookies ever for this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday. In fact, this is a great one to make with kids because they get to play around in the dough as much as they want and they really can’t ruin it.
“Unless their hands are dirty,” adds my mom.The words of wisdom never end I tell you.
These classics will also be my entry in Food Blogga‘s Eat Christmas Cookies event. Go check out all the great cookies over there–just beware you’ll probably leave hungry.
Thumbprint Cookies*
2 c flour
3/4 c confectioner’s sugar
1 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
Jelly of your choice (I used apricot and strawberry)
1. Combine flour and sugar and then cut in butter until well distributed. Sprinkle with vanilla and mix dough with hands until smooth.
2. Shape into 1 inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.
3. Indent centers with lightly floured finger (or thumb!) and fill with jelly.
4. Bake in preheated 325°F (163°C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove to rack to cool.
Easy peasy and tasty too!
*I should note that the original recipe calls for a cup of chopped nuts–I just don’t like them in this, so I don’t put them in. If you want to, put 1/2 of them in with the flour and sugar in the beginning, and then, after you make the dough into balls, roll them in the remaining nuts. Thanks Christina for reminding me to include this!
Buon appetito!
12 Christmas Memories: Part I
Some of my fondest Christmas memories from childhood in a handy 5-part series.
Read on...Recipe: Tortellini con Prosciutto e Panna
It’s holiday time. You’re in a rush. I’m in a rush. I’ll keep this short.
For this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday, you need three ingredients–prosciutto cotto (cooked ham), panna (heavy cream), and tortellini, preferably stuffed with prosciutto crudo. OK, you need salt and water too, but that’s it.
Interested? (The clementines in the background are dessert!)
I’ve seen other versions of this recipe that add butter, cheese, and even an egg yolk, but honestly this is delicious just like this, although, as always, I do encourage you to experiment.
Feel especially free to add other ingredients to spice it up–peas or mushrooms are our favorite. You can also play with the type of pasta from fettuccine to pennette. It’s all good.
Tortellini con Prosciutto e Panna
(serves 3-4)
250 g tortellini (half of the bag shown above)
150 g (between 1/4 and 1/2 lb) prosciutto cotto/cooked ham, torn up in pieces
400 ml panna/heavy cream (about a cup and a half)
1. Prepare tortellini in salted, boiling water.
2. Meanwhile, heat cream in large saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Stir in prosciutto and lower heat, being sure that cream isn’t sticking to pan. I use a heat-resistant rubber spatula during this part. Keep the cream and prosciutto mixture warm until the tortellini are ready.
3. When the tortellini are cooked to your satisfaction, drain them, and combine well with cream and prosciutto.
That’s it!
Buon appetito!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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