Archive for the ‘what’s cooking wednesday’ Category
Recipe: 30 Minute Brownies from Scratch
These brownies really do take 30 minutes *maximum* to make from start to finish, so that’s what I’m emphasizing; prepared mixes take just about the same amount of time and clean up will be about the same . . . so why not make them yourself from ingredients you know and love?
Read on...What’s Cooking Wednesday: Linguine with Shrimp and Mussels
In going through old photos, I came across one of this dish, variations of which we make quite often in our house. Apparently I never posted it (the photo is from March 2007) so now it’s finally time to share the recipe for What’s Cooking Wednesday.
The seafood we used was frozen, so you can use this basic recipe with any combination of frozen seafood you like.
This is yet another really quick meal; don’t you just love when you start the water for the pasta before you even start preparing the sauce?
Linguine with Shrimp and Mussels
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 package of frozen shrimp and mussels (or seafood of your choice)
- 1 small glass of white wine (or water)
- Salt
- Bunch of parsley, chopped
- Linguine for two people
1. Put the water for the pasta on to boil, and prepare pasta when water is ready.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil and then add garlic, letting it cook for about a minute or so. Don’t brown.
3. Cut tomatoes in half and add to pan, sprinkling a little salt over them; let them cook for two to three mintues.
4. Add frozen seafood and half the parsley, and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add wine (or water).
6. When the liquid is reduced by about half, adjust for salt.
7. Toss well with linguine and serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Buon appetito!
Snap, Crackle, Pop Italian Style: Chiacchiere for Carnevale
Munching on chiacchiere for Carnevale is one of my almost-springtime traditions here in Calabria. In case you’re not sure what they are:
Chiacchiere: The traditional pastry for Carnevale.
Known by a ridiculous number of names throughout Italy such as Cenci (rags/tatters), Bugie (lies), Guanti (gloves), Nastri delle suore (nuns’ ribbons), Fritelle, Crostoli, Frappe, and often called Lovers’ Knots in English, these fried, powdered-sugar-dusted treats are just what the dottore ordered after a long, hard winter.
Maybe not so heart smart, but hey, that’s why they’re a treat, right?
Here in my corner of Calabria, they’re called “Chiacchiere,” which I like to think of as “chit chat” — these definitely make noises as you crunch into them (and you probably make some noises too as you shift wildly to avoid sprinkling your entire self with powdered sugar in the meantime).
A kind of Italian “snap crackle pop,” kinda sorta.
Some recipes call for rum, whiskey, brandy, grappa, anise, or the like, and many are tied in knots, but the ones I’ve seen around here are just strips, so those are the instructions below.
P’s mom doesn’t make these, so I borrowed this recipe from my dear friend Mary Amabile Palmer’s Cucina di Calabria: Treasured Recipes and Family Traditions from Southern Italy (a cookbook that I cannot recommend highly enough):
Recipe for Chiacchiere for Carnevale
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
1. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest and mix well.
4. Place mixture on lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. If dough is hard, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk.
5. Form dough into ball, place in greased bowl, turn to coat, and then cover with towel and let stand for 10 minutes.
6. Roll out into sheets, 1/8 thick. (I’ve seen other recipes that recommend folding the dough over and doing this a few times, but you can use your judgment.)
7. Cut dough into 3 by 5 inch strips. Put a small slit in the center of each strip and twist slightly.
8. Deep fry strips of dough for 1 to 3 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
9. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
I don’t think I have to tell you that I think these are great with espresso, do I?
Buon appetito e Buon Carnevale!
Have you had these fried treats? What do you call them?
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Steak and Porcini Mushrooms
I’ve always loved the combination of steak and mushrooms. It’s so hearty and the flavors just marry so well, don’t they?
This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is a very simple, delicious dish that can easily be served over rice or even with pasta (we’ll serve pasta with anything here), but we tend to eat it as a main course with fresh bread.
Steak and Porcini Mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered
- 4 thin steaks, cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
- 1 small package (20 grams) of dried porcini mushrooms
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- salt to taste
1. Reconstitute mushrooms by placing in water for about a half hour. Drain and save liquid just in case you need it again.
2. Heat olive oil and then add onions and garlic, sauteeing until onions are translucent. Don’t let garlic brown.
3. Add steak and cook until just brown, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms and parsley and cook for another 2 minutes or so. If things look to dry, add just a bit of the mushroom liquid or even white wine, but the mushrooms usually provide enough moisture as they release their juices. Be sure to adjust for salt.
5. Serve hot with fresh bread or over rice or pasta.
Buon appetito!
Top Ten Signs You’re Addicted to Nutella
***Be sure to check out NutellaDay.com for the most up-to-date info!***
World Nutella Day is *tomorrow*, so I hope your Nutella posts are being polished! If you need some ideas, be sure to check out today’s post at Ms Adventures in Italy: Nutella Virgin? 50 Ways to Eat Nutella and Nutella Lover Types!
In lieu of a traditional What’s Cooking Wednesday this week, I’m celebrating Nutella for *two* days, and hopefully you’ll be inspired to whip something up for tomorrow by:
The Top Ten Signs You’re Addicted to Nutella
10. When your significant other asks if you want to spoon, you say “Sure!” and reach for the Nutella jar.
9. Your drinking glasses consist entirely of old Nutella containers.
8. You’ve never looked at the caloric content of Nutella and don’t plan on doing so.
7. Your afternoon snack is Nutella hot chocolate, Nutella on bread, and a chaser of a few spoonfuls of Nutella straight from the jar.
6. When invited to someone’s house, your only question is, “Will there be Nutella?”
5. Some people see things as they are and ask, “Why?” You dream of things that never were and ask, “Why not with Nutella?”
4.You’ve never met any food item that didn’t pair well with Nutella.
3. You carry around small snack packets of Nutella with you at all times in case you need a hit.
2.When faced with moral dilemmas, you ask “What would Nutella do?”
And the number one sign you’re a Nutella addict:
1. You have written to President Obama begging him to change his famous line to “We will extend a hand if you are willing to pass the Nutella jar.”
Be sure to check out the rules for participation in World Nutella Day here–we’re looking forward to lots of fabulous entries!
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.
Calabria Guidebook
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