ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL !! CANT WAIT 2 EXPERIENCE IT IN PERSON AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

AWESOME KATHY.
LOVE,
JIMMY & MISHA

Your Kitchen

Kathy

I am suddenly very hungry.

Wow! Are those all pictures of food you have prepared? Looks great.

Is this a new business your are getting into into?

Regards

Joe

Joseph Amendola Regional Vice President The Warranty Group • Resource Automotive 175 W. Jackson Blvd., 11th Flr., Chicago, IL 60604 708.267.3640(C) 312.395.9525 (F) joseph.amendola@us.thewg.com

Amazing...

Holy crap Kathy, Katie... whatever... this is absolutely AMAZING and I'm so excited you've included me on your blog. I've only had the opportunity to be involved in one other blog, which is an artist'd and now this one completes the circle of all the things I love as well. The photographs are just beautiful and I can't wait to try some of the recipes. I won't be able to do the cruise but I really want to see Benise one of these days so I'll keep watching the blog for another local show. Really, this is a fantastic job!!

love you, miss you!

xoxo

jackie

Welcome to My World

Welcome to my kitchen! Ready or not, tonight I am sending friends and family the link to my newest hangout. . .Katies Passion Kitchen. There are sooooo many things I would like to present, organize, display, talk about, etc. BUT I thought I'd invite you over to my kitchen NOW while the page is still in its infancy. I'm interested in all of your suggestions as I just started playing around with this a couple of weeks ago. It will be a great platform for me to share my favorite things with you. Food. Wine. Music. More. We'll see what happens! In the meantime, click the "play" button on the little custom "radio" (upper right), listen to my favorite songwriter, composer/producer/ guitarist BENISE as well as some other great Spanish guitar music. Also, be sure to check out the links to some of my favorite online places including the "BENISE CRUISE" link (scroll down and see "Katie's Online Faves" on the right). Teri, Brianna, Julie and I have made our reservations for the cruise coming up in December. We invite all interested parties to join us for a guaranteed memorable journey featuring Roni Benise, nouveau flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert and violinist Karen Briggs. Of course, I'm preparing for yet another passion overflow. X O X O

So, kick back, relax and enjoy the music, the food and the ambience. I want you to always be "at home" in my kitchen.

Cheers!

X O X O Katie

aka Katharine Fioretti

SANGRIA = LOVE

I LOVE SANGRIA. Period. Here's my favorite basic recipe. I make it often (as friends and family will attest). I change the fruit and the liqueurs depending on my mood and what I have on hand. You will LOVE this! Serve it tonight and your guests will NEVER LEAVE! In the summer, I like to use Rose' wine because it's light and refreshing and goes well with grilled dishes. But..... as a red wine geek, I LOVE to make it with all kinds of reds......California Cabernets, Merlots, South American Malbecs, South African reds plus the lush and wonderful Shiraz wines of Australia. So many wines, so little time....... Lots of great buys for less than 15 bucks a bottle! Great wine source for inexpensive picks: I love Binny's, of course).....also, lots of great choices at Trader Joe's & Whole Foods. But, heck, you can get great bottles from the grocery store (Jewel, Strack & Van Til, Sam's Club) any day of the week! Enjoy the recipe and give me your feedback. I would love to hear from you.

Note: It's mandatory that I make and serve my Sangria in this kick-ass pitcher which I painted on a recent trip to Mexico (while my fellow travelers were sunning and swimming ; )........I was in the shade, painting this pitcher and drinking Electric Lemonades. LOL. Thank you Steve, for gingerly carting it home on the plane!

Basic Sangria Recipe

1 bottle of rose' or red wine

1/4 cup brandy (I like apricot)

1/4 cup orange liqueur* (Great options from France, Italy and Spain)

1 cup of orange juice (I like the one with lots of pulp)

1/4 cup simple syrup (u know - 50% water & 50% sugar - bring to a simmer & stir until the sugar melts......let it cool and store it in the fridge) - I ALWAYS have this on hand in the fridge for emergency batches of sangria and to sweeten anything in a hurry)

lots of fresh fruit - (I use orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices and tart apple slices PLUS fresh blackberries, fresh blueberries and/or fresh cherries in season)

*If you're cheap, use Triple Sec (if you can't hang with Grand Marnier).....I recommend trying Gran Gala (Italy), Gran Torres (Spain), Cointreau (France) and without a doubt, Grand Marnier, also hailing from France. To me, orange liqueur and red wine dance a delicious tango. Damn, I love that dance. Especially while listening to Pa' Bailar by Bajofondo.I start with the fruit. Toss it into your favorite pitcher. Add the booze and mash a bit with a wooden spoon. Then, add the wine, the OJ and the simple syrup. Don't add ice cuz you don't want to dilute the flavors. Stir & chill. It's great after it's been in the fridge overnight, but you can drink it immediately too, don't worry! Serve on the rocks in pretty glasses with lots more fresh fruit. I also like to throw some lemon balm or lemon verbena in the glasses. I toss some into the pitcher as well. Seriously, it's no big deal. The stuff grows like weeds. Plant some.

Salute!

Katie XOXO

WOW

Katie
I am so impressed!
Your the most remarkable lady I have ever had the privilege of knowing-----Your Blog is just wonderful---
Pictures are to die for!
Where you get the time is beyond me.That energy level of yours is amazing------wish I could borrow some of it for me.

I am suppose to be cleaning house and I am just looking at wonderful menus and listening to great music----
Here is hoping your day is as nice as you have made mine today!

Looking forard to all new posts-----
Gleycine

lovely kitchen

Your website is making me drool!  I think you did an awesome job.   And I loved the music, I felt like I was in the Mediterranean at an outdoor cafe.   Looking forward to trying new recipes.

 

Lynn (Norma's wine drinking buddy)

your blog

Katie!

I'm so impressed! You should have your own magazine like Oprah! I'm sending this to all my friends!

Love,

Gabie

---

Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com!

Will Blog For Food

Hey Friends, Family & Foodies - Please feel free to e-mail me your thoughts, requests, ideas and comments. You can e-mail me by clicking on my photo (upper right of this page) OR click on this link: KLFioretti@aol.com . Also, you can easily enter your comments on any blog entry by clicking on "Comments". If you've tried before and did not want to create a Google account, now, you can add your comments without having to create a Google account! I have eliminated that step for your convenience. Type your comments, enter the word verification and then select "Name/URL" and type in your name/nickname. That's all she wrote! Thanks for checking out what's cooking in Katie's Kitchen! Love, KLF

P.S. A little white envelope now appears at the end of each blog post. These allow you to e-mail any individual post to a friend with one little mouse click.

Hey Joe Davis

Hey Joe... This one's for U.....

Grilled Asparagus, white eggplant, and marinated roasted peppers with fresh herbs...... This picture was taken in the summer of 2003 at Betty Jean & Norm's.....I know you were there! Thanks for hanging out in my kitchen..... Love, KT ~ I know you're giddy now! LOL.....Any other requests?

Today's News ~ Music 4 U & an excellent recipe 4 U to check out!

Greetings Foodies! I added a music option to this blog page (or, as Louie calls it.... my "blob") ~ Anyway, now you can enjoy Benise and other Spanish guitar selections on this cool live feed customized radio station. Simply click the play button (upper right of my page) and if you're not too excited about the song, click on the "next" button (to the right of the square "stop" button) to switch to the next track. Enjoy the music while you check out my stuff.

After working with some of these tantalizing images over and over, I felt the need to whip up another Jacques Pepin Cheese Souffle', a recipe that he learned from his "Maman". I am sharing this recipe with you today....... don't be intimidated! It's not a traditional/textbook cheese souffle' where you're required to seperate the eggs and beat the whites and all of that extra work........It's a pure pleasure to make and it is sure to make your house smell insanely delicious. I never want to leave home when the house smells this good!

Jacques Pepin's Maman's Cheese Souffle'

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter plus more to butter a 6 cup gratin dish

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups cold whole milk

1/2 teaspoon each, salt & freshly ground black pepper

5 extra large eggs

2 1/2 cups of grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyere)

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 6 cup gratin dish. Set aside. Melt the butter in the saucepan and then add the flour. Mix well with a whisk. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the milk in one stroke and whisk well. Keep cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil (it takes about 2 minutes). It should be thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Add salt & pepper. Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a bowl. Beat well with a fork. Add the beaten eggs, the cheese and the chives to the cooled sauce. Mix well to combine. Pour into the buttered gratin dish and cook immediately or set aside until ready to cook ~ you can do this ahead! yippee!

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the souffle' is puffy and well browned. (See my picture below)....Serve immediately. It will stay puffed for awhile but it's best when served right away. I love to serve this with a simple green salad, lardons (thin strips of crisp bacon), fresh french bread and a glass of champagne. That's tonight's menu. Bon Appetit' my friends!

Tomato Gadget Giddiness (Dumb Video Clip)

Feeling My Way

In the development stages of this blogging thing....... lots of ideas are beginning to sprout, so stay tuned for new posts, links and information. I realize that every time someone looks at me, they think of food or wine or restaurants or music! It's funny! Here's my way of sharing, inspiring and keeping us all in touch with our inner gourmets. Love you guys! Post your comments. I would love to read them!

Day Uno

It's Day One of my brand new blog page..... In order to not get sucked in to hours of computer time, I am walking away right now......... LOL..... I will be thinking of ideas to share with those of you who are interested in my culinary adventures......................while I make a pot of bean and barley soup.............. Luv yas..... KLF