COOK PLANT WEED WORK EAT SELL LAUGH TALK BAKE LEARN WRITE LISTEN DRINK LIVE HELP LOVE READ SHOP CLEAN PRAY BUY KISS WALK SMILE INSPIRE

SO, WHAT'S NEW WITH YOU? 

RAPINI & "CALAMARATA" (DE CECCO PASTA THAT LOOKS LIKE CALAMARI) - - - OH MY, THIS PASTA IS SMOTHERED IN A MELTINGLY DELICIOUS NATURAL SAUCE OF SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE, ADDICTIVE RAPINI, FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN AND PECORINO ROMANO. I THINK I GAINED 5 LBS THE NIGHT WE FEASTED ON THIS. OH WELL. REMEMBER THE GIRL FROM THE MOVIE, PULP FICTION? SHE THOUGHT POTS WERE SEXY. 

TRY THIS FOR YOUR NEXT QUICK, HEALTHY SALAD. THINLY SLICE A NICE BIG PORTABELLA MUSHROOM AND SOME SWEET ONION. COMBINE WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF FRESH BABY SPINACH (MORE MUSHROOMS THAN SPINACH) . . . ADD A LITTLE CRUMBLED BLUE CHEESE OR GORGONZOLA, A DRIZZLE OF OLIVE OIL, A SPLASH OF WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND SOME SALT & PEPPER. DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS. MAYBE WE'LL CALL THAT "DAN". I LOVE ACRONYMS. 

 

THESE PRETTY LITTLE DEVILED EGGS WERE SPIKED WITH FINELY MINCED CHIPOTLE CHILES AND A DAB OF ADOBO SAUCE. A SPRINKLING OF SMOKY SPANISH PAPRIKA AND CAYENNE PEPPER ADORNED THE TOPS AND THEN FINALLY, A LITTLE MORE FOOD JEWELRY, FRESHLY PICKED CHIVES AND CHIVE BLOSSOMS. OH SO CUTE FOR A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND SNACK. I KNOW. I KNOW. WHAT CAN I SAY? THOSE CHIVE BLOSSOMS WERE CALLING MY NAME. 

DO YOU HAVE AN ICE CREAM MAKER? IF YOU DO, TRY THIS. IT'S THE WORLD'S EASIEST LEMON SORBET. CREAMY AND TART. REFRESHING AND FAT FREE. OK, WHATEVER, IT HAS TONS OF SUGAR, YOU'RE THINKING, RIGHT? QUIT BEING A BUZZ-KILL. MAKE SOME TODAY. ASK HANNAH. IT'S A CINCH. 1 CUP OF SUGAR. 1 CUP OF WATER. 1 CUP OF FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE. 1 TABLESPOON OF LEMON ZEST. GOT IT? BRING THE SUGAR AND WATER JUST TO A BOIL, WHILE STIRRING TO DISSOLVE THE SUGAR. REMOVE FROM THE HEAT TO COOL. IN THE MEANTIME, ZEST A LEMON OR TWO UNTIL YOU HAVE ABOUT A TABLESPOON OF ZEST. JUICE ENOUGH LEMONS UNTIL YOU HAVE 1 CUP OF JUICE. ONCE THE SIMPLE SYRUP HAS COOLED (TOSS THE POT IN THE FRIDGE TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS). IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COLD. JUST NOT HOT, OK? ADD THE JUICE AND ZEST TO THE SYRUP. POUR INTO YOUR ICE CREAM MAKER AND CHURN AWAY FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO UNTIL YOU HAVE A CREAMY AND MOUTHWATERING SORBET. CLEANSE YOUR PALATE TODAY.

Wishing you a summer filled with everything you savor.

With love from Katie, under the June moon.

The Real KPK

Hey Everyone! I miss you and I miss my KPK blog, although I have been spending a lot of time in my real KPK fo-rizzle. I will try & update you by recapping my cooking adventures since my last post, which, by the way, I'm still licking my wounds from having been beat out by PB & J quesadillas in the Macy's contest. WT? Actually, the dude who won first place did have a really great video. He was the unemployed guy from Boston who made the tilapia. Not sure how his food tasted but the video quality was excellent. It was polished and professional. The 9 runner up winners, on the other hand, were kind of a mixed bag. I'll live. I don't think they even showed Tyler Florence my video entries. I'm sure they didn't. LOL. Anyway, I appreciate all of your support and everyone's great comments on the Macy's site, including those from my sister, Teri and all of her multiple personalities. Love you guys.

Here are some recent KPK adventures . . . Fried artichoke hearts ala Vito DePalma. This method is still being fine-tuned for greatness to achieve the identical final product as my maternal grandfather, Vito. Emily is coaching me in artichoke handling and etiquette (or is that eat-i-quette)?

Salads galore. Mediterranean carrot salad is a refreshing and simple combo of shredded carrot, thinly sliced radishes and chopped parsley with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a swirl of olive oil. Talk about color!

Does anyone out there love boiled eggs as much as I do? How come no one ever talks about the simplicity and perfection of a boiled egg? I love eggs prepared in a gazillion ways but there is something so wonderful about a medium cooked egg with a golden, oozy yolk that needs nothing but a sprinkling of salt to really make it delectable. When we were little kids, my mom frequently made soft boiled eggs for us. I remember the little porcelain pedestal egg cup that would pristinely hold the egg and my mom would crack and peel the top half for us, sprinkle on a little salt, and serve us buttered, toasted white bread, which she cut into perfectly sized strips so that we could dip them into the warm and delicious yolk. Thanks Mom! Happy Mother's Day, by the way, and thank you for all of the amazing meals and warm memories which have given us so much happiness and appreciation. We have all learned by your loving and nurturing examples of how to be an outstanding home cook, making the most out of the most simple. Bravo Amelia!

I love to top all kinds of salads with a warm boiled egg or two. Sometimes I'll open them but just as often, I like to give the guest the pleasure of opening, salting, and enjoying the whole egg in all of it's glory as part of the appeal of the meal. Large eggs are only around 70-75 calories each, right? How can that be bad?

I posted a note previously about how much I love French style potato salads. They're luscious and hearty and mouth watering. Favorite ingredients are: boiled waxy potatoes like red, yellow, fingerling or "gemstone", sweet onions, green beans, Kalamata olives and tomatoes. Excellent with champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. I also add some canned Italian tuna packed in olive oil and a few boiled eggs for a more complete meal. Delicious with some French baguette and glass of wine. That's what I'm talkin' about.

Also featured in KPK at home in the last month or so . . . , Michael Chiarello's "Forever Roasted Pork", (here's a shot of it before it goes in for a long, long, roast..........this pork shoulder (butt portion - I still don't know how you get a butt out of a shoulder), is split open like a book and filled with an aromatic blend of sauteed onion, garlic and sage, then rubbed with a homemade toasted spice rub of ground fennel and coriander seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, California chili powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. It was tender, juicy and way way better on the next day.

I also whipped up a huge pot of tomato sauce with pork spareribs and homemade meatballs plus more addictive roasted tomatoes.

I roasted a whole turkey breast on the grill and baked a batch of homemade sourdough and baby bella stuffing on the side. A follow-up to the "grill-roasted" turkey breast was a creamy and spicy turkey salad for Mark's lunch. Cut-up turkey breast, finely chopped celery and sweet onion all blended together with smoky hot chipotle mayonnaise. The salad was served up on a crusty baguette with crisp romaine leaves right from the heart and some Mexican chihuahua cheese. Damn good lunch. That sammy was packed up in a brown bag with a
sweet and fresh fruit salad of strawberries, red grapes and blood

orange segments.

Recent adventures also included fried scallops and cod, ruby grapefruit salad, mushroom risotto, plus an outrageously delicious Steakhouse Night with pan-fried filets and homemade onion rings.

Until my next post, keep cooking and having fun. Send me a note about what you're up to and any ideas, suggestions, requests or comments.

As always, I want you to feel ever comfortable in Katie's Passion Kitchen.

So long for now and Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful moms out there who spend much of their time keeping their families happily nourished. God Bless You!

Love, Katie

Vote For Katie ~ Not Pedro

OK. The videos have been submitted. Hope everyone had a Happy Easter. You can go to http://social.macys.com/keepitcooking/home.html and check out my video contest entries, "Fioretti Braciole" and "Roasted Tomato Salad". Go ahead and give me an excellent rating, whether you think so or NOT. LOL. I think we have til the 18th. (The top 50 video entries will be judged between the 18th & the 24th, I believe). I have a few ideas to start popping some fun videos into the KPK blog very soon. Happy cooking fellow foodies! Hey, Gley, if I win, what would you like from Macy's? By the way, you can view the videos on YouTube too, but first, please click on the above link, rate them and feel free to throw in a few comments....................and. um, keep it clean. LOL.

Louie, If you want to learn the winning recipe, check out the videos. P.S. Do you really think you won that contest? Pops was just trying to be nice. LOL hahahaha..... KLF

Love to all. Remember, Katie, not Pedro.

Love, Katie

Braciole & The Macy's Contest

Greetings Friends, Familia & Fellow Foodies , i.e., F,F & F F... LOL

Here's the deal. A. I have not been spending enough time with my blog and I miss it! I have been able to do some cooking; I just haven't been blogging. B. Gleycine told me about this Macy's Video Cooking Contest and this past weekend was the first good opportunity I have had to do a little video taping. Soooo, Norma came over on Sunday and I hired her to be my videographer while I prepared a batch of our traditional Fioretti Family Braciole. Her only payment, of course, was the meal (another Katie Late Night Special), some Chianti, and some really fun and interesting company. Ha!

Which brings me to C. I just discovered (it's 12:30am Tuesday night/Wednesday morning) that my video files are in the .MOV format which is not compatible in Windows MovieMaker, where I was planning to condense and edit all of my video clips, pictures and stuff. So, I have a bunch of stuff to use and it all has to be squeezed down into a 2-minute video and submitted to the Macy's peeps no later than April 10th. For me, that's rough (like writing War & Peace on the palm of your hand or something). The contest requires that you submit an original recipe and a 2-minute video of yourself preparing the recipe. I could win this if they would give me, like, an hour. So, the challenge is.... can Katie speed up the process? We shall see.

Here's a clip of my warm-up/intro plus a few more unedited videos of the Braciole making process. . . . . . I'll send more information and a link to the contest (if I ever actually submit a finished product). I would provide more clips for you to view but my camera battery needs charging and so does this author. It's 1:12am and time to hit Katie's Passion Pillow. This brings me to D. If I get the job done, you can go online and vote for my contest video so that I can win a $3000 Macy's shopping spree plus tickets for two to San Francisco (and the opportunity to appear in a video podcast with Tyler Florence)! Go Katie ~ Go Katie ~ It's Your BirFday.

So, here is a sneak-peek at one of my practice intros . . . Actually, it may be the only peek, if I never finish this. LOL. Update: Video #1 is one of the practice intros (I didn't use it in the final contest submission video). Video #2 is a 5 minute segment of me demonstrating how to fill the Braciole. Video #3 - Rolling The Braciole. Video #4 - Searing the Braciole. Keep in mind. These are au naturale'. Unedited. LOL.

Love To All, Katie

The final video was a compilation of a bunch of clips that were joined, cut, edited, cut again and then quickly squeezed under pressure into a two-minute presentation which met all of the Macy's contest requirements. It can be viewed on YouTube and you can see the finished product by clicking here: FIORETTI BRACIOLE on You Tube!

Whatever Floats Your Goat

Freshness and elegance. Pour some of your favorite olive oil into an unexpected clear glass vessel (like a simple vase, a really large mug or, how about a trifle bowl?) Add some fresh woodsy herbs like thyme or oregano, some cut garlic (just to flavor the oil), a bay leaf or two, a handful of whole peppercorns and a little kosher salt. Gingerly drop in some chunks of goat cheese and let them marinate in the oil at room temperature until your guests arrive. Serve with homemade crostini. For the crostini, thinly slice some French baguette, brush each slice with a little olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt or fleur de sel and toast in the oven at 400 degrees until crisp and lightly toasted. Let dry out in the open so that they stay nice and crisp. Let your guests serve themselves to delicious marinated goat cheese spread onto your crunchy crostini. Experiment with herbs. Add a dried chile red pepper or whatever your palate desires. Fresh mozzarella would look really pretty also, however, I find that the goat cheese works well with this idea since it holds it's shape and it's smooth and spreadable. In any case, use your imagination and think "dramatic". Your friends will be impressed. Make a nice pitcher of Rose' sangria with lots of fruit and kick back. Do whatever you enjoy. Whatever makes your happy.

You know . . . whatever floats your goat!

Love, Katie

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Fellow Foodies! I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some delicious corned beef and cabbage this holiday. We enjoyed a totally green St. Patty's Day celebratory dinner on Sunday, featuring corned beef and cabbage, creamy, buttery, herbed root vegetables, a totally green salad, imported Irish Dubliner and Cheddar cheeses, plus Frango Mint ice cream garnished with Brianna's chocolate dipped strawberries. Warm and crumbly Irish soda bread, studded with golden and dark raisins completed our Irish meal to perfection, thanks to Teri and Brianna. With green candles, green flowers, green table linens and green food, we also served a buttery Napa Valley Chardonnay with green apple slices plus Gatorade's low calorie "G2" (the green one) for a non-alcoholic refreshment. The St. Patty's briskets were added to a deep roaster of carrots, celery, garlic, onion, bay leaves and fresh thyme which had been sauteed in olive oil for about 10 minutes. I added water to cover, brought the whole shebang to a boil, skimmed the foam, simmered, covered for 15 minutes, added some cabbage wedges (about 6 wedges from a small head of cabbage) and then transferred the briskets to the oven, covered, and simmered for about 3 hours. After removing the briskets and allowing them to rest for about 20-30 minutes, I trimmed the fat and sliced the briskets across the grain. During the last hour of cooking, I boiled halved red potatoes, carrots, parsnips and turnips until tender. After draining, I tossed them with olive oil, butter,s & p, and fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley. I also boiled an additional head of cabbage (cut into wedges) because I wanted to make sure we had enough leftovers!!! Make sure you have some fresh horseradish and rye bread on your table to complete this traditional meal. Enjoy this St. Patrick's Day Holiday with a hearty Irish meal. Even us Italianos do it!

"Never buy bread from a butcher" . . . (old Irish proverb)......

Love & Luck-o-the-Irish to ya!

Katie (Katharine, not Kathleen, by the way)

March Gladness

We will be springing forward on March 8th and our days will be getting longer, at last! Spring is in the air ... I am so grateful. Bring on the sun! I need some Vitamin D! Let's start thinking about planting! Fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables. If I don't get some home grown basil pretty soon, I'm gonna snap. Now is a great time to find an interesting object as a fun starting point for garden inspiration. Paint a little birdhouse or fall in love with a unique planter or an unusual object that wouldn't normally be placed in a garden (It will plant a seed in your brain)! Start walking since the weather is nice (even if the wind knocks you down, at least it's not cold-LOL). It's finally time to switch tracks. Hmmmmm..... asparagus, spring peas, fava beans, spring onions. How about a nice fresh Pasta Primavera? C'mon, switch with me . . .

Here's what's been cooking in Katie's Passion Kitchen lately ...

Check out these beautiful potatoes! Warm potatoes really benefit from a little champagne vinegar, olive oil and country dijon mustard in this lovely and lively salad. When all was said and done, this colorful variety of blue, yellow, red and white potatoes were combined with haricot verts (thin, young green beans), sweet onions, cherry tomatoes, finely chopped radicchio and romaine, a few warm, soft-boiled eggs and a scrumptious, French style, champagne vinaigrette. A peasant style feast of a salad! If you're not already into mustard vinaigrettes, try whisking a teaspoon or so of dijon mustard into your next oil and vinegar dressing. Add a little s & p and you will be thrilled with the result! A little dijon adds freshness and tanginess to your oil and vinegar. Try it. I even drizzle some directly into the salad bowl when I'm in a rush and toss it all together with the salad greens, olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. More mustard, more zip.

Asparagus Frittata ~ Fry some asparagus and you'll never steam it again. Asparagus and shallots fried in olive oil are joined by a mixture of a dozen beaten eggs, freshly grated Parm and shredded Italian truffle cheese (really!). Reserve a few stalks to beautify the top of your frittata with a few chunks of fresh mozzarella and pop it under your broiler til the cheese melts. I learned how to make frittatas from the frittata queen, Amelia DePalma Fioretti, mama mia. Mom's are always perfectly moist and perfectly seasoned. Especially her summertime garden zucchini frittatas. Frittata Perfectione'!

French sourdough baguette with butter on the side and a chilled bottle of Franciscan Cuvee' Sauvage California Chardonnay. Oh yeah.

Zuppa

Hail Kale!

Mark said that he would be happy to just eat soup every day. This easy and delicious ribollita is made with fresh and healthful kale , the usual suspects (onions, garlic, carrots & celery), canned tomatoes, chicken broth and chunks of stale bread (I used wheat baguette). I think this is a new all-time favorite. Takes me back to Florence. Think Tuscan. Think healthy (I kid you NOT! Kale is a nutritional super food. It's an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, vitamin-rich vegetable. Very high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, beta carotene, lutein, and it even has a lot of calcium) . Talk about good and good for you. E-mail me for the recipe if you like! I think I have it nailed. It was served up with a swirl of olive oil and some fresh cracked black. I'm not kidding. It doesn't even need cheese. And, it's even better on the second day. Here's a nice pot-shot of the ribollita ~

Beans, beans, magical fruit, the more you eat . . . (when I was a kid, I thought it went "Beans, beans, musical fruit, the more you eat . . . " Anyway, I love to make a huge pot of minnestrone style soup that is packed with beans and vegetables and tons of flavor. So, last Thursday, it was dark and creepy outside, pouring rain for hours. I spent the entire day in my closet, organizing jewelry and various junk. A dreaded project. I never got dressed and soon realized that I would not be leaving the house or abandoning my project. I knew I would be cooking "off the shelf". I started late in the afternoon with a bag of Trader Joe's 17-bean and barley mix. Yes, I finally came out of the closet. I quick-soaked the dried beans by covering them with cold water, bringing them to a boil, and then soaking them for an hour or two. Yes, just read the directions on the bag. LOL. From that point, it was a refrigerator and pantry expedition for all things soup. I had a lot to work with and I was happy to be in Katie's Passion Kitchen, rather than Katie's Closet. I had half a bag of baby purple onions, one parsnip, a bunch of celery, a bag of carrots, a pound of bacon (thanks to Mark), plus some cute little pasta rings (Anelletti) (HOLD IT! I just thought of a name for this soup: Fioretti Anelletti Minnestretti ~ LOL ~ whatdya think?). OK. So, I sauteed a few strips of bacon, finely chopped) in some olive oil and added onions, parsnip, celery, carrots, crushed red pepper flakes and finely chopped garlic. Can you smell that? Then, I added the beans which had been soaked, then drained and rinsed. To that, I added chicken broth, canned whole tomatoes (crushed by hand) with their juice, some water, a few bay leaves and some salt, pepper & cayenne pepper. This soup simmered for a couple of hours with the lid ajar. (Q: When is a lid not a lid? A: When it's ajar). Some of the beans do take a LONG time to soften up. Some actually stay firm but it's a good firm. Once the flavors began to develop and the beans became tender (while I was back in the closet), I added a small head of savoy cabbage (finely sliced and chopped). After that began to cook a bit, I added a few yellow potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks and then finally the pasta (not too much or they would drink up all the broth and I would be left with a too-thick soup and some really swollen noodles ~ LOL). Um....I am a fluid retention expert ... never mind. OK. I actually took a tip from my ribollita love and tossed in a few chunks of stale bread. It thickens the soup and adds a new texture. It was really delicious, I think. This soup was served with a drizzle of olive oil (I am fully aware that I do this alot, thank you) and further enhanced with some freshly grated imported Parmeggiano Reggiano and pepper, of course. Make some today before it gets too warm out and you won't be in the mood.

Nut Fetish Biscotti

Crisp, twice-baked orange & chocolate cookies featuring Patron' Citronge' Premium Orange Liqueur in the light dough and Faretti (close enough) Biscotti Liqueur in the dark dough plus tons and tons of toasted nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and cashews. Dunk me. Dunk me please.

Check back for updates, meal ideas, news and inspiration.

Passion is in fashion. Love, Katie

Katie's Late Night Kitchen

Is there anything better than falling asleep with a full stomach? OK, maybe not the morning after. But . . . isn't it great to come home to a refreshing cocktail and a great late night meal after a long hard day at the scaffold? There are so many delicious ways to wind down at the end of the day. Whip up an easy late night supper, read an interesting book or your favorite magazine, share conversation and break bread with someone you love, watch a movie, listen to some music, embrace the night!

Late night meals can be just about anything, right? Think fresh guacamole and chips, fried eggs with prosciutto and asparagus, grilled chicken salad, soups, grilled panini, bruschetta (in my book, this means just about anything and everything on top of grilled bread), Italian tuna in olive oil with canellini beans and fresh herbs, and the list goes on and on. Back to the bruschetta . . . I generally cook more than we can eat in one sitting so that we can enjoy the leftovers (I don't like the word "leftovers". . . I'll have to come up with another word that means delicious and delectable food that you purposely prepared in advance so that it could be enjoyed a day or two after preparation). There are a million things (I'm not an exaggerator) that can be happily placed on top of thickly sliced, olive-oiled, kosher-salted, garlic-rubbed, grilled, high quality, artisan bread. Whew. I mean it though. A few examples: oven-roasted tomatoes with fresh ricotta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, roasted red peppers marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic and red wine vinegar, pesto and farmers cheese, grilled eggplant and shredded Parmesan cheese, soft boiled egg and butter, thinly sliced fresh radishes and kosher salt, caramelized onions and kalamata olives, grilled portabella mushrooms, smashed sweet peas with onions and prosciutto, avocado slices with tomato, onion and gorgonzola..............the list is infinite. If you're not up for firing up the grill, you can easily prepare your bread and pop it into a hot oven. When I make"crostini", I generally use thinly sliced bread that has been brushed or drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt and then baked in a hot oven until crisp. Whether thinly sliced crostini or thickly sliced bruschetta, the bread is the luxury vehicle that will transport your toppings in style and flavor. C'mon, you know there's no better way to get a roasted tomato from Point A to Point B. Indulge. I think that bruschetta and crostini will definitely be the topic of a future KPK (Katie's Passion Kitchen) post and photo shoot. Watch for it! Carbo-phobes not welcome.

Here are some recent late night meals from Katie's "Late Night" Passion Kitchen . . .

Grilled asparagus gets bundled with havarti cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto. It hits Katie's Passion Grill one more time to crisp up the prosciutto and melt the cheese. Oh yeah. "That's what I'm talkin' to" (Thanks Bammer).

Toss some grape tomatoes with a little olive oil and kosher salt on a rimmed baking sheet, place into a hot oven (375 degrees) for about 15 minutes until they blister and pop.

Toss some fresh salad greens (arugula pictured here) and whatever else you have in the fridge (I used thin strips of zucchini and some sweet onion) with oil, your favorite vinegar, kosher s & p. Top with these flavor-packed tomatoes, shards of parmesan (your vegetable peeler will help you to be posh with your parm). Serve with plenty of great bread.

Soup rocks. Try this. Saute some chopped onion and garlic (let's say one medium onion and one clove of garlic) in a little olive oil in a medium pot. Season with some crushed red pepper flakes, s & p, and how about a little cumin and a little curry, if you like. Add some store bought chicken broth (a large carton or a small one plus some water - I love Swanson 100% fat-free). Add 2 cans of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans. Simmer for awhile. Remove some of the beans to a bowl. Remove from the heat momentarily and blend with an immersion blender (I love that handy son-of-a-gun). Return the reserved beans to the pot. You can also add some small pasta (like ditalini or some little rings - about 8 ounces). Simmer a little longer (or until the pasta is cooked if you're using pasta) and the soup is the consistency you desire. Thin with water, if needed. This does require some stirring to prevent sticking but the result is a creamy (cream-free) and delicious soup. Mess around with the seasonings and you can easily travel from country to country. Make it Italian with a little rosemary and thyme or use the spices from the Middle East to switch it up. Make it your own.

Crunchy romaine gets piled here with slices of marinated grilled chicken breast, red pepper strips, onion, bacon (cooked outside on the grill in a pan). We also threw in some sliced avocado and some cherry tomato halves. This happy group was eventually smothered in homemade buttermilk gorgonzola dressing and a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper. Note the stack of grilled bread in the background. (Bret's snack the following day).

That's today's update, my friends. Many more meals, many more photos and many more recipes to share. Tonight's dinner will be a hearty ribollita with lots of vitamin packed kale, cannelini beans, rustic bread and chicken broth. I'll let you know how it turns out. Light some candles and eat late tonight. It's fun. Love, Katie

The BEST Coconut Cupcake Ever!

Those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE this recipe. These are definitely everyone's favorite cupcake and certainly the most requested. Here it is, the famous Barefoot Contessa coconut cupcake recipe. The cream cheese frosting on the cupcakes pictured here was tinted pink for Valentine's Day, but I generally always keep it real with no added coloring. Try them once. Make them forever. Have a passionate Valentine's Day and live each day as if it were February 14th! Wishing you sweetness . . . Love, Katie

The Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes

3/4 pound of unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 extra large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Makes 18-20 large cupcakes

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In three parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of the coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each cup to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack to cool completely. Frost with the cream cheese icing and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 pound of cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 pounds confectioners sugar, sifted

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the cream cheese, butter and extracts. Add the confectioners sugar and mix until smooth.

Penne Porcini

My wonderful sister-in-law, Norma, recently called me to find out where to buy porcini mushrooms around here . . . . "Kath, you know the Penne Porcini at Cafe Borgia? . . . The recipe is on their website . . . http://www.cafeborgia.com/ and . . . it's really simple!" For any of you Chicago south suburbanites that have enjoyed the amazing Roman style fare at Cafe Borgia, formerly on Torrence Avenue in Lansing and now located in Munster, Indiana . . . you may have tried their luscious and creamy Penne Porcini. It's simply perfect. An intensely mushroomy, creamy, decadent sauce perfectly coats firm penne pasta in this mouth-watering, memorable dish.

The recipe on their site (shown below) calls for 8 ounces of porcini mushrooms (soaked in water). I would recommend using 2 to 3 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms. Toss them into a bowl and cover with boiling water or super hot tap water. Let them come to life while you're preparing for the rest of your meal, I'd say about 20 minutes or so. The reconstituted "shrooms" will probably weigh around 8 ounces.

Here's the recipe exactly as it appears on their website . . . I've added some pictures to guide you through the steps. It's unbelievably easy and your friends will be so impressed. I believe that fat = easy. Don't you? Fattening recipes are always easier. LOL. Buon Appetito!

Cafe Borgia's Penne Porcini

1 lb. penne pasta

8 oz. porcini mushrooms (soaked in water)

4 tbsp. butter
16 oz. heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1. Boil pasta in saltwater until al dente.

2. Combine cream, butter and porcini. Simmer.

3. Add pasta to the sauce.

4. Add parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let me know when you try this recipe. It will not disappoint! You can buy dried porcinis at Trader Joe's, Rubino Imports and other specialty food shops. They usually come in small cellophane bags. Some good grocery stores stock them. If your store doesn't carry them, ask them to order some for you!

Travel Note: A few years back, Mark & I had

extreme pleasure of enjoying a rustic Italian dinner, featuring fresh porcinis in a lovely little spot along northern Italy's Ligurian coast. We were greeted by a young girl who was proudly displaying a big basket filled with amazing fresh porcinis. We were given the opportunity to individually select the mushrooms which they would prepare for our dinner. What an incredible experience! That was the same night we were introduced to Brunello D'Montalcino. A truly wonderful memory.

Shroom Link:An online source with a gazillion mushroom options for fungi-lovers, check out http://www.oregonmushrooms.com/ . I'm "this close" to ordering some fresh, USA porcinis. They grow wild in Oregon and California, however, they are not the same as their European cousins which have a meatier, darker and more robust mushroom flavor. They're prettier though.

Katie's Helpful Shroom Notes: Porcinis do not have any pyschedelic properties. Sorry. By the way, doesn't Penne Porcini sound prettier than Quill Cep? I'd say so. K ~ Everyone ~ Fungi Time!

Love, Katie