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

Beet Street

You know how I feel about colorful food, right? I found some California grown, orange, organic beets at Meier's the other day with their healthy and beautiful greens attached. I, of course, felt like I had hit the jackpot. I purchased the small, firm beauties along with some red beets and I was so pleased just knowing that I planned to roast them and showcase them in a beautiful and healthy salad. If you've never roasted beets, here's a great method you will appreciate so that you can eat healthy and delicious fresh beets without making a mess! They're wonderful with absolutely no adornment, really!


Simply trim the greens from the beets, trim off the root end (the little tail), scrub them well with a brush and individually wrap them in foil. Line a sheet pan with foil. Place all of your foiled beets on the pan (remember...easy cleanup). Pop them into a pre-heated oven. I heated the oven to 375 degrees. Roast for about an hour. These guys were small. If your beets are really large and firm, you will probably need at least an hour and a half or so. Remove from the oven. Feel one and press it to see if it's done. They will still feel firm .... you might want to unwrap one and slice it to check for doneness. Let them cool down. Unwrap, one at a time and remove the skin. Eat one or two. You won't be able to resist. Slice them and admire the concentric rings. Kind of like a slice of a tree trunk. Natural beauty. AND... a bounty of nutrition. Lots of potassium and fiber plus low in calories. Yippee!!! I used them in this salad right away, but you can chill them in the fridge at this point or, marinate them in a little oil and vinegar with some onion. Sky's the limit. Go ahead and experiment. Live dangerously.




Let's talk about the beet greens for a moment, shall we? I carefully cleaned the beet greens, while warming a little olive oil, a small clove of smashed garlic and some red pepper flakes in a medium pot. I added the beet greens to the pot (it will crackle and splatter like crazy because of the water clinging to the leaves) and quickly placed the lid on top. I added a sprinkle of kosher salt. Actually, beet greens are kind of naturally salty when you taste them raw, so you don't need to add very much salt. The greens were done in a matter of just a minute or two. Healthy, delicious and loaded with a plethera of vitamins and nutrients, we didn't take the time to snap a photo. Sorry. LOL. Dark and lovely greens with just the essence of garlic hit the spot on a thick slice of buttered Marconi bread.



Back to the roasted beets & the salad:
These roasted beets were served on a bright combination of mache, frisee, radicchio and baby spinach, along with some thin wisps of sweet onion. A homemade creamy feta and fresh herb dressing topped the salad with some freshly cracked black pepper. The dressing was not healthy. Oops. Ying~Yang. Mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh flat leaf parsley, feta cheese, s & p. Life's good. Eat beets.



Almost forgot to tell you about these glazed radishes. Don't knock 'em til you try 'em. OMG. Kind of sweet, kind of not. Think cabbage, potato, parsnip and carrot all combined into a little pink powerball of flavor. Unusual and delicious side dish. Throw cleaned whole radishes into a pot or saute pan with a little butter, sugar, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Simmer and cook uncovered or partially covered until cooked and the liquid turns into a glaze. If you have too much evaporation, simply add a little water and keep simmering until these puppies are tender. Really delicious!

Here's Katie's Passion Kitchen Motto for the New Year:

WINE

AND

DINE

IN

NINE

Love, Katie

Good Spirits

Get your hummingbird on with St~Germain ~ ~ ~ Check out my new favorite French liquer artisinale. Made from freshly handpicked elderflower blossoms, this lovely spirit pairs well with sparkling wines like Prosecco, Cava or Moscato d'Asti. The fragrance is divine and the flavor is a delightful blend of fresh fruit and flowers. It is refreshingly sublime and would be a superb addition to otherwise ordinary cocktails. Try it out today in your passion kitchen. Merci bien!

The St~Germain Cocktail

2 shots of champagne or dry white wine*

1 1/2 shots St~Germain

2 shots sparkling water or club soda

Stir ingredients in an ice-filled glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.

*try Prosecco, Cava, Moscato d'Asti or a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc

Stay Fresh My Friends

Leading up to Christmas and throughout the whole season, we're filling up on cookies, fudge, cheesecake, cheeseballs, dips, chips, not to mention a whole lot of imbibing.......which brings me to FRESH! We need it! Salads, fresh fruit and veg and generally, anything of color.... The more colorful your food, chances are, the higher the nutritional value. So, eat your greens and make sure you don't skimp on the simplicity of fresh and colorful food in your diet. Your body will thank you.

Here are a few snacks/treats I prepared during the month of December to keep it delicious and nutritious . . .First, super fresh Guacamole, ala Playa del Carmen. Mark & I had THE best tableside guacamole at a cool open air restaurant in the heart of Playa del Carmen when we visited there in November 2006. It was a memorable preparation and I believe I have nailed it! I've been preparing it this way since then with a few variations. It's shown here with some crunchy tortilla chips and some cubes of queso Chihuahua.

Start with perfectly ripe avocados. I prepare each ingredient first and then combine everything all at the last minute before we dive in. Finely chop some sweet onion (like Vidalia or Oso). Finely chop some grape or cherry tomatoes. Finely chop a nice hot Serrano pepper or a firm jalapeno. Cut a lime in half. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pit by "whacking" it with your sharp knife and then turning your knife. It will come out very easily. Mash the avocadoes in a bowl with either a fork or an old fashioned potato masher (assuming you don't have the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle get-up called a molcajete). Add the chopped onion, tomato and pepper. Add kosher salt to taste and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Add a swirl of olive oil (sssshhh.....it's a secret). Blend together with a fork until well combined. Taste for salt. Seriously, peeps, salt is the key. Good salt. Add more salt if needed and then a really generous squeeze of fresh lime.........It will wake up your gwok fo shizzle. Plus, did you know that limes have no seeds? Thus, no hassle with squeezing directly into your dishes. Who knew? One more tip. Lemon works well also! It's excellent. I swear! I love it both ways! OK. Grab your favorite chips and pig out. We actually eat guacamole for a late night dinner sometimes with (you know) a big fruity glass of Sangria. Oh Gee KT, What a surprise! Salute!

K. Here's more fresh for ya . . .

I don't really like humdrum. I do like froo froo though. We love tuna salad and who cares about mercury? Anyway, Foof up your tuna salad so that it looks happier and brighter, plus always try to add some green to your meal. In my mind, it helps cancel out all of the bad stuff. Psychological, you say? Hmmmmmm........ could be. OK. No time to cook? Throw together some tuna salad really quickly. Bumble Bee Albacore is my personal favorite for combining with mayonnaise (Hellmann's)..... A little sweet chopped onion and I'm happy. Pile a scoop of tuna salad on top of a mound of lacy and beautiful frisee', top with fresh carrot shreds (come on, it only takes a second) and sprinkle with paprika. Voila'. It's not humdrum anymore! Note: I'll talk more about tuna in a future post. If you're gonna have it "straight-up", you MUST try canned Italian tuna in olive oil for a moist and delicious treat. Look for Genova "tonno" in the can at most grocery stores or, for the ultimate treat, As do Mar tonno trancio intero.... the "primo tonno".

One more for your repertoire ~

If you have not already tried Burrata cheese, your time has come. Fresh, cream filled mozzarella. OMG. No kidding. I FINALLY found this cheese at Trader Joe's and I was, of course, thrilled! Bring back summer with an incredibly flavorful and fresh salad of Burrata, torn basil leaves, the best tomatoes you can find, kalamata olives, a sweet and dark balsamic vinaigrette and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Don't forget the fresh pane'. Buon Appetito!

Love to all & may your holiday season be brimming with everything that keeps passion in your daily life.

XOXO,

Katie

Katie, You're Glowing (It's The Pasta)

This pasta is so delicious, I think it almost made me cry. What the? Jamie Oliver's "Fresh Tagliatelle with Sprouting Broccoli and Oozy Cheese Sauce" rocked our world Sunday night. This dish is pasta divinity. Silky, tender ribbons of homemade pasta in a glistening sauce of cheese and cream (plus a couple of egg yolks) really epitomizes the idea of enjoying the fruits of your labor. OMG. Although I closely followed Jamie's methods, I did take the liberty of using broccoli rabe (rapini) instead of purple sprouting broccoli (since I don't have any of that on the "back 40"). I also used whipping cream in place of creme fraiche ( it's tough to find at the local stores and I didn't plan far enough in advance to make a homemade batch). I adapted the recipe and provided it below with my personal tweaks, although I stuck to his directions pretty closely ...



Fresh Tagliatelle with Broccoli Rabe & Cheese Sauce

Serves 4

For the pasta ~

4 large free-range or organic eggs

2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting

kosher salt

For the cheese sauce ~

1 cup whipping cream

5 ounces of sliced Fontina cheese

5 ounces of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch of broccoli rabe (rapini)

2 large free-range or organic egg yolks

a small bunch of fresh herbs, leaves picked

(I used thyme and flat leaf parsley, but a number of other fresh herbs would be great too ~ like fresh oregano, marjoram or summer savory)

The beauty of this dish is partly its mere simplicity. The sauce ingredients warm slowly right in your serving bowl which is set directly on top of your pot of boiling water. How clever is that? I used a nice large pot for the water and chose a shallow, but large bowl which would rest well on top of the pot, without touching the water. This would really be a fast and delicious dish if you didn't have the time to make the homeade pasta. Just buy some of the nice fresh pasta in the refrigerated section of the store (or I'm sure it would be great with frozen tortellini or gnocchi ).

Directions:

Crack the eggs into the food processor and add the flour and a generous pinch of salt. Whiz it up until it starts to rumble. The dough comes together really fast. Touch it. If it's sticky, add a bit more flour and pulse it again.

Take the dough out of the processor and shape it into a ball. Knead it a few times on a floured surface with floured hands. Divide it into four equal parts. Run each of the four pieces of dough through a pasta machine, moving the rollers closer together each time (about 4 or 5 times) until you have 4 silky smooth, thin sheets. Dust each sheet well with flour and fold each one over and cut into 1/2 inch wide ribbons. Gather the ribbons together with a little flour and toss them between your fingers to make your pile of tagliatelle.

In your pasta bowl, place the Fontina and Parmesan cheeses, the cream, salt and pepper. Place the bowl on top of your pot of water. Bring the water to a boil. The cream and cheese will begin to melt nicely. In the meantime, cut the dry ends off of the rapini. I also cut the stalks diagonally or split some of the thicker stalks with a knife so that they cook evenly. Leave the florets whole. When the water comes to a boil, set the pasta bowl aside and add a generous amount of salt to the water (heaping tablespoon or so) and the rapini. While the rapini starts to cook, lightly beat the two egg yolks with the fresh herbs and add the mixture to the warm cheese sauce. Mix well. Add the pasta to the pot when the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta and the greens in the water until aldente. It only takes a few minutes for the pasta to cook.

Drain the pasta and the greens in colander. Reserve some pasta water in case you need to loosen the sauce. Add the drained pasta and rapini to the cheese sauce and mix well. The egg will cook from the heat of the pasta. Toss again to to be sure that every strand is coated with this glorious cheesy and delicious sauce. I found that the sauce was at first a little loose and then thickened up a bit and absorbed into the homemade pasta perfectly. I did not need to add any pasta water. Jamie Oliver suggests finishing the dish with some additional freshly grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. I found it to be perfect with no futher enhancements. Buon Appetito!

Caramel Learning Curve

Caramel is fun, but I really need more experimentation. The temperature thing is really important, I think. These apples have chewy and delicious caramel for those with healthy choppers and/or excellent quality dental work. I will try and try again until I get the caramel to be the absolute perfect consistency... not too soft and not too hard and chewy. I will nail it one of these days. E-mail me your favorite recipe if you know of a tried-and-true way of achieving caramel perfection, ok?

This caramel was made from scratch with brown sugar, butter, sweetened condensed milk and light corn syrup. Vanilla was added once the caramel began to cool down. These guys got rolled around in a lot of love... for example, toasted sliced almonds, coconut, mini chococolate chips, toasted pecans, hazelnuts and walnuts. I know you can feel that love. Then, a bunch of them were drizzled with melted cocoa-y chocolate and squirted with even more white chocolate. You can click on the pix for enormous close-ups if you're really hungry.

Love to all . . . from Katie's Passion Kitchen

Daylight Savings Time = Kitchen Energy aka Tagliatelle, Ricotta, Tomatoes, Apples

Wow! I must have really benefited from that extra hour . . . I had major food ambition today. I started the day reading a few pages of Jamie Oliver's "Jamie At Home" cookbook which is a beautiful tribute to "garden to table" cooking. He is such an inspired and passionate cook with an incredible flair for bringing out the best of simple fare. Rustic, yet elegant, his cooking is really creative, healthful and delicious. http://www.jamieoliver.com/

OK. So, I'm all over the board this morning, right? During our morning walk, I talked Joann's ear off about free range hens and organic eggs, my beautiful, but disappointing caramel apples (the taffy was too hard and chewy), the pure beauty of homemade ricotta cheese and the origins of junket and rennet, why it's important to slow-roast "winter" tomatoes and "don't you think Fontina cheese is absolutely luscious?" Poor Joann. I was a fountain of food love.

So, here's what that led up to........First stop after an invigorating walk on a perfect November morning: the grocery store....just for a few things. (This turned out to be about 90 minutes of inspiration gathering which included inspecting, reading, roaming, sniffing, squeezing, comparing, pondering, and searching for items like creme fraiche' and sumac). Then came checkout explanations to the befuddled young check out associate who had never heard of fennel or rapini and couldn't find them on his produce list.

Now, I'm talking to my mom on my way home, giving her the lowdown on my plans for the rest of the day. Ready?

1) Homemade Ricotta Cheese
2) Oven Roasted Tomatoes
3) Caramel Apples (to redeem myself from Friday's batch)
4) Fresh Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta with Rapini and Fontina Sauce

I cannot tell you how gratifying it was to make fresh pasta. Wow! It was defintitely a highlight in my repertoire. I am already looking forward to doing it again. Anyone interested in making any of the things you see here, please POST your requests or send me an e-mail, ok? I would LOVE to hear from you.

Thank you so much for your interest in me, my cooking, my ideas and my blog. You're always welcome and at home in Katie's Passion Kitchen.

Love, Katie

Bella Pasta

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Super Fresh Homemade Organic RicottaPlum tomatoes are drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt, fresh thyme leaves, and dried oregano... slow roasted in a 300F degree oven until intensely flavored and slightly chewy (about 2 to 2 1/2 hours). They're served here on a bed of arugula, topped with fresh, homemade ricotta cheese, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Caramel Apples

Here are some of my caramel apples (the Halloween batch) ... they look great, except the taffy was too hard, even though I followed the directions by heating the caramel to 248 degrees. So, I tried again today and removed the caramel from the heat at 240 degrees. Still really chewy, but definitely better. LOL. Anyone out there have a caramel apple recipe with caramel that stays creamy and doesn't get too-too chewy? Please send it to me. Thank you! In the morning, I shall post some shots of the new and improved batch. Practice makes perfect, right? Candy's tricky.

P.S. Click on any (or most) photos shown in each post for a gigantic close-up, then use the back button on your browser to get back to the page...

XOXO, Katie

P.S. Tonight, I will post the recipe for the pasta with my comments and recommendations. Buon Appetito!