I made these the other day- REALLY easy. Quite delicious.
Start with some peeled, cored, apple rings- and dip them in your batter-
Pop in your Fryer for a few minutes.
Roll in some cinnamon and sugar…
Enjoy with some cinnamon whip cream… because just an apple fritter wouldn’t be enough.
Note- don’t eat right before bed like I did. You are likely to be up all night.
I was drawn to this recipe (pg. 73) because of its list of simple and fresh ingredients. It is a yummy soup and the pancetta and cannellini beans add some richness and heartiness. Although if I were to make this again I would probably make Mario’s “Arugula and Fontina Panino” (pg. 114) to accompany it.
Start by cooking your onion, sage, and pancetta.
Add in your diced red bell peppers and tomato paste.
Add your boiling chicken stock and simmer for five minutes.
At this point it says to transfer small batches to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. At this point my four year old had tiptoed into the kitchen and unbeknownst to me was quietly watching as I proceeded to cover my entire kitchen in red soup splatters.
Twice.
Apparently my batches in the blender were not “small” enough. If you have an immersion blender, use it instead! And if you have a four year old sneakily watching you while you accidentally destroy your tiny kitchen, make sure to curse silently to yourself.
We enjoyed the soup. Especially my two year old.
This is what I have missed.
A couple pots on the stove. A mixer working hard- and anticipation of something delicious.
I’m a sucker for any sort of pasta dish- so I knew I had to try the orecchiette.
I was also intrigued about making my own- I’m a glutton for punishment. It was actually super easy. Just two ingredients- and a long time with the dough hook in the kitchen aide.
I never thought it would get there- but it actually turned quite pliable. Easy to roll into logs- and cut.
I was down at the Market and picked up my favorite Uli’s Sausage for the italian sausage ragu.
I did all of this in advance- so at the end I could just boil my little Orecchiette and pan fry the collard greens.
Everything gets tossed together- simmer for a moment to meld and sprinkled with some pecorino.
Oh man. This was delicious.
Last time I did Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe and I enjoyed this much more. (and I liked it the first time)
1. The Orecchiette was delightfully chewy. Reminded me of Korean rice cakes. I know that might sound like an odd comparison- but if you try it- you’ll know what I mean. I’m so thrilled I made a double batch so I have some waiting for me in the freezer. Homemade makes a REAL difference.
2. For those of you who are Rabe averse- the collards are great. Very mild. Next time I will probably double up on them because they were so good sautéed with the garlic.
Thank you Mario. And Thank you Nature Delivered Farm. You made my belly (if not my waistline) happy.
It has been a LONG time since we had a meeting. Seattle summer got the better of us and now we are back in the kitchens and hard at work. Or at least back in the kitchens.
Never missing an opportunity for a good time, we were able to get together and discuss (finally) Canal House Cooks Everyday.
Thought I would share some picks from that afternoon before we launch into our next book.
Mind you- I know I’m missing photos of at least two dishes- I was too busy eating them- so my apologies to those who I missed.
Next up:
America Farm to Table by Chef, Mario Batali and Journalist, Jim Webster.
Just picked the last of my tomatoes yesterday- perfect time to try the tart I had been eyeing in Canal House.
SUPER easy. SUPER delicious.
I made the dough from scratch. Mark said, “what is this?!? It tastes like a croissant!” Takes little to no time at all. Just has to sit in the fridge a few times.
I halved the recipe- and good thing. I would have eaten the whole thing.
Paired with some simple grilled chicken and a salad. Will definitely make again.
Hi There!
We decided that we were going to take the summer off- and I have been out of the kitchen for what seems like several months.
It seems like fall is right around the corner though and it’s time to get back to it! I think we should start with some meatball madness!
I liked the diminutive size of the meatballs. Small enough to eat in one bite. I also liked the nutmeg in them. I wasn’t sure about how I would feel about it- but it made them a little more interesting and versatile than meatballs I have made in the past.
Lets start with the tomato sauce.
Yum. Super delicious. I’m not sure what is wrong with my son- who seems to miss his summer diet of hotdogs and peanut butter.
Note- I also tried the tetrazzini which felt decisively old school- but in my opinion even more delicious and comforting than the tomato sauce. Next up- dill.
Hopefully we will get back in the swing of things soon! I have missed this!
I have been a bit of a slacker lately. I missed the last cookbook because of hand surgery…and this time I don’t really have much of an excuse besides just not prioritizing cooking! OH THE SHAME!
I did however make a few things from the latest cookbook, Canal House Cooks. I made the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, and the Rhubarb Syrup for an Amante cocktail.
My Mom used to make Carbonara growing up. I loved it. This might beat my Mom’s recipe!! Oh man, it was delicious…and the boyfriend approved. Maybe because it was full of yummy salty bacon. This was an easy recipe and I would definitely make it again.
Cook a 1/2 lb of bacon. I cooked the whole package. 🙂 I also cooked it on a cookie rack on an edged cookie sheet in the oven. I loved this. My house smelled delicious, but it didn’t smell like grease for 2 weeks.
Mix up egg yolks, butter and pepper. This was what I think is a key step for not cooking the yolks so fast in the hot pasta.
Add a little of the pasta water and it makes a creamy pot of goodness.
Next up, the Rhubarb Syrup for the Amante cocktail. This was good…but the syrup was an undertaking. It was difficult, I just made a serious mess on my stove and counter. You have to boil down the rhubarb and then strain it through a fine mesh. This part took awhile. I suppose if I did it again, I would plan a little better and do this during the day.
Now the best part was drinking the drink. 🙂 It was kind of like a rhubarb orange margarita. YUM.
I made this for breakfast over the weekend. Again- surprising how such few ingredients and easy preparation can make such a satisfying meal.
Cook potato and onion for about five minutes- until potatoes are just cooked through. 
Add some vegetable (we had broccoli) and cook another couple minutes. 
Add eggs and cook for about five minutes covered. 
Pop some feta on there and place under broiler until it is set up. 
It took a relatively short period of time. I loved the feta. Mark and I ate every bite even though we halved the recipe so it should have fed four. 
I would make this again. Great use for extra veggies. Yum.
I have been eating a lot of the spinach chop. I think I have officially O.D.’d. Time to move on to another egg sandwich…
This one is even more easy. Just chopped hard boiled eggs and a nice combo of fresh dill, chives, and plain yogurt. 
Mix together and serve on a piece of toasted bread- preferably with butter and rubbed with a clove of garlic. 
Again- so easy- but so good. I think it must be the dill.
Melissa has been raving about this popcorn since we first started this book. We are not a huge popcorn house- but since I was making popcorn for carnival cookies anyway, I figured I should see what all the fuss was about.
Make popcorn…
Brown butter and mix with dijon mustard. Add to popcorn.
Mix with salt, chives, and thyme.
That’s it! 
Now, I’m not sure why this is so good… might be the salt- the brown butter- the herbiness… What ever it is- it’s delicious. May turn us into a popcorn house yet. Now, if I were eating this while watching Catching Fire my life would be complete.
Seattle Cooking Club 