Coffee Craving? Whatever Gets You Through the Night

Or the Day....

Come here my love!
Just like so many things - the cup may be chipped and imperfect
but what's inside is beautiful!
Macchiato from espresso a mano

If you are in the search for espresso perfection at home and when travelling, I understand.  When in doubt I travel with a hot plate and a stovetop espresso pot.  But most often I can find a spot, some great some not so much.

If you walk in a coffee shop and see a La Marzocco or Simonelli machine you are about to have great espresso.  These allow for creation of hand pulled espresso--The barista has control over pressure, amount of water and whether the shots are short (ristretto) or regular.

Some great spots:

Peppers All'Arancia

Super fast side dish but beautiful.  Sweet mini peppers cook quick and can be left whole--they also look even better when served on a platter.  Roast in the oven or prepare on the grill.

No mini sweets?  Use red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers cut in large chunks. 

Eggplant Lasagna

 

No Guilt but high with flavor...

This uses eggplant in place of the lasagna noodles, but you could also use zucchini or alternate layers of pasta and eggplant. 
This came about as I was looking in the refrigerator one day and saw some silken tofu remaining from another dish.  The tofu becomes the ricotta filling in this dish, but you could still use ricotta.  I always have enough tomatoes in the garden that I can some and freeze the rest.  But use any canned tomatoes you like, Muir Glen has some fire roasted tomatoes that would work well!

Cinnamon Stick Oatmeal

 

Back to Basics...

Because not every Sunday allows for a special breakfast, and sometimes it's just plain comforting to sit down and enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with a cup of coffee!
I've become hooked on cooking oatmeal with a cinnamon stick and vanilla and once you smell this as it is bubbling away on the stove you will too.

Trota Origanata con Patate al Forno

aka Rainy Day Trout

We do not stay in the lap of luxury when we are in Italy, and we like it that way.  Each time we go we make our way to the Molise region where my husbands family is from.  Once we arrive, it feels like home.  We love this off the beaten path, non-touristy area of Italy.  It is rugged and holds true to it’s traditions.  We stay at his fathers birth place, this home is 200+ years old, super thick stone walls.  No one stays there when it’s not summer.  Except us.  And one crazy October storm caught us unprepared.  The weather up until then had been warm and on top of that we had just come back after a few days in Positano (near Amalfi).  There we are in our shorts, going into a store, all warmth and sunshine outside.  We come out of the store and the wind is blowing the rain sideways, the temperature has dropped and we are jumping over mini lakes in the parking lot.  It stayed that way for days. By the way, the place we stay at—his dad’s house—no heat.  The thick walls, well they are retaining the cold.  Everyone we know there wants us to come stay with them but we buy a space heater, light a fire in the kitchen fireplace ,(which only keeps you warm if you are there all day to feed the fire), and get under covers when we are there.

It was with great appreciation that we accepted the invitation from his aunt (Zia Anna) to have at her agriturismo for dinner.  Oh it was warm, and she has a large woodburning stove for preparing food for her guests, and for things like pizza and this recipe.  Oh my, the deliciousness!  Some wine, some pecorino di sardo from her son-in-law, some hearth bread, and this fish served hot with potatoes and the best olive oil!  People all around enjoying food, talking and laughing….It makes me happy to think of it! 

Going to Italy in June? Here's a must see!

Our first trip to Italy together was for a month starting the first week of June.  Most of that trip was spent visiting family and the majority of our stay was in Molise and the surrounding regions.  Well, a quick trip north for a half marathon near in Jesolo Beach near Venice, and a trip south to the ruins of Pompeii.  Oh yes, and then there was Rimini, but I digress.  Back to the matter at hand...

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Happy Birthday Breakfast!  This is one you will make for a special occasion, it takes a bit of pre-planning and has a few steps.  Simple and can be modified in a multitude of ways, but not your workday breakfast.
I make the smoked salmon into a "bacon" by cooking it with just a touch of olive oil, smoked paprika and maple syrup to give it crunch and a golden color.

A real treat: duck eggs from your local farmers market....

Spring Farmers Market

Have you noticed the mild weather across most of the U.S.?  The farmers market have had greens from the hoop houses for most of the winter and now the pea tendrils and sprouts are on the way.







If you haven't had pea tendrils before, they can be eaten raw or a quick saute with olive oil and garlic--it tastes like green on a plate!
Pea sprouts are mild and have a bit of chew, broccoli and radish have more of a bite and a crunch.

            Great snack!

Glasrai Shepherds Pie

When I was growing up we used to have shepherd's pie, but ours had ground beef and was topped with potatoes.  I have revised it using tempeh in place of the meat.  The tempeh is seasoned and mixed with onion and portabella mushrooms to give the taste and mouthfeel resembling the meat for shepherd's pie. 
For the top I used cauliflower instead of potato, but you could use potato, turnip, even sweet potato.
I've crushed a couple crackers on top (with no hydrogenated oils please-- Whole Foods makes a good one).  If you have children who enjoy Goldfish crackers put those on for them!
What's glasrai? Vegetable in old Gaelic

The Best Tempeh Reuben!

My husband loved this!  So did I, it was juicy and so flavorful!  I have had versions of tempeh reubens at various places, but always felt the seasoning could be enhanced to what you might find with corned beef reubens.  I've made a marinade for the tempeh but you could use a store bought pickling spice and mix that with liquid for marinating.  Also, this is vegetarian, if you use another cheese product, like a rice cheese, this can be vegan.  I used Veggie Slices smoked provolone flavor.  It has a milk product as part of the cheese. 
And a swiss cheese would be divine....

Roasted Pecan Buckwheat Pancakes

Maple sugaring season is upon us and we are surrounded with farms producing this sweet nectar.  This season we bought syrup from an Amish farmstead near where we live.  They have hundreds of buckets strewn among the maple trees and the smoke wafts out of the sugar shack.  The cart is hooked up to a pony and in turn the pony pulls that through the woods as the buckets are emptied into a larger vessel on the cart.

We have never tried the maple syrup from here and didn’t know what we were about to experience.  The syrup is the best I can recall ever having—it tasted more like caramel than maple syrup.  It is dark, thick and not overly sweet.  I immediately knew pancakes would be on the menu for the next morning.

The prior weekend I had been at a local farmers market and purchased some buckwheat flour from a farmer who has been certified organic by the state.  The flour is somewhat coarse and the pancakes have a nuttiness and even a bit of crunch from the course grind of the flour.  These were outrageously good! 

Adding salted, roasted pecans to the mix and topping them with orange zest butter sent them over the edge.  I used soy milk, if you want to make them vegan omit the butter and replace the egg with flax meal mixed with water.

La Roccia Ciambotta



Grab your passport and come with me to Oratino, Italy.  Oratino is in the Molise region, it is a rugged and less touristed area in Italy and holds tight to tradition.  We were driving around Molise when we saw this restaurant perched high within the mountain.  Pulling into the long driveway we noticed 2 things: the commanding view of Oratino from their vantage point, and the entry is graced by numerous sculptures.  It turns out the owner is a sculptor and his work is displayed along the expansive multi level outdoor dining area and through the inside of the restaurant.  His artistry is matched by the skill that is in the kitchen.

We particularly liked their ciambotta.  I've had, and I make, ciambotta that is my husband's family style.  They are from Molise and theirs has a more rustic approach and no cheese or egg which you will see in this recipe.  I will add the other ciambotta recipe at another time, likely at the height of summer when the fresh tomatoes and basil are at their best. 

This easily serves 4 but you may want to keep it for yourself, it hits all the right notes: Tangy, Sweet & Savory.

Dining in Pittsburgh? Try Dinette!

Dinette, Pittsburgh PA

Using locally sourced ingredients, the menu changes often. 

Spicy Lemon Broccoli

Oh the humble broccoli, so good in so many ways.  If you cook the broccoli a bit longer in the salted water and then break it with a spoon while it’s in the saute pan you will get an amazing pasta sauce.  Mix in some orchiette—what time shall I arrive for dinner?

Crispy Skin Artic Char

The promise of a bed full of fresh herbs just around the corner has emboldened me to use the stash I have hanging in my fruit cellar. Each time I enter the fruit cellar the bouquets of dried herbs and peppers brings to mind warm summer days.  I've become possessive of these dried goodies as the days grew shorter and colder.  Springs imminent arrival loosens my grip on these and this simple recipe is wonderful because of the pungency of home grown oregano.

I love arctic char, somewhere between ruby trout and salmon….

It is thicker than trout but not as strong as salmon so it really picks up the flavors that you apply.  This simple preparation can be applied to any fish-- and with only 3 ingredients you must have these on hand….

I’ve paired it this evening with Spicy Lemon Broccoli, Ancient Sweet Peppers and Saute of Leeks.  In a hurry?  Ok, arugula salad and quinoa and you are done.  Dress arugula with the same ingredients—olive oil, lemon and salt.  Ta-da!

Ohio City restaurant: Cleveland, Ohio

Will you be in Cleveland any time soon or already live there?  Ohio City is home to the West Side Market, celebrating it's 100 year anniversary this year.  The area around the market is thriving with restaurants and shops.  Crop Bistro and Bar, formerly of West 6th,  has moved into an old bank building.  It has soaring ceilings and a wonderful fresco behind the bar that is orginl to the space.
Crop Bistro and Bar, Cleveland Ohio