LASAGNA ALLA BOLOGNESE AL FORNO

I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm still cooking. Here we go. Karen was having her girlfriends over for "American Idol". I told her I would be happy to make something for the "Event". I've been waiting for an opportunity to make lasagne. So, the day before I made the bolognese sauce for the lasagne.

The bolognese sauce was easy to make, but it takes a little time. The ingredients consisted of onions, celery, carrots, garlic, ground veal, ground pork, ground pancetta, tomato paste, milk, wine and thyme leaves.


To assemble the lasagne, you spread a layer of ragu bolognese sauce on the bottom of your casserole and sprinkle it with parmigiano cheese, then a layer of pasta, a layer of besciamella sauce, another layer of ragu sauce, then parmigiano, then pasta and repeat it until your ingredients are used up. The besciamella sauce consisted of unsalted butter, flour, warm milk, freshly grated nutmeg and salt.

Side view of lasagne!!!!!!!!!

Just out of the oven! Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving

Chuck, Bill and Steve had the basketball game to watch.

Where's the other Steve?

Christy, Lori, Debbie, Suzette and Karen getting ready to cheer Lee to victory!

Looks Yummy!!!!!!!!!

TORTELLONI WITH SAGE BUTTER

I gave my first "cooking lesson" last week! Lori told me that Hannah, who is a senior in high school wanted to make ravioli for her senior project. She asked me if I would "teach" Hannah how to make ravioli. I was happy to do it.

Lisa, Hannah's mom, Karen and Lori in the kitchen checking out my blog on the computer!

I'm showing Hannah how to roll and knead the dough! Nick is making a sauce for pasta, that we had leftover to make fettuccine.

After I showed her, she made her own batch which turned out just as good as mine!

Hannah assembling the ravioli !

Filling the ravioli ! The filling consisted of ricotta cheese, parmigiano cheese, eggs, freshly grated nutmeg, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Ravioli ready for the water. After you boil the ravioli, place it in a pan with melted butter and sage leaves and toss to coat.

Passing of the Spoon

Roman-Style Veal Cutlets with Sage

I had some veal left over from the other night so I thought I would make this veal dish. It was very easy to make, and would make a nice antipasto. I pounded the veal flat with my meat mallet (sounds kinda funky) and placed each on a (funky again) piece of prosciutto with a sage leaf and folded it over to form a little sandwich. After that, you pound it lightly again with your mallet (funky) and secure it together with a toothpick, and then dredge it in flour that is seasoned with salt and pepper. Be careful not to over salt it, because the prosciutto is very salty.

Veal Cutlets breaded and ready for the pan!
Cook the cutlets in unsalted butter on medium to high heat for 2 minutes on each side.

Remove the cutlets from the pan and add 1/2 cup of dry white wine with another couple tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan!

Return the cutlets to the pan to reheat for a minute or two. It looks as good as it tasted!!!

Becca was my sous chef and panel for tonight! We both agreed that the cutlets were definitely a do-over!

Grilled Veal Rolls Sicilian-Style

Well, I finally watched the movie "Julie & Julia". I kind of felt sorry for Julie at the end of the movie knowing that Julia Child thought she was a "pill". I guess that bothered me a little because, even though I don't have a deadline to finish my journey, I understood how Julie felt. Alright, enough of the sappiness. I hope that's a word. Here we go! I guess some people might wonder why I'm doing this. I like to cook and I was making the same recipes over and over again, especially out of Mario's book. So I decided that for me to learn more about cooking I would cook all the recipes in Mario's book. I've learned so much already. But the best thing about my journey is having friends and family over and enjoying everybody's company. So, after watching "Julie & Julia" I felt like I needed to make something really exciting the next day and I wanted to invite Lori, Bill and Lori's sister Debbie to dinner. I was looking for a recipe to make and I came across the Grilled Veal Rolls. I don't think I've ever had veal before, so veal it was. I called my butcher the next day and ordered the veal. The ingredients for the filling was pecorino romano cheese, fresh bread crumbs, pine nuts, parsley and raisins that were soaked in warm water for 1 hour. I flattened the veal pieces with my steel mallet, spread the filling and then rolled them up and skewered them with rosemary sprigs which I soaked in water. Soaking the rosemary prevents them from burning while you cook them.

Veal Rolls prepped and ready to go!!!

Veal Rolls on the grill pan!!

Bill really helped out with grilling the veal. I think I am going to make him one of my sous chefs!

Lori and her sister Debbie.

Lori and Karen.

Veal Rolls waiting to be eaten.

Lori with her plate of food. Picture taken by me!!!

Inside of veal rolls. Picture is blurry but it still looks goooood!



My first video post. Bill's debut cooking in the kitchen!

Lori's 29th Birthday

We wanted to have Lori and Bill over for dinner to celebrate Lori's 29th birthday. We also invited Christy and Colin to celebrate with us. I decided to make the Goat Cheese Ravioli again, because it has been my favorite recipe to make so far, plus I was worried if I tried something new it might turn out like the debacle when I made the Pork Loin a couple of weeks ago. Well, everything turned out pretty good and I didn't have any problems. I was able to make the ravioli a couple hours ahead, and I covered them and put them in the refrigerator. For a vegetable dish, my production manager requested that I make the Roasted Asparagus with Capers and Eggs, which was a hit the first time I made it.

Karen, Christy, Colin, Lori and Bill

Lori, Christy, Colin and Bill getting ready to chow down!

Lori with her plate food. Looks Good. Picture taken by my production manager.

For dessert, Christy made her famous Key Lime Pie, which was absolutely delicious! I believe the recipe is TOP SECRET, but I'm hoping I can get it from her!

Holy Toledo, take a good look! Bill is loading the dishwasher. Everybody pitched in with the clean-up which was very helpful because I usually make a big mess when I cook.

I think Colin is pinching Bill's ear trying to get him to scrub the pan faster! Colin did dress up for the evening, but he spilled wine on his shirt and I had to give him a much sought after Hanna Construction T-shirt to wear for the rest of the evening.

SPICY SICILIAN CHICKEN AND SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC, ONIONS AND GUANCIALE

BECCA'S FRIEND PAIGE HAS BEEN ASKING ME TO MAKE THE SPICY SICILIAN CHICKEN AFTER LENT WAS OVER. I ALSO DECIDED TO MAKE A PASTA DISH TO GO ALONG WITH IT, SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC, ONIONS AND GUANCIALE. I USED A GOOD QUALITY BACON INSTEAD OF GUANCIALE. GUANCIALE IS HOG JOWLS THAT YOU HAVE TO PREPARE 4 WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME. I DIDN'T THAT WOULD GO OVER TOO WELL WITH MY PRODUCTION MANAGER IF SHE KNEW SHE WAS EATING HOG CHEEK! THE SPAGHETTI TURNED OUT EXCELLENT WITH THE BACON AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT IT IS A DEFINITE DO-OVER.

THE SAUCE FOR THE SPAGHETTI ALSO INCLUDED ONIONS, RED PEPPER FLAKES, GARLIC, PECORINO-ROMANO CHEESE AND PARSLEY FOR GARNISH!

SPAGHETTI LOOKS GOOD!!!!

THE SICILIAN CHICKEN WAS MORE LIKE A STEW. THIS DISH HAD EVERYTHING GOING ON IN IT. THE INGREDIENTS INCLUDED POTATOES, BELL PEPPERS, CELERY, EGGPLANT, CARROTS, PLUM TOMATOES, GREEN OLIVES, CAPERS, CHILE PEPPERS, RED WINE AND MINT AND PARSLEY FROM OUR GARDEN. THE MUSIC FOR TONIGHT VARIED FROM THE SOUNDS OF CHRIS ISAAK TO TOM PETTY AND MY FAVORITE SINGER, DEAN MARTIN!

PORK LOIN IN THE STYLE OF PORCHETTA

THIS PAST SATURDAY KAREN HAD HER GIRLFRIENDS, CONCETTA AND TINA OVER TO CELEBRATE TINA'S BIRTHDAY. I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COOK THEM DINNER AND BE A THIRD WHEEL. I MADE THIS PORK LOIN WHICH I ORDER FROM MY BUTCHER AND HAD HIM BUTTERFLY IT FOR ME. THE STUFFING CONSISTED OF ONION, FENNEL, GROUND PORK SHOULDER, ROSEMARY, GARLIC, FRESH BREAD CRUMBS AND EGGS.

THE PORK LOIN WAS PLACED ON TOP OF RED ONIONS AND READY TO ROAST.

PORK LOIN OUT THE OVEN AND RESTING FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE SLICING!

THE PORK LOIN FILLING LOOKED AND TASTED DELICIOUS. I KEPT TESTING THE PORK WITH MY MEAT THERMOMETER, BUT SOMEHOW IT GOT AWAY FROM ME AND I OVERCOOKED THE PORK. I FELT TERRIBLE!!!!! MY REAL FIRST DISASTER ON MY JOURNEY. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, WHILE I AM COOKING I ALWAYS LISTEN TO MUSIC FROM MY IPOD. TODAY'S MUSICAL CHOICE WAS WEEZER'S NEW CD, RADITUDE.

CHICKEN FROM THE TOWN OF AVELLINO

WITH EASTER OVER, NOW WE CAN GET BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS! THIS IS ANOTHER DISH FROM THE REGION OF CAMPANIA. I USED A FREE RANGE CHICKEN, WHICH I HAD THE BUTCHER CUT INTO PIECES FOR ME. I BROWNED THE CHICKEN, THEN REMOVED IT FROM THE PAN AND THEN SAUTEED THE SAUCE IN THE SAME PAN. THE SAUCE CONSISTED OF RED ONION, 10 WHOLE GARLIC CLOVES, BELL PEPPERS, MUSHROOMS, JALAPENO PEPPERS, WHITE WINE, AND BASIL AND PARSLEY FROM OUR GARDEN. THE RECIPE CALLED FOR 8 SMALL JALAPENO PEPPERS. I USED 3 LARGE ONES BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE DISH WOULD BE TO HOT, BUT IT WASN'T. IF I MAKE THIS DISH AGAIN I WOULD USE THE REQUIRED AMOUNT.

THE SAUCE COOKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL IT WAS GOLDEN BROWN.

THE CHICKEN WAS RETURNED TO THE PAN WITH THE SAUCE AND COOKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES.

POLLO AVELLINO READY TO SERVE!

MY PANEL FOR TONIGHT, PAIGE, BECCA, NICK AND HILLARY. THEY ALL LOVED THE DISH AND SAID THAT IS DEFINITELY A DO-OVER!!!

EASTER GRAIN AND RICOTTA PIE

I MADE THIS PIE FOR EASTER, WHICH IS TRADITIONAL IN THE REGION OF CAMPANIA. THE FILLING CONSISTED OF FARRO GRAIN, WHICH I SOAKED OVERNIGHT, RICOTTA CHEESE, SUGAR, EGGS, LEMON ZEST, CINNAMON, MILK, AND ORANGE FLOWER WATER.

RICOTTA PIE OUT OF THE OVEN AND COOLING.

REQUIRED PHOTO SHOT BY MY PRODUCTION MANAGER!

SIDE SHOT OF PIE!

KAREN ALSO MADE HER TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN CAKE FOR EASTER!

TUNA AND RICOTTA FRITTERS

I MADE THESE LITTLE GUYS THE OTHER NIGHT, TUNA AND RICOTTA FRITTERS. THE RECIPE CALLED FOR ITALIAN CANNED TUNA PACKED IN OLIVE OIL. THE TUNA WAS COMBINED WITH RICOTTA CHEESE AND RUSSET POTATOES WHICH WERE BOILED AND THEN PASSED THROUGH MY POTATO MILL. ALSO IN THE FRITTERS WERE MARJORAM, (FROM OUR GARDEN), EGG YOLKS, AND SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. I SHAPED THEM INTO GOLF BALL SIZE AND THEN ROLLED THEM IN FLOUR, THEN EGG WHITES, AND THEN ROLLED THEM IN FRESH BREAD CRUMBS. I THEN FRIED THEM IN OLIVE OIL. THE FRITTERS WERE VERY FLUFFY AND LIGHT FROM THE POTATOES. THEY TASTED BEST WHEN THEY WERE EATEN HOT. I ATE THEM WITH THE BASIC TOMATO SAUCE,(WHICH I MADE AGAIN), ALMOST LIKE TUNA MEATBALLS. I HAD THEM FOR LEFTOVERS TONIGHT, AND JUST REHEATED THEM IN THE OVEN, AND THEN ADDED THEM TO A SMALL POT OF TOMATO SAUCE.

TRENETTE WITH PESTO, BEANS AND POTATOES

PASTA, PASTA AND MORE PASTA! LENT IS ALMOST OVER. TONIGHT I MADE TRENETTE WITH PESTO, BEANS AND POTATOES. THE PESTO SAUCE WAS EASY TO MAKE AND IT CONSISTED OF PINE NUTS, BASIL (FROM OUR GARDEN), GARLIC, OLIVE OIL, SALT AND PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE. THE RECIPE ALSO CALLED FOR SMALL RED POTATOES THAT WERE BOILED TILL TENDER AND THEN CUT IN HALF. THE GREEN BEANS WERE ALSO BOILED TILL TENDER AND THEN PLUNGED IN AN ICE BATH AND SET ASIDE READY TO ADD TO THE PASTA ONCE IT WAS COOKED. AFTER THE PASTA WAS COOKED I PLACED IT IN A WARM SERVING BOWL ALONG WITH THE GREEN BEANS, POTATOES AND PESTO. THE PASTA WAS FANTASTIC AND IT REMINDED ME OF WHEN KAREN AND I WENT TO ITALY!!!!

HOMEMADE PESTO SAUCE WAITING TO BE ADDED TO THE PASTA!

BACK BY POPULAR! FETTUCCINE ALFREDO! NICK HAD A GOLF MATCH TODAY AND HE ASKED ME TO MAKE THIS DISH AGAIN. HE IS NOT A BIG FAN OF PESTO.

TRENETTE WITH PESTO. I USED LINGUINE FINI PASTA!

KAREN ENJOYING HER PASTA. YOU WILL NOTICE ON THE COUNTER IN FRONT OF HER THAT I ALSO MADE MINI RED VELVET BUNDT CAKES FOR DESSERT!! THEY ARE COOLING WAITING FOR THE ICING TO BE APPLIED!

MY PANEL FOR TONIGHT. NICK, HILLARY AND BECCA! I THINK THEY ENJOYED THE PASTA. I ALSO MADE THE ROASTED ASPARAGUS AGAIN FOR A VEGETABLE. HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BALANCE.