Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

You know those moments where you almost wish you could've done something earlier, and almost had? I almost made this focaccia a lot earlier in the day - instead I waited for it to come hot out of the oven for when Ricky got home. I'm so glad I didn't make it earlier! Now Focaccia will always have a brand new meaning for me, and it's all cause he popped the question! (I said yes!) 

I'm not sure if every Parmesan and Herb Focaccia baked will get a marriage popping question for you, but you can always make this for when you want to be married to a savory and delicious bread!

Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

• Flour (2 3/4 Cups)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 Teaspoon)
• Active Dry Yeast (1 Tablespoon)
• Garlic Powder (1 Teaspoon)
• Oregano (1 Teaspoon)
• Thyme (1 Teaspoon)
• Basil (1 Teaspoon)
• Black Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Vegetable Oil (1 Tablespoon)
• Water (Hot, 1 Cup)
• Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Cup)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a large bowl mix together the Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast, Garlic, Oregano, Thyme, and Pepper. Add in the Vegetable Oil and Water, mixing well, and then kneading into a well-formed dough ball.
• In a separate bowl, spread half of the Olive Oil around the bottom, place the formed dough ball into the bowl and cover with a damp paper bowl for 20 minutes.
• In a greased 8inX8in pan spread the dough into it. It should be around 1/2 inch thick. Spread the remaining Olive Oil on top of the bread, and sprinkle with the Parmesan Cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. 
• Enjoy warm with some cheese and wine!

There's a lot more I could say, but hey I think ya'll will understand why I don't. See you again on Tuesday! 

Homemade Three Cheese Ravioli

Perfect Kitty Paw Print
Hazards of Cooking with a Cat in the Kitchen

Okay, okay, I'm normally not one to brag - until now that is! This was hands down my best dish, better than best. I can't believe I pulled these perfect little pillows of pasta into something so delicious with only ten ingredients. Yes ten ingredients!
I think one of the things I find that annoys me sometimes when I'm researching recipes, or how to make something, everyone always has that one piece of equipment you would never normally own. (Or plain and simple can't afford.) I do not have a pasta machine, nor do I have a stand mixer, and I certainly don't believe you can only make "good raviolis" utilizing said tools.
Therefore I bring you my recipe, wherein you don't need expensive tools to make a perfect ravioli.

Homemade Three Cheese Ravioli

• Pasta Sauce (2 Cups)

Dough

• Flour (3 Cups)
• Eggs (2)
• Olive Oil (1/4 Cup, I used a Rosemary Infused Olive Oil)
• Water (1/2 Cup)
• Salt (1/2 Teaspoon)

Three Cheese Filling

• Ricotta Cheese (15 Ounces)
• Aged Cheddar Cheese (1/2 Cup, Shredded)
• Aged Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Cup, Shredded)
• Eggs (2)
• Salt (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix together from the dough ingredients the Eggs, Olive Oil, Water, and Salt. Slowly add the Flour one cup at a time. Mix until it forms a well formed dough ball.
• Set aside for 10 minutes, and in the meantime mix together all of the three cheese filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
• Lightly flour a working surface and roll out the dough as thin as possible (without it becoming flimsy). 
• Using a regular drinking glass cut out circles around the dough. (Almost like a cookie cutter.)
• Place a small tablespoon of the three cheese filling in the center of each circle, and fold in half. Use a small amount of water to seal the edges and take a fork to the edge to help hold the ravioli's filling inside.

• Boil a large pot of water, and drop the ravioli's in for approximately 5 minutes. (Don't overcook the pasta!)
• Strain the pasta gently, place back in a pan with the sauce and heat for about 2 minutes.
• Plate and Enjoy!

These were amazing, and I really truly believe everyone should attempt to make their own ravioli. If nothing for the fun of it. I think it's really amazing what you can do with such a small amount of ingredients, and if you don't include the salt, pepper, and water then in all honesty this is a seven ingredient dish!

Make a whole batch, eat half and freeze the rest - the perfect way to enjoy this dish again down the road. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's pre-cook post, but in the meantime - Tell me, has anyone else ever made their own homemade pasta? Any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Vegetarian Lasagna

I'm going to start this post by saying this: I'm freaking out about this Ebola Virus thing. I mean literally… I was heading upstairs to post this at around 5:30PM but then the news came on. We all know that's practically in the horror category anyway, but then it really hit home when they said someone might have Ebola now in Massachusetts. Now I'm already paranoid about disease, or infections as it is - add that one step closer to my little town and I'm about ready to join the Doomsday Preppers! (I mean seriously, I want my own Bug Out Bag!) So my 5:30 post is now a 7:00 post because I just researched how you can contract Ebola for the past hour… You know, on the brighter side of things though, I made a simple and delicious vegetarian lasagna tonight.

My mom who complains lately about how I never, not even once cooked for her and my father when I lived with them will now get to enjoy that lasagna tomorrow - as she's cat sitting.

Cat-Sitting This Sexy Lady

So for all of you who need an easy meal some night to cook, and or maybe you just want someone to stop pestering you to cook for them. Or hey maybe you really just need a favor (or a cat-sitter) offer up a little bit of vegetarian lasagna as a simple, "do this please!" 

No but really, I love you mom! Hehe and I know how much you love our girl Bella the Biter. 

Vegetarian Lasagna

• Lasagna Pasta (1/2 Box)
• Marinara Sauce (20 Ounce Jar)
• Pesto Sauce (5 Tablespoons)
• Onion (1/2, Diced)
• Red Pepper (1/2, Diced)
• Parmesan Cheese (5 Tablespoons)
• Ricotta Cheese (1/2 Cup)

Instructions

• In a large pot, boil the Lasagna Pasta till al dente. Strain and set aside.
• Place a coating of the Marinara on the bottom of a casserole dish, one tablespoon of the Pesto, some Onion, and Red Pepper. 
• Layer two slices of Pasta on top of the sauce (more if needed), and cover with small amounts of all of the ingredients.
• Keep layering in this way until you cannot stack anymore pasta in the dish, cover the last layer with Marinara and Pesto and a bit of Parmesan. 
• Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit, and bake until the cheese is just a little golden brown on top. 
• Plate and Enjoy

This is pretty tasty, and I personally love the simplicity of this dish. Sometimes I like just throwing together a meal as opposed to dedicating lots of time for it, and this just so happens to be one of those nights!

See you all tomorrow for my other pre-cook post!

Margherita Pizza

I'm in love with this pizza. It was so easy to make, and I thought it was delicious. I like how mine came out less greasy than some that you buy from a pizza parlor.

I will admit that I made a mistake when I was making the pizza (I honestly was just so hungry I was rushing) and it was just a stupid mistake. So I'll pass this note on, the recipe for the dough is a double recipe. So that means split the dough in half before you make a large pizza. Otherwise you'll end up with a deep dish pizza instead of a more traditional flat bread. (It's really just a preference thing.)

Pizza Margherita 

Dough:

• Warm Water (1 1/3 Cups)
• Yeast (2 1/4 Teaspoons)
• Flour (3 1/2 Cups)
• Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons)
• Salt (A Pinch)

Sauce:

• Diced Tomatoes (1 Cup)
• Tomatoes (1/2 Cup, Chopped)
• Garlic Powder (1 Tablespoon)
• Basil (1 Tablespoon)
• Salt (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)

Toppings:

• Fresh Mozzarella (8oz Ball, Thinly Sliced)
• Fresh Basil (1/4 Cup, Full Leaves)
• Olive Oil (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• Place the Yeast and Water together in a medium sized bowl, mix together and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add together the remaining dough ingredients and let rise for around an hour at room temperature. (It should double in size.)
• Spread Flour on a surface and work the dough out, kneading for around 5 minutes for the dough to come together. 
• If you want a thin crust pizza, divide the dough ball in half. (You can freeze it in a bag until needed at another time.) Take the amount of dough you want and slowly work the pizza out into a circle. (Rolling pin or other methods work.)
• Place this on a greased baking pan and set aside. 
• Preheat oven to 475 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• While your oven is preheating mix together all of your sauce ingredients in another small bowl.
• Add the sauce on top of your pizza pushing as close to the edge as possible. 
• Place the Mozzarella slices evenly on the pizza, drizzle with the Olive Oil, and add the Basil last. 
• Bake for around 45 minutes, or until the top of the cheese has crisped a little. 
• Plate and enjoy!

This was delicious! I suggest everyone tries making their own pizza dough, because it tastes so much better than frozen ones from a supermarket. 

Has anyone ever made their own pizza before? If so what was your favorite!

I'm going to stuff my face with more pizza, so tune back in tomorrow to find out what I'll be making from The Clearing tomorrow!

Cooking an Italian Pizza for Tomorrow

Some of you may think that cooking pizza doesn't really count, but hey to me it does. I also think sometimes it's important to cook pizza from scratch.

My family used to do pizza every Thursday night because we were addicted to Survivor (when it first started), and my dad would always toss the dough. My mom was the queen of sautéing the vegetables, and we always had speciality pizza's varying on what we were craving. I think pizza is fun to make, and I hope my rendition encapsulates what a true Italian would make in their home kitchen. 

I think the other reason why I decided this was an important recipe to make this time around was because it's kind of the first meal had when things start becoming abnormal…

"Flapjack jumped and bayed. A wide gauze bandage was wrapped snugly around his neck, and Beth looked up questioningly. Monica shrugged. 'His wounds were weeping a little, so I wrapped them. Come on inside. All Lizzie could talk about was your promise to be home for pizza night, so I went ahead and ordered it.'
As Lizzie pulled Beth's suitcase out of the trunk, Monica continued in a lower tone. 'When things settle down, we need to talk.' She looked into Beth's eyes for just a moment before she went off to set the table for dinner." (Rydder 27).

Rydder doesn't wait very long to introduce the air of mystery into The Clearing, and it leaves you wanting to read more. I personally can't wait to see when the action starts unfolding even more.

Tune in tomorrow night for some true Italian Pizza!

Bruschetta

Well hello there everyone! I'm proud to say that I'm finally feeling better, it's probably because of the amount of garlic that I've been cooking with. It's only weird if it doesn't work though!

I know I feel like I've been posting significantly later on in the evenings lately, and a lot of that has to do with putting away Summer things! (Buh-bye warmth…) I'm loving it though, as this is the first time I've ever been able to decorate for Fall since Ricky and I now own our house as opposed to being renters.

I could bore you all with talking about the crafting things I've made for hanging up around the house for the season, but I won't! Instead I'll eventually blog about it in the form of food! (Apple picking is right around the corner!) For now though, let's just get down to business with the Bruschetta I made for my uninspired bit from The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Bruschetta

Bread

• Italian Bread (Halved)
• Butter (2 Tablespoons)
• Garlic Powder (1 Tablespoon)

Topping

• Tomatoes (3, Diced)
• Onion (1/2, Diced)
• Fresh Basil (1/2 Cup)
• Garlic (3 Cloves, Diced)
• Olive Oil (1 Tablespoon)
• Parmesan Cheese (Freshly Grated, 1/4 Cup)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Place Bread sliced side up on a pan, and spread the Butter on. Carefully sprinkle the Garlic Powder over the slices as evenly as possible.
• In a medium sized bowl mix together all of the Topping ingredients, spoon this mixture over the Bread. If you have made too much mixture just set it aside for now**.
• Bake the Bread for no more than 10 minutes, or just until the Parmesan Cheese is melted. 
• Plate and enjoy!

**Any leftover topping can be used as an omelet filling for breakfast!

They're like little mini pizzas! (And oh so delicious!) I'm not going to lie, I absolutely love Bruschetta… I think I could (sadly) live off Bruschetta and Amato's Pazzo Bread… This is one of those times where I'm absolutely glad that The Hundred-Foot Journey gave me no true inspiration, because instead I was able to create and enjoy this. I'm sure I could somehow (in a roundabout way) tie this Bruschetta in together with the book, but I'm just too lazy… I suppose in some circumstances Hassan may have served this in his restaurant as an appetizer, but I doubt it. 

I'm going to go back downstairs though and clean up the kitchen, and sneak another piece of Bruschetta in before I start unwinding from the day. 

Tomorrow's my blogging day off, so I hope you all check back in on Thursday to see what I've got planned for my kitchen concoctions on Friday! 

What to Cook Tomorrow - Especially When Uninspired…?

Hi everyone… I knew this was bound to happen at some point. I have a current lack of inspiration, and I'm not sure what's to blame - be it an insipid section of The Hundred-Foot Journey or just Autumnal Blues? Whatever the case may be, I still have no true inspiration for tomorrow's cooking. Yet I always turn to a rule of mine when these things happen, cook what's going to go bad… (Boy do I have a lot of stuff that's about to go bad…)
As you may imagine, I'm going to have a bunch of things thrown together tomorrow, and I find that I'll probably be making Bruschetta. (I know it's so easy!) Another reason I'm not feeling up to making another meal tomorrow is for another simple reason - leftovers, leftovers, leftovers. (Anyone wanna come over for dinner?)

One thing I'm grateful for right now though is that it's feeling more like Fall. Ricky and I bought some awesome decorations for Halloween, and no we have not put them up yet. (It's too damn early!) However at a local market we did grab two bunches of freshly cut corn stalks - they'll age beautifully through the fall season. (They'll also make excellent compost.)

You may be wondering why I'm mentioning the grateful feelings that I have - or hell you may not care (I wouldn't if I didn't know someone!) There is a reason though as to why I mention it, and it's because I am absolutely dreading reading the last section of The Hundred-Foot Journey… I don't really want to delve too much into it because I'll be reviewing it next Wednesday, but I'll be so disappointed if I feel like I've wasted time on this last half of the book. (For nothing…)
Let's just put it this way - my next book may have to be a Fantasy novel or something to bring back the oomph into my reading.

Have no fear though! The cooking will go on for another week for this novel, and there'll be a review next week as well for those of you wondering why the hell I'm dreading the last quarter of Morais's novel.
Tune back in tomorrow for a guaranteed Bruschetta, and who knows what else!

Mushroom Risotto

I have now made Risotto twice in my life, the first time was bland, boring and cheaply done. (I.E. I was lazy) This time though I swear it's been one of the better meals I've made. (Withstanding my Shepard's Pie recipe.) This was also a nice meal to cook because it allows you to work on everything at once without having to truly prep everything in a timely manner. This Italian dish was also a nice little break from some Indian food for a bit, which is nice because after a bit my taste buds almost become immune to chili pepper. (I swear I could've added 5 Tablespoons to my Hassan's Dry Chicken dish). Therefore Mushroom Risotto equals a nice change.

Mushroom Risotto

Main

• Arborio Rice (1 Cup)
• Mushrooms - Preferably Porcini (16 Ounces - Thinly Diced)

Saute and Stock

• Water - Boiling (2 1/2 Cups)
• Chicken Stock (3 Cups)
• Dry White Wine (1/4 Cup)
• Butter (2 Tablespoons)
• Olive Oil (1/4 Cup)
• Shallot (Minced)
• Garlic Clove (Minced)
• Bay Leaf (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Parmesan Cheese (1 Cup - Freshly Grated)
• Salt (To Taste)
• Pepper (To Taste)

Instructions

• Place 1/2 cup of Mushrooms into a heat-proof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Allow the mushrooms to steep for 10-15 minutes. 
• Drain the Mushrooms, keeping 1 Cup of this "Mushroom Tea". Set the mushrooms aside.
• Mix together the Chicken Stock and "Mushroom Tea", seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Keep this set aside on a very low simmer.
• In the meantime heat 1 Tablespoon of Butter in a large saucepan, sauté the shallot and garlic till softened.
• Add the Arborio Rice, and the Mushrooms that we had set aside and coat with the Butter. (Add a little more if needed). 
• Add the Wine and Bay Leaf until the Arborio Rice takes in most of the liquid. Add 1/4 of the Chicken Stock and "Mushroom Tea" blend to the rice. 
• Continue adding the Chicken Stock and "Mushroom Tea" blend until the Risotto is now suspended in a creamy sauce.
• Blend together the Parmesan Cheese, and remaining Butter. Simmer for no more than another 10 minutes as you cook the mushrooms separately.
• In a large frying pan, heat the Olive Oil and add in the Mushrooms. Continue cooking the Mushrooms - it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
• Plate and Enjoy!

Did I mention how much I friggin' love Risotto? I mean, I could eat Risotto every single day and never get bored. (Same with Gnocchi.) There's just so much you can do with a simple rice dish!

I may not have used Porcini mushrooms in this recipe, but it's not for a lack of trying. I must've looked in the mushroom section for 10 minutes trying to find the damn things, so instead I settled for a "Medley Pack" of mushrooms, and my Mom gave me portobello mushrooms that they weren't going to use in time. I'm not gonna lie, I still very much dislike mushrooms, and for me it's more just a personal thing. I did try a bite of the mushrooms on top and they came out well. I think the proof is in the pudding though when Ricky comes home and in five minutes eats two portions of this dish. If you're not a fan of mushrooms (like me) just remove the mushrooms from the equation and sub in one more cup of chicken stock!

I think it'd be cool to experience the Porcini Mushroom Festival they celebrated in The Hundred-Foot Journey in Tuscany. I may not like mushrooms but I can still enjoy food festivals… 

Tomorrow I'm taking a blogging break so that I can read some more in this novel, and to be able to come up with some more recipes for the cooking. You guys should all start thinking of a book you might like me to cook for, or even just review for you! After tomorrow I'll be fifty percent through The Hundred-Foot Journey which means in three more weeks I'll be writing a review and on to a new one!

Leave a comment or email me for any books you may be interested in!

Cooking Italian Tomorrow for The Hundred-Foot Journey!

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend, I know I certainly did! (Sorry if you didn't cause then that post just seems mean.)

I'm glad today wasn't a cooking day because the recipe I have planned for tomorrow would've been way to hot to make with the humidity. (60% dew points - uncomfortably humid.) The recipe I have for tomorrow involves cooking a risotto which isn't just as simple as regular rice. Arborio rice takes time to soak in the liquid and become properly cooked through before it's done. In other words I'm just glad today wasn't a cooking day…

I have decided to make a non-Indian dish however because of the importance the event had for Hassan and his family. I'll be making a Mushroom Risotto for tomorrow night's meal, and maybe just a side salad.

The reason why this food is important is because of events that have transpired thus far in The Hundred-Foot Journey wherein Hassan's family has left India. They have now been traveling through Europe for a substantial amount of time, and this little bit of Italian food is from an event that became important. (I won't be dropping any hints so don't ask!)

I believe that experiencing together differences that normally might make things difficult on our own, will bring together that which was once feeling broken even though it was never truly mentioned. Hassan's family bonded together again over the meal they had in Tuscany, and thus opening a new chapter in their lives. (You should all read the book to see what the hell I mean, no?)

Tomorrow will be my Mushroom Risotto, and then Wednesday I am taking a day off from posting. (I do need one day off a week you know!) Thursday I'll touch base again and let you all in on my recipe plans for Friday, Sunday, and Monday!