Raisin Pecan Rye Bread

I've often posted recipes for Marjie Lambert's breadmaking book, and this is from her second book, the New Bread Machine book, published in 1999.

This book has 13 recipes for rye breads, and I'm excited to try a few more because rye bread is better for you for these reasons: it contains much more dietary fiber, which helps digestion and keeps you full longer; it has a lower glycemic index, causing a slower rise in blood sugar; and rye provides higher amounts of micronutrients like magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. 

Today, I decided on a fruit rye bread and almost had a disaster. After the first knead, I realized my new bread machine doesn't have an add-in alarm for the dough setting. In addition, the dough ball was knocking the bread machine off kilter on the counter after the first 50 minutes. I thought back through the ingredients and realized that I used only half the water. I decided to start the cycle over and had a sloppy mess in the machine with water spraying all over the inside pan and cover. Ugh. I ended up taking the ball and sloppy dough out of the pan and kneading it on a floured counter surface and plopping the wet mess back in and resetting the machine to mix and knead. I wanted to see how the consistency was AND if it rose after the 90 minutes.

At that point, I needed to mix in the nuts and raisins by hand. I ended up with a shaggy sausage-shaped dough and hoped for the best. I let it rise in the proofing oven for one hour, brushed it with beaten egg and hoped for the best after baking for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. It's not bad but I'll try again and hope for a rounder loaf, possibly baking it in a shaped pan.

1 cup + 2 T water
3 T. vegetable oil
1-1/2 T. sugar 
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. cornmeal
1-3/4 c. + 2 T. bread flour
1 cup + 2 T. rye flour
1 T. yeast
6 T. raisins
6 T. chopped pecans

Place the wet ingredients into the bread maker pan, mix the salt, cornmeal, and flours and place in the pan. Place the yeast and sugar on top. Use the dough setting, adding the nuts and raisins after the first 15 minutes of the cycle. 

One thing that I did differently was mix about 1/4 c. water with a few T. of molasses and soaked the raisins (they were very dry and chewy) and the pecans for 1/2 hour.  I drained them and mixed those into the bread before baking. 

Beer and Balsamic Braised Beef Short Ribs

I bought a great book a few years ago that uses the flavored oils and balsamic vinegars that you see in multiple shops across the country. In our area it's Ripe from the Vine but I have also bought LeRoux, Fiore and Artisan over the years. They all come in dark bottles (they used to be refillable years ago when you visited the shop) and you can sample them before buying. Believe it or not, most of the vinegars are so delicious they are practically drinkable. They last a long time which is good because I often forget about them for fruit, vegetables and desserts.

On the front of the book, The Olive Oil and Vinegar Lover's Cookbook, there is a great list of the current flavors at the time of publication. There are a few more now, like Suyo Cucumber which is delicious with Dill flavored oil. Or Watermelon vinegar with Milanese Gremolata oil on fruit. There is also a series of cookbooks using these vinegars for Italian, Spanish, Greek and Syrian cuisine by the same author. If you use "balsamic" as a search term on this blog, you'll find some great recipes using flavored balsamic.

Yesterday I decided to make Beer and Balsamic Braised Beef Short Ribs in the crockpot. (I use shallow cookers called Magnifique Slow Cookers. They are great for braising and slow-cooking in smaller quantities than the large crockpots. They are also terrific servers on the table for stew, chili, soups, etc. That said, I had to replace my beautiful huge All-Clad when it died and wish I still had it. For this smaller recipe, however, the smaller is a better option.)

I had one package of short ribs which is one pound so I altered the recipe (in the italicized notes)

• 2-3 lbs trimmed beef short ribs (I used 1 lb. or four pieces already trimmed)
• 2 T. EVOO (1 used one)
• 1 large onion (I used 1/2)
• 2 garlic cloves (we love garlic!)
• 1/3 cup Espresso Dark balsamic vinegar (I used about 1/4 cup for flavor)
• 2 T. tomato paste (I used 1 T of the tube-kind that you keep in the refrigerator)
• 2 cups stout-style dark beer (I used a milk stout by Left Hand Brewing that we had on hand)
• 4-6 cups beef stock (I used about 2 cups and did not completely cover the ribs in the pot - they were fine and used the surplus broth for a delicious onion soup. I did not make a gravy but used about 1/2 cup of the broth on top on the dish.)

Sear the short ribs in the oil in the pot on all sides - about 1 minutes each side. Place them aside on a plate. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the crockpot and saute until soft and golden for 5-7 minutes. Add the balsamic and tomato paste to deglaze the pan, scraping bits off the bottom.  Add the ribs, bone-up. Cover with the beer and the beef stock.*

Place the lid on the cooker and cook the ribs on low for 6 to 8 hours. I served them with Basmati rice cooked with cubed carrots and fresh peas. Cover with sauce. 

Espresso Balsamic and Beer Onion Soup

I made a yummy onion soup with the surplus sauce from cooking Balsamic Braised Beef Short Ribs. I sauteed 4 onion - 1 red and 3 white/yellow until golden. I added the broth and slow-cooked for a few hours on high.

Yummy!

Rye Bread

I made rye bread in the breadmaker today - using the recipe book I always trust. The Bread Machine Cookbook by Marjie Lambert.

I made a 1-1/2 pound loaf recipe and cut the dough into half to make two smaller rounds. I baked it for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  I shaped each half into rounds and rolled those lightly in white flour. After rising one more hour, I used a pastry brush and a beaten egg and generously painted the egg on the rounds.

So good!

• 
  1-1/4 c water
• 1-1/2 T vegetable oil
• 2 T molasses
• 1-1/2 tsp.salt
• 1 T. caraway seeds
• 2-1/4 c bread flour
• 1 cup + 2 T rye flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye flour)
• 1 T. yeast
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I placed them all in the breadmaker in the order of ingredients above and set for dough. When the dough is ready after 1-1/2 hours, remove it from the machine and shape.

Set it in a warm place and let it rise* 1 hour. Place on a pan and bake for 30 minutes.

It's great warm (like any bread out there!)

Flourless Lemon Zucchini Cake

 

I looked forward to making this recipe I had saved for several months. (There are many places you'll find this cake on the Internet and this seems to be from Cooking with Sabrina on Facebook.) The ingredients intrigued me (cottage cheese, almond and coconut flour) and I thought it might be a good low-carb, low-sugar and protein-based cake. And I love everything lemon.

It was simple to make without a mixer (I used a whisk). I made this in a loaf pan which was a bit of a mistake (see below) and will make it in a shallower pan next time. I served it with homemade lemon ice cream and did not glaze it. But I would glaze a shallower cake and garnish with lemon peel.

To make this delicious Flourless Lemon Zucchini Cake, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 2 cups zucchini, finely grated (excess moisture squeezed out, which I did not do!)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup (I used honey and lemon paste)
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil or butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a shallow cake pan* and set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine grated zucchini, eggs, cottage cheese, honey or maple syrup, and melted coconut oil or butter. Mix well.

Add lemon zest and juice to the mixture and stir.

In another bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving.

You can top it with a light glaze, if desired. 

*The loaf cake cooked for at least 35 minutes but I was afraid to cook it longer. I possibly made it a bit too wet with the lemon paste and wet zucchini. In the end, I sliced two pieces from the ends and cooked them on ceramic plates for about a minute to set the dough. The guys LOVED it with the ice cream. It had the consistency of a warmed, moist banana bread.

The next day, I sliced the very moist cake into thick slices (one inch or more) and placed them separately on a cookie sheet lined with parchment in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes and then turned them over for another ten minutes. They are delicious and good for breakfast warm or cold - perhaps with yogurt. 

Shrimp with Asparagus and Tomatoes and Fettuccini

 

I bought some lovely very thin (maybe even baby) asparagus this week so looked for a recipe in  The Tucci Cookbook and there it was! Fettuccini with Asparagus and Shrimp. We always have frozen shrimp on hand and this was the 16 or 20 large size in the shell from Costco that I freeze separately for a dinner for two or three.

I decided to make fresh fettuccini, freezing the rest or gifting it. It's just so easy to make several batches at once, making several pounds of fresh pasta.

While I made the pasta, I got the ingredients together - things we always have on hand (shallots, garlic, fresh parsley and basil, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and white wine.) Gerry came into the kitchen and chopped the herbs and got the pasta water and skillet ready to cook. This comes together fast.

1 pound fettuccini

1 pound of shelled shrimp either whole or slices in half lengthwise.

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine (dry or cooking wine)

12 medium asparagus or 8-16 oz. of the baby ones

5 T. olive oil plus more to drizzle on top of the pasta

2 T. finely diced shallots

2-3 cloves or garlic, finely sliced

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 T. chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped - we used the tiny Roma-shaped tomatoes that come packed on vines and Gerry cut them into sixths

Cook pasta in generously salted and gently boiling water (four minutes for homemade fettuccini. Drain and use just as the dish has come together after tossing with olive oil.

While pasta cooks, cut off the tough bottoms of the asparagus and take any tough layers of skin off with a peeler (this wasn't necessary with the baby asparagus.) Cut the asparagus into 2-inch long pieces. 

Warm 3 T of the olive oil in a skillet or large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley and basil and cook, stirring frequently to flavor the oil with the aromatics, for one minute. Stir in the asparagus and shrimp. Cook for about three minutes until the shrimp are pink. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates, about a minute. Add the tomatoes and gently boil for another minute. Toss in the pasta to coat with all.

Plate and serve. No cheese, please!

*From OliviaOven.com: In traditional Italian cuisine, it is generally discouraged to put cheese on seafood dishes, including shrimp pasta. This is because cheese can overpower the delicate flavors of the seafood. However, some people enjoy the combination of shrimp and cheese, finding that certain cheeses, like feta, can complement shrimp well. Ultimately, if you enjoy the rich, creamy flavors of cheese, feel free to incorporate it into your shrimp pasta. If you prefer to let the seafood shine, it might be best to skip the cheese.

From HardCoreItalians.blog: Good old formaggio, it is flavorful and can make so many Italian dishes come to life. However, there is an exception. In Italy, cheese never goes on fish pasta, for several reasons. If you go to Italy and ask for cheese on a fish dish, don’t expect a typical response as you will likely be looked at like you’re pazzo. The rule that cheese does not go on fish originates in Italy, especially since many dishes from other countries combine fish and pasta. Take, for example, arides saganaki, a Grecian dish that combines feta, tomatoes, and broiled shrimp.

White Bean Antipasto (Tucci's Cookbook)

After spending our three weeks in Italy and then reading What I Ate in One Year, I'm tempted to start a Charlotte & Stanley blog. Every one of the recipes in the Tucci Cookbook sound delicious. 

This morning, I made the White Bean Antipasto. The flavors blended nicely by dinnertime (and I ate a spoonful each hour to test this!) I used more balsamic vinegar because Gerry loves the flavor, and I used the bottle we brought home from Rome. I served it on the side of some pasta with sausage and sauce that I made last week. I actually used two cans of beans and adjusted accordingly. 

• 2 cups cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained.
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• Two sprigs rosemary (I chopped the leaves)
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (I used twice as much)
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground to taste
• 1 T. chopped fresh basil leaves

In a serving bowl, mix the beans and oil with red onion. Add the rosemary. Toss and add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss again and add the basil. Let it set at room temperature for awhile before serving.

I think I will try this as a dip, blended and eaten on toasted bread.

One Pot Lasagne in the Instant Pot

I've made this a bunch of times in the past ten years, but never posted it. It's so easy and yummy and quick. Four minutes at pressure and it's ready for the final cheeses and a melt.

The recipe I use is one from therecipewell dot com. It's the easiest. Some want you to use a cheesecake pan or other instant pot pan covered with foil. The trick to this one is not using a formed pan for the lasagna and making a pot of creamy lasagna noodles - but not getting a burn notice. If that happens, the lasagna is nearly cooked - it takes getting up to pressure and counting down only four minutes. Voila - it's done. If you get a BURN warning, simply release the pressure, open up the IP cover, scrape the bottom of the cooking lasagna and restart for four minutes. 

To make the lasagne - Use a bit of olive oil in the IP pan and saute 1 pound of beef and 1/2 to 1 pound of Italian sausage removed from the casings. 

When the meat is nearly done, add one chopped onion and a few chopped or minced garlic cloves. Cook for a few minutes.  Scrape the bottom of the pan by adding one 15 ounce can of beef broth and deglaze. Then add one 15 or 22 ounce jar of marinara, Mix well. Snap about 1 lb of malfadine pasta into 4-6 inch lengths and place in the pot. Cover with another 15-oz of beef broth.  Add a can of chopped tomatoes and about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of fresh basil. Make sure the pasta is covered with liquid.

Cover the pressure cooker and add 4 minutes to the Pressure Cook.  It will take about ten minutes to come up to pressure. After four minutes of pressure, release. Take off cover SAFELY at the end of the pressure release; add 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 2 cups of shredded fresh mozzarella.  Stir in the cheese and cover. Take off cover and add parmesan or Italian cheese.  Melt and serve with more fresh basil. 

Easy-peasey dinner for a crowd or when you have so little time but have the ingredients on hand. And it's great leftover!

Watermelon, Grape, Lime, Mint and Feta Salad

 

I have been craving watermelon-feta salad this week so made myself one for my lunch today. 

The ingredients here are for one nice, large, single salad.

1 cup watermelon chunks
1/2 cup red grapes (they were small so I left the whole)
1 cup shredded lettuce (I used butter)
1/2 cup pieces of feta cheese cut from a large chunk
1/2 lime juiced and zested
6 mint leaves, sliced
salt and pepper
1-2 T Briana's Blush Wine Vinaigrette or other fruity dressings

Mix, dress and eat. 

Next time, I might add some chicken, small grape tomatoes, strawberries, or sliced spring peas and sliced shallots and green onions with poppy seed dressing.

Abruzzo Fava Beans on Toast

In Montone, a tiny comune in Mosciano Sant’Angelo, Abruzzo, Italy our host gave us fresh “broad” or fava beans. We looked up how to prepare them. Enio suggested just with salt and olive oil and fresh bread. We had toasted bread from our restaurant dinner the night before (we took it home). A YouTube video suggested mashing them with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, olive oil, and chopped mint. 

We didn’t have a masher here, so we dressed them as they were with those ingredients  we served them on toasted bread and packaged toasts  - yum!

To prepare the beans, remove the beans from the long pods. Cook the beans in their outer pods for five minutes in boiling salted water. Drain the beans quickly and plunge into very cold water. Shell them - they will be bright green and split into two. Rinse and drain and dry on a paper towel. Dress. So good for you!

Country-Style Ribs BBQ Sauce

I always loved this sauce for country-style ribs. I made it per the recipe below, and marinated the parboiled country-style ribs overnight in a Ziploc bag. We then grilled them on the outside grill - often for a large crowd.

On Saturday, I used the sauce on several racks of pork ribs I cooked in the Instant Pot (with one can of beer) for 30 minutes with an instant release. I prefer the Costco pre-rubbed/seasoned ribs (bought in packs of two 14-18-inch racks). 

I curled the ribs (no sauce yet) into the pot on a silicone sling. I was afraid there were too many ribs, but they cooked beautifully in 30 minutes. They didn't fall off the bone easily, but I planned to finish cooking them under the broiler. I generously doused them with sauce and broiled them until the sauce was deeply colored - maybe 5 minutes. Watch closely, as you don't want it to burn.

SAUCE:

Saute:

• 1 cup (2 cups) chopped onion and 1 clove (2-4 cloves) minced garlic in about 1/4 c. oil until soft and golden.:

Add:

• 1-8 oz can tomato sauce (or 1-15 oz can)
• 1/2 cup water (or 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or 1/2 cup)
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce (or 4 T)
• 2 T prepared mustard (or 4 T)
• 1 tsp. celery seed and table salt (or 2 tsp. each)
• 1/4 tsp .pepper (or 1/2 tsp.)

Simmer for 15 minutes or longer but do not burn!

You can multiply the ingredients by 2 (as above) or 4 or more and can this hot sauce in pint jars for 15 minutes. It's great to have on hand.

Rib Sauce

 SAUCE: 

Saute:

• 1 cup (2 cups) chopped onion and 1 clove (2-4 cloves) minced garlic in about 1/4 c. oil until soft and golden.:

Add:

• 1-8 oz can tomato sauce (or 1-15 oz can)
• 1/2 cup water (or 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or 1/2 cup)
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce (or 4 T)
• 2 T prepared mustard (or 4 T)
• 1 tsp. celery seed and table salt (or 2 tsp. each)
• 1/4 tsp .pepper (or 1/2 tsp.)

Simmer for 15 minutes or longer but do not burn!

You can multiply the ingredients by 2 (as above) or 4 or more and can this hot sauce in pint jars for 15 minutes. It's great to have on hand.

Buona Pasqua 2026

 

Easter in Cottonwood Bend was delightful this year with the Opgenorths and Busses. Julie made a yummy Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove Bread) from King Arthur Flour and Sue made a delicious ricotta cheesecake from a relatively new Italian cookbook, Italian American Forever: Classic Recipes for Everything You Want to Eat: A Cookbook.

Gerry made his lasagna (on this blog) and I made Agnello Cacio e Uova - lamb shanks (also on this blog.)

Fusilli Pasta Salad

This is a recipe I've been making for about 40 or more years. It is from one of my favorite 1970s cookbooks, San Francisco Ala Carte by the Junior Women's League of SF.

Somehow, I've forgotten about it for the past decade. I had to go hunting for the recipe after I found out it wasn't on this blog! It's delicious and I used to make it meatless, then with shrimp and this time with cooked sausage slices.

Cook 1 pound of curly fusilli (I use the long curly pasta that is about double the length of spaghetti because it is doubled over.) Rinse and drain.

Make a sauce of the rest of these ingredients and pour over the pasta. 

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar (I used white balsamic today)
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 T. fresh basil, chopped
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Mix in 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper cut into thin strips (I use tri-colored and often leave out the green)

1/4 head of broccoli cut into florets

Mix in 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (I used a Asiago/Parmesan/Percorino grated cheese blend)

Add sliced black olives or any other sliced olives if preferred. Add protein if desired. Serve warm OR refrigerate for later.

Pistachio Cake with Sweet Pistachio-Butter Glaze

Oh my.  We love pistachio anything and this cake was delicious. I must admit I needed a cake recipe  with some ingredients I needed to use up here in Florida - yogurt, eggs and some frozen pistachios. I googled those terms (recipe, cake, yogurt, pistachios, and pistachio creme) and voila! A perfect recipe on The Mediterranean Dish. I made some adjustments you will read about below. 

Here are the original ingredients for the cake and my substitutions in italics in the parentheses:

1/2 cup (60 grams) raw shelled pistachios, plus extra for garnish (1/2 cup for garnish and 1/2 cup for bottom of the cake)
Extra virgin olive oil for greasing the pan
1 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour (1 cup flour AND 1 cup pistachio flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) plain Greek yogurt
2 large eggs (plus 1/2 egg)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. almond extract)

The glaze: 

• 1/4 cup (68 grams) pistachio butter 
• 3/4 cup (85 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water

Note: I pick up pistachio butter from the shelves of TJ Maxx stores or speciality stores. It's delicious. I had 1/4 of a jar to use up. I had bought pistachio flour online for some other cake so had it on hand. 

Now, for making the cake:

First, prepare a pan. I used a 9 inch deep-rimmed scalloped quiche or tart pan with a removable bottom. I greased the sides and placed a large circle of parchment in the pan to come up the sides, patting it into the pan. This was necessary only because I realized the batter was like cake batter (not thick) and I didn't want it to ooze out the bottom of the pan. 

Next, toast the 1 cup of pistachios. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pistachios in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Take 1/2 cup of the toasted pistachios and place them on the parchment in the pan. Chop the other 1/2 cup to use to top the cake.

(The recipe calls for grinding 1/2 cup of toasted pistachios with 1 T sugar and using this as the pistachio flour. I instead used 1 cup pistachio flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.)

Now mix the dry ingredients by whisking together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl by whisking together the Greek yogurt, the remaining sugar, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

Make the combined batter. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture and use the whisk to stir gently just until no streaks of dry flour remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan in the 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, move it onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make the Pistachio Butter Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the pistachio butter, powdered sugar, and water until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add extra water, a teaspoon at a time, to thin to your preferred consistency.

Glaze the cake. When the cake has cooled completely, transfer it to a cake stand or serving plate. Pour the glaze on top of the cake and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to coax the glaze to the edges. As it sets, the glaze will slowly drip down the sides of the cake, and the top of the glaze will level and become smooth. Sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios. For clean slices, let the glaze set for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving

Swedish Sticky Cake

I found this recipe how I usually do these days - on Facebook. They come every day like Love Bugs in May, (You may have to live in the southeastern US to get this reference.)

Anyway, I needed to try it right away so that it didn't become one of those recipe images that crowd the photos on my phone. This one is from the cooking blog, 12tomatoes.com.

It was sweet. And it stuck to Gerry's teeth so it was sticky! He's not a chocolate freak and he did love it. I covered it around the edge with cut strawberries. I thought about covering the cake with pistachio cream before the ganache and topping it with crushed pistachios. But that would have been Dubai Sticky Cake.

I used a scalloped quiche pan with a removable bottom. I thought it would be a bit too big at 10 inches but it was perfect. You can see the scallops in the photo - I frosted the cake out of the pan and bought it to the edge, but not over the edge.

Make the cake:

• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 1-1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste)
• 3/4 flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 8" springform pan or tart pan with removable bottom.
2. In a large bowl, add sugar and melted butter and mix until smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, salt and cocoa and mix until just combined.
3. Spoon this batter into the prepared pan and spread a thin layer, using all the batter. 
4. Bake 17-20 minutes until it is set in the center. It should all be consistently cakelike and not shiny and wet.
5. Allow the cake to cool. (I put it in the fridge.)

Make the icing:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1-1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or paste

There was a lot of icing! That's why the larger cake was better. With a smaller cake, you might save half.

1. Add the cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla and allow the chocolate to melt into the cream for five minutes. Then blend until smooth with a mixer or immersion blender.
2. You can remove the cake from the pan or keep it in. Pour the topping over the cake and allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating until you serve. 

Remove from pan if you haven't already. Slice and serve. 

Flat Pasta Types and Differences

 

Flat pasta, often referred to as ribbon pasta, ranges from narrow, slightly flattened strands to very broad sheets, ordered generally from narrowest to widest as: 
Linguine (~1/8"), Fettuccine (~1/4"), Tagliatelle (~1/4"–3/8"), Mafaldine (~1/2", wavy), Pappardelle (5/8"–1"), and Lasagna (up to 2").
Flat pasta widths range from narrow, 1/8-inch ribbons like linguine to 3-inch wide lasagna sheets. Common medium-wide options include tagliatelle (approx. 6mm or 1/4 inch) and fettuccine (about 1/4 inch), while wide pappardelle ranges from 2 to 3 cm (3/4 to 1 inch). These, along with mafaldine and trenette, offer varied surfaces for sauces. 

Common Flat Pasta Widths:

• Linguine: ~1/8 inch (3mm), oval-shaped/flat.

• Tagliolini: ~1/8 inch (3mm).

• Tagliatelle: ~6mm (about 1/4 inch), often egg-based.

• Fettuccine: ~1/4 inch (6-7mm), "little ribbons".

• Mafaldine/Reginette: ~1/2 inch (variable), flat with ruffled edges.

• Pappardelle: 2-3 cm (3/4 to 1 inch), very wide.

• Lasagna Sheets: Generally 2-3 inches wide (5-7.5 cm.)

Key Differences:

• Linguine vs. Fettuccine: Linguine is thinner and narrower, resembling flattened spaghetti, while fettuccine is wider and more ribbon-like.

• Tagliatelle vs. Pappardelle: Both are ribbon pasta, but pappardelle is significantly wider than tagliatelle.

• Fresh vs. Dry: Fresh egg pasta (like tagliatelle) is often cut wider than its dried counterparts.

4th Annual Verandah Gourmet Lunar New Year Dinner

 

What a lot of fun this  annual Lunar New Year dinner was! Attendees included co-hostess Mary Ellen T.,  and dinner contributors Sue S., Julie O., Sandy F.,  Kathy A., Sue B., Linda R., and Linda and Donna P. 

The dinner started with conversation, introductions, and Gerry's Midori Martinis and Mary Ellen's Asian Lettuce Wraps and Linda's Sweet and Sour Dip with Rice Crackers.

We moved to the dining room table and first had Julie's Coconut Curry Soup (with chicken) accompanied by white wine, water and teas in glasses and cups. The main courses and sides were Linda P.'s BowTie Pasta with Asian Vinaigrette, Kathy's Hot Cabbage and Chicken (Shanghai Noodles, Sandy's Shrimp Fried Rice (quadrupled for ten) and my Asian Cucumbers. After MUCH eating and conversation and talk, we ended the dinner with Sue S.'s HOMEMADE, delicious fortune cookies, Donna's plum wine, and my trio of ice creams - the same as last year: Green Tea with a candied almond, Ginger-Ginger, and Star Anise. 

Recipes are linked!

Bow-Tie Pasta Salad with Asian Vinaigrette

 From Karen Lee’s The Occasional Vegetarian (1995)

This recipe makes three main servings. Double or triple as you wish for a crowd.

• 1 carrot, scrubbed but not peeled, cut on a slant
• 1-1/2 cups snow peas or sugar snap peas, strung and left whole
• ½ pound bow-tie pasta or other dried or short pasta
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ T sesame oil
• 2 T roasted pine nuts
• 1 T roasted sesame seeds
• 1-1/2 T peanut oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (or more to taste
• 1 T pickled or fresh ginger, or more to taste, cut into thin strips (scrubbed but not peeled)
• 1/2cup red or yellow pepper in strips
• 2 whole scallions cut into ¼ inch rounds

Dressing: 2 T sherry vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, ½ T peanut oil, ½ T sesame oil, ¼ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Blanch or steam the carrots for 3 minutes, then add snow peas and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove the vegetables from the steamer and place in a bowl of ice-cold water for 1-2 minutes until cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the bow ties and salt and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and plunge it into ice water. Drain again and then toss with ½ T sesame oil.
3. While pasta is cooking, roast the pine nuts in the oven for 10 minutes, or until light brown. Place wok or iron skillet over high heat for one minute. Turn the heat to low and add sesame seeds. Dry-roast for a few minutes or until they turn brown. Set sesame seeds and pine nuts aside.
4. Heat ½ T peanut oil in the work or skillet for one minute. Add garlic and let it sizzle a few seconds. Add ginger and stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon for another minute. Set aside.
5. Combine the pasta, ginger, garlic, peppers, scallions, carrots and snow peas in a large bowl. Mix the dressing, add to the bowl and toss well.  

Garnish with the reserved sesame seeds and pine nuts. Serve.

Hot Cabbage and Chicken and Noodles (Shanghai Noodles)

• 3 T oil
• 4 oz chicken breast meat
• 1 lb thick Shanghai noodles
• 4 oz Chinese cabbage
• 4 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 T soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of sesame oil

1. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet and add the chicken cut into thin shreds. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes
2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender – about 6-8 minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse under hot water. Toss in the colander to drain and leave to dry.
3. Add the shredded Chinese cabbage and green onion to the chicken in the wok or skillet along with the soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil.  Cook about 1 minute and toss in the cooked noodles. Stir well and heat through and serve!

Asian Cucumbers

I found this recipe on JoyfulHealthyEats and modified it (see below note).

4 cups Persian or English cucumbers (with minimal seeds compared to our regular cucs) The recipe calls for thinly slicing the cucumbers thin and draining them on paper towels. I did not drain them.

Make the dressing with 1/4 c rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1/4 red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp sea salt.  Add to the dressing 1/4 cup of finely sliced red onion and 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper. Add 1 tsp. of sesame seeds. 

Cover the cucumbers with the dressing, mixing well. I use a plastic bag and toss them well, turning the contents over to make sure everything is covered in dressing. 

To this recipe, I added another 1/8 cup of rice vinegar and 1/8 cup of Lemon Cucumber White Balsamic (from the Fort Myers Olive Oil store near the downtown Costco.) I also added 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro.

Italian Stromboli

 For Christmas dinner this year, we decided to make stromboli. It was surprisingly simple and I made it with leftover ingredients two days later. We served it with soup the first time and with warm marinara the second time. 

For the dough:

Add these ingredients in this order to your breadmaker:

• 1-1/2 cups warm water (not boiling)
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. yeast

Set the breadmaker on dough which is a 90 minute cycle.*

When the cycle is over, pour out the dough and if making two smaller strombolis, divide in half and let each half rest about 10 minutes. 

With a rolling pin, form the dough into one long rectangle 18x14 or cut in half and roll it into two rectangles 9x14.

*(You can also make the dough the traditional way, adding the yeast to warm water, letting it sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt, drizzling the olive oil as you stir. Then add the yeast and water and continue to stir into a ball. Knead on a lightly-floured board for 5 minutes. Place the dough into a large mixing bowl until coated in some olive oil. Cover with plastic and set in a warm place for 90-120 minutes. Punch it down and separate into three Ziploc bags and use within a few days.  Or just use the breadmaker!)

Do not roll the dough too thin or it will break when you are rolling. 

Cover the rectangles with these ingredients in this order and leave 1-2 inches free of filling on each side:

• 2 oz mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 lb. Genoa salami
• 1/4 sliced pepperoni 
• 1/2 cup cooked sausage
• another 2 oz mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup drained fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 T chopped parsley
• 1 T chopped basil
• another2 oz. mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz. parmesan cheese

Roll the stromboli by folding in the sides and rolling the dough tightly.

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Brush with an egg wash (egg whisked with 1 T water.)  Cut a few slits in the top of each stromboli. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, more chopped herbs and sesame seeds. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve with marinara.