A Vintage Gnocchi

Vintage Gnocchi

 

     This dish is inspired by a wonderful restaurant I have the pleasure working for since earlier last year. A new restaurant had opened up in my small town. I had been working at my current career choice for almost 13 years and needed a change in my life. That change happened to come in the opportunity to work part-time on the weekends at this great new restaurant. I have worked in food and beverage in the past and have years of experience with it. I had missed the fun and excitement of being in that industry and wanted back in. So I took the step and applied. Since then I have had the pleasure of working there as a server on the weekends and have had a blast.

    

     Vintage is the name of the restaurant. A casual fine dining experience is what you get when you come and dine at Vintage. A modern atmosphere with just the right amount of upscale feeling that welcomes everyone. A mix between American style foods with Italian thrown in and wood fired pizzas at your fingertips. One of the pasta dishes that the restaurant makes is a wonderful gnocchi with a garlic cream sauce tossed with tomatoes, spinach, grilled shrimp, and country ham. The dish is one, if not, my favorite. So much so that even my mother fell in love with it. She is one hard cookie to please as an Italian she becomes very picky about her pasta dishes. She liked it so much that during our traditional Christmas meal she requested this dish to be made. We have always done the fish and pasta tradition when it comes to Christmas dining. So this year I tried my hands at recreating this wonderful dish. So here goes. My take on "Vintage" Gnocchi.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 1 lb shrimp
• 1/2 lb pancetta diced
• 2 large cloves diced garlic
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• 1-1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup pecorino
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• Small handful cherry tomatoes halved
• Homemade gnocchi (recipe below)
• Olive oil

 

1. In a large sauté pan drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Toss in diced pancetta and sauté until it begins to brown.

 

2. Mix in the diced garlic and sauté until fragrant.

 

3. Now mix in the spinach and sauté until all of it becomes wilted.

 

4. Drop in the shrimp and toss around until the shrimp just becomes pink on both sides.

 

5. Now toss in the cherry tomatoes and the cream and bring to a slow simmer over low heat.

 

6. Mix in the cheeses, salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the gnocchi and serve.

 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

 

     This dish is fantastic and you will totally fall in love with it. Please give it a try. You will not be disappointed. Give the restaurant's website a look below.

 

 

Homemade gnocchi recipe: http://recipesiliveby.blogspot.com/2013/05/Gnocchi-Meatballs.html

Vintage Restaurant and Wine Bar: http://www.vintageelkinswv.com/

 

 



 

Coffee Almond Biscotti

Biscotti

 

       Was craving cookies this evening and decided to make my homemade biscotti again. Didn't want to do the old standby of chocolate and orange so thought how good it would be to make traditional biscotti, one with almonds. What would go good with almonds other than coffee? So, I decided to create my own Coffee Almond Biscotti. This recipe makes about 15 individual biscotti. I used the same recipe as the one for my chocolate orange but instead of adding the chocolate chips and the orange zest I used sliced almonds and instant coffee. Add a little dash of brewed coffee and viola; you have delicious moist coffee almond flavored cookies that you will definitely gobble up. Coffee Almond Biscotti.

 

 

Ingredients:

• Biscotti recipe below
• 2 tbs instant coffee crystals
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tbs brewed coffee
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

 

     Follow the recipe for the biscotti cookies listed above. In the recipe above you will take the 2 tbs of instant coffee and mix it into the butter sugar mixture prior to adding the dry ingredients. Next pour in the brewed coffee.  After adding the dry ingredients stir in the sliced almonds. Mold into a log and bake according to above recipe. 

    

     In a small bowl mix powdered sugar and milk until you have the nice icing consistency you want. Mix in the little bit of almond extract for that extra almond flavoring. Once cookies have been baked and cooled. Dip one end into the icing and let dry. Simple and delicious.  Hope you enjoy.

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

Cool Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 15

 

Biscotti recipe: http://www.recipesiliveby.blogspot.com/2013/12/Chocolate-Chip-Biscotti.html

 



Pork Pappardelle

Pork Pappardelle

     A fantastic dish inspired by my last trip to Italy. This dish is based on a wonderful meal I had in Tuscany, specifically the little famous village of Pisa. I had heard they were famous for a wonderful hearty wild boar pappardelle. I ordered it at this little café on one of the back streets of Pisa. My cousins and I were looking for a little place, not full of tourists, but that had to have homemade pastas on the menu. You know we like our homemade pastas. We make and eat it all the time so we know what is good when we order.

     We started out walking down this little cobblestoned alley, past a pharmacy and a little shop, and right there at the end of the path was this little café with a little menu board out front with "fresh pasta" written in bright blue chalk. Their special for the day was wild boar pappardelle and I know this was where we had to eat. The dish was amazing. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the wild boar was so tender and had the best hearty tomato flavor that I fell immediately in love.

     Because of where I live and the availability of finding boar in the store I had to substitute this dish with a good cut of pork loin. The meat may have been different but the heart and flavor were still there. I made simple tomato based sauce and cooked the whole loin in my crock-pot in order to have this complete and ready by the time I got home from work during the week. Hope you enjoy Pork Pappardelle.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium pork loin
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
• 1 10oz can tomato sauce
• 1 clove diced garlic
• Handful chopped basil
• Large bay leaf
• Olive oil
• Salt/pepper
• Crock-pot

1. In a large sauté pan pour in a little olive oil over medium high heat. Toss in your onion, celery, and carrot and sauté until nice and tender.

2. Toss in the diced garlic and sauté until fragrant

3. Pour in the tomato sauce, chopped basil, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat just to incorporate the flavors. Remove sauce from heat.

 

 

4. This fourth step I did in the morning before going to work so as to have it all ready when I arrived home. Place the pork loin into the crock-pot. Pour the premade sauce over it. Cover and set to low. This will cook for 8-10 hours.

5. Make homemade pasta. I chose hand cut pappardelle. I used my pasta recipe, rolled out the dough, and hand cut it to thick size about 1 1/2 inch in width. See below for the pasta recipe

6. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it floats to the top and is tender.

7. Break up the roast. After 8-10 hours in the crock-pot it will pull right apart into nice shredded pork.

8. Toss the pasta in the sauce and meat and serve with some fresh graded cheese.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 hours
Serves: 4-5 people

Pasta recipe: http://www.recipesiliveby.blogspot.com/2013/04/Fresh-Pasta.html

 

Harvest Soup

Harvest Soup

 

     It's starting to be autumn here and one good thing about that is it is slowly becoming soup weather. Anyone that knows me knows that I love a good soup. I love making soup. It's so easy and fun all you have to do is throw everything into one pot and you have a delicious, healthy, and warming meal in one bowl. I have many soups in my repertoire. Some are even posted on here. However I am always trying to come up with a new type of soup. I created this one to utilize some of the summer’s end vegetables that I was able to find at my market. This soup is hearty, full of flavor, and so comforting that I went back for not only seconds but thirds and fourths. I am calling this recipe Harvest Soup and it is sure to become one of my favorites and one I will definitely be making for guests from now on. Give this quick and amazing soup a try. Harvest Soup:

Ingredients:

• 32 oz of Chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/2 white onion diced
• 1 head of kale
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 12 oz can cannellini beans
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 clove diced garlic
• Salt/pepper
• Bay leaf

      In a large soup pot or Dutch oven pour in all the chicken broth. Place your frozen chicken breasts into the pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and remove. In same pot pour in the tomato sauce. Toss in the diced potatoes, onions, carrots, diced up kale, garlic, and bay leaf. Let simmer until the potatoes are about cooked through. Dice up the chicken and toss back in along with the cannellini beans. Salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan or nice crusty bread. This soup is fantastic. You will definitely fall in love with it.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4-6 people

Risotto Tra Amici

Risotto Tra Amici

 

     This special dish is inspired by a good friend Tina Talerico Inquinto. A new friend with whom I became acquainted with a few years ago created this dish. I had gone to a mutual friend of ours house up state. They took me over to their mother's house where this friend was doing a cooking demonstration for a chef party. Enter Tina.  An Italian proud of her heritage like me, she was giving a cooking demonstration on this exact dish. I immediately fell in love with it as well as the cook behind the stove. She was awesome, personable, and just like me; a cook at heart. Since then we have been good friends. Any chances I get to travel up state we always try to hang out and have a good time. In fact, the last time I was up there for a football game we ended up cooking together in the kitchen late at night following the loss of our beloved Mountaineer football team. This dish is more than just a "risotto" dish, it has memories. It has taste, excitement, and love in it. The name translates into "Risotto Between Friends". That is exactly what this is. The creaminess of the risotto, the tenderness of the peppers, the spice from the sausage; all the above create this exciting explosion of taste in your mouth that it is one great party that only close friends who get together can have. This dish is easy to make and only includes a few simple ingredients. The only time included is how long it takes to cook the rice. Anyone that has made risotto knows that it is one dish you can never leave on the stove. You must stay put, stir, and give the rice all your attention. Please enjoy my, (or Tina's), Risotto Tra Amici.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1/2 diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 diced white onion
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• Olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• Fresh chopped basil
• Salt/pepper

 

     First start by browning the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat in a little olive oil. When cooked through remove. Next toss in the diced onion and red bell pepper and sauté until tender. Remove and set aside along with the sausage. Melt a tbs of butter in same skillet. Toss in the rice and sauté until the rice just starts to get a golden brown color. Mix in the white wine and stir until the rice begins to soak up the wine. Then start mixing in some chicken stock, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Keep stirring as the rice soaks up and cooks in the stock. This process takes roughly about 20-30 minutes until you have used up all the stock. Turn off the heat and mix in the cheese. I used Romano as that was what I had in the fridge. You can use Parmigiano as well. Mix back in the sausage/pepper/onion mixture and toss in some fresh chopped up basil. Salt and pepper to taste and viola! You have an amazing risotto dish that can be served as a side to a wonderful cooked roast meat or as an entrée itself. I hope you enjoy this wonderful dish as I do.  Thanks to my dear friend Tina!!!!!

 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 5-6

 

Tina and I in the kitchen cooking a bit tipsy.

 

Amatriciana

Amatriciana

 

 

     A Traditional dish from the Lazio region of Italy typically served with a bucatini pasta noodle and often found in Rome this dish is the perfect amount of spice, tomatoey goodness, and satisfaction that it will quickly become one of your favorite pasta dishes. So easy to make that it only takes roughly about 15 minutes from start to finish.

    

      Many people think that there is only one tomato pasta dish here in America, specifically just spaghetti. In fact many people think that the red sauce is just called spaghetti sauce but this is a fallacy. There are so many different "red" or tomato based sauces in Italy that they all have their own names and all taste very differently. Yes the basis is roughly the same but as I stated they taste much differently from each other. Every region has their type of dish. This one comes from the Lazio region and is actually named after the town of Amatrice. The traditional dish uses guanciale which is pork cheek, but I used pancetta as that was the only closest thing I could find at my market. Please enjoy, (and give this a try), my Amatriciana.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg sliced pancetta
• 1/2 small white onion
• 12 oz can crushed tomato
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded pecorino cheese
• Olive oil
• Pasta of choice

     Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil to cook your pasta. I used homemade spaghetti alla chitarra using my grandmother’s old chitarra board. For a good pasta recipe check here: http://www.recipesiliveby.blogspot.com/2013/04/Fresh-Pasta.html.

 

     Meanwhile dice up the onion and pancetta and sauté in a pan in a little olive oil until fragrant and the onion has become translucent. Next chop and sauté the garlic until the smell fills the air. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and chili flakes. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Right before serving stir in the pecorino cheese till it melts and incorporates. Toss with pasta and serve.

 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes.

Serves 2-4.

 



Brisket Bomber

Brisket Bomber

     Was craving something different the other night and came up with this great idea. I wanted a hearty guy’s guy kind of sandwich. Who doesn't love a good sandwich? They're packed with flavor. They're easy to carry and transport. They're the best meal because you eat with your hands. It was the end of summer and I wanted a nice piece of smoked meat to top this sandwich so I decided on a brisket. I thought it was the perfect cut of beef to make this sandwich pop. A great cut that can be slowly cooked for hours to infuse a wonderful smokey flavor. Top it off with some caramelized onions, spicy mustard, and a cool pickle relish. Surround with a crusty bun and it could be one of the perfect sandwiches out there. I call this sandwich the Brisket Bomber. Plain and simple it's the bomb. Brisket Bomber.

Ingredients:

• Brisket
• Liquid smoke
• 1 large white onion
• 2 tbs butter
• Bread and butter pickles
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• Spicy brown mustard
• Hoagie buns

Dry Rub:

• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Brown sugar
• Celery salt
• Seasoning salt
• Black pepper

     The reason I did not add quantities to the ingredients of the rub is that I just eye balled it. I basically took all the ingredients and poured them into a bowl, mixed up, and based it all on taste. Sometimes cooking is best left to trial and error. You can base this rub on your own taste. I can say that they were all mostly equal parts so if you use 3 tbs of onion powder I would use 3 tbs of garlic powder and so forth. Take the rub mixture and generously rub it all over the brisket the night before you plan on making this. You have to give the rub plenty of time to work itself into the meat. Wrap the brisket in some tinfoil and place in the fridge overnight.

     Now at 9:00 am I removed the brisket from the fridge and placed in a Dutch oven. I took a ramekin and filled it with 1/2 cup of water and 4 tbs of liquid smoke. Place the ramekin into the Dutch oven next to the brisket.  This simulates smoking as I do not own a smoker and I have found this works pretty darn well.  Of course if you do own a smoker definitely utilize it first. Turn the oven to 210-220 degree Fahrenheit and let cook for 7 hours. Check half way through the cooking process to make sure there is still enough water in the ramekin to keep moister circulating.

     Sauté your onions in the butter until nice and brown and all the sugars inside have caramelized. Take some nice buns and toast them. Spread the spicy brown mustard on one side. Dice up your pickles and add some chili flakes. Slice the brisket against the grain. The outside will be nice and chard with all the goodness from the rub and the liquid smoke. Lay a few slices on the other side of the bun. Top with your caramelized onions, pickle relish, and top with the mustard covered bun. Viola! A fantastic, wonderful, delicious mans sandwich.

"Straightjacket" Burger

Straightjacket Burger

 

 

     This burger is so named because after the first bite you will be so "crazy" with the wonderfulness that is this burger that you will require a straightjacket to finish this. I was just sitting at work one day and discussing things with one of my coworkers and the idea just came to me. I need to create a burger that is so freaking good it will make you go crazy after just one bite. This burger is packed with meatiness, flavor, gooeyness, and taste that if you do not like it something is definitely wrong with you. The burger is simple but the flavors are out of this world. Straightjacket Burger.

 

Ingredients for simple burger:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbs special seasoning
• Salt/pepper

 

     Simply mix the ground beef, seasoning, (something I am a fan of but not going to give away. Just use your favorite seasoning), salt and pepper together. Press down between two sheets of wax paper with the back of a plate and grill until perfect doneness. Makes 5 patties.

 

Ingredients for topping:

• Homemade bread and butter pickles
• 10 slices crisp bacon
• 5 slice processed cheese
• Molasses honey mustard BBQ sauce, (1 tbs molasses, 1 tbs honey mustard, 1 tbs BBQ sauce)

 

      After the burgers have been cooking until your preferred temperature, (consuming raw beef is  not good for your health), however I like my burgers a bit medium. Place already cooked bacon on top and then a slice of the processed cheese. Let sit on grill until the cheese starts to melt over the bacon and burger, enveloping like a straightjacket. On a good crispy bun, spread some of the molasses honey mustard bbq sauce. Top your burger with fresh bread and butter pickles and you have a "crazy" delicious burger ready to be consumed in its entirety. 

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4-5 people.

 

      The combination of the processed cheese slice, the spicy but sweet molasses bbq sauce, and the crisp but spicy pickles make this burger fantastic. Enjoy.

 

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

     Fra Diavolo is a spicy tomato based sauce that can be served on most anything. An Italian-American creation that is sort of combination of different Italian sauces with its spices and flavor. The name means "brother devil" and is a definite when you taste this delicious spicy sauce. The tomato taste and the heat from the chili wake up your taste buds in a blast of flavor. I hadn’t really had this dish before. My mother strictly stuck to the basics of her Italian meals. I have always been one to try different dishes. Combine flavors and influences from other cultures in making a delicious meal. One might say I am more adventurous than her. Oh well.  She occasionally likes my creations.  Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb fresh shrimp
• 1 10oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 small handful diced fresh basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tbs chili flakes
• 1 10oz can cannellini beans
• Olive oil
• Salt/pepper

     In a large skillet sauté your onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Toss in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Mix in your shrimp and white wine and sauté until the wine starts to reduce. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, chili flakes, and beans. Stir, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes and salt and pepper to taste. That’s it. It doesn’t take long for the shrimp to cook and as for the other ingredients; they blend very well and quickly together to create a wonderful, spicy, full of flavor dish. I served this over a bit of cooked orzo pasta but feel free to try it with rice, spaghetti, or what ever you have in your pantry. Serves about 2-4 people. Enjoy.

Salmon Cake Sammich

Salmon Cake Sammich

 



     Yes I know sandwich is spelled wrong. It's a fun spin on the dish. Another dish inspired by a memory. Do you remember certain dishes you had as a child? Most still my mother makes and I myself have carried down. Most dishes are traditional to our family or our culture and have been passed down from generation to generation. There are those few that started with my mother and cannot be considered traditional. You know the ones, those simple meals your mother made to come up with a quick meal for the family.  This one in particular is inspired by just one of those dishes. As Irish/Italian and Catholic we grew up almost always having some sort of fish on Fridays. As middle class and trying to feed at least 5 my mother came up with a simple salmon cake dish by utilizing that easy to open red can of pink salmon from the supermarket. This dish is partially inspired by that same salmon cake but twisted and made into a delightful sandwich. Salmon Cake Sammich is what I like to call it.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz can pink salmon
• 3 tbs pimentos
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Breadcrumbs
• Egg
• Arugula
• Mayo
• Lemon juice
• Dill
• Buns
• Pepper

      Once you open the can of salmon people get freaked out by the fact that there are some bones in it. These are perfectly edible. Combine the salmon with the diced onion, pimentos, garlic, and the egg. Mix in some breadcrumbs, (roughly about a 1/3 of a cup), just enough to help combine and bind the mixture. Press out your salmon cakes into patties. This recipe makes roughly about 5-6 salmon patties. Gently fry each patty in a skillet or frying pan in some butter till brown on both sides. Lay across your favorite bun or sandwich bread. Top with a mixture of lemon juice, mayo, black pepper, and some dill. Lay some fresh arugula on top and viola; you have a wonderful ready to eat Salmon Sammich. Play around with this recipe. It’s easy, quick, and full of flavor. I’m sure it will help spice up those boring Friday evening fish meals. Enjoy!