Cucuzza Sauce

Like many Sicilians, many Sundays were enjoyed, thanks to my grandmother and later my parents' amazing dinners. My fondest memories growing up were those revolving their cooking. One of my favorite meals was cucuzza (squash), especially in sauce over pasta.


Simmering Squash Sauce

The beauty of cooking this mild tasting veggie is the fact that it’s very versatile. There are endless ways to cook this healthy gourd and I will share with you my favorite one. When shopping for cucuzza make sure to pick firm and unblemished ones. Green or yellow squash are equally good for this dish and don’t be afraid to use both. Since I didn’t have all of the ingredients my improvisation skills were tested. As it turned out tweaking the recipe a bit didn’t compromise the taste too much. Enjoy and let me know what you think of this simple dish.

Cucuzza
Source:My Family

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of imported extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 (28 ounce) can of imported peeled tomatoes
• 3-4 medium sized yellow or green cucuzzas (peeled or unpeeled)
• 2 sprigs of freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp of oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

While you sauté the garlic in a large saucepan, slice the cucuzza into ¼ inch pieces and set aside. Just before the garlic browns, place the cucuzza in the pan and turn the heat to medium. Sauté the cucuzza for about 10 minutes or until it looks translucent &make; sure it doesn’t brown. Add tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. As the sauce cooks, take your sauce spoon and gently chop the tomatoes up so they are chunky. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over your favorite pasta and sprinkle on some freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Buttermilk Berry Muffins Recipe

What do you do when you hit the berry motherlode and have some extra homemade buttermilk to spare? You make Buttermilk Berry Muffins just like Carm did.



Carm and her mom came upon a new produce store and picked up A LOT of different berries. Worried that we had too many, Carm found a recipe online for some delicious muffins, using blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. She also found a way to use the leftover buttermilk she had from making butter in the food processor. The result was a delicious batch of moist muffins full of natural berry sweetness. I couldn't stop eating them.

Buttermilk Berry Muffins
Source: Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• Zest of one orange
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk
  
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) safflower or canola oil
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or strawberries)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Position rack in center of oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray 12 - 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.

In another large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Gently fold in the berries. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

Fill each muffin cup almost full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 12 regular sized muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.

Note: If using frozen berries you may have to bake the muffins a little longer than the stated time. Also, if making jumbo sized muffins, again, you may have to bake the muffins a little longer

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Homemade Bagels & Spreads

Carlo and I have been talking about how cost effective it can be to bake your own breads. Think about it, a loaf of bread, depending on the type, can be $2.00-$5.00. A dozen bagels can be $6.00-$10.00. So if you could make he same items at a fraction of the cost, then why not do it. I know it's time consuming, but all we have it time, especially when we can't rub two pennies together.



So today I decided to make bagels. I reviewed a few different recipes, including Julia Child's and some on a few recipe sites. They were great, but used a lot of ingredients I didn't have in the house, especially bread flour. Then, I found one from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network's website which used all-purpose flour that was simple and not really time-consuming.

I made a couple of modifications. Rather then rolling the bagel dough into 4x6 logs, I formed the dough into balls. I then used my thumb and index finger to poke a hole in the middle and stretch and shape the dough, a method I found in Julia Child's recipe. I also cut the baking time to 20-25 minutes and did not bother flipping the bagels after the first 5 minutes of baking.

The end result was a dozen bagels with a great crust. Though they're not like the great NY bagels you'd get at H&H;, they were pretty darn good! They taste great with the homemade butter and the strawberry cream cheese I made (recipes below).



Homemade Bagels
Source: FoodNetwork.com & Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water, about 110 degrees F
  
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast
  
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

Optional Toppings:

• 1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped onions (2 teaspoons each)
  
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
  
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (about 1/4 teaspoon each)

Directions:

1. Combine the water, yeast, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, and mix until the mixture comes together.

2. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups additional flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a stiff dough, either stirring with the wooden spoon or working with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed. (Dough should be heavier and stiffer than regular yeast bread dough.)

3. Grease a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour.javascript:void(0)

4. Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 to 3 ounces each, measuring about 4 inches across. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Roll each ball into a 4 to 6-inch log. Join the ends and place fingers through the hole and roll the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest until risen but not doubled in a draft-free spot, 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

6. Grease a baking sheet with the remaining teaspoon of oil.

7. In a large, heavy pot, bring 12 cups of water and the remaining tablespoon of sugar to a boil. In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip bagels onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Homemade Butter
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour cream into a food processor or blender. Process for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates. Strain off the liquid. Season to taste with salt if you like. Press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid

Strawberry Cream Cheese
Source: Our Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
  
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese
  
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into food processor. Pulse into well incorporated.

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No Knead Bread

Recently, I heard a lot of buzz about an easy-peasy No Knead Bread recipe that was in the New York Times. It comes from Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery, located in Manhattan. I also checked out a few blogs to see results and couldn't believe how it was. So guess who decided to try?



With just a few ingredients, the bread really takes very little effort to make. All of the work is done during the lengthy rising time, which makes this a "Set It & Forget It" recipe. The simplicity of it is a huge plus!

Another cool thing about this recipe is that you actually bake the bread in a cast iron, enamel or ceramic pot. So I used my heavy duty pretty red Le Creuset pot. Who would have thunk it to be possible?



The end result was a very nice crusty "artisan" bread made with my very hands. It tastes delicious, especially with some natural peanut putter (a la Stew Leonards) and organic raspberry preserves (from Trader Joe's). Apparently, our cat DJ Socks La Rock, like the bread too. I caught him munching on my piece!

You have to try it out for yourself! Click here.

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Pear Cake Mistake?

Despite the fact that she never took a cooking class in her life, Carmella is one talented baker. Many people, including my dad, who’s a professional chef, feel she is a natural and could, one day, open a bake shop. Even when she makes mistakes, Carmella does a bang up job.



She had set out to make mini versions of Paula Dean‘s Pear-licious Cake from her book, The Lady & Sons, Too!. Even though she implicitly followed the recipe, her dessert somehow morphed into muffins. Albeit the muffins tasted nothing like pear-licious cakes, they were still rich and savory, and smacked of banana bread. To give them more of a “pearish” flavor, Carmella cooked up a quick glaze made with Royal Riviera pear chunks. After hewing the tops of the muffins, Carmella smeared on the glaze and let it cool for a bit. The result was a yummy and moist treat. I hope she makes more mistakes in the future.

Pear-Licious Cake
Source: pg 189 of The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen (Random House)

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 and 1/4 Cups veg oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped canned Bartlett pears in syrup,drained well(save syrup for glaze)
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 Tbl butter softened at room temp
1 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 Tbls syrup from drained pears


Directions:
Preheat oven 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar and eggs. beat well. then sift the flour, salt baking soda, and cinnamon. add this to the creamed mixture and stir till blended.Stir in the vanilla, Fold in the pears and pecans. Spon this batter into a greased and floured Bundt or Tube Pan. Bake for an hour,and 20 minutes, or till cake tests done. Let it cool for 20 minutes,, then turn it out onto a cake rack, and completely cool. Then as cake cools, make the glaze, Blend the butter and confectioners sugar with enough of the pear syrup to make a smooth slightly runny glaze. drizzle it over the cake top and let it run down the sides.

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Pear Sauce - The Best Pancake Topping!

On Saturday, my mom dropped off two boxes of Riviera pears she received as a gift from a friend of hers. Other than just eating them, my mom wanted me to come up with different ways. So I asked the gals on the What's Cooking board at TheNest.com for pear recipes. One of the members, blu-eyedwife, shared her Pear Sauce recipe on her blog, Paved with Good Intentions.

Though the recipe paired the sauce with potato and carrot latkes, I decided to make the sauce for our pancake breakfast on Sunday. Since only 3 of us, Carlo, my mom and I, would be eating, I halved the recipe, but I wished I made more, because it was so good. Actually, it was too good. I found our cat Socks trying to lick up the sauce off of my plate!

So here's the recipe! Try it out yourself and let us know how it turned out for you.

Pear Sauce
Source: Paved with Good Intentions

Ingredients:

• 6 pears, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
  

Directions:
Place pears, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes. Puree in blender and set aside.

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$1500 for Groceries for One Year. Is It Possible?

Do you keep track of how much you spend in a year on groceries? We really don't, but we figure we spend between $250-$350 per month for the two of us and our cats. If you multiply that by 12, then we're easily spending over $3,000 for the year. That does not include dining out and Carlo's insane Dunkin Donuts coffee cravings. If you calculate all of what we spend on all food (groceries, eating out, etc.), then we're munching away on a good stack of cash.

Imagine a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids) sticking to a budget of $1500 for an entire year! I honestly couldn't fathom it until I read a post on TheNest.com's What's Cooking board. It seems that one family is trying an experiment and keeping a blog, with cost saving tips and detailing what is being spent per meal. It's very interesting to see how well they do. I'm pulling for them and may have to adopt some of their methods (like coupon clipping). I doubt it'll truly work for those of us in cities like NYC.

You can follow the experiment yourself at http://livingon1500foroneyear.blogspot.com.

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The Food Duo are now The Macaroon & Artichoke

Hi everyone. It's Carmella, introducing our new blog, "The Macaroon & Artichoke." Carlo and I felt that "The Food Duo" was fun, but was a bit discombobulated. It was a ball of creative chaos in Foodie Land that we couldn't follow ourselves. On top of that, we wanted to do something new and "fresh."

We'll be posting recipes, restaurant reviews and cool food things found while "exploring." And yes, we'll try to be more organized and a bit more steady.

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Moving It Over...

So I got this email yesterday from ICC (International Culinary Center) regarding two new food journalism courses they are offering. I'm thinking of signing up for the one on food blogging, despite its cost of near $800.00 for 8 classes (where are my priorities, right?).

After talking to Carlo about it. We started talking again about this lovely blog of ours. Carlo felt it was a bit stale and I kinda agree, especially since he hasn't participated much. So we've decided to make a few changes, including the name and our approach.

In the next couple of weeks, we're going to start up our new blog called The Macaroon & Artichoke (macachoke.blogspot.com). We're going to split up "responsibilities" on who's going to write about what. And if I do take that course, maybe we'll make it all snazzy and stuff. We may even try to get friends to post as well.

Ok, I'm going back to lay down in a sea of dizziness thanks to yesterday's otal biopsy.

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We've Taken a Break...

We were going to start posting again. However in the midst of financial crisis and cutbacks (we still have our jobs, we're working harder than before. So the time to devote to our blog is short. We will be back though! With a new blog, new designs and recipes. We'll post when we're set!

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