Tag: PennMac

Cook With Me! Pittsburgh Public Market’s Ikea Kitchen! Cheesy Meatballs

I was so nervous my hands were shaking, I prepped extra chopped garlic and basil because I could barely handle the knife…
Lights, camera, action. The fear melted away and turned into feelings of excitement and calm. It was as if I was in MY kitchen cooking for MY friends. I finally figured it out EEEEK! THIS is what I should be doing. THIS is what they talk about when they say doing what you love is not a job.

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For my first time cooking live, I figured it should be familiar. I decided to cook Sunday Sicilian Sauce and cheesy meatballs. I only make this 40-45 Sundays per year! And I am pretty well versed in tomatoes, olive oils, and parmesan cheese- thought this would ease my nerves- Ha!

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We are so lucky in Pittsburgh to have the Pittsburgh Public Market, where farmers and vendors sell fresh, local products. I get to cook in the Ikea Kitchen using the best quality ingredients and the audience can easily pick them up on the way out!
Other fresh ingredients not sold at the market come from Pittsburgh’s Strip District and other local businesses.

Thanks to all who shop local, support small businesses, and cook with me! I will be at the Pittsburgh Public Market on February 14th at 11am with a Valentine’s Surf and Turf menu featuring Timmy Reynolds from Penn Avenue Fish Company and Canonsburg’s Sarris Candies Chocolate Fondue for Dessert! Stop down and Cook with me! Free samples and open to the public! RSVP today!

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So for the sauce, I used Cobrancosa olive oil from The Olive Tap, garlic, fresh rosemary and fresh basil from Lengel Bros. Farm Market, Ciao San Marzano tomatoes and Parmesan Reggiano from Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., and the pre-made sauce was full of fresh ox tail from Clarion Farms Beef. We were lucky to sample the sauce by sopping it up with Mediterra Bakehouse Italian Bread sold by The Olive Tap.
Topping it all off with fresh grated parmesan and Shof Kase cheese from Wheel and Wedge is the most important part!!

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Cheesy Meatballs
Makes 18-20 1-1/2 inch meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef (Clarion Farms Beef)
4 garlic cloves, chopped (Lengel Brothers Farm Market)
2 tbsp. basil, chopped (optional)
1 egg
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan Reggiano (Penn Mac’s cheese counter)
1 cup fresh grated Wheel and Wedge Shof Kase cheese (Or pecorino romano or even better Locatelli or all 4! Play around and see what you like!)
1/2 cup Cento plain breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste (approx. 10 shakes)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Completely mix by hand until well blended.
Roll 1-1/2 inch meatballs.
Place meatballs 1 inch apart on a jelly roll pan.
In a rush?
Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Place into sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Not in a rush?
Throw them in the sauce raw and cook for 2-3 hours or until center is cooked through.
Don’t cook them in the sauce longer than 3 hours. Unless you want a chunky meat sauce! The meatballs will break down and fall apart.

Serve with your favorite pasta and always top with fresh grated parmesan!
Enjoy!
Ciao!

Fish Week! Linguini Clams! No Shirt Required!

Serve with ciabatta bread and butter. Always top with fresh grated parmesan cheese!

This is the last dish I will be cooking for fish week! It’s Luke Wholey’s tonight for the fish week grand finale. Cool, right?
I call this dish linguini clams because there is no actual pasta sauce to scoop on top. The linguini soak up the liquid, and the clams, chunks of tomato, pieces of onion, herbs, and grated Parmesan cheese stick to the linguini. In my opinion, this is a perfect linguini clams. Much different than a bowl of pasta with a traditional marinara and added clams.

I have ordered linguini clams or cioppino in Italian restaurants for years because I make everything else on the menu at home. Notice how the dish is not saucy, but not dry! Slippery linguini noodles with surprises hidden throughout.
I have ordered linguini clams or cioppino in Italian restaurants for years, paying close attention to the preparation variations. Notice how the dish is not saucy, but not dry! Slippery noodles with surprises hidden throughout.

I say no shirt required because we have rookie pasta twirlers that splatter sauce everywhere and eat in their underwear ; )

As children, we would eat Sunday spaghetti in our underwear at my grandma and pappap Signorino's house so we didn't get sauce stains on our clothes!
As children, we would eat Sunday spaghetti in our underwear at my grandma and pappap Signorino’s house so we didn’t get sauce stains on our clothes!

Linguini Clams
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 small onion
1 35oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lb. bag Pana Pesca baby clams
1 tbsp. chopped basil
1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
1 lb. linguini noodles (I actually use fettuccine noodles. They are a little thicker than linguini noodles and cook to a perfect al dente bite… Shhh!)
Salt/pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in your biggest,deepest pan.

Add onions and sauté until they begin to look translucent.

Add garlic and heat.

Add tomatoes, herbs, chicken stock and mix well.

Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a stockpot for the linguini.

This Setaro Fettuce dry pasta is the closest to homemade. It is so heavily floured and cooks perfectly to the al dente bite. Best pasta ever! I get mine at Penn Mac in Pittsburgh's Strip District. $10 http://www.pennmac.com/items/4895//setaro-fettucce-pasta
This Setaro Fettuce dry pasta is the closest to homemade. It is so heavily floured and cooks perfectly to the al dente bite. Best pasta ever! I get mine at Penn Mac in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. $10 http://www.pennmac.com/items/4895//setaro-fettucce-pasta

Add linguini and cook according to package or until al dente approximately 7-9 minutes.

Add clams to sauce pan and cook while linguini is boiling. Clams will cook within 10 minutes.

Drain the linguini and add slowly into the sauce pan while mixing well.

Before photo. The mixing and absorbing of the liquid is the most important part of this dish. Almost like mixing homemade sausage!
Before photo. The mixing and absorbing of the liquid is the most important part of this dish. Almost like mixing homemade sausage! Your arms will get tired!

Coat the linguini until your linguini/clam ratio is satisfactory.

After photo.  See how the liquid is absorbed by the pasta. Continue to mix well so the clams are in every bite!
After photo.
See how the liquid is absorbed by the pasta. Continue to mix well so the clams are in every bite!

Scoop onto a serving plate.

Serve with ciabatta bread and butter. Always top with fresh grated parmesan cheese!
Serve with a loaf of ciabatta bread and butter. Always top with freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Enjoy!
Ciao!

 

 

I’ve Got A Cheese That Will Kick Your Graskaas!

Beemster Graskaas, sounds like someone needs their mouth washed out with soap!! Beemster is actually a Dutch cheese company and Graskaas is Dutch for “grass cheese!” This seasonal, super creamy cheese is created every Spring after the Beemster cows leave their barn and feed on the fresh, Spring grass. Only their first milk is used to make Graskaas!

The village of  Beemster is the only co-op left in Holland in which cheese curds are stirred and raked by hand! The CONO cheesemakers co-op has been making delicious cheese since 1901!
The village of Beemster is the only co-op left in Holland in which cheese curds are stirred and raked by hand! The CONO cheesemakers co-op has been making delicious cheese since 1901!

Only 2,000 wheels of Graskaas are produced in Beemster, Holland, and only 1,000 are shipped to the US! So it must be really expensive, right? Nope! Your average $13.99/lb! Less than my Parrano for sure!

How did I find this cheese? I was having a dinner party and searching for something new! Carol, the Pittsburgh legend Dear Heart of Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, had me taste it and told me the Graskaas story! I enjoyed telling the story and having everyone sample the cheese!

A seasonal treat, Beemster's Graskaas is sold mid-May until it's gone!
A seasonal treat, Beemster’s Graskaas is sold mid-May until it’s gone!

Get your Graskaas today!
Graskaas and Date Salad Recipe!
Click link for the recipe!
http://www.pennmac.com/items/4471//beemster-graskaas-cheese-holland

Our guests enjoyed the cheese and the story!
Our guests enjoyed the cheese and the story!

Graskaas has a very mild and creamy flavor. Aged for only one month before being sold, it is the opposite of my usual pungent hard cheese taste. I give my new soft cheeses the Grilled Cheese Test! And Beemster’s Graskaas got an A+ for meltability and creaminess!

Gooey grilled cheese perfection!
Gooey grilled cheese perfection!

Ciao!

You down with D.O.P ? Yeah, you know me!

D.O.P… How can I explain it…

Yes, I am a wife, mom, nanny, cook, maid, journalist, fashionista, and old school rap sponge!!! Do you get started and just can’t stop? (I hope it is not just me! Well, I know Kevin does it, too! Ha!)

Of course I pair it with the perfect shoulder bounce or hammer dance ; )
Of course I pair it with pursed lips, the perfect shoulder bounce maybe even a hammer dance ; )

I forgot to add tomato snob to the mix. The distinction between San Marzano tomatoes versus a can of whole peeled tomatoes is one of taste. The San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter, picked only when ripe, and grown in the richest of soil in Campania, Italy. Once you start cooking with San Marzano tomatoes and taste the difference you will NEVER use plain, old, sour whole peeled tomatoes in a can ever again. Pay the extra buck! So what is DOP?

DOP Approved!
DOP Approved!

DOP is a further designation that stands for Denominazione d’Origine Protetta from the European Union for the processed product. These tomatoes are grown at the base of Mount Vesuvious in rich soil blended with volcanic ash. This soil produces DOP certified tomatoes that have few seeds and cook down perfectly! DOP is written on the label and means completely legit by the European powers that be. So now you know what DOP means on your San Marzano can AND you know what to look for next time! My faves right now are Ciao brand! You can crush them with a potato masher and use them for pizza sauce…naked!!! Just add your toppings and seasonings!

Easiest pizza sauce ever!  Try it!  San  Marzano DOP!
Easiest pizza sauce ever! Spinach, tomato, mozzarella, salt and pepper! Try it!
San Marzano DOP!

Ciao!

Totally Amazing Auricchio Artichoke And Tomato Pasta Salad!! Meet The Best Member Of The Provolone Family!

Auricchio Provolone has an unmatched taste and texture! Super easy to cube for my pasta salad! I find the largest selection and most cheese knowledge in town at Pennsylvania Macaroni in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Auricchio is very sharp and aromatic! Brush before kissing for sure with this one!
Auricchio is very sharp and aromatic! Brush before kissing for sure with this one!

According to Pennsylvania Macaroni’s website,
“Auricchio Provolone is an aged Italian Provolone that is particularly sharp. It is often regarded as one of the best-tasting Provolones in the world. In Italian grocery stores, this cheese is often seen dangling by rope from the rafters, which makes it a very well known cheese throughout Italy. The aging process allows for the flavor of the cheese to develop over time, which ultimately adds character to its eventual taste.”

My kids love cheese! They love the cheese counter and taste testing! Bella's favorite is Havarti!
My kids love cheese! They love the cheese counter and taste testing! Bella’s favorite is Havarti!

Dear Heart will gladly give you a taste when you visit Penn Mac in the Strip! Or buy online!
http://www.pennmac.com/items/236//aged-italian-auricchio-provolone

Auricchio Artichoke and Tomato Pasta Salad!

Feeds a party as a side dish!

Ingredients:
2 lb. auricchino provolone, cubed
1 15oz. jar artichoke hearts in water, chopped
5-6 Roma tomatoes chopped
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup Salad Supreme pasta salad seasoning
1 1/2 lb. cavatappi pasta cooked

Only add two or three ingredients into your pasta salad. It is easy to get carried away!
Only add two or three ingredients into your pasta salad. It is easy to get carried away!

Directions:
Mix it all together and refrigerate!

I make my pasta salad the night before a party! The flavors will have time to mix and it is perfectly chilled through when served!
I make my pasta salad the night before a party! The flavors will have time to mix and it is perfectly chilled through when served!

This recipe will serve 25+ as a side dish. Feel free to half it! It is great to make ahead and chill overnight! Just add a few tsp. of lemon juice and stir!

Always top with freshly grated Parmesan!
It’s party time!
Ciao!

Happy Friday!! Gotta Love Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel’s Recipes For A Skinny Life! Have You Tried Her Mexican Chili Or Her Cocktails?? It is 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Right?? Salute!

Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel created a healthy way of living with her skinny recipes! From low carb, no carb to superfoods, she has paved the way for reinventing mac’n cheese, burgers and even desserts! It is no wonder she has gone from a Real Housewife of NY and “skinny chef” to having her own liquor line and a daytime talk show with her name “Bethenny!”

Photo courtesy of www.theartfulgourmet.com Kristen Hess! I popped on her site and picked up a quick recipe from Mario Lopez! Avocado, mozzarella, tomato salad on a toothpick! Add a basil leaf. Drizzle with olive oil - salt and pepper! What a great app, Slater!!
Photo courtesy of www.theartfulgourmet.com Kristen Hess! I popped on her site and picked up a quick recipe from Mario Lopez! Avocado, mozzarella, tomato salad on a toothpick! Add a basil leaf. Drizzle with olive oil – salt and pepper!

What a healthy and easy app, Slater!! Thanks!
What a healthy and easy app, Slater!! Thanks!

Whether you have tasted her Skinnygirl cocktails or love her balls to the wall attitude, Bethenny is a real mom with a great product! Who says what she thinks! Love that !!

I am a fan of Skinnygirl margarita! But Bethenny's skinny fried chicken recipe is amazing!
I am a fan of Skinnygirl margarita! I earned my shirt a long time ago when Bethenny’s skinny fried chicken recipe won over my family…amazing!

I want to share some of her favorite skinny recipes…from her book “Naturally Thin”
Try this recipe!

Bethenny’s Mexican Chili

According to Bethenny,

“This is a popular recipe on my Web site. It substitutes ground turkey for the typical ground beef; or you can just skip the turkey if you want a vegetarian version. If beans bug you, you can even leave those out. It will still be good. This chili also tastes great the next day!

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 each red and yellow bell pepper (or half a bell pepper of any color), chopped
1 small can of pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
1/4 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 cup canned red pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking Directions

Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in a nonstick skillet coated in cooking spray until soft. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the garlic and bell peppers, and cook until the peppers are soft and the garlic is golden but not burned.
Stir in the tomato sauce and the zucchini.
When all the vegetables are soft, add the turkey breast and beans.
Let the chili simmer for at least 10 or 15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the better the flavor.
Serve.”

This chili is awesome!! Plus it’s Friday!! Serve with Skinnygirl margaritas and tortilla chips for the perfect Friday happy hour! It is Lent…leave out the meat, no problem!

Ciao!!

Ch Ch Ch Chia!!! Remember When Chia Pets Were All The Rage? Check Out The Hottest New Superfood… Chia Seeds!

This Native American seed can be sprinkled on anything! Or make it into a gel and add to soup, salad dressing, smoothies or protein shakes!
This Native American seed can be sprinkled on anything! Or make it into a gel and add to soup, salad dressing, smoothies or protein shakes!

Chia seeds are a weight loss dream! One ounce of chia seeds contains 11g of dietary fiber! High in phosphorus, protein and omega 3 fatty oils, they help you feel full!

Need more stamina and energy? When eaten, chia seeds slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar giving us more strength and endurance!

Chia can be added to anything! It is a healthy lifestyle choice and I started today by incorporating chia into our breakfast routine!

I sprinkled 3 tbsp chia seed on Greek yogurt with some fresh raspberries!!
I sprinkled 3 tbsp chia seed on Greek yogurt with some fresh raspberries!!

 

Even though the seeds are tasteless…if you don’t want a gritty feel, make a gel and add it to any liquid!

Chia Gel:

Add 1/3 cup of chia seeds to 2 cups of water in an an airtight container. Shake vigorously for 90 seconds. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks!

In a PreventDisease.com article “Are Chia Seeds the Perfect Superfood?” Some benefits of chia are:

Lose weight without starving
Balance blood sugar
Add Omega-3 oil to your diet
Nutrition
Feel more energized
Bake with less fat
Add age-defying antioxidants
Cut food cravings
And many more!!

Hair and skin products containing chia are popping up everyday!! This really is a superfood for the mind, body and soul!

Buy some seeds!
Where can you buy chia seeds? Whole Foods for sure!
I found mine at Pennsylvania Macaroni in Pittsburgh’s Strip District! www.pennmac.com
Another step toward our quest for youth!! Count me in!

Ciao!

 

I did my research!
Sources:

Mychiaseeds.com
PreventDisease.com
Dr.Oz.com
Living-foods.com
nytimes.com

 

Is Your Parmesan A Fugazi? Kraft’s Mouth Watering Artichoke Recipe With One Major Substitution!!

I clicked on an ad while perusing the web that shows a video of gorgeous artichokes being prepared with a lemon Dijon drizzle and fresh Parmesan…O wait!! What? This is a Kraft commercial/recipe/ad showcasing their “100% grated Parmesan cheese” packaged in a plastic tube and does not need refrigerated!! What????

Time to research!

As Larry Olmsted tells us in his Forbes magazine article “Most Parmesan Cheeses in America are Fake, Here is Why,” real Parmigiano Reggiano from Parma, Italy , has 3 ingredients- milk, salt and rennet.

Photo from Forbes article! This is real Parmesan -reggiano cheese!
Photo from Forbes article! This is real Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese!

Moms, take the kids! You can all make your own cheese at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Science Center in the Kitchen Works exhibit called “Say Cheese”!! We have made mozzarella many times!

Unrefrigerated, fugazi cheese also contains three other ingredients, cellulose powder, potassium sorbate, and cheese cultures, which are not found in real Parmigiano-Reggiano!! Fake cheese is illegal in Europe! Is that why the food is worlds more amazing in Europe? Real cheese!!

Did you know they have a Parmigiano Reggiano museum in Parma, Italy, where there is an entire room dedicated to the infiltration of fake cheeses!!

Photo courtesy of Forbes article. Kraft is not the only company making fake cheese!
Photo courtesy of Forbes article. Kraft is not the only company making fake cheese!

Parmigiano -Reggiano is known for its purity. It tastes amazing and is full of healthy vitamins because of this purity! It is the cheese of choice for astronauts in space! So why buy it with chemicals that will do who knows what to our bodies?
Yes, it SHOULD be illegal in America, too.

Here is the article from Forbes…

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/11/19/the-dark-side-of-parmesan-cheese-what-you-dont-know-might-hurt-you/

So here is Kraft’s super amazing artichoke recipe…

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And here is mine….
Exactly the same BUT with one super amazing substitution…

Sprinkle with real, freshly grated Parmesan!!! From PennMac!!…or your local authentic Italian grocery store!

Enjoy!

Ciao!

Grocery Run in Pittsburgh’s Strip District! Authentic Fresh Mexican Groceries at Reyna Foods! Plus Say “Chihuahua Cheese”!!

I stopped at Reyna Foods today to pick up my missing Crockpot Chicken Tacos ingredients! I was not surprised to find fresh homemade ingredients at a reasonable price! I make weekly stops in the strip to stock up on all of my fresh produce, meats, and cheeses!

Reyna foods carries huge bags of fresh tortilla chips and a variety of homemade salsas and guacs!! Entertaining the girls? Couples? Whip up some margaritas  and mojitos to accompany the chips and dips! Apps and drinks done! Ole!
Reyna foods carries huge bags of fresh tortilla chips and a variety of homemade salsas and guacs!! Entertaining the girls? Couples? Whip up some margaritas and mojitos to accompany the chips and dips! Apps and drinks done! Ole!

I definitely grabbed their fresh tortillas, black beans and a #7 guacamole (wow is it hot!)

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I know I’m having tacos for dinner BUT I cannot avoid stopping at Edgar’s for a pork taco!!!! The best in the ‘Burgh!!

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Diamond Find!! I picked up a bag of these sweet peppers for $1.99 at PennMac!!

Great price!! Diamond find!!  PennMac is a great place to find produce deals!!
Great price!! Diamond find!!
PennMac is a great place to find produce deals!!

At PennMac I also learned that the white soft perfectly meltable Mexican cheese you get at ElCampesino is called Chihuahua! Buy a brick at the PennMac cheese counter-shred for taco night and freeze for next time!

I hope you were able to pick up your “out of stock” ingredients and enjoyed my crockpot chicken tacos for dinner!!

The chicken a apart with a stir and a mix!!
The chicken falls apart with a stir and a mix!!
I forgot the sour cream after all! O well next time!
I forgot the sour cream after all! O well next time!

If you missed kicking Monday’s ass it’s ok! Order a pizza and try this recipe any day of the week!! Enjoy!!

 

A Must Have…Great Sauce!

Hello World!! All women need a great handbag, a great pair of pumps, and a phenomenal sauce! A delicious, super easy sauce is the key to happy stress- free entertaining! Start the sauce in the morning, boil some pasta, make a salad, pick up a loaf of fresh ciabatta and Voila! After realizing that my grandma’s sauce is impossible to replicate, I decided to make my own! I stripped it down and learned from countless episodes of “sauces gone wild.”

I realized I was burning my garlic! Pitch it and start over if this happens because it totally ruins the taste! No brown! I always use San Marzano tomatoes. Why? Their taste is absolutely incredible! The low acidity gives you a bold, rich flavor as opposed to a sour tasting sauce.  Red Pack will not cut it, the extra $2 is so worth it!!

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www.pennmac.com

I love the selection of tomatoes at Pennsylvania Macaroni  (you will find I get all of my fresh ingredients here) located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District! Or online!

So here is the most basic (still totally delicious) recipe:

Ingredients:
2cloves of garlic chopped
2tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can water
4-5 basil leaves chopped
Salt/pepper
 
Directions:
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat add onions and sauté
Add garlic and press with a wooden spoon to release flavors
Cover pan with basil, ground pepper and sprinkle with salt.
Add 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste and 1 can of water to a stock pot and stir well
Add contents from frying pan
Cook on low- medium heat covered with the lid slightly propped.
 

Cook a pound of pasta. Add one spoon of sauce to serving bowl and coat to avoid pasta sticking together!

Always top off with freshly grated Parmesan!! Enjoy!