Tag: Pittsburgh food

10 Minute Holiday Banana Bread!

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When your bananas get super ripe, don’t throw them away! They get soft and mushy which is the perfect consistency for whipping up a quick banana bread!

Feeling festive? So am I! Holiday spices take this holiday bread to the next level. Delicious for breakfast or dessert! Enjoy!

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Holiday Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
(Makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground cloves
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and sift together until blended.

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In another bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add butter, eggs, and sugar and mix well with a wooden spoon.

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Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

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Add chocolate chips. (This is the point where you can add 1/2 cup of any other additions like nuts, raisins, etc.)

Grease and flour a loaf pan.

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Pour batter into pan and hit it against your work table to even it out.

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Bake 45-55 minutes until the bread is cooked through and passes the toothpick test.

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Enjoy!
Ciao!

Panettone French Toast: A Holiday Breakfast Favorite!!

In our home, we sit down to our Thanksgiving meal in the middle of the afternoon, like a Sunday dinner, between 2-3pm. My typical routine is getting the turkey(s) in the oven and making a beautiful breakfast for the family before starting the side dishes.

Panettone French Toast is a favorite holiday breakfast! Sweet and creamy with a browned, toasted edge, this recipe accentuates the flavors of the season. The panettone is filling enough to hold us over until Thanksgiving dinner is served.

A panettone …

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…is a sweet Italian bread from Milan, made once per year in September /October and enjoyed through Easter until they start to dry out. Panettone makes the best french toast!!

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Panettone French Toast
(Makes 6 thick slices)

Ingredients:

1 Panettone, sliced into 6- 3/4 inch thick round slices (Save the rounded top slice for toast!)
4 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 cup butter (pan and to butter French toast)

Directions:

Beat eggs in a mixing bowl.

Whisk together all ingredients except butter.

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Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a medium pan or a nonstick griddle.

Dip each slice of panettone in the mixture, flipping to coat both sides completely.

Grill until the slices are golden brown, firm (not eggy), approximately 4-5 minutes per side.

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Add your favorite toppings and serve! I like to dust the French toast with powdered sugar and add fresh sliced strawberries for color!

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Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Ciao!

Zillow Features Pittsburgh AND Parmesan Princess In Upcoming City Roundup PLUS Organizational Ideas For Your Kitchen!

Zillow, America’s most popular real estate site, is casting a spotlight on Pittsburgh in an upcoming city roundup!

The boats in the water, the fountain, the bridges!!! Pittsburgh from Mount Washington
The boats in the water, the fountain, the bridges!!! Pittsburgh from Mount Washington
How about living a short walk from downtown Pittsburgh's sexy new rooftop Il Tetto! Or go down one floor for pizza or down one more for meatballs! Neighboring Seviche, Sonoma Grille, Nine on Nine,  Meat and Potatoes, Six Penn Kitchen, Butcher and the Rye all amazing, fantastic, and fun! I say it is Pittsburgh's food that is getting attention... and with that, everything else follows. Welcome to Pittsburgh!
How about living a short walk from downtown Pittsburgh’s sexy new rooftop bar Il Tetto! Or go down one floor for pizza or down one more floor for meatballs! Neighboring Seviche, Sonoma Grille, Nine on Nine, Meat and Potatoes, Six Penn Kitchen, Butcher and the Rye- all amazing, fantastic, and fun!  Welcome to Pittsburgh!

The city roundups help Zillow readers make informed moving decisions! The city’s arts, sports, entertainment and dining options all factor into relocation decisions. Yes, the food! That’s where I come in!

My pick for Pittsburgh's Best kept secret is our amazing food! Young professionals would love living in revitalized Lawrenceville or the new condo communities in the Strip! Just a walk to Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grille where fresh  oysters are shucked on the sidewalk!
My pick for Pittsburgh’s Best Kept Secret is our amazing food! Young professionals would love living in revitalized Lawrenceville or the new condo communities in the Strip! Just a walk to Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grille where fresh oysters are shucked on the sidewalk!
I can't imagine being able to walk to Matteo's on Butler Street in Lawrenceville!!
How incredible would it be to walk to Matteo’s on Butler St. in Lawrenceville for dinner!

Maybe one day…

Here is Zillow’s Helpful Post for us on Kitchen Organiztion Ideas!!

10 Organizational Ideas For Your Kitchen!!
By Tali Wee of Zillow

Source: Michelle Workman
Source: Michelle Workman

Residents and houseguests naturally gravitate toward the kitchen, making it one of the highest-traffic living spaces in homes. As the heart of the home, the kitchen needs welcoming design but also requires a significant amount of organization for functionality.

Here are 10 simple ways to declutter kitchens, free up workspace and install systematic organization for easier, more organized food preparation.

1. Containers
Purchase inexpensive mason jars to store prepackaged foods, reducing bulkiness and transitioning into aesthetically-pleasing, consistently-sized containers. Mason jars are fashion-forward, timeless and seal freshness. If jars aren’t preferred, opt for containers with wide, easy-to-clean openings. Additionally, contain colorful fruits and veggies in a single basket for tidy countertop display.

2. Stackable Kitchenware
Invest in a single brand of kitchenware designed to nest graduating sizes to save space. Stack mixing bowls, casserole dishes, plates, mugs and measuring cups/spoons. Always buy one brand of disposable travel containers for simple stacking and quick lid matching.

3. Kitchen Islands
Splurge on a kitchen island to increase workspace and additional storage. Some islands include open shelving for fruit baskets, pots and trays. Alternatively, islands with cabinets create discrete space for lesser-used kitchen necessities such as a stand mixer, food processor and mandolin.

4. Hooks
Use available vertical space by adding hooks for dish towels, aprons, gloves, cooking spoons, spatulas and tongs. Install an accessible rack with numerous S-hooks for handy utensils and reduced clutter in drawers. Screw in smaller hooks to the underside of cabinets and shelves to hag mugs, optimizing cupboard and counter space.

5. Dividers
Purchase drawer dividers to keep kitchen tools separated, especially in deep drawers where untensils tangle. Dividers are ideal for orderly spices and silverware. When premade dividers don’t fit, build wood sorters into drawers. Create vertical dividers in kitchen cabinets for storing cookie sheets, griddles, cutting boards and pot lids with ease and minimal space usage.

6. Pull-Out Shelving
Deep cabinets are great for surplus storage but tough to access. Replace fixed shelves with sliding, pull-out shelves to reach the items in the back without shuffling the organization in front. Beyond shelves, squeeze pull-out cabinets into tight kitchen spaces where traditional cabinets do not fit. Narrow pull-outs are perfect for spice displays and vertical storage. Blind corner cabinets with revolving shelves or pull-outs make great use of vacant space.

7. Wall and Door Mounts
Clear counters by mounting racks on walls and the backs of panty doors. Suggested racks include can shelving, snack pockets and pot lid organizers. Install magnetic strips to forgo bulky knife blocks and hanging racks for paper towels.

8. Pot Racks
Hanging pot racks were popular years ago, but clutter preferably open layouts. Instead, mount a pot rack or rod on an accessible wall and hook pots with S-hooks. Pot racks on walls are less cluttered and more organized.

9. Trays
Avoid disorderly counters and cabinets by sorting loose items on trays. Include countertop trays of cooking oils and common seasonings in fashionable containers. Create a tray for tea, sugar, honey and mixing spoons just inside the cabinet. Add a sturdy tray under the sink for cleansers, gloves and dishwashing liquid.

10. Digital Cookbooks
Lastly, purchase electronic cookbooks and transfer favorite recipes onto tablets or mobile devices. Attach a tablet mount to the wall or inside a cabinet at eye level, keeping electronics distant from liquids but easily legible. Haul cookbooks out of the limited kitchen space and display on a book cabinet elsewhere, or store in water-safe containers in the attic or garage.

Kitchens are typically the most expensive rooms to remodel, due to costly appliances, cabinets, countertops and chic finishes. Whether making upgrades for personal use or increased resale values, focus on these 10 tips for improved kitchen functionality and greater home shopper appeal when compared to other Pittsburgh homes on the market.

http://www.zillow.com/pittsburgh-pa/

I would never change  my cookbook stash!!! I love a real cookbook in my hands!
Follow Zillow and watch for the Pittsburgh feature! I will share it, too!

Ciao!

Hearty Apple Onion Meatloaf: Fall Comfort Is On The Menu!

Fall is definitely the season of comfort. All we need is good food to warm the belly, a cozy sweater to warm the heart, and a fireplace to warm the toes. My menus start including more creamy potatoes, hot soups, chilis, and of course pasta dishes!

Happy Fall!
Happy Fall!

I include seasonal fruits and vegetables like apples, pumpkin, and squash whenever possible in my fall recipes. Dress a plain meatloaf for Fall by adding an apple onion glaze and gravy.

Apple Onion meatloaf with fresh whipped potatoes and a side of apple onion gravy.
Apple Onion meatloaf with fresh whipped potatoes and a side of apple onion gravy.

Here is the recipe:

Apple Onion Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, veal or meatloaf mixture
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 small onions, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 tbsp. Worchesterschire sauce
1 tbsp. Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a loaf pan with Pam.

In a frying pan, add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped apple, 1 clove garlic pressed and cook on low to medium heat covered until tender.

Once tender, I mashed the apples down with a potato masher to create a glaze- like texture.
Once tender, I mashed the apples down with a potato masher to create a glaze- like texture.

Wash hands well.

Mix 1-1/2lbs. meat, egg, breadcrumbs, 1 chopped onion, 1 garlic cloves pressed, worchesterschire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper with your hands in a mixing bowl.

Form a rounded rectangular loaf with meat and place inside loaf pan.

Spoon 3/4 of the apple onion mixture on top of meatloaf to coat.

Spoon apple onion mixture on top of the meatloaf.
Spoon apple onion mixture on top of the meatloaf.

Bake 45minutes or until internal meat temperature reaches 165 degrees and juices run clear when poked.

Sometimes we need a seasonal change! Our wardrobes, decor, and our food!
Sometimes we need a seasonal change! Our wardrobes, decor, and our food!

For the gravy:
Add the rest of the apple onion mixture to a small saucepan. Pour the drippings from the meatloaf pan in the pan and bring to a boil.
Thicken with tempered corn starch if necessary.

Fall Comfort! Served with whipped potatoes and gravy!
Fall Comfort! Served with whipped potatoes and gravy!

Enjoy this cozy fall dish!
Ciao!