Homemade Tortellini in Orange Tomato Sauce

I'm not sure why we decided to make homemade tortellini AND sauce, in addition to two loaves of homemade bread and a batch of tapenade... but that is irrelevant now. We mixed, rolled, stuffed, boiled and devoured two plates of fluffy italian pillows. And now we must sleep.

A Head for Bread

During our recent trip to Colorado we acquired a fantastic book called Beard on Bread- circa the early 70s. One of James Beard's classics. We also acquired a few antique loaf pans and a cast-iron cornbread skillet. Tonight, we tried our hand at a basic Italian Feather Bread--stuffed with sliced Spanish olives and fresh thyme. Nothing beats fresh bread straight from the oven on a rainy Sunday in Brooklyn.

If I had a lovely Chinese grandmother...

She would no doubt make amazing Wonton soup... Alas, I must make my own. I added Shitake mushrooms and slivered peapods.

Just BEET It!

Spinach, Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese and Avocado Salad.

You Better Run, You Better Do What You Can
Don't Wanna See No Blood, Don't Be A Macho Man



You Wanna Be Tough, Better Do What You Can
So BEET It, But you Wanna be Bad!



Just BEET It, BEET It, BEET It, BEET It
No One Wants To Be Defeated
Showin' How Funky Strong Is Your Fight
It Doesn't Matter Who's Wrong Or Right


Just BEET It, BEET IT
Just BEET It, BEET IT
Just BEET It, BEET IT
Just BEET It, BEET IT

Truffles Don't Last Forever

Truffle: a chocolate treat made of ganache that is generally rolled in cocoa, enrobed in chocolate, decorated with nuts or a variety of other coatings. See truffle; not truffle!

Sarah and I decided about a month ago to embark upon a truffle-making mission for Valentine's Day.... This was my first foray into the vast world of candy making and I learned 2 things. 1) It is possible to use a meat thermometer instead of a candy thermometer to make adequate truffles and 2) the time and great care that it takes to make truffles is vastly disproportionate to the amount of time it takes to eat them.

We made an assortment: chopped almonds, mexican vanilla, curry, chili powder and cocoa.* Note: if you want to make truffles for Valentine's Day and said holiday falls on a Thursday-- don't make the truffles on Sunday. They don't stand a chance :)

Risotto of My Heart

Curried Butternut Squash Risotto with Bok Choy and Yellow Bell Peppers.

Ah, Risotto... The Standby, The Staple, the Culinary Rock of Gibraltar. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

My top 6
1) Mushroom Risotto- made either with fresh or dried mushrooms-- an excellent choice.
2) Lobster Risotto-- homemade lobster stock is key to spoonfuls of bliss.
3) Green Goddess Risotto: pureed herbs-- anything green will do. I like basil and parsley for something fresh.
4) Roasted Garlic Risotto..... the ultimate flavor of love. haha.
5) Pancetta, Onion & Sweet Pea
6) Roasted Butternut Squash -- the caramelized squash lends a sweetness to the risotto that does that sweet/salty thing that people crave-- without having to eat a chocolate covered pretzel or something.

The thing is, risotto is pretty easy to make and the flavor combinations are virtually endless. Making risotto is an especially appealing alternative when your freezer is full of frozen fish fillets from Whole Foods and your refrigerator is barren save for a container of cottage cheese, vacuum-sealed buffalo summer sausage, butternut squash, bag of bok choy, half a pepper and 4 corn tortillas. What's a girl to do?

You Don't Have to Be Scottish to Make a Scone!

But it helps if you are!

These delicious fresh-blueberry scones were made for Lissa's birthday festivities.

Some tips for the perfect scone: Really cold butter, cold heavy cream, my grandmother's sifter, and a watchful eye--so that you can snatch them from the oven right as they start to turn a lovely golden brown.





Recipe: Blueberry Scones with Lemon Zest Glaze

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Add a few drops more of heavy cream if the dough is too crumbly. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Be careful not to mash all the blueberries when you are incorporating.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops start to get golden and the edges are just slightly golden brown. Don't burn your scones! Or let them cook for too long and dry out! I set my oven for 15 minutes and then just watched them for the last 5. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

To make a simple lemon glaze, use a double boiler. Mix the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

* The lemon glaze is very subtle and just a tiny bit tart. Feel free to add more sugar to taste. If you want a thicker glaze that is more like an icing, you can use confectioners sugar. I just wanted mine to be shiny so I stuck with the granulated variety.

I also sprinkled the finished, glazed scones with a bit of sugar.

I'd have to say that these came out fair to middlin, which is Scottish for "quite well!"

Chickenstar Galactica

I cannot take credit for this magnificent feast. The Sous Chef, taking advantage of his mini-vacation, surprised me with his famous herb-roasted, lemon vegetable chicken. This is a Bell & Evans Chicken. Also known as an excellent chicken. And it was.