Holiday Countdown!

I am once again interrupting my usual flow of bacon and pasta and cheese to let you know about a little thing I am doing on the Framed Cooks Facebook page.  Every year I get a bunch of emails asking me for ideas and suggestions for my favorite kitchen gadgets, cookbooks and other culinary ideas as people put together their holiday lists, and I am always happy to spout off about what I like.  And I have SO many favorites that I thought it would be fun to do a holiday countdown of a bunch of them, with a little commentary (very little, I promise) of why I love them so.  (And just for the record, none of the folks who make or sell this stuff have ever heard of me.  It's just because I love all these things, and I'm hoping  you will too.)

Because I am going to do this every day in the month of December, I'm going to post them on the Framed Cooks Facebook page rather than here on the blog.  I don't want anything getting in between me and my bacon recipes, and I don't want to flood those of you who might be perfectly happy with your current kitchen stuff with all my meanderings.  But in case you ARE interested, you can find the Framed Cooks Facebook page by clicking here:

Framed Cooks on Facebook!

I'll be starting this tomorrow morning, and will put up something new every day for the month of December, because as far as I'm concerned, the holidays aren't over until we have to go back to work in January, right? And you might need some ideas at the end of the month for those gift cards we all like to get.  Especially the ones from The Container Store.  And Chef Central.  Etc.  Not that I am hinting around or anything.

Okay, back to my usual recipe posts tomorrow here, and hope to see some of you on Facebook!

Roasted Tomato and Anchovy Oreganata Pasta

I know, I know, here I am back with the anchovies, and I'll get back to that in a second, but the first thing I want to tell you about this is that the chef behind it is Gwyneth Paltrow.  Yep, that same Gwyneth Paltrow that I loved so much in Shakespeare in Love, and even more when she guest-starred on Glee.  (Glee, please bring her back?  I'm a little worried about you this season, and she could help.)  Anyway, she has a new cookbook called MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER, and a nice blog with a cooking section, and Bon Appetit did a feature on her that included this recipe. 

And since I have inexplicably developed this late-in-life fascination with anchovies, I gave it a try.  And it ROCKED.  Sweet, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes mixed up with a salty, crunchy mixture of toasted bread crumbs and herbs, all tossed with linguine...this recipe has already made repeat appearances on my table.  I love it, the Southern husband loves it, and the teenager is down at Clemson happily eating microwaved macaroni and cheese and not having to deal with me crushing on anchovies.  It's a win-win-win situation, and I owe it all to Gwyneth.  

Life is a constant series of surprises!

Roasted Tomato and Anchovy Oreganata Pasta, from Bon Appetit

4 cups cherry tomatoes, divided

9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs (preferably homemade)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Large pinch dried oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

16 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained

12 ounces spaghetti

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Small handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Preheat oven to 200°. Place 2 cups tomatoes in an 8x8x2" glass baking dish. Stir in 1 Tbsp. oil and a large pinch of salt. Roast, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours (the longer they roast, the sweeter and more concentrated the flavor). Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400°. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place breadcrumbs and herbs in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil over; stir until mixture resembles damp sand. Lay anchovies about 1/4" apart on prepared sheet. Evenly pack breadcrumb mixture over; drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Bake until golden brown, 3-5 minutes; set anchovy oreganata aside.

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, place remaining 2 cups tomatoes in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with your hands. Heat 4 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken, 6-7 minutes. Add roasted tomatoes.

Add drained spaghetti to skillet; toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water by 1/4-cupfuls if dry. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Divide among bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the anchovy oreganata.

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Chowder Bake

Okay, full disclosure...a version of this post first appeared on the fabulous website Jersey Bites.  A while ago they asked me to be one of their contributing editors, which means I get to ramble away not only here at Framed Cooks but also on their site as well, and if you haven't visited Jersey Bites, go pay them a call.  Even if you aren't from New Jersey, because they have some great recipes and other stuff that pretty much works worldwide.

On to this chowder bake...I don’t know how it happened, but it’s fall-turning-quickly-into-winter  in the Garden State.  Some plants in my herb garden are bravely holding on, but the basil is now just a dim memory.  The leaves are drifting down, the heat is kicking on at night, and I’m pulling out my sweaters.  But hey, as long as I've got my Snuggie, I can deal with the cold weather.  It means butternut squash, football games…and SOUP!  I love my soup recipes with a passion, especially those that are thick with chunky ingredients that make them completely acceptable as dinner.  And anything that has the word “chowder” in it…well, it basically has me at hello.

This quick and easy chowder is kind of a cross between a soup and a casserole…it starts out on the stovetop, but you finish it up in the oven, and it’s the perfect comfort food for those chilly evenings when it starts to dawn on you that this really MIGHT be the year that you get your holiday shopping done before the very last second.  (This dawns on me every year, and one year it will actually happen.  I’m sure of it.)   I make this one in individual oven-safe dishes so everyone has their own delicious portion.  If you put a napkin on your regular plates and then put the baking dish on top, it won’t slide around or damage your nice tabletops.  Just make sure you warn your lucky fellow eaters (especially the kiddos) that the serving dishes are hot!

Come and get me, winter!

Chowder Bake, from Real Simple

• 6 strips bacon, diced
• 2 leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from 3 ears) or frozen
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound cod (skinless), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups oyster crackers

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until almost crisp. Spoon off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
2. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, corn, wine, cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Transfer to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish or shallow 2-quart casserole. Nestle the cod pieces in the potato mixture. Top with the crackers. Cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

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Turkey Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

Okay, for those of you who might have some turkey hanging around the house, this one's for you.  But first, a few words about pot pie.

Whenever I go to a restaurant and see pot pie on the menu, I get a pang of longing.  There is something about the words "pot" and "pie" together that just makes me feel all cozy inside.  But then it arrives, and I always find that there is a little too much piecrust and not enough of the wonderful insides.  Now don't get me wrong, I always end up eating all the piecrust part anyway...but it's not the perfect image that was dancing in my head.

Until now.  This recipe is a close cousin to the Chicken Cobbler that I made a while back, but instead of a cobbler topping it uses savory crumbles of what is basically a biscuit dough flavored with parmesan cheese that you pre-bake and then scatter on top of the turkey/vegetable mixture for the final baking.  (Full disclosure: the original recipe that I found at Cooks Illustrated called for using chicken, and doing a bunch of things like cooking the chicken and straining it and doing various things with cremini mushrooms (cremini mushrooms??) and so I took all kinds of liberties with it, but it all came out fine in the end.)  Your leftovers have turned into a juicy and delicious dish that has just the right amount of crunchy topping.  Not too much, not too little, just perfect.

Happy leftovers, everyone!

Turkey Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping, adapted from Cooks Illustrated

• Filling
• 1 1/2
  pounds cooked turkey
• 3
  cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2
  tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1
  medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 3
  medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
• 2
  small celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1
  teaspoon soy sauce 
• 1
  teaspoon tomato paste
• 4
  tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2
  cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1
  cup whole milk
• 2
  teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 3
  tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 3/4
  cup frozen baby peas
• 
  
• Crumble Topping
• 2
  cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2
  teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4
  teaspoon table salt
• 1/2
  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8
  teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6
  tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 1
  ounce Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 3/4
  cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. 2.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to ¾ inch each onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
3. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, turkey into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with turkey; set aside.
4. 4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in soy sauce and tomato paste and cook for a minute or two until well mixed.  Add butter and when foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.
5. 6. Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.

   
   

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Dinner Party!

Okay, so I'm interrupting my usual parade of bacon-drenched recipes to tell you about the dinner party the Southern husband and I had the other night, because I just HAVE to.   Most of the recipes came right from this here blog, so I'll include the links along the way, just in case anyone is looking around for their own dinner party ideas.  But first, the back-story.  (Because I do love the back-story!)

A while ago, a mutual friend introduced me to the amazing David Leite, who not only is the genius behind the also amazing website Leite's Culinaria, but is also the guy behind the best chocolate chip cookie recipe on the face of the earth.



 And by introduced, I mean she took me along to have dinner at his house one evening.  Where he made us a duck risotto that ranks up there among one of the best things I have ever had in my LIFE.   As you can imagine, I was one happy camper.  Not only am I meeting my chocolate chip cookie hero, but he's feeding me ambrosial duck risotto, and he is also one of those people you meet and five minutes later you feel like you have known each other forever.

Fast forward a few months, and he invites me over again, this time for an long, lazy, scrumptious outdoor summertime lunch...we hung out in the kitchen, drank prosecco, talked fried chicken technique, and feasted on various and sundry things that included a lemon cake that really should be classified as a controlled substance.  It's just plain wickedly good.

Okay, so now I've been to their place twice.  I've invited David and his significant other (known as The One) over to our house exactly zero times.  And this is because I may be many things, but crazy ain't one of them.  This guy has written a fabulous cookbook, has a website that makes mine look like a pipsqueak, and has won the James Beard award TWICE.  Me...I won the Paramus Catholic Girls High School senior award in English, and I think there was one year when I got that pin they give you for perfect attendance.   I adore David, but cook for him?  Ha.  Hahahaha.  

Then he started dropping hints.  And by hints, I mean he started leaving messages on my Facebook wall asking when I was having him over for dinner.  (One of the things I adore about David?  He is the opposite of shy.)  And so finally I screwed up my courage and made a dinner date for him...weeks and weeks later.  Maybe he would forget.  Maybe something would come up.  Maybe I would win the James Beard award between then and now.

Nope, nope and nope.

And so the day finally arrived, and you know what?  It was just plain fabulous fun.  He was the same wonderful, easy, raucous person he is in his own kitchen.  The prosecco flowed freely, I didn't burn anything or give anyone food poisoning, and the teenager showed up at the end of the meal to help clean up the kitchen.  The moral of the story?  Invite good friends over for dinner early and often, even if they can cook circles around you.  Life is short, and friends are precious.

Oh, and David?  Your turn, and I'll bring the proscecco.

Here's the menu!

Buttered Rosemary Nuts.  Foolproof and ready in 10 minutes.

Tuna Tartare.  The one thing that was really a departure from my Southern cooking theme for the evening, but I wanted something that was light, easy, and DRAMATIC.  I have no shame.

Five Minute Hummus.  Because I make it for every event I ever have at my house, and I wasn't going to tempt Fate by stopping now.

First course at the table: Frisee Salad with Prosciutto, Pears and Fried Goat Cheese Croutons.  Yes, I know those are figs in the picture, because the original recipe called for figs.  I tried to find figs, and had a minor breakdown when I couldn't find them, and the Southern husband had to gently remind me that we were talking about salad and not world peace.  And the pears were pretty dang good in their understudy role.

The main course was shrimp and andouille sausage over cheese grits with a fried egg on top.  The picture below is not this recipe, but if you think I had time to shoot it AND cook for David...that might have tipped me over the edge for good.  But this is another shrimp and andouille sausage with grits recipe that I've made in the past that I also love, so close enough, right?

For dessert, Texas Blueberry Cobbler.  SO easy, and one million times better than regular cobbler.  Pop it in the oven an hour before dinner, and by the time dessert rolls around it will be out of the oven and just the right amount of warm.

And last but not least, Buttermilk Bacon Pralines.  In case anyone was still hungry, and because I can't go an entire meal without bacon.

This concludes my adventures in dinner parties, and next post I will return to our regularly scheduled programming.  In the meantime, check out Leite's Culinaria, and pass the prosecco!

Cornmeal and Brown Sugar Crusted Bacon

As any of you who have been reading this blog for more than a week or so know, I have a love affair going on with bacon that is on the level of Scarlett and Rhett, or Bogie and Bacall, or at least the cute guy from Love Actually who is head over heels for Keira Knightley.  My love is true and ever-lasting, and I will put bacon in anything from cinnamon rolls to pralines.  Some of my friends are a little concerned about me (you know who you are!) but hey, when it comes to bacon, I gotta be me.

I also completely enjoy it in its natural state, cooked up just the right amount of crispy and chewy alongside some sunny-side up eggs,  but now that I have tried this spin on regular bacon, I'm going to have a seriously hard time going back.  I belong to the cook-bacon-in-the-oven camp...it is SO much easier and more reliable than doing it on the stovetop or the microwave, and a million times less splattery.  And this version is an oven version, but with a quick twist that takes bacon to whole new heights of wonderfulness.  

So if you are ready to take your bacon to the next level of wonderfulness...go get that cornmeal and brown sugar out of the pantry.  You'll never go back.

Cornmeal and Brown Sugar Crusted Bacon, adapted from My Recipes

• 1/4 cup plain yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 
• 16 thick bacon slices

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dredge bacon slices in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
• 2. Place half of bacon in a single layer on a lightly greased wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with remaining bacon, placing on another lightly greased wire rack in a second jelly-roll pan.
• 3. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25  minutes or until browned and crisp. Let stand 5 minutes.

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Sake Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Scallions

There is something about recipes that involve shredded chicken that draw me like a moth to a flame.  Shredded chicken = comfort food in my book, and even things that sound a little outside my general area of expertise are too tempting to give up if the words "chicken" and "shred" are part of the equation.

Which is how I recently found myself in the sake section of our local liquor store, squinting at labels and pretending like I knew one sake from another.  I finally picked one at random and brought it home, and then realized that I didn't see the actual word "sake" anywhere on the label.  Anywhere.  Um.

This recipe sounds all exotic and all, but it basically comes down to steaming some chicken breasts in the sake until it is - I kid you not - the most tender, succulent chicken you have ever tasted in your life.  I promise I am not exaggerating in any way.  You take this completely perfect chicken, shred it (yes!!) and toss with a sauce made of ginger, soy sauce, orange juice, sherry, rice vinegar and a few other fabulous things.  Pour it over some brown rice and scatter some scallions and sesame seeds on top.  Which brings me to the other best part of this story.  The recipe calls for "sesame seeds, preferably black."

Black sesame seeds?

So I call my mom, and it goes like this:

Me: "Hi Mom.  You don't have any black sesame seeds by any chance, do you?"

Mom: "Of course I do.  How much do you need?"

Of course she did.

So if you (like me) get wildly excited by utterly tender shredded chicken...and have access to sesame seeds of any kind, and are not intimidated by the sake section of your liquor store, I promise that this is a recipe that will make your heart sing.

Sake Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Scallions, adapted slightly from The New York Times

1 3 1/2 pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry

1 1/2 cups dry sake

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons mirin or sweet sherry

1 tablespoon chopped ginger root

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 thinly sliced scallions

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, preferably black.
Cooked rice

1. Place a steamer basket in the bottom of a large stockpot. If you don't have an official steamer basket, a metal colander with work fine.  Pour in equal amounts of sake and water, enough to reach the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring to a boil.

2. Generously salt the chicken inside and out; set breast side up in the steamer basket. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Steam the chicken until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

3. To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, lemon juice, mirin, ginger and garlic.

4. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a large cutting board; shred into bite-sized pieces.  Place some rice on each plate, and spoon the shredded chicken over the rice.  Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve extra sauce on the side for dipping.

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Mashed Fall Vegetables with Bacon and Thyme

This is one of those recipes that just came out of the blue and kind of made itself, when I had set out to make something completely different.  Or so I thought....(cue dramatic music, or just click here.) 

Anyway, what I thought I was making was roasted fall vegetables.  I had me some nice cut up butternut squash, some red potatoes, a couple of onions and some carrots, and I was right in the middle of roasting them to go with some roasted chicken, and that's when it hit me.

What if I took all those delicious tender roasted vegetables and mashed them all up together with a little chicken broth?  What if I added just enough half and half to make them just the right amount of creamy? What if I mixed in a little but of chopped fresh thyme?

What if I added...BACON?

Sometimes it pays to just completely ignore whatever recipe you think you are making, and listen to your inner voice.  Especially if that inner voice is saying the words "mashed" and "bacon" in the same sentence.

Mashed Fall Vegetables with Bacon and Thyme

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 pounds new red potatoes, washed and quartered
• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 1 cup half and half, warmed
• 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Toss vegetables with oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Put in single layer on foil lined baking sheets and roast until tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy and set aside.
3. Gently mash cooked vegetables with chicken broth.  Fold in half and half and mix until creamy.  Stir in bacon and thyme.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and serve immediately.

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Beef with Broccoli

I like to go out for Chinese food as much as the next girl, but every once in a while I get this strange yearning deep in my Irish-American heart to Make It Myself.  This is often a bad, bad idea, but sometimes I do get lucky...and for some reason it is usually with a beef stir fry of some sort.  Last time I went down this road it was with a recipe for beef with sugar snap peas, but this time I opted for the old classic beef with broccoli.  Because sometimes you just want to stick with the traditional dishes, Chinese-Irish-American-wise.

In even better news, this recipe actually comes from the Weight Watchers site.  As those of you who have witnessed me making this and this and this know, I'm usually not one to seek out, um, low-calorie recipes, but this particular one sang out to me, and not just because it is only 5 points (all you WW folks know what that means, and everyone else, never mind).  It's because it has just the right amount of simple ingredients to let the beef and broccoli stand out without being overwhelmed by a thick sauce.  There's a sauce, but it's a nice light concoction of garlic, ginger, red pepper and soy sauce with just enough chicken broth to hold it all together.  So not only was it scrumptious, but it made me feel angelically healthy and low-calorie.  

That is, until I break the bacon out again tomorrow.

Beef with Broccoli, from Weight Watchers

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 pounds sirloin steak, thinly slices against the grain

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 cup chicken broth

5 cups borccoli florets

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced (do this in your food processor)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

• Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.
  
• Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  
• Add 1/2 cup broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon water if needed, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  
• In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
  
• Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat, and serve.

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Loaded Pasta Carbonara

So, a couple of weeks ago, when it was still, just for the record, OCTOBER, we lucky citizens of the Northeastern part of the United States got treated to a rare mid-autumn snowstorm.  Which meant my backyard, which is supposed to look like this....

Instead looked like this.

• A fall snowstorm is even crazier than one that happens at the appropriate time of year (which would be WINTER, Mother Nature), because all those lovely autumn leaves turn into snow-catching cups.  Which meant that the beautiful orange and red and yellow trees started struggling under all the extra snow.  Branches started dropping, trees started falling, power lines went down, and everyone hunkered down inside to wait it out.

Which was nerve-wracking enough, but to make matters worse, it happened on a Saturday.  Supermarket Day in my house is Sunday, and Saturday is usually go-out-to-dinner night...but not this Saturday, for obvious reasons.  So what did I have hanging around that could be thrown into an October snowstorm supper?  Something that relied totally on the gas stove, in the event of power failure?

I had eggs.  I had pasta.  I had a lone frozen chicken breast, and a bag of frozen peas.  I had bacon.  I had a hunk of Parmesan cheese.

I was ready for loaded carbonara!  Which is basically your regular carbonara - pasta, eggs and bacon - but with extra of chicken and peas and parmesan cheese and a little white wine.  You cook the bacon first, and then the chicken cooks in the bacon, and well, you can just imagine the rest.

Take that, inappropriate October snowstorm!

• Loaded Pasta Carbonara, adapted from Cooks Country
• 
  
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 6  slices bacon, chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese 
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 cups frozen peas

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate.

2. Cook chicken in 1 tablespoon fat in now-empty skillet until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice crosswise into thin strips and reserve.

3 . Whisk eggs and cheese in medium bowl. Heat  now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk wine mixture into egg mixture.

4. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1⁄2 cup cooking water. Place peas in colander, drain pasta, and transfer pasta and peas to pot. Stir in chicken, egg-wine mixture, and bacon, adding reserved water as needed. Serve at once.

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Chocolate Malted Ice Cream Bonbons

I have so much to say about this recipe I don't even know where to start.  I guess I will start with The New York Times, where I first ran across this recipe.  It was the very essence of easy wonderfulness...three ingredients and voila! Malted ice cream bonbons.  It seemed too good to be true.

It was too good to be true.  I'm sorry, New York Times.  Usually I adore you, but this time...not so much.

Here's why.  The recipe essentially says, scoop out your favorite ice cream (hello??  chocolate!!) with a melon baller.  Roll the chocolate balls in malted milk powder, and then roll them again in crushed malted milk balls.  Stick them in the freezer until everything is nice and frozen, and then you will have a delectable bite-sized malted ice cream treat.  Well, okay!  I'm in!  All I need is some ice cream, some malted milk balls and some malted milk powder and I'm golden!

So off I go to the supermarket.  Chocolate ice cream?  Check - a pint of Ben and Jerry's tossed into the cart.  Malted milk balls?  You bet...a couple of boxes of Whoppers Malted Milk Balls.  Good and good for you.  Uh-huh.

And then I looked for malted milk powder, which was one of the three essential ingredients the recipe called for.  I looked high.  I looked low.  I called my mother.  Nothing.  Oh, the anguish!!!  My mother, who I had finally stumped by asking for something that she didn't have in her endless pantry, suggested that I skip the malted milk powder and move right to the malted milk ball part, but I would not be deterred. Finally, after two tortuous weeks, I found a jar of Nestles malted milk powder lurking at the back of the shelf at the supermarket.  YES!!!

The next morning I assembled my ingredients.  One pint of chocolate ice cream, slightly softened.  One cup of malted milk balls, smashed into little pieces.  And one cup of my hard-to-come-by malted milk powder.  The general instructions were to scoop out a ball of ice cream, roll it in the malted milk powder,  then roll it in the pulverized malted milk balls, then pop it in the freezer.  Repeat 25 times.

Which I was perfectly happy to do, except I got stalled on the first one.  I scooped a ball of ice cream.  I rolled it in malted milk powder.  Then I tried to roll it in the crushed malted milk balls...and guess what.  The malted milk ball pieces didn't stick to the ice cream, because it was already good and coated with malted milk powder.  Those smashed malted milk pieces fell right off.  When I tried to push them on, they still fell right off.  Which once you think of it, makes total sense.   I have to say, I lost a little faith in my beloved New York Times, and I was also now saddled with a jar of malted milk powder with no plan for it.  But I soldiered on.

My next 24 bonbons were as simple as scooping out a ball of ice cream with my handy melon-baller and rolling them only in the crushed malted milk balls.  Which just for the record, have malted milk in them.  You need to pop each one in the freezer as you go so you don't have some meltage on your hands - I set up my staging area right next to the fridge, and had a plate lined with parchment paper right in the freezer, so it was scoop, roll, freeze, one after the other.  Leave them in the fridge for an hour or two to get nice and solid, and there you go.

The moral of the story?  Always listen to your mother.  She is NEVER wrong.

I hope the teenager is paying attention.

Chocolate Malted Ice Cream Bonbons, adapted crankily from The New York Times

1 cup chocolate malted milk balls

1/2 pint chocolate, coffee, ginger or other ice cream.

1. Freeze the malted milk balls for 30 minutes. Pulse them in a food processor, or crush them in a sealed plastic bag to make pieces the size of rice grains.

2. Scoop out a ball of ice cream and roll it in the crumbs made from the malted milk balls. Immediately put it on a plate in the freezer and repeat with remaining ingredients. Firm them up in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Yield: 25 to 30 ice cream balls.

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Penne with Tomatoes, Soppressata and Diced Mozzarella

Okay, before I start going on and on and on about this recipe and how much I love it (and I do!), first I have to go a little about the plate it's on.  So first let me show you the plate before it was covered in Italian pasta wonderfulness.

This plate is part of my ever-growing collection of pottery from Nicholas Mosse.  It all started with one mug that my mother brought me back from Ireland, and it has grown from there.  Mug, plates, bowls, candlesticks, platters, you name it.  It's taking over my house, and I love it.  But this particular plate is my favorite.  I have no idea why.

Nicholas Mosse has a studio in Kilkenny, Ireland...which my coincidence is not far from where my ancestral family home is.  And by even FURTHER coincidence...it's for sale!  My ancestral home, not the Nicholas Mosse studio.

It's tempting.  It's very tempting.  However, I keep pausing on the fact that the real estate description refers to a "ruined castle" on the premises, and I'm almost positive the place doesn't have central heating.  Or DirectTV.

But getting back to the point, which is this lucious Italian dish that has nothing to do with Irish plates or castles or dogs, and everything to do with fresh mozzarella, tangy sausage and tomatoes, all cooked up and tossed with penne, or ziti, or whatever you happen to have handy in your cupboard.  It's hearty and warm and satisfying and scrumptious, and you NEED to have this in your rotation of recipes for the chilly winter months ahead, on whatever your favorite plates are.

Now how's that for a rambling, stream of consciousness post?  Here's the recipe!

Penne with Tomatoes, Soppressata and Diced Mozzarella, adpated from THE ITALIAN COUNTRY TABLE

• Olive oil
• 4 ounces soppressata or other hard sausage, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch slices (your deli counter will do this for you) and then cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
• Two 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained
• Salt and pepper
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 pound of ziti, penne or other small tube pasta
• 14 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into one inch dice

1. Coat the bottom of a 12 inch frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add sausage, pancetta and pepper and cook until lightly browned, adding the parsley near the end.
2. Raise the heat to medium high and add garlic and basil and cook for one more minute.
3. Pour the whole tomatoes into a bowl and crush them with your hands.  Add them to the pan and boil them uncovered for about 8 minutes.    Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook one more minute.  Remove from heat and cover the pan.
5. Cook the pasta until it is two minutes from being done.  Drain and add it to the skillet with the tomato sauce.  Stir over medium heat for a few minutes until pasta is done.
6. Fold in mozzarella and serve at once on your favorite plate.

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