Hello and please forgive the brief lapse in posting. While life got busy around here I can assure you the delicious recipes were building up. As a result over the next few posts I’ll be sharing with you each course of a fabulous four course meal my husband and I prepared for a recently dinner party we hosted. And as an added apology for the lapse I’ll be including the wine we served along with each course. If you’re planning a dinner party in the near future (or always wanted to) this is your no fail blue print for the ultimate feast.

Note: As an extra bit of fun we hollowed out baby pumpkins and served the soup in those instead of bowls. It was a huge hit!

Soup Course: Roasted Pumpkin Soup

What You’ll Need:

1 (2 pound) pumpkin, halved with seeds and “gooey stuff” removed
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. plus a pinch of freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
¾ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrots
¼ cup chopped celery
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. pumpkin seed oil (optional)
15 to 20 small sage leaves (optional) (basil leaves can be substituted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Place the halved pumpkins cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season each half with ½ a tsp. of the salt and ¼ tsp. of the pepper. Turn the halves over to cut side down and drizzle the rind with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil. Place the pumpkin halves in the oven and roast 50 to 60 minutes or until the skins are golden brown. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and cool. Once they are cool enough to touch scoop out the flesh with a large spoon or ice cream scoop and place in a bowl. You may throw away the skins.

In a medium sized sauce pan set over medium-high heat add the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil and allow to heat up. Then add the cinnamon and all spice and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Next add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and ginger. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly caramelized. Add the chicken stock and pumpkin flesh and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Remove the ingredients from the heat and transfer to a large bowl or into a blender in small batches. With a stick blender (if using the bowl) or blender blend the soup until completely smooth. Season with remaining salt and pepper, add the cream and stir to combine.

To fry up the sage or basil leaves use a small frying pan with olive oil heated (just enough so the leaves can float in it). Fry the leaves until they begin to sink to the bottom of the pan. Remove and blot on a folded piece of paper towel to remove excess oil.

Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with the pumpkin oil and garnish with a friend sage or basil leaf.

Watch for the next course–the Caramelized Panchetta and Fennel Salad recipe

A couple of weeks ago I was hosting a girl’s night where we were indulging in Cosmos, appetizers and the Sex and the City movie. Looking through some appetizers recipes I spotted one for delicious sounding bruschetta with balsamic vinegar as an ingredient. I tweaked this stellar recipe to my own liking and when I served it the rave reviews were instantaneous. So today I share it with you.

What You’ll Need:

1 baguette loaf
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely diced
1 ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl, stirring well to incorporate all the ingredients together. Cover with plastic food wrap and allow to meld in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

When ready to make cut the baguette into ¾ inch slices and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spoon bruschetta mixture onto each slice of bread and then top with mozzarella cheese. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, place bruschetta on a serving tray and enjoy.

How would you like your steak? That’s probably a question you’ve been asked many times in restaurants and usually people have a standard answer based on the level of “doneness” they like their meat. Yet few know exactly how to recreate that perfect level of cooking steak at home for themselves. Today I’m showing you exactly how to get that steak to the level you love plus some tricks for a juicer steak on your plate.

Cooking Steak Based on Internal Temperature

The easiest way to begin cooking steak the way to like it is to use a meat thermometer and aim for the correct internal temperature. To use this method place the probe of the meat thermometer into the center of your steak so that the tip rests in the middle of the steak’s thickness.

Grill your steak until it is approximately half way to the desired temperature, remove the probe, flip the steak and reinsert the probe. Continue cooking until the desired internal temperature is hit.

Internal Temperature Guide:

Rare: 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit (bright pink throughout)

Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit (bright pink in center, brown at edges)

Medium: 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit (light pink in center, brown at edges)

Medium Well: 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit (no visible pink)

Well Done: 160 degrees Fahrenheit and above (uniform brown throughout)

I highly recommend that you shoot for the lower of the two degrees as when you let your meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes after pulling it off the grill (which you should always do prior to cutting into the meat to allow any juices to redistribute) the steak will continue cooking for the next few minutes.

While cooking steak using a meat thermometer is very accurate there will likely come a time when you’ll want to be able to do away with inserting and reinserting the meat probe. Doing this is as simple as timing how long you cook your stead on each side (using the thermometer) to achieve the doneness you want. As long as you’re heat source is reliable timing your cooking should produce just as accurate results.

A Tip for Cooking Steak:

Do you hate the thought of seeing any pink inside your steak but wish your steak wasn’t so dry? Here’s a sneaky trick used in top restaurants to rid the steak of the pink without overcooking it.

Cook your steak to an internal temperature of 14-145 degrees Fahrenheit (medium) so that just a little pink is left in the middle). Make a warm au jus and, once the steak is removed from the grill, pour some au jus into a shallow pan and sit your steak in the warm au jus while it’s resting. Flip once halfway through.

The steak will soak up the au jus and turn the meat a brown color while still keeping it moist. This is because, despite rampant misconceptions, blood does not run from your steak when cooked rare—juice and water does. Red meat is colored (you guessed it) red and therefore that red meat colors the water and juices within it red. By soaking in a brown liquid you recolor the juices to a brown color, keeping your meat moist but eliminating the pink coloring from the meat and juice which seems to offend so many people due to the whole “blood” misconception.

Cooking steak to perfection really isn’t difficult if you use these handy tips and tricks. Happy grilling!

Kitchen storage gadgets—the underappreciated heroes of a functional kitchen. When you’re cooking nothing is more irritating than when you can’t find a certain spoon, the garlic press is missing or you open up a drawer only to be greeted with a jumbled mess of gadgets. Not to mention how chaotic the pantry can get with all those bags and boxes cluttering it up.So today we say “No More!” and are showcasing fabulous and functional kitchen storage gadgets to help get your kitchen back in order.

Crazy for Canisters

This Polder Canister Set blends style and function into a sleek looking set of space savers. I love how the canisters have a window that not only allows you to see what’s in them but how much of it you have left—brilliant. These are so gorgeous you could even let them sit on the kitchen counter filled with often used items such as coffee or sugar and they’ll look fabulous.

Polder Kitchen Canister Set of 3 - Stainless Steel with Vertical Windows by Polder Kitchen Canister Set of 3 - Stainless Steel with Vertical Windows by Polder

Spicy Storage

For my money there’s nothing better than a kitchen storage gadget that multitasks. This spice rack not only stores your spices but actually measures them out, too. Just turn the dial to the desired amount and click. The exact amount is dispensed, eliminating the need for a measuring spoon. The wide opening at the top also makes refills a snap.

KitchenArt 12-bottle Spice Carousel, White Here’s a spice rack that stores, measures and dispenses your spices from a convenient turntable that spins like a carousel! Each spice container (12 in all) features a dial at the bottom that dispenses 1/4 teaspoon with each click - just place your measuring spoon underneath the dial before you begin clicking. At the top of each container are snap-open tops - a wide one for pouring and a small one for shaking. Each spice container is labeled with the spice’s name and even features see-through windows so you can easily identify which one you need and see when your spice is about to run out. Place on your countertop or mount underneath your cabinet. Spices not included.

Keeping It Together

Tired of losing your recipe cards or flipping through every one just to find your favorite? Keep your recipes organized and your kitchen clutter free with this oversized maple recipe box. Its ingenious design makes room for both 3×5 and 4×6 cards so both sizes can be stored in one handy place.

Clear Solutions Large Maple Recipe Box A jumbo-sized recipe file that holds over 1,000 recipes cards! Smartly designed so it accommodates both 3 x 5-in. and 4 x 6-in. index cards in one handsome maple file. The clear acrylic hinged lid, with wood knob, keeps your favorite recipes clean and free from dust particles. Sorry, recipe cards and tabs not included.

Less Mess with Dispensers

Anyone who has kids knows that when they make their own bowl of cereal half goes in the bowl and the other half magically appears on the floor. Cut down on the spillage with this handy dry goods dispenser which allows kids and even a messy adult to pour commonly used dry goods without all the free falling. A very kid and slob friendly kitchen storage gadget indeed.

Zevro 35-oz. Double Dry Goods/Cereal Dispenser, Red Store two kinds of cereal or granola in these containers, and they’ll stay fresher, longer. The knob on front turns either right or left, dispensing just the right amount into your bowl., 1-oz. per quick turn. An airtight seal keeps cereal or granola fresher than those left in their boxes or bags, so your breakfast foods are crunchy and never stale. Place them on your kitchen countertop or on your pantry shelf, and store everything from rice and dried beans to nuts and snacks. Each one holds 17.5-oz.

I hope these handy items have inspired you to ban the clutter and opt for organization. After all a kitchen without kitchen storage gadgets is a kitchen in chaos!

Recipes for breakfast don’t have to be complicated in order to make a new and tasty dish from the breakfast foods we’re familiar with. This quick and easy way to change up scrambled eggs takes almost no extra effort but is a fantastic change from plain old scrambled eggs.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mmmmm…ribs. Here’s a mouth watering dinner idea recipe for those that just can’t get enough of those backyard favorites. Our recipes for BBQ pork ribs and homemade dill potato salad are sure to please even the pickiest of palettes.

Read the rest of this entry »

To me there’s nothing better than a homemade hearty soup when it’s cold outside. With colder weather just around the corner I find myself dusting off my favorite recipes for soup that sat hidden for those hot summer months.

Read the rest of this entry »

From reading the title of this blog post you’re likely wondering how the heck to cook turkey in a paper bag and have it turn out well. This was my first thought when, for the first time, I saw my mother-in-law put a turkey in a big paper bag and set into the oven.

Yet, if you follow these simple steps you will enjoy the juiciest turkey with perfectly crisp golden brown skin all with out having to baste your turkey once. Yes, that’s right, this is the plug and play of turkey cooking.

For this recipe I will tell you how to prepare your turkey, prepare the bag, how long to cook your turkey to so it’s moist and tender and I’m even throwing in the recipe for our delicious sausage meat stuffing to boot.

What You’ll Need for the Turkey:

1 Turkey (the rule of thumb is a turkey that allows for 1 lb. of raw turkey per person)
1 large paper bag (such as the one you get at the grocery or liquor store. Note: you want a paper bag without any ink on it—just a plain paper bag.)
1 brick of Crisco shortening
Wax paper
1 roaster pan big enough to fit your turkey into
Butcher’s twine to secure turkey legs

What You’ll Need for the Stuffing:

2 sausage meat chubs (found in frozen meat section)
1 Large onion, diced small
1 Large celery stalk, diced small
2 table spoons poultry season.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs

Begin my preparing the sausage meat stuffing. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients together. The trick is to make one very small patty (about the size of a quarter) and fry it up to taste test the mixture (trying raw could make you very sick so don’t do it!). From there you can adjust the salt or poultry seasoning to your own preferences.

Once you have your stuffing as you like it begin prepping the turkey. Remove the turkey from its wrapper, clean out the insides of any “giblets” and rinse the turkey well. Pat the turkey dry and set aside.

Using a square piece of wax paper collect a large dollop of the Crisco shortening and begin to coat the inside of your paper bag. Repeat this process until every side and bottom of the bag is thoroughly coated with the Crisco shortening (the bag should turn a darker shade where you’ve coated it enough—add more to lighter spots).

Repeat the shortening process with your turkey. Coat all the outer skin of the turkey with a thin layer of Crisco, making sure to get it in all those nooks and crannies like around the drumsticks/thighs areas. Now stuff your turkey with the sausage meat stuffing until the cavity is filled but not overflowing.

Truss your turkey (tie the legs together in front of the stuffed cavity) and gently place it into the “buttered” paper bag. Fold the opening of the bag several times and staple closed. Place the bagged turkey into the bottom of a roasting pan (no lid required) and cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit using the weight/cooking chart below as your cooking time for your turkey.

For turkeys weighing 12 lbs and under cook for 15 minutes per pound (total weight as marked on label) per pound. So if your turkey weighs 10 pounds the cooking time is 10×15= 150 (minutes) divided by 60 (minutes in an hour) for a total of 2.5 hours of total cooking time.

Turkey’s weighing over 12 lbs. should be cooked at 12 minutes per pound.

When there is about 15 minutes left in cooking time pull out the bird and slit open the top of your paper bag. Place the turkey back into the oven to brown the skin for the remainder of the cooking time.

When your cooking time is done remove the bird from the oven, roaster and all, and allow the turkey to sit and rest for 20 minutes before carving. This lets the turkey pull its juices back in and makes for a moister bird. When the resting period is over remove your stuffing, carve your turkey and serve with your other tasty Thanksgiving foods.

Note: The reason this method works so well is the paper bag act like a wick and continually pulls up juices from the bottom of the pan, wicks it up to the top of the turkey and drips it back down onto the bird continually basting the turkey as it cooks. This is why you never have to base your turkey and why it turns out so darn moist and juicy. You’ll love this method so much that not only will you use it every year but when others ask you how to cook a turkey that’s so moist you’ll be able to tell them this fool proof method (or keep the secret for yourself—it’s up to you!)

Recommended Product:

Need a great roaster for your turkey in a bag? We love this one. Check it out:

Camerons 7-qt. Roaster with Rack and Lid Completely versatile, this 7-qt. roaster holds up to 12-lbs. and comes with a removable rack to hold your chicken or roast. The 3-qt. domed lid can be used on its own as a pan for making gravy or baking an au gratin casserole. Sturdy handles provide stability when lifting. Triple layers (stainless with aluminum core) offer even heat distribution.

The Internet is an awesome resource when it comes to sourcing out great recipes. But how do you know when you’ve found the best recipe site? Well, while I hope you find this one at least in your top five I do realize that no blog is an island.

Read the rest of this entry »

This recipe will change the way you make chili forever. Our ultimate ground beef chili recipe uses a secret ingredient that you wouldn’t expect in a chili but once you’ve had it you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of that. Combine our ultimate chili with this super easy to make beer bread and you are going to have to kick your guests out if you want leftovers for tomorrow—it’s just that good!

Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a quick and easy recipes for cooking ham? Well, you’re in for a treat because that’s exactly what I’ve got for you today.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the second part of the easy cooking idea method in which you add fresh ingredients to pre-made foods I’m going to show you how to turn boring pizzas, veggies and rice into yummy concoctions.

Read the rest of this entry »

So you’re crunched for time or perhaps you’re just not a whiz in the kitchen. With this easy cooking idea you can take basic, pre-made foods and give them some flair by adding simple yet tasty ingredients. Let me show you what I mean.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is one of my favorite boneless chicken recipes. It does take more prep time than our quick chicken recipes but this dish is awesome for serving to dinner guests as it tastes great and looks great too.

Read the rest of this entry »

There are many myths surrounding how to cook pork properly. It was once a common practice to always cook pork to well done due to the concern of the meat containing a parasitic diseased called Trichinosis. Today’s improved farming and handling practices have eliminated the worry over Trichinosis and there has not been a case of the disease being found present in pork in over 17 years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you love prime rib? Cooking one doesn’t have to be difficult if you follow the tips and tricks in one of my favorite recipes. In fact, since we perfected this recipe we don’t even order prime rib from restaurants anymore because ours always turns out better.

Read the rest of this entry »

This recipe makes you crave salads. It’s our own “copycat recipe” for a rather well-loved salad in our city known as the Sorrento Salad. It’s super easy to make and goes great as a meal on it’s own or as a side dish with pizza or pasta.

What You Will Need:

1 head of iceberg lettuce
2 large tomatoes
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
10 slices salami
½ cup white vinegar
1 ½ cups olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Tear the head of iceberg lettuce into small, bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Chop tomatoes into one inch cubes and add to lettuce. Cut the salami slices into bite sized pieces and add this to the salad also. Next you’ll shred your mozzarella cheese and add this to the salad. In a separate small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice. Wisk together well and pour over the salad. Toss the salad thoroughly to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Refrigerate for 10 minutes so the ingredients have a chance to soak up a bit of the dressing. Remove from the fridge and serve.

This is one of my favorite recipes for salads when I’m having pizza. It goes very well with pizza and helps fill you up with something a little lighter and healthier.

I love salads and in our home we have quite a few favorite recipes. Salads are healthy, tasty and can range from simple and elegant to hearty and nearly a meal in itself.

Over the next two posts I’m giving you two of my favorite recipes. Salads can be a starter for a multi-course dinner or just an awesome side dish with your favorite meal. Our first salad, the Provolone and Tomato salad, has only a handful of simple ingredients but is a refreshing change from lettuce based salads.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tired of the same old boring vegetable recipes? This one for ginger green beans uses fresh ginger, garlic and a flambé of rum to spice up this common side dish. We make this dish regularly during dinner parties because it not only tastes amazing but the flambé provides your guests with a show as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is one of my favorite appetizers recipes because it’s just so darn easy. There’s no cooking involved what so ever (yeah!) and these can be made in a matter of minutes. The best part is, though they’re super easy to create, the flavors are complex enough to make it worthy of even your most elegant dinner parties.

Read the rest of this entry »