I'm BAAA-ack...

...and ready to start cooking!

First order of business: stock up on stock. Nothing beats homemade chicken stock, and since I had depleted my stash, I got out my 21-quart "cauldron". I use Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa's) recipe. I found 10-pound bags of chicken leg quarters for only $7.90, so two bags of the leg quarters went into the stockpot. I followed the rest of the recipe pretty much as written, though I simmered the stock a little longer. When it was done cooking, I let it rest for a while, and then skimmed the stock, strained it, and chilled it overnight, which allowed the fat to solidify on top - much easier to remove that way! My efforts resulted in 8 quarts of stock. Liquid gold!

I decided to immediately take advantage of some of the stock by making one of my favorite soups: Butternut Squash Soup with Port. It's creamy and rich with no cream (though I did use a few drops to garnish the soup - purely optional, of course!) I even left out the 2 tablespoons of butter that was to be stirred into the soup just before serving. I didn't even miss it. At all. It's been rainy and the temperatures have dropped a little bit - it's starting to feel like autumn and this soup was perfect for an autumn evening. A little crostini to go with, and I can almost see the leaves changing colors before my eyes -


Chicken Stock

3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
20 sprigs fresh parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.


Source: Copyright, 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

What's New -

Just wanted to let everyone know why I haven't posted anything new lately. My daughter had a baby a couple of days ago!! He's her second, another beautiful little boy. He's healthy and gorgeous!

I'll be back with some delicious dishes soon -


Lori

Crispy Prosciutto

Prosciutto di Parma. The sound of it makes me drool. It's such a lovely Italian delicacy. That sweet and salty flavor enhances whatever it's added to. It's wonderful in dishes like Saltimbocca or Chicken Sorentino. It stars in appetizers when wrapped around wedges of cantaloupe or thin Italian breadsticks. But I've never had it crisped up to add to salads. I had seen that on cooking shows but hadn't tried it myself. Until now. Baking it in the oven not only crisped the prosciutto, but it also slightly concentrated its flavor. Easily broken into delicate shards, it took my salad to a whole new level. It was wonderful. Salads will never be the same!

Crisped Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place slices of Prosciutto di Parma on baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Break into shards.

Super easy. Super delicious!

Stuffed Artichokes

Artichoke. Cynara scolymus. Thought to have originated in the Mediterranean. A member of the thistle family. A delicious member of the thistle family, I might add. For some, an acquired taste. It was for me. The first time I ever scraped that succulence from the inside bottom of an artichoke leaf was in my best friend's mother's Italian kitchen. I wasn't sure what to think of the flavor. But it stayed with me. I thought about it. And thought about it some more. And after some time, I actually craved it. I had to have it again. I did. And this time, I loved it.

My daughter and son loved them from the first time they tried them as young children. They considered it a special treat. Still do. I do, too!

I've had artichokes stuffed with a sausage filling, roasted with a balsamic reduction, but my favorite way to enjoy them is filled with a bread crumb stuffing and served with a lemon-butter sauce. Delicious!


Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Butter Sauce

Stuffing:
4 large artichokes
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Lemon Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
dash freshly ground black pepper

Clean artichokes: slice off stem of each artichoke so artichoke will sit flat. Cut off top fourth to third of artichoke. Snip tips of outer leaves with kitchen shears. Rub cut lemon over cut bottom and cut edges. Pull out center leaves. Scrape out fuzzy choke (a grapefruit spoon is an excellent tool for this). Drop artichokes in acidulated water (water with lemon juice added) while preparing stuffing.

Melt butter in skillet on stove. Add olive oil. Saute green onions and garlic until vegetables are tender. In separate bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley. Mix in sauteed vegetables. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Drain artichokes. Fill centers with bread crumb stuffing. If you have stuffing leftover after filling artichokes, spread outer leaves apart and add stuffing between leaves.

Stand filled artichokes in large pot. Add water to halfway up sides of artichokes, bring water to boil, cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer until artichokes are tender, about 30 minutes. (To test for doneness, pull a leaf from the artichoke. If it pulls off fairly easily, artichokes are done.)

Make Lemon Butter Sauce: Melt butter; stir in snipped parsley, lemon juice, and a dash of pepper. Simmer for 1 minute. Serve with artichokes.

Jammin'

This summer, I was able to take advantage of the season's bounty by making jams. In addition to the Raspberry-Plum Jam, I've also made apricot, cherry, and peach jams. The funny thing is... I don't eat much jam. I don't usually have toast or biscuits with jam for breakfast. I don't eat peanut butter and jelly/jam sandwiches. Every once in awhile, I make jam thumbprint cookies which uses a little bit of jam, but that's about it. So why make all this jam? Because I love the process! One minute you have fruit and sugar, the next you have pretty, sparkling jars lining the countertops with jewel-toned deliciousness. My son thinks I'm a little crazy, making all this stuff that I don't even eat. Oh well. At least my family's pantries will be well-stocked, jam-wise. That's not so crazy... is it?!

Apricot Jam

5 cups of apricot, pitted, peeled and chopped
5 tbsp of lemon juice
6 1/2 cups of sugar
1 (3 oz) pack of liquid pectin
3/4 tsp of butter

Combine the apricots, lemon juice and 6 and 1/4 cups of sugar in a pan and let stand for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add the remaining sugar and place the pan over a medium-high heat; stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.

Bring the mix to a boil for two minutes.

Remove the pan from the flame and skim off any foam that accumulates.

Place the pan over the heat again for 1 minute to boil. Again, remove and skim off the foam.

Add the butter and bring the mixture to a boil again.

Add the pectin and stir constantly.

Boil for 1 minute. Skim off the foam.

Allow the jam to cool for 7 minutes before adding it to canning jars.

Close the jars and bath them in 250-degree water for 10 minutes to create a seal.


Source: http://www.mamashealth.com/recipe/preserve/apricot.asp

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GROUND CHERRY JAM

3 c. ripe ground cherries
1/4 c. lemon juice (or Real Lemon)
1/2 c. water
1 pkg. Sure-Jel
3 c. sugar

To a quart saucepan, add ground cherries, lemon, water, and Sure-Jel. Bring cherries to a boil and mash them. Be sure they are all mashed so they'll absorb the sugar. Add sugar. Boil according to directions on Sure-Jel package. This will make 3 medium jars of jam.

Source: http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1623,152187-245193,00.html

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Peach Jam

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 3 lb. fully ripe peaches)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
7-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PEEL and pit peaches. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reducing foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids springs back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Yield: 8 half-pints

Source: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/certo-peach-jam-52072.aspx

Walnut Thyme Biscotti

I love biscotti but have never had a savory version. I came across this recipe during an internet surfing session. It sounded delicious. I love thyme. I love walnuts. This was going to be good. I had a few chunks of Parmigiana Reggiano in the cheese drawer of the fridge that I threw into the food processor to grate for the biscotti. The recipe also called for dried basil. I had none on hand but plenty of fresh basil growing in pots on my back porch. So I added about a tablespoon of the fresh instead.

These were so good. With a little glass of wine. On the back porch. As the sun goes down. And the temperatures cool just a bit. What could be more perfect?

Walnut Thyme Biscotti
Try different combinations of nuts and herbs in these savory biscotti.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cheese, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugar, thyme, and basil. Stir in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts. Shape dough on baking sheet into a 12-inch-long log. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and firm in center. Remove log from oven. Cool log about 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 300 F.

Slice log crosswise diagonally into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Arrange slices on wire cooling racks and return to oven for 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KNH/is_6_9/ai_80206353/pg_2/


Post Thought: This afternoon, I wrapped a piece of Prosciutto de Parma around a biscotti. Pure heaven!! Give this a try. The marriage of flavors is perfect!

For Printable Recipe, Click Here

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate

I promised my sister-in-law I was going to make oatmeal cookies for her and her family. I always use the recipe on the Quaker Oats box but add in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips (or chunks). They're really good. I made a little change when making today's batch of cookies. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia. I bought this flavoring a while ago and have kept it in the refrigerator door. Every time I opened the fridge door, I would realize I hadn't tried it yet and needed to add it to my next batch of cookies. I thought that the vanilla/ citrus-y flavor would really enhance the dried cranberries in the cookies. It did. I could see where this flavoring could be very overpowering if used indiscriminately - a little goes a long way. But it added a slight, can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it, enjoyable flavor to these cookies. I'll be experimenting with it in other baked goods, too. This will be interesting!

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia, (optional)
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips (or 8-ounce bar of white chocolate, cut into small chunks)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Thoroughly mix in eggs and flavorings. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix in oatmeal. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate.

Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment. Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until cookies are set and edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to rack and cool completely.

Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies