Vino Luci Style - A food and wine blog with recipes and wine reviews

Karydopita (Καρυδόπιτα)

Vino Luci Style — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:21 +0000

Into my third week of a knee injury and not being able to really cook or photo or…well, lot’s I can’t do, so I’m continuing on my blogging journey with the help of fellow food bloggers who have offered to either guest post or let me use one of the favorite recipes…until I’m up and at’em…well, at least up!

I participated in a cooking event a couple of months ago and my job was to make this cake. It seemed simple and was…but tasted simply divine.

So, I’ve asked my friend, Peter Kalofagas to share his recipe. Peter is of Greek descent although Canadian born and lives in Toronto. His authentic (and many from his own family) recipes are to die for. Visit Peter’s website or follow him on Twitter for more great recipes (and some good old boy Greek fun on the side).

Peter suggests serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…oh my!

Feeling a little nostalgic, I asked my mom to share her Karydopita recipe with me. Karydopita is a Greek walnut cake but the amazing thing about this dessert is that there’s no flour in it!

I’m not a big fan of super-syrupy Greek desserts but this is one cake that requires a simple syrup to complete the moist yet gritty texture one gets in each bite.

Karydopita can be surely be found at a Greek bakery and you might have even been lucky enough to try a piece over at your Greek friend’s house.

In keeping with my goal to show you more of my sweet side, I’m sharing this wonderful family recipe.

There are three components to this cake: wet ingredients, dry ingredients and the syrup. The syrup measurements ask for 2 cups of water and sugar. If you’re going to serve this to a large group of guests and you know it’ll be eaten that day, stick with 2 cups. If however, this cake is just for the family and it might be laying around for the week, pump up the syrup amounts to 3 & 3 cups. The cake will absorb the syrup and stay moist for the week.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Karydopita (Καρυδόπιτα)

Dry Ingredients
10 Tbsp. of ground rusk (Zwieback toasts are fine)
10 Tbsp. fine Semolina flour
10 Tbsp. of pounded walnuts
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. baking powder

Wet Ingredients
10 eggs
10 Tbsp. sugar

Syrup
2 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6-8 whole cloves
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 shot of Cognac
ground clove to taste
9″ X 14″ baking pan, buttered

Pre-heated 350F oven

Using your food processor, keep on pulsing your walnuts until you get a medium ground mixture of walnuts that are fine and some noticeable pieces of walnuts.
Add to a large bowl along with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix and set aside.
In a large bowl, add your sugar and eggs and beat with a hand mixer until you achieve a consistency of almost stiff peaks.
Fold the dry ingredients in small batches (DO NOT add all the dry at once). As the wet absorbs the dry, add more until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Carefully pour the cake batter into the baking pan and place in your preheated oven (middle rack) for 30-35 minutes.
In the meantime, make your syrup by adding the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and bring to a boil. Now simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add the Cognac and and some ground clove if desired (according to taste).
To complete your Karydopita correctly, the cake must absorb the syrup. There are two ways to do this: add cool syrup to just out of the oven cake or add hot syrup to room temperature cake. My mother prefers to add cooled syrup to a just out of the oven cake. The choice is yours. Time the two components. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves and pour the syrup one ladle at a time time until all the syrup has been absorbed by the cake.
Cut your Karydopita into diamond shaped pieces and serve at room temperature. Store in a sealed container for up to one week.

Adding to the Mushroom Medley

Vino Luci Style — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:19:56 +0000

As some of you may know; I hurt myself skiing walking in my own home and am looking at 6-8 weeks of recovery for a very sprained knee and calf. As I’ve been wheelchair bound and now just moving to a walker (fun!) I’ve asked some friends on Twitter to help me with blog posts for a while.

A very special thanks to Caron Golden for this fabulous recipe. Caron is food columnist for SDNN.com and writes the blog San Diego Foodstuff.

Shitake Mushrooms, Barley and Garlic

Mushrooms are a curiosity. Most people really don’t like the idea of eating “fungus” and yet we adore large grilled portabellos and sautéing delicate chanterelles. In San Diego’s North County, Japanese firm Hokto Kinoko Mushroom Company built a growing facility for a variety of unusual Japanese mushrooms, many of which you may not have noticed or encountered before. When Hokto Kinoko’s facility first opened, just over a year ago and I wasn’t able to make the press tour, they sent me a large box filled with mushrooms for me to try. Inside were packages of four different kinds of cultivated wild mushrooms: maitake, king trumpet, brown beech and white beech.

I’ve since toured the facility, but I also had fun playing with the mushrooms, which can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. And, you can find these not only at Asian markets, but at many conventional supermarkets.

For my first foray with them, I chose to make mushroom barley soup. I’ve been making this soup for years, just grabbing items in the refrigerator as they inspired me. It was only when I made a batch for a friend who had just had a baby and then she requested the recipe that I finally wrote something up. It’s still subject to what I may have on hand but that’s the beauty of soup, isn’t it. Usually, I use a combination of fresh meaty shitake and crimini mushrooms as well as Swiss chard or kale. But on this particular day, while I had several shitakes I also decided to use a package each of the brown and white beech mushrooms and the maitake.

Brown Beech Mushrooms

The beech mushrooms, known in Japan as Buna shimeji (brown) and Bunapi™ (white), are stunningly beautiful. They have little fragrance and pose elegantly from the large base they cluster on.

The brown beech are widely considered the most “gourmet” of the oyster-style mushrooms. Both beech varieties (in the wild they grow on wood, often beech trees — hence the name) are a little sweet, a little nutty and perfect for soups, sauces and stir frying.

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitaki mushrooms are much more “fungus-y.” They look like something right out of a deep dark chilly forest.

And, in fact, in nature they’re found on dead or dying deciduous trees in northern temperate forests. These mushrooms have the robust, earthy smell and flavor you’d expect from a fleshy brown fungus. Stir-fry them, saute them, bake them, or use them for tempura.

Now to the soup. I like to add beef, in the form of boneless short ribs, to it, which means I also use beef stock as the base. But the beef is, of course, optional. You could add chicken or turkey or just keep it vegetarian, adding a soup stock most appropriate to what you’re doing. There’s no real need to add the greens, but I like to. Certainly other root vegetables would work here as well. My basics are carrots and onions but parsnips would add a nice sweetness to the soup. And, note, with these mushrooms, I sliced the shitakes I used but the others from Hokto Kinoko I simply separated from one another. Make too much? This soup freezes well.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced if large, or separated if small and conjoined
2 large carrots, grated
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
3/4 cup of pearl barley
3 cups or so of Swiss chard or kale, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 quart of beef stock (if using meat, otherwise you can use chicken or vegetable stock)
A couple of splashes of good dry sherry or cognac
Optional: one pound of boneless beef short ribs, cut into cubes

Okay, get out a large stock pot. If you’re using the beef, heat the pot, add enough oil to cover the bottom, let that heat for a minute till it shimmers and then add the beef. Brown the pieces on all sides and then remove them and drain the fat from the pot.

Add a splash more olive oil and then add the onions and garlic. Sauté on low heat until the onions turn translucent and then just a little golden.

Then start adding everything else: the mushrooms, carrots, and Swiss chard first, then the beef, then the pearl barley. Then add the stock. If one quart isn’t enough to cover the contents, I add water, then a couple of splashes of sherry or cognac. Finally, add some salt and pepper to taste.

Stir it to mix it well. Then bring it to a boil and skim the fat. Turn down the heat to simmer and cover the pot. I let it cook a couple of hours and then adjust the salt and pepper.

Serve with warm, crusty bread or rolls and a green salad.

Nanaimo Bars

Vino Luci Style — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:42:09 +0000

I love the foodies I’ve met on Twitter…and no snickering from my non Twitteraholic friends! There was a Daring Bakers Challenge in the last couple of weeks and though not participating in that event, I saw a couple of posts about these funny sounding bars and the pictures that accompanied them and they looked delicious. I first made some for a ‘Girls Nite In’ I hosted a couple of weeks ago and they were so well received I made them again for a Super Bowl party I went to on Sunday. They are so simple and yes, a bit addictive. I made a double batch for the Super Bowl so I could freeze half and have them on hand for an Oscar party I’m hosting in March…cause @fujimama said they would freeze well; thanks Rachel!

This is a treat from Canada named after Nanaimo, British Columbia; they are ubiquitous enough that they are apparently sold in grocery stores, bakeries and coffee shops. Really easy to prepare too as there is no baking!

I revised the recipe just a bit from the one found here as I’m not sure what vanilla powder is so used vanilla pudding mix and just because…I added a bit of vanilla too!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Nainamo Bars

Ingredients and Preparation

Bottom Layer

½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add beaten egg gradually and whisk to incorporate. Mixture should thicken as egg is incorporated. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8″ x 8″ pan.

Second Layer

½ cup butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla pudding powder (not instant)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, vanilla and pudding powder in large bowl. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk and once all is incorporated, beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Cool in fridge (makes spreading top layer so much easier if this layer hardens a bit.

Third Layer

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over 2nd layer and spread to cover. Chill in refrigerator.

NOTE: The first time I made these, the directions I used said to just mix in the egg with the butter/chocolate mixture in the pan. The mixture separated and I could not get them incorporated together. So I pitched it all and started over; with the same results. 2nd time though I brought out my immersion blender and it worked like a charm in two seconds to blend everything together. For my 2nd attempt for the Super Bowl party, I found that if I whisk as I add the egg, it blends together without the immersion blender…but good to know that if you have a problem with separating, a quick blend will give you the desired results.

I have to say it…’Bet you can’t eat just one!’

Grilled Cheese/Short Rib Sandwich

Vino Luci Style — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:24:18 +0000

I love Bon Appetit magazine. The end of 2009 saw the demise of Gourmet magazine, both published under the Conde Nast flag. I used to buy Gourmet occasionally but just as the Gourmet diehards mourned the lost of their monthly fix, I reveled that it did not happen to Bon Appetit. I doubt it’s as much because one magazine was better than the other or even more to my liking; it was all about tradition.

I’ve been reading Bon Appetit for over 30 years; every issue, every single one of them. In my young married life most recipes were too complicated and time consuming to plan for regular meals so I would find one or two and have our friends over to enjoy the effort with us. Even if I couldn’t find the time to actually make a dish, I just enjoyed the read…and read I did; cover to cover.

Over the years I’ve seen the magazine change to accommodate a different generation and lifestyle changes. Few of us have the time to devote 2 hours to the family meal and that is reflected in the recipes included in today’s version. I’m grateful for Bon Appetit; it has played a huge role in my cooking experience and I am sure has helped me to become a better cook as a result.

This recipe was the February cover recipe. It certainly embraced a time consuming tradition but was still easy to make. I haven’t made beef short ribs in a very long time and my house smelled delicious. My guests had been anticipating this sandwich all day long as I let them choose from two recipes and we were not disappointed!

I decided I wanted to try and shoot the accompanying photo to mimic the one on the Bon Appetit Cover. That was fun and exasperating; the arugula on the sandwich I made for the photo shoot was two days after my company and I was almost out of arugula so it all went on the sandwich. More melt in the cheese and my lettuce was wilted and not that appealing; so I found one little leaf to stick in there, sort of pathetic.

I’ve got a lot to learn re lighting (and afraid a lot to buy too!) but I’m quickly turning my dining room into my own little photo studio. A corner by the window is not viewable from my foyer or my kitchen so it serves a functional purpose (the MOST function that room has ever seen) but keeps hidden my growing fascination with all things photographic.

I must say, this sandwich was very good; but that time element required almost 4 hours to cook the short ribs. I would not hesitate to make it again, but next time will try some grilled flank steak and judge the difference to see if that substitute would make just as good a result.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Grilled Short Rib Sandwich

Ingredients

Short Ribs

5 pounds beef short ribs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup medium-dry Sherry
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 large fresh thyme sprig

Pickled Caramelized Onions

1 tablespoon butter
2 large red onions, halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 6 cups)
4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Assembly

Butter, room temperature
16 slices country-style crusty white bread
12 ounces Petit Basque or Monterey
Jack cheese, sliced
4 cups baby arugula

Preparation

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook beef until browned, about 6 minutes per batch.
Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Add celery, carrots, and onion to pot and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add wine, broth, Sherry, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprig; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Season with salt and pepper.
Return ribs to pot, propping up on sides and arranging in single layer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour.
Using tongs, turn ribs over in pot. Cover and simmer until ribs are tender and sauce is very thick, occasionally rearranging ribs in pot to prevent sticking, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Uncover and cool 30 minutes.
Transfer ribs to work surface. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Spoon off fat from sauce in pot. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Cut meat into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces, trimming any fat. Return meat to pot.

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until cold; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm just until lukewarm before using.

Pickled Caramelized Onions

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
Add vinegar and sugar and cook until almost all vinegar is absorbed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to microwave-safe bowl; cool.

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Microwave in 15-second intervals until lukewarm before using.

Assembly

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with waxed paper. Butter 8 bread slices; place 4 slices, buttered side down, on each prepared sheet.
Divide short rib mixture among bread slices, about 1/2 cup for each.
Divide cheese among sandwiches.
Spoon about 1/4 cup onions over each sandwich.
Place large handful of arugula atop onions.
Top with remaining 8 bread slices. Spread bread with butter.

DO AHEAD Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Heat griddle or 2 large skillets over medium heat. Working in batches, cook sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Cut each in half on diagonal. Transfer to plates and serve.

Thanks to Cork’d for Wine Recommendations:

An “Old World” styled bottle of wine that will cost you a pretty penny, but well worth it:

2007 Clos des Brusquierre Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Chateauneuf du Pape is a classic wine to pair with roast meat and short ribs. The 2007 vintage was outrageously good in the Southern Rhone, and made really big, fruit forward wines that are sure to compliment the savory short ribs and sweet caramelized onions.
http://corkd.com/wine/view/92075-2007-clos-des-brusquieres-chateauneuf-du-pape

For a more affordable, easy to find, New World option:

2007 Bogle Petite Sirah: Petite Sirah is a dark, inky wine that is very fruit forward and intense. The intense fruit of this wine will match nicely with the slightly sweet onions, but have the tannin levels to match the hearty short ribs in the sandwich. Bogle is a large producer, known for their consistent yet affordable quality year in and year out.
http://corkd.com/wine/view/103873-2007-bogle-vineyards-petite-sirah to Cork’d for providing us with wine reviews for our recipes!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Vino Luci Style — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:00:45 +0000

I think it’s amazing what some simple ingredients combined together can result in and this dish has always been a favorite of mine. I remember making it for my family when I was barely in my teens and nothing has really changed, well not much has changed. I don’t think I ever had anything but parmesan from a green can growing up; didn’t even know it existed as a real block of cheese (but then also didn’t know about butter; we had margarine, nothing else!).

The addition of good Parmigiano Reggiano takes it to a whole new and delicious level. Enjoy!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti; I used angel hair but thin or regular spaghetti is perfect too
1/4 to 1/2 pound thickly sliced good quality bacon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large eggs
Pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Since I used angel hair I had taken some steps prior to cooking my pasta since it cooks in 3-4 minutes. Regular spaghetti will take more like 9-10 minutes; plenty of time for you to start preparing the dish after you start your water to boil.
Cut the bacon into pieces about 1/2 inch wide. Cook in a skillet until the bacon is just beginning to get crisp; add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute or two longer. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a serving bowl, season with black pepper and beat them with a whisk
When your pasta is finished cooking, add the pasta and the bacon mixture to the eggs in the serving bowl and mix thoroughly; the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs and create your sauce.
Add the Parmesan cheese, mix lightly and serve. Sprinkle additional cheese on each serving.

Wine Recommendation

Barbera, Italy’s third most planted grape, is a great match for Spaghetti Carbonara. The low-tannin, high acid level of this lighter-bodied red wine can cut through the richness that the dish has and stand up to the smoky bacon flavor, without overpowering it. The 2007 Fontanafredda Barbera d’Alba Briccotondo from Italy’s Piedmont region has been raved about and can be found in many wine shops across the US.

Warm Spinach Mascarpone Dip

Vino Luci Style — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:12:33 +0000

I only discovered Mascarpone Cheese in the past couple of years but love the creamy element that adds something special to so many recipes when used in place of cream cheese, sour cream or even mayonnaise. I saw this post from Steamy Kitchen right before the New Years holiday and just had to serve it to my guests for a party I hosted. Jaden was inspired by Allison Hooper from In a Cheesemaker’s Kitchen and I thank both of them and Jaden especially for her beautiful photograph. My guests dug in before I had a chance to take one but I’ll forgive them (this time), not everyone knows the house rule – Do not touch or eat ANYTHING without permission first; ever.

I suggest you do serve it in separate ramekins…avoids having people get crushed when they all crowd around just one bowl!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Warm Spinach Mascarpone Dip

Ingredients

16 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess water removed (squeeze between your hands or use colander and press water out)
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if you have)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and coat the bottom of the pan.
Add onions and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes over medium heat
Add spinach and saute until it’s warm, but still bright green; approximately 30 seconds.
Season and toss with spices. Turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone cheese and the grated Parmesan.
Pour into 2 (1 cup ea) bowls or ramekins (oven-safe) and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling around the edges.
Serve warm with french or pita bread, celery sticks, carrots, sliced peppers, broccoli or snap peas

Yields 2 cups

Boysenberry Buttercream Macarons

Vino Luci Style — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:47:52 +0000

Tell me…why did I decide to do this again? After two tries with these delicate French treats that were less than totally successful, I’m wondering that right now. Hours to get them done, half of them broken to bits and the end result is something like 6 (yes SIX!) cookies!

I guess the answer also partly lies in those words. I proudly accept that I’m tenacious (such a better word than stubborn isn’t it?) so there’s that but I don’t doubt for a moment that the camaraderie of people going through the same turmoil makes it much more fun. Hearing cries of “I’ve got feet” on Twitter from my fellow MacAholics from MacTweets always makes me happy but I’m remembering the day I didn’t know what that meant. I felt real anguish for someone that I didn’t know because, well, of course I assumed she had been without feet and I was feeling both sad and elated for her. Knowing now that those cries are significant when a baker has a macaron result with an adorable fringe around the bottom always brings a sense of relief without the attendant sadness!

I decided to make Boysenberry Macarons because I wanted the filling to be purple. My sister had sent me some Lavendar sugar for Christmas and I wanted to use it. I’m not sure I have EVER made a lavendar food item, but colorful Macarons are the norm and it was perfect.

One of my biggest problems has been finding the right recipe. These are treats that originated in France and most recipes are written in grams; a measurement that is foreign for many Americans who are stubborn about our cups and ounces. It’s not hard to convert but conversions can bring very strange results indeed; 6/7 of a cup is wrong…it’s just wrong! I’ve now configured a basic recipe that has worked with American standard measures but I’m still got some work to do; I think the top should be taller (but, seriously, not complaining, really).

Every attempt to make this delicate cookie is always met with those 25 minutes of waiting to open the oven door to discover whether the illusive ‘feet’ have appeared, that little ruffled border on the bottom. We are pathetic in our quest for that illusive little ruffled border…can’t you hear me now? “I’ve got feet.” I might have done a little happy dance even but there will be no photographic recordings of that moment to share!

Although pleased with the end result there is apparently for me no end to the DRAMA!! The last time I made them, I used the silicone baking liner shown above to keep them from sticking and it worked fine. Today I had a greater quantity of the meringue mixture so I had one baking sheet line with the silpat and the other with parchment paper. The parchment paper ones came off easily after the five minute wait but the ones on the silpat? Disaster. I rescued TWO of them…my dogs were delighted to help with the results but what a mess! OK, got it…lesson learned…parchment paper it will be!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Boysenberry Buttercream Macarons

For Macaron Shells

3 large egg whites, room temperature (sit out for 3-4 days prior to making for best results)
¼ cup white sugar
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
4 oz. almond flour (I bought mine ground from Vitamin Cottage, but you can grind your own blanched almonds)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Food Coloring (optional)

Directions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Sift powdered sugar, then whisk together with almond flour. Set aside.
Whip egg whips till foamy then add the salt and sugar.
Beat whites until glossy peaks form, do NOT beat to stiff peaks.
Sprinkle half of the almond-sugar mixture over the eggs, and fold in quickly with as little strokes as possible.
Add the vanilla and the rest of the almond-sugar mixture, and food coloring if using. Fold in until just combined. I use paste food colors so found it worked best to remove a small amount of the meringue, color it heavily and then fold it back in with the rest of the mixture.
This should take less than 40 strokes. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a clean tip, and pipe ¾ to 1 ½ inch macarons, depending on desired size.
Sprinkle with decorations if using; only decorate one half as the other half will be bottoms.
Let piped macarons rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so that an outer shell forms on the meringue.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
After the batter has rested and the outside is firm to the touch, bake the macarons for 20-25 minutes, or until dry. Remove from oven, let cool on the parchment for five minutes, then remove and let cool completely before filling.

Buttercream Filling – this makes a lot but I like having some leftover for graham crackers, so adjust as necessary

6 Tbsp butter
1 lb package of confectioner’s sugar (approx 4 3/4 cups)
Light cream as required up to 1/4 cup
1½ tsp vanilla
1/4 – 1/2 cup Boysenberry Preserves, melted, whisked smooth and cooled (substitute a preserve of your choice too)

Directions

Cream butter; gradually add about half of the sugar, blending well. Beat in 2 Tbsp of the cream and vanilla.
Gradually blend in remaining sugar and melted preserves. Add more cream if necessary for desired consistency. Should be very firm.
Pipe filling onto one meringue, top with decorated half.

Chicken Scallopini with Lemon, Garlic and Pine Nuts

Vino Luci Style — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:23:25 +0000

After weeks of holiday cookies and other indulgences, it seems the first of the year is time for a fresh start. New meal plans, new fitness goals…sometimes maybe even just new shoes! Many food bloggers are participating in a challenge called 10in10 started by www.recipegirl.com that isn’t about a specific diet but about your own personal efforts this new year. Food choices, exercise, yoga…whatever it takes to make you aware and strive for the goal of doing better for YOURSELF!

If your new this year includes changing up some eating habits, this is a delicious dish that is easy to prepare and fits that light and healthy routine perfectly. I’ve modified it from a dish I saw over at CDKitchen so my thanks to them!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Chicken Scallopini with Lemon, Garlic and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 large chicken breasts
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp butter
1 Tbsp pine nuts, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth (preferably fat-free)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Mix together flour, salt and pepper on a large plate. Pound chicken thin and cut into four cutlets. Dredge lightly in flour, coating both sides and patting off any excess.

Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over high heat. Saute chicken on both sides until nicely browned and firm, about 2-3 minutes per side (saute in batches, if necessary, use more cooking spray but keep it light); remove and set aside.

Add butter, pine nuts and garlic to pan and toss over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice and broth; bring to a simmer.

Return chicken to pan, along with any accumulated juices, just long enough to reheat, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place on dinner plates, top each with sauce, sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with a green vegetable or salad.

Butter Rum Cake

Vino Luci Style — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:39:56 +0000

I love this cake and although not necessarily considered a holiday cake, it is considered OUR holiday cake! I made it for a New Year’s Eve party I hosted last week. I promised dessert and this is a quick and easy dessert with fabulous results! I admit I envisioned a great picture of the cake mostly because I was making it in my beautiful new bundt pan. And it was pretty, very pretty. –>> Very tall and pointy…so different from the results in my standard pan; thank you Costco! One reason it’s so easy, it uses a box mix. I know, I know…seems sacrilegious and not wanting to be a food blogging sinner, I thought I would search for an alternative for the recipe I have used for THIRTY years but all I found were a million versions of my old standby…so decided to go for it.

Especially when you have a party starting at 8pm and you have not made the promised dessert by 7:30pm, really, what’s wrong with a shortcut? That also explains why I just have a photo of one measly slice. It came out of the oven at 8:45, sat for a few minutes and by the time I turned it out onto a cake plate, people were ready to dig in. The smell of cake, butter and rum wafting through the house had stirred up those taste buds and there was going to be no photos taken this night, nope! I was lucky to be able to squirrel away one slice, which, yes, I actually had to hide from guests!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Rum Butter Cake

Ingredients Cake

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package vanilla instant pudding milk
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum Glaze

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rum

Directions Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Spray a large Bundt pan (12 cup) with nonstick cooking spray
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on the bottom.
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, milk, eggs, rum, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and combine on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl halfway through until very smooth
Pour into Bundt pan
Bake for about 55 minutes- until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack while making the rum glaze; do not remove from the bundt pan

Rum Glaze:

Combine butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan
Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup is well combined and a little thicker
Remove from the heat and add the rum, mix to combine
Poke holes all over bottom of cake with wooden spoon
Pour rum/butter syrup evenly all over bottom of cake
Allow cake to cool 10 minutes in pan before turning out onto serving platter

This cake seems to improve with age…if there is any leftover!

Creamy Mushroom Bake

Vino Luci Style — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:41:26 +0000

I’ve been making this dish for as many years as I can recall; it’s either on our Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table and is so good I wonder why we don’t have it more often. Maybe we just want to have something to really look forward to! (Or maybe cause all that goodness can’t be done everyday; butter, half and half, stock, parm, yum!)

Simple, really. I use plain old button mushrooms but I’m sure if you wanted to play with the variety, anything would work.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Creamy Mushroom Bake

Ingredients

1 lb. mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. half and half
1/4 c. beef or chicken stock
dash of freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs (yes, you can use regular crumbs but these offer a nice little crunch!)
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter shallow baking dish.
Arrange mushrooms in dish stemmed side down.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in small saucepan over low heat. Increase heat to medium-high, blend in flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in half and half and bring to a boil.
Mix in stock and pepper and return to boil.
Pour sauce evenly over mushroom.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms look tender.
Sprinkle with bread/cheese mixture and continue baking until cheese melts, approximately 5 minutes.

Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.