A Tour of Italy

The first cuisine that I taught myself to cook was Italian. For some recipes I researched about the ingredients that I would be using in my dishes, and for others I just cooked with my imagination as my guide. Through lots of trial and error, and help from the Master Chef (God) I have been able to create some really delicious Italian dishes. I love everything about Italy; it's culture, it's art, the language, and of course the food.

I want to take you all through a "Tour of Italy" this recipe was inspired by one basic Italian ingredient...basil

I call it...
Basilico Pomodoro Parmigiano Pasta
- This is a warm pasta salad bound together cohesively with basil pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.

Basil Pesto Ingredients:
- fresh basil leaves
- pine nuts or walnuts
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan or Romano cheese

I really like this basil pesto recipe from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/ 

 

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Special equipment needed: A food processor Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The other ingredients you will need for this dish are:

• 1 1/2  cup Elbow Pasta
• 2 tbs of butter
• 1/2 cup of Sundried Tomatoes
• 3 tbs Parmesan Cheese
• Buffalo Sauce to taste

Let's Get Cooking:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat ( NOTE: drizzle olive oil in it to ensure that the pasta will not stick to the pot)  Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta to the pot stirring occasionally. The pasta should take approximately 10-12 minutes. When the alotted amount of time has past, quickly drain the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process, put it back into the pot and add to it the 2 tablespoons of butter. Next prepare the basil pesto with the recipe above. Once completed, pour over top of the pasta and heat through over low heat. Then add the sundried tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and buffalo sauce to taste to the basil pesto pasta. Once the cheese has melted all the way through the dish, plate and serve hot.

Piace Mangiare

Lost in Flavor

I have been asked if I have ever traveled outside of the United States, and my response is "Yes, but not in the traditional sense" I explain that I have traveled around the world in the comfort of my kitchen through flavor. I have been transported to Asia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Germany, and Italy so far; my next venture will be a "trip" to India.


I am always looking for new ways to expand my pallet and today I got lost in colorful flavors on my pallet.


The Non-Traditional Club Sandwich


2 slices of whole wheat bread
Thinly sliced turkey breast
pepper jack cheese
2  sliced vine ripened tomatoes
roasted red peppers
spinach
jalapeno peppers
red onion slices
mayonnaise


How to prepare:


Take the two pieces of bread and smear mayonnaise on both slices, then add the cheese. Next, cut two slices of one medium tomato, then the spinach, the onion, roasted red peppers and jalapeno peppers to taste. Once the sandwich is made, toast it in a 350 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Or you can heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat NOTE: to check if the pan is hot enough drizzle water in it. If the water evaporates then the skillet is hot enough.Wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and place in the hot skillet. Press the sandwich down with a another pot or skillet for about a minute and a half to two minutes on each side. Serve Hot and Enjoy

Cooking Tutorials

I have had my blog for about a year now and I have been trying to figure out ways to expand my vision for it. What I would like to do, is post videos of me cooking so that you can see the step by step process of the dishes that I have been inspired to create, and if you so choose, you can follow along with me! I want to hear from you so please comment on my posts. Hope to hear from you all soon :)

Falling in Love with Fall

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I love the beautiful colors; the reds, greens, yellows, oranges, and even the browns. You know that autumn is here when you feel a subtle nip in the air, and when the leaves make a crunching sound under the soles of your shoes on the pavement. What does that have to do with food? Well, in some way or another, you can incorporate the colors of fall, or the sounds of fall in the way that you create a dish as well. For instance, for lunch today I had chicken salad on wheat bread, spinach, and tomato with a robust tomato based soup; it was a combination of rice, fresh tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers. I painted my pallet with the colors of autumn and incorporated the warmth of the season all through one meal. Be on the look out for more recipes in the next few months; I have been inspired to experiment with color, and flavor to give you a taste of this beautiful season of Fall.