Stecca or small baquette in Italian

The pictures in the bread making book were too pretty to pass up.... I had to attempt these baquettes--our favorite was the olive baquette!

Ingredients:

3 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
/14 dry active yeast
1.5 c water (55-65 degrees F)
1/4 c. EVOO
3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
Extra Flour for dusting
whole pitted olives (about 8-10)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, table salt, sugar and yeast. Add the water and using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, stick dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temp. until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, about 12-18 hours.
2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Fold the dough over itself two or three times and gently shape it into a somewhat flattened ball. Brush the surface of the dough with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the coarse salt.
3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust with wheat bran, cornmeal (my choice!) or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, duct the top lightlt with cormeal. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1-2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it sit for about 15 minutes.
4. Half and hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the own to 500 degrees with a rack in the center Oil a 13x18x1 inch baking sheet.
5. Cut the dough into quarters and gently stretch each piece evenly into a stick shape appr. the length of the pan. Place on the pan, leaving at least 1 inch between the loaves. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining coarse salt.
5. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then use a spatula to transfer the stecca to rack to cool thoroughly.

NOTE: The stecca may become a bit soggy in just a few hours because of the salt on the surface--if that happens, reheat the loaves in the oven until crisp.

VARIATIONS:
Push 10 large pitted olies or 10 cherry tomator halves or 10 lightly crushed garlic cloves into each formed stecca. Brush each stecca with enough olive oil to create a thin coat on the surface of the dough. For the tomato stecca, top each tomato half with a very thin slice of garlic and a couple of fresh thyme leaves (it is winter here so anything fresh is nonexistent so I skipped this variation) and sprinkle with salt. SPrinkle the garlic stecca with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Do not salt the olive stecca--it is already salty from the olives. I also think another interesting addition would be sundried tomatoes only you would have to watch that they do not burn in the oven. Enjoy!

Lahey, Jim. My bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. 2009.

Stevenson Casserole

For our weekly dinner exchange, Mr. E. thought it would be a good idea to have the husbands/fiances take a turn cooking for the ladies... His favorite dish growing up was a family recipe and his mom used to make this for his birthday dinner every August at the beach. We have lightened up the dish just a bit by adding lite cream cheese and lite sour cream. Enjoy!

STEVENSON CASSEROLE - 4 -5 servings:

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1 large can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/4 cup red wine
8 oz lite sour cream
6 oz lite cream cheese
6 oz egg noodles
Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and onion. Spoon off fat. Add salt, pepper, wine, and tomato sauce; Simmer. In separate bowl, combine sour cream and cream cheese. Slightly cook noodles. Place in layers in casserole dish (two total) - end with meat sauce on top: noodles - cheese mix - meat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with squares of cheddar cheese; bake 5 minutes more until the cheese is melted.

The most common mistake is with the noodles - either using too many or over cooked.

Pumpkin Hummus

Over the holidays, we attended a surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law at her favorite local haunt. One of the appetizers served at the party was this amazing pumpkin hummus--it was so addictive and unlike anything I had ever eaten before. Mr. E. and I are big fans of hummus and eat it frequently throughout the summer because it is easy to make and a very healthy vegetarian dish. After the party, I emailed the restaurant to flatter them with praise and beg for the recipe.... unfortunately they never returned my message so it was left to me to experiment with other recipes on the internet. This was the first one I found and decided to give it a try--although it is not the taste I had hoped to achieve as it really just tasted like regular hummus, I think this might be m new standby because of the added superfood of pumpkin!

PUMPKIN HUMMUS
Ingredients

15oz. can of garbanzo beans
15oz. can of pureed pumpkin
1 T oil
1 smashed garlic clove
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 T tahini
1 tsp ground cumin
3-4 T water

Mix in a food processor until smooth. The amount of water you will need to add will depend on the pumpkin.... more for canned pumpkin and less for the fresh stuff. Serve with whole wheat pita and carrots.

Ribollita

Throughout the long cold winter months we experience here in the OH-IO, Mr. E. and I eat different kinds of soup for lunch nearly every day of the week. For Christmas this year I received two of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (oh joy!) and have tried out the Ribollita from the "At Home" collection.... It is made with a bounty of fresh vegetables and filled with fiber (now is when we really need the farm share...) and smelled delicious while cooking... I doubled the recipe because if not I would have had half a head of cabbage, 1/2 lb of kale as leftovers....


Ingredients


* 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
* Kosher salt
* 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
* 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or smoked bacon
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
* 1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
* 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
* 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
* 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
* 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

Garten, Ina (2006). Barefoot Contessa At Home. p. 38-39.

Spaghetti and Meatballs All'Amatriciana

For our annual "Mr. & Mrs. E." Christmas dinner, we decided to do something a little bit different this year as we wanted to make sure of the ingredients we had on hand in our home since we will be away for the holidays. Luckily, we still had one final batch of frozen tomatoes leftover from our summer garden. Therefore we decided to forgo the usual Christmas dinner of scallops, bacon, mashed potatoes and chocolate mousse in exchange for homemade pasta and sauce with cookies from our cookie exchange! I made traditional egg fettuccine (I like my noodles thick!) and Mr. E. spent 3 hours slaving away in the kitchen making these delicious meatballs and sauce.... it was worth the extra time! If 3 hours sounds daunting, you could easily spread out the work load by making the meatballs one night and the sauce the following evening. Enjoy!


Spaghetti and Meatballs All'Amatriciana

Ingredients
Meatballs
* 6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), diced
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
* 2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
* 2/3 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar
* 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup coarsely grated onion
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
* 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

* 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice (preferably San Marzano)
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
* 6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), cut crosswise into thin strips
* 1 tablespoon (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cups finely chopped onions
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
* 2 cups dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram

Pasta

* 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
* 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
MEATBALLS

*Place bacon in processor. Using on/off turns, grind to coarse paste. Transfer to large bowl. Using garlic press, squeeze in garlic. Gently mix in beef and all remaining ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.

*Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.

sauce

*Puree tomatoes with juice and garlic in batches in blender until smooth.

*Cook bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp; transfer bacon to plate.

*Add 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pot and heat over medium heat. Add half of meatballs. Cook until brown on all sides, turning carefully with small metal spatula, about 9 minutes. Transfer meatballs to baking sheet. Add more oil to pot if needed and repeat with remaining meatballs.

*Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and crushed red pepper to pot. Sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, stirring up browned bits, about 8 minutes. Add tomato puree and marjoram. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

*Mix bacon into sauce. Add meatballs; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until meatballs are heated through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

PASTA

* Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil and marjoram, adding more oil to moisten, if desired. Divide spaghetti among bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, passing additional cheese separately.

Bon Appetit Magazine, January 2010.

Focaccia

I think focaccia can make any sandwich taste delicious. When Mr. E. and I were in Italy this summer we ever had pizza (not very similar to American pizza) that was made on focaccia bread.. delicious! Focaccia topped with pesto... Focaccia topped with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella! Yum... so when I received the new cookbook I mentioned in my last blog post, I was happy to read how easy focaccia is to make at home. There is also a recipe for focaccia dulce that I may attempt in the coming weeks...

Focaccia

Ingredients:
peeled Yukon gold potato cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
2.5 cups water (55-65 degrees F)
4.5 cups Bread flour
2.5 tsp instant or active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 cup EVOO or grapeseed oil (you can find this at a Wegmans, World Market and sometimes TJ Maxx)

1. Cook the potato until the chunks fall apart when pierced with a fork or knife (I cooked it in the microwave for 7 minutes)

2. Use a food processor to puree the potatoes and water until smooth. Bring the water and potato mixture to 120 degrees (once again, in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes).

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and half the salt. Add the potato puree and using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet stick dough, about 1-2 minutes. Cover the bowland let sit at room temperature until the dough is tripled in size, 2-3 hours.

4. Lightly oil a 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the baking pan, it will still be loose and sticky so if put some EVOO on your hands to keep from sticking. Gently pull the dough and stretch it across the surface of the pan, then oil your hands and press the dough evenly out to the edges. Drizzle with 3 T of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Use your fingertips to create dimples all over the surface of the dough. Let the dough rise in a warm draft-free spot until it has risen just over the edges of the pan, about 45 minutes to an hour.

5. 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 400 degree with a rack in the center.

6. Gently place the focaccia in the oven on the center rack (the risen dough is delicate; a bump going into the oven could collapse it) and back for 30-45 minutes until the top is evenly golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool and give it at least a few minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.

I ended up making a sandwich with fresh avocado and bacon on the focaccia... delicious!

Basic No Knead Bread

One of my goals for the New Year is to learn to make my own bread. In our small town, the local grocery store has the best bread but unfortunately it is brought in from San Francisco and it is quite pricey. We LOVE the sourdough bread in particular. However, I would like to learn to make all kinds of bread at home without a bread machine. I would also like to grow my own starter (which will continuously be fed) so that I have a constant supply in the refrigerator for sourdough bread! To begin... Mr. E's grandmother gave me the cookbook "My Bread" by Jim Lahey. This week I made my first batch and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
3 c. bread flour
1.25 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant or actie dry yeast
1 1/3 c. cool water (55 to 65 degrees F)
cornmeal or flour for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the four, salt, and yeast. Add the water and usin your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure its really sticky to the touch, if its not, add water 1 T at a time. Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours and dough is doubled in size.

2. When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a spatula to scrape the dough onto the work surface in one piece. When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl it will cling in long, thin strands and it will be quite loose and sticky-do not add more flour. Use lightly floured hands to lift the edges of the dough in towards the center. Nudge and tuck the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a linen tea towel on your work surface and generously dust the cloth with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm draft free spot for 2 hours until the dough is almost doubled. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. It you gently poke it with your finger and make an indentation about 1/4 inch deep, it should hold the impression. If it doesn't, let it rise for 15 more minutes.

4. 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees with a rack in the lower third position and place a covered 4.5 t0 5.5 qaurt heavy pot (Le Creuset works great!) in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the towel and lightly dust the dough with flour, lift up the dough and quickly but gently invert it into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, chestnut brown but no burnt, around 15-30 minutes. Carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes about an hour.

MMMM, enjoy! We savored this bread in the form of a cuban sandwich with homemade aioli, roasted pork, ham, and gruyere cheese!

Lahey, Jim & Flaste, Rick (2009). My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method.