cronicles della mia cucina: spinach and sausage quiche

speckled eggs

recently, i had a bunch of eggs that were just about to go bad.  they were straight-from-the-farm eggs, so for them to become rotten without being consumed would have been absolutely tragic.  how to resolve this situation quickly?! a quiche!  it took me longer to figure out how to spell "quiche" then it did to gather up baking instructions - it was so easy! AND one of the most delicious things i've ever eaten.  (i'm so very humble)

ingredients:
pie crust
eggs
milk
whatever you'd like to add to your quiche

step 1: purchase frozen pie crust (deep dish) and thaw.  preheat oven to 350.
step 2: put all quiche additions inside pie crust (i used sausage, spinach, onions, and the best cheese in the world)

step 3: scramble eggs together with a cup (ish) of milk - i used 4 medium eggs. pour scramble mixture overtop of pie crust with ingredient filling.

step 4: bake for about 40 minutes

step 5: admire

step 6: devour (see the sausage on the bottom?!) 

like i said, this was one of the easiest things i've ever made.  and it was incredibly delicious.  i'm sure the delectable taste derived from the farm-fresh eggs AND sausage AND the best cheese in the world.  i mean all three of those things are incredible individually - just thinking about combining them again is mind-blowing. 

YUM! 

cronicles della mia cucina: brooklyn dinner party

last week, in new york, i got together with some friends i hadn't seen in a while; we gathered at one girl's brooklyn apartment for dinner.  i was in charge of wine, D was in charge of delicious baked goods and J brought the ingredients.   since i was the only guest who doesn't live in the city, we spent a lot of time talking about me and my last year in trieste.  it was nice to be doing what we did so much of last year with a new group of people.  it was comforting to be cooking with friends while i was talking about cooking with friends on via della guardia.  we talked about trips i had taken and made plans for new trips; our conversations flowed just as they had in italy - with the help of italian wine.  and it was especially fun to learn that i'm capable of cooking delicious things that don't involve pasta (thanks for the delicious recipes, J!)

shrimp and avacado salad with crispy tortillas

adapted from here

ingredients: 

tortillas sliced into strips

5 tbls olive oil

kosher salt & black pepper

1.5 lbs peeled & deveined large shrimp

1/2 tsp cumin

2 tbls fresh orange juice

2 tbls fresh lime juice

2 romaine hearts, sliced (about 5 cups)

1/4 small cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 avacado (or more, avacados are yummy)

directions:

heat oven to 400 F.  toss tortillas with olive oil & salt; spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp (7ish minutes)

in a large bowl, toss the shrimp with cumin, salt, and pepper.  heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  cook the shrimp until golden and cooked through. 

in another bowl, combine the juices with 3 tbls of olive oil, salt, & pepper.  add romaine, cabbage, avacado, and shrimpg.  toss to combine; top the salad with the crispy tortillas and serve!

roasted corn with manchego and lime (YUM)

adapted from here

ingredients:

6 ears of corn

2 tbls olive oil

2 tbls unsalted butter

kosher sald & black pepper

1 jalepeno, finely diced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 cup finely grated manchego cheese (YUM!)

1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

2 tsp finely grated lime zest

directions: 

preheat oven to 450 F. roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender (about 15 minutes). let cool, shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs.

heat oil in a large skilled over high heat.  add corn kernels and saute until heated through and golden brown.  add butter; stir until melted. season to taste with salt and pepper. 

transfer corn to a large bowl/platter; sprinkle jalepeno and crushed red pepper flakes over.  squeeze lime wedges; sprinkle with cheese, chives, and lime zest. 

cronicles della mia cucina: sunday brunch!

i've only just begun and this post has already made me hungry.  i currently have no groceries and sunday brunch was always one of our most delicious events.  

we started off the year, going to our favorite spot for brunch on sundays but once we got into cooking, we decided to recreate brunch at our apartment.  the meal slowly grew from simple to a smorgasbord of amazing things all made from scratch.  below, enjoy a sampling of photos

wheat bagels in the process, almonds being toasted to be turned into almond butter, and V making smoothies

finished wheat bagels, a variety of spreads, mimosa fixins, the grinding of almonds into almond butter and coffee

another table view: eggs and hash-browned potatoes and friends!

bagel batch #2 and homemade bread becoming french toast! 

after this specific brunch, i remember a group food coma that resulted in movie-watching-turned-napping in the via della guardia movie theatre. 

x!

cronicles della mia cucina: delicious risotto!

a friend sent me this zucchini risotto recipe (thanks, dr!) and said that it was a "good thing to make if you can get fresh ingredients" and he also said that it was his "fallback - simple, plain, and straightforward."  well, yes, i can get fresh veggies and cheeses but i would definitely not call this simple or plain.  straightforward, maybe, but i had never made risotto before so definitely not on attempt #1

this risotto involves: 

zucchini

onion

tomato

garlic

rice

chicken/veggie stock

cream

parmesean

thick, creamy cheese (i used latteria)

olive oil, butter, water and s&p

sautee, sautee, sautee veggies (not tomato) in oil. melt butter with veggies, and then add rice.  after grains are toasted, add garlic, s&p, and stock.  continuously stir mixture and add stock and water until rice becomes thick. 

let the rice finish cooking.  when the rice is almost finished, add loads of cheese and cream to make it really delicious.  add tomato at the end and then EAT.   

oh, man. it was so creamy and delicious and i made a TON and it lasted for a week and i was happy.

x! 

cronicles della mia cucina: hummus!

so, being a vegetarian in italy is un po' dificile.  vegetarianism is a concept that they don't quite understand here -- you know, they like eating the animals.  so! while they cook loads of things at school with only veggies -- i was getting sick of eating just pasta/rice/another starch with various sauces at home for dinners.  i was missing my veggie foods that consisted of things other than pasta, veggies, and sauce. 

nothing a quick google search of "how to make hummus" couldn't solve! 

now, i had heard that finding tahini (an ingredient that is essential to hummus production) in bella italia was difficult if not impossible. however, the coolest little bio store down the street did not fail me and has jars of tahini for very cheap. success #1! 

i half followed recipes, and half made it up along the way but essentially, i sauteed a red pepper (because i couldn't find already roasted red peppers) and then mixed everything together in our little hand mixer device (production would be much easier with a food processor, however, we don't have one and i don't want to buy one).  

what is "everything"? i used:

1 can of chickpeas

1/3 cup of tahini

1 or 2 lemons worth of juice

2 tbls olive oil (it's good to use the oil from the jar of red peppers, if you get them already roasted)

1/2 c - 3/4 c of roasted red peppers (i roasted mine with peperoncino)

tobasco sauce (to taste -- this is the crucial ingredient)

then you mix everything together! 

mix as much as you like based on how smooth you like it (haha?)

and enjoy! 

since the first red-pepper hummus experience, i've made multiple other kinds of hummus including pesto hummus and black bean hummus (i found black beans! so exciting).

you can really just put whatever you want in with the chickpea mixture and it should be delicious.

xo!

cronicles della mia cucina: adding to the list

thanks to a few recent email requests to share recipes, i've been given too many new ideas of things to whip up in the kitchen.

at the top of the list, these fully loaded granola bars found on shutterbean.com (a new favorite blog to follow)

soon after, DR's deliciously cheesy risotto that he said "is easy and good if you can find fresh veggies and good cheeses," and i believe italy has both of those things.

and now i'm hungry.

xo!

cronicles della mia cucina: homemade bagels!

at our favorite spot in town, they have delicious brunch bagels.  this is the only place in italy that i have ever heard of to serve bagels so obviously it is wildly popular with the IST staff members.  on sunday mornings we have been known to fill the place during brunch hours.  

however, the prices at our posta don't get along very well with our bank accounts.  maybe this was the reason, or maybe she had another, but one day, post brunch, V declared, "i want to make bagels." 

she did the necessary research, made the first batch (which was delish), and then obviously, i copied her. and now we make them frequently!  we've figured it out that each white bagel costs about 8 cents.  when wheat flour is used, however, the price increases to piu' caro 11 cents.  

the necessary materials:

and the process:

boiling before baking

flipping!

sunday-after-break bagel + spreads + glee + boxed wine feast.

round 2: wheat bagels! 

oib august 2k11: get excited for so many homemade bagels. 

you may no longer rightfully ban me from the kitchen at 16 isle plaza. 

x! 

cronicles della mia cucina: an introduction

as i have mentioned here, here, and here, i am acquiring some culinary knowledge.  i now can say that i know my way around the kitchen; i can properly use a stove and oven and am developing the ability to mix things without a recipe.  AND i have an apron. i am making significant progress!!  everyone should be very proud.

obviously, i am a master at the simple things such as pasta and rice and i have successfully experimented with mixing various sauces into both of these starches.  my current favorite and go-to dinner dish is rice with a pesto, ricotta, sundried tomato mixture. YUM.

i have decided to cronicle my specific culinary adventures in posts that will be titled such as this one, "cronicles della mia cucina."  i have no timeline, no goal of a regular schedule for these food-related posts, however, i will be letting you know as soon as i make something delicious.  this is so that i may brag about my food being more delicious than yours in hopes that you will all come and visit so i can cook for you.

below are some pictures of things i have made so far during my time here in trieste:

epic grilled cheese: pesto, fresh mozzerella, cheddar (from scotland!), sundried tomatoes, arugula

vin brule and penne al fumo

baked brie with apricot preserves and sweet chili sauce

first solo loaf of bread!

ketchup!

mexican feast. fajitas and refried beans!

pizza: garlic and ricotta with fresh basil and arugula

pizza: pesto, mozz, sundried tomatoes, fresh arugula

also, last night i made a pesto gorgonzola risotto. it was delicious but not very pretty so i didn't take a picture of it. i should have, though.

current goals:
- soup involving a roux
- hummus
- some sort of incredible vegetable/tomato-based pasta sauce


a quick DID YOU KNOW that fire (like a candle) burns onion fumes to prevent tears when you're cutting onions? because i did not know this. and it's amazing news.

that's all for now. i'm hungry.

xo!

explosions in the kitchen.

dear family and friends,

while you may think that over the course of the last 6 months (or, rather, the 6 months before moving to italy) i have excelled in the sector of "cooking," you may want to reconsider.

with my pimento cheese creation skills blossoming, despite having to seek out substitute ingredients, i gained confidence. additionally, with the added difficulty of being a vegetarian in italy i have thought sporadically that now could be a good chance to really learn how to cook. i mean, i could cook some delicious things, easily, no?! fresh ingredients, delicious olive oil, and a gas stove? now was my chance to really learn how to cook. better yet, i won't tell anyone of this secret goal of mine and then i'll go home over christmas and blow their minds. this is what went through my head. i had big plans.

well. tonight, i believe that i may have changed my mind.

K, who studied in cortona, has a signature dish revolving around a sauce "al fumo" made of cream, pancetta, and vodka (among other ingredients). yes, i tried it and yes, it's indescribably incredible. we planned a gathering tonight that turned into a dinner that turned into an, "OH! i'll make fumo!" night. well! i had the brilliant idea to make the recipe alongside of her, but veggie-style - MINUS the pancetta.

what could go wrong?! why not?! i mean it's just bacon, what's the big deal?!

here goes:

step 1: heat up some olive oil with garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary. check.

step 2: remove browned garlic cloves and wilted sprig of rosemary. check.

step 3: add bacon. (i simply skipped this step, turned the heat down, and waited for the next instructions.)

step 4: when the bacon looks like it's supposed to, pour in the vodka! 2-3 shots. check!

so much exploding olive oil + vodka mixture all over the kitchen.


there are spots on the wall that we (by "we" i mean "i") will have to bleach or paint over before they move out at the end of the year.

i mean this was a HUGE chemistry error. no, i didn't add a substitute fat before putting the vodka in. what would i have added?! boh.

i mean, it went EVERYWHERE. and then i essentially just threw all the ingredients in without any sort of thought and it just tasted like vodka. it wasn't my favorite concoction. i could not for the life of me figure out what it needed more of! what could i add to make it taste better!? was that the burnt wooden spoon i was tasting? or was it actually the sauce?

what it needed was pancetta. bacon. MEAT.

me: 0
meat eaters: 1

so, from now on (at least for a little while), i am going to keep to my cutting boards and cook-free recipes.  next on my agenda (thanks times 6543456787654 million to kshields) is TAKE IT AWAY HOUSE DRESSING.

i'll keep you posted on the trial and error process, as i don't believe that steak sauce exists in italy.


love always,

liz

advancement on the pimento cheese front

found fresh jalepenos and peperoncinos!

YAY!

best batch ever. it has officially become my comfort food over here, mainly because it's the only thing i can make that is really good. but based on the popular response i have received, i'm thinking about learning to cook some real things....

xx

the pimento cheese experience.

so i'm not usually one to really pine away for foods back home when i'm abroad -- when i was in siena, i was pretty happy with the food that was available to me and this time around in italy, not much has changed. i can't really complain when produce is dirt cheap and scrumptious pizza is a pretty regular occurrence.  oh, and have i mentioned that wine is legitimately cheaper than water? yeah. so what can i complain about, right? 

well at the beginning of the summer, i realized that pimento cheese was maybe the most delicious cracker spread EVER.  as the summer went on, i decided i wanted to make it myself, so this became my OIB kitchen project.  while i am usually kicked out of the kitchen during regular meal time, as there are almost always people around that are much more competent around the stove than myself, in the past i have been granted the role of "hors devours preparer."  this summer, in addition to my infamous guacamole, i was determined to create amazing pimento cheese. 

and then i did. just ask matt simons. and my mom. and my sister. and everyone else that ever tried it. it was amazing. 

and then i left for italy.

i haven't been doing much cooking because i've been so busy and i also have susie-homemaker for a roommate (thanks lizzy!) which means fresh-made bread all.the.time but when drunk plans were made for a party this weekend at the boss man's pad, it was time to begin the experiments! 

without cheddar cheese (and not being sure how easy it would be to find the remainder of the ingredients), i realized i would need at least one taste test. and this lovely monday afternoon was the time. 

i went to the store and spent more money than i have yet in one stop. bought four types of cheeses and all the other pertinent ingredients. 

from left to right we have: provolne piccante (spicy provolone), gouda tedesco (gouda), latteria friuli (a soft, local, mild cheese), and graziola - pecorino sardo dolce (a piu' gustoso -- more flavorful? -- cheese from toscano). 

step 1: all of the grating. this was time-consuming. i was very careful to keep everything about all of the cheeses separate. i did not want to contaminate the results -- washing the cheese grater after each cheese was the most annoying task. 

step 2: add mayo

step 3: pimentos! 

step 4: add the spices! the only thing that was different from how i make it in the states is that i was unable to find dried mustard, so i used regular mustard spread

and the resulting consumption chaos. (wine was used as our palate cleanser, naturally, and kristin made "italian" deviled eggs at the same time -- they were also incredible, involving tabasco, garlic, rosmary, and other amazing ingredients.)

the results: 

well, i had many volunteers for taste judge.  however, none of my judges had ever had pimento cheese in the states, so this became less of a test for "which was the most accurate recipe?" and more of "which was the most delicious?"

what we found: the provolone piccante was the most similar to cheddar. the same texture cheese and it also had the best "kick" to it (i was unable to find jalepenos to add to it, so it was lacking in "kick").  the gouda was the second favorite but it wasn't as spicy (these were also first and second in order of similarity to pimento cheese in the states).  the latteria tasted too much like the mayo and spices, the cheese was too mild. and then the pecorino was too strong, tasted too much like delicious stinky cheese. 

but the REAL results came when we all got crazy and started mixing them all together.  all of them were even better when mixed with another one of the mixtures. but the final favorite was the mixture of the gouda and provolone piccante!! 

so that was dinner tonight. multiple variations of pimento cheese and italian-style deviled eggs and just the right amount of red wine. not too bad, not too bad. 

now, if i could only get a recipe for house dressing..... oh take it away, i really do miss you. 

xo