Pollo al Limone e Spaghetti (Lemon Chicken with Equally Lemon-y Spaghetti !) serves 6

This recipe came about because of the excess of lemons in our house due to my daughter’s Lemonade Stand this past Memorial Day (Read all about it HERE). I was in no way flummoxed as to what to do with bunches of lemons, as the lowly lemon can be thrown into so many dishes. With so many however I decided that the lemon flavor would be the star of this dinner.

This dinner makes great use of lemons!

You may know that you can make a quick emulsion if you whip lemon and butter together. I have tasted many pasta dishes with a lemon zing, which is usually achieved by using this basic premise.

The zest of a lemon adds punch to any dish

I had chicken, I had spaghetti, I had butter, and I had lemons: this dish is the result. What can I say; it will be a staple from now on!

A cool glass of good lemonade (I’m sure adding a shot of vodka or gin to this would make a great Summer cocktail!)

Cheers!

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You will need:

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup water

sea-salt (for seasoning meat and to taste)

2 lbs chicken thigh cutlets (no skin, no bones)

1 medium red or sweet onion, diced

1 tsp cayenne pepper flakes

zest and juice of 3 lemons

8 tbs unsalted butter

sea salt & black pepper for seasoning

1 lb spaghetti pasta (I use Barilla brand)

Method:

Preheat oven 400*

* Cook the pasta while the chicken is resting. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining and reserve (you may need it at the end). Do not rinse the pasta. Add directly to the lemon sauce after draining*

1 – Scatter onions in bottom of big saute or roasting pan. Add zest from 1 lemon to pan, the water and 1/2 tsp of pepper flakes. 

scatter onion, lemon zest and pepper flakes into pan

2 –  Lay chicken on top (it is good if it’s snug). Season lightly with medium to coarse sea-salt, and the rest of the pepper flakes. Drizzle with the oil and place in the oven for

Place chicken on top and season

3 – Remove chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Remove chicken to a plate

4 – Put the pan on medium/high heat and add the lemon juice and remainder of the zest. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for 1 minutes. Take off heat.

Add lemon juice and boil

5 – Add butter and swirl into sauce until melted.Taste sauce for addition of salt and pepper and adjust according to your liking.

Add butter

6 – Add the pasta immediately and toss everything together.

Add pasta

Serve as it is with a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and more cayenne pepper flakes…

Amazingly robust yet light pasta dish 

or you can also add chicken

I also cooked some breast meat for 1 person in our house who cowers at the mention of dark meat

The Girl With The “Real” Lemonade

I did something so quintessentially “American” this past Memorial Day (yesterday) I had to write about it. This Holiday began after the Civil War to honor those who had died (around 750,000 soldiers) and has evolved over the years to commemorate all Americans who have died in Military Service. It is a National Holiday filled with parades, picnics and barbeques. From what I could gather yesterday, it also seems to be a day that is perfect for a “yard sale” as households were out in droves on their front lawns doing the last of their Spring cleaning.

Did you know that to make lemonade you use real lemons!

Since I too was in that cleaning mode we decided that it was a good time to pile our junk outside and put a bargain price on it or just give it away. All I knew for sure is that when it was carted outside onto my front lawn right on main street, it was never coming back into the house again!

What we did yesterday

My daughter was very happy about the prospect of selling stuff and asked if she could man the shop. The reply was “yes” of course because there was no way I was sitting outside amidst a bunch of trash in the hot sun for the afternoon. I was very satisfied to peek out the door every now and then and feed anyone who yelled for food. Off she went upstairs to change into her “work” outfit and five minutes later she told me she would also like to run a Lemonade Stand at the same time?

a cool glass of good lemonade (Will post this recipe later this week!)

Wow – a Lemonade Stand; an image of Mary Ellen from The Waltons setting up her stand to try to make a little extra money popped into my head ! To me, everything about a lemonade stand screams America. It is what every child in this country does, either on TV or in real life, to make a little extra pocket-money to buy that bike or baseball glove they have always wanted. At least that used to be the premise.

Get your lemonade!

The New York Times in the 1880’s reported “scores” of Lemonade Stands being set up by enterprising kids all over the country, going head to head with the bars who also sold lemonade. They could easily undercut the bar price and so became the go-to place for a refreshing cold beverage in the days when there was little respite from the heat by way of air conditioners and electric fans. And so the Lemonade Stand was born and was the turf of any American kid who wanted a summer job where they could keep their own hours and be financially independent.

Made with real lemons!

Well, if my child wanted to have a Lemonade Stand  she was going to have to put the work in and have a stand where her lemonade screamed of LEMONS and not the tepid saccharine-ridden powdered stuff I had been served oh so often in a thimble-like cup that left my poor thirst unsatiated. I would have to teach her (while learning myself!) how to make really good, thirst quenching lemonade; you know, “Waltons’ Style”!

The first sale!

We bought bags of lemons, sugar, big plastic glasses and lots of ice and made a fabulous lemonade. It was adjusted and readjusted, (after being tasted by some experts), until it was perfect. The deal is, if you have a good product, you will have customers.

The cash register

After she learned what a “float” of money was she was on her way. All she had to do was make a sign, and with a little help, got her table set up and was ready to make some sales. She spent the next 5 hours, waving down cars, selling icy lemonade, enlisting help from her cousins to wave down cars, while even managing to sell a broken-down lawnmower with the words “free” on it for $2!

Something to do when hanging out at The Stand (the “cup song”)

 The idea that the Lemonade Stand stood for a child’s first entrepreneurial experience was a concept that I could believe in again. She took her tin of cash inside at the end of the day, reimbursed us the float and the lemonade expenses and is ready to do it again some weekend very soon. Who knows, maybe she will manage to sell our other broken-down lawnmower.

Happy Memorial Day! 

WILL POST OUR LEMONADE RECIPE LATER THIS WEEK!

Something Fantastic Made With Leftover Chicken Stock or Rich Penne with Chicken Sausage (serves 4-6)

ah yes (glad I didn’t throw that stock out!)

Have you ever cooked a chicken or some other meat (either roasted or boiled) and after dinner still have a couple of cups of liquid left over? The thing that I hate the most in this world is to waste perfectly good food. People go to the trouble of making dinner and then after dinner something strange happens: the thing that was so enjoyed a few minutes earlier gets relegated to the category of waste or scraps. Why do we regard the part of the dish that has not been eaten as somehow inferior to what we just oohed and aahed over moments earlier? It’s time for you to start saving that cooking liquid and stop buying pricy cans and cartons of broth that is not half as good as the stuff you throw out after dinner!

As unappetizing as this looks, you should never throw away perfectly good stock from a cooked chicken!

What you see in the picture above is what I had leftover after a chicken dinner the other night. I had roasted a chicken with some basic veggies and added liquid to my pan halfway through to get a pan sauce without actually making one. After dinner, the chicken was gone (along with everything else) but this was left in my roasting pan. Most of the time this gets thrown out – admit it! it is so much easier to scrape this into the garbage than it is to put it in a container and store it in the fridge. When you throw something like this away you are throwing out the backbone of so many dishes that can be made in a hurry with delicious results if only you had saved what looks like a congealed mess.

The Ultimate Cheese (If you have a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in your fridge at all times, it can be the savior of many a pasta dinner!)

I made this dinner merely to prove my point, and this is only one use. It can be used in a soup, in simpler pasta dishes, or added to a rice dish as the stock. You can also add water to it and discard the cooked veggies (using a sieve or small colander) and substitute it anywhere broth is called for in a recipe. It will taste far superior to its store-bought counterpart.

The back steps are beginning to look a little more Summery and I can’t wait for my garden to become lush and alive with herbs and flowers.

Of course you can still make this dish with bought stock! I guarantee you that I most definitely do not have stock in my fridge every time I need it and resort to bouillon cubes and water more often than using precious saved chicken juices. I just wanted to let you know that the thing you have been throwing away after some of your dinners could be put to good use!

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You will Need:

1 lb sausage (chicken, turkey or pork will work – it can be a seasoned or flavored sausage), removed from casing

4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp chili flakes

4 to 6 cups chopped spinach (we love spinach so used 6!)

1 1/2 cups leftover stock (it can have stuff in it like onions, carrots, garlic, celery and herbs) OR 1 1/2 cups chicken broth OR 1 good quality bouillon cube and water

1/2 cup tomato puree

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 lb ridged penne pasta (I used Barilla Brand mini-penne)

1 tbs cold unsalted butter (optional)

grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (if you have it)

Method:

1 – Put big saute pan on medium heat and add the oil. When it has warmed, add the chopped garlic and the chili flakes. Swirl around and cook for about 1 minute.

Cook garlic and chili flakes

2 – Add the sausage in bits (I broke it into the pan right out of the casing). Cook until the sausage is browned and nearly cooked through (about 12 minutes). You will need to stir and break sausage up with wooden spoon intermittently as it cooks.

Add sausage

*Put the pasta water on (add about 2 tsp coarse salt to the water) and when it boil cook pasta according to instructions. Your aim is to have the pasta cooked by the time you reach step 6. Scoop out about 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water before you drain the pasta. You may need it to thin out your sauce. Do NOT rinse the pasta when it is drained*

3 – Add the leftover stock (or whatever broth you are using) and let it come to a simmer. You may turn heat up slightly while you add the liquids.

Add leftover stock or broth

4 – Add the tomato puree and stir into the sausage mixture before adding the cream. Add the cream and let the sauce come to a slight boil.

Add tomato puree and cream

5 – Add the spinach and stir. Cover pan with a lid, turn heat down and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes at a low simmer.

Add spinach

6 – Turn off heat and add the cooked penne to your sauce and stir. You may also add a tablespoon of cold unsalted butter at this time if you want more glossy creaminess. If you like a thinner sauce or want to loosen the pasta a little, you may add some of the reserved pasta water until you are satisfied. You may also taste for addition of salt and pepper.

Add cooked penne

Divide between bowls and pass grated Parmigiano Reggiano and more red pepper flakes if you so desire.

Serve

An A+ Soup with Chinese Noodles (chicken, spinach, lime) – Serves 8

I got home at 7pm last night and we were eating this soup in 45 minutes (granted I worked in the kitchen like a speed demon!). This was another case of knowing I would be home late but not wanted to waste money ordering out (not to mention the food wouldn’t be as good and all of that paper and plastic waste from containers, utensils and napkins!).

A+ Soup

This is an amazing meal and satisfies all kinds of hunger, from the person who wants lots of food to the person who has a longing for something restorative and healing (like my daughter who was getting over a tummy bug).

A few ingredients made this dish stand out for me: lime juice, thin vegetable-laden broth and the addition of fresh Chinese-Style noodles (below).

These Chinese Style Noodles worked great with this soup

I try my best to keep fresh wonton skins, egg-roll wrappers or these noodles in my fridge. They can be found in the cold fridge in the veggie section of most supermarkets. They are fresh, floury, light, and delicious for all kinds of dishes. They have an expiration date so I always grab a packet from the back with the longest expiry date. Last night they were the perfect thing to bolster the thin broth.

If you decide to make this, and have some leftover, keep the noodles in a container separate from the soup and add to the reheated soup cold, (the residual heat will warm them up nicely). At least that is what my plan is for lunch today!

Just wanted to show you more of what is growing in my garden at the moment: lovely chives (they would also make a great garnish for this soup)

* This is a very good Blood Type A Diet recipe. if you are very strict or a sensitive “A” omit the cayenne pepper flakes*

You will need:

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb chicken breast, very thinly sliced

1 medium onion (sweet or yellow)

2 celery ribs, including leaves, diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 sprig fresh rosemary (left whole)

1 cup shredded or matchstick carrots

1 bunch scallions, including green part (green onions), sliced

10 or so medium shiitake mushrooms, caps thinly sliced

4 cups baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach – chopped)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper flakes

10 cups veggie or chicken broth (or 12 good quality bouillon cube and water)

juice of 1 lime (or about 3 tbs)

sea-salt to taste

Method:

1 – Put large soup pot on medium heat and add the oil. when it has warmed, add the onions, garlic and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper flakes.

Saute onions and celery, add chili flakes

2 – Add the carrots and rosemary and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.

Add carrots and rosemary

3 – Next add the sliced mushrooms and scallions and continue to cook for another 3 or so minutes.

Add mushrooms and scallions

4 – Add the broth (or water and bouillon cube) and turn heat to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the chicken and stir.

Add liquid, then chicken

5 – Add the spinach leaves (or chopped spinach) and bring back to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn the heat down and bring soup to a slight simmer. Cover with lid and simmer for about 12 minutes. Turn heat off and add the lime juice. Taste for addition of salt or pepper. Stir and replace lid. Let the soup sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Add spinach

6 – While the soup is sitting put a big pot of water on to boil (boils faster with a lid!) and when it is boiling cook fresh noodles according to instructions. Drain and rinse well with cold water and set aside.

*this brand says it takes 3 minutes to cook, but I found they were cooked in 2 minutes. I’d advise checking the noodles earlier than the cooking time stated in the instructions*

Put some noodles into bottom of bowl

To serve, place a portion of noodles in the bottom of a soup bowl (as much or as little as you like) and ladle the soup over them.

Add Soup

Some of us add a swirl of sriracha sauce to the soup which gave it an additional bite of heat.

Add hot sauce if you like (we like Sriracha Sauce)

A Great Summer Tea – Thai-Style! (makes 1 big pitcher)

All of a sudden it is Summer and time to decide on some cooling drinks to sip in the late afternoon. I did not grow up drinking Iced teas and in all the years I have lived in the United States it is still a drink that never comes to mind when I want to quench my thirst with something refreshing (besides a great summer cocktail!)

My lovely rhododendron which I planted at the bottom steps of the back door tree years ago is in full bloom!

However this Iced Thai Tea from my latest cooking mag. (bon appetit to be precise) has won me over completely. And, it was even something that I would have skipped over when making my first peruse through the new issue seeing as the title was “Tea It Up”

My son was the one who found it and said I just had to make it. We have this new ritual (me and him) which is when any new cooking issue comes to the house I bring it with me when I pick my kids up from school and leave it on his seat as a little treat for him. As much as I want to, I don’t even take the plastic off and have a sneak-peek.

Lovely Ice Tea – perfect for this weather

He really appreciates having the privilege of ripping it open and getting to see what foods are being highlighted that month or season. But what he really loves is telling me what I have to cook, and if I hum and haw about it, he reads the ingredients to show me how quick and easy it will be. I’m afraid he is mostly a sucker for the colorful juicy pictures of finished dishes, and the picture of a giant glass filled with ice and a creamy pale orange iced-tea with the word “Thai” in the title was no exception. First of all, if the dish smacks of Asian flavors whatsoever it will always be demanded, not to mention he is going through a black tea phase, (my fault, as Barry’s Tea, the tea I drank growing up in Ireland is always being pulled out and brewed to have with a piece of cake or a biscuit (cookie)). How could I refuse!

The back steps to my little yard.

I have to say that I am glad to have kids that push me to try things I would normally not bother with, like this glorious Thai-Style Iced Tea. It is a bit of work, a tad expensive (requires a vanilla bean which cost me $6) and it needs time to chill, but it was so good it is what I am taking to my friend’s house for Brunch this weekend!

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You will need:

8 cups cold water

10 star anise pods

3 tbs sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (instructions below)

15 black tea bags

1/2 cup heavy cup

1/2 sweetened condensed milk

ice cubes (for serving)

Method:

Cut, then scrape seeds from vanilla bean pod

1 – Scrape the seeds from vanilla bean like so: using a sharp knife cut vanilla bean down the enter length of pod.  Hold one end with finger and scrape the inside of the pod with a knife, running it down the entire pod. The seeds will collect on the knife as you go. (Don’t throw away the scraped pods as you can make vanilla sugar with it – see picture below!).

Place the scraped vanilla bean pod in a bowl of fine sugar and it will infuse with lovely vanilla-y flavor. Perfect for sprinkling on toasted buttered bread or fresh berries like strawberries for a quick summer dessert.

2 – Combine 1 cup of water with sugar, star anise and the vanilla bean seeds in a small pot and bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn the heat down and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Combine ingredients and boil to infuse flavor

3 – Combine the tea bags with the 7 remaining cups of water in a large pitcher or bowl and add the cooked water mixture to it when it is done simmering. Place in the fridge and chill for 4 hours.

Add tea bags and more water

5 – Strain the mixture using a sieve into another pitcher and add the cream and condensed milk. Stir everything together.

Strain chilled tea (and add creams)

Serve over ice, or as is if you want it to be more intense. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Serve over ice – yum!

Really Great Smokey Baby-Back Ribs (serves 6-8)

This past weekend was a hectic one to say the least and I had to be smart about what to cook. The best kinds of dishes to cook when you have guests and are on the go are ones that demand little time to prepare, slow cooking and are hearty enough to keep everyone happy for hours.

This dish most certainly fit all the criteria and was more delicious than I could have imagined.

This Weekend: Really Great Smokey Baby-Back Ribs

I implore you to add this to your list of ways to cook my favorite kind of pig: Baby-Back ribs!

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You will need:

4 tbs olive oil

2 racks baby-back ribs, cut into 2 to 3 rib pieces, seasoned lightly with sea-salt and black pepper.

1 large (not huge) Vidalia onion

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup roughly chopped flat-leafed parsley leaves

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (click here if you don’t know what this is)

1 tbs adobo sauce (use 2 tbs if you want more smokey heat)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano tomatoes)

1 tsp sea-salt (if using a fine-grained salt, start of with a 1/2 tsp)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken broth OR 1 good quality bouillon cube (Rapunzel) and 4 cups of water)

Equipment: you will need a very large casserole with lid for this dish.

* I served this with basmati rice but you can serve with a pasta, like spaghetti*

Method:

Preheat oven 400*

1 – Sear the prepared ribs (see ingredients list instructions) in batches on high heat in large saute pan until browned on both sides. You will need to add more oil as you go. Transfer to a big casserole (with lid) that can be put into the oven.

sear ribs

2 – turn heat down to medium and add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and parsley.

saute onions, add seasonings

3 – Add the tomato puree, broth (or water and bouillon cube) and salt and bring mixture to a boil.

Add liquids

4 – Pour this mixture into the casserole over the ribs and place in the oven for 1  1/4 hours. Remove from oven and check meat by piercing with a sharp knife. If it is very tender you can remove it from the oven. Let it sit covered for about 10 minutes before serving. Taste the sauce for additional seasoning. Also, if the sauce is very thick you can add a little more water to thin it out to your liking.

Assemble dish and cook

Serve each person 2 or 3 rib sections with whatever you like, (suggestions below). You can also have some cayenne pepper flakes on the table for those of you who like more heat. A sprinkle of some flat-leafed parsley would not go astray either!

Serve alone or with rice, pasta or bread

The meat can also be removed from the ribs and returned to the sauce which makes it easier to eat, especially if you serve it with a long pasta like spaghetti or tagliatelle.

Quick Pork Ragu (serves 6 with Pasta)

Okay, this is a crazy weekend with far too many things on my plate to wax on about how great this easy-peasy (lemon-squeezy!) pork dish tasted. As is pretty obvious I love to cook, but sometimes the pressure of time makes it an activity that is squeezed in between all the other things that are part of my life.

A great speedy ragu

The same goes for the writing. I have only time enough to give the recipe before zooming off to do the million things that very inconveniently came crashing down on me all at one time! I don’t like when my weekend is taken up with things that are not so important to me but still need to be done.

On the bright side, if you only came to my blog for a recipe then it will be convenient as you to not have to scroll through a lots of extra stuff to get to it!

This is a great dish if you too find yourself short on time this weekend. You can also double up and feed a crowd!

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You will need:

1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 stripes bacon, roughly chopped or sliced

1 medium sweet or yellow onion, small dice

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper flakes (chili flakes)

1/2 cup white wine

28 oz can tomato puree

1 tbs tomato paste (regular or smoked)

1 tsp salt

several grinds of black pepper

Method:

1 – Put sauce pot or deep saute pan on medium heat and add oil. When it warms add the onions and cook for 2 minutes before adding the chopped bacon. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally before adding the rosemary. Cook for another minute.

Saute onions, bacon & rosemary

2 – Season the pork with the sea-salt and pepper and turn up heat. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes until it takes on a light brown color. Add the wine and turn the heat up to high. Let it bubble for about 1 minute.

Add pork

3 – Add the tomato puree, paste, and chili flakes and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

et voila!

Serve with spaghetti, ridged penne or pasta shells. A salad on the side would also be a nice addition.

Mother’s Day In New York City With My Two Lovely Children!

I find that a bit of planning can go a long way. I stopped ad-libbing my free time when I had kids and my personal time had been reduced to about 0%!

NYC for Mother’s Day

I am a planner when it comes to going on day-long outings. The free spirit in me that just wanted to jump into the car and go where the wind took me was no fun when countless times I ended up eating in crappy restaurants because we were just too tired and hungry to find the best place and also arriving at museums or some other “must-see” spot only to find it closed. Additionally, when you take kids on these outings you can multiply your frustration by 100 when things are not going smoothly.

Not Italy, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC!

I can safely say I have attained a balance when it comes to Day Trips, Weekend Getaways, Vacations and Holidays. Balance is a very beautiful thing when you think about it. For me it means (where trips are concerned anyway) having a plan but also having time built-in for the sheer luxury of time itself.

How Central Park looked this past Sunday

For example, this Mother’s Day was planned and it was one I will remember forever. I have found that if I make a plan when it involves a holiday about me specifically (like Mother’s Day and my birthday) it is best to plan it myself. That way I get to do exactly what my heart desires and everyone around me is happy for a couple of reasons; they don’t have to kill themselves trying to guess what I would love to do, and they are just glad to tag along on my selfish adventure (sometimes my plan is to do something on my own, like maybe read undisturbed for a couple of hours!).

The MET

This may sound heavy-handed and bossy but I assure you I am easygoing and easily pleased when it comes to where to go, what to do and what I want! What I really don’t want on Mother’s Day is a big hoopla with flowers and chocolates and my husband being roped in to giving me something extravagant too! I am not his mother and really hate how commercial this whole day has become. All I ask from my children is that I get to be with them if possible and to do something fun if we can manage it.

One of my favorite artists, Alexander Calder. This necklace forged in brass is called “The Jealous Husband” (at The MET)

I absolutely love being with my kids and enjoy their company to no end. I have spent motherhood working around their schedule instead of the other way around just to get the most out of my time with them. This has resulted in us being close and easy in each other’s company, and there is no one I’d rather go to a movie, stroll a museum or walk a strange city with. This past Sunday was no exception.

My son had a big history paper looming on the American Civil War and this Mother’s Day I had the perfect excuse to work his project into my plan. His assignment was to write about any aspect of the war and after lots of discussion he came up with looking at the war from the point of view of how Photography changed the general public’s perception of the war. Of course I helped sway him in that direction as I thought it was more interesting than just recounting a battle or talking about the president. This is the first year my two children are not being Home-Schooled by me and I’m afraid I cannot let the school have all the fun or leave them to conduct their entire education. In this regard, I will always be a meddling parent, intent on them making the most of their opportunity to spend their days learning!

What my daughter liked in the modern painting Wing (The Potato, 1928, by Jean Miro)

This Sunday I planned to drive to the city, park the car downtown and take the subway to each of our planned destinations: The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the upper East Side and afterwards to Eataly for lunch in the Flatiron District. Yes, only two things planned because I knew from experience that it would only take two things to exhaust the three of us. I am the old lady in the group but I can take a lot more of the city’s stimulation than my children. I find I can tune things out while kids feel bombarded by every little thing; subway rides, traffic noise, side-stepping crowds of people, not to mention all the visual stuff.

Photography And The American Civil War Exhibit now until Sept. 2nd at the MET

Anyway, the reason for The Met visit was to see a special exhibit called: Photography and The American Civil War.

As I was looking up information about photo journalism during the war I discovered that this exhibit was at The Met. I was so happy to find such a great resource and built my Mother’s Day outing around seeing it. I was happy, as any excuse to go to Manhattan suited me just fine, and I took the opportunity to visit the European painting wing for my own personal treat while we were there.

Making our way to the exhibit

The Civil War exhibit was so well done and very moving. To see those famous photographs up close and personal like that made a foreigner like me, who learned nothing about American History in school (save for their involvement in World War I and II) more informed and further curious about American history and the early years of American politics. A lot of these photographs were very  disturbing to look at (battle fields of dead soldiers, amputees) and I was hoping my children would be able to handle some of the more vivid images on display. Suffice to say that there was no nightmare drama that night so somehow the exhibit was also able to achieve that balance I talked about earlier. If you are lucky enough to be in NYC this summer, you should check it out for yourself (it is up until September 2nd).

Trying to catch swirling pink petals on 5th Ave.

It was a beautiful Summer day and the walk back to the subway on 5th Avenue by Central Park was as good as it gets in New York. We walked under the cherry blossom trees which were loosing petals so fast it was like a pink snowstorm. The wind was whipping and gusting all around us making our clothes and hair flutter like mad. My daughter tried to chase down some petals as they fell but they were too fast and eluded her grasp at every attempt.

Flatiron building, NYC

We took the train to Eataly, an Italian market in the Flatiron District that I have been to a couple of times (Click HERE and HERE to read each piece),  but I wanted to show the kids the place. I was more than pleased to visit there again to have pizza and pasta for lunch! They were excited to see the food that they had become familiar with last year while in Italy for 3 months (click on Italy in the right hand column of this blog to read posts about our trip), and to  sample the pizza and robust pasta dishes they had grown to love while there.

Pizza in Eataly

Eataly (the giant Italian marketplace created by world-famous chefs Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich) was bustling with diners (there are 9 places to eat everything Italian!), food shoppers and curious tourists who had heard about this Italian food emporium.

Paccheri con Sugo di Mare (Shrimp, calamari, & scallops with tomatoes. white wine and parsley) While my son really loved this dish he said he did not agree with Eataly’s slogan, “Eataly is Italy”. He said “Eataly is not Italy” and while most Italians would love to duck in here for a taste of home, i have to agree with my son. it’s pretty good though.

We bee-lined it for La pizza and La Pasta and got our name on a list for a table to have lunch. We were depraved with hunger and it was hard to walk around seeing luscious food at every turn, while also smelling it. While we waited I bought pici pasta from Siena (at my son’s insistence since he loved pici so much and we had been to Siena, – click here), cooked ham with rosemary and chewy, stick-in-your teeth torrone with hazelnuts from the Piedmont region.

Tagliatelle with braised Short-rib ragu

 Our friend Bird, who lives in the city, joined us for lunch and the four of us had a hard time deciding on what to have. In the end my kids had dishes that they remembered having in Italy and wanted to compare the two. I had a robust and strong-tasting pizza with anchovies and black olives. We took a bite of each other’s food but were happiest with the one we had ordered.

Clean plates all around!

After lunch it was an absolute must to have gelato and coffee to get in the right mindset for the drive home. The walk back to the car in the late afternoon was mostly silent with each of us only having the energy to hold hands and remark on how wonderful a day we were having.

My son asked me if the person who lives here “is rich?” – hmmmm…

We got home when it was still light outside and the first question I got when we walked in the door was, “What’s for dinner?”

Our next big trip is for my birthday, and grand plans are already under way!

Warm Chocolate Muffins On A Lazy Saturday Morning (makes 12)

I told you what I had for breakfast last Saturday (Press THIS) and so I thought I would let you know what I enjoyed this morning. The theme seems to be “sweet stuff” and I make no apologies for this. It is one of the few days I have the choice to stay in bed or get up early, and after getting up at 5am 5 days a week I feel highly obligated to sleep-in on the weekend and to indulge in a morsel of something decadently sweet.

What I had with my coffee this Saturday morning

This decadence came in the form of rich chocolate-y muffins and I am very happy to share the recipe with you so you can possibly feel the same pleasure as I did this morning when I had one with my cup of scalding hot coffee.

If you happen to be in my kitchen and feel the urge to bake a cake or make a tart or bread, I am the kind of woman who almost always has what you might need on hand. I got into this habit of keeping well-stocked in all things bakery-related when my kids were small and would ask out of the blue if we could make some kind of treat or other. To them it was just another form of playing and getting messy, but for me, if I was prepared, it could also mean having a reward at the end of this sometimes frustrating activity (have you ever made a chocolate cake with a couple of four-year-olds!).

cooling muffins

So this morning at 10am when I lazily stood in the kitchen with my daughter and she suggested making “those chocolate muffins from the King Arthur cook book” I knew there would be no question that I had cocoa powder, chocolate chips and white vinegar, ingredients that can sometimes be missing from one’s pantry stockpile. The King Arthur Flour Baker’s companion is a fabulous cookbook and could be the only one you need as far as baking is concerned. It covers everything from basic breads to complex specialty cakes.

My trusty baking cookbook

I found this recipe for chocolate chips muffins years ago and it is the perfect muffin as far as I’m concerned. It is deeply chocolate-y without being sweet and the consistency is dense but light at the same time. They can also be thrown together in five minutes without taxing your early morning foggy brain.

My little helper (also enthusiastic about breakfast this morning!)

We ate these fresh from the oven and when our friend Tom popped in to say good morning, he was right in time to share in the treat (probably smelled the cooking muffins from the road as he passed!).

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You will need:

2/3 cups cocoa (natural or dutch-processed)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur’s of course)

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I used large Ghirardelli bitter-sweet chips)

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp vinegar

8 tbs unsalted butter (4 oz), melted

Method:

Preheat oven 425*

1 – Mix all the dry ingredients (first seven things on list) in a large bowl.

Mix dry ingredients together

2 – In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar. Stir in the melted butter.

Mix wet ingredients together, then add melted butter

3 – Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until barley mixed together.

mix wet to dry

4 – Divide into muffin liners/cups in muffin or bun tray and place in the oven for between 15 to 18 minutes.

Divide between muffin cups

Cool for a few minutes on wire rack before serving. They are also good cold.

Bake, then eat!

Great Turkey Curry With Pineapple (serves 6)

 Inspiration for certain dishes can spring from the oddest of places. This Turkey Curry was invented because I stumbled upon a small can of pineapple chunks that got overlooked during our last big pizza night a few weeks ago. My son invited his friends over and they all made pizza, but not one of them opted for pineapple as a topping. So, while rooting around the other night for inspiration, there they were, and since I was already thinking about something spicy I thought they would act as the perfect balance of flavors!

Turkey curry with Pineapple

I had turkey cutlets and was not in the mood for a mashed potato, gravy and turkey dinner which is another dinner my son clammers for. I decided on curry because it was easy and I knew that the strong taste of the turkey meat would hold up well against the curry powder I wanted to use. That and the pineapple, helped make this a dish I was so happy I decide to photograph and save.  (Sometimes I don’t document a meal and when it is received with wild enthusiasm and my son says, “I hope you are going to blog this!’ I always regret not making the effort).

This was a great weekend dinner!

So thankfully, here it is to make in the future and for you to make tonight (possibly!)

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* A note to Blood Type A Diet followers: this can be made if you are not too hung up on eating “spicy” every now and then. The rest of the ingredients are either beneficial or neutral, and if you use  a very mild curry powder, I don’t see the harm in this recipe!*

You will need:

2 or 3 tbs olive oil

sea-salt and black pepper for seasoning

2 lbs turkey breast fillets, sliced into 1/2 inch thick cutlets

1 lrg Vidalia onion, large dice

8 oz crimini mushrooms (or white button mushrooms)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup diced pineapple

2 tbs all-purpose flour

1 tbs good quality curry powder (I used a great one mix from Kalustyan’s in NYC)

4 cups chicken/veggie broth OR 1 good quality bouillon cube (I use Rapunzel) & water

Method:

Preheat oven 400*

1 – Slice meat and season lightly with sea-salt and pepper. Chop all veggies and crumble bouillon cube if using.

Chop veggies

2 – Put saute or roasting pan on high heat on stove top and add 2 tbs of oil. When it is hot sear the turkey on both sides in batches (careful not to crowd the pan) until browned. Transfer to a plate as you go. You also may need to add more oil as you go.

Brown turkey in batches

3 – Turn heat down to medium and add the onions and cook for about three minutes before adding the mushrooms and rosemary sprigs. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the curry powder and crumbled bouillon (if using) to the mixture and cook for another minute, while mixing it in. Add the flour and mix well.

Cook the veggies, add the curry powder and flour

4 – Add I cup of liquid and stir until the mixture is creamy and thick. Continue to add water a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition. Turn heat up and let everything come to a boil.

Add liquid

5 – Return the meat to the liquid and distribute evenly. Scatter the pineapple over the top and cover pan with lid (or place foil over roasting pan). Place in oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let the curry sit for about 10 minutes before serving and taste for further seasoning.

Cook in oven

I served this curry with spinach and/or basmati rice. It was amazing!

I had mine with sautéed spinach