Zabaglione

If you're a fan of custards and puddings, then I recommend you try this sweet home made Italian dessert. Zabaglione (pronounced zah-bah-yone) is made of three basic ingredients: sugar, egg yolk and Marsala wine. Whipped heavy cream can also be used, as well as flavorings such as grated lemon peel, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. You'll need a double boiler, or a stainless steel bowl on top of, but not touching, simmering water. After just 10 minutes of continuous whisking (yes, you have to put some effort into this recipe), you end up with a sweet, creamy, delicious treat that can be served as a topping for fresh berries, cakes, cookies or figs. Add a few minutes to the cooking/whisking time and you'll get a terrific mousse-like consistency. Either way, you can not go wrong.

I first heard about this dessert a few months back. After doing some research on the web, I found a variety of recipes. All use the same basic ingredients (egg yolk, sugar, Marsala wine). I really liked the exrta flavor that was added to this particular recipe that I found here.

ZABAGLIONE

(courtesy of SimplyRecipes.com)

6 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Ground cinnamon
Vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Strawberries, raspberries, or biscotti

Place egg yolks, and sugar in a large, round-bottomed stainless steel bowl. Add grated lemon peel and a pinch of cinnamon and a drop of vanilla extract to the yolk mixture. Pour in the Marsala wine. You can use sweet Vermouth as a substitute for the Marsala.

Half-fill a pot with water, bring the water to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Set the pan or bowl containing the custard mixture over the water; the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Whisk the custard mixture, making sure that the water does not boil. This ensures that a gentle, even heat thickens the mixture without curdling it. Whisking traps air in the yolks for a light, fluffy mixture.

Continue whisking for about 10 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume, froths up and becomes pale. When it reaches the desired consistency, take the container of custard out of the pot. Slightly thickened, the custard can be used as a sauce. Longer cooking will thicken the custard further, giving it the texture of mousse. Continue whisking for a minute or two to prevent the custard from sticking to its container.

Serve the custard while still warm, or, if you want to serve it cool, set it aside for about 15 minutes. Whisk heavy cream until it forms soft peaks; add the whipped cream to the cooled custard and use a whisk to gently fold them together. Reserve some of the whipped cream to serve on top.

Ladle the zabaglione into individual dishes. Serve with whipped cream, berries, and/or cookies such as biscotti.

Serves 6.

Pastina With A Poached Egg

So the holidays are over and it's time once again time for the season of icy cold weather, cabin fever and, unfortunately, the coughs and sniffles that go along with it. This week, my good friend Emma shares a fantastic, old-fashioned home remedy meal that I'm sure will help put that skip back into your step. Enjoy...and be healthy!

GUEST RECIPES

With Emma Caperelli Loerky

My next post is something I wasn't quite sure if I should blog about. Not because it doesn't taste wonderful, because it does, but it wasn't the most photogenic recipe. On the flip side, it's super easy (one pot), it only consists of 5 ingredients (all of which are almost always in my fridge or pantry), and it tastes great. So, I'd say the the good outweighs the bad.

I got the idea for this recipe from a blog I found last month when I was sick. You see, not only was I sick, but I was desperate. It was right before Christmas and besides having all of the usual holiday stuff to do, I was getting ready to go out of town to visit my family in Philly. I needed to get better. Fast! So, I Googled home remedies for colds and came across this blog: http://chefprivato.blogspot.com/2009/01/pastina-for-babyitalian-grandma-food.html. But I didn't make it right away. Instead, I opted to make a Hot toddy. It really was all I could muster up the energy for at the time. However, I got the perfect opportunity to make this recipe when I got sick this past week. Again. How fun.

For those of you who are Italian like me, pastina is probably a staple in your pantry. I make it quite often and the way I make it changes all the time. It's one of the dishes I whip up for my teenage son when I make something he doesn't like or when he's not not feeling well. Ever since he was a baby, he has always gobbled it up. This time was no exception. In his opinion, this is his new favorite way to eat pastina and I agree.

One of the things I love about cooking is that everyone can read a recipe then translate it to suit their taste. So, I changed the original recipe a bit (okay, a lot). If any of you make it, I'd be eager to hear how you put your own spin on it.


PASTINA WITH A POACHED EGG

Ingredients

1/2 cup Pastina
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
About 2 cups Chicken Broth (more to taste)
Parmigiano-Reggiano (for sprinkling on top, if desired)

Directions

In a small saucepan with a lid, melt butter. Add pastina and toast lightly for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, stir and bring to a simmer, stirring often for about 6 minutes, adding more broth if necessary. Once al dente, make a well in the center of the pasta and add some chicken stock. Add additional stock to the pastina so that it does not stick to the pan. Crack the egg in the well and gently cover the well with some of the pastina. Cover and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Gently spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Easy Weekday Meals

Looking to put a new spin on a weekday meal that will keep the kids asking for more? Put aside your traditional chicken cutlets, and serve up pretzel coated chicken tenders. The shape of the tenders are similar to fast food chicken fingers, and the pretzels add a natural salty/snacky taste. Plus, knowing that pretzels are part of the meal is sure to make for a fun dinner for parents and kids.

PRETZEL COATED CHICKEN TENDERS

Using a food processor, break up about two cups worth of pretzels almost to the point of breadcrumb consistency. You want to have some small pieces of pretzel still in the mix. If you don't have a food processor, you can smash the pretzels by placing them in a plastic bag and rolling it with a rolling pin or a large tomato sauce can. The crumbs will not be as fine, but it will work. Then simply bread the tenders as you would normally bread chicken cutlets (rolling in flour, then egg wash, then pretzel crumbs). For the best taste and texture you want to fry the tenders, not bake them. I prefer using peanut oil for the taste, but vegetable oil will also work fine. For some extra flavor, you can add a few drops of sesame oil to the frying pan. Serve with honey mustard, barbecue sauce or marinara sauce for dipping (gotta get some Italian influence in there!!). Serve with steamed vegetables (carrots and peas are our favorites).

Note: you can bread the tenders ahead of time, either that morning or the night before, and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will save prep time to help get a quick meal on the table for your family to enjoy!

Never one to be outdone, my blogging collega, Una Mamma Italiana, offers up a two-for-one weekday meal! And this one isn't just putting leftovers to use, it's actually making another tasty, beautiful dish!


Here's an easy weeknight dinner that makes a GREAT fritatta the next morning! Italian sausage and potatoes, roasted with a little kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Served very appropriately with a simple side salad. Easy, right?



Then, the next morning the sausage and potatoes make a cameo appearance, coarsely chopped in my fritatta. Mix in a little grated cheese, fresh parsley and basil, and you've possibly stumbled upon a quick fix for a fancy breakfast in bed! Hubby will be happy:)

(Use this trick wisely, ladies)




MANGIA!

Spinach Quiche

Another summer has come and gone, but we still have a few good weeks left to enjoy a nice outdoor meal under slightly cool skies. Whether you call it spinach quiche or spinach egg pie (because real men don't eat quiche, right?), this is the perfect dish to enjoy on your outdoor patio or deck with friends, a nice glass of white wine, and a late summer, early fall breeze. Of course you can serve this any time of the year. I first started to make it around Easter time along with my Easter Ham and Rice pies, but I felt that this pie holds up as its own meal, so I started making it during the late spring/summer/early fall. And if you prefer beer over white wine, try serving an American Wheat Ale, Blonde Ale or a Belgian Witbier. Their refreshing, subtle citrus flavors are the perfect complement!

SPINACH QUICHE

1/2 cup butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (6 oz) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a medium skillet melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, feta and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pie crust, allowing the egg mixture to thoroughly combine with the spinach cheese mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve room temperature or chilled.