Fresh Ricotta and Ricotta Gnocchi

For the ricotta... Once you've made it you won't buy it any more... really simple and much better than store bought

1 gallon of whole milk
Heat until 185°F If you don't have a thermometer... just short of the boil.

Then add ⅓ cup plus 2 tbl of white vinegar ( just usually measure ⅓ cup and a slug over the pan) and stir vigorously until the curds separate.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Spoon the curds into a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth and allow to drain thoroughly..

You generally end up with one and a half to two pounds of ricotta depending on how dry you drain it... I prefer it drier so I let it drain longer.

Ricotta Gnocchi

1 pound of ricotta
1 to 1½ cups of flour
1 egg beaten
⅓ cup of grated parmesan
2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.. only add about half the flour initially and then gradually add more flour a little at a time until you get a workable dough.. the more flour you add the heavier the gnocchi become

Divide the dough in quarters and roll out one pied at a time until you have a rope about ½" in diameter. Then cut the rope into ¾" pieces.

Then form them by rolling them over the back of a fork to get the gnocchi shape.

You can cook them in boiling salted water for a couple minutes until the float or lay them out on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze.

I like to serve them with brown butter and fresh sage and topped with grated Parmesan.

Hazelnut crackers

I created these crackers to go with quince paste and Spanish cheese.

HAZELNUT CRACKERS
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warmish water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour
(I used 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup gluten flour, and 1/2 cup AP flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T unsalted butter

· Slice the hazelnuts with a sharp knife.
· Toast the hazelnuts on a sheet in a 350° oven until slightly browned and fragrant.
· "Start" the yeast, sugar and the warm water in a cup.
· Whisk together the flours and the salt.
· Cut the butter into the flour, making a crumbly mixture; use fork, fingers, or food processor.
· Stir in the hazelnuts.
· Add the yeast-water a little at a time, until the dough just forms a ball.
· You may not need all the water, or you might need to add a little more.
· Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces.
· Roll the dough out as thinly as possible on a floured surface. (for ease, roll on parchment.)
· Sprinkle sea salt on top. You could use water or egg wash to make it stick.
· Cut into cracker shapes. I used a ravioli wheel that has a curly edge.
· Prick the crackers all over with a fork.
· Place the crackers on a baking sheet and bake at 375° for about 10 minutes.
· Baking time might vary, based on the thickness of the crackers, etc.

Onion Strings

Onion Strings are less of a recipe and more of a technique. All you need are onions, a bit of flour, salt and pepper, optionally a pinch of cayenne and oil for deep frying. The only thing special you need is a Japanese spiral slicer. These are the gadgets sushi bars use for making the shredded daikon that is served as an accompaniment. The down side is that they are fairly expensive, you can find them in stores that sell Japanese cooking equipment and are pretty easy to find online. They are the sort of thing that if you saw an infomercial you're immediate reaction would be "yeah right". I had a friend who was a chef that had one and the first time I saw her use one, my immediate reaction was.. I've got to get one of those.

This is the slicer I have. Mine is a vertical model and they also sell horizontal ones but I don't have any experience with those.



Peel, top and tail a good sized onion. You can use any color you want. I generally just use yellow onions. Center the onion on the pin on the slicer and have the root end towards the top.



Press the retaining pins in the crank down hard into the onion. The straighter you cut the onion the more secure it is in the cutter. Turn the cutter clockwise and press down gently as you turn. The strings will come out of the bottom. Make sure you pull them out of the bottom of the cutter so they don't clog.



The finished strings. I'm usually making them just for myself, so only use one onion. It probably takes longer to wash the cutter up after you use it than it does to make the strings.



Toss the strings with flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Rice flour or corn starch also work well too. I sometimes add a pinch of cayenne as well



Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer (I use a wok) to 350° Fry the strings in batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels, season with a bit of kosher salt. You can keep them warm in a 250° oven while you cook the remaining batches.

Zhi Ma Bin (Jur Mah Been)

(Sesame Seed - Scallion Bread)

5 c flour
2 cup warm water (or 1 c warm water 1 c milk room temperature milk)
3T sugar
2 ½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Black pepper
6 T raw white sesame seeds
2 c diced green onions

Combine flour, sugar, salt in large mixing bowl. Add yeast to 1 c warm water, let sit for 2 minutes.

Add yeast to dry ingredients. Mix and add second cup of liquid (may need more) including vanilla and mix thoroughly; dough should be moist but not sticky. Turn out onto unfloured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place back in bow, cover with a damp towel, let rise until double in size.

Turn out, divide into 2 equal pieces. Knead, roll into 12” log. Flatten with rolling pin until about 6” wide x 18” long.

Brush with 1 tsp oil, sprinkle with black pepper, sprinkle with 1 c scallions. Roll tightly into a log lengthwise. Coil, spiraling upward, tuck in end. Flatten with hands, lightly flour surface, roll out into a disc (roughly 1” thick). Spritz/brush lightly with water, sprinkle 3 T sesame seeds and press lightly into dough

Transfer to baking dish sesame seed-side up.

Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden.
(We used cake pans and made 3)

Burek (Borek)

Burek (Borek) or a few other names is a pastry showing roots in European countries all the way to Turkey, Greece and that area of the world.

• It is more assembly than cooking or baking a recipe but it does involve rolling phyllo sheets so it is a little tricky until you get the hang of it.


• When making the pastry, I lay one or two sheets of phyllo dough on a tea towel that just overhangs the counter edge.


• I then brush melted butter on phyllo.


• For cheese filling, I pipe a line from left to right but not quite to the edges. (I use a zip lock bag with a corner cut off)


• Then I take hold of the left and right edges of the towel nearest my stomach and gently lift so the phyllo rolls to a cigar shape.


• Cut the cigar shaped pastry in half at the middle so there are two pieces. Roll like a snail shape and place on a small sheet pan.


• Brush all with melted butter and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

The technique is similar for any other filling.

My cheese filling...

16 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces Cream cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

1/4 Cup Chopped parsley

1 T Dill weed

Cream the cheeses in a food processor.

Add eggs, parsley and dill weed.

Continue processing and then place in a zip top bag with the corner clipped for piping.

...............................................................................................................................................

Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet) has a recipe for a meat filling that is pretty standard. Liberties can be taken with usually good results.

These baked meat rolls are shaped like snails and filled with a flavorful ground beef mixture. Serve as an entree or make smaller versions for appetizers.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 box phyllo pastry sheet (12 inches x 17 inches) 3/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onion until soft, and then add the ground beef, allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is crumbly but not dry. Cool completely before you continue. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with some of the butter. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture across the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from edge. Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape. Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a snail shape. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling. Brush with additional butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden. Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent in from drying out. Hint on handling phyllo dough: Be sure the dough is at room temperature before you open the box. Place the sheets of dough on a large cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap and then a heavy towel. In this way, they will not dry out while you are working with them. Work fast for best results and do not have the butter too hot when brushing the dough. Yield: 18 to 20 Recipe Source: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith

Dolmades

These are the real Turkish Dolma - actually called Yalantzi Dolma - or fake Dolma since they have no meat
Usually served cold as an appetizer

1lb onions chopped fine in food processor but not pureed
1C Uncle Bens rice
S&P to taste
1/4 bunch dill chopped
1 heaping dessert spoon dried mint
1/2t sugar
1/2C olive oil
1 lemon - juiced
1 large jar grape leaves

To prepare grape leaves - remove from jar carefully so as not to tear and drop in boiling water for 2 minutes
Set in colander and try to separate
When ready to use, snip off little stem piece and put them in the bottom of pan you will use to cook dolma plus any leaves that are very big or torn
When ready to stuff, place shiny side down and fill dull side with teaspoon of filling and wrap in little cigar

Filling
Dry fry onions in pan until all water has evaporated - add to bowl along with rest of ingredients
When finished stuffing, cover with plate and then cover with boiling water and cook for 45 minutes
Close stove and let sit for a few hours
Plate up and sqeeze lemon over

Eggplant Goat Cheese Tower

Roasted Pepper Salsa

Can be made several days ahead of assembly
4-5 Red peppers roasted in oven/or under broiler until black on all sides
When done, place in bag to steam and when cool - peel skin and deseed
Place in bowl with sliced garlic, EVOO, bay leaf and oregano
Refrigerate until you are using
On day of assembling your tower - you need to process your peppers to a very small chunky salsa - remember to remove bay leaf

Goat Cheese Spread

1 log goat cheese
1 container Boursin herb and garlic spread
Mix together and let sit to soften

Eggplant Steaks

Can be made a day ahead
You will need 11/2-2#'s eggplant
Slice thinly the long way and salt
Let sit in colander - when water has leeched out dry with paper towels
1-2 eggs beaten
Italian flavoured bread crumbs - add panko crumbs, grated parm and a bit of garlic powder - mix
Egg and bread slices and fry in your favourite oil
Let cool completely before assembling

Assembling

Place first slice of eggplant on platter and spread cheese mixture on entire length of slice then a spoonful or two of salsa - spread over cheese mix
Continue until all of the mixture is gone
Do not put it on thick
Top slice should have salsa
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve with fresh pesto on the side

Pickled Vegetables

For pickling liquid
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

For vegetables
1 head cauliflower (2 lb), trimmed and broken into 1- to 1 1/2-inch florets (6 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (2 cups)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (3 cups)
1 cup drained bottled whole peperoncini (4 oz)
1 cup large brine-cured green olives (preferably Sicilian; 6 oz)
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives (6 oz)
Preparation
Make pickling liquid:
Bring pickling-liquid ingredients to a boil in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a 4-quart nonreactive bowl and cool about 30 minutes.

Cook vegetables:
Bring about 6 quarts unsalted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. Add cauliflower to pot and boil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to ice bath to stop cooking. Cook remaining vegetables separately in same manner, allowing 4 minutes each for bell peppers and carrots and 2 minutes for celery. Drain vegetables in a colander and spread out on 2 large kitchen towels to dry.

Add cooked vegetables, peperoncini, and olives to pickling liquid. Weight vegetables with a plate to keep them submerged, then chill, covered, at least 1 day.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Cigars

24 - 36 asparagus spears, depending on size

1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed

6 slices of prosciutto, cut in half

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus to so all spears are of uniform length. Unwrap the phyllo and lay it out on the counter, covered with plastic wrap and a clean, damp towel to prevent drying.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface. Brush the sheet with melted butter and lay a second sheet on top. Brush the second sheet with butter, and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.

Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Lay one slice of prosciutto at the bottom of the short end of the strip of phyllo Lay 2 - 3 asparagus spears (depending on size) on top of the prosciutto and gently roll the packet, jelly-role style. Place each cigar on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are wrapped in phyllo.

Place baking sheet in a pre-heated oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Yields 12 cigars.

Marinated Herb Cheese

4 oz. regular cream cheese
4 oz. feta cheese (see Note)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
¾ cup or more extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram
4-6 whole peppercorns

In a food processor, thoroughly blend the cheeses and garlic cloves to form a smooth paste. Line a mold, or several small molds, with damp cheese cloth or plastic wrap. For example, you may use small ramekins, teacups, small bread tins the inverted cover of a butter dish. With a spatula, spoon the cheese mixture into the cheesecloth lined mold(s) and smooth out the surface. Refrigerate until firm.

Select a wide-mouthed, air-tight jar or other container, one just large enough to hold 2 cups of liquid. Remove the cheese from the mold/cheesecloth or plastic wrap and cut into 4 chunks, fairly large in size but small enough to fit in the jar. Drop cheese pieces into jar. Insert the fresh herbs and peppercorns along the sides of the jar. Pour enough oil to cover the cheese and herbs completely. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 2 days before using. Keep refrigerated.

Note: Some feta can be extremely salty. Buy feta that is less salty. French or Bulgarian feta is usually less salty than Greek feta. A technique for de-salting very salty feta cheese…soak it for about an hour in milk then rinse. For softer more spreadable result, you can substitute goat cheese for feta.

Source: http://www.globalgoumet.com/food/egg/egg1296/herbches.html

Faux Carnitas

Faux Carnitas

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book

Chapter: MAIN COURSE



This pressure cooker version of Carnitas is quite good. I prefer it to the traditional method of cooking with lard. That, many times, has a greasy "mouth feel." You can have this version done in an hour or two rather than 8 or 10. I like my version better than the local taqueria's offering.

Serves: 8



2 cups chopped onion
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt cut to cubes.
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon Fiesta brand Pico de Gallo con Limon spice or sub chilli and chipotle powder and use a little lime, lemon or orange zest.
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 14 1/2-ounce can Swanson Chicken Broth
1 cup orange juice

In a pressure cooker:

Saute chopped onion in a little olive oil.

Add the cubed meat and spices. Stir to distribute evenly.

Add chicken broth and orange juice. Stir.

Cook under pressure 35-45 minutes.

Use normal pressure release.

Using a slotted spoon, place the cooked meat on a lined, lipped, oven pan.

Using two forks, shred the meat mixture.

Sprinkle a few ounces of defatted cooking juice on the meat. (A turkey baster will do the job.)

Place pan under a preheated broiler for 10-15 minutes checking every 4-5 minutes for excessive drying or burning. Sprinkle more cooking juice if necessary.

Enjoy.

Freezes well. Reheats in microwave well.

Oysters Bienville

I found this recipe on the net and it's evidently Emeril Lagasse's variation. I served it at a party where oysters were the star of the show and everyone loved it. I used half bacon and half pancetta in my version. The recipe says it does 36 oysters but using about 3 inch small oysters I did over 50 and still had mix left. I think the mix would be good on any seafood and then baked..but then this mix would probably be good on cardboard!

1/2 lb sliced bacon, , chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 lb white button mushrooms, wiped clean,stems trimmed,and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled,deveined,and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions or scallions (, green part only)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
36 medium oysters, shucked and drained,reserve the deeper bottom shells
rock salt (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the onions, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and butter, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the butter melts.
4. Add the flour and, stirring slowly and constantly, cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the milk and wine and stir to blend.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and shrimp.
7. Stir and fold to mix and cook until the mixture is very thick, about 12 minutes.
8. Add the lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and stir to mix well.
9. Remove from the heat, add the beaten egg yolks, and blend well.
10. Let cool to room temperature.
11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Arrange the reserved oyster shells on a bed of rock salt in 4 pie pans or on a large baking sheet.
13. Put an oyster in each shell and top it with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the sauce.
14. Or, the oysters can be put in a shallow pan (without the shells and rock salt) and topped with the sauce to bake.
15. Bake until the sauce is delicately browned and the oysters begin to curl at the edges, about 20 minutes. (I baked them for 15 and then broiled for about 2)
16. Serve hot.

Kabak Mucveri (zucchini fritters)

1.5 lbs firm zucchini, grated (4 cups)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped, white parts only (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh italian parsley
3 eggs
1 tbsp paprika
salt & fresh ground pepper
I cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 cups light olive oil*
I recipe garlic yogurt sauce (to follow)

Place the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt and let drain for about 15 minutes.  Squeeze out excess juice and place zucchini in a large bowl together with the scallions, dill, parsley, eggs & paprika, mixing well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the feta and flour a little at a time and incorporate them well.

Heat oil in a skillet, then lower heat to medium.*  Scoop out tablespoons full of the zucchini mixture and gently drop them into the hot oil.  Do not crowd the fritters.  Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and serve at once. They can also be served at room temperature

*note: instead of frying, I brushed them with olive oil and baked them on a cookie sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes (I think-- forgot to time them), turning once. They came out brown and crispy, just like they should be, with a LOT less oil.


Garlic Yogurt Sauce
makes 1 2/3 cups

1 2/3 cup plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt

In a small bowl, whisk ingredients until the mixture is very smooth.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 15 minutes to allow the garlic flavor to blend with the yogurt.

Oven-fried Coconut Shrimp

2 large egg whites
1 1/3 C fine plain breadcrumbs (we use Panco)
¼ tsp cumin
2 T finely minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
6 T flaked sweetened coconut
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Orange Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 500 F.
Lightly spray baking sheet with olive oil spray.
In small bowl, beat egg whites lightly with fork.
In small plastic bag, combine bread crumbs, coconut, cumin, garlic and pepper.
One at a a time, dip each shrimp into egg whites and then into the plastic bag and shake to coat with breadcrumbs. Lay shrimp on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the shrimp are golden and cooked through, turning once with spatula halfway through cooking. Serve immediately with Orange Sauce.

ORANGESAUCE

½ C low-sugar orange marmalade
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp molasses
Pinch of cumin
4 to 6 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Pinch of cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients well. Makes about ½cup. Serves 4

Guamainian-style Lumpia

Lumpia is fiesta food. In Guam, every special occasion includes lumpia. It is happy food! Mounding trays of lumpia fried with love. Not to mention tables and tables of other wonderful dishes. In our family, we have trimmed the calories by oven-frying rather than deep frying the lumpia. The recipe adapts very well.

1-1.5 lbs. Ground pork or pork chopped fine (can use shrimp, too)

Garlic – lots like 5-6 big cloves
3-4 T. Soy sauce or to taste
Ground pepper- lots

1 Onion, large, finely chopped
1/2 head large Cabbage finely chopped
2 Carrots - shredded
1 Bell pepper, finely chopped
Bean sprouts (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

1 egg
Lumpia wrappers (purchase from Filipino store) or Egg roll wrappers (not as good)

Finely chop all veggies except sprouts.
Brown pork w/ garlic and soy sauce until done. Remove from stove.
Add veggies and mix thoroughly w/hot mixture. Let cool.

Drain mixture very well (you don’t want a wet mixture when deep frying)

Roll mixture in lumpia wrappers burrito style. You do not want any filing to leak out as it will make a mess when you fry them. Use egg to glue the lumpia wrapper closed.

Scramble the egg and use it to glue the wrapper shut.

Use wax paper between layers of lumpia so they do not stick together.

***Deep fry lumpia until golden brown.

The beauty of lumpia is you can put anything you want in them. I have had many Filipino style. They can be meat only, veggie, or potato – those are the most common I have had. Guam style is more like a big eggroll, but better.

*** Oven-fried lumpia works very well. Preheat oven to 500 deg. Place lumpia on a jelly roll pan and spray with cooking oil spray. Turn the lumpia over and spray the other side. Bake for 10 min or until golden brown and turn the lumpia over and brown the other side.

Lumpia wrappers generally come in 100 count so I always make a big batch and freeze the extra lumpia. Make sure to separate the lumpia w/ wax paper before you freeze. You can fry them frozen.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 c. Brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. cider vinegar
11/2 c. pineapple juice
2 T. soy sauce

Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce thickens and becomes clear.

Portobello Pizzas

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM PIZZAS


Clean and trim stems on some six inch diameter Portobellos.

Drizzle or spritz with olive oil.

Grill for 2-4 minutes on each side.

Remove from grill.

With the mushroom upside down, on each:

Spread a small spoonful of store bought pizza or spaghetti sauce.

Sprinkle an ounce or two shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 to 1 ounce crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese.

Top with some chopped onion or shallot and some chopped walnuts.

Put mushrooms back on the grill until the cheese melts.

Note: I use a veggie grilling basket.

I haven't found any guest turn them down. They can be sliced into wedges for appetizers.

Sticky Thai Style Chicken Wings

This is my interpretation of a dish I had at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco. Those were deep fried and I've adapted it to try to make it slightly lower fat.

2-3 pounds of chicken wings cut into sections (about 20 pieces without tips)
3-4 garlic cloves finely minced
1 tbl of finely minced ginger (about a walnut sized piece)
1 tbl vegetable oil
3/4 cup of Thai sweet chili sauce
fine chopped cilantro and green onion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with foil and spread the wings on the pan leaving space between them.

Bake the wings for about 40 minutes turning once or twice. Drain off any liquid or fat that forms as they cook. (Some wings have a lot of liquid and you don't want the wings to steam) Cook the wings until they are golden brown and the skin is crispy.

Heat a wok over high heat when hot add the oil and garlic and ginger. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds then add the wings. Toss for a few minutes to coat.

Add the chili sauce. I don't really measure to be honest just add enough to coat all the wings. Toss to coat and allow to cook in the hot wok for 5 minutes or so to slightly caramelize the sauce.

Place on a serving plate and garnish with cilantro and green onions.

Smoked Duck Breast on Truffle Parmesan Toast

This recipe

was inspired

by the

purchase of a

smoked duck

breast. I had

not used

one before so I needed to create a

vehicle for getting it from the plate into the mouth.

Ingredient List:

1 smoked duck breast sliced thin on the diagonal

1 baguette sliced thin on the diagonal

1 cube unsalted butter

1T truffle paste or tartufatta (mixed truffle and mushroom)

1/4C finely grated parmesan cheese

1 medium yellow onion sliced very thin

balsamic vinegar

2T sugar

2T extra virgin olive oil

salt

To make the balsamic glazed onions heat a frying pan and add the olive oil and onions over medium heat, salt lightly to get the onions to sweat, continue sauteeing until onions are carmelized. Use one half the sugar to help with the browning, then add 1/2 cup of balsamic until it is completely reduced. You should taste at this point and add more balsamic as needed to achieve a rich sweet taste. Add the rest of the sugar with more balsamic until you have a deep rich color on the onions.

Mix butter, truffle paste and parmesan, spread thinly on the baguette slices and bake at 350 degrees until the edges of the toasts are golden brown.

Add a slice of smoked duck to the baguette, top with balsamic onions and there you have my signature appetizer.

Gorgonzola Phyllo Cups

This recipe was a successful experiment after eating a combination of cheese and honey at the Palace Hotel last Christmas.
























Ingredient list:

phyllo sheets cut into 3" squares
olive oil or melted butter
Gorgonzola Dolce
Mascarpone
walnuts
honey
vanilla paste

Extra equipment list:

Mini muffin pan
pastry brush
squeeze bottle

Directions:
First you need to make the phyllo cups using 3 layers of phyllo per cup. Brush the olive oil sparingly onto the 3" square of phyllo, add a 2nd layer, brush that with the olive oil or if you prefer you may use unsalted butter, then a 3rd layer of phyllo.

For simplicity sake, I cut the phyllo into long strips the length of the sheet and 3" wide, layered the long sheets, then after the 3 layers were achieved I cut the strip into 3" lengths with a scissors. If you prefer you may use entire sheets, then cut accordingly. 2 1/2" squares will work just as well.

Fit each layered phyllo square into the mini muffin pan and press them into place. Bake at at 350 degrees until they turn golden brown. Set aside. These keep nicely for weeks if stacked on a tray and covered with a cloth, so they can be made well in advance.

To make the filling mix equal portions of Gorgonzola Dolce and Mascarpone cheeses at room temperature. If you'd prefer, you may use Maytag Blue or goat cheese instead of the Gorgonzola. Put a heaping teaspoon full into each phyllo cup and top with a toasted walnut half or pieces. Set aside.

Fill your small squeeze bottle (8oz.) with a light honey (acacia or orange blossom) and add 1T of vanilla paste, then shake or stir to mix thoroughly. Now drizzle over the phyllo cups and serve. (This photo was taken before the honey was added).

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe Haas Avocados
1/4 to 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1/4 to 1/2 of a Serrano pepper, seeded and chopped very fine
1/2 cup fresh Roma tomato, chopped semi-fine
1/2 cup or more fresh Cilantro, chopped finely
1/2 fresh lime, squeezed over guacamole
salt to taste

Optional: Squeeze the juice from 1/4 of a fresh orange for a more tropical flavor

Scoop out the pulp of the avocados into a serving bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash with a fork until combines, but still a bit chunky. Adjust the amount of Serrano Pepper if you like it more or less "hot".

Serve with tortilla chips and a Margararita!

ItalGal