Tweet #pin-wrapper > a {background-image:none !important;} From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... I am prone to wanderlust. When the siren calls, I seek one of two things. It's occasionally the lure of brighter lights or a bigger city, but more often than not, especially these days, solitude better meets my need to cast away. Silence paves the way for reflection. Insight and serenity follow and they are my fresh air, my cosmic oxygen. My Valentine, bless him, has brought me to Loon Lake for the weekend. At this time of year, our only neighbors are the loons and save for their keening wails, silence and solitude reign supreme. The weather today was glorious and though a front has just moved in, we are warm and dry and very well-fed as we sit in this tiny cabin that teeters on the edge of the world. Bob has the fire blazing and the wind and rain are beating a steady tattoo that will have me sleepy well before my bedtime. I'm mesmerized by the artillery-like barrage that pine cones, loosed by the wind and pelting rain, are making as they bounce off the metal roof. There will be a mess for someone to clean up tomorrow, but for tonight all's right with my world. I have a lemon pie, and a special one at that, waiting to set, but it won't be ready in time for tonight's post. Fortunately, I can share tonight's dinner with you. I suspect many of you have read, or are at least familiar with, Molly Wizenberg's cookbook "A Homemade Life" . While her recipes are wonderful, I'm always struck by her facility with language and the restrained power of her words. I have come to love her writing and her blog, Orangette . Hers, is one of the few books that has made from the library stacks to my personal collection. The meatballs we had for supper came from her book. While they are delicious, they are hard to categorize. They are vaguely Greek and definitely have their roots in Mediterranean kitchens. The ingredient list will be surprising to many. While the meatballs are made with pine nuts and raisins, they serve to make the recipe unique and add a texture and sweetness that makes an otherwise ordinary dish special. I mixed and formed the meatballs yesterday and brought them with us to be cooked. That gave all the flavors time to develop and made for a very tasty supper. While I served the meatballs on pita bread, it is not necessary and they do quite well on their own. The meatballs can be baked if you are watching your diet. I prefer them fried, but to each his own. These are very easy to make and can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. I promise you the flavor is unique and the meatballs are delicious. Here's the recipe. Turkey Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Yogurt Sauce ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Molly Wizenberg Ingredients: Meatballs 1-1/4 pound ground turkey thigh meat 1/2 cup finely minced onion 1 large egg 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup cup golden raisins (chopped if large) 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons olive oil Lemon-Garlic Sauce 1 cup plain yogurt (Greek-style if possible) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Pinch cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions: 1) To make meatballs: Combine turkey, onion, egg, cilantro, nuts, raisins, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and cumin in a large bowl. Mix just until ingredients are combined and evenly mixed. With wet hands form the mixture into 1 to 1-1/2-inch balls. Set on a tray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill until ready to sauté. 2) To make sauce: Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate. 3) To cook: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and sauté meatballs in batches, so as not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them regularly so that they are golden on all sides. They should be done when they are evenly browned and feel medium firm, but not hard when touched. Place on a paper towel to catch excess oil. Serve hot, warm, or cold with yogurt sauce. Yield: 4 to 5 servings. You might also enjoy these recipes: Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs - My Kitchen Adventures Cheese Stuffed Turkey Meatballs - Sydney's Kitchen Mario Batali Meatballs - Made Famous By Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs - Being Suzy Homemaker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip - My Kitchen Adventures Swedish Meatballs - The Galley Gourmet Porcupine Meatballs - The Daily Dish

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... Nancy Silverton, founder of Campanile restaurant and the famous La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, has recently partnered with Mario Batali and Joe Batianich in a venture that led to the creation of two new restaurants, Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza. Her eighth book, The Mozza Cookbook , was also published this fall. She was raised in Encino, California and attended Sonoma State College before dropping out to attend Le Cordon Bleu in London. She returned to California and began her career in the pastry kitchen of Michael's restaurant in Santa Monica. She perfected her pastry skills when she returned to Europe to study at the Lenotre Culinary Institute in France. When she returned to the United States she became the head pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Spago. She left Spago to open her own restaurant, Campanile, but in the process found she was unable to find a source for the type of bread she had tasted and learned to make in Europe. To fill that need, she began to teach the art of sourdough bread baking and went on to establish the reknowned La Brea Bakery. She sold the bakery for 6 million dollars, but lost all of it in when the Madoff Ponzi scheme unraveled. As resilient as the spores in her sourdough, she has moved on to partner in the "Mozza" restaurants and continues to write and teach. She is completely deserving of the position she's earned on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food. I have a great deal of admiration for this woman and I was a bit nonplused when the time came to pick a recipe to showcase her work. I toyed with the idea of making bread, but when I saw and tested her recipe for Butterscotch Bodino the game plan changed. Her breads are wonderful, but this signature pudding will make your socks go up and down. It is sublime. I really hope you'll try it. Here's the recipe. Butterscotch Budino with Caramel Sauce and Whipped Crème Fraîche ...from the kitchen of One perfect Bite courtesy of Nancy Silverton Ingredients: Budino 3 cups heavy cream 1-1/2 cups milk 1 cup + 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoons kosher salt 1 large egg 3 large egg yolks 5 tablespoons cornstarch 5 tablespoons butter 1-1/2 tablespoons dark rum Caramel Sauce 1/2 cup heavy cream Scrapings from 1-inch piece of vanilla bean, or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 cup sugar 2 to 4 tablespoons water Whipped Crème Fraîche 1-1/4 teaspoons fleur de sel 1/4 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup crème fraîche Directions: 1) To make budino: Combine cream and milk in bowl or pitcher, set aside. Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl, set aside. Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in pot. Place over medium-high heat and let sit without stirring until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to assure even browning. Cook until mixture is a deep dark brown, smells nutty and is caramelized, about 10 minutes. Immediately whisk in cream mixture, mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk caramel cream, a cup at a time, into egg mixture until half of it is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in butter and rum. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 (6-ounce) ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or up to 3 days. 2) To make caramel sauce: Combine cream and vanilla in medium saucepan. Heat until simmering. Add butter and remove from heat; set aside. Combine corn syrup and sugar in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add enough water to make a wet sandy mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture is medium amber in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream mixture; set aside and let cool. (May be refrigerated and reheated before serving.) 3) To make cream topping: Whisk heavy cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add crème fraîche and whisk until thick and fluffy. To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each budino. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel, and add a dollop of cream topping. Yield: 10 servings. The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Nancy Silverton today. I hope you'll visit all of them. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs. Val - More Than Burnt Toast , Joanne - Eats Well With Others Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed , Susan - The Spice Garden Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey , Heather - girlichef Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney , Jeanette - Healthy Living April - Abby Sweets, Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud Mary - One Perfect Bite , Kathleen - Bake Away with Me Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen , Sue - The View from Great Island Barbara - Movable Feasts , Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds Amy - Beloved Green ,Jeanette - Healthy Living Linda - Ciao Chow Linda , Linda A - There and Back Again Martha - Lines from Linderhof , Nancy - Picadillo Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits , Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen Annie - Most Lovely Things Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Paula Deen. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, November 14th.

2 1/2 lbs halibut fillets (each 1 inch thick) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup capers , rinsed (preferably packed in salt) 1 1/2 large lemons , thinly sliced 3 tablespoons loosely packed fresh flat leaf parsley 2 cups extra virgin olive oil 1 Put a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. 2 Pat the fish fillets dry, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow the seasoned fish to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Chop half of the capers. 3 Arrange half of the lemon slices in one layer in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Arrange the fish fillets in one layer over the lemon slices. Top with all of the capers, the remaining lemon slices, and the 3 tablespoons of parsley, then pour the oil over the composed fish. 4 Bake, covered, until the fish just flakes and is cooked throughout - 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve the fish with some of the lemon slices, capers, and oil spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley leaves. 5 COOK'S NOTE: 6 To reuse the leftover olive oil, strain it through a paper towel-lined sieve and allow it to cool to room temperature. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week. 7 Recipe adapted from: the website of The Jane Pauley Show (on which the technique was demonstrated).

kosher salt 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1/2 cup coarsely grated pecorino romano cheese 2 tablespoons warm water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil maldon salt or other flaky sea salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper 1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. 2 Cut off the thick broccoli stalks, and cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets with about 1 inch of the tender stalks. Reserve the stalks for another use. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and blanch until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; do not overcook. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; drain well and pat dry. 3 Put the pecorino in a large bowl and whisk in the warm water. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil to make a loose emulsion. Add the broccoli and toss to coat. Season with Maldon salt, if necessary, and with pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

10 lamb shanks kosher salt black pepper 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 Spanish onions , chopped 5 carrots , peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces 6 leeks 2 cups dry white wine 1 cup tomato sauce 3 cups chicken stock, Brown 2 cups red grapes , Concord grapes, halved and seeded 1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 2 Rinse and dry the lamb shanks, and season them liberally with salt and pepper. In a very large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the lamb shanks, 5 at a time, and sear until dark golden brown all over, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Remove the shanks and set them aside. 3 Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and leeks to the pot and cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. Use only the white and light green parts of the Leaks only, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into thin half-moons, rinsed thoroughly, and drained. 4 Add the wine, tomato sauce, and sock to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Return the lamb shanks to the pot and bring back to a boil. Cover the pot tightly, place it in the oven, and bake for about 1.5 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. 5 Remove the pot from the oven, check the sauce for seasoning, and then add the grapes. Stir them in gently, and serve directly from the pot.

10 medium chicken drumsticks 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cups medium shrimp , enough for about 5 per person 1 medium Spanish onion , cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/2 cup pureed ripe Tomato 1 teaspoon kosher salt , to taste 1 teaspoon saffron thread 2 tablespoons sweet pimientos (Spanish smoked paprika) 4 quarts chicken stock 2 cups bomba or other short-grain rice 1 lb manila clams , scrubbed 1 cup fresh peas 10 asparagus spears , stalks cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices 1 inch piece sausage 1 Preheat an oven to 400°. Place the drumsticks on a baking sheet and season all over with salt and extra-virgin olive oil. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes and set aside. 2 In the meantime, heat a 14- to 18-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until smoking. Add the shrimp and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Push the onions into the center of the pan and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the salt around the edges of the pan. 3 Add the tomato puree, stirring it into the onions, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining salt, the saffron, pimentón and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to distribute it evenly. Add clams, drumsticks, arranging them nicely throughout the pan. Then add the peas and asparagus and bring the stock back to a boil, and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and add it if needed, then cook, again without stirring, for 10 more minutes, or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and the pan starts to make a crackling noise (don't worry, this is what you want). 4 Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

2 cups panko bread crumbs 2 lbs ground turkey 4 ounces prosciutto di Parma (cut into 1/8-inch dice) 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed 3 large eggs , lightly beaten 1 1/2-2 cups milk (not called for in FoodNetwork.com version) 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese , freshly grated 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese , freshly grated 3/4 cup Italian parsley , finely chopped 3 gratings nutmeg 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil salt fresh ground pepper 2 cups tomato sauce 1 Soak the bread crumbs in water to cover for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. 2 In large bowl, combine turkey, prosciutto, sausage, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/4 c of the pecorino, the Parmigiano, 1/2 c of the parsley, the nutmeg and 1/4 c of the olive oil. Mix very gently with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 1" balls. Place balls on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. 3 Put the tomato sauce in a pan and bring to a boil. Place the meatballs in the sauce and return to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 4 Transfer to a platter and serve with the remaining 1/4 cup each of pecorino and parsley sprinkled over the top.

6 medium oranges 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups flour (high gluten preferred, such as bread flour) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 Preheat oven to 350°F and oil a 9-inch round cake pan. 2 Remove zest from all oranges and juice from one. Set fruit aside for another use. 3 In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs and salt together until frothy and light (about 2 minutes). 4 Slowly add sugar while continuing to mix (about 2 more minutes). 5 Sift the flour and baking soda together and gradually add to egg mixture. Mix about 1 more minute. 6 In a side bowl, mix olive oil, citrus zest and juice. Using a spoon, stir this into the egg mixture, just folding until all inches. 7 Pour batter into prepared pan and place in oven and bake 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. 8 Cool to room temperature, cut into wedges and serve.

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour , for dusting 4 extra large eggs 1/2 teaspoon olive oil 1 Pile the larger amount of flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board or countertop. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, and any flavoring agents you desire (herbs, spices, tomato paste, etc). 2 Using a fork, beat the eggs and oil together, slowly incorporating flour from the walls of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the outside of the mound up to maintain the well shape. 3 Once about half the flour is incorporated, the dough will begin to come together. From this point, start working the mass with your hands, using mostly the palms. 4 Once the flour is fully incorporated and the mass is cohesive, remove the dough from the board and scrape the board clean. Dust the board lightly with flour and knead for 6 minutes, dusting when necessary. The dough should be elastic, and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 min at room temperature. 5 Roll out dough using a rolling pin or pasta machine. Cut into desired shapes and cook as required by the shape. Strand pastas like fettuccini, spaghetti and linguini only need to cook 2-4 minutes. For cannelloni, lasagne or ravioli, cook as per the recipe.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium red onion , thinly sliced 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 jalapenos, seeded and cut into thin slivers 3 lemons, zest of 3 lemons, juice of 8 tablespoons butter , cut in chunks (1 stick) salt fresh ground black pepper 1 1/4 lbs fettuccine pasta 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese 1 Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of salt. 2 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and the red pepper flakes and sauté until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapenos and sauté for another minute. Add the lemon zest and juice, bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the unsalted butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. 3 Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain. 4 Toss the hot pasta into the skillet with the lemon mixture. Return the pan to medium heat and mix well, stirring gently. Add the Pecorino Romano and toss quickly. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and serve immediately.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 8 ounces pancetta (may substitute guanciale or good bacon) 1 lb spaghetti 1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 4 large eggs , separated fresh ground black pepper 1 Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salts. 2 Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and pancetta in a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan set over medium heat, and cook until the pancetta has rendered its fat and is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside (do not drain the fat). 3 Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta. 4 Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta, then toss in the pasta and heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg whites, and pepper to taste, and toss until thoroughly mixed. 5 Divide the pasta among four warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the center of each one, and gently drop an egg yolk into each nest. Season the egg yolks with more pepper and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano over the top. Serve immediately.

I saw a recipe on The Chew website yesterday that looked like a perfect side dish for dinner. I prefer making homemade gnocchi but after a super busy day I just didn’t have it in me. This recipe was so quick and easy to make. The tomato sauce was a snap to make and tasted so delicious. I adapted the recipe a little bit by using store bought gnocchi and adding a bit of shallot and crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. We all thought this was a delicious side dish and it paired nicely with the salad and chicken I served it with.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and lower heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes making sure to stir occasionally. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water, per package instructions, about 3 minutes; drain, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water.

Add the drained gnocchi to the tomato sauce and a bit of the cooking water if needed. Add most of the fresh basil and toss to coat evenly. Place into a serving bowl and add bits of mozzarella cheese, remaining basil, and freshly grated Parmesan. Serve and enjoy.

Gnocchi al Telefono Save Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 40 mins Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by Mario Batali Recipe type: Side dish Cuisine: Italian Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 tsp olive oil 1 small shallot, diced Pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 (28 oz) can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 1 (12 oz) package of Gnocchi, cooked in salted water per package instructions cup fresh basil, chopped (divided) Ciliegine mozzarella balls, halved, to taste Fresh Parmesan, grated Instructions Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and lower heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes making sure to stir occasionally. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water, per package instructions, about 3 minutes; drain, reserving cup of cooking water. Add the drained gnocchi to the tomato sauce and a bit of the cooking water if needed. Add most of the fresh basil and toss to coat evenly. Place into a serving bowl and add bits of mozzarella cheese, remaining basil, and freshly grated Parmesan. Serve and enjoy. 3.5.3226