Luckily, my laziness only extended to getting in front of the computer to blog, but not to cooking in general, because boy did I cook this summer! My biggest cooking challenge? No oven! So I needed to get creative with my stove and find lots of way to keep myself cool.

Peach Ice Cream

My biggest accomplishment this summer? Ice creams and sorbets! Thanks to an awesome Christmas present (thanks, Steve!), I was able to try out tons of different Icy treats. My faves? Peach Ice cream was decadent and slightly reminiscent of the yummy stuff me and my mom love to buy in bucket loads down by Gaffney, SC. Chocolate sorbet was another winner. What a treat!! Icey-cold chocolatey goodness… and sorbet means no fatty cream!! It was wonderful. Third-prize ribbon goes to the rhubarb ice cream which was sweet, tangy, and velvety. It’s a must for next summer. I know I’ll be craving it once those first signs of summer start to pop up next year.

My Peaches in their ice bath

Another biggie for me this summer was burgers. I became a burger-holic. Pesto burgers, Italian burgers, All-American burgers, Down-south burgers, BBQ burgers, Mexican burgers, Turkey burgers… I was obsessed. And I became quite the perfectionist. I truly believe, and I mean this sincerely, that I perfected a moist and delicious turkey burger this summer. (My award is still in the mail.) But seriously, I could not get enough of burgers- and that was absolutely not a bad thing!

My Perfect Turkey Burgers with Avocado and Feta Salad

I also got big into using my grill pan to make my new fave: chimichurri skirt steak. I’m in love!! And you all know how much I love my parsley- this recipe brings it to another level. Especially when I was receiving bi-monthly fresh care packages from my dad the farmer. My dad loves to grow his vegetables and herbs in his huge garden and gifted me with, among other yummy things, a huge bag full of parsley. I used that whole bag the next day, and when I let my dad know he was shocked! That was a huge bag of parsley!! And that was a delicious chimichurri sauce!

The yummy Chimichurri Sauce

All in all, it was a good summer. I’m looking forward to a fall full of cooking and full of blogging.

So even though I’ve been a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher for a few months now, a few weeks ago I got the coveted email telling me I could now order my MOO business cards. A few day of patience and I received my cards in the mail:

Aren’t they cute? I love them, and to me they’re so much more than cute business cards. They signify the last few months that I’ve spent immersing myself in blogging and cooking, virtually meeting some amazing bloggers and readers, and being able to share so much about myself and family… and this is only just the beginning!

I’m not posting these because it’s Memorial Day or even because it’s National Hamburger Month. I’m posting these because I love this pesto and because I need to let you know how easy it is to make a plain burger really exciting.

Just for some background: just like Sunday Tomato Sauce and Pasta Tosses are my go-to in the Fall/Winter for creative but easy dinners, burgers and salads are my go-to in the Spring/Summer. I just love to have fun with them and try a million different options. And I always make my own burgers. I just love being in control of every single bite (and I know I say this a lot, but I mean it- it’s so easy!!). And- I love to have fun with tons of different toppings. I started off really basic this month but have so many plans to make a million different burgers before fall arrives (oh, the possibilities are endless).

This pesto burger just kind of happened. I wanted to make sliders and wanted each of them to be totally different. I had pesto on hand and used smoked mozzarella as the cheese. They turned out really great. The next day, I was so happy with them that I made chicken sliders for dinner and really enjoyed. Like I said, this pesto goes with everything- the possibilities really are endless!

Basic Burger Recipe:

I’ve got to tell you- this recipe is absolutely an approximation and changes every single time I make burgers, but here’s the basis:

I start out with about 1/2-3/5 lbs of lean beef. This will usually produce 2 healthy sized burgers. From there I like to add the following: 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 shallot (both finely diced), a couple of pinches of fresh thyme and a pinch of fresh parsley, a generous pinch of salt, pepper, and dried rosemary, and a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce. Then I mix gently with a fork and form into patties. I top them with olive oil and sprinkle some salt on top before placing them on a hot grill pan.

Again, this recipe changes every time I make it, but I think that’s the fun of it- having a totally different experience every single time! Hope everyone is having a restful and relaxing Memorial Day!

Even though my dreams of walking over to my fire escape, lifting the window, and picking a hefty bunch of fresh basil may not come true this summer (hey I’m not giving up- just being a little realistic) it doesn’t mean that I still don’t get to indulge in one of my summer favorites: pesto.

I think I’ve always loved pesto- simply because I can’t remember a time I didn’t like it (I remember all too well when I didn’t like mustard or cauliflower or…). I even remember it being the first meal my Aunt had when she arrived in Italy to visit me. My Aunt Liz loves Italian food so visiting me in Italy was like her going home in a way. She wanted to taste the best of the best and I brought her to my favorite Florentine restaurant: Il Contadino.

It was a tiny, hole on the wall kind of place. With a fixed price menu, awesome house wine, and super helpful staff, it was my diamond in the rough. One of my fave Florentine finds.

Doesn't she look a little skeptical?

Needless to say, Liz was not impressed. Liz wanted the fancy place, the restaurant people flew to eat at from all over the world. But that’s not what I wanted her to taste. Florence was a city of simple elegance. Like its food, the restaurant was no fuss but all substance.

Liz ordered the pesto and was dismayed when it came over fettuccine. Fettuccine? That is not how we serve it at home. But nonetheless she swirled that thick creamy sauce into the pasta and took a bite. I could tell from her face- she was in heaven. This may not have been her dream restaurant but the pesto was a winner.

And all pesto is not created equal. I spent all last summer dumping ingredients into my food processor, without caring for quantities, and coming out with a subpar pesto. This summer I learned my lesson. Find a simple recipe and follow.

Pesto - recipe adapted slightly from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pignoli (pine) nuts (I’ve also used walnuts and pecans and liked the results)
1 roughly chopped garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add the garlic, basil, and pine nuts to a food processor and pulse a few times until it is a paste-like consistency.

2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while pulsing to incorporate all the ingredients. Add the parmesan, salt, and pepper and pulse a few times until fully blended.

To have this pesto with pasta, cook your pasta until al dente, and then drain, reserving some of the pasta water. In another pan, heat up the pesto with a bit of the pasta water and add the pasta. Give it a good toss and add more water if needed. The pesto will coat the pasta evenly- so you have the taste of pesto in each bite.

This recipe is great in a bind since it makes making dinner super easy- and on those stressful work days, I can use all the help I can get. I love to make this on a Sunday to use in my recipe’s all week long- and this one little pesto recipe will make me a pasta dinner, a topping for an Italian burger, and an amazing pesto pizza. And that’s only the start. Pesto is simple, versatile, and powerful.

I’m starting to notice that, little by little, I become more and more like my parents. More than I’d like to admit. I have my dad’s short temper and my mom’s dry sarcasm. So when I started to pick up some good habits, like my mom’s knack for finding great deals and my dad’s green thumb, I got very excited.

Now, about that green thumb, this isn’t something that’s coming with the greatest of ease for me. When I first moved into my teeny-tiny apartment, I decided to christen the place with my first plant. I wasn’t so great at first but, in time, this little plant has really grown into something meaningful- something I took care of and grew. That same summer I went to the Union Square Market and bought Basil plants and Parsley plants and they both kicked my butt. The parsley more than the basil- that thing just wouldn’t grow! But with what little I had of the basil I made the yummiest pesto. That was a great summer.

From then on my interest in gardening grew. So much so, in fact, that I decided to go all out last year and get a windowsill plant box. I got so excited to grow herbs that I kind of went crazy. Now when I say grow, I mean that I went to a nursery, bought a baby plant, and planted them together in the box. I bought Basil, Sage, Rosemary, and Mint.

For anyone who knows anything about gardening herbs they know this: Mint is invasive!! It grows and grows and soon you have mint all the way across the box, far away from where you first planted it. I knew this before I planted it but a boyfriend, whose name shall be spared, insisted I purchase the mint. So I did. And before I knew it, the basil was suffering, the rosemary and sage were doing just ok, but that mint was growing like wildfire. I was snipping it left and right to keep it from taking over. By the end of the summer, my plants were barely hanging on for dear life. The basil was wrecked, the sage and rosemary looked pretty much the same as when I first bought it, and even the mint looked like it’d had better days. I gave up on my little window garden but promised to return the following year with more know-how and more vigor. (On a side note, I left that windowsill box out all winter and let my plants go with winter. Guess what just starting cropping up a few weeks ago, after all the rain, snow, below freezing, crazy weather? The Mint! It won’t quit!!)

So here I am- 2 summer’s down and my green thumb was itching to get its hands on something, well, green.  So the aforementioned boyfriend, who still has yet to hear the end of the mint debacle, went out and did something… sweet. He bought me an herb pot. It included basil, parsley, and cilantro. I was overjoyed and itching to get planting. So a few months ago I did it- I planted my first seeds. And, because I don’t know how to do anything in moderation ( I wonder who I get that from) I planted a whole bunch of plants.

So far, they’re not doing too great but watching them grow has been such a treat- such an experience. And even though things aren’t looking too pretty right now, the summer is only beginning and things still have time to turn around!

(I would love to post pics of how my plants are today but my camera is currently in the hospital with a sticky sickness… please bear with me until my camera has fully recovered…)

I’ve been looking for a challenge- something to push me a little out of my comfort zone and this recipe just called out to me. I was getting bored of the pasta tosses and grilled sandwiches and wanted to do something different. So after receiving a Julia Child book from my Aunt Liz and the Julia and Jacque DVD’s from my Dad for christmas, I was inspired to try my hand at this soufflé. Julia has a way of talking about and explaining food that make you want to run into the kitchen and cook- pronto. And she makes it all sound so simple and elegant.

And I’ll be honest- it wasn’t perfect. It was pretty. And then I started eating it, and it was yummy! And then I looked up and it was shrinking- like magic- right before my very eyes. Is that supposed to happen? Julia and Jacque made their soufflés, took the towering and piping hot masterpiece out of the oven, and then they took a bite and the camera’s cut away. Did their soufflé’s shrink when the director yelled cut? Who knows- but it was still an awesome lunch!

I mean, the soufflé was magical and I felt so special eating it. I used cheddar in the recipe and it was delicious. Julia’s recipe calls for Gruyère, but I just needed a bit of simplicity in this very fancy food. It turned out really awesome and I’m so happy I pushed myself to give it a try.

Cheese Soufflé

barely adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

3 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grated parmesan
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tbsp paprika
1/2 pinch nutmeg
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 tbsp pepper
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Start by prepping the soufflé dish by generously buttering it with about a tbsp of butter. Sprinkle shredded parmesan along the bottom and edges of the dish to coat evenly.

2. Make a roux by melting 2 1/2 tbsp of butter in a pan. At the same time start warming up 1 cup of milk. When the butter starts to bubble add the flour and stir. Continue stirring and allow to cook for about a minute or two. Add the milk to the flour and butter slowly, and stir until all the milk is incorporated into the sauce. Stir for a few minutes to thicken. Remove from the heat and, one at a time, add the egg yolks, constantly stirring to make sure the eggs don’t scramble.

3. Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (with my electric hand mixer it took me about 4-5 minutes). Whisk about a quarter of the egg whites into the sauce to lighten it, and then slowly and carefully, fold the sauce and grated cheddar cheese into the egg whites until fully incorporated. This part goes fast, and a lot happens at once, but I did it- so I know you can too!

4. Pour the soufflé mixture into whatever dish you are using to bake it. I used 2 medium-sized ramekins and had enough leftover for a small ramekin, but if you want to use a large soufflé dish this recipe will make about 4-6 servings.

5. If using a collar: Wrap the parchment paper (best) or aluminum foil (still ok) around the top of the soufflé and secure with a pin. You will only need a collar if you’ve filled your dish too high with the mixture.

6. Place soufflé in the oven and reduce heat to 375. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once it has puffed and is done cooking, serve and eat immediately.

I can easily get carried away. I sometimes don’t know how to do things in moderation. I feel like I’m at an obsessive’s anonymous meeting. My name is Christine and I don’t know when enough is enough.

So, with that said and out in the open, I can get on with this post. In the past month I’ve been obsessed with pancakes. And just like when I was obsessed with BLT’S, I have to try them everywhere and make them every which way I know how. I present to you: the banana nut pancake, the choc chip pancake, the sour cream pancake, and the pancake topped with fresh strawberry jam, with a recipe link and rated based on its yummy-ness:

Perfect. Seriously, the most perfect pancakes I’ve ever made. Very moist (probably because of the mashed bananas) and perfectly nutty. I give these an A+. I didn’t change this recipe too much- I put less oil and added chopped walnuts. It was a very simple and quick recipe with awesome results.

I’m very wary of chocolate chip pancakes- they were the very first I tried to make. Way back, when me cooking was a huge joke and I was still testing the waters in the kitchen, I tried to make chocolate chip pancakes and almost burned down the house. Lesson learned? Cook pancakes slowly over medium heat. I think you can guess what I did… but these were surprisingly good. A little too chocolatey for me, but definitely a great once-in-a-while treat.  I give this pancake a B+ for it’s solid performance.

These have me torn. On one hand- how smart is it to make pancakes out of sour cream? On the other hand- ugh- sour cream for breakfast? And therein lies my dilemma with this recipe. For starters, these are deceptively heavy and left me with that overfed on a Sunday morning feeling.  But the flavor was so interesting that, at first, you’re not sure whether you like it or not, but can’t stop taking bites (maybe just one more… I’m still trying to figure you out pancake…). Either way, I will try them again because they were very interesting and a fun eat (and, I think, the prettiest of the pancakes!), but next time I’m going to cut back on the sour cream (I used low fat and I still felt a hundred pounds heavier!) and add a bit more flour. Ultimately they get a B-. Not horrible by a long shot, but definitely not in my list of faves.

The worst pancakes I’ve ever had. Seriously. Heavy, dense, dry. I could have used these as Frisbees. And I’ll just let you know, I had one bite and decided that I would be having a breakfast wrap instead. But, it wasn’t a total loss. I actually ended up making something like a strawberry jam to go on top that was divine. I made a simple syrup and added frozen strawberries. I let them cook down for about 20 minutes and had a wonderful jam that I spread on toast the next morning. So all in all, not too shabby. Pancakes: Big Fat F. Jam? Still a work in progress but I’ll give it a C+ for the effort

…

I was hoping that by posting I would be able to kick my addiction but I did notice that today happened to be IHOP Pancake Day…….. I wonder if I can pass an IHOP on my way home…….

It’s been 4 years since I lived it Italy and first became aware of my love of cooking. I mean, I’d always known I had the capacity to cook, but never knew I could enjoy myself doing it and feel so accomplished after making every meal. I still remember the first meal I made in Italy that I was really proud of. It was Valentines Day, and after a long day of classes, I just wanted to treat myself. On the way home I picked up a big block of Parmigiano Reggiano, a large loaf of Italian bread, and a bottle of Chianti. I had printed out a simple recipe for fettuccine alfredo, but was nervous to make, what had been for such a long time, one of my favorite meals.

My aunt Liz, who I praise endlessly on this site, would make certain foods only a few times a year. She knew we loved it and knew we relished the few times she would make that one special dish: like her amazing tiramisu, her delicious cheesecake, her perfect lasagna, or my personal favorite, her decadent fettuccine alfredo. Every time I went to visit I always asked the same question: “Did you make fettuccine alfredo?” and on those rare occasions when she said yes I was overjoyed!

So when I wanted to make myself a quiet and romantic-ish dinner for myself on that Valentine’s Day- I knew what I would try. It came out well- a little heavy (which is always the case with this meal) but the sentiment, the memories, and most importantly- the taste- were all there. I wanted to recreate that this year but with a little twist. I added peas and prosciutto to make it a little more special and a little more flavorful.

Fettuccini Alfredo  – serves 2

1/4 stick of butter
1/2 cup of cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 minced garlic cloves
2 thin slices of prosciutto, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb fettuccine

1. Start boiling well-salted water for the fettuccine. In a wide pan, add the butter and set over low heat. When the butter is melted and begins to bubble add the minced garlic and raise the heat to medium-low. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the garlic just begins to brown.

2. Around this time the water should be boiling, so add the pasta and cook for about 7 minutes. You want to take the pasta out before it is fully cooked because it will also cook in the sauce for a few minutes.

3. Add the cream and allow to cook for a few minutes, continually stirring. Add the frozen peas and allow to cook for a few minutes. Continue stirring so the cream doesn’t boil over. Add parmesan and stir well.

4. Once the pasta is cooked drain and add to the sauce. Toss well and add the prosciutto. Cook for another minute and serve. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and eat immediately.

I’ve been in a bit a bit of a food rut lately. I don’t know if it’s the change of season or the short days, but I’ve been reaching for the takeout menu more often than I’d like to admit. I’ve been trying to break out of the funk (baby steps…) and it started with this recipe (and ended with the most amazing apple crisp!!! But I’ll save that for another day…).

This recipe was destined to happen. Here’s why:

1. I love pasta tosses. If I had done this blog a year ago, It would have been called 1001 pasta tosses because it was almost all I cooked. It was all I liked to do. Mixin’ and matchin’ pastas, sauces, and etceteras- it was ridiculous. After the winter passed and I started getting over my pasta toss obsession I realized I really needed to expand my horizons. (That’s when I got obsessed with ridiculously packed salads… But that’s another story) And I did, but it’s the winter again… And I haven’t made a pasta toss in a while. It was only a matter of time…

2. Along with my pasta toss obsession last winter I was also obsessed with squash. All of them. I came home with at least 1 squash a week… Sometimes more. And I haven’t had one since last winter…

3. Finally, I had some leftover sausage from my biscuits and gravy recipe- (amazing!!!) and had to do something with it- I didn’t want it to go to waste.

So, you do the math. Squash + pasta toss + sausage = … Destiny.

Seriously. This is an amazing and easy recipe. The squash takes a while to cook so this is best made on a weekend or on a night when you’re able to wait around an hour while the squash bakes. Trust me- it’s worth it! It’s hearty, filling,  incredibly flavorful and so comforting when the weather is as gross at it’s been as of late.

Sausage Rotini Stuffed Butternut Squash – serves 2

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1/2 lb pork
1/2 lb rotini pasta
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
3/4-1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the butternut squash in half, long-ways, and scoop out squash seeds, creating a little pocket. Place on a baking pan- cut side up. Season as you’d like. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter- but I’ve also made this recipe  sweeter with brown sugar and cinnamon and I think it also worked out fine.

2. The squash will need to bake for 45-60 minutes, until it’s tender. About 20-25 minutes before the squash is ready you can get started on the pasta toss. Start by boiling a pot of salted water for the pasta. Then start heating a large non-stick skillet over medium-high to brown the pork. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper and and add to the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil (this stuff is fatty!). Once the pork is fully cooked, add 3/4 cup tomato sauce (I’ve started keeping tubs of this in my fridge. It’s just easier that way) and lower the head to medium-low.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until one minute before al dente.  Add the cooked pasta to the pork and tomato sauce.  Add one tablespoon of parsley and two tablespoons of Parmesan.  Stir and allow to cook for another minute or two. Cover and turn off the heat.

4. Remove the squash from the oven and place on a serving plate. Spoon the pasta toss into the scooped out pocket and top with more pamesan.