Walnut Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce

Some of my kids requested that I post this recipe, a favorite from their childhood. One of my favorites too, especially on a cold winter evening, with a cup of coffee or tea.

                                                                    

1/2 cup butter                        

1/4 cup honey

1 cup molasses

3 eggs

3 cups flour

2-1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup honey. Add the molasses and the eggs and beat well.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in walnuts if using.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake 35 - 40 minutes at 325.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes before cutting into 3x3 squares.

Serve with warm lemon sauce (applesauce or whipped cream are also good).

Lemon sauce:

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Bring water to a boil. Stir in honey and cornstarch. Lower to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer and stir until thickened.

Saint Joseph's Day Cream Puffs (Zeppole di San Giuseppe)

 March 19 is the feast of Saint Joseph, widely celebrated in Italy. While some regions may call this traditional dessert by a different name, and recipes are widely varied, here is one that I really like. 

Make cream puffs using your favorite recipe.  I like the recipe Bim posted, particularly the one that uses butter (I think this is identical to Mom's recipe).  After the puffs have been baked, dried, and cooled, fill with the following mixture:

 30 ounces whole milk ricotta that has been well-drained overnight

2 cups sugar

4 tsp almond extract

2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp freshly-grated orange zest

1/4 cup + 2Tbsp semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Melt additional chips with a bit of vegetable oil to drizzle over the top, and garnish with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios.

Mangia!

Chicken a Cacciatore (Nana Stella's/mom's/Bim's)

Note: Nana and Mom prepared this dish the same way. Over the years I have made some changes to the recipe, but I have attempted to indicate both their method and mine below. The most important difference is that Nana and Mom used to use 1 whole chicken cut into pieces, whereas I use boneless breasts (about 6 breast pieces depending on size) or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces, because it is easier to eat than having to take the meat off the bone at the table.

Brown the chicken pieces in butter (Nana and mom) or olive oil (Bim) in a skillet. Remove to large pot. Mince 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic and brown in the same fat and remove to the same pot.

Add to pot: 

- 28 oz. canned peeled tomatoes (Nana and mom pureed these but I cut into coarse pieces) 

- 6 oz. tomato paste

- 1 paste can of water

- 1 C. dry white wine

- 1 C. red wine vinegar

Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add:

- 1 lb. sliced mushrooms

- Olives: 2 cans black (Nana/mom) or 1 can/bottle each of black and green olives (Bim)

Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. 

 Chicken and Dumplings

This is a family favorite! The recipe is adapted from the Culinary Institute Cookbook, which was a Christmas gift from mom one year. 

2 T. butter

1 chicken, cut into pieces

1/4 C. chopped onion (I often use more)

1/4 C. celery, chopped, including the leaves (I often use more)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. flour

2 C. chicken broth

Salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1 T. dry parsley, 1 tsp. dry basil

1 C. frozen peas

Dumplings (see below)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat the butter in a heavy oven-proof skillet. Brown the chicken and remove to a plate. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic until tender. Add the flour and mix. Add the broth and the spices and stir. Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning a little of the broth mixture over each piece. Bake, covered, at 350 for 40 minutes. 

Just before the 40 minutes is up, make the dumplings* by mixing all together:

1 C. baking mix (e.g., Bisquick)

1/2 tsp. dry basil

1/3 C. milk

Remove chicken from oven and turn oven up to 425. In the meantime, add the peas to the chicken mixture and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Drop the dumplings by large spoonfuls onto the stew. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes uncovered and for another 10 minutes covered. Serve hot! 

*We really like the dumplings so I sometimes increase the amount of dumplings for this recipe. 

 Amaretta Cookies

This recipe comes from John Sullivan's friend and colleague Gena Walker (coincidentally a cousin of Robert D'Angelo - see cream puff recipe). These festive appearing cookies are delicious and destined to be a Scavone family Christmas favorite. 

4 cups almond flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp almond extract

5 egg whites

Maraschino cherries, each cherry cut into 4 pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Mix almond flour, sugar and almond extract by hand. Set aside. In second bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer until they peak. Incorporate the egg whites into the flour mixture by hand until the mixture is uniformly moist. Drop a teaspoon of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press a cherry piece on top. Bake for 14 minutes. 

Cinnamon Loaf

 This recipe is from one of our favorite little tea shops in London. Baking ingredients are slightly different in the UK so I had to modify this by trial and error. After about half a dozen tries I finally came up with something that rises just the right amount and does not sink in the middle. The result is pretty close to what we get in London, minus the lovely atmosphere of an English tea shop.  

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 

Mix together and set aside: 1 1/3 C. flour, 1 tsp. powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. 

In electric mixer, cream together 2/3 C. butter (room temperature) and 1 C. granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients, then 1/2 C. sour cream, then the rest of the dry ingredients, stirring after each addition. Mix just until blended. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Frost (below) when cool. 

Frosting: In electric mixer, mix together 1/4 C. butter and 1/2 C. cream cheese (both at room temperature). Add 2 C. confectioners sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Spread over entire loaf. 

Stuffed and Rolled Pork Tenderloin

 I devised this recipe myself and it is one of my favorites to serve guests. It looks nice on the plate and goes well with Creamy Rosemary and Sage Polenta.

Make a lengthwise cut about 2/3 through a pork tenderloin and then separate the halves as if you are opening a book. Flatten with a heavy mallet. Then make another lengthwise cut through each of the two "pages" of the book and open and flatten those. You will be left with a fairly large flat piece of tenderloin. 

Brush the top of the flattened meat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 clove of minced garlic, a handful of coarsely grated Romano cheese, a small handful of coarsely chopped herbs (I sometimes use a parsley and basil mixture, especially in the summer when I can get it fresh from my garden. I also often use just Rosemary. It is up to your tastes.)  Roll the meat along its long side so you have a long log. Tie kitchen twine around it in a few places along the length to hold the log together. Dredge in flour. 

Pour a little olive oil in a flameproof roasting pan and set on medium-high heat. Brown the meat on both sides and then remove from the flame. Pour 1/2 C. chicken broth and 1/2 C. dry white wine over the meat. Roast at 350 for 30-40 minutes until meat thermometer indicates it is done. Let rest on cutting board. While the meat rests, prepare the gravy (below). Then cut the meat at a slight diagonal so that you have nice-sized pinwheels of meat. Arrange them on a platter so each pinwheel slightly overlaps the one before it. Pour the gravy through a sieve on top of the meat. 

Gravy: Whisk 1 T. flour into the pan drippings, place over flame to thicken, stirring often. When thick, taste for salt, and then strain over the meat. 

Two Cabbages Salad

This recipe comes from the book, 12 Months of Monastery Salads, and has been a Joy family favorite for many years, partly because I do not really like the heavy mayo-based dressing typical of most coleslaw.

Toss together:

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded red cabbage

3 medium carrots, peeled and grated or finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Whisk together until thickened:

1/3 cup olive oil

5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

(I also whisk in 1-2 Tbsp of mayo, just to bring it all nicely together)

Pour over salad, toss, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add 1/2 cup raisins or craisins just before serving. It is also good with sunflower seeds and/or slivered almonds for a bit of crunch.

 CHILI

The secret ingredient is chocolate, which sounds funny, but it is a small amount and does not overwhelm. No one will know it is there if you don't tell them but it really adds a depth to the dish. 

Small amount bacon fat (or oil)

Medium onion, diced

1 lb. ground beef (can substitute chicken, turkey, etc.)

14 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 oz. tomato paste

1 can kidney beans

1 small can corn (optional)

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste, chili powder (about 1 T.), cumin (about 1/2 t.), 1 bay leaf (remove before serving), red chili flakes to taste, a few dashes of Tabasco if desired

For garnish: A small amount of sharp cheddar cheese, grated; some fresh chives, chopped

On the side: A small amount of sour cream

Melt bacon fat in large frying pan, add the onion, and saute. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Drain grease from pan. Add the tomatoes, paste, kidney beans, chocolate and spices. Bring to boil, then lower heat and let simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour. 

Serve garnished with cheese and chives. Serve sour cream on the side. 

Chicken Gumbo

Make broth: Cover 1 large chicken with water. Add salt, pepper, onion, carrot, celery. Bring to boil, then lower heat and let simmer until meat comes off bone. Remove chicken from pot, let cool, and remove meat from bones. Strain broth. 

In the meantime, put 1/4 cup bacon fat in a large skillet. Add 1 large onion, diced; 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced. Cook 5-10 minutes until very slightly browned. Add 1/4 cup flour to make a rue. Add 1 quart of the chicken broth; 28 ounces diced tomatoes (or use fresh, deseeded and diced); 1/2-1 lb okra, sliced. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf, chili powder, and hot sauce to taste. Bring to boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about an hour, until vegetables soft. Add meat back to pot during last several minutes of simmering. 

Pickled Vegetables

Just as with the pickles, this is just the recipe. You will have to prepare and process the jars for canning.

Step 1) Make the brine and bring to a boil (for 4 12-ounce jars; adjust accordingly): 

2 C. white wine vinegar

2 C. water

1 C. sugar

2 T. pickling salt

Step 2) Blanche the vegetables in the brine:

Carrots: 10 minutes

Ramps: 10 minutes

Cauliflower: 3 minutes (if colored cauliflower steam for 5 minutes rather than blanching in the brine)

These are the veges I usually use but a lot of others would be good too. You can probably look up blanching times for other vegetables online or just make your best guess.

Step 3) To each 12 ounce jar add:

1 bay leaf

2 tsp fennel seeds (I leave the fennel out for cauliflower)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seed

1 tsp black peppercorns

optional: 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper or a small dry cayenne pepper

optional: "Pickle Crisp" (You can buy at the grocery store or online. It does just what the name says -- keeps the vegetables more crispy.)

Step 4) Add the vegetables to each jar and then fill the jar with boiling brine leaving at least 1/2" of headspace at the top.

Step 5) Process by immersing in boiling water with cover on canner for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner to cool. 

Pasta al Tonno (Pasta with Tuna)

 This is from the Concise Gastronomy of Italy by Anna Del Conte.  It serves 4 as a first course.

 2 cloves garlic, chopped

6 Tbsp olive oil 

a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped  

a small piece of dried chili or dried red pepper flakes  

4 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

7 oz canned tuna, yellowfin if possible, in olive oil, drained and flaked 

salt and freshly ground pepper         

12 oz spaghetti 

12 black olives, sliced.

Cook the spaghetti.

Meanwhile put the garlic, parsley, chili, and olive oil in a large skillet and sauté gently for about a minute. Add the anchovies and tuna and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste and plenty of freshly ground pepper.

Drain the spaghetti when very al dente and turn it quickly into the skillet. Stir-fry for a minute or so, mixing constantly to coat the pasta with the sauce. Scatter the olives. Serve at once. 

We enjoyed it with a sprinkling of grated pecorino romano.

German Cream Cheese Brownies

 This is one of Mom's recipes. She often made these brownies for parties at my house. She always wanted to contribute something delicious!

4 oz. german sweet chocolate                             

5 Tbsp butter                              

8 oz. cream cheese, softened                                  

1 cup sugar                                 

3 eggs                                         

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract    

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional                                      

Melt chocolate and 3 Tbsp butter. Set aside to cool.

Cream remaining butter with cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to cream. Stir in 1 egg, 1Tbs flour, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until blended. Set aside.

Beat remaining eggs until light in color and fluffy. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating until thickened. Fold in baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Blend in cooled chocolate mixture.

If desired, stir in coarsely chopped nuts. Add almond extract and remaining 1 tsp vanilla. Set aside 1 cup of chocolate mixture.

Spread remaining chocolate batter in a greased 9"x9" square pan. Pour cheese batter over the top. Drop remaining chocolate batter onto cheese batter with a tablespoon. Swirl with spatula to marble. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes.

Cranberry Chutney

 We love this with turkey, baked chicken, even ham. Yummy and festive, and a nice change from plain cranberry sauce!

1 navel orange, peeled, tough membrane removed, chopped

1/4 cup orange juice or apple cider

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 large golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, chopped (I actually leave the peel on, and use whatever kind of apple I have in)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnits

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp ground ginger (I also add 1 Tbsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, until cranberries are popping.

Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Basil

 Wondering what to do with all that zucchini from your garden? This recipe comes from the Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. My additions/ changes are in bold print.

4 medium zucchini (about 1-1/2 pounds), scrubbed and ends trimmed 

1  medium onion

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice   1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice plus 2 tsp cider vinegar

Salt to taste

10 large fresh basil leaves, cut into very thin strips

Slice the zucchini and onion as thin as possible.  Place in large bowl and refrigerate until well-chilled (at least two hours; may be refrigerated for several hours).

When ready to serve, whisk together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in small bowl. Drizzle  over the zucchini and sprinkle with shredded basil leaves. Toss and serve immediately.

Leftovers keep very well in the refrigerator.

This also works well with yellow summer squash, cousa squash, or a combination.