Italy Part 27

During my visit to Minnesota, my parents were willing to let me take over the kitchen and prepare two Italian meals in order to keep my Italy challenge alive. I actually got to reference their copy of the cookbook, since I had gifted them with the same book that they had gifted me all those years ago, hoping to share the inspiration that it brings me! But really, I could have used any excuse to cook something in that kitchen. I imagine myself as a celebrity chef as I strap on my mom's french apron and dance around the open space, preparing ingredients on the miles of counter surfaces, searching through the fridge and pantry holding a deep catalogue of food items, and banging around state-of-the-art cookware that I dream of having in my own kitchen someday... glee! Anyways, it is always fun to pretend, especially since my two cats are really good at listening to my "cooking demos."

Soaking up a slice of homemade limelight.
Truth be told, I'm actually terribly camera shy.

Let's start with the meal that includes "furry critters" as the main course. I can't say that I am particularly fond of rabbit, and thank goodness because its price-per-pound worth is over $18!  I purchased a frozen, pre-quartered and humanly caught rabbit from a specialty store in Chanhassen, MN (for occasions like this I place all of my trust into knowledgeable butchers).  After thawing the meat and unwrapping the packaged contents, I was quite impressed with how beautiful this tiny animal's meat was. The meat had a nice pink color with a clean, translucent skin layer over the top. Much more visually appealing than even poultry!  I said a little blessing and got busy. 

Meal #1:

Rabbit with rosemary and white wine (p. 135)

Olive bread (p. 138)

Mixed greens salad

Dinner preparation started with "proofing" the baking yeast
for the Olive bread. Yep, looks alive and ready to go!

While I prepared the dough ingredients, the rabbit was slowly
thawed in a cold water bath in the sink.

What I consider fanciful meat.

Step 1 of cooking rabbit:
Coat with bread crumbs and seasonings, then give
the pieces a good fry in some oil before setting aside.

Step 2 of cooking rabbit:
Once the sauce has been prepared separately, add back the
crispy rabbit pieces and let simmer on low heat for about 2 hrs.
The white wine, sage, rosemary, garlic, tomatoes, stock, and a
pinch of cayenne (to name a few) made for such a nice base.

The bread dough continued to rise for a second time in the
warmth of the setting sun on the front porch.  The recipe called
for white flour only, however, we ran out mid-recipe, so whole
wheat was substituted. It added a nice, rustic brown color.

The dough was rolled out, decorated with Kalamatas (yum!),
then delicately folded over to make a "loaf" before baking.

I plated the rabbit with only a few more minutes left for the bread.

Next time, I won't be so shy adding olives. Even so, this bread
turned out better than expected (my bread never turns out right
so I feel like I far exceeded failure this night)!

We ate family-style for this meal in compliance with the Italian theme.
After a few hesitant bites from my Dad, Mom, and myself, we happily
cleaned our plates.  Plus, we had Adele's custard to look forward to...

My first time trying rabbit was in Mexico last October (2010). It was cooked in cactus skin and it had a particularly gamey taste to it. I braced myself for the same underlying flavors, however, this Rabbit with rosemary and white wine dish was nothing but tender and savory. Truly, "It tasted like chicken!"  And the tomato-wine sauce was divine. My mom mentioned making the sauce again to top other meats or pastas in the future. Preparing this dinner took a lot longer than expected since I missed the step about letting the Olive bread rise twice (oops). We filled the extra hour with additional porch time with a cold beer, snacking on extra Kalamatas. Perhaps the secret to how well the rabbit turned out was in letting the sauce simmer over low heat for nearly an extra hour. 

The second meal required a bit of help from my Dad, the "grill master" of the family. We were having grilled swordfish skewers, a recipe that I would have prepared on my cast iron panini press if I had been making this in Denver.  As it turns out, cooking swordfish was not an option. The same specialty butcher that I sourced the rabbit from had informed me that they were totally out of swordfish and would continue to be for quite some time. Why? The mercury concentration in the meat was sky high! The butcher explained that they test all of their seafood for mercury before accepting deliveries, and recent deliveries did not meet their safety standards... not by a long shot. I also checked my local "budget" grocery store just to see if they would have any (albeit loaded with mercury levels gone unchecked). To my surprise, they didn't carry swordfish either, but not because of mercury levels. This butcher explained that they don't carry it since the meat is so expensive and no one would buy it. What's the next best option as a swordfish substitute? Tuna steaks! 

Meal #2:

Involtini of swordfish tuna (p. 134)

Herb baked ricotta (p. 102)

Leftover olive bread

Sublima limas

The ricotta recipe was started 2 days in advance.
Day 1: Drain off remove excess moisture.
Day 2: Marinade with a cocktail of fresh herbs and oil.

Day 3: Bake in the oven until golden, about 30 min at 350 F.

Since the ricotta was prepared ahead of time, it was
ready as an appetizer in the amount of time it
took the tuna skewers to be assembled.

To assemble the stuffed tuna skewers, the steaks were rolled
out flat between two sheets of plastic wrap and then divided.

I pre-made the stuffing the night before (breadcrumbs, egg, seasonings),
which accelerated prep time. All that was needed was wrapping each
thin steak piece with stuffing, counting out fresh bay leaves,
peeling lemons to reserve their rinds, and slicing pearl onions.

Food beading.
Alternately, I threaded a lemon ride, bay leaf,
and stuffed tuna steak. After all of the pieces were assembled,
they were brushed with a lemon juice and olive oil mixture
and handed over the grilling expert.  

About 5 short minutes later... dinner was ready!
The cooking time was so fast, I hadn't even gotten
the chance to look over his shoulder!

I also lost track of my photo-documenting responsibilities and failed to snap a shot of what our dinner plates looked like. My brother Mike made it home to join us at the dinner table. Once our bellies were full of flakey, charcoal-kissed tuna steaks, we all got busy making cookies and prepping other recipes to be enjoyed with our much anticipated visitors from Chicago, Baltimore, and Milwaukee!  

Food never fails to bring people together.

Land of 10,000 Memories

It has been nearly two weeks since I boarded a plane at Denver International Airport to swoop into Minneapolis where I spent a marvelous 10 days with my family, best friends from High School, and attended my college roommate's wedding.  Coming home to Minnesota doesn't happen often enough, and that is why, no matter what the circumstances, each visit is treated like a vacation. This usually includes napping on the back porch with the pets, sharing grand meals hot off Dad's grill, partaking in daily "Surly" happy hours, and making custard runs to Adele's. As special as visits home are, this trip was even more so since Joe, Lindsay and Antonio flew into town on Friday for the wedding, followed by Joe's family on Saturday for a joint family reunion. The gregarious tone set for the week was further accentuated by persistent warm and sunny weather!  Here are some photos to showcase some of my favorite memories from my early October visit to The Land of 10,000 Lakes. Oofta, yah you betcha!

View of the nation's only Basilica from
Joe's Garage Restaurant off of Hennepin
Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.
Note my family's table to the back right.

My brilliant brother, Mike!
He was able to join us for brunch/lunch before
hitting the books again.

My Dad and I drink a like.
For the record, this was the best Bloody Mary
I've ever encountered!  The secret ingredient included
some sort of spicy infused vodka.  A beer chaser is a must.

One of many trips to the best homemade custard shop in the cities!
Adele's custard located in Excelsior near Lake Minnetonka.

I've been a loyal fan for nearly 12 years now. 

The classic custard pooper.   This fresh vanilla
went into our half gallon of Caramel Cashew.
My mom makes a monthly visit to pick up Bear Paw.

The many local trails near my neighborhood
beckoned me to take a few afternoon rides.

Evenings on Lake Riley, located just a few minutes

away from our Chanhassen home. Maggie, my old puppy,

still rejoices with any opportunity to chase squirrels

and take a dip in the calm lake waters.

Key's famous caramel rolls from their restaurant
located within the oldest bar in Minneapolis.

Megan, Simon, me working together to pick a peck of apples!
Minnetonka Orchards in Minnetrista, MN.

Apple season... one of my favorites!

Kramarczuk's is a must when in the Minneapolis
neighbhorhood (or not)! Although they are famous for their
homemade meats and imported cheeses, we took home bags of
baked goods: kolache!  We were even able to snag three of their
best selling lemon variety, as well as traditional poppy
seed and cheese filled varieties.

Allyce, Simon, and Megan.

Getting happy at the Happy Gnome Bar,
St. Paul, MN.

My mom and I had a "girl's day out" lunch at the French Meadow
Bakery, famously known for being a favorite of Scarlette Johansson.

We split the Rachel Reuben, "firecracker" spicy coleslaw,
and french meadow salad with their famous whole grain bread.
Oh, and a few beers, too :)

Antonio, Lindsay, Joe, and Me.
Full of pozole and ready for a night out on the town! 

The stunning bride braving the strong evening wind.

I love this candid picture.

Congratulations Katie and Mike!!

The ceremony was held at the iconic Minneapolis
Cathedral in downtown St. Paul. 

The final days were spent in a house full of love and laughter.
Family at its finest!

Joe and I returned home (thank you Lazar Family!) with a bag full
of gourmet Wisconsin cheeses and sausages, which we couldn't help
but consume immediately! A tasty remembrance of our time
together and many more to come.

Labor(less) Day

This morning I woke up shivering in a knot of covers. Mother Nature seems to have flipped the seasonal switch from summer to fall, literally, overnight! Then again, it is Labor Day weekend. The time for sweatshirts and college football is once again upon us. Last year I was home in Chanhassen, Minnesota spending time with my family, doing what we do best: sharing beer and eating bar-b-que.  

Perhaps it is our German roots, but we love fermented grains.
My brother, Mike, home brews with his roommates and has
become the family's beer epicure. This picture shows our
line-up of tasters for an afternoon well spent on the back
porch, where we could also sample smells from Dad's grill .

Introducing, Tony, also known as "The Daddio".
Self-taught chef, Kansas City BBQ zealot, and
Chimichurri advocate. Snow, rain, and hail
won't stop this man from firing up the Webber.

This year, I will be spending Labor Day with my hubby. He has a rare day off and we plan on exploring some urban bike trails near home, since traffic will be a nightmare as flocks of Denver residents with a "get out of work" pass head to the mountains. We also planning on doing lots of relaxing with good food and drink. If you want a quick and easy Labor Day feast minus the labor (it is your day off after all), try the following two recipes. Add a tossed salad and watermelon and BAM! A final salute to summer without fuss or charcoal. 

Lazy Bar-B-Que Chicken 

Serves 4

1 pkg. whole chicken, pre-cut

1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the meantime, wash the chicken pieces in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard organs and neck. Arrange chicken on roasting pan, season lightly with salt and pepper. Smother the exposed sides of the chicken pieces with your favorite sauce using a sauce brush. Cook chicken, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove and increase oven heat to 375 degrees F. Flip each chicken piece, season and apply more sauce. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until a inserted knife allows for clear juices.  

My personal BBQ sauce favorite is Gates from Kansas City.
I highly recommend picking some up if you ever find yourself
driving through KC. I tried substituting with a local favorite:
The Rib House, all natural BBQ sauce. The makers originated from
KC, and sure enough, the sauce was more vinegary, peppery, and
runny than the thick, sweet BBQ sauces found in the upper Midwest.
It's great to be close to Kansas again.

Sauced and ready for the oven. 

I grew up with grilled meats, so I was a bit reserved about
charcoal-less BBQ. However, this chicken is juicy, tender
with a slightly crisp exterior! Serve with additional sauce.

Cowgirl Cornbread

Spending a few years in Texas as a child, I have residual fascinations with the Old West, as well as enduring cravings for sweet n' salty cornbread. I can imagine this cornbread being made over a campfire after a long day on the range.  

Serves 6-8

1 1/4 cups cornmeal, coarsely ground

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4  cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 stick butter, melted

Place a 9-in cast iron skillet in the oven and then being preheating to 400 degrees F. In the meantime, combine flours, sugar, salt, baking power and soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, wish the milk, sour cream, eggs, and butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until a moist batter is formed and most of the clumps are pressed out. Once the oven finishes preheating, carefully remove the hot skillet. Brush the pan with 1 tablespoon butter or pure olive oil. Pour the batter into the skillet and return to oven to back 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Note: Sprinkle sea salt over the top of the batter before baking if you desire a more savory bread, or granulated sugar if you prefer it sweeter. Leftovers are great for a rustic breakfast.

Perfection! This smells amazing.

Serve with soft butter and honey. Or substitute the honey for fruit jam
(love, love, love it with raspberry jam!), or even molasses.