Twiced Baked Potatoes with Fontina Cheese

The big game of the Super Bowl is now playing and we've settled into our comfy spots after splurging on some appropriate, football man-food . . . a rib-eye steak so thick and wide that we cut it in half and still only finished a smidgen of it!  Plated on the side of that big beef monster was the mother load of all potatoes . . . twice-baked potatoes loaded to the max.  Including something new and a little different to keep Mr. M. and P.'s (meat and potatoes) tastebuds surprised:  I added fontina cheese to the mix to give the potatoes a little more zing!  I might use some asiago cheese the next time too, since it was really a nice twist.

No need for little finger food in this household to watch the game.  A juicy, perfectly grilled beef steak and an awesome loaded potato somehow keeps us content throughout the entire game . . . well, until it's time for dessert!

May the best team win!

Oh, PS:  I will change the channel to watch Downton Abby on PBS.  Even my husband enjoys that great British show more than football!  He's such a keeper!

click on the link below to read more ->


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Citrus Granita, Eating 'Clean' and the Amalfi Coast, Italy

Clean, clean, clean . . . the theme for January to kick off the new year of 2013 for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper  Club.

So PERFECT!

I don't know about you, but I have always loved New Year's Day!  I don't make any specific resolutions, but I do vow to make positive changes in many areas of my life.  Last year I promised myself to clean up my nutrition.  I kept my promise to myself, lost weight, tightened up a (little) bit, and now feel so much better (and lighter too)!

I also pledged to clean out the clutter in my home . . . check!  And it's still going on!   We paid off several bills and cut down our spending in general to stay true to our resolution to simplify our lives and focus more on what is important to us.  Our goal is to keep plugging away at this one so that some day I can retire!

Even if you don't make resolutions, you can't deny that it's great to clean up anything in our lives:  whether that be our homes, all of that distracting, useless clutter, or our nutrition . . . clean is good!

But the 'clean eating' lifestyle certainly is NOT an easy approach to eating.  For the most part, I agree with many of the guidelines, but this style of eating loses me in several areas (that I'll point out later).  Put simply, the focus of clean eating is to consume food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible.

Fresh fruit is a big part of this style of eating since fruit can be enjoyed so much without any cooking.  And since it's winter when citrus is at it's peak of freshness, I chose to prepare a granita of lemons and orange for this month's 'clean' theme.


BUT, and this is a really big 'but':  One of the challenges of the 'clean eating' approach:  NO sugar is allowed.  That's a toughy for many of us, at least I know that it is for me and especially for my husband.  Granita requires sugar added to the squeezed juice from fresh fruit.  So I replaced it with Stevia, which is allowed in the clean eating philosophy.  For this month's 'clean' theme, I'll make that one little change.  But other than this one time, I'm going straight back to using sugar, which is what the Cooking Light recipe uses anyway!  And I trust Cooking Light!

Citrus Granita

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
3 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar (substitute 'Stevia' for a pure 'clean' recipe)
1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves; stir constantly.
Remove from heat.
Cool completely.
Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Cover; freeze at least 8 hours or until firm.
Remove dish from freezer, and scrape the entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.
Store the remaining granita in an airtight container.
Cover and freeze up to 1 month.

Slice open 4 - 5 oranges and 3 - 4 lemons, depending on your flavor preferences.

Fresh citrus is in high season right now, so they're perfect for fresh granita!

Squeeze the lemons and oranges and blend together in a bowl.

Bring the lemon-orange juice-sugar/Stevia-water mixture to a boil.

Cook for one minute until sugar dissolves.

Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Pour into a baking pan.

Place in the freezer for 8 hours to firm up.

the granita in a solid frozen state

with a fork, chip away ice flakes from the solid granita

the first layer is a little hard to chip off but once the first layer is chipped away, 

the process is very easy and fast

have chilled glasses ready to put the granita in before it melts

I also put each filled glass in the freezer while filling the other glasses

Mmmm, a glass full of sweet and tangy granita!

From my October trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, 

one of the numerous fruit stands hanging on the edge of the cliff,

where I bought an outrageously delicious, fresh-squeezed lemon granita!

I went back to buy several more!

With the cliffs of the Amalfi coast mountainside in the background,

this little cup of sweet-tart freshly squeezed lemon granita

was simply perfect, especially on a hot afternoon!

In the little village of Praiano, Italy

my mother and I attended the annual Festival for St. Luke the Evangelist.

People had food and fruit stands set up in the small piazza.

Here was one very tempting lemon granita stand.

You can check out all of the delicious 'clean' recipes prepared by the rest of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, that is hosted every month by Val of "More Than Burnt Toast".  Here's the line-up:

• Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking prepared one of my all-time favorite dishes:  a Frittata with Spinach, Onion and Swiss Cheese.
• Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Rome and brought with a Lentil Herb Salad.
• Val from More Than Burnt Toast made a delicious salad of Bulgur with Dried Cranberries.  Yummy!
• Susan of The Spice Garden brought Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Shitake Mushrooms.
• Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie whipped up an incredible Curried Lamb and Lentil Stew.

Now, if you're interested in knowing more about the trendy new "clean eating" lifestyle, here are a few additional ways to incorporate it into your own life:

• Always focus on eating foods in their most natural or close-to-natural states.
• Eat five to six small meals a day, grazing only when hungry (this includes snacks).  This maintains your blood sugar levels and keeps your metabolism churning all day long
• Include a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables during each meal --- basically eat more plants than meats.
• Meats are allowed, but only purchase fresh cuts from a butcher, never pre-packaged.
• Include grains such as brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.
• Drink lots of water . . . at least 8 glasses of water daily
• Eliminate drinking alcohol except an occasional glass of red wine for the antioxidants --- this would be difficult for me, as well as for most Europeans who enjoy wine with nearly every meal . . . and still live healthy lifestyles
• Avoid drinking carbonated sodas, even 'diet' sodas; avoid packaged fruit 'drinks', drink water with citrus juice for flavor
• Avoid processed and refined foods (including sugar, white bread, white pasta, and white flour)  --- I would fail this approach right here with this point!  If you look at the natives of the Mediterranean (where I was just visiting Italy in October), you'd see how THIN they are while at the same time enjoying sugar in granitas, gelate, tortas, and pastries.  They also enjoy pasta from 'white' semolina flour and enjoy fresh-baked white artisanal breads.  The reason?   They walk EVERYWHERE! . . . so I could never buy into this approach completely.  The Mediterranean Diet has been famous for years and it's very close to the 'clean eating' diet, just more forgiving!  All other points of this philosophy are doable for me though.
• Stay away from any foods with saturated and trans fats, or foods that are fried.
• Include healthy fats such as olive oil, sesame oil, or peanut oil, cheese, nuts, avocados, seeds or fish daily.
• Read labels and purchase foods that contain only one to five ingredients
• Avoid foods that state 'fat free' on the labels due to the chemicals contained within those foods

Happy, HEALTHIER 2013!

.

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Most Popular 2012 Recipes on 'la bella vita'

Once again we find ourselves at the end of another year!  And what an interesting year it has been in the food blogging world and in my life itself that influenced the recipes that I posted here on 'la bella vita' through the year and those that my readers have viewed the most.

2012 was a year that I vowed to finally take care of myself in every way:  physically, mentally, and spiritually.  From the low's of major back surgery to the high's of losing 23 pounds and lowering my blood pressure from 145/85 to 130/65, it's simply been incredible to feel better at the end of the year instead of feeling cruddy and bloated.

My last post of the year features those recipes that you viewed the most and also told me that you prepared in your own kitchens (which is the highest compliment).  Even though many of the recipes are focused on health, they did not lack in flavor at all.

So I hope that you enjoy this medley of good eats from 2012 on 'la bella vita' that reflects your good taste!



Sangria recipes were the beverage rage this past year, and in January, to kick off my new health focus, I prepared this delicious Sangria ~ Lightened Up.  Not only was it bursting with flavor, it also brightened the grey days of winter.

Another trendy food, for those of us wanting to improve our nutrition, was the humble sweet potato that once I could only handle smothered with brown sugar, butter and marshmallows.  You loved this recipe in February for Baked Garlic Sweet Potatoes with Fresh Avocado Dip.  Truly yummy, healthy food!

More and more of us discovered the creamy deliciousness of goat cheese this year.  In March I prepared this extraordinary recipe from Cooking Light, Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata.  Many of you wrote to me and told me how you loved this and all of my frittata recipes . . . thank you so much!

Before the trend of 'farm-to-table' cooking, I've always had a garden.  But along that focus, I'm lucky because spring lettuce arrives much earlier here in the South (in April).  Nothing tastes better than a humble salad and/or sandwich prepared with sweet loose-leaf lettuce and green onions freshly harvested from your garden, lightly dressed with nothing but pure olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar and sprinkled with salt and pepper!  You agreed that keeping things simple is often the best way to eat in this recipe for Spring Lettuce Salad and Sandwich

For Mother's Day in May, my daughter gave me a gift of imported Italian Strawberries in Syrup.  Many home cooks have finally caught on to the beautiful marriage of drizzling balsamic vinegar on strawberries.  You loved this recipe for
Strawberry and Mascarpone Cheese Crostini that is so easy to prepare!

In June, my family had a reunion for the first time in over 20 years.  As always, we make our tried-and true family recipes.  Hundreds of people read and pinned this recipe for Baked Pasta Fagiole that has stood the test of time from when I first prepared it for a family renunion 20-some years ago!

In July, I underwent back surgery and was given strict orders that I could not cook for several weeks due to all of the bending, lifting and twisting in the ktichen (the 'BLT's to avoid).  But I sort of cheated and used some frozen pasta and my own frozen pesto to whip up recipes such as this Wild Mushroom Agnolotti in Basil Pesto Butter.  You agreed that this pasta was just as delicious as hand-made.

In August, my garden just bursts with peppers of every color!  I truly do overplant red peppers . . . they're just my favorite!  I love to roast them and to freeze them to use throughout the year.  You loved this Buccatini with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. 

August also brings hundreds of zucchini blossoms that overtake my gardens that I look forward to frying every year.  This time, I decided to stuff them with cheese and prosciutto.  You really enjoyed these little bundles of Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms.

And what would August be without garden-fresh tomatoes?  I would have to say that this Italian Cheesy Tomato Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust was my best creation of the year . . . and you liked it too.

When the mercury continues to rise in September here in the South, we're still grilling outside.  Grilled pizza has been trending in the food world and you high-fived this Grilled Prosciutto and Fig Pizza. 

October brings beautiful, fresh figs and I just had to use some of my garden's arugula to mix up this delicious Fig, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola Arugula salad.    Good-bye to boring iceberg lettuce salads!

In November, it was time to start baking for the holidays.  These White Chocolate Drizzled Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios didn't make it past Thanksgiving!  I was a good girl and only ate just one . . . it wasn't easy to resist them either!

And finally in December, when we celebrate Christmas, I posted this refreshing recipe for Cranberry, Clementine and Prosecco Cocktails that you enjoyed.

It has been such a pleasure to come into your kitchens through your computer screens, laptops, tablets, and/or cell phones and share about great food, healthy gardening, and restaurant reviews while on the road traveling!  

I have valued all of your friendships, recipes, stories, and inspiration.  

So here's a big cheers to another fun, delicious, and inspirational year of blogging together in 2013!

Salute', Ching Ching, and Buon Anno!

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Tagliatelle Timbale with Wine Gravy from Paolo, Truly Delicious!

Christmas is a time for special foods to be presented with love to our family and guests.  One such recipe from Paolo of Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces On The Menu, is absolutely perfect for 'wowing' everyone on this festive holiday (misspelling of Quattro Formaggi is intentional in his blog title).  I know that when he sent his post, recipe, and photos for a guest post, I was certainly amazed!  I have been following Paolo's food blog for quite some time now and every recipe is so authentically Italian and delicious!  I simply had to ask him if he would write a guest post for Christmas.  Even though it is a super busy time for everyone, Paolo was kind enough to put extra time into this extra special recipe for us.  I know that you will agree!

Grazie e' brava, Paolo!

Paolo offered a bit of insight on how he was drawn to blogging in the following words:

"Since I moved to Canada from Italy in 2001, I have been bombarded with misconceptions of Italian food: from misspelled and mispronounced Italian words ("brushetta" anyone?), to "Italian" dishes that don't actually exist in Italy (try ordering pepperoni pizza in Rome!).  One day I decided that it was time to do something about it and I started a blog.

At first I tried to fix the misconceptions by explaining them (for instance, that an espresso should not fill up the entire cup, and that "panini" is already a plural). Later on, however, my focus shifted more to the origins of the ingredients and the cultural differences between Italy and North America.  As I kept blogging I got to know many other bloggers who share my objective:  preserving authentic Italian food around the world.  In 2011, I created an award to recognize their authenticity - The Cannolo Award - which has been very successful.

The recipe that I choose for this guest post is an Italian classic adapted from Silver Spoon's "Pasticcio di Tagliatelle".  In Italian cuisine, a "pasticcio" (sometimes referred to as "timballo") is a preparation in which several ingredients (including pasta or rice, meats and sauces) are baked in the oven within a pastry shell or a pie crust.  The resulting dish, which looks plain on the outside but reveals rich fillings, was invented in the 1700's by palace chefs precisely to surprise and delight their noble guests.  Today, pasticcio is still considered a dish for special occasions, including the Christmas meal."

Tagliatelle Timbale with Wine Gravy

Ingredients for 3-4 servings

• 2 Tbsp (30 g) Unsalted butter (including some for greasing) 
• 7 oz (200 g) Pizza dough (which can be bought in some bakeries or specialty stores) 
• Some Flour (for dusting) 
• 4 oz (120 g) Fresh spinach 
• 6 oz (170 g) Cremini mushrooms 
• ½ oz (14 g) Dried Porcini mushrooms 
• ¼ cup White wine 
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Milk 
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Heavy cream 
• 4 oz (120 g) Tagliatelle pasta (either fresh or dried) 
• 1 Egg 
• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano 
• Some Salt and pepper 

Preparation

• Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in cold water for at least ½ hr. 
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
• Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C). 
• Grease the oven-proof dish with butter. 
• In a large pan, roast the fresh mushrooms in butter for 5 min at high heat.
• Add the rehydrated mushroom, cook for another 2 min at medium heat (a1).
• Add the wine (a2) and allow it to boil until it evaporates. 
• Cook the fresh spinach in a covered pot (without any added water) at medium heat for 5 min (a3). 
• When the spinach is ready, squeeze out as much water as possible and chop. 
• Add the spinach to the pan (a4). 
• Add milk and cream (a5), adjust salt and pepper. 
• Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted water for 2/3 of their standard cooking time. 
• Drain the tagliatelle and them to the pan. Incorporate gently (a6). 

• Roll out the dough to the thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm).
• Line the (greased) oven proof dish with the dough (b1).
• Spoon in the filling (b2).
• Beat the eggs with the Parmesan.
• Pour the mix uniformly over the filling (b3).
• Fold the pizza dough fully wrapping it around the filling (b4).
• Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until the top is well browned.

Wine Gravy:  Ingredients for 3-4 servings

• 1 Tbsp (15 g) Unsalted butter 
• 1 Tbsp (15 g) All purpose flour 
• ½ tsp Vegetable stock extract 
• 1 cup Milk 
• ¼ cup White wine

Preparation

• Warm up the butter in a small pan (c1) at medium heat until it barely melts.
• Add the wine (c2) and the vegetable stock extract (c3). Let it reduce. 
• Add the flour (c4), then mix until a ball of dough forms. 
• Add a small amount of milk and whip until you get a creamy texture (c5).
• Gradually add the rest of the milk, as you continue whipping. 
• While stirring constantly, boil for at least 2 minutes until the mix thickens (c6). 

• Pour the gravy in the bowls, then place a slice of timbale in each bowl and serve immediately. 

Mangia!


You may follow and enjoy Paolo's delicious adventures in his cucina through the following links: 

Blog address: http://www.disgracesonthemenu.com 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/quatrofromaggio 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisgracesOnTheMenu Pin It

Lemons and Limoncelllo from Italy's Amalfi Coast

Lemons grow in abundance from trees that cling from the cliffs of the spectacularly beautiful Amalfi coast.  It is along this steep and jagged coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea that huge lemons are harvested three times every year.  Amalfi lemons possess a unique sweetness that results from a combination of the volcanic soil, year-round warm temperatures, and a perfect amount of rain.

In the kitchens (cucine) of every ristorante, trattoria, or home along this divine coast, lemons are a part of the life and cuisine of the locals and used for everything from cooking, to cleaning, to beauty treatments.  As always, nothing is wasted in Italy.

During the last week of my trip in Italy, all of my senses were immersed into the influence that lemons have in Italian cooking.   Mid-week, my mother and I ventured into the dream-like mountainside town of Positano where rainbow-colored buildings appear to be carved out of the rock.  We drove down the spiraling road into the town for a class on how to make limoncello and to learn more about the difference between various olive oils.  It was so interesting and we certainly learned more about lemons and olive oil from Italy.

yes, that is the road at the top of the photo . . . literally, a true cliff-hanger!

a closer view of the nail-biting Amalfi Coast drive that lives up to it's infamous reputation!

just one view of Positano, Italy and the beautiful blue sea

homes are built on top of each other in the very little amount of space in Italy!

Population density of Italy:  514 people per square mile,
a country that is not even as large as the state of California

Population density of the United States:  84 people per square mile!

Space is a premium in Italy and when you include thousands of tourists, Italy is very crowded.

lovely, luscious, limoncello while dining al fresco

road-side lemon stands abound everywhere, as well as in the markets

enormous lemons the size of baseballs!

our first stop on the Amalfi Drive . . . a small market stand of a local woman where we purchased her home-grown and home-made limoncello, olives, olive oil, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes . . . all delicious!

shops filled with beautifully and creatively designed bottles containing the Italian liquid gold elixir

window displays of limoncello and orange liqueurs  tempt you to stop in and purchase a bottle or two

tempting displays of lemons and limoncello in baskets outside one shop

OK, so where's the recipe for limoncello and step-by-step photos?

They're coming, I just needed to share more of the prevalence of lemons and the color 'yellow' in the landscape!

Lemon-flavored Italian cookies . . . oh these were SO good, not too sweet and oh so lemon-y!

My family LOVES 'torrone' a sweet nougat candy with nuts from Italy!

While at a local festival for St. Luke in Praiano, 

I bought a box of the limoncello-flavored torrone.

I remember my Nonna enjoying this candy every Christmas!

A lemon granita stand at the same festival for St. Luke in the village of Praiano. 

Lemon granita is now one of favorite icey treats, oh so much better than snow cones!

Olive oil that is enhanced with the addition of lemon juice drizzled on bread 

after the cooking class.  The flavor was so refreshing and light!

lemon motifs on Italian ceramiche brighten the walls of an open market in an Amalfi piazza

a ceramic-topped table beautifully hand-painted with lemons that almost came to 

my home, had it not been for the price ($1000.00) and the price of shipping!

But oh how I fell in love with this little table!

In my dreams, huh?

However, I did give in to indulgence and purchased this lemon-colored sink with lemons and blue fig motifs!  

We will certainly enjoy washing our hands in this beautiful creation
and remember the Amalfi Coast every time!

The yellow color of lemons carries over into the beauty of the painted churches, homes, and shops.  This is a church in Sorrento, the furthest southern city on the peninsula where you can take a boat over to the little island of Capri.

this lovely yellow house is located in Montecreto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

and not on the Amalfi Coast.  Yellow and gold are simply very popular colors everywhere in Italy.

OK, here's the recipe for limoncello plus step-by-step photos

from our cooking class on the Amalfi Coast!

Limoncello

20 large lemons
1 bottle Everclear (pure drinking alcohol)
4 cups of water (or more depending on the strength that you want the Limoncello)
4 cups of sugar (or more for the same reason as above)

Peel very thin slices of the lemon rinds, trying not to slice into the white flesh under the rind.

a perfectly skinned lemon with the white flesh remaining

put the rind slices into a big bowl; as you can see, some of us in the class of four students sliced off too much of the white flesh of the lemons 

. . . other than my mother, we were certainly novices at this!

(The peels with the white pith weren't used, but rather put aside for another use)

get the bottle of super-strong booze

pour the alcohol into a large jar or container in which to age the limoncello

add the lemon peels . . . see none of these have the white pith at all

cover and seal well

every 3 days check on your lemon peel - alcohol mixture 

and swirl the peels around a bit

allow the limoncello to marinate for 30 - 40 days 

(depending on how strong you want your limoncello)

strain the lemon peels from the alcohol and discard the peels

After the days are completed for marinating the lemon peels in the alcohol, proceed to make the sugar water:

measure your sugar 

add equal amounts of water to the sugar in large pan/pot

bring the sugar and water to a high temperature for about 10 minutes

In a large bowl, pour in the strained, aged lemon and alcohol mixture

add the sugar-water to the lemon-alcohol mixture

stir well and pour back into big jars or containers; seal well.

allow the limoncello to 'marry' for an additional 30 - 40 days

Pour into pretty bottles!

my mother and me during our limoncello class

at the end we tasted various flavors of liqueurs:

strawberry-cello, limoncello, anise-cello, and coffee-cello

the limoncello was certainly the best!

after the class we had pasta for lunch in the restaurant

my mother enjoyed this bowl of Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Cheese 

I decided on the Cheese-Stuffed Ravioli Caprese

The tomatoes in Southern Italy have a flavor that is so unique and different from those grown in the States . . . more pungent, sharp, and tangy.

And my oh my, is dining out in Italian ristoranti EXPENSIVE!  These three ravioli were $20.00!  We were so glad that we rented a villa and bought groceries from the local market where food was so cheaply priced!  For one week, we only spent $130.00 on food for the three of us and only ate out twice. . . . leaving more euro to spend in the shops!  

And just one more golden shot of the Amalfi Coast from the terrace of our villa in Praiano where we would enjoy brilliant colored sunsets every evening . . . with full tummies comforted a little bit more with Limoncello! 

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