Buon Appetite!

Continuing with a year of firsts, I decided to tackle something else on my growing list of must-tries. I made my very first pot of homemade tomato sauce and to my surprise it really wasn't that hard. I sauteed some onions and garlic in a big pot with olive oil, then seasoned with salt and herbs. After that I just dumped a few big cans of whole tomatoes in and let them simmer away. It cooked for around 2 1/2 hours. Then I pureed in a blender and stored it in containers in the fridge. The recipe said it would freeze well, which is good because it made nearly two quarts. I paired my marinara sauce with some juicy meatballs over pasta. This to me is Italian comfort food at its finest! I think I'll try homemade pasta next...

Look Out Pillsbury

Fluff and no stuff! These rolls were some of the lightest and fluffiest I have ever had. I just had to toot my own horn. I have tried yeast rolls before and they always turned out very dense. These were perfect. The recipe was not too fussy, just a tad messy. I had my OMG moment when the mixture was starting to look like matzo ball soup and you wonder if you've done something wrong. That moment passed quick enough. Looking back at my bread-making history every time I start to add the flour to the yeast-water mixture the flour clumps up a little. Isn't it so nice for your dish to come out exactly as it should the first time you make it? I am so glad the family liked them because we're going to be eating them for days.

Buns for Breakfast

Yum! I have wanted to make a homemade breakfast for Christmas morning for years. We usually make the Pillsbury Grands Rolls, but this year I tried the homemade version. This recipe was an two-day process. First I made the dough, put it in a greased bowl, and let it rise. It took over four hours to rise because it was so cold. Then I rolled out the dough, layered the top with brown sugar and cinnamon crumble, rolled the dough into a cylinder, and cut the rounds. Next I put the rolls in a buttered casserole dish. They rose in the fridge over night. Christmas morning I took them out for the next step. I put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of a cold oven, then put the rolls on the rack above and closed the oven. The steam rising reactivates the yeast and the rolls rose a little more. Then I took the two pans out, preheated the oven, and baked the rolls. I mixed up the icing and gave the rolls a hearty slathering. They were pretty good for my first try. I thought the icing was not quite sweet enough and the bread part was a little tough, but overall a good experience.

Happy Hanukkah

This Sweet Challah Bread was so fun to make... and I learned something along the way. When you've just finished making something and you realize after the fact that the ingredient you thought you put in, is not what you put in, panicking is beside the point. In other words completely useless. I made this bread out of self-rising flour instead of plain flour, which turned out to be not such a disaster after all. Also for those of you who don't know what Challah bread is, traditionally, it is made for Jewish holidays. Two loaves are made for breakfast on two of the three Sabbath days. I am thinking of making french toast with it in the morning. I can't wait to try more bread recipes. Feel free to send your favorites my way.

Now This Is Shrimp Done Right!

I have found a great way to cook shrimp! Grill 'em all the way. They were marinated in terriyaki, lemon, garlic, and orange. Then grilled over charcoals for about 7-8 minutes. Absolute perfection. They were flavorful and tender. And the pineapple was a perfect compliment. After a great dinner, I had an emotional melt down, whether or not I was actually on the right path, Culinary School. I guess only time will tell. Here goes nothin'!

Christmas Time Bakin'

Last Christmas I made these apple turnovers for my family. I just love to bake and try new desserts. Crunchy granny smith apples, orange juice and zest, spices, and a little flour made up the filling. The recipe called for dried cherries, but I decided to leave them out. Puff Pastry made it super easy. Although they were nice and crisp and flaky when I first pulled them out the oven, this dessert does not travel well. They were soft, and just not the most desirable texture. This dessert is perfect for a dinner party, maybe served with vanilla ice cream, but not the best for an out-of-towner. If anyone has a good on-the-road dessert for Christmas time, send them my way.

Shrimp???

Shrimp. I'm still trying to figure them out. I sauteed them in a little olive oil and butter, salt, pepper, and parsley. I added a little white wine at the end. They were served with steamed spinach and egg noodles. The dish looked pretty but it was mediocre. I think I overdid the shrimp, they were slightly tough and chewy. How long should you cook shrimp anyway? If anyone has a good shrimp recipe, do share!