Monthly Cooking Thread - July 2018

[Liz]

A French invention that is absolutely delicious.

Battered Cream Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

FILLING Mix 8 oz onion/chive cream cheese, 1/4 tsp ea pepper, gar/pwder, cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt, tsp Tabasco.

FILL MUSHROOMS Stuff 24 lge button mushroom caps w/ heaping tea Filling. Dredge in flour; dip in beaten egg, coat w/ Panko.
(NOTE redo egg/bread crumbs for thicker, crunchy coating).
Set on counter 10 min then freezer 30 min---helps prevent cr/cheese ooze. Fry golden brown on med.

SERVE hot w/ lemon wedges.

BREADING STATIONS flour, beaten egg, Panko.

[Liz]

A cup of cappuccino is a treat by itself......but somebody turned it into a cake. God bless the Italians.

Cappuccino Ice Cream Cake

CAKE Mix 400 g grated almond paste, 4 eggs, 4 tbl cocoa, zested lemon.
Center-bake in buttered/parchmented springform 350 deg 20 min. Cool.
Remove/wash rim; replace.

FILLING Whip 500 ml cream really thick. Add 2 1/2 tbl
Nestle espresso, 100 ml conf. Add 3 egg yolks, 3 tbl Baileys (or Amaretto).

ASSEMBLY Pour Filling over Cake; saran pan/freeze. Remove 20
min before serving; blanket w/ grated white and dark chocolate.

UNMOLD Carefully hold bottom of pan under warm tap water a few sec.
Transfer to cutting board; remove paper. Cut triangular wedges. Let stand a few min.

SERVE napped with warm fudge sauce (to gild the lily) .......and a blissful cup of hot espresso.

[Liz]

A classic much-loved Italian dish. Rich tasty sauce can also grace pasta and roasted veg.
Uses 1.3 lb grass-fed veal schnitzel, sliced really thin by a trusted butcher.

VEAL PIZZAIOLA

METHOD Add tb ol/oil to frypan on med; add in order given veal slices, canned crushed tomatoes, tb tomato paste,
2 sliced gar/cl, 2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, pepper, salt, chili flakes. Cook/brown veal 10 min. Plate veal; foil over.
Cook/thicken sauce 5-10 min.

SERVE sauce atop veal; sides of your favourite veg. Garlic broccoli recommended.

[Liz]

An Exquisite Brittle--beautiful simple and quick. Pistachio is a delicacy by itself.
As a brittle its irresistible. Found on the great Italian blog "Trattoria." da Martina.

ITALIAN PISTACHIO BRITTLE

ING •150 gr of unshelled pistachio (not salted nor toasted) •150 gr of sugar •1 tbsp of water •½ tbsp of lemon juice

PREP Prepare a sheet of parchment paper on a hot resistant surface. Oil a silicone spatula.

METHOD In a steel pan put together the sugar, water and lemon juice and cook with medium gas until the sugar began to brown and caramelize. Add pistachio, mix it all quickly, turn off the gas and pour it on the parchment paper, spreading w/ oiled silicone spatula. Add another sheet of parchment; level brittle w/ rolling pin.

Set aside; before it cools completely, using an oiled knife, cut squares or small rectangles.

[Liz]

A delightfully refreshing ice cream dessert for your next summertime party.

WATERMELON BOMBE

PREP Saran 2 qt st/steel bowl; freezer 30 mins.

METHOD Quickly spread over bottom/up sides to within 1/2" of top combined pint pistachio ice cream, 6 drops green food color.
Freeze firm an hour. Then spread w/ pint vanilla ice cream. Freeze firm 2 hours.
Lastly, spoon in combined pint strawberry ice cream, 6 drops red food coloring. Stir in 1/2 c mini-choc/chips. Cover / freeze overnight.

FINAL Invert onto server. Remove bowl/saran.

SERVE in 8 wedges.