Forgive the hyberbole, but I am truly nuts about nuts.

Groan, if you must.

Seriously, though. I love them. You can imagine how thrilled I was to discover that the July 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was to make a nut butter and then use it in a savoury dish.

I’m not exactly batting a thousand when it comes to DC challenges. This is naughty, naughty of me especially since I’m a Daring Kitchen co-founder.

I got my act together, printed off the amazing recipe from hosts Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies and got to it.

With a ridiculous amount of almonds lying about the house, I knew it was going to be almond butter for me. I got to whizzing the almonds in the processor and before I knew it I had the most delicious almond butter.

So I had a few spoonfuls. And then a few more. And a few more … and a few more … and … well … no more almond butter.

Not a problem!

I hauled out some more almonds and made another batch of almond butter. Deciding that I wanted to use my almond butter in some sort of dressing, I decided to get it all “savoury-ied” up so I added some salt and pepper, some parsley and thyme, some green onion and some paprika. I tasted my concoction and oh my wasn’t it good.

I spread some on a cracker and ate it. Then I spread some more. And some more. And then I just abandoned the crackers and attacked the almond butter with a spoon.

And then … no more almond butter.

So at this point I’ve consumed about two cups of almond butter, practically on my own, with no savoury dish to show for it.

I think I should quit while I’m ahead.

Margie and Natashya, thanks for an amazing challenge!

For the rest of you, check out all the amazing Daring Cooks’ creations with nut butters.

Ciao!

Almondish, Slightly Herby Spread and/or Dip
A Cream Puff Original

Note: You’ll have to forgive the incredibly vague recipe that follows. I was basically just throwing stuff in the food processor. What came out was very good.

2 cups whole almonds
some olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
roughly chopped green onions or chives
some fresh herbs (i.e., parsley and thyme)
some paprika

1) Whizz your almonds in the food processor until they are paste-like (takes 3 or 4 minutes).
2) Add in enough olive oil to make it creamy (not too much).
3) Add salt and pepper to taste.
4) If you like, add in some green onion or chive. Also add in some fresh herbs and some paprika. Whizz until it’s all creamy.
5) Spoon into a bowl and enjoy.

My parents moved into the house we live in two weeks before I was born. For as long as I can remember, we have always had a vegetable garden.

Our garden runs the length of our backyard. It’s a raised garden that, when in full bloom, crowns the backyard.

When my father was alive, he was the main gardener in the family. After he passed away, my mother took over.

Her garden is a thing of beauty. Lush, full and alive, it’s a peaceful strip of heaven in the middle of a very typical Toronto neighbourhood.

The other day I was home from work, not feeling well. I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and as I waited for the water to boil, I did what I’ve done probably a thousand times: I stood by the sink and looked out the kitchen window directly at my mother’s garden.

I do this so often that most of the time I don’t even think I notice what I’m seeing. But on that day, maybe because it had rained shortly before, it’s like I really noticed the garden for the first time.

It was so beautiful and it made me feel so much better.

I’m so proud of my mom and her garden that I grabbed my camera and went out to snap these pictures.

I don’t have a lot of experience taking nature photographs so I apologize in advance to my mom as the pictures don’t do her garden full justice. Still, though, I hope you enjoy them.

What I love most about my mother’s vegetable garden is that while it is orderly, it’s not overly orderly or neat. I love gardens that are a bit unstructured. In this picture, you can see the sweet pea in the back, framing the zucchini and the parsley. It’s hard to see in the picture but in the bottom, righthand corner you can see a bit of lavender peeping out. That’s a Cream Puff addition to the garden:

This is cicoria. It’s funny but I actually don’t know what this lettuce is referred to in English. It is without question my favourite lettuce and my mother grows it especially for me because she knows I love it. It’s bitter and hearty and I can’t imagine summer without it:

Being Italian, the majority of our garden is dominated by tomato plants. We’re still at least a few weeks away from our first tomatoes but they’re getting closer. And where would we be without basil for out tomatoes:

My mother is especially proud of these particular tomato plants because they actually grew from the seeds of last year’s tomatoes. When we make our tomato sauce in August, we bury the tomato peels and seeds in the garden. Well some of those seeds will bear fruit this year:

This is bietola, or swiss chard. Again, this is something that has to be in the garden every year! We enjoy our bietola in my mother’s super delicious minestrone, which is an Italian vegetable soup. My mom doesn’t waste any space in the garden so we snuck in some chives just in front of the bietola:

We love our hot peppers:

At the other end of the garden, my mother works on her beans, cucumbers and my strawberries. I first planted a strawberry plant years ago and since then, its multiplied into numerous plants. We don’t get a lot of strawberries but the ones that we do get are so flavourful. My mother loves beans so there’s lots of those, too:

There’s no such thing as wasted space in my mother’s garden and that includes containers. This particular container is filled with cucumber plants. I’m sure this barrel has a story behind it … if only it could talk:

If there is one thing about the garden that my mother and I disagree on, it’s sage. I love it. She doesn’t. Still, she lets me keep one sage bush that is so full and beautiful. Those yellow flowers peeking around and through the sage bush are more cucumbers:

The garden also includes a number of containers that my mom uses for herbs and lettuce:

I get one container for all the herbs that I love like thyme, tarragon and oregano:

And last, but certainly not least, rosemary. My very favourite:

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of my mother’s garden as much as I enjoyed taking them. Even though it’s a small garden, it’s a beautiful one. My mother deserves so much credit for creating such a lovely space. It’s a pleasure to enjoy the fruits of her labours.

I hope that you take whatever space you have and plant a garden, too!

Ciao!

Growing up, chickpeas were a big part of our diet. While my mom would often make dishes with dried chickpeas that had been soaked overnight and reconstituted, she would just as often open up a can of chickpeas and use them in salads and soups, in particular.

I was going through a pile of magazine clippings recently and I come across a recipe for Spicy Toasted Garbanzo Beans and Pistachios from the February 2003 issue of Bon Appétit.

I’m always looking for quick and delicious appetizer recipes to serve with drinks whenever we have get-togethers. I find these types of recipes better for the type of entertaining we do because they offer a quick nibble and people are less likely to fill up on a dish like this as opposed to a more substantial appetizer.

These roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans are chickpeas) and pistachios are so addictive that I often have to double or triple the recipe. And they’re fast and easy to make, to boot.

This is my entry for this week’s Magazine Mondays. Hope you give them a try!

Here’s who’s joined me for this edition of MM:

Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Roasted Lemon Cake from Taste magazine. Awhile ago, she also made Everyday Granola from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Claire of Chez Cayenne made Lemon Pulihora from the April 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Brenda of Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen made Triple Cheese Spirals from the April 2010 issue of Food Network magazine.

The prolific recipe sleuth made the following recipes from magazines: Spicy Grilled Shrimp from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living; Grilled Buttermilk Chicken from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living; Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Garlicky Potato Salad from June/July 2010 issue of Cook’s Country; Spiced Strawberry Shortcake from the Summer 2010 issue of Homemakers; Roasted Red Pepper Bocconcini Pops from Holiday 2006 issue of Food & Drink; Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit; and Linguine with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Carla of Recipeaddict made Pork Chips with Tarragon Sauce and Cornichons from the November 2008 issue of Bon Appétit.

Remember that anyone can take part in Magazine Mondays. If you post a recipe from a magazine, just send me the link and I’ll include it in my next round-up.

Have a great week everyone!

Ciao!

Have you ever had the experience where a million people will come and ask you if you’ve seen a movie that you haven’t seen and then they will proceed to tell you why you should see it?

Everyone around you is talking about the movie, raving about the movie, asking you why in the world you still haven’t seen the movie so much so that you decide not to see the movie because even though you haven’t seen it, you already know you’ll hate it.

Simply by virtue of the fact that everybody else loves it.

Ever had that happen?

That’s what happend to me and the movie While You Were Sleeping.

And also, shortcakes with strawberries.

The entire world saw and loved While You Were Sleeping in 1995. Except for me.

The entire world has had shortcakes with strawberries (or at least it seems that way). Except for me.

This morning my mother and I went strawberry picking and I swear it was the last straw.

As we walked to the car with our pails of strawberries I think I heard about 4,000 comments about strawberries and shortcakes.

Enough is enough. Even I know when to throw in the towel.

I came home, cleaned strawberries for hours, made jam and then I did it.

I made shortcakes with strawberries. To be perfectly accurate, I made biscuits with strawberries and cream.

Okay. I get it. I finally get it.

Strawberries + shortcakes + cream = deliciousness.

Happy now?!

By the way, somewhere between 1998-2000 I finally saw While You Were Sleeping and loved it.

Happy now?!

Ciao!

Strawberries with Cream and Biscuits

Note: I’m going to do a separate post about the biscuits that I used for my version of this classic. If you don’t have a great shortcake recipe, try this one or this one.

1 cup sliced strawberries mixed with a bit of sugar and lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream
4 biscuits

Split the biscuits in half and put them on a plate.
Pile one half of the biscuit high with cream
Spoon on some strawberries and top with the other biscuit half and serve.
Enjoy!

To all my fellow Canadians, have a Happy Canada Day!

Ciao!

I’m not ashamed to admit it.

When it comes to “social media”, I’m just a tad behind the times. I’m still trying to figure out Twitter and while I have a Facebook account, let’s just say I’m apt to forget about it for weeks on end.

It’s not that I don’t like interacting with people, it’s just that I’m a Cream Puff and my thing is baking. I’m in the kitchen … a lot.

Perhaps one day I will graduate to a laptop that I can have in the kitchen that will allow me to bake and tweet and facebook and who-knows-what-else but I’m still having a hard time accepting the end of VCRs so give me time.

Give me time.

Having said that, I do acknowledge the deep and significant influence that social media have had on all of our lives.

Since I became a blogger in 2005, I have come into contact with countless people whom I probably would have never met, much less heard of.

One of these people is Judy Witts Francini of Divina Cucina.

To be honest, I don’t recall exactly when I first heard of Judy but I suspect that it was years ago and it was probably through David Lebovitz’s site. I do remember visiting her blog and thinking, “Here is a great teacher of cooking.”

In a day and age when we’re inundated with words and images about food, when food bloggers must number in the thousands (if not many, many more), in my opinion there are surprisingly few people whom I would consider genuinely capable of teaching others about food.

It’s one thing to have a blog and bake or cook and take pictures. That is certainly a worthy endeavour that many, myself included, find fulfilling.

But just because I make a great cake, it doesn’t mean I have what it takes to teach other people how to do it.

Judy knows how to teach people how to cook. I’ve never met Judy in person, but I know this. I know this as certainly as I know that fresh basil is a gift from heaven, butter is is my middle name and chocolate is a basic human right.

Not too long ago, Judy contacted me via Facebook and asked if I would like a copy of her cookbook, Secrets From my Tuscan Kitchen.

Would I?!

Shortly thereafter I came home to a little bundle waiting for me. I unwrapped it and immediately fell in love with a cookbook that’s a throwback.

Printed on beautiful paper, the book is akin to taking all those handwritten recipes, written my your mother, or grandmother or aunt, hidden away somewhere, and binding them together in an homage to the home kitchen.

It’s simple, honest, direct and authentic. Just like the best teachers.

Judy … grazie!

Ciao!

Note: I bought a spectacular bunch of spinach from the farmer’s market. A day or two later, I bought some fresh ricotta and the idea to make Judy’s Crespelle alla Fiorentina (ricotta and spinach-filled crepes) was born. Smothered in a delicious besciamella (béchamel sauce) and fresh tomato sauce, this dish was delicious. You can buy a copy of Judy’s book here. Please take a look. It’s so worth it.

Well hello there summer!

Welcome back! I know you’ve been around for a few days already but I thought I’d give you a proper welcome.

With lemons.

With ricotta.

With pretty flowers.

With moist, sweet cake bursting with the brightness of lemons and the fragrance of Fiori di Sicilia.

I hope you stay with us for awhile, Summer.

And I hope you bring us many bright days and many warm and delicious nights.

Ciao!

Lemon Ricotta Cake
Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food.
Serves 8 to 10.

Note: I love this cake. I adore it. I would bake it everyday if not for the fact that I would eat the whole thing everyday by myself. I have a kitchen scale so I weigh the ingredients for this recipe as in the original. Fortunately, self-rising flour is readily available in Toronto but if you can’t find it, you can use all-purpose flour. Simply use the same amount of all-purpose flour as self-rising flour but add 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt for each cup.

I love to use Fiori di Sicilia in this cake. Fiori di Sicilia is an essence availabe from King Arthur Flour. It’s like heaven in a bottle. It has a strong citrus flavour that settles into baked goods and somehow enhances them without overpowering them. It’s delicious. Fiori di Sicilia translated means “flowers of Sicily” and honestly, if I could imagine the scent of Sicilian flowers then this would be it. Be careful, though, as a little goes a very long way. If you can’t find this product, then simply follow the original recipe and use the full amount of lemon zest (or use orange zest).

The original recipe uses caster sugar and I like to use superfine sugar. It’s also labelled as quick-disolving sugar. If you can’t find it, simply put some granulated sugar in a food processor and process for a few minutes until very fine.

If you have a small springform pan (i.e. 7-inches in diameter), use it as you will end up with a very high cake. I use an 8-inch springform pan as it’s the smallest that I have.

150 grams unsalted butter, softened
150 grams superfine sugar (also known as quick-dissolving)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia
3 large eggs, separated
1/8 teaspon salt
250 grams ricotta (if the ricotta is fresh, be sure to drain it or your batter will be too liquidy)
125 grams self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour your springform pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes at high speed. The butter should be pale in colour and very creamy.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and Fiori di Sicilia and beat for one minute on medium speed.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each yolk is added. Add the ricotta and mix at low speed until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until you have stiff peaks (I use a separate bowl with a handheld mixer but you can also beat the egg whites by hand if you’ve got the elbow grease).

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Immediately fold in the flour and baking powder. Be gentle as you mix so as not to deflate the mixture too much.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a cake tester or toothpick in the centre of the cake. It should come out clean. If not, bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cake is done.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before releasing the cake from the springform.

Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Cherries.

How I love thee, let me count the ways!

Of all the stone fruits, cherries are my absolute favourite. One of my dreams is to have a house with a beautiful cherry tree (or two) in the backyard.

Growing up, we had a beautiful cherry tree but eventually my father had to take it down. That was such a sad day.

Every summer, no matter the cost, I make sure to get my fill of cherries.

While in Paris, I had a lovely dessert of cherries fried in butter and topped with ice cream. Since returning from my trip, I’ve been thinking a lot about french desserts and as luck would have it, the most recent issue of Fine Cooking has a feature on cherries.

Lo and behold, there is a recipe for Cherry-Almond Clafoutis.

I haven’t had much success in the past with clafoutis, but this recipe has erased past failures. It was heaven. One word of advice: serve it warm from the oven. While the flavour is still good the next day, the texture isn’t as lovely as when you first take the clafoutis out of the oven.

This is the first edition of Magazine Mondays for quite awhile so I have a lot of participants this week:

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Squash Casserole from the May 2010 issue of Southern Living. Earlier Tina made Crockpot BBQ Ribs from the June 2009 issue of Family Circle.

Tamy of Always Eat on the Good China made Cream Cheese Peppermint Cookies.

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made Strawberry Cake from a June 2005 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Earlier, Tia made an Oatmeal Apple Cookie Cake from the August/September 2006 issue of Taste of Home.

Janet of The Taste Space made Blueberry Rhubarb Cranberry Crisp with Pistachio Crust from the June 1999 issue of Gourmet. Earlier, she made a Miso Glazed Black Cod from the July 2008 issue of Food & Wine.

Carla of RecipeAddict made Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup from the April 2010 issue of Cooking Light.

Brenda of Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen made Herbed Flatbread from the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Recipe Sleuth from Eye for a Recipe made Grilled Asian Chicken and Vegetables with Ginger Cilantro Rice from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit, Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa from the June 2010 issue of Food & Wine, and Wine Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Rosemary-Orange Dressing from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Jamie of Life’s a Feast made a Zucchini Ricotta Feta Tart from the June 2010 issue of Saveurs.

For those of you that are interested in participating in Magazine Mondays, just send me a link to a magazine recipe you’ve tried and I’ll include it in my next round-up.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

For the Almond-Cherry Clafoutis recipe, click here.

Life is tough, sometimes, isn’t it?

Making it through the work week. Paying the bills. Taking care of the family. Mowing the lawn. Scrubbing the toilet (blech).

But you know what?

For all the not-so-fun things we have to do, there’s lots of things that make up for it.

Watching the garden grow. Taking a walk. Visiting a friend. Eating some cherries.

Baking a Happy Cake.

A Happy Cake is any cake that makes you smile and makes you feel happy.

I have many Happy Cakes but this week my Happy Cake is this one.

I’ve made my Happy Cake a little happier with the addition of rum. (But that can be our little secret.)

Bake a Happy Cake. Have a Happy Weekend.

Ciao!

Happy Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles)
Based on Ina Garten’s Flag Cake.

Note: You can bake this cake in a variety of pans but if you have a sheet pan that’s at least 18 inches by 12 inches, that’s the easiest way to bake the cake. Do as Ina Garten does and seve it directly from the baking sheet.

For the Cake:

1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the rum glaze:

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter
1/4 cup rum

For the frosting:

2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 pound icing sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour your baking pan really well.

In a the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes on high speed. The mixture should be fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and carefully add the eggs, two at a time. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the sour cream and the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix for another minute on medium speed.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.

With the mixer on low speed, carefully add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, bake for another five minutes or until the cake is done. Remove the cake to a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the rum glaze. Place the water, sugar and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiled, remove from the heat and add the rum. Stir to combine.

Using a thin knife or a skewer, poke holes over the top of the warm cake. Carefully brush with as much of the rum glaze as the cake will take. Let the cake cool completely.

To make the icing, place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat at high speed for four minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.

Once the cake has cooled completely, pile on the frosting spreading it evenly with a spatula. Top the frosting with decorative sprinkles and serve.

Enjoy!

I love cheeky cookbooks.

This is probably what first attracted me to the charming, shameless and utterly delicious cookbook Bite Me: A Stomach-Satisfying, Visually Gratifying, Fresh-Mounthed Cookbook.

I remember it well. It was a Friday night, after work. I had taken my weekly trip to the local bookstore and was cruising the cookbook section for my latest conquest, er, I mean cookbook.

My eyes were immediately attracted to Bite Me after seeing it piled high on a display table. I flipped through it, fell in immediate love with the humour and funny recipe titles and purchased it right then and there.

Not too long after, I was looking for some information about the authors, Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, when I came across their site for the book. Pure delectable fun. I’ve rarely seen cookbook authors that approach the sale of their cookbook with the humour and gusto that these authors do.

And they’re pretty sweet too since, after I contacted them, they kindly arranged for a copy of their book to be sent along for review at The Daring Kitchen (you can read the review here).

After spending months perusing the book, it was high time to try a few recipes and my goodness were they good!

I tried the recipe for Mona Lisa’s Fontina and Arugula Pizza (except I used Asiago instead of Fontina) and loved it. Lightly dressed arugula on a hot, cheesy pizza is hard to resist.

But the recipe I really and truly loved was the Chocolate-Crusted Creamy Caramel Cheesecake. Apparently if you drench unbaked cheesecake with caramel sauce it bakes up all sugary and golden and delicious and crunchy and I should probably just come clean and tell you that I ate the entire cheese cake myself.

Don’t judge me.

Bite me.

Ciao!

You can check out some of the great recipes from Bite Me here.