The Taste of Fall: Sage Oil

My husband is a genius!  My favorite fall flavor is sage, and although we dug the plant out of our garden, there are only so many sage leaves, and eventually, I will run out. So Michael has started making small batches of sage oil, and I have begun drizzling it on pretty much anything I eat.  I made beautiful soft scrambled eggs with the sage oil today, and I sauteed some mushrooms in the oil for an omelet for Emily this afternoon for lunch.  I roast vegetables with the sage oil drizzled over them, and put it on meats and salads.  It is utterly delicious, and truly simple, which is why I say my husband is a genius.  I mean, he married me, didn't he?

Sage Oil:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

handful of fresh sage leaves, washed and dried

Place oil and sage leaves in a small, heavy bottomed pan.  Put the pan on a burner, and bring it to a very low simmer.  Continue to simmer for an hour or two until the oil is infused with the flavor of the sage. Let the oil cool, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the sage leaves. The FDA recommends storing homemade flavored oils in an airtight container in the refrigerator and using up in at least ten days, so only make as much as you can use in that time. 

Sending Comfort, Remembering Dolly: Linguini Carbonara

My sister Betsy has been a dog person all her life.  As a young child, she pined for a dog.  The closest she came to having one was a scruffy stuffed dog named Murphy. My Uncle Jimmy even made an oil painting of that dog, and Betsy hung the painting above her bed.  So when she got her first dog, a black lab, she named him after that first furry friend. Murphy went everywhere with Betsy, including on the 21 hour trip from her home in Alaska to visit us in Connecticut. When Murphy was hit by a car and killed, Betsy was devastated.  Shortly after Betsy and her husband Mike were married, the first thing they did was get a dog, a black lab that Mike trained to hunt with him.  Dolly was such a friendly dog, that even my mother, an avowed dog-avoider, would take her on long walks with her when she visited Betsy and her family.  We were in Alaska a little over a year ago, and got to know Dolly very well.  Though her graying face told us of her age, she was energetic enough to jump into the Grand Central River when we stopped the car on the side of the road on our day trip out to Salmon Lake. Her tail would whip as you walked by, a little friendly greeting, and she loved nothing more than to be outside with the kids.  She was a faithful friend and a wonderful companion.

In my own family, we are fortunate enough to have two wonderful, if sometimes a little barky, dogs.  Before Chilidog came to live with us, I liked dogs, but because I had never had one, never really understood how beloved they could become.  Now, I cannot even imagine living in a home without a dog.  They are always happy to see you, never argue or talk back, and only ask for a little food and an occasional walk in return for their good and true friendship. 

So I am feeling for my sister and her family today.  Yesterday, they said goodbye to Dolly, the dog that had been part of their family for 13 years, and who had been a part of John and Sarah's entire childhood.  While my children talk about the time before Chili and Daisy came to be part of our family, John and Sarah do not ever remember a world that did not include their sweet Dolly.  If my sister lived closer, I would go to her house and make this meal tonight.  It is warm, creamy, salty, and comforting, and while it will not take one's sorrows away, it certainly makes them more bearable. With one of our favorite pasta dishes, we will toast Dolly tonight, the sweetest black lab we ever knew.

Linguini Carbonara:

4 eggs & 2 egg yolks, at room temperature

generous 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving

4 oz. pancetta, sliced (regular bacon will work too, but pancetta is better)

cracked black pepper

1 clove garlic, finely minced.

Put the 6 eggs in a dish of warm water for about 15 minutes - the goal is to raise the temperature of the eggs without cooking them.  Cut the pancetta into strips, and cook in a frying pan over medium high heat until crisp.  In the meantime, crack 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks in a large bowl.  Add the garlic, pepper and grated cheese, and whisk together.  Add about a tablespoon of the pancetta drippings to the egg and cheese mixture (shhh!  don't tell my mother that part), and whisk again. 

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.  Strain the pasta, and place immediately back into the hot cooking pan.  Little by little, add the egg and cheese mixture to the hot pasta, using tongs to move the linguini around quickly.  Keep tossing to coat the strands of pasta evenly.  By keeping the pasta in the hot pan, the heat is retained, and the eggs are heated through thoroughly.  Add the crispy pancetta, and toss.  Serve with a little more of the grated cheese.

Dessert Snacks: Pumpkin Pie Dip

I decided recently that I should always order appetizers when I go to restaurants.  It has nothing to do with smaller portion sizes, or eating healthier.  What it is really about is getting to try as many different kinds of food as possible.  So of course, I like parties where there are hors d'oeuvres.  I can sample everything and then go back for what I like best.  But why do savory foods have all the fun at parties?  Sometimes, I want a sweet bite or two as well.  Enter the pumpkin pie dip.  Perfect for this time of year, it tastes like pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger snap crust. It was a big hit at a recent meeting at work, and I have brought it to parties withgreat success as well.  Serve it in a small hollowed out pumpkin at a gathering, and you have a desserty hors d'oeuvre that is also a conversation piece. 

Pumpkin Pie Dip:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

   1/4 tsp allspice

   Ginger snaps for dipping

Cream the cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth.  Add the sugar, and continue to mix thoroughly.  Add the pumpkin and spices, and mix well.  Scoop the seeds out of a small pumpkin, and fill the cavity with the pumpkin dip.  Serve with small ginger snap cookies for dipping. 

Comfort Food: Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Spinach and Feta

All the female members of my household have been sick recently.  My youngest daughter is just over strep throat, I have an annoying head cold, and my oldest daughter is suffering from a nasty sinus infection. There have been trips to the pediatrician, the pharmacy, and the grocery store, and each time, we are looking for something to soothe, comfort, and nourish.  We have picked up the saline spray and the antibiotics, the cranberry juice and the ginger ale, the cough drops and the humidifier.  But a good supper also does wonders to make everyone feel more comfortable, loved, taken care of, and pasta is just the thing in this household.  And to go along with the pasta, what could be healthier than some greens and lots of garlic.  This is one of our favorite pasta dishes, and just for tonight, we all curled up on the family room couch, with our steaming bowls of pasta, a blanket on our laps, comforted by the closeness of being together in our cozy house on this cold, rainy fall night.  We could almost feel the vitamins and minerals making us healthier and stronger, which is a good thing because the only one left to get sick is the man of the house, and ladies, we will need our strength for that!

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Spinach and Feta:

1 lb hot, cooked linguine

1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed well

1 large bag of baby spinach

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

pinch of red pepper flake

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2- 3/4 cup chicken stock

1 generous cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese

8-12 oz. chopped tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes

In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe for 2-3 minutes (this softens the broccoli rabe and takes away some of the bitterness). Drain and run under very cold water to stop the cooking.  In the meantime, put the olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the garlic has softened and mellowed. Add the red pepper flake, stir to mix.  Add the broccoli rabe and turn the heat up to medium low.  Add the chicken stock, and stir the broccoli rabe.  When the chicken stock is very warm, add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Add the tomatoes, and let cook together for 6-8 minuted to combine flavors.  Toss the greens and tomatoes with the hot pasta in a large bowl.  Add the feta cheese and toss to coat evenly.  Serve with grated Romano cheese on top.

Breaking the Breakfast Rut: Slow Cooker Oatmeal with Apples, Almonds, and Craisins

Girls cannot live by frozen waffles alone.  Believe me, it is true.  My girls have tried.  We seem to get into these breakfast ruts around my house.  Crazy school mornings when one teen and one preteen girl are having a hard time getting themselves out of bed due to the fact that they have stayed up past their bedtime talking to each other in the bedroom that they share lead to this over reliance upon quick convenience foods for breakfast.  There's nothing bad for them in these breakfast waffles; I buy the low fat ones, and spread with a little bit of low fat cream cheese and some 100% fruit jam.  It's just that there is nothing good  for them in these waffles either.  No grains, no real nutrients, and therefore, no staying power.  The kids are hungry by 10:00, and lunch is not until after noon.  Not a good scenario when kids are expected to have brains that are firing on all cylinders at school.  So I need to get us out of our breakfast rut, and I decided to employ the slow cooker.  My husband scoffed at this plan; steel cut oats and dairy sitting overnight in the warmth of the crock pot were a recipe for disaster, he thought.  I felt that if meat and broth could sit together in this little 'hot tub,' well then, why couldn't the grain and dairy do the same?  And if it worked out right, our breakfast would be waiting for us in the morning, all warm and bubbly, ready to stick to our ribs.  The fruit, cinnamon and brown sugar would make the house smell wonderful, helping the whole waking up process along.  Lastly, the kids would have a delicious breakfast, with some actual fiber and nutrition, and would be ready to focus on their schoolwork until lunchtime came around.  And what I found was this:  in addition to the aforementioned benefits, there was also another.  The morning chaos subsided because breakfast was already made, and just needed to be ladled out, sprinkled with the almonds and craisins, and a little milk.  And if I do say so myself, it was really good.  So much so that I packed some up for my lunch as well that day.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal:

for the oatmeal:

1 cup steel cut oats

4 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp real maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1 large apple, grated

for the topping:

9 tbsp sliced almonds

6 tbsp craisins

milk

Put all the ingredients for the oatmeal in the slow cooker and stir to mix.  Turn the slow cooker on low and let cook for up to 7 hours.  Serve in a large bowl, sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp almonds and 1 tbsp craisins per serving.  Add a little extra milk to desired consistence (makes six servings).

 

For Nonna: Homemade Cavatelli

Just a year ago, my grandmother died at almost 98 years old.  In addition to being a beautiful woman, my grandmother was the most generous of women, and affected so many people in her long life. To her grandchildren, she was Grandma, to her precious great-grandchildren (22 of them!), she was Nonna, the Italian word for grandmother.  She taught me to cook, and taught me to see food as a way of taking care of those we love; to feed them, body and soul.  I would like to share a piece I wrote right after she died.  I shared it at her funeral, but I reread it myself every so often, as a way of remembering my Gram, and all the lessons she taught me.  I hope this gives you a sense of who my Gram was.

"We cannot do great things; we can only do small things with great love."

These are the words of Mother Theresa.

"We cannot do great things.  We can only do small things with great love."

In my life, no person has embodied this sentiment more than my Gram.  She was from such a different world that the one she came into when she came to America.  Her mother died when she was very young, and perhaps because of this, her life's work was to create a strong and loving family.  My grandmother's devotion to us was a constant in all of our lives.  She knew only one way to love: completely.  For Gram, family was everything, and everything was family.  To be her grandchild was to know that no matter what mistakes you made, no matter how far from home you went, you were always loved, you always belonged, and you were always welcome back home.  She was quick to let you know if you had done something wrong in her eyes, but just as quick to pull you close to her and love you anyway.  For her, 'love' was a verb.  It was not so much about how she felt, but what she did to show us how precious we were to her.  She showed her great love for us everyday in the many things she did for us - the cooking, of course, but also the clothes she made for us (all those matching outfits for Christmas and Easter so that we wouldn't look shipala-shopala), the mending of clothes; in short, her complete engagement in our day to day lives.

She was the kind of grandmother who, when she was babysitting, would get us out of bed after our parents had left so that we could watch 'a program' on TV with her before she told us to go 'nee-naw'  (how many of us can still sing the nee-naw song?).

I have vivid memories of Gram sending us cousins out into summer rainstorms to dance in the backyard, splash in the puddles, much to our mothers' dismay.  She overruled our mothers, and we were often happy for it.

Growing up, we did not carry pop tarts or twinkies as the treat in our lunch boxes.  We had a baggie full of crispelles, or a couple of Gram's homemade machine cookies.  We did not call the pizza place on a Friday night for pizza, we walked upstairs and sat at Gram's kitchen table.

I will always be grateful for her strong presence in my life.  After the death of our father when we were very young, my mother, my sister and I could not have had the life we had without the help of my grandmother.  She was with us after school when my mother was working or in college, she cooked for us, took care of us when we were sick, listened to us when we were sad.  I am who I am in large part because of the guiding presence of Gram in my life.  And this story is not unique.  Probably every one of my cousins has a similar story, and that is the most amazing thing about my grandmother.  Her capacity for love, for generosity was boundless.

My Gram was quick to develop relationships with all those around her; she connected with people, and used her many gifts to help her to do that.  When she heard someone was sick, whether it was a family member or one of many friends and acquaintances in her community, she always sent a loaf of bread, and a jar of her famous chicken soup with pastina.

She suffered terrible losses and great hurt over the course of her lifetime; she nursed her children and grandchildren through illnesses, buried both of her parents, all of her brothers and sisters, her son-in-law, her husband, her granddaughter and her son, and she did not become bitter or ever once doubt the faith in God that sustained her.  With every loss her love grew.  With each sadness her faith in God, in her family, in her friends and in herself strengthened, deepened.  She had confidence in God's plan for her, and because of this, through the many difficult times in her life, she lived with great love and generosity towards others.

It is hard to imagine a world without the presence of my grandmother, but the small acts of great love with which she blessed each of us remain, and this world is far better because she lived.  Now it is up to us to continue her work.

We should continue loving each other, forgiving each other, helping each other.  We should follow her example of love in action, not just within our own families, but with everyone we encounter.

When my sister Betsy and I were little girls, my grandmother came down each night at bedtime to say goodnight to us.  It was always a three part goodnight, in Italian, and now I say goodbye to my sweet grandmother the same way:

Buona serra, buon repose, e buona notte.

                                                         _____________________

One of the types of pasta Grandma used to make was cavatelli.  When I was a little girl, I would go up and help her to form the shaped pasta, then to drop them in the boiling salted water for just a couple of minutes while they cooked.  While this is not my Gram's recipe, I am making these in honor of her today, to feed my family.  We will be together, and we will talk about her, remembering the many gifts she gave us.

Homemade Cavatelli:

16 ounces ricotta cheese

2 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

In a wide bowl, place flour and salt, creating a well in the center.  Add the eggs and ricotta to the well, and using your hands, begin to incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients little by little, pulling in the flour as you go.  Continue until you have a smooth dough that is not too sticky, adding more flour if necessary.  When the dough is done, knead about 20 times to make it smooth, and then let it rest in a cool place for about a half hour. 

Once the dough is rested, pull off a small handful at a time, and on a floured surface, roll into a long, thin strand, no more than a half inch wide.  Cut the strand into segments of about three quarters of an inch long.  Using the side of your thumb, press down on the piece of pasta dough, sliding your thumb across the width of the dough, so that it curls almost like a scroll.  Repeat until all the dough has been made into cavatelli.  As you cut and shape the pasta, place them on a floured cookie sheet so that they can dry a bit.  It is best if the are not piled on top of each other, as they may stick together. 

Pasta can be cooked immediately, or can be placed in the refrigerator covered for use in the near future. 

To cook, place the cavatelli in a pot of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they float to the surface.  Serve with your favorite sauce and lots of good grated cheese. Enjoy the pasta with people you love, because Nonna taught me that every meal tastes better this way.

Celebrating a Birthday at Work: Carrot Cake

If you are lucky, you get to work in a field that is rewarding and fulfilling, and if you are really lucky, you meet coworkers who are 'simpatico' and become true friends.  I am blessed on both counts. I am a middle school teacher, and I met my dear friend Jeri when I began teaching at my current school.  She is all the good things one would want in a teacher.  She is compassionate towards kids, passionate about the subject which she teaches, and she holds everyone, kids and teachers alike, to high standards.  She is a font of creative ideas and shares her ideas with everyone around her in the most helpful manner. She is a class act, full of positive energy, and she is celebrating a birthday this week.  I am a firm believer in the idea of finding any reason to celebrate, so today, we had carrot cake for Jeri's birthday.  It had to be the best carrot cake, worthy of Jeri, and I just so happen to have an awesome carrot cake recipe.  It produces an ultra moist cake, has a delicious carmely glaze that is absorbed by the cake, and is frosted with the most delicious cream cheese frosting.  I have made it in layers, but it is easier to make in a 9 X 13 pan because it is so moist. It also works well in cupcake form.   Make it for someone with whom you are fortunate to be friends, and they may even share!

Carrot Cake  (from Southern Living)

2 cups all- purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1  8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Stir together the first 4 ingredients.  Beat eggs and the next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Fold in carrots and next three ingredients.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning, and bake 13 minutes more or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.  Drizzle Buttermilk glaze (recipe follows) evenly over cake. 

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes or until mixture is golden brown.  Watch it closely because it will boil over easily.  Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.  Drizzle over carrot cake.  Once the cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1  16 oz. package confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add confectioners sugar gradually, beating just until mixed thoroughly.  Add vanilla extract and mix.  Spread over the carrot cake after it has completely cooled.

Note:  I made the cake and buttermilk glaze 2 days ahead, and put it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap, and it kept nicely.  I then frosted it the night before I served it.