A Foodie Friday Playdate!

Aaahhhhh....Foodie Friday.....our favorite day of the week!

Come join us and our favorite hostess Michael Lee as we all get our foodie fix for the week!

This has been a very hectic two weeks- truly chaotic. So I decided it was time for a play date. Now, when I said this my husband got THAT look on his face- you know the look- a BIG grin....

Sorry, honey- not THAT kind of play date!

When you're a food blogger AND have Italian blood in your veins, your toys look like this

Sexy, right? 

And to really put a smile on your face, you throw in some of this

And then you (AND your poor deprived hubby) swoon when you bite into this

 and these

and these

 

And if you don't really care so much if they look really pretty, you let them crisp for an extra minute or two till they look like this

and you swoon some more. 

And the ones that actually make it out of the kitchen get stacked on a platter and brought to your favorite chair where you're browsing all the Foodie Friday blogs....

Enjoy!

This is my version of a recipe I've used for some years. Chef Charlie Palmer served his original version in his New York restaurants, Aureole and Periyali as a side dish for seared venison. The original was made with paper thin slices of whole potato- those need to be done with a mandolin that has a VERY thin setting or a slicing machine set almost to "shave". If you don't have a slicer or mandolin, do them this way- they are great served on an appetizer platter, as a side for grilled meats, or as a snack on a "play day" :)

Pattie's Appetizer Herb Potato Maximes

adapted from a Charles Palmer recipe

2 sticks of butter, clarified (important- you want nothing clouding the image of the herbs)

Fresh herbs- I used thin chives cut into 1 1/2- 2 inch lengths, tarragon leaves, oregano, and the very tips of some curly parsley. You can also use chervil, sage, basil, etc..

2 fairly large potatoes- try to get evenly shaped ovals with no blemishes

salt

Have the herbs, washed, dried and trimmed- ready to use before you begin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and brush a rimmed cookie sheet with some clarified butter. Peel the potatoes, trim to a neat oval if necessary, wash and dry well. Using a vegetable peeler, shave off long, paper thin slices, trying to keep them evenly sized- you need 2 slices for each. You need to work fairly quickly here to avoid the potatoes darkening. Lay half the potato slices on the baking sheet (not touching). Arrange leaves, pieces of herbs, and chives on potato slices as desired, leaving a narrow border. Lay a second slice on top, and press down, smoothing out to edges. Brush again lightly with clarified butter, sprinkle with salt and bake for 10 minutes till just lightly golden. Remove from oven, slide a thin spatula under each one and flip over onto a rack to drain- the best designs are generally seen from the "bottom side. The aroma will be amazing right now! Serve at room temperature. If desired, you can leave them in the oven an extra minute or two to crisp- they won't look quite as nice (a little browner) but oh so good!

As Always,

Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie

We have a winner!! And....Tablescape Thursday- a Light Breakfast for 2

Happy Thursday!! 

You all know what that means.... we all get to play with our dishes and be inspired to create a lovely setting for our friends and families to enjoy a meal together. What could be better?? And when do we ever create as many memories as we do at the table??

Come join us at Between Naps on the Porch, say hi to our gracious hostess Susan. Then relax and enjoy...

But FIRST.......

We have a winner!!! As you know, CSN Stores very generously offered to sponsor a giveaway here at Bramasole. They have over 200 stores online and I can't even tell you how many hours I've spent browsing and dreaming. (Mr Bramasole wants to get his hands on this wish list of mine- he's getting nervous!)

So, we are SO very excited to announce that the winner of the 60 dollar gift certificate from CSN is..........

Diann from The Thrifty Groove

Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for her! If you haven't been over to Diann's blog, please go visit! This girl knows how to shop- you wouldn't believe some of the things she finds! Can't wait to see what she gets with this!

Diann and Troy- we want to see pictures!!

And a HUGE thank you to CSN Stores. You've been wonderful to work with and it's clear from the response that the blogging community and it's readers love you.

Now on to today's table. After some absolutely gorgeous Spring weather lately, the last few days have been really "yucchy" as Allie would say. It hasn't just rained- it's POURED! 

Gray skies and a drop in temperature for more than a day does nothing for my mood. Mr. B. would definitely agree

So this morning I decided to use up some bits of this and that in the fridge and make a nice breakfast to enjoy while catching up on some emails and Facebook messages. Now, this would have been much more productive and relaxing if Facebook hadn't decided that it doesn't like me today, but it was a nice breakfast anyway. 

The vintage card table is perfect for 2...

Unfortunately, the gray day doesn't bode well for good pictures

It was too wet to bring any real flowers in, so these stylized ones will have to do..

I've had these miniature cocotte pots for quite some time and find them perfect for many brunch and lunch dishes. I have them in multiple colors and have even used them for mac and cheese at a children's party.

Amber bubble glasses, vintage etched juice glasses, and a vintage handstitched tea cloth bought at an estate sale in NY. It has some damage on one edge, but who can see it? I would find it disrespectful to the woman who spent so many hours working on this to just dispose of it

Breakfast is served

Eggs over a base of leeks, spinach, mushrooms, and creme fraiche...

Batons of crusty bread to dip in the creamy egg...

and fresh Farmer's Market fruits, coffee, and juice

These eggs can be made in individual ramekins or the mini cocottes as I've done

Eggs en Cocotte

2 large eggs

a bit of olive oil

1 cup sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)

1 cup chopped wild  mushrooms ( pretty much any veggie will do- I’ve used asparagus and artichoke hearts with excellent results)

1 cup chopped spinach

4 Tbsp creme fraîche or leftover Bechamel sauce

salt & pepper

baguette, cut into long thin strips ( I very lightly toasted them- personal preference)

chives (optional)

In a medium skillet, saute leeks in olive oil for 2-3 minutes (until it begins to wilt). Add mushrooms and spinach and saute another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a deep saute pan, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil – fill it enough so that when the cocottes or ramekins are placed inside, the water goes half way up the side. Meanwhile, place one tablespoon of creme fraîche at the bottom of each ramekin. Next, divide the leek and chanterelle mixture in half and add on top of the creme fraîche. Add another tablespoon of creme fraîche in each ramekin. Finally, crack one egg on top of each serving (don’t break the yolk). Season with salt and pepper.

Gently place each ramekin in the boiling water and cook until the whites are opaque- this can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes (do not place a lid on the pan!). Once the eggs are done, carefully remove from the water. Garnish with chopped chives and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Serve with toasted baguette cut into thin strips for  dipping.

Congratulations again to Diann!

Be sure to join us tomorrow for Foodie Friday and bring your appetitie!

As Always,

Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie

Cappuchino and Cookies....

Sometimes, there's just nothing like a cookie. A simple, crumbly, buttery little gem that falls apart in your mouth and brings a feeling of total comfort. My Grandma Josie always kept a supply of biscotti and cookies stored in her oven (hey- it's much bigger than a cookie jar!) and my Nonna always had cookies and Nutella for me

Amen

This is that cookie. 

This week has been a bit hectic and today's to-do list includes finishing up some small projects, sending out some notes, spending some time looking at paint colors and fabrics, and planning a cooking demo for next week.

It's also gray and spitting rain after an absolute deluge yesterday- we had what appeared to be the Colorado River running through areas of our neighborhood!

So it's a good day for a cup of cappuchino (actually, that would be EVERY day) and a few cookies as I'm sprawled on the floor with recipes and paint chips.

Isn't this fabric wonderful??

I've had this forever- time to do something with it!

These cookies are a favorite. They're melt-in-your-mouth buttery and perfect with wonderful summer fruit jams. The base of the cookie is actually made from a sweet butter dough I use for tarts. Today I used some of my raspberry jam and pineapple/ ginger jam to fill them

Enjoy!

Buttery Tartlet Cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup cake flour 

2 sticks unsalted butter 

scant 1/2 cup sugar

scant 1/2 cup milk powder  

1 whole large egg 

2 egg yolks 

1 tsp vanilla

extra sugar for rolling

Your choice of fruit jam or preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Put all ingredients except jam or preserves in food processor. Process till dough forms and leaves sides of machine in a ball. Form large walnut- sized balls, roll lightly in sugar and place on sheets. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar if necessary to prvent sticking. ** SEE NOTE Do not over-flatten-these will spread due to the butter content. Make a small indentation in the center and add a small amount of jam. Put back in the fridge for an hour. Bake for about 15 minutes till the edges are just starting to color- don't overbake. Cool in pan for a minute or two and transfer to racks to cool completely

**NOTE- I used a small tart press to flatten these, but a glass with a decorative bottom works just as well

Please forgive the poor picture quality- lighting is awful today because of the gray skies. 

I'm off to finish up and head out to my favorite local kitchen shop for some supplies. This evening, off to Allie's high school for the cheerleaders' parent meeting.  

What are y'all doing today??

As Always,

Buon Alimenti, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie

Rainy Sunday, Another Challenge-Another Chicken Dish!

Happy Sunday!

First of all, we want to thank you all for all the lovely comments wishing Allie luck at her cheerleading tryouts. Your good thoughts went with her and.......

SHE MADE IT!!

Allie is now officially a Varsity cheerleader for her school!

And guess who got volunteered to do the first team pasta dinner. 

They say it's a bonding experience.

"They" being 16 teenage girls. 

Give me strength. 

And spaghetti.

It's been HOT here in NC the last couple of days and the plants have been a bit droopy. They're feeling very happy now

It's raining! A bit of thunder, some lightening, and a much needed dose of water

A bit gray right now, but our flowers are definitely looking happier

I remember sitting on my Nonni's terrazzo (the terrace outside their dining room) on rainy evenings. My Nonno would stand and point out the lightening across the river in the distance and my Nonna would be fretting that we would traipse over her rugs with wet feet  :)

"La terrazza" holds many memories for me. As our regular readers know, my Nonno was a very well known soccer player as a young man. "Calcio" (soccer) was a huge part of his life, and as baseball is the all-American past time, soccer is worshipped in Italy. My grandparents lived directly across the street from the soccer stadium in Vicenza, and I spent many evenings with my Nonno sitting on the terrace cheering on our team. Nonno was always hesitant to take us to the actual stadium for a game as he worried about how "rowdy" the fans sometimes got. It didn't matter to us as we had the best seats in the house!

This is a postcard that I was fortunate enough to find on Ebay. The white house in the lower left hand corner was where my grandparents lived. Their third floor apartment  had prime views of the field. 

In Italy, it's common to own your apartment, much like co-op or condo living here.

If you look under the stadium at ground level, you see what looks like arches. Under the arches were a row of small stores- a butcher, produce market, etc..The dirt field to the left was the practice field. 

As I was making tonight's dinner, Allie commented that I was using Lazaro's "challenge ingredients". Well, what do you know? I WAS! So we're linking up again to Lazaro Cooks! 

The challenge is to present a dish containing avocado and Feta cheese. I had actually bought more than I needed at this week's Farmer's Market (that is a dangerous place for me!!) and was trying to use up a couple of very ripe avocados and some herbs that were calling my name. Since this was sort of done on the fly, and since I hadn't intended to post it, and since I think I sunburned my brain in the garden this week, I didn't actually measure anything. Soooo... use your judgement- you really can't mess this up. I tried to ballpark the amounts and my youngest helped by writing down what I called out. Thanks, Timmy!

Also, you will note that I used Ariosto Seasoning. In general, I tend not to use many dry seasonings as I prefer fresh herbs. That being said- this is GOOD stuff. Ariosto mixes fresh herbs with Sicilian sea salt. They have mixes specifically made to complement meats, vegetables, to season tomato sauces, and to roast potatoes. I sometimes mix Ariosto seasoning into bread crumbs for cutlets or stuffing. 

I'm often asked where I get my Italian products and the truth is I have many sources. I am so fortunate here to be within a driveable distance from a fabulous distributor of Italian products and they recently started selling online! Yay! I'm working on a post listing some of my other sources, but if you're interested in the Ariosto, it can be found at Capri Foods Be sure to try some on roasted potatoes-YUM!

Tell them Pattie at Bramasole sent you. 

They won't have a clue who that is (unless they happen to remember the last time we were there and the slightly embarassing incident with my sons and a salami....) 

Ummmm, never mind- maybe you shouldn't mention me!

By the way, a little disclaimer here. Any opinions are strictly my own- I'm not being compensated for them. I've been asked to review several different products recently and am happy to do so, but only with the understanding that I will give my honest opinion. 

And Ariosto products are something we really do use at Casa Bramasole. 

Here goes Lazaro! Enjoy! Tutti a tavola!

Chicken with Avocado/Feta Salsa and Pepper/ Mint Risotto

(you might want to change that name!)

Whole chicken, cut up OR parts as desired. ( I made some drumsticks for the kids and a boneless chicken breast which I sliced for me)

Marinade:

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves garlic – crushed & chopped

1/2 cup Olive oil

Ariosto seasoning- about 1-1 1/2 tsp.

Salsa:

2 large-ish avocados - diced

1-2 TBLSP key lime juice

about 3 cups of mixed tomatoes (grape and heirloom cherry) – halved

1/2-3/4  cup of crumbled feta cheese

1 yellow onion, cut in eighths, sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes 

1 large roasted pepper  chopped

3 cloves of garlic – chopped

1 handful capers, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup of cilantro and mint mixed – chopped coarsely

5 thin slices of pancetta, chopped and sauteed in a bit of olive oil till crisp (set aside to cool a bit)

Preheat oven 375 degrees if you plan to roast chicken.

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken. Marinate for an hour in fridge, turning once after 30 minutes,  and then let come to room temperature while you roast onions and saute pancetta. If you're grilling, preheat grill. Grill or roast the chicken till done

Salsa:

Mix all the salsa ingredients and stir gently

Serve with the chicken and risotto. Garnish with more Feta and chopped mint

Risotto

2 Tblsp butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup Arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock, heated to a very low simmer

1/4 cup chopped roasted pepper

2 Tblsp chopped mint and basil mixed

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Melt butter in large pan and saute onion till soft. Add rice and stir and saute for 2-3 minutes till translucent. Add wine and cook till absorbed. Start adding simmering stock one ladleful at a time. Allow rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next ladle. It should take 20-30 minutes to completely cook the rice and use all the liquid. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, roasted peppers and herbs. Serve topped with chicken and salsa. 

For this presentation, I spooned the risotto into the ring of a springform pan which I sat on the plate. Smooth the top and lift off the ring. I also do this for individual servings using mini spring forms or even biscuit cutters. 

As Always,

Buon Alimenti, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie