Sunday At the Giacomettis

Thank you so much for your support.  Please check Today Food in the coming days for the official announcement~ I will be posting it for sure.  I am so excited. Who Knew that after 20 years of making this cookie, it would get some recognition?  Good things come to those who wait!  Had so much fun!  Happy New Year Everyone~ Buon Anno!  So much more coming soon in 2012.  ~ Auguri!

I received an email from my contact at Today Food.  If you are having trouble and getting an error message while voting and sharing,  it could be your browser.  Only one vote per day. Voting is open to everyone around the world!   Please Vote through December 26.  Barbara Giacometti's, Chocolate Nutella cookies.  Thank you and Happy Holidays to all~Buon Natale!  Merry Christmas! Very Exciting news! I am overwhelmed with the outpouring of support by all of my friends at Sunday at the Giacometti's.  So sweet of each and every one of you.  http://www.facebook.com/todayfood?sk=app_203215029715450   My recipe has been chosen as a contender on Today Food, Home chef challenge.  Please Vote for me, Barbara Giacometti!  Happy Holidays everyone!  You can vote and share everyday.  Voting closes December 26~ Thank you!  Buon Appetito. Nutella cookies~ I can't believe how much excite...

Sunday At the Giacometti's: Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Not sure what got into my husband tonight.  Felt compelled to share with me what he always has at his favorite Trattoria, "La Sora Pia" in Rome, Italy.  The Italian Creme Caramel (actually a French version served in Rome),  is slightly different than any version I have ever seen or had here in the States.  This version uses eggs and whipping creme as its base. I went to bed and left my husband in the kitchen.  I should have taken a picture of this in progress, but didn't want to scare anyone.  The kitchen was covered in sugar. I went to bed.  Not sure what exactly happened, but it turned out delicious.  Some things are better left a mystery.  Woke up to a clean kitchen!  Not a bad idea on occasion, right? Ingredients: 6 ramekins large baking dish to hold the 6 ramekins in a water bath while baking 1 plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ounces of whipping cream 16 ounces  of fresh whole milk 4 eggs plus one ...

There is nothing more inviting on Thanksgiving day then the smell of Turkey cooking in the oven.  This year, with no particular plans, we decided on a quick trip to Orlando, Florida, about a 10 hour car ride from Tupelo, Mississippi.  Not wanting to miss out on the day, we decided to celebrate last night, with good friends here at home.  What a wonderful night. I cooked the Turkey to be ready early afternoon. The trick to a great turkey is sufficient rest time.  I can remember sneaking a taste of it hot out of the oven growing up, but why spoil the surprise.  My mother, being Italian, had to put an Italian spin on an American Classic.  So why not? The cavity was filled with sausage and bread stuffing and we all lived to tell about it.  This year, I elected to make two stuffing's.  To satisfy every one's palate.  What transpired was a succulent Turkey, filled with flavor.  Just couldn't wait to get to the table.  ...

 This is a very rich and dense cupcake~Enjoy!  Once again, you can never have enough Nutella~ Buon Appetito~ 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1  cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (one stick),  unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons Nutella Preheat your oven to 350/bake Sift together all your dry ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl combine your butter and sugar.  Beat with an electric mixer for a few minutes to combine.   Add your eggs one at a time, then your vanilla extract.   Add  half of your dry ingredients  and mix, a little at a time with your electric beater or mixer until everything is soft and combined.   Add your sour cream and Nutella last and beat until all is combined and very creamy.   Pour into prepared cupcake pan lined with papercups....

Who knew $25.00 could buy all this Fresh, local, Organic, Produce.  Support your local farmer in your area.  Thank you to Native Son Farm for my Delivery of Bok Choy, turnips, Broccoli, Kale, spring Mix,  Arugula and even a few tomatoes.   If you live in the Northeast Mississippi area, check with Native Son about pick-up at the Farm stand.  Buon Appetito!

Coming up Next!!

It happens to everyone.  You want Pasta Carbonara and you are out of fresh eggs.  That is exactly what happened today.  Plus, it was rather warm outside.  Craved something lighter in flavor.  My mother is a rather simple cook.  Like so many mom's of her time, they can make a meal out of the simplest ingredients.  For this, a vegetable based pasta sauce, you will be so surprised at how much fabulous flavor comes out of such simple ingredients almost everyone always has on hand.   Serves 4 Ingredients:  3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, cleaned and diced (About 2 cups each) 2 cloves of garlic diced 1 cup diced red onion 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 12 oz of Your favorite imported Italian pasta 1/  14 oz can of Organic diced tomatoes and their juice (blended) 1 cup of water 1/2 cup white wine 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup milk a pinch of fresh nutmeg Place your peeled onion into a food processor and pulse in...

These wonderful Quail need to be prepared only in this fashion.  Here in the Southern, United States,  it is customary to skin the bird and fry it. I think its because the bird is small.  This cleaning method makes cleaning easier, however removing all the flavor.   In Italy, leaving the skin on ensures great flavor. Taking the time to remove all the feathers is a tedious job.   The Quail itself is not fatty. Leaving the skin on  keeps your meat moist throughout the cooking process. Ingredients:  5-6 Quail, cleaned, gutted and skin left on a squeeze of lemon over your birds. 4 ounces of pancetta/ sliced in one inch pieces (large enough to remove them before serving) Several handful of fresh sage 1 teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoons of pepper 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter One cup of white wine some additional water if you pan gets to dry while cooking. A pan large ...

Ingredients for 6 people One pound Spaghetti 4 tablespoons olive oil 6 - 4oz fillets of Codfish One 12oz can black olives in brine / pitted/ drained and cut up 2 teaspoons of capers 2 cloves of garlic chopped fine One cup of white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay) Salt and pepper to taste optional tablespoon of butter squeeze of fresh lemon to taste and additional for garnish. Parsley for garnish~ I adore this very satisfying  Pasta dish and make it quite often.  I think it's because the texture of the codfish stays so firm  during the cooking process.  It's the perfect fish to serve tossed with this pasta as it holds up very well. Method: Place your olive oil into a large enough skillet that will accommodate your fish and ultimately your Pasta. Salt and pepper your fish Heat your olive oil to medium and sear your fish on all sides and remove from pan. Into the same pan place your garlic/cut up olives and capers.  Co...

I love to cook Fagioli.  So much so that I keep them cooked, in their water in the freezer.  Preparation for Soup making takes place days in advance, sometimes weeks.  I try to cook the beans in advance so that they are always ready to go at any time and avoids a lengthy step when one is hungry and craving a wholesome soup.  For the Beans:  4 cups rinsed dried /Cannellini Beans a pinch of salt A large pasta pot enough to acommodate the beans Water to cover Method:  Rinse your beans and place them in a bowl, set water to cover and add a pinch of salt overnight. The next day, drain your beans, place them in a large pasta pot with a pinch of salt again, water to cover, and some fresh sage leaves. I always have some leaves frozen ready to drop in if they are not available fresh.   Bring to a slow simmer for 2-21/2 hours. Test your beans with a fork and be sure that they are soft.  If you need to boil longer, you may, just add some add...

Came in so late without a plan.  Since we seem to be on the subject of chicken,   I opened the refrigerator and realized I had a whole Organic chicken, cleaned and cut up ready for something, but was not sure what to do.  My husband gets tired of chicken easily so I had to come up with an excuse quickly.  A jar of mixed olives unopened was in the pantry.   A simple combination of great flavors concluded a great dish~Here is a dish that requires very little work. My favorite recipes~ Buon Appetito Ingredients: One whole chicken about 3-4 pounds cut up into small pieces.  flour to coat salt pepper to taste 1 / 12oz jar of mixed Greek and french olives/ drained and set aside. 3 cloves of garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup white wine salt and pepper to taste 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil upon the chickens return to the pan in step 2 1. Drain and dry with paper towels your cut up chicken....

I felt the need to comment on this recipe, as I have seen one to many chefs on TV destroy such a classic dish.  Why? I have recently sent a message regarding this to Marcella Hazan.  I need some help settling the matter once and for all.  So, as I await her response, I thought I would comment on my recent experience.  This is the way my mother made it.  It's uncomplicated, classic and oh so good.  I am convinced that even this classic recipe varies regionally in Italy.  My mother is from the Puglia region, my father from Vietri and my husband from Rome.   I imagine that this recipe has Neopolitan routes as my father insisted my mother cook it this way.  My kitchen is always confused, but somehow classic always prevails.   Here is my version.  I have a friend who raises organic chickens.  I love it when she comes for a visit.  The taste reminds me of home.  Thank you Ms. Gina, for ...

Why are we so intimidated by artichokes?  For me,  it's heaven on earth.  This beautiful vegetable has been around since before Biblical time, yet many have not learned how to clean one let alone cook one properly.  I learned a long time ago from my mother.  I could never understand how something so unattractive could taste so good when cooked.    Today, it's even a luxury for me to find them in Memphis TN.  Lately, these out of California have been showing up year round.  Unfortunately, Memphis is 85 miles away, a long way to go for some artichokes.  Here are a few easy steps to consider when cleaning baby artichokes.  Same rules apply when cleaning Globe, the larger variety often found in supermarkets.  It's important to note that the larger the artichoke, the more you will lose when peeling away to get to the edible parts.   If you haven't tried an artichoke yet, pick yourself up some.  It has a ver...

What  wonderful festive pasta for a Friday night dinner.   We don't live in an area where we can find fresh Shrimp.  There are some good quality bags of frozen shrimp out there.  I look always for wild caught, Atlantic/Pacific shrimp.  I picked up several frozen bags of good quality Atlantic shrimp while at the Whole foods Market in Memphis, TN.   I always keep a can of Italian black olives in the pantry.  There are always salted Sicilian capers in the refrigerator.  There is never a shortage of white wine.  I went to the garden to pick some cherry tomatoes,   If you are in a hurry, this sauce is not only fresh, but full of flavor.  You will be making it too. Ingredients:  Serves 4-6 people. About one pint of cherry tomatoes/ rinsed and dried 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling one can of Italian black olives, drained and rinsed. one large clove of garlic diced or l...

For the homecook, making something in advance is pure heaven, especially if there is a dessert involved.  In my house, it almost never happens, since I like to prepare things fresh on the spot.  For any occasion, this second recipe for Tiramisu is a classic, traditional, recipe that's easy and simple to prepare.  After all, Italian food is not about complicated ingredients but rather fresh, wholesome ones. The most important part of this recipe is incredibly fresh eggs from the farm if you can.  Recipe coming up this week!  Get ready!

I was craving something truly Italian today all the way in Mississippi.  Had some drop in guests for dinner.  I always have a bag of frozen artichoke hearts on hand.  This recipe is guaranteed to fry up delicious and crunchy.  With a little squeeze of lemon, and some salt and parsley, it's the perfect appetizer or side dish. I really love the how versatile artichokes can be.  Here in the South, you just don't find many people who know how to cook them, so they use them for decoration.  What a waste of a wonderful vegetable. I try to eat one every day when I am in Italy and they are in season.  Imagine the excitement when artichoke hearts appeared in the freezer here in the south. I just had to try it.  What you can find here  fresh on occasion  is large and spiny.  I recently found some fresh, baby, sun kissed artichokes in Memphis, TN.  I bought all they had, cooked them and placed in the fr...

COMING SOON!!

 For those of you who know me personally, it's no secret I could eat pasta 365 days a year.  This is a great and flavorful dish that doesn't take long to prepare at all.   I came home with a bag of Italian Porcinii mushrooms  from New York. Be sure and get the kind that cultivated in Italy.  These days there are many in the local markets and it does make a difference.    I just couldn't resist opening up and using a handful. of these for this dish.  Dried mushrooms  are soaked and reconstituted.  The intense flavor of the mushrooms adds an earthy texture to this dish.   Fresh green peas are added and cooked in  white wine and a dab of  salted whipped cream is added.  In Italy, Panna is available ready made.  I like to add just a little along with a sprinkling of Parmigiano to give this dish creaminess.  I used spaghetti  tonight but virtually any tubular shape w...