HOMEMADE PAPPERDELLE & SWORDFISH

I WAS ABLE TO SHOP AT MY FAVORITE SUPERMARKET THIS WEEK: WEGMAN'S. I WANTED TO MAKE A FRESH PAPPERDELLE PASTA, AND I USED SHITAKE AND BABY BELLO MUSHROOMS FOR A MORE COMPLETE DISH. I SAUTEED THESE MUSHROOMS UNTIL THEY WERE CRISPY,  AND ADDED SOME SALT AND CRUSHED RED PEPPER TO TOP IT OFF. RIGHT BEFORE PLATING, I FINISHED IT OFF WITH SOME GRATED PARMIGIANO REGGIANO. 

JASON IS A BIG FAN OF MY SWORDFISH SO I KEPT IT SIMPLE WITH A TOMATO BRUSCHETTA. BUT, OF COURSE, THE DISH STILL HAD A TWIST. I ADDED SOME CANELLINI BEANS AND CHOPPED MIXED OLIVES FOR A SALTY BITE. 

I LIGHTLY SEASONED MY SWORDFISH WITH SALT, PEPPER AND HERBS. I GRILLED THE FILLETS ON MY GRILL PAN UNTIL IT WAS COOKED THROUGH. I USED SOME OF THE BRUSCHETTA UNDER THE FISH TO GIVE SOME HEIGHT TO THE PRESENTATION.

ENJOY.

FLOURING MY PASTA SHEET BEFORE CUTTING

PAPPERDELLE DRYING

PAPPERDELLE WITH MUSHROOMS AND PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

PAPPERDELLE WITH SWORDFISH 

DINNERS, GRILLING, PIZZA AND DID I MENTION GRILLED RUM PEACHES...?

JUST AS A FOREWARNING, THIS POST IS FILLED WITH SOME GREAT FOOD. I HAD A FEW SOLID WEEKENDS IN THE KITCHEN AND ON THE GRILL. TO START THE POST OFF I HAVE A NICE JALAPANO PIE TOPPED WITH SOME OF MY FAVORITE TOPPINGS. 

JALAPANO CRUST WITH ITALIAN PESTO, HOT SOPPRESSATA AND BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS

I BUTTERFLIED AND MARINATED A CORNISH HEN AND TOSSED IT WITH SOME OLIVE OIL, SALT, PEPPER, GARLIC POWDER AND DRIED PARSLEY. I GRILLED BOTH SIDES UNTIL I GOT A NICE GOLDEN AND CRISPY EXTERIOR. I BRUSHED SOME SPICY HONEY MUSTARD ON THE SKIN AND SPRINKLED SOME PANKO BREADCRUMBS AND THEN POPPED IT IN THE OVEN TILL COOKED THROUGH. 

BUTTERFLIED CORNISH HEN

POLENTA WITH PARMIGIANO REGGIANO AND SPICED SHRIMP

HALF A CORNISH HEN, POLENTA WITH SHRIMP AND PESTO, MUSSELS ONTOP OF A ROSEMARY CROSTINI

 FOR THIS DISH I MARINATED SOME CHICKEN TENDERLOINS IN SOME OLIVE OIL AND A TARRAGON DIJON MUSTARD MADE BY EDMOND FALLOT. I THREW IN SOME PANKO BREADCRUMBS AND LET IT SIT IN THE FRIDGE  FOR TWO HOURS.  

FOR MY BRUSCHETTA I  CARAMELIZED SOME RED ONIONS AND CRISPED UP SOME PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS. I ADDED THE RED ONION, SALT, PEPPER AND OLIVE OIL TO THE TOMATOES AND PUT THEM IN THE FRIDGE. 

I SAUTEED SOME SPINACH WITH OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC, WHICH WAS THE FOUNDATION OF MY ENTREE. ONCE MY CHICKEN WAS COOKED THOROUGHLY,  I PUT THESE ONTOP OF THE SPINACH AND ADDED MY BRUSCHETTA. I FINISHED THIS WITH SOME OF THE CRIPSY MUSHROOMS, GRANA PADANO CHEESE AND BALSAMIC GLAZE. THE PANKO BREADCRUMBS BECAME A LITTLE SOGGY WHEN MARINATING BUT ONCE COOKED ONTHE GRILL PAN THEY ADDED A NICE CRUNCHY BITE.

JUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED THE NEXT NIGHT...

TARRAGON CHICKEN AND BRUSCHETTA  

BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONION PIE WITH FRESH BASIL

 I WAS ABLE TO DO SOME SHOPPING BEFORE THIS DINNER AND WAS SURPRISED HOW GREAT IT CAME OUT. FOR MY SMALL APPY PLATE I DID NEW ZEALAND LAMB CHOPS WITH A ZUCCHINI CUMIN AND HONEY SALAD FINISHED WITH AN ITALIAN LEMON OLIVE OIL.

I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO ATTEMPT HOMEMADE GNOCCHI AGAIN FOR SOME TIME. I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED THIS SINCE COLLEGE AND FELT LIKE IT WAS TIME TO REDEEM MYSELF. I USED A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT WHICH DREW A LOT OF MOISTURE OUT OF MY BOILED AND RICED POTATOES. 

AT A RESTAURANT IN DENVER A FEW MONTHS BACK I HAD SOME GNOCCHI THAT WERE SERVED LIKE SEARED SCALLOPS. OF COURSE I HAD TO TRY IT MYSELF. I ALSO MADE SOME TRADITIONAL GNOCCHI WHICH ENDED UP HAVING A BETTER BITE AND TURNED OUT PERFECT. AFTER I BOILED THESE, I TOSSED THEM IN A GORGONZOLA DOLCE SAUCE AND SERVED ALONGSIDE MY MAIN ENTREE.

 MY FINAL PLATE CONSISTED OF MY GNOCCHI, BROCCOLI RABE, CORN, GRILLED TOMATO AND CILANTRO SALSA, AND GRILLED SKIRT STEAK. 

GNOCCHI, BROCCOLI RABE, CORN SALSA AND SKIRT STEAK

MARGARITA STYLE PIE

 FOR FATHERS DAY MY FAMILY DECIDED TO GRILL AND HANG OUTSIDE IN THE BACKYARD. WE STARTED OUR AFTERNOON OFF WITH A NICE GRILLED PIZZA WITH SOME FRESH BASIL. 

 

FOR DINNER MY BROTHER AND I COOKED UP TWO DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF KABOBS. WE DID SWORDFISH AND CHICKEN BOTH WITH ZUCCHINI, RED PEPPER, YELLOW PEPPER, RED ONION AND PINEAPPLE. WE ALSO HAD SOME SKEWERED SHRIMP AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS. 

FOR DESSERT WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO USE THE GRILL. MY DAD MARINATED FRESH PEACHES IN SOME RUM AND MINT. WE LET THEM SIT FOR AN HOUR AND PUT THEM RIGHT ON THE GRILL. ONCE THERE WAS SOME NICE CARAMELIZATION ON THE FLESH OF THE PEACH WE PLOPPED A SCOOP OF CAPPUCCINO KAHLUA ICE CREAM ONTOP WITH SOME BLUEBERRIES.  

GRILLED RUM PEACHES AND ICE CREAM

CEVICHE, DINNER AND FUN.

THIS PAST MONDAY I COOKED AN INCREDIBLE MEAL. IT WAS NICE HAVING A LONG WEEKEND TO BE ABLE TO SHOP AND PLAN OUT A MENU. WITH THE BLISTERING HEAT, JASON AND I WERE CRAVING SOME SCALLOP CEVICHE.

FOR MY CEVICHE I USED SIX SCALLOPS, CHOPPED RED ONION, ORANGE BELL PEPPER AND JALAPENO. I SALTED AND PEPPERED ALL OF MY VEGGIES AND TOSSED THEM IN A FRENCH LEMON & GINGER OLIVE OIL MADE BY A L'OLIVIER. 

ONCE I STARTED TO PREHEAT MY GRILL PAN FOR THE SALMON I ADDED MY CHOPPED SCALLOPS AND LIME JUICE.  I SERVED A PIAVE CHEESE CRISP ALONGSIDE THE CEVICHE. I PUT A MINI TOAST CRACKER IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SERVING DISH BEFORE PLATING. THIS WAS A NICE SURPRISE AND A GREAT LAST BITE TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE FLAVORS. 

CEVICHE MARINADING 

CEVICHE AND PIAVE CRISP

I DECIDED I WANTED TO DO A LIGHT PASTA DISH WITH MY SALMON ENTREE. FOR THE PASTA I USED A DRY TAGILATELLE WITH SPINACH. MY SAUCE WAS A LIGHT BROWN SAUCE CONSISTING OF BABY BELLO MUSHROOMS, BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS, RED ONION AND GORGONZOLA DOLCE. THE FINISHED DISH WAS TOPPED WITH SHREDDED GRANA PADANO CHEESE, AS YOU CAN SEE BELOW. 

I MARINATED THE SALMON IN A SOY GINGER DRESSING FOR AN HOUR. BEFORE I GRILLED IT ON MY GRILL PAN, I SPRINKLED SOME PANKO JAPANESE BREADCRUMBS AND CRUSH SALTED PECANS. 

ONCE THE SIDES OF THE FISH STARTED TO TURN PINK I PUT THE GRILL PAN IN THE OVEN TO FINISH IT OFF. ONCE I TOOK IT OUT OF THE OVEN I LET IT REST AND DRIZZLED A FRENCH FRUIT VINEGAR ON TOP WHICH, IS ALSO MADE BY A L'OLIVIER. 

I WAS OUT WEST WORKING A FOOD SHOW AND WAS SHOWCASING SOME OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS. PECORINO'S FROM TUSCANY AND PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA 18, 24 AND 30 MONTH. MY COLLEAGUE AND I MADE A NICE SANDWICH FOR LUNCH USING THE 18 MONTH PROSCIUTTO AND BUFALO MOZZARELLA. 

ENJOY.

BUFALO MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA SANDWICH

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA ON A CRANK SLICER

PECORINO CHEESES FROM TUSCANY

SPECIALTY ITALIAN CHEESES

DREAM PIZZA OVEN

I RAN INTO THIS PIZZA OVEN AT THE NRA (NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION) SHOW. THIS OVEN IS MADE IN NAPLES, ITALY AND CAN REACH OVER 900F. I HAVE A FEW PIES BELOW USING MY PLAIN OLD APARTMENT OVEN. I GUESS I HAVE TO INVEST IN ONE OF THESE NOW. 

GARLIC AND HERB CRUST WITH WILD BOAR SALAMI, BOCCONCINI A GOATS MILK BRIE STYLE CHEESE AND BALSAMIC CIPPOLINI ONIONS. 

OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES, CIPOLLINI ONIONS SEA SALT AND BALSAMIC GLAZE

ITALIAN HERB CRUST WITH GENOA SALAMI, OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES, BABY BELLO MUSHROOMS FINISHED WITH SEA SALT.