I had this salad as a side dish in an adorable French Bistro in upstate New York. The minute I tasted this, I knew I had to try to recreate this at home. This amazing salad is served slightly warm or at room temperature and couldn’t be any easier – only five ingredients! I’m not sure I captured the original dish exactly, but I like my version better.
Orzo Butternut Squash Salad (6 First Course Servings):
1 cup diced raw butternut squash (see picture below)
8 oz uncooked orzo pasta
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 stick of unsalted butter
8 fresh sage leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a medium size sauce pan, bring good amount of water to a boil. Add squash and orzo to water, bring back to a boil and let cook for 12 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet. Add sage leaves and fry until leaves become dark and fragrant and butter begins to brown (approx 7-9 minutes). Remove sage leaves and drain on paper towel. In large mixing bowl, add orzo and squash. Drizzle brown butter in mixing bowl and add Parmesan cheese. Stir gently to combine. Salt and pepper cooked pasta to taste. Mold each serving in a ramekin or round cookie cutter. Garnish with fried sage leaves.
For Thanksgiving I plan to serve this appetizer I created while making a delicious olive salad for baked cod one night. This olive salad was so tasty, I could have eaten the whole bowl! It reminded me very much of the spread that goes on a traditional muffaletta. Add some salami, provolone and some puff pastry and an appetizer is born. The best part about this recipe is that they are best served at room temperature or slightly warm. You can make them up to two days before and not occupy precious oven space on the day of your party!
Muffaletta Pinwheels (36 pieces)
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
18 thin slices of Genoa salami
6 slices of provolone cheese
Olive Salad (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Working with one puff pastry sheet at a time, spread sheet out on cutting board. Lay 9 overlapping salami slices on pastry. Take 3 slices of provolone cheese, tear into pieces and randomly place over salami. Spread half of the Olive Salad over pastry. Carefully roll pastry up. Working with the seam facing down on the cutting board, cut into 18 slices (approx. 1/2 inch each). Use spatula to transfer slices from cutting board to greased baking sheet (otherwise filling may fall out during transfer – not that it happened to me or anything!). Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with second puff pastry sheet.
Olive Salad:
8 pitted black olives
8 green Spanish olives
4 marinated artichoke hearts
2 tsp capers
1 whole roasted red pepper
1 tbsp deli pepper rings (more or less, depending on how much kick you like)
1 tbsp olive oil
Place all ingredients into food processor. Pulse 10 times or until mixture is evenly chopped. See picture:
1) Cooking DVD’s – Even if your aspiring chef loves to watch The Food Network and watches it all day long, he or she can still be inspired by watching DVD’s of cooking shows. And instead of buying him or her complete season of a show they already watch, try to inspire them with cooks from the past. Just a few weeks ago, my PBS station broadcast a bunch of episodes from Julia Child – The French Chef
. And I have to say, I learned a lot from her! They are fun to watch and very informative. I would also suggest Julia & Jacques Cooking At Home
which is my all-time favorite cooking show, the banter between Julia Child and Jacques Pepin is hilarious. And try The Best of Graham Kerr 
with the Galloping Gourmet for lots of laughs and great food!
2) Instructional Books – There are about a million recipe/cookbooks out there that I am desperate to own. I’m slowly building up my own collection. But often overlooked are some fantastic instructional books that should be in every cook’s collection. Tom Colicchio, celebrity chef and head of judge of Top Chef, didn’t go to culinary school but worked his way through Jacques Pepin’s La Technique and La Methode books to train himself. Get Jacques’ updated version of instructions in Jacques Pépin’s Complete Techniques
. Tom Colicchio then went on to write his own instructional book, Think Like a Chef
which shows the reader various cooking techniques and opens up a world of possibilities. This book hasn’t left my coffee table in the past year. It is a must!
3) Recipe Box – Carry on family traditions and provide your new cook with a recipe box full of traditional family recipes. Not only will you inspire him or her to get in the kitchen, but family recipes are like precious heirlooms and must be passed down from generation to generation. Decorate a simple recipe box (can be found at craft stores) and wrap it up pretty – you now have an inexpensive but very thoughtful present.
4) Essential Gadgets – Put together a basket with simple, inexpensive tools that all cooks need – measuring cups and spoons, meat thermometer, spatulas, can opener, cast iron pan, potholders, colander, cookie cutters, silpat 
, etc. The possibilities are endless and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Everyone needs these items in the kitchen and getting them as a gift makes it easier and ten times more fun for a new cook.
5) Grocery Store Gift Cards – How is your young chef going to learn to cook masterpieces without the proper ingredients? Buy a gift certificate to their favorite grocery store so they may stock their pantry, stock their spice rack or have the freedom to try new and exotic ingredients! Better yet, buy a certificate to an upscale grocery store that may stock a lot of items your local grocery store does not carry – and let their imaginations run wild!
*See FAQ regarding links in post
There are many, many different appetizer wings out there – and they are all delicious, are they not? These are the wings I grew up with and these are the wings that I crave the most. My mother made these wings for special occasions – cookouts, family get togethers, pot luck dinners – and the smell of these tasty appetizers cooking takes me right back to my childhood. When I asked my mother for this recipe, I was shocked at how few ingredients were involved. The taste is phenomenal and I hope you try these for your next party.
Asian Wings (Serves 4):
2 1/2 lbs frozen chicken wing sections, thawed (sometimes called Party Wings)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp garlic powder
Combine thawed chicken wings, soy sauce, orange juice and garlic powder. Marinate over night or for at least 8 hours, turning occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, turn wings over, bake another 45 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Welcome back to another Thursday. This week I’m going to get a jump on holiday gift ideas without completely overwhelming you on the holidays. I’ll save that for next week! I came across three cookbooks this week that I must own. It seems like everywhere I turn online this week, I’m running into these three books. What else could I do but feature them for Super Shopping Thursdays! Cookbooks these days are works of art – gorgeous photography, fabulous foods and fantastic writing by celebrity chefs. These three AUTOGRAPHED books are some seriously great cookbooks and will make the perfect gift for the foodie in your life.
The first is called “Ad Hoc At Home” and is written by celebrity chef Thomas Keller featuring family style recipes and fabulous comfort food – including chicken pot pie, New England clambake and beef stroganoff. Don’t be intimidated by the talent of Thomas Keller, these recipes are quick and easy and perfect for the novice in the kitchen.
You know how they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?”. Well, I judged and I fell in love with this cover and the name of this book! “Momofuku” is the long awaited cookbook by NYC chef David Chang featuring his very unique brand of cooking. Momofuku literally means “lucky peach” and this book is both a story and a cookbook, my favorite combination!
This last book made me smile and made me think. “Fat” by Jennifer McLagan explores the fascination with health food and the misunderstanding of fat as an ingredient. This book contains some truly, truly indulgent recipes including – are you ready for this – a classic blt made with bacon fat mayonnaise. Oh yum!
Enjoy everyone!
In the last two nice steakhouses I’ve eaten at, I’ve ordered the mashed potatoes with bleu cheese. And wow, did I fall in love! I was determined to turn this flavor combination into an appetizer to post on this site and voila! Potato pancakes! This recipe is also a great way to use up your leftover mashed potatoes after Turkey Day. A couple of things I’ve learned while making mashed potato pancakes – be sure to use a non-stick skillet (Right now I’m eating my failures from my cast iron skillet – still delicious!) and do not rush them. They take longer to brown up than you would think!
Gorgonzola Mashed Potato Pancakes (Serves 4):
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3 tbsp gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 egg
Canola Oil
Heat 1 tbsp of Canola oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. In large mixing bowl combine mashed potatoes, cheese and egg – beat with fork until mixture comes together. Using two large tablespoons, scoop mashed potato mixture and drop into skillet. Form and press pancake until it is the size you desire. Cook no more than two pancakes at one time. Repeat process until you have 8 pancakes (serve two per person) and top with your choice of garnish. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving is three weeks away. And while you might think I’m rushing the holiday season along, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. And it’s not just because I love juicy dark meat turkey covered in homemade gravy. Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family, giving thanks for all of our blessings and without all the pressure of gifts. And, of course, the food. Ok, ok it’s all about the food! Well, at least in my family. And my family knows how to do Thanksgiving well! So here are a few things to get you in that Thanksgiving mood:
The first is an adorable Turkey Votive Holder. This would make an excellent centerpiece for your table:
And I came across this great salt and pepper shaker last week! They are ceramic gourds and they are absolutely adorable. A must for your Thanksgiving table!
Lastly, to really tell your guests you are into a fall and Thanksgiving mood, hang this beautiful Fall Wreath on your front door. Only my friends at Sur La Table would make a wreath this pretty!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and has fun preparing for Thanksgiving in the weeks ahead! Next week, I’ll start my “gift giving” editions of Super Shopping Thursday! Until then, take care!
Making gourmet salads at home is so easy and delicious, anyone can do it. This salad is simple, but packed with great flavor. I’ve taken three of my favorite ingredients and placed them on top of lightly dressed salad greens. The homemade dressing in this recipe tastes so good and is so simple, you’ll never go back to store bought.
Mediterranean Salad (serves 4):
Salad greens (I like a Spring Mix)
Red Wine Vinegar Dressing (recipe below)
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
6 ounces feta cheese, diced (I used Tomato Basil feta)
4 tbsp pine nuts (toasted lightly in dry skillet)
Dressing:
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
For dressing – In a medium bowl, whisk together dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper and whisk. While continually whisking, drizzle in olive oil. Note: I like my dressings very acidic, if you do not – add more olive oil.
For salad – Place small skillet over medium heat and add pine nuts, shaking pan occasionally. When pine nuts are lightly toasted, remove skillet from heat. Make dressing. Place individual portion of salad greens (about two small handfuls) in large bowl and spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of dressing over greens. Toss to coat. Plate salad greens and repeat for each individual portion. Divide peppers, feta and pine nuts over the top of each individual portion. Serve and enjoy!
