Everybody's All-American Italian Wine Biscuits

Almost 100 years ago, my great-grandparents immigrated to America from Sicily, across the ocean and through Ellis Island.  My great-grandmother brought cookie recipes with her that, over three generations now, my family has baked and loved during holiday seasons.  For the 4th of July, I made her recipe for Italian wine biscuits: a soft, almond-flavored cookie, glazed in sugar and adorned in red, white, and blue.  

While July 4th often conjures images of baseball and apple pie, this recipe and its story aren't too far removed.  My great-grandfather loved watching baseball, a true-blue Pittsburgh Pirates fan.  And although America's history of immigration is much too fraught a discussion for a cooking blog, I still like to dream of an America defined amelioratively by comings, goings, and all of the traditions sowed in between.

The only song I could possibly pair with a 4th-of-July treat is Simon & Garfunkel's "America," one of my all-time favorite songs to listen to as I drive north on the New Jersey Turnpike, with signs for New York City coming into view.

Cookie dough:

**This recipe makes a LOT of cookies!  Sometimes I'll try to reduce it to a third, but for my great-grandmother, I'm keeping it in its original form here.  But be warned--you'll need a lot of counter and/or table space!

--12 c. flour

--1 1/4 c. vegetable shortening

--1 pint whole milk (you really need the richness of the whole milk!)

--4 1/2 c. granulated sugar

--3 eggs

--3 tsp. baking powder

--2 tsp. vanilla extract

--2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  

In a (very large) bowl, cream together sugar and shortening.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and almond extract.  In a separate (very large) bowl, sift flour and baking powder.  Slowly add, a bit at a time, to wet mixture until combined and a pliable dough has formed.

*If you're dying any of the dough, separate it and knead in your food dye color of choice.  At Christmastime, my family makes both red and green batches, for "candy cane"-style braids.

Now, you're going to braid the cookie dough.  You'll need three small balls of dough for each braid, approximate one large ice cream scoop of dough.  Roll into a long and thin dough log, and repeat with the two other balls.  Lay them next to one another horizontally and press together at the top.  Now carefully braid them together and press together at the bottom of the braid to attach them.  Using a small knife, cut the braid into 2" pieces and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Repeat until all dough has been used.  (Instead of braiding, you could also form the dough logs into shapes or designs of your choice.)

Bake for 10 minutes and remove promptly.  (*Note: If these have any golden coloring on top, they're overcooked!)  I usually place mine on sheets of foil when they're cool in preparation for the sugar glazing.  

Sugar glaze:

--1/2 c. water

--1 c. granulated sugar

--1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

In a small saucepan, boil the water and granulated sugar until thready (approximately 5-7 minutes).  Remove from heat and rapidly whisk in the confectioner's sugar until completely dissolved.  Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze each cookie.  If so desired, add sprinkles immediately after glazing.

Mango & Kale Salad with a Mango Lassi

I just got back from almost two weeks in Los Angeles, and I have a million ideas for new recipes.  But since I'm also in the process of moving to a new house, an easy (but still delicious) dinner never hurt anyone.  This one features some orangey ripe mangoes, in both food and drink.  I sliced and shredded about twelve kale leaves, massaged them (yes, I massaged them), added a bittersweet dressing, and tossed in some chopped mangoes.  And what mango dish would be complete without a crisp fruit drink to wash it down?  Served in a Miller High Life (c'mon, it's the champagne of beers!) flute is a cardamom mango lassi.

And just in case you weren't sure, a lassi is a sweetened yogurt drink, typically made with yogurt, water, sugar, and spices.  I've made some changes from the more traditional recipes, and, as if you didn't already know, I sweeten mine with honey.

Since this is a fruit-inspired dinner, and since I've been searching for a vinyl copy of his 1969 album Five Leaves Left to no avail, I've got Nick Drake's "Fruit Tree" on my mind. 

Salad and Dressing:

--12 leaves washed and julienned kale

--2 ripe mangoes, chopped

--1-2 tsp. salt

--1-2 tsp. pepper

--1 tsp. honey

--1 tsp. agave syrup

--2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

--juice from 1/2 lemon

--1/4 tsp. orange blossom water

In a large bowl, massage julienned kale for approximately 15 minutes, or as long as you can stand it.  (Literally, massage it with your hands--it makes it much softer and sweeter for the salad.)  Mix in mangoes and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, honey, agave syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, and orange blossom water.  Whisk to combine and pour over salad.  Serve with a few slices of a crispy baguette.

Mango Lassi:

--1 ripe mango

--1/2 c. mango juice, + extra if you want to thin out your lassi

--1 c. plain Greek yogurt (you don't need to use Greek yogurt, but I like the thickness and sharp flavor it provides)

--1 c. unsweetened almond milk (you can, of course, use whatever you like here)

--1/4 c. honey (you want it sweet, don't you?)

--1 tsp. cardamom

--1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse under smooth, for approx. 2-3 minutes.  (If you want a thinner drink, add more mango juice and pulse to blend.)  Serve fresh!

Summer Squash Pasta

I've never been crazy about tomato sauce on pasta dishes, yet I'm addicted to noodles (have you seen my mac & cheese posts?).  I'll gladly eat rotini and shells with butter, milk, and cheese, but sometimes I like to have a lighter summertime dinner.  Made with some locally grown zucchini and yellow squash, along with a few carrots for sweetness and color (and topped with some parmesan, of course), this veggie sauce is delicious both hot and cold.  Best served on an outdoor table with a glass of white wine and a balmy June evening.

A few months ago, I found a Chad & Jeremy record in a $1 record bin.  This British duo from the 1960s had a few hits, and I've always loved Wes Anderson's use of their music in Rushmore.  While the $1 album turned out to be priced somewhat accordingly (sorry, guys), I still love "A Summer Song" from 1964.

Ingredients:

--2 large carrots, peeled

--1 zucchini

--1 yellow squash

--1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

--1 clove garlic, minced

--1 tbsp. olive oil

--3 tbsp. tomato paste

--1/4 c. parmesan

--1 tbsp. salt

--1 tsp. pepper

--1 lb. shell noodles (or whatever you'd prefer)

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and continue to sauté until golden-colored.  Turn heat to low.

Remove the stems and tops from the zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots.  With a large grater or a grater attachment on your food processor, shred zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots.  Add to pan with onions and garlic, add salt, pepper, and tomato paste, and sauté for approx. 10-12 minutes over medium heat, or until the veggies have softened.  If the veggies are sticking to the pan, add another tbsp. of olive oil or 2-3 tbsp. of chicken stock (or veggie stock, if you're making this vegetarian-friendly).  

While veggies are cooking, boil water and cook 1 lb. of shell noodles until al dente, approx. 8-9 minutes.  Pour the cooked noodles into the pan with the veggie sauce, mix, and plate.  Serve with a generous sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.   

Banana Hazelnut Pain Perdu

Sweet or savory brunch?  Often I have trouble deciding.  But this one is decidedly sweet: day-old French bread stuffed with Nutella spread, chopped hazelnuts, ripe bananas, and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.  

Pain perdu, or "lost bread" in French, is just a version of American french toast.  Typically made with day-old (or so) French bread, this breakfast or dessert is soaked in eggs, pan-fried, and served warm with a dusting of sugar.  My version is a stuffed pain perdu, drenched in a cinnamon-clove egg batter and crisped to sweet perfection.

What song pairs well with a breakfast-time sweet tooth?  Dave Rawlings Machine's "Sweet Tooth," a re-worked version of Mississippi John Hurt's "Candyman."  I love Dave Rawlings' and Gillian Welch's homage to the amazing Delta blues guitarist. 

Ingredients:
--1/2 day-old French baguette (the bread should be hard/stale--it's "lost")
--3-5 tbsp. Nutella spread (to your liking, but I tend to fall on the "more Nutella!" side)
--2 ripe bananas, sliced in thin circles
--1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
--3 eggs
--1/4 c. whole milk
--1 tsp. ground cinnamon
--1 tsp. ground clove
--2 tbsp. butter
--1/4 c. confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

With a sharp, serrated-edged knife, slice baguette into 1/4" to 1/2" slices.  On one slice, spread Nutella, banana slices, and a light sprinkling of hazelnuts.  Top with another slice of the baguette, making a miniature sandwich.  Repeat with remaining baguette slices, Nutella, banana slices, and hazelnuts.  

Heat butter in a frying pan over low-medium heat. 

While your pan is heating, in a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, and cloves.  Dip each "sandwich" into the egg batter, submerging it and ensuring that it is fully coated.  Repeat for remaining "sandwiches."  Pan fry for approx. 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp.  Flip the sandwiches to crisp the opposite side. 

Place a few sandwiches on each plate and dust with confectioner's sugar.  Serve warm.

Pistachio Frozen Yogurt

Who wouldn't love pistachios, honey, and brown sugar?  I don't care what they're baked into, dusted onto, or coated with--I could never get enough of these little green earthly delights.  And since this post is all about incorporating them into frozen yogurt, I also have a confession to make: I'm utterly and completely swept in the current "fro yo" craze.  So why not make my own?

With Greek yogurt as its base, this dessert is packed with protein and calcium . . . and oh! It's also delicious. 

Whether it's ice cream or frozen yogurt, cold and velvety desserts transport me without fail to summertimes-gone-by, beach-side ice cream stands, and an old-time Coney Island.  (Not to mention the related lovely pistachio treats at Gulluoglu's Coney Island Ave location.)  Thanks for this wonderfully beautiful and sad song, Lou Reed: "Coney Island Baby."

Pistachio Fro Yo:

--2 c. Greek yogurt (low-fat yogurt, rather than the no-fat variety, works best)

--1/2 c. chopped pistachios

--1/4 c. honey

--1/4 c. light brown sugar

Could this be any easier?  Mix ingredients together and pour into an ice cream maker (frozen to manufacturer's instructions) for approximately 30 minutes, or until thick and ready to be eaten.

And if you really like honey (like I do), you can make a honey-cinnamon sauce as a super sweet topping.  Combine 1/4 c. honey and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Pour on top of fro yo and dust with pistachios.

Crustless Kale Quiche and Sweet Potato Chips

I love leafy greens, especially in the Spring and Summer.  And while I couldn't do "kale only" meals (I need more variety!), I've taken on the challenge of incorporating more of this curly-leafed veggie into some dinner dishes.  

This crustless quiche is super delicious and super easy.  I love a traditional flaky butter crust (don't get me wrong), but this version is a bit quicker and healthier.  A simple blend of eggs, parmesan, kale, andouille sausage, and almond milk, this quiche makes for a great breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  And it keeps pretty well in the fridge, too. 

And if I haven't mentioned it before, I *love* sweet potatoes.  So what better to pair with this egg-based dinner than some homemade sweet potato chips?  For these, I made a salty & spicy "rub" to stand up against the andouille, but you could coat these in any spices you like, including cinnamon & sugar for a sweet treat.  Yum.  

Although kale is featured prominently in this non-pastry pie, it's made rich and spicy with the eggs and andouille.  On that note, here's Tom Waits' "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)" from his 1975 album Nighthawks at the Diner.  

Crustless Kale Quiche:

--3 large leaves of kale, stems/center veins removed

--9 large eggs

--1 link andouille sausage

--1/3 c. unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (you could also use soy or any other dairy milk, including half & half for a richer taste)

--1/4 c. parmesan cheese, plus some for dusting

--1 tbsp. salt

--2 tsp. pepper

--1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--a few sprays of extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse kale, eggs, andouille, milk, parmesan, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Pulse until chopped and combined.  Spray olive oil into a 9" pie dish and pour egg mixture in.  Bake in top rack for approx. 50 minutes, or until center has set.  For the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle additional parmesan on top of the quiche.  Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing.

Sweet Potato Chips:

--1 large sweet potato

--1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--1 tbsp. salt

--1 tbsp. paprika

--1 tsp. ground coriander

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potato well.  I like to leave the skin on mine, but if you don't, remove it before slicing.  Using a mandoline (or a sharp knife), slice the sweet potato into very thin "chips."  Place chips in a bowl and coat in olive oil and spice mix.  On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange chips in a single layer (don't allow them to overlap--they won't get crispy!).  Bake for 10 minutes on a lower rack, and then move to the top rack for another 10 minutes for the chips to crisp.  Remove and serve.  (If you have extra chips, store in an airtight container.)

Bananas Foster Cream Pie

The last of my pie recipes (at least for a little while), this one's a southern summer favorite with a New Orleans-style twist.  This banana cream pie features all the makings of a Bananas Foster dessert: rum, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  If you're in the market for a truly traditional pie, here's a great recipe from Bon Appétit.  But if you've been dreaming of the Crescent City and a dessert trip to Brennan's (the NOLA restaurant whose claim to fame is the original Bananas Foster), this pie's for you!

Since this sweet treat is an homage to both the American South and the charm (and heat!) of New Orleans in the summertime, I'm pairing this pie with the Band's "Down South in New Orleans," famously performed in Martin Scorsese's 1978 classic film, The Last Waltz.  (You haven't seen it, you say?  You just may be missing the greatest rock 'n' roll film of all time.)  

Crust:

--1 c. crumbled graham crackers

--1 c. crumbled Nilla wafers

--1/2 c. dark brown sugar

--1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled and chopped

--1/2 ripe banana

--1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough begins to pull up from the sides.  Press into a pie pan and bake for approx 20 minutes, or until set.  Remove and allow to cool. 

Pie Custard Filling:

*Lightly adapted from Emeril's banana cream pie custard recipe

--6 egg yolks

--1/3 c. cornstarch

--3 c. heavy cream

--1 c. granulated sugar

--1 c. dark brown sugar

--3 shots dark rum

--1 tsp. cinnamon

--3 ripe bananas, sliced

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, rum, cinnamon, and 1 c. heavy cream for approx. 1 minute.  Set aside.  In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. heavy cream and granulated sugar.  Heat over medium heat, and continue whisking to dissolve the sugar.  Whisk constantly once the mixture has reached a gentle boil for approx. 15 minutes.  Then slowly whisk in the egg yolk mixture and continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens (approx. 10 minutes).  The mixture will look curdled--this is normal.  Pour into a glass bowl and cover with plastic to prevent a skin from forming on the top and allow to cool for 30-40 minutes at room temperature.  Once the custard has cooled, beat with a mixer on medium speed for approx. 5-7 minutes, or until the custard is fully thickened, smooth, and creamy.

In a large bowl, mix banana slices and 1 c. dark brown sugar.  The brown sugar will adhere to the sliced edges of the bananas, forming a brown-sugar coating.  Place coated banana slices at the bottom of the cooled pie crust, and then cover with the custard.  Refrigerate while you make the whipped-cream topping.

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream:

--2 c. heavy cream

--1/2 c. dark brown sugar

In a large bowl, beat on high speed until very stiff peaks form.  Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag and create a whipped cream topping (I used the star tip and made giant whipped cream stars all along the top of the pie).  You'll need to keep this refrigerated until ready to serve.  So as not to destroy the design of the whipped cream, I put four toothpicks into the pie and then cover with foil (the toothpicks hold the foil a few millimeters from the top of the whipped cream).  Allow the pie to set and chill for 4-6 hours.  

Cut and serve!  (I photographed this a bit too late, so it had turned to much more of a "pudding" than a "pie," but believe me--it was delicious!)