Nesting

It’s interesting that I chose to write about this weekend for my first post, as I’m not entertaining anyone but us. Just because you don’t have guests over doesn’t mean you don’t cook. I cook just as much for the two of us as I do for guests, so I figured I would be consistent and post exactly what was happening in my cooking life.

My husband and I left the house only once this past weekend. He had a hell of a week at work and needed to decompress and get some stuff done at home. I intentionally did not schedule any social activities for the entire weekend. We watched countless movies and the one time we left home was to go to the Farmers Market in the village to do some shopping. This was a great opportunity to try some new recipes and I wanted to use some ingredients I already had on hand.

On Friday I looked in the fridge/freezer/pantry and I had 1lb of leftover ricotta cheese from the gnocchi I made last week. I also had some chicken tenderloins (from the chicken Florentine) in the freezer, premium lump crabmeat because it is crab season, and lots of cake and pudding mix (that’s what happens when they go on sale for 1$).

I had just finished booking my ticket to visit Boston (my hometown) and I was thinking about a chicken cutlet sub at Burlington Cold Cuts, so I HAD to make some chicken cutlets with the tenderloins. It had been FOREVER since I made cutlets. This was one of my papa’s recipes that he was famous for. It was always a good day when I came home from school and I saw breadcrumbs on the counter. I actually had to text my sister for a brain poke to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything because this seemed too easy.

There are so many things you can do with chicken cutlets, and you can certainly cook them the day before. There’s the chicken parm sub, or you can do it in a casserole for good old chicken parmagian, throw a picatta sauce over it, or just eat it out of the Tupperware with the fridge door open. My favorite…always the next day between two slices of Italian Bread (LaCascias for all you Burlingtonites). A couple of years ago I tried this with Panko. It was a no-go. Just wasn’t the same to me.

Below is how I make them. IF you do want to make chicken parmagiana and prep this, do the cutlets a day ahead. I would put them on a foil lined sheet and stick them in the oven 350 convection to crisp the outsides then assemble the dish with sauce and cheese. Stick back into oven to melt cheese and warm sauce. Whenever I pan fry I use a skillet. This is what I am talking about and this is the MUCH newer version. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14721860&RN=692

I have my grandmother’s old one of this exact one. I like it because it heats evenly to an exact temperature and it’s easier to clean up. It doesn’t splatter as much and I don’t have to clean my stove at all, just wipe down the counter.

Papa’s Chicken Cutlets
2lbs chicken tenderloins (if you are going to use full breasts I would pound them or cut them in half so they are thinner, they cook better)
2 Cups Progresso Italian Style breadcrumbs
1/3 Cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Oil (I use canola)

Mix breadcrumbs and cheese in shallow bowl. Beat eggs in separate shallow bowl. Wash and dry the chicken (or the egg won’t stick). Season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip in egg and then breadcrumbs. Fry on both sides in ¼ inch of oil until brown on outside and done in center. Drain or pat dry.

Hmmmm…what to do with Ricotta…I REALLY wanted to make a ricotta pie but my husband isn’t a big fan and I am in no shape to eat a whole pie by myself. He does love pancakes though! I searched the internet for various ricotta pancake recipes and finally came up with my own. Off to my quest to make Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes! I added the chocolate chips because, well, whenever I made homemade canoli’s I ALWAYS put mini chocolate chips in them. Something about ricotta and chocolate…

This recipe was SO easy! You can easily do this ahead of time for a breakfast or brunch and keep them in the lowest setting on your oven (uncovered and NOT stacked to keep them from getting soggy). You can also add whatever you want. Blueberries, chopped figs, bananas, etc. Mmmmm maybe bananas AND chocolate chips next time! I would NOT suggest making the batter ahead of time, it has baking soda in it and the cakes might not rise like they should. Also, I would not suggest using the low fat ricotta in this recipe. You can get away with it in lasagna but since there are so few ingredients in this I’m not suggesting it. My mom always cooked her pancakes in Crisco shortening. That’s how I do it. I like how the outside gets all crispy and it doesn’t take away from the taste of the cake. You can always add butter on top if you want. Since I am all the way out here in CA the good maple syrup is hard to find (one thing I miss about Boston). I’ve been using the trader Joes pure maple syrup and it’s not that bad and its affordable.



Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes
Makes 6 - 6” cakes

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs beaten
1 cup ricotta cheese
Chocolate chips
Shortening

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in egg and ricotta cheese until well blended.

Melt shortening onto griddle that’s over medium low. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Top with a sprinkling of chips. Cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other side. Serve immediately with warm maple syrup or put on cookie rack in oven on low to keep warm.




As the weekend progressed I searched for crab cake recipes. I LOVE crab cakes and I’m very picky about them. My nana was raised in Chesapeake Bay, MD so when our relatives came up so did the bushels of crab, and there’s nothing like crab cakes made from fresh picked crab. I did, however, have a fantastic crab cake (and king crab) experience at Tracy’s crab shack in Juneau, Alaska http://www.kingcrabshack.com/ recently. I have no idea if my recipe below comes close to Tracy’s (I had one too many at the Alaskan Brewing Company to remember) but the ones I made yesterday were hella good! They can easily be prepared in the morning or even the night before you want to cook them. It takes no time at all to fry them up! You can even fry them before guests arrive and put them in the oven on a rack, so air circulates all around them to keep from getting soggy and keep them warm. You can use an ice cream scoop to make it easier, and if you want to do mini cakes for appies you can use a mini muffin tin. I might try and bake them next time. To freeze them you need to do so AFTER you fry and cool them. Freeze them on a tray in a single layer, then you can stack them with wax paper between them and pop them back in the freezer. Reheat in a convection oven. They should go from freezer to oven - do not defrost.

I served this with lemon wedges and salad with an easy vinaigrette with grilled corn (hey it’s in season).



Crab Cakes
8 cakes

1 lb lump crabmeat
6 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs (such as Progresso)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons minced shallots (or green onions whatever you have)
1 beaten egg
2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon mustard (I used Dean and Deluca balsamic-shallot mustard)
1/2 cup panko
Canola oil

Measure all the ingredients for the crab cakes-- except the panko and vegetable oil-- into a large bowl. Use a spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together. Avoid over-stirring. Fill a clean muffin tin with equal amounts of the crab mixture. Press down a bit on each crab cake so that the top is flat but don't press too hard. Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for a couple hours to help the cakes stay together when they're browned in the oil. After the crab cakes have chilled through, heat up about 1/4-inch of vegetable oil in large skillet over medium/low heat. Fill a shallow bowl with the panko breadcrumbs. Carefully turn the crab cakes out onto a plate; I needed the assistance of a spoon. Gently roll each crab cake around in the panko breadcrumbs and flatten a little to make a bit thinner and larger. Each crab cake should be wearing a light coating of panko. Test the oil by dropping a pinch of panko into the pan. It should sizzle. Sauté the crab cakes in the hot oil for 3 minutes on each side or until the cakes are golden brown. Drain crab cakes on paper towels or a rack.



So it’s Sunday night and True Blood is our big event for Sunday nights. I still have this cake mix staring at me. Off I search for a simple but decadent recipe for my yellow cake mix. Low and behold I came across a recipe from recipegoldmine.com. They had a plethora of recipes that used cake mix. I asked my husband, “how does Chocolate Chip Pudding Cake sound?” and his GI-normous eyes told me it was a go! As I am sitting here finishing this blog I can say without a doubt that this cake tastes just as good the next day.



Chocolate Chip Pudding Cake
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 small box Jell-O instant chocolate pudding
• 12 oz package milk chocolate morsels
• 3 tablespoons butter

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (aka. Spray with Pam) 13 x 9-inch pan. Mix together cake mix, water, milk, eggs, oil, and pudding. Stir in 1/2 package of chocolate chips. Mix well. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Frosting:
1. When cake was cool I melted the remaining chips and butter in the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. I then stirred like crazy until it was smooth; it was a paste like consistency. Spread on cooled cake.



Until next time…

Welcome to My Kitchen With THE View!

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my first blog. For a long time I’ve looking for a venue to “share” information about entertaining , and this seems like a fantastic way to get the word out!
A little about me…I was brought up in a family where most of our social events revolved around food. I have been helping my mom entertain since I was old enough to stand on a chair to frost cookies or cut gnocchi at the counter. As I got older my duties included setting the table (I was 14 when she finally let me touch the crystal) and making the pizzaleas (God forbid if they came out too small). Every Christmas Eve we would have open house with over 50 guests. Sunday dinners and countless birthday celebrations were also large entertaining events. All in all, my mom molded and shaped me (and my younger sister) into a “hostess machine”. I was always looking to prepare for and conduct events in the most efficient way possible. As time went on and I moved out on my own I started experimenting with food, cooking for my friends and family. Even with the help of my mother and sister, entertaining and keeping a home is A LOT of work! I scour the internet for new recipes, ideas and gadgets that will make my life easier, or make cooking and entertaining fun. Currently I live in the Oakland Hills in the San Francisco Bay area. My husband and I entertain almost every single weekend we are home. We have a perfect house for entertaining, so it’s hard NOT to hang out with our friends here.
I believe that there are two types of hosts: there is the host that starts to cook when their guests arrive, with everyone hanging out in the kitchen cooking together and watching their host cook; and then there is the host that does everything they possibly can ahead of time so when the guests arrive there is minimal to do in order to prep the food. I am the latter. I want to hand my guests a glass of wine when they walk into my home and I want to sit down and give them my undivided attention. Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t ask my guests to help me out in last minute preparations because I certainly will.
I plan on using this forum to post great recipes I come across from the internet or cook books, and to share some family recipes. I also want to show you how to do the work efficiently beforehand, teach you tips and tricks I have learned over time, and also show you things that didn’t work so you can avoid mistakes that can ruin (or at least dampen) an event.
I would ask that you bear with me as I develop this blog. I suggest subscribing to this blog since I will be posting intermittently. This is all new to me and it will be exciting to see how it evolves. Please let me know what you want to know, what you like to cook or eat, and what you enjoy reading about and I will do my best to make this valuable to you!
Susan