what's cooking wednesday: bagels

I wasn't going to post a recipe today since I honestly haven't been cooking very much lately--we had Christmas dinner at P's parents and we spent New Year's Eve at a friend's house. Indeed, it's the same place we spent New Year's Eve last year, so if you'd like to see some photos from 2006, you can check them out here.

More on the recent New Year's Eve soon, but for now--bagels!

Michelle of Michellanea posted this bagel recipe a while ago for those of us in Italy dying for something, anything that we can smear some cream cheese on, and this recipe definitely delivers.

In my baking frenzy around Christmas, I finally decided to give these a go, and I will definitely be making bagels more frequently around here from now on. The recipe is easy to follow and carry out; the only time-consuming part is waiting for the dough to rise. And then waiting for them to cool off before you dig in.

The measurements are for those of us using metric, but everything is easily convertible these days online, for example at JoyofBaking.com.

Bagels
(makes 8 large bagels)

30 grams fresh yeast
2 tablespoons of oil
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon honey
500 grams of flour

Dissolve yeast in 250 ml of warm water and add oil. In large bowl, mix together salt, sugar, and flour. Make a well in the center and add in yeast mixture.

Mix together all ingredients, working in flour on the sides of the bowl in order to get an even mixture. Work dough into a ball.

Cover bowl with a damp towel for about 40 minutes and let dough rise in a warm place; it should double in size. Put a piece of wax paper on the baking sheet you’ll be using for the bagels.

Work the dough for about ten minutes. Divide into 8 little balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball and widen the opening until it begins to take the shape of a bagel.

Let the bagels sit on the warm towel for another 15 minutes while you heat the oven up to 200°C.

In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to a light boil (adding the 1 teaspoon of honey, which is a substitute for malt). Let each bagel boil lightly for about two minutes on each side and then remove and put them back on the damp towel.

If you are adding sesame or poppy seeds, at this point, sprinkle them on a plate and press each bagel down lightly over them.

After about five minutes, put the bagels on the wax paper-covered baking sheet and place in oven for about 20 or 25 minutes until they are golden brown (but not too brown – they will get a bit browner after they’ve cooled), flipping them after about 10 minutes to ensure even baking.

Buon appetito and thanks again to Michelle for the great recipe!

*A clever eye might notice the watermark on this photo refers to a site that doesn't exist yet, but it will. Hopefully soon my friends. Be patient please.

weekend o' cookies continues

You've now seen four of the six types of cookies I made this holiday season. What? No you haven't?

Well go here to see the thumbprints (with recipe!), here to see the kolaches, and here to see the chocolate chip and ricotta cookies.

Here are the final two starting with the scene of making the butter cookies:

And here they are after baking:

And, last but certainly not least, Michigan Rocks full of dates and walnuts:

And here's a tray ready for delivery:

Well really a red plastic plate covered in blue plastic wrap, tied together with a gold bow. It's easier to see the cookies through the wrap in person by the way.

And now I ask you:

can anything else say "AUGURI!" like a plate of American cookies?

I didn't think so either.

By the way, if anyone would like recipes for these, just send me an email.

So is everyone ready for Christmas or what?

weekend o' cookies

Last weekend was spent baking cookies, and this weekend is being spent delivering them to their new homes. So far all of the Italians have expressed nothing but love for the American biscottini. As if we had any doubt, right?

So as I've already shown you, I made thumbprints and kolaches.

Now here are the ricotta cookies:

and my favorite, the chocolate chips:

Does this look like anyone to you?

More cookies tomorrow! Stay tuned!

12 christmas memories: part IV

For Part IV of My 12 Favorite Christmas Memories as inspired by Wanderlust Scarlett's meme, I'm going to stick with the childhood theme. If you haven't yet, you should also check out Parts I, II, and III.

Now here are three more that come from my earlier years, and since we just talked about cookies, let's stay there for a moment.

7. Jeanie & Joe eating all the kolaches

Jeanie was my great-aunt's daughter and Joe was her husband. That might sound rather extended to you, but since my Aunt Babe lived about 30 seconds away from her sister (my grandmother), our families were always quite close, especially around the holidays--and my Aunt Babe remains one of my most favorite people in the world. She knows everything!

And what are kolaches? My mom's version looks something like this:


Walnut goodness wrapped in cream cheese dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I made these this year, but I had to improvise because I couldn't find a square ravioli cutter like she uses. In Italy! I couldn't find the ravioli cutter I needed! Harumph!

So I used a round one, which makes smaller ravioli and that made rolling these babies a lot more challenging. They're still delicious though, and that's what matters, right?

Well kolaches were probably the most sought after cookie at my grandmother's house (she also made them) during the holidays--so much so that my mom used to make a tray just for my grandfather to keep *in his bedroom*. Yes, this grandfather.

Anyway, Jeanie and Joe lived a couple hours away from us, so they came in for the holidays right as they were beginning, which left their visiting time to a minimum. And so, they'd come over, often individually, on Christmas morning, which as you can imagine, was always quite hectic as anywhere from 5 to 15 people would be eating dinner there at noon.

My grandmother always played the perfect hostess, though, despite having a million other things to do--she truly loved their visits.

But after a while she noticed that there would always be a huge dent made in the cookie tray in the area of the kolaches after Joe left--and let's be honest, it was mainly Joe who was the culprit. So my grandmother would purposely take most of the kolaches off the tray (she'd leave him a few of course), often literally as he was coming up the walkway.

"Joe's coming! Grab the kolaches!" *was* shouted.

Jeanie was mostly innocent in the Great Kolache Fiasco but she's thrown in this memory because her Christmas morning visits were always such a huge part of the holidays, and also because she recently passed away.

Jeanie was just 62 years old, and her husband Joe passed away last year after a long debilitating illness which included a heart transplant. Their children are around my age, and I think of them more often than ever.

And now with the holidays, wonderful memories of their parents have really come rushing back to me, and I hope they do for them as well.

8. I'm Mary!

OK, let's lighten things up with a fun memory from about fourth grade--when I was chosen to play Mary in the church play of the Nativity Scene.


I was never the one chosen for things like that, and to be honest, I thought one of my best friends who eventually became the angel would be Mary, but nope. I was Mary! Everyone was so proud!

I think we picked names out of a hat or something, so it really was no big feat to have won the non-speaking role. But whatever. I was Mary! I wrapped the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes!

And I do have a photo of it somewhere, just not here. Sorry. Maybe next year.

Also, attached to this memory? I was also the one who got to put the Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning in our nativity scene at home. Woohoo! The benefits of being the youngest in the house!

9. Caroling with Friends

They don't really do the caroling thing around here (not that I've seen/heard anyway), but I do have a fond memory of caroling when I was probably about 12 years old.

A group of girlfriends, probably about 10 of us, went around one evening and sang and sang and sang--and if anyone wonders why I know the words to just about any Christmas song, this is probably why. Seriously, try me.

One blustery December night, instead of going home after school, we all went to the house that would serve as Caroling Central. We got all bundled up (it was *freezing*!), and then walked around town, avoiding slushy puddles and snow piles, stopping at random houses, especially near those that were all lit up, assuming they'd certainly appreciate the effort.

We got invited into so many homes, drank far too much hot cocoa, and even made some cash--which we spent later that night on pizza if I recall correctly. Guess we could've donated the money, but hey, we were 12. And hungry.

Ah, and of course there was a huge slumber party afterwards.

I had almost forgotten about this memory until Wanderlust Scarlett and I got "talking" via email. I'm so happy that she reminded me! I don't have contact with most of those girls anymore, but some of them are still my best friends--and you know who you are--and I'm certainly thinking of you this Christmas.

Ah, small town America in the late 1980s.

Come back tomorrow for the final installment of My 12 Favorite Christmas Memories!

what's cooking wednesday:thumbprint cookies

Or, "12 Christmas Memories: Part III"

(If you haven't yet, do check out Part I and II.)

6. Cookies!

I simply couldn't do a series on my Christmas memories without cookies.

My grandmother always made cookies for the holidays, but my mom? She goes crazy. In addition to making them for the family, she's now started selling trays of homemade cookies and candy--and she's doing so well that I just may have to go to America to help her next year. Go Mom!

And so, making cookies is definitely one of my fondest Christmas memories. From the time I could walk, I was around the kitchen helping make cookies--although for a while there I didn't do much other than steal chocolate chips off the table, earning me the nickname "Cookie Monster" from my mom's friend, her baking partner for many years.

But eventually I worked my way up to working with sprinkles and candied cherries. You know, the Big Time.

My mom made it fun not only for me but also for the friends I was allowed to invite over to help decorate the cut-out cookies--there were far too many stockings and Santas and snowmen and bells and wreaths for just one or two people to decorate.

So at my mom's house, we'd have decorating slumber parties every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just the other day, in fact, one of my best friends and regular participants in the bake-a-thons left a comment here on the blog longing for the days of such innocent fun.

And I'm so with her on that.

(I'm the one without a blurred face; maybe 12-13 years old here? Not sure.)

And yes, in case you're wondering, my niece is fully prepared to keep this tradition going. Just the other day my mom said that she's getting to the age where she can have some friends over to help decorate (she already helps my mom with the cut-outs).

So next year, 9-year-olds at Nana's!

Before this year, I have never done the Christmas cookie thing by myself--why would I when my mom had it covered? But now that I've been here for a few years and have really missed those tastes of home, I decided that this year I'd make some of my mom's recipes and give out trays to Italian family, friends, and neighbors.

I highly doubt any of them have ever even seen the cookies I made, so it'll be an interesting experience for all of us.

Yesterday I finished up the last of six types that I made this year, and I've already decided that next year I'll try my hand at even more. My mom had sent me some things like chocolate chips and brown sugar, but since I decided on Operazione Biscotti at the last minute, some cookies just weren't going to happen this year for lack of the proper ingredients and tools.

But look out Christmas 2008!

I'm not going to share all the recipes with you now, or even the photos just yet, but I will let you in on what has to be one of the easiest and tastiest cookies ever for this week's What's Cooking Wednesday. In fact, this is a great one to make with kids because they get to play around in the dough as much as they want and they really can't ruin it.

"Unless their hands are dirty," adds my mom.

The words of wisdom never end I tell you.

These classics will also be my entry in Food Blogga's Eat Christmas Cookies event. Go check out all the great cookies over there--just beware you'll probably leave hungry.

Thumbprint Cookies*


2 c flour
3/4 c confectioner's sugar
1 c butter
1 tsp vanilla

Jelly of your choice (I used apricot and strawberry)

Combine flour and sugar and then cut in butter until well distributed. Sprinkle with vanilla and mix dough with hands until smooth.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.

Indent centers with lightly floured finger (or thumb!) and fill with jelly.

Bake in preheated 325°F (163°C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove to rack to cool.

Easy peasy and tasty too!

*I should note that the original recipe calls for a cup of chopped nuts--I just don't like them in this, so I don't put them in. If you want to, put 1/2 of them in with the flour and sugar in the beginning, and then, after you make the dough into balls, roll them in the remaining nuts. Thanks Christina for reminding me to include this!

Buon appetito!

12 christmas memories: part I

Christmas celebrators, we're in the home stretch! Are you ready?

First, could you please go here and vote for me (for this photo) in Write From Karen's Photo Contest? I'm running way behind peeps...aiuto!

You can vote here up until 8 pm Central tonight!

Now to keep you in the spirit, I'll be writing about my favorite Christmas memories all this week. I am obligated inspired to do this by Ms Wanderlust Scarlett, who has tagged me to write about 12 Christmas anythings--that is, I could've written about my favorite Christmas carols, presents, traditions, etc.

But I chose my 12 favorite Christmas memories, and I'm going to do it in installments because I want to write more than just a line for each one. I hope you understand.

I'm also going to use this opportunity to share some Christmas photos throughout this week-long meme. I hope you enjoy it!

By the way, yesterday Katerina of Olio di Oliva e Sogni di Vino tagged me with the same task, so do check out her meme as well.

I'm supposed to tag 12 people to do this, but I'm only specifically tagging the lovely Cheeky because I know she's dying to do this one. For the rest of you, I know it's a busy time so just feel free to participate if you like. If you do, please link to me and Wanderlust Scarlett, creatress of the meme, so we can find your list.

Here we go!

1. Decorating the Staircase

I grew up in a house that virtually exploded with red, green, and gold at Christmastime and I loved it. I loved every minute that those lights twinkled around me and enveloped me in winter warmth--and I always felt a bit deflated once they had to come down after the Epiphany. Every corner was Christmas in my house growing up--even in the bathroom.

I don't know about you, but in my experience, a normally cozy house becomes extraordinarily welcoming and warm with Christmas decorations.

Plus I just *love* sleeping by the lights of the Christmas tree.

*sigh*

I always helped my grandmother put up the decorations sometime after Thanksgiving; in case you don't know, I lived with my grandmother, so when I talk about my grandmother's house, that's my house too.

Decorating was always a big production since everything had to be brought up from the basement, every day knick knacks had to be packed away carefully, lights had to be tested.

We're talking all day, Christmas music blaring fun.

And although every year was special, I'll never forget the first time I was entrusted with the staircase railing. From the first to second floor of my childhood home, there are about 15 steps with a railing that runs up the side--and it's located right in the middle of the house in the hallway.

Other than the tree, and even more than the faux fireplace, *this* was the focal point of the Christmas-themed house.

Holly garland, small white lights, old wooden ornaments that I had painted as a young child, other old-fashioned wooden ornaments that lost more arms and legs with each passing year no matter how carefully they were wrapped, stained glass ornaments I had made as an older child, and some of the funniest looking elves I've ever seen--plastic faces, cloth bodies, knees scrunched to chest--covered the railing for a good long month.

Slight digression: the first year I was in Italy I saw a box of ornaments similar to the old-fashioned wooden ones I always used on the staircase. I couldn't believe it, but they were kind of steep in price, so I let them sit. Then they were still there the next year, just that one box of ornaments that made me think of home every time I saw it.

And I found it in the same spot the following year as well.

Well this year I finally bought them because I now understand that they were waiting for me. I'm so glad they've been patient.

Here's the snowman that to my eye is identical to the one I remember from the staircase ornaments:


I just loved decorating that staircase, and my grandmother knew it because even when I was in college and she had all the other decorations up by the time I got home for break, she left the staircase bare for me.

Rolling out that garland, wrapping lights around it, and then positioning the ornaments just so--definitely one of my fondest Christmas memories. I simply adored how that decorated staircase lit up the heart of the house with a warm glow throughout the holiday season, and I loved that I was responsible for it.

2. The Christmas Eve Routine

Around 4 pm, we'd have dinner--something to hold us over until after Mass, which was usually around 7 pm. It was always fish of some sort as we weren't allowed to have meat until after we went to Mass. Yes, those were our household rules.

But before we went off to church, there were lots of preparations for after church. This is because after early Mass, much of the extended family and friends came to my grandmother's house for a few hours. There was always ham, potato salad, pickled eggs, deviled eggs, and many trays full of cheese, olives, pickles. Ah, and also suppresata and ringed bologna.

And raisin bread. And various nuts. And fruit. And chocolates.

And the trays of homemade cookies, of course.

And I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the foods; Christmas Eve was a feast second only to Thanksgiving in our house, and a lot of people had to eat standing up because the kitchen was always spilling over with well-wishers.

For those wondering about the lack of typical Italian food, don't worry. It came the next day in the form of homemade ravioli, spaghetti, rigatoni, meatballs, and more.

In conjunction with this memory, perhaps a 2(a), is my memory of the first Christmas without my grandmother in 2001. She had passed away less than two months before, and it was so hard even being in that house without her, let alone at the holidays, which were without a doubt her favorite time of the year.

My dad absolutely wanted to keep that Christmas Eve tradition alive and so before church, I ran around getting together all the trays and plates and cups and everything that we'd need because, of course, other than my grandmother, I was the only one who knew where everything was and how everything was supposed to go.

I do miss those Christmas Eves, but I also know they don't really exist anymore without my grandparents there.

But oh what memories I'm so lucky to have.

what's cooking wednesday:tortellini con prosciutto e panna

First of all, Shelley has announced the winner of the Dolce Italiano Contest over at her place--go here to see if it's you. Congratulations winner!

Now. It's holiday time. You're in a rush. I'm in a rush. I'll keep this short.

For this week's What's Cooking Wednesday, you need three ingredients--prosciutto cotto (cooked ham), panna (heavy cream), and tortellini, preferably stuffed with prosciutto crudo. OK, you need salt and water too, but that's it.

Interested? (The clementines in the background are dessert!)

I've seen other versions of this recipe that add butter, cheese, and even an egg yolk, but honestly this is delicious just like this, although, as always, I do encourage you to experiment.

Feel especially free to add other ingredients to spice it up--peas or mushrooms are our favorite. You can also play with the type of pasta from fettuccine to pennette. It's all good.

Tortellini con Prosciutto e Panna

(serves 3-4)

250 g tortellini (half of the bag shown above)
150 g (between 1/4 and 1/2 lb) prosciutto cotto/cooked ham, torn up in pieces
400 ml panna/heavy cream (about a cup and a half)

Prepare tortellini in salted, boiling water.

Meanwhile, heat cream in large saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Stir in prosciutto and lower heat, being sure that cream isn't sticking to pan. I use a heat-resistant rubber spatula during this part. Keep the cream and prosciutto mixture warm until the tortellini are ready.

When the tortellini are cooked to your satisfaction, drain them, and combine well with cream and prosciutto.

That's it!

Buon appetito!

ghost of christmas past (revisited)

The newly-crowned Princess Wanderlust Scarlett has tagged me for a most glorious Christmas meme--to write about 12 of my favorite Christmas things. I'm choosing to write about 12 of my favorite Christmas memories over the years.

I will fulfill my meme-ly duties in due time, but for now, Scarlett's tag reminded me of a general Christmas memory post that I put up last year around this time.

Since many of you weren't around then, and since I rather enjoyed rereading it when I looked back, I'm reposting it in its entirety with a touch-up to the photo--which I am submitting for Write From Karen's Photo Contest 5: Holiday Cheer.

Submit your Holiday Cheer photo by 4 p.m. CST on December 14th
for a chance to win a $25 Mastercard Gift Card!

Now let's revisit "Ghost of Christmas Past" from December 17, 2006:

I am a loyal reader of Petite Anglaise, and her December 13 post has been resonating with me for days now. Petite is separated from the father of her young child, and in this entry, she admits struggling to make Christmas special for Tadpole, as she calls her daughter.

If you've read my 100 things about me, you know that my parents were divorced when I was very young. And so, I've been in the shoes of Tadpole--having adults around me trying to make everything seem normal when, it turns out, I suppose it wasn't (whatever "normal" means anyway).

So the more I've thought about Petite and Tadpole, the more I've been thinking about my own childhood Christmases--and the more I've felt the need to write this post.

By Christmases (plural), I mean that we had two every year. If today were 20 years ago, this might have been the morning that I woke up at my Mom's house, opened gifts, and then prepared for our Christmas dinner, which usually included my father and his family.

That's because one or two weeks before the big day, we had "Mom's Christmas," a full celebration only a little early. More than the early gifts, though, the highlight for me was the unveiling of Mom's cookies--chocolate chips, Michigan rocks, ricotta, kolaches, butter pressed, pizzelles. Of course, some time in the weeks before, we had decorated the cut-outs, which involved a couple of my girlfriends and a slumber party.*

Man I'm missing home (and childhood) right about now.

Anyway, some of the reason behind having two Christmases was that my mom is a nurse and always worked Christmas day; on actual Christmas morning, she usually came over to my father's house for a little while.

But I'm sure the bigger reason was that with two full holidays, nobody missed out on a family Christmas experience. In fact, as kids, we were blessed with double the fun.

And the best part was that all of this seemed completely normal to me even though I knew the other kids at school weren't having the same deal (suckers!). Now, as an adult, I see that this was the plan. And it worked.

Don't buy it? My testimonial not enough?

Take Exhibit A, then, depicting what the two Christmas set-up made my normally curmudgeonly grandfather (may he rest in peace) do to himself one year:

See, Christmas miracles do happen.

*These are not the actual recipes my Mom uses. As you can surely understand, these are top secret and under heavy guard. I did, however, try to find some that are close to hers.

a word on grappa

In Wednesday's Sweet Apple Omelet recipe from Gina DePalma's fabulous Dolce Italiano, a little thing called "grappa" was one of the ingredients -- and one that I omitted.

Probably because I singled it out, there ended up being quite a bit of discussion in the comments about this uniquely Italian creation -- questions that can be summarized as "What is grappa?", "Why would you use grappa in desserts?" and "Does Gina have a particular fondness for it as it appears in quite a few Dolce Italiano recipes?"

Since there is some mystery surrounding this peculiar clear bevanda, today we're talking grappa, and our source will be none other than Gina DePalma, who was more than happy to answer questions about its use in her recipes.

But first--what is it?

We needn't go further than Dolce Italiano for the answer. Have I mentioned that beyond a fabulous collection of recipes, Gina also offers an amazing amount of information on Italy, festivals and celebratory foods, the Italian language, and baking equipment and techniques?

You can also learn the history of gelato, why you should always toast nuts before using them, how to test your oven's prowess, and how to substitute different egg sizes in recipes.

And so much more!

In a section called "Ten Italian Ingredients You Should Know," Gina writes about "the building blocks of [her] dessert repertoire." These are the essential items in her pantry at Babbo, she says, and grappa is on that list.

From Dolce Italiano:

An aquavite, or "water of life," grappa is made by distilling grape skins and grape pomace, and this characteristic distinguishes it from other distillates made from wine or fruit....Grape pomace is essentially the leftovers of the winemaking process--the skins, pulp, and seeds. The pomace is heated in a still to produce an alcoholic mixture, which is distilled to remove the solids along with water, impurities, methyl alcohol, and any other volatile substances. The grappa is then carefully aged in a multistep process, which ends with a final reduction of alcohol and cold-filtering. Skilled, traditional grappa distillers produce a drink that is filled with nuance and flavor.

As every region produces wine, every region also produces grappa, but it is the northern versions that get the most accolades, particularly those from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Veneto.

Which brings us to the Sweet Apple Omelet. As Gina pointed out in her email to me, the recipe itself comes from Friuli, and so grappa was a perfectly logical and tasty addition to it.

But in general, Gina notes, "lots of pastry recipes--not just Italian--use spirits and distillates. Rum, brandy, framboise, even whiskey. Booze is there more than people realize, especially in European-style pastry."

I can certainly attest to that last part as sometimes it's difficult to find a dessert here that *doesn't* have some kind of alcohol in it--it's even in children's snacks! Here in the south where I am, grappa isn't usually the addition of choice but there is a lot of rum, brandy, anisette, and even vincotto. All tasty to be sure.

So why would you use grappa in a dessert recipe? From the book, Gina says that that "a truly fine grappa will accent and improve whatever flavor is highlighted on the plate." She particularly likes using grappa in fresh fruit desserts and says that it is "heavenly when added to a crepe batter or lightly sweetened whipped cream."

And about her allegedly using excessive amounts of grappa in the recipes?

"I think I use a good variety in the book--rum, amaretto, and grappa, mostly. I think that Americans see grappa as an unusual ingredient, and the recipes that use it have gotten more than their fair share of attention. But first and foremost, I use grappa in the recipes where it fits, either regionally, or because I think the flavor works really well."

So there you have it.

Now you know a little more about the mystical grappa, why Gina uses it, and why you should too.

I do want to be clear that I didn't use grappa in the Sweet Apple Omelet because I didn't have any. I was sick over the weekend when I needed to shop for ingredients, and since I wasn't going outside, this meant no grappa-shopping either.

Related to that, even if I could've gotten my hands on some grappa (surely one of my neighbors has a stash, although it might be peperoncino-flavored!), my recovering stomach was certainly not up for even the smell of it. Or at least I didn't want to risk it.

Next time I make the Sweet Apple Omelet though, I will certainly give the grappa a try in there. I trust Gina.

And now my mom does too because she just received her Christmas gift from me in the mail yesterday--her very own copy of Dolce Italiano! The mailman actually delivered it *while* I was on the phone with her.

It's just the most wonderful time of the year, isn't it?

P.S. Remember that today is the last day in the Dolce Italiano Contest so head over to Jenn's The Leftover Queen for the final recipe. And if you want to comment on that post or the previous nine recipe posts (you can comment on all of them once for a total of 10 chances to win), do so by

11:59 p.m. PST, DECEMBER 7--TONIGHT!!

in order to enter the drawing to win a personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma.

Here are the previous recipe posts:

Mosaic Biscotti & Sicilian Pistachio Cookies, Sara's Ms Adventures in Italy

Chocolate Kisses & Cassata alla Siciliana, Ilva's Lucullian Delights

Ricotta Pound Cake & Sweet Apple Omelet, here!

Chestnut Brownies & Chocolate & Tangerine Semifreddo, Shelley's At Home in Rome

Chocolate Salami, Jenn's The Leftover Queen

Best of luck and buon weekend!

dolce italiano contest:sweet apple omelet

So here we are for Round Two of the Dolce Italiano Contest in which you can win a personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma by commenting on any and all of the Dolce Italiano recipe posts across five blogs.

So far, we've had:

Mosaic Biscotti & Sicilian Pistachio Cookies, Sara's Ms Adventures in Italy

Chocolate Kisses & Cassata alla Siciliana, Ilva's Lucullian Delights

Ricotta Pound Cake, Here!

Chestnut Brownies, Shelley's At Home in Rome

Chocolate Salami, Jenn's The Leftover Queen

Be sure to comment by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, December 7!

Now I bet you were expecting another cake, perhaps a cookie, a tart, or even a fritter here today? With a name like Dolce Italiano, you might think that Gina DePalma's book is only for expert bakers or at least those with a mean sweet tooth, but that's certainly not the case.

There are also plenty of other recipes to keep everyone happy, including crackers, breadsticks, ice creams, and as you'll see today, even an omelet.

For my second Dolce Italiano recipe and this week's What's Cooking Wednesday, I wanted to choose something to show you just how varied this cookbook really is--and how you can find something to make from what you may already have at home--so here's the Sweet Apple Omelet, or as I like to call it, How to Eat Apple Pie for Breakfast Without Feeling Guilty.

What do I mean by that? Well we all know that the best part of an apple pie is the filling, so here we have that filling tucked inside a perfectly respectable omelet--and the results are spectacular!

As Gina mentions in the book, you don't need to limit this one to breakfast or brunch though. Indeed, I had a sweet apple omelet for dinner the other night; I always was rather fond of breakfast for dinner. I also think the sweet apple omelet would be great in a huge brunch spread--something a little more fancy than scrambled eggs, as much as I love them.

So will I be making this again? Absolutely. This a fast, easy, and delicious recipe that takes something ordinary like an omelet and makes it a special treat. You can easily make it a little healthier by using only egg whites, less/no butter, less sugar (or substitute)...and why not experiment with other fruits and jams as the filling?

Now who doesn't love a recipe as easy, tasty, and versatile as this?

Sweet Apple Omelet
(condensed from Gina DePalma's Dolce Italiano)

2 medium Golden Delicious, Rome, or Empire apples
3 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbl granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbl grappa*

2 tbl unsalted butter
1 tbl honey

4-5 large eggs

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

*Note: I didn't use grappa for two main reasons. The first is that I really don't like grappa so I don't have any in the house; the second is that my stomach is just recovering from a nasty virus and I didn't think I could even handle the smell. If you'd like instructions on how to incorporate the grappa I suppose you'll just have to buy the book (or keep your fingers crossed that you'll win a copy--be sure to comment)!

Peel and core apples, cut them into quarters, then into slices. If you'd like to make a pretty flower to garnish like in the picture above, peel the skin with a sharp knife beginning at the top of the apple in one continuous strip, as demonstrated here and then roll it up and set it on the plate. Thanks Meredith!

Heat a large saucepan over medium and add olive oil, followed by apples. Sauté until they just begin to turn soft, translucent, and tender, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and cinnamon, shaking to coat apples. When apples are completely tender, remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat; don't let it bubble. Add honey and swirl the pan so they combine thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare a serving plate dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Crack eggs into medium bowl and whisk until combined. In a nonstick 10-inch omelet pan, melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat, swirling it around to coat bottom of pan completely. When butter begins to bubble, add eggs.

Use a fork or spatula to pull any cooked egg toward the center of the pan while tilting so that any uncooked egg moves to the edges. Continue moving eggs around until they are cooked, 2 to 3 minutes.

Very quickly, spoon some of the cooked apples into the center of the omelet in a straight line spanning the diameter of the omelet. Shake pan to loosen the omelet completely, then fold one side of omelet over apples.

Quickly slide the omelet onto the sugar-dusted serving plate, folding it over on top of itself with the edge of the pan or a spatula. Immediately drizzle the warm honey-butter mixture evenly over the surface of the omelet, and dust with confectioner's sugar (I also sprinkled a little more cinnamon).

Serve immediately, cutting the omelet into 2 large halves or 4 smaller quarters.

I did it in halves, and was plenty full after my half. Yum!

Buon appetito!

Remember to leave a comment here for a chance to win a personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano.

Also, be sure to head over to Shelley's At Home in Rome tomorrow and to Jenn's The Leftover Queen on Friday for the final Dolce Italiano recipes!

dolce italiano contest:ricotta pound cake

Welcome to Day 3 of the Dolce Italiano Contest in which you can win a free, personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano, the newly-released, highly-acclaimed Italian dessert cookbook by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef of Mario Batali's Babbo Ristorante Enoteca in New York City.

You can read more about the contest in this post of mine and also over at Shelley's At Home in Rome, home of the event, but here's the gist: Shelley, Sara, Ilva, Jenn, and I are going to be posting recipes from the book over the next two weeks.

In order to be entered into the drawing for the free, personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano, you need to comment on the recipe posts; you can comment on all 10 over the next two weeks to maximize your chances of winning.

All comments must be posted by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, December 7th to be entered.

So, after you leave me a note here, if you haven't commented on Sara's Mosaic Biscotti from Monday or Ilva's Chocolate Kisses from yesterday, do go over and comment.

When collaborating, we had to figure out which days we would all post our recipes. I, of course, requested Wednesdays to keep the What's Cooking Wednesday theme alive and also to enrich the WCW collection with some delicious Dolce Italiano recipes.

Now to the recipe.

I'm a cake and cookie girl, so it's not surprising that the first dessert I've chosen is in one of those food groups--namely the Ricotta Pound Cake.

I love any kind of cake and I also love ricotta, so I had a pretty good idea I'd enjoy this too.

"Enjoy" doesn't do this justice.

I *love* this cake. LOVE THIS CAKE. The ricotta gives an extra kick to the normally tame (I didn't say boring--did you hear boring?) pound cake as well as an awful lot of moisture. I love how the outside is nice and crunchy but inside it's actually almost wet. This is without a doubt one of the best cakes I've ever made or eaten.

And as Gina wrote in the book, it *is* even better the next day--that just didn't seem possible after I took my first bite nearly fresh out of the oven. I really have to learn to trust the experts.

Ah, and another bonus? It goes great with espresso!

Ricotta Pound Cake
(condensed from Gina DePalma's Dolce Italiano)

1 1/2 c cake flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c fresh whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place rack in center.

Grease and flour 9-inch loaf pan.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar until smooth and light.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

If you have a vanilla bean (I didn't), split it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a small knife, then beat them into the batter along with the vanilla extract. I just used another teaspoon of vanilla extract.

On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat the batter for 30 seconds on medium.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets.

Put cake in oven and let bake for 15 minutes, then turn 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and let bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, the sides of the cake have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes more.

For some reason, mine took another 35 minutes, so do keep a close eye on it. Perhaps it had to do with the water content of the ricotta I used versus what Gina uses? Experts?

Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it on wire rack to cool completely. Mine came right out of the pan like no other loaf I've made before--the browned outside is key here.

Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

As Gina says, flavor is best the next day, and I have to agree. Leftover cake can be stored for up to three days so long as it's wrapped in plastic.

Buon appetito!

Today I'm thankful for:

Ricotta Pound Cake of course! YUM!

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win a free, personalized, signed copy of Dolce Italiano!

Also if you haven't yet, comment on Sara's Mosaic Biscotti and Ilva's Chocolate Kisses as well for more chances to win.

And tomorrow? Get thee to Shelley's At Home in Rome for another tasty Italian treat!

dolce italiano contest

If you also read Shelley's At Home in Rome (and if you don't, why don't you?!), you probably already know this, but just in case, I'm letting you in on the big news:

We're having a contest! And it involves desserts! And books!

Brainstormed and organized by Shelley, the Dolce Italiano Contest centers on the book by the same name by Gina DePalma, Executive Pastry Chef at Mario Batali's famous New York City restaurant Babbo.


And this is no ordinary cookbook. It's getting rave reviews all over the place and has been named the 3rd best Cooking, Food, & Wine book of 2007 on Amazon.com and one of Publishers Weekly's best books of the year (Lifestyle).

So now, Shelley, three other bloggers that you know and love, and I are getting together to help one of you win your very own signed copy!

Starting today and for the next two weeks (Monday-Friday), one of us will feature a recipe from Dolce Italiano. If you leave a comment on a post, you're entered to win the book. Only one comment per post counts toward the drawing, but if you comment on each of the 10 posts, that gives you 10 chances to win. Comments on all 10 posts will be accepted for the drawing up until 11:59 PST on Friday, December 7.

And you and your family can have a very lovely holiday season with all these delicious Italian desserts.

So where do you need to go? Here's the schedule:

Mondays: Sara's Ms Adventures in Italy

Tuesdays: Ilva's Lucullian Delights

Wednesdays: Right here baby!

Thursdays: Shelley's At Home in Rome

Fridays: Jenn's The Leftover Queen

Since it's Monday, you need to head on over to Ms Adventures in Italy and see what Sara has made just for you today. And comment! Don't forget to comment!

Please note that comments on this post (that you're reading right now), although sincerely appreciated, do not count as entries in the contest; only comments on recipe posts will be entered into the drawing.

Also check out Shelley's three-part interview with Ms DePalma here, here, and here.

Today I'm thankful for:

The opportunity to be a part of the Dolce Italiano Contest. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Yes, there are recipes for cookies, cakes, spoon desserts, tarts, ice creams, sorbets, semifreddos, fried treats, dishes with fruit, celebratory desserts, and savory goodies--but there's also a whole lot of information on Italian baking in general, techniques, equipment, ingredients, and more.

Goodness my grandmother would've loved this. She *loved* Molto Mario.

If you're a foodie, this is a book you'll want to get all floury and sugary during the day and then curl up with at night. It's an awesome gift for anyone who loves baking, so whether you win one or not, I highly recommend picking up a copy.