Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Walnut Cream Sauce

      UPDATE: I found out, in 2016, the great restaurant,  Rose Angelis, closed; on October 1, 2016, after 25 years of business.  Miss it more than I can say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

     So, I originally created this recipe in 2017 and posted this recipe originally on  November 3, 2017.  

     Since, Halloween was over then;  yet still; it would not be long til we begin to hustle and bustle for the upcoming holidays😉.  

     If you'd like to read more, and get the recipe... Posting it today, because I don't have time to finish one of the relevant current posts that I'm working on.  Also, because I have a hankering for this dish, so I thought I'd share it again.  

     Also, just $5 to contribute over on the DONATE tab, is dandy😊 Especially since, this is a great recipe!!! 

Joys of Winter (Cassoulet Recipe)

Since it's snowing, thought it was time to take a break and enjoy time with family, and just do a little writing.  Hope you enjoy!

Posted this the first time in October of 2015! 

When it was...

The first fire of the season.

A nice glass of red wine.

Raking up crunchy leaves, only to have them scattered again and again by laughing kids.

Now, it's 2023... 

Got a senior and a freshman in high school.  Still are often laughing kids, so that is wonderful. 

Along with a nice glass of red wine...

What better dish to accompany such an evening than cassoulet?

Please consider paying $1 or so, if you use my recipes or just to show appreciation.  Thank you.   

Quiche Me Dahling!

   

     With spring upon us, and us still dealing with Covid-19 and its family--- one of the ways to look on the bright side, is to cook together as a family.  Since we have soooooooo much time together.  

Won't always be this way... I think.  We'll see.  

     

Wishing you and yours many memorable moments--- of the good kind.  

Here are the Quiche recipes:

There are gobs of quiche recipes out there, so keeping with the main benefit of a quiche and the idea of KISS (the acronym- Keep It Simple Sweetheart, not the rock band), this post will be short and sweet.

You need:
1. A Crust- you can make one- really easy; or buy one- even easier.  Pre bake at 375 F for 7 minutes.
2. What ever filling you want - more on this in a moment
3. The Custard- 3 eggs + 1 1/2 cups of half and half, good pinch of salt, and pepper.

Take your crust, line with filling; top with custard, then bake for 30-40 minutes at 375F.   That is  it.

Now for my contribution.

First, Mornin' Nawlins' - I lined the crust with andouille sausage, 1 can of crab, some left over shrimp, that had been cooked with Old Bay, and topped with Queso Fresco. 

Next- The ABC Quiche- I crumpled cooked bacon, (got you now don't I?) then chopped peeled apple, that I had tossed with a wee bit of sugar and cinnamon, then topped them with 10yr aged sharp cheddar.

     These flavor combos got wows all around, so thought I'd share.

     Now just a note about the crust and the custard.  If you "go the distance" you will be richly rewarded.  Meaning: the more you put in, the more you get out of it.  Bought crusts are actually pretty good these days, but pie crusts and pate brisee are really easy to make and don't take that much time.  

Also, as with all food, when you make it, you know what's in there.

     For the custard, I used 1 cup of half and half and 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  I had the heavy cream left over from making whipped cream, so I figured, "might as well use it up".  The quiche came out great.  I have had other quiche that were "grainy and watery" and I figure this is due to lower fat options being used.  Here's my reason for using the higher fat options:  it's better.  It's called custard for a reason.  Also, a 1 inch wedge of each of these is filling.  So, "lighten' up Francis and indulge."

     Lastly, in keeping with spirit of Memorial Day, (originally posted 5/27/13) where we acknowledge and remember those who have given us so much, so that we may enjoy life; allow me to suggest you catch the joie de vie spirit by coming up with your own crazy wonderful ideas for a quiche.  Cause in 2021- we got the time.

Ciao for now.  
     

Original post: May 27, 2013:

Happy Fat Tuesday!

 

Found this brilliant photo, when looking for one of Puxatony Phil.

Made me laugh, as I hope it does for you.  

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

 

The Gumbo Recipe

The Gumbo

 

     If I ever get around to getting a cookbook put together, there will be a section entitled, "Labors of Love."  It will be sure to include, Cassoulet, Ratatouille, and Gumbo.  Dishes that generally take most the day, if not the whole.  I suggest putting on great music, invite friends over if you like, and it's guaranteed to be a day remembered with smiles.

Ingredients you will need:                                                             Makes about 6 quarts

-Stock(s)- 4quarts (64 oz/ 8 cups)
Packaged or made from scratch, with turkey or duck, or both.  I've used seafood stock in it as well.  When using poultry and seafood stocks, I use the ratio of 3 qts poultry + 1 qt of seafood.
If I make it, usually is left over from holiday birds, but I've used smoked turkey legs to make stock with great results. 
-3/4 cup of all purpose flour
-3/4 cup of canola oil - for the fat, I usually use duck fat instead of the canola oil.
-3 cups of chopped onions - 2 large sweet onions such as Vidalia
-2 large green peppers chopped
-4 stalks of celery chopped.
-2 large cans (~32 oz each) diced tomatoes
-2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
-1 pound of andouille sausage precooked, sliced to 1/3 inch thickness
-16 package of sliced frozen okra*
*For the okra, roast it in the oven at 325F for 30 minutes, prior to adding to the gumbo, to rid or decrease the "slimy factor". 
- 4 cups of chopped poultry; chicken, turkey, or duck.
-1lb of peeled and deveined medium shrimp
-1 lb canned crab
- Additional cayenne, Old Bay, file, Tabasco to taste at end.  I rarely add salt, due to smoked ingredients being used.

     There are 100's of recipes for Gumbo, due to what you want in it.  The roux, okra, and file powder are thickeners used.  Some recipes just call for 1 or 2, but to me you can't call it gumbo, without the roux, or without the okra.  File powder, I sprinkle on at the end, and since it comes from sassafrass, it gives the gumbo a nice ... fresh mowed grass quality- the scent, not the texture.

You will need a large 6+ quart pot.  

The roux is made up of equal parts of fat and flour.  The roux is cooked until it is the color of dark chocolate, about 45 minutes, over almost medium heat.   I have heard the phrase low and slow pertaining to cooking, and this is one of those times.  Not enough heat, and you'll be there forever and no flavor, and too much and it will burn.  Either one, not tasty.  Need to pay close attention and stir almost constantly.   Either have one person stirring roux, while you chop the veggies that go in next, or prep the veggies before you begin the roux.

The veggies are added next; "the trinity" -celery, onion, and green pepper, need to be coated in the roux and cooked on medium for about 10 minutes.   Next add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and the stocks.  I used turkey stock left over from Thanksgiving, and duck from Christmas, for this batch; both had lots of scraps from the respective birds.  I have also added to the poultry stock, seafood stock, if I have on hand.  Add to this the poultry, okra, and sausage.  Add 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, remebering you can always add more later, but you can't take away.  The Andouille Sausage will lend a lot of spice to the gumbo, so again, go sparingly with the spice right now.

Bring this to boil, then simmer 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Then add seafood, and cook 15 more minutes, till shrimp are pink.

Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, Tabasco and file to taste.

Serve over hot rice.

Enjoy!  The gumbo can store up to 1 week in the fridge, or freeze leftovers.  Once the flavors get time to party- the gumbo only gets better with time.  I have even made the gumbo with all ingredients, except the SHRIMP.  Then as I removed from freezer, thaw and reheat, add shrimp, more poultry or ham, oysters, whatever (due to mood or availability) during the last 15 minutes or cooking for a guaranteed great quick meal.

Feel free to email me with any questions:  sadiesgathering@gmail.com

Turkey Mole Tamales!

      In the winter is when I do a lot of cooking, finding recipes and developing new favorites.
It's a perfect time when you've had your share of the great outdoors for a bit, and you have plenty of the leftovers that the holidays bring.  There can be a surplus of foods that you don't take the time to cook throughout the rest of the year.  For me, turkey comes to mind.
      I always have a surplus of turkey left over at Thanksgiving.   There's a couple of more days of turkey with all the trimmings, and of course great turkey sandwiches.  No matter how great a deli, nothing beats just sliced roast turkey.  Couple of slices of good whole wheat bread, mayo, turkey topped with a dollop of cranberry sauce, and I'm set.
      This is great till about Sunday, then I start hankering for something different.  I'll usually do a turkey pot pie, I think a fairly common use of left over turkey.  This year I was hankering for a little spice.  In a couple of days I will post my gumbo recipe, which is a January standby for us.  This year I decided to give tamales a try.
      I love tamales.  After spending a few years in the LA area, we got to know "places" (restaurants, trucks, and mobile food vendors, that you find where they are by luck or the internet) that had great ones; and even our local grocery store had them the from the local vendors, in their frozen section.
   
     I knew turkey mole would be a great filling.  One of the labors of love on my culinary "wish list" of learning how to make is authentic mole.  Back about 12 years ago, I managed a restaurant in downtown LA and a coworker I was friends with had just returned from a visit to his home in Mexico.  Upon his return to work, he had for me, much to my delight, a block of homemade Oaxacan Black Mole.  It had been made by his aunt, and all I needed to do to acquire this delicacy, was to try another Oaxacan delicacy:  Chapulines.  Otherwise known as grasshoppers.  I had never tried them before and it seemed a small price to pay for homemade mole.  If you've never tried them, to me they were similar in texture to biting into several layers of the skin of Spanish peanuts.  Very similar to phyllo dough, seasoned with chile, cayenne, lime and salt.  Not bad at all.  The mole was well worth it.  I kept it in the freezer, and every time I wanted some I would slice off a bit and cook it with a bit of poultry stock, and it was amazing every time.  Gracias a la tia de David.
 
     So let's cut to the chase.  This recipe makes about 36  4" tamales, and not including the husk soaking time, takes about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish.  They make great dinners, snacks, and could even be cut to bite size for parties.  The thing that makes them easy to make is that I used ready-made salsa verde and mole.

You'll need-
Corn husks -Ahead of time; soak 50 husks in hot water for 2+ hours.  You can do this in a large pot, or in your kitchen sink.

4 cups of Masa
Mix and knead masa with 1 tablespoon of salt
Add to this 2/3 cup melted lard or bacon fat.  It's okay, you won't be eating it all at once.
Then add 2-3 cups of stock; adding and mixing by hand a 1/2 cup at a time.  I had turkey on hand, but chicken stock would be fine.  The consistency you are aiming for is for the masa to stick together when you grip it in your hand.  Cover with a wet towel until ready to use.

For the filling:
3 cups of shredded turkey
1 cup of Queso Fresco
! cup of Salsa Verde
1/2 -3/4 cup of prepared mole

Process in a food processor, just a few pulses till ingredients are mixed and resemble a chunky paste.

To assemble:

Flatten out a husk on work service (cutting board).  At times you'll need to use 2. 
Spoon out 2 1/2 Tbls of masa mixture onto husk; flatten into a rectangle about 2x3x 1/4 thick.  
Top with about 1 tablespoon of turkey mole mixture.
To roll up: fold up what will be the bottom; then with the side closest to you, carefully roll until masa forms a tube completely covering turkey mix and husk covers all.  Fold down top.  Place in steaming pan on end.

Steam for an 1 hour.  Enjoy plain or top with sauce and cheese.  Can be stored in freezer for 3 months in freezer bags.  To re-steam,  just take from freezer and steam for 20 minutes. 

Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

If you ever have any questions, just post it in the comment section or email me at sadiesgathering@gmail.com.

All the best,
S.

Confessions of A Food Snob (Recipe for Cheddar Apple Ale Soup)

     It's been a week since my last post.  Kind of been hit with "writer's block".  Between personal stuff, (dealing with loss of loved one recently, hit with missing my mom and dad and other loved ones) along with news, and the daily family errands, posting a new post was put on the back burner.  Rest assured that I have been working on several different posts, so hopefully they'll start appearing like popcorn.  How's that for a food reference?  Little kernels that after cooking in a fat and seasoning, puff up to sight; some salty, some sweet.  For starters, let's talk about what I mean when I say I am a food snob.
     I grew up in a family that loved food.   Today, it is one luxury that I refuse to do without.  I want real butter, real sugar, real salt, and real cream.  Gimme, gimme, gimme.  If my ass gets too big thanks to eating this, then I conclude that I need to move my ass a little more.   But that's for another  post.
      Car trips are fun, and in our family a given.  However when we stop for coffee at a gas station or such, rarely is actual cream offered as the "creamer"!? Come on... I drink coffee, I like it with sugar and cream.  I used to work with my coffee till it tasted like coffee ice cream; these days I prefer it to be reminiscent of espresso ice cream, but you get the gist.   I don't want to put anything in my coffee, that I couldn't feasibly (in my mind) render myself.  I have milked a cow.  I have no idea what goes into non dairy creamer, nor to I want to imagine that process.  Bleh.  Along that stream of thought is my reasoning for butter over margarine, or any "can't believe it's not butter" product.  Here's your sign:  if you're trying to make it taste like butter, why the hell not just go to butter?  Wanna less saturated fat?  Olive oil.   Wanna amp it up?  Bacon fat.  Pork bacon that is.  Again, know how pork bacon is made? In the US usually from the pig's belly.  Skin is removed, then the belly seasoned, then sliced.  That's it.  Know how turkey bacon is made?  When's the last time you saw a turkey with a nice plump belly?  Think about it.  Lots of processing needs to happen to make turkey into bacon, not to mention what needs to be added, that if I can't pronounce, fogetaboutit.   The less processing the better.  Keep it simple sweetheart.
     My thought is that old saying, "everything in moderation, especially moderation."  My Grandpa Bob, Sadie's husband, used to say, "your body craves what it needs- can't be that bad."  Obviously he never met an addict, but again, that's for another post.
     Another thought: if I can imagine that I could make the product, great,  if I haven't a clue, no go.
Better yet if my imagining includes a lovely setting, such as picking olives in Italy that go to the press to make extra virgin olive oil, versus being in a sanitized, no windowed, processing plant with me wearing a hair net, lab coat and such... well, what would you pick?
     I also don't think it's rocket science.  I know everyone is super busy these days, so I get that.  Organic is swell, but usually pricey.  Restaurants have a huge opportunity to cook food simply and well, but not all do that.  I prefer to cook at home, if it's quirky American fare, steaks, and some Italian.  Sushi and Asian fare, usually require me to go out, because I don't have fresh Ahi tuna and many of the other ingredients hanging about.  Someday maybe.
     In searching for a great breakfast place, I want coffee that tastes like more than brown bitter water, real cream, real butter, and for the love of God if you offer pancakes, there better be real maple syrup.  Yes it's expensive: FACTOR THAT IN WITH THE PRICE.   Or make a simple syrup with dark brown sugar.  Also, please offer home fries.  Thank you.
     On the other side of the table, I am also a snob when I consider some restaurants and their staffs.  
Food should be enjoyed.  By everyone.  So let's all play nice.  Temper should only refer to the method of cooking, and intense should only refer to flavor.   If either of these words come up when describing a staff member, someone needs to cut back on the caffeine.
     In a nutshell, (another food reference) I believe food is to be enjoyed and to give you sustenance.
Ideal: good food, good music in the background, and good conversation with loved ones.  Does it get any better?  Hard to imagine.
     In closing, I am sharing my recipe of a soup I whipped up last night.  Yummy and easy.  I had been hankering for a cheesey soup with beer and apples.  Thanks to Hook's Cheese Company, I have lots of great cheese on hand, as well as lots of apples from apple picking last month.  The soup is very good; all the flavors come together and it's rich but not uber thick like a chowder, or a rarebit.  Knowing me, I will probably play with it more and I will post any note worthy changes in the future.
Hint: will probably include bacon.  Enjoy!

Cheddar, Apple, Ale Soup
Makes 4-6 servings
-1 cup of diced celery
-1 cup of diced sweet onion
-1 1/2 cup of diced apple (recommend, McIntosh, Cortland, Jonathan, or Empire)
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
-6 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
-1/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
-2 cups of chicken stock
-1 cup of half and half
- 1 cup of Bass Ale
- 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese; I used Hook's 8yr and 10 yr Cheddars
pinch of cayenne, nutmeg, Worchestire Sauce, and cracked black pepper.

Melt butter in large soup pot.  Add celery, onions, apples, and garlic and cook until soft over medium heat, 5-8 minutes.  Add flour, stir till combined well, and then cook for about 5 minutes.  Add chicken stock and bring to boil, making sure all combined well.  If you have a wand mixer, blend with a few pulses, if not, no worry, just will have a little more texture.  Reduce heat to medium, adding half and half and beer.   Stir regularly as you add cheese, so as not to burn on the bottom.  Add cayenne, nutmeg, Worchestire Sauce and cracked black pepper.  Garnish with diced apple, shredded cheese and hearty croutons such as Rye or Pumpernickel.

Sunday's Reason (Recipe Included)

     On most Sundays you'll find me at church.  However, every once in awhile I need to bow out, and take some time to be at home, by myself.  A little time to be thankful for everything, including moments of solitude.  During the week, I have time when I am by myself, but Sundays are different.  Throughout the week, there are usually errands to do during the time my husband is at work and the girls are at school.  There is seldom a week that goes by when there is not someone's doctor's appointment, sport practice, special function, or playdate happening; sometimes all of the above.  So, I guess Sundays seem to be the time when I can take time for myself.

Time to reflect.

Time to think.

Time to dream.

Time to plan.

Time when, I am not thinking, "Okay, what was I planning on doing next?" or "Will I ever be answered the first time I ask a question?"

     I don't need much time, and usually during these Sundays I like to try a new recipe.  It's amazing how fast you make something when you don't have help.

    From the time when I was a little girl and Mom made chocolate chip cookies, I have always enjoyed them dunked in coffee.  Mom made them hard and crunchy; even slightly burnt.  Nevertheless, they were always heavenly.  I have tried, to do the same with the Toll House Cookie recipe, but never get them as crunchy as Mom did.  So, I set off to find a chocolate chip biscotti recipe.  Those wonderful Italian cookies, that are made expressly to dunk in espresso, or coffee.
      I found several recipes, but as usual tweaked them a bit to what I thought would be best.  I encourage all to do the same, although I am quite happy with how these turned out.  I am not adding this to my "Recipe" page yet, as I am still trying to figure out a dropdown menu for it. So here it is:

Chocolate Chip Biscotti 
 2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour                                                  Preheat oven to 350F
 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon of salt
 1/2 cup sugar
 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
 1/4 cup (half a stick) of cold unsalted butter
 2 eggs
 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

Mix all dry (first 5) ingredients; then add butter, eggs, mix; add in chocolate chips.  Divide into 2-4 logs (depending on size of cookie sheet available).  Make sure you allow 2-3 inches between logs as they will spread a bit while baking.  Flatten each log so they look like an oblong rectangle of sorts- 1- 1/2 inches wide.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, and slice logs on the diagonal 1/2 inch thick.  Return to pan, baking slices on their sides, for 10 additional minutes.  Remove from oven, and allow to cool on wire rack, as pictured below.  They will harden as they cool.  Store in airtight container.  Enjoy!

     If you are the type to give food for gifts during the holidays, I have a notion the recipients of these would be very thankful!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Mojito Chicken (or Shrimp) Fried Rice

     This is one of those serendipitous dishes that happens every once in awhile.  I love chicken fried rice, and I love pad thai.  I am also a fan of mojitos.  Often we have left over roast chicken, so a while back I came up with this dish.  There's no rum in it, so using the word mojito may be misleading.  Any ol hoo- turned out to be a tasty dish so I thought I'd share.  Call it what you will.

You will need:
3 cups of cooked white rice- yield from cooking 1 cup of uncooked rice with 2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of diced onion
1 1/2 cups of diced cooked chicken Cooked Shrimp also works great! 
2 eggs
1 cup of frozen peas & carrots thawed
low sodium soy sauce to taste
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
chopped fresh mint
lime juice

Coat a large deep pan or wok with canola oil, heat over medium.  Saute minced garlic for 1 minute, then add diced onion.  Next chicken, cook with onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.  Crack eggs into small bowl and scramble.  Clear center of skillet and pour in eggs, scrambling them till cooked then mix with chicken, onion and garlic. Add peas and carrots to mixture, increasing heat to medium high. Add rice, mixing to ensure all ingredients are mixed. Season with soy sauce to liking.  Turn off heat.
Mix in sliced cucumber and chopped mint, then squeeze juice of one lime over rice.  Serve and enjoy.
Great cold for the midnight snack.

4 servings.

New Recipe Added

New Recipe

Gazpacho

Great, easy, and no fat to boot!  Wonderful on hot summer days.

*Just added the recipe to the top of the page.  Till I learn a way to create a drop down or such, I will add the newest recipe to the top of the recipes for easy finding.

New Recipe Added

Every so often, I add a recipe to my "Recipes" page.  When I do, I will post a "New Recipe" message.  If I have a long history or reason that I am adding it, such as "Aunt Mary's Bourbon Slushy", it will have its own post, but that's not usually the case.  So in the future, just look for the recipe box with the link New Recipe above, and what the new recipe is below the box. 
Hope you enjoy!

 New Recipe 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Aunt Mary's Bourbon Slushy

     As we ready ourselves to celebrate another 4th of July, thought I'd share a recipe for a great summer treat for adults. 
     This recipe comes courtesy of my Aunt Mary.  In my opinion, everyone should have an Aunt Mary.  She's always been the fun aunt, the one who tells the good jokes, but is always there to listen and offer up good solid advice.  She's 85 and doesn't show any sign of slowin' down.  She takes life as it comes, and has a great "joie de vie".  I love her lots and hope she continues to rock on!
     She shared this recipe with me a few years back.   Just another tip from Aunt Mary.  She credits a nice lady from around the Chesapeake area for sharing it with her.  I added the mint leaves, and I encourage all to play with it and make it your own special recipe to pass on.  I like it cause it reminds me of the "wine of the South"- sweet tea; add the gentility of a mint julep, then some lemonade to remind you of a summer's lemonade stand.  Bring 'em all together and you have something to celebrate.

So, without further ado:

Aunt Mary's Bourbon Slushy

2 cups of strong tea* -cool before adding to mixture
*I use 4 Lipton's teabags and steep with several sprigs of fresh mint
1 cup of sugar
7 cups of water
2 cups of Bourbon
1 6oz. can of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 12oz. can of frozen lemonade concentrate

Mix all ingredients in large bowl or large pitcher (needs to hold 12-13 cups = 96+ ounces).
Remove mint before placing mixture in freezer.  Pour into large Tupperware containers.  It will need about 6 hours till slushy consistency; or just keep in freezer till friends drop by.  If word gets around, shouldn't be long.

P.S.  If you wish to leave out the alcohol, it's still lovely, but you'll need to make it in an ice cream maker in order to get the slushy consistency.


Wishing everyone a happy and safe Independence Holiday.