Oregano

My garden is coming to life....
Spring is so exciting...

Mothers Day Dinner

Our little family gathering was perfect today....
Our Mothers Day celebration.

My Mothers Day gifts...
Spectacular!




My Mother-in-Law lives with us- my Mom came over as well as my Brother.

My Mother brought over some string beans and the favorite dish of hot peppers that my husband brother and I go crazy for!




I made some BBQ'd chicken legs
because as usual I am always afraid there isn't enough food!



I baked a small ham and glazed it with Teryaki sauce- it came delicious!



Of course the famous dandelion dish was on the table
and the Mothers really enjoyed the treat!



I tried a new Brussels Sprout and Wild Rice Casserole... as well as a Green Salad .
My Brother brought the wonderfully crusty Italian bread that is a must with the hot peppers!



For dessert I made coffee and put together a cookie tray.
I made Almond Biscotti and a Dried Cherry Biscotti- both were really good.
I also made Pizzelle and they were light and delicate. Everyone loved them.



Our day together was wonderful....
I am so grateful to have had both of our Moms at our table!

The OH! So Wonderful Dandelion...

The dandelion is a perennial, herbaceous plant with long, lance-shaped leaves. They're so deeply toothed, they gave the plant its name in Old French: Dent-de-lion means lion's tooth in Old French.The leaves are 3 to 12" long, and 1/2 to 2-1/2" wide, always growing in a basal rosette. The rosette’s immature, tightly wrapped leaf bases just above the top of the root form a tight "crown."Dandelion leaves are at their best when they've just emerged.The dandelion’s well-known yellow, composite flowers are 1 to 2" wide.

They grow individually on hollow flower stalks 2 to 18" tall. There are no poisonous look-alikes. Other very similar Taraxacum species, as well as chicory and wild lettuce only resemble dandelions in the early spring. All these edibles also exude a white milky sap when injured, but chicory and wild lettuce leaves have some hair, at least on the underside of the midrib, while Taraxacum leaves are bald. Unlike the other genera, Taraxacum stays in a basal rosette. It never grows a tall, central, stalk bearing flowers and leaves.

Dandelions are especially well-adapted to a modern world of "disturbed habitats," such as lawns and sunny, open places. They were even introduced into the Midwest from Europe to provide food for the imported honeybees in early spring. They now grow virtually worldwide. Dandelions spread further, are more difficult to exterminate, and grow more under adverse circumstances than most competitors.

Most gardeners detest them, but the more you try to weed them up, the faster they grow.

The taproot is deep, twisted, and brittle.

Unless you remove it completely, it will regenerate. If you break off more pieces than you unearth, the dandelion wins.

"What's a dandelion digger for?" a dandelion asked.

"It’s a human invention to help us reproduce," another dandelion replied.

Collect dandelion leaves in early spring, when they're the tastiest, before the flowers appear. Harvest again in late fall.

After a frost, their protective bitterness disappears. Dandelions growing in rich, moist soil, with the broadest leaves and largest roots, are the best.

Select the youngest individuals, and avoid all plants with flowers. Some people eat the greens from spring to fall, when they're very bitter.

Others boil out the summer bitterness (and water-soluble vitamins) out in two changes of water. It’s all a matter of preference.

Dandelion greens are wonderful in salads, sautéed or steamed. They taste like chicory and endive, with an intense heartiness overlying a bitter tinge.

People today shun bitter flavors—they’re so conditioned by overly sweet or salty processed food. But in earlier times, we distinguished between good and bad bitterness. Mixed with other flavors, as in a salad, dandelions improve the flavor.

You can also eat dandelion flowers, or use them to make wine. Collect them in a sunny meadow, just before mid-spring, when the most flowers bloom. Some continue to flower right into the fall. Use only the flower’s yellow parts. The green sepals at the flower’s base are bitter.

The flowers add color, texture, and an unusual bittersweet flavor to salads. You can also sauté them, dip them in batter and fry them into fritters, or steam them with other vegetables. They have a meaty texture that contrasts with other lighter vegetables in a stir-fry dish or a casserole.

The leaves are more nutritious than anything you can buy. They're higher in beta-carotene than carrots. The iron and calcium content is phenomenal, greater than spinach. You also get vitamins B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, P, and D, biotin, inositol, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc by using a tasty, free vegetable that grows on virtually every lawn. The root contains the sugar inulin, plus many medicinal substances.

Today I picked a mountain of dandelion leaves. Tomorrow being Mothers Day- both my Mom and my Mother in Law love them. So began my labor of love.

I cleaned them very carefully (it is really a pain in the neck job!) then washed them at least 3-4 times.

They seem to hide dirt somehow!

Then I boiled them.

Now my Mother-in-Law waits for me to finish boiling these little leaves so she can have a cup of the liquid that remains. It is golden in color and with the addition of a stream of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt it is delicious.

Of course one has to acquire a taste for this bitter nectar of the Gods!

My Grandmother used to drink it all the time- it is so full of vitamins and nutrients you even feel healthier after you drink a cup!

Ok , well once I have boiled all my vegetable I made two batches...

one plain with salt and a drizzle of olive oil

and the other with garlic,olive oil,and cannellini beans.

This version happens to be my favorite.

With some really good crusty Italian bread this is food of the Gods!

Now they are ready for tomorrow...my extra little treat for the Moms!

All above dandelion information taken from here: Dandelions

Happy Mothers Day Mom

I'm not sure who wrote this but I found it here- I thought it was perfect...

Before I was myself you made me, me
With love and patience, discipline and tears,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Allowing me to sail upon my sea,
Though well within the headlands of your fears.
Before I was myself you made me, me

With dreams enough of what I was to be
And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,
Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Relinquishing your powers gradually
To let me shape myself among my peers.
Before I was myself you made me, me,

And being good and wise, you gracefully
As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears
Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.

For love inspires learning naturally:
The mind assents to what the heart reveres.
And so it was through love you made me, me
By slowly stepping back to set me free.

Happy Mother's Day Mom

I LOVE YOU...

I have been MIA

Just a quick note to let you know I am still alive.
The horrid virus that my son brought home from
school has hit my house and I am slowly recuperating.
It has been 2 weeks and I can final breath again.

I will be back soon.
I hope everyone is healthy and stays healthy.

Our quiet dinner on the 14th...

We stayed home for Valentines Day.
I had some Cornish Hens in the freezer and I thought they might make a fun celebration meal for just the three of us!
My hens came out great- they were well seasoned and finished off with a light touch of Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.
I put together an veggie mix of Kale, Chick Peas ,jalapeno diced tomatoes and garlic served over rice. It came perfect!
I made a sweet potato for me and baked potatoes for my husband and son (they won't go near sweet potatoes...more for me!)
I finished it off with a side salad with olive oil and balsamic!
SQUISITO!

While we were enjoying our little celebration...the UPS man came to the door - I received this gorgeous vase of tulips from my sons girlfriend who is stationed in Japan. What a wonderful surprise. They are gorgeous Jess and they really touched my heart! Thank you.


I don't want to forget to mention the gorgeous roses my husband brought me.
I love them.

A Little Valentine's Treat

A Little treat for my Honey!

Too Precious...What a sweet "heart"...

I came across this looking at some photos on AOL and I just had to share it.
I have never seen anything quite this cute!
What do you think?



Nineteen-day-old ox "Heart," born with a heart-shaped marking on his forehead, relaxes at Yamakun farm in Fujisawa, near Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. Kazunori Yamazaki, 51-year-old farm owner, said, "Good timing for Valentine's Day." (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

4 large California artichokes
2 cups herbed bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper

Wash artichokes under cold running water. Cut off stems at base and remove small bottom leaves. Cut off top quarter of artichokes; discard. Spread leaves, remove center leaves and fuzzy centers with a spoon and discard.

Toss bread crumbs with cheese, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Stuff bread crumb mixture between leaves of artichokes and fill centers.

Place stuffed artichokes in a 9-inch square baking dish. Pour 2 cups boiling water around the artichokes.

Cover with lid or foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

Makes 4 servings.

WORLD NUTELLA DAY THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5TH, 2009

Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso
(and Shelley from At Home in Rome, in spirit)
solemnly declare Thursday, February 5th

“World Nutella Day 2009″ -

a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly,
to EAT Nutella.

In honor of this sacred event I decided to make Nutella Biscotti.
Biscotti are my favorite cookie these days so I felt it was appropriate!
(I am posting this tonight since I won't be home in the morning!)

NUTELLA BISCOTTI

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup nutella
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy.
Add sugar and continue beating on high for 2 minutes.
Stir in Nutella.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until well combined.
Stir in chocolate chips and hazelnuts, if using.
( I didn't use the nuts this time - I used white and dark chocolate chips)

Divide dough into 2 or 3 logs with well floured hands and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press logs into rectangles approximately 1/2 inch thick.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.
Turn down oven heat to 300°F.
Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/3-1/2 inch slices.
Arrange on baking sheet and return to oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, turn Biscotti over and bake an additional 10-12 minutes
(depending on the thickness of your slices).

Remove to a wire rack to cool.

At this point I drizzled my Biscotti with dark chocolate...I love doing this because some of the chocolate melts into my coffee when I dunk them.
Yummy!

Store in an airtight container.
(MINE DON'T LAST LONG ENOUGH TO BE STORED "AIR TIGHT"!)

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

by David Lebovitz

50 to 60 cookies

Use a good-quality cocoa powder. You can use natural or Dutch-process for these, whichever one you like. Just remember that the chocolate flavor of the finished cookies is dependent on the quality of cocoa powder you use. So it's worth using a decent one. I used Valrhona. See notes below on ingredients.

If you like extra-crisp biscotti, you can flip each one over midway during the second baking, in step #6. I sometimes smear one side of the cookies with melted dark chocolate. When dipped in a warm espresso, I can't imagine anything better.

For the biscotti

2 cups (280g) flour
3/4 cups (75g) top-quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (125g) almonds, toasted and very coarsely-chopped
3/4 cups (120g) chocolate chips

For the glaze

1 large egg
2 tablespoons coarse or crystal sugar (see Notes)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.

2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla & almond extracts. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then mix in the nuts and the chocolate chips until the dough holds together.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two logs the length of the baking sheet. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

5. Gently flatten the tops of the logs.

( I eliminated this next step- the egg and the sugar!)

Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the logs liberally with the egg. (You won't use it all). Sprinkle the tops with the coarse or crystal sugar and bake for 25 minutes, until the dough feels firm to the touch.

6. Remove the cookie dough from the oven and cool 15 minutes. On a cutting board, use a serrated bread knife to diagonally cut the cookies into 1/2-inches slices. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.

Once baked, cool the cookies completely then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. If you wish, the cookies can be half-dipped in melted chocolate, then cooled until the chocolate hardens.

I chose to drizzle a little white and a little dark chocolate on my biscotti!

Italian Spices and Herbs

From The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking by Jeni Wright

Spices have been used in Italy since Roman times, when if anything they were used to excess, drowning the flavor of other ingredients. Nowadays spices are used in smaller quantities but they are present in many dishes. The following list describes those spices most frequently used in Italian recipes.

CORIANDER [coriandolo]
Crushed coriander seeds are used in various meat dishes, particularly lamb and pork.

GINGER [zenzero]
This spice is rarely used in Italian cooking, except in the region of Apulia and Basilicata in southern Italy, where it is very popular.

NUTMEG [Noce moscata]
The Italians are fond of this spice, both in sweet and savory dishes. Ground nutmeg has none of the fresh flavor and aroma of the freshly grated kind, therefore whole nutmegs should be bought and grated directly into the dish at the time of cooking. Nutmeg is a common ingredient in ravioli and dishes which contain spinach or cheese.

PEPPER [pepe]
Black peppercorns should always be used. Grind them fresh at the time of cooking or serving; never use ready-ground pepper.

SAFFRON [zafferano]
This is used mostly in risotto and in fish soups and stews. Saffron is very expensive and therefore used sparingly. Saffron threads are probably the easiest and most economical way of using saffron: they should be steeped in a little warm water until the color and aroma are extracted; the water should then be strained and added to the dish.

SALT [sale]
Sea salt is used throughout Italy. Coarse sea salt rather than table or cooking salt is the type to use.

VANILLA [vaniglia]
Vanilla is a popular flavoring in sweet dishes, and vanilla sugar sold in sachets is frequently used with ordinary sugar to give flavor to cakes and pastries. The Italians use vanilla pods (beans) rather then essence (extract).


Herbs are an important flavoring in Italian cooking and fresh ones are normally used, because most Italians either grow their own or have easy access to fresh herbs. In the winter months home-dried herbs are used. Herbs can be grown easily in pots on the windowsill or in the garden - they should be picked in the summer at the height of the growing season, then stored in the freezer or hung up to dry in a cool, airy place away from damp. Once dry, they should be stored in airtight containers.

Basil (basilico)
There are numerous varieties of this spicy, aromatic herb, but sweet basil and bush basil are the most common. It is used mostly in dishes that contain tomatoes, and in salads, soups and on pizzas. Freshly chopped basil should be used whenever possible, as dried basil makes a poor substitute. If buying dried basil, however, always choose the sweet kind; its flavor is much less pungent than other varieties.

Bay Leaves (lauro)
Bay leaves are used as a flavoring for casseroles, soups and sometimes roasts.

Borage (borragine)
Borage has a flavor not unlike cucumber. It grows all over Italy, and is used both as a flavoring and as a vegetable. Ravioli is stuffed with borage in Genoa. Borage leaves are also served like spinach or dipped in batter and deep-fried as fritters.

Fennel (finocchio)
Fennel is used in three ways in Italian cooking. The bulb, known as Florence fennel or finocchio, is used whole, sliced or quartered as a vegetable, and either braised or baked au gratin. It is also chopped raw in salads. Wild fennel stems (finocchiella) and the frondy leaves, which have the slightly bitter tang of aniseed, are used in cooking to flavor sauces, particularly in fish and sometimes pork dishes. They are also chopped and added to mayonnaise, eggs and cold fish dishes. Fennel seeds are a common flavoring in spiced sausages and other cooked meats, Finocchiona salame being the best known of these.

Juniper (ginepro)
The berries of the juniper bush are used in pork and game dishes and in marinades. If they are to be included in a dish such as a stuffing they should always be crushed first. Use juniper berries sparingly as their flavor can be bitter if used in too large a quantity.

Marjoram, Sweet (maggiorana)
This herb is sometimes used in soups, stews, vegetable and fish dishes. If necessary it can act as a substitute for oregano.

Myrtle (mirto)
The Sardinians make full use of myrtle to flavor meats, particularly when spit-roasting young animals. This herb is used elsewhere in Italy, but not to the same extent.

Oregano (origano)
This is also known as wild marjoram. It is an essential ingredient in many Italian dishes, including pizzas, sauces and casseroles, but its flavor differs slightly from one region to another.

Parsley (prezzemolo)
Italian parsley is the flat-leaved variety as opposed to the curly "moss" variety common in Britain and the United States. Flat-leaved parsley can usually be found at continental stores, where it is often called "continental parsley". Its flavor is far more pungent than curly parsley, and for this reason it is generally used as a flavoring in Italian dishes rather than as a simple garnish. For Italian recipes where parsley is specified, try to obtain the flat-leaved variety; other parsley can be used as a substitute, but the flavor of the finished dish will not be quite the same.

Rosemary (rosemarino)
The Italians are very fond of flavoring lamb and suckling pig with rosemary. It is also used liberally in soups and stews. However it is wise to treat this herb with a little caution, since its distinctive flavor can easily overpower ingredients with more subtle flavors.

Sage (salvia)
Sage is commonly used in liver and veal dishes.