Kosher salt
6 oz. pasta (such as egg tagliolini, bucatini, or spaghetti)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed, divided
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup finely grated Grana Padano or Parmesan
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and cook, swirling pan, until toasted, about 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and add Grana Padano, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove pan from heat; add Pecorino, stirring and tossing until cheese melts, sauce coats the pasta, and pasta is al dente. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and serve.
Robyn Lamp, Clotilde
Casta Divatini
I often drink “Casta Divatini’s” when I have a girls night in with friends – a delicious cocktail perfect for any empowered, strong, and passionate woman, just like Norma!
Recipe for (1) Martini:
1/2 jigger Cointreau
1/2 jigger lime juice
1 jigger vodka
1 1/2 jiggers Pom Wonderful
Pour into an ice-filled shaker and shake!
Pour into a martini glass and eccola!
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
5 large eggs
3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water, butter, and salt to a boil. Immediately remove from heat. Add flour all at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and a film forms on the bottom, about 30 seconds.
Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat 4 eggs into the batter one at a time, on medium speed, letting each one incorporate completely before adding the next. Add the cheese, and continue beating batter until well combined. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (Ateco #9807) and pipe into 1-inch mounds on the prepared baking sheets. Beat the remaining egg; brush each mound with some of the egg to glaze. If a pointy tip has formed on top, gently use your finger to flatten it.
Bake until puffed, golden, and the center is slightly damp but no wet dough remains (test by cutting into the center of one), about 25 minutes. Let gougeres cool slightly before removing from baking sheet. Serve warm.
Frank Impelluso, Director of Marketing and Sales
Vinegar Chicken
Ingredients:
1-1.5 lb. chicken breasts, medium thickness
2-6 cloves of garlic, to your taste
2 cups of chicken or beef stock OR 2 cups of water with one chicken or beef bouillon
Red Wine Vinegar (I always eyeball it. Enough to cover a small layer in your pan)
Seasoned breadcrumbs
Fresh or Dried Oregano, to your taste
Directions:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Chop the garlic in whatever your preference (larger pieces would require more garlic, smaller not as much).
In a medium-size pan on medium to high heat, sauté garlic in a bit of Olive Oil. Add the chicken and brown it on both sides. It’s ok if the chicken is not cooked all the way through. While the chicken is sautéing, warm up the stock or water/bouillon. It should NOT be boiling, but warm enough to steam.
After the chicken is brown on both sides, remove from flame to add vinegar. Put back on medium and let vinegar evaporate. Once all gone, add chicken/beef stock/bouillon. Add a healthy scoop of fresh or dried oregano, and cover the chicken and water with breadcrumbs, but don’t be too generous. Reduce flame to low to medium. Let sit no less than 5 but no more than 15 minutes, until the stock evaporates and thickens slightly. If it does not thicken, add more breadcrumbs.
Serve immediately.
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir. Spoon ingredients into a 1 quart baking dish (or you can divide the dip up into 2-3 small coquette’s if you are serving a crowd).
1 ½ pounds eggplant
Olive oil as needed (at least 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 or 4 dried chiles
1 ½ pounds tomatoes, chopped (canned are fine; about 1 can)
1 teaspoon good dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon fresh
1 pound long pasta
½ cup chopped parsley or basil
½ cup grated ricotta salata (or in a pinch, pecorino Romano)
Slice the eggplant about 1/2 inch thick. Cook in abundant olive oil, without crowding, sprinkling with salt and adding more oil as needed. You will undoubtedly have to cook in batches; take your time and cook until the eggplant is nicely browned and soft. Remove to a plate; do not drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it.
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and lemon extract until well blended. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.
Courtesy of All Recipes
Ingredients
2 parts gin (preferably Tanqueray 10)
1 part Cointreau
(at least) The juice of half an orange
The juice of half a lime
Shaken on ice and served up.
1 bottle dry white wine
¾ cup (6 ounces) clear honey
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Pinch saffron threads
Directions
Pour 2/3 cup of the wine and the honey into a 2-quart saucepot and bring it to a boil. Remove the saucepot from the heat and add seasonings to the hot wine; set it aside for 5 minutes.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
1 unbaked pie shell
Whipped cream for topping, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate in the top half of a double boiler. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Add melted chocolate mixture and mix until well-combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake until set, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool and top with whipped cream, if desired.