Looking for some great small bites to serve for New Year’s Eve?  Well, look no further.  Here are some delicious ideas from the SGCC archives.  Whether you’re hosting a big bash or a more intimate gathering, these noshes are sure to impress.  

This New Year’s Eve as I watch the ball drop in Times Square, I’ll be curled up on my couch and wrapped in fleece. That’s exactly where I want to be. I’ll also be munching on some of these tasty tidbits in between sips of cold, crisp champagne.

Here’s wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. May 2012 bring you all you ever dreamed of.

When Mini SGCC was a little girl, there was one Christmas Eve ritual that we never missed.  We would always bake one special kind of cookie for Santa Claus to enjoy as a snack when he stopped by our house during the night.   We had a special plate designated just for him and would leave the cookies on it, along with a glass of milk, under our tree before we went to bed.   We figured that with all of that racing around on his sleigh and heavy lifting all night long, he could probably use a little sugar rush by the time he got to our house.  After all, Santa is no spring chicken anymore!

On Christmas morning,  Mini SGCC would rush out to see if the cookies were gone, thus verifying that Santa had indeed been there.  I remember one year we forgot to take the cookies off of the plate.  Mini SGCC was a little upset.  She assumed that Santa didn’t “eat” them because he didn’t like them.  After that, we were never allowed to make that same cookie for Santa again.

I’m not sure where the tradition of baking Christmas cookies began.  Some say that their history can be traced back to medieval times in Europe.  Whenever and wherever the practice originated,  baking Christmas cookies has become a cherished holiday tradition for families in just about every corner of the world.  It’s a lucky thing for Santa too.  He must make out like a bandit!   

In the aftermath of Mini SGCC’s accident, there hasn’t been much opportunity for cookie baking.  Too many doctor appointments, physical therapy sessions and other running around have gotten in the way.  I have been able to make a few bathes of cookies, here and there, but not nearly what I usually do.  I’ve also had to pack up most of my makeshift photography studio for the time being.  Bella has been banished to my bedroom so that she doesn’t accidentally knock Mini SGCC down.  So, the cameras, lights and fragile props had to be moved to higher ground.   It’s definitely not an ideal situation for a food blogger!

Fortunately, I have some great Christmas cookie ideas from the SGCC archives to share.  I hope that you enjoy them and are inspired to go forth and bake!   I also hope that I’ll be back soon with some new recipes to share.

Every year, long before the Thanksgiving dishes are even dried and put away, the Christmas rush is on. That’s when so many of us find ourselves racing around, spending money we don’t have on lots of things we don’t need. It’s crazy! One way that I’ve found to minimize the stress of Holiday shopping – and spending – is to make delicious gifts for family and friends in my own kitchen. Not only are homemade gifts often more economical, but they can also be much more meaningful to their recipients.

Each year, I choose a different assortment of tasty treats to give as holiday gifts.  I package each in pretty decorative packaging and make up cheery goodie bags to deliver to the lucky recipients.  I usually choose a few easy recipes along with some that are a little more complex to get a nice balance in my bags.   I really enjoy doing this, and the whole process helps to get me into the Holiday spirit.  And, after all that has happened around here lately, I could really use some help getting my Christmas mojo on! 

When it comes to creating edible gifts, the possibilities are endless. From the simplest sugar cookies to more labor intensive items like candies or preserves, there are plenty of recipe options available, regardless of your level of culinary expertise.  Below are some of some of my favorite gifts from the kitchen from years past.  I hope you find a few that inspire you.

What are your favorite edible gifts to give and to receive?

Last week, I made a batch of the most luscious homemade ricotta cheese.   I do this often.  Ricotta is super easy to make, and the homemade stuff is so, so delicious.   Unfortunately, I got a distracted and left it draining in cheesecloth longer than I’d planned.  The result was an incredibly smooth, thick and creamy product that reminded me a little of mascarpone.  For the next few days we spread it on bagels and muffins.  We made a crazy good crostini with it and heirloom tomatoes from our garden one night too.  And, when no one else was looking, I just scooped it up with a spoon.   It was heavenly!

As I was scraping the last bit of my lovely ricotta out of its container, it dawned on me that it would make the perfect filling for a tart.  One with fresh fruit – like berries.  Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  A Red, White & Blue Ricotta Tart for the Fourth of July.  Hah!  Sometimes, I dazzle myself so much with my own brilliance, that I need to wear sunglasses inside.

So, I made another batch of ricotta, grabbed a whole bunch of berries and whipped up this fabulous tart for our Fourth of July celebration.  And, you can too!   

As I mentioned above, making your own ricotta is quite easy to do.  I’ve used a few different recipes, and this one is my current favorite.  But, you can certainly save some time and make this tart with store bought ricotta.  The trick to turning it into a wonderful mascarpone-like filling is in the draining.   Commercial ricotta is very “wet”.  By letting it sit in a strainer lined with cheesecloth, all of the excess moisture drains out and you’re left with a nice, thick cheese.  It’s the same as making strained yogurt – only you do it with ricotta. (Whoa!  I’m good!)

While your ricotta is draining, the first thing you need to do is make the crust.  I chose a simple graham cracker crust, but you can make any kind you want.  By the time your crust is completely cooled, the ricotta should be ready for your filling.

Fill the tart shell with the ricotta filling and smooth it out.  I like to chill it for a while at this point so that the berries don’t “sink” when I put them on top.  You can use this time to make the glaze for the berries.  Or, for taking a nap.  I recommend making the glaze.  You can take a nap later.

Once the filling is chilled and the berries are all dressed in their shiny glaze, it’s time to decorate your tart.

I like to keep it simple so there’s less chance of me screwing things up.  For this tart, I halved the strawberries and lined them up around the perimeter of the tart, like a border.   Then, I just piled the blueberries and raspberries right in the middle.  I could have arranged them in a fancy design or even made “stars” and “stripes” to look like a flag, but honestly, who has that kind of time!  Besides, I like that casual and kind of tossed together look they have.  I think it’s pretty.  So there!

Here’s a gratuitous shot of the blueberries and raspberries in the center of the tart.  I just liked the bokeh.

Before you serve your tart, you should let it chill out in the fridge for a few more hours – especially if you plan to photograph it.  Trust me, this will make it easier and a lot neater to cut.

Here’s what it looks like on the inside.  Since I’m planning to serve my tart this weekend, I just chopped off a slice from one end. After I took a few pictures, I stuck it back on, and put a few more berries on top to camouflage the cut. I don’t think anyone will notice, but if they do – tough!   Ah!  The things I do for you, my dear readers!

While I didn’t actually eat any of this tart, (remember, I’m saving it for this weekend), I did make myself a teeny, tiny one to taste.  After all, how could I tell you how scrumptious it is if I didn’t try it myself?  And, it definitely is scrumptious!  The filling is light and fluffy, but not too sweet.  It makes a perfect backdrop for those gorgeous, fresh, juicy berries.  The graham cracker crust is appropriately crunchy, yet not hard enough to chip a tooth on.  (Yes.  That has happened before.)  And, that berry topping is…well…that berry topping just sends the whole thing right over the top!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. For most of us, that means picnics, backyard barbecues and copious amounts of ice cold libations. I don’t know about you, but the last place I want to be on a holiday weekend is inside slaving over a hot stove. Rolling out the grill is a given. But, you’ve got to have something to go along with those burgers and ribs – and it better not require hours of cooking. This Presto Pesto Pasta Salad fits the bill. It’s fast. It’s ridiculously easy. And, it’s full of zesty, bold flavors.

The dressing for this salad simply a mixture of mayonnaise, lemon juice and store bought pesto sauce – the kind you find in the refrigerator section at the supermarket. If you happen to have an abundance of fresh basil in your garden, you can certainly make your own pesto sauce from scratch.  It isn’t difficult, but in this heat I’m all about the easy.   Plus, once you doctor it up with the rest of the ingredients, I promise, no one will know the difference. 

This salad makes a great side dish on its own for whatever you’re grilling. But, you can also punch it up by mixing in some chicken, tuna or tasty little salad shrimp like I’ve done here.  Any way you serve Presto Pesto Pasta Salad, your guests will be dishing out the complements!

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Here are a few other side dish ideas for your 4th of July celebration from the SGCC archives .  Enjoy!

Easy Italian-Style Farfalle Salad

Thai-Style Broccoli Slaw Salad

Jewels of the Earth Quinoa Salad

Edamame & Heirloom Tomato Salad with Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette

Sweet & Spicy Wickled Okra

I’ve referred to Mr. SGCC as a caveman many times over the years, mostly tongue-in-cheek – mostly.   While he is usually a pretty good sport about eating anything I put in front of him, what he really craves is meat – and lots of it.  Big, manly man-sized portions!   With Father’s Day just a day away, I thought I’d share a few of Mr. SGCC’s favorite recipes from the SGCC archives.  You know, just in case you happen to have a caveman of your own to feed.  

Knick’s Brunch Burgers with Balsamic Onion Marmalade are big, juicy, monster burgers made with ground ribeye, schmeared with silky, smoky and sweet caramelized onions, and topped with a soft, oozy, warm fried egg.  Magic!

Grilled Steak Fajitas with Guacamole start with skirt steak marinated in a mixture of orange and lime juices, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and cumin.  The fork-tender meat is seared with lots of onions, peppers and mushrooms, and served with shredded cheese and cool, creamy homemade guacamole.

Who could resist Ribeye Steaks with a Spicy, Smoky, Cacao Nibs Rub?  These huge slabs of dry-aged, bone-in ribeye are smothered in a dry rub made with ground cacao nibs, brown sugar and lots of earthy, smoky spices.  They’ll send him straight to carnivore heaven!

I’ll admit, these Chiles Rellenos were a pain to make, but oh, were they amazing!  Huge roasted poblano peppers stuffed with a piquant pork piccadillo filling are dipped in an egg batter and fried to perfection.  Bathed in a cinnamon and spice laden tomato broth, they are heaven on a plate and totally worth the mess in my kitchen!

I almost had a heart attack in the Whole Foods check out line when I realized what I had paid for these magnificent veal chops.  They may have cost a king’s ransom, but my Pan Roasted Veal Chops with Chipotle-Lime Butter is definitely a meal fit for a king!

Mr. SGCC’s heart goes aflutter just thinking about Momofuku’s meltingly tender Bo Ssäm!  A massive hunk of pig is slathered with a salt and sugar rub and slow roasted for several hours until it literally falls apart on the plate.  Served with a variety of small side dishes called banchan, this intensely porky dish is a total foodgasm if there ever was one!

If your caveman prefers his slow roasted pork with a Latin flair, this Lechon Asado is the dish for you.  Marinated in a zesty garlic and citrus based mojo sauce, this lechon  is impossibly succulent and tender.  Whether sliced into a classic Cubano sandwich or just eaten off the bone with your fingers,  I guarantee that peace and contentment will abound in your house.

And since caveman cannot live by meat alone, you should also have a few macho desserts for your resident hunk, like these Candied Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies…

Or, how about a big old super fudgy Texas Sheet Cake?

So go ahead and spoil the caveman in your life this Father’s Day with massive quantities of meat and sinful desserts.  They deserve it!  And even if they don’t, do it anyway.  They just might be grateful enough to start working on that “Honey Do” list you’ve been saving for them.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Today is also Mr. SGCC’s birthday and we’re going out tonight!  I don’t know if we’ll do Mexican again or not, (we do it every year), but wherever we end up, I’ll be thankful that I don’t have to cook in this heat.  For those of you planning to cook, and who live in a more temperate climate, here are some muy delicioso Cinco de Mayo ideas from the SGCC archives.

Enjoy! 

Easy Chorizo and Potato Huaraches

Enchiladas Suizas with Quick Avocado Salsa

Chile Rellenos

Snapper Veracruz

Los Frijoles Refritos

Fideos Ole

Grilled Steak Fajitas

Guacamole

Spicy Melon Salsa

Pumpkin Flan

Wishing a very blessed and joyous Easter to all who celebrate it!

I don’t know what is is about Easter time that makes me crave cool, light and fruity desserts.  Maybe it’s because by the time Easter rolls around, our Florida temperatures have already crept up into the eighties.  Or, maybe it’s because they look so pretty and Spring-like in their rainbow assortment of soft and pretty pastel colors.    Whatever the reason – or the season – these lovely, citrusy sweet treats from the SGCC archives would make a welcome addition to any Easter table.  If you’re still looking for menu ideas, I hope you’ll try one of these.

Enjoy!  

Torta di Riso

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

Lime Glazed Citrus Tea Cakes

Buttery Lemon Bars

Orange Tiramisu

Honeybell Sherbet

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Raspberry Swirl

Lemon Tart Brulee

Florida Pie

Honey Vanilla Panna Cotta with Lemon Curd

And, here’s one for the Easter Bunny!

Ultimate Carrot Cake

Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolate.  It’s the food of love.  Who doesn’t melt a little when presented with one of those precious little heart-shaped boxes on this day when we celebrate love and romance?  But, chocolate isn’t only for the sentimental.  It’s big business too.  In fact, in these days leading up to V-Day, American consumers are expected to buy more than 58 million pounds of chocolate, and shell out around $345 million dollars to do it.  That’s a lot of chocolate!

But what about those of us, myself included, whose sweethearts don’t have a sweet tooth?  (Yes, Mr. SGCC, I’m talking about you!)  Don’t they deserve a rich, delicious, velvety chocolate token of your affection too?   I think so, and that is why I’m excited to share this pasta dish with you. 

I saw TV chef, David Rocco, prepare this Penne al Cioccolato con Acciughe, or Chocolate Penne with Anchovies, on his show a few days ago, and it intrigued me.  I wasn’t surprised that he was using chocolate in a savory dish.  People have been doing that for ages.  What really drew me in was that instead of as an add-in, he was using chocolate as the main ingredient in his dish – and a lot of it.  I was also fascinated by the fact that he paired the chocolate with anchovies.  When I saw that, I had quite a WTF moment!  It must have worked though, because when David fed a taste of the concoction to his wife, she kind of swooned a little.   That was when I knew I had to recreate this dish at home.

Penne al Cioccolato con Acciughe requires only a few ingredients and is very quick and easy to prepare.  You put your pasta on to boil and make the sauce while it cooks.  By the time the pasta is ready, the sauce is too.  It’s also all tossed together in one pan so cleanup is minimal, leaving more time for…well…other things.

But, how did it taste?  Pretty darn good, actually!   It was definitely chocolatey, but not really sweet.  And, it was rich!  The anchovies were very subtle, adding just a hint of smoky saltiness to the dish – not “fishy” at all.   While Penne al Cioccolato con Acciughe will probably never replace truffles as my chocolate indulgence of choice, it is definitely an interesting dish that is well worth trying – especially for Valentine’s Day.  And, while it didn’t instantly convert Mr. SGCC into a chocolate lover, I think it got him one step closer.