Pepperoni Pretzels

May 15th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


I grew up in Philadelphia, where soft pretzels are a part of a daily nutritional diet. They’re sold in many stores & by vendors on almost every street corner. When I was a kid in school, everyday we had snack time; where we were able to buy candy (nice healthy snack) & pretzels. The teacher would open a big brown paper bag that was full of rows & rows of pretzels, all stuck toghether like little soldiers. Their smell would permeate the entire classroom & make our mouths salivate.
There were only a certain number of pretzels to be sold, so if too many kids bought more than one, some kids would be left out. There was nothing more disturbing, than not getting a pretzel at snack time. We would even barter for pretzels with the kid who had more than one. Can you see how serious these little twisted pieces of salty dough are to us Philadelphians?!
I read that Philadelphians eat 12X the national average in pretzels per year. Why are they so popular there? It’s said that in 610AD Italian monks would give pretzels to students as rewards for being diligent. This practice then became popular in Austria & Germany. Pretzels made their way to the U.S. by way of the Dutch, who settled in Pennsylvania. The first pretzel was said to have been baked in the U.S. in 1861; 75 miles west of Philadelphia. They were used to feed farm workers because they were filling & inexpensive. Eventually, the pretzel trickled down into the city cuisine & eventually turning into what they are today.
Philly pretzels are different than soft pretzels sold in other cities. They’re oblong in shape, less doughy & have a toothiness to its consistency. The true Philadelphia way to eat a pretzel is, smothering it with mustard…. spicy mustard! Needless to say, whenever I go to Philly to visit family & friends, I make sure I have a few pretzels stashed in my car for the long ride back to NYC.
The pretzels I posted here, are no where near Philly pretzels, but they’re a good homemade snack that’s fun to make with the kids. There is finely chopped pepperoni in the dough & they’re sprinkled with salt & parmesan cheese. These pretzels are great when served with tomato sauce for a pizza taste.
Enjoy!
D I V A
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Philly Pretzels

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Apricot & Pistachio Tart

May 10th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


I love living so close to Manhattan. It’s home to some of the best culinary schools in the world. One of the schools is “The Institute of Culinary Education.” I’ve taken many classes there over the year: one class focused on savory & sweet tarts. The instructor Kathryn Gordon, assigned each person in the class a specific tart to make; mine was apricot & pistachio. I heard her assign the other tart, tomato-basil, cherry custard, chevre, rosemary & walnut; they all sounded much more appealing than apricots. But, like a good student I went to work.

When all the tarts were done, they were displayed on a table to show the other students. As I looked at the array of tarts, I thought,”Well at least mine looks nice.” It’s crust was nice & golden brown & the slits on the top made the apricots peek through. We all got a chance to taste each others tarts. To my surprise, the tart I made I loved. Most of the student in the class named the apricot & pistachio tart as one of their favorites. At that moment, I was glad it was assigned to me.
The instructor gave us the recipes to all the tarts, as we were leaving the class. Now, that I have all the recipes, the apricot & pistachio is the only one I make. It has become a favorite. I guess, the moral of this story is, “The grass always seems greener on the other side.”
Enjoy!
D I V A
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Migas (eggs, cheese, peppers, jalapeno, & crushed tortilla chips

May 2nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


I’ve never heard of migas (pronounced mee-gas) until recently. Almost every Saturday morning my husband & I go to Raymond’s for breakfast. Raymond’s is a restaurant in the town where we live, that is crowed 24/7. It’s a place to see & be seen. Since we’re early risers, we get to the restaurant as soon as it opens.
A few months ago Raymond added a few new items to his menu; migas was one of them. One of the cooks in the restaurant made it for the staff one morning. Raymond tasted it & decided that it had to be on the menu. Since it was new, I had to try it…of course.
It’s scrambled eggs with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, cheese & torn pieces of soft tortilla. It was served with a red & green salsa.(salsa verde) From the first bite I fell in love with migas. Actually, I can’t decide what I like better, the migas or the salsa verde.
Salsa verde is a sauce made from tomatillos, jalapeno, lime juice & cilantro; all the flavors I love. It’s bright & refreshing & it’s good as a dip or a condiment.
In Diva’s version, I made a few minor changes to the traditional migas. I changed the pepper to a poblano pepper, I used pickled red Jalapenos & I used tortilla chips instead of soft tortilla. I too served it with salsa verde as well as beans. Diva’s version is not the same as Raymond’s, but his will do on those Saturday morning visits when I’m not in the mood to cook.

Enjoy!
D I V A
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Peanut Butter & Nutella French Macarons

April 17th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


Oh…French macarons, the little cookie that’s causing quite a stir everywhere. With it’s slightly nutty, crunchy exterior, chewy center & their eye-catchinglly beautiful colors, that one can’t help but love.

Even though the macaron was born in Italy, they became popular all over France, especially in Paris, when Catherine de Medicis (from Italy) married Henry II (the king of France) in 1547. Catherine’s chef brought them to France when he made the cookies for their wedding. It wasn’t until the grandson of Louis Ernest Laudree, a pastry shop owner in Paris, decided to stick 2 cookies together with a bit of ganache in the center. He eventually added different flavors & to differentiate these flavors he added color.

They never really caught on here in the states until recently. I’m not quite sure what sparked this trend, but macarons now have a cult following in the U.S. In New York over the past few years, more & more shops selling these delicate little cookies have popped up; but none as popular as Laudree’s. A few months ago, the wildly popular Laudree from Paris opened a shop in Manhattan. This shop has caused a frenzy. At any given time, there’s a long line that extends from the shop door to well down the street. Now we Americans, can taste a bit of Paris history in this one little cookie without leaving the country.

Many home cooks are now trying their hand at making French macarons, including myself. As you probably know, they are known to be a very temperamental little cookies!!!! I think that the difficulty in making them is part of their appeal. I must say I’ve made them many times, sometimes with disappointing outcomes & some with great success. When they come out right, I get this overwhelming feeling of joy, that makes me do the happy dance around my kitchen! It’s kind of silly to get that excited over cookies, but because they’re so difficult, it’s a great accomplishment when you get it right!

I had some egg whites left over from some pasta dough I made & decided it was time to make macarons. The fun part in making them is deciding on the flavors. This time I used one of my favorite combos…peanut butter & Nutella. You can say, I married America, Italy & France all in one delicious cookie. It’s my ode to where they started, where they’re coveted & where they are now.
Enjoy,
D I V A
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Toffee Covered Matzoh

April 4th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


Matzoh is unleavened bread that is traditionally eaten by Jews during Passover, when leavened bread isn’t permitted. Matzoh reminds me of an unsalted Saltine cracker. Growing up we never ate matzoh, I’m an Italian catholic. I knew what it was & I tasted it, but had no feel for it. I found it rather bland, until…I was at a friends house for seder (passover feast) & she served chocolate covered matzoh. After eating this I wanted to convert!!! (My grandmother who was a devout catholic, is turning in her grave right now). I don’t know what genius thought of covering matzoh with chocolate, but I love them!
Whether your Jewish or not, what’s good is good & you don’t have to observe passover to enjoy this delicious treat. It’s so easy to make it’s sinful. (no pun intended) I lined the matzoh on a cookie tray & poured hot brown sugar & butter (margarine if you observe) that I melted on the stove. I then baked it for 15 minutes, took it out of the oven & sprinkled the top with chocolate chips. When the chocolate was soft I spread it over the toffee & topped it with sliced almonds. I can’t tell you how good this is. You need to try it for your self. If you want, you can use Saltine crackers in place of the matzoh.
But, BEWARE this toffee covered matzoh is highly addictive to Jews & Gentiles alike!
Enjoy!
D I V A
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Cheesecake/Carrot Cake

April 2nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


Happy Birthday to ME, Happy Birthday to ME, Happy Birthday Dear DIVA, Happy Birthday to ME!!!

On one of my mile stone birthdays, I was so depressed that I cried the entire day. My poor husband tried to make the day special by taking me to the “Four Seasons” restaurant in Manhattan, thinking this would make me happy. Instead, I got upset with him because there were too many “blue haired people,” (are the words I used) in the restaurant and it made me feel old.
When I came to my senses, I realized HOW RIDICULOUS that was! From that point on, I decided not to attach an age to my birthday, but to celebrate it as another year I was blessed with life! Life and birth are the same thing, aren’t they? So if your age gets you down, just start looking at it in a different way. We can’t change the fact that we’re all getting older, but we can change the way we think about it.
I now believe in celebrating my birthday to it’s fullest. For me it doesn’t last a day, I have week long celebrations. One year I actually wrote up an itinerary of activities for my friends to help me celebrate. My birthday has become an event my friends look forward to. This year besides the day at the spa, lunch with a few friends, dinner with my husband, then a dinner with my family, we are going to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New York with some of my closest friends.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Arthur Avenue, it’s the Italian section of the Bronx which has rows & rows of restaurants and speciality food stores. The restaurant we’re going to is called
“Pasquale Rigaletto’s.” I love this place because not only is the food good, but they have a man that sings old Italian songs like my father and uncles use to. They would sing, and we kids would sing right along with them not knowing a single word they were saying, nor did we care. All we knew is that we were having fun. This place reminds me of those happy times spent with my family. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate my LIFE!
Enjoy!
D I V A
continue for the cake recipe>>
The cake is a creamy cheese cake that is sandwiched between 2 layers of carrot cake & covered with a cream cheese icing! It’s decadent, rich & sinful! A must try!

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Easter Bread

March 26th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

If you would like this recipe for Easter bread visit my other blog Diva Eats Italia

Tzimmes

March 26th, 2012 § 1 comment § permalink


There’s so much talk & many blog post floating around about Easter so I thought I would give some attention to Passover. It’s a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. It’s celebrated with a seder, which is a ritual feast that starts the holiday. I don’t observe Passover but I’ve been invited to many seders by friends.
I thought I would post a recipe of one of the dishes that I had during passover. It’s a sweet carrot stew that incorporates dried fruit. Tzimmes can be really sweet, so I changed it up slightly to give it a little less sweetness. Although it’s considered a stew, I more or less roasted the veggies.
Besides carrots which is always in the recipe, I added sweet potatoes. The fruit I decided to use were dried cherries & prunes which are traditional to the dish. With the help of some brown sugar & honey, the dish got it’s sweetness. This makes a great side dish with any roasted meat, whether your Jewish or not.
Enjoy!
D I V A
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Pasteles de Guayaba y Queso (cream cheese pastry filled w/ guava)

March 22nd, 2012 § 1 comment § permalink


A few weeks ago my husband & I went on a mini vacation in South Beach Miami. It was 4 days of basking in the sun & eating fabulous meals. One day we went for a walk & happened upon a latin pastry shop that of course I couldn’t resist. The bakery smelled like sugar & spice & all things yummy! The woman behind the counter told us that she “just took out guava filled turnovers.” How can one resist a freshly baked pastry warm right out of the oven? You can’t & I didn’t. I took one bite & my eyes rolled in the back of my head in pure pleasure.
I was told that the pastry was simply made of butter, cream cheese & flour, which made the pastry flaky & light. It was reminiscent of the dough used to make rugelach. The filling was just a spoon full of guava paste that wasn’t overly sweet & gave the turnover a tropical flare.
In Diva’s version I changed it up slightly. First of all, for me whether it’s a pie, tart or turnover it’s all about the dough. It needs to be flaky & buttery. This recipe is just that..perfect! As for the filling, this is where I changed it up. I couldn’t find guava paste so I used guava preserves. I also added a dollop of cream cheese into the filling & sprinkled the top of the turnover with sugar before baking. When you have the perfect dough recipe, no matter what’s inside, you know it will taste fabulous!!
Enjoy,
D I V A
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Churrasco w/ Chimichurri Sauce (grilled Skirt Steak w/ a Vinegar-Herb Sauce)

March 20th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


The weather is starting to change here in the New York area. This week the temperatures are into the 70′s. As soon as the season changes & the weather warms up, I think of grilling. There is this little latin restaurant that we frequent in lower Manhattan called “Cafe Cortadito.” The place is small but the atmosphere is big, the food is great, it’s inexpensive & the owners couldn’t be nicer. I love places like this. The reason I’m mentioning this place is because whenever we go I like to order “churrasco w/ chimichurri sauce.”
Churrasco is an Argentinian dish that refers to grilled beef or meat. In Argentina, each person eats 150 pounds of beef per year!! That’s a lot of cows! This dish is said to have originated in Pampas, an area of Argentina where there are many “Gauchos” (cowboys). These Gauchos will coral the beef & then cook the meat over an open fire.
Churrasco is often served with a sauce called “chimichurri,” which is made of herbs such as cilantro & red wine vinegar. I love the taste of the acidity of the vinegar & the freshness of the herbs on the juicy, charred meat. This sauce is not only great on beef but also on pork & chicken.
Now that the Spring has finally arrived & the weather is warming up, it’s time to fire up that grill & enjoy the outdoors.
Enjoy!
D I V A
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