Meatball Madness

What’s a great way to spend your Sunday evening? How about working with the one and only Steve Martarano… The only thing better then working with him, was eating his one and only meatballs gravy and salad. A unique combination of the Italian trio beef, veal, and pork, seasoned to perfection with the perfect amount of moisture, this is simply better than your grandmas, hands down. Paired with a “south philly” salad, Steve proves that simple ingredients paired together in the right way can and will make magic for your pallet. A light refreshing salad with red wine vinegar, EVOO, with a seasoning blend of salt, pepper, garlic, reggiano, and accent, the entire plate came to life when it was finished with fresh ricotta. Steve may be one of the most high profile chefs with a heart of gold. A good old fashion Philly boy, the only question I have to ask, is when will he come back to Philly?


Photo by: Alex Oliveira/startraksphoto.com

Scarecrows, Pumpkins, and Leaves Galore

Well folks, it’s hard to believe, but we have fallen into autumn. As the trees start to turn and the air becomes brisk, we start to yearn for those comforting foods that will take the chill off of an unexpected cool day. As the season changes there are some unique ways to incorporate warmth into your cuisine by using seasonings, aromatics, and spices to give it that seasonal depth.

A favorite tradition in the fall is to utilize the aromas that we all associate this season with, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, orange peel, all spice, and pumpkin. Along with enjoying these flavors in various dishes, you can use them in place of a candle.

In a medium size pot add:

- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 nutmeg
- 4 cloves
- 1 tbsp whole allspice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree

Note* All you want from the orange is the outer most zest, no white

Bring the ingredients to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. This liquid will stay fragrant for up to 12 hours. Simply replenish the water when it reduces by half.

There are so many different combinations you can make. Try substituting the pumpkin for the zest of 1 orange, or with 1 cup of apple cider. Get creative and enjoy your own delicious recipes of seasonal aromatics!

Until next time, stay cozy and As always, Enjoy! ~ K

picture courtesy of: www.applepiepatispate.com

Delightful Sangria

Sangria, by The Drinkie in You: Mr. David De La Cruz

Drinkie: A person who enjoys all types of alcoholic beverages

As Labor Day quickly approaches the unofficial end of summer draws near, soon the beaches will be empty, girls will be dressed more appropriately, and beverage choices will slowly shift from those fruity summer drinks to the wheat and pumpkin tasting fall choices. Gone will be the days of outdoor daytime drinking with your favorite Coronas and Miami Vices. Fear not fellow Drinkies because before you say goodbye to all of your favorite summer beverages, try making the following recipe for Sangria which will be sure to be a hit at those End Of Summer Blowouts!

The Following recipe will yield approximately 1 gallon


Ingredients:
- Two Bottles of Red Wine (A Rioja or another light red without an overpowering taste)
- Orange Juice – 20 Fl Oz
- Sprite – 20 Fl Oz
- Rum – 4 to 6 shots worth (depending on how intense you want to be)
- Sugar – Half A Cup
- 2 Limes – (One lime will be cut up and the other squeeze the juice
- Two Red Apples – cut up
- One Green Apple – cut up
- Two Oranges – cut up (take out seeds)
- Two Peaches – cut up (you can replace this with raspberries if peaches aren’t your thing)
- Ice

Directions:
- Cut up all fruits and place into bowl
- Fill the bowl with Ice
- Pour the bottles of Red Wine into the bowl (be careful of the wine splattering)
- Pour the orange juice and Sprite
- Add the shots of rum
- Add the sugar
- Now stir everything together
- Serve chilled

Please note that if the wine and rum taste is overpowering, try adding more Sprite or Orange Juice to take a little of the edge off (Not Recommended). Well this is DDC guest blogging on the Foodieinyou – please let me know your feedback. Till next time when I share some of my Fall Favorites. Too all my Drinkies – ENJOY!

If you should have any questions or wish to contact DDC, please email me at: foodieinyou@gmail.com

And salad steals the spotlight!!!

It used to be that a salad was a preset to the main event in a meal, something to hold you over until your entrée arrived. Lettuce, a couple of tomato wedges, carrots, and maybe if you were lucky there would be a few croutons to top it off. Well times have changed, my friends, and salads are stealing away the spotlight. More and more you are seeing creative ways to make a salad a unique signature, and especially your own. From fruit to nuts, you name it, and it is showing up in salads. This is a trend that will not be going out of style anytime soon, and in my opinion will remain a staple for many years to come.

When thinking about a salad, there are a several components that comprise this dish. First the base, what is going to be your substance? Maybe iceberg, or maybe a mixture of endive, red leaf, and romaine, pick a lettuce that will be able to stand up to and complement your flavor accompaniments. Speaking of flavor the next step is to decide what is going to go along with you base. This is where your creative freedom can really be unleashed. Instead of tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots, why not make it sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, and roasted red peppers. Maybe you would like something fruitier like pears, strawberries, apples, or grapes. Toppings like nuts and seeds make an interesting and complex texture, not to mention great flavor. Trying out different cheese can also create great dimension, sharp cheddar, feta, rich and creamy blue, shaved parmesan, or aged Gouda. Instead of bacon bits, try some prosciutto of fried pancetta.

The combinations are endless, and so are the possibilities. It does not end at the salad; it also needs to be dressed. By creating refreshing homemade vinaigrettes, you can brighten any masterpiece you put together. Use this simple base recipe and you can create a great finish to any salad. Get creative; you will be surprised with what you come up with. Try adding a flavored jam instead of the honey, or herbs to enhance the savory aspect to your salad. Let me know of great salads you have created, you never know, I may ask to put it in my next cook book!

Vinaigrette

1 cup canola
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey
Salt & Pepper to taste

* This recipe will work with and oil & vinegar, Red wine and Canola work with the most options

Combine all of the ingredients except the oil. Once together, slowly add the oil while continuously whisking so the dressing will emulsify (blend together).

As always, Enjoy! ~ K

Pork Tenderloin

cherylforberg.com













5-7 lb tenderloin
1 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ Sauce)
1 cup of Mesquite Seasoning
½ cup minced garlic
½ cup Orange Juice

The key to this recipe is to marinate, slow cook, and then grill.

First mix the orange juice, BBQ sauce, and garlic together and set aside. Then take the tenderloin and using a knife stab the tenderloin so the marinade can seep into the meat.
Once finished, rub the tenderloin with the mesquite seasoning and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Take out the tenderloin and place into a large basting pan.
Pour the BBQ mixture over the tenderloin, cover with foil, and place in a 200 degree oven for 2 hours. Check every so often and baste to ensure it stays extremely moist. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Cut tenderloin into 4 equal pieces and place onto grill over med high heat. Caramelize and sear the sides of the tenderloin, and cook to a medium, medium well finish. Remove from grill and let sit covered for 10-15 minutes. (This will let the juices redistribute through the meat.) Cut and serve!

If you should need any help with this recipe, please feel free to shoot me an email, and as always, Enjoy! ~ K

Ceviche

Ceviche is a seafood based dish that is cooked by citrus marinating, where no heat is used. Brought to us by Latin American countries, Ceviche can be made in many variations with many different types of seafood, most commonly, tilapia, shrimp, and crab. Ceviche needs to marinate for at least 3 hours.

Recipe

2lb uncooked shrimp
1 cup red onion diced small
2 cups bell peppers small dice (red, yellow, & green)
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp ginger minced
¾ cups cilantro chopped small

2 cups citrus juice (lemon & lime)
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
Couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce (preference to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut all of the ingredients, and combined the liquid ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt pepper, and Tabasco, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

As always, Enjoy! ~ K