The Traveling Epicurean

Favorite food recipes

Gluten Free Eggplant Rollatini at Page Hardware!

by

Gluten Free Eggplant Rollatini at Page Hardware!

This Eggplant rollatini recipe that I demoed at Page Hardware is the BEST recipe out there! It’s light and luscious all at the same time! Like anything in life you have to be able to evolve with the times and that’s what has happened here with my gluten-free recipe. I swap out the all-purpose wheat flour for rice flour and instead of a bread crumb coating the eggplant slices are dredged in rice flour, dipped in egg and then fried. This makes for a lighter eggplant with a soft, silky texture!

 

As always, it’s so much fun at the Page Hardware food demo’s. We had a large crowd this past weekend who were very attentive and excited to sample my eggplant rollatini. There weren’t any left overs! We had regulars at the demo and some new faces too. Page is having a huge red-tag sale with 75% off so we all went into the store before the demo began to see some of the great deals. Every 3rd Saturday of the month, from 12-2,  you can come and sample  delicious foods at Page Hardware while I demo how they’re made. There is a Traveling Epicurean calendar on the home-page side bar of this website so you won’t miss out on up and coming events. See you next on Saturday, 16th of March!

I used to watch my mother fry eggplant when I was little and have been frying eggplant now for over 30 years. Eggplant rollatini is one of those delicious Italian comfort foods and is always better the next day when re-heated.  It is a little bit of a process but if you just organize yourself like I’ve shown you in the photo’s below you’ll get it down to a science.

You should try to fry up at least 2 large eggplants. I like to cook 3 eggplants because I freeze the ones I don’t use. I layer the fried eggplant slices in between durable Bounty paper towels and place into the freezer in Ziploc baggies. This way all your base work is done and now you’re able to pull them out of the freezer and make eggplant rollatini, eggplant Parmesan, or eggplant lasagna in no time at all.

I recommend making my slow cooked pasta sauce to go with the eggplant rollatini which can totally be made days ahead as well. I’m very picky about my ricotta cheese so Liuzzi Chesse in Hamden is the only way to go for the ricotta. There are some Shoreline stores that carry Liuzzi products like Bishop Orchard in Guilford or Saldamarco’s 

If you love eggplant as much as I do you really need to check out Eggplant Balls, Paleo Eggplant Lasagna, and Pickled Eggplant. Then you might be moving on to your satisfy a sweet tooth with “Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie” and another that shouldn’t go unnoticed is Chocolate Pecan Pie! Enjoy! 🙂

wholepiepecan DSCN4361[1] DSCN4362[1] DSCN4372[1]

DSCN4365[1] DSCN4376[1] DSCN4367[1] DSCN4374[1]

DSCN4395[1] DSCN4386[1] DSCN4385[1] DSCN4399[1]

DSCN4408[1] DSCN4405[1] DSCN4415[1] DSCN4409[1]

DSCN4429[1] DSCN4417[1] DSCN4441[1] DSCN4444[1]

DSCN4420[1] DSCN4421[1]

INGREDIENTS:

  • Slow cooked pasta 101 recipe on my website
  • 2 lb. Whole milk Ricotta “Fina Style” Liuzzi Cheeses, North Haven,CT
  • 2-3 large eggplants
  • 9 extra large eggs whisked
  • ½ cup grated Reggiano cheese
  • 1 cup Rice Flour
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Mozzarella block cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 3 1/2 cups canola oil for frying
  • 1 whole roll of Bounty Paper Towels (it’s important to use quality paper towels)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Slice the ends off the eggplants
  2. Using a potato peeler peel off all the skin of the eggplants
  3. Slice up eggplants length wise into 1/4″ slices
  4. Layer the eggplant slices in a large glass bowl
  5. In between each layer sprinkle 1/4 Tsp of salt, and keep layering eggplant, salt, eggplant, salt…
  6. Cover with Saran wrap and place a small plate on top and then some heavy fry pans or large tomato can to weight down the eggplant and into the frig for 2 hours up to 1 day
  7. Drain the purple juice from the bowl
  8. Take the eggplant and pat them dry in layers between Bounty paper towels
  9. Whisk eggs and add ½ cup of grated Reggiano cheese
  10. Get your line-up of bowls in order: eggplant slices – rice flour – whisked eggs
  11. Add 3 1/2 cups canola oil to a large sauce pan and begin to heat up on medium/high heat
  12. The oil needs to be around 350º
  13. Lay out 2-3 cookie racks covered with layers of paper towels to absorb oil for frying
  14. Add slices of eggplant to the rice flour then dip into the egg bowl in batches
  15. Put 4 slices eggplant of egg dipped eggplant into the oil at a time…
  16. They will fry for about 2-3 minutes per side til golden then flip the slice over
  17. While the 1st batch is frying get the 2nd batch ready to fry dusting in the rice flour then dipping into the egg and have them sit briefly until they are ready to go into the oil
  18. Once the eggplant are golden place onto cookie racks with paper towels and dab them with fresh paper towels, flip and do the same to the other side to remove all excess oil
  19. Re-place with a new set of paper towels for the next batch and replace with each batch there after
  20. Then place the eggplant onto the wire cookie racks without paper towels to cool immediately after
  21. Finish frying the rest of the eggplant going thru the same procedures
  22. Get out your favorite baking dish and cover the bottom with sauce
  23. On a cutting board lay 1 slice of honey ham on top of a fried eggplant slice, & add a dollop ricotta (1/4 cup)
  24. Place a 1/4″ slice of mozzarella onto ricotta and roll up
  25. Place the rollatini into baking dish and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices
  26. You should allow for about 3″ room for each rollatini (they expand when they are baked)
  27. When you baking dish is full top with more pasta sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with foil
  28. At this point you can either put into the frig until you are ready to bake them or put them into a pre-heated oven at 350º for 55 minutes and then remove foil and 5 minutes more in the oven
  29. OPTIONAL: Remove the foil and add a sprinkle of grated mozzarella and pop the baking dish back into the oven for an additional 8 minutes
  30. Take out let sit for 15 minutes and serve!

Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya on CT Style!

by


Fat Tuesday Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya on CT Style!

Planning for a Fat Tuesday celebration with this 1 pot dish of Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya was the theme of my cooking segment on CT Style recently! As usual, I love cooking for everyone at the Channel 8 studio. They are all such great foodies and enjoy eating what ever I’m cooking up not to mention all the fun I have with Ryan and Teresa, it’s never a dull moment! How lucky I am to be a part of this duo that brings CT Style to life every day! Teresa is a firecracker and Ryan with his boundless good energy…priceless!

March 5th is just around the corner and sometimes it’s a good thing to plan for your party. “Marti Gras” is actually french for “Fat Tuesday” and it’s a big celebration, the last night of indulgence before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday.

This shrimp & sausage Jambalaya is a rice based dish made Creole style which means it’s has tomatoes. I use 2 different smoked sausages, Andouille and a smoked kielbasa. There’s extra large shrimp, chicken stock, peppers, onions, garlic, fresh herbs and Creole spices! Oh my goodness, there’s flavor bursting out from every where! My last but not least favorite part about this amazing Jambalaya recipe is using only 1 pot!

Can’t wait for you guys to try this scrumptious shrimp & sausage Jambalaya. Since this is a night of indulgence you’ll to end you night with some irresitable sweets like Pavlova, Baklava, Drunk Blondie Bars or Cinnamon Rolls-Sticky Buns!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz. Andouille Sausage OR smoked ham (Tasso if you can fin it) cut into ½” cubes
  • 8 oz. Smoked Kielbasa sliced to ¼” pieces
  • 1 lb. med/lg size peeled & deveined shrimp with TAILS REMOVED
  • 3 cups Jasmine long grain rice, RINSED
  • 6 cups chicken broth, homemade if you can
  • 1 lg. green pepper diced
  • 1 extra lg Vidalia sweet onion diced
  • 2 celery stalk diced
  • 1 jalapeno finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves grated or garlic press
  • 1 28.oz whole peeled tomatoes diced up
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch sliced scallions- ½ c. (save 1/4 cup for garnish)
  • ¾ c. fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
  • 1 tbsp. pink Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp white pepper (black pepper if you don’t have the white pepper)
  • 1-2 tsp Creole or Cajun seasonings (or ground red pepper flakes work well too)
  • ½ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 5 shots of Tabasco

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven and sauté on med/high cubed up Andouille sausage or smoked ham and sliced smoked Kielbasa for 5 minutes
  2. Add in 1 tbsp. butter and the chopped peppers, onions, celery and jalapeño and sauté on med/high for 5 minutes more until veggies are soft
  3. Add in grated garlic, chopped fresh oregano & thyme, diced up whole peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth and bay leaves
  4. Bring to a low boil on med/high and simmer for approx. 5 minutes
  5. Add in the rinsed rice, salt, garlic & onion powder, pepper, creole spice (or ground red pepper) and smoked paprika
  6. Stir, bring back to a simmer and then turn down the heat
  7. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low
  8. Remove from heat and add all the shrimp, ¼ c. green onions and ½ c parsley
  9. Stir, replace cover and let sit for approx. 12-15 minutes for raw shrimp to steam thru
  10. Serve with a sprinkle of sliced green onion and fresh chopped parsley…yummm!

Best Big Game Chili Ever!

by

4 batches of Turkey Chili were eaten during my Food Demo at Page Hardware in Guilford, CT last Saturday! That’s a lot of chili!  This chili has the right amount of spice so as not to be too spicy or too bland but packed with tons of flavor. I do like my chili extra hot but I kept the amount of spice to a minimum so all could enjoy it.

There is a secret ingredient in this chili, cinnamon, and it’s in such a small quantity it should not be left out! This 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon gives it a warm, underlying flavor that your guests won’t be able to figure out. I test a lot of recipes in terms of spice quantities and this recipe has the perfect combination of smokiness and heat! I think it may become your “go to recipe” once you give it a try. Food for thought, If you were to have any leftovers, highly unlikely that is, it freezes really well. 

As for my monthly food demo at Page Hardware in Guilford, CT it’s a win-win no matter how you look at it…free sampling foods and free demo on how to make the dish! I am there every 3rd Saturday of the month. If you haven’t become a regular yet I don’t know what you’re waiting for. We have so much fun during these demo’s you and you get to eat all the delicious dishes while I am demonstrating how they’re made. Can’t wait to see you next month! You can call Page Hardware to confirm the dates or look on my Events Schedule on the side bar of my website. After my demo you can always shop Page for what ever gadgets your kitchen is missing, they have everything you can think of.

After this chili you may want something a little sweet for dessert like Lemon Mousse Cups with Ginger Cookie Crumble, Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie, Chocolate Crackle Cookies or even my Chocolate Chip Cookies which have over 60,000 views on my YouTube Channel where you can watch how I make them! Enjoy!

 

 
 
 
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2.5 lbs. ground turkey (I used Perdue dark turkey meat in the demo, but both light & dark meat work great)
  • 1 can small red beans
  • ½-1 can black beans
  • 1 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes chopped up
  • 1 3/4 cup red wine, 1/4 cup each time you deglaze the turkey 3x
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 lg. red/orange or green pepper diced
  • 1 lg Vidalia sweet onion diced
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1-2 jalapeno finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves grated or garlic press
  • 1 tbsp. chipotle chili powder
  • 1 tbsp. pink Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp white pepper (black pepper if you don’t have the white pepper)
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • A few splashes of Tabasco
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced scallions for topping
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add olive oil to a large pan and sauté on med/high ground turkey, deglazing a few time with ¼ c. red wine each (Note: turkey meat is moist, it won’t brown as well as beef and that’s ok!)
  2. Keep mashing turkey with a fork to break up clumps as you are cooking it 
  3. Remove turkey into a bowl and set aside
  4. Add in 1 tbsp. butter and the chopped peppers, onions, celery and jalapeño and sauté on med/high for 5 minutes more until veggies are soft
  5. Add in grated garlic, diced up whole peeled tomatoes, beer, wine, cooked ground turkey and all the spices
  6. Bring to a low boil on med/high, TURN DOWN heat and simmer for approx. 25-45 minutes
  7. Stir in the rinsed beans, then simmer for 20 minutes more on low
  8. Serve with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of sliced green onion and a squeeze of Siracha…yummm!

Zuppa di Pesce on CT Style with Ryan, Teresa & Bella!

by




Zuppa di Pesce on CT Style with Ryan, Teresa & Bella!

What an exciting day at the WTNH studio with Ryan, Teresa and my daughter Bella! Bella and her TV Studio class came in as guests to watch my cooking segment. Ryan, himself, gave them a tour making their experience extra special! It was a busy day in the studio so Bella’s class got to see a lot of action. Ryan and Teresa then invited them on camera for the finally of my segment! It was so nice to share what I do with my daughter and have her there first hand.

Zuppa di Pesce or The Feast of 7 Fishes was the theme of this cooking segment. I know we are already planning for the next holidays so wanted to share this really delicious Italian Christmas Eve tradition with you. Many families cook up a variety of fish and some have a specfic number to which there is a significant religious meaning. For example, the number 7 is the most frequently used number in the Bible, Earth was created is 7 days, there are 7 deadly sins, 7 sacraments or it could represent the 7 hills that surround Rome. Some families have 10 fishes for the 10 stations of the cross, and some have 13 fishes to represent the 12 Apostles and Jesus. What ever the number of fish you have it is supposed to serve as a lighter fare the night before the feast on Christmas day.

Serving this Zuppa di Pesce over linguine is my favorite way to eat it. It is also scrumptious served with garlic bread or sour dough toasts. Don’t get this dish confused with Cioppino. The tomato/wine sauce base is the same between the two dishes but the fish are different. Cioppino has Dungeness crab and Zuppa di Pesce has the lobster. Basically, you use what ever fish is native to your area.

You may want to try a nice light and lemony dessert like Lemon Mousse with Ginger Cookie crumble or Berries in a Dreamy Cream, Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie, Thin Mint Chocolate Mousse Pie or Saltine Christmas Bark! Enjoy & Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

Zuppa di Pesce or The Feast of 7 Fishes

Evitic Ingredients: Serves 6 -8 people

  • 2-3 lbs. mussels (or small clams)
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • 1 lb. scallops
  • ½- ¾  lb. halibut, cod, snapper, salmon or similar cut into 2 “ cubes
  • 1/4 lb. calamari rings
  • 1 1/4 lb. pre-cooked lobster, shelled and sliced up into 1” pieces- NOTE: this is the only fish that is pre-cooked
  • 1 can chopped Snows Canned Clams
  • 1 -28 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 c. white wine
  • 1 c. red wine
  • 2- 8 oz. bottles clam juice
  • ½ c. finely diced Vidalia onion- 1 small onion
  • ¼ c. finely diced celery (1 stalk)
  • ¼ c. grated carrot (1 carrot)
  • 4 lg garlic cloves, smashed to sauté
  • ¼  cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper for flavoring flour, plus ½ tsp salt to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ c. freshly chopped parsley
  • ¼ c. chopped basil
  • ½ tsp ground, dried Italian seasonings
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 lb. linguine pasta cooked to al-dente

Directions: Approx. 45-60 minutes to prep and cook

  1. Add 2-3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter to large pot and begin to sauté crushed garlic cloves for 3 minutes
  2. Add in onion, celery and carrots and sauté until translucent approx. 7 minutes on medium heat
  3. De-glaze with 1/3 c. red wine and let reduce 1 minute
  4. Put these sautéed veggies into food processor with the whole peeled tomatoes and puree
  5. Add back to large pan with 2 tbsp. tomato paste, Italian seasonings, sugar and red pepper flakes, mix to combine
  6. Add in white wine, red wine and clam broth and bring to a simmer for 25-60 minutes on low bubbling simmer, the longer you simmer the more the developed flavor
  7. Begin to add fish to the simmering tomatoes …first the cod, simmer 2 minutes
  8. Then add in the raw shrimp, scallops, calamari and top with mussels
  9. Stir to combine before the fish begins to cook thru then…DO NOT STIR as the white flaky fish will fall apart
  10. COVER to help the steam cook all the fish
  11. Bring back to a low simmer for 3-8 minutes until all the mussels open
  12. Then add in the pre-cooked sliced lobster just to warm thru
  13. Garnish with parsley and basil and a drizzle of olive oil and serve with linguine or serve in a shallow bowl with garlic bread or slices of toasted sour dough…mmmm!

Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast at Page Hardware

by




Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast at Page Hardware

A rolled stuffed turkey breast for Thanksgiving makes for a scrumptious alternative to the sometimes cumbersome 18 lb. turkey we have all tackled on this holiday. Every 3rd Saturday of the month I demo different recipes at Page Hardware in Guilford, CT and this past weekend I showed everyone how easy it is to make this Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast.

It was a very fun demo as I had my regulars there, some newbies, and a surprise visit from our very own Pem McNerney, Living Editor/Writer for our Shoreline Newspapers here in Connecticut! Such a treat to have Pem there joining in on our foodie extravaganza!

What’s great about making this rolled stuffed turkey breast is the little time it takes to bake as opposed to a whole turkey and the fact that you can still have all your favorite sides is a win win situation! Wait until you try this recipe, it may become your new go to recipe for Thanksgiving when you taste how delicous it is. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

You should definitely check out some of my sides for your Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast like my Creamed Onions, Creamed Spinach, Best Ever Roasted Brussel Sprouts, or Mashed Potatoes w/Red Onion and for dessert don’t forget about the Chocolate Pecan Pie or Pavlova!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS: Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast – 2 rolled stuffed breasts, 8 people (w/ sides)

DIRECTIONS for ROLLED STUFFED TURKEY BREASTS:

  1. If turkey breasts are attached cut out rib meat in the center separating into 2 breasts
  2. Butterfly each breast at thickest part of breast running knife thru but not all the way, it will look like you are opening a book
  3. NOTE: Your local butcher will be happy to do this for you for free!
  4. Combine brine ingredients (see below) in a large pasta pot and whisk until combined (no need to simmer ingredients)
  5. Add the 2 bufferflied turkey breasts to the brine and place in frig over night or for atleast 4 hours
  6. Stuffing needs to be cooled completely before stuffing the breasts
  7. Make stuffing and refrigerate if possible the night before
  8. Take butterflied turkey breasts out of brine and pat dry lay out on a piece of saran wrap with skin side up
  9. Detach turkey skin and set aside
  10. Place another piece of saran wrap on top of breast and pound out to 1/2″ using a rolling pin
  11. Repeat steps 6-8 with the other turkey breast
  12. Split the cold stuffing between the 2 horizontally, laid out breasts covering each one leaving 1/2″ around all edges
  13. Roll up each breast from the end closest to you gently, DO  NOT ROLL TIGHTLY
  14. Just tuck in any fallen out stuffing or loose turkey pieces…it doesn’t have to look perfect
  15. The seem will be on the bottom
  16. Place the loosened skin back on the top of each breast and begin to tie up the breast wtih the twine to hole the roll together
  17. Cut and wet 2 pieces of twine to approx. 6′ each
  18. Starting at one end of the rolled turkey breast tie a knot then bring same strand up, then cross and slide under breast, repeat this all the way until the other end of the breast
  19. You just need to tie off every 2 1/2″ on the roll
  20. Repeat with the other breast and place both rolled stuffed breats in a large baking pan
  21. Add 1/2 c. of white wine to the baking pan and place into a pre-heated 425º oven for 25 minutes, then bake 40 minutes more at 350º
  22. The internal temperature should read 155º, it will keep going up to 165º after you take them out of the oven
  23. Let sit for 8 minutes, REMOVE the twine, then slice and serve with sides!….YUM!

INGREDIENTS for STUFFING

  • 25 slices white bread -wonder bread or like (4 1/2 cups bread cubes per turkey breast)
  • 3 1/2 -4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 c. finely diced celery
  • 2 c. finely diced Vidalia onion
  • 4 c. finely diced mushrooms
  • 6 tbsp salted butter: 3 tbsp to start sauté, 3 tbsp add at end of the sauté to melt into veg.
  • 1 cup vermouth or dry white wine: 1/2 c. to de-glaze sauteed veggies, 1/4-1/2  c. into stuffing
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried ground sage
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried ground thyme
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp finely ground pepper

DIRECTIONS FOR STUFFING:

  1. Lay out the slices of bread on 2 cookie trays and bake on 400º for approx 30 minutes until golden
  2. Cool bread, then place 3 pieces at a time in a large Ziploc baggie pounding with a large spoon to gently break up into 1/2″ pieces, repeat until all bread in this size and place in a large mixing bowl
  3. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large sauté pan
  4. Add chopped onion, mushroom and celery and sauté on medium heat for 20 minutes til golden and cooked down developing lots of flavor
  5. De-glaze with 1/2 c. vermouth or white wine and simmer to reduce 2 minutes
  6. Add in ground sage, thyme, pepper and 1/2 tsp salt, mix to combine
  7. Add in 3 more tbsp butter and melt
  8. Pour this over the cubed bread bread in the large mixing bowl and combine
  9. Begin to add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time tossing between each addition the evenly coat bread pieces, you want the bread pieces to be on the moist side almost sticking together
  10. Sprinkle 1/3 c. vermouth or white wine over stuffing and combine once again
  11. Place into frig to cool completely
  12. NOTE: Add 1 tbsp FRESH Thyme leaves to this stuffing right before spreading out onto the butterfied chicken breasts

INGREDIENTS FOR BRINE:

  • 1 1/4 gallons water
  • 1 3/4 c. salt
  • 2 tbsp molasses OR 1 cup light or dark brown sugar instead of molasses and white sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar

CT Style’s National Taco Day with Ryan & Teresa!

by




These special people (in the photo to the left) are the heart beat of the “CT Style” show here at WTNH Channel 8 in New Haven, CT. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this amazing family, 2 1/2 years running! There’s always lots of excitement in the studio shooting the live CT Style show and this time around we also had a birthday celebration afterwards for our wonderful producer, Joyce Ogirri!

When Ryan sent an email giving me the heads up about National Taco day my Pulled Beef Taco recipe came to mind! This dish originated from my dear Carmel Valley friend, Christine, about 15 years ago and I’ve been making this ever since. I love the simplicity of this recipe and the gourmet taste you end up with. The flavors are similar to Boeuf Bourguignon!

This Pulled Beef Taco recipe is made with a 3 1/2 lb. chuck roast, 3/4’s of a bottle of red wine and a whole bottle of Trader Joe’s Autentica Red Salsa and that’s it! You cut the roast into 6 pieces, sear it off in a large pan with olive oil, add in the red wine and salsa, then braise it in the oven uncovered for 2 1/2 hours. The base gravy that results from these ingredients is out of this world. Serving the pulled beef with my black bean salsa makes for the perfect pair. This is a great recipe for football season get togethers too because it’s a total make ahead dish allowing you to spend more time with friends and family insead of being stuck in the kitchen. The meat and gravy get even more delicious when you re-heat it so it’s a win win no matter how you look at it!

You may want to add some desserts to all this goodness like Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, Death By Chocolate Meringue Pie,  Drunk Blondie Bars, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies or Pavlova with Fresh Berries.

CT Style with Ryan & Teresa making my “Pulled Pork While You Sleep” recipe!

by




CT Style with Ryan & Teresa making my “Pulled Pork While You Sleep” recipe!

Wow! I can’t even begin to tell how much I look forward to doing The Traveling Epicurean cooking segments on “CT Style” at WTNH, Channel 8 in New Haven, Connecticut!  Everyone down at the studio is really wonderful and it’s always exciting cooking with Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour! Being in the Bender Kitchen with them is so natural, everything seems to fall in place. The improv conversation, the banter back and forth and the laughs are undeniably my favorite. That’s what cooking should be all about. That’s what The Traveling Epicurean is all about, sharing family recipes in the kitchen, working together and enjoying each others company!

I came up with this “Pulled Pork While Sleep” recipe because I’m usually juggling my time during the week with all the different events and obligations going on between my kids and I. You coat the pork butt with a brown sugar and spice mixture, lay it on a bed of sliced onions and celery, add 2 cups of Coke, cover tightly with foil and bake at 275º for 8 hours, in the oven at 11:00pm and out at 7:00am! Violà!

What I love about this dish is it’s simpicity and that there’s enough for several different meals during the week or you can freeze the left overs for a later date! If you are wondering where to buy your pork butt for this “Pulled Pork While You Sleep” recipe you ought to check out Ferraro’s Meat King. They carry everything you can imagine, have incredible customer service and professional butchers that can help you out with any questions you might have! I am certainly grateful for their sponsorship on this CT Style cooking segment.

If you like pulled pork you may want to try HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE that’s to die for with this recipe, Pulled Beef Taco’s with Mango Salsa, Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs, Chicken Piccata and, or some desserts like Death By Chocolate Meringue Pie or my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS for Pulled Pork While You Sleep:

  • 8-14 lbs. Boneless Pork Butts, Bone in it ok too
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp garlic granules
  • 1 tbsp onion granules
  • 1 tbsp SMOKED Paprika (Spanish)
  • 1 tbsp Chipotle spices
  • 1 tsp Colemans dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp finely ground pepper
  • 1tsp finely ground Italian seasonings
  • 2 cups coke & rootbeer OR 2 coke OR 2 rootbeer
  • 1 lg vidalia onion sliced into 1/2″ slices
  • 1 stalk celery cut up into 3″ pieces
  • 1 Mango Salsa Recipe
  • 1 pkg shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1 pkg flout tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 Broccoli Slaw reicpe
  • OR my HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pre-Heat oven to 275º
  2. Add all dry spices and sugar to a bowl and mix thoroughly
  3. Place onion and celery pieces in the bottom of a lg 18″ x 13″ x 3″ approx. and place the pork butt(s) on top
  4. Rub brown sugar/spice mix all over pork butt(s) and lay the pork so the fat side is facing up
  5. Cover tightly with foil for 8 hrs. WHILE YOU SLEEP!
  6. In the morning remove from oven and let cool so you can handle the meat
  7. Remove all the fat and place in a bake dish
  8. Skim fat off pan juices and add 1-2 cups of the juice back to pork to desired moistness
  9. Wrap in tortilla’s with cheese, lettuce and Mango salsa OR
  10. Add Homemade BBQ Sauce to desired texture  if you are making BBQ slider and top with Broccoli slaw…enjoy!

CT Style Making Lemon Mousse Cups with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour!

by




CT Style Making Lemon Mousse Cups with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour!

Making Lemon Mousse Cups with Ginger Cookie Crumble on CT Style this week with Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour was the perfect way to bring in the weekend! Ryan loved this dessert so much last month when I had it on the show as a side feature I knew it had to be the star attraction this time around so everyone would know how to make it. It’s light, luscious and refreshing all at the same time and the crumbled ginger cookie gives it that extra special something.

Keeping on the lemon train I thought it was a great idea for this summer cooking segment to surprise Ryan and Teresa with my homemade Lemoncello. It is a digestive that’s served after dinner and coffee to aid in digestion. It’s an Italian family tradition served in many areas of Italy and in America. Teresa really loved the lemoncello so I wanted to make sure to include the recipe for it in this mailing below. I know you will all enjoy this one too!

I was first inspired by the Lemon Mousse Cups with the Ginger Cookie Crumble when my friend Barbara brought it to a neighborhood party! This recipe was acutally her mother Peggy’s reicpe so its a family recipe! I am grateful they are willing to share a recipe that’s been in their family for generations because it’s oh so delicious. Once you make this yourself you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Here are some other dishes you may want to make to go with your Lemon Mousse Cups and Ginger Cookie Crumble and Lemoncello like Best Buffalo Chicken Dip, Panzanella, New England Clam Chowder, Chicken di Pollo or Eggplant Balls!

Ingredients for Lemon Mousse Cups w/ Ginger Cookie, Makes 8 cups servings:

  • 1 can “NESTLE CARNATION” brand only evaporated milk – chilled in freezer 1 hr!!!
  • 1 ¼ cup hot water
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 box lemon Jell-O
  • Juice from 1 1/2 lemons (1/4 c.  juice)
  • 1 heaping tbsp. lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 box thin ginger cookies (Anna brand) – crushed

Directions:

  1. Place Anna’s Ginger cookies in a Zip-loc baggie and crush cookies to a crumble
  2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of cookie into each dessert cup and set aside
  3. Whisk water, sugar, Jell-O, lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a med. size bowl
  4. Jell in frig. approx. 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes until thickened but not solid
  5. Whip cold evaporated milk until thick, soft peaks about 7 minutes
  6. Add lemon mixture to fluffy evaporated milk mixture and beat 10 seconds,
  7. Then finish folding in jelled mixture with a spatula so as not to deflate too much
  8. Pour into dessert cups and sprinkle more crumbled cookie on top
  9. Chill until mixture is set (2 hours)

Ingredients for Lemoncello:

  • 3 lbs Myer Lemons, about 10 or 11
  • 3 c. 80 proof vodka or 100 proof grain alcohol
  • 2 c. simple syrup (2 c. water & 2 C. sugar)
  • Glass jar with lid (canning jar is good)
  • 2 Bottles with tops to store when finished

Directions for Lemoncello:

  1. Peel all the skins of the lemons with a sharp peeler so as to not to get any white pith, only the yellow skins
  2. Place all the lemon skins in a jar
  3. Add 3 cups vodka or grain alchol
  4. Let sit for 1 week to 1 month, placing out of the way in your kitchen, not in the sun
  5. Make the simple syrup adding 2 cups sugar to 2 cups water, bring to a simmer briefly just to melt the sugar
  6. Remove from heat as soon as the sugar dissolves and cool completely
  7. Strain the lemon peels and vodka into a large bowl with pour spout (using a fine strainer)
  8. Add in the cooled simple syrup, pour into bottles and chill some more
  9. Serve your Lemoncello in cordial glasses to be fancy or just regular shot glasses, ususally served after the coffee as a digestive (digestivo)
  10. Will last up to 1 year …but it probably won’t last that long 🙂

CT Style Making Asian Shrimp & Rice Noodle Salad with Ryan & Teresa!

by




CT Style Making Asian Shrimp & Rice Noodle Salad with Ryan & Teresa!

Back on CT Style this week with Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour making the perfect summer picnic dish, Asian Shrimp & Rice Noodle Salad, never gets dull with those two! I thoroughly enjoy every second on the WTNH set at Channel 8. There were several groups going on camera this week making it even more exciting then usual, if that’s at all possible.

Not only do I try to offer appropriate seasonal recipes but its important for me to find out what recipes my followers and friends want to see so please feel free to make suggestions always. That’s how I came up with this Asian Shrimp & Noodle Salad… it was the #1 request, a picnic-beach salad that won’t spoil.

You can find the wriiten recipe for this Asian Shrimp & Rice Noodle Salad and how I originally got it from my big foodie friends Karen and Ken from Andover, MA by clicking on the hyper-link.

Here are some other summer dishes you may enjoy like my 2 minute Homemade PESTO on crostini with roasted cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, EGGPLANT BALLS, ZUCCHINI TORTA, Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs, or Dreamy Cream & Fresh Berries.

 

Lobster, Bacon & Mac N’ Cheese…A Graduation Party to Remember!

by




Lobster, Bacon & Mac N’ Cheese…A Graduation Party to Remember!

Lobster Mac N’ Cheese baked in a bubbling cheesey sauce of Smoked Gouda, Vermont Cheddar, Mozzarella with dry sherry topped with bread crumbs and thick pieces of Boar’s Head bacon will certainly be a dish to remember at your graduation party!

It was so nice to see Ryan and Teresa on the “CT Style” set this week at Channel 8 WTNH. They are always so up beat and fun to work with not to mention ready to dive in to what ever cooking projects I have up my sleeve!

So on CT Style I wanted to show you guys a great make ahead “go to” recipe for mac n’ cheese. This Mac N’ Cheese recipe is amazing all on it’s own but add in some lobster, dry sherry and Boar’s Head bacon and watch out, you may need to make an extra tray because this ones going quickly! This mac n’ cheese is made with 3 cheeses Smoked Gouda, Vermont Cheddar and Mozzarella giving this dish a warm underlying flavor thats to die for. This recipe is simple and straight forward with no extra steps giving you layers of flavor throughout.

I’m excited for you guys to try this lobster mac n’ cheese and I know you’ll be excited to serve it to your guests for what ever celebration you have coming up! You may want to try some other crowd pleasers like Best Crab Cakes Ever, Panzanella, Berries in Dreamy Cream, Pavlova, or Baklava!