The Traveling Epicurean

Favorite food recipes

Best Big Game Chili Ever!

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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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

Granny’s Perfect Perogies II!

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Granny’s Perfect Perogies!

Perfect Perogies thru and thru, from the tender yet slightly chewy dough to the silky potato filling flavored with crispy onion and cheddar cheese in a decadent BUTTER SAUCE that’s to die for…you better not miss this one!

Making Granny’s Perfect Perogies with my friend Kathy, her mom Irene and daughter Reilly is what being The Traveling Epicurean is all about! Tradition, passion and a scrumptious family recipe that’s been in their family for generations. You don’t have to be from Polish descent to incorporate this worth while tradition into your family holidays.

These perogies or polish dumplings have a paper thin dough made from flour, eggs and sour cream giving them a rich flavor and texture with a perfect amount of chew. We filled the perogies with a creamy potato mixure made with cheddar cheese & crispy onions. The crispy onions get caramelized in the butter sauce offering up an intense flavor that really puts them over the top! You will find yourself going back for another spoonful while creating these melt in your mouth bites. Oh my goodness, wait until you try your hand as these you’ll be hooked after the first bite.

This Granny’s Perfect Perogies show was initially to be published about a month ago but there were unforseen circumstances with my internal Mac HD. My hard drive disappeared one morning as I was getting ready to watch one last run thru of my edited show! So, I want to give kuddo’s to Genius Bar in New Haven because they are truly amazing and were able to recover the clips…Hallelujah! I hope you enjoy Granny’s Perfect Perogies II as much as we did taping it!

Here are some other delicious dishes you may want to try like my Homemade Pesto, Panzanella or New England Clam Chowder and lets not forget the Chocolate Meringue Pie for dessert!

Perogie Dough Ingredients:

  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Perogie Potato-Cheese Filling & Butter Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1- 5lb. bag Yukon Gold potatoes OR Russet potatoes , peeled & cut in 1/2  …use your fav!
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Chop up 4 oz. of cheddar cheese and fine dice 1 small onion
  2. Add Cheese and onion to 2 sticks of butter in a medium sauté pan and begin to melt
  3. Bring to a low simmer and cook until cheese is melted and onions get to be rust in color and set aside but keep hot
  4. NOTE: The cheddar cheese won’t melt into a smooth sauce but will be very soft for melting into the potatoes when you add this to the mixer bowl along with the milk
  5. Peel Yukon potatoes and slice in 1/2
  6. As you finish each potato place into a pot of salted, cold water
  7. Bring potatoes to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes, you may need to turn down heat so as not to boil over
  8. INPORTANT: SAVE the WATER from the potatoes when you drain then for making the dough
  9. Drain Potatoes and add to mixing bowl
  10. Add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 finely ground pepper
  11. Then add in 2/3 of the butter-cheese-onion mixture
  12. Turn mixer on med/high and blend until creamy
  13. Set aside the remaining butter/cheddar sauce so as to pan fry the boiled perogies at the end
  14. For the Perogie Dough:
  15. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl
  16. Add in sour cream and milk, then whisk until combined
  17. Add this egg mixture to the flour and mix until the dough begins to come together with a spatula
  18. Then knead until smooth by hand
  19. Now roll out with a rolling pin until paper thin rooling from the center out
  20. Next, cut out 5″ rounds
  21. Begin to fill with a heaping tbsp of potato filling in the center
  22. Fold dough over to make half moon shape and pinch the open edges to seal, see show
  23. Drop 8 perogies at a time to boiling salted water
  24. When the perogies float to the top they are done …Version I – Boiled only
  25. Go thru all the stuffed perogies boling them first
  26. Version II – you can pan fry them in the butter sauce that you previously set aside
  27. They are amzing either way…enjoy!

CT Style Making Authentic Greek Baklava with Ryan Kristafer & Sarah Cody for Easter!

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CT Style Making Authentic Greek Baklava with Ryan Kristafer & Sarah Cody for Easter!

A cooled honey syrup poured over a hot out of the oven Baklava is the trick to flaky phyllo dough layers! Honey dripping Baklava for your Easter celebration is what was on the menu in The Bender Kitchen yesterday! What fun I had making this decadent dessert with Ryan Kristafer and Sarah Cody on CT Style. They were troopers diving into this foreign recipe with me and even though there was a lot going on they tackled it. The humor that filled the set from Ryan and Sarah as we scrambled to get thru all the steps of making the Baklava was undeniably my favorite part! The chemistry between all of us is priceless.

This rich dessert is made with layers of buttered phyllo dough, ground walnuts with cinnamon and cloves, baked and then a COOLED honey syrup is poured over the HOT Baklava right out of the oven! Did you notice the words I emphasized here? A completely cooled down, room temperature honey syrup is the trick to a flaky Baklava. The end is the most exciting part of making Baklava, pouring the cooled honey syrup over the hot Baklava when it comes out of the oven and hearing that sizzle!! You can see this first hand on my Traveling Epicurean FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/thetravelingepicurean/.

This recipe couldn’t be any more authentic coming from my dear friend Maria who’s many relatives still live in Greece on an island called Kalymnos. The honey Maria uses in her Baklava coming from Kalymnos has subtle hints of fresh herbs. Her relatives send her this amazing honey from Kalymnos where the bees are thriving off the wild herbs growing on the mountainside of this Greek island. I like to use wild flower honey in my Baklava but thats the beauty of this recipe, you can use your favorite whether its clove, wild flower or orange blossom honey.

Even though I don’t have relatives currently living in Greece my great grandmother, Louise, was born on the Greek Island of Crete. She met my great grandfather, who was from Italy, on the boat to Ellis Island when they were 15 years old. It’s wonderful to have such an incredible recipe as this Baklava to celebrate my heritage.

Greek Baklava, best when made the day before makes it perfect for holidays when there’s so much to prepare. It’s great to get one amazing dish out of the way. You will love how forgiving the phyllo dough is when you make your Baklava. The recipe is easier then you think!

You may want to make some scrumptious sides for your Easter dinner like Creamed Spinach or Creamed  Onions, Panzanella Salad or appetizers like New England Clam Chowder or a Mediterranean Layered Dip.