The Traveling Epicurean

holiday dinner

Ravioli

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Ravioli 101

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Here we are at Two Blokes Brewing in Mount Pleasant, SC learning to make homemade ravioli! There’s nothing more rewarding then making pasta from scratch, cooking it up fresh and then topping the raviolis with your favorite sauce. This was a very fun group that caught on quickly and truly appreciated learning the art of pasta making. Check out some of the Ravioli Workshop photos. The Ravioli recipe follows below.

Homemade Ravioli 101

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients for Pasta, NOTE: Click here to  purchase these flours on Amazon

  • 1 3/4 c. 00 Flour (Caputo Italian Flour) spoon the flour into the measuring cup
  • 1 1/2 c. Semola flour (Caputo Di Grano Duro) spoon the flour into the measuring cup
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp. water

Ingredients for Ricotta:

  • 16 0z. whole milk ricotta
  • 2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
  • 1 whisked whole eggs
  • 1cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
  • pinch of salt & pepper
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin- OPTIONAL
  • 1 heaping tsp. freshly grated garlic- OPTIONAL

NOTE: One of my fave fillings is adding the 1 cup of pumpkin + 1 heaping tsp. grated garlic to the above ingredients

Directions:

  1. Add flours and salt to food processor, pulse to combine
  2. Add in all eggs and water, then pulse just until dough comes together, almost a ball
  3. NOTE: the dough ball should have a crumbly texture and not quite together, until you knead
  4. Empty out onto work surface and knead for 8 minutes using dough scrapper to gather little pieces
  5. Keep scrapping up the pieces while kneading, the flour is slowly absorbing the eggs & water so be patient here
  6. Shape into round disc and cover with saran wrap, let sit 30 minutes
  7. Uncover and cut into 6 pieces, 6 triangular shape pieces
  8. Take 1 piece at a time, flatten out towards edges and put thru #1 setting on Kitchen Aid pasta roller
  9. Tri-fold the dough and put thru on #1 setting
  10. Repeat trifold (letter fold) 2x more on #1 setting
  11. No more folding is needed at this point
  12. Add to #2-#4 settings putting thru 1x on each
  13. Also thru settings # 5 and #6 1x
  14. Begin to layer in between parchment paper so they don’t stick together
  15. Arrange long pieces of pasta on counter and add teaspoon size mounds of ricotta mixture 2” apart each way making 2 rows, 4-5 across and 2 down
  16. Using your finger dab a small amount of water around ricotta mounds to help seal the top sheet
  17. Gently lay 2nd top sheet over the ricotta mounds and starting in the middle smooth out the dough sheets
  18. You want to remove as much air as possible around the ricotta between the two layers of pasta
  19. Using your pasta wheel cut the desire shape ravioli around the sealed dough
  20. Repeat with the other pasta sheets until all your ravioli are cut
  21. Add the ravioli 8 at a time to salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes for all-dente pasta and serve with favorite sauce

 

Elegant, Large 13″ x 3″ Italian Certified PASTA BOWL

 

 

Set of 4 Bowls -Italian Certified

 

 

CT Style Making Braciole with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour!

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CT Style Making Braciole with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour!

Spring is in the air and family gatherings for graduations are right around the corner so I wanted to share my recipe for Italian Braciole on CT Style this week. It’s a great make ahead recipe allowing you more time with your guests and less time in the kitchen. As always, it was an amazing time with Ryan and Teresa. Not only are they true professionals making all their hard work appear easy but they are wonderful people too. I am fortunate to be able to continually work with such a great duo!

My Italian Braciole is made with thinly sliced flank steak stuffed with fresh and dried herbs, Reggiano Parmesan & Asiago cheeses, rolled up and sautéed, then simmered in tomato sauce for 2 hours. There are many different versions of braciole depending on your Italian family traditions. Some families put raisins in their braciole, others put sliced hard boiled eggs. That’s what makes this dish so fun, you can be creative and add what ever your heart desires. I do love the German version as well where the beef rouladens are stuffed with mustard, onion, pickles and bacon! Who wouldn’t love that?

Italian Braciole is traditionally made with flank steak but you can also use top round or bottom sliced thinly and pounded out a little. Simmering these beef bundles in Tomato-Basil Sauce for a couple of hours makes for a very tender and flavorful braciole. I like to serve them with rigatoni pasta and a dollop of ricotta. I’m certain that Italian Braciole will become one of your favorite dishes too!

Thank you to A’s Unique Boutique for their endless selection of gorgeous dresses to wear on CT Style! If you haven’t been to the boutique yet I don’t know what you’re waiting for. They have an enormous selection of stunning designer dresses and help you through through the whole process.

If you are going for the Italian theme you might as well treat yourself to some of my appetizer’s like baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, or crab cakes with a homemade remoulade sauce. Then you can really go for it with my SECRET manicotti recipe or homemade spaghetti that’s totally fun for the whole family and easy to make! Then end it all with some chocolate eclairs with the BEST vanilla custard you have ever had …enjoy! 🙂

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lb flank steak cut in 1/2 then each piece sliced horizontally into 3 layers totaling 6 pieces
  • 1 cup grated Reggiano Parmigiano
  • 1 cup grated Asiago
  • 1 tbsp dried ground Italian seasonings
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh basil
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 recipe tomato-basil sauce but simmered for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1 cup red wine or white (I actually prefer to deglaze here with red)
  • 1 lb rigatoni

Directions:

  • Start sautéing the veggies for the tomato-basil sauce and use the same pan for sautéing the braciole bundles
  • Slice your 2lb. steak in half
  • Then have your butcher slice each side into 3 horizontal layers
  • Now have 6 semi-equal pieces
  • Sprinkle 1/2 tsp dried-ground Italian seasoning on each piece of flank
  • Sprinkle 1 tbsp each of Reggiano and Asiago on each piece
  • Lay whole basil leaves or chop basil and parsley and sprinkle onto flank slices
  • Roll up starting at the small end so that you are rolling up with the grain of the meat
  • Cut approx 30″ of cotton string and tie a knot at one of the ends
  • Then keep wrapping string all around the length of the rolled up flank til you are at the other end
  • Now come back tucking under each row of string going across like shown in the video til you get to the end and tie off a knot with the original piece of string you started with
  • Add 2 tbsp of olive oil a large pan and a few large cloves of garlic kept whole for extra flavor and sauté 3 rolled up pieces of braciole at a time
  • Brown on all sides on medium/high heat about 3-4  minutes each side (remove the garlic coves when golden and smear on a baguette and dip into the tomato-basil sauce when you start to simmer with braciole…YUM!)
  • After browning the second batch of (3) braciole add back in the first 3 and de-glaze with red wine (I used white in the show but prefer to use red here)
  • Add in puréed tomatoes and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
  • Take braciole rolls out, REMOVE the string with a kitchen scissors and slice 3/8″-1/2″ thick
  • Serve with pasta (rigatoni) and a dollop of ricotta on top with a few slices of braciole and grated Reggiano…mangia, mangia.
  • PS- It’s even better re-heated the 2nd day! 🙂

Mini Beef Wellington’s for the Oscars on CT Style!

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Mini Beef Wellington’s for the Oscars on CT Style!

Making Mini Beef Wellington’s for the Oscar’s on CT Style yesterday was a blast! What’s more fun then cooking in the kitchen with friends and family? Well, that’s how it is with Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour! I feel like I’m with my siblings, me being the elder of the trio, as we joke and banter back and forth. I can’t describe to good feeling I get when I leave the WTNH studio at Channel 8. Every single one of them are such great people.

This Mini Beef Wellington recipe is very easy to make and tastes like a bite of heaven! A piece of filet mignon topped with a mushroom reduction, called Duxelles, Truffle Mousse Paté, pastry dough, brushed with egg yolk and baked until golden…mmm! I make Beef Wellington, a bit more work, but the mini’s are like taking a short-cut to the same perfection! I have had these mini’s served at gala events years ago in San Francisco and forgot how amazing they are until my friend Chef Marco made them for New Years Eve. When he and his wife, Sheryl, served these Mini Beef Wellington’s at their New Years Eve party I new right away that I needed to show everyone how to make them on CT Style!

It was also National Sticky Bun Day so I made a batch of Sticky Buns too! Here are some other delicious appetizers you can make for your Oscars party, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Baked Asparagus wrap in Prosciutto with a cream cheese-onion smear on the inside, Pesto, Mozzarella and Roasted Tomato Crostini, and or the amazing Panzanella Salad! 

 

Mini Beef Wellington INGREDIENTS Makes 16 (Each 1 1/4″ slice of filet makes 8-9 mini’s):

  • 2 Slices of Filet Mignon 1 ¼ “ thickness cut into 1” approx.. cubes
  • ¼ tsp. salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 box, pastry dough thawed, 2 sheets rolled out , then cut into 2 ½” squares
  • 1 slice Truffle Mousse Paté, ½” thick slice
  • 1/4 c of Italian Blue Cheese
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 egg yolk, whisked

Duxelles Ingredients (reduced mushroom/shallot/herb):

  • 1 lb. Bella Mushrooms cut into quarter pieces
  • 1 extra large shallot finely diced
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme OR 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. salt for mushroom mixture
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 tbsp. dry sherry (Savory & James Medium Sherry)
  • 2 tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat large sauté pan on med/high and season filet with s&p
  2. Add olive oil to the pan and sear whole filet pieces on all sides for 1 minute total
  3. Remove and set aside to completely cool, then cut into 1” approx. cubes
  4. To make Duxelles add mushrooms and shallots to food processor, pulse until very fine mash
  5. Add butter, mushroom mixture, thyme & sherry to the same lg. sauté pan & sauté for 50-60 minutes on med/low to remove moisture until you get more of a crumbly texture
  6. Set aside mushroom mixture to cool completely (you can do this the day before)
  7. Simmer ¼ cup Italian Blue Cheese with 2/3 cup heavy cream in a small sauce pan
  8. Whisk to get to a smooth consistency as the cheese melt then keep on a low simmer to thicken slightly
  9. When duxelles is cooled, add ½ at a time to a small bowl, then mix in 2 tbsp. pate
  10. NOTE: you can freeze this wonderful Mushroom Duxelles mixture without the paté for future use so only mix ½ at a time
  11. Put 1 tbsp. flour down and roll out to thin pastry dough a little, then cut 2 1/2 “ squares with a knife
  12. Put 1 tsp. Duxelle/pate mixture in the middle of each square, then place a cube of filet on top
  13. Begin to pull up the sides wrapping the filet cube like a present
  14. Put seem side down on cookie tray and brush the tops with egg yolk mixture
  15. Then bake on Convection 425˚ for 10 minutes until golden
  16. Pour the warmed blue cheese sauce onto a platter and then place golden Mini Beef Wellington nuggets on top and serve…yummmm!

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!

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.

 

CT Style with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour Making Arancini Reuben Balls!

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CT Style with Ryan Kristafer & Teresa Dufour Making Arancini Reuben Balls!

With a maiden name like Reilly you know I’m going to have a yummy recipe up my sleeves for your left over St. Patty’s Day corned beef! Yes, I was psyched to be back with Ryan and Teresa making Arancini Reuben Balls in The Bender kitchen on CT Style this week! I do love being on the set there and everyone loved my corned beef creation! Another exciting part about being on the set at WTNH is meeting new guests getting ready to go on camera doing their segments…never a dull moment!

These risotto balls are crispy on the outside and creamy and cheesy on the inside…mini Reubens! All you need is 1 1/2 cups of left over corned beef to make these outragerous Arancini Reuben Balls! Risotto, cornbeef, jalapeño, cream cheese, swiss cheese and mozzarella come together to form these litttle melt in your mouth morsels.

They are actually lighter then you think, perhaps the cream cheese in the recipe helps to make for that satiny texture you get as it puffs when it’s heated. I serve the Arancini Reuben Balls with my gourmet thousand island dressing which I make with Greek yogurt and a creamy horseradish to compliment the corned beef. My homemade thousand island dressing make for the ideal accompaniment.

Risotto balls, in general, are actually an Italian appetizer made with left over risotto, stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, then breaded and deep fried! I wanted these Arancini Reuben Balls, to be a cross between a reuben and popper. Oh boy, they are out of this world.

These gourmet Arancini Reuben Balls are the perfect creation for your left over St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. They freeze up really well too which will make for a nice little treat at a later date though I doubt you’ll have any left behind.

You’ll need to think of some desserts to go with your Arancini Reuben Balls like Bakalva, Ricotta Pie, Berries in Dreamy Cream or Guiness Chocolate Cupcakes!

 

 

CT Style Holiday Show with Ryan Kristafer & Sarah Cody Making Bolognese!

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CT Style Holiday Show with Ryan & Sarah Making Bolognese!

Holidays are for bringing family and friends together and making special dishes! On the CT Style Holiday Show this past Friday I show you guys an all time favorite of mine for bolognese. If you missed the live show you can watch it on Christmas day when WTNH Channel 8 airs the taped version or click on the link above.

I am truly grateful to have such a wonderful platform as CT Style to try and insire all of you in the kitchen and share my recipes. Having such creative and enthusiastic anchors at WTNH Channel 8 right by my side make it all that much better! On Friday, I wanted to show my appreciation by making Ryan Kristafer and Sarah Cody an extra special holiday treat by serving my light as a feather homemade gnocchi with the bolognese.

This bolognese sauce is like no other that I have ever had. Over the years I have worked hard to perfect this recipe matching a dish I used to have in Urbino, Italy, where I spent a couple of semesters abroad in college. Now all you have to do is follow my recipe and savour over the most amazing and unique bolognese sauce you’ll ever have.

 

I want to thank The Traveling Epicurean followers for supporting this culinary journey of mine in my efforts to inspire all of you in the kitchen. There’s something about igniting a passion that brings people together with good food and good company building memories that last a life time. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Blessed 2018 New Year!

There are definitely some other great recipes you ought to check out that would be great with the homemade gnocchi and bolognese like Crab Balls with Homemade Thousand Island, or Best Buffalo Chicken Dip, and for dessert don’t forget the Drunk Blondie Bars with Bourbon Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Crackle Cookies or the Pavlova!

 

 

CT Style with Ryan Kristafer & Sarah Cody Getting Ready for Thanksgiving!

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CT Style with Ryan Kristafer & Sarah Cody Getting Ready for Thanksgiving!

It was a special day on CT Style with Ryan Kristafer and Sarah Cody sharing one of my favorite childhood dishes in memory of my Grandma Reilly. I never did get her recipe for her Creamed Onions or pies but she was the inspiration behind my recipe that I have been making for over 20 years now. Cooking in The Bender KItchen, hanging out with Ryan and Sarah was the perfect way to start my Thanksgiving holiday this year!

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that can truly drive you crazy if you don’t do any planning because there are just too many side dishes to make. Needless to say, a little planning goes a long way!

On CT Style I wanted to show you some of the dishes that are total time savers for this Thanksgiving. My Icebox-rolls dough can be made 4 days ahead, shape and rolling out the rolls, dredging in green onions the day before. These icebox dinner rolls are then ready to pop into the oven when your guests arrive giving your house a warm and fuzzy feeling with aromas of homemade baked bread!

The yummy Best Brussel Sprouts Ever are drizzled with olive oil, chopped garlic and roast for only 25 minutes on 350º without any flipping or fussing. These can be made the night before because the sprouts keep their bright green color and crispness when re-heated the next day!

My Perfect Pie Crust in 5 Minutes is to die for and can be made 1 month ahead, put into the freezer and thawed in the frig 2 days before you need it! Roll out the pie dough the night before Thanksgiving and then bake your delectable Chocolate Pecan Pie the night before and violà! Not to mention, the Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe is a melt in your mouth gourmet recipe …it may just be the hit of your holiday!

Finally, there was talk of a Creamed Onion competition recently at Page Hardware in Guilford with owner Andrew Page when we were discussing future cooking demos at Page in the new year! So there just may be a “Creamed Onions” competition coming as well! Page has quite the array of high tech steam ovens, stoves and so much more…it’s almost difficult to pay attention to conversation surrounded by all the beautiflul stainless steel! You really have to check them out. I will keep you all posted on The Traveling Epicurean Cooking Demos and the “competition” in their amazing kitchens at Page in January of 2018!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Let me know how your recipes turned out and about any new ones that you tried! xxoo

 

 

 

CT Style Making Oysters in Pernod Sauce with Teresa & Scott!

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No better way to start out my week then on “CT Style” In The Bender Kitchen with Teresa Dufour and News 8’s newsest ancor Scott McDonnell! It was a fun meeting Scott and having him there in the kitchen too and Teresa’s aura goes without saying…radiant! Summer is still in full swing so oysters were on my mind and here on CT Style I show you how to make my Oysters in Pernod Sauce with Fresh Spinach.

I created this recipe 16 years ago to match a yummy dish I had in New Orleans back in 2001. I have a knack for matching recipes in my test kitchen and that’s what I had done here. The flavors in this dish are a play on the traditional Oysters Rockefeller although with my recipe you don’t have to worry about shucking oysters. I buy my oysters already shucked, flash frozen in their own juices, at my local fish store.

On CT Style I actually used 1 whole quart of flash frozen oysters which contains about 24 oysters. I didn’t quite double the recipe but used 1 1/2 of the amount on the ingredient list. This is a very simple recipe and you will feel like a certified saucier once you taste the outcome.

As for the Pernod, this star-anise liquer is a whopping 40% alcohol although it mellows out quite a bit after simmering for 40 minutes. You’ll end up with a unique and really lovely flavor that’s going to wow you!

One of my favorite things when out a menu for a dinner party is how each dish balances out with the other. To compilment my oysters in Pernod sauce in Pernod Sauce on the CT Style set today I put together a platter of fresh watermelon wedges topped with a very good quality balsamic and feta cheese, sliced peppermint leaves and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. My neighbors have been inspiring me with their watermenlon dishes this summer hence the reasoning behind this combo and what a flavor explosion it is!

The Traveling Epicurean recently presented Oysters in Pernod Sauce with Fresh Spinach at a sold out Merrior-Terrior Event at the Madison Wine Exchange where I served up samplings made with fresh shucked oyters. Joe Dolce, Sommelier at The Madison Exchange teamed up with Joe Dimaggio from “Save the Sound” to hold this event. It also featured special guest and owner of Thimble Island Shellfish Company Life Long Waterman & Oyster Farmer, Jonathan Waters, who supplied the scrumptious freshly shucked oysters. Jonathan Water also talked about the remarkable story of the oyster and its history.

The oysters on the half shell served at this Merrior-Terrior event were each paired to a particular wine, spirit or beer that best complements their individual style. The pairings and commentary was presented by Court of Masters Certified Sommelier, Joe Dolce. It was tons of fun! You should look on the Madison Wine Exchanges website for up and coming events!

If you want to keep on the seafood train you should check out these recipes too like Lobster Mac N’ Cheese, Cold Cucumber Soup with Seared Sea Scallops, Salmon B.L.T. Sliders or Crab Cakes!

Ingredients for Oysters in Pernod Sauce with Fresh Spinach –                                           Makes 6 appetizers / 4 course size plates:

NOTE: On “CT Style” the finished sauté pan amount was 1 1/2 of the recipe with 1 Quart of Oysters-24, Raw flash frozen from my local seafood store… it’s all in how many oysters you like!

  • 1 pint shucked oysters, fresh or flash frozen raw oysters(12 oysters)
  • 1 package 5 0z. fresh spinach
  • 1 bottle clam juice plus juice from oysters
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream OR can of coconut cream
  • 1 cup half and half OR 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup Pernod plus 1 tsp to add at the end for extra flavor
  • 1/2 cup Vermouth or white wine
  • 1/4 cup plum tomatoes (pureed)
  • 1 garlic clove thru garlic press
  • 2 dashes Siracha
  • 1/4  cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion granules
  • 1/4 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary tied off with string
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp Wondra flour

Directions:

  1. Sauté/steam spinach for 3 minutes with 2 tbsp water
  2. Immediately remove spinach to a bowl of ice water to shock, stop the cooking and keep vibrant green color
  3. Place spinach in a small strainer to squeeze out water then place into a small bowl with paper towels to remove any excess water
  4. Add all the above ingredients EXCEPT grated cheese, oysters and spinach to a large sauté pan including the juice form the oysters but NOT the oysters themselves
  5. Note: Make sure to slowly whisk in the 1 tbsn sprinkling of Wondra flour
  6. Bring to a low simmer, keep simmering on low, stir every 10 minutes for 40 min. (do not BOIL or the cream will break and curdle!)
  7. Remove rosemary bundle and bay leaves
  8. Then stir in oysters and spinach and simmer 1-2 minutes just so the oysters cook thru
  9. Stir in the grated cheese
  10. Serve with hearty dense Italian bread OR rice noodles…mmm!
  11. Ganish with finely chopped tomato and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

 

CT Style in The Bender Kitchen with Summertime Recipes!

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CT Style in The Bender Kitchen with Summertime Recipes!

Back on CT Style in The Bender Kitchen with Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour this past Thursday morning!  I feel so fortunate to be working with such a wonderful group of people at WTNH Channel 8 who make it so fun to share The Traveling Epicurean recipes with all of you.

My goal for this segment was to show you a couple of creative and really delicious ideas for all your summertime produce. Panzanella and Berries in Dreamy Cream came to mind.

One of the wonderful things about making these dishes is the abundance and variety you have to choose from at the farmers markets in the summer. The incredible flavors in this Panzanella recipe go without saying. All the aroma’s from the fresh herbs, basil, parsley, thyme & oregano to the fresh vegetables like the heirloom tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, red onions really get you salavating. The creaminess from the fresh mozzarella and the crunchy from the homemade croutons balance it all out.

As for the Berries in Dreamy Cream, you can whip this one up in a matter of minutes as well. I’ve been making this sauce for over 20 years and always get the same delightful response from guests after their first bite. You would never think that melting Fluff and cream cheese together could make such a delectable sauce on fresh berries. It’s a sensation you have to treat your self to and then you’ll know what I’m talking about.

For other scrumptious, easy go to summertime dishes you’ve got to check out my Salsa 101, Best Guacamole Ever, Zucchini Spaghetti,  Fresh Grarden Tomato Sauce or Roasted Garlic & Cannelini Bean Dip ! ENJOY!