Before we got started though, I still owe a post about Gesine Bullock Prado’s book, Confections of a Closet Master Baker..which is now known as “My Life from Scratch” (this is how long it has been since my last post…book names are changin for chimp’s sake). I never reviewed her book at the time of reading because at that time, to be honest, I didn’t care for the book. I don’t blame Gesine…I was so unhappy with where my life (or lack thereof) was when I read it, I think I just was irritated that anyone else was happy. Since then, I have read her book three or four times and I am semi addicted to her blog. Her recipes are NO Fail and completely fantastic. Not only that, but Gesine really lives life to its fullest. She has become a great inspirtation and her book has become one of those “that book changed my life”. What can I say, when my mom saw the Bucket List she HAD to go back to school. When I read this book I HAD to do, well anything but what I was doing. So, I sadly left some fantastic co workers, happily left a two hour commute, relocated my work to part time and I will officially be launching a new business endeavor (plenty of shameless plugs on the way) that combines social work, cooking and some Healthy Moms Happy Babies thanks to the good kick in the arse from Gesine (and with the support of friends, family and the CTB girls).

But enough about me…onto those recipes. I have made almost everything in her book, but have taken minimal pictures. Gesine’s story was really one of her becoming comfortable in her own skin, accepting what she loved, and making a life (and a living) out of it. It was a hilarious account and I completely related to several parts in the book. My favorite recipe is most definately her golden eggs recipe. I have made them as reccomended in the book (always in muffins pans). I have also changed the flavoring to lemon and blueberry  (use lemon extract instead of vanilla, lemon peel instead of nutmeg, and add blueberries) and cinnamon apple. The batter can take it so do what you will to it. I would just advise to make sure you really whip the butter and sugar well. Mine also came out a lot better when I used superfine sugar So I would also say to give that a whirl.

For the cake:
Nonstick baking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups nonfat buttermilk

For dipping the eggs:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together in a small shallow bowl

Preheat the oven to 325. Spray your molds with nonstick spray (I, obviously, use egg-shaped molds. You can use a muffin pan or any other small baking molds.) Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with either the paddle or the whisk attachment, whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your butter. As you’re whipping away, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated into the sugar. You can’t make magic without a lot of patience. So keep whipping and keep scraping.

Add the eggs one at a time, whipping after each one until the egg is fully incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the bowl every now and again as well. Add the vanilla.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing slowly. After they are well incorporated but not overbeaten, take a rubber spatula and fold the batter a few times to make sure everything is evenly distributed and the batter is smooth.

Distribute the batter into your molds, filling each cavity a little less than halfway. Bake for about 15 minutes. Baking time varies depending on the size of your mold, so check for a very light golden brown color and make sure the cake springs back when you touch it.

Unmold your little cakes and while they are still warm, dunk them quickly in the melted butter, then dredge them in the cinnamon and sugar.
Gesine notes that these make 12 eggs. I ALWAYS get more than that. ALWAYS. I have also made this as a cake by taking out the nutmeg and adding a little more vanilla.

Next up…A Homemade Life

I was amused by this concept but I am not going to lie, I wasn’t in love with the book for the first few characters. Ruth is an AWESOME food writer. The woman can make frog legs and Sea Urchins sound absolutely delicious, however I just prefer my novels with a wee bit more plot (i.e. romance, sex, and a murder every now and then). So I was breezing along and then I met Ruth’s Character, Betty. Betty is an older plump woman who is essentially invisible to everyone that she comes across. She does little to take care of herself and you kind of get the feeling she’s like a cat lady. It reminded me of myself at various points in my life. I found my heart move a little slower and I felt sad as I thought about individuals around the world that are so often unseen and then I thought of myself. A few years ago I gained a ton of weight…directly after a wonderful bout with an eating disorder. I essentially went from skinny to fat in less than a year. What amazed me bout this time, was that in both bodies, I was completely and totally like Betty. It was easy to hide behind. I like to think it is all behind me, but as Ruth realized in putting on a costume, these characters stay inside of us, waiting for their time in the light, or just slowly dancing with each other as we go through life. I was pondering this and turning the pages quickly when I met Emily. Emily is essentially a bitch. There are no two ways around it. She is the girl we all hate. She is the girl that I hate. Ruth easily fit into this role so well that it scared her and to be honest it scared me. Emily was the opposite of Betty, and I did not like her at all. Yet, I realized, she is somewhere in me too. There are more than a few occasions I can think of where I have been too short, too rude, too emotionally turned off to realize the Betty’s of the world. And I did not like it one bit.

Each of these women met at a particularly interesting time during the month too. I was pondering my place of work, my place in my work, and my place in the world in general. Needless to say it was all a bit overwhelming. So I turned to the most obvious coping skill I could manage…I went on a diet. Vegan to be precise. It is always so much easier to cut out sugar, or fat, or meat than it is to really look at your life. As I read through these characters that Ruth was playing, especially Betty and Emily I decided to throw my hand in the air, leave it to She-Gods that are out there, and just have a little faith. In doing so I think I allowed some of my many characters to come together and somewhat integrate into themselves. As a symbol of my appreciation for Betty and Emily and Fat me Skinny me and Totally Clueless about life Me…I made dinner. Roast Chicken with roasted vegetables for Betty (a la Ruth), Arugula with White Beans (for skinny bitches everywhere) and then some “Vanilla Cake”…kind of healthy for Betty and Emily. I forgot to take pics of the chicken but here are some pics of the Invisible me’s and the Vanilla Cake!

“Nicky’s Vanilla Cake” Below is the original recipe. I actually don’t care for cake too much, and (Marilla Cover your ears)…I dont really like cupcakes to omuch either…not that I dislike them, I just prefer the denseness of cookies and brownies. But I really wanted to make something from Ruth’s book so I thought I would make this cupcake style. I should definately keep my day job but they tasted great! I put my changes in ().
• 1 cup (250mL) unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance Vegan, the dough was a bit curdled looking but it came together once I added the flour)
• 1 cup (250mL) sugar (3/4 C. Agave Negtar)
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups (500mL) all-purpose flour (I used 1 C. self rising and I sifted both of these)
• 2 tsp (10mL) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5mL) baking soda
• 1 tsp (5mL) salt
• 1 cup (250mL) sour cream (low fat)
• 2 tbsp (25mL) pure vanilla
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
2. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture until combined. Add sour cream. Add vanilla. The batter will be thick.
3. Spoon batter into a buttered and floured bundt pan or angel food cake pan.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and a cake tester comes out dry. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan and cool completely on rack. Makes one tube cake

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic
Serves 4

1 farm-raised chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
1 lemon
Olive oil
3 to 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes (or any other variety except russet), each peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 large onion, cut into 6 pieces
3 to 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash the chicken under running water and pat it dry. Remove and reserve the extra fat from the inside of the chicken. Very gently run your fingers between the breast and the skin, beginning from the neck end, loosening the skin from the breast on both sides. Being careful not to puncture the skin, place the excess fat beneath the skin (the chicken will then baste itself).

Puncture the lemon a few times with a fork, and place it inside the chicken.

Pour enough olive oil into a roasting pan to make a thin film over the bottom. Toss the potatoes, onion, and garlic into the pan and turn until they are covered with olive oil.

Pour a little olive oil over the chicken, and salt and pepper everything in the pan.

Roast for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh reads 170 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces, surround them with the potatoes, onions, and garlic, and squeeze the lemon over the top.

YOWZA!

I have one word to describe my attempt at making gnocchi…”YOWZA!!” To say it was a disaster is an understatement. I believe the picture of my gnocchi speaks for itself. I knew going into this that this recipe was not going to be easy at all for a novice cook. But I figured what do I have to lose!

No- Nookie Gnocchi

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 heaping cup flour, plus more for dusting
• salt
• freshly grated pepper
• freshly grated parmigiano

Put the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook, partially covered, until they are just tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a cutting board and peel with a paring knife as soon as you can stand to touch them, then run them through a potato ricer or food mill, spreading them out on a cutting board to cool completely.

Mix the egg, salt and nutmeg. Form the cooled potatoes into a mound and pour the egg mixture into it. Begin kneading the potato and egg mixture with your hands, adding the flour a little at a time, being careful not to overwork the dough.

When the flour is evenly combined with the potato and the dough is only a little sticky, divide it into 4 pieces.Roll each piece into a long, narrow tube like a garden snake and slice it crosswise into little soft pillows, each ½ inch wide. Rest each pillow on the tip of your thumb and impress it with the tines of a fork lightly dusted with flour, creating a ribbed surface for the sauce to cling to. Keep a bowl of flour nearby to dip the fork into, as it will become tacky- or better yet, keep some extra forks nearby.

Add the gnocchi about 10 at a time to a pot of salted boiling water. When they rise to the top, they’re done. Remove them to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon or spider and continue to cook in batches. Toss with the sauce and serve with grated parmigiano and freshly grated pepper.

Yield: about 6 dozen.

I am bummed but I am not going to dwell on a cooking failure when I am excited to start our next book!!

 I‘d like to leave off on a brighter note and share the gigantic gingerbread house I saw in Walt Disney World. My family and I spent Christmas and New Year’s there. The gingerbread house was located inside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. In case you are wondering that entire house is edible! It is made with 800 pounds of flour, 600 pounds of sugar and 1,050 pounds of honey.

Gingerbread House @ Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

That being said…New Years are all about resolutions aren’t they? The past few years my resolutions have been pretty consistent (keep in touch with people more, lose a few pounds…the usual). But I recently read somewhere of a girl who made a list of all of the things that scared her, and vowed to do at least 5 by the year’s end. I loved it! I mean, I know I have a lot of things to improve, but will I really be all that better off next year with a few pounds off my buttox…I think not! So, I have begun my own list, number 12 on that list is “make homemade pasta”, with number 13 a close second.. “make home made gnocchi”. We had all agreed to make Giulia Melucci’s No Nookie Gnocchi, so I figured there would be no getting out of it. With the whirlwind of these past few weeks I will be honest, I did try and think of a few ways to get out of this endeavor but after feeling a bit rested (thanks to my cousin doing the holiday this year) I decided to take it on for my families Sunday Pasta.

Prior to making Giulia’s Gnocchi and reading Marilla and Brianne’s posts I searched high and low for some gnocchi recipes and with the help of Giulia, Silver Spoon, and Alessio Pesucci http://italianfood.about.com/od/gnocchi/r/blr1805.htm I came up with somewhat of a different concoction. My favorite Gnocchi is made at Cannanau in NYC, it is this awesome light airy gnocchi in a fabulous white truffle cream sauce. I don’t particularly care for tomato sauce (I know, I know, I am Italian how can I say that, but c’mon Tomatoes versus cream and butter….helllloooooo!) So I wanted to try and re-create a similar dish. Here is how it went…

Matt and I went to Stop N Shop in search of “russett potatoes”, which they did not have. Personally, I dont see the difference between these and baking, but I didn’t want to regret the russett, so we searched a bit more until I wound up with a 5 pound bag of russet potatoes (lets just say we will be eating a lot o’ potatoes in my house this month). Then I went in search of something with “white truffle”. We had to go to the mall anyway, so I thought Williams and Sonoma would be a great place to start. It was, they had truffle butter and truffle oil…but each was more than 30 bucks, which, Im sorry gnocchi, but that is steep. I definately weighed the option of “do I need this versus do I want this” way longer than I should have, but I opted out. As we were driving home and I was trying to figure out how to mimick the taste of white truffle, Matt figured we could check out Wild by Nature and low and behold they had white truffle olive oil for 7.99! Score! So with ingredients in hand, four cookbooks spread out and my lap top with epicurious and food network on call, Matt and I went to it. Marilla and Brianne posted Giulia’s Gnocchi already so I wont repost that…this is what I eventually wound up with…

for the gnocchi

4 potatoes (I actually started with 5 potatoes, but i dropped 1 1/2 on the floor…abby got to it before I could try and salvage!)

1 1/2 C. flour (plus more as needed)

1 egg

2 shakes nutmeg

1 pinch salt

Boil the potatoes until fork pierces with a knife (about 30 minutes), remove from water and allow to cool (I did not do this), peel the potatoes and pass through a food mill (again, I didnt have a food mill and I read that the small part of the cheese grater would work, but I got fustrated and went strait for the fodd processor, pulsing a few times)

spread the potatoe out, and mix in flour and egg, kneading gently until blended and not sticky (add flour as needed). cut dough into fourths and roll each piece into a long rope. cut the rope into one each pieces. gently press fork into gnocchi and place on baking sheet. Boil and salt 5 quarts water. Add the gnocchi to boiling water at about 10 at a time, when they float to the top remove to a collander. repeat until all gnocchi are cooked. toss with sauce.

Creamy Truffle sauce with shallots and Tomato (this I totally made up as I went along, so some of the measurements are approximate)

4 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. Olive oil (I actually used 1/3 Cup but the sauce was a bit oily)

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 shallot, diced

4 tomatoes, cored and diced

2 Cups of heavy whipping cream, plus extra as needed

1/2 C. locatelli cheese (or parmesan)

“olive oil infused with white truffle” (2 tsp plus more as needed)

4 sage leaves

salt

pepper

Heat 2 Tbs. of butter and 3 Tbs. olive oil in large sauce pan over med-high heat. when bubbly add sage leaves and garlic. allow to brown and remove (save for later). Add shallots and simmer for 1-2 minutes. add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. add two cups of cream and locatelli cheese, return sage and garlic and bring to a boil. In the meantime mix truffle oil with last two tbs. butter until smooth. once sauce boils, return to a simmer. add gnocchi. simmer for 5 minutes. check for consistency, add cream if needed (i added about 1/8 cup extra). add butter and truffle oil mix and stir in. I felt it needed more truffil oil so I drizzled some in at this point. allow to simmer a few more minutes. turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes (uncovered) before serving.

I am not gonna lie…this was AWESOME. For several reasons…I actually mastered making gnocchi…until you have handled a hot potatoe and manipulted them into deliciously puffy little gnocchi you cannot understand the joy this brings! I couldn’t believe I really did it! Second, I attempted my own little sauce recipe and it was actually really good. My brother said it was “restaurant quality”, and I agreed with him! and 3) Matt and I actually did a lot of this together, and it was great to share something I love with him. He made broccoli raab to go as a side (which was also awesome). The two of us claimed our places in the kitchen and just had a great time trying to make something good happen. It was so relaxing having him there, I didnt even freak out  (that much) when I dropped a potato and a half!

This was a great way to end out very first book, I loved, I lost, I made Spaghetti. I (again) thank each of these CTB girls, and Giulia for being such an incredibly supportive first author. I also felt like we would be friends if we knew each other, but I am grateful to the new friends she has helped bring into my life.  She will always have a very special spot in the hearts of the CTB group as well as in my kitchen. I also thank Matthew for being so supportive of this process. There is nothing better than dropping  potatoes on the floor and having the man you love say “its okay, you can use it, Ill eat it anyway”…if that ain’t love I dont what is. I am very much looking forward to starting the new year with “Garlic and Sapphires” and I cannot wait to see what is down the road for Cooking the Books!

In the mean time…I better finish that New Years List….where is my left over gnocchi?

So on that note I’ll be gone, but I just wanted to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel and Buon Natale! And thanks to you as well for reading our adventures in bookery cookery!

We’ll all be back soon with our adventures in gnocch-ery.

[ Psst... If you're at all unfamiliar with Julie Powell's blog, The Julie/Julia Project, about her adventures in cooking one of Julia Child's cookbooks and how it was turned into a book and then consequently the aforementioned movie, or the story behind it, then perhaps you won't follow this very well. So I suggest you do some research (Wikipedia always helps, a little). ]

So Julia Child didn’t like Julie Powell’s blog. She thought that Julie wasn’t “a serious cook.” That sort of annoys me, although I get that it was probably a generational gap, or perhaps Julia wasn’t getting the snarkiness or maybe even didn’t like the expletives that possibly were sprinkled (or peppered, haha) in. I get that. But what I don’t get is why cooking has to be serious. Why can’t it just be fun? Or maybe even predictable, sometimes, in a comforting way? Why does it have to be serious to the point where a blogger is considered “flimsy” for her attempts?

Don’t get me wrong- I love Julia Child. I recognize how she revolutionized cooking and changed America’s outlook on cooking (and the world, I suppose). I love that she loved butter, because, hell… I do too. Probably more than I should. I know she was fabulous. But, I mean, we aren’t curing cancer here. We aren’t formulating a plan for world peace, or assisting in the Healthcare reform bill, or anything.  It’s a cookbook. It makes people enjoy life more, expand their culinary horizons, that sort of thing. It’s a pleasurable book, not War & Peace. Just like how we’re reading, and cooking, and sharing our experiences about both, and it’s a pleasurable experience. And while in some forms cooking can be serious business (for example, if you’re a restaurant owner I’m sure it’s fairly serious), I don’t find that it has to be stuffy. And I sort of resent anyone who does. Why can’t you cook and when something goes wrong say “fuck” or “shit”? I do it all the time, like that one time when I forgot to put the eggs in my cupcake batter and realized after they were in the oven. I’m pretty sure Julia uttered the ‘F’ word once or twice, too. Why can’t you take on something and do it with humor and seriousness? I don’t see anything wrong with that. I don’t see why you can’t have a sense of humor about making coq au vin or lobster thermidor. What’s so serious about lobsters and cheese!? It’s delicious, yes, but lobsters are pretty funny too, or at least cooking them can be. And in laughing about it, I don’t think it makes you a less serious cook than anyone else. At least you’re putting the effort in to make something like that or boeuf bourguignon, and not defrosting a microwave meal or frozen pizza. I think it was an homage to Julia, and I’m sorry she didn’t see it that way. But you don’t have to be a Le Cordon Bleu graduate to love, enjoy and appreciate cooking, or do it well.

Because here’s the thing: cooking IS fun. It’s a blast. I love it, I love it as much as I love art, and that’s a lot. I am not a classically trained chef, I never took a pastry class in my life, and I probably cut my onions the wrong way. I don’t have T-Fal pots and pans, and you know what? I don’t give a shit. I love to cook. I love to bake. I don’t do it to impress anyone, and I don’t need to. I have fun with it, because it is fun, and I love not only the creation process, but the devouring process. It doesn’t have to be boring, the same, boring, tasteless, spiceless, flavorless chicken every night, or the same lousy casserole no one likes  to eat, but at the same time, no one thinks they can do any better, because OH-EM-GEE, cooking is, like, so totally complicated! You don’t have to make an 8-course meal every night, use Smart Balance every time, or worry about how fattening everything is every single day. Loosen up. Live a little. You don’t have to be Julia Child- and you certainly don’t have to cook lousy food because it’s  quick or tasteless food because it’s “healthy”! Because it’s supposed to be fun, and enjoyable, and savored when it’s eaten; whether it’s drenched in butter or just steamed vegetables, and you’re supposed to be you- make what you like to eat, how you like to eat it, and when.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, a person of Muslim or Jewish religious beliefs who won’t eat pork, or a Hindu who won’t eat beef: YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO ENJOY YOUR FOOD. And even more so, enjoy CREATING it! Cookbooks are supposed to inspire you, and make you happy, and you’re not supposed to be worried or scared it won’t turn out perfect, or commit yourself to an entire day in the kitchen just to feel like you’re doing the recipe and it’s author justice.

For example, the four of us plan to take on Giulia’s gnocchi as our final project of her book. I can’t speak for the others, but making your own pasta is sorta terrifying. I did it once for a Daring Bakers’ Challenge on Cupcake Rehab and it was a bit daunting. But it was lasagna, so it wasn’t nearly as difficult as potato pasta formed in little pillows with your thumb and a fork. It wasn’t like anyone was going to say “Your lasagna noodles are too thick/thin” or “Your lasagna noodles  don’t have the right shape.” Now I’m fairly certain that gnocchi is not brain surgery, as people have been making it by hand for many, many years. But still… when you create something that seems larger than life like that, it makes you feel different and accomplished. And it’s kind of a testament to the person who wrote the recipe if you can make it and say “Wow, that wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be!” because that means they’ve achieved the best thing a “teacher” can achieve: teaching on a level you can understand, learn from, and launch off of, so to speak. Julia should have been flattered that she was so adored by Julie, that she inspired her so, and that her recipes translated so well they could be created in a tiny kitchen in a Queens apartment, not to mention so long after the book had been first published.

I should say now that I’m extremely glad that not all Julia/Giulia’s are the same and that Giulia Melucci didn’t view us  and our blog the way Julia Child viewed Julie Powell and what she was doing. Just as I hope every other author we choose sees it as flattery, not mockery, or us trying to “use” a book for fame. Because that’s certainly not the case. It should be taken as flattery. That, and seen as a group of friends doing what we love, keeping ourselves sane through the therapy of reading and cooking,  sharing the experience with all of you and maybe, just maybe… learning something new both in our kitchens and about ourselves.

As many of you may know, I just recently started working (go me), after all too many career changes and YEARS in school. I do enjoy my work very much, however I have yet to make it over the “what do you mean I wont be home by 3 Oclock” hump. Since Matt and I have been married, I have essentially cooked dinner for us almost every night (barring weekends when we usually head to the restaurants). And I have thoroughly enjoyed this. The truth is I’m a bit of a homebody. Most of my days revolve around 2 things, what I will eat for lunch and what I will  eat (make) for dinner. Since I started working, this has all gone out the window and sadly been replaced with delivery. Last week, after a hell of a couple of days (my dog, grandmother, and mother ALL had surgery! everybody is fine…except for my stockings, but that is another story)  I decided to try and seek Matt’s help and Giulia’s epicurean guidance to be able to make a quick meal. I opted for the veal cutlet and salad from early on in the book, remembering that it looked like a cinch to make. Matt headed to Trader Joe’s for requested ingredients (veal) and Matt returned sans veal and with “chicken tenders”. Please be advised, Matthew clearly looked for veal, but TJ’s did not have any. This might be a good time to mention that meat in general kind of makes me want to barf. I was vegeterian for all too many years, and when i did start eating meat again, Chicken was the first down the hatch…and first to make its way back up. Not a great combination with “chicken breast tenders”. Giulia’s recipe called for veal or chicken cutlets..oh well this would have to do.

My next hurdle was frying. I bake with butter and oil all of the time, however, for some strange reason, actually saying I will “fry” something seems unhealthy. Sure, 1/2 pound of butter in my cookies could be seen as good for you fat, but throw it on the stove with some meat, and that is unhealthy. I was so stressed out though, and sometimes, you just need some trans fat! I did wind up breading and frying the cutlets according to Giulia…and it was well worth it. I did doctor  it up a bit, but it was very crisp and suprisingly light. I am making it again this evening (with real chicken cutlets) and some garlic spinach.

Giulia’s Breaded Cutlets

2 Eggs, lightly beaten, seasons with salt

3/4 C. bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs. Parsley (I actually used italian style bread crumbs)

1 pound this cutlets

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs Butter

Lemon

Put the eggs in a wide rimmed bowl and put the bread crumbs on a plate. (I added a little but of milk to the eggs). Dip the meat into the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs.

In a skillet heat the oil and butter until melted and bubbly. Add the breaded cutlets and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side. You may have to do this two times. Refresh the trans fat in the pan if necessary! Pat cutlets with a paper towel and serve!

I made this with a really easy Spinach.

1 Bag baby spinach (pre cleaned is easiest)

4 cloves sliced garlic

1 shallot, sliced

1 tbs each butter and olive oil (the butter is so not necessary but sooooo good!)

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a pan until bubbly. Add garlic until slightly browned, add shallots and let cook until soft and a bit carmelized. Add spinach, salt and pepper until spinach wilts. Enjoy!

I am making this again tonight, it was so perfect. If you want to be healthier, you can eliminate all butter, use three egg whites and skim milk for the eggs, and whole wheat bread crumbs.

Food Club Pork Roast

6 garlic cloves

¼ cup fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 (4 ½ – to 5- pound) rib section center-cut pork loin (have the butcher bone the meat and then reassemble the roast with string)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup white wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mince the garlic and rosemary by hand (or better yet, in a food processor).  Mix them in a small bowl with the salt and freshly ground pepper.  Rub the meat with olive oil and then the garlic-rosemary mixture.  Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place pork flat side up on a rack in roasting pan, then pour white wine over it.  Roast in center of oven until a thermometer registers 140 degrees, about 90 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the meat rest on a cutting board, tented with foil, for about 20 minutes before slicing.

Discard string, separate bones from the loin, and slice meat to desired thickness.  You may cut the ribs and serve them, too, or save them to add them to a tomato sauce.  (Pork ribs add richness to sauce.)Yield: 6 servings

Overall I was really happy with how dinner turned out and most importantly Shaun loved it! Don’t get me wrong there were a few hiccups along the way. I managed to spill a good amount my macaroni and cheese when I was putting it in the oven and created a huge mess. Oh and let us not forget how I almost chopped off a finger cutting the garlic! I guess I got a little arrogant with my recently acquired knife skills while using Shaun’s precious Wusthof knives.

I also decided to take a stab at “Nana’s Blueberry Muffins”. As you guys know we have a gluten allergy in the family so I decided to make these muffins gluten free. Please keep in mind that I have never baked a thing in my life. I am lucky I know the difference between a whisk and a spatula! I told Shaun earlier in the week that I wanted to bake so he was nice enough to get me a set silicone bake ware in a pretty red. Instead of regular flour I used “Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour “. I also added a little bit of vanilla extract, nutmeg and cinnamon. I wasn’t sure how gluten free flour was going to make the muffins taste so I wanted to spice them up so to speak. Don’t ask me how much of each spice I added because honestly I just eyeballed it. I know it sounds stupid for someone who has never baked before. I just added as much spice as I’ve seen my Dad add to his muffins. Growing up my Dad always made us a special breakfast on Sunday to give my Mom a break in the kitchen. No joke my Dad makes the best blueberry muffins!!

I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree cause the muffins turned out great!

Nana’s Blueberry Muffins

Butter, softened, for greasing muffins tins

1 3/4 Cup self-rising flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup milk

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1 Egg

1 Cup Blueberries

1 Tablespoon Butter (Optional)

1/4 Cup Sugar (Optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the muffin tins. Mix flour and sugar, stir in the wet ingredients, then add the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes, cool for ten minutes, and put on a cooling rack. While the muffins are still warm, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and place in a saucer. Put the 1/4 C. sugar in a separate saucer. Dip the muffins into the butter than roll in the sugar.  This step is optional but I highly recommend it.

Yield: 9 Muffins; recipe can be doubled.

I am pretty excited to hang out with the women of CTB on Wednesday and celebrate the blog and completion of the first book! I am however not looking forward to making the gnocchi we all agreed to make. Although I think the only reason I am not looking forward to it is Gnocchi seems complicated to make. And let’s not forget the fact that I have never ever had this dish before. It is going to be hard to make something without a reference point but I am up for the challenge. Worst come to worst if I burn it, there is always frozen pizza to save the day! Wish me luck…

One of the things I really appreciated about Giulia was her abandon in her cooking and eating. I loved her story of eating her Victory Breakfast after a great night of drinking and dating. In my own life, my weight has fluctuated so incredibly much that I swear, if I look at a Victory Breakfast I would gain ten pounds. As I look back on my own relationship, I would say they are directly proportionate to the size of my backside! There was boyfriend number 1, where I was so focused on staying slim, so I would not have to focus the lack of love for my significant other. Then there was the break up by the no calling ex which usually put on 20 pounds at a time (x 4 breaks up….yes that is a lot of weight!). As I have gotten older I have tried to not focus on the size of my hips or the calories in my dish, but on how my body feels and nourishing myself. Let me tell you, it is very difficult to do when the two voices in your head are arguing over belgian waffles or egg whites at the diner! But Giulia made and ate what she loved, not once mentioning her self worth by the size of her pants. It was so refreshing and her outlook inspired me to try and enjoy the time I spend eating and who I spend eating it with….rather than spending my time deciding between the pasta and the salmon (where we all know the pasta will inevitably win). I do like to keep my life healthy, but part of that is moderation, and I think Giulia mastered that in a way not many women do. To that end, I decided to revisit her blueberry muffins, which were such a big hit in my house. They were so delicious full fat but I thought I could try and make them a bit healthier for those of us who want to save our calories for that pasta. Here is the recipe (original) and my adjustments in caps.

Nana’s Blueberry Muffins:

Butter, softened, for greasing muffins tins        (PAM)

1 3/4 Cup self-rising flour                                       (1 1/4 C. SELF RISING FLOUR, UNSIFTED 1/2 C. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR) (I have found that whole wheat in blueberry muffins just stinks in general, so i only substituted a little)

1/4 Cup Sugar   (I left this alone because I personally do not feel that artificial sweeteners are any healthier than sugar. I tried to keep this recipe focused on non-processed healthy stuff rather than low fat)

1/4 Cup milk         (I also kept the full fat milk, because I cut out the butter, but I do believe that fat free half and half would work great if you are very fat concious. The 1/4 C. milk really gives minimal fat to the recipe)

6 Tablespoons melted butter  (6 TBS. 1% VANILLA YOGURT)

1 Egg                                             (3 EGG WHITES)

1 Cup Blueberries

PINCH OF NUTMEG

1 Tbs Butter (Optional)                 (SPRINKLE TURBINADO SUGAR ON TOPS INSTEAD OF BUTTER AND SUGAR)

1/4 Cup Sugar (Optional)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Butter the muffin tins. Mix flour and sugar and nutmeg, stir in the wet ingredients, then add the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each cup 3/4 of the way full. sprinkle with sugar in the raw (turbinado dugar) Bake 15-20 minutes, cool for ten minutes, and put on a cooling rack.

RESULTS: These were very light. They were totally not as good as the sconish original muffins. I had really liked the lumpy kind of top on the her blueberry muffins, which was absent sans fat. It kind of gave it a crumb cake appeal. I left some of the fat it these so the flavor itself was great. It did not have that artificial taste. These are great to go during the week, or on a weekend morning where you don’t feel like splurging. Matt also really liked them. He said they were sweet enough and light enough that you could enjoy with a cup of coffee without making you sugar groggy. They did have a bit of that “low fat” sponginess, but I thought it was worth it!

Now on to those gnocchi!

But it’s not quite over yet. This coming week  we’re having a dinner at Franny’s in Brooklyn and then meeting up (possibly) with Giulia Melucci herself for drinks as a sort of celebration of our first Cooking the Books effort going over so well. Also… we’ll all be making a “finale” meal and posting both it and our final thoughts both on the recipe and the book itself. Shortly after that and most likely sometime before Christmas, we’ll be starting our second book choice (Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl) and we’ll start cooking that book right away! And if you’re interested in finding more about or reading any of the books we cook, remember they’re all listed on the “Books” page, including where to purchase them.

Before I finish up this quick little post, I want to thank our visitors! Since we “opened” we’ve had a grand total of 1,566 visitors (and probably by the time I click ‘publish’, slightly more). I think I can speak for all of us when I say we have very much enjoyed sharing with you our experiences and cookery so far, and we hope you enjoyed reading it. There’s much more to come, so stay tuned.