Grilled Parmesan Basil Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes are a fun and versatile fruit/vegetable (whichever you prefer) that I enjoy all year round, especially during the summer season. Whether mixed in a salad, or popped as a quick snack, their juicy flavor always brings a smile to my face. For this recipe I added a little extra complementary taste and texture which really added a nice, yet subtle complexity and made for a beautiful summer side dish. You can prepare this dish either on a grill (using a grill basket) or in an oven. The tomatoes cook quickly using both methods, but I prefer the slightly charred taste of being cooked over an open flame. Whichever method you prefer, you’ll be sure to enjoy these tasty and juicy treats.

Grilled Parmesan Basil Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn chopped basil
1 tbspn parmesan cheese
pinch of salt
olive oil

Directions
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil so that they are all evenly coated. Roll the tomatoes in breadcrumb mixture. The breading may not coat evenly but rather clumpy. This is fine, as the breading will adhere to the tomatoes when cooked.

Grilled – Pour the tomatoes into a grilling basket. Place the basket on an indirect heated portion of a hot grill. Close the lid and let cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to shrink.

Oven Roasted – Heat oven to 400˚. Place tomatoes on a cooking sheet. Roast until tomatoes start to shrink and the skin starts to shrivel, approximately 10 minutes.

Baked Pasta, Chicken and Artichoke Hearts in a Lemon Cream Sauce

For this recipe, I’m combining chicken with two of my favorite ingredients – lemons and artichoke hearts – to make a tasty and filling baked pasta casserole, perfect for the spring season. You’ll need a little bit of time to prepare this dish, as it is a multi-step recipe. For the first step, we’ll sauté the artichokes and chicken in a lemon, wine and butter sauce. For the second step, we’ll prepare Lidia Bastianich’s lemon cream sauce recipe. We’ll then combine everything and bake it for 30 minutes. This is a great dish to serve to your family and friends as a beautiful weekend afternoon meal.

Step 1: Sautéing the Chicken and Artichokes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ to 2″ pieces
2 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspn butter
1 shallot, minced
zest plus juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white wine
6 oz jar artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When butter melts, add chicken. Sauté until chicken is browned and cooked. Remove chicken, set aside. Add shallots, cook briefly until shallots start to soften. Add wine to deglaze pan. When the liquid starts to reduce, add lemon zest and juice, stir well. Add artichoke hearts and chicken, stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat, set aside.

Step 2: Preparing the Lemon Cream Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
zest plus juice of 2 lemons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Drop the butter into the large skillet, and set it over medium heat. As the butter melts, scatter in the grated lemon zest; stir it around until sizzling. Pour in the white wine and lemon juice, add the salt, stir, and bring the liquids to a bubbling simmer. Cover the skillet, and let cook for a couple of minutes.

Uncover the pan, and slowly pour in the cream, whisking it steadily into the simmering wine and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquids reduce to a saucy consistency you like, 2 or 3 minutes more.

Note: as you are making the lemon cream sauce, you will also start to prepare a pot of boiling water to make 1 lb of pasta (zit, rigatoni or small shells will work well with this dish). As the sauce simmers, start to boil the pasta.

Step 3: Combining the Ingredients

When the pasta is done boiling, you will combine the pasta with the chicken and artichoke mixture (and its reduced liquid) in a 13″x9″ baking dish. Carefully pour the lemon cream sauce over the pasta mixture and stir it until the pasta, chicken and artichokes are all covered with the sauce. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake in a 350˚ over for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, serve and enjoy.

Book Review: How Italian Food Conquered The World

If you’re interested in learning about the history of Italian food and how it has become one of the most popular, if not the most popular cuisine in the world, I highly recommend that you read How Italian Food Conquered The World, by John F. Mariani. I was given this book as a gift a little over a year ago, and I have found it to be a fun and enjoyable read, and equal parts entertaining and educating.

Mariani does a fantastic job of covering many avenues, including:

• the history and importance of popular Italian dishes;
• the influence of Venice’s spice trade;
• the impact and contributions of the Italian immigrants;
• how the perception of Italian food went from pizza, pasta and meatballs to sought-after gourmet dishes (many of which were once considered ‘peasant food’ that our Italian ancestors were mocked for eating); and
• how Italian food has played a part in modern pop culture.

What I personally like about this book is that you don’t have to sit down and read it from cover to cover within a certain time frame. The chapters are broken up in a way that you can revisit the book at any time, and even bounce around from chapter to chapter, without feeling like you missed out on information. There are also excellent recipes for the classic traditional dishes sprinkled throughout the book (fettuccine all’alfredo, zeppole, and pasta primavera to name a few). But what I enjoyed most about the book was learning about the passion, traditions and history that are tied to the Italian kitchen.

You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy this book, and you don’t have to be a cook to find an appreciation in what this book has to offer. But if you are of Italian decent, and if you are as passionate about Italian food as I am, then this is a must-read. And hey, Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away if you’re looking for a nice gift idea!

For more information on How Italian Food Conquered the World, click here.

Mom’s Cheesecake

My Mom’s cheesecake has been part of our family’s Easter tradition for as long as I could remember. Along with peanut butter eggs, chocolate bunnies and a marathon viewing of “The Ten Commandments”, Mom’s cheesecake is a seasonal must. Where’s your Moses now?

It wasn’t just the eating of the cheesecake that I looked forward to each year. It was the routine involved around the cheesecake that made it so special. My brother and I would help her make the cheesecakes on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday, we would help her slice and divide the cakes, and neatly wrap the portions in aluminum foil. On Holy Saturday,  we would go along with my Dad to make the family deliveries, so that her cheesecake could be enjoyed on Easter Sunday. To this day, my Mom still loves to bake and share her cheesecake, and everyone looks forward to receiving a hearty piece tightly wrapped in foil.

For this year’s Easter post, I am very proud and honored to share with you my Mom’s recipe. This isn’t a traditional ricotta cheesecake. It’s made with cottage cheese, so it has more of a creamy taste and texture. Also unlike traditional ricotta cheesecake, this version absolutely stands up on its own with no additional fruit or chocolate toppings needed (not that I mind that on traditional cheesecake). Just a quick dusting of cinnamon, and you are as good as gold.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy and Blessed Easter Season!

Mom’s Cheesecake

Crust:
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 tspn baking powder
1 cup flour
3 tbspn sugar

Mix ingredients together. Press the crust mixture into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cottage cheese
2 eggs
4 tbspn flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tspn vanilla extract
2 cups milk

In a blender or mixer, mix ingredients together well. Pour into crust and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350˚ for 45-50 minutes.