Happy New Year, wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, prosperous 2010!

To start the year out on a yummy note, why not combine two Italian favorites? This is a quick and easy lasagna, with no boiling of noodles or making of a time-consuming homemade sauce.

Just purchase the various items for the layers and go to town assembling a big old pan of goodness. To change to a vegetarian dish, substitute diced or sliced zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and/or bell peppers for the sausage. Sauté the veggies in an additional tablespoon of olive oil and proceed as directed.

When it comes to nutmeg, there is no comparison between freshly ground and the already ground stuff you’ll find in the spice aisle. Purchase the whole nutmegs and use any of the tools above to grind it fresh when you need it.

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Today our Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West division. All that needed to happen was for the San Francisco 49ers to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles, that happened – and for the Cardinals to beat the Detroit Lions in the Motor City, and that happened!  On to the playoffs and then off to Miami and the Super Bowl!  Another great thing that happened in today’s game in Detroit – my friend, Larry Fitzgerald, passed the 1000-yard receiving mark for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall in his six pro seasons. He also became the youngest NFL player with 7,000 yards receiving, congratulations, Fitz! In honor of Arizona’s great day in Michigan, I have a recipe that is a Detroit area favorite. Go Cards!
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Gnocchi is the Italian name for a variety of soft dumplings. They are made from either semolina or wheat flour, potatoes, or bread crumbs. The word gnocchi means “lumps” which may have derived from nocchio, which is a knot in the wood, or from nocca, which is the word for knuckle. Classic sauces for gnocchi are tomato-based sauces, pesto, or browned herb butter with cheese.

Marissa and Connor in Venice

In the summer of 2008, we took a family vacation to Paris, Venice, Rome, and Tuscany… it was a slice of heaven and the trip of a lifetime. While in Venice, we were dining on a restaurant patio overlooking the water and passing gondolas. It was a perfect night and Marissa ordered the perfect dish, amazing gnocchi – I can still remember the delectable flavor and texture. You know how sometimes, even though you’re enjoying what you ordered, you’re sitting there regretting that you did not order what someone else at the table is enjoying? Right, well that was one of those times. I guess we’ll just have to go back to Venice sometime soon, that way I’ll have no regrets!

Gnocchi with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Connor prefers his gnocchi prepared with a tomato-pesto sauce, instead of the sage butter sauce. To serve it that way, heat a 28-ounce can of crushed Roma tomatoes in a skillet, when simmering, add gnocchi that has been boiled, and cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of prepared pesto and toss, plate and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
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For me, side dishes on big holidays are the hardest. I want to do something new each time and yet sometimes I feel limited.  Strange, I know, with the amazing variety and selection of produce these days, but true all the same. Well, this side is perfect for Christmas…it carries through the red and green theme and is a crowd-pleaser too. The vinaigrette is great in summer or winter and goes great with greens for a delicious fresh salad and equally great with about every vegetable under the sun.
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Do you know anyone who doesn’t like lasagna? I certainly don’t! It’s right up there with hamburgers, spaghetti, and mac and cheese as the all-time family favorites. All those classics have been posted here already, it is now lasagna’s turn.

Toasted and skinned hazelnuts are used in the pesto. To learn how to do this procedure, either go to the Tip Index at the left and look under “Hazelnuts” or click on this link.
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The second appetizer of the day for Thanksgiving is just as easy and quick as the first.

Hot Feta and Tomato Spread

16 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons, drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes
5 plum (Roma) tomatoes, cut crosswise into thin slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pita chips
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My friend and neighbor, Amy Kilpatrick, makes this yummy and oh-so-satisfying soup every Halloween night and shares it with all who come by and are looking for a bite to eat.  The soup can be doubled, tripled, or increased by any amount you need to feed a crowd.  Delicious served with a side of cornbread. It is the epitome of the “Easy-Breezy” category and is guaranteed to be an adult and kid-pleaser!  For whatever reason, I never seem to have the taco seasoning mix packages around or forget to buy them when I’m at the store, in that case, I just make my own with the spices I always have on hand. An added bonus to making your own…. tons less sodium than the pre-made stuff… you will be shocked if you look at the sodium content on one of those mixes! That recipe is at the bottom of the page.

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Mostarda and Lamb’s main ingredients

Mostarda di Frutta is an Italian condiment made of candied fruit in a mustard-flavored syrup. It is served with boiled, roasted, or grilled meats, and is a fabulous accompaniment to cheeses.

The rack of lamb is “Frenched” which means the meat, fat, and membranes that connect the individual rib bones are scraped or trimmed away from the end of the bone down to about two inches above the rib-eye area. This is generally done on lamb chops, veal rib chops, or a crown pork roast. Frenched racks and chops can be purchased already done or you can “French” them on your own at home. Click this link for a great video demonstration from Fine Cooking on how to French a rack of lamb. If you do decide to French the lamb yourself, discard the fat and membrane, but be sure to save all meat scraps and use them as stew meat or grind to make into lamb burgers.

Wild rice is not true rice or a grain, but grass native to the Great Lakes region of North America. It is gluten-free and is a good source of potassium, phosphorus, thiamine, and riboflavin.  Wild rice needs much more water and cooking time than white or brown rice; the water ratio is about 4 to 1.  It takes about an hour to cook and not all the water is absorbed, the excess is drained away.  Because of the long cooking time, I generally make a double batch and use half of it for another meal. Another common way to serve wild rice is to mix it with brown rice; this half-and-half combination makes it tasty and budget-friendly since wild rice is more expensive than other types of rice.

garlic, herbs, and salt before – and after mincing into a paste

There is a garlic-herb paste rubbed on the lamb and topping the tomatoes.  A little bit of kosher salt is used in the mix, its purpose is to help break down the garlic, it makes a big difference in the texture of this paste and is always a great technique to use the next time you make aioli too.
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Believe it or not, it’s hot again this week in Phoenix/Scottsdale! It had been so nice and cool the last week or so, and I was fooled into thinking we were actually going to have an early fall… but no!  It was up in the 90’s today and is expected to hit 101 Saturday, setting a new record for October 17… what the heck?!  For the past three days I’ve been working at Les Gourmettes Cooking School, assisting Barbara Fenzl with her classes.  The menu is in honor of  Barbara’s friend and mentor, the late Julia Child. The food was beyond delicious and the classes were a great success, but after working on Beef Bourguignon and with these hot temps, I need something easy, cool, and refreshing – this salad fits the bill. Note to Barbara: Great classes, looking forward to the next go-round in a couple of weeks! xoxo
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