Almost Gianduia Biscotti

Sitting here at work with my eyes blurry from lack of sleep I was thinking intently about biscotti. Actually, more to the point, I was thinking about dunking biscotti into a nice, large mug of steaming, hot hazelnut latte. If I were Italian then my fantasy would probably include a nice glass of wine instead of coffee. But, alas, I'm not and I'm tired so my mind refuses to even admit the substitution.

I'll just have to wait until I get home this afternoon because I'm not, repeat am not, going to go to Starbucks and throw away $8. I could probably make at least 20 biscotti for that price. Matter of fact, I have some sitting on my counter right now from several weeks ago. They quite literally will keep forever especially in a cool house like mine. Back during Roman times these hard little cookies were the staples of soldiers and adventurers. "Hard" just about sums it up too.

After baking my first batch I had to check for poison. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone else dying because I neglected to check a batch of cookies. I just picked up a small piece, the scraggly ones are always sacrificed for the greater good, and proceeded to break out my front teeth. OK, I didn't actually chip any teeth but it sure felt like it for a second. Pressing on, I proceeded to bite chunks off with my jaw teeth and crunch the rock like biscuit to bits. Don't ask why I didn't make coffee or dip it in some milk or tea. I'm just weird like that and I honestly have no idea. Needless to say, my mouth was kind of abused that day but I was satisfied that, yes, I had avoided the poison and the batch was safe.

The next day, I made some hot tea and the biscotti was only better when dunked. The hot liquid infused the bread with flavor while slightly melting the chocolate. Somehow you could taste the flavor of the almonds more strongly even though the bread was now saturated with Lady Grey. It was really good.

I'm thinking seriously of making some biscotti with dried cherries, dark chocolate and pecans for Christmas. My previous batch with almonds and dark chocolate reminded me of Gianduia, that quintessential chocolate/hazelnut combination. You can pretty much use biscotti as a tabula rasa just like shortbread. Just keep in mind that with Italian biscotti 2 c. is about the limit with add-ins, especially nuts. Otherwise, the dough becomes too crumbly and will likely fall apart on you. If you find yourself too adventurous, try adding 2 tbsp water or oil and work it in until the dough holds up.

The recipe for this biscotti base comes from The King Arthur Cookie Companion. There is an entire chapter on biscotti; 22 pages, yeah that's right, 22 pages of biscotti. This is a great book full of tips, techniques, and both American and International treats. If you're into baking you should definitely check it out.

Makes 14 - 16 biscotti

2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. dark chocolate chips (opt.)
1 c. whole natural almonds, roughly broken (opt.)

1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, all ingredients except add-ins and flour until creamy and thin as pancake batter. Add water if necessary.
4. Slowly add flour until totally incorporated.
5. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
6. Transfer dough to prepared pan and shape it into a wide log roughly 14" long, 2 ½" wide and ¾" thick.
7. Smooth the top and sides with a wet scraper or spatula.
8. Bake 25 min.
9. Let cool on pan ~20 min. Then remove to cutting board.
10. Lightly sprinkle or spritz water over log to soften crust and make cutting easier. Wait 5 min.
11. Reduce oven to 325°F.
12. Cut biscotti into ½ - ¾" slices.
13. Set the biscotti upright on prepared pan ~½" apart.
14. Bake 25 min.
15. Remove from oven and cool completely on rack.
16. Store in an airtight container.

Our Carbonara Breakfast

Last Sunday we woke up starving, which is normal. Because we've been so busy lately and thus neglecting grocery shopping there weren't many options as far as breakfast without going out. Hmm, bacon, eggs, cheese. No, not bacon and eggs which would have been much more normal. I decided on carbonara because I'm just weird like that. After searching my shelf for about 30 seconds and not finding a recipe I was not deterred. I figured that I knew enough of the basics and so barreled on. Boiling pasta, check. Crispy bacon (this time with peppers and garlic), check. Now, hmm, how does the egg sauce go? I ended up making it in a moderately time consuming way. Then, I made the mistake of adding olive oil at the very end. I wanted a shiny sauce but instead the olive oil caused my creamy concoction to break slightly. Oh well, it was just a casual breakfast anyway and was still very tasty. I did, however, underestimate the richness of this dish and we decided to cut the meal with ice cream of course. It was an interesting way to start the day. For a more traditional, and reliable, method for making carbonara check out this Italian Food Network video.
You can also watch PrincessDiana161 on YouTube, who, along with her husband Frankie, is hilarious. She has quick version for making carbonara where you cook the eggs in the steaming hot pasta. Although it looks super easy and is probably safe, I like the idea of cooking the eggs in a pan better.

Serves 4-6

1 lb pasta (I used long cut ziti)
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 small bell pepper (I used a small red mexibell and half a green bell)
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
3 eggs
1/4 c. ice water
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 c. boiling pasta water
1/4-1/2 c. parmesan, grated

1. Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving the water. Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon and peppers over medium heat until crisp. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 min. Remove bacon mixture to a small bowl.
3. Drain all but 2 tbsp of the bacon grease and return the pan to medium-low heat.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, ice water and black pepper until frothy.
5. While stirring adding the egg mixture to the grease. You want the eggs to begin to thicken but not scramble. Stir continuously. If the mixture begins cooking too fast remove pan or turn heat down.
6. Add the boiling pasta water a ladle at a time, cooking about 2 min between additions.
7. After you've added about 2 c. of water, add the parmesan and continue stirring. Your sauce is done when it is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Add the finished sauce to the pasta, along with the bacon mixture.
9. Stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Italian-American Meatballs

Spaghetti with meatballs, followed closely by pizza, is usually the first thing that comes to mind when Americans picture Italian food. Our idea of Italian cuisine is actually a marriage of the cuisine of early Italian immigrants and American culture. Most of what you’ll see in “Italian” restaurants around the US is Italian-American cuisine, complete with an abundance of red tomato sauce, also know as gravy. When longing for their homeland many early Italian-Americans from the southern regions of Italy relied on staples such as dried pasta, tomato sauce and olive oil, while those from the northern reaches of Italy preferred rice, fresh pasta and butter. Over time a wonderful compilation emerged full of creamy risottos, rich meat gravies, luscious osso bucco, fresh pestos, and, of course, a myriad of pasta dishes including lasagna and spaghetti.

These meatballs combine all the flavors that one may associate with Italian food. Regardless of the origins savory garlic, salty Parmesan cheese, and zesty herbs never fail to please. You can prepare the meatballs well in advance because they freeze beautifully, raw or cooked without tomato sauce. Just thaw them in the fridge overnight or add about 20 min to the cooking/reheating time. I have listed several different methods for cooking the meatballs. I prefer Method 3. You can just form the balls, cover with sauce and foil, stuff them in the oven, and walk away for half an hour. Some people like bite-size balls and others hand-size, remember to vary the cooking time accordingly. The following times are for 1 ½ “ balls (about half dollar size). These are great served with long pastas or on hoagies with some gooey, melted mozzarella.

Serves 6-8

1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground Italian pork sausage, casing removed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp dried parsley (1/3 c. fresh, finely chopped)
½ c. Parmesan or Asiago cheese, grated
½ tsp dried basil, margoram, or sage; or a combination (2 tsp fresh, finely chopped)
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil (Method 1 & 2)

1. Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a large bowl.
2. Knead and squeeze to combine but do not overwork or the meat will become tough.
3. Shape into 1 ½ “ balls (~ half dollar size)

Method 1 – Serve as is or with sauce

1. Heat olive oil in skillet at medium heat.
2. Brown meatballs on each side 5-7 min or until done through (~15-20min total).

Method 2 – Serve as is or with sauce

1. Preheat oven 450°F.
2. Cover bottom of shallow baking dish with olive oil
3. Place meatballs in single layer on pan.
4. Brown in oven ~10 min or until done through, shaking pan occasionally.

Method 3 – Served with sauce

1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. Place meatballs in casserole dish, stacking is fine.
3. Pour entire jar of spaghetti sauce over balls.
4. Cover tightly and bake ~30 min or until done through.