Fresh Whole Wheat Fettuccine

I've never made this before.  I was always skeptical about it.  I typically heard of mixing white and whole wheat flour.  I gave it a chance I made with whole wheat flour.

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
warm water

Directions

    Mix together the flour, eggs, and salt.

    Add water as needed slowly. Dough should be firm, but not sticky.

    Pour dough out on a lightly floured surface until it has elasticity to it.

    Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes to relax the dough.

    Roll dough out to your desired thickness with a rolling pin or place in your pasta machine.

Whole Wheat Baguettes

I've never made this recipe before.  The recipe is that little different with the brown sugar.

We are having it with the fresh whole wheat pasta.

1 1⁄4 cups water (105-115 deg.F.)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 1⁄2 cups bread flour
1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package active dry yeast

In large bowl, dissolve yeast, brown sugar, in warm water.

Let stand 5 minutes until yeast foams.

Add salt and bread flour; beat well.

Stir in whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes or until dough is springy, smooth and satiny.

Wash bowl, grease it, and add dough to bowl; turn over to grease top.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Divide in half and, on a lightly floured surface, shape into long loaves on a baguette pan.

Pinch edges to seal, and taper ends.

Place loaves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet.

Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Make 4-5 slashes across each loaf with sharp knife or razor blade.

Brush each loaf with water and sprinkle with whole wheat flour.

Bake in a preheated 500°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until loaves are browned and crisp.

Cassoulet with Duck Confit and Fresh Whole Wheat Baguettes

    i had this dish at the restaurant we went to last night.  the make was so good that i had to make it today.  it was exactly the same!  i made whole wheat baguettes to go with this dinner.

    5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Pancetta (4 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
    1 leek, quartered, diced, and rinsed
    16 oz Great Northern beans
    4 thyme sprigs
    1 cup water
    1 cup chicken stock
    5 - 6 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

    Kosher salt 

    pepper
    4 pieces of duck confit, trimmed of excess fat
    3/4 pound garlic sausage, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
    4 ounces lean slab bacon, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1 cup coarse fresh panko crumbs
    2 tablespoons chopped parsley

    In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until the fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the beans, thyme sprigs, water and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring and skimming occasionally.  15 - 30 min.

    Add the garlic cloves to the beans and simmer until the garlic and beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. Season the beans with salt and let cool to room temperature.

    Preheat the oven to 350°. Rewarm the beans over moderate heat. Transfer the beans to a large, deep baking dish. Nestle the duck legs, garlic sausage and bacon into the beans. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the cassoulet is bubbling and all of the meats are hot. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.

    In a skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and the parsley over the cassoulet and serve.

 http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cassoulet-with-duck-confit

Campari and Blood Orange Cake

we have been talking about making this cake ever since our friend Wendy posted the recipe on Facebook. we even bought blood oranges 2 weeks ago just to eat them.  buying Campari was a bit of a pain in the ass.  we went to two liqueur and and called three.  the fifth liqueur store had it down by Bowling Green, NYC.

quote from Wikipedia "blood oranges have a unique flavor profile compared to other oranges, being distinctly raspberry-like in addition to the usual citrus notes" and they are right! we decided to make the cake for Valentines Day <3
Courtesy of Claudia Cevenini and Sue Wildish from the blog http://campariandsofa.com/

Ingredients:

8 blood oranges
350 g Greek yogurt
600 g sugar – divided in half
4 eggs, lightly beaten
250 g butter, melted and cooled
350 g fine semolina
100 g ground almonds
100 ml Campari

1.  Preheat the oven to 170C/350F.
2.  Grate the zest of 4 oranges and juice all of them. Set aside.
3.  In a large mixing bow, mix the yogurt, 300 g sugar, zest and eggs. Stir in the cold butter. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour in a greased  23 cm (10″) baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched (or a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out dry). Depending on your oven, it can take up to an hour.
4. While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Put the juice, remaining 300 g sugar and the Campari in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let simmer until reduced by nearly half. You should have a very thick syrup.
5. Unmold the cake while still a little bit warm (but not hot) and prick the surface with a toothpick. Pour half the glaze over it and let sit until completely absorbed. Repeat with the remaining glaze. You might want to keep a bit aside to smear on top of the cake prior to serving to make the most of the amazing color.

Scones

i made these for valentines day <3  they never made it past Friday night....
Courtesy of Alton Brown


Ingredients
 

·         2 cups flour

·         4 teaspoons baking powder

·         3/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         4 tablespoons butter

·         2 tablespoons shortening

·         3/4 cup cream

·         1 egg

·        

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

Stove top Pork with Apples

We threw this together and we found that our slow cooker is out of commission.  We decided to cook this on the stove top.

2 lbs. pork tenderloin
2 leeks, chopped and rinsed (4 - 5 times)
3 - 4 carrots, peeled and chopped in to circles
2 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1 cup white wine
1 bottle hard cider
Bay leaf
Thyme
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a in a 5 qt. cast iron heatproof dish.  place vegetables on the bottom, place the pork on top.  whatever vegetables you have left, place on top of the pork.
High heat until the liquid starts to boil then simmer for about 8 hours.

Chicken Milanese

 i made this dish because it was quick and simple.  i remember my mother would make these every on e to two weeks.  she either made chicken or veal cutlets.

  Chicken Milanese

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice

1. Working with one at a time, place chicken breasts on a cutting board, flat side down. Press down on chicken with the palm of one hand, and cut in half horizontally to make 2 cutlets.
   
   
2. With the flat side of a meat pounder, pound chicken between pieces of plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick.
   
   
3. Lightly beat 3 large eggs in a medium bowl. Place 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and breadcrumbs in 2 separate wide, shallow dishes. Season eggs, flour, and chicken with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dip into flour, turning to coat and shaking off excess. Dip into egg, and lift out, letting excess drip off. Dip into breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to help them adhere. Transfer to a plate or pan, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. If needed, separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper.
   
   
4. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet (oil should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch deep) over medium-high heat until shimmering; a breadcrumb should sizzle instantly when dropped into oil. Gently place 2 cutlets 3/4 to 1 inch apart in skillet, and fry until undersides are golden brown, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Flip cutlets, and fry until cooked through and golden brown on other side, about 2 1/2 minutes more (chicken should feel firm).
   
   
5. Cutlets less than 1/4 inch thick will take 1 to 2 minutes less. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet, and pat off excess oil. Lightly sprinkle with coarse salt, and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining cutlets, skimming brown bits and adding more oil if necessary.
   
   http://www.marthastewart.com/874527/chicken-milanese