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Earlier last week I found myself creating a variety of recipes which my husband and I both loved. In fact, twice my husband said, put an asterisk by this one. Here’s what we ate last week: Cheese Straw Biscuits with Ham, Bourbon-Braised Short Ribs, Wine-Braised Chicken and Vegetables and, lastly, Almond Frangipane Cookies.
 
We subscribe to “Garden and Gun Magazine,” which is published in Charleston, South Carolina. Cheese straws are a popular snack in southern states. Katherine Cobbs, a cook book author from Birmingham, Alabama, re-imagined cheese straws as a biscuit and then filled them with country ham.  ​
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​Lately, my days have been so busy, that I am only able to catch up on my blogging once a week. I prefer my posts to be brief (about a 3–5-minute read), give a short overview of the recipe and its process and finally my review.  For now, it’s time to catch up on last week’s culinary adventures.
 
I first made fresh pasta last May using a recipe by Lidia Bastianich. Her recipe used flour, eggs, extra virgin olive oil and ice water. The dough was made in a food processor which made prep easy. The pasta was easy to handle and worked beautifully in my manual pasta machine. This time, I wanted to try Marcella Hazan’s recipe from her book, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.” Ms. Hazan’s recipe is simply flour and eggs and you can use either Italian 00 “doppio zero,” which is a soft white flour or American unbleached all-purpose flour. If you’re tempted to use semolina, Ms. Hazan says it’s only suitable for industrially produced pasta as it is difficult to work with. She also dislikes machines that make extruded pasta and, in her opinion, makes an awful product with a machine that is a pain to clean.
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While most people associate lemons with summer, citrus fruits are winter fruits. Citrus season runs November to April and with this in mind, preparing Dan Pelosi’s One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Caramelized Lemon seemed appropriate. For the recipe you’ll need bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, lemons, Castelvetrano or Kalamata olives, garlic, shallot or onion, long-grain white rice, chicken broth and fresh parsley.
 
The recipe begins by seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Using my LeCreuset braiser, I placed the pan over medium-high heat and cooked the chicken until it released freely from the pan; it was then set aside.
In the same pan, I cooked 1/4-inch-thick lemon slices until they were golden and softened; they too were removed from the pan. ​
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My husband and I have greatly reduced our red meat consumption. With groceries being so expensive, stretching the food dollar is something everyone can relate to. Ground beef is a versatile form of protein and prices can vary widely depending where you shop and the quality you select. For hamburgers I prefer Pat LaFrieda Original Blend Chopped Beef made with chuck, brisket and short rib cuts at $7.99/lb. I recently purchased 80/20 ground beef at Wegmans for $5.79/lb. for recipes where beef is a vehicle for the ingredients.
 
Another alternative to ground beef is ground turkey. At Wegmans I can purchase a three-pound package for $11.99 ($3.83 lb.) Whereas a three-pound package of Shady Brook Farms at ShopRite will cost you $19.99 or $7.99/lb. for a one-pound package. Again, depending on brands, prices can be as low as $4.49/lb. or as high as $8.99/lb. ​
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​I’ve been temporarily sidelined with my recovery. My husband takes me to physical therapy three times a week, food shopping at Wegmans and Costco and occasionally dining out. Being in the house is starting to drive me crazy, thank goodness I’m getting more mobile.
 
I am able to stand longer and have begun seeking out new recipes. I recently had a craving for risotto. While I thought I would make Risotto alla Milanese, I found a recipe in Marcella Hazan’s book “The Classic Italian Cook Book” for Risotto with Parmesan Cheese. I found Ms. Hazan’s recipe to be interesting as the broth could be homemade meat broth or chicken broth mixed with water. Forgive me Ms. Hazan, but I had a box of Wegman’s beef broth that I wanted to use. Although the recipe calls for 5 cups, the box was 32 ounces (4 cups), hopefully enough. For the recipe you also need shallots or onions, butter, vegetable oil, Italian Arborio rice and Parmesan cheese.
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I made a do-over 40th birthday dinner for my son this past weekend. He, his wife and son tried to have a birthday weekend in Cape May, however, traveling with a toddler presented some unique challenges.
 
Many, many years ago, I made a pasta casserole recipe from “Gourmet Magazine” (January 1998), Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan; my son loved this dish. Despite my challenges post-surgery, I decided to prepare a dinner in his honor. I did however, prepare this meal over two days so I wouldn’t be on my feet too long.
 
For the recipe you’ll need yellow peppers, an onion, fresh garlic, olive oil, heavy cream, white button mushrooms, red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, ziti, scallions and Parmesan cheese. ​
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I am four weeks into my recovery from right hip replacement surgery. The hip has felt good following surgery, but minor problems surfaced. My right leg and knee were slightly swollen. A week of lying in bed and icing helped alleviate pain. However, my cushioned dining room chair has proven comfortable so I can sit and type.
 
Just two weeks after surgery, I was able to do some cooking as long as I wasn’t on my feet for an extended amount of time. I had an abundance of eggs sitting in my basement refrigerator. I also had a few open bottles of red wine and pre-cooked bacon in the freezer. With these items on hand, it was time to make breakfast for supper. The first new recipe I tried was Eggs Baked in Red Wine, a recipe by Sara Moulton, of Sara’s Weeknight Meals on PBS.
 
Besides eggs, red wine and bacon, you’ll also need homemade-style white or whole wheat bread, garlic cloves, bacon slices, shallots, chicken broth, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs (chives, parsley, tarragon, lemon thyme.) For bread I used some delicious bread, Sesame Durum, from Hey Peach Bakery in Bradley Beach, NJ.
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Back in 1961, there were 17 straight days of temperatures below freezing. This week, weather forecasters are calling for sub-freezing temperatures Sunday through the remainder of the week. Hopefully your pantry is stocked with things that help you prepare easy to make dinners that are hearty and healthy.
 
I recently prepared a delicious recipe from the public broadcasting show, “Cook’s Country”, Stovetop Chicken with Lemon-Cornichon Sauce. Melissa Clark of The New York Times had a recipe for shelf-stable potato gnocchi, Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers. A hearty and heartwarming recipe by chef Clare DeBoer appeared in The New York Times for One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles. I also found a new turkey meatloaf recipe from Lidia Bastianich.
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With only a couple of weeks to my surgery, I’ve started to stock up so either myself, if I’m up to it, or my husband can make dinner. My sister-in-law reminded me the other day that just three days after my last hip replacement I was up cooking supper. Tuesday afternoon I tripped and did something terrible to my left knee. It was already not feeling great and I can’t put weight on it or fully bend it…ugh! I’m waiting for the doctor’s office to call me back.
 
In the meantime, I’m sitting in my kitchen with the sun on me because I’m cold. Despite the chilly wind, I have made several things this week. For supper on Monday, I found a scrumptious sheet pan supper from Lidey Heuck for Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts, Rosemary, Honey and Mustard, a lovely Pear and Cardamom Upside-Down Cake from Vallery Lomas and a delightful brunch, or even a light supper, a dish called Mushroom and Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs from chef Marco Herrera.
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Another year has come and gone; you’ve made it! The new year is off to a fresh start and I’m having hip replacement surgery in a few weeks, woohoo! In the meantime, I’ll be cooking, stocking up and blogging on new recipes that I think you’ll find delicious enough to try yourself.
 
A few weeks ago, I found on Lidia Bastianich’s website a recipe for Balsamic Chicken Stir Fry. This recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare and it has a nice Italian twist to a standard stir fry recipe. What you’ll need is chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, honey, cornstarch, kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, broccoli florets, broccoli stems trimmed and peeled cut into matchsticks, white or cremini mushrooms, red bell pepper, scallions, peperoncino flakes and white rice if desired.


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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