Grapefruits Are Better Than Candy.

My grandparents have spoiled me rotten with citrus fruits. Tony & Rita Pescatore moved to Boca Raton, Florida from New Jersey about 30 years ago. Since then, they have been consistently sending us a huge box of perfectly ripe, juicy, beautiful grapefruits right from their own tree... I feel blessed! There is something magical about a Florida grapefruit that makes my soul feel energized. As dramatic as that may sound, it's true. I love them.

As children, my mother wanted my brother and me to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Candy only in moderation. One of my favorite snacks was my mom's genius creation using the Florida grapefruits.... better than candy, and so simple.

Here's the story.

Cut the grapefruit in half.


Using a grapefruit knife, cut around the perimeter of the fruit
and then in between each section as displayed below.

Drizzle with honey and shake on some cinnamon.
Put it in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 5-7 minutes.
You want to allow enough time for the honey and cinnamon to melt
into the grapefruit and get warm in the center.

Serve with a spoon and indulge.
This perfect snack is so delicious and satisfying and will make your day an extra special one.

Enjoy.
Love,
CaraLee.

Rat-a-tat-tat! It's a New Year!

Happy New Year, Friends!!!

Apologies, folks, as I've been kind of a bore lately with this blog, but not to worry... I'm back! And very excited!

One of my new year's resolutions is to be more consistent with my blog... at LEAST one post a week. I mean, this should be relatively easy considering I eat multiple meals a day and am constantly day-dreaming of what my next meal will be.

So, let's go!

I recently revisited the amazing Pixar film Ratatouille and was inspired to create my own ratatouille! Before I get into that, I'd like to share two short clips (the first is super short) from the movie...

First up... Rat, Remy, teaching fellow rat buddy how to eat properly...

Next, Remy helps Linguine cook a famous recipe by hiding in his chef's hat...

This movie truly inspires me... It shows that anyone, and I mean anyone, can cook. That said, below is my recipe for ratatouille and it couldn't be easier.

For those of you who don't know, a ratatouille is a seasoned vegetable strew typically consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and garlic, served hot or cold (thanks, Webster!).

My ratatouille:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 sweet onions, chopped into chunks
2 orange peppers (any color would do), chopped - for those of you who know me well, it shouldn't be a surprise that I opted for orange peppers :)
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 yellow squash, cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
2 tomatoes, chopped - must be very ripe
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
4 tbsp capers
2 handfuls of basil, chopped
1 cup shredded pecorino romano
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, save the pecorino romano, into an oven safe casserole dish so that all veggies are coated with olive oil. If you don't have an oven safe dish large enough to accommodate all veggies, you can absolutely split into two.

Pre-cooked veggies

Distribute pecorino romano evenly on top of the veggies and place in the oven for 1 hour. The vegetables become soft and moist as they give off water when cooked.

Please note: this recipe makes a lot of ratatouille, enough for 8 people. However, since it is so easy and versatile I recommend making all of this. It's great for a quick snack the next day, or a side to a main course. In fact, the next day I made an omelet for breakfast and used this as the filling and it was to die for.

Serve and enjoy!

See you soon!

Love,
CaraLee.

Fresh Bread!

I was never much of a baker. I suppose it was being brought up amongst a hungry bunch of Italians, that we just didn't have the "time" to bake fresh bread; the four-hour long process would not fly in my home. However, now that I have grown up a bit and no longer live in a home full of ravenous Italian men, I have more patience and a deep passion for the beautiful art that is baking.

In the recent months I have been both inspired and enlightened to start baking bread. My adorable friend, Alyssa, has a passion for baking both bread and pastries, and frankly, far more knowledge in that area of the culinary world than I thought possible for such a little person :) Despite her size (hehe sooo cute), the girl can bake a mean loaf of french bread by hand! I am amazed! So, we followed a recipe from All Recipes and got to it.

Here is the recipe we used:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Bread/Detail.aspx

As we don't have the luxury of having a bread mixer here in this small NYC apartment, everything was made my hand. By the end of the session our arms were burning like hell from mixing the dough and my cheeks were throbbing from laughing so hard. If I had known that baking homemade bread could be so fun I would have done this years ago!

Here are some photos of my first loaf of homemade french bread:


Perfect dough consistency.... Why make one when you can make two?!



To spice up our bread a little bit, we brushed it with egg whites and rolled it in fresh rosemary, garlic and pepper flakes. Honestly, what could possibly be better? A little olive oil for dipping and you are SET!

Now that I have a basic foundation of knowledge for baking, I will be back soon enough with more where this came from. My new found love for baking could get dangerous... MUhaha!

Love and freshly baked goods,
CaraLee.
xoxo

Moosewood.

It's a rainy, weird Saturday and I have positioned myself comfortably on the couch and have delved into my cookbook collection for tips and inspiration. A perfect way to spend this day... Bob Dylan records & cookbooks.

I'd like to share one of my favorite cookbooks...Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. Located in downtown Ithaca, NY, Moosewood Restaurant has operated successfully for thirty-three years and has been acclaimed as a driving force in the world of creative vegetarian cooking. The Moosewood Collective is a crew of 14 women and 5 men and in addition to running the Restaurant, they have authored 11 cookbooks; I own 2 and I swear by them.

Anyway, I decided I needed some comfort food today (it was a late one last night!). It was a tough decision, but I opted for the Squash & Kale Risotto, page 192. To quote Moosewood, "Risottos are often considered intimidating for the less experienced cook, and that's a shame. After you've made risotto once or twice, you'll see how easy it is to prepare." SO TRUE! It takes more attention and time than other grains, but it is the process of the continuous stirring and addition of the liquid that allows for risotto's characteristic creaminess.

The dish turned out great. Here are some photos:



These books have inspired me and I know they will inspire you too.

Sold in all major bookstores or online here: http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/cgi/store.cgi?cart_id=6396281.9312&page=./Html/merch_books.html

Enjoy!

Love,
CaraLee.

SOOSH-ME!

I finally made my own hand rolls!

Last weekend my cousin, Christian, totally hooked it up and brought over a beautiful fillet of freshly caught blue fin tuna. Not only did he surprise me with just any fresh tuna, but he once again went over the top and presented me with the fatty deliciousness that is tuna belly, or toro. Only Christian Pescatore would bring home fresh tuna belly.

If you are unaware, toro is generally considered to be the king of sushi ingredients. It is very oily and high in omega 3 and is usually very expensive. In my case, however, it was FREE.... Gotta love the fam :)

Christian wisely decided that the only way to thoroughly enjoy fatty tuna, was to eat it raw - I couldn't agree more. He showed up at my home with the complete spread: the beautiful fillet, some sliced scallions, sushi rice (premade from Wegmans -- sooo easy and of perfect consistency), nori (seaweed), wasabi, pickled ginger and sesame seeds.

So, I learned how to make the perfect hand roll and boy, was it easy! We cranked out a whole tray in minutes...

While I'm on a sushi tip, I feel inclined to share my East Village GO TO sushi restaurant - Ashiya, located on 1st Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. Fresh, delicious, inexpensive and fun! If you're in a mood to stuff yourself silly with sushi and get super loose, this is your spot. The most popular daily special is as follows: $30.00, all you can eat (a la carte rolls and sushi) AND all you can drink (sake and Saporo)!! Nothing beats this.

Website: http://www.ashiya2.com/

I hope you venture and indulge!

Love and Sushi Rolls,
CaraLee.

Love for Figs...

My parents just recently picked up a fig tree and the thing is so cute! I never thought that a fig tree would bring me so much joy! Not only do I absolutely love the sweet, earthy flavor of a fig, but to me, figs are the most beautiful fruit. When cut open, they expose their pink seedy flesh surrounded by its dark purple skin. Call me crazy, but that is pure beauty.

Our first fig from the new tree... so perfect.Fig trees generally grow to be about 15 to 25 feet. Our fig tree is probably only about 3 to 4 feet tall right now. It has a long way to go! Although it is pretty small, it still produces delicious figs.

This is me, perusing our new fig tree! The green figs you see here (click photo to view larger) are not yet ripe enough to pick. Once they turn to dark purple, almost black, then they are ready.... and trust me, they are delicious right off the stem!

A perfectly ripe, pear-shaped fig fresh off the tree, split in half.

Figs can be eaten in many forms: fresh (like so); preserved (made into a jam); or dried. They make for a wonderfully healthy snack...

Stuffing Stuff!

Fact: It was Thomas Jefferson (well known for his promotion of horticulture) who introduced the eggplant to the United States in 1806 after receiving one from a friend in France.

I love eggplant; its spongy texture and ability to soak up any flavor make it a versatile and widely-used ingredient. Although the roof of my mouth tingles when I eat it, I am never intimidated by this allergy and I continue to indulge... I am not one to give up!

If you weren't aware, as eggplant contains numerous seeds, it is classified as a fruit. However, it is mostly cooked as a vegetable, with other savory ingredients. Eggplant is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking oils and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, although sometimes producing soggy and mushy eggplant. Before cooking the eggplant, it is a good idea to "salt" it as this reduces the amount of oil and/or sauce that is absorbed.

I decided to try something new: baked stuffed eggplant. I've seen this done before with ground beef and other meats, however as I don't eat meat, I wanted to make a vegetarian version. In addition to stuffing the eggplants, I used the same filling and stuffed that right into bell peppers, to add some variety.

Baked Stuffed Eggplant & Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
3 bell peppers (color is up to you!)

2 shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces and quartered

2 bags fresh spinach

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cups cooked quinoa (follow directions on packaging of quinoa)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup grated cheese (pecorino romano, Parmesan, asiago - my faves)

1/4 cup pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Preparing the eggplant:

Remove and discard the stem and half the eggplant lengthwise. Remove inside, leaving about 1.5 inches as a shell. Place hollowed eggplant in baking dish. Cube the removed part and set aside for stuffing. Season all eggplant (both hollowed and cubed) with salt.

Preparing the peppers:

Remove and discard the tops, seeds and membranes of each pepper. Trim the bottom as well so the pepper can stand upright. Place peppers hollowed side up in baking sheet.

Preparing the stuffing:

In a large skillet, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium high. Add shallots and saute about 3-4 minutes or until transparent. Add the garlic and saute for about 3 minutes (DO NOT BURN). Add cubed eggplant to skillet (seasoned with salt) and squash and saute for 5-7 minutes. In increments, add fresh spinach. I like to add a few handfuls at a time, allowing it to shrink down before adding more. Once all of the spinach has been incorporated, the tomatoes are ready to be added. Rather than pouring in the whole can, scoop out the tomatoes adding only some of the liquid, reserving the remaining liquid to top the stuffed eggplant and peppers. Add the quinoa and season with a little cheese and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Your stuffing is completed.

Vegetarian Stuffing Mixture

Stuffing the eggplant/peppers: the FUN part!

Fill both halves of the eggplant and each pepper half way with the stuffing. Add a little cheese, a small handful of pine nuts and a touch of fresh basil. Fill all the way up with the stuffing and layer again with cheese, pine nuts and basil. Before placing the stuffed eggplant and peppers in the oven, pour a spoonful of the remaining tomato sauce from the can of diced tomatoes onto each .

Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Serve with your favorite loaf of bread.

This vegetable dish can either be served as a side dish or as a main meal. It is the epitome of what comfort food should taste like and how it should make you feel. It warmed up my day and I sure hope it warms up yours!

Love and stuffings,

CaraLee.