What is Cioppino?????

 What you ask is Cioppino?  Well it's pretty simple, it's fish stew...that's easy!  And oh so easy to make!

Just take a peek in your freezer and see what seafood you may have in there.  Frozen shrimp, fish, scallops, anything that screams seafood.

Start with a sautée of onions, garlic, celery, a dash of salt, and a bay leaf or two all in olive oil....please spend a bit more on your EVOO...good Olive oil is essential in cooking.  This is an Italian-American dish, but I prefer to make it full on Italian!  That's me, it's my preference.

Cooking is not a science like most people believe, it's a passion, a love and a test.  So there are no specific amounts of seasonings, just make sure you're well seasoned for the size of your dish.

Once Sautéed add a can or cans of diced/whole tomatoes undrained, one or two, possibly more cans depending on size of the dinner guests...or household as is my case.  I still have 8 plus kids so I need more. Then some good tomato paste for sweetness and thickness.  Then add your chicken stock, either homemade, or canned, I use bone broth, it's just richer and tastier, but either will do!  Let that all have fun in the pot together for some time, bring it so a soft simmer and let it all marry.  

You can leave this on the stove for some time, while you're ironing...LOL, just kidding no one does that anymore right??  If they do, then I'm not one of them!!!

About 1/2 hour before you are ready to serve your amazing stew, add your seafood...shrimp, fish cut into pieces, crab if you have some, scallops whole, clams, mussels....add it all and the kitchen sink!!!  Let that simmer until the fish if flaky and the shrimp are pink and pretty....and whatever else is in there.  You'll know when it's ready, just don't overcook, don't wait until you see the shrimp rise to the heavens in a crumbly mess!

Use your imagination in seasoning, if you like it hot add Cayenne pepper, if not then don't...salt and pepper to taste, add fresh parsley and a lemon wedge to each bowl, I do add lemon to the broth, but not everyone likes the lemon flavor.  That is up to you...LIKE I SAY, DO NOT FEAR FOOD!!  it's fun to cook, it's like playing with your food when you didn't want to eat your mom's liver and onions....and we'll talk about those soon!!!!

Yummy Curry Butternut Squash Soup

 Well, it's been a while since I've asked you not to fear food!  So here's another one in the books!  Curry Butternut Squash Soup, what a great filling soup, just add a salad and enjoy!

I prefer to buy already cut up butternut squash, because if you've ever tried to use a whole one you'll understand.  Butternut squash is supper hard to cut up, you can lose a finger or two trying, but it's your preference, so go for it if you must!  Just be careful!

I use one whole pack which is usually one whole squash....

1.  start with onions, celery, and garlic, sauté that down in olive oil until nice and tender, adding garlic last, since garlic tends to burn easily and once that happens, you may as well start over, there's almost no salvation to that.  Amounts really depend on the size of your soup, I usually use one large onion, several stalks of celery, (4-5) and lots of garlic (use less if you have to talk to people after)...chop it up, but it does not have to be fine since you're going to eventually blend it all up.

2.  add your squash, and chicken stock (one whole container of stock is fine, have more on hand in case it's too thick), I've never used vegetable stock but if you don't eat meat or don't like to use meat type stocks, then I'm sure veggie stock will work well.  Bring to a simmer, not a complete boil, and let it continue on in that nice hot bath until a fork will go right through those squash pieces. You can add cilantro to the finished tender squash too if you like the flavor of it.  I love all flavors so I add it all!

3.  once my squash is nice and soft and ready to go, I use an immersion blender to blend up all of my ingredients, if you don't have one, then a regular blender will work, just make sure to add it a little at a time and cover the top well with a towel start on a very low setting.  Hot liquids in a blender....well need I say more???

4.  at this point put the blended squash back into your pot and add to it (depending on the amounts) I use one can of coconut milk (or cream for a much thicker soup), I can go either way, it just depends on how I'm feeling at the time.  Or too, what I have in my pantry.

5.  now comes the curry part!  Add a couple of teaspoons of curry powder, I always have a heavy hand on the curry powder, so I will add more, again it depends on my mood at the time, LOL, if I'm really happy I throw in more, if I'm happy happy happy, I throw in even MORE....add cumin to taste (cumin is one of those underused spices, I love the smell, the taste, I love everything about cumin), salt and pepper to taste. If you're a pepper person like I am, I always add pepper flakes to mine, I like the heat!  If you don't have pepper flakes then cayenne is fine too.  No measurements there, it's up to you! 

6.  if you're a sweet/hot style food lover you can add honey to give if a richer fuller flavor, but that depends on you too, sometimes I add it...sometimes I don't!

7.  now let's make it pretty!  Serve your soup in a pretty bowl, with a bit of sour cream and some scallions or cilantro, or parsley even for a nice presentation, or just pour that yumminess no toppings and eat it all up!  The pretty part comes in when you're trying to impress someone and pretend this was a supper hard dish to make!!  wink wink. You can even make it harder looking by adding some shredded coconut, then it looks like you're a true gourmet!

Now enjoy with a simple side salad, or some bread sticks or just nothing but a spoon and your mouth!

Do NOT Fear Food: Citrus Upside Down cake....MADE FOR MOMMIES!!!

Do NOT Fear Food: Citrus Upside Down cake....MADE FOR MOMMIES!!!: Ok I told you my story about baking...I'm just not that kind of gal!  But I did end up baking my upside down cake, making it a bit mor...

Citrus Upside Down cake....MADE FOR MOMMIES!!!

Ok I told you my story about baking...I'm just not that kind of gal!  But I did end up baking my upside down cake, making it a bit more user friendly!!!  So here you go!

Number 1.... I actually used a simple golden boxed cake mix, but I substituted water for Butter Milk, added a nice swig of pure vanilla, (ladies spend the money on the real stuff, it's so much better) and then followed by the rest of the ingredients.  Remember don't add the water, use the butter milk, wait till you see what this does.

Number 2.... I zested one blood orange, one navel orange and one grapefruit and added the zest to the cake mix.  Don't be afraid of grapefruit, it takes on a whole new level of flavor once baked.

Number 3.... I lined my bundt cake pan with parchment paper and laid several slices of peeled oranges, blood oranges, and grapefruit on the parchment paper.  Butter the pan before so that it all comes out easily.

Number 4....and OMG this is the best part.  I combined 1/2 cup of regular granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of light or dark brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan, heated it on a low fire and let it all come to a simmer until the sugar was melted.  It kind of clumped up after that so instead of adding more butter, I decided what would it hurt of I added an orange liqueur to get it all unclumped! GUESS WHAT?  it worked I now had a nice smooth creamy caramel.

Number 5... I poured that creamy caramel all over the top of my orange and grapefruit slices, then with a liqueur and a prayer, I added just a couple of tablespoons more of the orange liqueur to add a bit more flavor or at least that's what I was hoping would happen

Number 6...I poured the cake mix over the top of my orange slices, homemade caramel with orange liqueur and leveled it out.

Number 7....I leveled out my cake mixture all while preheating my oven to the temperature on the cake mixture box.  Then placed the bundt pan in the oven...remember this is NO FEAR FOOD, so you don't need to use a bundt pan, you can use a flat pan, or a spring pan, or just a simple cake pan (with that being said you may not need the entire amount of cake mixture)  PLAY!  PLAY!! PLAY!!!  remember DO NOT FEAR YOUR FOOD or YOUR BAKING...if it does not come out as planned, pour some more caramel on it or some Triple Sec,  have some fun!!!

Then bake that puppy for as long as the box says, test it before removing it from the oven, meaning stick a fork, or a toothpick in it, make sure it comes out clean, then your cake is ready.  THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH IT... just turn your pan over on a plate and be amazed at the beauty of this perfect cake....it's great warm with ice cream or just room temp with a glass of sweet wine.  ENJOY AND DO NOT FEAR YOUR FOOD!!!

Baking.......???????

So baking really isn't my thing...it's too scientific, and I absolutely hate to read recipes!!!  But I'm going to give it a try tonight!  And it's not going to be boxed cake.  I'm trying, for the very first time, an upside down cake. 

This one will be a citrus upside down cake...geeze what am I thinking?  Citrus in this house is risky.  I love it, but some don't.  I love grapefruit, and I don't think anyone else does except for my grapefruit XS Energy drinks.  Side note, those Grapefruit XS Energy drinks are great with a shot of cucumber vodka!  

OK back to the cake, I promise to take pictures, along with the bakers prayer in the sidebar.  LOL

Years ago, I found out that St. Lorenzo was the patron saint of Chefs and cooks, and now I'm hoping bakers.  Well St. Lorenzo sits proudly in my kitchen window looking over me and reminding me on a daily basis that the pizza has been in the oven too long, or the lasagna is starting to bubble over.  He's been a great friend along with my wine glass.

So with my head in a bakers book, and my wine beside me and St.  Lorenzo in the window, I will attempt to bake my very first citrus upside down cake!  Bear in mind that I'm not using a particular recipe, which is sort of scary to me, I'm going to attempt my own version with some guidance from a simple cake recipe.

Wish me luck!  I'll keep you posted!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple Rice!!! YUM!

Yep Sweet and Sour meatballs!!!  Have you ever gone to a Chinese restaurant and you order something sweet and sour and just wonder "how the heck do they do this?"  I did all of the time!  What a yummy flavor, it's seems like only in dreams  LOL

Well it's much easier than you think!  In this dish all I did was make some savory meatballs with pork and chicken!  I like that combo, and being Italian pork is my favorite...I seem to chose that over beef or any other meat.  You can use whatever you like, this is not a law!  

I mixed a bag of sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice and a can of crushed pineapples with their juice into the meat, along with some breadcrumbs (for sturdiness), milk or cream, whatever is your fancy, and 2 eggs to hold it all together. Of course I added salt and pepper to taste!   Realize there are no real  rules to cooking (only baking) so use the appropriate amount of meat for your family!  I have a very large family so I had about 5 pounds of meat.  With that being said, you want to adjust the amount of sweet potato and cauliflower rice and I would not use an entire can of crushed pineapples, maybe half or less depending on how much meat you have!   I rolled them into nice size meatballs, about the size of my palm, then fried them in olive oil.  

In another pot I started my rice, again how much depends on  how many...of course if you want leftovers AND YOU WILL!  make more!  I used 4 cups of rice!  Instead of steaming my rice in water or broth, I steamed it in half pineapple juice and half water.  Using the typical 2 for 1 recipe for every one cup of rice I use two cups of liquid and steam or cook for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.  A fun additional way to cook rice is in an Instant Pot!  WOW what a nice sticky texture in that puppy!  HEHE

Then right next door to the meatballs and the rice, I started yet another pan...now this is where it starts to get really yummy!  In a fry style pan I added (once again to taste) so about 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of rice vinegar, or white if that's all you have, a few dashes or for those that don't like dash! then about 1 tablespoon plus a bit of soy sauce.  I let that simmer until the sugar is dissolved.  To all of this I pour in a whole can of pineapple juice and a few dashes of Sriracha or some other hot sauce, again whatever you have in your pantry and depending on your heat desire, some like it hot, others not so much and then there's me, I like to KNOW theres hot sauce in there, so my dashes are much larger!  I let that come to a very low simmer, not boil....then I make a slurry!  OK who knows what a slurry is?????  Should I have a test after this?  HEHE  NO....just have fun, a slurry is a mixture of cornstarch, (or cream of tartar, or arrowroot) and liquid, I do save about 1/2 cup of juice for this, I add about a tablespoon of the thickening powder and mix it up until it's smooth and creamy.  Once again, if it doesn't come out exactly as it sounds then add either more liquid or more starch, DON'T FEAR THE FOOD.  Then add this to the pineapple mixture and let is thicken up a bit, this may take about 3-5 minutes, this is just to add some consistency to the sweet and sour sauce.  

Once all of this is ready, your meatballs and your sauce, you add the fried meatballs to the sweet and sour sauce and let that simmer for about 1/2 hour, or more.  The longer is sits in that bath the better those meatballs are going to taste.  About half way through the simmer add some chopped red bell peppers and about I can of drained pineapples or fresh, again whatever makes you happy!  I just happened to have cans of pineapple in my pantry!  Thinly slice up some green onions, these are for the LOOK!!!  

Now for the finale!  In a bowl put however much rice you want, then slather on some of that yummy sweet and sour sauce and a few meatballs, sprinkle on some green onions for a beautiful dish....add a glass of white wine (or red) whatever is your fancy, and ENJOY!!!!!!  

And always remember DO NOT FEAR FOOD!!!

EGG Gravy....What The Heck Is That!!??

Egg gravy, one of my family's favorite dinner items....if you haven't tried it you really should!!!  It's simple and yummy.

Make whatever red gravy you like...or jar if you want (I never recommend jar of anything, but if that's the easiest for you then do it)...of course I sure hope that those of you that use prepared gravy still do some doctoring up!!!

Onions, garlic, celery, peppers, sautéed till soft and see threw!  Then prepare you gravy the way you normally do, drop in some whole raw eggs and let them poach in the gravy.  Don't put them in to early you don't want overcooked eggs, with those funny looking green yolks.  Green eggs and ham are really just for children's books! 

Now doesn't that look yummy?  One word of yumminess....I always add the ends of a good piece of parmesan cheese into my gravy, it adds a richness that you will never forget!

This is the easiest part, boil some pasta toss on the gravy then.....wait for it.....get a plate and a fork and have a ball!!!  Don't forget the WINE!