Turkey, Fontina and Pancetta Pita Sandwich Recipe
November 11, 2009
On busy workdays, I am a huge fan of quick and easy dinners. A sandwich like this totally fits the bill. Sure, you have to cook the turkey and pancetta, but it only takes minutes and then you are seated and eating. It doesn’t get much better in terms of time.
Now, honestly, Shawn isn’t that fond of sandwiches for dinner. But with the flavor combination here — and the fact that it really does fill you — he is willing to make an exception. The kids? They adore it.
The sandwich balances the creamy fontina cheese, salty pancetta and slightly sweet turkey … it’s an awesome combination. If you are like me and crave veggies, add a little lettuce and tomato to the pocket too. According to Shawn, the one thing that could make this better would be to serve it on a soft, freshly baked roll. I like the pita, personally.
Do you do sandwiches for dinner?
» Filed Under Easy Recipes, sandwich | 1 Comment
Four Years, and Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Mash Recipe
November 9, 2009
Today is a special day. It’s Sarah’s Cucina Bella’s birthday!
It was four years ago today that I sat down at my computer, opened a Blogger account and started writing Cucina Bella. Back then, I didn’t think much about how long I would be writing this blog for. Perhaps it would be weeks, perhaps months–but I never imagined that it would be four virtually nonstop years. And now, I can’t imagine stopping.
That first day, I agonized. First, it was over what to name my space. I wanted to find just the right name, something that fit me and my style, my personality and my cooking. Finally, I decided on Cucina Bella … it sounded rustic, but trustworthy. And, since my kitchen was the first space in our house that we completed, it seemed perfect.
Then there was the matter of the first post. It was one of the most frightening writing experiences ever. I’ve always been a bit of a worrier, playing out thousands of scenarios in my head before anything even happens. This was so different. My thoughts were just on fire. What if I did it wrong? What if I made an error? What if it was just awful?? I wrote and rewrote, hesitating at every word. Was it enough? Was it right? Was I proud of it? But the worst was the actual hitting of the publish button. After years in the publishing industry, I was used to having layers of editors and paginators between me and the published word … but with blogging, there are no layers. There is just you. And to me, that was scary.
I didn’t even tell anyone I was blogging for at least a month … and then it was literally years before my family found out and started to read it. I think I really wanted to find my footing in this really uncertain world. And I did.
So much has changed since those first entries. My infant son, who was just a few months old, is now a four-year-old boy. I landed an amazing publishing job, had a daughter and decided to go back to freelancing. I’ve landed other fabulous jobs since then.
And on a grander scale, food blogging has changed a lot since 2005. Back then, there were far less food blogs out there. It was a smaller community, where many people knew each other. These days, there are just too many to know every food blogger. I am constantly discovering great new ones. Aren’t you?
Oh, four years. Thank you all for reading! I hope you keep coming back for many years to come.
After the jump, check out my recipe for Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Mash–perfect for any night of the week and totally kid-friendly.
Read more
» Filed Under vegetables, vegetarian | 6 Comments
Apple Picking in November
November 9, 2009
The sky turned a brilliant blue today … better than anything Crayola could imagine. And the temperatures were downright warm — along the lines of what we expect from early October, but certainly not November. It was just one of those gloriously beautiful Sundays.
A day like today should be spent outdoors, enjoying the weather and the land. So, the kids and I packed into the car and headed to Blue Jay Orchards in Bethel, Conn., for some apple picking. Honestly, I didn’t know that you could pick apples in November, but you can.
» Filed Under pick your own | 3 Comments
Cranberry Salsa
November 7, 2009
Got chips?
It was mid-summer when I started dreaming up this cranberry concoction. While my family and I were contemplating whether the elevated temperatures really warranted turning on the air conditioner, I was also starting to fantasize about how I could take some traditional Thanksgiving tastes – like cranberry sauce – and give them a new life.
And this? This ain’t your grandmother’s cranberry sauce. Oh no, it’s totally different.
This Cranberry Salsa is made from ripe cranberries that I bought roadside on Cape Cod. It’s sweet and spicy, a perfect contrast to salty tortilla chips. It should also be amazing on a turkey sandwich … you know, the day after Thanksgiving. It’s something that you take one bite of and instantly want more. And perhaps the best part? It takes no time to make.
To make it hot, I used a habenero pepper, which gave it a hearty bite. If you like really hot, include the pepper seeds in the salsa. For a milder salsa, use a milder pepper like a jalapeno.
This might not be the sauce you thought you wanted for Thanksgiving. But it’s amazing — use it as an appetizer or alongside the turkey. The leftovers will be ideal for turkey and cheese quesadillas, nachos, alongside omelets …
But, that’s if you have any leftover to eat. It’s just so amazing.
For the recipe, head over to SheKnows where I wrote about three alternatives to cranberry sauce, including this one.
» Filed Under Appetizers, Healthy Cooking, holiday, sauce | Leave a Comment
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
November 4, 2009
Until last week, I had never carved a pumpkin myself. There was this one time in high school where I insisted on having a carved pumpkin … but aside from a tiny knife jab or two, I didn’t do the actual carving. But on Halloween, I carved two pumpkins and my husband carved another two. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see them lined up and lit on our front steps … heck, I may or may not be still lighting them since I love them so.
Pumpkins are fun. They are also very tasty (and nutritious! Don’t forget nutritious!). Just look at all the pumpkin recipes I have written about lately. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Pumpkin Coconut Muffins … yum.
But the flesh of the pumpkin isn’t the only wonderful, edible, tasty part … the seeds are also amazing — especially when they are roasted. Between the kids and I, we polished off a whole batch of these in just days. Honestly, a few pumpkins are on my farmers’ market list for this weekend. I am hoping to puree and freeze the flesh and roast more seeds.
Chances are, the seeds won’t last long.
As far as snacks go, this is one that I can feel good about serving to the kids. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, they have a good amount of protein, iron and even anti-inflammatory benefits. For men, they may even help with prostate health. Read more
» Filed Under Appetizers, Feeding Kids, Healthy Cooking | 2 Comments
Holiday Project Idea: Drop In & Decorate
November 3, 2009
Sometimes, it feels like I blink and a whole month has spun by. That’s what October felt like. It was a whirlwind of trips to New Hampshire and the Cape, along with birthdays, work projects and Halloween. I fear that I might blink again soon and have November speed past me too.
Before it does though, I wanted to tell you about a great organization that brings a little something extra to the lives of people who are down on their luck. While it might not fill a clear-cut need, I think something that brings a smile to faces fills an absolute need of delivering a little happiness … a little feeling of being special … to people who really need it.
Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry at the BlogHer Boston conference. She is a food writer and founder of Drop In & Decorate, a Rhode Island-based, tax-exempt nonprofit organization. This organization provides support for cooking decorating events held around the country and abroad, with the cookies produced being donated. This year, the nonprofit has support from some major companies who are making it easier than ever to just drop in.
What’s it all about? Here’s the basics, direct from Lydia:
The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community. It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do.
If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help. Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product — including sugar cookie mix, icing and flour — to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And we’ll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, while our supply lasts.
Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more info on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters.
It’s such a simple thing: to bake and decorate cookies. But it can mean so much. If you are looking for something charitable to do as a family, group or school this holiday season, check into Drop In & Decorate.
» Filed Under Great Gifts, News Break, On the web, holiday, organization | 1 Comment
Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2009
Last year, I was the mom who didn’t. I didn’t make it to school events on time. I didn’t remember when gym day was. I didn’t send in trinkets for holidays (a lot of parents do in our school). It was a big round of didn’ts. And it felt like no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get into the swing of school. It was a constant sense of missing something.
But this year is different. This year I vowed to be the mom who does. And so far, I am doing pretty well at it.
Sure, I might have packed these treat bags up while the kids ate lunch a mere 30 minutes before school today. But I still did it. And I was really happy with the results. Inside are some simple kid toys.
Most of all though, I loved the treat bags themselves. As I’ve mentioned, I adore Halloween … haunted houses, scary movies, the macabre. I love it all. So the creepy house on these cellophane bags? I just couldn’t resist. Total love.
So, tomorrow, Will will dress up as an adorable pirate and Paige as a pretty princess. Me? I’m going as a snazzy wicked witch. I cannot wait …
Do you dress up for Halloween? What will you (and your kids!) be this year?
» Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Spooky Cheese Ghosts
October 30, 2009
“Mommy, what’s this?” Will asked me when he sat down to dinner and saw two spooky ghosts on his plate. I could see him thinking hard as he studied the white apparitions. “Are they ghosts?”
Yes, indeed, they were ghosts.
I fashioned these ghosts from mozzerella cheese sliced from a block and slices kalamata olives. When I originally made these, I fastened the eyes with a dab of cream cheese, but I skipped that step this time. It’s nice to have everything stuck together, but it isn’t always necessary.
What I love most about these adorable ghosts? The flavors. Salty, brined olives are a fantastic contrast to the smooth, creamy cheese. Cute is great, but cute and tasty is even better. Seriously. Will must have thought so too, because he gobbled them right up.
I love Halloween.
Check out the directions for this and another freakish (and yummy!) Halloween treat on my latest post at the Mott’s More to the Core blog.
» Filed Under Feeding Kids, holiday | 1 Comment
Eating on the Cape
October 29, 2009
So, where did we eat this weekend on the Cape?
The Cape.
It feels so unnatural to me to say Cape Cod. It’s so formal, like something that someone who hadn’t ever been there would say. But I’ve been there many times. As a child, my family would make a yearly pilgrimage to the Cape for our massive annual family reunion. There would be volleyball and lobster. My grandmother would convene with her cousins, the ones that she’d spent summers playing on beaches and swimming with. Meanwhile, I would search the crowds (yes, crowds) for my generation of cousins … the ones who, although older, would build sandcastles on the beach with me.
I have a great family.
This past weekend was the first time that my children visited the Cape. While I doubt they will ever connect the concept of visiting the Cape with huge family gatherings like I do, I certainly hope that they do associate it would good times and good friends. I have great friends too.
Alright, enough musings … onto the food. Read more
» Filed Under Feeding Kids, Vacation, eating out | 2 Comments
Weekend in Cape Cod
October 27, 2009
On Friday, not long after hitting publish on previous blog post here, I loaded the kids into my trusty little Civic and headed to Cape Cod for the weekend. It was dark and rainy, but the drive was pretty easy and peaceful. And when we arrived, just after midnight, we were greeted by two of my wonderful friends who helped me to quickly unload the car and put the kids to bed.
It was a weekend that we had talked about for more than a month, sending links back and forth and brainstorming about things to see. High on the list was visiting a cranberry bog, which unfortunately didn’t happen. But we did score three pounds each of some freshly picked cranberries. Sweet! I cannot wait to get cooking with them. I have many great things planned …
Missing the cranberry bog wasn’t for lack of trying … we did what we could. We dropped in on an annual cranberry festival, where we ate some dried cranberries and scooted around a barn filled with people and vendors. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. But the kids were pleased since they scored some balloons and got to meet a friendly pig.
We checked out a fake lighthouse at the fair grounds and a real one at a beach. We ate fried clams and delicious brownies. We went to a small museum, ate in a small local diner that I have been to dozens of times )but didn’t totally realize that until we were mid-meal) and managed to hit the better part of the cape. It was a total blast.
Many good things can be said about good food and good company … and we were blessed with both this past weekend.
Click through to see more photos from our trip. Read more
