off to italy

Tomorrow, my family and I are leaving for Italy. We are spending a few days in Venice and a week in Florence. We also plan on taking day trips to Siena and Pisa. I sure am excited for the food! Look forward to some food-related pictures on the 13th.

salami bread

We often make this quick and easy bread when we casually entertain. It's always gone by the end of the day. Simply roll out frozen pizza dough, place slices of salami and provolone on the dough, and roll it up to form a baguette-like shape. Press seams closed, and brush with egg wash. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden, about 30 minutes.

corn salad

This corn salad is a perfect side dish at a summer barbecue. The recipe comes from marthastewart.com.

Chop 1/2 pound bacon and cook in a saute pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Saute chopped whites of one bunch scallions in bacon fat, until tender. Add kernels of 4 to 5 ears of fresh corn, and saute until cooked through but still crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Add chopped scallion greens, and toss.

owl cupcakes

I guess I’ve just been in a cupcake crazy mood lately. It probably has something to do with the fact that my mom recently bought me a great cupcake decorating book, called Hello Cupcake. While I doubt that I will ever use the book for cake or frosting recipes, I will definitely continue to use it for inspiration when decorating. One of my favorite ideas in the book is for the owl cupcakes. Oreos, m&ms, and colored frosting are used to create these little guys. I did make two changes: I minimized the amount of piped frosting by using halved Mini Oreos for the ears and I substituted a yellow m&m turned on its side for the beak. Each one is full of character and a lot of fun!

pasta with sausage and roasted tomatoes

This pasta is a favorite at my house. It's bursting with flavor.

Pasta with Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. olive oil, divided
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage, casings removed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. mezze rigatoni
1/3 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. fresh basil, chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss tomatoes with 4 tbs. olive oil in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tbs. olive oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, adding garlic to pan for last minute of cooking time.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water; drain.

Combine roasted tomatoes, sausage, garlic, pasta, Parmesan, and basil in a bowl.

chocolate chip kiss cookies

My mom went to a party a month ago, where she tried these little cookies. They are a tasty variation of Peanut Butter Kiss Blossoms. For this cookie, Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie dough is baked in mini muffin tins, and, while they are still warm, a Hershey Kiss is stuck in the middle.

Straight from the oven, almost all cookies are soft, chewy, and slightly gooey. As they cool, though, they often lose these favorable characteristics. What’s great about these cookies is that they retain their fresh-baked qualities.

Chocolate Chip Kiss Cookies
From Nestle Tollhouse

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 oz. semisweet mini chocolate chips
9 oz. bag of Hershey Kisses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Cream butter and sugars, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Use small scoop (roughly one tablespoon) to drop cookie dough into mini muffin tins. Bake until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Press Hershey Kiss in the middle of each cookie, while still in tin. Use small offset spatula to lift cookies out of tin. Cool completely on wire racks.

roasted red potatoes

These roasted potatoes are crispy on the outside and have great flavor from the herbs.

Roasted Red Potatoes

2 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
4 to 6 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. dried rosemary
4 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place potatoes in large saucepan, and cover with enough cold water to cover. Salt water, cover, and bring to a boil for 5 to 8 minutes. Drain, and place potatoes on baking sheet.

Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Bake until browned and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.