Dean and Deluca

I've lived in NYC my whole life and something I never have to worry about is a shortage of fantastic food and wonderful gourmet stores. Which brings me to Dean and Deluca, not only can you shop in person, but you can also shop online. Just a quick browse and you’ll be in food lovers’ paradise. For those who weren't brought up foodies or are still discovering their tastes, a big store filled with so many different types of delicious cheese, pasta, assorted oils, meat and so much more can seem a bit overwhelming, but luckily all of the items are listed with a detailed description and costumer written reviews.

Having Dean and Deluca is like having a gourmet chef at the drop of a hat. Let’s imagine that you’re throwing a last minute dinner party and just don’t feel like all the fuss, well, Dean and Deluca can take care of that! You’ll be able to buy beautiful already prepared appetizers, crackers, cheese, seafood and dessert. The dessert selection is enough to have me begging for more! Café crème torte, macaroons, even a selection of ice cream and gourmet popcorn!! I mean, you guys know me, I’m very big on preparing everything myself, but I’ll admit that sometimes a night will strike when I just want to be lazy and do something easy, Dean and Deluca makes that very easy for me.

There is really something for everyone here; the store is broken down into sections to make shopping a breeze: Butcher, Seafood and Shellfish, Hors D’oeuvres and Appetizers, Bread and Bakery, Cheese, Pasta, Rice and Grain, Salt and Seasoning, Coffee, Tea and Beverage, Desserts and Snacks, Jams, Syrups and Honeys, Oil, Vinegar and Condiments and last but not least, Kitchen and Dining. I challenge you not find something you’ll LOVE!  I’m tellin ya, make Dean and Deluca your next stop for all things gourmet, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll be salivating!! 

Filet of Sole and Shrimp Francese

Ciao il mio amici!! I love seafood. I have to admit though; I never actually cook with fish until very recently. As I've mentioned, I use to be a vegetarian and on top of that…this is going to sound childish, I hate touching raw protein. Fish, chicken, pork, you name it. I guess I had a certain idea of it that took some time to get over. Now…forget about it!! I love cooking protein, in fact, I love it so much, that not only do touching, butchering or cleaning raw protein not bother me, I actually LIKE it!! I know, it’s weird. Well, enough about my odd habits. The other night I wanted to try my hand at one of my favorite dishes..Filet of Sole and Shrimp Francese.

When I was little, my family would go to a local Italian restaurant and every time I got the same thing..Fillet of Sole Francese. Tender, flaky fish with a light coating of flour. Creamy lemon sauce. I mean, heaven right?!? So, this is my take on one of my favorite dishes. The sole and shrimp are made with just a light dusting of flour, I hate the idea of this dish made with so much of a coating that it just tastes like fried fish. You want the fish to practically melt in your mouth with all of the lemony, buttery goodness. Buon Appetite!!

Fillet of Sole and Shrimp Francese

6 tbsp. olive oil

6 tbsp. butter

5 or 6 pieces of sole (you can also use Tilapia)

1 pound of shrimp, cleaned, de-veined and butterflied

1 cup of flour

2 eggs

4 cloves of garlic

2 lemons, sliced

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup white wine

½ vegetable stock

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper (quanto basta!)

Start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 tbsp. of the oil and 3 tbsp. of the butter. Heat until foaming.

Pour your flour in a shallow dish or deep enough bowl. Whisk two eggs in a medium size bowl. Dredge the fillets in the flour, make sure you coat both sides and then dip the fish in the eggs, and make sure it’s evenly covered. Repeat with all of the fillets and add to your skillet. Cook each side for 4-8 minutes; you want the bottom of the filet to get lightly browned before you flip them. Transfer the fillets to a baking sheet and place them in the oven to stay warm.

Repeat the same exact process with the shrimp. The shrimp however will cook very quickly, around 1-3 minutes each side. Transfer to the same baking sheet with the fish. Once you are done with all of the fish, add the remaining oil and butter and garlic to the skillet. Wait for the butter to foam and add the sliced lemons. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, wine and bring to a boil, cook until somewhat reduced. Add the vegetable stock; bring to a boil until the sauce is lightly thickened. Sprinkle in the parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and add the fish and shrimp to the skillet. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!!

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Ciao!! I use to be a big believer in the more the chocolate, the better the intensity. I never thought recipes just made with cocoa could do the trick, I didn’t think they would give me that rich chocolate taste that I was craving. But clearly, I was wrong.

The other night I thought back to cookie I use to LOVE! It’s from a famous pastry shops that use to be on the Upper East Side, where much of my childhood was spent. Most weekends I would treat myself to a cookie; it’s just the way it was. I wanted to try to recreate that cookie, which I knew only use cocoa powder. I also wanted to add my own Italian spin, hence the hazelnuts and espresso.

Some of you may recall my Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe Contest” winning Baci Espresso Cookies; this recipe is similar, except that this is flourless and made only with egg whites. This cookie is incredible, it’s very rich, slightly chewy, but in a good way, almost like a meringue and surprisingly intense. The outside sets and cracks beautifully and the inside is a little gooey, the nuts add a great great. Try this cookie. You won’t be disappointed.

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Makes 9 medium size cookies

1 cup of blanched and roasted hazelnuts

1 ½ cups of confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup dark cocoa powder plus 1 tbsp.

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. espresso powder

2 egg whites

½ tsp. hazelnut extract

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Coarse sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and treat with cooking spray.

Mix in a large bowl your hazelnuts, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder. Add your eggs whites, hazelnut and vanilla extract. Using an electric mix, mix until combined and wet for around 2 minutes. I like to use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter out and make them all uniform. Top the cookies with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Bake for 15-17 minutes, you want the tops of the cookies to crack. Serve immediately and enjoy!! Buon Appetito!! 

Death by Nutella Cake 2.0

Ciao a tutti!! Some of you may recall my Valentine’s Day Post…Death by Nutella Cake. Layers of nutella brownie, nutella mousse, nutella glaze, melted chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. I knew I was a mad woman already, this cake just proved it more so. But the madness didn't stop there. Due to the popularity of this cake recipe, I knew I had something, I knew I had to do more…..and so I did.

Death by Nutella 2.0. That’s right, another version of the “famous” Death by Nutella Cake, but this time, I 2.0ed it, making it even more extravagant. I kept the nutella brownie, nutella glaze and nutella mousse, but I went it even further with this recipe by adding a hazelnut meringue layer, candied hazelnuts and making this recipe into individual cakes. Now, you can very easily make this recipe into one large cake, the same way the original Death by Nutella Cake was made, I just figured by making them into little masterpieces, the deeper I could indulge my madness.  So I give you, without further adieu, Death by Nutella Cake 2.0!!!!

ENJOYING MY CAKE!!!!

Death by Nutella Cake 2.0

Nutella Brownie

1 stick unsalted butter

½ cup cocoa powder

¾ cup sugar

½ cup nutella

3 ounces melted chocolate

2 eggs

½ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a round cake pan (9 by 1 ½ inch pan) and set to the side.

Melt 1 stick of butter and ½ cup of cocoa powder in the microwave, very slowly. You will want the cocoa to completely blend with the butter until it is smooth. When it’s silky, add ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup of nutella and 3 ounces of melted chocolate. Whisk in 2 eggs, add ½ cup flour and ½ tsp. salt. Fold. Make sure there are no lumps!! Pour into your cake and bake for 30 minutes.

When it is done, take it out of the oven and allow to cool for at least two hours. In the meantime, prepare the nutella mousse….

Nutella Mousse

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. espresso powder

1 tsp. hazelnut extract

½ cup nutella

In a medium size steel bowl, add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp. espresso power and 1 tsp. hazelnut extract. Whisk until the espresso powder is dissolved. Add ½ cup nutella and using an electric beater, whisk until soft peaks form, this should take around 2-3 minutes. Do not overbeat though. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours. Prepare the nutella glaze now..

Nutella Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup nutella

3 tbsp. milk

Add powdered sugar, nutella and milk to a medium size bowl. Whisk together until smooth. You can now prepare your hazelnut meringues…

Hazelnut Meringues

1 ¼ cup blanched hazelnuts

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup of confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts until finely ground, almost like a flour. In a medium size heatproof bowl, combine eggs, whites and pinch of salt. Set your bowl over, but not in, a pot with 2 inches simmering water and cook, whisk constantly until warm to the touch, it will take around 3 minutes. Remove the bowl for heat and using an electric mixer, beat on high until very thick and glossy. Fold in your hazelnuts.

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Grab a pastry bag, fit with a medium sized round pastry tip and fill with the meringue mix.  Using the pastry bag, form the meringues into small circles, around 3 by 3, this mix should make around 6 meringues of this size. Bake until cracked on top, around 19 minutes. Allow to cool. Now make your candied hazelnuts…

Candied Hazelnuts

¾ cup blanched hazelnuts

2/3 cup sugar

¼ water

Begin by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat your oven 350 degrees. In a medium size saucepan over high heat, combine hazelnuts, sugar and water. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent sugar from burning. Continue to cook until the sugar is caramel colored, around 7 to ten minutes.

Quickly pour the nuts on the parchment paper and spread out with a rubber spatula. Place in the oven for 3 minutes and then remove. Let the candied hazelnuts sit and cool until the sugar has completely hardened. Once it has hardened, break the candied hazelnuts into pieces, whatever size you like!

Assembling the Cake

Step 1- First start off with the cooled nutella brownie. Using either plating rings or cake rings (I use 3 by 3, you can of course use 4 by 4 or whatever size you like). Using a serrated knife carefully cut the brownie forms into two layers. Set one layer aside, leaving the other bottom layer right where it is!

Step 2- Take the nutella mousse out of the refrigerator and spoon onto the bottom brownie layer. It shouldn’t flow over the whole cake. Using a spatula spread over the brownie, leaving an inch or so of the edges of the brownie bare (when you put the final brownie layer on top, it will naturally push some of the mousse further.)

Step 3- Place one of your hazelnut meringues on top of the nutella mousse layer. Spread with another layer of nutella mousse.

Step 4- Carefully put the top brownie layer over the mousse layer. Pour some of nutella glaze over the brownie and top with some of the candied hazelnuts. Drizzle with a little more of the nutella glaze. Serve and enjoy! Buon Appetite!!

Italy, Beaches and Bikinis, Oh My!!

The pool at our hotel in Ischia

I spent the summer of 2011 in Italy studying opera. Most of my time was spent on the beautiful island of Ischia, just off the coast of Naples. While I was packing for my trip, I of course packed a lot of bathing suits. All of them were bikinis, except for one. I packed a black one piece with a matching skirt, in case, as I told my mother, I had a fat day. I had heard that Italians were different when it came to swimwear, but I had no idea just how different they really were.

The first day out in a suit was after a few days of binging in Rome. I felt a little more bloated than usual from all the bread and pasta, but I put on my favorite bikini anyway. A turquoise string bikini with wooden beads.  I was just going to the hotels outdoor pool and was hoping most people would be napping. The pool was packed. And everyone, young, old, thin and heavy, was in a bikini.

You would think living in an environment where you’re always in a bathing suit would make you much more body conscious, but if anything, it seems to have the exact opposite effect. Here in America, going to the beach is such an event for most women; we usually spend two weeks planning. We revamp our diet entirely and work out extra hard, knowing that soon our bodies will be on display. Not in Italy.

Women walk around with their heads held high, it’s no big deal to them. You see much older women in bikinis, which in America would be considered taboo. Girls who are maybe a bit fuller walk around in two pieces. 

Enjoying a nighttime stroll on the beach, not worrying about all the extra gelato I had!!

I am a healthy size, I'm 5’0 and around 100 pounds, but it just hurts to know that so many women are ashamed of their bodies. As a young woman, I have of course had my “fat” moments, but I have never felt bad about my body, because I am so grateful for everything that it can do.

Our bodies are not something to be ashamed of; they are to be celebrated. In Italy, almost all women wear bikinis. They’re confident and comfortable, to them it’s not even a second thought, it’s just a way of life. They don’t hide under a cover-up. They are proud of their bodies and not afraid to show it.  It’s such a different mentality, one that I wish all women, young and old, in the United States would adapt. Going to a beach in America is much more difficult. I hate it when I see other woman looking at each other and sizing each other up. Once I saw the way it was in Italy, putting on a bikini everyday was no big deal. In the past, I would check my stomach just to see if it was a little puffy, but I never did that once in Italy.....because it didn’t matter.

No one was going to judge me and think I should do more crunches or look at the woman in her 70s in the bikini and think she looked stupid or tell the size 18 girl to cover up. We should all feel this proud. So ladies, this summer when you’re going to the beach with all of your friends, get excited for a day of fun and sunshine (wear SPF!!) and put on that bikini

And by the way? That one piece didn’t come out of the suitcase the whole trip.

Memorial Day BBQ- Italian Sausage and Peppers Burgers with Zucchini and Eggplant Chips

Memorial Day has arrived!! Which officially means that beach season is here, I can finally enjoy a  stroll on the beach in my best bathing suit and a nice, cold ice cream (ahem, gelato) cone in hand. Memorial Day weekend is also the PERFECT excuse to invite some friends over, blast some music and throw a party, but not just any party, a BBQ of course! Now, some of us don’t have BBQ’s. Maybe we don’t know how to actually work a BBQ in the backyard or if you’re a city girl like me, you can’t have one in an apartment obviously. But that doesn’t mean you can’t throw a wonderful mock bbq!! And because I always have to put my own twist on everything, I just have to throw an Italian BBQ!

Now, when I think of Memorial Day and eating in someone’s backyard or even on my own terrace (I’m in NYC, it’s as close to a backyard as I’m gonna get!!) I love the idea of getting my hands messy and nothing says messy to me like a burger, but not just any burger. My Italian Sausage and Peppers Burger!! A delicious burger made with sausage and beef, topped with caramelized peppers and onions and fresh fontina!! And of course, you need something on the side, right? Well what goes better with a burger than chips!!! But again, I have to put my own fun twist on everything, so I’m making eggplant and zucchini chips!!!! And to enjoy with these delicious treats, some garlic aioli!! 

This is the perfect meal to enjoy over Memorial Day weekend! Buon Appetito!!

Italian Sausage and Peppers Burgers

The Burger Part

¾ pound ground lean beef

¾ pound sausage (you can use already ground sauce or around 2-3 links depending on the size)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

If you are using sausage links, start by taking the case off of each link. Add to a bowl with the ground beef. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning. I use my kitchen aid electric hand mixer with dough hooks to combine the meat, if you don’t have something like that; you can combine it gently with your hands, but not too much!! Once the meat is combined, form into patties. Prepare your pan, grill, BBQ, whatever you’re using, with some oil. Put the patties down. Since these are made with sausage, you have to make sure they are thoroughly cooked through; NO ONE WANTS TO EAT RAW PORK!! Cook for around 6-10 minutes on each side.

The Pepper and Onion Part

1 large sweet onion

3 cubanelle peppers

2 tbsp. oil

Clean your peppers, and then slice into thin strips, along with the onions. Prepare a medium size pan (or grill or bbq) with the oil. Add the peppers and onions and cook over low heat until they are nice and caramelized, around 40 minutes. I prefer cooking them on low heat so they don’t burn and get hard.

The Cheese Part

6 slices of fresh fontina

The Assembling of the Burger

Get yourself a nice fresh ciabatta or focaccia roll (like I did!!), slice it in half and put it on your grill or bbq for a minute or so to get a nice smoky taste. Take the bread off and add your burger, a nice serving of the peppers and onions and a slice or two of fontina.

Zucchini and Eggplant Chips

2 Japanese eggplants (I like to use them because of the size, they’re perfect for chips!)

2 zucchini

1 cup of oil (for frying)

3/4 cup of cornstarch

¼ cup of flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup of water

1 egg

Clean your eggplants and zucchini and dry them. Cut the zucchini and eggplant into very thin slices (You can make them however thin or thick you like, but they will fry better when they are thin and taste even crispier.)

Mix all of your dry ingredients, the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Then add your water and egg and beat lightly.

Use a deep enough pan to fry. Set your stove on high heat and put the oil in the pan. You will want to wait for it to really heat up before beginning to fry. Once it is hot, dip your vegetables in the batter and carefully immerse in the oil. Allow each side to fry for at least two minutes. Take the vegetables and put on a wire rack to cool. Salt lightly and enjoy!!

Garlic Aioli

1 cup of real mayonnaise

¼ cup olive oil with roasted garlic

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. paprika

Simply mix and of the ingredients together in a food processor and pulse a few times until the roasted garlic is broken down. Enjoy on the burger or with the chips!!

Enjoy these crispy delicious treats with your burger and a nice cold beer (it is Memorial Day weekend, I think beer might be more fitting than wine), put on some music and have some fun with friends and family this weekend and let’s kick off the summer right!! Mangia Bene!! 

Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake

Ciao a tutti! I am so excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you…my Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake!! I don’t like to brag, but this pound cake is absolutely incredible! It’s light, moist and delicious. Some of you might be thinking “olive oil?!?!” but the olive oil just adds a lovely subtle fruitiness (if you use good olive oil) and along with the ricotta gives the cake a wonderful texture.  I made mine in little individual cake pans, but you can use a standard pound cake pan. I also made a simple glaze to put on the top and served the cake with some roasted hazelnuts on the side, just because I look for any excuse to munch on a few hazelnuts. Enjoy!

Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake

¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups ricotta, at room temperature

1 ¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

3 eggs

Preheat the oven the 350 degrees. Butter your cake pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whip together the butter, ricotta, sugar, olive oil, vanilla and almond extract in a separate bowl with an electric mixer. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until nice and airy. Add the eggs into the mix. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until you put a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for around 15 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool. While you are letting the cake cool, you can prepare your glaze…

Simple Glaze

3 ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

4 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the sugar with milk and vanilla. You can continue to add a little milk until it is the consistency that you like it! Pour over the pound cake once it is COMPLETELY cool. Buon Appetito!!