Orange Peel Truffles

These confections are named after the fungus of the same name which is one of the rarest and most expensive foods in the world. Truffles are round and somewhat misshapen and since they come from in the earth, they are initially covered in dirt. A traditional chocolate truffle is coated in cocoa powder to resemble that look. This chocolate truffle recipe combines the wonderful flavors of semi-sweet chocolate ganache with orange peel infused cream, surrounded by a dark chocolate shell and topped with a candied orange peel. The recipe below yielded almost 4 dozen bite-size truffles. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. I like using a non-stick bakeware liner for these and many other recipes. Super versatile, they're also easy to clean. Silpat is a great brand but there are also other less expensive brands out there.

2. Good candy dipping tools are preferred but not essential. If you don't have any you can use a fork.

INGREDIENTS
2 Oranges
¾ cup heavy cream
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
Dark couveture chocolate, for dipping
Candied orange peel for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS
1. Line baking sheet with wax paper.
2. Using a peeler or citrus stripper, remove the rind of one of the oranges.
















3. Zest the other orange using a microplaner then set aside.
















4. Place orange rind and cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until it just before scalding, then remove from the heat and cover for 30 minutes.
















5. Place the chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
6. Place the cream back on the stove for a few minutes to heat, then carefully remove the orange rind.
7. Pour cream into the metal bowl and let sit without stirring for a few minutes.
8. Starting in the middle, gently stir in a circular motion until the cream and chocolate are incorporated.
















9. Stir in the orange zest.
10. Cover bowl and place in fridge to firm for 2 hours.
11. When firm enough to shape, spoon ½ tsp of ganache into your hand then roll into a ball and place on your nonstick liner.































12. Repeat for the remainder of the ganache, then place tray in freezer for 2 hours.
13. Melt dark couveture (candy dipping) chocolate over a double broiler, then remove from heat































14. Carefully drop the truffles into the dark chocolate and roll to coat, then gently place back on the liner.
15. Before the dark chocolate hardens, place a small piece of candied orange peel on the wet chocolate.
















16. Repeat for remaining truffles then place back in the fridge for one hour.

Smooth White Grape Gazpacho

I saw this recipe some time ago being made by Claire Robinson on Food Network and thought it looked too good to not try. Gazpacho is a cold, summertime soup hailing from the Andalusia region in southern spain. The soup is uncooked and traditionally uses vegetables with garlic, olive oil, vinegar and sometimes lemon juice. This recipe used fruit and I loved it. Slightly sweet yet very refreshing. Maybe it will bring summertime here sooner. The recipe below yields 8 good-sized portions. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups seedless white grapes, plus more finely chopped or sliced, for garnish
1 cup regular soy milk, chilled
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped, plus more thinly sliced, for garnish
1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Put the soy milk and almonds in the jar of a blender and puree until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
















2. With the motor running, slowly add the grapes, scallions and lime juice.































3. Season with salt and pepper and puree until well blended.
















4. Chill in the refrigerator until very cold, then stir well before serving.
5. To serve, pour into a small bowls and garnish with chopped or sliced grapes and sliced scallions.

Baklava

Popular in Greece and Turkey, this sweet pastry is made of many layers of butter drenched paper-thin dough with a filling of spices, ground nuts, rosewater and a honey citrus syrup. I have eaten this a few times over the years and have always loved the different textures; the stickiness of the syrup, the crunch of the nuts and the crisp of the cooked dough. So, when I saw this made on the "Good Eats" by Alton Brown, I had to try it. This recipe is a time consuming one, requiring about an hour of prep time plus 8 hours of sitting time, but the outcome is so worth it. I made a few modifications to Alton's version, but the recipe below yields 32 pieces. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. I didn't have any rose water so I made my own by adding some rose petals and lavender to the water and let it soak for 30 minutes.

2. I also didn't have any pistachios handy so I used macadamia nuts and they worked great.

INGREDIENTS
Filling
1 (5-inch piece) cinnamon stick, broken into 2 to 3 pieces or 2 tsp ground
15 to 20 whole allspice berries or 3 tsp ground
6 oz blanched almonds
6 oz raw or roasted walnuts
6 oz raw or roasted pistachio
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp rose water
1 box (2 packages) phyllo dough, thawed
8 oz clarified unsalted butter, melted

Syrup
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece fresh orange peel

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F for metal pan, 325 degrees for glass.
2. Place the cinnamon stick and whole allspice into a spice grinder and grind.
3. Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and freshly ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.
















4. Combine the water and rose water in a small spritz bottle and set aside.
















5. Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan.





















6. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter.
















7. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo.
8. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly.
9. Spritz thoroughly with the rose water.
















10. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water.
11. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water.
12. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet.
13. Brush the top generously with butter.
14. Place in the fridge for 1 hour, then remove and cut your pieces halfway through.
















15. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
















16. Remove pan from the oven and recut your pieces, this time going all the way through.
17. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
18. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for an hour and a half.
















19. Once cooled, combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat.
20. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
21. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
















22. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
23. Recut your pieces one more time, following the same lines as before, then pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan.
















24. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool.
















25. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving.

26. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Meatballs

This recipe is my own. Who doesn't love the combination of meat and cheese, especially when that cheese is stuffed inside a meatball and paired with a delicious homemade tomato sauce and noodles. I get hungry just looking at the picture above! The recipe below yields 12 good sized meatballs. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. Ensure that the meat entirely surrounds the cheese so that the cheese doesn't leak out while in the oven.

2. Be very gentle with the meatballs when adding them back into your sauce. If you're not careful they may break which won't add any points for your presentation.

INGREDIENTS
Meatballs
¼ cup milk
2 slices white bread, cut into cubes
1 pound lean ground beef
½ medium onion, diced
1 egg
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
1 stick mozzarella string cheese, cut into 12 small cubes

Sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
2 Tbs freshly chopped basil leaves
2 Tbs freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
16 oz spaghetti

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread. Let the bread absorb the milk.
















3. Add remaining meatball ingredients except the cheese.
















4. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.
5. Take about 3 Tbs of the meat mixture and roll into a ball and press into a patty.
6. Plaze a mozzarella cube onto the patty and bring up the sides around the cheese and roll between hands to form a ball.
















7. Place onto a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining meat and cheese.
















8. Place the meatballs into the oven and cook for 12 minutes.
9. Remove baking sheet from the oven and set aside.
















10. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
11. Add onion, garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
















12. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
















13. Gently stir in the meatballs and any pan drippings from baking sheet.
















14. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
15. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes.
















16. Drain and place pasta on a large serving platter.
17. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti. Pour the sauce on top and serve immediately.

Vertical Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I saw the picture of this appetizer in a very old Better Homes and Garden magazine and I knew I had to make it. I'm not sure why I'm on such a blue cheese and pear kick lately but this one is not only delicious, it's fun to make and look at. The recipe below yields 4 servings. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. Make sure you use ripe pears. If using Bartlett, the more yellow, the more ripe. If it's not as yellow as you'd like it to be, leave it out on the counter for several hours before using.

INGREDIENTS
½ tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup plus 2 oz crumbled blue cheese
4 smooth-skinned pears
2 cups watercress or spring mix salad
2 Tbs walnuts, candied

DIRECTIONS
1. In small bowl, mix oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar
2. Slowly add olive oil while whisking mixture together
















3. Add 1 cup blue cheese, then set vinaigrette aside
4. Toss salad with walnuts, 2 oz blue cheese and vinaigrette































5. Core pears from the bottom, using a melon ball scooper, leaving the stem intact
















6. Slice pears in four horizontal slices
7. Reassemble pears with salad mix in between

8. Drizzle with honey and serve

Brie Fondue Hash Browns

This wonderful recipe comes via Alex Guarnaschelli from foodnetwork.com. The smell of this in the oven was heavenly and the taste was every bit as good. I am a huge brie fan so the combination, though unusual, was a hit. I think this would be great for breakfast or dinner or even an "amuse bouche" at a dinner party. The recipe below yields 6 servings. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 large Idaho potatoes, washed, peeled and diced
Pinch paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup apple juice
1 8 oz Brie cheese, rind trimmed off the bottom side

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
3. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the butter and the potatoes.
















4. Season with a pinch of paprika and salt and pepper, to taste.
















5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they become tender but crispy, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the onions and the juice. Season again with salt and pepper and increase the heat.
















7. The potatoes should eventually start to brown. Add more butter, if desired.
















8. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so that potatoes brown on all sides.
9. Put cheese in the middle of the skillet on top of everything and place the pan in the center of the oven.
















10. Bake until the cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Plate by putting a base of the hash browns on a plate and topping with a small wedge of the brie and a few sprinkles of green onion.
12. Serve immediately.