3 Cheese White Pizza with Truffle Oil-daRosario Review

Some things about me, just don't make sense. Like...I hate mushrooms. Always have. But...gosh darn it I am OBSESSED with all things truffle (although I don't think I could just straight up eat a whole truffle mushroom...) My first taste of the friggin' indescribable goodness of truffle was back when I was a cater waiter, I tried a truffle oil french fry. And I died. BECAUSE OMG. And since then my love has only grown. But, I had never had my own truffle oil to use. Because...well....it's pricey. The foodie heavens all aligned, though, and led to me meeting a delightful man while I was working one of my day jobs, and this man happens to work with daRosario. And when he heard about my blog, he offered me some of their truffle oil to try. And guys...let's dish.

Turns out, all other brands of truffle flavored anything are synthetic. daRosario Organics is the only company that makes 100% USDA Organic truffle and porcini oils, and guarantee all of their ingredients are real (which means real truffles, no artificial flavors, no "aroma" no "essence" and no "extracts".) Their products include (in addition to the truffle oils) white and black truffle mayonnaise, white truffle honey, and white and black truffle butters (all of which are organic and real). The flavor speaks for itself-seriously, it's the only brand I'll use from now on.

When I got my truffle oil, so many thoughts of ways I could play with it zoomed through my mind. But I could not stop thinking about some ricotta pizzas with truffle oil I've had-so I decided to make my own version! Using the Neapolitan style pizza crust I'd learned to make (but you could def. make this pizza using any pizza crust you prefer), and a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmigiana romano cheeses...just...OH MY GAWD. I am IN LOVE with this pizza. I've made it twice already. Even Michael liked it! Seriously, just the perfect combination of flavors. You're gonna feel like a gourmet chef when you make this, and like a goddess (or god...I'm fairly certain some of you readers are dudes also) when you take your first bite. TRUFFLE PIZZA NIRVANA.

Garlic Herb Ciabatta Grilled Cheese-Great Midwest Flavored Cheeses Review

Let's talk cheese. If you don't like cheese,or are dairy free/lactose intolerant...I'm so so sorry but this post is not for you. You see, I was contacted by the amazing people at Great Midwest cheeses to try their 12 varieties of flavored artisan Cheddars and Monterey jacks, review them for you, give you a chance to win them (scroll past the recipe for that), and to tell you all about this SUPER AMAZING recipe contest they've got going on!

So first, the cheese. Great Midwest is available at select retailers, club stores and cheese shops nationwide (find where to buy near you here). They're all natural, handcrafted in small batches and made in Wisconsin, using only pure, certified hormone free milk! The flavors range from sweet (ooh la la Blueberry Cobbler Cheddar) to savory (such as my personal favorite, Garlic & Dill Cheddar) to spicy (hoo! Most of all the Habanero Jack!)-and Michael and I tried them all. You know...for the sake of professionalism. The one big factor that struck both of us about all the cheeses-their smooth and silky texture, it is divine! Plus, they melt extremely well (part of why they make such phenomenal grilled cheeses!) All of the cheeses did an amazing job at representing their flavors-they were very true to them, but not overbearing. Plus-they're so versatile. Depending on which flavor, they can be used for snacks, on crackers, shredded over salads, added to casseroles, omelets, mac n cheese, even used in baking!

Now, this August and September, Great Midwest is hosting a recipe contest-inviting home chefs (or fellow food bloggers ;P) to submit their favorite grilled cheese recipe, using Great Midwest cheese(s), for a chance to win one of eight prizes including a vacation, Panini presses and cookbooks! You can enter through Facebook or their website, and you can check those out for more details on how the recipes will be judged as well as for any rules or restrictions. Essentially, though, key areas for the judging are: the use of Great Midwest cheeses, taste, and creativity/originality of the recipe (this is a big component so you're encouraged to go crazy and have some off the wall ideas!).  They're also offering bonus points to entrants that share their participation on Facebook, anyone that posts anything on the Great Midwest Facebook page – whether it be a photo of their sandwich, their recipe, them in the kitchen cooking, etc. – will get bonus points on their entry. It's SUPER cool and I strongly encourage everyone to give it a shot and enter!

Since we're talkin' original grilled cheese recipes...obviously I had to make my own! So I did! Using that amazing ciabatta bread with the shredded Morel & Leek Jack, I then layered in some slices of the Garlic & Dill Cheddar (hands down my favorite cheese in the bunch, but are you really surprised?). And what did we get?

BEST GRILLED CHEESE EVER (in my humble opinion).

This ciabatta makes the most gorgeous golden brown, perfectly buttery and crisp bread for the grilled cheese, and it's simply stunning to see how beautifully the cheddar in the middle melted down (and how it really mellowed out the flavor). It is cheesy and buttery and garlic-y and herb-y and just like heaven dancing on your tastebuds. I cannot get enough of it. I didn't even used to like grilled cheese that much and now? I'VE EATEN THIS GRILLED CHEESE EVERY DAY SINCE I FIRST MADE IT-until I ran out of bread! And I miss it! Because oh em geeee. Fantastic. Just...so good. There aren't enough words to express my happiness over one lil cheesy sandwich.

Thank you Great Midwest.

Thank you.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Banana Pops

I love summer, ok? I do. I wait for it all year round.

But it has been HOT! 

Last week I had to walk for a half hour, dragging a bag with 4 wine bottles, to work, in 100 degree heat (wearing all black). I WAS MISERABLE. Oh sweet lord it was awful. Luckily, it's cooled down a bit since then but...still...hot. And while we're still in the midst of this heat, let's get the most of the frozen treats that both refresh us and make our hearts and tummies happy.

Like with these popsicles.

Do you all remember when I talked about my Zoku Quick Pop Maker? Well, this is another popsicle I made using my beautiful little pop maker. But I made it up. Soo...sorry for the lack of actual written down ingredient amounts...this is sort of a make it up as you go kinda recipe. It's cool though, we don't need to be completely structured here, right?*

*(omg I'm so control freak-y, planner, type A, that just typing that sentence made me feel wrong.)

Growing up, my house was the only house in the neighborhood (in which children lived anyway) that had A/C. My grandpa owned (and my dad worked at) a heating and cooling company so...I mean obviously we had to have a good system. Anyhow, because of this fact, all the neighbor kids congregated at our house to make the most of the cool, cool, air conditioned air. One of those kids, my (still) best friend Alex, who is living at home for the summer, just tweeted at me that I need to move back home so she can come over and bask in the air conditioning...like old times.

Another very strong summer memory I have is of frozen chocolate covered bananas. They were one of my mom's summer staples and I was always clamoring for them, I LOVED em! Couldn't get enough. They were one of my favorite parts of summer.

So, these pops are sort of meant to emulate those flavors. And...I added peanut butter...because...it's never not a good idea to add peanut butter. Plus some people have peanuts on their frozen chocolate bananas (something I never experienced until trying one at a fair) and so you could say the peanut butter adds that flavor element there.

See? Perfect sense. Eat some popsicles, yo' while we still can!

Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'm having a very strange phase lately, you guys...

to put it simply...

I've been eating spinach.

I KNOW! It's like...I don't even know who I am anymore! 15 year old Kayle (let's face it...birth through age 19 year old Kayle's) is staring at me, wide mouthed with horror. Here is how that conversation might go:

15 y/o Kayle: OMG WHAT ARE YOU LIKE DOING? EATING SPINACH!? EWWW SO GROSS! 

Me: Calm down...seriously...just...calm down. Not just right now. Overall. You need to chill out. Trust me. But also...it's really not gross. You haven't even tried spinach.

15 y/o K: IT'S GROSS AND BITTER AND MUSHY AND COMES IN A CAN AND POPEYE EATS IT! THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW!

Me: Oh my heavens was I seriously this loud and excitable?  *grabs 15 year old self and shakes* YOU CANNOT TAKE LIFE LESSONS FROM CARTOONS! Also, spinach can be eaten other ways.

15 K: I had a leaf of it raw once...it tasted like a leaf. WHO WANTS TO EAT LEAVES!?

Me: FOR PETE'S SAKE CALM DOWN! Ok, you're not 100% wrong there. Just...trust me kid...something about combining spinach with other stuff-say, garlic-makes it not gross. I promise.

15 K: Why can't you just eat like an entire thing of oreo's instead?

Me: *sigh* These lessons are just gonna take time. Go back to high school...you've got a lot of stuff coming your way. Oh but have fun in the musical! Try not to flirt too much with the boys, you look ridiculous.

15 K: *fully ignores me and goes off and does all the stupid things she'll do that'll eventually lead to me now*

As you can see...we've come a long way. Anyway, like I was saying-I've been eating spinach. You already know about the pies/pastries I've been making, and I've also been putting a few leaves in my salads lately (but not too many because 15 year old Kayle is right...they do just taste like leaves and I am not a giraffe).

So, all of this spinach eating made me think about a mashed potato recipe I made a while back. It used kale and...it was fine but...well...kale is super bitter. I could hardly handle it even when camouflaged with mashed potatoes. But spinach, to me at least, has a much more mild flavor so I thought "Hey! Let's see what we can make with that!"

Success! These potatoes are full of delicious flavor (yay roasted garlic, scallions, and parmesan cheese!) but without the guilt! These potatoes have fiber, nutrients, and a touch of good fats. A perfect side dish to make your taste buds and your belly be in complete agreement (even if you and your 15 year old self are not).

Sicilian "Enchiladas"- #SundaySupper

EEe! It's my first #SundaySupper post! Yay! So excited to be a part of this amazing group. This week is celebrating the holidays that are coming up-Easter and Passover, and is hosted by one of my bloggy buds, Carla from Chocolate Moosey.

But enough oohing and ahing, let's talk about a little something my family calls "scapelli"/"scapellis" (I have no idea if that's how it's spelled, I've never seen it written, we just say it. I'm told it apparently translates to "hot hands"...maybe in Sicilian or some local dialect? I'm unsure.). My grandma (dad's mom) has been making them, usually about once a year (and almost always for Easter), for as long as I can remember. She learned how to make them from my grandpa Blogna's mom, my great-grandma Helen. So they're some kind of Italian dish, but no one has ever heard of them, and I have had 0 luck finding anything about scapellis on the interwebs. I now am assuming they are some sort of family recipe, that is pretty much exclusive to my family (and possibly any relatives I have back in Italy). Now, let me explain what scapellis are, and if they sound familiar OMG tell me because I'll freak out.

Now...my knowledge is sort of fuzzy. I've never watched my grandma make the whole thing start to finish, and the woman has been insanely stubborn about writing it all down for me. Scapellis are a sort of crepe-like thing (made from flour, eggs, and water), made in a skillet greased with um...saltback, porkback? Something like that. And then they soak in hot chicken broth (wedding soup is usually being made at the same time, so I'm pretty sure she uses the same chicken stock). Now here comes the "hot hands" part. You take out the hot, soaked, scapellis and sprinkle Romano cheese inside, then you roll them up and transfer them to a dish, where they will all be soaked in hot chicken broth again. And you sprinkle more Romano cheese on top of all of that. It's served in a shallow bowl with some of the broth and lots of Romano. It sounds really strange, and simple, and like not that big of a deal.

BUT OH MY LORD IT TASTES AMAZING. We cannot get enough of them. My brother and grandpa hold contests to see who can eat more, but we all gorge ourselves. They're even one of the things my mom misses about that family, so we usually try to sneak her some home. Just....so full of flavor and goodness, yet they're somehow indescribable. It's like...there's no way you can understand their appeal until you try for yourself.

And I like...never get to eat them. I'm rarely home and am lucky if I'm there for a time when they're made. And, like I said, my grandma is being a real pain about getting me that recipe.

Then, when I made homemade tortillas and enchiladas for Michael's birthday, inspiration struck! I could make my own version of scapellis in the meantime! In sort of a scapelli-enchilada hybrid kind of way. Pretty much what I did was use my homemade flour tortillas to try to simulate the flavors of scapellis (and add in some shredded chicken to make it a bit more entree-worthy). And it was a success! These definitely are not exactly the same as my family favorite, but they will definitely keep me happy until I can try making the real thing. And they're just awesome in their own right, as they are. :)

Give em a try. You'll see. 

UPDATE: I FOUND THEM (probably, slightly different but pretty much)!!! THEY'RE SPELLED SCRIPPELLE and they're actually from a different side of my grandpa's family than I realized, they're from his family that are from Abruzzo, not Sicily! MYSTERY SOLVED!

Lasagna: A Guest Post for I'm Cookin' In My Kitchen

I have some very exciting stuff for you today! I have written my first ever guest post over at one of my best blogging friends, Jenn's, blog- I'm Cookin' In My Kitchen. It's a fairly new blog-but full of lots of delicious recipes, fun and oftentimes inspiring writing from Jenn, and the occasional adorable photo of her cat, Buddy. :)

She requested I share a favorite Italian recipe, perhaps a family one? And so, if you would like the recipe to that delicious lasagna you see up there (that Michael and I absolutely gobble up whenever I make it) head on over and check it out!

AND to celebrate our combined first guest post ever, Jenn is hosting a great giveaway! Click to see what she's giving, and how to enter!CLOSED

Lasagna

Family recipe from my Grandma Friedrich (maiden name Moore)

Makes 1 large lasagna pan (or one 9 x 13 pan and one 11 x 7 pan)

Ingredients:

·         About 1 pound lasagna noodles (you may need less, I usually do. I also use Ready Bake lasagna noodles to make my life easier—I end up using 15 noodles in all, when doing so. To make this healthier you can use whole wheat.)

·         32 oz. Container of ricotta cheese (you may use less or more, depending on your preference of how much ricotta you want. I always use 32 oz. I also love ricotta.)

·         Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Provolone cheese. The original recipe calls for 1 package, each, of sliced cheese. I prefer to use shredded, and usually use about 3 bags of “Italian” shredded cheese (which contain a mix of mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone). (You can also use different cheeses, or more or less, to taste.)

·         About 1 large can/jar of your favorite pasta sauce (homemade or store bought. I use meat, you can use meatless or whatever you like. The amount you use depends on preference. I use less than called for, as I don't love a lot of sauce.)

·         1 pound ground beef, browned in a skillet (Optional-you can also use whatever add-ins you choose.)

Preparation:

·         Cook lasagna noodles and drain (if not using oven ready noodles). Brown the ground beef in a pan—season to taste.

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

·         Spray pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray.

·         Put a very thin layer of sauce on bottom of pan(s) (helps keep bottom layer of noodles moist). Then lay lasagna noodle layer. Layer (in whatever order you prefer. I usually layer noodles-sauce-ricotta-beef-cheeses-noodles-etc.) the meat, ricotta, other cheeses, sauce, and noodles. Repeat until the pan is nearly full. (9 x 13 pans have 3 layers, 11 x 7 pans have 2 layers—could perhaps hold 3.) The top of the lasagna should have the cheeses.

·         Sprinkle dried basil on top of layered lasagna (optional).

·         Cover with foil (with the underside coated in non-stick spray) and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake more 10-15 minutes-or until bubbly and beginning to brown.

·         Let sit 5 minutes before cutting.

·         Make Ahead Directions: Take the layered, uncooked, lasagna pan(s) and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and replace the foil. Bake refrigerated lasagna the same as you would bake fresh. Bake frozen lasagna 1 hour and 30 minutes, making sure to remove the foil before the final 10-15 minutes of baking.

Browned Butter Dark Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies-Cookie Wars 2012!

You remember how I told you guys about Baker Bettie's Cookies Are The New Cupcake? She's taken it to the next level!! I'm not sure if you're familiar with The Food Network show "Cupcake Wars", but Baker Bettie is hosting "Cookie Wars"!!! The requirements are that it must be an original recipe (although the base can be adapted), and it must have at least 2 of the following ingredients:

"Oreo Balls" a la Kayle (No Cream Cheese!)

This is not one of those recipes where there are...umm....measurements. It was pretty much just me doing a lot of improvising and guesswork. "Let me esplain....no, there is too much. Let me sum up" (The Princess Bride-my fav. movie):

We had only been moved in a short while. My new food processor was sitting there, begging me to use it. I had a half used package of Oreos, that had pretty much gone stale. I was having a chocolate craving (which happens at about 4:00 PM every day). I thought to myself, "Hey! I have that Oreo Balls recipe on my computer from How Sweet, I should make that!" Once I consulted the recipe, I realized....I didn't have cream cheese. Nor do I particularly enjoy it in my desserts. I searched the internet for substitutions but found nothing. But I figured...how hard could it be to just mimic the texture?

 So, I broke apart the Oreos I had left and put them in the food processor. Then I decided peanut butter might be a good substitute for the cream cheese, so I put some of that in there to. I processed for a while but...it was too thick. I added some more peanut butter. I added a little milk. Then I melted some chocolate and poured that in there too. That did the trick! They seemed to be the exact same consistency as the actual "Oreo Balls"!. Then I did as my original recipe instructed, I rolled the mixture into many little balls, and put them on a tray and set them in the freezer for an hour or so. After they'd frozen and firmed up, I melted some chocolate and dipped them in and coated them (some got covered in milk chocolate, others in dark-I definitely think I preferred the dark chocolate). Then back to the freezer (where they remained)!

They. Were. Per-fect! PERFECT! I loooved them, Michael loved them! It was a miracle! They were like yummy little peanut butter Oreo truffles and they were awesome-I hope you try them and love them as much as we did (and now I have something to do with leftover Oreos!) :).

Oreo Balls

Author: Kayle, "The Cooking Actress"

Ingredients:

• Oreos
• peanut butter
• melted chocolate (milk, dark, or white-whatever you prefer) + more to coat the Oreo balls
• Optional-milk, if the consistency is too thick

Preparation:

• Break up Oreo's and place in a food processor. Add peanut butter and melted chocolate. Proccess until it reaches a consistency that will allow you to roll them into small balls. If too thick, add a bit of milk and/or extra melted chocolate.
• Rolls the mixture into small balls (about the size of a gumball). Place on a tray that is lined with wax paper or parchment paper and freeze for about 1 hour, until firm.
• Melt some chocolate and dip the frozen Oreo balls in until coated. Place back on the wax or parchment paper and return to the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.
• Store leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator.