Hello everyone! -- my blogs are being shifted, combined, and moved to my new address:
www.vanessauttaro.com
I hope this will be a better (and more organized) outlet for all my recipes, design ideas, furniture makeovers, restaurant experiences, etc... as well as a place for a personal blog, and to (eventually) show some of my photography.
Please visit, and comment on my posts, because right now the site is looking a little lonely!
I can be reached at vuttaro@me.com if you have any suggestions.
Thanks, see you on the other side! :)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Salmon w/ avocado and lemon, orzo w/ dill
The best part about fish? It's fast. I'm tired from working all day, I've got a headache, and I'm really hungry, and in under ten minutes, I can whip up a fantastic meal.
4 oz. salmon fillets
Lemon, half sliced into rounds, half cut into wedges
Sea salt
Orzo (1/2 to 1 cup)
Chopped dill (or any green herbs of your choice)
Lemon juice and/or extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Bring separate pots of water to boil, one for cooking the oil, and one for steaming the salmon (you will need to fit a steamer over the pot). When the water is boiling, add the orzo and cover to cook. Fashion the steamer over the second pot, and place the salmon over a bed of lemon rounds. Rub sea salt to taste into the fillet, and cover. Steam for 7-9 minutes, cook the orzo for approximately the same time (until al dente).
Cut the avocado into wedges, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside.
Chop the dill, and set aside.
When the orzo is cooked, stir in the lemon and or olive oil, and dill. Serve the salmon with lemon slices over it (it's great to eat whole pieces, rind and all, with the fish), and avocado on the side. Sprinkle a little more sea salt if necessary, over the fish and the orzo.
I had mine with a glass of Yellow Tail Riesling -- it's affordable, and it's good, too!
And, for dessert? Ice cream sandwiches, of course. It's all class around here, folks!
4 oz. salmon fillets
Lemon, half sliced into rounds, half cut into wedges
Sea salt
Orzo (1/2 to 1 cup)
Chopped dill (or any green herbs of your choice)
Lemon juice and/or extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Bring separate pots of water to boil, one for cooking the oil, and one for steaming the salmon (you will need to fit a steamer over the pot). When the water is boiling, add the orzo and cover to cook. Fashion the steamer over the second pot, and place the salmon over a bed of lemon rounds. Rub sea salt to taste into the fillet, and cover. Steam for 7-9 minutes, cook the orzo for approximately the same time (until al dente).
Cut the avocado into wedges, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside.
Chop the dill, and set aside.
When the orzo is cooked, stir in the lemon and or olive oil, and dill. Serve the salmon with lemon slices over it (it's great to eat whole pieces, rind and all, with the fish), and avocado on the side. Sprinkle a little more sea salt if necessary, over the fish and the orzo.
I had mine with a glass of Yellow Tail Riesling -- it's affordable, and it's good, too!
And, for dessert? Ice cream sandwiches, of course. It's all class around here, folks!
Monday, August 9, 2010
All you need is love -- homemade pierogi
If you spend enough time in a kitchen, especially if you're baking, you know about making food with love. LOVE, apparently, is very important -- it keeps the pie sweet, and the dough rising and the flavors proportionate.
Well, last night I made dinner without love, and it showed! It tasted good.. but, it sure wasn't pretty. That's why this picture of perfect little pierogi isn't mine. I'm ashamed to say it, but I had to put SOME picture up, this page just looks so blank without one.
I really don't know how anyone got them to look so pretty... probably they didn't have to work in a 199-degree kitchen the size of a closet while battling a migraine headache.
I served mine with onions sauteed in butter, sour cream, and fried kielbasa, because if you don't have any love left, you can at least add yummy sausage. This would probably be awesome with sauerkraut, too, but I didn't make any because my 'fella hates it. Either way, here's the recipe... just don't forget to add the LOVE!
Pierogi dough
Ingredients:
2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup softened butter
Pierogi filling
Stir together the flour and salt. Beat the egg separately, and add to the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, and the softened butter. Knead the dough together until smooth. Wrap in plastic, or store in plastic bags or storage containers, and leave in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (it can be stored for a couple days).
Pierogi filling
Ingredients:
4-5 red potatoes
1/2 large onion, diced
Butter, for sauteing
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel and boil the potatoes. Saute the diced onion in butter. Mash the potatoes (you can add a spoonful of sour cream to soften it), and stir in the sauteed onions. Add a few sprinkles of salt and pepper, and let cool.
Once the dough has set and the filling has cooled, roll the dough onto a floured surface, leaving about 1/8-inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough with a biscuit cutter (I just use an old tin can, or a drinking glass). Roll these a little flatter, and fill with the Pierogi filling. Pin together the edges of the dough, making a half-moon shape, and seal along the edges with a fork.
Add the pierogi to a pot of boiling water, cooking them for a few minutes after they have risen to the top of the water. Saute them in butter, with more diced onions, and serve with cold sour cream.
Well, last night I made dinner without love, and it showed! It tasted good.. but, it sure wasn't pretty. That's why this picture of perfect little pierogi isn't mine. I'm ashamed to say it, but I had to put SOME picture up, this page just looks so blank without one.
I really don't know how anyone got them to look so pretty... probably they didn't have to work in a 199-degree kitchen the size of a closet while battling a migraine headache.I served mine with onions sauteed in butter, sour cream, and fried kielbasa, because if you don't have any love left, you can at least add yummy sausage. This would probably be awesome with sauerkraut, too, but I didn't make any because my 'fella hates it. Either way, here's the recipe... just don't forget to add the LOVE!
Pierogi dough
Ingredients:
2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup softened butter
Pierogi filling
Stir together the flour and salt. Beat the egg separately, and add to the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, and the softened butter. Knead the dough together until smooth. Wrap in plastic, or store in plastic bags or storage containers, and leave in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (it can be stored for a couple days).
Pierogi filling
Ingredients:
4-5 red potatoes
1/2 large onion, diced
Butter, for sauteing
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel and boil the potatoes. Saute the diced onion in butter. Mash the potatoes (you can add a spoonful of sour cream to soften it), and stir in the sauteed onions. Add a few sprinkles of salt and pepper, and let cool.
Once the dough has set and the filling has cooled, roll the dough onto a floured surface, leaving about 1/8-inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough with a biscuit cutter (I just use an old tin can, or a drinking glass). Roll these a little flatter, and fill with the Pierogi filling. Pin together the edges of the dough, making a half-moon shape, and seal along the edges with a fork.
Add the pierogi to a pot of boiling water, cooking them for a few minutes after they have risen to the top of the water. Saute them in butter, with more diced onions, and serve with cold sour cream.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Campanelle w/ mushrooms & cream sauce
Campanelle (my new favorite pasta) topped with my homemade alfredo or cream sauce and mushrooms.Ingredients:
Campanelle pasta (or any pasta that you like)
Fresh mushrooms
Heavy cream
Butter
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
Fresh lemon juice
Pepper (both black and white)
Combine 1/2 - 3/4 stick softened butter with one of those small cartons (remember the milk cartons from Kindergarten?) of heavy whipping cream. Stir in about a cup of your grated cheese, and let it sit in the fridge while you prepare the pasta.
Cook the pasta in boiling water with olive oil and LOTS of salt! I don't think non-Italians understand the importance of salted water... it's VERY important!
You can warm the sauce on the stove, but only on a very low heat, you want it to warm gradually. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add a dash of white pepper, and a few dashes of black pepper. Stir often, don't let it get clumpy or runny.
When the pasta has a few minutes of cooking left, toss in the mushrooms, and let them cook in the pasta water. Pour the pasta and mushrooms into a strainer, and run water over the whole things for a few minutes before transferring it to a bowl or plate, and topping with the sauce.
The sauce might take some practice, because sometimes its too chunky, and sometimes it melts on the hot pasta and becomes too runny. Figure out exactly what consistency you like by experimenting with more or less butter, cheese, and cream. Of course, you could also add fresh cherry tomatoes, or fresh spinach, or broccoli in the place of (or in addition to!) the mushrooms. Its also really yummy with grilled chicken, or with shrimp.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tiny kitchen.
Remember that I said I had a closet-kitchen? Well, I took this picture before we moved in:
Of course, its now completely full of pots, pans, dishes, food, and of course, my extensive collection of decorative chickens. I'll have to post a picture of what it looks like NOW, but here's my point... any ideas for making this space as functional as possible? We have a magnetic knife rack behind the stove, and a dish drainer installed behind the sink (it hangs over the sink without taking up precious counter space), but there's also a toaster (which I could probably put away, we don't use it that often), a coffee maker, a jar full of kitchen tools... anything and everything that you can imagine.
Any color recommendations? The attached living/dining area is probably going to be variations of green with pops of red. I'm open to all ideas!
Of course, its now completely full of pots, pans, dishes, food, and of course, my extensive collection of decorative chickens. I'll have to post a picture of what it looks like NOW, but here's my point... any ideas for making this space as functional as possible? We have a magnetic knife rack behind the stove, and a dish drainer installed behind the sink (it hangs over the sink without taking up precious counter space), but there's also a toaster (which I could probably put away, we don't use it that often), a coffee maker, a jar full of kitchen tools... anything and everything that you can imagine.Any color recommendations? The attached living/dining area is probably going to be variations of green with pops of red. I'm open to all ideas!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hardly a daring start.
Last night I was not feeling top-notch, so I settled for a pretty basic dinner: kielbasa with garlic, spinach and cayenne pepper, over jasmine rice (my favorite, because I can't seem to mess it up!). For a rainy night, it was immensely satisfying, and the best part is having repeats for lunch today!
I was delighted to be able to watch No Reservations last night! I've missed so much, my whole life, without cable... but I finally made the plunge into those dark waters. Between oogling Anthony Bourdain, and having HGTV and the Jersey Shore at my fingertips, I'm pretty happy with the decision (so far). I'm sure having cable is going to help the bleak Chicago Winter go by a little quicker.
I was delighted to be able to watch No Reservations last night! I've missed so much, my whole life, without cable... but I finally made the plunge into those dark waters. Between oogling Anthony Bourdain, and having HGTV and the Jersey Shore at my fingertips, I'm pretty happy with the decision (so far). I'm sure having cable is going to help the bleak Chicago Winter go by a little quicker.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Broke as a joke and ready to cook!
Well, it looks like my Summer-o-plenty has finally come to... well, I wouldn't quite say a screeching halt, but something like it. A skittering stop of sorts.
First things first, my Mum came to visit, and I was determined to show her the best of Chicago, as much as I could manage. We ate at a different place every night -- Indian on the first night she got in, Taste of Chicago, Chinese, upscale bar food and drinks, an indulgent brunch at Tweet (after only two visits, already my favorite brunch spot in town), fruit from the vendors at the beach...
Needless to say, the habit stuck, and I had a multitude of excuses for why I just couldn't cook, even after she was safely back in Virginia. My most outstanding (and probably most valid) excuse has been that it's too hot, and I don't really want to slave over the stove in my tiny little kitchen when it feels like its closing in on 175-degrees. We had the extra money for a while, so it really wasn't a big deal to go out or order in practically every night.
Then, my 'fella and I moved. Upgrade! Well, sort of. We now have a beautiful little bedroom (we were sleeping in what I called the closet-bedroom of a studio apartment), but... downsize on the kitchen. For my friends who have stayed in those motels at VA Beach that you can only score on a Sunday after midnight, recall the tiny little kitchen that comes opposite the double-bed. Its basically a few cabinets, a microwave, and a sink, with about two feet of counter space. You know what I'm talking about? Well, we don't have a microwave, we have a half-sized stove, but that's the idea when I say limited, very limited, space. So, instead of a bedroom-closet, we have a kitchen-closet.
But, it's worth it! I can't even express how much I enjoy just lying on my bed with a nice breeze through the windows, reading lazily on a Sunday afternoon. Heavenly.
So, as I was saying... I'm officially broke again! This isn't necessarily good news, but it does mean I'll be cooking more, because I don't really have a choice! I'm seeing a lot of rice and pasta in our future (the one thing I never hesitate to stock up on is pasta, especially when it dips down to 99-cents a box, or less). We still have lamb in the freezer, as well as at least a pound of organic beef I forgot about until we moved, some kielbasa, and a package of chicken legs that I got a pretty good deal on. All is not lost! We will cook again!
First things first, my Mum came to visit, and I was determined to show her the best of Chicago, as much as I could manage. We ate at a different place every night -- Indian on the first night she got in, Taste of Chicago, Chinese, upscale bar food and drinks, an indulgent brunch at Tweet (after only two visits, already my favorite brunch spot in town), fruit from the vendors at the beach...
Needless to say, the habit stuck, and I had a multitude of excuses for why I just couldn't cook, even after she was safely back in Virginia. My most outstanding (and probably most valid) excuse has been that it's too hot, and I don't really want to slave over the stove in my tiny little kitchen when it feels like its closing in on 175-degrees. We had the extra money for a while, so it really wasn't a big deal to go out or order in practically every night.
Then, my 'fella and I moved. Upgrade! Well, sort of. We now have a beautiful little bedroom (we were sleeping in what I called the closet-bedroom of a studio apartment), but... downsize on the kitchen. For my friends who have stayed in those motels at VA Beach that you can only score on a Sunday after midnight, recall the tiny little kitchen that comes opposite the double-bed. Its basically a few cabinets, a microwave, and a sink, with about two feet of counter space. You know what I'm talking about? Well, we don't have a microwave, we have a half-sized stove, but that's the idea when I say limited, very limited, space. So, instead of a bedroom-closet, we have a kitchen-closet.
But, it's worth it! I can't even express how much I enjoy just lying on my bed with a nice breeze through the windows, reading lazily on a Sunday afternoon. Heavenly.
So, as I was saying... I'm officially broke again! This isn't necessarily good news, but it does mean I'll be cooking more, because I don't really have a choice! I'm seeing a lot of rice and pasta in our future (the one thing I never hesitate to stock up on is pasta, especially when it dips down to 99-cents a box, or less). We still have lamb in the freezer, as well as at least a pound of organic beef I forgot about until we moved, some kielbasa, and a package of chicken legs that I got a pretty good deal on. All is not lost! We will cook again!
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