Fruity Desserts

 It's definitely time to put away all those cold weather ingredients.leave the cinnamon for the fall. It's too hot to fool with chocolate . Your best bet is fruit. There's nothing like a sweet treat loaded with the bounty of the season.

Strawberries are always a good addition to any cake, cupcake, muffin and even bread. Just keep in the mind that the berries should be pulverized then cooked down over a low flame.let this cool and you can fold into the batter. You can do the same for strawberry frosting too.(Keep in mind this is also wonderful on chocolate cake and cupcakes too. Another lovely and colorful treat is strawberry bread.This is perfect to make for Sunday teas or showers. It can be topped off with a vanilla glaze icing if you like , if not it's good on it's own,It's a quick bread so there'[s no yeast involved, just baking soda and baking powder for rise.Many home bakers low baking a strawberry and rhubarb pie. This is combining another harvest of the season, rhubarb with the berries for a sweet and tangy flavor. You can add just a teaspoon of orange juice to punctuate the other two's flavors. It's just stirring the cut rhubarb and berries with brown sugar, orange juice , cornstarch (for thickening, vanilla and salt. BAke in a traditional rolled out pie crust.

Of course the other star of the season is the blueberry. We're almost upon it here in New Jersey where it will last for three months until August. Again they're as versatile as the strawberry. Most home chefs love creating a Sunday morning stack of blueberry pancakes to start the day. Yet it can also work in another breakfast staple -  strata. Think a bread pudding scattered with the berries and then topped off with a home cooked  blueberry sauce. Use cubed French bread for this, layer it over blueberries and cream cheese. Then let it soak in an egg , milk and maple syrup overnight. While the strata is baking make the syrup. THis involves cooking down the berries with a mix of cornstarch, sugar and water.  Butter is added to this for richness and then poured on individual slices of the strata. (you could also save the syrup to pour over vanilla ice cream too).Peach season is also coming up. There are so many wonderful recipes to try with this ripe, plump fruit.They wonderful in such old fashioned desserts as buckles and crisps.A buckle is an easy egg free batter that just consists of milk ,f lower baking soda and salt.It;s wicked together and then spread in a pan .Layers of thinly sliced peaches are placed on top of it.A buckle is good with a blob of vanilla ice cream or freshly made whipped cream.

Fruit is the star of the season. Try any Berry or peach in a sweet dessert.It;'s tasting the bounty of Spring

One Ingredient Different Ways

 Summer time is all about easy cooking and using as few ingredients as possible. Sometimes one food can be used a variety of different ways. It just makes for a simplified kitchen.

French and Italian bread are the perfect examples. They're make for a tasty breakfast with just butter or at lunch as the base of a good sandwich. An easy summer supper is slices of French bread slathered with Brie or Italian bread , with a caprese of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.The slices are also good drizzled with a hot pepper infused olive oil. Of course you can use the loaves for a chewy and tasty French toast too, ether for brunch or breakfast for dinner They're also wonderful to add to a quick  microwave  bread pudding. A quick dessert is having your favorite jelly or jam on the slices too.(Add butter and you have a really good breakfast).Another versatile ingredient is rice. Brown or white cooks up fast, perfect for these steamy days. Cook up a few cups and then add your choice of veggies and a dressing. What is good about this kind of salad is that you can get creative with it and add everything from tomatoes to even cheddar cubes. Leftover rice can be easily stove top cooked into a rice pudding for an easy dessert.Just make sure you have enogh left over to so this.

The tomato is another one of those versatile ingredients. It's absolutely perfect on its' own with just a bit of sea salt sprinkled on. Add some torn Italian bread, basil, garlic and olive oil and you have the Neopolitan bread salad, panzanella. Some add balsamic vinegar and cheese to this but it's up to you. It's an easy side dish or a great Sunday lunch idea. Of course tomatoes are perfect for sauce, Since it's summer think a no cook salsa cruda. This is a mix of sliced tomatoes, chiffonaded basil and minced garlic marinated for a few hours in olive oil. It's then poured over the cooked pasta of your choice. The pasta's  cooks it up while a cup of the pasta water thickens it into a light sauce. It's so easy and delicious to make especially with vine ripes , fresh from the garden.Any fruit tends to fall into this catagory as well. For the summer, berries are versatile. Use strawberries and blueberries to sweeten up a vinaigrette or as part of a salad. For dessert , layer them with ice cream, or pound cake along with whipped cream as a parfait. Chop them up and add them to pancakes or waffles. Layer them on bagels along with cream cheese, or blend them into the cream cheese for a tasty , sweet spread.

One ingredient - so many different ways. This is the way to cook and eat during the summer. It makes for a simplfied kitchen and less time shopping.

Presidential Influences

Do our leaders influence the way we eat? Have they always? The answer is probably yes. US presidents and their First Ladies give us ideas and inspiration about cooking and eating. Many home chefs have imitated and copied cooking styles and recipes from the White House.

Most of our presidents had simple tastes. George Washington was a man of his times, preferring a dinner of mutton washed down with Madeira wine. Did that influence his countrymen? Maybe. Maybe not. Many wealthy landowners enjoyed what he did. There was roast beef and ale along with tables laden with cakes, pies and early forms of cookies. Perhaps some housewives imitated Martha Washington who seemed to love baking, She was known for her Great Cake, a brandy and Madeira soaked fruit cake topped with a rich fondant icing. Surely she also created steamed fig puddings, a nod towards her and her husband's English heritage. It was Thomas Jefferson who made a big impact on the way wealthy 18th Century Americans ate. The third president was a gourmet and world traveler. The upper classes got to enjoy ice cream as it became the dessert of the moment.It could have been served with waffles, a treat Jefferson discovered  on a trip to Brussels where he bought a waffle iron to take home.His guests probably swooned over the Parmesan he brought back from Rozzano Italy.Jefferson also loved pasta and also had a pasta machine. Dinner guests may have even brought home  homemade spaghetti and linguine to enjoy and share.

Dolley Madison, James Madison's wife was also another culinary force in the White House. She ,more than her husband, James was known for her layer cake with caramel icing. It was probably the talk of D.C. with many a home chef trying her hand at this new idea. Most presidents until the Gilded Age were more influenced by fellow Americans. Teddy Roosevelt may have been a Rough Rider but he was from a family that ate elegantly simple  meals . It was a time for rich sauces and expensive cuts of meat.He was one of the first presidents that ate fried chicken and  snacked on cookies. He enjoyed bacon for breakfast - a taste that definitely had an impact on American breakfasts.As the Twentieth Century progressed, the century itself influenced the way the White House ate. The Great Depression of the Thirties brought about a frugality to the White House kitchen, Eleanor Roosevelt made sure American favorites such as doughnuts and bread pudding were served during the spartan times.. Jackie Kennedy reintroduced French cuisine which many home chefs snapped up, thanks to her and Julia Child. The last influential presidential couple were Barack and Michelle Obama. They both introduced healthy but delicious eating to Americans and made us fall in love with .veggies again.

Presidents and Americans have influenced each other's eating habits for two  and a half centuries.Is there an impact? Probably yes, depending on the president.

Panettonne That Holiday Classic

The classic big boxes are standards right now in supermarkets and gourmet stores right now up until the New Year. They store gold of a sort,  panettones , those delicious buttery breads filled with everything from candied cherries to chocolate chips.Its' complicated recipe is now becoming an obsession with American bakers.

Tejal Rao wrote about this holiday must have in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The recipe was usually the domain of expert Northern Italian bakers , thanks to its' complexity . According to Ms. Rao, it is wildly sensitive , demanding and occassionally infuriating. It is a yeast dough , after all and that is not always easy to deal with in baking.It is a high maintenance dough . The end result should be an airy crumb that can be pulled apart with the ease of pulling apart cotton candy It should be sweet and light ,melting on the tongue.It should be as weightless as cake and have a slight tang like sourdough. Many Italian bakers begin with lieveto madre the starter.Some recipes don;t call for this,Jim Labey of the Sullivan Street Bakery  has a recipe that calls for less sugar which also means no starter . The home baker can just make a simpler version of it called pan d'oro or golden bread. It's essential a panettone without all the  mixing and baking drama.
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Prosperous households made the bread as early as the Medieval Period.. Even back then there was an obssessive amount of attention being paid  to technique and ingredients. Over the years as it became mass produced, it took on the qualities of a mass produced, perfumed sponge. One American baker from San Francisco, Roy Schvartzapel has elevated the recipe after tasting an artesenal one. It has a wispy  texture, melting instantly in his mouth and he recreated it with the help of Italian baker Iginio Massari outside of Milan. He makes small batches of it to sell. Other bakers have tried , some have relegated their doughs to the garbage. Screw up on it and it becomes trash. Everything about the panettone has to be perfect, from the fermentation to the timing, to the temperature, from the emulsion to the starter. Even as something as straightforward as mixing can have pitfalls. Maybe the best bet is taking the slices and turning it into a yummy bread pudding that starts off with toasting the panettone slices  and then covering them with an eggy milk mixture.It's then baked in a aluminum tented pan for forty-five minutes. The end result is a  puffed, golden treat , perfect for a holiday dessert.

Good home bakers should try this Italian treat. It can be a challenge but worth it. If not you can always buy it and turn it into a tasty bread pudding.

Winter Storm Basics

January usually brings a whole host of weather problems. There's either blizzards, Nor'easters or just bone-numbing frigid cold. That means stocking up and staying in. What to get? basics? Fun stuff? Or a mix of both? A balanced mix is the answer.

Many home chefs freak out when they hear blizzard. They rush to the store and get the necessary, bread milk and eggs. This is great , These are the staples that you'll need, whether on their own or used as ingredients. Yet, you'll need more protein than just eggs/What you can do is buy a roast a day or two before a predicted monster snowstorm. Make it along with hearty sides such as mashed potatoes and broccoli au gratin. These leftovers will keep the family happy and fed until you can dig out. Also, a cold roast can be sliced into sandwiches for a couple of days afterward. Also, have cold cuts ready if there's a blackout  - which does happen during a heavy windstorm. Canned goods are a must. There's a lot you can do with canned veggies turning them into main dishes or sides. Try not to get fresh breads which either get moldy quick .  If the bread gets stale, don;t fret.They can be repurposed into breadcrumbs, stuffing or bread pudding A snow day in is also a good time to bake homemade loaves and rolls. You can also get those canisters of biscuits,  and breadsticks too. They're a nice side with a bowl of homemade soup. Save the cinnamon buns for a breakfast or brunch with the family.

Fun stuff can also be bought too. A snowy or blustery day inside can mean a fun baking or even candy making day. A day off can be spent making homemade pizzas. Be sure to have a can or two  of pizza sauce and mozzarella,,whether balls or shredded for topping. The kids will get a kick out of  baking cupcakes or cookies. Have confectioners sugar, butter,and food coloring handy to make colorful icings, along with sprinkles and  icing gels for writing., Buy a few tubes of slice and bake cookies  for   a nice, fresh from the oven batch. Candy making is a great way to keep tweens occupied during a day in. . Keep the pantry stocked with a bag of unshelled peanuts, granulated sugar and corn syrup to make peanut brittle and condensed milk and chocolate chips for making microwave fudge Flavored honeys are great in hot teas and for sore throats.  They can also be used to make tasty lollipops.Another must is having hot cocoa,the perfect warm up for after shoveling. Stock up on the premade mixes or tins of Drostes. Cut back on sodas but definitely have a pantry full of juices, especially orange. It's not only refreshing but gives the  family an extra boost of Vitamin C.

The pantry and fridge should be well stocked during a winter storm. Keep it balanced with nutritious and fun foods. It's a nice blend for a few days inside.

The Ultimate Bacon Cookbook

Bacon lovers are a rare breed. Their lives revolve those mouthwatering cured strips and will do anything to incorporate it into their diets. Luckily, here is a great new cookbook out there with all sorts of savory and sweet recipes that feature bacon.

101 More Things To Do With Bacon (Gibbs-Smith Publishing} is a fun cookbook and a great Father's Day gift for those bacon loving paters. The book was written Eliza Cross, who has penned several of these little cookbooks featuring such diverse ingredients as pickles and beer.She is also a bacon lover and the founder of BENSA, the bacon enthusiast society. It is a slim cookbook (122 pages) but chock full of interesting recipes from breakfast to candy(!). She also includes two pages of helpful hints that help in cooking it. Home cooks will appreciate such facts as nitrate free bacon is sometimes saltier than regular bacon due to processing. She recommends adjusting the salt accordingly if using nitrate free slices. There is more advice regarding artisanal bacon, now a standard in some kitchens and being made by many adventurous home chefs.Also sweet flavored bacon, such as the ones flavored with apple cider, brown sugar or maple syrup may cook up faster than the regular kind and could burn quicker There are also tips on freezing  and microwaving it as well as what to do with bacon grease. She gives smart advice on disposing it - never pour the down the sink.It solidifies quick and creates clogs. Instead put in into a can and dispose of it through the garbage. Bacon fat  can also be reused in several recipes too and used to fry up hotcakes.

Bacon recipes are fun and these are no exception. The book is divided into different chapters, from breakfast - of course - to desserts. The breakfast ones are not what you would think, There are some truly original ones such as apple bacon strata, a layered breakfast casserole that features Granny Smith apples and pecans and the jalapeno bacon popper quiche, an egg pie loaded with heavy cream and cheese  along with the strips and peppers. The appetizers are also varied . There is slow cooker bacon cheeseburger dip that not only uses a pound (!) of it but also a pound of lean ground beef for a fun and flavorful dip.Bacon batons are a neat way to start a party. These are spiced and sugar bacon strips wrapped around the thin Torinese breadsticks, or grissini, Bacon is also a fine addition to  soups and Ms. Cross does add it to tomato bisque along to a wild rice and chicken chowder.. Bacon cheeseburger makes it way into soup with a dash of beer.There are also a chapter on salads, from macaroni to potato along with a chapter on sandwiches. Try the bacon cheese melts instead of the usual grilled cheese or the bacon cheese dogs.for a fun barbecue treat. The strips also make their way into such sides as bacon asparagus saute and bacon and mushroom dressing. Bacon is a wonderful addition to any main meal and compliments the flavor of other meats, poultry and seafood. There's even a BLT pasts with it and arugula gracing bowtie pasta. Bacon in dessert is also wonderful. There is the yummy man candy that also has dark beer as well as a bacon maple fudge. Try the bacon bread pudding with vanillas sauce.

101 More Things To Do With Bacon is a fun cookbook, perfect for any bacon lover. It is a fun mix of sweet and savory recipes.. Get it today to get more joy out of those cured strips of heaven.

,he books comes out in August but you can preorder it and others on Amazon.

101 Things to do With Beer

101 More Things To Do With Bacon

Pumpkin It Up!

How D'ya Like Them Apples?

A Tweak Here, A Tweak There

Sometimes even the most delicious of recipes needs a little oomph.A tweak here , a dollop there can elevate any recipe from tasty to memorable.This is what makes a good cook, whether in a restaurant kitchen or in a home one.

This is my mantra.If I can make a recipe better,I will. Dishes and meals should not only be filling and nutritious but extraordinary . Even simple breakfast dishes can be turned into ambrosia with a tweak. Takes eggs for example. Even the simplest dish involving them can be boosted up by a dash of tarragon. Add this versatile herb to scrambled eggs for a nice brunch main dish. It can work wonders in an omelet au fine herbes. too.One of the best tweaks is adding club soda to beaten egg before scrambling. This results in the lightest, fluffiest scramble ever.I've also added whole cream to eggs which resulted in a more dense, custardy but insanely delicious dish. A cup of chopped ham also added oomph too.Waffle and pancake batters can also benefit from tweaks. Add a healthy dose of nutmeg or cinnamon  for a spicier , earthier flavor. Almonds and pecans are another great add in, giving both crunch and texture. Syrups can  be made special too. Add a squeeze of orange juice or  for a different spin. Drop in some blueberries and strawberries right before serving for color and flavor.

Lunch and dinner recipes always benefit from a tweak. Everybody loves a grilled cheese however make it like a croque Monsieur for a truly memorable meal. Instead of baking it in an oven or broiling it, fry it in butter . I do my own spin on it by buttering the inside, subbing in Gruyere along with a layer of sliced ham. The traditional recipe claims that  bread should be dipped in a flour and egg mixture before assembling but I feel this takes away from the crunch and flavor. Another favorite to tweak is the savory Italian bread pudding.The recipe has been in my family for decades. It's a flavorful layering of Italian or french bread,and Swiss cheese , baked or steamed with a good helping of beef broth. The last has been replaced by vegetable broth to be more vegan. Cabbage is added for crunch and color. Now I've been experimenting with aged Swiss will will give this usually mellow dish bite. Homemade Italian sauce is always deserving of a little twist. With mine , there comes a generous amount of oregano and vegan Iitalian sausage. The last is loaded with peppers so it gives the sauce a great zing.I love it on refried polenta but it can be perfect gracing rotelli too.

Tweaking here and there is perfectly fine.It add zings to everyday recipes, giving them pizzazz and zing. Go  off the beaten path and revamp that family or favorite recipe.

Bread Puddings Savory And Sweet

Bread pudding is one of the most versatile and easiest dishes to make. It can be a savory casserole like strata or a gooey dessert like a brioche pudding;Best of it, its' hearty and satisfying ,the ultimate comfort food for combatting the crazy days ahead of us.

Savory bread puddings are the perfect weekend meal. All you need is stale bread for starters and the  rest is up to you. One of the best recipes is the zuppa montagne , a Piedmontese winter dish made with stale Italian bread, chicken or vegetable broth and Swiss or Fontina cheese. A more textured version is subbing in breadsticks (the Stella D'oro kind works best here) and layering on the bottom of a casserole dish. If you want crunch and texture added shredded cabbage , preferably the Savoy kind , cooked in butter , as a second layer. The cheese is then layered on followed by the broth. Use three to four ladlefuls of this , reserving some of the broth to pour over later. Cook at 325 degrees Farenheit for forty minutes. You can also microwave this too for a quick five to six minutes.There is a popular rosemary and bacon bread pudding circulating on the web right now.This is a custardy version , involving eggs. along with sharp cheddar and of course, bacon. Sauteed onions are also thrown in for sweetness.After baking in a 375 degree oven for forty minutes, it's all set to come out, golden and puffy like a cheese soufflé. For those who love something more exotic , try strata which means layers. Stratas can be made for any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's layers of bread,peppers. bacon and onions with milk and cream added for pure custardiness.

Sweet bread pudding is a nice change of pace from the usual cakes and pies.It's also a homey treat at a tree trimming or holiday party. One recommendation is using stale baguettes or Italian bread instead of regular white bread.It gives the pudding chewiness and texture along with a mellow yeasty flavor. Still use three or four eggs but cut back on the sugar. Many recipes call  for a cup of white sugar. I'd halve that or use a more earthier tasting brown sugar. Milk or cream can be used . These can be mixed., because using just cream can make the dish heavy and dense. Purists will want raisins for more sweetness. Many (including myself) are not fans of this. If you want extra sweetness, try a  dollop of salted caramel drizzled on it.A truly decadent variation is New Orleans style which uses a buttery whiskey sauce as an accompaniment. If you want something decadently Gallic , try a brioche bread pudding. Brioche is a yummy French roll, egg and butter rich.It is the perfect ingredient in a decadent dessert. Add cream, and butter along with eggs, sugar and brandy to bake with it into a lush pudding.Lemon or orange zest can be added for more color and flavor. Serve this with whipped cream or crème Anglaise, a sauce that combines cream, sugar eggs and Armagnac brandy.

A savory or sweet bread pudding is a great slice of comfort during this hectic holiday times ahead A slice of strata is a great weekend meal while a brioche bake is the perfect dessert for a holiday party.Make the traditional or create your own for some yummy fun.

Weekend Mishmash

Saturdays- and even Sundays can be lazy days. You don't feel like going to the grocery store, you don't feeling like ordering out. Don't worry. There's probably enough to create a tasty meal just by using a mishmash of ingredients.

First of all assess what you have before getting an idea of what you want to make. It helps to have the ingredients in front of you for inspiration. It's a good time to clean out the freezer and work with that. If you have frozen burgers or dogs, then use them. Add dabs of whatever cheese you  have around to give them some flair. Those tomato sauces you made with your July harvest would work perfectly with any pasta in the pantry. You can also use it along with any frozen and fresh veggies to make a homey and hearty soup. Leftover chicken and ham can be ground into pastes similar to the Underwood products . Add olive oil to make it smoother ad more spreadable.. You can also coarsely chop any leftover meat , add mayo and spices and voila a nice filling for a sandwich. Finely chop them or any leftover from the week cold cut for a chef salad. Leftover mashed potatoes can be turned into yummy fried puffs.Just add one egg, breadcrumbs and some parsley for flavoring and low fry in a frying pan. These can be served on their own or as a side.

Even left over breads can be repurposed into delicious dishes. Bread can be turned into a savory or sweet bread pudding. Zuppa montagna , that favorite Piedmontese fall and winter dish can be made with any leftover stale slice. Layer with Swiss or Fontina cheese. Those slices and hunks can also be turned into a sweet version too. Personally I like using leftover French bread for this dessert.It provides a chewiness and texture that regular bread doesn't have. Add any raisins or chocolate chips for added dash or you can make your own caramel sauce  for true decadence.Those cake mixes collecting dust in the pantry can be turned into  fun desserts. Instead of making an old fashioned buttercream, use Cool Whip instead for icing for a lighter cake. Utilize those rolls of cookie dough you bought on sale for sweet pizzas. Bake a giant cookie, ice with  whipped cream or canned frosting and then top with coconut, chocolate morsels and marshmallows. If you have pound cake and chocolate then think chocolate fondue for a fun weekend dessert.


any kitchen has the ingredients to make a tasty meal and dessert. assess what you have. Be creative with that mishmash. Then cook - or bake.

Refrigerator Roulette

It's the weekend.It's too hot to go to the store to shop, yet you have to have some kind of lunch or supper for yourself and the family. What to do? Play roulette - refrigerator or pantry. There are ingredients there for something.- that's up to your creativity.

Every home chef should have pasta and rice in their arsenal. These are great as any base. Spaghetti and angel hair pasta can be turned into pasta con burro,  a light dish that is packed with flavor. Sub in garlic and olive oil for the butter  and make aglia e olio, another simple dinner that can be amped up with grilled chicken or salmon if you have them.Rice and beans are a staple in most kitchens. This is easy to make and  again, you can add to it. Try chicken or ground beef to give it more weight. Throw in a can of tomato paste and sauce  along with a dash of chili powder for a quickly made chili. Even without the spices it' still good. Rice can also be the base for a curry too.( remember that the spice rack is your friend here too ). An easy one can be made just by using the two ingredients. If you want throw in any veggies  found in the fridge or freezer , go ahead. Peas  and potatoes can also be tossed in too for more flavor.

Suppose the fridge holds only dribs or drabs or just cartons of leftovers?  Use them. Leftover cheese , flour, and a little milk can be melted down into a sauce Add some chicken or veggie broth and you have a soup.Sliced cheese, ham  and bread can be repurposed  into a yummy Croque Monsieur, that tasty French bistro sandwich.If you just have cold cuts, then think an Italian hero or better yet , a chef salad. Mix some mayo and ketchup together with oil and vinegar for a homemade French dressing. to pour over it. Tuna fish is another versatile player in refrigerator roulette. Mix it with mayo and chopped celery for a stuffing for tomatoes or make a lovely salad Nicoise with it.It can also be perfect  as a tuna melt with cheddar on top for a heartier lunch or supper.. Any leftover bread can be repurposed in both savory and sweet ways. You can make  savory bread pudding as well as a sweet one. There is a bread salad that consists of stale cubed Italian bread, tomatoes ad sliced onion. One of the classic bread recipes is French toast and it can be made for any meal. Besides it's one that you know the kids will love  and eat up instantly.

Refrigerator roulette can be a life saver,Look through the fridge or pantry for ingredients and then be creative. You can come up with a tasty meal with what ever is around.

The Nocciolata Nonna Made

A nonna's recipes are always treasured - and tasty. This is true with Rigoni di Asiago's Nocciolata, a creamy , delicious spread, redolent of chocolate and hazelnuts.It is the perfect spread for anything from strawberries to croissants.A small scoop adds a big impact of flavor.

The company that makes it . Rigoni di Asiago is known for its' variety of different homemade spreads, from its'  organic honey to various organic jams to the delicious chocolate spread.The nocciolata is one hundred percent organic, artesanally made and GMO free. The hazelnuts have been selected by the Rigoni family and they use top quality cocoa and cocoa butter. The other ingredients are low fat powdered milk, cold pressed sunflower oil and natural vanilla extract.Organic cane sugar is blended in to give it the right amount of sweetness  That  other hazelnut spread isn't even this pure , thanks to added artificial flavoring. Moms can feel safe and secure when they serve Nocciolata There are no extra preservatives or chemicals. It does have 190 calories and 100 fat calories a serving so  serve it  as a special dessert  or breakfast if you are worried about the sugar intake.However   is a better alternative to any candy bar or even chocolate syrup if you or the kids are craving a chocolate-y snack..

I should love the other spread. After all it was created in the same province, Piedmonte where my great grandparents came from however Nocciolata has captured my heart. It is a smooth, creamy blend of  cocoa and hazelnut.each flavor perfectly married to the other. It is yummy on sliced strawberries, tasty on sliced bananas. Since I'm on a microwave bread pudding kick right now I a going to  add a couple of dollops to the recipe or drizzle it over the finished dish. Nocciolata is also good on pancakes  and waffles and makes a great addition to any brunch. A perfect breakfast , though is a well made croissant split and thickly  slathered with it.Rigoni Asiago recommends making a cake roll with it or a mug cake (another recipe on my must bake list)it would also make a  yummy filling for homemade shortbread or orange shortbread sandwich cookies too.

Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata is the perfect spread.It  adds to anything, from fruits to croissants. Try it and taste the perfect blend of hazelnuts married to chocolate. It truly is a harmonious blend of flavors.

Neilsen Massey Vanilla Pure Flavor

Vanilla extract is a wonderful addition to any kitchen,It's what gives vanilla cakes and puddings their lovely homey flavor, reminiscent of Granny's baking and cooking.Neilsen & Massey knows this ad has created the perfect extract. This is a vanilla that is redolent of the orchid (yes an orchid ) that produces it.

Nielsen -Massey has been creating extracts since 1902 and is now  run  by the third generation of the  family,Craig Matt and Beth in first Sterling Illinois and now , Waukegan. They not only sell vanilla to various chefs and restaurants but also almond, chocolate and the more exotic flavors of rose water and neroli oil.Their vanilla is from all over the world, starting with  Madagascar  being bought from fair trade merchants. This includes  certification and verification organization and, responsibility for certifying their beans. Fairtrade certified vanilla ensures that small-scale farmers in developing countries receive a fair price and use sustainable farming practices along , stabilizing vanilla-producing communities and protecting the environment. It also ensures a consistent supply of ingredients to customers.  The Fairtrade certified vanilla is grown in the shade, integrated with other crops, which in turn helps protect against erosion and deforestation. Neilsen Massey  is nt only providing flavor to the world but helping it to become a better place.

What I love about Neilsen-Massey is that their extract  is pure , without any alcohol added .It doesn't have that aftertaste either. I used it in a microwave version of bread pudding (see recipe and pic below) and it was perfect for it. Again there was no usual aftertaste or overpowering  vanilla alcohol flavor overpowering the other ingredients.www.cooks.com and tweaked it a bit. It serves 8=10.

. It was excellent. It can be used in some savory dishes  It is actually best paired with pork or duck because it works well with their  intense flavors. However I am a purist. Vanilla should go into yummy sweet desserts hence my bread pudding. I got the recipe from

Half a loaf of stale French or Italian bread
2 cups milk.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 /2 teaspoon cinnamon
 1- 2 teaspoons vanilla

Slice the bread and cut into one inch cubes. Put to the side.Heat milk and butter on high in a 4 cup measuring cup. Stir a small amount of hot milk into the beaten eggs to temper the eggs. Return eggs to milk. Add sugar, salt cinnamon and vanilla. Pour mixture over bread and cook for 7-10 minutes , or longer if the center is not firm.
Serve hot or cold with caramel, sauce, cream or whipped cream.

Bread Pudding That Comfort Dessert

Winter days demand comfort food including sweet , homestyle desserts.Nothing fits the bill better than bread pudding. It's the perfect end to hearty stews or casseroles. It's also great ending to a Sunday lunch on a snowy day. Best of all bread pudding is a yummy snack, enjoyed while cozied up with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

bread puddign is one fo the oldest desserts. Even the ancient Egyptians had a variation of it as did the Syrians and Indians. They all involved some kind of stale bread mixed with milk ,stale bread and some kind of sweetener such as honey . Custards and puddings didn't come about until the Middle Ages so that's when eggs were added to give it body. During the18th Century the dish was given mostly to sick people as a kind of nourishment It was also a good way of getting rid of stale bread. Bread puddings can be savory like the Italy's Piedmont's dish zuppa montagna where bread is cooked with chicken broth and then layered with Swiss cheese or sweet like the American and British versions. French toast or pain perdu is a cousin of bread pudding

The dish is one of the easiest to make. It requires leftover bread . This is up to taste. Most prefer a good white bread that will chewy yet absorbent of all the other flavors. Some prefer a denser type such as Italian or French. Challah is good type of bread to use too. Eggs are also added to give it a custardy taste ans texture along with vanilla extract butter and sugar. Raisins are a must however if your family doesn't like them sub in sliced almonds. or dried cranberries. Sauces are the recent addition to bread puddings. They're usually made up of buttery rich caramel you can also have a citrus sauce such as a lemon or orange. Chocolate is good too if you're working with sweeter breads. Use bourbon for extra kick or stick with vanilla for tradition's sake. Some bread pudding fans even top their servings with a good covering of whipped cream or make a dusting of powdered sugar.

There's nothing like a big bowl of bread pudding on a wintry day. It's like a security blanket for your taste buds!This treat is the ultimate comfort food and dessert. It's sweet and soothing, perfect with a good hot cup of coffee or tea!

Bunsatility

Everyone loves hamburger and hot dog buns. They;re softer chewier and somewhat sweeter than regular bread plus they're the perfect foil for grilled meat. However they;re also good for a variety of other sandwiches as well. To borrow a well known and well worn phrase - you have to think outside the bun.

Everyone loves a breakfast sandwich. You can use the hamburger ones to create your own Egg McMuffin, Its even better toasted. Another idea is using the hot dog ones and stuffing them with breakfast sausage links or bacon strips, scrambled eggs and cheese. It's' a fun way to start off the morning, Of course the buns are also good for that classic lobster roll. This is where a creamy lobster salad is made and then slathered all over a buttered and toasted bun. Another idea st taking Italian sausage or Philly cheese steaks as well. My favorite is pulled pork in a hamburger roll. This is known as a soak where my Dad was from and it's one of the best hot sandwiches around.

Since both hamburger and hot dog buns have a certain sweetness you can use them in bread pudding. They're also soft enough so you don't have any hard edges. Another idea is using them in English summer pudding. This recipe originally calls for brioche but you can use these in a pinch. Also both types of buns make excellent stuffing for turkey or even roast chicken.

Think outside the bun when it comes to hamburger and hot dog rolls. You can use them for any kind of sandwich. You can even have them in a dessert. They're not just for your average burgers and dogs.