A Good Christmas Meal

 For all my readers around the world here's hoping your day was as delicious as mine. There's nothing like Lidl risotto with fresh ly sauteed baby Bella's.

It's a yummy mix of mushroom and truffle risotto 

Easily sauteed baby Bella's.Yum!

it was a tasty holiday marriage

Enjoy your Christmas plates of joy and tastiness!!!

A Taste Of Kindness

 November is the month where there should be kindnesses big and little committed,It could be feeding  those who need it or providing a flavor of one's home to them. Food will always be the tie that binds us together.

I wanted to provide a taste of home for my schools women's volleyba;; team. One  star player is near where my great-grandfahter, my bisnonno came from outside of Torino. Two other players come from the beautiful Veneto area of Northenr Italy where rice is king. I wanted to give these girls a taste of home, sort of like our comforting Thanksgiving food. Mushroom risotto is dish that provides that being loved from the Italian Alps to the Dolomite Mountains. It's an easy cook.It's just sauteing sliced baby Bella's in a mix of plant based butter and Lidl olive oil. I add the tiniest pinch of garlic powder to liven up the mushrooms' flavor

They do have to be rinsed first before cooking.

Each batch  - and there were four!!!! batches has to be sauteed for ten minutes. This draws the water out for the gills (any kind of mushroom acts as a kind of sponge for water).

The rice was from Lidl, a mix of mushroom and truffle flavors. This took three boxes.

It takes a roiling boil and then the arborio  and flavorings  is added to seven cups of water

It takes about twenty minutes to get the rice to be a tender al dente texture.

The end result is a mushroom rich dish that I'm sure the volleyball team will love. It's a warming taste of home, much needed during this point in the semester/

It's November and a time for kindnesses. This pot of risotto al funghi will remind homesick girls of homes. It's the perfect comfort food for this season.

Sweet Treats For Mom

Even though you can';t go to the store to pick up candy for mom , you can still give her delicious gems of chocolate . A homemade treat is not only sweet but memorable. It's easy to create something that will highlight her special day. It can be as homey as fudge or as elegant as truffles. Whatever you make is a gift.

One of the easiest candies to make is fudge. It's a simple mix of chocolate chips, condensed milk, butter and if you want chopped walnuts. Everything is cooked in a large saucepan over a low heat and then poured into a prepared pan. A buttered one would add more buttery flavor but parchment or aluminum foil can be used for easy removal. You can add a few drops of mint extract for a chocolate mint flavor. For mom's who live a nutty treat think a peanut butter fudge.Add  two cups of either smooth or crunchy peanut butter along with peanut butter chips to vanilla and confectioners sugar. This is layered onto chocolate fudge for a strata effect. Haystacks are another easy make. This is a two ingredient candy that just needs melted chocolate and toasted coconut. The coconut is first toasted either in an air fryer or toaster oven while the chocolate is melted in the microwave., You can add a small amount of butter for richness. Haystacks can also be made with milk chocolate and white chocolate chips too. Create all three flavors for more choices.

Surprisingly anyone can create sophisticated candies such as truffles. It's really all about the filling which is a rich ganache. This is simply chocolate and cream but it should be good chocolate in the 60 - 70 per cent. Do not use chocolate chips or chopped bars that can have hardening agents.This can ruin the candy's texture.  Baking chocolate works the best. Use a heavy whipping cream so the ganache can develop a thickness. It's then heating it , in the microwave and pouring the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir to  combine. Then it's whisking it until it's smooth and shiny. After pour into a shallow pan and put in the fridge. To shape the truffles, use a melon baller  and then roll them in cocoa powder, chopped nuts  and sprinkles for a candy box variety. You can fill the truffle balls with candied ginger or a whole almond for a different treat. If mom likes spice and chai tea, you can whip up a batch of chai truffles. It's a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and cloves. along with star anise and black tea. All of this is cooked with heavy cream. The blend is them mixed with good milk chocolate and more spices are added for zing. These can rolled in grated milk chocolate when they're hardened.

Candy for Mother's Day is always a treat. Homemade candy is an extra special one moms will surely enjoy. Whip up a batch today or tomorrow for a truly tasty gift.

Holiday Luxe Eating

This is the time of year when you can treat yourself to some culinary luxuries. It could be caviar on a Ritz or a buttery Christmas cookie. Or a big bubbly flute of good champagne. Or even a sundae with all the works. Give your palate a holiday vacation to rich flavors and foods.

Again caviar is always a lush treat. Most grocery stores sell it, even Costco  has tins of it.There are four different types. There is the lightly salted or the Malossol method that is only 3.5% salt., followed by the semi preserved kind  which contains 8 %  salt. ,Pressed caviar is made from damaged or broken eggs, highly salted and jamlike in consistency . The cheapest and most affordable is the pasteurized kind which is heat treated and vacuum packed. Serve on butter rounds of French bread or Ritz crackers wash it down with a good champagne like Asti Spumente or Bollinger Special Cuvee from France's Marne valley. Another affordable luxe brand is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve. These are in the price range of about $50.00. Finish this meal with well made macarons.Many bakeries now sell them however you can make them yourself, using ground almonds flour and egg whites to create lovely little luxe puffs. Another luxurious baked treat is the French brioche. This is a egg and butter rich yeast roll that is just pure heaven to have. Again these can be made at home or bought at your local French patisserie.

Of course luxe dining could mean a good steak too. Nothing beats a well cooked filet mignon , seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. The same goes for a juicy T bone steak. my idea of luxe is steak PIedmontese style. This involved cooking filet migon in a bagna calda , a mouth watering  anchovy bath rich with the fish, oil and garlic.Another lush meat idea is pheasant.This is actually a low calorie bird with a flavor that's between chicken and turkey. Some butchers will sell it , but mostly you can get it from on line pheasant farms.If you want to try vegan luxury , then go for truffles. These are smoky in flavor and can be bought at online gourmet food stores.  The average price is around $80.00. some . Big cities like New York and Los Angeles do have stores that will sell this fungi fresh and even truffle oil for cooking. If you can't afford any of these, then treat yourself to some good chocolate. Belgian chocolate is the most coveted however the American Godiva brand is delicious and affordable as well.Buy their ultra rich  box of chocolate truffles or even a foil wrapped Santa as a midnight snack.

Give your palate a rich holiday treat. It could be sweet or savory , as long as it's lush and flavorful. Enjoy it . Savor every nibble , sip and bite.