Go Steelers!

As the game approaches, I thought I'd post a quick update. I made the roast beef yesterday, and the bread just came out of the oven a couple hours ago. For the roast beef, I rubbed an eye of round roast down with salt, pepper and garlic, then put it in a 500º oven for 20 minutes and then dropped the temperature to 325º for another 40 minutes.

Before: Bread Dough & Seasoned Roast

The roast came out a perfect medium. After letting it rest for about 20 minutes, I sliced it up and it is ready for sandwich time!

I also made some stuffed pepperoni cheese bread with the extra dough.

And after... Sandwiches Coming Soon!

Superbowl Challenge

I have decided that maybe what I need to keep up with my blog is to set some food challenges for myself. So in the spirit of cheering on the Steelers in this Sunday's Superbowl, I am going to try my hand a making a Pittsburgh original — Primanti Bros. Sandwiches!

For those of you unfamiliar with Primanti's, they are a Pittsburgh institution. Check out their website: www.primantibros.com. Be sure to watch the videos in the news section. These sandwiches are a meal in themselves! Choice of meat topped with provolone cheese, oil & vinegar slaw, tomatoes and fresh cut french fries on soft Italian bread. My favorite is the roast beef, so tomorrow I will be baking my bread and roasting the beef for Sunday's event. I'll also be making hand-cut fresh fries on Sunday. We will have both roast beef and the popular capicola varieties. Now if only I could get my hands on some Yeungling Lager for the party!!

Stay tuned for an update on the roast beef and the bread tomorrow and the sandwich challenge after the big game! Cheers!

Food & Clay — Elements of Life

My first clay bowls — before trimming, firing and glazing.

Wow, I can hardly believe that today is February 1, 2011! I don't know where the time has gone!! The last few years have been some of the most challenging of my life, but I am finally starting to find balance in the moving forward process. I just need to channel that balance into my writing and my business. It is obvious from the gaps in my blogging that I have been less than balanced and focused, but at this moment, I lift my coffee mug to better days ahead... and lots of great food adventures to write about and recipes to share!

I have also started taking pottery classes at a local studio. I am really enjoying the time spent working with clay. It is very relaxing and helpful in clearing the mind of anything else that is going on. At that moment, you must focus on the art of creating a pot from a lump of clay and nothing else really matters. I have already made a few bowls and can't wait to learn more and get better at it and make some fun pieces that I can showcase in my kitchen. Hopefully by the time I get my new video blogs lined up for the spring, I will have some of my pottery to display while I am presenting my food!

Intense Double Rainbow that appeared outside my apartment during
the Christmas rain storms here in San Diego

Pimento Cheese and Memories of Boston in Winter

I can't believe it has been 5 years since my last trip to Boston for Charlotte & Tim's Annual Christmas Barbecue! What an amazing time it was — a barbecue extravaganza with fabulous food and friends! Warms my heart to think back to that trip. There was a foot of snow the day we made the trip from our home in Philly. Travel was treacherous, but once we made it to my friend Julie & her husband Rich's house for the night and had some wine, all was right in the world.

I always think of Charlotte whenever I make Pimento Cheese — one of her specialties from her roots in North Carolina. She adds peppadew peppers and hot sauce to hers and it is delicious. I made a batch today, but didn't have any pimentos, so I decided to make up my own new variation using roasted red peppers and fresh jalapeños. I think it is pretty fantastic — I will have feedback tomorrow when I share with friends.


Stephanie's Cucina Spicy "Pimento" Cheese

1 pound extra sharp cheddar, grated fine
1 (7 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped small
1–2 fresh jalapeños, minced*
2/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just combined. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour for the flavors to meld. Serve on crackers, celery stick. Great with pieces of smokey ham!

* Taste test the jalapeños for heat. I used 2 whole jalapeños with seeds and the dip is nicely spicy — not overpowering. Jalapeños can vary in heat though, so be sure to test and add as much or as little as you like.

Thanksgiving

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone... it's hard to believe! This was my first Thanksgiving in my new apartment. It was a very special day surrounded by an amazing group of friends. I made the Pumpkin fondue again this year and it was a big hit. Search "Pumpkin Fondue" in this blog for see the recipe.

The menu this year was my garlic-herb brined turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, mushroom-pesto bread stuffing, pork and rice stuffing (a family recipe), lime roasted sweet potato wedges and French green beans with garlic and bacon. Dessert was homemade pumpkin pie and a new recipe I created — Gooey Gingerbread Squares, both topped with homemade Cognac-honey-cinnamon infused whipped cream.

Stephanie's Cucina is Back!

Hi Everyone! Wow, it has been a while since my last entry. Things have been a little crazy in my life lately. I recently moved and have been way too distracted from my writing. But the good news is I am back and I have lots of great things to share with you!

Earlier this summer some of my good friends graduated from Cal Western School of Law here in San Diego. I watched them painstakingly study half of the summer away to prepare for the bar exam. Along the way, we had cooking and relaxing nights, but I really wanted to do something special for them during the exam. On the last day of the exam — CA Bar exam is an intensive 3-day event — I brought them a picnic lunch during their break. I was channeling the energy of one of my culinary idols, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) as I came up with the menu and plan.

I made french style sandwiches of fresh baguettes from the bakery down the street. I lightly buttered 12-inch sections of baguette with Kerrygold Irish Butter, then filled the sandwich with layers of prosciutto, dry salami, ham, Fontina cheese and Asiago cheese. As a side dish, I created my own new potato salad recipe (Bacon & Roasted Jalapeño Potato Salad A La Stephanie's Cucina) and also brought back the roasted corn salad I wrote about early this summer. We sat in the park and had a great relaxing lunch! A simple sparkling lemonade was served and we had fresh strawberries and chocolate for dessert.
I haven't perfected the potato salad recipe yet, but here is the general concept! Since I haven't truly recipe tested this for measurements, I will explain it the way I cook, by feel. Let me know if need to clarify anything.

Bacon & Roasted Jalapeño Potato Salad A La Stephanie's Cucina

6–8 Fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and halved
1 large sweet onion, halved and cut into long strips
1 head garlic
Olive Oil
About 2–3 pounds red skin potatoes, rough cut into bite size pieces
Dijon mustard
1–2 ounces cream cheese
1 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
salt & pepper to taste

In a baking dish, toss together jalapeños, onion, olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. Cut the top off the head of garlic, rub with olive oil and place in the dish to roast with the peppers and onions. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for about 45 minutes. Uncover for the last 5-10 minutes of roasting. Lager peppers may take longer, just keep and eye on them — they are done when both peppers and onions are soft and tender.

While the peppers and onions roast, boil the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife.

Drain potatoes and allow to cool slightly. Remove peppers and onions from baking dish, allow to cool slightly and chop into small pieces. Allow garlic to cool to the touch and squeeze the roasted garlic from the cloves. Combine potatoes, peppers and onions, bacon, garlic and cream cheese. Dress with olive oil, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil and Dijon in small quantities and taste as you go. You can always add a touch more, but you can't take any away.

This would be a great recipe for then upcoming labor day weekend! You can add a touch of mayo if you would like, but leaving it out makes the dish a little more picnic friendly and there is less need to worry about keeping it on ice. Enjoy!

Cheers!
Stephanie

Baking at the Scrivo Cousins Reunion!

I am enjoying my time in Houston with my family SO much! Catching up with cousins we haven't seen in years and reminiscing is the perfect time for me to make a couple family favorites — Pepperoni Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls from scratch. I think the batches I baked this evening are some of the best I have ever made.

The cinnamon rolls are an adaptation of my Great Aunt Nellie's recipe as my mom learned to make them from her when she came to visit us. The optional icing recipe is my Great Aunt Katie's recipe, also as learned by my mom and passed down to me.

Cinnamon Rolls

2 packets active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup scalded milk (DO NOT Boil)
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 recipe Whipped Cream Icing (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons sugar, water and yeast and let it rise (double).
In a small sauce pan, scald the milk. Stir constantly. Do not allow it to boil. Mix in the shortening and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine flour (except 1 cup), salt and 1/4 cup of sugar. Add the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add milk and shortening mixture.

Beat eggs well and ad them to the mixture. The dough will be very sticky. Add the last cup of flour, mix thoroughly and kneed until dough doesn't stick to a clean finger.

Place dough in a large, lightly buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise about 1 1/2 hours in a warm, non drafty place.
Punch down and let rest 10–15 minutes.

Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Spread butter all over dough and coat with sugar and cinnamon.

Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into pieces. Place against one another on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.
Bake at 350º for 15–20 minutes or until dough is golden and filling is bubbling.

You can serve the rolls as-is, glaze them with a simple powdered sugar glaze or ice them with the following Whipped Butter Cream Icing. Serve and enjoy!

Whipped Butter Cream Icing

5 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, cook flour and milk over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until a paste is formed. This can take 10-15 minutes, be patient and watch closely so the mixture won't burn. Allow to cool thoroughly. Use an ice bath to speed cooling if you would like.

While the paste cools, cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add cooled paste and whip until light and creamy with an electric mixer on high.