Dining Uncorked {Fresh Tomato Pasta}

While in Italy a couple of years ago, my dad made this out of this world pasta dish. It was the freshest I had ever tasted! I'm partially chalking the taste up to the environment in which I ate it, and partially to the freshness of the ingredients. I have been on a mission to recreate it ever since we got back and this weekend I think I got as close as I will ever get to the original. Walking around the farmers market this weekend, R. kept asking what I wanted to make for dinner.  All of a sudden I saw the freshest tomatoes I've seen in a while and was inspired! Here's the recipe for the sauce. Once it's done, throw it over what ever noodle you like (I used spaghetti because it's what I had on hand.) and enjoy!

Sauce: 

1/2 onion, diced

Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 large tomatoes, chunky

4 basil leaves (Leave whole) 

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Coat the pan in olive oil

2. Cook the onions on high until clear

3. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, cook till fragrant.

4. Add in the tomato and basil leaves 

5. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and let cook till the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened, approximately 30-45 minutes.

6. Serve over pasta and enjoy! 

Dining Uncorked {Basil Pesto}

I have recently discovered that I am severely lactose intolerant which has been quite a shock and little difficult to deal with. When first diagnosed, I first thought that this was fine. All I would have to do would be to eliminate milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter. Wrong.  You don't actually realize until you can't eat it, how many products actually contain dairy.  The most shocking has been basil pesto.  Yes, basil pesto contains dairy in the form of parmesan cheese. I was devastated.  Pesto is one of my favorite things to dip pita chips in, put on pasta, and even use on sandwiches. So, since buying it from the store is clearly not an option any more, I decided to try and make my own cheese-less basil pesto.  I came across this recipe on Adventures from a Gluten Free Mom and decided to give it a try. It's actually not too bad! I thought I would share the recipe with you and see if you like it any better! 

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed

1/3 cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts 

3 medium Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 and 1/2 tsp. fresh squeezed Lemon Juice (more or less, to taste)

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

• In a food processor or blender, combine the basil leaves with the nuts (or seeds), lemon juice and sea salt.  Pulse a few times until mixture is reduced in volume and the mixture is well incorporated.

• Add the garlic and pulse a few times more.

• Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the blender or food processor is running, stop to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

• Taste.  Add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

Basil pesto is the perfect addition to any summer meal! Let me know how you like this recipe!

*Photo from Make and Takes

Dining Uncorked {German Chocolate Cake}

With Father's Day coming up on Sunday, I decided to take a little inspiration from my wonderful Padre for today's Bite Me.  Since his favorite cake is German Chocolate, I have been on the hunt for the perfect recipe for him.  When looking for recipes, I Google image search what I want to make and find the recipe from the image.  My thought is if it looks delicious it probably is (I eat first with my eyes so it must look as good as it tastes.).  I found this picture and the recipe sounds as good as this picture looks.  So assuming your mouth is watering as much a mine is now, enjoy this German Chocolate cake recipe from SharedSugar!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

cake adapted from Baked, filling adapted from Baker’s

makes one 8-inch 3 layer cake

• INGREDIENTS

• cake layers

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2-1/4 cups unbleached cake flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) strong, hot coffee
• 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
• 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups pure cane sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• filling

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pure cane sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 seven ounce package (about 2-2/3 cups) sweetened coconut
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

• DIRECTIONS

make the cake layers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter pans and dust with cocoa powder (instead of flour which leaves white splotches on the chocolate layers), shaking off the excess.
In a double boiler, melt dark chocolate. Remove from heat and cool. Quicken this step by cooling chocolate in the refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together coffee and buttermilk.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl down after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coffee/buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold in the melted chocolate.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Batter should fill pans about half to two-thirds of the way full. Smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer cakes to a wire cooling rack for 20-30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack and remove pans and parchment to let cool completely.

make the filling

In a large saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, evaporated milk and vanilla until well blended. Add sugars and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 12 minutes, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. Mix in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

assemble the cake

Trim tops of cakes to level out surface, if necessary. Place first cake layer on platter or cake stand. Spread one third of filling on top. Add second layer and spread another third of filling on top. Follow with final layer and top with remaining filling.

Indulge In {Conch Fritters}

Allow me to tell you a little story. This is the story of my obsession with conch. If you've ever been to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas, then hopefully this will hit home with you too. In Marsh Harbor, right off the main road is a little covered stand.  And behind this stand is a man named George.  George is the nicest man you will ever meet. But what George does for a living is what really makes him cool.  George sells conch. But, not just any conch. It's the best conch you've ever had. Right in front of you, he takes the meat out of the shell, chops the tomato, green pepper, and onion, squeezes a lime, and adds a dash of hot sauce.  And, magically creates the best conch salad you've ever had in your life. It's beyond fantastic!

I mean just look at it, I'm sure your mouth is watering right now! I know mine is!  So, the story continues. After you pass George, if you are to walk a little bit further to the marina, get on a boat, and take that boat over to Hope Town, and right on the harbor you will find a little place called Cap'n Jacks. If you EVER go to Cap'n Jacks, there is one thing you are to do. Order the conch fritters.  They are out of this world. They are probably even better than I'm remembering which must mean that they are really good. For a girl who doesn't really like fried food, I could probably suffice the rest of my life on this fried deliciousness of the Cap'n Jacks conch fritter.

                                

Anyways, I am always on a constant hunt for a conch fritter better than the one at Cap'n Jacks. And while I'm convinced it doesn't exist, this recipe looks pretty good: 

Conch Fritters Recipe - A Caribbean Delicacy
Ingredients: 1 lb conch meat (You might get away with this recipe by using minced clams.) 1/2 lg onion 2 stalks celery 1/2 red pepper 1/2 green pepper Salt to taste 1 egg 1/3 cup self rising cornmeal 1/3 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 tsp hot sauce

Cooking Method:

Put conch through food grinder or food processor.  Process with onion, celery, red and green pepper and mix with conch, adding salt and egg.  Mix well.  Mix together cornmeal, flour and baking powder.  Add conch mixture.  Mixture should be thick.  Add buttermilk and hot sauce.  Drop by heaping tablespoon into deep oil until light brown.Drain.  Serve with mayonnaise and lime juice.

Indulge In {Italian Tapas Party}

Maybe it's in my blood. Or maybe it's just delicious. But, I love Italian food.  And I do not take the word love lightly.  I mean let's be honest. Last month in New York, I went on a cannoli tour of Little Italy. Literally I ate about 8 cannoli.  They were all so good. But, in case you are ever there, the best one is some little place on the corner called Caffe Roma. I don't care what anyone says to you, or what the signs read, Caffe Roma is the best.  Hands down. Anyways, now I'm distracted thinking about cannoli and completely forget about the meaning behind this post. Food fitting for a beautifully rustic soirée. And back to it being in my blood (I am actually Italian.), when I think about rustic, my mind automatically drifts to the Italian countryside. Therefore, I feel nothing is more appropriate than some delicious Italian hand helds. The basic idea behind a rustic inspired event is that nothing is artificial, and the same should go for the food. Stuffed mushrooms, risotto balls, crostini, and cannoli are all ideal (and not to mention delish!). The natural ingredients and vibrant colors of these foods make my taste buds water. Don't forget the wine, because we all know no event is complete without it! Piacere!

*Stuffed Mushrooms, Risotto Balls, Crostini, Cannoli

Indulge In {Memorial Day BBQ}

When looking to plan the perfect menu for that Memorial Day backyard grill out, rely on those American favorites that everyone loves.  Nothing says Memorial Day like bar-b-q chicken, grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, and watermelon finished off with a delicious berry tart.  Serve up so lemonade and you will have the perfect all-american feast! 

Indulge In {Hand Helds}

You've been there. Answering the same question thousands of times. It's typical at any graduation party.  "So, what's next?" "Are you going to miss school?" "If I were you, I would stay in school as long as possible." Talking and answering questions makes eating a little tough, especially eating anything that requires you to sit and use utensils. That's why finger foods are a fantastic option for parties.  While there are so many options, I like to serve favorite foods in mini versions.  Beef brisket sliders, mini french fry baskets, bite sized cheesecakes, mini lettuce cups, bacon wrapped asparagus and french macaroons, for example, are some of my favorite delicious options!  

*From top left: Brisket Sliders, French Fries, Mini Cheesecake, Lettuce Cups, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, French Macaroons