Cherry chocolate chip cupcakes

We celebrated Mr. Wonderful's birthday over the weekend, so naturally I wanted to whip up something special to put a candle in. And since that man loves a good chocolate-cherry combo, I knew these cupcakes from One Sweet Mess would be perfect.

Since it's January, I fully expected to use frozen cherries with this recipe, but lo and behold, our local market had fresh ones right up front. Yes, I realize it's not cherry season. I didn't ask questions. Hold your fire.

I like to start by separating wet and dry ingredients because I'm Type A like that. Just go with it. Here's what you need:

Wet ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (I almost left this out because I didn't have any. Don't do that! It really makes that cherry flavor pop.)

Dry ingredients: 

• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (about 16) pitted cherries, chopped
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Buttercream:

• 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
• 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Paste from 1 vanilla bean
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, line a 12-cup muffin tin with cute, bow tie cupcake liners that your husband won't notice, but you'll be pleased with yourself, so do it anyway.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined - followed by the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract. I actually pulled out my hand mixer for this part of the job because my whisk makes life harder than it should be.

Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Again, the hand mixer worked beautifully here. About 30 seconds to a minute on low should take care of it. Use a rubber spatula to fold in a heaping, half-cup of chopped cherries followed by an equally generous amount of mini chocolate chips. Mix gently.

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 of the way full. (An ice cream or cookie scoop makes it easy to transfer the batter.) Then, pop these in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. My gas oven took the full 25, but if you're not sure, do the toothpick test at 20. Once done, allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a couple minutes before transferring elsewhere to cool completely.

Now, for the vanilla buttercream:  

If you've got a stand mixer, I applaud you. This frosting is perfect for it. I, however, do not, so my hand mixer was happy to oblige once again.

Cream that butter until light and fluffy.  This only took me about 30 seconds on low. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl, stopping the mixer if necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl with your rubber spatula. Once all the sugar has been added, turn the speed up and beat it all together for a full minute.

Now add every bit of the lovely dark paste from that vanilla bean to your mixture. It won't look like much, but it goes a long way. Drizzle in the heavy cream and whip it good one last time. Again, for about a minute.

Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag - or frost your cupcakes with a butter knife. Whatever creams your cake. Finally, give it a lil swirly and top with a fresh cherry.

Makes about 15 small cupcakes.

Easy gingersnap cookies

Friendsgiving celebrations usually call for a potluck. And when you're the one who gets assigned the dessert, you don't mess around. That's why I pulled together a small batch of these ginger zingers to serve with my husband's ridiculously good pumpkin ice cream for a recent shindig with friends.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups  flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Combine your flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Then, in a larger bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, butter, and brown sugar and beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Add the honey, vanilla, and egg to your sugar mixture and continue to beat. Now you're gonna add that initial flour mixture, beating it all together. It will be granular, but well blended. Cover your dough with some plastic warp and freeze for at least half an hour.

Pour your remaining 1/4 cup of sugar onto a small plate and set aside. Lightly coat your hands in cooking spray and go ahead and shape that dough into 1-inch balls. You should end up with about 24-30 gumball-sized balls of dough. Then you'll roll each ball around in your plate of sugar and place each one a few inches inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake these babies at 350° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool, serve and enjoy with ice cream. If you're into that.

Pumpkin ice cream

Pumpkin's everywhere this time of year, so naturally I've been making it a point to squeeze a little more of the gourd into my recipe rotation. Last month, it was a little pumpkin banana bread (holy yum), and most recently, some slightly less satisfying pumpkin oatmeal muffins. Note to self: More honey.

Last weekend, while I was eating my way through New York City with a few gal pals, my husband was back home experimenting with our ice cream maker. After previous batches of peach, chocolate chip and vanilla were a rousing success with the wife and kids, he settled on pumpkin this time - which I was obviously more than happy to sample upon my return.

Delicious hardly describes it, you guys. This ice cream is so wonderfully rich and satisfying, you must not keep it to yourself. Please make this for your next Friendsgiving. Make it for your work potluck. Netflix and chill with it. Just eat it as soon as possible.

Here's how it goes down.

First up, you need vanilla ice cream. This is the base. You can substitute homemade for the store bought variety, of course, but when my husband commits to something, he's all in, so here's the 411 on his homemade vanilla first.

Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1  cup white sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups milk
• 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½  cup water

Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy. Whisk in sugar until thickened. Gradually whisk in salt, milks, vanilla and water. Pour into freezer canister of ice cream maker. Place aluminum canister in center of bucket and layer the bucket with ice and salt. The motor does the rest. (If you're going low-tech, here are 6 ways to make ice cream without a machine.) This makes about ½ gallon.

Now, while your vanilla's goin' about its business, go ahead and prep that pumpkin while whistling along to that Tom Waits classic. You know the one. (This is what I pictured Mr. Wonderful doing when he made it.)

Pumpkin Ice Cream Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

In a separate bowl, combine the canned pumpkin, sugar and spices. Mix until well blended and then fold into vanilla ice cream. Serve topped with pumpkin seeds, if you so desire. Makes about 1 gallon of self-gratification.

Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins

I recently came across these good morning muffins on The Lemon Bowl, a blog written by a recipe developer with a focus on seasonality. And with berries in full seasonal swing, baking seemed like good timing.

Not to mention, I recently acquired a silicone muffin pan as a wedding gift and figured I could christen it with these babies. Less clean-up? Sign me up.

This recipe is my slightly adapted version of The Lemon Bowl's strawberry oatmeal yogurt muffins. Not a bad little breakfast, y'all. Especially when you un-healthy them with just a little pat o' butter.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup old fashioned oats
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt (I used Greek vanilla yogurt)
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil – slightly cooled (I used olive, not pictured)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray your muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Next, fold your strawberries into the batter. Using a spoon or ice-cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

So berry good.

Cajun shrimp and sausage stew

I won’t call it gumbo ‘cause I’m no Cajun, but "stew" seemed sufficient for my limited expertise with this French fricassée. I whipped this one up in honor of Fat Tuesday ‘cause I believe real Tuesdays have curves. Serve her highness over rice if you're into that. I let my stew go stag.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2  cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup thinly sliced smoked sausage (about 8 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon or about two cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup okra (I used frozen cuts)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1/2 pound of peeled and deveined small shrimp
• 1 (15-ounce) can red beans, rinsed and drained

Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Sauté bell pepper, onion, celery, okra, sausage and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and canned tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans. Sprinkle in seasoning. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Salt to taste.

Place-and-bake cinnamon roll hearts

I got a little carried away with heart-shaped fare this weekend. We started our Saturday with these love-themed cinnamon rolls. No fuss. I just picked up a can of pre-made dough at the grocery store, rolled each pre-cut section into a heart and then baked as directed on 400 for about 10 minutes. Our Valentwins added some frosting and red sprinkles, and I served them alongside some fresh strawberries. Easy, festive and amusing.

Here's an excerpt from our always-entertaining table conversations:

Me: "I thought we could make some heart-shaped pizzas again this year for dinner. You know, to celebrate Valentine's Day."

A.C.: "Isn't Presidents Day coming up? Why don't we make pizzas shaped like Abraham Lincoln?"

Clever, but way outside my realm of creativity, child. We stuck with the original plan: Heart-shaped flat bread, a few simple toppings and voila. Have a look. This gal even hand-cut the pepperonis into tiny hearts, y'all. Who am I?

3-ingredient breakfast meatballs

I brought these into work recently for of a "breakfast narrative" -- which a very ad agency way of saying "let's eat and share stories." (It's what we do.) After a colleague tasted them and described them as a "religious experience," I figured I may as well share the love. There's nothing to 'em, really.  And since I like 'em spicy, I opted for a spicy sage sausage meatball. Triple threat. Yes, please.

Ingredients:

2 lb Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, uncooked 5 cups Bisquick baking mix 2 lb shredded cheddar cheese

The type of sausage you choose is all up to you, but here's how it went down in my kitchen: Add 1 pound of Jimmy Dean sage sausage and 1 pound of Jimmy Dean hot sausage to a large bowl along with the Bisquick and cheese.  Knead it all together like you're makin' a meatloaf. Once it's all gelled together nicely, start rolling out your meatballs (about the size of a golf ball) and place them on a non-stick baking sheet.

Pop 'em in the oven for 25 minutes at 350. Makes 70. (Yeah, you read that right, so you might wanna cut this in half.)

Family traditions founded on food: Kid-friendly sushi and glow-in-the-dark Jello

So they're not the prettiest things you've ever seen, but I made these PB&J sushi rolls last month for The Little Boys Club in an effort to uphold what has become a new tradition in our house. Pizza Fridays are a custom that Mr. W started with his twins a few years ago, and I thought it might be fun to incorporate a post-pizza movie night that includes a nod to some kind of snack featured in the flick itself. On a recent night, we chose "The (original) Karate Kid" accompanied by these easy "sushi" roll-ups made with flattened wheat bread and smothered with PB&J. The little dudes tried to convince us they'd already seen the movie -- and we had to inform them that the Jaden Smith version does not actually count. Same goes for the Hilary Swank adaptation -- although I do appreciate the female athlete in a leading role. Nice work, Hollywood.

The whole movie idea started on a whim last December with "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" -- the Jim Carrey version. I whipped up a bright green batch of Grinch Punch. It was a hit. (The request for seconds tipped me off.) Then, when "Frozen" was released on DVD, we opted for a few snowman snacks: Olaf noses (baby carrots), Olaf arms (pretzel sticks) and a melty Olaf himself: vanilla ice cream dotted with a couple of Raisinets for eyes. It was a home run. They don't say much, but the awkward attempt to actually "build" a snowman inside the glass says something, right?

After the presumed success of the first few movie nights, Mr. W and I decided to introduce The Littles to some of our own childhood favorites, so we started with E.T. I was prepared with Reese's Pieces, which would have been plenty. Simple enough. But we got a little carried away. I decided to make glow-in-the-dark Jello. (Lime jello + tonic water = voila!) We needed something to stick our index fingers in for the "E.T. phone home" scene. Obviously. But we didn't stop there. Just as The Littles were attaching plastic glow-in-the dark stars to our living room walls, Mr. W. revealed the black lights and blinking LED alien balloons he'd picked up just for the occasion. Have I mentioned how much I love this man? He not only humors me, but actually participates in my movie-themed madness. It's a match.

We don't do this every Friday, y'all. Let's be real. But it sure is entertaining to re-watch some of our favorite flicks from childhood -- and exchange sudden glances with Mr. W upon realization that the movie you chose has just introduced your children to fun language like "penis breath." Heaven help us.

Recently, I overheard the boys tell their uncle all about our E.T. movie night and it made me smile. A moment of validation! So they DO dig it! They DO enjoy our cheesy little tradition! (I take every little victory to heart, guys.) And maybe they're just in it for the snacks -- but hey, I would be, too.

Sauteed shrimp and asparagus gremolata

With a pound of of fresh asparagus sitting in my fridge, I decided to try my hand at something of an Italian stir fry.  Gremolata is an Italian condiment made of chopped herbs and lemon zest, and I'll tell you what. I served this wonderdish alongside some good 'ole Uncle Ben's wild rice and called it a semi-homemade kinda night.

Ingredients:

Gremolata

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• Dash of salt
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 minced garlic cloves

Shrimp & Veggies

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cups (about 1/2 pound) chopped asparagus
• 1 bell pepper, preferably red, yellow or orange
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• Dash of salt
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper

For gremolata, combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stir and set aside. (I went with 4 cloves 'cause I love that intense garlicky flavor, but to each their own.)

To prepare the rest, heat a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to your pan and let it heat for about half a minute. Add your chopped asparagus and peppers to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. (I chose half a red bell pepper and half a yellow bell pepper for color.) Once cooked through, remove the asparagus and peppers from the pan and set aside.

Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil to your skillet and let it heat up again for 30 seconds. Add your peeled shrimp, sprinkle in the gremolata and sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your shrimp should be bright pink when ready. Add the asparagus and peppers back, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Stir together until thoroughly heated.

Serves 4

Cherry tomato Caprese salad

As a fan and frequenter of potluck celebrations, I like to have a few go-to recipe options in my back pocket. Of course this concept works especially well during that window of time about two hours before an event when I realize that I have no olive oil, for example, and then must proceed to the grocery store on the day before Easter. You know eggsactly what I mean. This sweet and juicy vegetarian dish was a welcome addition to a spread of Franklin Barbecue's brisket, ribs and smoked turkey at a recent meeting o' the meats among South Austin's finest carnivores.

Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad Serves 4-6

Ingredients 1 pint cherry tomatoes (color's up to you) 8 ounces of fresh mini mozzarella balls, or "pearls" if you will 10 small basil leaves 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add the tomato halves, along with the cheese to a medium bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Chop the basil neatly and add to taste, along with salt and pepper. (The mozzarella balls I chose came already swimming in some herb-infused olive oil, so I went ahead and substituted that for the 4 tablespoons mentioned above. You do what you gotta do though.) Toss ingredients together and enjoy alongside your main dish or as an entree.

Spicy Sriracha deviled eggs

I present my contribution to the Super Bowl grub last Sunday. These beauties are also a prime go-to for any pot luck or afternoon snack attack. This is a slightly altered version of The Pioneer Woman's recipe -- adapted to suit my higher heat tolerance. (Un poquito mas picoso, por favor.)

Sriracha Deviled Eggs Makes about 24, unless you're a taste-as-you-go kinda gal like me. Then, you might end up with 17. (Treat yo self.)

Ingredients 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs (peeled, sliced open longways, and yolks removed) 1/4 cup mayonnaise 4 tablespoons Sriracha 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Pepper to taste chives, chopped (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the yolks with the mayonnaise and Sriracha. Then add the vinegar and pepper. Mash it together until the mixture is pretty smooth. There may still be some small yolky clumps, but pay no mind. Either spoon the filling into the egg halves, or get fancy and use a piping bag, like me. Then, if you're feeling festive, top each egg with a couple of chives and dot with Sriracha.

Giving peas a chance

My New Year's holiday has been marked by the inclusion of traditional Mexican "bunuelos" for as long as I can remember. There were always tamales -- and often enough brisket for 17 of your first cousins. But after an evening of sparklers, black snakes and  pop-pop snappers in the driveway,  those delicious discs of fried dough dusted with cinnamon and sugar beat any Roman candle by a long shot.

This year, however,  I opted to partake in the Southern institution of black-eyed peas in the form of a lovely dip, via The Pioneer Woman. Obviously. Tip: Don't wait until 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve to secure said peas from grocery store. As expected, the shelf that's usually lined with the little buggers was barren, so I called up some purple hull peas from the bench. To those who partook in the peas: I apologize in advance if you do not fulfill your New Year's resolutions as a result of my substitution. Here's the recipe. Easy peasy. 

¡Feliz Año Nuevo 2014!

Almond biscotti

Almond biscotti AbruzzoCibus.com

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Stick unsalted butter (4 oz.), melted
• 3Tbsp Marsala or other sweet wine
• 2 tsp sambuca*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract*
• 1 Cup whole almonds with skins, lightly toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped if you like
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½  tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

*These flavorings can be interchanged with brandy, grappa or limoncello, based on your preference.

Stir together sugar, butter and flavorings in a large bowl. Then stir in the almonds and the eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Chill dough, covered, for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 350° with rack in middle.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16 X 2-inch) loaves on a large baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Or, form 3 smaller loaves for smaller biscotti.

Bake until pale golden, 20 – 25 min. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool for 15 min.

Cut loaves into ¾ inch slices using a serrated knife.

Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on the baking sheet with parchment paper, again, and bake until golden,

20 – 25 min. turning once, or less time if you prefer biscotti to be less crunchy. Transfer to rack to cool completely before storing.

Note: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.  Biscotti will improve in flavor after 2 days.

Recipe: Polpetinne Cacio E Uova

Polpetinne Cacio E Uova (Cheese and egg dumplings) AbruzzoCibus.com

• 6 eggs
• 200 grs of old bread (white part only - hand grated)
• 600 grs grated of mixed parmesan and pecorino cheese
• chopped parsley
• salt & pepper
• garlic

Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl until fully blended. Form by hand into compact ovals or round. Sautee the balls with olive oil and when a little brown, add tomato sauce.

SAUCE

•  olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, sliced
• 2 medium bell peppers, red and yellow, cut into strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• chopped tomatoes
• salt & pepper
• bay leaf
• rosemary

In the olive oil, sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft.

Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper.

Simmer 3/4 hour until the oil shows on the top of the sauce.

Add some WATER if dry and bring to a boil.

Drop in the dumplings. Cook and turn gently. They are finished when they are spongy.

Makes 8-9 DUMPLINGS

Recipe: Cavatelli aka: Gnocchietti

Cavatelli aka: Gnocchietti AbruzzoCibus.com

In some parts of Italy this pasta is also known as gnocchetti or seashells. The rolling and forming of the pasta is not done for aesthetic reasons. It is practical because the ridges and/or small pockets in the cavatelli help to pick up and hold the sauce.

• ½ cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of grano duro (durum wheat flour)
• 3/4 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup or more of hot water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Use a fairly large mixing bowl. Put the flour  and salt into the bowl. Add the vegetable oil.

Make a well and form a pool of a little hot water. Add the baking powder and let it foam. Mix with a fork to combine. Add more water a little at a time as necessary. When the flour comes together start using your hands.

Mix thoroughly with your hands until the dough comes together in a ball.

If the dough feels stiff, add a bit more hot water. The dough should be quite soft and a bit spongy.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead for 4 to 5 minutes.

Cut of a piece of the dough (about the size of a plum), keeping the rest covered with a towel. Stretch and roll this piece between your hands to form a tube-like shape.

Place the dough on your work surface and, with a very light amount of pressure, roll your hands over the dough to stretch and thin it out. Continue until you have used all of the dough.

Cut the pasta tubes into small pieces.

Roll the pieces down over the tines of a fork, with some pressure, to form the cavatelli.* The pasta is now ready for cooking.

Cook the cavatelli in plenty of boiling salted water for about 4 minutes. Test with your teeth. They should be cooked through but with a little resistance to the teeth. Because they are made without eggs, the consistency is different than that of pasta made with eggs.

Drain well. Put them in a large serving bowl. Pour the sauce over them and mix well.

Makes four appetizer-size portions.

*If you are lucky enough to have a cavatelli attachment to your pasta machine, the work is faster. You just feed the tube of dough between the rollers while turning the handle. The machine forms and cuts the cavatelli, ready for the boiling water.

Recipe: Fennel & Orange Salad

Fennel & Orange Salad AbruzzoCibus.com

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, marjoram or chives)
• 4 navel or blood oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 2 medium fennel, thinly sliced
• 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 20 black olives (optional)

Mix together oil, orange juice and herbs in a small bowl. Set aside.

Overlap the slices of fennel, orange and onions on a serving platter. Drizzle dressing over the top.

Garnish with the olives (optional) and fresh parsley. Serves 6 to 8

Recipe: Braciole

Braciole AbruzzoCibus.com

• pork cutlet
• sausage
• slice of parmesan or pecorino cheese
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Pinch of nut meg
• Bay leaf
• Rosemary
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Tomato sauce

Lay the pork cutlet flat on a cutting board and pound it to make it thinner and more tender. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Lay the piece of sausage at the very top of the cutlet and sprinkle with parsley. Roll up the sausage inside the cutlet to create a roulade. Close it in the center with a couple of toothpicks.

Sauté over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Add chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce to the pan along with a bay leaf and some rosemary. Cook the sauce down for a couple of minutes and then add a cup of vegetable broth. Cover the pan and let the braciola cook in the sauce for about one and a half hours on low heat. Check periodically to make sure the liquid has not evaporated too much.

Recipe: Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed Artichokes AbruzzoCibus.com

6 medium artichokes

Look for round artichokes (globe) with stems. The leaves should be pliable and not too spiky.   Lemons are the key to prevent discoloration. Prepare a large bowl of water with lemon juice.

Working one artichoke at a time, cut the stem off at the base of the artichoke leaving it flat so as to stand on it’s own, and rub with lemon. Slice the top off  almost half-way down and rub the cut surface with lemon. Trim by pulling off the outer two or three layers of leaves (or more) until you expose pale, tender leaves.  Using a melon baler or small spoon scrape out the fuzzy choke on the inside. Rub again with lemon and drop into the lemon water.

Peel the outside layer of the stems. Treat with lemon and drop into the lemon water*

Prepare the stuffing:

Dice the stems of the artichokes and sweat until tender and translucent with

• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 med. white onion, chopped fine

Add:

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and mix with:

• 14- oz. fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. ground hot pepper (paprika)
• 1/3 cup grated  pecorino cheese  (parmesan/Romano)
• 6 basil leaves, chopped
• S & P
• Olive oil

The mixture should be just moist enough to form a cohesive paste when squeezed.

Carefully spread open the artichokes spoon the stuffing into the cavities.  Place the stuffed artichokes in a low casserole w/lid making sure they stand securely.  Pour about 1 ½ -inches of water into the pan. Drizzle with a few more tbsp. of olive oil. Cover and Simmer over a low to med. flame until the artichokes are tender. 30 to 45 min. depending on the size and the number in the pan. Baste occasionally with their juices.

Allow the artichokes to cool down . They can be eaten warm or at room temperature. The sauce is wonderful with fresh crunchy bread. Stuffed artichokes can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. They will be even more flavorful.

* Prepared artichokes (before stuffing) can be stored completely covered with their lemon water for up to a day in the  refrigerator.

Recipe: Involtini di Prosciutto con Arugula e Pecorino

Involtini di Prosciutto con Arugula e Pecorino (Prosciutto rolled with aruglula and pecorino cheese) AbruzzoCibus.com

• 8 to 10 thin slices of prosciutto
• 8 to 10 shavings of pecorino/parmesan* (from a whole piece)
• 2 bunches of arugula (washed with hard stems removed)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml.) of olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon (strained)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 15 cured black olives, pits removed (optional)

On parchment paper, arrange the prosciutto in a single layer.

Pour the strained lemon juice in a non-reactive bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly. Drop in the arugula, add salt and pepper and toss thoroughly.

Starting at one end of the slice of prosciutto place a small bunch of arugula. Add 1 shaving of cheese. Roll into a roulade making sure it remains intact.

Continue with the remaining slices of prosciutto. Arrange on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish with black olives (optional).

SERVES 4 to 5

* In lieu of pecorino, you may use parmigiano, romano or grana cheese.

Tiramisu

TiramisuAbruzzoCibus.com

The name means "pick me up," and it does, indeed. There are many different versions of this popular dessert, but this is the true peasant version.

• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 1 Tbsp sweet Marsala
• 1 Tbsp water
• 250 grams (approx. 10 oz.) mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso, cold and slightly sugared
• 12  lady fingers, broken into thirds
• 2 oz. combination of dark or milk chocolate, grated and dark cocoa

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Slowly beat in the marsala and the water. Add the mascarpone, and beat until the mixture is thick and smooth. Next, drop three lady finger pieces in the bottom of each of  wine glass or other bowl shaped serving piece. Drizzle 1/3 to 1/2 of the coffee mixture over the lady fingers. Then, spoon in 1/3 to 1/2 of the mascarpone, and sprinkle with  the  chocolate mixture.

Repeat with one or two more layers (depending on the size of the glass) with the remaining ladyfingers, coffee, mascarpone, and chocolate. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of the glass.