Blueberry Orange Muffins

It was my friend, Erika's, birthday the other day so what better treat to make for her than bite size muffins for breakfast.  Whenever I make muffins from scratch, I always turn to Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.  Her muffin recipes constantly turn into the most incredibly moist, sweet tasting goodies, because she doesn't skimp on the berries and adds dairy instead of water.  However, wanting to keep the creativity flowing, I always like to add my own twist to the recipes I find.  Her blueberry muffins call for buttermilk and lemon zest.  She specifically mentions in her cookbook that you won't be able to detect the lemon zest but that it enhances the flavor of the muffins.  Well, if I'm going to add citrus to my food, I want to be able to taste that tangy flavor!  So, instead, I used orange juice and orange zest for a fresh punch and low fat milk for a slightly healthier bite. And these mini muffins were a huge hit.

What you'll need: about 4 dozen mini muffins or 20 regular size muffins

 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra large eggs
2 cups fresh blueberries

For the streusel topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and blend together.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, orange juice, melted cooled butter, orange zest, and eggs.  Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing just until blended.  Fold the blueberries into the batter.  Don't overmix!  Scoop the batter into a mini muffin tin lined with paper cups, filling them almost full.

For the topping, place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and cut with a pastry cutter, until the butter is in very small pieces.  Then rub with your fingers until crumbly.  Spoon about 1 small spoonful of the streusel on top of each muffin.  Bake the mini muffins for about 12 mins each, until golden brown. If baking regular size muffins, cook for about 20-25 mins.

Juicy, sweet, tangy and with a crumbly crunchy top!  You'll never go back to store bought muffins again!

Citrus Cocktail

Southern California was so hot this past weekend.  And after standing in the sun for two hours at a food truck festival, I was parched and water just wasn't cutting it!  So my mom whipped up a couple of freshly squeezed citrus cocktails that quenched my thirst in no time.  My mom is the best personal bartender I know and I'm learning a lot of quick and tasty drinks from her that I love to share.  The flavor combo in this particular drink is so vibrant and refreshing and I can't wait to drink this again when the weather picks up for spring.

What you'll need: per 1 drink

1 orange

1 lemon

1 jigger of triple sec

1 jigger of coconut rum

1 can of squirt soda

splash of maraschino cherry juice

Freshly squeeze the juice out of the orange and lemon.  Set aside.  In a glass filled with ice, pour in the 2 jiggers of alcohol.  Add half of the can of squirt.  Top with the orange and lemon juice.  Give this a stir and add in the splash of maraschino cherry juice just before serving (to give the drink a sunset glow).  Garnish with a slice of orange, maraschino cherry and an umbrella!

This cocktail taste so fresh with the natural juices you use from the fruit.  And the squirt adds a hint of bubbly grapefruit flavor to add to the citrus theme.  So reviving after a long day in the sun...

An Old Fashion Tribute

Ok, I cheated again with the gluten but for a really good reason!  This week is the anniversary of Madalene's passing and we just HAD to pay tribute to her by baking an old fashion favorite of her's.  In the 50s, Pineapple Upside Down Cakes were a big trend and my Grandma jumped on the bandwagon like every other housewife.  But instead of using a cake mix from the box like many others, she whipped up her own batter, which I would someday like to try.  However, I'm still recovering from tarts last Sunday, so my mom and I went the easy route and used a cake mix, but we jazzed it up with pineapple juice instead of water.  It makes a world of difference, adding more moisture, flavor and sweetness to the cake.

Just a couple of weeks before Madalene passed in 1968, she was still sewing her own dresses for social events.  Pain never stopped her from doing the things she loved.  She fought her illness for 5 years and hardly ever complained.  I can only strive to be as strong as she was.  Madalene really is such an inspiration, so I look to her often and self-reflect.

What you'll need: for a 9 in. baking pan

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 can of sliced pineapple rings
1 jar of maraschino cherries
1 package of yellow cake mix

Place the butter in a round baking pan and put in the oven at 350 degrees.  While the butter is melting, follow the directions on the cake mix box to make the batter.  But remember!  Instead of using water, use the pineapple juice from the can of sliced pineapples.  If it isn't enough, fill the rest of the measurement with water, but it won't be much.  When the butter is completely melted, remove from the oven and evenly layer the brown sugar on top of the melted butter.  Arrange the pineapples and cherries over the sugar/butter mixture.  Pour in the batter and put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40-50 mins.  Once cooked and while still hot, place a platter on top of the pan and flip it over quickly.  Don't freak out if some of the pineapple gets left behind.  Just remove it from the pan and place it back on the cake.  Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

I usually don't like cake because it's often dry with too much frosting, but I will eat this cake over and over again!  It's soo moist and the caramelized topping just melts in your mouth.

Madalene Missed

Madalene leaning on her sister

Is it possible to miss someone if you've never met them?  I guess my mom and her siblings have done such a great job painting such a lifelike picture of my Great Grandma Madalene with stories after stories, that I feel like I've known her my whole life.  And I miss her.  The famous question people are always asked: "If you were to have dinner with anyone in the universe, dead or alive, who would it be?"  No, it would not be Jesus nor Tom Hanks, but my beautiful, strong and insanely talented Grandma Madalene.  I have so many questions for her that can't be answered by those who lived beyond her time.  I yearn to know ALL her family Italian recipes that she cooked from memory, delve into her early childhood days she spent in her homeland and master the Italian language from her personally.  My mom has done wonderfully passing down Madalene's wisdom and legacy, but there is nothing like actually talking to Madalene myself that I want more than anything.  Where is a genie when you need one?!  I guess I'll just have to wait until the afterlife.  Until then, I will never stop learning as much as I can about her and the creative life she passed down to all of us.  Madalene, if you're watching, I love and miss you more than words can describe.  See you soon.  <3

Madalene and her sisters on each side

Crispy Ground Beef Tacos

One of my childhood favorites... homemade Crispy Ground Beef Tacos!  When I was younger and ate very limited food groups, these tacos somehow made the picky list.  Of course, I just ate them with cheese, but now I load them up with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and guacamole!  The guacamole is key for these, because after the initial crunchy bite of the taco shell, you get a creamy lemon-peppery taste from the guac which is just too good!

What you'll need: for about 12 tacos

1 lb lean ground beef

1 pkg lawry's taco seasoning mix

1 large bag of corn tortillas

guacamole

green leaf lettuce

shredded cheddar cheese

sliced tomatoes

taco sauce

In a large pan, prepare the ground beef as instructed on the back of the lawry's seasoning mix.  Try to drain as much of the fat as possible once the meat is done cooking.  In another pan, fill it with canola oil so it coats the entire bottom of the pan.  As soon as the oil is hot, place half of a corn tortilla into the pan (holding the other half with your hand).  Place a couple of tablespoons of meat onto the half of the tortilla that is in the oil.  Then fold down the other half over the portion that is filled with meat.  After a few minutes flip over the taco and cook the other side of the tortilla for a few mins.  When the taco is golden brown, you know it's done.  Do the same for the rest of the tortillas.  Drain the tacos on a cooking sheet lined with paper towels to soak up any remaining oil.  Serve hot with all the fixins!

Yes, it would be so much easier to just cook the meat and place it in an already made taco shell from the grocery store.  But frying the tortillas with the meat inside gives the taco so much flavor!  It's worth the effort.  And there is nothing more satisfying than sinking your teeth into a homemade fresh crispy taco shell.

Lemon Berry Tarts

My friend Elisse had a birthday yesterday, and knowing that she likes fruit tarts, I thought I would get brave in the kitchen and try something new and daring.  This was my first time "tarting" and overall, it turned out tasty.  However, I did make one boo boo when I tried to cut corners from this 1985 Sunset Cookbook recipe I followed (using egg whites instead of whole eggs).  Note to self:  Stop trying to substitute crucial ingredients for baked goods! Nonetheless, it was still sweet, tangy, buttery and refreshing!

What you'll need: to make 5 small tarts

Sweet Butter Pastry Crust:

1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (cut in small chunks)
1 whole egg

In a bowl, stir together flour and sugar.  Add butter chunks to the mixture and stir to coat.  With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until fine particles form.  Add egg and stir with a fork until dough clings together.  With your hands gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Roll out chilled dough and press it firmly on the bottom and sides of your spring-form pans.  Will a rolling pin, roll over the pan to cut off excess dough.  Prick the pastry all over with a fork.  Bake at 350 degrees in the lower third of your oven for 22-25 mins.  Place on a rack and let cool. 

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.

What you'll need:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs

In top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and eggs.  Stir with a wire whisk until blended.  Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth (which didn't happen to mine because I used egg beaters instead of two whole eggs).  Let cool, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Spread filling evenly into the pans and top with blueberries and raspberries.  Serve or refrigerate for up to three hours.

This ended up being a birthday dessert but V-Day is just around the corner.  These little heart shaped tarts would be a fun way to celebrate the day of love.

Soup Class with Fabio Viviani

Having Fun in the Kitchen with Fabio Viviani

Since I blog primarily on food, I've been wanting to broaden my taste buds.  So, yesterday, my mom, sister, friend Ali and I all went to Fabio Viviani's Soup Class at his restaurant Firenze Osteria.  Not only did we learn how to make four fabulously tasting and easy-to-make soups, but we laughed all the way through Fabio's down to earth two hour class.  I've always been a fan of Fabio ever since he competed on Top Chef Season 5, but now that I've been able to witness his "Fan Favorite" personality in person... his hilarious antics and extreme knowledge of food has left me loving him even more.  I can't wait to visit his next class in February, which is all about meat!

Below are the four soups he demonstrated for the class.  I'm a pretty picky eater, but he got me to eat two cold soups and a lobster bisque that I would have never probably tried otherwise.

Gazpacho Soup:  A raw blend of bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes

Lobster Bisque:  A creamy blend of lobster, shellfish stock and fresh vegetables

Fennel Soup with Apples and Herbs: A cold blend of cooked fennel, potatoes and caramelized apples

Heirloom Tomato Soup with Shrimps and Avocado:  A citrusy blend of lemon, tomatoes and shrimp stock

The recipes for all these soups can be found on Fabio's website here.  Fyi, the lobster bisque was blended for us but his recipe online doesn't call for that technique.  After you cook all the ingredients as instructed, take them off the flame and blend in a blender (shell and all), then strain and serve for a creamy version instead!