Moving On

It's been quite some time since I visited my own pages here. As usually takes place with John and me,everything seems to happen at once.


The short version is that John was offered a full-time job at the insurance company for which he has been working part-time for years. It was an offer too good to refuse that came at just the right time. So he took the job and sold his medical practice.

In the meantime, we saw a smaller condominium nearby that we really liked, put down a deposit, listed our house and sold it. Phew!

Needless to say, all the work attendant to selling a business, preparing the house to sell, and the actual showings and negotiations all proved very time consuming and stressful. All of this began mid April and now I am spending my days weeding through what seems like endless possessions all of which seemed vitally necessary at one time or another. And I'm packing, of course.  One good thing is that the buyers of our house have bought a good deal of our furniture so I am trying to let go of everything we don't need. In a way it's liberating. In a way it's not.

I barely have been able to breathe over these past few months, let alone cook. We eat mostly vegetables, salads and a piece of grilled protein. If I crave anything it's comfort food like a soft-boiled egg reminiscent of my childhood.

Or a zucchini frittata made with fresh ricotta.

Or a bowl of chickpeas with Indian spices.

And lots and lots of coffee.

And a little bit of alcohol.

Shake It

On a hot summer afternoon such as this, why not take your leftover morning coffee and shake yourself up and icy treat?

Of course you may use whatever coffee you choose--freshly brewed or freshly pulled--but I like the concentration of leftover coffee because it stands up well to the ice cubes.

Put the coffee in a cocktail shaker along with a pinch of sugar, a splash of milk and a few ice cubes. Then shake until your hand turns cold.  Pour into a nice long glass and enjoy.

I understand this drink is a hot weather staple all over Italy. Interestingly enough, it is known as the Caffe Shakerato, a word that sounds a lot like John's fractured Italian.  Regardless, this is what I've been taking in place of my afternoon cup of hot black coffee. Perfect.

You may also enjoy reading these posts by Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy and Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.

Biscotti Anytime

Biscotti are my favorite cookies to bake. These Italian twice-baked cookies are as versatile as they are easy to make. They go perfectly with a cup of cappucino for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They are a tasty complement to afternoon coffee, and they are perfect with dessert.

Many years back, when my son was young and we were experiencing a long snowy winter, I began my search for the perfect biscotti recipe. Through trial and error--and eating a lot of cookies--I came upon what I believe to be the perfect formula for me.

During my research I found  that most recipes I tried had about the same amounts of flour and sugar. But what seemed to vary the most was the amount of fat. The amount or lack of fat in a recipe seemed to considerably affect the texture, taste and the shelf life of the biscotti. Shelf-life was not something I needed to worry about because having an adolescent boy and his friends in the house rendered that concern moot. Of course, there are many traditional recipes for biscotti that do not use any fat. But the possibility of cracking a tooth on a too hard cookie did not appeal to me.

So I started to experiment. The amount of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt were pretty much a constant. I always used eggs but varied the amount of unsalted butter I used until the recipe produced a crisp but tender crumb. I have even made biscotti with olive oil with success; and with agave nectar with a little less success.

 

One of the fun things about making biscotti is that the variations and flavors are endless.  By changing a few ingredients--type of nuts, dried fruits, extracts, citrus zests, spices-- you can make an infinite variety of cookies. Don't be afraid to try savory ingredients, too. The biscotti take well to spicy and cheesy. And like making a risotto, once you learn the process, the sky's the limit.

The basic formula that continues to work for me for most of my recipes is 2 cups of flour, 3/4 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter.

After the dough is made and patted into logs, it goes into the oven for its first baking.

After approximately 30 minutes, the dough is removed from the oven and cooled on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes.

 The logs are cut on the diagonal with a sharp knife and returned to the oven for 10-15 minutes for the second baking to ensure crispness.

Cool biscotti completely on racks before storing.


 Why not try a batch of these delicious twice-baked cookies. You are sure to love them.

Spicy Orange Walnut Biscotti

Adapted from a recipe by EvanKleiman @kcrwevan

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons citrus zest of your choice
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and black pepper.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and citrus zest.

 Blend in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed, then stir in the nuts and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix.

Halve dough, and with floured hands, form dough into two 12 inch by 2 inch logs.This dough is a bit sticky, so you may want to wet your hands instead of flouring them. Place logs about 3 inches apart on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Place sheet on rack in middle of oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm to touch.

Remove from oven and let logs cool on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. Slice each log slightly on the diagonal into approximately 12  3/4 inch pieces.  Place cut side down on baking sheet and return to oven for 10-15 minutes turning over once.

 Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or in the freezer.

It is easy to grab as few or as many as you need, and they are ready to eat by the time the coffee is poured.  Makes about 2 dozen.


Note: I have edited the original post for updating and clarity 2/6/2016