The Art of the Mason Jar

Convenience plays a large role in my daily routine. I joke sometimes that my purse is a suitcase, because it is large and in charge! I just like to feel prepared. Every morning I "get ready for the day." This means regardless of the day, rain or shine, plans or no plans, I always make an effort to get myself together, because it makes me feel good. Do something everyday that makes you feel good. Maybe it's an early morning spin class or a meditation yoga class. By starting your day off right, you're setting the tone for your day, and I promise you, it will be a good day if you make it a good day! 

Being prepared makes all the difference when it comes to healthy food choices. Between our busy daily routines and juggling X, Y and Z throughout the day, sometimes running to the nearest fast casual restaurant or deli to pick up a bite to eat is easier and more convenient than prepping ahead. Being prepared with sometime to eat before you become starving and want to eat everything in sight makes all the difference to your health and nutrition. 

I've found that using mason jars to prep food ahead and organize for a couple of days makes a really easy "grab and go" in your own home. Not to mention, people will comment because it actually looks pretty cool too! 

If your mornings are busy prep a greek yogurt berry bowl in a mason jar and take it to go. For lunch or a snack, layer power veggies in a mason jar with a little dressing on the side. Simple Easy and nutritious!

#1. Morning Glory Bowl

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup 0% Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup all natural (gluten-free optional) granola

1 teaspoon pure honey

Directions - Layer ingredients in a mason jar, drizzle honey on top and enjoy. 

#2. You're a Peach

1 small peach diced

1/2 cup 0% Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup pistachios

1 teaspoon all natural honey

Directions - Layer all ingredients in mason jar and enjoy. 

Veggie Jars

Create your bowl 1/4 cup each.

Corn

Carrots

Quinoa

Black Beans

Kidney Beans

Celery

Tomatoes

Lima Beans

Mushrooms

Kale

Arugula

Lettuce

Dressing: 

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Directions - Layer selected veggies in a mason jar and mix in dressing when you're ready to eat and enjoy!

"Fall in Love with Taking Care of Yourself"

Football Mania: Cha Cha Chili

Last but certainly not least in my Football Mania Menu series, my Cha Cha Chili! A dish that is both comforting and easy, the trick is here to give it plenty of time to simmer so that all of the flavors have the chance to mingle and meet. It's easy enough that you can get it going the morning of the big game and let it simmer away while you get the rest of the party ready, or you can make it the night before and warm it right before guest arrive. I recommend arranging a do-it-yourself topping bar for guests to customize their own personal chili toppings with the suggested toppings below! 

Need a few more ideas? Try my Mixed Stuffed Peppers and Hot Swiss and Almond Dip to complete your Game Day Menu. What else are you serving this Sunday? 

Cha Cha Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean, ground beef (or substitute ground turkey)
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 16 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste + 1 can (6 oz) water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans

Toppings:

• Sour cream (reduced fat)
• Cilantro, chopped
• Sharp Cheddar, grated
• Chives

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and sauté garlic and onions until translucent. Add meat and thoroughly cook through. Add green pepper and continue to cook until softened. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining seasonings. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Mix in kidney and pinto beans and juice. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Toppings are to be used as desired.

Crab Cake Recipe & Events in California

One of the best parts of my job is getting to share my passion for food and my favorite recipes with friends old and new, which is why I love getting to participate in book signings and cooking demonstrations! Last week I brought Domestic Chíc to Bloomingdales at 59th street and Lexington and shared my delicious recipe for Crab Cakes. I had a great time meeting everyone and enjoying this dish together. If you couldn't make it, don't worry - I've included the recipe below!

This weekend, I am off to California to enjoy the sun! If you are in the Newport or LA area, come say hi at one of the dates below:

12/12: Bloomingdale's at Newport Beach
12/12: Barnes and Noble at Newport Beach
12/13: Bloomingdale's at Century City
 

Crab Cakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound crabmeat
• 1 cup shrimp
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (red, yellow)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Flour for dusting
• 4 tablespoons balsamic glaze
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl mix together crabmeat, green onions, bell pepper, egg, mayonnaise. For the shrimp, heat 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add shrimp and sauté tow to three minutes until cooked. Add shrimp to crabmeat mixture.

In a separate bowl whisk together Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard a dash of cayenne and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour liquid into crabmeat mixture and thoroughly combine. Shape mixture into patties, and lightly dust with flour, then roll into Panko bread crumbs. These can be prepared earlier in the day and kept in the refrigerator. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, place crab cakes in the oil and turn after four to five minutes or until golden brown. Warm balsamic glaze and drizzle over crab cakes. Serve warm.

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Bleu D'Auvergne

If you have been reading along for a while, you already know how much I love two things: simple, delicious appetizers, and cheese! For my fourth recipe from The Cheeses of Europe, I used Bleu D'Auvergne to create an easy, mouth-watering appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Dates. Bleu D'Auvergne has a delicious flavor with undertones of wildflower, so it pairs amazingly with the sweet dates and salty bacon. The best part about this recipe is the ingredient list - you only need five simple, wonderful ingredients to throw this appetizer together! A short shopping list and prep time makes this dish a great choice for entertaining guests - and who doesn't get excited when you walk in and smell bacon?

See the full recipe below, or watch the video to see how I prepared this delectable dish!

Ingredients:

20 Medjool dates

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

3 ounces Bleu d’ Auvergne cheese, cut into chunks

Small handful pistachios, crushed

10 bacon slices cut in half lengthwise

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Cut slits down one side of the dates just large enough to remove the pits—careful not to cut entirely in half.
3. Fill each date with some chopped parsley, a chunk of Bleu d’Auvergne cheese, and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Lightly squeeze them shut.
4. Wrap a strip of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick. Bake on a parchment covered baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

Arancini Bocca di Bacco

When the weather is gloomy, I always find cooking to be a perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening. It's cozy, the house is warm and fragrant from the stove simmering away, and you can always open a bottle of your favorite wine to sip while you cook! And, when it's all done, you have a wonderful meal to enjoy together. It almost makes me thankful for the clouds!

One of my favorite classic Italian dishes to cook at home is Arancini, Italian-style saffron rice balls. With Earth Day this week, I was reminded of how important it is to reduce our waste in every capacity, and food is no exception! This is a perfect dish to prepare using leftover risotto from the previous days dinner. Never throw away ingredients that you can reinvent in a new, delicious dish!

You can choose to customize your Arancini based on your taste, or what you have on-hand, but the general way to make them uses risotto, mozzarella, egg,  and bread crumbs.  You'll mix the pre-made risotto, eggs, and bread crumbs together and form them into balls before adding your mozzarella into the center of each, rolling in additional bread crumbs and frying lightly in hot oil. At Bocca di Bacco we serve these delicious risotto balls with a delicious red sauce, which I highly recommend--and of course, every Italian dish is better paired with a glass of wine!

What's your favorite way to re-invent leftover ingredients? Share your tips in the comments!

Grilling a Few Chops

Hello guys!

From my last post I think you guys can see how much I'm into grilling this summer! When summer finally hits New York, there's no reason not to soak up every moment in the sun, so I like to create recipes that can capture summer ingredients and cooking outdoors.

Here's another great grilling recipe that I shared with Veria TV on "The Juice" just a few days ago that will impress your man, friends, family and even just for a solo indulgent meal: Lamb Chops with a Balsamic Grenadine Reduction. Also, don't worry if you grill indoors! This recipe is also great grilled on a cast iron stove-top grill or in your handy cast iron skillet.

Ingredients:

8 lamb chops 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped Sea Salt Freshly Ground Pepper 2 ½ Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup grenadine

Directions:

Season both sides of the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, rosemary and olive oil into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and let the lamb chops come to room temperature.

Heat the grill on high heat. Add the lamb chops and let sear for 2 minutes. Turn the chops over cook for another 3 ½ – 4 minutes.

On high heat over the stovetop reduce the balsamic and grenadine mixture for 8-10 minutes, until consistency thickens.

Once lamb is cooked, plate and drizzle with the balsamic reduction before serving.

Hope you enjoy this one and look out for my other Veria recipes!

-Chef K

Sole Di Roma- A Summer Cocktail

While the city is heating up, what's a better time than now to start gearing up for summer cocktails! One of the house favorites is our Sole Di Roma. This bright orange beauty is a perfect party starter and easy to make with just a few main ingredients. The best part? It's light and refreshing, perfect for spring and summer. I happen to love this cocktail because it's perfect for brunch, lunch and cocktail parties. 

Now, I won't be able to give out our exact recipe for the Sole Di Roma, but I can tell you what's in it! This is what you'll need:

• Aperol- This is what gives it that gorgeous bright orange color. It's considered Italy's favorite aperitif.
• Limoncello- Another favorite of Italy! Limoncello is slightly sweet and gives a nice rounded citrus flavor
• Orange Juice- The juice serves as the body for the cocktail. I would suggest using freshly squeezed for the best results. 
• Prosecco- What would a summer cocktail be without a little Italian Prosecco to top it off! Give it a little splash of bubbles to round it out and make it nice and crisp.

Aren't you craving a cocktail now? I AM! Try making our Sole Di Roma and be sure to share your pics and comments with me! Tag your creation with @BoccaDiBaccoNYC! Let's see those cocktails!

-Chef K

Leftover Pumpkin

Leftover pumpkins from the holidays? Don't throw them out! Those gorgeous orange beauties are waiting to be transformed into pumpkin bread, pasta fillings (my favorite) like my pumpkin cannelloni that I served up this year for Thanksgiving and even creamy pumpkin soup to name a few! I love keeping pumpkin puree in the freezer so that I can use them in my recipes all year round. Follow this easy recipe to learn how to cook up your leftover pumpkins! Promise you'll thank me later ;)

 Ingredients

• 2 whole Small Pumpkins

Preparation Instructions

Select a couple of smaller sized pumpkins. Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don't have to be too thorough with this.

Place all the seeds into a bowl (you can roast them later and make pepitas for a healthy snack). Repeat until all the pumpkin pieces are largely free of seeds and pulp.

Place pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet (face up or face down) and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. They should be nice and light golden brown when done.

Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces until you have a big pile of the stuff. If you have a food processor, throw in a few chunks at a time. A blender will work, too, if you add a little water. Or you can simply mash it up with a potato masher, or move it through a potato ricer, or process it through a food mill.

Pulse the pumpkin until smooth. If it looks too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water during the pulsing to give it the needed moisture. (Note, if the puree is overly watery, you should strain it on cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid.)

Dump the pureed goodness into a bowl, and continue pureeing until all the pumpkin is done.

You can either use this immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you’d like, or store it in the freezer for later use.

To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into each plastic storage bag. Seal the bag with just a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Store them in the freezer until you need them.

Hope you all of you try this easy recipe at home and use those pumpkins!

-Chef K

Fall Produce: Port-soaked Figs

I always love this time of year, there is an array of fresh and healthy fall produce available at the grocery stores and farmers' markets! Some of my favorite include apples, figs, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and winter squash.

Pears are perfect in salads or for a tantalizing baked dessert. Pumpkins and squash make the perfect filling for raviolis and cannelloni dishes. For our holiday menu I've made a pumpkin cannelloni dish, Cannelloni di Zucca, with a bechamel sauce which I hope you come to try! It's perfumed with thyme, another fall herb favorite of mine. Using earthy herbs such as sage and rosemary are always perfect during this time of year as they bring warmth to any dish.

With all the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to share a quick and easy party menu item using one of these fall necessities, FIGS! Here is my recipe for Port-Soaked Figs with Gorgonzola, Chives & Walnuts:

INGREDIENTS

12 dried figs, cut in half

1/2 cup Port wine

1 tsp whole fennel seeds

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 lb Gorgonzola cheese

1 tbsp chopped chives

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

In a one-quart saucepan, place the figs, port, fennel seeds and black pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Let the figs plump in the port for 15 minutes. Then remove the figs from the saucepan, and lay them out on a tray to cool completely.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the Gorgonzola cheese and chives, and blend to smooth.

STEP 3

Remove the Gorgonzola from the bowl of the food processor to a work bowl and mix in the walnuts.

STEP 4

Place a small dollop of the cheese mixture in the center of each fig, refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm the cheese.

STEP 5

Serve cold. Makes 24-30 pieces.

This recipe is full of flavor and is a cinch to make! I hope you enjoy my Port-soaked Figs and that you serve it at one of your holiday get togethers this year! What are some of your favorite appetizers to share with guests?

-Chef K

Semifreddo! A Summertime Treat

One of my favorite summertime treats is an Italian favorite. Semifreddo! It is an icy, light treat that can easily be made at home. When you’re craving some gelato or ice cream, it can be a little intimidating to consider making it yourself. I’m happy to tell you that semifreddo is a cinch!

At Bocca Di Bacco, we make our own semifreddo with chocolate shavings and hint of espresso. However, you can make whatever type of semifreddo you like! Citrus, fruity or coffee flavored semifreddos are always super yummy. It just depends on what you blend into the mixture.

Here is a recipe I pulled from one of my personal inspirational chefs, Giada De Laurentiis that I think you all can try at home. This one happens to be a citrus based recipe and is perfect for summer! With just a little patience and  few ingredients, you will be enjoying this frozen treat in no time!