Friday, June 14, 2019

Lobster Oreganata



There is something about having to kill your dinner before you cook it. I have no problem killing a lobster. Well, I do feel bad about killing it but they taste so good. That being said this dinner received rave reviews. Easy to prepare, except for the killing part.

This recipe is from the book Cooking With Nonna Celebrating Food and Family. The lobster was on sale for $6.99 a pound at Shop Rite. It was delicious.

Back to the lobster prep. There are a lot of videos and tutorials on how to kill the lobster. I would recommend googling the subject and finding one that you are comfortable with.


Ingredients-
2 live lobsters
6 tbsp. plain bread crumbs
2 tbsp. grated cheese
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white wine
3/4 cup water

Method-


Place the lobster, belly side down on a kitchen towel on a cutting board, when you cut the lobster it will leak. Using a sharp knife, split the lobsters in half, straight down the middle, beginning with the point of the knife in the middle of the head and running it down the tail. Remove the eggs and the innards. Transfer the lobster halves cut side up to a rimmed baking sheet. Remember to remove the rubber bands around the claws after you kill the lobster.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.


Mix thoroughly bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, parsley, and olive oil. Sprinkle evenly over lobster. Drizzle each half with the wine.


Pour water into the bottom of the baking sheet. Cover the sheet with aluminum foil and bake until the shells are red and the meat is firm about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.
Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.

Cannoli Cookies



It was a Cooking With Nonna type of day. Tomorrow I am going to a party at my nephew's house. His son received his Confirmation and they are also celebrating my brother's 70th birthday. What does that mean? I have to bring cookies. It is what I do.

I had the recipe for Cannoli Cookies bookmarked in the Cooking with Nonna cookbook. I am so glad I finally made this recipe. Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients-
1 cup unsalted pistachios
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 orange, zest only
1 large egg, room temperature
8 ounces whole milk ricotta, room temperature
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
For Glaze-
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Topping-
Chocolate Sprinkles

Method-
Place the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped, about 15-20 seconds.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and zest.
Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the egg and the ricotta.
Add in the dry ingredients little by little until a dough forms.
Mix in the pistachios and chocolate chips.
Using a tablespoon, roll the dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
The bottoms of the cookies should slightly brown.
Cool completely before glazing.

To make the Glaze:
In a bowl mix together the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Add less milk for a thicker glaze or more for a thinner glaze. Top with chocolate sprinkles.