Love 4 Lasagna: Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I'm a bit late in posting this final Love 4 Lasagna entry, but at least I got it done in November.  And I have to say I think the Boy would say this was worth the wait.  The idea for this lasagna came about when my mom was visiting earlier in the month.  I was brainstorming ideas and she actually suggested it.   When we took our day trip to Buffalo with the Shack's the boy complained about not getting wings and that's when I knew I had to try to make this lasagna version.

When googling "Buffalo Chicken Lasagna" I came across just one recipe that seemed to be reposted everywhere and just didn't sound appealing to me.  It read like a standard lasagna with ricotta, tomato sauce noodles and some spicy chicken.  I wanted my version to really taste like a lasagna version of the Boy's favorite bar food.     I knew how I wanted to deal with the chicken but kept getting stuck on the sauce.  Red sauce?  A bechemel with blue cheese?  What would make it a lasagna but also a dish chock full of spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing?

Love 4 Lasagna Round-up Week 3

Here we are week three and in the craziness of getting ready for my trip back to Boston for Thanksgiving I've fallen a bit behind, which is why this round-up comes a day late, but is no less delicious!

Mama Shack's Pastitsio

Mama Shack went the Greek route and made on of my favorites, Pastitsio, the Greek answer to lasagna, at least that's what I like to call it.  Her dish looks beyond luscious and I'm so sad I wasn't invited over to sample it.   Luckily she finally has one in the W column with Shack!

My Pork & Fennel Lasagna

I went with a more traditional lasagna, with the twist being I made a pork ragu as opposed to a meat sauce. It got a thumbs up from my mom and the boy which means it's a winner as far as I'm concerned.  This one could actually very easily be made using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, just make the sauce without meat and add in shredded turkey at the very end before you build you lasagna.

Another lasagna that could be great with leftover turkey is Mama Shack's Chile Verde Lasagna.  You could make the green chile stew without any meat and add in the shredded turkey at the end.

So there you have it two more delicious takes on lasagna and a couple of idea for what to do with your leftover Thanksgiving Turkey!

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Portobello Burgers

Have you been to the Burger's Priest?  This question only applies if you live in Toronto or have visited in the last 6 or 7 months, but it's a very serious question.  If you are in Toronto and haven't been, go today. Go for lunch, dinner, a snack, just go.

What does a place called Burger's Priest have to do with Meatless Monday?  I mean it makes no sense, right?  Wrong!  While it is any red-blooded burger loving carnivores dream, we aren't talking about meat today.  We are talking about veggies and specifically veggie burgers.  The Priest's answer to a veggie burger is something called "The Option." Sounds vague, right?  Totally vague, but when you ask you are told it's two portobello caps, sandwiched together and filled with cheese, breaded in Panko and fried.   I don't care whether you are a meat-lover or not, you have to admit this sounds good and completely unlike any veggie burger you've ever had.  At least it did to me.

I was at the Priest earlier in the month when my friend JM was visiting.  She's is a pescatarian and having heard about The Option from me, really wanted to try it.  Now my burger was delicious, but when I say her ooey, gooey burger of mushrooms and cheese looked unreal, it's an understatement.  I mean this burger flies right in the face of anyone who thinks being a vegetarian automatically means you are eating healthier.   Recognizing that, while nice once in awhile, this is far from a healthy option I wanted to see if I could recreate "The Option" at home but in a bit healthier of a way.

Love 4 Lasagna: Pork & Fennel Lasagna

It's Sunday again and I'm here with my next Love 4 Lasagna attempt.  With this version I've gone with something a bit more traditional.  A hearty meat sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella and pasta.  I made this one while my mom was visiting and she is a fan of a more traditional lasagna, so I played to that.  She's also a fan of fennel which is how I came up the hearty pork ragu that is chock full of fennel flavor from the fresh fennel and the fennel seed.

This is a really versatile sauce that would be delicious served over polenta, or even with some homemade tagliatelle.  The slow cooking not only helps the pork break down, but also really infuses great flavor throughout.  It definitely a Sunday Super kind of meal and couldn't be more perfect for a cold fall evening.

Canadian Food Blog Awards

Nominations are now open for the 1st annual edition of the Canadian Food Blog Awards (CFBAs)!

"We think there are some fantastic food bloggers across the country and it's time that they were recognized and supported for their efforts," says CFBA co-founder and veteran food blogger Sheryl Kirby. "Our hope is that through these awards, we will find Canada's best online food writers, and that by presenting them with awards to acknowledge their work, this will set a standard of excellence to which food bloggers from coast to coast will aspire."

Food lovers and blog readers alike are invited to visit canadianfoodblogawards.com to nominate their favourite food and drink blogs from across Canada in sixteen categories including Best Writing, Best Photography, Best Professional Blog, Best Seasonal/Local Blog and Best Baking and Dessert Blog.

Nominations will remain open until December 21st, after which a shortlist will be created for each category, and given to a judges' panel to select the winners. The panel will consist of a veritable who's who of Canada’s food and drink scene, including chefs, food writers, newspaper and magazine columnists, and industry experts. The list of judges, which continues to grow as more are confirmed, is available on the CFBA website.

In addition, there will be a special "People’s Choice" award for the overall Best Canadian Food Blog, which will be selected and awarded based on a public vote.

Judging and voting will take place January 1st to 15th, and the winners in all categories will be announced on January 31st, 2011.

For more information on the Canadian Food Blog Awards, contact Sheryl Kirby at contact@canadianfoodblogawards.com, or visit http://www.canadianfoodblogawards.com

Don't forget to check it out and nominate your favorite Canadian blogs!

Recipe Remix: Apple Pie

I love apples and just about any dessert that involves apples, luckily the boy does too and happily deals with my constantly experimenting with apple desserts.   I posted my apple pie recipe over 2 years ago but since I did a pie crust tutorial a few weeks ago and with Thanksgiving coming, it seemed the right time to revisit the recipe to see if I could make it better.  I couldn't be happier that I did because just a bit of tweaking on my part and a bit of inspiration from my sister-in-law really improved upon it and has turned it into my go to apple pie.  

One of the most important thing when discussing the holidays and pies, is what you like on top your slice of pie.  Obviously we are specifically talking about apple pie here.  There are a few schools of thought on this controversial topic.  There are the traditionalists who swear by ice cream.  In Northern New England apple pie is often topped with cheddar cheese.  There are some people who even like it with whipped cream, blasphemy in my opinion.  Being someone who will eat cheese all day, everyday and also growing up in New England, I think the perfect topping is a nice slice of aged Vermont white cheddar.  The boy is adamantly an ice cream kind of guy and despite this difference of opinion, we are able to make it work by agreeing not to force our views on each other when it comes to the all-important topic of apple pie accoutrements.  All this being said, and begrudgingly putting my love of cheese aside, I think the cinnamon sugar topping on this pie would make for a good pairing with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream or even fresh ginger ice cream.  What's your favorite topping for a slice of apple pie, does it cause disagreements amongst loved ones in your house?

Braised Chicken Thighs with Pommes Puree

There are few meals that are more satisfying on a cool fall, almost winter night than chicken and potatoes.  As much as I love roast chicken and potatoes, sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day to roast a whole chicken, sometimes you're only feeding one or two people and just don't need that much food.  And sometimes, like when the holidays are quickly approaching, money is a little tight and one of the most inexpensive items at the meat counter are bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.

I've written before about my new favorite cookbook Stir by Barbara Lynch, specifically her Fennel, Cucumber, Green Bean & Roasted Potato salad.  It was delicious, fresh and uber easy.  As I was trying to figure out what to do with the some of the plethora of chicken thighs I have in my chest freezer (yes I am a bit of a meat hoarder, especially when things are on sale) I recalled seeing a recipe in Stir.  I quickly turned to the page, looked over the ingredients and realized I had everything I needed to try this recipe out, with a minor tweak here and there.  I love when I have an idea or want to try a recipe and find, that without planning for it, I have all need right in my kitchen. It was Chef Lynch herself that recommended serving the chicken with her Pommes Puree and who am I to question that?  Plus I also had potatoes and since the boy is a fan of all things starch I decided to go whole hog and make a whole meal from Stir.

Love 4 Lasagna Round-up Week 2

Here we are at Week 2 of Love 4 Lasagna, still only two of us cooking away but both enjoying the challenge so I'm going to keep doing my round up.  There are still 2 weeks left for anyone else who wants to join and get creative with a traditional dish, just like they do on Top Chef!  Just click here for details.

Mama Shack's Chile Verde lasagna

Mama Shack was super creative this week, turning one of her favorite Mexican stews into a delicious looking lasagna, for more on how Papa Shack was not a fan again, head on over to her post.  I felt like I was a part of this one as she picked up some of her ingredients on our spontaneous day trip to Buffalo last week.  

My Sweet Corn lasagna

I wasn't as creative but was able to procure a recipe from a restaurant I love and wish I could frequent all the time back in LA, Cube Marketplace.  I took that recipe and twisted it into a delicious Sweet Corn Lasagna.  While it wasn't the Boy's fave, I liked it and really that's what matters, right?

Don't forget to check back next Monday to see what we've come up with and feel free to join along!

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday & Love 4 Lasagna: Sweet Corn Lasagna

This past July my sister threw what could not have been a more perfect bachelorette (or stagette as they say he in the Great White North) weekend for me.  It was chock full of lounging by a pool, great food, great friends and a select few bachelorette type activities.  I had the best time and was able to eat some amazing food.  Our first night we ate at Cube Marketplace, a gourmet market mixed with a cafe that focus on traditional Italian cooking with a California twist.  They buy almost all locally at the Santa Monica Farmer's market and only buy from producers who practice cruelty-free farming.  This place was so up my alley it's scary and ridiculous that I hadn't eaten here before.  Each week they pick a different region in Italy to focus, so you could literally eat there every week and not have the same thing.  

For the life of me I don't remember what region was the focus when we were there, I just remember delicious wine, delicious cheese and delicious foods.  The one that specifically stuck in my head was the Sweet Corn Stuffed Pasta.  We agreed on a couple of appetizer items and then each of us selected a salad or pasta or other entree, one of my girlfriends chose the Sweet Corn Stuffed Pasta.  While I had heard amazing things about Cube, for me this is a dish that could have gone either way.  Upon tasting it I couldn't believe I was skeptical!  It was delicious a ricotta corn filling in a brown butter sauce with crispy sage, it was delicious!

When I was brainstorming ideas for Love 4 Lasagna I thought of this dish and thought it could potentially translate well into a lasagna and could do double duty for Meatless Monday.  The problem was I didn't entirely remember what was in the dish and since they have an ever changing menu I couldn't even go online to see how the dish was described in the menu.  So I went on the Cube site, went out on a limb and emailed telling them what I was doing and asked for the recipe.  In less than 6 hours I had the recipe in my inbox, such a pleasant surprise!  Upon reading it I knew that the sweet corn filling would be the perfect jumping off point for my lasagna.  I made a few tweaks along the way but the following recipe is where it ended up, all credit for the idea and the bulk of the filling recipe goes to Jun Tuan who is from Cube and sent it my way. 

A Culinary Adventure in Buffalo?!

The other night around 11pm, our good friends the Shacks (Mama, Papa, and Little) texted The Boy and I asking if we wanted to go to Buffalo the very next morning.  Papa Shack lured The Boy with promises of Anchor Bar wings.  I was free, as I usually am, but The Boy had to do some juggling with his schedule but  he made it work.  We arranged for care for the pups and set off for that crazy border town of Buffalo.

Growing up in Syracuse with extended family in Westmoreland all I knew of Buffalo was that my mother student taught there when she was in college, and she always said that it was so very far away and even more snowy than Syracuse.  I never thought much of it beyond that.   But moving to Toronto gives Buffalo a whole other meaning and purpose.  Outlets, cheap flights, Niagara Falls and of course the home of Buffalo Wings, most famously from the aforementioned Anchor Bar.  Beyond that I really had no reason or desire to stop in Buffalo.  That being said, the promise of a any kind of spontaneous trip sounds good to me.

We ended up forgoing the Anchor Bar for a recommendation from friends of the Shack's, Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit, a BBQ joint in Depew not too far from the Buffalo airport.  Location alone may make a person skeptical about the quality of food, but the Shack's and the Hoffelby's (the Boy and I) are willing to try just about anything, anywhere, once especially if it comes on a recommendation.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I love ice cream. This was fostered by my father eating a bowl of ice cream after dinner whenever he was home. When we earned dessert after becoming a member of the "Clean Plate Club" it was usually a bowl of ice cream. Heavenly Hash and Coffee were my first favorite flavors which gave way to a whole slew of Ben & Jerry's flavors as I got older with New York Super Fudge Chunk being my ultimate. You may notice a trend here, a chocolate trend. Chocolate with nuts and all kinds of add-ins. While I still love me some New York Super Fudge Chunk since I've moved to Toronto I've found a new love. A love that is familiar to any ice cream fanatic in Toronto and especially in the East End. Ed's Real Scoop. While all of Ed's flavors are pretty great, I mean you can't go wrong with home made ice cream, nothing compares to their Pumpkin Ice Cream. Available only in the fall it's amazingly delicious, perfectly creamy and balanced with just the right amount of spice. I love it. I'd eat it every day if it wasn't completely irresponsible.

This past summer, the boy and I would go to Ed's about once a week. Lucky for me he can appreciate my ice cream obsession even if he only alternates between Strawberry or Callebaut Milk Chocolate. Convincing him to get ice cream was easy in the balmy days of summer, but as the chilly night air of fall is currently upon us, he thinks I'm nuts to want to go for ice cream. I'm convinced this is because he hasn't tried the Pumpkin. I begrudgingly offer him a bit every time I get it, and yet he always declines. I think he's nuts, but then again I'm the queen of tasting everything.

Love 4 Lasagna Recap Week 1

Well it seems like life might have gotten in the way for some of our bloggers, so this first Love 4 Lasagna recap is a bit slim on content, though not on flavor!

Lasagna Rolls by Mama Shack at The Yum Yum Factor

I want to welcome my friend MamaShack to the world of blogging with her shiny new blog The Yum Yum Factor.  She's a great cook so you want to add her site to your reader because I guarantee she'll be posting all kinds of good stuff.   She made two different versions of her lasagna rolls, an adult version and a kid friendly version.  Click above to read her recipe and the disagreement it caused at her house.

My Short Rib Lasagna

And of course my deliciously cheesy and beefy stick to your ribs short rib lasagna.  It's not good for the waistline, but is so comfort food friendly.   Click above to link back to my post.

So that's it for this week's round-up.  Like I said slim on content, but not on flavor.  If you are interested in joining us in getting creative with lasagna click here for details.  It's easy and I am really excited at the prospect of how people will get creative with this seemingly basic dish.  Hopefully my other blogger friends will have some delish recipes to share next week.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Whole Wheat Winter Squash Pancakes

Here we are Meatless Monday is upon us and yet again I find myself scrambling for a post.  This time I'm really scrambling for a post because I feel like the majority of my Meatless Monday creations have been soup or pasta and when I first think of meatless recipes those are the two things that are top of mind.  I do have a couple of great sandwich options that I'm working on for the coming weeks but nothing for today.  What's a girl to do?  I surveyed my fridge as I thought about breakfast and saw a container of pureed Blue Hubbard squash that I made last week.

While we were out at Cooper's Farm last week, we saw this HUGE blue winter squash that I just had to bring home.  Mainly because I was hoping the flesh might be blue.  That hope that was immediately dashed upon doing some research and finding that Blue Hubbard squash has a bright orange flesh and a starchy texture.  I also learned that the best way to break into this puppy was to wrap it in a bag and just drop it.  That just sounded like too much fun, so I went for it.  The initial gentle drop yielded nothing, so I just smashed it on our patio stone out back and it cracked in two!

Love 4 Lasagna: Short Rib Lasagna

Well here we are, my inaugural Love 4 Lasagna post.  This is, in fact, the lasagna that gave me the idea to start this little project.  It's different from the traditional lasagna that I grew up on and is what inspired me to get creative with lasagna. I first saw the recipe in the September 2010 issue of Bon Appetit and knew I had to try it.  First because the boy loves lasagna but also because I make a short rib ragu that I think is pretty awesome and wanted to use it the recipe.  It also seemed the perfect time because the bite of fall was upon us, a time when stew and lasagnas and other hearty stick-to-your-bones food starts to be in the forefront of my mind. 

I came up with the idea to do a lasagna challenge for November because it seems there are so many different combinations and ways you can play around with cheese, sauce and pasta, especially because if you get creative you don't even need to use actual pasta as long as you have something that serves the purpose of pasta in a traditional lasagna.  I've got a few other bloggers who have signed on to join in and we'll all be posting our recipes on each Sunday in Novemebr and I'll do a round-up of all of the posts every Monday, so stay tuned.

I tweaked the original recipe by using my own short rib ragu, which doesn't call for mushrooms and I used Fontina instead of just Parmigiano Reggiano.  I do plan on trying the recipe as written since it sounds delicious and I was beyond happy with how my version of it turned out.  I'm going to ahead and say you should just go out now and buy the ingredients for this one, don't bother adding it to a list to try, just make it.  I swear you won't regret it.  It's rich and a total indulgence but you can eat some and freeze the rest for another day or feed a crowd.   It's so an indulgence worth taking. 

Jamie Oliver Comes to Toronto and an Offer!

On November 18, 2010 The Art of Cooking presents Chef Jamie Oliver in his only Canadian appearance this year!

I've been given a really great opportunity to offer my readers a discount to attend this event and see the fabulous Chef Oliver in person.  I for one am jumping at the chance to see him.  I love his "Pass it On" ideology because it is right in line with my belief that anyone can cook.  I look at this blog as my way of trying to pass it on and am so excited to see Chef Oliver live and in person and hear more about his initiatives.  Won't you join me?

I am able to offer my readers a $10 per ticket discount on General & VIP tickets and a $20 per ticket discount on groups of 5 or more.  Just click here and you will be taken to the discounted ticket page.  It's truly a great opportunity and I hope you'll all join me. 

Enjoy!

How to Make Pie Crust

The holidays are approaching and over the last few weeks I received a few requests for help with pies.  I thought about how it took me awhile to be comfortable making pie crust from scratch and after taking my sister-in-law through the process a few weeks ago, I realized any pie newbie would really benefit from a quick video tutorial on pie crust. So here you go my very first video post.  It's not slick or fancy, but it a first pass.

The video leads you right up to finishing the dough, you can go on from this step and follow whatever pie recipe you are making or you can use one of my pie recipes.  I'm really interested in hearing what you think of my first video.  Is it helpful?  Would you like to see more?  Post in the comments or shoot me an email.

Oh and don't forget to check out Love 4 Lasagna and join us in making 1 lasagna a week for the month of November.  It's a fun way to get creative with a classic and it starts on Sunday.

Enjoy!

Love 4 Lasagna and other happenings

This weekend brought the first real bite of cold, we even got some flurries on Halloween! After a very warm fall, we are finally seeing the glimpse of winter.  I love the change of the seasons and convinced the boy and my good friend JM (who was in town from LA) to drive out to Cooper's Farm In Zephyr, ON for pumpkins and to play in a corn maze.  Unfortunately it was bitter cold when we got there and drizzling so we didn't go in the maze.  But we did get some gorgeous squash, greenhouse tomatoes, tomatillos and sweet potatoes, all grown locally.  It really made the trip for me since our local farmer's market is finished for the year.  But this post isn't just about gorgeous local produce, there are a lot of things going on in the the world of Piccante Dolce and the beginning of a new month and the first flakes of snow seemed the best time to share.

The first and what I'm most excited about is "Love 4 Lasagna."  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you will have seen alot of postings trying to recruit participants.  We at lasagna probably once a month when I was growing up, which isn't surprising considering I'm one of 4 and really is there a one dish meal that's easier or tastier that lasagna.  OK I'm a bit biased as it is one of my favorites, that being said, I think this one dish that offers endless possibilities for creativity and thought it would be fun to get a group of people committing to make a different lasagna each week for the month of November.

The rules I've set up are as follows:

1.  Lasagna, as I know it, consists of sauce, pasta and cheese so each version should include those components.  Pasta doesn't not need to be a traditional pasta but whatever is standing in as pasta needs to be able to layer like a lasagna noodle.
2.  Posting dates for recipes are Sundays (11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 11/28)
3.  Email a link to your posting or the details of the recipe if you don't have a blog and a photo (no bigger than 300x300) to piccantedolce [at] gmail [dot] com
4.  On the following Monday I will post a lasagna round-up linking to recipes.
5.  Anytime you tweet about the challenge use the #l4l

There is still plenty of time to join in and I cant wait to see how creative people get with their recipes.   Click here to link to the info page for Love for Lasagna and to pick up the badge for your blog sidebar.

My next big thing is Frosting for the Cause.  This is a blogging project for 2011 that is meant to raise money for Canadian & American Cancer Societies as well as bring awareness to women's cancers.  They are asking for 365 bloggers to sign up and commit to donating $25.00 and guest posting about baking and decorating a batch of cookies or cupcakes and then donating them to a local Cancer Hospice or hospital cancer ward.  As part of the guest post each blogger shares the story of a woman they know who has faced cancer.  I don't know anyone out there who hasn't been touched in some way by cancer and I think this is an amazing way to to raise awareness.  I am posting on January 16 and am really looking forward to it.  If you are interested in taking part or even just making a donation please click here to read more about the project. 

And finally I was approached to add my site to Beer and Butter Tarts.  It's great site here in Canada that aggregates Canadian-based food blogs and is organizing the Canadian Food Blog Awards.   I am excited to have found a site that helps promote Canadian bloggers and at the prospect of being a part of the awards.

All good things going on AND I'm working on a new format blog post today, that I hope you'll enjoy. Perfect for the coming holiday season.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Grilled Halloumi on Baby Romaine & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I made it pretty clear when I started writing the Meatless Monday posts, that one of the reasons I was doing this as a way to get the boy and I to eat more veggies.  One of the simplest things I try to throw together with every meal, meatless or not, is a salad.

Growing up I loved blue cheese dressing, something I likely picked up from my father who still favors blue cheese, along with other creamy dressings.  Now don't get me wrong it's hard for me to turn away blue cheese, especially when it comes to buffalo wings, but I know that it is not the best option for  everyday.  In recent years I've discovered that when eating salad at home, rather than buy pre-made vinaigrette it's just as easy and more tasty to throw together my own.  Sometimes I'll take the time to  whisk ingredients together in a bowl but more often than not I will throw one of my various vinegars and a bit more of one of my various oils, with some salt & pepper and toss it as is.   The key to making this work and keeping it from getting boring is to have an arsenal of oils and vinegars.  We always have olive oil, grapeseed oil and at least one nut oil.  Other types will come and go, but those are some of our pantry staples.  For vinegars, I have balsamic, red wine, white wine, and lately a pomegranate balsamic that's really great.  But that too will rotate based on what I see when I go to the market and my favorite store for oil, vinegar and hot sauce Taste the Fourth Sense.