Saliva Inducing NH Restaurants

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Or so I hear!

Lately, the restaurant landscape in NH seems to change as frequently as the seasons. By the time I hear a good buzz about a new place, it has closed or moved by the time I can get there. Bad location, fickle customers, poor management, or the crummy economy? There are million reasons for restaurants to disappear overnight but after having my little heart crushed with seeing "For Sale" signs on several semi-local spots in the last two years, I'm committing myself to a list of NH restaurants I want to visit here in the hopes that I might be more likely cross them off my list if my "list" is written down somewhere (and not just a passing thought in my head!). And yes, there is a restaurant that is not in NH but my curiosity is piqued thanks to a flurry or good reviews and word of mouth.

This is just a starter list and I may add to it as I think of more. I hope to cross all of these of the list before 2009 is through and come back to this post and update it with my thoughts!

In no particular order:

1 Cava - (Portsmouth, NH): relatively new tapas and wine bar. Right up my alley!

2 Damians on the River (New Boston, NH): Not much happens in New Boston but I've heard lots of good things about Damian's. They specialize in fresh food and every meal is made from scratch.

3 Brazzo (Portsmouth, NH): been here for drinks but not yet for the food. J is not a huge fan of the Cuban / South American menu offerings so I'll probably have to go with one of the girls.

4 San Francisco Kitchen (Nashua, NH): I have lived 20 minutes from Nashua for the last 3 years and spent a lot of time in Nashua prior to that and I can't believe I still haven't eaten here. The buzz about San Francisco Kitchen has always been good.

5 Pepperland Cafe (South Berwick, ME) - The link to the restaurant has never worked properly so instead I'm offering you a link to a Seacoast Online article about the Cafe by Rachel Forrest, the resident food writer of the NH Seacoast. Constantly hearing good things from friends about dinner and brunch here.

6 Firefly American Bistro (Manchester, NH)- Almost brand spanking new, their menu offers "Get Fit" healthy options. Entrees range from $9.99 - $15.99 making this place pretty gentle on the wallet.

7 Gills Indian Restaurant (Manchester, NH)- I love me some Indian food. The assortment of veggies, beans, fragrant spices and variety of breads totally appeal to my need to balance health with good flavor and there is only one Indian Restaurant near me that I love. I'm always on the lookout for more.

8 Eden (Amherst, NH)- Nestled in the Salsburg Square shopping plaza, I actually wouldn't have known there was a restaurant there except for stumbling upon frequent reviews of it. The menu is laced with a variety of international influences, from Lebanese, to French to Thai and Italian.

All text and photographs (except where noted otherwise) © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Walnut Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

It seems like every other food blog I stumble across is nothing but baked goods with cupcakes seemingly holding rank at #1, so I felt it was time to post a sweet just so I could fit in! As I've mentioned before, I have some trouble with dough (making it, working with it etc.) and while I may occasionally have a craving for a cinnamon roll, it's not strong enough for me to even attempt to make my own dough! So that's where store bought raw pizza or bread dough comes in handy. It cuts the work load in half so you can have warm gooey cinnamon rolls on the table and in your belly in about an hour and 15 minutes!

Makes 9-10 rolls

Ingredients

1 lb defrosted pizza / bread dough
flour to sprinkle on work surface
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
3 tablespoons white sugar

For the Icing

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk or cream

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, cloves, cinnamon and walnuts. Put aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, and using a floured rolling pin, roll out the pizza/bread dough into a rectangle that is at least 10 inches long by 7 inches wide (larger is ok but smaller and it will be hard to cut enough rolls). Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter all over the surface of the rectangle and then sprinkle the sugar and walnut mixture on top. From one of the long sides of the rectangle, roll up tightly and press on the edge to form a seam. Using a sharp knife, cut into 9 or 10 equal pieces and place on a greased cookie sheet (I save my pastry brush and brush the leftover melted butter on the sheet).

Let the cinnamon rolls rest in a warm area for 25-35 minutes. They will puff up a bit (don't expect an enormous size change. You'll be waiting all day if you are!). While you are waiting for your rolls to rise, make the icing by beating together the softened cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla and cream until smooth.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are slightly brown and gooey. Be careful not to over cook because the dough will get really tough! Let cool for a few minutes and frost each one before eating.

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Tortilla Pot Pie

It was 85 degrees today in NH. Earlier this week it was in the 40's. New England weather likes to keep you on your toes. I certainly did not cook Tortilla Pot Pie today (but I did bake cinnamon rolls for J tonight because he's sick and sweets make him feel better-that post will probably be up in a few days) but I've had a draft of it in my blogger dashboard forever and it was screaming to finally be published.

I was going for a Mexican style lasagna but it came out a little too sloppy. I was pissed and almost threw the whole thing in the trash (anger management issues, I haz them!) but then I realized it didn't have to be a lasagna. It could be pie! Why pie? Just because I said so. It's not pretty (at least on the dish) but it tastes good, is inexpensive to make and will fill you up for days and ultimately that matters more to me than how nicely it comes out of the dish.

**If you have leftovers and eat it the next day, miraculously by the power of the fridge it will have turned to lasagna overnight!**

Serves 4

4 8-in diameter flour tortillas
1 can black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen loose leaf spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic, or garlic powder
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mild enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons low fat sour cream
a handful of chopped cilantro
nonstick spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, garlic, red pepper flakes, chili powder and a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook for a minute. Add the stock and zucchini and bring to a simmer. Add the frozen corn and spinach and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, or until corn and spinach are warmed through. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro, sour cream and enchilada sauce.

Coat a square or round casserole dish lightly with non-stick spray. Press two of the tortillas into the bottom of the casserole dish, top with 1/3 of the cheese, 1/3 of the veggie bean mixture, then top with 1 tortilla, 1/3 of the cheese and 1/3 of the veggie bean mixture. Finally add the last tortilla, the last of the veggies and beans and finish off with the last of the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the broiler to 450. Broil for 3 or 4 minutes (watching carefully so it doesn't burn!) or until the cheese browns.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a little sour cream if you want.

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

100 Foods to Try Before You Die?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net


(I'm no longer posting on this blog - enjoy the recipe but if you want to see what I'm up to, visit me here.)

I've stumbled across this list probably 20 times on various food blogs in the last few months. I have no clue where it originated or who the author is but I think it weighs a little too heavily on typical (for an American) gross out foods- fugu, insects, durian, head cheese? Road kill?? Really? No thanks. I really don't think I need to taste those before I die. The other half of the list are boring foods like p&j and jello shots. Tasting jello shots never did anything for me, except make it acceptable to do or say things I wouldn't say while sober. Not sure if I absolutely needed to try them. And sure, I love pb & j sandwiches as much as anyone else but I don't think your life is incomplete if you haven't tried one. Chocolate? Red wine? Baked Brie? Apple Crisp in the fall? Bacon? Yes, missing these foods WILL make your life incomplete. Never tasting a Big Mac Value meal is not going to take anything away from you, except maybe a little indigestion.

Anyhow, instead of listening to me whine about how I don't think it's the essential list (when I'm posting it on the blog anyway until I can come up with my own!), how many of these have you had? And what ones would you not eat? You couldn't pay me to eat black pudding. There's just something about cooking blood until it solidifies that turns my stomach.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros - yes
4. Steak tartare -yes
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush - yes
11. Calamari - yes
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich - yes
14. Aloo gobi - yes
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - yes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream - yes
21. Heirloom tomatoes - yes
22. Fresh wild berries - yes
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans - yes
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters - yes
29. Baklava - yes
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas - yes
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - yes
33. Salted lassi - I've had a sweet lassi, not a salted one!
34. Sauerkraut - yes
35. Root beer float - yes
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - not at the same time
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O shot - yes
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Single malt whisky - yes
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala - yes
48. Eel - yes
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut -yes, thanks to MB!
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer - yes
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal - yes
56. Spaetzle - yes
57. Dirty gin martini - yes
58. Beer above 8% ABV - yes
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores - yes
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - yes
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain - yes
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - yes
78. Snail - yes
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini - yes
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict - yes
83. Pocky - yes
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash - yes
88. Flowers - yes
89. Horse
90. Criollo
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish - yes
95. Mole poblano - yes
96. Bagel and lox - yes
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta - yes
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
100. Snake


All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley (except when noted otherwise)

Potato Leek Soup

Yum, Yum, Yum!!! This is the first time I've decided to blog about someone else's recipe but this was so delicious and easy that I couldn't resist! My friend Maribeth sent this to me and she got it from her dad, but is unsure of where he got it. I'm telling myself it's an old family recipe of theirs that they're just passing down generation to generation for everyone to enjoy. Regardless of where it came from, it's awesome and I'm grateful that Maribeth was willing to let me post it.

It's sweet and creamy and incredibly filling. I totally thought I'd have room to scarf down some bread and veggies with it (as usually is the case when I eat soup!) but I only had a few bites when I decided to forfeit the other parts of the meal. Pardon my lack o' pictures-I decide mid-bowl that I may want to post the recipe so I didn't take any pictures of the steps to make it.

I followed Maribeth's recipe pretty closely and made just a few substitutions (and added measurements where there was none) based on what I had in the house. Also, if you are looking to add a little something extra, I tossed some smoked oysters in (2 cans, rinsed well and chopped) since J seems to have a stockpile of them growing in our cabinets but otherwise followed her recipe. Rockin! It's a little time consuming (cooking time as well as cleaning the leeks) but it's packed with so much flavor and took so little effort that I think this is something I will make again and again.

Now what to do with all that extra buttermilk in the fridge???

4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 leeks, dark greens and roots discarded
3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cream or half & half
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
(optional: 2 cans smoked oysters)

Cut the white and light green part of the leeks in half lengthwise and then slice each half into semi-circles. Put all the cut leek pieces in a large bowl and fill with water. Leeks collect lots of dirt and grit and if you don't wash the layers carefully you're going to end up crunching on something you don't want to. Use your hands to move and break up the layers of the leeks. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the leek pieces will float. Remove the leeks, drain the water, rinse the bowl of sand and repeat. You may have to do this in batches.

Once your leeks are clean, drain well and melt the butter in a large dutch oven. Toss the leeks in when the butter is melted and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kosher salt and cook leeks on low medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Add potatoes and vegetable broth and simmer for 35 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor and then add back to the pot. Add the cream (or half and half), buttermilk and pepper. If using smoked oysters, stir them in when you remove the pot from heat. Serve with crusty bread.




All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Garlic Hummus with Rosemary Pita Chips

I'm always amazed when I meet someone who doesn't like hummus. There are so many different ways to make it, so many things you can add to it for extra flavor and it can be eaten with almost anything. You are bound to find one that you like.

Every couple of years I go through a new hummus phase. In college, it was homemade hummus eaten with lime tortilla chips, at Pearl St (a house I lived in with friends for years in Portsmouth, NH) it was pita bread or pretzels, these days it's with pita chips or sliced veggies. Every store brand differs in texture and acidity so I guess that could be a factor in why some people don't like hummus. Make your own and you won't be able to stop eating it.

Ingredients

For the Hummus

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons water
2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

Put the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times then slowly add the lemon juice and water while the machine is running till the mixture becomes creamy and mostly smooth. Adjust salt/pepper and lemon juice is needed. Pour into a bowl and stir in olive oil if using. Serve with Pita chips, tortilla chips or sliced vegetables.

Get comfortable with this master recipe and then try adding additional ingredients for flavor and variety. Add roasted red peppers, extra garlic, spinach and artichoke hearts, jalepeno's, roasted veggies, sun dried tomatoes and different seasonings (not all at the same time of course!)

Pita Chips

4 Pita pockets
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
dried rosemary*
*you'll need a mortar and pestle for this

You don't need a real recipe to make pita chips. Cut the pita pockets into as many triangles as you like. I cut the pockets in half (as if you were going to make two sandwiches) and then cut each half into 6 or 8 pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the cut pieces of pita on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the mortar and pestle put 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary and a pinch of salt and grind to a powder (the salt helps create friction and the rosemary will crumble faster). Sprinkle the rosemary on the pita triangles. Bake for 6 minutes, flip and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool. EAT!!



All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Chicken and Broccoli Pizza with Lemon Peppercorn Sauce

(I'm no longer posting on this blog - enjoy the recipe but if you want to see what I'm up to, visit me here.)


The delicious Giorgio's that J and I frequent was once a small mom and pop style pizza shop down the street from it's current location. The little pizza shop was owned by this adorable European couple who always treated us like we were old friends. It was endearing and we looked forward to seeing big smiles on their faces whenever we stopped in. But the real reason we went back time and time again was for the pizza. In particular, a chicken a broccoli pizza with a lemon peppercorn sauce. The new Giorgio's opened about 3 years ago and they don't do the same style or flavors that they used to (but still their menu is delicious) so like everything else I eat that I like, I had to replicate it!

This pizza recipe has more steps than most but it's actually pretty easy. And no, you don't actually have to cook your broccoli and onion if you end up using raw dough. I'm dough challenged, as we've discussed in an earlier blog entry, so even though I use raw dough occasionally, I'm not smooth enough to use it for an entry here. Since the precooked shells only need to cook long enough to warm the ingredients and melt the cheese, I go through some of these steps because they add a texture (blanched broccoli) and flavor (caramelized red onion) that I like. I just know if I actually used raw dough to do a pizza on my blog it'll look like crap even if it tastes good!

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients

1/2 large red onion, cut in half, then sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 - 1/2 cups of fresh broccoli florets
2 cooked chicken breasts, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar
pre-cooked pizza crust

For the sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 lemon

Heat a medium skillet to medium with one tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, drop in the sliced red onion and stir to coat with the oil. When the onions have sweated a little, after 2 or 3 minutes or so, give another stir and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Leave alone and cook for 7-10 minutes (they will caramelize-red onions caramelize easily), checking once to make sure the heat isn't too high that the pan burns. Turn off heat and put onions aside.

While your onions are cooking, bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil and drop in your broccoli florets. Cook for 2 minutes and then submerge in an ice bath (bowl of cold water with lots of ice cubes) or run continuously under cold water for a few minutes. The idea is to stop the broccoli from cooking immediately. Drain when cold and set aside.

I browned my chicken on both sides in an oiled skillet, and then added a little chicken stock, covered and simmered till it was cooked through but you can cook your chicken anyway you like.

Once your onions, broccoli, and chicken are cooked, and your cheeses grated (please grate your own-there are very few instances when pre-grated is okay! huge HUGE flavor and texture difference for the price.) it's time to make your sauce. This sauce is essentially a flavored roux. A roux is a cooked mixture of fat and flour and many sauces and gravies begin with one. Master a roux and you are halfway to making a delicious sauce.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the lemon well. Cut the lemon in half. Use a reamer or a fork to get all the juice out and reserve in a bowl. Cut each half into quarters and use your fingers to peel out the rest of the fruit, leaving you with just peel. You'll need two medium sauce pans. Put the peel and the milk and half & half in one of the sauce pans. Bring just to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Remove the peel and set peel aside.

In the second sauce pan, melt the butter over a low medium heat. When melted, whisk in the flour and continue whisking until the mixture is a slight caramel color (just a minute or two). Then very slowly, whisk in the half & half and milk mixture. Keep whisking once everything is incorporated. The sauce will thicken pretty quickly. Turn the heat down if it seems to thicken excessively and add extra milk if necessary. Cook like this for 5 minutes or so, or until the flour no longer tastes raw (stick your finger in there and taste!). Turn off heat and stir in the 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and grind 1 teaspoon black pepper into the sauce. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons reserved lemon juice till the mixture is well blended. Take the lemon peel you set aside earlier, rinse it off (it will have cream on it) and zest it. If you don't have a citrus zester, you can usually find that your box grater has a side that works perfectly for this. You'll need less than 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest. Stir zest in to the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning. It should taste lightly like alfredo but very peppery and a little lemony.

Put the pizza shell on a cookie sheet or pizza stone and spread out the peppercorn lemon sauce thinly on it. Top with broccoli, red onion, and chicken. Add shredded cheddar, mozzarella and the last of the parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes and then broil for 3 or 4 minutes till cheese begins to brown. Cut into 4 -6 pieces. Serve with slices of lemon.



All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Wines I'm loving right now: 2007 Tapena Tempranillo & others

1) 2007 Tapena Tempranillo

For an inexpensive wine ($9.99 at NH liquor stores), this tempranillo is surprisingly smooth. It's a lighter red wine. For those of you who can't handle merlots and cabernets, this tempranillo might be easier to handle. It's fruity without being sweet and while it's light enough to drink in warmer weather (62 degrees today!), it's got enough body to it to be paired with hearty ingredients like lamb and beef. Delicious-I'll be buying more.

2) 1998 Jean Noel Gagnard Santenay Clos de Tavannes 1er Cru

Mmmmmm, love on the tongue! Clos de Tavannes is a Pinot Noir grape, from the Burgundy region of France and while Pinot Noir's have been hugely popular for the last several years, I've never found them as exciting as others have. This wine was different. So delicate and soft, unlike any other wine I've ever had. The color was slightly darker than a ros'e but it had a lot less sweetness and a lot more body than a ros'e. Wonderful stuff but I can't seem to find it anywhere (I tried it at a restaurant renowned for it's wine cellar). I've found other vintages (2001 and 2000) but I am really hoping to find the 1998 somewhere. The 2001 and 2000 retail for about $25, the 1998 probably retails for $35. Jean Noel Gagnard's winery is still creating wines but I can't seem to figure out if this one if still in production. Fingers crossed.

3) 2006 Ghost Pines Winemakers Blend Chardonnay

I am not a white wine drinker. Sure, some of it is tasty but I get serious acid burps (aren't I a classy lady???) from it. So strange, you would think red would be more likely to cause that. Anyhow, I usually avoid white wine unless I stumble across something spectacular. This ended up in my hands as a gift. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have picked up a couple bottles of it since. It's smooth, dry and buttery with apple and pear flavors. No really. Sometimes they say a wine tastes like certain fruits and you drink it and say "Bullshit! It tastes like alcohol!" but no, this really has hints of fruit. It retails for about $15.99. And no acid burps. Score!!!

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Prosciutto and Brie Quesadillas with Arugula and Pears in Balsamic Sauce

Friday night, I had gotten home from the gym late and J and I were starving. The kitchen was a mess still from the night before and I realized that I had forgotten to buy arugula at the store. And then I remembered that I planned to put these on the blog. I scrambled around the kitchen moving things out of the way so I could make dinner and take a few half-hearted pictures, and ended up burning one quesadilla and undercooking the other. I am the most awesome cook ever. :) At least they taste good!


These quesadillas are sweet, buttery and salty. They're also a little rich, so if I eat anything else with them it's usually something basic to balance things out, like a plain vegetable or a salad. I've been trying to come up with a salsa that complements the flavors here but the quesadillas have enough moisture on their own that it's really unnecessary. Most of the time, I just eat them "dry" or with a small dollop of sour cream. Have them for dinner or cut into small triangles and serve as an appetizer with some white wine.


Serves 2

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas (8 in diameter)
4 oz prosciutto
4 oz good quality brie, cut into small chunks
3 pears, sliced into long strips
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup diced onion
1 cup arugula
pinch of rosemary
non-stick spray
kosher salt
black pepper

Lay two of the tortillas on a flat surface, side by side and top each tortilla with 1/4 of the brie, 1/2 the prosciutto, and (if you aren't forgetful like me) 1/2 the arugula. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and when moderately hot add the onion, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add the vinegar, honey, a pinch of rosemary, kosher salt and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pears and stir to coat them in the vinegar mixture. Cook for another minute.

Spray a 9 or 10 inch skillet with non-stick spray and heat to medium. Place one of the tortillas (with the brie & prosciutto) you set aside earlier in the skillet. Top with 5 or 6 of the pear slices and a little of the vinegar sauce. Top with another 1/4 of the brie and cover with a tortilla. Cook for two minutes and flip gently with a large spatula (the bottom tortilla will be crispy so it will be easy to flip). Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes and remove. Cool. Follow the instructions in this paragraph again to make the second quesadilla. Cool and then cut both in half or quarters.

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Lasagna like Mom's

My mom made the best lasagna. I didn't think it was all that exciting at the time (I did not like tomato sauce as a kid), but as I got older and tried other lasagnas, whether homemade or in a restaurant, I came to realize that her's had something special about it and it wasn't just the love and energy that went into feeding our large family. Mom's tasted so good because she started off by making a slow simmered meat sauce. You just don't get the same flavor from a jar or from making a quick, meatless marinara (sure, they have their time and place but lasagna isn't one of them!).

Mom's recipes don't include how much of each ingredient to put in. And rarely did she bother to write instructions other than "cook all day on the stove". It's a little frustrating when trying to make something of hers for the first time, but it also makes me laugh because now that I make up a lot of my own recipes, I'm finding it's hard for me to write down exactly how much of something I'm using, because I just toss a handful or a pinch of something into the pot and cook until it tastes good like she did. So, here, I take her original ingredient "list" for lasagna and have added real measurements, directions, as well as plenty of my own substitutions and I think I've come up with something that tastes almost like my mom really did cook it on the stove all day. The best part is that you can eat off it all week and you'll have a ton of extra meat sauce to freeze for another meal.

Ingredients

Serves 6 - 8

*feel free to substitute turkey or chicken for the pork sausage and ground beef. It'll taste just as good for less calories!*

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 cloves minced garlic, separated
2 large cans whole tomatoes
1 large can tomato puree
1 small can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 large container part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons dried parsley, or 1/4 cup fresh
6oz fresh mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 thinly sliced
1/2 -3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
additional kosher salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Brown the ground beef and sausage until there is no more pink. Remove the meat and drain the liquid/fat over a bowl. Put about 1/4 cup of the beef and pork fat back in the pot and cook the onion and green pepper for 3-4 minutes, then add the 3 of the cloves of minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Next add the meat back in, all your tomato products (2 cans whole tomatoes, 1 can puree, 1 can paste), the bay leaves, sugar, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours. 2 1/2 hours will give you a thicker sauce, which means a firmer lasagna. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. The whole tomatoes should have broken down. If they are still mostly whole, take a potato masher and break up a little.

While the sauce is simmering, in a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Mix in the ricotta, last clove of minced garlic, parsley, cubed mozzarella, half the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. (I always use fresh mozzarella and grate my own parmesan. I think pre-grated and shredded cheeses are too dry and lose a lot of their flavor. Buying it whole and cutting/shredding yourself is more work and costs a little more, but the flavor is stronger so you'll actually end up using less.)

When your sauce is almost ready to use, heat a large pot full of water to boiling. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook your noodles for about a minute less than the box directions say to. Drain and spread out on a couple of kitchen towels. Cover with a damp towel.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pour a large ladle full of sauce in a 9 x 13 pan (9x11 is okay too, but you may need to trim your noodles to fit them), and spread out. Now layer 3 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1 or 2 ladles of sauce, 3 noodles, 1/3 ricotta, sauce, 3 noodles, the last 1/3 ricotta mixture and another ladle or two of sauce. Press down after each layer of noodles. Top with the thinly sliced mozzarella, tearing with your hands if needed, and the rest of the parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn the broiler to 500, leave the oven door open slightly and brown the top of the lasagna for 3 or 4 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes (The longer it sits, the easier it will be to remove from the pan). Serve with some crusty bread and a salad.
All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley