Stefano Faita's Mom's Minestrone

In anticipation of being hunkered down from Hurricane Sandy (when was the last time a hurricane affected SW Ontario? Hm? Anyone?) I made a huge pot of this soup. It's on Stefano's show. Just tune in any time.
What? You don't get Stefano where you live?
Pity.
Anyway, here it is, copied and pasted from Stefano's website.

Hearty and filling, Stefano's secret family recipe for minestrone soup is sure to be a hit with the kids and the leftovers make a delicious packed lunch too.
Pack this hearty vegetable soup for lunch and you'll have enough energy to plow through any busy work day!

INGREDIENTS
3 (14 ounce) cans white beans
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 head kale, chopped
1/2 white cabbage, chopped
3 leeks, sliced
3 zucchini, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Piece of Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
7 to 8 cups chicken stock
Handful basil, chopped
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving

PREPARATION

Mash half the beans and leave the remaining half whole. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté pancetta, garlic, onion, celery, carrot and rosemary for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add tomatoes, kale, cabbage, leeks, zucchini, and beans (whole and mashed), bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. For extra flavour, add piece of Parmesan rind, if desired. Add 7 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add 1 cup more chicken stock.) Reduce heat and let soup simmer, uncovered, until the minestrone has a dense, stew-like texture, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. According to my mom, you know when this soup is done when a spoon can stand in the centre of the soup.
Finish the soup with basil and parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
You need to start this soup in a large potaje (Tampa girls - please translate) because the vegetables are so bulky at first. I shredded the cabbage first in my food processor.
Chard works when you can't find kale. You might even prefer it over kale's sharpness.
This soup freezes beautifully!
I hope you enjoy this.

Milo wore his costume yesterady when we did our regular visit at Woodingford.

I Was Published!

A year and a half after submitting this, I was notified that this recipe was being published in our lovely little old-farts paper, Daytripping! Well, it just goes to show you - keep shooting stuff their way and eventually they'll publish something to shut you up - or so they thought........

Anyway, here it is, unedited and much more delightful than the published version, as if something published could possibly be any more delightful!

Red velvet Cupcakes with 'White Chocolate Cheesecake' Frosting

These cupcakes are adapted from a recipe for Red Velvet Cake, a traditional favourite in the South. With its deep red colour and rich chocolate taste, it's perfect for special occasions, especially Valentine's Day.

These cupcakes are also a favourite here at home in Canada ! I prepare the batter in my food processor with great results.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco, Tenderflake)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup red food coloring

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

Adjust oven rack if necessary so cupcakes bake in center of oven.

Pre-heat to 350.

Place paper cups in muffin tin and lightly grease bottom of cups (PAM is fine for this.)

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vinegar, red food colouring and vanilla until blended.

Gradually add dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk. Blend after each addition then beat until fluffy. (approximately 2 mins for conventional mixer, less for the food processor.)

Fill cups 2/3 full with batter and bake in the center of the oven for 17 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove at first sign of done-ness.

Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.

"White Chocolate Cheesecake" Frosting

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened (stick butter gives best results)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chips, melted

1 cup icing sugar

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and butter together until fluffy and increased in volume. Add melted white chocolate chips and beat until blended. Add icing sugar gradually and continue to beat until fluffy and slightly stiff in consistency. Frost cupcakes when completely cool. Add sprinkles or mini candies to make these cupcakes extra festive.

Note: I use a pastry bag and large decorators' tip to frost cupcakes with one big frosting rosette. It’s easy, makes a lovely presentation and saves lots of time. If you don't have them already, considering adding these items to your kitchen arsenal!

The Season's First Pumpkin Pie

In this entry, I'm going to tell you

how this

gets to be this

Forget the canned pumpkin. I'm going to encourgage you - just this once - to try making one from the actual pumpkin.
First of all, you need a pie pumpkin. They're the perfect, smaller ones that you'll see in the produce department and roadside stands.
(Note: I'm going to skip with all of the step-by-step photos a lot of other bloggers use. As I said before, my readers know their way around a kitchen, thank you very much! We don't need anyone showing us a photo of an egg like it's the first itme we've ever laid eyes on one.)

It's easy.
1. Cut the top off of the pumpkin, then cut it in quarters.
2. Get rid of the seeds and stringy pulp by scraping the inside with a big spoon or whatever...
3. Place the quarters flesh-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the flesh.
4. When the pieces are cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp.
5. In your food processor or blender, puree the pulp until very smooth in consistency.
6. Line a strainer of colander with cheescloth. (I didn't have any so I used coffee filters.)
7. Put the puree in the colander or strainer and let it drain for at least eight hours.

You'll need a scant two cups of puree for a pie. That's equal to a can of packed pumpkin, and just right for a pie.
Here's the recipe I used, from the newest edtion of the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Pastry for a 9 in, one-crust pie
2 large eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 can (or two cups) pumpkin
12 oz evaporated milk (almost an entire can)

Heat oven to 425.
Mix ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 mins, then turn oven down to 350 and continue to bake for about 45 mins or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Allow to cool for four hours. (YEAH -  RIGHT!)

What you'll get is the lightest, most fresh-tasting pumpkin pie you've even had! It is easy, isn't it? I'll expect your comments to be filled with praise for this pie.

An Early Autumn Celebration

Family is gathering today at our house - for once the planets converged and all of Roger's siblings will be in the same place at the same time!

The first of September is great in Canada - especially when the last of the season's flowers are wilting, the shadows are longer and the mornings are much cooler. We get a head-start on the Americans since our Thanksgiving day is just two weeks away! We can decorate for fall without looking stupid.
For decorating for this special occasion, I've taken advantage of the great deals I've found on gorgeous mums. I'm a shameless post-season shopper, so all I had to do was rifle through my "Fall/Autumn" box of decorations for the trimmings.

A great idea for fall flowers is to use a pumpkin as a vase. It's so simple: pick a pumpkin and scoop it out, find a plastic container that will fit inside of it, fill the container with flowers and there you go. People will marvel at your brilliance.

Check out Pinterest for more great ideas. That's where I found the inspiration for my fall table. For the candle holders I used apothecary jars minus the covers and filled them with dried beans to anchor the candles.
Well, I'm off to do some last-minute chores before company starts arriving.
Happy Sunday!

My Fool Proof Oven-fried chicken recipe

This recipe gets raves from everyone. And as Mrs. Whaley wrote in her wonderful tome, you can put it in the oven and go have a drink on the porch. I do wish I had just whipped some up – because then I could show you a picture (it looks like the yummiest fried chicken ever) and I could then eat it.
This is the orginal recipe. When I make it now, I just dump the Bisquick in with all kinds of seasonings – paprika & Everglades seasoning is fantastic. Otherwise use seasoned salt with paprika in it. The paprika makes the chicken a beautiful golden-brown. If you’re making wings, just throw whatever seasonings in and adjust the heat. We love Noel Smith’s Hot Mama seasonings in hot dry wings!
Priscilla’s Chicken
2/3 c Bisquick
3 tsp seasoned salt (garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper) adjust to taste
1 2-3 lb frying chicken, cut up
Preheat oven to 425F
Place the seasonings and Bisquick in a bowl or a plastic bag and mix throroughly.
Toss the chicken parts in the mixture until every piece is well-coated.
In the meantime, once oven is preheated, spread 1 tbs oil in a foil-lined shallow pan or cookie sheet. Heat in oven until smoking, then remove. Place chicken pieces in hot pan, skin side down. Bake for 30 mins.
Turn and bake for 30 more minutes or until chicken is done to your liking. Just make sure juices run clear (poke with a fork) as that indicates doneness.
I hope you enjoy this recipe – especially if you enjoy fried chicken and, like me, haven’t had a lot of luck making it the traditional way.