Recipes Reviews and Gadgets

My husband decided to make homemade pizza last night. His half was going to be made of the wild game he hunted this past fall. I do not like moose or deer, so my half had chicken (store bought!). He started his quest, by trying to figuring out how he was going to make the dough. His best meals are made on the grill, so this was new to him! I mentioned we had some pizza dough mix we purchased from King Arthur Flour (it is only 45 minutes from our home, so we buy different things there often). He was very happy he did not have to figure out how to make dough from scratch. He followed the recipe, and added some Italian herbs to the mix (nice touch!). Next he found some organic tomato sauce, and threw in some herbs and garlic. He raided the pantry and found some dry mushrooms and olives (two of my favorite items). He managed to find buffalo mozzarella in the fridge and shredded that to add to his masterpiece.

He cooked his deer burger and my chicken - in separate pans - and added that to the pizza. I have to admit the outcome was quite good, and none of his wild game spilled over to my side! He said he will offer more recipes for his wild game in some future posts!

Not too far from my home is an Italian deli, every time I go in there I cannot resist buying a small bag of Amaretti cookies! I really love how they are crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. I decided to find a recipe and make myself. It is a bit of work, and the almond paste is a bit expensive, but they really are good!

8 ounces almond paste
3 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar (put sugar in food processor if not available)
1/2 c. flour
Granulated sugar for sprinkling cookie tops before baking

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Break up almond paste. Beat egg whites until foamy and add to paste and mix well. Slowly add the sugar mixing well after each addition. Add flour to almond mixture and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. A piping bag with a 1 inch round tip well yield a more consistent sized cookie.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar and Bake 20 minutes.

This Italian amaretti cookie recipe will yield about 40 cookies.

I have had this recipe quite awhile, but have only made it a few times. I never seem to have the canned items on hand. It is pretty good, and easy to make if you are busy all day.

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 envelope  dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/4 C water

8 0z Cream cheese softened

1 can cream of chicken soup undiluted

4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces (drained)

Hot cooked rice or pasta

Place chicken breast halves in the crockpot. Combine Italian dressing mix and water until smooth, and pour over chicken. Cook on low for three hours. Combine cream cheese and soup until blended, stir in mushrooms and pour over chicken. Cook an additional hour or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice or pasta.

My cousin, Karen, reminded of this recipe both of our mothers and our grandmother use to make. These are little cookies, that Italians eat like Americans would potato chips (so my mother says that my dad does!) They are pretty easy to make, and you would think by the recipe they do not sound so appetizing, they are pretty good and addictive. When I talked to my mother last night, she said it is very important to use white wine or they are ugly!

Taralle

8 oz of  sweet white wine (any will do the cheaper the better)

4 oz of oil

3 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

3 C Flour

Mix together and loop together into a circle to make tiny cookies. There should be a whole in the middle like a donut. These should be very small in size, maybe the size of a half dollar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 just until light brown.