After eating some of the food and attending Professor Huber’s dinner/cooking lesson back in the beginning of the semester, I have unofficially created my own cookbook. I’ve only been heavily complimented on one item, but that’s totally OK. I just wanted to try it while I’m here…maybe I’ll be decent by the time I have grandkids…
Cooked Cucumbers (Hors d’oeuvre)
Ingredients:
Cucumbers, block of cheese (preferably a softer one), vinegar, breaded crackers or bread, oil
1. Cut the cucumbers into little slices
2. Shred the cheese
3. Put oil in a pan
4. Stack on a cracker the cucumber and shredded cheese
5. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes/until cheese melts
6. Sprinkle vinegar (at the suggestion of my friend Lauren, great choice) and oregano on it
Cracker ala Moses (Hors d’oeuvre)
Ingredients:
Cheese (stronger/saltier the better), sunflower honey, crackers
1. Slice the cheese into thin pieces
2. Place on the cracker, heat for a few minutes
3. Remove from oven and dip it in the honey
Veggie-Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
Cheese (soft), bell peppers, white and red onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, oil, lemon, oregano, paprika, rosemary—for meat lovers try prosciutto
1. Cut the top off the bell pepper and gut the seeds/insides. Place it upright in an oiled pan.
2. Shred the cheese (seeing a pattern?), and place some of it in the bottom of the peppers
3. Chop up the above vegetables, or really whatever ones you like best.
4. Saute said vegetables with whatever spices you like.
5. Stuff the upright peppers with the sautéed veggies
6. If you like meat, put the prosciutto on top of that
7. Sprinkle cheese, oregano, rosemary and other desired spices on top.
8. Squeeze lemon on top
9. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until cheese has melted and just starts to brown.
10. Remove from oven…let them cool…and eat ‘em.
Frittata
Ingredients:
4-6 eggs, white onions, tomatoes, yellow peppers, mushrooms, basil, ground pepper
1. Whip the eggs (yolk and whites), place in a separate bowl/container
2. Season the eggs a desired
3. Chop up the vegetables into small pieces
4. Pour oil in frying pan
5. Saute vegetables (a bit less than normal) in frying pan over medium heat
6. Pour egg/spices mixture slowly into pan, turn heat to low
7. Cover pan with plate/lid, check from time to time until egg is cooked through *do not flip the frittata over.
8. Slowly pry frittata away from pan and slide onto plate.
9. Cut and serve…it should look like the lovechild of a quiche and an omlette
Potato and Onion Dish (this is the one I got compliments on)
Ingredients:
6 potatoes, 2-3 white onions, cheese, oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano,paprika, salt, pepper
1. Dice potatoes (including skins) as small as possible
2. Boil potatoes, stirring from time to time
3. Shred cheese
4. Cut up onions and saute while potatoes are boiling
5. Drain potatoes and mash till chunky, mix with sautéed onions in an oiled baking pan, preferably casserole dish
6. Sprinkle cheese and desired spices on top
7. Place in oven for 20 minutes
8. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve
Those are some of the basic I’ve done, nothing fancy at all but it starts somewhere. It’s also fun to get a bit experimental with the food. One time I cut up a whole pineapple and mixed it with a bunch of vegetables into a red sauce for spaghetti. It tasted ok…just a bit bland. Needed something else. Either way, I can’t wait to hop down to the Italian market in Philly when I get back.