Weeknights Around the Table

First Stop, Italy!

As much as I hate to see it go, the freedom of summer is nearly gone. Even though I aged out of the 'back to school' blahs quite awhile ago, my subconscious still remembers. We went from sleeping in, not worrying about clean clothes, staying up late and eating lots of casually grilled meals, to the regimented routine of fall: school, sports practice, music lessons, homework, baths every night, clean clothes every morning—and dinner. No more dawdling. A 'meat and two' on the table every night. How many ways can you really serve chicken?

Well, let me tell you: Hundreds!

My favorite is and always will be old fashioned fried chicken. Not your 'oven fried' or Kentucky Fried (even though their extra crispy isn't bad!). No, I'm talking about iron skillet, crisco, buttermilk, double dipped in seasoned flour fried. But that's a Saturday or Sunday labor of love.

And my second favorite is Chicken with Slick Dumplings, again a time consumer. When I make Chicken and Dumplings, I always make a big pot, so the leftovers morph into a wonderful week night meal.

The 'meat and two' chicken kind of meals I'm talking about usually involve skinned, deboned chicken breasts or thighs. They can be split open and pounded into thinner versions that cook quickly. You can take a spin around the culinary world with a change of sauce and seasonings. When paired with the appropriate starch and vegetable you can turn week night meals into geography lessons with a culinary twist!

My first suggestion is of the Italian persuasion. The chicken is stuffed with basil pesto, tomato slices and a little parmesan cheese, browned in a skillet, and then finished in the oven. While the chicken is cooking, saute some asparagus with a little balsamic vinegar in the same skillet you used to brown your chicken. Transfer the asparagus into the oven on top of the chicken with a little added parmesan cheese.

To round out the meal, one of my favorites: spaghetti squash. The hardest thing about this squash is cutting the thing open, so be very careful. Scrape out the seeds, put cut side down in a pyrex plate and cover with saran wrap, and into the microwave for about ten minutes. That's it! With a fork, scrape the insides into a serving bowl with butter, salt, and pepper (more cheese if you like). That's it—it comes out sort of like spaghetti strands.

The full meal is done in about thirty minutes. The trick, of course is to have everything you need on hand, so a little weekly preplanning is required.

Italian Chicken, Asparagus and Spaghetti Squash Dinner

(recipe/grocery list)

(4 servings)

4 Skinless, deboned chicken breasts

8 teaspoons Pre-made basil pesto

3 Italian tomatoes, slices

1 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup Seasoned flour (you can make you own—I use House Autry)

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 bunch of Fresh Asparagus (several spears per person)

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Spaghetti Squash (one squash makes 4 servings)

Salt/Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Butter

1 quart of your favorite Ice Cream for dessert

Preheat oven to 325°.

Slice chicken breast open (like a book) without cutting all the way through. With the edge of a saucer, pound the meat across, then up and down. This tenderizes and thins. Spread about two teaspoons of pesto on one of the cut sides, top with a couple of tomato slices and a good sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Close chicken and dredge both top and bottom with seasoned flour. Repeat with all breasts.

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place floured chicken breasts into heated pan. Do this in batches if you're making more that 3 or 4 pieces. Don't overcrowd your pan. May need to add a little more oil. Brown for about 4 minutes on each side, turning carefully.

Move browned chicken to a casserole dish and place in the preheated oven. Cook for about twenty minutes.

Add asparagus to nonstick skillet and shake the pan to coat the asparagus with drippings. Then top with a little balsamic vinegar, and shake the pan again, to get everything coated. Turn heat to low and cook for a couple of minutes, then place asparagus on top of chicken in oven and sprinkle with a little shredded parmesan cheese. Leave in oven until chicken is done.

Cut spaghetti squash in half longways. They have a very hard outer skin, so be careful. When halved, scrape out the seeds, and place cut side down in a pyrex dish that fits in your microwave. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover with saran wrap. Cook on high for about ten minutes a half. The outside will 'give' a little when they're done.

With a fork, scrape the insides of the squash into a serving dish, and season with salt, pepper and some butter.

Serve and enjoy!

(Dessert? Ben and Jerry's Pistachio Ice Cream)

Tomatoes and Squash to Share?

More vegetables than you know how to use?

The first fresh tomato of the season (which turned into the most delicious tomato sandwich I'd eaten since last year--on fresh white bread with Dukes Mayonnaise, salt and pepper) is long past. It's now August, the dreaded month when the summer heat beats the living daylights out of everything green, and it never rains as much as we want. The gardens are coming in, and that includes every single tomato and squash we all planted back in May, or even earlier.

I remember the gardens my Mother- and Father-in-law planted each year. They were beautiful: as perfect as a garden could be. Planted with precision, groomed almost daily, staked and strung like a picture in Progressive Farmer. Papa started the tomato plants from seeds he saved from the very best tomatoes of the year before. He planted each one in a little peat pot and grew them to adolescence in a cold frame he made from old windows.

I'm always so anxious to begin planting in early spring, and usually have to replant at least once. Papa never planted his teenage tomato plants until the middle of May, and then hoped for fresh tomatoes by July 4th. By August the plants had grown tall and strong, with lots and lots of tomatoes tugging on their stems, ready to be picked. Yes, several rows, yielding hundreds of tomatoes, turning their perfect red, pink or yellow, and begging to be sanctified all at the same time.

It was hard work from beginning to end. At the time, I didn't fully understand the numbers. There were always little baskets of tomatoes and squash sitting in the carport for gifting or delivery. No one could leave the house without tomatoes or squash. My mother-in-law canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice—even made tomato jam—that we enjoyed all year long. There were squash casseroles, zucchini breads, squash pickles—you name it, we had all things tomato and squash! It was very hard work, but they loved it, and they loved sharing the fruits of their labor.

So, when someone offers a basket of tomatoes or a sack of squash in the next few weeks, take a moment to be grateful for the work that went into the offering. Then try these great recipes using lots of tomatoes and squash!

Stuffed Pittypat Squash

4 medium sized Pittypat squash (or other squash such as zucchini)

1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

4 slices thick smoked bacon (for vegetarian dish, perfectly OK without bacon), diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 medium tomatoes, excess seeds and juice removed, diced

1 tsp. Salt

One-half tsp. Pepper

Dash of crushed dried red peppers

1 cup shredded mixed cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup roughly chopped rustic bread pieces

Preheat oven to 325°.

Remove thin slice on stem side of pittypat squash so squash will sit flat.

With a small paring knife, slice around perimeter of other side, removing 'cap'.

Scoop our pulp from squash with a small spoon, roughly chop and reserve.

Bring pot of salted water to boil. Boil squash 'containers' and lids just until tender, about 3-4 minutes, then drain on paper towels and reserve.

Brown bacon in skillet over medium heat. Remove when crisp and reserve. Add onion to pan and saute until onion softens, then add squash pulp and tomatoes. Cook until it all comes together and squash and tomatoes begin to lose their shape. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Spoon squash mixture into mixing bowl. Add bread and cheese and stir to combine. Finally add bacon and toss.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

(For this casserole, I use all the vegetables I have on hand that need to be cooked, plus some onions and garlic for extra flavor. The amounts can vary according to what you have.) I also 'roast' in layers while preparing the vegetables. And, I line the pan with foil for easier cleanup.)

Preheat oven to 450°. Place oven rack in top third of oven.

2 lbs. (or more) squash, zucchini, eggplant, (or a mixture) sliced into quarter inch rounds (if using a hard squash variety, cut open, remove seeds, peel and cut into pieces close to the size of the other squash)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Mixed fresh or dried herbs

2 lbs. Onions, sliced or cut into pieces similar to squash and potatoes

6 garlic cloves, sliced

2 lbs. Potatoes, sliced into similar sized rounds

2 lbs. Tomatoes, sliced and placed on paper towels to remove excess moisture (if using cherry sized tomatoes, just cut in half)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or melting cheese of choice)

1 stick butter

2 cups roughly chopped bread crumbs

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and stir until they begin to brown. Remove from heat, add to a bowl, and combine with parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Line a roasting pan with foil (for easier cleanup).

Toss squash mixture with half the onions and garlic. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, one-half teaspoon salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of herbs. Toss to coat vegetables, and spoon into roasting pan. Place in oven while you prepare the next layer. Roast for about fifteen minutes or until beginning to brown, stirring once.

Toss potatoes and remaining onions and garlic with another 2 tablespoons olive oil, half teaspoon of salt and pepper and sprinkling of herbs. Spoon onto squash layer. Place in oven and roast another fifteen minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.

Next, add cheddar cheese. Then layer tomatoes on top of cheese. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and herbs.

Top with bread crumb mixture.

Place in oven, reduce temperature to 400°, and bake until cheeses are melted and all vegetables are fork tender, about 30 minutes.

Around the table with a new cookbook...

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

Do you ever enjoy something really delicious while dining at a restaurant, and wish you could recreate it at home? Now you can! Closed on Tuesdays, written by Chef Charles Park, gives easy to follow instructions for many of the famous dishes from his two restaurants, Beaufort Grocery Company in Beaufort NC, and Shepard's Point in Morehead City, NC.

A few weeks ago, Chef Park and I met for a cooking lesson—I'm trying to learn all I can about preparing his special dishes. We met at Shephard's Point, in Morehead City. And we met EARLY—at 8:00 AM, because that was the only free time he had. Hence, dinner for breakfast—local grouper and clams—two of my favorites. I'm being spoiled.

First things first, fresh herbs from the raised bed herb garden just behind the restaurant. He placed the clams in fresh water just for a few minutes to allow them the opportunity to spit out a little sand. White wine, shallots, sliced garlic, cold butter, fresh basil, pepper and toasted baguette slices completed the ingredient list.

We shared a Mess o'Clams as soon as they were plated. It took just about the same amount of time to make the dish as it did to toast the bread. Chef Park showed me how he really likes to eat clams, piling some of the shallot and basil on the clam, filling the shell with wine broth, and then slurping it down, biting the clam loose with his teeth. He assured me that it was perfectly acceptable to eat oysters, clams, and mussels using fingers and slurping. Then he demonstrated soption, an original family word emerging from the verb 'to sop', which is also acceptable as well as necessary when eating anything with such a delicious broth. We vigorously participated in both soption and slurping.

Mess o' Clams

Serves 4

48 fresh clams

One-half cup white wine

2 large shallots, chopped

2 T chopped garlic (Chef Park actually thinly sliced the garlic, so it could be avoided, to taste)

2 T cold butter, sliced

1 sprig fresh basil, chopped

pinch of pepper

1 loaf French bread, sliced and toasted

Wash the clams and place in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the wine, shallots and garlic. Cook, covered, over high heat just until the clams open; do not overcook. Discard any clams that do not open.

Spoon the clams to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, taking care not to stir up the cooking liquid. Drain the liquid into a smaller saucepan, leaving any sand in the larger saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in the butter gradually. Add the basil and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the clams and serve with the toasted bread. Garnish with sprigs of basil.

Next dish was Pan Seared Grouper with Dijon Dill Sauce. I wondered if Chef Park even realized all the little details he was sharing as he cooked. Searing versus sautéing, using the oven to finish dishes, making pan sauce from the fond (pan juices), using nonstick spray appropriately, when to salt, when not to salt, cold, cold butter added at the end to make a creamy sauce without cream, when to add fresh herbs, how to plate the dish for the best presentation. I tried to get it all down, but sometimes I was so busy eating, I forgot to write. Fortunately, as I think through the process, I'm remembering.

I would gladly have paid the price of the book, Closed on Tuesdays, for my two favorite recipes, the Tuna Napoleon, featuring fresh yellowfin tuna, wasabi slaw, and crisply fried wontons; and Collard Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings and Slivers of Country Ham.

For more information on Chef Park, his restaurants or your very own Closed on Tuesdays, visit www.BeaufortGrocery.com.

Asian Tuna Salad (Tuna Napoleon )

from Closed on Tuesdays by Chef Charles Park

(Serves 4)

12 thick won ton wrappers

2 cups vegetable oil

One-half cup Wasabi Cole Slaw*

8 oz. sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna, very thinly sliced

2 T pickled ginger, julienned

Chopped fresh cilantro and Toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Seafood Dipping Sauce**

Cut the won tons into halves diagonally. Fry the won tons in the vegetable oil in a deep fryer until crisp; drain.

Spoon one tablespoon Wasabi Cole Slaw onto a serving plate and arrange three won tons in the slaw. Top with a second tablespoon of the Wasabi Cole Slaw, one tuna slice, a second wonton and a second tuna slice. Sprinkle with the pickled ginger. Garnish with chopped cilantro and 1 tsp. Toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with Seafood Dipping Sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

*Wasabi Cole Slaw

1 cup mayonnaise

One-fourth cup milk

One-fourth cup white or cider vinegar

One-fourth cup confectioners' sugar

One-fourth cup wasabi powder blended with 2 tsp. water

1 tsp. Celery seeds

One-half tsp. Salt

One-half tsp. Freshly cracked pepper

4 cups finely shredded green cabbage

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup finely shredded carrots

Combine the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, confectioners' sugar and wasabi powder blended in water in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the celery seeds, salt and pepper.

Combine the green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise mixture and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving. You can prepare the slaw in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

**Seafood Dipping Sauce

(makes 1 cup)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 T chopped garlic

1 T fish sauce

Combine the brown sugar, vinegar and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one-half. Stir in the fish sauce.

Jalepeno !Bang! for July 4th

Explosions of Flavor!

Fireworks won't be the only thing lighting up your 4^th of July picnic! Stuffed and grilled jalapeños will have a flavor explosion in every single bite. It would hardly be July 4^th without burgers and dogs, but they don't have to be your everyday, run of the mill variety. Kick everything up a notch or two as Emeril would say.

Begin with fresh sweet corn that hasn't been shucked. Peel back the shucks leaving them intact, remove the silk, pull the shucks back up and soak for an hour or two, or even all day (great to do ahead). Prepare a medium heat grill (plenty of charcoal, probably a second chimney full). Place corn directly on grill, close and cook, turning occasionally for 30 to 40 minutes. After corn steams, it will begin to caramelize adding even more sweet flavor. Take corn from grill to sheet pan, remove and discard shucks, and brush corn with melted butter mixed with fresh lime juice, smokey paprika, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a little grated parmesan. Cover sheet pan with foil, and hold in low (225°) oven until ready to serve.

And for those special dogs, choose your favorites, whether sausage, chicken or beef, and grill them over medium heat. Be sure to brush the inside of the buns with butter. Grilling the bun makes all the difference in a good hamburger or hotdog. To take your hamburgers and hotdogs over the top, add Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Grilled Jalapeños. They're absolutely delicious and the ultimate condiment, adding that 4^th of July explosion of flavor you're looking for.

For juicier burgers, add some sauteed onions, BBQ sauce, an egg, salt and pepper, and some grated cheese to your meat. Toss together with forks and avoid compacting too much when making patties. Chill patties until ready to grill. Over medium heat, add patties to grill, DO NOT press down with spatula. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once. Serve on grilled buns with condiments. They will be DEE-LICIOUS!

HAPPY GRILLING!

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped, Grilled Jalapeños

8 Jalapeno peppers

1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, small dice

8 cherry tomatoes

4 strips bacon, microwaved about 4 minutes, until about half done

4 (12 inch) bamboo skewers

Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before using.

Cut the stem end off the peppers, and with a small paring knife loosen the ribs and scrape out the ribs and seeds, leaving the pepper intact. (The seeds and ribs are the hottest part of the pepper.)

Add the olive oil to a small saute pan, and over medium heat saute the outside of the peppers just until they begin to blister, only a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Stuff as much cheese as you can into the peppers, and tread a stuffed pepper onto a soaked skewer beginning with the closed end. Follow with a cherry tomato, pushing it down to plug the top of the pepper and hold the cheese. Put two stuffed peppers and two tomatoes on each skewer.

Wrap peppers with partially cooked bacon, using tooth picks to secure. Use one strip of bacon for each skewer.

Grill for several minutes over medium heat, turning until bacon has finished cooking and cheese is melted.

Remove from skewers, and eat as appetizers, or use as condiments for hamburgers or hotdogs.

Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers

FATHER'S DAY GRILLING!

Father's Day Alert! Just in time for the celebration I have a new grilling favorite—Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers. This entree is delicious served over cheese grits. Add an Asian salad of cold cucumber slices, green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas and iceberg lettuce (I use Makoto Ginger Dressing found in the refrigerator section at local grocery stores--garnish the salad with Wasabi flavored wonton strips) and you have a complete meal including a no-fail new recipe for Dad to master on the grill.

The recipe came about when I found tuna 'chunks'--beautiful fresh tuna pieces--for a much lower price than the tuna steaks at the fish counter. A marinade combination I've used with cedar plank salmon turned them into a brand new, very healthy recipe.

When making kabobs, whether beef, chicken or fish, I recommend doing the meat and vegetables on separate skewers. That way you can control the cooking temperature and time. Vegetables need to grill long enough to begin caramelizing on the edges and tenderize in the center. This can take a longer or shorter time than the meat, depending on which meat you're using. Chicken takes a little longer, while beef and tuna require shorter cooking times, depending on your taste.

Always use a marinade to get the flavor into your meats and vegetables before grilling. And if you're using bamboo skewers, don't forget to soak them for at least thirty minutes in water before loading them up.

Marinated Tuna and Vegetable Skewers

One-half cup soy sauce

One-half cup mirin (found near soy sauce)

One-fourth cup seasoned rice wine vinegar (found near soy sauce)

One-fourth cup extra virgin olive oil

2 T sugar

2 tsp. ground pepper

2 lbs. Tuna cut into 2 inch pieces

4 small zucchini, sliced into half inch rounds

2 medium red onions, cut into pieces about the size of the zucchini

1 green pepper, cut into pieces about the size of the zucchini

One-half cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. Sea salt

12 (12 inch) wooden skewers, soaked for at least 30 minutes in water

pickled ginger and wasabi as condiments

Combine soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, olive oil, sugar and pepper in large zip lock bag and swish to combine. Add tuna pieces, close bag and turn to completely coat tuna. Place in refrigerator for one or two hours, turning occasionally to keep tuna coated.

Place zucchini, onion and pepper pieces in medium bowl, and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Divide evenly between six skewers and set aside until ready to grill.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Prepare grill grate by brushing with oil.

Remove tuna from marinade and divide evenly between six skewers.

Place skewers on grill arranging according to temperature. Move to outer edges of grill when skewers are nearly done. Tuna should take just a couple of minutes per side for medium rare. Vegetables will take longer.

Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi paste as condiments.

Makes 4-6 servings

OM GROWN FOODS

Locally Grown Organic Vegetables--

The Sunflower Marks the Spot!

We received our first share of vegetables a couple of weeks ago from OM Grown Foods, a combination of two farming families near Ferrum, Virginia, who have joined forces to provide top quality organically grown vegetables. They sell shares of their vegetable crop each season, and plant accordingly. Every Monday the shareholders pick up their vegetable bag loaded with the week's harvest. You never know exactly what you'll get, only that you're receiving a huge bag of fresh, beautiful produce to feed your family for the coming week. They also share recipes through email of their favorite ways to use the different vegetables.

Several of the vegetable share-holders living in Martinsville take turns picking up the vegetable bags each week, since it's a little bit of an adventuresome road trip to wind through the countryside, especially if it's your first trip—no cell phone coverage if you're lost. It almost seems appropriate to go back to pre-cell days to pick up these great organic vegetables from a local organic gardner.

Our first bag contained spinach, collards, bok choi, asparagus, mixed baby salad greens, and arugula. I'll have to admit, I didn't even recognize

the collard greens. They were beautiful little young leaves that could have been eaten raw right out of the bag. And the baby bok choy looked like something from the produce section of an upscale green grocer. I've grown asparagus myself and had to leave the beds when we moved, but never has asparagus tasted so good. In other words, I'm in vegetable heaven!

It really does matter what we put into our bodies for fuel. Knowing where our food comes from and that it has been grown with the TLC that will promote my family's best health is important. There was news last week that linked ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) with the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. Children who tested positive for a pesticide byproduct had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD according to a study appearing in the The Journal of Pediatrics (http://www.jpeds.com/ ).

It's early in the season, and the gardens are ready!

A simple pasta with sauteed greens, tomatoes and pancetta was our first Om Grown Meal--DELICIOUS!

Arancini--Savory and Sweet

ARANCINI--SAVORY and SWEET

When Vince Scordo (http://networkedblogs.com/2YKNn) suggested we declare May 1^st National Arancini Day, I immediately voted YES! Great idea to honor the deliciousness of arancini! After all, what's not to love? Crispy-crunchy outside, creamy-cheesy middle, and between the two extremes—risotto, one of the signature dishes of Italian cuisine.

Before I could get started, my mind took a side trip—not an unusual phenomenon--to a dolce place. I had this urge to try a sweet risotto, and then use the risotto to make Dolce Arancini. And the experimenting began...

The Dolce Risotto, made with coconut milk, fresh orange juice and zest, and dates, was delicious and took warm breakfast cereal to a new level. So delicious, in fact, that I was sure it would make a good dessert. I was twittering about my experiment, when a new twitter-friend from Asheville, NC, Jean Sexton (http://locavore4lore.wordpress.com/) , sent me a website (http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-restaurants-food/food-jars-create-the-497794.html) about the trendy layering of sweet and savory offerings in little mason jars. I pulled an empty jelly jar from under the cabinet, filled the bottom with the warm dolce risotto, topped it with sweetened whipped cream, and garnished with more almond slices and orange zest: PERFECT! It immediately transformed into a beautiful dessert that tasted just as lucious as it looked!

Next I chilled some of the sweet risotto and made rice balls, about one-eighth cup each. I filled each one with a cube of Brie, and after frying, rolled them around in cinnamon sugar and orange zest. Surely you must be tasting what I'm talking about! Breaking through the wonderful crispy cinnamon crust led to warm, sweet risotto, and finally to the center with soft, melted Brie. Flavor and texture levels all over the place.

I was on a happy, sweet high when I started the savory risotto dish. I had Pesto Sausage from Creminelli Fine Meats ( http://www.creminelli.com/) on hand. I knew it would make a fabulous risotto, but I had no idea HOW fabulous. The truth is, the sausage is so well seasoned that the risotto required no extra seasoning at all. I've tasted many great Italian sausages, and this is absolutely the best.

It was one of those days when everything seemed to work—of course it worked—it was National Arancini Day! And this Pesto Sausage Risotto was headed toward arancini to top all arancinis! Each rice ball was stuffed with a cube of mozzarella. After the crispy coating and frying, I served the arancini with fresh basil pesto. It could be that I have never, ever tasted anything more delicious. Everything was perfect—the Creminelli sausage, the resulting risotto, the melted mozzarella, and the fresh basil pesto—I wouldn't change a thing!

While there may have been a small number of people celebrating National Arancini Day this May 1^st, I would encourage everyone to be practicing and preparing for next year. I think we're off to a good start. Let's make May Day-Arancini Day an annual event!

Savory Arancini

Pesto Sausage Arancini

2 cups Pesto Sausage Risotto*

12 cubes mozzarella

One-half cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Canola Oil for frying

Fresh basil pesto, to serve

Divide cold risotto into about 12 one-eighth cup pieces. Place a cube of mozzarella into each, and roll between your palms into balls.

Heat oil in heavy pot to 350 degrees. The oil should be about two-three inches deep. I use a small, deep pot and only fry two or three rice balls at a time.

Roll each rice ball in flour, dip in beaten egg, and then roll in bread crumbs.

Slip into heated oil, and let fry for 3-4 minutes, turning a couple of times with a wooden spoon. The rice balls should be browned and crispy on the outside, and cook long enough to melt the cheese.

Remove from oil and briefly drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with fresh basil pesto.

*Pesto Sausage Risotto

2 T butter

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

One-half pound Pesto Sausage, removed from casing and diced

1 cup Arborio rice

Three-fourths cup white wine, room temperature

3 cups chicken broth, warmed to a simmer

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

One-fourth cup fresh basil chiffonade

Add butter and olive oil to medium sized pan over medium-low heat.

Add onion and sausage and saute until onion is soft and transparent, and sausage is browned.

Add rice, stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes, to coat rice well and slightly toast.

Add wine, stirring until wine is nearly absorbed. Then begin adding chicken broth, about three-fourths cup at a time, until rice is al dente with creamy consistency.

Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Cover and let rest for a few minutes. Just before serving, stir in fresh basil.

Dolce Arancini

Dolce Arancini with Brie

2 cups sweet risotto*

12 cubes Brie

One-half cup all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup plain bread crumbs (like panko)

Vegetable oil for frying (I used canola)

Cinnamon sugar with orange zest (this was a good accident—I left some orange zest on a saucer over night, it dried, and I mixed it into the cinnamon sugar)

Divide risotto into 12 equal sized rice balls. Place a piece of brie in the center of each, and roll between your palms to close.

Heat oil in heavy pot to 350 degrees. The oil should be about two-three inches deep. I use a small, deep pot and only fry two or three rice balls at a time.

Roll each rice ball in flour, dip in beaten egg, and then roll in bread crumbs.

Slip into heated oil, and let fry for 3-4 minutes, turning a couple of times with a wooden spoon. The rice balls should be browned and crispy on the outside, and cook long enough to melt the cheese.

Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and roll in cinnamon sugar with orange zest.

Enjoy while warm.

*Sweet Risotto

2 T butter

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup Arborio rice

Three-fourths cup sparkling white grape juice

1 (14 oz.) can lite coconut milk

zest of one orange

1 cup fresh orange juice

pinch of salt

1 cup finely diced dried dates

One-half cup thinly sliced almonds

One-half cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Honey to taste

Add butter and oil to medium sized saute pan over medium-low heat. When heated, add rice, and cook, stirring for about two minutes, to coat rice. Add grape juice, stirring occasionally until most is absorbed. Meanwhile, heat coconut milk, orange zest & juice and salt in small saucepan just to a simmer. When rice has absorbed grape juice, begin adding the warmed coconut milk and orange juice about one-half cup at a time, stirring until nearly absorbed. Continue adding liquid until rice is al dente with creamy texture.

Add dates, almonds, parmesan cheese and cinnamon. Stir well to combine, taste, and add honey if more sweetness is desired. Cover and allow to rest for five minutes.

Serve as is, garnished with extra almonds and chopped dates.

Or for a dessert course, serve in little mason jelly jars, topped with a layer of whipped cream and garnished with sliced almonds and orange zest.