Food & Wine Chickie Insider

Bucatini and Meatballs

Bucatini, a thick spaghetti with a hole in its center much like macaroni, is the perfect pasta to hold up to the rich veal meatballs in tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry bucatini (I used DaVinci brand)
• Oven-baked veal meatballs in tomato sauce
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat meatballs in tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add cooked pasta to tomato sauce and gently stir to coat pasta with sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve 2 meatballs and a portion of pasta for each guest. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp grated cheese over each portion.

4 servings.

Veal Meatball

Craving pasta and meatballs? Using ground veal  instead of the typical beef offers a version that’s moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of fresh  white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground veal
• 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce, about 6 cups (I enjoy this version from Ina Garten)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread in a food processor until medium-fine crumbs are created. Should be approximately 1 cup.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk until bread is completely soaked and milk has been nearly completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the veal, 2 tbsp parsley, cheese, egg and salt & pepper to bread mixture. Stir until just combined. Mixture will be somewhat loose. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Spray a  13 X 18 X 1 rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Form meat mixture into large meatballs, approximately 4 inches across. Place meatballs on the sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Heat tomato sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add baked meatballs and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

Makes 8 large meatballs.

Notes: Don’t have a food processor? Don’t fret, simply cut the bread into very small pieces using a serrated knife. Tomato sauce can easily be store-bought. Meatballs in sauce freeze well for about 1 month. Want to make 2-inch meatballs? Simply bake for 10 minutes instead of 20 minutes!

I’ve tasted and liked the 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the past, but I recently sampled it again during a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and really enjoyed how different it was compared to the others. Here are three things I appreciated about this wine:

'08 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

1) It is medium-bodied, which I miss in many other Sauvignon Blancs in this price range.

2) As the wine warmed a bit, I got a big mouthful of chewy mango and tons of other tropical fruits.

3) The finish is pleasantly long with bouncy citrusy notes.

I typically think of Sauvignon Blanc for warm Summer parties where a refreshing, uncomplicated wine is de rigueur, but the ‘08 Honig would also be perfect with a roasted pork chop in the middle of Winter.

Around $15.99.

Note: 89 points Robert Parker

Mixed Gyro Platter

Kabab Paradise is a spotless, attractive restaurant featuring middle eastern, specifically Afghan, cuisine for onsite dining, take-out or delivery ($15 minimum).

Chef Sal Fahim and his crew couldn’t be more customer-friendly. Diners are greeted warmly as they enter the restaurant and are treated like extended family as they dine in the cozy space. During a recent visit, I could hear ‘the ususal?’ being asked by the cooks to the patrons. Kabab Paradise has had a loyal following since it set up shop in Morris County in 2004.

Hummus

A key to this smallish space’s success is that the food is fresh and absolutely delicious.  Kabab Paradise offers an extensive Halal menu that’s completely made from scratch. From the very tasty hummus to the hand chopped burger meat to the fabulous kabab entrees, Kabab Paradise prides itself on serving the freshest middle eastern food around.

On a recent visit, my party enjoyed an attractive platter of hummus ($3.99 for small and $6.99 for large), made on the premises. The portion, enough for several diners, is beautifully presented with just the right amount of fruity olive oil.

Some of the entrees we enjoyed were the beef kufta kabab, the mixed gyro platter and the chicken breast kabab. The juicy beef kufta kabab ($9.99) is made of broiled ground beef marinated in fresh spices and absolutely wonderful in every way. The mixed gyro platter ($8.49) is comprised of thinly sliced then chopped beef, chicken and lamb masterly seasoned and presented in a sizeable portion. For those of us who’ve been served dried out grilled chicken on a stick in the past, Kabab Paradise will be a revelation of moist, succulent chicken chunks broiled to perfection. These entrees are presented with a large serving of seasoned basmati rice, a choice of beverage, bread and a tasty, tart cilantro and lime dressing. You’ll want to pour the secretly-prepared dressing over just about everything. Warning – it’s addictive and you’ll dream of your next taste.

The restaurant is social media-conscious and garners the power of the web, Twitter and Facebook to attract new customers and to share tidbits with its avid followers.

Kabab Paradise is a must-try for a casual meal prepared using fresh ingredients by a team focused on making diners think of their next visit even before they finish eating.

www.kababparadise.com

76 North Beverwick Rd

Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034

Phone: 973-334-7900

Fax: 973-334-7199

Tue-Thur: 11AM – 10PM

Fri-Sat: 11AM – 11PM

Sun: 1PM – 9PM

Hey foodies, post a link to a recipe of yours on your blog that features 5 ingredients or less and get a chance to win a Le Creuset^® Cassis Rectangular Baker 2-Piece Set!

Don’t have a blog? No problem! Simply email your entry to Food and Wine Chickie!

By 3/31/10, leave a comment on this post letting me know which recipe on your site you’d like considered, and you could win!

Top 10 recipes will be featured in a special post.

* Open to US and Canada residents only. Contest ends 3/31/10 and entries must be received by then.  Winner will be selected at my discretion by 4/15/10.  Open to Food and Wine Chickie Twitter followers or Facebook fans only.

Like Sauvignon Blanc and into Twitter?  Don’t miss #sauvblanc Online Tasting on 3/4/10!  The event is hosted by Rick Bakas of St Supery (@rickbakas).

The Objective of #SauvBlanc Online Tasting:

+ Promote Sauvignon Blanc producers AVA’s worldwide by connecting w/ wine drinkers on Twitter

+ Share interesting content about your respective wine growing region

+ Be positive and promote one another.

+ If possible have wines on hand from different wine growing regions. Share the beauty of this grape!

Click the following to register FREE: http://bit.ly/dpCslx

Crackle-Top Cookie

The name for these easy-to-make and succulent cookies comes from the fact that the baking of the cookies causes ‘crackles’ in the powdered sugar coating. Kids LOVE to help roll the unbaked cookies in the powdered sugar, so summon help!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbs. butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Crackle Cookie Dough

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Microwave 1 cup chocolate for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave at 10 seconds intervals until completely melted.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Add melted chocolate until well blended.  Incorporate eggs, one at a time. Gradually incorporate flour mixture in the chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Shape cooled dough into 1 ½” balls (about 1 teaspoon).  Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish and roll dough balls into it to cover completely.
6. Place balls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 13-15 minutes ( the cookies won’t be set in the center! ).
7. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a rack to completely cool.

Makes 24 cookies.

Quebec White Cookie

When we were small kids, my sister and me attended a birthday party where our friend’s mom made these cookies.  For years, we talked about them and how great they were and a few years ago, our childhood friend got her mom to share her recipe with us.

These types of cookies are popular in Quebec, where I grew up, to eat along tea or coffee.  They are not overly sweet and keep well in a cookie jar in a dry place.

Cookie batter ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup melted vegetable shortening (microwave 1 minute)
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Quebec White Cookie Batter

Cookie instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and Crisco with an electric mixer to incorporate.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Incorporate flour mixture to egg mixture.  Combine well.
5. Add milk and vanilla to batter.
6. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet about ¼ inch in interval.
7. Bake 15 minutes.

Glaze ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ whole milk
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Glaze instructions:

1. Bring all glaze ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan until thickened, approximately 3 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
2. Thicken glaze further with powdered sugar if needed to reach a thick spreadable icing.
3. Glaze cookies while they are still hot.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Notes: For the glaze, you may dissolve corn starch into the milk until smooth before adding to the saucepan to help prevent lumps in glaze.

My review of Aozora featured in NJ My Way: http://bit.ly/dnHFfP

Wine in a Box

Since I recently started a new job search, I’ve made lists of things I’d cut back on.  Wine and good food just cannot be skipped no matter what, so I thought I’d get my social media wine friends to help me compile a list of 10 affordable wines that they’ve recently discovered or are enjoying these days.

Please leave me a comment by 2/20/10 with a nice value wine you’ve enjoyed that you feel should make my top 10 list.

Cheers!