Cooks Day Off!!

 I'd like to share some of my first blog posts with you.  My family is going through some tough times and my mind is not on baking or cooking.  I am preparing a lot of my old recipes and also getting out and enjoying a few small meals. 

Once I can focus a little better I'll be back to my passion of baking and cooking. I promise!

Love, M.j.




I've surpassed my expectations of what I thought my blog would be.. It has taken me on a journey of  my family recipes but also new ideas to make this blog what my fellow foodies seem to enjoy.  It seems my waking hours are spent thinking of what I am going to post the next day!  I have become somewhat obsessed with it!    My son tells me that is because it is my passion, and that it is a good thing! I agree!!!

Since I am not cooking today we are searching out that quick but tasty something to satisfy both my hubby and grandson.who is visiting us...  We are searching out a place to satisfy their love for that perfect quick satisfying meal?  A hoagie or a sub?   My hubby likes Philly cheese steak hoagies.  My grandson loves Italian subs.   So depending on your locale it is a hoagie or a sub?  I grew up calling this crispy long roll , piled with lots of different meat, cheese and lots of toppings a hoagie . Today where we ate they called them subs.  Whatever you want to call them..it really doesn't matter as long as they are Yummy!!!

9/5/2011 original

Dinner at Nonna's/ Our Second

It looks as though going to Maria's /Nonna's is going to be a yearly gathering with our  friends. Last year I shared our afternoon at Maria's and photos of the wonderful menu we were served. If you have forgotten please check out the link below.   A true feast.

http://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2011/12/eating-in-nonnas-kitchen-wonderful.html



Our second visit to Nonna's our menu was slightly different and not as traditional as our last year meal.  We had selected some new dishes that we hadn't tried before. Equally delicious but different.

Please enjoy my mouth watering photos!  My camera was a little off so I'm hoping the presentation is good.

 
Enjoy!

Maria cooks comfortably with her guests seated at the dining room table.  On the menu today was white bean pasta fagioli, butternut squash ravioli in a light sage cream sauce with chopped walnuts, beef brisket slowed cooked for approximately 5 hours that was seasoned with oranges and mushrooms, cauliflower pie with Gruyere and provolone, tossed salad garnished with mint, 5 apple galette topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Expresso and homemade Lemoncello!

Homemade Lemoncello after dinner!

Mozzarella and marinated veggies

Stuffed mini tomatoes

Artichokes marinated

Maria aka Nonna has a quaint gift shop that we have been to before.  Lots and lots of Italian goods and gifts. Her shop is located in Bloomfield, Pa.  A short distance from the city of Pittsburgh.

The Famous Maria

Her Kitchen

The group!

Butternut squash ravioli

White bean pasta fagioli

Beef Brisket and a little vino too!

Italian salad Garnished with fresh mint

Cauliflower pie with Gruyere

Finocchio

      Fresh fennel to cleanse the pallet(slight anise flavor)  check link:http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesandsidedishes/ig/Frutta-e-Verdura/Bulb-Fennel.htm

5 Apple Galette

Maria and Linda

Linda, Al and Maria!

Lunch at Rose Haven with the gals!

Today I was invited to share an afternoon lunch with 34 women from our small village.  The food was wonderful, the conversation was great and it was a terrific way to spend a few hours with friends. 

Rose Haven is a beautiful "Victorian House" from the 1800's that has been recently restored int the Butler Area.  Butler, PA is approximately 30 miles north of the city of Pittsburgh.  The owners originally are from California where the hostess had two antique stores.  They moved to this area, carefully measured and planned where each piece she would bring to her new home would be placed. Every detail was carefully orchestrated to make you feel as though you were back in time.  I loved it!!

The home is gorgeous with rose adornments scattered over various rooms.  Tastefully decorated with period items spread through out this beautiful home.  Here are a few photos I would like to share with you.

Story has it that the top knob would not be placed until the home no longer had a mortgage.

Cafe Kolache!

We've been to Cafe Kolache before but today I brought my cell phone and took lots of great pictures with the intention of sharing the Cafe Kolache experience. I felt my fellow foodies would just love hearing about the great Slovak/Czech cuisine. Unfortunately my camera malfunctioned and these are all I could retrieve :(

If you don't know much about Kolaches, the one thing that you have to be told is that the dough is sweet, perfectly sweet and just makes every bite be oh so yummy.

My Mom and Grandma made cheese kolache in a cookie sheet but on occasion they would make the dough in dough balls rolling them into squares and fill them with raspberry or prune filling. It would be a treat especially at Easter.

Cafe Kolache makes Breakfast Kolaches also.  These fluffy dough pockets are filled with egg, cheese and bacon as well as breakfast sausage, ham and Swiss and so many more,  The list goes on and on.

Their traditional Kolaches are filled with Cottage Cheese or Prune as well as many fruit Kolaches.

This cafe has lunch Kolaches as well.  I have personally tried the Spinach and Feta which was fabulous.

I also must mention that they serve salads, soups and today had a featured quiche of which I HAD a great picture but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Grrrr yes that's one that I lost!!

 Happy Baking and Cooking!

***If you would like to check them out on the web their web address is www.cafekolache.com  or you can like them on facebook (facebook.com/cafekolache.

Ode To A Blogger

I want to share this poem written by a very good friend of mine.  We went to dinner with he and his wife and he wrote this poem afterwards.  That he took the time to write this poem means a great deal to me and made it very special.  It made me laugh and I hope it makes you laugh too! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ode To A Blogger
M.J. and friends went to dine in the city,
The meal was not great, oh what a pity!
I thought they scored B,
But M.J. thought C.
To avoid a big fuss,
We made it a C+.
You ask what's the name of this mediocre place,
We cannot say to avoid its disgrace.
For the blog is quite clear, only grade A we reveal,
Below excellence we will always conceal.
Some parts were quite fine,
The salad, the wine.
The waitress was nice,
Then she sniffed once or twice.
So beware all you restaurants, oh please do not flee!
This blogger is coming, all she will see!

Being entertained by Kaluha and Cream!

Our Sunday evening included a wonderful dinner show at Tropical Palms.  We enjoyed Prime Rib, salad and baked potato and for dessert a delightful strawberry mousse topped with whipped topping and chocolate shavings. A little wine for our health too!!!

We had the pleasure of being entertained by another husband and wife duo called Kaluha and Cream!  Kaluha is the female vocalist and did numberous songs starting from the big band era right up and including Whitney Huston.  A fabulous 2 hour show..

Yummy!  Chocolate cookie base, strawberry mouse and topped whipped cream and garnished with shaved chocolate.

Pictures of Nonna's House; Our Christmas Feast continued!

 I can't stop talking or writing about my wonderful experience at Mercante's Gifts and Nonna's Kitchen..

I love to be in my kitchen and so does Maria!  We have a lot in common!  I wanted to share some other pictures I took while I was there..Hoping you enjoy them!   Merry Christmas!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mini tomatoes with cheese

Lovely huge serving plates and dishes adorn her livingroom

This hanging light is hanging in her kitchen..A local artist made it for Maria

Maria, my hubby and I!  Bon Appetit!

Eating in Nonna's Kitchen! A wonderful Sunday feast

Maria(Nonna) and I

My hubby planned this dinner after meeting Maria (Nonna) several months ago at the Columbus Day Parade in Bloomfield, PA.. Maria has a beautiful Italian Gift Shop called Merante Gifts and when we were walking on Liberty Ave in Bloomfield (Little Italy) we came across her gift shop and decided to browse while the parade was warming up.   Italian Bowls and dishes, anything and everything Italian Maria has displayed beautifully in this very Italian gift shop.  While I was browsing, my hubby was asking lots of questions (Maria even runs trips to Italy). She told him she serves dinner upstairs by reservations and would email him with the menu so we could check it out..  What a menu from soup to nuts!!!! Once we decided who would be coming with us to experience this Italian culinary experience we were into planning our meal..

Artichoke drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Italian Wedding Soup

There would be a total of 8 of us, all good friends who enjoy eating as much as we do, fine food to be sure.  Maria (Nonna) does this with ease and perfection, homemade wedding soup, with tiny meatballs,greens, small tortellini swimming in a savory chicken broth(some chicken pieces too)and piping hot!! They way I like it..Oh I must mention we sat at a large dining room table that seated 8 comfortably..Maria was right before us cooking and we were able to see everything she did.. Clean, cozy kitchen with all the normalizes of your own home kitchen and we all felt extremely comfortable...

Gnocchi with Bolognaise

Pollo Nastro Azzurro

Zucchini al Forno with Pancetta

After our soup came Ricotta gnocchi in a delicate Bolognaise sauce..Seasoned perfectly, soft and tender little pillows served  hot and right off the stove..Maria moved easily and effortlessly..not a bit of stress, as though she were cooking for her own family...We felt at home!

On to the main course which was Pollo Nastro Azzurro...Thinly sliced chicken rolled with prosciutto, asiago cheese and delicately cooked. Absolutely wonderful!  Our side was Zucchini Al Forno with Pancetta (Zucchini baked with onions and pancetta with light soft bread crumbs as a topping.. Something new for my tastebuds and I loved it and so did our friends...

Layered with prosciutto and asiago cheese

Made from scratch Italian Rum cake

A classic Italian salad and served after dinner with a lemon and olive oil dressing with a hint of mint. Refreshing and delicious to say the least..

A small taste of Lemoncello for a after dinner drink and yes Rum cake and Expresso!  Both being perfect! Nothing more can I say but Maria  is one heck of a cook!  Word of mouth says Lidia paid her a visit and she may be on one of the local channels in a review soon..  Can't wait to see it!!  We made reservations for the same day next year..   A great Christmas Tradition.

A Christmas Toast

Thank you Maria...I don't give many A+'s but you get one for sure!!!

If you are interested in dining with Nonna or cooking classes you may want to checkout Maria's website
www.merante-gifts.com