Arancini

I have never been a fan of leftovers. However, I do like to turn leftovers into a completely new dish. These Arancini are a perfect example.

Arancini are the epitome of southern Italian street food. They are stuffed with mozzarella, dredged in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. They are great as hors d'oeuvres dipped or served on a bed of lettuce as a light lunch.

By Leslie Blythe

Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style

Marcella Hazan's cookbooks are wonderful and are credited with introducing the traditional techniques of Italian Cooking to the US and the UK. I stumbled upon this recipe for Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style. I love risotto and have made it over the years using the traditional endless stirring technique, the oven method, and actually in an Instant Pot. If you want to hang out in the kitchen while drinking wine and do it the traditional way (that is, when my husband does the stirring!), it can be quite cathartic. Typically, I make mushroom or butternut squash, but this risotto has a small amount of ground beef. It's really delicious. The red wine/beef combination marries surprisingly well with the creamy Arborio rice. The sage and rosemary really deliver on the flavor front and take the whole thing to a new level. Alba in Italy is known around the world for its Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is situated in the northern Piedmont region.

By Leslie Blythe

Ramen Noodle Salad

Yesterday for lunch, I made this Ramen Noodle Salad. It's another one from Chrissy Teigen's book. She calls it Dump and Done Ramen Salad. I have made many salads using crushed up uncooked ramen noodles. It adds a lot of crunch and nice texture. I have adapted it to suit my tastes, like using green onions instead of red onions, etc. You could add some cooked shrimp or chicken to add protein to this salad. It's absolutely delicious and very adaptable to your own tastes.

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs

This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs is from Chrissy Teigen. Oh, to be her, lounging around the house in silky pjs with John Legend! My friend Alice gave me a stack of cookbooks that someone was throwing away. I have to say, this book is genius. I told my husband to go through a put post-it notes on the recipes he wants me to make, which is practically every page! And yes, he stares at the photos of the lovely Sports Illustrated model. Anyway, back to the recipe. I made several changes - 1) no salt needed, because parm has a lot of salt already, ditto for butter - I used unsalted. 2) I only used one egg. 3) I finished it off under the broiler.

By Leslie Blythe

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Well, for starters, I'm not a huge football fan. I only watch the Super Bowl for the ads and typically root for the team that is winning. I'm only half paying attention, though I do provide good snackage! I used to make my late mother-in-law a plate of nachos while she watched the USC games. She loved nachos and I loved making them for her. I always enjoyed hearing her screaming "GO, GO, GO!" This is a rather long-winded intro to my Buffalo Chicken Nachos, which is a variation of the traditional nacho recipe. You can make this buffalo chicken in the instant pot or a slow cooker. There was also the infamous Buffalo Chicken Pizza Incident, which you can read about...

By Leslie Blythe

Alabama Slammer

The Alabama Slammer is a cocktail that gained popularity in the ‘70s made with vodka, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice, served in a Collins glass. This harkens back to a time when strong, sweet drinks were all the rage (the infamous Long Island Iced Tea is another ‘70s sledgehammer of a drink). Back in the day, it seemed like boisterous bars catering to a younger crowd (Carlos-n-Charlie’s, I am looking at you….) churned these out by the gallon.  If you are feeling like having a retro, fruity drink with a real kick, the Alabama Slammer is the perfect choice.

By Leslie Blythe

Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach

The other day I made this Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach. I had these random ingredients including a bag of shrimp in the freezer. You can totally change the ingredients and use, chicken, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Use whatever you have on hand. The sauce is white wine, lemon juice and a bit of half & half, which is lovely and tangy.

By Leslie Blythe

Muffuletta Sandwich

moof-fuh-LEHT-tuh or moo-foo-LE-ta
There is this place called Roma’s Market in Pasadena, California owned by Rosario Mazzeo. He is famous for The Sandwich. This wonderful sandwich is wrapped in pink butcher paper, and is simple:
crusty bread made by a Sicilian baker, a drizzle of good olive oil, a couple of slices each of capicola, mortadella, salami and provolone. It’s very plain, but utter perfection in its simplicity. We often pick them up for lunch.
The other day my husband bought a jar of Muffuletta Italian Mix. We came home and I suddenly had an epiphany - why not convert The Sandwich to a Muffuletta!? I have included a recipe from scratch, though you could go to your local Italian deli/market and buy a similar sandwich...
Napoleon House is where my aunt Marjorie and Uncle Bob, who was a political science professor at Tulane, took me for my first Muffuletta. The Napoleon House muffuletta is considered by many to be the "other" definitive version, different from most others in that it's heated. I personally prefer my muffulettas cold, but that said, they do an excellent sandwich here. Don't forget to order their signature drink, the Pimm's Cup, while you're waiting for your muff to arrive.
The Story...
Muffuletta sandwiches can be found all over New Orleans. It is a Sicilian sandwich that consists of a round loaf of bread (about 10 inches across) filled with Italian salami, olive salad, cheese, Italian ham, and freshly minced garlic. The key ingredient is the olive salad. A true Muffuletta Sandwich must always be served at room temperature, never toasted; it is considered blasphemy to heat the sandwich.
The Italian Market, the Central Grocery on Decatur Street, claims to have invented this sandwich in 1906. Italian immigrant, Signor Lupo Salvatore, owner of the Central Grocery, started making the sandwiches for the men who worked the nearby wharves and produce stalls of the French Market. Most of the farmers who sold their produce there were Sicilian. Every day they used to come to my father's grocery for lunch. They would order some salami, some ham, a piece of cheese, a little olive salad, and either long braided Italian bread or round muffuletta bread. In typical Sicilian fashion, they ate everything separately. The farmers used to sit on crates or barrels and try to eat while precariously balancing their small trays covered with food on their knees. My father suggested that it would be easier for the farmers if he cut the bread and put everything on it like a sandwich; even if it was not typical Sicilian fashion.

By Leslie Blythe

Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup

This Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup is easy and quick to make. It can be made in an Instant Pot, a Slow Cooker or on the stovetop. This soup calls for the rind of Parmesan cheese. The rind adds a robust flavor. You should never throw out the rinds. I keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. You can use it for soups, stews, risottos, tomato sauce, etc.

By Leslie Blythe

Blondies with Butterscotch Chips

We had a recent cooking/drinking Zoom birthday party, and brownies were on the menu. Sadly, my husband can not eat chocolate, so instead, I made these Blondies with Butterscotch Chips. They are super easy to make, seriously good and you can also freeze them. Though, I gave most of them away to my daughter and her roommates!

By Leslie Blythe