Giveaway & How to Make Limoncello!

In June of 2007 we took an extended vacation to Italy. We started in the northern part of Italy - Milan, and made our way to the southern tip of the Amalfi Coast - Sorrento. Exhausted by the end of the month, the Amalfi Coast was the perfect setting for relaxation.

The turquoise waters were breathtaking and crystal clear.  We traveled by boat or ferry to many of the nearby islands for a taste of what each had to offer.  Universal, was the famous Limoncello (Lemon Liqueur), displayed in every shop on the coast in tall skinny neck bottles, with bright yellow liqueur filled to the brim.  Lemons grow in abundance on the Amalfi Coast and Limoncello is just one of the many things they use them for.

A famous culinary school in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast is Mamma Agata's Cooking School.  Although I was unaware of her school at the time, I was fortunate enough to discover it online years later.  I hope to make my way back someday soon to take one of her classes, and even arrange a culinary tour where others will join me.

Mamma Agata's cooking course is held in a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen on a terrace in Ravello. The town of Ravello is located high above the Amalfi Coast, with views that stretch to Capri and beyond.

It is a town famous for its music and culture as well as gastronomic events.

Mamma Agata has a vast experience in traditional southern Italian cuisine.

Her life experience includes cooking for both Italian Heads of State and American celebrities that frequented Ravello in the 1950's and 60's, such as Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jacqueline Kennedy and many others. She has been a private chef for international journalists, writers and politicians such as Susanna Agnelli.

Papa Salvatore married Mamma Agata in 1964.  They met at Villa Civita when Mamma was 14 years old, where Salvatore worked as a driver and a part-time gardener, and Agata worked as a personal cook. He later left Villa Civita to start a career as a waiter in a hotel restaurant.  After much hard work and long hours he became the Maitre d'hotel and continued in the business for more than 40 years.  It was with Salvatore's expertise gained through the hospitality industry that gave their family the essential knowledge, vital to opening the cooking school - which they call their Hidden Treasure.

Now Salvatore spends Monday through Saturday from 7:30am - 8:00pm working in the gardens with short breaks for lunch in the heat of the day, then still finding time to take care of their farm animials.  It is through his hard work, nurturing, passion, and devotion that their Hidden Treasure produces the most genuine organic vegetables, fruits and herbs, allowing Mamma Agata to create incredible dishes for her family, friends and guests.  Papa Salvatore is the families REAL TREASURE!

Chiara Lima, Mamma Agata's daughter, also lives in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast, where she teaches classes along with her mother, sharing her experiences with others.

Chiara is married to Gennaro who is the Sommelier of the family - with whom they share two lovely children - Mario and Paola.

Upon discovering Mamma Agata's cooking school I browsed their website and found they've published a beautiful cookbook that I'm thrilled to say I use in my kitchen to create luscious masterpieces, while reading their wonderful family stories at bedtime.  I feel like I know each member of their family, yet I've never met them.

I have communicated with Chiara numerous times and look forward to the day I finally meet her.  She is so warm and kind I feel like I've known her forever.  Everyone should be like Chiara!

Besides their cooking school and beautiful cookbook they also make their own olive oil, and pasta, among other items in their shop. I planning to make their Farmer's Spaghetti next, then drizzling the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over the top - a dish I'm certain my family will adore.

With so many incredible Italian family recipes in this book, I'm finding myself like Julie Powell (Julie & Julia) following each and every recipe, page by page.  Recipes like Eggplant Parmesan with homemade tomato sauce, eggplant rolls (I love eggplant), stuffed zucchini flowers, Gnocchi - various versions,

numerous pasta dishes each one more tempting than the last, risotto, pork, veal, Mamma's famous Lemon Chicken, mouth watering meatballs in tomato sauce, vegetable dishes, her famous Lemon Cake and so much more.

Plus, their special Limoncello that I'm going to share with you today.

Even more, are the beautiful photos on every page, with stories to go with them.  I have to say, each time I see the photos of Chiara and Gennaro's children displayed throughout the pages of this book, I smile.  They are positively beautiful and look so sweet.

I can't say enough about Mamma Agata "Simple and Genuine" cookbook.  I love every page, photo and story that is shared.  It's truely a book to cherish!

I'm excited to tell you that Chiara was kind enough to let me offer one as a GIVEAWAY today!

However, if you don't win, you can always purchase a signed copy of Mamma Agata "Simple and Genuine" directly from Mamma Agata in Ravello, Italy.  Plus, if you'd like to see Chiara and Gennaro cooking, you can view their videos here.

Here's what you need to do to enter the GIVEAWAY:    Plus read more for the Limoncello recipe!

• "Like" Mamma Agata on Facebook
• "Like" At Home with Vicki Bensinger" on Facebook & Pinterest
• Tell me what your favorite Italian dish is - (MANDATORY)

By commenting each time that you did one of the above, it will increase your chances of winning.

The winner will be selected at Random on Sunday, September 16th.  Be sure to leave a link to your email address so I can reach you, in the event you are the winner.

I won't keep you in suspense any longer.

I decided to share Mamma Agata's recipe for Limoncello today, since the holidays are just a little more than 3 months away.  I love gifting homemade treats for the holidays, they mean so much more than store bought.  Plus, it's an affordable way to give to so many, and with great results.  I know you'll love this for yourself and to share.

Homemade Limoncello


You will need a large glass jar

Ingredients:

• zest of 6 or 7 large organic lemons
• 1 litre or quart of pure grain alcohol or vodka
• 5 cups (1250 ml) water
• 3 cups (700 gr) sugar

Instructions:
Peel the zest from the lemons with a vegetable peeler and place them into a large glass jar.

Try to avoid the bitter white pith of the lemon skin, under the yellow zest.

Add the alcohol to the jar with the lemon zest.

Cover the glass jar with plastic wrap and store it in a cool place for 7 days.

On the sixth day: 

• Boil the water and add the sugar to the boiling water (creating simple syrup).
• Stir the sugar until it is fully dissolved in the water. 
• Set the sugar syrup aside to let it cool over night.

On the seventh day:

Strain the lemons peels from the alcohol and discard the peels.

Pour the sugar syrup into the glass jar with the alcohol and stir well.

Serve chilled, from the refrigerator or freezer.


NOTE: This Limoncello will keep for one to two years. Store the Limoncello in bottles with a cap or cork in your bar or cellar. When you want to drink it, chill the Limoncello in the refrigerator or freezer before serving. 



ENJOY FOR YOURSELF OR TO GIVE AS A GIFT!

Congratulations!  The winner of the giveaway is:

 Savoring Time in the Kitchen.  

The winner was selected at Random and although it  shows 41 comments I posted 3 replies so there were actually only 38 comments.

Thank you for all your comments.  Mamma Agata's book "Simple and Genuine" is a beautiful book that I recommend to purchase for yourself or a gift.

Happy Cooking!

Healthy & Delicious Green Smoothie!

I've had a crazy week of cooking classes but I'm finally having a minute to sit down and add a new post.

I'm not sure how many of you eat raw food on a regular basis or what your eating habits are.  However, I love to eat Raw Foods but still like my fish, beef and chicken as well, keeping a good balance.

When I eat raw food, food that grows from the ground, "living food," not food that's been cooked above 120F degrees, I feel energetic and ready to tackle the world. It's truly incredible how it makes you feel and quite frankly, it's very easy to prepare.  Best of all it doesn't heat up the kitchen!

Last night I taught a Raw Food class and had a great time, my students did as well, and all were totally blown away at how delicious everything tasted.  They were shocked!  They didn't know Raw Food could taste so good.

With a list of recipes the one that surprised them most was the Green Smoothie.  Each of my students, of all ages, agreed it was fantastic and were happy to drink any additional leftovers.  

Of course, I served this to my family, and both my husband and daughter refused to try it because it was green.  My son tried it though, and loved it, as do I. 

You may think it sounds disgusting but trust me, this is worth trying.  It's delicious and so healthy.  Have a swig of this every morning, afternoon or for a snack and you'll be happy you did.

Here's the recipe, please let me know what you think of it.

Green Smoothie

makes 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

2 cups fresh spinach, packed

1/2 ripe banana, peeled

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions:

Place all ingredients into the blender in the order listed and secure lid.

Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to high.

Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!!!

Chicken With Preserved Lemon, Soft Black Olives, And Nigella Seeds

This past Wednesday we made our drive back home to Missouri.  I drove 14 hours and my daughter 2 hours with one dog in the back seat.  My husband took our other dog in his car.  To say the least I was exhausted all day on Thursday and part of Friday.  It's hard for me to understand why sitting all day long would make me so tired, but it did.  At any rate, we're home and settled in again, like we never left.

Prior to leaving Colorado, I posted a recipe for Preserved Lemons from Paula Wolfert's cookbook, "The Food of Morocco."  Although I've never been to Morocco, from what I've seen and read I'd love to visit someday.  After ordering Paula's book I became addicted to reading it. There's a wealth of  information about Morocco, the food, their culture, special Moroccan secrets for preparing dishes, plus wonderful photos of it all.  Paula Wolfert's recipes are so well written, revealing even the smallest tidbit of information was so useful, linking one page or item to another page giving greater detail, so your finished dish reaches perfection. Superb!

After posting the recipe last week for Preserved Lemons I realized I made an error saying that the lemons only took 7 days to prepare.  You prepare them in one day, placing them in a tight fitting jar, however, you should wait up to 30 days before eating them for superior flavor.  I'm sure by now if you've had the chance to review the recipe, you noticed the error.  I've since made the necessary corrections on last weeks post.

If you've attempted to make the preserved lemons I hope after the 30 days you'll try this recipe.  My husband who isn't fond of experimenting with new dishes tried this and finished everything on his plate then went back for more.  Both my kids and I enjoyed it too.  Everything was gone.

One word of advice though - be sure to rinse the preserved lemons well to remove any remaining salt, otherwise they'll be too strong.

I would also recommend to mise en place all ingredients in the recipe before starting to cook for ease of preparation.

Read the ingredient list and directions entirely at least 2 times, plus the asterisks (*) before embarking on this recipe.  It's really quite simple.

Here's the recipe......   

Chicken with Preserved Lemons, Soft Black Olives and Nigella Seeds

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

One 3-pound chicken, quartered, backbone and wings removed

1 small garlic clove

*2 teaspoons nigella seeds, toasted and divided

2 teaspoons coarse salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

**2 tablespoons saffron water

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 small tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded, and diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, divided

Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

12 Kalamata or Gaeta olives, pitted, soaked in water to remove excess salt and vinegar, and drained

1 preserved lemon, pulp removed, rind rinsed and quartered

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the chicken quarters and pat dry; trim away any excess fat. Slide your fingers under the skin to loosen it from the flesh.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, half the nigella seeds and the salt to a paste. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub this mixture under and over the skin of the chicken.

3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Push the chicken to one side of the skillet and carefully tilt the skillet to the other side, and use a spoon to remove almost all the fat.

4. Spread out the chicken pieces, flesh side down, add the onion, cover, and steam for 5 minutes.  Add 1 scant cup hot water, the saffron water, ginger, and pepper and bring to a boil   Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the chicken breasts to a side dish.  Cover to keep moist.  

5. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, the remaining nigella seeds, and half the cilantro to the sauce in the pan.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and chicken legs are fully cooked.

6. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and reheat.  Correct the seasoning with the lemon juice, and baste the chicken with the sauce.  Decorate the dish with the olives, the preserved lemon wedges, and the remaining cilantro.

NOTE:

* Nigella Seeds - I had a difficult time finding Nigella Seeds, however they are also found under the name Charnushka (Nigella Sativa) at Penzey's.

** How to make Saffron Water - Dry 1/2 teaspoon crumbled strands of saffron in a warm (not hot) skillet.  Crush again, then soak in 1 cup hot water and store in a small jar in the refrigerator.  This will keep for up to a week.  For longer storage pour the saffron water into a plastic ice cube tray and freeze into cubes.  Once frozen, shake out the cubes and store in a freezer bag.  Each cube will be equivalent to 2 tablespoons saffron water or a good pinch of dried saffron threads.

Although there are several steps to making this dish it all comes together quickly.  I hope you try this tasty and unique Moroccan dish.

Enjoy!

How to Make "Preserved Lemons" for Moroccan Cuisine

Moroccan cuisine is the culinary star of North Africa. At the crossroads of many civilizations, the cuisine of
Morocco is a mélange of Arab, Berber, Moorish, French, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African, Iberian, and Jewish influences. 

Moroccan cooking is enhanced with such fruits as, dried and fresh -- apricots, dates, figs, and raisins. Lemons preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture are unique to many Moroccan dishes. Nuts are prominent; pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios.  Moroccan Sweets are rich and dense confections of cinnamon, almond, and fruit perfumes that are rolled in filo dough, soaked in honey, and stirred into puddings.  

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skingbir (ginger), libzar (pepper) , tahmira (paprika), anis seed, sesame seed, kasbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafrane beldi (saffron) and mint. Spices are the defining point to any authentic Moroccan meal and are also known to be used for their medicinal value. It's the special blend of spices that makes Moroccan cuisine taste so good. One special blend is the Ras El Hanout.

The ten spices considered the most important to Moroccan cuisine are:
Cayenne (felfla), cinnamon (karfa), turmeric (quekoum), ginger (skinjbir), black pepper (elbezar), aniseed (nafaa), sesame seeds (jinjelan), cumin (kamoon), paprika (felfla hlouwa), and saffron (zafrane).

A trip to a Souk will find you the essentials needed for your kitchen and home.

A Souk is a market, which may be held in a designated commercial quarter, or in an open-air location. Souks are an important part of life in the Middle East and their merchants carry a wide assortment of products from rugs to vegetables, just the place to find ingredients for your Moroccan recipes.

Moroccan dishes are fragrant and full of flavor.  Many include preserved lemons which can be purchased, but difficult to find in the U.S. However, making them is easy.

Preserved Lemons can take up to 30 days to prepare and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.  A quick preserving method can be used but they will only last 2 days.

I'm going to share how to make Preserved Lemons using the 30 day method from Paula Wolferts cookbook, "The Food of Morocco."  Then, next Monday I will share with you a wonderful recipe using these Preserved Lemons, so when yours are ready you'll have a luscious recipe to use them in.

Here's the recipe:

Quartered Lemons, Juice, Salt and Jar with Tight Fitting Lid

Quartered Lemons placed in Jar with Salt and Juice Sealed Tightly

       

Taken Directly from The Food of Morocco

Don't forget to try this simple recipe for Preserved Lemons and meet me back here next week, for another recipe to use them in.  Until then......

HAPPY COOKING!

Death by Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake Cake

Both of my kids celebrate their birthdays in August.  My son will be 26 and my daughter 23 years old.  I love celebrations and as you know I love cooking and baking, so of course I had to make a spectacular birthday cake.  

My newest inspiration is Pinterest, with a collage of photos to inspire and delight the mind.  After much debate I decided on a layered cake, sandwiching an Oreo cheesecake.  Now I had to decide what type of cake to layer with my cheesecake.  

My daughter loves Red Velvet Cake and my son Chocolate Cake or Red Velvet.  Once deciding on the layers it was unanimous to frost the cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, a favorite of ours.

What I'd forgotten was to take into account the altitude here in the mountains, and I left my book at home, "Pie in the Sky," the perfect book for high altitude baking.  

The Oreo cheesecake turned out just as planned, but the Red Velvet Cake sunk in the center.  Since it flopped, we sampled what turned out to be a grainy cornmeal textured Red Velvet Cake - inhaling could cause serious choking!  

Back to the drawing board.  

With cheesecake in the freezer, I rummaged through what books I had with me, and online.  I saw one recipe for a high altitude Chocolate Espresso Fudge Cake that looked moist and creamy, but decided since we'd already spent a fortune on ingredients that failed, we'd go with what we know is sensational.

Do you remember my Chocolate Avalanche Cake? Eating it is totally orgasmic!  With that in mind I decided with my kids approval, to make the chocolate portion of that cake, which constitutes 2 layers, with the Oreo Cheesecake layer sandwiched between.  I've made many chocolate cakes from scratch but none are as moist and delicious as this.  Since it is our second go around, we needed a sure thing.

Don't let the semi-homemade portion of this recipe change your mind.  Trust me on this one - it's outrageous!

Here's the recipe:  

Before starting this recipe be sure to read it thoroughly.  I would suggest making this layered cake over two days.  First, I'd make the Oreo Cheesecake on Day 1, freezing it, then make the Death By Chocolate Cake, and once cooled place in the refrigerator.  On Day 2, make the Cream Cheese Frosting, chill then assemble the layer cake and apply a *crumb coating - placing back into the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Apply the final coat and serve.

Death By Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake Cake

serves 8-10

Ingredients:

CHEESECAKE:(Adapted from: Erin's Food Files)
20 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
6 coarsely crushed Oreo sandwich cookies

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKE:

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs 

½ cup canola oil

½ cup water

1 box Devils Food Chocolate Cake mix (no pudding added) 

3.4 oz. Package of Vanilla Instant Pudding mix

12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened 

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Directions:

CHEESECAKE:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

**Set a kettle of water to boil for a water bath.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Fold in crushed Oreos.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in heavy duty foil. Pour in batter; place in a roasting pan.

Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Remove outer ring of springform pan, but leave metal bottom. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Mix first 4 ingredients well.

Add Devils Food Chocolate Cake mix, Vanilla Instant Pudding mix, and Chocolate Chips

Mix all together and pour in two 9" round cake pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray

Bake  at 350F degrees for 25-30 minutes (at 9,000 feet I baked the cake at 375F degrees for 30 minutes).

Let cool 15 minutes then invert on a rack – for best results refrigerate at least an hour before crumb coating

FROSTING:

Beat cream cheese, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla.

In another bowl whisk cream and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar to firm peaks. Fold in cream cheese mixture. Chill 1 hour or until firm but spreadable.

ASSEMBLE:

Remove cheesecake from freezer and remove metal bottom.  Carefully peel parchment paper off bottom of cheesecake.

Remove chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting from refrigerator. 

Lay one 9” chocolate cake round on cake plate.  Spread a thin layer of frosting over top of cake.  Place cheesecake on top spreading another thin layer of frosting on top, then lay final chocolate layer on top of cheesecake placing another thin layer of icing on top of the cake as well as the sides.

*This is called a crumb coat - Crumb coating, also known as dirty icing, a cake, does not, as its name suggests, mean adding crumbs to the outer coating of a cake. Instead, crumb coating is the step that most pastry chefs take to make sure that all the loose crumbs on a cake are trapped in an initial coat of icing so that when you add the second (and actual) icing layer no crumbs mix with the icing and look bad.

Remove layered cake from the refrigerator and ice the entire cake with the remaining Cream Cheese Frosting.  Serve immediately or place back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Death By Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake Cake is everything and more you’ll ever want from a birthday cake or celebration cake.  Change it up however, you like, using different layers and icing to suit your tastes.  You’ll think you died and went to heaven!

**Water Bath -  Some foods require moisture in the oven, as well as a milder heat source than the direct heat of the oven, such as custards, puddings, and cheesecakes.

Although you don't absolutely have to use a water bath, cheesecakes tend to crack without the moist heat and custards can become rubbery if they're not baked in a water bath.

A Water Bath is a pan of water placed into an oven. The hot water provides a constant, steady heat source and ensures even, slow cooking for recipes that call for a water bath.

The best type of pan to use for a water bath is a roasting pan or other pan with sides at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches high. That will allow you to put enough water into the pan so it won't all evaporate before your pudding or cheesecake has baked.

ENJOY!!!

What Do You Know About the Fish You're Eating?

Eating fresh fish is a staple in my diet.  It's healthy, leaves me feeling nourished and full of energy. However, what do we really know about the fish we're eating or for that matter our food?

Many articles are posted regarding fish farming, the treatment of fish, their feed and the effects on humans who consume these fish.  Delving into these articles can be nauseating, yet, eye-opening and informative.

However, there's no need to be kept in the dark wondering if the fish you're digesting is good or not.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a Seafood Watch that recommends which seafood to buy or avoid, helping consumers and businesses to become advocates for ocean-friendly seafood. You can get their recommendations online, in printed pocket guides, or on your mobile devices.

There's more to fish than just purchasing it though.  Wouldn't you like to know how it's being produced or if it's genetically engineered?

How bad can it be?  Watch this brief video!

To learn more about genetically engineered salmon, fish farming, food, water and so much more check out the Food & Water Watch site.  View the Issues at hand, Tools & Resources, Blog, and how you can Take Action in helping or simply receive updates.

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Browsing this site is a great place to start, with links to so many other important issues.

It's imperative to be aware, to know what you're eating and what you're feeding your family. If you have an opinion make it count by Taking Action! 

Note: I realize many of  you are well aware of these facts but maybe some are new to you.  For those of you unfamiliar with this subject matter, I hope you'll take the time to explore the links I've provided.