Since I couldn’t learn to make this dish from anyone in the fam, I found someone named Marie of Food Nouveau, Anne Burrell and the fine folks at Fine Cooking to guide me. With their help, I made the richest, meatiest sauce EVAH! I just know you’d love it. If only you were here so we could have Sunday dinner in the kitchen as we did when we were kiddos. I think it would taste much better with a bottle of wine than it did with a glass of milk back in the day on 216. CENT’ANNI!

BOLOGNESE A LA KATTY
as taught to Katty’s Kitchen by Marie of Food Nouveau, Anne Burrell and Fine Cooking

1 large sweet onion, finely diced
2 large carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery finely diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
Extra virgin olive oil for the pan
Kosher salt
2.5 pounds ground beef/veal/pork combo
1/3 “ thick slice of pancetta, diced (about ¼ pound)
1 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes (give them a quick chop in the food processor–you will use both the liquid and the tomatoes)
1 cup beef stock
fresh basil (for serving)
Pecorino Romano (for serving)
1 pound hearty pasta–I picked up something fancy from Public Market, of course!

Let’s check out the ingredients first. I don’t think I ever bought this much meatloaf mix in my life–and yes, for those of you who don’t make meatloaf or meatballs this way, it’s a mixture of ground beef, pork and veal that Middletown’s Public Market will gladly grind for you on request. That’s a generous 2.5 pounds, amici! MEATY!

Now about that fancy pasta. You’ll often see Bolognese served over tagliatelle or pappardelle, but I was drawn to these lovely shapes at Public. I researched a bit and was tickled to see mafaldine is also known as reginette (Italian for little queens). Won’t Queenie be honored to know there’s a pasta shape named for her?

All right, let’s get cookin’! Marie’s recipe calls for a fine dice to make a basic soffritto, but I used Anne’s technique. Chop the carrot, celery and onion, run the garlic through a press, add ½ teaspoon salt and don’t worry about your knife skills ’cause a food processor will do the work for you. I had to process in batches using the mini food processor, but no problem. Puree to form a coarse paste like this. Transfer to a separate bowl because you’ll need the food processor one more time to give the San Marzanos a quick buzz.

Now the pancetta!

Dice like so!

Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven (or large pot) with olive oil, bring to medium-high heat and add the vegetable puree. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the mixture becomes nice and brown. Stir frequently–this step takes about 5-10 minutes.

Next, add the pancetta and cook 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and pancetta is golden.

Now it’s time to add the ground meat mix. Season with 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and add to the pot in thirds. Turn up the heat to medium high and brown the meat, cooking another 15 to 20 minutes (helpful to set a timer). Stir and stir and stir and stir so it browns, but doesn’t burn. Marie says you want your meat to caramelize and even become crispy in spots. Lower heat to medium toward the end of your 15-minute sautéing time (check after about 8-9 minutes). Anne Burrell says not to rush, so I took about 5 extra minutes for a total of 20 minutes as Anne suggested!

Add white wine and use it to help you scrape the brown pieces at the bottom of the pot. Stir and stir and stir. By the time you’ve gotten everything incorporated (about 2-3 minutes), the wine will have evaporated. Be careful not to let the meat stick again; lower the heat if necessary.

Add milk, cream, diced tomatoes (with liquid), beef stock, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so it can simmer, half-covered, for about 4 hours. Here’s where my new friend the pot moose was very helpful.

Mr. Moose perches on the edge of the pot to vent the lid.

See?

Everyone should have a pot moose! Mine was handmade just for me. I ♥ him.

Give the pot an occasional stir. I cooked this batch in just under 4 hours total. Toward the end of your cooking time, boil the pasta, reserve some of the water when you drain, and toss pasta with a few pats of butter and some of the pasta water, then the Bolognese. I snipped fresh basil over the top and added Pecorino Romano as well.

BUON APPETITO! Enjoy a Sunday dinner with your family! As always, wishing you were here, Nanny and Poppy. Love and miss you, Hopey

Over the weekend, Katty’s Kitchen cranked out some homemade Hennessy ginger hooch–OK, ginger liqueur. While it may not be less expensive than buying a bottle of Domaine de Canton, it sure is a whole lot more fun and very flavorful! WHEEE! Instead of brandy, I hooched it up with Hennessy Privilege VSOP Cognac. Wait till you see how easy!

HOMEMADE HENNESSY GINGER HOOCH (GINGER LIQUEUR)
adapted from Marcia Simmons (no relation!), Serious Eats

2 ounces ginger root
1 vanilla bean
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
zest of one orange
1 ½ cups Hennessy Privilege VSOP Cognac

This ginger root kinda looks like the shape of Vietnam, does it not?

Peel ginger and slice thinly. I used a vegetable peeler to slice most of the ginger and a paring knife for the rest.

Cut a vanilla bean in half, then slice each half down the middle and scrape the insides. All of it goes into a saucepan with water, sugar and ginger.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 20 minutes till ginger is soft.

While that’s boiling, zest an orange into an airtight glass container. I grabbed the Microplane and my biggest Glasslock container so I’d have plenty of room for the ginger, syrup and Hennessy.

Ready for how easy this is? Pour ginger/syrup into glass container with orange zest; add Hennessy. Seal the container and give it a gentle shake. Let it steep–just on the counter is fine. I spaced and put it in the fridge. That’s fine, too. After 24 hours, remove the vanilla bean pods.
Hint: don’t throw the pods away–put them in your maple syrup bottle!

24 hours after that, strain out the ginger using a fine-mesh sieve. My fine-mesh sieve is not quite as fine as I needed to get the job done completely. The original recipe calls for straining through a coffee filter. Oh, let me tell you, that went over like a giant lead balloon! What worked purr-fectly, though, was to rig a tea strainer into my drinkin’ jars.

Now it really does look like I’m makin’ hooch! YEEHAAAAAAAAAA!

This concoction is said to last a year, though I’m sure this batch will be but a distant memory by then. No need to refrigerate, either.

I can’t wait to make some seriously sexy adult beverages later this week–either The Gold Rush or a straight up ginger ‘rita! It’s gonna be time for a good time come quittin’ time on Friday! Cheers, amici!

I adapted a tried and true recipe from the online community. Aunt Emily, whoever you are, I thank you for teaching me to make these tasty treats–even tho’ I don’t think I got it quite right the first time. I used the best butter I know, some Australian flake salt for good measure and bourbon–BOOYAH!

KATTY’S SOFT SALTED BOURBON CARAMEL FOR TURTLES
Adapted from Aunt Emily’s Soft Caramels

8 oz. Vermont Creamery cultured butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup whole milk (here in the Land of Steady Habits, I ♥ The Farmer’s Cow)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Karo light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon bourbon (how ’bout some Maker’s Mark?)
3/4 teaspoon Australian flake salt

Have you tried Vermont Creamery cultured butter? I’m not sure I ever had a better butter. Locally, you can find it in Stop & Shop in the cheese section near the deli counter.

First things first: butter a 13 x 9″ baking dish and set aside.

Next place all the ingredients–EXCEPT the vanilla, bourbon and salt–in a large pot like this:

Set the pan on medium heat and set a timer for 15 minutes.

Stir occasionally till the butter melts and the mixture begins to boil. We hit the boiling point here in Katty’s Kitchen around the 14-minute mark.

The caramel needs to reach 244 degrees F (a.k.a. the “firm ball” stage) before we’re done. You’ll feel like you’re stuck at 220 degrees F for the longest time (well, I did!), so here’s where using a timer can be a huge help. Once the caramel begins to boil, set a timer for 25 minutes. 25 to 30 minutes is about how long it will take to get to that magic number. Wait for it. Don’t give up. I know it will feel like the thermometer will never rise above 220, but trust me, it will happen. Be patient. It’s a good lesson for both caramel-making and life in general.

Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon Maker’s Mark, 1/2 teaspoon Australian flake salt. Pour into buttered pan. Sprinkle with additional 1/4 teaspoon flake salt, crumbled between your fingers. Let cool, then cut and store in the fridge.

My mom loved the caramels in their original state. I thought they’d be softer, however delicious. After they were in your mouth a bit, they’d soften, but not before your jaw would make that annoying popping noise. How was I gonna make these into turtles? That’s really why I wanted to make my own caramel in the first place. Hmm.

Undaunted, I melted down the caramels with more cream in hopes of creating a caramel sauce. This was just the ticket to getting the consistency I needed to give me turtle power. A l’il more Maker’s might have made its way into the mix, too–how else are we gonna make ninja turtles?! Once the caramel sauce is cooled, it’s just right for scooping and making turtles. Don’t forget to store the sauce in the fridge!

I melted a tablespoon or so of butter and tumbled pecans to coat them, then roasted them over medium/medium-high heat on the stovetop. On a sheet of parchment paper, I formed clusters of four to give the turtles legs. In fact, for those who don’t like pecans, you can give the turtles alternate legs. I made “Italian” turtles with almond legs, too.

Once the caramel sauce cooled, I used my small cookie scoop, half-filled, to grab a gob of caramel to press onto the nut clusters, then topped each one with two Valrhona dark chocolate feves. Can you say turtle-icious?!

Last but not least, “The Italian Jobs!”

You might think they’re just too cute to eat. You’ll get over it once you have a bite, though.

Important lesson learned:
You really CAN do anything you set your mind to doing, even if it (literally) does not take shape the first time. Keep trying! Here’s to a delicious 2012!

Seeing a spectacular sunrise is an added bonus. I must share the view from Katty’s Kitchen early Monday morning.

“Rise and shine–let the sun hit your eyes!”

This recipe yields just 7 muffins–purr-fect for when you don’t have many people around to help you eat them. You can double the recipe to feed more of your friends and family.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE MUFFINS

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped (the mini-food processor is very helpful–and you can throw the candied orange peel in there, too!)
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add sour cream and orange juice. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, stir till moistened. Now stir in the cranberries and orange peel.

I love (♥)  my Wilton silicone baking cups–what is not to love about heart-shaped baked goodies? A little extra lovin’ from the oven, if you will. I brush them with melted butter, then spoon the batter in till it reaches the fill line.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Buongiorno, amici! Make it a great day today!

I prepped the dry ingredients–chop the almonds in the mini-food processor:

Move almonds to a separate bowl. Now combine the candied orange peel with the sifted flour in the mini-FP as the original recipe’s author recommended. I don’t think it chopped the orange any smaller than it was when I started, as it was already cubed, but sometimes I follow directions.

Bring the cream, butter and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and add the dry ingredients. Here’s where it got a little weird:

Do you see this? Oh, man, whatthe? MA!!!

(Ring, ring) “Ma? You know those cookies we wanted to try? Well, I made the dough and it looks like oatmeal. Yes, runny like oatmeal. Have you ever made dough like that?” No. We talked it out a bit. Nothing in the recipe mentioned an oatmeal-like consistency, so I was skeptical. But trying ONE COOKIE first, just to see how it turns out–yes, that’s a good idea. Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment. Here we go!

I know it looks all wrong, but it baked into this:

I nibbled. I pondered. Hmm. It was kinda chewy. Was it supposed to be like this? And, really, no salt? Seems to me a little salt and some extra flour would get me out of oatmeal and into the cookie dough I wanted. As my mom suggested, I added flour by the tablespoon till the dough reached the consistency I was after. One-two-three…three. Just like Mr. Owl and the Tootsie pop, it seemed three was the magic number–thus doubling the original recipe from 1/3 cup of flour to 2/3 cup. Oh, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt because sweetness loves a little salt for balance.

I know, I know–it still looks like oatmeal, but trust me when I tell you it felt more normal than the first batch. And because I wasn’t convinced 10-12 minutes was the right baking time, I let my next test cookie bake an extra minute, then another, then another till it reached a full 15 minutes. Is this more like it?

I took a bite.

I think we’ve got it now! Let’s bake a whole pan! Remember, drop by tablespoonful:

And through the magic of 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, we have (ta-daaaaaa!):

Golden at the edges, lightly crispy outside, chewy within, delicious fruity nuttiness (hush, you!)–Katty’s Florentines, adapted from Michelle’s family recipe in the Penzey’s catalog. Right or wrong, they’re tasty. And even tastier when drizzled with fine melted chocolate. Katty’s Kitchen puts the HO in VALRHONA, don’tchaknow? HA HA HA!

I thought a drizzle might be sexier than frosting fo-shizzle, so I melted a chunk of bittersweet chocolate. Adding to my lesson for the day, I quickly learned it’s much easier to drizzle with a SPOON than a FORK. Why, heck, just ask the rabbit at the top of this post! As you can see, he’s holding a ladle because he’s even smarter than I am.

So what’s the final modified recipe?

KATTY’S FLORENTINES
adapted from Michelle Gesse’s family recipe, featured in the Penzey’s catalog
(thank you, Michelle!)

1⁄2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons salted butter
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 1⁄4 cups almonds, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2⁄3 cup flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped*
2 oz. dark chocolate, melted–but wait till your cookies have baked and cooled before melting and drizzling.

*sending a shout-out to John and Dolly at Middletown’s Public Market for ordering this especially for me!

Follow directions as outlined step by step in my short story (!) above. Allow dough to cool 20 minutes or so, then drop by tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Let cookies rest outside the oven on the parchment about 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once cookies have cooled, drizzle with your melted chocolate of choice. And use a spoon! Or let a rabbit help you!

And speaking of rabbits…remember the first words you should speak tomorrow–the first day of the month–to ensure good luck in the month to come: RABBIT, RABBIT, RABBIT!

>>^..^<<

Two years ago, Limona came home with me.

This semi-dwarf Meyer lemon tree basks in the sun on the deck in warmer weather, and in the living room when temperatures fall. Check out this fun slideshow of Limona with April Katt on YouTube. My little tree, how you’ve grown!

She’s blooming beautifully right now with loads of jasmine-scented blossoms.

Of course, like everything else in Katty’s Kitchen, the harvest is very much an artisanal, small batch operation. Limona yielded four–count them, four–lemons.

That’s OK, I need but three lemons to make gelato.

LIMONA LEMON TREE GELATO

1¼ cups whole milk (I use The Farmer’s Cow)
¼ cup heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/3 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped (or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract)
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons for me)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
pinch salt

Heat milk and vanilla on medium to  medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, till small bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove from heat.

Beat together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk till smooth. Temper egg mixture by slowly adding to hot milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-high heat and continue to whisk until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Do not let it boil!

Strain through fine-mesh sieve into clean bowl, let cool to room temperature. Give the lemons a roll on the counter to maximize the juice before you squeeze ‘em. Stir in salt, lemon juice and zest. You can make an ice bath to speed up the process. Chill custard overnight or at least four hours.

Just before turning the chilled custard into your ice cream maker, place the custard and the dasher from your machine into the freezer for up to 20 minutes. It makes the custard nice and thick. Next, let’s go for a spin: process according to your ice cream machine’s directions. Remember, lemon zest LOVES to hang out on the dasher, so be sure to scrape the dasher carefully to ensure the zest goes into the gelato where it belongs. Enjoy!

Marshmallow treats, it’s time to grow up and meet your Maker(’s Mark)–with bourbon and a touch of cinnamon. I read online about making Rice Whisky Treats and couldn’t resist giving this idea a try. I adjusted the original marshmallow treats recipe to add an extra 1/2 cup of Krispies to compensate for the additional liquid. And is this not the cutest nip anywhere, ever?! Cheers and let’s get on it! These are perfect fall snickity-snacks!

MAKER’S MARKMALLOW TREATS A.K.A. RICE WHISKY TREATS

5 ½ cups Rice Krispies
10-oz. bag marshmallows
½ stick (¼ cup) salted butter
2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark bourbon
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste

Generously butter an 8 x 8″ baking dish. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in cinnamon and marshmallows. When marshmallows have melted completely, remove from heat and quickly stir in bourbon and a sprinkle of salt, then add the Rice Krispies and stir and stir and stir until evenly combined.

Press treats into buttered dish and add a sprinkle of finishing salt over the top if you like (oh, I really like!).

"For amber waves of grain, all buttered, bourboned and marshmallowed up and pressed into a dish for snacking. God bless America!"

Cut treats into squares with a sharp knife.

Tower of treats--ready to share!

That was a good start, but I couldn’t help thinking half cocoa powder and half dark chocolate would be the winning combo. Bottom line: you won’t go wrong either way, but YES, of course, they’re even more de-lovely, delightful with some melted dark chocolate in the mix!

I halved the recipe so it yields 22 cookies, which is more than enough for this cookie monster and her two top tasters. You can double it if you have more people around to eat them.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup dark chocolate, melted (I use Valrhona feves)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oil, cocoa and granulated sugar in a medium bowl.

Blend in one egg at a time, then add vanilla and melted chocolate.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with chocolate mixture. Chill dough for several hours or overnight.

Roll dough in 1-inch balls, then roll into the confectioners’ sugar to coat completely. Place roughly 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake 12 minutes. Let stand a minute before transferring to a wire rack.

I’ll leave you in hopes it won’t be another month till we meet again…along with this little ditty from your friend the chocolate-loving kitty:

Twinkle on, sweet crinkly star
How very chocolatey you are!
Powdered sugar is your coat.
I could eat you till I bloat.

See you sooner!
>>^..^<<
Katty

KATTY’S STRACCIATELLA (CHOCOLATE CHIP GELATO)

1 ¼ cups whole milk (I use The Farmer’s Cow)
¼ cup heavy cream
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, halved the long way and scraped
¼ cup (2 oz.) dark chocolate (I ♥ Valrhona feves)
a pinch of Kosher salt

Combine milk and cream in a saucepan. Scrape vanilla bean seeds with the tip of a sharp knife–add both seeds and pod to the milk mixture. Dig my new pig!

Heat on medium to  medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, till small bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep for half an hour.

In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk till smooth. Temper egg mixture by slowly adding to hot milk, whisking constantly. Ooh, look at all the vanilla bean specks!

Cook over medium-high heat and continue to whisk until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Do not let it boil! This custard will be exceptionally thick.

Strain through fine-mesh sieve into clean bowl, remove pod, let cool to room temperature. Stir in salt. You can make an ice bath to speed up the process. Chill custard overnight or at least four hours.

Just before turning the chilled custard into your ice cream maker, place the custard and the dasher from your machine into the freezer for up to 10 minutes. And now, time to spin it up: process according to your ice cream machine’s directions.

While your gelato processes, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave. When the gelato is finished, keep the machine running, then pour the melted chocolate S-L-O-W-L-Y and carefully in a fine stream. The chocolate will harden in tiny bits and streaks that make the gelato uniquely stracciatella and not just ordinary chocolate chip!

I must confess, this particular gelato was so delicious, I ate far more than my fair share. And can’t wait to make it again! MOOOOO!

The recipes I saw made a 9 x 13″ pan of dough-topped brownies. I need that many brownies like I need a hole in the head–not to mention I’m partial to my own favorite brownie and CCC recipes–so here’s my own Katty take on these treats.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIES KATTY-STYLE!
adapted from my all-time favorite brownie recipe from Ghirardelli & half my favorite CCCs
inspired by Brown-Eyed Baker

For the brownies
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup butter (1 stick), melted
¾ cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa
2/3 cup unsifted flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup dark chocolate chunks (chopped up Valrhona feves are my weapon of choice)

For the CCC dough
½ stick butter, softened
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup sugar (I used half regular, half turbinado)
¼ cup chocolate chunks (oh, yes, more Valrhona feves!)
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk (I used 1 T of milk and 1 T of heavy cream just ’cause!)

Make the brownies first!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a spoon, stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter.

You may already know my crazy kat trick: I save an empty Ghirardelli can to shake all the dry ingredients together ’cause I don’t like to sift. So shake or sift–it’s up to you!

Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks. Line an 8″ square pan with foil and butter it; spread batter into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before you frost with dough. While they’re cooling–on with the dough!

It’s dough time!
Cream the butter, sugars, vanilla and milk (or cream!) until light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients. Mix only until combined: do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chunks with a spatula.

When the brownies have cooled completely, ever so carefully frost them with the yummy CCC dough. As is often the case, slow and steady wins the race, so take your time!

Chill the brownies in the fridge for at least an hour. Use the foil to lift them out of the pan and slice with ease. Though I don’t usually refrigerate baked goodies, I did store these in the fridge all week in an airtight container and they kept beautifully.