Bone Broth

I read an article about "bone broth" and its nourishing, anti-inflammatory properties and it inspired me to give it a try.

First I bought some beef marrow bones and roasted them for about an hour at 350 degrees.

Then I put them into my crock pot with a few stalks of celery, a chopped onion, a few carrots, 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 2-3 Tbsp salt.  I added water to fill and let it cook for 2 days.  Yes, 2 days!!!

In the end I had lovely rich broth and vegetables.  I strained all the broth and stored it in jars in my freezer.  I've been drinking a few mugs of this broth every week and I really like it.


Why do this??  Well, according to many sources, here are some benefits of bone broth:

-promotes healthy digestion
-has anti-inflammatory properties
-helps build strong bones

Plus, there is something luxurious about sipping hot, steamy, delicious broth on a cold winter day.  There is a successful business in NYC called "Brodo" that sells cups of rich meat sipping broth to go...at $4.50 for a small cup to $8.50 for a large!  I would love to try it, I bet it's worth every penny.

Special Dinners For Friends

Why not invite people into your home and cook up something special?  Tony and I love to cook together and some of our best memories have been made around our table.  If you've never done this before or even if you don't consider yourself a good cook, I encourage you to try.  I never regret reaching out beyond my comfort zone to try to bless others.  In fact, I usually am the one who benefits the most!

Recently we wanted to have a special dinner for some dear friends.  My husband, Tony, dreams up wonderful food combinations and this is what he planned for that night.  This is our version of "Surf and Turf."  The filet mignon was grilled to a perfect medium-rare, the scallops and shrimp were broiled in a light wine and butter sauce, and the linguine was dressed in a garlic and oil sauce 'aglio e olio' and Romano cheese. I didn't take a photo of the cheese board appetizer, or the chocolate molten cake dessert, but you can imagine it was an amazing meal.  Even better was the time spent with sweet friends and memories made!

Another special dinner we made was for some dear college students we have befriended.  One is from Germany and he likes Schnitzel, or friend pork cutlets.  Tony worked his magic, as usual.  He dipped thin slices of pork tenderloin in egg, then well-seasoned bread crumbs before pan frying them to a deep golden brown.  We also served pork spareribs, macaroni and cheese and green beans.  Here are some photos of the cutlets frying and some table shots.

Let me know about some memories you have made around your table!

Struffoli

Here's one of my favorite Italian desserts - Struffoli.  These small fritters have a mild citrus flavor and are sweetened with a honey glaze.  If you want to serve a unique dessert, try this with some nice espresso.

Blend 2 cups of flour, 3 tsp of baking powder, 2 Tbs sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 large eggs, 4 Tbs soft butter, 1-2 tsp lemon zest, 1-2 tsp orange zest and 4-5 tsp rum into a dough.  I use a food processor, but this could be mixed by hand.  It should be the consistency of pizza dough.  Wrap in plastic and let it rest for about 30 minutes.  Cut off pieces of dough the size of a tomato, roll into a tube and cut into small pieces.  Roll them into balls.

Fry these in a pan with a 1/2 inch of oil or a deep fryer.  They take 2 to 3 minutes to turn golden brown.

Heat 3/4 cup of honey and 2 tsp sugar in the microwave, then pour over the Struffoli to coat.  Pour onto a pretty platter and cover with sprinkles before serving.  Store at room temperature.  They are good for about a week, but are best eaten fresh.

Meatballs

I love to make a batch of meatballs when I have a crowd to feed, or just when it's Tony and me!  If I make a large batch I usually freeze some for a quick meal later on.

I mix 2 kinds of meat, usually ground beef and either sausage or turkey.  I mix the meats and spread them out on the bottom and up the sides of a large bowl. Then I start sprinkling seasonings over the surface.  This makes sure I add a "nice amount" of seasoning.
Over the meat I add salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley.  Per pound of meat add 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs , one egg, 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese and a few tablespoons of water -the mixture needs to be soft!  Mix with your hands to make sure everything is incorporated.

I use an ice cream scoop and roll them by hand to get evenly sized meatballs.

I broil them on low about 6 inches from the heating element until they are nicely browned on one side.  Then I flip them and finish the cooking on the other side.


This is what they look like when they're done.  They are cooked and ready for some sauce, cheese, a meatball hoagie, or a nice plate of pasta!