Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

This recipe was prepared by Alicia's boyfriend Jim and was one of my favorite dishes. I am not a fan of goat cheese, bit it seemed to work well on this dish and it makes an awesome presenting on a platter. Jim used a wonderful sour dough baguette from Trader Joe's, but a French one will do. The goat cheese he used also came from Trader Joe's and was, I believe, a garlic herb concoction. Use what you like, but if you do go with a plain goat cheese,l rub the bread with garlic after toasting. Since I don't have exact proportions I will write the recipe as I saw Jim prepare it.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

Take 1 baguette and slice about 1/2 an inch or less, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler and watch closely so you don't burn the bread. When golden brown remove from oven and spread with goat cheese. Top each piece with sliced tomato and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Place on a platter and serve.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

If you want an easy party appetizer or a good pre-dinner treat, this is the recipe. I prepared this recently at my friend Alicia's Oscar party and it was a hit. I came across this recipe at food52.com and was glad I did. There are some slight changes to the original recipe, but I feel that is what makes cooking so fun, being able to adapt a recipe and make it your own.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

1 loaf French baguette
extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
Sea salt
Honey
2 lemons
fresh chopped basil

Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler, watching carefully, remove when golden brown. Rub bread slices with cut garlic. Smear with ricotta and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with honey and using a microplane, grate lemon zest over the top. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

Recently, we were in Phoenix staying with our friend Alicia and as usual we had a day of cooking. This cooking day coincided with a Oscar party, so we worked on dishes that were party friendly. I came across this recipe on cleananddelicious.com and was pleased with the results. I actually added extra cilantro to mine and then sprinkled some on top for presentation. Use as little or much as you like. I used olive oil in my recipe but you can use tahini if you prefer. Add more water or oil if you want a smoother dip.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

1 15oz can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for topping
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine everything but oil in the bowl of food processor and with machine running, drizzle olive oil into bowl, until well blended. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh chopped cilantro.

Providence New American Restaurant

This past Saturday, Dan and I had tickets to a recital at the Folly down town. We originally had reservations at 12 Baltimore in the Phillips Hotel but wanted to try something different, but it had to be close. That's when we remembered our friend Larry talking up the restaurant in the President Hotel. We went on line and looked up the menu and liked the offerings, so we called and made a reservation at Providence.
You enter the restaurant through The Drum Room, a very nice lounge off the lobby of the hotel. The restaurant is very nice, with beautifully restored barn wood for the walls, good lighting and overall nice decor.
We were promptly greeted by Kevin, our server, who explained some items on the menu and recommend some different wines. Dan went with an $8 glass of Pinot Noir and I splurged on a $12 Cab, knowing that I could only have one glass, lest I fall asleep during the recital.
Dan started with the Blue Note salad ($5.90), gem lettuce, blueberries, apple sticks and a blue cheese, blueberry vinaigrette. I chose the Providence salad ($6.50), bibb lettuce, arugula, pine nuts, golden beets, radishes and Tank 7 vinaigrette. Both salads were very good and plated nicely, as were our other dishes.
Dan's entree was Applewood Smoked Meatloaf ($15.50) with sour cream mashed potatoes and wild mushroom gravy. The meatloaf was so good and very different, consisting of ground pork, lamb and beef. The mashed potatoes had chunks of carrots and the mushrooms in the gravy were some of the best I've tasted. The dish also came with a small side of haricots vert.
My entree was the Bully Porter Braised Short Ribs ($20.00) with roasted vegetables and herb dumplings. This was a  very good choice! The meat was so tender, no need for a knife and the dumplings were awesome.
The restaurant is located 1329 Baltimore in The President Hotel 1329 Baltimore KCMO 64105 815-303-1686 www.providence-kc.com.
This restaurant has joined my list of new favorite places to dine in Kansas City including Julian www.juliankc.com, JJ's www.jjs-restaurant.com, and The Jacobson www.thejacobson.com.

Chunky Pork Shoulder Ragu

This is one of the best sauces I have ever made! How's that for an opening? So simple and so flavorful, this one is definitely a keeper. The recipe comes from Michele Scicolone's The Italian Slow Cooker. This will make 10 cups so be prepared to feed at least 6 people. Serve over a nice hearty pasta like rigatoni.

Chunky Pork Shoulder Ragu

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 28 oz. can tomato puree
1 28 oz can Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped
Salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Remove meat to large slow cooker.
Add onion and fennel seeds to skillet and cook until onion is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage and rosemary. Add tomato puree and chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and stir well. Pour sauce into slow cooker, add crushed red pepper. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours, until pork is very tender.
Remove meat to cutting board but leave sauce in cooker with heat on. With two forks, tear meat into bite size pieces. Return to pot and stir in fresh basil.

Cauliflower,Pancetta and Pasta Soup

For Christmas, I received a new cookbook, The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. The book is full of what look to be wonderful recipes and I have already tried a few of them. I usually get the food together the night before and throw it in the refrigerator, so all I have to do in the morning is put the crock in the heating unit, turn it on and go. Eating a healthy, home cooked meal is so much more satisfying than going out, or heaven forbid, eating fast food. This recipe uses chicken broth, but I think it may have been better with veggie broth instead, that's how I would prepare it next time. i upped some of the ingredients in my version to give the flavor a boost. Lots of black pepper seemed to finish it off well. Also top it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This soup serves 8, so invite the neighbors for dinner.

Cauliflower, Pancetta and Pasta Soup

4 oz finely chopped pancetta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium cauliflower, 1 1/2 lbs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 1/2 cups ditalini or tubetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a medium skillet, cook pancetta in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Scrape the mixture into large slow cooker. Add cauliflower and stir well.
Add broth, salt and pepper and red chili flakes. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until cauliflower is tender.
Stir in pasta and cook 30 minutes more, or until tender. Add parsley and Parmesan just before serving.

Rustic Sourdough Bread

I bought a sourdough starter from King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com) and have been using it ever since. The recipe makes two good loaves of bread that are dense, but not too heavy with a good crispy crust. I usually end up freezing one loaf by wrapping in foil then placing in a freezer bag. Once thawed and heated it tastes like it was freshly baked. The whole process is actually fun and makes me appreciate baking more.

Rustic Sourdough Bread

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine all ingredients, kneading to form a smooth, soft dough, adding a bit of additional flour if needed. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Divide dough in half and shape into two oval loaves (mine were round). Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise till puffy, about 60 minutes. Slash the tops and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven and cool on a rack.