King Arthur Flour Eggnog Sugar Cookies

I am a huge fan of the King Arthur Flour people. They have a great catalogue where you can get numerous and hard to find baking items. They also have some wonderful mixes for cakes, breads, scones and other baked items. Since I am not the best baker I rely on them quite a bit. Their web address is http://www.bakerscatalogue.com/ . I just made their Eggnog Sugar Cookies from a mix I purchased from them . Since I love both sugar cookies and eggnog, I thought this would be the mix for me. I was wrong. While not the worst cookie ever, these just did not do it for me. I will try the gingerbread tomorrow!!.

Everyone else that has tried these cookies LOVED them. I guess my taste buds are not working all that well!!

A Tribute To My Dad

My father wasn't exactly a finicky eater, he just liked certain foods and really hated others. He was a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Whenever Mom made one of her specialties, fried chicken, my Dad would eat something else. She made chicken numerous times, because her four kids demanded it. Dad could grill up the best platter of pork chops you could ever want, but would not eat them himself. I have tried to recreate those same chops, but to this day cannot seem to get them right. I even use a Weber Kettle grill like Dad did. He loved spaghetti and meatballs, we all did, Mom's were the best. She never used a recipe, just made it from scratch every time. The next morning you would find Dad putting cold leftover spaghetti on white bread and eating it for breakfast. I still love to eat cold pasta to this day.

Dad was very athletic and loved to play football. He had a stocky build and was very muscular.He looked exactly like someone would think a 2nd generation Italian would. His hair was jet black, almost blue. It turned silver in his 40's and was one of those colors that women try to get from a box. Women would always say "your father is so good looking". Back then I would just roll my eyes, but as I get older and see pictures of him, he was a good looking man.

He worked as a race car mechanic, a truck driver and repaired and flew Chinooks for the military. He once got to fly the first President Bush and had his picture taken with him. He was overjoyed! Always a staunch republican, he didn't even flinch as his 4 liberal democrat kids lambasted the president. He took it all in stride, always putting up with his loudmouth kids. He was not talkative, but you listened when he did speak.

He was always there to help with our homework, especially math. I remember standing at the kitchen counter with him as he tried to explain fractions and measurements to me, over and over again. It never did take, but I appreciated the effort. He was also very patient when he tried to teach me to throw a baseball or football. Again, it didn't take, but he took it all in stride.

When you asked Dad the question "why?", he would usually answer, "Because the ace is high". It took me forever to figure out what that meant. Another reason he didn't talk much was because he was always talking to the walls. You know those walls might as well have had ears! Whenever he wanted one of his kids, he would call Beth-Mike-Gina-Myla, whoever you are. We thought that was pretty funny.

My Dad was very strong , but on Monday November 27, 2006, George Thomas Tosatto lost his long fought battle to cancer. He fought up until the very end! All of us kids were fortunate to say our last goodbyes. He was in a hospital in Florida, hooked up to a respirator and feeding tube. He tried talking and was relegated to just nodding his head or squeezing our hands. He started writing things, like; "I want to stand up", "I'm hungry" or "I want to watch football". When he died my mother and sister Gina were with him, holding his hands.

He died too early. At 72 he still had many good years in him. He and mom were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary the following month. He also missed out on going to Italy. We wanted to make that trip when he got better. We just waited too long.

His wife, 4 kids and 4 grand kids will miss him dearly. But, we have memories of him that will live on. We have decided that we will celebrate Thanksgiving in the future with spaghetti and meatballs and have that banana pudding vanilla wafer dessert that he loved so much. Dad hated turkey and would have loved to eat this meal. We will eat it in his honor from here on out.

The picture was taken a month before Dad died. From left to right; Auggy, Mom, Ryan, Dad.

We love you Dad!

Meatballs and Orzo in Broth

The freezing rain is coming down and a fire has been laid in the fireplace. Now it's time for some good comfort food. This is a nice recipe that is part soup, part pasta. I serve it as a main coarse. This recipe uses orzo, a small rice shaped pasta. Serve it with some cheese bread and a salad.

Meatballs and Orzo in Broth

3 (16 oz.) cans fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 (1 oz.) slice Italian Bread
1/2 cups skim milk
1 lb. ground sirloin
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated and divided
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped + 2 tbs. for garnish
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup carrot, shredded
2 cups hot cooked orzo (1 cup uncooked)

Bring broth to simmer in a Dutch oven (don't boil). Keep warm over low heat. Soak the bread in milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze the milk from the bread. Combine bread, beef, minced onion, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl. Shape into 24 , 1 1/2 inch, balls. Add meatballs and carrot to the broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in the orzo and cook for 2 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Trezo Mare Ristorante

This past Tuesday night, Dan and I decided to try the newest restaurant to open in the Northland, Trezo Mare(4105 N. Mulberry Dr. KCMO 816-505-3200) . Trezo mare is Italian for Treasures of the Sea. This is one of the new restuarants opening at Briarcliff Village. The restaurant is beautiful on the inside and has great lighting(you can actually read the menu).
After we were sat at our table, our waitress arrived and offered us a free welcome glass of Proseco. Never ones to turn down a free glass of bubbly, we accepted what was a very nice pour. Our waitress suggested the Tempura Lobster and Asparagus as a starter. It was one of the pricier appetizer items at $17.00, but well worth it. There were 2 lobster tails and 4 pieces of asparagus, all lightly battered and fried. Dan had the Crisp Romaine Salad($7.00) and I had the Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque($6.00). The salad was a large portion of romaine lettuce leaves, drizzled with a nice light dressing and topped with shaved Parmesan and white anchovies. The soup was incredible, you could taste the fire roasted tomatoes. Dan ordered the King Alaskan Salmon($18.00) with a Wasabi-Ginger burre blanc and a side of Gnocchi in a Fontina-truffle sauce($9.00). The salmon was a little on the salty side, but the sauce was very nice and not overpowering. The gnocchi was the best part of the meal. It was served in a flaming bowl and was enough that we could have shared. I ordered the Small Beef Filet($28.00) and the Yukon gold smashed potatoes with roasted garlic($6.00). The steak was good, but pricey for the portion and the potatoes were perfect. For dessert Dan ordered the pumpkin Creme Brulee($7.00) and I had the Poached Pear($7.00). Both desserts were very good. We each had 2 glasses of wine and I had a cup of coffee with my dessert. Before tip the total was $140.00!. Definitely not an every night dining location, but great for special occasions. You could actually get out of there paying less. We thought it would be a great place to sit at the bar and order wine and appetizers. The overall experience was very good and we will go back. The presentation on all the plates is great, without being showy.

Latte'Land Review

Yesterday, Dan and I decided to take advantage of the unbelievably warm day to walk around the Country Club Plaza. Just being there, walking around with the other shoppers, can really help put you in the Christmas spirit. We decided to stop into our favorite local coffee shop, Latte'Land(318 W. 47th St. KCMO), to have a nice coffee drink to walk around with. Since it was warm, we decided iced coffees would be better. We asked if the holiday drinks were available on ice and told by the helpful staff that they were. She said they actually tasted just as good cold. Dan ordered the gingerbread latte and I had the eggnog latte. They actually tasted good, but I think I prefer them hot. We are also excited that they have just opened a Northland location in our favorite new shopping center, Briarcliff Village.

Easy Cheese Ball

This is the easiest cheese ball and one of the best. My mom has served this as long as I can remember and it's always the first to thing to go at a party or holiday celebration.

Easy Cheese Ball

2 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasonings Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Mix softened cream cheese with dry salad dressing mix. Roll into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Refrigerate until cooled. Serve with crackers.

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, I'm on a peanut butter kick. These are the best peanut butter cookies. I have used this recipe for over 15 years now. I prefer to use creamy peanut butter when I make them, the crunchy kind can be used, though.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Cream together;
1/2 cp. butter, softened
1/2 cp. peanut butter
1/2 cp. sugar
1/2 cp. brown sugar
1 large egg

Sift together and add to creamed mixture;
1 1/4 cps. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all together and chill for an hour. Roll dough into walnut size balls. Place 3" apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten with a fork, dipped in flour, in criss-cross manner.
Bake for 10 minutes in preheated 375 oven.
Make 3 Dozen.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Now that the holidays are here, it's time to start making all those treats that you wait all year for. Peanut butter fudge is one of my favorites and it's so easy to make. It seems as those this is one of those things that people either love or hate. I love it!! Not only for it's simplicity, but the creamy peanut butter goodness of it. I use Peter Pan lower fat peanut butter for this.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cup peanut butter
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow cream

In saucepan, bring sugar and milk to boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and marshmallow cream; mix well. Quickly pour into a buttered 8" square pan. Chill until set. Cut into squares.

Baked Cheese Tortellini

This is a great holiday side dish. My sister Myla and I have prepared this with roast turkey and ham. It would also make a great dinner by adding some cooked chicken and serving with a nice salad and crusty Italian bread.

Baked Cheese Tortellini
1 lb. cooked cheese tortellini
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tbsp. fresh Parmesan, grated
2 tbsp. fresh Italian Flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and just begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 of the cheddar cheese and the grated Parmesan. Stir in tortellini and parsley. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Combine remaining cheddar with bread crumbs. Sprinkle mixture on top. Bake until topping is golden brown at 350 about 30 to 35 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I stated earlier that I like to collect recipes. I have this box in one of my kitchen cabinets with thousands of recipes taken from magazines, copied from the internet or odd cookbooks. I'm that guy at the doctor's office who pulls out pages from Good Houskeeping, Gourmet and Southern Living magazines. My goal here is to start using those recipes and posting the results here. Sharing my foul ups and my ideas for making the recipe better or just reporting the great results of a perfect recipe.
This past Sunday I found a recipe in the coupon insert for Slow Cooker Pot Roast. The recipe looked simple enough, but I thought it could be made better. I will reprint the recipe as they had it in the paper and then relate my changes after. The add was for Lipton Recipe Secrets Soup & Dip Mixes.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
8 servings
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Hours

1 Tbsp. oil
3 to 3 1/2 lb. boneless beef pot roast(rump,chuck or round)
4 carrots, sliced
4 medium all-purpose potatoes(about 2 lbs.), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 envelopes Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix
3/4 cup water

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown roast.
2. In slow cooker, arrange carrots and potatoes; top with roast;set aside.
3. In glass measuring cup, combine Lipton recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix with water. Add to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of pan. Add soup mixture to slow cooker. Cook covered on LOW 8 to 10 hours or HIGH 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter.
4. Thicken gravy, if desired, by combining 1/4 water with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until thickened.

Instead fo using Onion Soup Mix, I used Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Mushroom. I used 4 carrots as called for in the recipe, but that was not enough for 2 people let alone 8. I did not put potatoes in mine, I just don't like the way they taste in the crock pot, I prefer to roast them with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. As for the oil, I used olive oil to brown the roast, which I salted and peppered before browning. I added 6 peeled cloves of garlic to the crock pot. And as for the water soup mixture, I also added a 1/2 cup of red wine.
The roast was excellent and was fork tender. The house smelled incredible. And there was enough leftover for the next night.
I prepped all of this the night before. I use a Rival Crock Pot that has a removable crock. After I pepped it, I placed the crock in the fridge until the next morning. What a great meal on a chilly Kansas City evening, with little work involved.
Also, I used a 2 1/2 lb. Beef Chuck Boneless Pot Roast. That was plenty for 2 people , with leftovers to be had.

Starting a Blog

I have decided to start a blog. Okay, like who hasn't decided to start up a blog? I wanted to start one, to share my thoughts on all things related to cooking. Sharing recipes and things to do with cooking are my favorite things. I love collecting recipes and cookbooks, creating recipes and sharing them with other people. What are the best tools to use? How can I make a recipe better? What's up with Sandra Lee and the matching outfits and kitchens?!?
Going to restaurants is also a favorite pastime and I thought I could share thoughts on the places I go to. Bad service is a pet peeve of mine and there seems to be alot of it. But, there is also some great service in unexpected places. There are some great places to eat in KC and since I travel some, I'll share some places in Italy and other fun places.
So stay tuned and I'll get to work on this. It should be fun and it will be great to get other people's thoughts and ideas.