Kitchen Encounters

~ My Chinese-American Lo Mein-Style Pepper Steak ~

Pepper steak is a Chinese-American dish that, as per its name, features thin strips of soy- ginger- and garlic-marinated flank-, sirloin- or round-steak, boldly-seasoned with a copious amount of pepper, stir-fried with crunchy water chestnuts and julienne strips of colorful bell peppers and onion.  The dark brown stir-fry sauce ranges from thick-to-thin depending on whether the dish is to be served to the side of or atop some steamed rice (thick), or, to be tossed with and absorbed into some cooked noodles (thin). Pepper steak was popularized in Chinese-American restaurants in the late '40's and early '50's, and home cooks have been making regional versions ever since.

Pepper steak.  The dish originated in the Fujian Province in China where it was made with lightly-seasoned, inexpensive pork -- in China, quality beef is a luxury for the working class. Americans began making the dish when soldiers began returning home from World War II (research reveals as early as 1948).  Due to the public's overwhelming dissatisfaction with the wartime rationing of red meat, the transition from pork to beef was immediate -- red meat in the USA was considered the prime source of energy for the working man, and, its mere presence on a dinner plate with a starch and a vegetable, the definition of a proper meal.

Lo mein. In Chinese it literally means "tossed noodles", and, it implies a method in which cooked wheat noodles get tossed into almost any type of stir-fry at the end of the cooking process.  As a result, the noodles absorb some sauce and stay soft while the other previously-cooked ingredients (meat, poultry, seafood and/or vegetables) get distributed evenly throughout. An example of the opposite would be chow mein, which means "fried noodles", and implies a method in which the noodles are stir-fried or deep-fried to a crispy state at the beginning of the cooking process.

For the marinade/sauce (1 cup -- 1/4 cup for marinade/3/4 cup to sauce stir-fry) & noodles: 

6  tablespoons tablespoons Chinese soy sauce

3  tablespoons each:  hoisin sauce, oyster-flavored sauce, Sriracha sauce and sesame oil

1  tablespoon each:  garlic paste and ginger paste

1  tablespoon coarse-grind black pepper

12  ounces lo-mein noodles or spaghetti

For the stir-fry:

1 1/2-2  pounds flank steak, sliced and marinated as directed below

2  tablespoons sesame oil 

3/4  cup marinade/sauce, from above recipe 

1 1/2  cups 1/4"-sliced half-moon-shaped sweet onion (6-7 ounces)

1 1/2  cups each: julienne strips green and red bell peppers (6-7 ounces)

1  cup peeled and diced water chestnuts, well-drained (1, 5-ounce can)

12-ounces cooked lo-mein noodles or spaghetti

~Step 1.  In a 1-cup measuring container, stir together the ingredients for the marinade/sauce. Set aside.  Slice the flank steak in half lengthwise, to form two halves.  Holding your knife at a 30º angle, slice each half of the flank steak into thin, 1/4"-thick strips.  Transfer the steak to a 1-gallon food storage bag.  Add 6 tablespoons of the marinade/sauce mixture to the meat and seal the bag.  Using your fingertips, "massage" bag of steak until slices are evenly coated in marinade.  Set aside to marinate a minimum of 1 hour on the countertop, or up to 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.  Return to room temperature, about 1 hour, prior to stir-frying.  Slice the onion, julienne the bell peppers, drain the water chestnuts (as pictured above) and set aside.  

~Step 2.  While steak is marinating, cook lo-mein noodles as directed, drain into a colander and rinse under cold running water.  For a moment or two, give the colander several vigorous shakes to insure excess water is removed.  Set aside to thoroughly drain while preparing the stir-fry.

Note:  While spaghetti may be substituted for lo-mein noodles without any compromise in taste or texture, be aware that lo-mein noodles cook to al dente in a short 3-4 minutes  and  spaghetti will take a bit longer, 10-11 minutes.  Be vigilant:  Be sure not to overcook either one.

~Step 3.  In a 16" electric skillet, heat the sesame oil to 325º (medium-high on the stovetop.  Add the steak and all of its marinade and stir-fry, stirring constantly, until steak is just short of being cooked through, 2-2 1/2 minutes.  Add the onion, bell peppers and water chestnuts. Continue to stir-fry, stirring constantly, until veggies are crunch-tender, 2-2 1/2 minutes.  Drizzle in 1/2 cup of the sauce and stir until all ingredients are completely and evenly coated.  Note:  There will be 1/4 cup sauce left for the next step.

~ Step 4.  Add the cooked lo mein noodles to the skillet.  Using two forks or two spoons, toss, like you would a salad, until noodles are coated in sauce, adding (all of the) additional sauce, in small amounts, until the mixture suits your taste.

Remove from heat, portion into bowls & serve ASAP:

My Chinese-American Lo Mein-Style Pepper Steak:  Recipe yields 6 hearty servings.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; cutting board; chef's knife; 1-gallon food storage bag; 4-quart wide-bottomed stockpot; colander; 16" electric skillet or 12" stir-fry pan or skillet, preferably nonstick; two large slotted spoons or spatulas

Cook's Note: Have you ever noticed how many of your favorite dishes at your favorite Chinese restaurant seem to be enrobed in a semi-viscous, glossy, dark-brown sauce? Examples: Beef or chicken with broccoli, chow mien or lo mein, kung poa or General Tso, etc.  It's one of every Chinese restaurant's best kept secrets:  Brown sauce.  I've heard it referred to as "the Chinese mother sauce", but, even in China, recipes for it vary from region to region.  I make no claim to my concoction being authentic Chinese brown sauce -- it is not.  What it is, is:  Easy to make, full of Chinese flavors, the perfect consistency, and, unbelievably scrumptious: ~ All-purpose Chinese-American Brown Stir-Fry Sauce ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~Meatless & Marvelous Creamy Pasta & Mushrooms~

A bowl of exquisite creamy-dreamy pasta.  When the craving for it hits, it's one that can't be staved off.  In terms of work, while I consider this a rather uncomplicated dish to make, requiring just two or three relatively-easy steps, I relax and take my time to make it right.  As a mushroom lover, they're on-hand in my refrigerator 90%-95% of the time (which is why this is one of my favorite go-to pasta dishes) and they get seasoned and sautéed in a skillet first.  Next I take five-ten minutes to make a Parmesan-cream sauce using always-on-hand ingredients.  I cook my pasta last, and, give or take, in 35-45 minutes my restaurant-quality pasta dish is done.

This humble pasta dish is family-style comfort food:

This humble pasta dish is quintessential family-style comfort food, but it's also elegant, extraordinary and exquisite, so, do not hesitate to plate it on some fine china and serve it as a starter course with a champagne toast at your next fancy-schmancy dinner party.  It goes without saying, it's a perfect main-dish to serve to your vegetarian friends, but, when served as a side-dish to a perfectly pan-seared filet mignon, your carnivorous friends will thank-you too.  

Step One:  Seasoning & Sautéing the Mushrooms

12  ounces 1/4"-sliced mushroom caps of choice, use your favorite (Note:  These are baby bellas and are my favorite.)

4  tablespoons salted butter

2  tablespoons olive oil

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2  teaspoon onion powder

1/8  teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1  teaspoon sea salt 

1/2  teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

~Step 1.  In a 3 1/2-quart chef's pan over low heat, melt butter into olive oil.  Add and stir in the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper).  Increase  heat to medium- medium-high. When butter becomes foamy and begins to bubble, add the sliced mushrooms.  Stirring frequently with a spatula, cook until mushrooms have lost almost all of their moisture, about 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate and set aside, leaving all of the wonderfully-flavored juices in the bottom of the skillet.

Step Two:  Making the Parmesan-Cream Sauce

buttery-drippings from sautéing mushrooms, about 2 tablespoons

2  tablespoons flour

1/4  teaspoon each:  garlic and onion powder, sea salt and coarse-grind black pepper

1/16 teaspoon nutmeg

2  cups heavy cream, plus, up to 1/2 cup additional cream, to control consistency

1 1/2  cups finely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1-2  tablespoons dry sherry, to taste

~Step 2.  Over low heat, stir all of the spices into the buttery-mushroom drippings, followed by the flour.  When the mixture becomes pasty and begins to get foamy, which takes less than a minute, add the 2 cups of cream.  Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly until cream sauce is steaming, but not simmering, and nicely thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Lower the heat and add the grated Pamigiano-Reggiano.  Add sherry to taste.  Cover and set aside while cooking the pasta.  This sauce thickens slightly as it begins to cool, so, check it just prior to adding the cooked pasta and add additional cream, at your discretion, if you feel it necessary.

Step Three:  Cooking the pasta & tossing dinner together:

all the prepared sauce, still warm in the still-warm skillet

all the sautéed mushrooms

12-ounces pasta of choice, cooked and drained as package directs (Note:  Thick spaghetti is my favorite.)

1  tablespoon sea salt, for seasoning pasta water

additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

~Step 3.  In a 4-quart stockpot, cook and drain 12-ounces of pasta in boiling salted water, to al dente, according to package directions.  Add the steaming hot pasta to the still warm Parmesan cream sauce, followed by the sautéed mushrooms.  Toss, portion and serve ASAP, garnished with additional Parm-Regg cheese. 

Perfect for a cold, rainy night in front of a movie on the TV:

Meatless & Marvelous Creamy Pasta & Mushrooms:  Recipe yields 4 main-dish servings and 6-8 starter- or side-dish sized servings.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight-deep sides & lid; spatula; microplane grater; 4-quart stockpot; colander

Cook's Note: Risotto is traditional Italian cooking at its best.  Risotto is more of a method than a recipe, and it requires respect.  There are no two ways to make risotto.  Make it right or it's not risotto.  Don't deviate from the method, don't take shortcuts and don't make substitutions.  Risotto cannot be rushed -- it requires patience.  It cannot be made in advance, it needs to be carefully watched, methodically stirred, and served immediately.  Risotto is done when it is done, and only the cook knows when it is done, but, when it is done right, it's a meal fit for a kind or a queen.  Try my recipe for ~ Perfectly-Prepared Chicken and Mushroom Risotto ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~ Parm, Pepper and Herb Puff-Pastry Cheese Twists ~

Along with the charcuterie, cheese twists are always something I've included on my snack table during the holidays.  Light and airy, crispy-crunchy, buttery rich and full of flavor, they're the quintessential nosh with whatever cocktail one happens to be sipping.  Interestingly, store-bought cheese twists are not only harder to find (it was three strikes we're out -- as in they do not carry them -- at our local stores this year), the quality (as in the three packages I purchased on-line) has gone decidedly downhill too.  Years ago our local downtown Cheese Shoppe sold them, and, they were so damned delicious there was no reason to consider making them at home.

Cheese twists, sometimes called cheese sticks or cheese straws: Light and airy, crispy-crunchy, buttery rich and full of flavor. 

Making cheese twists, using store-bought puff pastry is easy, plus, one gets to customize the flavor profile a bit to suit the menu.

1  17.3-ounce box, all-butter puff pastry sheets, thawed overnight in the freezer if previously frozen

2  tablespoons bench flour

1  large egg

1  tablespoon water

1 1/2  cups shredded Gruyére cheese (4 ounces)

3/4  cup finely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

1/2  teaspoon onion powder

1  teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, or dried herbs or herb blend of choice (Example: oregano leaves, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, herbs de Provence, Greek or Italian seasoning blend, etc.)

1  teaspoon sea salt

1  teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

~Step 1.  Grate and shred the cheeses as directed.  Set aside.  In a small bowl or ramekin, beat the egg and water together with a fork.  Set aside. In a second small bowl or ramekin, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, herb of choice, salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Line 2, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.  

~Step 2.  Dust a  pastry board with the bench flour. Remove pastry sheets from packaging and place, the squares on prepared board.  Using fingertips, carefully open the tri-folded sheets. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry just enough to seal the folds where pastry got unfolded.  

~Step 3.  Using a pastry brush, paint the surface of both pastries with the egg/water mixture.  Sprinkle the surface of each pastry sheet with 1/2 cup grated Parm-Regg cheese, followed by 1/2 cup shredded Gruyére.  Using your fingertips, sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over all.  Using the rolling pin, gently press the cheeses and seasonings into the sheets.

~Step 4.  With the aid of a ruler and a chef's knife or a pizza wheel cutter, horizontally cut each pastry sheet into 8, strips.  Transfer 8 strips to both prepared baking pans.   Once on pans, use pizza wheel cutter to slice the strips in half horizontally. Twist each strip, in opposite directions (top to the right, bottom to the left), at both ends.

~Step 5.  Bake, one pan at a time, on center rack of preheated 350º oven, 12-15 minutes, until lightly-browned and puffed.  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Plate and store cheese twists, uncovered, for 1-2 days, prior to serving at room temperature.  This is not a typo. Cheese twists, stored uncovered, are better served 12-24 hours after baking them. 

The more cheese twists at any party, the merrier:

Parm, Pepper and Herb Puff-Pastry Cheese Twists:  Recipe yields 32, 4" cheese twists.

Special Equipment List: hand-held box grater; microplane grater; 2 ramekins; fork;  pastry board; rolling pin; pastry brush; pizza wheel cutter; ruler; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper

Cook's Note:   We all have our favorite uses for store-bought all-butter puff pastry -- it's such a time saver, and, in the right culinary application, it always tastes great, it makes almost all recipes easier to prepare, and, some recipes using puff pastry can even be made ahead.  Puff pastry makes every gathering a bit more elegant.  In the event you've got a holiday breakfast or brunch on the horizon to plan for, try my pretty-as-a-picture recipe for ~ Sweet Sausage, Apple & Cheddar Puff Pastry Braid ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole~

'Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.  After all the holiday cooking and cleanup, mom was so exhausted she declared it HER holiday.  She took a casserole out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for the afternoon. She popped it in the oven at 4:00PM, everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal around 5:00PM, and, by 6:00PM mom was lounging in her favorite chair, sipping a G&T, watching a movie.

Every cook, every where, needs, at the very least, one, hearty, relatively easy-to-make, go-to casserole recipe that can be counted on to please and feed a crowd.  This is mine.  There are as many versions of the 1980's era Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe "out there" as there are Cub Scout den mothers, which is how I came to start making it for my family thirty-plus years ago.  That said, all versions arrive at a point where they head in one of two directions: the cream of chicken soup version (which was introduced by the Campbell's Soup Company in the 1940's), and, the Cheez-Whiz version (which was introduced by Kraft Foods in the 1950's).

The many reasons (I have) to love this casserole:

This is a super-yummy, creamy-cheesy wonderful family-style dinner.  It pairs great with tomato soup and/or a Caesar salad. It's perfect to serve at a ladies lunch or a festive brunch and it holds up really well on a buffet table (it even tastes great at room temperature).  It travels well too.  Men, women and kids love it, which makes it a great meal to take to tailgate or a pot luck school event or church-supper.  It gets everyone to eat vegetables.  Leftovers?  If you have a microwave at your place of work and this casserole leftover in the refrigerator, you'll be looking forward to brown bagging lunch.  All you need is one stockpot to prepare it, and, as an added bonus, if you double the recipe, it takes no extra time to make two: bake one and freeze one for a later date.

Don't be quick to judge my use of Cheez-Whiz, instead of making My Basic Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables, until you've tasted this dish.  Trust me when I tell you, Cheez-Whiz used in this recipe is not only not a compromise, it's a fantastic time-saver (which is kind of the point when making a week-night casserole).  If it's all scratch-made you desire, feel free to make my sauce -- it's delightful.  That said, I've never served this casserole anywhere that everyone wasn't thrilled with it -- just as it is.

Super-yummy & relatively-easy is what makes a great casserole.

2 1/2-3  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (5-6 cups cooked, diced chicken)

32-ounces chicken broth

2  10.8-ounce steam-in-bag frozen broccoli florets, cooked according to package directions (4 cups steamed broccoli florets)

2  10.8-ounce steam-in-bag cauliflower florets, cooked according to package directions (4 cups steamed cauliflower florets)

12-ounces diced yellow or sweet onion

6-ounces salted butter, total throughout recipe (1 1/2 sticks/12 tablespoons)

1 1/2  teaspoons coarse-grind black pepper

2  cups uncooked basmati rice, steamed in a rice cooker (Note:  The nutty flavor of basmati rice is far and above better than the usual extra-long-grained rice typically used to make this casserole.  Trust me on this point.)

2  15-ounce jars Cheeze Whiz Cheese Dip

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing casserole dishes

~Step 1.  Place the chicken tenderloins in a wide bottomed 4-quart stockpot with enough chicken broth to cover (32 ounces).  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Partially cover, reduce heat and simmer, until the chicken is just cooked through, 6-7 minutes. Drain and transfer chicken to a cutting board.  Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces, transfer to a medium-large bowl and set aside.

~Step 2.  Working one-bag-at-a-time steam broccoli florets in microwave according to package directions. Remove from microwave and carefully open the bag.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer florets to a plate that has been lined with several layers of paper-towels.  Allow broccoli to drain thoroughly.  When cool enough to handle with hands, transfer broccoli to a cutting board and rough-chop into large bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.  Repeat process with the cauliflower florets.

~Step 3.  Return stockpot to stovetop.  Over low heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter and stir in the black pepper.  Add the onion and increase heat to sauté, until onion softens, 5-6 minutes.  Turn heat off (temporarily) and leave stockpot on stovetop.  

~Step 4.  Using a standard 1-cup measure, (not the cup/measure from the rice steamer), place rice in steamer.  Again, using a standard measure, add 2 cups of water to the steamer.  Turn on, to steam.  When the steamer shuts off, the rice should be firm and just slightly undercooked. Open the steamer's lid and add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Rake through rice with a fork until the butter is melted and the grains are evenly coated in butter. "Raking rice" is term used to describe the last step of cooking rice on the stovetop.

~Step 5. After the rice is done steaming, add the Cheez-Whiz to the onion mixture.  Over low heat, stirring constantly, mix until the mixture is thick and smooth.  Turn the heat off.   Add and stir in the diced chicken, followed by all of the steamed rice.  Add and very gently fold in the steamed and chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets.  Remove stockpot from the stovetop.

~ Step 6.  Transfer mixture into a 13" x 9" x 2" casserole that has been sprayed with no-stick.  At this point, casserole can be covered with plastic and refrigerated up to three days prior to baking or frozen for a later date.    When ready to bake:

~ Step 7.  Cover casserole with foil.  Bake on center rack of 325º oven 20-25 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or, until lightly browned on top, bottom and around edges. Cool 5-10 minutes prior to serving hot.

Casserole beauty is in the eye of the beholder of the casserole:

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole:  Recipe yields 1, 13" x 9" x 2" casserole, 12-16 servings , 12 total cups and/or 3 quarts.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; wide-bottomed 4-quart stockpot w/lid; large spoon; large slotted spoon; plastic wrap (optional); electric rice steamer; 13" x 9" x 2" (preferably glass) baking dish or 3-quart casserole; aluminum foil

Cook's Note: Prior to baking, the casseroles can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, up to 3 days prior to baking and serving, or, frozen for up to 6 months.  In either case, remove casseroles from refrigerator or freezer and return to room temperature prior to baking according to above directions.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~ Tart Cherry & Toasted-Pistachio Snowball Cookies ~

These sweet and savory shortbread-esque two-bite cookies called snowballs, or, depending on where you're from, also referred to as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, are the darlings of holiday cookie trays all across America.  The base recipe varies very little from baker-to-baker, because the ratio of flour to butter and sugar is important to prevent them from flattening out, meaning: loosing their ball shape.  Flavored with vanilla, lightly-toasted chopped pecans or walnuts get added to the mixture for additional flavor and texture.  Nobody can eat just one.

A recipe for cherry-pistachio snowballs came across my Facebook newsfeed about a week ago.  I thought the flavor profile to be a nice new twist on this old favorite, so, I decided to "take it from there".  I used my mom's base recipe for Russian teacakes (which is specific to salted butter plus salt), and, I substituted dehydrated tart cherries for maraschino cherries.  I also added pure cherry and pistachio extract to the vanilla extract, to intensify the flavors even more.  I'm delighted with the end result, and thanks go to lemonsforlulu for the inspiration for these delightful cookies.

Snowballs atop my mom's vintage Christmas tree plates:

The darlings of holiday cookie trays all across America:

2  cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  cup salted butter, softened

1/4  cup granulated sugar

1  teaspoon each:  pure cherry, pistachio and vanilla extract, or, 1 tablespoon of vanilla-extract

6  ounces chopped toasted, salted pistachios (1 cup)

4  ounces dehydrated tart cherries, snipped into halves and w/kitchen shears (1 cup)

1/2  cup Confectioners' sugar, for dusting baked cookies

~Step 1.  In a large bowl, cream together combine the butter, granulated sugar and three extracts.  Lower mixer speed and incorporate the flour and salt.  The mixture should resemble pea-sized crumbs.   Remove the mixer.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the pistachios and cherries. Using your hand, knead and compress the mixture into a large ball.

~Step 2.  Using a 1 1/4" ice-cream scoop as a measure, in conjunction with your hands, shape dough into 1" balls, placing them on a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan that has been lined with parchment as you work.  Place pan of unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

~Step 3.  Bake cookies on center rack of preheated 325º oven until just starting to barely brown, 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack for 5-6 minutes, until cool enough to handle with hands. Roll cookies in Confectioners' sugar while they're still warm.  Return to rack to cool completely, 45-60 minutes, then roll them in or dust them with Confectioners' sugar a second time.

Nobody can eat just one snowball cookie.  Nobody. 

Tart Cherry & Toasted-Pistachio Snowball Cookies:  Recipe yields 38-40, 1"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; kitchen shears; hand-held electric mixer; rubber spatula; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; 1 1/4" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note: The combination of tart cherries and pistachios is not something I haven't tried before.  It's one of my favorites flavor profiles for ~ The Holly & the Ivy:  Tart-Cherry & Pistachio Biscotti ~.  Bold and beautiful, bright-red holly berries, clustered amongst shiny, deep-green, pointy-edged ivy leaves, are colors and symbols we associate with Christmas.  Right from the first, meaning the first time my tart-cherry and toasted-pistachio biscotti revealed their sliced selves, I began calling them "holly and ivy biscotti".

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019) 

~ Mel's Herbaceous All-Purpose Breakfast Sausage ~

Home for the holidays.  There's something wonderful about waking up to the ethereal smell of coffee brewing, then taking an extra few seconds to lie your childhood bed listening to the sizzling sounds of breakfast being cooked.  Eggs with bacon, ham or sausage, there's always sizzling involved.  There's more.  Breakfast always tastes better back home sipping a cup of Folgers, eating mom's sausage, dad's eggs and a bagel served on now-vintage plates.  It's therapy.  

Sausage and eggs. It might sound kind-of run-of-the-mill, but, when the sausage is homemade, and the eggs are fried in the luscious sausage drippings, it's quite remarkable.  And newsflash: While making breakfast sausage is not quite as easy as picking up a package of loose or link sausage at the grocery store, it's pretty darn close to being that easy, AND, trust me, after one taste of this homemade sausage, you'll never look at store-bought the same way again.  Period.  

This is my (mom's) all-purpose breakfast herb-sausage mixture.  For sweet sausage, add 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar to the mix.  For hot sausage, incorporate 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

2  pounds ground pork

2  teaspoons fennel seeds

1  teaspoon each:  garlic and onion powder

1  teaspoon dried sage

1  teaspoon herbes de Provence (a blend of rosemary, marjoram, thyme and savory)

1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1  teaspoon each: coarse-grind black pepper and sea salt

~ Step 1.  Place the sausage in a medium-large bowl.  Add the herbs and spices as listed.  Using your hands, thoroughly incorporate (like you were mixing a meatloaf) the herbs and spices into the sausage mixture.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour or overnight, to allow the flavors time to marry.  Overnight is best.

~Step 2.  Use sausage as directed in any recipe calling for loose sausage (sausage out of the casing).  More often than not, I make sausage patties for breakfast or breakfast sandwiches by using a kitchen a scale to divide the mixture into 8, 4-ounce portions. I form each portion into a 4 1/2"-round disc or patty, arranging them in a 14" skillet as I work.  After frying them over medium-heat until light-golden on both sides, turning only once with a spatula, about 9 minutes per side, I fry the eggs, (sunny-side-up is my favorite) in the sausage drippings.

Sausage & Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole:

Sausage & Egg w/Cheddar, Apple & Apple Butter:

Light & Flaky Pastry-Wrapped British-Sausage Rolls:

Mel's Herbaceous All-Purpose Breakfast Sausage:  Recipe yields 2 pounds loose sausage/8, 4-ounce breakfast sausage patties.

Special Equipment List: kitchen scale; 14" nonstick skillet; spatula

Cook's Note: These not-too-sweet and slightly-savory shortbread-esque two-bite cookies called snowballs, or, depending on where you're from, also referred to as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, are the darlings of holiday cookie trays all across America. They are also the perfect sweet ending to any holiday breakfast.  Served on my mom's now vintage Christmas tree plates, try my new twist on an old favorite recipe: ~ Tart Cherry & Toasted-Pistachio Snowball Cookies ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~Light & Flaky Pastry-Wrapped British-Sausage Rolls~

Once upon a time in 1996, while sitting in a British pub in proximity to the British National Museum, while pondering what to order with our pints, a nice guy sitting next to us recommended the sausage rolls.  As Americans, Joe and I consider sausage mostly a breakfast food, but, we didn't hesitate to place the order based on the recommendation (traveling teaches that locals will never steer you wrong).  I hoisted my brew in a manner to toast the nice guy and waited, patiently, for the pub grub to be delivered, which in terms of time, was about three slurps of suds.

"Let's stop & take a break for a sausage roll."

America eats pigs-in-a-blanket.  The U.K eats sausage rolls.  

British sausage rolls are the most popular grab-and-go snack food in the United Kingdom.  It doesn't matter where you are, they are there. Resemblant of the American hotdog, they're sometimes served in small pieces as an appetizer, sometimes in one larger hotdog-sized roll as a main course.  They're sold in almost every pastry shop and pub on almost every street in almost every neighborhood.  When served with sides, mushy peas and chips (fries) are standard fare.  For condiments, for dipping, drizzling or dolloping, tangy-brown British HP sauce, Coleman's English mustard and piccallili (a chunky, vibrant-turmeric-yellow semi-sweet Branston pickle condiment) are the most common and popular.

Light & flaky puff pastry wrapped around a savory pork filling.

Puff pastry is the standard for sausage rolls because the buttery layers bake up light and flaky -- shortcrust pastry can't and won't yield the same result, so, don't be inclined to make that substitution.  Luckily, high-quality, store-bought puff pastry sheets are available everywhere, which makes making sausage rolls in the home kitchen a breeze without any compromise in end result.

British sausage, depending on where you are, varies in taste and texture throughout the U.K. Example: Cumberland sausage, Gloucester sausage, Lincolnshire sausage, Manchester sausage, Marylebone sausage, Oxford sausage, Suffolk sausage, Yorkshire sausage, etc.  This allows any cook creative license in terms of add-ins: aromatics (garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, apple etc.) and fresh or dried herbs and spices (black pepper, fennel, mace, marjoram, sage, thyme, clove, ginger, nutmeg, etc.).  I like to start with ground pork (not pork sausage) to make sausage rolls.  Adding my own blend of spices renders these:  amazing.

Once assembled, sausage rolls can be baked as a single piece, and then sliced into smaller portions after baking.  It can also formed into single, appropriate-sized portions for a single serving.  Another alternative is to slice a single log prior to baking to serve as an hors d'oeuvre. They definitely taste best served the same day they are baked, but, they can be assembled a day or two ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake and serve them.  To answer your question:  No, I do not like sausage rolls that have been frozen days or weeks prior to baking, because they taste like any other random frozen fast-food:  compromised.  Freezing any longer than the requisite 45-60 minutes to firm them up to a sliceable state is a mistake.

For my British-style fennel & herbaceous sausage rolls: 

2  pounds ground pork

2  teaspoons fennel seeds

1  teaspoon each:  garlic and onion powder

1  teaspoon dried sage

1  teaspoon herbes de Provence (a blend of rosemary, marjoram, thyme and savory) 

1  teaspoon each: coarse-grind black pepper and sea salt

1  17.3-ounce box puff pastry

1  extra-large egg

~ Step 1.  In a medium- medium-large bowl, place the ground pork and all the spices as listed.  Using your hands, thoroughly (I cannot stress thoroughly enough here) blend the spices into the pork.  Set the mixture aside about 30 minutes, to give the flavors time to marry, then, using your hands, give it one more thorough mix.  Divide the mixture in half.  If you have a kitchen scale, now is the time to use it.

~ Step 2.  Ready two large pieces of plastic wrap.  Using your hands, rough-shape/form each half of the sausage into a 10"-10 1/2" log shape.  Roll and wrap the sausage logs up tightly and secure them at both ends.  Refrigerate until chilled through, for 4-6 hours or overnight.  Overnight is best.

~Step 3.  Lightly dust a  pastry board with a bit of flour. Remove one pastry from packaging and place, lengthwise, on prepared board.  Using fingertips, carefully open the tri-folded sheet.  Using a small rolling pin, roll the pastry into a rectangle that is slightly longer than the sausage logs, approximately 11" x 18".  Slice the pastry in half, to form two long 5 1/2" x 18" pieces.  

~Step 4.  In a small bowl, crack and vigorously beat the egg with a fork.  Unwrap the sausage logs and position one log on each of the two pastry halves, about 1" from the edge of the pastry.  Using a pastry brush, paint a 1" strip along the opposite edge.  Lift the edge of the pastry closest to the sausage up and over the sausage and continue to tightly roll the log up in the pastry, ending with the log on the edge that has been painted with the egg.  Lift the painted edge up over the log and pinch the seam and the left-and-right end flaps closed.

~ Step 5.  Place the pastry-wrapped logs side-by-side, seams-side-down on a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper.  Using the pastry brush, paint the entire surface of each log with beaten egg.  Place the pan in the freezer for 45-60 minutes, to harden the pastry and firm up the meat a bit. Do not be inclined to skip this step, as this step is what makes the logs easy to slice into appetizers.

~ Step 6.  Line a second 17 1/2" x 12 3/4" baking pan or two smaller 12 1/2" x  8 3/4" pans with fresh parchment.  Slice each log into 12 pieces and place pieces, 1"-1 1/2" apart on prepared baking pan(s).  Bake in 375º oven, until pastry is puffed and golden and sausage is cooked through (160º on an instant-read meat thermometer), 30-35 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool-slightly or completely.

Serve warm or at room temp the same day they're baked: 

Light & Flaky Pastry-Wrapped British-Sausage Rolls:  Recipe yields 2 dozen appetizers.

Special Equipment List:  kitchen scale; plastic wrap; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; large pastry board; rolling pin; fork; pastry brush; instant-read meat thermometer; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note: We all have our favorite breakfast and brunch casserole recipes -- I'd be lost without mine. They taste great, they're easy to prepare, and, some can even be made ahead, but, let's face it: casseroles aren't elegant. They are: low-key, family-style, comfort food -- the blue jeans of the food world, so to speak.  Newsflash: Occasionally, it's necessary to dress up -- and that extends to the food. Try my pretty-as-a-picture recipe for ~ Sweet Sausage, Apple & Cheddar Puff Pastry Braid ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~ Baked Three-Cheesy Hot Broccoli & Pimiento Dip ~

Eat your broccoli.  That was never something my mom had to say to me.  As a kid I loved raw or cooked broccoli (cauliflower too).  Mom did too.  My dad and my brother, not so much on either count, but, they didn't 100% hate it either -- they put up with it on an occasional basis.  When broccoli was served for dinner, I knew there was going to a bonus snack later in the evening, made from preplanned-on leftovers:  A little crock of bubbling hot, creamy broccoli-cheese dip.

It wasn't fancy and only took a few minutes to mix together, but, when it came out of the oven, the Ritz crackers came out of the cabinet, and, we two sat at the kitchen counter and polished it off in about as much time as it took dad and Dave to watch three minutes of a football or basketball game: 10-15 minutes in real time.  Time marches on.  With the advent of microwave steam-and-eat broccoli and pre-shredded cheeses, mom's broccoli-cheese dip makes its way onto our snack or cocktail table a few times a year, as well as any time I'm simply in the mood for it.

It wasn't fancy & only took a few minutes to mix together:

Mom's three-cheesy hot broccoli & pimiento dip:

2  cups steamed, cooled, well-drained and rough-chopped broccoli florets (1, 10.8-ounce bag frozen steam-in-bag broccoli florets)

1  5-ounce jar Kraft Pimento Cheese Spread, at room temperature

4  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, very soft

1/4  cup mayonnaise

8  ounces finely-shredded colby-Jack cheese

3/4  teaspoon garlic powder

3/4  teaspoon onion powder

1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4  cup well-drained pimientos

4  ounces finely-shredded colby-Jack cheese

buttery crackers, for accompaniment

~Step 1.  Steam the broccoli florets in the microwave according to package directions. Remove from microwave and carefully open the bag.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli florets to a plate that has been lined with several layers of paper-towels.  Allow broccoli to drain thoroughly. When cool enough to handle with hands, transfer broccoli to a cutting board and rough-chop it.

~Step 2.  In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, place and stir together the softened pimiento cheese spread, softened cream cheese and mayonnaise.  Add and stir in the garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper.  Fold in the pimientos, followed by the colby-Jack cheese and the chopped broccoli florets.  There will be about four cups of very tasty (edible) cheese dip.

~ Step 3.  Transfer cheese dip to a 1-quart crock or casserole.  Placing the crock (or casserole) on a 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pan that has been line with parchment paper, will catch any cheesy drips that might occur in the oven. Bake on center rack of preheated 350º oven, 25-30 minutes until puffy and lightly-browned.

Pairs great w/a pitcher of bloody's for a holiday brunch:

Quick & Easy Three-Cheesy Baked Hot Broccoli Dip:  Recipe yields 4 cups.

Special Equipment List:  microwave oven; slotted spoon; paper towels; cutting board; chef's knife; large spoon; 1-quart crock or casserole; 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pan; parchment

Cook's Note: Crab bites, crab melts, crab toasties, crab melt-a-ways and crabbys (or krabbys when made with imitation krab meat).  These are just a few of the names you'll find associated with this vintage recipe.  Check out my recipe for  ~ Old English Cheese Spread & Crabmeat Canapés ~.  I often make them with the same pimento cheese spread, and, in my kitchen, they've been a staple at tailgate and holiday parties ever since.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~Gruyère & Olive-Tapenade French-Bread Appetizers~

Olive cheese bread was a trendy hot appetizer served with drinks at laid-back TGIF and fancy-schmancy holiday cocktail parties throughout the 1980's.  For the obvious reason, the olives, they were particularly popular with martini drinkers.  That said, olive cheese bread was just one of many spin-off recipes created by home cooks who were inspired by the introduction of the remarkably-tasty, frozen, store-bought, Stouffer's* French bread pizza into their lives.

*Note:  Making pizza on French bread was made famous in the 1960's by Bob Petrillose, the founder of the legendary Hot Truck on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. His experiment not only spread like wildfire, it was eventually licensed to Stouffer's in the 1970's. Shortly after that, it was marketed in grocery stores nationwide and quickly made its way into home kitchens like mine, where it remained as a go-to after-school or late-night snack for my family until Dominos started delivering.

The basic 1980's recipe for olive-cheese bread appetizers:

Recipes for olive-cheese bread appetizers were/are all about the same.  Simply split a 12-ounce French baguette in two, coarse-chop or slice 25-30 well-drained black olives and 25-30 pimiento-stuffed green olives, then stir them into a mixture of softened salted butter (1 stick), mayonnaise (1/2 cup), garlic and onion powder (1 teaspoon each), and, shredded cheddar-Jack cheese (3 cups).  Spread the mixture atop the bread and bake at 325º until bread is crisp and cheese is melted.  Slice each half-loaf into 12-16 appetizer-size pieces and serve hot.  

A tip from Mel about the bread:  My favorite bread to use for pizza-bread and pizza-bread-type snacks (crostini too), is the French batard. The batard, first kin to the baguette, weighs about 8-ounces, is shorter, plumper, and, slightly denser than Italian loaves (like ciabatta), so, it's the best foil for all sorts of toppings. It's slight lack of airiness means the end result slices up nicer, which makes for a pretty presentation too. Use whatever shape you like, as long as it is rustic and firm textured.

My updated recipe for Olive-Cheese Bread Appetizers:

When I'm making olive cheese bread nowadays, I raise the bar and make tapenade with a combination of two Greek-style olives:  briny black kalamata and garlic-stuffed green.  When it comes to tapenade, higher-quality fruit makes a difference, and, while tapenade is traditionally only made from black olives (kalamata or niçoise), I like the astringency that garlic-stuffed green olives bring to this nosh. Mine's nicely-seasoned with dried herbs de Provence and fresh thyme too, which amps-up the flavor even more.  It only takes 5-10 minutes to make tapenade, but, I make it in the AM, to give the flavors time to marry until it's time to make the appetizers for cocktail hour.  As for the cheese, nothing but shredded Gruyère goes into my upscale appetizers.

To make my upscale version of this retro appetizer:

2, 8-9-ounce, 12" long French batards, sliced in half lengthwise.  (Note:  When baked and sliced, each half-loaf will yield 8, 3-4 bite snacks, for a total of 32-appetizers.)

6  ounces olive tapenade, preferable homemade, or high-quality store-bought (about 1 cup)

8  ounces grated Gruyère cheese (about 3 cups)

1/2  cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (1 stick)

1/2  cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder (Note:  I do not use nor do I recommend using fresh garlic or onion in recipes such as this because once put in the oven, these snack breads do not bake at a high enough temperature for a long enough time to cook either product to a softened, mellow-tasting state, rendering it raw-ish and harsh-tasting in the finished product.)

1/4  cup thin-sliced scallion or scallion tops, for garnish

~Step 1.  In a medium-large bowl, using a large spoon, place and thoroughly stir together the softened butter, mayonnaise, garlic and onion powder.  Stir in the tapenade, followed by the shredded cheese.  Using the spoon, roughly divide the mixture into four equal parts -- this does not have to be an exact measurement, just a relatively close call.

~ Step 2.  Using a serrated bread knife, split each batard horizontally, into two halves, placing the half-loaves onto one large 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" pan, or two smaller 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pans (I prefer the smaller pans, so I can slice and serve the appetizers piping hot right out of the oven).  Using the spoon, dollop and spread one-quarter of the tapenade/cheese mixture atop each half-loaf, mounding it slightly towards the center.

~ Step 3.  Bake all at once (on one pan) or one-at-a time (one two separate pans) on center rack of preheated 325º oven 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is golden around the edges and on the bottom.  Remove from oven.  

Slice & serve immediately garnished w/scallion tops:

Cheesy, nicely seasoned & not too salty, bring on the cocktails: 

Cheese & Olive-Tapenade Snack-Bread Appetizers:  Recipe yields 4 French batard half-loaves/8 appetizers each half-loaf/32 total appetizers.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; hand-held box grater; large spoon; serrated bread knife;  1, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan or 2, 12 1/2" x 8 3/4" baking pans; parchment paper

Cook's Note:  For a variation on the the same French bread pizza theme, keeping a Tex-Mex cocktail party menu in mind this time, try my recipe for ~ Bacon & Jalapeno-Cheddar French Bread Snacks ~. Eat, drink and be please be merry!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~ Sweet-&-Savory-Glazed Buffalo-Chicken Meatballs ~

Everybody loves meatballs, and, rule of thumb:  one can never make too many meatballs.  When looking for a hot appetizer that is kid- and adult-friendly, relatively easy-to-make, can be made in advance, and, is perfect for a holiday party, a tailgate party, or any party any time of year, meatballs meet all the criteria.  Sweet, savory and slightly-spicy, buffalo chicken meatballs, glazed in wing sauce, are a fun way to enjoy the flavor of chicken wings with more decorum and dignity than licking ones fingertips in public and disposing of a plate full of unsightly wing bones.

Cocktail-size meatballs are perfect to serve for the holidays.

What we all know started out as late-night pub grub at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY,  Deep-Fried Chicken Wings, can now be found in many forms.  In my family alone, Nacho Mama's Buffalo Chicken Sheet-Pan Nanchos, Buffalo-Style Shredded Chicken 'n Slaw Sliders, Spicy Blue-Cheesy Buffalo-Style Chicken Dip, Spicy Blue-Cheesy Buffalo-Chicken Quesadillas, Batter-Dipped Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Subs, are, a few of our favorite creative wing-night options.  Today I've decided to add Buffalo-Chicken cocktail meatballs to my repertoire.

Cocktail-size Buffalo-chicken meatballs are festive to look at...

... loved by everyone, &, perfect for any celebration!   

2  tablespoons vegetable oil

2  ounces 1/4" diced carrot (about 6 tablespoons)

2  ounces 1/4" diced celery (about 6 tablespoons)

2  ounces 1/4"-thick sliced green onion, white and light-green part only (about 6 tablespoons), reserve green tops for garnish

1  extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1/3  cup panko breadcrumbs

2  teaspoons each:  Frank's buffalo chicken seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder & sea salt

1/4-1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for additional heat)

1 1/2  pounds chicken tenderloins, sliced into 1/2" pieces (14-15 tenderloins)

1  cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce heated and whisked together in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop with 4 tablespoons salted butter and 6 tablespoons honey, for the sweet and savory meatball glaze/dip 

1/4-1/2  cup minced scallion tops, for garnishing glazed meatballs

1  cup blue cheese or Ranch dressing, homemade or store-bought, for dipping or drizzling

carrot and celery sticks, for accopaniment

~ Step 1.  Dice carrot, celery and green onion as directed, placing them in the work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade.  Using a series of 18-20 rapid on-off pulses, process until minced.  Do not over-process.  

~Step 2.  Transfer veggies to an 8" nonstick skillet containing 2 tablespoons vegetable oil that has been placed over medium- medium-high heat.  Sauté, stirring constantly with a large spoon, until veggies are softened, 2 1/2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool, 5-10 minutes.

~Step 3.  In a small bowl or ramekin, break and beat the egg with a fork.  Stir in the breadcrumbs and set aside about 5-10 minutes, to soften these remarkably crunchy breadcrumbs a bit.  

~Step 4.  While breadcrumbs are softening, slice the chicken tenders as directed, adding them to the food processor as you work.  Toss in the dry spices:  the Frank's buffalo chicken seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and optional cayenne pepper.  Using a series of 20-22 rapid on-off-pulses, coarsely-grind the chicken.  Add the vegetable sauté and pulse, 10-12 times, to combine.  Add the softened panko and pulse again, 10-12 more times, to combine.

~ Step 5.  Line a 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan with parchment paper.  Using a 1" ice-cream scoop as a measure in connection with the palms of your hands, form and drop rounded balls of chicken mixture onto prepared pan.  You will have approximately 6 dozen meatballs.  Bake meatballs on center rack of preheated 360º-375º oven until light golden and just cooked through, about 8-9 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Skewer two meatballs on each of 3 dozen toothpicks and dip meatballs in a small bowl containing Franks buffalo wing sauce, placing meatballs on a serving platter or individual plates as you work.

Serve w/blue cheese or Ranch dip + celery & carrot sticks:  

Sweet-&-Savory-Glazed Buffalo-Chicken Meatballs:  Recipe yields 6 dozen meatballs and 3 dozen appetizers.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; kitchen scale (optional but recommended); food processor; 8" nonstick skillet; large spoon or spatula; fork;  17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; 1" ice-cream scoop; 3 dozen toothpicks (2 meatballs per toothpick)

Cook's Note: Wander into a bar -- any bar, anywhere in America. Buffalo wings are on the pub grub menu. No description is necessary. You know you're getting unbreaded, deep-fried wingettes and drumettes coated in a vivid-red vinegar-based cayenne pepper and melted butter sauce.  They'll most likely arrive with celery and carrot sticks, and either blue cheese or Ranch dressing for dipping or drizzling.  When you order your wings, you will typically be asked to specify if you want your wings coated in a mild, medium or hot version of the sauce.  Buffalo wing sauce is a classic concoction.  Click on this link to get my copycat recipe for ~ Frank's-Style Buffalo-Style Chicken Wing Sauce ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~ Six Recipes for Fabulously-Flavored Holiday Fudge ~

Fudge is especially popular on the the boardwalks of the East coast in the Summertime.  That said, it is also perfect for gift-giving during the holidays.  Because it can be made several weeks in advance and stored (covered) in the the refrigerator, I like to make several flavors, then, assemble gift-boxes containing assorted flavors to share with family and friends.  It's a fun, relaxing way to ease into the holiday spirit, and it's a great addition to a tray of assorted cookies too.

This all-American confection dates back to the late 1880s.

Fudge originated in America in the latter 19th Century.  Recipes began appearing in periodicals and advertisements in the late 1880's, and, it gained in popularity because it could be made at home on the stovetop with a few ingredients and without the need for special equipment.  Sugar, butter and milk got heated to the soft-ball stage (240ºF), then, it got beaten while it cooled so that it acquired a smooth, creamy consistency.  It appealed to people who were looking for an alternative to candy that fell in between expensive, fancy candies and the cheapest of sweets.

Like many good things, fudge was created by accident.

Like many things, it happened by accident. Fudge was first documented in 1886 by students who were making and selling it at the Malmesbury School in Baltimore, Maryland.  As the story goes, they were trying to make caramels and "fudged" the recipe. This probably explains why fudge, along with another historical accident, salt water taffy, are sold as staples on the boardwalks of the Eastern Shore.  True American-style fudge is very smooth and creamy, not grainy, crumbly or cloyingly, tooth-achingly sweet.  When served at room temperature, it is almost spreadable, and, on the boardwalks they traditionally serve it accompanied by a little plastic "tasting" knife. Fudge is often gussied up with additions of nuts and/or dried fruit, or, by swirling two flavors together.

I've tasted a lot of fudge in my lifetime (mostly while walking the boardwalks of the NJ and Maryland shores), but quite honestly, a recipe I was given by my mom's neighbor Agnes is so delicious, user-friendly and foolproof, I've never been inclined to experiment with other versions (which all to often complicate the process to the the point of "why bother").  I am here to tell you:  you don't need a degree in food science, a marble slab, or even a candy thermometer to make great fudge.  I am a purist about a lot of things, but let's get real:  fudge was born out of error -- how complicated do we need to make it?  BTW:  Fralinger's in Ocean City, NJ, is one of my all-time favorite "haunts" for purchasing all flavors of salt water taffy and fabulous fudge.  I adore the Jersey shore.

The ideal pan & the ideal way to prepare a pan for fudge:

A bit about the ideal "fudge pan": After fudge is cooked (on the stovetop), it gets transferred to a baking pan to cool.  Most recipes require an 8" x 8" x 2" or 13" x 9" x 2" pan, and most folks have one or both.  That said, for a perfect presentation, professional baking pans with square-edged corners (instead of rounded ones) are ideal. Better than that, are square pans with square-corners and removable bottoms, which make removing the fudge remarkably easy.  A few years ago, I made a small investment of about $20.00 per pan in several sizes (4" x 4", 6" x 6", 8" x 8", 9" x 9", 10" x 10" and 12" x 12").  I love them.

Having a pan like this is not a requirement for any fudge recipe, but it does make for fudge with pretty, uniform corners when cut.  Prior to preparing fudge, line an 8" x 8" x 2" baking pan with plastic wrap that drapes over the sides by 2"-3". Cut an 8" x 8" square of parchment and place it in the bottom atop the plastic wrap.

My basic (foolproof) "Killer Fudge" recipe:

When I was growing up, our neighbor loved to bake and her sweet treats made their way to our table often.  Every year, on Christmas Eve, Agnes joined our family for dinner and graced our dessert table with a plate of fudge -- we came to expect it.  No matter what the flavor, with or without lightly-toasted nuts and/or coconut added to it, it was always a hit.  When my now forty-something son was about three, he was allowed to take his first taste of her dark chocolate fudge. "That's a killer."  Mom's and dad's guests roared with laughter and "Killer Fudge" got its name.

14  ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can), NOT evaporated milk

2  teaspoons vanilla extract + up to 2 additional teaspoons each of 2 additional extracts or flavorings (up to 6 teaspoons total extract)

4  ounces mini-marshmallows

4  ounces salted butter

16  ounces "chocolate-product-morsels" such as:  dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon, peanut butter, etc.

6-8 ounces optional add-ins such as: lightly-toasted chopped nuts and/or sweetened flaked coconut, peppermint bits, toffee bits, chopped dried fruits, etc.

Dark Chocolate Lover's Killer Dark-Chocolate Fudge:

Milk-Chocolate & Toasted-Coconut Lover's Fudge:

Butterscotch & Bits-O-Toffee Brickle Lover's Fudge:

Cinnamon-Apple Maple-Walnut Lover's Killer Fudge:

Double-Cherry & Double-Vanilla Lover's Killer Fudge:

Ultimate-Best Peanut-Butter Lover's Killer Fudge:

"We are all in this fabulously-flavored fudgy food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)

~The Ultimate-Best Peanut-Butter Killer Fudge Recipe~

If it's full-throttle roasted-peanut flavor and crunch you crave, there's no need to look elsewhere for a peanut butter fudge recipe. Lightly-roasted peanuts, crunchy peanut butter, peanut-butter morsels, and, peanut butter flavoring team up in my version, and, trust me, nobody can eat just one piece of this peanutty fudge.  There's more.  This recipe (which has been tested, tasted and approved by many experienced cooking friends) is super-easy to make, not to mention foolproof, so, for those who've never tried making fudge before, or novice cooks, this recipe is ideal.

Everyone remembers their first bite of fudge -- that creamy, semi-soft confection made with corn syrup and/or sugar, butter, cream and flavoring.  Hands-down, the most popular flavor is dark chocolate, with milk chocolate in second.  Peanut butter, butterscotch, maple and vanilla are all contenders for the third spot.  When I was growing up, Agnes was our next-door neighbor. She loved to bake, and throughout the years her sweet treats made their way to our table often.  

Every year, on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve, Agnes joined our family for dinner and graced our dessert table with a plate of fudge -- we came to expect it.  No matter what the flavor, with or without lightly-toasted nuts and/or coconut added to it, it was always a hit.  When my now forty-something son was about three, he was allowed his first taste of Agnes's dark chocolate fudge. "That's a killer."  Mom's guests roared with laughter and "Killer Fudge" got its name.

My Killer Peanut Butter Fudge is a spin-off of Agnes's base recipe.

Fudge is an America institution that originated in America.  Like many things, it happened by accident. Fudge was first documented in 1886 by students who were making and selling it at the Malmesbury School in Baltimore, Maryland.  As the story goes, they were trying to make caramels and "fudged" the recipe. This probably explains why fudge, along with another historical accident, salt water taffy, are sold as staples on the boardwalks of the Eastern Shore.  True American-style fudge is very smooth and creamy, not grainy, crumbly or cloyingly, tooth-achingly sweet.  When served at room temperature, it is almost spreadable, and, on the boardwalks they traditionally serve it accompanied by a little plastic "tasting" knife. Fudge is often gussied up with additions of nuts and/or dried fruit, or, by swirling two flavors together.

I've tasted a lot of fudge in my lifetime (mostly while walking the boardwalks of the NJ and Maryland shores), but quite honestly, Agnes's delicious, user-friendly recipe is so wonderful, I've never been inclined to experiment with other versions (which all to often complicate the process to the the point of "why bother").  I am here to tell you:  you don't need a degree in food science, a marble slab, or even a candy thermometer to make great fudge.  I am a purist about a lot of things, but let's get real:  fudge was born out of error -- how complicated do we need to make it?  BTW:  Fralinger's in Ocean City, NJ, is one of my all-time favorite "haunts" for purchasing all flavors of salt water taffy and fudge.

The ideal pan & the ideal way to prepare a pan for fudge:

A bit about the ideal "fudge pan": After fudge is cooked (on the stovetop), it gets transferred to a baking pan to cool.  Most recipes require an 8" x 8" x 2" or 13" x 9" x 2" pan, and most folks have one or both.  That said, for a perfect presentation, professional baking pans with square-edged corners (instead of rounded ones) are ideal. Better than that, are square pans with square-corners and removable bottoms, which make removing the fudge remarkably easy.  A few years ago, I made a small investment of about $20.00 per pan in several sizes (4" x 4", 6" x 6", 8" x 8", 9" x 9", 10" x 10" and 12" x 12").  I love them.

Having a pan like this is not a requirement for any fudge recipe, but it does make for fudge with pretty, uniform corners when cut.  Prior to preparing fudge, line an 8" x 8" x 2" baking pan with plastic wrap that drapes over the sides by 2"-3". Cut an 8" x 8" square of parchment and place it in the bottom atop the plastic wrap.

Making, cooling & slicing Killer Peanut-Butter Fudge:

To make killer peanut-butter fudge:

4  ounces miniature-sized marshmallows

1  14-ounce can condensed milk

2  teaspoons each:  peanut butter flavoring and pure vanilla extract

4  ounces cubed salted butter

16 ounces peanut butter morsels

6-8  ounces coarsely-chopped and lightly-toasted peanuts 

1/2  cup chunky peanut butter

~ Step 1.  Be sure to choose raw, unsalted, peanuts -- not the roasted, salted peanuts that come in a can. While they're great to eat out-of-hand, they are too salty to use in this recipe. Place peanuts in a shallow baking pan. Toast on center rack of preheated 350º oven, 6-8 minutes, stopping to toss with a spoon about every 2 minutes during the process.  Remove from oven and cool about 15-20 minutes.

~Step 2. In a 4-quart saucepan, stir together the condensed milk, peanut butter flavoring, vanilla extract and marshmallows.  Over low heat, melt  marshmallows into the condensed milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth, uniform in color and foamy, 5-6 minutes.  Turn the heat off.

~Step 3.  With saucepan on the still warm stovetop, add and stir in the butter pieces, peanut butter morsels, peanuts and peanut butter.  Stir constantly and somewhat vigorously, until the butter and chocolate morsels have melted into the marshmallow mixture and the mixture is smooth (except for the brickle bits) and uniform in color, approximately 1-2 more minutes.

~Step 4.  Transfer fudge to prepared pan.  Using a rubber spatula, distribute fudge into sides and corners of pan.  Give the pan several vigorous back and forth shakes to evenly distribute the fudge.  Set aside, uncovered, for 1 hour -- the surface of the fudge will appear matt and dry (no longer glossy or wet).  Cover with the plastic wrap that is draping over the sides of the pan and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.  Overnight is best as the fudge is very firm and easier to cut.

~ Step 5.  Transfer fudge from pan to cutting board by pushing up on the removable pan bottom, by  pulling up on the plastic wrap, or, by inverting pan and pushing down on pan bottom. Remove plastic wrap and peel back parchment. Using a ruler and a knife, measure and score top.  Cut into 32 logs or 64 squares.

Arrange fudge on a plate, cover w/plastic wrap & keep refrigerated until 10-15-20 minutes prior to serving slightly-softened.

The Ultimate-Best Peanut-Butter Killer Fudge Recipe: Recipe yields 32, 1" x 2" logs, or, 64, 1" squares.

Special Equipment List: shallow baking pan; spoon; 1, 8" x 8" x 2" baking pan, preferably w/straight-edged corners and removable bottom; plastic wrap; parchment paper; kitchen scale; kitchen shears; 4-quart saucepan; large spoon; cutting board; ruler; large chef's knife

Cook's Note: Once cut into desired-sized pieces, store fudge in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment or wax paper, in a cool, dry, place, or in the refrigerator, for up to a month.  To make a large, triple batch of fudge (all at once) for the holidays, cook it on the stovetop in an 8-quart stockpot and pour it into a 16" x 12" x 2"  professional-type rectangular-shaped cake pan.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)