Meet my new friend, the Friand…

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Sarah Nasello

I’m challenging myself this spring and summer to learn at least two new baked good recipes each month. I plan to make each new item at least three times within a 10-day period, which will allow me to try out several different versions of a recipe, and hopefully master any special technique along the way.

I find that repeating a recipe several times within a short period of time helps me learn the new food better, and increases the chance that I’ll actually make it part of my permanent repertoire.

Last weekend I began my baking challenge with Madeleine cookies and Friand cakes, and was very pleased with the results from both recipes. The friands, which I’d never even heard of before, were especially delightful, with their charming oval shapes and almond fragrance. I sense an obsession coming on.

I made my second run with friands today, with a different recipe from the one I tried last week. Both versions were a hit with my fan-base (of relatives), but I think last week’s version was slightly better. In both cases I topped the friands with raspberries and apples, and today I also tried blackberries.

Below are some pics of today’s friands, and I’ll have a more complete blog post with additional photos and recipe details later next week once I’ve completed the trial.

I’ll be making the second batch of Madeleine cookies tonight, and will post those pictures here tomorrow. As I return to the kitchen, I wonder if you’re baking this weekend and, if so, what are you making?

I Lied…

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Sarah Nasello

I have to confess…I lied. In my earlier blog post/homage to Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons titled “The Perfect Cookie,” I wrote that I hardly dared to deviate from Ina’s perfect recipe. And this was true when I wrote it. But, as I was baking into the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, I did just that.

You have to understand–this is something I rarely do, and the main reason why I prefer baking over cooking. With baking, if you have a good recipe, buy the best-quality ingredients and follow the instructions to the letter, you’re nearly guaranteed to get a good result.

I had already started down the path toward deviance with a batch of Chocolate Mint Buttermilk Brownies. Buttermilk Brownies are a staple in my baking repertoire, but I wanted to make them extra special for our 12th Anniversary Celebration at Sarello’s. So, I added some peppermint extract to the frosting, and was planning to sprinkle the top with crushed candy canes.

I was waiting for them to finish baking when I realized I still had half a bag of coconut in pantry just waiting to be used. I decided to make a quick half-batch of macaroons which could bake while I cleaned up the kitchen.

But, instead of following the recipe as I usually do, I decided to experiment, again. I don’t know what came over me to cause such reckless abandon to my baking protocol, but it was way past my bedtime and I’d been baking for hours already. My guard was down, and I needed a reason to stay up to clean the kitchen instead of heading to bed.

So, I went to my pantry and took out the cocoa powder. I added one tablespoon to the coconut mixture before folding in the egg whites, and prepared 25 cookies for baking. After I popped them in the oven, I waited with bated breath to see how they turned out. What if I’d ruined Ina’s perfect recipe? Worse yet, what if Ina found out?

25-30 minutes later, I was pleased to see that my “daring” addition of cocoa powder had not altered the outcome of this perfect cookie. And when I had my focus group test them in the morning, they received two thumbs up.

On Friday, I followed up my experiment by baking a full batch of Chocolate Macaroons, and this time I added one and a half tablespoons. Again, they turned out beautifully, but I think I might bump the cocoa powder up to two tablespoons the next time I experiment. Just to see what happens.

Are you a protocol baker, or a renegade in the kitchen? I’ve always thought of myself as the former, but I enjoyed my little excursion into the unknown more than I expected. I may have to reconsider the label. It might just be time to get a little crazy in the kitchen.

Happy Baking!

Click the link for the recipe to Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons.

The Perfect Cookie

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Sarah Nasello

Last night, Friday, was the start of our 12th Anniversary Celebration at Sarello’s, and the launch of our Sarello’s Twelve Days of Christmas. For the next twelve business days, we will have special events and promotions to say thank you to all who have supported Sarello’s for the past twelve years. We’ll have door prizes, special drinks, mystery $12 deals, and more. And every day we’ll feature a holiday treat at the bar, to be enjoyed by all. You’re welcome to join our celebration.

Tonight’s holiday treat is going to be Baby Macaroons. Without a doubt, my favorite culinary icon (other than The Lost Italian) is Ina Garten. I love her TV show, The Barefoot Contessa, and I’ve tried many recipes from her vast empire of cookbooks. Her recipes aren’t complicated – they are detailed but have few ingredients, and rarely involve fancy cooking techniques. And they always turn out as expected. Since I am not the trained chef in our family, I appreciate the simple approach Ina takes toward food and I will forever be a fan of the Barefoot Contessa.

Baking is a passion of mine, and for the past seven years I have included Ina’s recipe for Coconut Macaroons in my Christmas repertoire. These foolproof cookies win rave reviews whenever I serve them. They are a perennial favorite in our home and, between Tony and Giovanni, I can hardly bake them fast enough.

The macaroons turn out perfectly every time, and can be made in a variety of sizes. When I tell people how easy they are to make (there are only 5 ingredients in this recipe), they roll their eyes as if to say, “I could never make them turn out like this.”

But, if you follow this simple recipe, you can, and will, have success – I promise. Ina’s recipe suggests using a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, but in recent years I’ve turned to using a 1-inch scoop which results in cookies that are just a little bigger than bite-size. For tonight I’ve borrowed some scoops from Sarello’s to make even smaller cookies, perfectly sized to pop right into your mouth.

Sometimes I sprinkle them with a light dusting of colored sugar for the holidays, or drizzle them with melted chocolate. But that’s about as far as I dare to deviate from her perfect recipe. For tonight, I’ll remain a purist and let the Macaroons speak for themselves.

I love to package the macaroons in clear treat bags tied with Christmas ribbons, or in pretty gift boxes with holiday cellophane to give to friends and teachers throughout the season. People are delighted to receive something homemade, and even more pleased when they taste the macaroons. So take the plunge and jazz up your holiday baking with Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons. And when they turn out (which they will), be sure to add one of Ina’s beautiful cookbooks to your collection. Click on the link below to view just the recipe.

Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons

Makes: 24 to 36 cookies

Ingredients:
14 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 extra-large egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites and salt on high speed, until they form medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the batter onto the sheet using a 1 ¾-inch ice cream scoop; for smaller cookies use a 1-inch scoop or a teaspoon to drop batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve

Peppermint Bark & Panettone Bread Pudding

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Sarah Nasello

Welcome to “Home with The Lost Italian” on AreaVoices! We are so happy that you have found us here. Tony and I are enjoying our new roles as food columnists for The Forum, and love having this opportunity to share our passion for food, wine and life with you.

Our column appears in the SheSays section of The Forum every Wednesday, and we’ll also feature it here on the blog every Thursday. On some occasions, due to space limitations, our weekly column gets edited in order to accommodate the accompanying photos and recipes. So, every Thursday, you can find the full, unedited version right here on AreaVoices. Throughout the week, we’ll also post about what we’re cooking at home, at Sarello’s, and hopefully even about what some of you are cooking at home, too!

This week’s column is all about holiday baking, and what makes this time of year special for us. We hope you enjoy the recipes and would love to hear from you. Please send us any questions or suggestions you may have about food, wine, Italy, or whatever else is on your mind. You can post right here on the blog in the comments section, or send us an email to: dine@sarellos.com. We’ll answer your questions every Monday right here on the blog.

PEPPERMINT BARK & PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
(excerpts of this post appeared in the Nov. 28 edition of The Forum)

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the holiday season is now fully upon us. We love this time of year, and everything that comes with the holidays: the music, parties, decorations, bell ringers, and just the general good cheer in the air. But, what we look forward to the most is baking holiday goodies with our eight-year-old son, Giovanni.

In our home we begin our baking tradition on the day after Thanksgiving, and each year we always start with the same special treat, Peppermint Bark. My mother made Peppermint Bark for us every year when I was growing up, and it has now become Giovanni’s favorite. The peppermint flavor shines in this mixture of creamy and crunchy textures, and it’s always good to have on hand near the mistletoe. All year long we look forward to the Friday after Thanksgiving, and hail the return of Peppermint Bark to our home.

This pretty holiday candy is delicious to eat and easy to make. All you need is one pack of white almond bark, twelve large candy canes, peppermint extract and wax paper. When I started making Peppermint Bark with Giovanni six years ago, I used a food processor to chop the candy canes instead of smashing them to bits in a plastic bag. I did this mostly for convenience, but this technique ended up creating a more refined texture to the candy, which turned out to be a hit among our family and friends.

Peppermint Bark’s soft pink color provides a nice contrast when placed on a holiday cookie platter, adding a lovely burst of color among a sea of brown-toned goodies. It also makes a great hostess or teacher gift when packaged in holiday trimmings.

Tony’s recipe this week features a traditional Italian fruitcake called Panettone, which originated in the city of Milan. Not to be confused with our American version of fruitcake, Panettone is a light, moist, flavorful cake more like a bread, with candied orange peel, lemon zest and raisins. It is wonderful served in slices after a meal, or even for breakfast. On this occasion, however, Tony uses it to spice up a traditional comfort dessert, with his recipe for Panettone Bread Pudding.

“Panettone is the King of Christmas Cakes in Italian culture,” Tony says. “In Etobicoke, the Toronto neighborhood where I grew up, the grocery stores and bakeries would be stacked with huge displays of Panettone. Big, bright boxes in every color, tied with fancy ribbons, all ready to give to your friends and loved ones. To me, Panettone signifies, hey, Christmas is here now.”

“Bread pudding is a popular dessert found in many countries, and originated as a way to use leftover bread.” Tony says. “I like using the Panettone for this recipe, because the bread is already filled with the flavors of the holiday season.”

“We use bread pudding in both savory and sweet dishes at Sarello’s,” Tony says. “But what I like about bread pudding even more than its versatility, is how easy it is to make .”

Soaking the Panettone in the wet ingredients before baking ensures that every piece of bread is moist. To further ensure the outcome, place your baking dish in a water bath to prevent the bread pudding from burning, curdling or drying out during baking.

For this occasion, we served the bread pudding with fresh berries and a dollop of vanilla gelato. Tony took it one step further and drizzled a bit of Sarello’s Chocolate Zabaglione over the top – a touch that was a big hit with our food photographer, Dave. But you can also enjoy it with our homemade Caramel Sauce, a recipe we featured over the Thanksgiving holiday.

With only twenty-six shopping days left before Christmas, keep your baking schedule easy and fun with these simple, yet crowd-pleasing, recipes. To get the recipes, just click on the links provided below.

Panettone Bread Pudding
Peppermint Bark
Caramel Sauce