For No Mere Mortal Can Resist...

A friend of mine, who is a very talented baker, told me I should try to make homemade donuts. Because I have made a career of avoiding baking and cooking with hot oil; I told her to just open a damn bakery and then we’ll discuss donuts. She muttered something under her breath and a fist fight ensued.


I decided that Halloween morning was the perfect time to try the donut experiment. Why not start AND end the day with treats? That’s what I’m talking about! I gathered my ingredients and necessary equipment, riddled with anxiety over having to deal with hot oil. Well, after all was said and done and I sat down to a plate of warm, chewy donuts; my fears vanished and a monster was born. An exuberant, sugary “when-we-can-do this-again” monster. Here's the recipe I used:

1 8-count package of Pillsbury biscuit dough

Vegetable Oil

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Pour enough oil in saucepan to cover two inches; heat on medium-high. While oil is heating up, lay each biscuit on cookie sheet or large plate. Lightly flatten each one with your hand. Using a 1 inch round cookie cutter, cut a hole in each one. Add 3 or 4 donuts to the oil and cook each side for 1 minute, they will turn golden brown. Remove the donuts from the pan with a slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to absorb the oil. Repeat and cook the remaining donuts and holes. Add the cinnamon sugar to a large bowl or paper bag. Toss the donuts in the mixture and ENJOY. They’re just as fun to make as they are to eat.

Happy Halloween!

Me and Mario Down By The Schoolyard

If you’ve spent any time on the Cheeseburger fan page, you know that I had been eagerly anticipating the opening of Eataly, the 50,000 square foot Italian food mecca in New York City. The first U.S. location, Eataly was brought to you courtesy of Bastianich & Co.

Eataly is broken up into various sections, each with its own market and restaurant. The front area starts with a Lavazza coffee bar and leads into a gelato bar. You can buy chocolates and various confections, sit and enjoy the people watching and an espresso. As you move toward the back, the Panini bar meets the cheese and cured meats area. This is the point you think you've just found heaven but you're only at heaven's summer home. There's something larger and even more grand awaiting you.

My eyes got huge while perusing the seafood, beef, pasta, vegetable and bakery areas. Oh my god, there’s even a wine bar. Having heard about their in-house vegetable butcher, we decided to have lunch at Le Verdure. The nice thing about dining in is that you have to check in at a kiosk and from there you are seated. After ordering a bottle of wine, we ordered the Zuppa di verdure, raw vegetable salad and a combination plate containing a rice salad, soup and caponata. All beautifully presented, colorful and what flavors! Oh, how far we've come, from eating grey canned green beans to perfectly cooked, bright vegetable soup! Or how about heirloom tomatoes, lightly dressed in a lemon citronette? Clearly, the vegetable butcher means business.

After lunch, we shopped each area; stopping for salumi, porchetta, fine Italian chocolates, pasta sauce and baby vegetables. Dried pasta for miles, beautiful packages of candies, aged vinegars, Italian beers. There's no end to the fun you could have and spend a pretty penny in the process. After chatting with a manager who told us about La Scuola, led by Dean Lidia Bastianich, plans were made to check out an upcoming cooking class. A rooftop beer garden is also in the works, making Eataly an all encompassing culinary mecca. 

A fun highlight of the trip was seeing Mr. "4 stars" Batali in the store when we arrived. He spotted me across the room, complimented me on the new leggings and insisted on cooking a private lunch. If you ask him about it, you get a completely different version of the story. Whatever Mario.

Eataly NYC

The Coffee Trade - Avon, CT

It’s official, school has started and everyone is “back”. The changing weather and increased traffic can only mean one thing…a return to hot beverages. I’d like to dedicate this post to the unsung hero of my food world, coffee. And where does the Cheeseburger get her coffee? At the Coffee Trade of course! Always trying to support local businesses, they are a little slice of heaven in the hurried world we live in.

The Coffee Trade is one of those places that comes to mind when you hear someone say they would love to open a coffee shop. The husband and wife owners have created a cozy and interesting place, he the roaster and she responsible for the antiques that fill each space in the old farmhouse. Don’t worry, you can get your frou-frou drinks here, but the focus is on the coffee. They offer an interesting variety daily, ranging from the perfect morning brew “Olde Trade Blend” to my new favorite “Brazilian Dark Roast”. No matter the blend; they are smooth, rich with flavor and unique.

Order in and linger at one of the outdoor spaces or find your way to one of the tables inside. I dare you to walk in and not browse the selection of tea, vintage jewelry and other eye-catching items in the front room. It’s nearly impossible and somewhere in that room you will find the perfect gift for yourself or a friend.

Next time you are in the Avon area, stop by and savor a cup of coffee. Don’t you deserve it? If you can’t make it to the shop, check out the website for coffees that can be shipped to you. I am a big fan of their dark roasts for the French Press!


The Coffee Trade

It wasn’t a rock, it was a rock lobster!

Man, do I have some major writer’s block this week! It’s officially the Cheeseburger blog’s 1st birthday and I have nothing to say! Super!


I decided a fitting tribute would be to highlight a New England summertime favorite and the topic of many a heated discussion…the lobster roll. On a recent trip to the Cape (a requirement of every New England resident); I feasted on a wonderful lobster roll at PJ’s on Rt. 6 in Wellfleet. Now, I am not of those seafood nuts who eats them every day, screaming about who has the best one and “don’t go there, they use celery” or “they use potato rolls, what the fu*k”. All I know is we were simply enjoying vacation and a meal of simple elegance. Sweet lobster dressed oh so lightly with mayo on a toasted roll. I was always a hot buttered lobster girl, but I’ve changed my tune! It was so good that we went back a few days later. Apparently, the dude from “Ace of Cakes” declared them his favorite lobster roll on a Food Network show. Hey, if a cake expert tells me to eat lobster, I’m there.

PJ’s is a no-nonsense family place, offering seafood, fried chicken, ice cream, to name a few things. We also tried the clam chowder, and although I prefer mine thicker, it did have a buttery rich flavor and CLAMS. I know, weird concept. If you want no-frills seafood done right, give it a try next time you venture up to the Cape!

Jam On It

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia! You will be cursing me by the end of this post, because that commercial will be stuck in your head for all eternity. Who hasn’t been blessed with a Chia Pet, purchased lovingly at a local Walgreens or Big Lots just for you? Well, my friends, the joke is on the gift giver! Chia seeds are actually an edible superfood; full of essential fatty acids and antioxidants, to name a few. I’ve been using them as an alternative to flaxseed and have discovered they are a perfect thickener in certain recipes. I decided to try them in homemade jam and loved the results. You can adjust the maple syrup depending on your taste preference. I bet a pinch of cinnamon would taste great too! Use the jam as a spread on scones; try spooning it into your yogurt or oatmeal.


Fresh Mixed Berry Jam

3 cups fresh berries (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons real maple syrup (you may want to add more if you prefer a sweeter jam)

½ cup apple or any type of fruit juice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

Mix chia seeds into fruit juice and let soak until juice thickens, at least 30 minutes. It should be gelatinous; you can add more seeds if necessary. In a blender or food processer, combine the seed mixture, berries, lemon juice and syrup. Pulse a couple of time or until you achieve your desired consistency. Pour into a bowl and chill. Makes approx. 3 cups





I want my baby back, baby back, baby back ribs….

You like tomato, I like tomahto

Have you ever considered yourself to be lycopene deficient? The only way to combat such a problem is to attend an heirloom tomato tasting, which I did over the weekend. One of my two “must do” food events of the year, Tomato To-mah-to is a local event sponsored by the Connecticut Slow Food chapter. Located on the Upper Forty Farm in Cromwell and featuring over 100 varieties of tomatoes, it’s a fitting way to celebrate summer. As if that isn’t quite enough, there are several area chefs creating dishes featuring tomatoes along with Connecticut food artisans. Dill Cheesecake from the Pond House, Green Tomato Pie at Bloodroot, Beltane Farms cheese, were some of the standouts this year.

If you’ve never tried an heirloom tomato, you are missing out. Forget about your usual supermarket tomato; heirloom varieties come in a rainbow of colors, an incredible range of flavors, name and sizes. How about a tiny version in a husk that tastes like a pineapple? Or a vibrant green tomato called "Green Chile" with a crisp, almost apple-like flavor? Leave the dress at home, all you need is a dash of olive oil for your "Nebraska Wedding". It’s not too late to enjoy them either, check out your local farm market. As we left the festival, bags full of bread, cheese and vegetables, we looked forward to the annual "post festival" supper....a glorious tribute to the carefree days of summer.

Green Tomato Pie - served at Bloodroot - this dish is incredible!!


A savory dish that appears to be Pennsylvania Dutch in origin. Proportions are hard to be specific about in this recipe since it depends on how big your pan is and how many green tomatoes you have. From Roberta (Sage) of A Woman's Place, Athol, NY

1) Make pie crust (see recipe index) using 9 c. white flour, 2 1/4 t. salt, 1 lb. plus 1/2 stick sweet butter, 2/3 c. vegetable shortening, and 1 1/2 c. ice water.

2) Using a large pan, for example, one 11" x 17", roll out enough pie crust to fit and line pan.

3) Thickly slice 8-10 very hard green tomatoes, removing stem end.

4) Slice 2 very large onions and sauté in fry pan in 1/2 stick sweet butter
5) Slice 1 lb. Swiss cheese and 1 lb. Muenster cheese.

6) Sprinkle pie crust lined pan with bread crumbs. Layer tomato slices, cheeses and sautéed onions in pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. AIso sprinkle over about 2Tb. brown sugar. Repeat layers until ingredients are used up. Top with more bread crumbs and a sprinkle of wine vinegar.

7) Roll out crust to top pie. Crimp edges and slash. Bake at 375° until brown. When it begins to brown, the top crust can be brushed with milk to glaze it. Leftover portions can be reheated in an oven or toaster oven.

Serves 10-12

Who Can It Be Now?

Ding Dong! What? There’s no one at the door? That’s because your neighbor just dropped a bag of zucchini on your doorstep and ran like hell! Now what are you going to do? You are going to bake, that’s what! Not your usual zucchini bread, how about Chocolate Zucchini Cake? Oh yeah. I make this every summer, just like my grandmother did. It’s a cross between cake and a brownie, rich and moist. I don’t frost it, preferring to eat plain or with vanilla ice cream. There are few ingredients and after whipping up a few batches, you might want to invite your neighbor in for coffee and cake next time.

Ingredients

1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan; then lightly “flour” the pan with cocoa.

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, brownies will spring back when touched.
Cut into squares and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! They also freeze very well.