jaclin-in-chicago is making these on christmas morning.

and so am i.
(you should too.)


will let you know how they turn out. but they've never let us down yet.

the ingredients (note: it should read 4 pkgs. of yeast - not 4 oz.).....

my sister's recipe card

diced butter for faster melting

scalded milk (i used cream this time)

hot cream added to butter and sugar

yeast, flour and salt and eggs and...

filling ingredients minus  orange peel

dough and filling components

finished rolls

please make them!! 

and then we made some muffaletta!

italian rounds split and hollowed

olive salad* spread on bottom half with a layer of sopresatta on next

then the provolone

some spinach leaves

capicola

then the mozzarella and mortadella

finally, another smear of olive salad on the top half

close them up. wrap them in foil or plastic and press them under the weight of a pot of water for 30 minutes then refrigerate for at least several hours

slice into wedges and nosh away (photo coming tomorrow when we devour ours).

marcy taught me how to make this

and she graduated from the french culinary institute, so there.

one dish wonder

it contains one of my favorite foods ever.......

rapini (aka broccoli rabe)

add to it some garlic, red pepper flakes, cannellini, italian sausage, parm reggi and a pound of orecchiette and you've got yourself a platter full of vitamin goodness.

it's an easy weeknight supper, requiring only two pots. here's how:

trim and coarsely chop your rapini (i used 2 bunches for a pound of pasta).

bring large pot of salted water to boil.

blanch rapini for 3 minutes and move to ice bath (use tongs or a slotted spoon so you don't dump out the water. you'll be cooking the pasta in it next)

remove sausage from casings (1/2 pound should be enough) and brown. then drain on paper towels.

add 2 T olive oil to pan and saute 1/2 an onion, finely diced for 2-3 minutes, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 t red pepper flakes (or more if you like!) and cook a little longer. 

boil your pasta in the rapini water.

add rapini and sausage to saute pan along with a can of cannellini and a cup of chicken stock. stir and cover to heat through.

drain your pasta and combine with the rapini mixture.

pile it onto a platter and sprinkle with 1 T lemon juice (if you have it) and some parm reggi before serving.

and here's another often-requested rapini crostini recipe.  you'll want to eat them all yourself. but sharing is recommended. 

sarah g's favorite dish

i made this last week for "teeny tiny group" (hi broomski), and was thrilled to find out that chicken pot pie is a favorite dish of one of my favorite "groupers"- sarah. she especially liked this version because of it's secret ingredient.....and i quote sarah here: "Omg, I'm never not putting bacon in chicken pot pie again!!!".   and i'm encouraging you to make the same commitment. because like so many other things, bacon just makes it better.

the recipe is not very different from the one i use for chicken and dumplings in that they both start with a homemade chicken stock:

some sauteed veggies (this time in bacon fat):

fresh herbs (thyme here):

thyme and wine

and cooked chicken (i cook mine in a mixture of water and milk as it's supposed to make the chicken more tender. could be an old wives tale, but i do it anyway):

ew!! raw chicken!

here's what the pot looks like after you've crisped the bacon, sauteed the veggies in the bacon fat, added some butter and flour to make a roux, poured in the strained chicken stock, a little cream, a glug of sherry and the herbs:

after this thickens, add the cooked chicken that you've now shredded or chopped and pour the whole gloppy mess into a baking dish (cast iron if you have it) and cover with pie crust (thank you mikey!).

bake for 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven then turn the heat back to 350 and cook for another 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.

i can't believe i didn't get a picture of the finished product, but it was a HUGE pot pie....cooked it in our 13" x 16" roasting pan....and it disappeared rather quickly.

hope you get the chance to make some for the people you love. it's comfort food at its best.

ingredients you'll need:
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
s & p
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 T butter
2 diced onions
3/4 c flour
1/4 c heavy cream
2 c diced carrots
fresh thyme
glug of sherry
pie crust