Scalloped Gorgonzola Potatoes

      Thanksgiving Day is almost here!  I can hardly believe it!  It seems like the kids were just starting back to school and now, here we are, just about to kick off the holiday season!  I'm not complaining, mind you.......this really is my favorite time of year!  

      But, I have to say......."foodies" have it kind of rough. So many recipes and so little time!  There are tons of new recipes I'd love to try out, but honestly, how much food can five people really eat?? That's right.....only 5!  When most of the kids are grown and living all over the country, it's hard to get everyone together.  And that's something I really miss!  

      As for those that will be here......they seem to like to stick with the tried and true, the dishes they've come to expect on such a holiday.  You know....obviously the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes....etc.  I mean, really??  Mashed potatoes?? 

      Now, don't get me wrong.  A lovely mound of mashed potatoes with a pool of butter flowing down its sides or a rich turkey gravy ladled unashamedly over the top is delicious, but couldn't we be a little more imaginative?  Couldn't we add a little something to make those spuds more interesting....maybe even something with an Italian flair....hmmm??

Parmigiana Bianca ("White" Parmigiana)

    I think I've shared my love of eggplant before.  Besides being hearty and delicious, you can do so many different things with it!  And....because I love it, it makes a pretty regular appearance on our dinner table in various forms.  Two of my favorites are Eggplant Parmesan Stacks and Caponata.  You definitely will want to give those recipes a try!

    All over southern Italy, the name "parmigiana" refers to a dish of vegetables layered with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in the oven.  Now, for those of you who have an aversion to the "red sauce", typically used in these dishes, this is the recipe for you!  It has no tomatoes, but all the meaty eggplant and gooey cheese you'd expect from an eggplant parmesan! Serve it with a nice salad and a crusty loaf of bread and you've got a great dinner!  Or, it would also make a nice vegetable side dish to serve alongside some grilled meat.

Cream of Broccoli and Zucchini Soup w/ Cheesy Garlic Bread

    So, I've said before that I'm not really a big soup person, but the frigid temperatures we've had lately have definitely helped to change my mind!  A delicious soup is just the thing to warm you up when it's freezing outside.  And, speaking of frigid temperatures.... none of us want our children to be outside waiting for the school bus, etc. when it's dangerously cold, but is it my imagination or have my kids  been home on vacation since before Christmas??  It seems that school has become a bit of a distant memory!

    Anyway, today I thought I'd share two really simple recipes with you that might just make you glad it's chilly outside!  A delicious Cream of Broccoli and Zucchini Soup and some yummy Cheesy Garlic Bread!! 

Pepperoni-Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread

    Pizza.........one of humanity's great inventions!  And pepperoni pizza.......one of my kids' favorites!  So, when I saw this recipe on Facebook awhile ago, I knew I had to give it a try!   Balls of pizza dough dipped in a flavored oil, layered with lots of mozzarella and pepperoni and served with pizza sauce for dipping......really??  Did I have a choice?  This recipe has been calling to me for a few weeks now and finally  made it onto the table, or should I say, the t.v. trays in the living room. (We enjoyed it during a recent "movie night".)  It's really delicious.........filled with salty, cheesy, garlicky goodness!  And it's fun to eat......just pull off pieces and enjoy!  No fork or knife required!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Sage and Brown Butter Sauce

    Ok, contrary to what you're thinking....I do not eat pasta every day!  It's just that, as I mentioned in an earlier post, this is National Pasta Month and today, specifically, is designated World Pasta Day!  I just had to make another pasta recipe for you! 
    Raise your hand if you've never had gnocchi.  Ok, let me explain what they are.  They are like little pasta dumplings.  Instead of just using  flour, eggs, water, and seasonings, etc. you add potatoes and, in this case, also some sweet potatoes (perfect for the fall season).  I think they're a little heavier than other pasta, but delicious in their own right.

Pasta and Peas in Honor of Gramma

    Well, here's another dish to celebrate National Pasta Month.......Pasta and Peas!  While trying to decide which  pasta recipe to share this time, I pretty quickly thought of this one.  It's a dish I remember having many times as a little girl while at my grandparents' house.  I loved being with them and considered it a treat when I could spend the night.  Now, breakfast at gramma's ..... not my favorite. It usually included a soft-boiled egg somewhere and, as a little girl,  I just couldn't deal with that runny yolk.  On the other hand, the pineapple juice was delicious and seemed rather special served in her sweet little juice glasses with the painted oranges around the outside.  After a morning of playing, having a little visit with their beagle,  Queenie, and "helping" grandpa in the garden, gramma would call us in for lunch.  Then the three of us would sit down at their tiny kitchen table to a nice bowl of pasta and peas.  It was so good!

Macaroni with Broccoli

   
    Hey guys, October is National Pasta Month!  Did you know that?  While researching on the net I came across some interesting information about it.  Well, interesting to a pasta loving Italian-American like me.  The first commercial pasta plant in the U.S. was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1848.  By the turn of the century the industry had grown to the point that a large number of members got together to discuss issues concerning manufacturing and marketing.  As a result, the National Macaroni Manufacturer's Association was established.  It wasn't until 1981 that the name was changed to the National Pasta Association.  Now, that makes sense to me because, as a child growing up, I never remember hearing my parents or especially my Italian grandparents, use the word "pasta".  It was always "maccheroni".

Cheese-Stuffed Focaccia

      Focaccia is basically an Italian flat bread similiar to pizza but, unlike its relative, is never served piping hot.  It is made from a simple dough that can be formed into different shapes like rectangular or round, etc.  It can be thin and crunchy, thick and soft, crispy or chewy.  (Today's recipe is a thin and crispy type.)  It can be seasoned in many ways with different herbs, an infinite variety of vegetables, cheeses, etc., or simply topped with the best olive oil and some coarse sea salt.  Oh, focaccia, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways! You make a great snack and you're delicious with a bowl of soup.  I love to split you open and fill you with meats and cheese or roasted veggies.  You're a nice light lunch when paired with a salad and you make the perfect addition to an antipasto platter.  Oh, sorry....... was I just talking to the focaccia?  How embarassing!