Parm Flan (Souffle)

Have you ever tasted something that was like Heaven opened and the angels sang?  That is how I felt about the Parmesan Flan (actually more a souffle) we made in our last cooking class with Chef Dan Maggipinto at Whole Foods.

Just after coming out of the oven.

Caffe Nonna in Nashville

For anniversary #38 Himself and I celebrated at a restaurant owned by our friend Dan Maggipinto.

It is located in Nashville at 4427 Murphy Rd.  Parking is tight here... I suggest coming mid week as close to 5pm (his opening) as you can get.

It is a cozy little neighborhood restaurant.  Reservations are pretty much a must... especially on the weekend.  He is open Monday thru Saturday for dinner.

We started with the Fried Calamari appetizer.  Perfectly tender and spiced just right.

I had the Heart of Palm salad since I'd never had a heart of palm before.

(Romaine, heart of palm, artichoke, grapes, pistachios, & prosciutto)

Riviera salad

(Mixed greens, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, kalamata olives, artichoke, feta, & pasta)

My dinner was Risotto with artichokes and spicy vodka sauce.  Dan has a 'mix and match' pasta (and a bit more) selection so this is exactly what I was in the mood for.

Himself had the special of the evening...Chicken Parmesan.

Not pictured is our desserts because we had to run... strawberry bread pudding (me) and ricotta cheesecake.  Take-away is a wonderful thing!

We'll see you soon Dan!

Thanksgiving recipe - Apple Gingersnap Budini

Here is a tasty and very easy dessert that is perfect for Thanksgiving.  It can be made gluten free if you use GF ginger snaps or of course you can use regular ones too.

Pork Chops w/ Pears, Dried Cherries, and Port Wine (Recipe)

Another great recipe from Chef Dan!

The sauce can use either pears or apples... you chose.  

Salud! at Whole Foods: Pesto Lasagna

Back from another fantastic class with Chef Dan at Whole Foods.  I have a winner to share with you (not that all of Dan's recipes are really good...but this one - oh my...).

He did this pesto lasagna.  I think the only thing I will do differently is to lightly brown off the top under the broiler.

ENJOY!!!

Note:  Do whatever you normally do with your lasagna noodles.  I rarely use fresh, even if it is better.

Salud! at Whole Foods - Creamy Artichoke Soup

My last volunteer session at Whole Foods hit a home run for me with this delicious soup.

Lots of wonderful little artichokes!

After cooking, Chef Dan uses an immersion blender to break them down.

Then you have to strain out the fibrous pieces. 

See all the stuff in the strainer?

A creamy cup of comfort...so yummy!

NOTE - This recipe makes 12 servings.

Salud! at Whole Foods: Chicken Roulade Stuffed With Fontina, Proscuitto, and Sage

Just back from a new Chef Dan class at Whole Foods.  I have a new favorite chicken recipe!  This is so good and it is easy to make too.  Hardest part is pounding out the chicken super thin so it rolls up nicely.

Dad and Mom... you're going to love this one!

Linked to:

http://hedgecombers.com/2016/07/01/tea-time-treats-july-2016/

http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/

Cooking With Herbs: Bay, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (Italian Pot Roast)

At a recent cooking class with Chef Dan Maggipinto I learned how to make the most succulent pot roast ever.  Cooked low and slow, the flavors were deep and the meat was fork tender.

After browning, the roast oven cooks with all sorts of flavorful bits.

After it cooks a long while, it is time to make the sauce from the pan leavings.

The roast resting a bit before slicing.

Yes... it tastes as good as it looks!

Salud! at Whole Foods: Summer in Italy - Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Just back from another class at Whole Foods... with my favorite teacher Chef Dan Maggipinto.  Seriously, we try very hard not to miss one of his classes.

My favorite recipe this session was Swiss chard with pine nuts and raisin... red wine soaked raisins!

Here's a little tiny bit of it!  Chef Dan had me plating so I didn't have time to shot photos of the finished dish in all its glory.  This is the very last serving... mine.  (Those yummy pine nuts really sank down to the bottom of the pan!)

When you are buying greens... any greens... remember they shrink down hugely.  All those greens you see, plus what is in the bowl in the top right corner, just barely filled the pot in the bottom left corner when they were all wilted down.  And you will lose a lot when you pull the stems off.

So buy a lot!

Enjoy!

And if you are every coming to the Nashville area, be sure to make a reservation at Caffe Nona for a wonderful Italian meal!!

Salud! at Whole Foods: Israeli CousCous Salad

As I mentioned earlier, we have recently done a Whole Foods class with Chef Dan Maggiepinto.  This class was "Springtime in Italy" but one of the recipes is a perfect summertime salad!

There is a lot of fresh tomatoes and spinach and mint.

That's Chef Dan and a couple of our students plating the meal.  You can see the Couscous salad.

Here's a better look!  

(Plated with the salad is lamb spiedini and carrot slaw).

Tea Time Treats: Chocolate & Strawberry Cookie

This month's challenge at Tea Time Treats was "chocolate".   What perfect timing since my most recent class at Whole Foods had a wonderful chocolate dessert!  It's a recipe by Chef Dan Maggiepinto, owner of Caffe Nona (a featured restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives).

The recipe consists of 3 'layers':

A rich chocolate cookie,

strawberry salsa, and

chocolate-hazelnut cannoli cream.

ENJOY!!