Seven links . . . food bloggers welcome to play along!

Catherine, from one of my favorite food blogs, The Living Gourmet, tagged me to participate in blogger game called seven links.

The theme of the game is to answer seven questions using seven of your posts as answers.

1.  Most beautiful post . . .

Chocolate Indulgence for Valentines Day

This post features sweet treats for Valentine's Day like Molten Lava Cake, Emeril's Chocolate New York Cheesecake, homemade chocolate peanut butter cups and more.  Anything chocolate is beautiful :)

2.  Most popular post

Sour Cream Pound Cake

I've been making this pound cake since I was a teenager and is still my favorite pound cake after trying out many others.  The post tells the story of my baking and cooking roots.  It got a great response!

3.  Most controversial post

The recipe for crab cakes that I have used since I was a young adult.  
It is no longer posted.  

Many of my recipes came from somewhere else like newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, etc.  Back in the day, when I tried out a recipe that I wanted to make again, I would type it out and put in my personal recipe book . . . not noting the source.  This was way before the internet, blogs and the importance of sources.

Well, the crab cake recipe was originally published in a newspaper or magazine and originated from a famous restaurant.  I got the nastiest and rudest comment I ever received from a lady who saw the same recipe on the restaurant's website.  She accused me of stealing, being deceitful . . . "at least change one ingredient to make it different" . . . blah blah blah . . .  although I noted in the post that I didn't recall where the original recipe came from.

I don't have a deceitful bone in my body!  I'm here to share the passion of food!  Anyway, I pulled one of the best recipes that I have ever made for years just because this woman made me so paranoid.

For the record, as the disclaimer on my sidebar states . . . many of the recipes I post come from somewhere else.  I don't take credit for creating any recipe that I did not create myself . . . and each post contains the source unless it is one of those that I have used from way back in the day.  Most of the time I will post the entire recipe since blogs come and go . . . larger websites periodically change content . . . and a link to a recipe that doesn't exist is useless.  That is why I post entire recipes.

4.  Most helpful post

Frittata

How I use a basic frittata recipe to use up leftovers with delicious results!

5.  Post that was surprisingly successful

Pepperoni Bread

6.  Post that did not get the attention it deserved

Macaroni and Cheese

It was my first post on this blog . . . honestly, I don't think I had but a few hits for a long long time until my posts started hitting the search listings.  Macaroni and Cheese deserves LOTS of attention!  This post features several variations from different sources as well as my personal recipe.

7.  Post that I'm most proud of

Cheap Meals . . . The Gina Way

Rather than tag five of my blogger friends to recreate their wonderful posts . . . I challenge my food blogger friends to create their own posts and link your post back here!

Showcase your older posts :)

Let's play!

Ham and Cheese Spirals

There are many television chefs that I call "one of my favorites."  There are so many of them that I really do love . . . you'd think I love all of them.  Believe it or not, I do have some that I don't like . . . you won't find their recipes on my blog . . . well, unless I really love the recipe.  

Anyway, at the very top of my list of favorites is Sandra Lee from the Food Network.  Her style of semi-homemade cooking has been my main cooking style for the longest time.  I often miss her show since it comes on at an inconvenient time for me, which is why I don't list many of her recipes.  But I caught the show the other day and will be posting several of her recipes.  

This one is my favorite!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Flour, for work surface
• 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 pound deli sliced ham
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 
  

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch square. Brush the entire surface with the seasoned olive oil. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese and an even layer of ham. 

Starting from the bottom edge, tightly roll up the dough to form a log. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the roll on the bias into 1-inch thick pieces. Arrange the rolls on their side on a nonstick or lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to proof.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Source:  Food Network

Falafel Sandwich with Tomato-Cucumber Salad

by Tony Rosenfeld

Falafel are usually deep-fried, but pan-searing these chickpea fritters is healthier (and not as messy). Serve them in pita bread, topped with thick yogurt or tahini sauce, if you like.Serves four.

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
7 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 
1 tsp. ground cumin 
1/2 tsp. ground coriander 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 medium yellow onion, diced 
1/2 cup plain fine dry breadcrumbs; more as needed 
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered 
1 medium pickling cucumber or 1/3 English cucumber, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick 
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 
4 pitas, warmed 

---

Heat the oven to 425°F.
In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, 2 Tbs. of the oil, the cumin, coriander, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper into a chunky paste. Add the onion and breadcrumbs and pulse until the mixture tightens up. You should be able to easily form it into a patty—add more breadcrumbs as needed. Gently form the chickpea mixture into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties.
Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add 6 of the patties and cook until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the patties to a baking sheet. Repeat with 2 Tbs. more oil and the remaining six patties. Bake the patties until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes and cucumber with the lemon juice, the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and salt to taste.
Split the pitas and stuff them with the falafel and tomato-cucumber salad.

nutrition information (per serving):

Calories (kcal): 640; Fat (g): 28; Fat Calories (kcal): 250; Saturated Fat (g): 4; Protein (g): 18; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 18; Carbohydrates (g): 80; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 4.5; Sodium (mg): 920; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 12;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 100, pp. 90

July 9, 2009

Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 10 wedges
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
• 
  
• Place pita wedges on pan, and coat with cooking spray. 
• Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until golden.
• 
  
• Combine water, tomato, salt, pepper, garlic,
•  and beans in a food processor, and
•  process until smooth. 
• 
  
• Serve with pita wedges.

Cooking Light
JANUARY 2004

Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of ground red pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) bag pita chips (such as Stacy's Simply Naked)
• 
  

Preparation

• 1. Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. Serve with pita chips.

Maureen Redmond, Easley, SC, Cooking Light 
JANUARY 2009

Buttery Pastry Dough

Years ago I lost the recipe for the meat pie dough that was an important part of my favorite party food.  Don't you hate when you lose one of your favorite recipes?  In all these years, I have not found a good pastry dough recipe . . . so, here is another one I will try out.Like my original pastry dough, it is a versatile dough that can be used for many different recipes from turnovers to pie crust.  I got the recipe from Fine Cooking, where they claim that the crust is very tender like a shortbread cookie when baked.  We'll see!I will update this post when I try it out . . .

Yields enough dough for 1 single pie crust, 8 mini tarts, or 12 turnovers.


9 oz. (2 cups) bleached all purpose flour 

7 oz. (14 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 large egg, lightly beaten 
2 Tbs. granulated sugar 
1 Tbs. chilled heavy cream 
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 
1 tsp. table salt 

---

In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, egg, sugar, cream, lemon juice, and salt and pulse until the dough starts gathering together in big clumps, as shown below. Turn the dough out onto a counter and gather it together. Shape the dough as directed in the recipe you’re making.

leftovers

Turn leftover pastry dough into shortbread cookie bars.

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 79, pp. 68

June 1, 2006

Serious Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This sandwich looks delicious!  I'd love to try it as a breakfast sandwich, substituting a fried egg for the prosciutto . . . maybe add some bacon.  The possibilities are endless for creating your own favorite sandwich.

3 oz. grated aged Gruyère (1-1/4 cups) 

3 oz. grated fontina (about 1 cup) 

2 Tbs. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) 

8 1/2-inch-thick slices rustic Italian bread 

4 very thin slices prosciutto, halved crosswise 

2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 

Kosher salt 

2 Tbs. salted butter, at room temperature 

1 to 2 large cloves garlic, halved and peeled for rubbing 

---

Lightly toss the cheeses and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Put 4 slices of the bread on a work surface and evenly distribute half of the cheese mixture on top. Put 2 pieces of prosciutto (1 full slice) on each sandwich and top with 2 to 3 slices of tomato—enough to cover the cheese and prosciutto in a single layer. Season the tomatoes with salt and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. 

Lightly butter one side of the remaining bread slices and place them butter side up on the sandwiches.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange the sandwiches butter side down on the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted and  golden-brown, about 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, spread an even layer of butter on the top slice of bread.

Using a spatula, flip the sandwiches and cook until golden-brown on the other side, gently pressing the sandwiches with the back of the spatula to compress, about 2 minutes. 

Remove the sandwiches from the griddle and lightly rub both sides of each with the cut side of the garlic. Using a serrated knife, slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Sources:  

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 112, pp. 22

July 7, 2011

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Here's a quick, easy and delicious

 semi-homemade type of dessert!

Ingredients

• 1 (14.4-ounce) box honey graham crackers (see Tip)
• 2 (4-serving) packages French vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (16-ounce) container ready-to-spread chocolate frosting
• 
  
• 
  

Instructions

1. Line bottom of an ungreased 9- x 13-inch baking dish with one-third of the graham crackers.
    
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk; add whipped topping, stirring until mixture thickens.
    
3. Spread half the pudding mixture over graham crackers in baking dish. Repeat layers with one-third of graham crackers and remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining graham crackers. Spread with chocolate frosting. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Tip

One box of graham crackers contains 3 individually wrapped packages of crackers. Use one package for each layer of this decadent dessert.

Source:  Mr. Food

Fresh Corn Cakes

"Garden-fresh corn on the cob is the key to making these awesome Fresh Corn Cakes. Whether you serve these as is for a novel veggie side dish, or drizzled with a bit of honey for brunch, you can't go wrong."

Source:  Mr. Food

UPDATE . . .


We made these awesome corn cakes and they were delicious . . . I highly recommend this recipe!  Of course we made a few changes to the recipe to suit our taste . . . we added a bit of a hot pepper concoction The Captain makes (minced assortment of hot peppers with a bit of vinegar and olive oil, kept in a jar in the refrigerator).  Another change . . . we did not chop the corn and left them as whole kernels.  


We will make these corn cakes again and again . . . we liked them that much!  The next time, we will substitute some cheddar cheese (maybe half and half with the mozzarella cheese).

Ingredients

• 2 ¹/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears), divided (see Notes)
• 3 large eggs
• ³/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ³/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ³/4 cup yellow or white cornmeal
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine 1-3/4 cups corn kernels, the eggs, milk, and butter; process 3 to 4 times, or just until corn is coarsely chopped.
    
2. Stir together flour, cornmeal, mozzarella cheese, chives, salt, and pepper; stir in remaining corn kernels and the chopped corn mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened.
    
3. For each cake, pour 1/8 cup of batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or skillet. (Do not spread or flatten cakes). Cook cakes 3 to 4 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Turn and cook other side 2 to 3 more minutes.

 Makes about 3 dozen.

NOTES:

To remove corn from the cob, cut the wide end so it stands up and, using a sharp knife or corn stripper, cut off the kernels. It’s also fine to substitute thawed frozen corn for the fresh.