Many of us were blessed with the gift of truly amazing women in our lives, and for those of us who were fortunate enough to grow up with this experience, the word mother means so much more than it may to others. I am one of those fortunate people who was surrounded by many strong, independent women. Unconditional love was a given and so was their wisdom and support for every crazy idea that I ever had. I not only have the love of my own mother, but also the love of so many other women who have shown great strength and dignity throughout their lives, and raised their children to be good and kind members of society.

Needless to say, I never wait for Mother’s Day to show them how much I love and care for them, it has always been important to me to make time for them every day…after all, life is so short.

So on these busy days in the restaurant world, I prefer to do things quietly at home or with friends where we can spend time together, enjoy our meal and simply laugh the hours away without being hurried by wait staff trying to seat the next guests…I try to remember that the memories we make now, will last me a lifetime.

This Mother’s Day was spent with the Parisi family who we have known for almost 30 years and Rosetta is my mother’s best friend, in addition to being like another mother to me. Rosetta is a huge fan of anything almond and so is my mother. So whenever I go to visit, I prepare a box of almond macaroons just for her. She does not have to share them but always does…

So on this day, she not only got her own almond macaroons but I wanted to make some baby almond cakes also made with almond paste that have a lovely dense texture and are rich in almond taste. I baked the cakes in small mini bundt shaped cake pans and served them atop a vanilla pastry cream cloud. You could also use my recipe for chocolate pastry cream which is outrageously good, or you can simply go with some lightly sweetened whipped. Feel free to add some assorted berries or other sliced fruit with the cake…it would go beautifully with the almond cake and any type of cream you choose to use.

So on these hectic days stay away from the restaurants. Choose instead to stay at home and focus on what’s more important. The special people in your life will always make great company, so plan a simple but delicious menu and spend your time with those that truly matter.

Almond Cake (makes 2 large 10” bundt cake or approx 16-20 baby bundt cakes depending on size)

1 lb 4 oz almond paste

1 lb sugar

1 lb butter, room temp

1 lb 4 oz eggs

8 oz cake flour, sifted

Add the almond paste to the bowl of your stand mixer and add the sugar. Using the paddle attachment, begin to beat these ingredients together until the texture is like coarse sand. Slowly add the room temperature butter until it is well incorporated and then add the eggs one by one. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and make sure this is well incorporated. Lastly, add the sifted flour and mix until the flour is no longer visible in the batter. Spray the large bundt pans or the mini bundt pans and add the batter into the pans evenly. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown on top. For larger cakes this should take approximately 30 minutes but for the smaller bundts it should take anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve with custard, whipped cream or fresh fruit.

Finding a good churro recipe is challenging…trust me on this because it has taken me a while to develop a good one. I had found a recipe which was authentically Spanish and tried it as it was written, but it wasn’t very good. I attempted it a few more times and finally got it to where it tasted just right. The perfect churro is crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. I finally got the right result using bread flour and not all purpose…I also added an egg and some butter for richness. The original recipe had none of these things and really had no flavor at all. Once I put these out onto the table, they quickly disappeared so I know that everyone enjoyed them as much as I did.

I also made a quick cajeta caramel sauce and a chocolate sauce to drizzle on top of the churros, but you can serve them on the side if you prefer. Cajeta sauce is made of goats milk which you can buy evaporated in a can just like regular milk. It gives a lovely tanginess to the caramel sauce but if you choose to make a regular caramel sauce simply use heavy cream in place of the goat’s milk. Make sure to make the sauces first so that you can drizzle them onto the warm churros as they emerge from the fryer.

Cajeta Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup (prevents crystallization)

¼- ½ cup evaporated goats milk or heavy cream

1/3 stick salted butter

Place sugar, water and corn syrup into a small pot and heat together until the caramel takes on an amber color.

At this point remove from the heat and add the ¼ cup of goats milk and stir well with a wooden spoon. If you would like your caramel sauce a little thinner, then add  the other ¼ cup of milk, then add the butter and stir in well together. As it cools it will continue to thicken. Set aside until the churros are ready.

Spanish Churros (makes 12-5” pieces)

1 cup water

1 stick salted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups bread flour (7.5 oz)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

Topping

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder**optional

Add the sugar, cinnamon and chile powder together in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Put the water, butter, sugar and salt into a small stock pot and heat together until the butter has melted. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in one big mass. Continue cooking by stirring it around the pot for about 5 minutes. This will cook the flour and remove any extra moisture from the dough.

When ready, remove from the stove and place into the bowl of your stand mixer.

Using the paddle attachment begin to beat the dough on low speed until it has cooled completely. Once cool, add the egg and mix until it all comes together. The dough should look like this…

Firm but not too stiff that you cannot pipe out using a pastry bag. And you don’t want it so soft that it remains raw on the inside. Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe out about a dozen 5” pieces onto a half sheet pan lined with some parchment paper. Place this in the freezer for about an hour so that each piece is completely frozen solid before you fry. They will be much easier to handle and remain in the long stick shapes.

Once frozen, heat your oil on moderate heat and place a few pieces in the oil at a time and cook until they are golden brown.

Remove them onto a paper lined tray and then toss them into the spicy cinnamon sugar you prepared earlier. Place them on a serving plate and drizzle with caramel sauce and chocolate drizzle…just PERFECT!

Cinco de Mayo went off on Saturday with a bang, but I was still very much in a Mexican state of mind…

A few lingering bottles of Dos Equis beer had me thinking of a beer cheese sauce with some garlic, mustard and a bit of cayenne pepper for spice….but what kind of sandwich should I make? I had recently made some sweet sopapillas and had read about the savory variety that are used in place of taco shells, tortillas or bread in many Mexican restaurants in the southwest, so that was what I wanted to try.

This recipe is more doughy and more like a bread rather than a soft taco shell because of the yeast, but it does puff up and creates a pocket on the inside which is what you want. If you prefer to have something flakier, then you have to try my Navajo fry bread recipe. This recipe only uses baking powder and becomes very flaky…this puffs up a little but you can fold these into a soft taco if you prefer.

Savory Sopapillas

1 cake of yeast (.6 oz) or 1 packet rapid rise yeast

1¼ cups warm milk (10 oz)

3 cups all purpose flour (15 oz)

2 teaspoon Baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a little more for proofing bowl

Fillings

Shredded lettuce

Seeded and diced tomatoes

Crispy bacon 

Beer Cheese Sauce

Good quality sharp cheddar

Dry mustard to taste or a good Dijon mustard

Cayenne pepper

Chopped garlic, I sauté quickly in a little olive oil but you can add raw if you prefer

Good tasting beer, just enough to thin out cheese to make a sauce 

Begin with adding the yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer and add the warm liquid. You can either add all milk, part milk and part water or all water. The more milk you add the more tender the dough will be. Using a whisk, dissolve the yeast completely then add the oil. Add the flour all at once and then add the sugar and salt on top. Using the paddle attachment, combine everything together and beat for about 5 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides. If the dough is too wet add a little more flour until it pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Place the dough on the counter and make sure that it is smooth and no longer sticky. The amount of flour required may be affected by the weather. If it is humid you may add less flour, if it is dry you may add a little more. Place this dough ball into a lightly greased bowl, cover and let proof in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. When you’re ready to roll out the dough, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the counter.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle about ¼” thick. Trim the edges, cut into squares and then cover with plastic wrap and allow the cut squares to proof for another 30 minutes on the counter. At this point begin heating the oil.

Once the oil has been heated to moderate high heat, use a test piece of dough to make sure that it has come up to temperature before you begin adding the rest of the pieces. Add the squares of dough and fry until golden brown. Once they are ready, drain them onto a paper lined plate and allow them to cool slightly before filling them.

If you visit a Mexican restaurant in North America, then more than likely you are going to find sopapillas (pronounced so-pa-pee-yas) on the dessert menu. Sopapilla means  bread soaked in oil, and although we are trying to avoid a greasy result, it is basically a fried, sweet dough that is then paired with a variety of dipping sauces or rolled in sugar. It is a treat that is enjoyed throughout parts of South America in places like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and was made popular in the US in both New Mexico and Texas. Depending on where you are, you may also notice that sopapilla is also spelled sopaipilla but pronounced in the same way. I had seen the sweet variety at many restaurants that I had visited over the years and it was always such a lovely treat…you just can’t go wrong with a warm fried dough that is either tossed in a cinnamon sugar (that is sometimes a little spicy) or topped with honey.

More recently I have seen them served with some lightly sweetened whipped cream, chocolate sauce or caramel sauce like dulce de leche on the side. Any way you serve these, they will always be a hit. Today, I served mine with a quick kahlua flavored syrup that I made since I was all out of honey and it was really delicious!

Some recipes use whole eggs and baking powder for the leavening of the dough, but I prefer to use yeast with a little baking powder. Ideally, when these hit the oil, they should puff up and create an air pocket in the middle, and using the yeast makes this fullproof. If you are going to be using this recipe for your place of business, then simply using the yeast keeps the cost of the dough less expensive, since you are not adding eggs but just a little milk and oil to add to the tenderness of the dough. The other trick which will help them puff more is not to roll the dough out too thin…keep it at about ¼” and then cut them into the traditional triangle shapes. Once you have cut them into shapes, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to sit on your counter while you heat up the oil. They will continue to proof and this will also help them puff even more.

Dessert Sopapillas (makes about 18 pieces)

1 cake of fresh yeast (.6 oz) or 1 packet of rapid rise dry yeast

1 ¼ cups warm milk

3 cups flour, plus a few more tablespoons for the counter when you roll them out

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a little more for bowl when proofing

Cinnamon sugar topping**optional

Honey topping**optional

Powdered sugar topping**optional

First make the kahlua syrup and set aside if you are going to be using that. Also have the other toppings ready to go so that the hot dough can be tossed into them when ready. Next, begin with adding the yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer and add the warm liquid. You can either add all milk, part milk and part water or all water. The more milk you add the more tender the dough will be. Using a whisk, dissolve the yeast completely then add the oil. Add the flour all at once and then add the sugar and salt. Using the paddle attachment, combine everything together and beat for about 5 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides. Place the dough on the counter and make sure that it is smooth and no longer sticky. The amount of flour required may be affected by the weather. If it is humid you may add less flour, if it is dry you may add a little more. Place this dough ball into a lightly greased bowl, cover and let proof in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. When you’re ready to roll out the dough, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the counter.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle about ¼” thick.

Trim the edges, cut into squares and then into triangle

Once they have been cut into the desired shapes, cover with plastic wrap. At this point, heat up your oil on moderate heat, and use a test piece to make sure that it has come up to temperature before you begin adding the triangles.

Add the triangles of dough and fry until golden brown. Once they are ready, drain them onto a paper lined plate and then toss them into your favorite toppings then enjoy!

Kahlua Syrup

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1/3 cup corn syrup

1 cinnamon stick

3 pinches of ground cinnamon

4 cardamom pods

½ cup kahlua (add last)  

Add all of the ingredients (except the kahlua) into a small stock pot and cook until the syrup begins to bubble slowly. This should take about 5 minutes on moderate to high temperature. The syrup will not take on any color, these slow bubbles indicate that you have reached the soft ball stage. At this point, remove the pot from the stove and add the kahlua, and use a wooden spoon to stir everything together to make sure it is all incorporated, and then set aside until donuts are ready.

Having grown up in a Greek home, filo dough was a huge part of many of our dishes. My dad would bring several boxes home with him while grocery shopping to stash in the freezer just in case we got the urge to make a quick spanakopita or tiropita.

Another item that we used a lot but mostly for desserts was something called Kataifi. You can read a little more about it here in another one of my posts. I prefer to make my Greek custard pie with kataifi, but I don’t always have it on hand. The filo can get really soggy in this type of dessert after a day or so in the refrigerator, and I find that even though the kataifi softens also, I enjoy the texture better.

There are many Middle Eastern desserts that use kataifi and I hope that you have an opportunity to try it…and if you do, let me know what you think!

Galatobureko (Greek Custard Pie) With Kataifi (makes 1-14” round pan)

Double recipe  Greek Custard Filling

Double recipe of honey syrup (same as link for custard filling)

1 box kataifi

½ pound melted butter

First make the syrup and set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave. Then shred the strands of kataifi into a medium sized bowl.

Add the melted butter and toss until it has all been well coated. Using your pastry brush, add a little melted butter to you baking pan. Line the coated kataifi all over the bottom and the sides of the pan, then set aside.

Next, make the custard and pour custard into the baking dish lined with the kataifi.

Add more kataifi on top and gently pack it together and tuck in the sides all the way around.

Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes until it is golden brown all over.

Once you have removed this from the oven, gently pour on the syrup until it has been completely absorbed.

Allow to cool and either turn out onto a round serving platter or cut into traditional diamond shapes and serve.

Another Cinco de Mayo is almost here and those of us who love food are always looking for new things to make with tortillas. Whether you are partial to the corn variety or like me, prefer the flour version, there are so many delicious things that can be made with both.

Since I am always thinking of desserts, dessert wrap ideas are something that I love to try when I see them on dessert menus. I’m sure you have seen some of the more popular ones on dessert menus as I have with pieces of cheesecake, frozen custard or even ice cream that is wrapped in a tender flour tortilla and quickly fried or sautéed on both sides for a bit of added crunch…then either coated with cinnamon sugar or a drizzle of honey for plating.

Today I had a few flour tortillas that I needed to use and had some apple pie filling on hand, and since everyone loves apple pies, I wanted to make a chimichanga type version of apple pie. These are not only delicious but so easy to eat and would make a great item to be sold as a festival or fair type of food. I have also made a smaller size fried apple pies using egg roll wrappers that remind me of those crispy apple pies that McDonalds used to sell years ago…a real indulgence.

The beauty of these is that there are only two ingredients involved: flour tortillas and any pie filling of your choice. You can use a homemade filling as I did in my apple egg roll recipe mentioned above or you can buy a pre-made version…there are a few good ones out there to use in a pinch. They are so easy to make that even the kids will want to help. Make a bunch ahead of time and keep them in the fridge to fry up when you’re ready for dessert.

Mexican Apple Pies

1 packet 10” flour tortillas

Apple pie filling

1 level tablespoon flour, 3 tablespoons water (glue)

Cinnamon sugar or honey for drizzling

Lay the tortillas on your counter and use the flour/water mix to brush around the entire edge of the tortilla. This will help to glue it together once rolled up. Add the apple pie filling, fold the sides inwards and roll up…it’s that simple. If you need to fry these right away, you may want to use a small toothpick to secure the opening so that it does not unravel in the oil. Allowing them to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes or so will help create a seal also. I used only about an inch or so of oil in my pot, so this worked well for me, I simply put it in the oil seam side down first and when it was golden brown I flipped it over. If you are going to use more oil to immerse the chimichanga, you may want to use the toothpick idea to keep it together.

When I was living away at College, I used to love those crispy fried onions that came in the can. You know the ones I mean…the same ones that are always suggested as a topping for that popular green bean and canned mushroom soup casserole recipe that we are all familiar with. There was also the potato stix version too…and I’m ashamed to say that even the potato stix were part of my late night snacking and studying schedule.

The other night, for no apparent reason I began to crave something crispy and salty. The crispy onion rings became an obsessive thought and I wanted to run out to the store to buy a container to satisfy my urge. I realized I had onions on hand so I decided to see if I could throw a batch together and get a similar result at home.

In the past when I have made a breaded or battered onion ring, I always use the standard yellow ones, and I always have them on hand as a basic pantry item. I reserve the sweet onions like a Vidalia, Walla Walla or Maui to eat raw in a salad so that I can reap the benefits of their lower sulfur content and powerful medicinal value.

So, off I went to see what I could make. I didn’t have any milk or buttermilk on hand so I used some sour cream and diluted it with a little water to create a liquid to toss the onions in so that the flour would have something to stick to. I shredded the onions on a mandolin, but you could simply slice thin pieces using a sharp knife. Once I coated them in the liquid and then tossed them in some flour, I put them right into the hot oil and cooked them until they were golden brown. Once cooked, I drained them on a paper lined plate and then added a little more salt. They were crispy and delicious, so enjoy them plain or with a delicious dip of your choice…they are truly a sinful pleasure.

Crispy Fried Onion Snack

1 large yellow onion

2 tablespoons sour cream

¼ cup water

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

**salt again after frying

Peel and cut the onion in half or you can leave the onion whole and slice into very thin rings. A mandolin will make this easy to do within minutes. Add the sour cream and water to a medium bowl and then toss the onion in it to coat evenly. Sift the flour along with the S&P into another medium sized bowl and then add the moistened onions to that. Toss quickly in the flour to coat evenly then add directly into your hot oil. You will need to keep an eye on this because they do cook quickly. Remove onto a paper lined plate, top with any spice mixture you like or just some more salt and enjoy!