This dish came into my life at a restaurant on a Tuesday.  My dear friend was visiting from LA and was meeting colleagues of ours at a restaurant close to my apartment.  Knowing I would not join if the restaurant was downtown, I think Allison chose this location on purpose so I would have zero opportunity to beg off.  Girl, you know me well.  Anyway, as our meals were being served, I looked at her plate and said “I thought you were having chicken parm?”  She too was confused and before we could say another word, the waiter said “That is the chicken parm.” Upon closer inspection, we realized they had taken the chicken breast and pounded it to a round pizza crust shape.  Genius!

Below is my attempt to replicate the dish at home.

Ingredients:

2 medium chicken breasts
mini pepperonis
flour
oregano
1 egg
breadcrumbs
shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. red sauce
salt

Preheat oven to 350. 

Whisk eggs with pinch of salt.  Set aside.  Season flour with a pinch of salt and place in a deep bowl.  Place breadcrumbs in a third deep bowl. 

Take chicken breasts and pound them with a meat tenderizer to a circle shape.  Keep in mind a shape like a mini pizza while you are hammering away on that breast.  Once you have obtained the shape, pat dry before covering in flour.  Then dip generously in the egg, allowing excess to drip off.  Finally, smother it in breadcrumbs.  

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until done.   Remove and pour heated red sauce on top, covering entire surface.  Toss mozzarella generously.  Dot the area with pepperonis and sprinkle with oregano.  Return to oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. 

Serve immediately.

Last week I was walking through a very busy intersection.  Intersections in Manhattan often remind me of two sides of a medieval battle where each warring faction lines up on each side of the street, waiting for the white walking human sign to illuminate.  This night was no different.  It was just a bit after six which meant most people were heading out of their offices and to dinner, the train, the gym, home, or anything else one can imagine. The two sides of the streets each had its own mob of humans.  Once the light changed, traffic stopped and our walk sign lit up.  After barreling through the oncoming mob, I got to the other side and noticed a blind man walking with a cane.  I see this more frequently than I ever imagined and each time my heart swells with pride that these strangers are so strong that they can maneuver through this city.  Truly amazing.

I digress.  So I am on the other side of the street and notice a blind man with a cane stepping up onto the sidewalk and he proceeds to walk straight into a young woman carrying what appears to be a piece of art in a cardboard box (narrow, almost flat, perhaps 18 x 24).  His cane has tapped around her so he does not realize she is there.  She can clearly see him but stands there in his way without moving.  He walks into her again and tries to get around her.  She just stands there, like a deer in headlights not knowing what to do. He speaks “Excuse me” and she just stands there.  Frozen.  Unable to move.  Unable to speak.  He walks into her yet again and this time is able to get around her.

Either she has never seen a blind person before or she is simply ignorant.  Many of you will write to me and comment that perhaps she thought standing still was the best way for him to gracefully make his way around her.  I had thought that as well.  The first time.  But after the second and the third, I simply think she was so absorbed in her protecting her piece of art, she forgot to be humane and kind.  I also wondered if there was a language barrier as I do live in a city with many languages.  No words were spoken from her mouth.  It was a very uncomfortable moment to witness and it took all I had not to pull her aside and hopefully teach her about the importance of being kind to those who have less than she.  And by saying this man had less, I am simply speaking to his eye sight.

Some may ask what I would recommend one doing in this situation.  Speech is the best course of action when in the company of a blind person.  Their sense of hearing is much stronger than yours or mine and is your best way to communicate.  Imagine that, communication on a busy street in NYC.  I can only hope.

Be good to one another.

xo–me

This recipe came from the lovely set of encyclopedias I bought several years ago.  I have enjoyed exploring the recipes of yesteryear and this one is no different.  It’s very simple and a good recipe for first time bakers.

Ingredients:

Filling
2 c. blueberries (thawed if you are using frozen berries)
few grains salt
sugar
1 egg, well beaten
butter

Batter
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425.  Add salt and sugar to taste to berries.  Add egg and spread in buttered baking dish.  Dot with butter. 

Cream butter.  Add sugar gradually and add egg.  In separate bowl, mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Add alternately with milk to creamed mixture.  Cover berries with batter and bake for 30 minutes.  Serve warm. 

I dotted the blueberry mixture with close to a quarter cup of butter because that’s what I have learned from Paula Deen.  I also generously sprinkled the top with sugar before I put it in the oven.  Don’t forget whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

xo–me

Find it?  It’s a short list of sites I am confident in sharing with you as I know you will have great satisfaction with the content.  Today, after many months of silence, I am back to my site for a myriad of reasons but the first one is to share with you the Cherry Socks site.  It’s written by a very creative, uplifting and thoughtful woman.  She is able to find meaning in many of life’s worst moments.  I find her posts cheering, funny and always inspiring.  She has given me many tips on how to better my home, my life and my waistline.  She also happens to be my sister (in-law but who cares about the fine print?).

Just as you check in with me daily, I hope you will add her to your list of sites to visit.

xo–me

As I hunted for my first recipe to try, I found myself entranced by the Favorite Recipes of Pennsylvania Meats.  It appears to be a fundraising tool but does not say from whom it was purchased.  The publishing date is MCMLXV or 1966.  I thought I would begin with something simple and not too unusual like jellied veal loaf.

I chose this simple ground beef noodle casserole.  It’s a great dish that can be quickly prepared on a school night.  The leftovers also reheat quite nicely.

Ingredients:

1 med. onion, chopped
butter
1 lb. ground beef
1 8-oz. package noodles (I used egg noodles)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 can tomato soup
1 sm. can mushrooms (I had fresh and chopped 6)
1/2 lb. American cheese, grated (I used cheddar and mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 350.  Brown onion in butter; add beef and brown.  Cook noodles in 3 quarts salted water until tender.  Drain; rinse in hot water.  Add to meat.  Add remaining ingredients except cheese.  Mix and place in greased casserole.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

Mrs. Bert Wynn, of Rebersburg, PA contributed this recipe.  You can add other vegetables like black olives, broccoli, zucchini and many others.  If you have a large family, I suggest doubling the recipe so you are certain to have some leftovers.  This is one of those dishes that tastes even better after an overnight refrigerator session.  My guy gives the best gifts.  Enjoy!

xo–me

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”–the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

xo–me

When I was in college, I worked at a restaurant that was famous for their peanut butter pie.  We sold more slices and complete pies than anything else on the dessert menu.  I have been looking for a peanut butter pie that would remind me of this delicacy of yesteryear and, with this recipe, I just may have.

Ingredients:

2 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
9-inch graham cracker pie crust

Blend cream cheese and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy; set aside.  Mix powdered sugar and whipped topping together; blend into cream cheese mixture.  Spread in pie crust.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.  Before serving, top with whipped cream.

I use Martha Stewart’s recipe for homemade whipped cream (for pie topping):

1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

In a deep mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form.  Sprinkle sugar over cream; beat until soft speaks return.  Do not overbeat. 

For the fresh whipped cream, chill the whisk or beaters and bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.  I allowed the pie to sit on the counter for 10 minutes before I added the cream, cut and served.  Next time I may crush some Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and sprinkle over the whipped cream.  Enjoy!

xo–me

It’s a simple graham cracker crust we are making today.  Many of you will ask, why not just grab a pre-made one from the baking aisle at the market?  I too love convenience but it is so simple to make, you can honestly tell your family you made the entire pie, not just the filling.  I know you can skip right past those stacks of crusts and into the cookie aisle to get a box of graham crackers.  I know you can.

Ingredients:

12 graham crackers, finely ground (1 1/2 cups)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until combined.  Firmly press mixture into bottom and side of a 9-inch pie dish.  Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes.  Let cool completely on wire rack.

My BFF, Martha Stewart, shared this recipe with me.  Well, full disclosure, through one of her cookbooks.  Make this crust today and set it aside for tomorrows pie recipe.

xo–me

My roommate from college, Jackie, my guy, Chris, and I went out for sushi at a restaurant Chris and I have frequented several times in the last year.  When we lived in the hell that is Herald Square (hell=tourists, noisy street and fire station down the street), this restaurant was our treat.  After we moved, we found ourselves retuning a few times for the delicious tower of spicy tuna wrapped in fresh avocado.  And as always, I digress.  Last night we enjoyed a lovely meal with our fair share of cocktails.  After 90 minutes of enjoyment, the check came and I wanted to treat.  I looked at the bill, figured out what the bill was without the tax, and determine that a 20% tip would be twice the amount of the first two digits of this bill.  I filled in the tip amount and gave the receipt to the waiter.  We finished up our conversation and then began to gather out things to leave.  It was in that split second that I realized I had mistakenly only left the 10% in my haste and shared my error with the table.  We collectively gathered the remaining 10% in cash and laid it on the table.

As we stood to exit, a man who was not one of our three waiters came to our table and before I could ask him to give the cash to our waiters, he said to me “Your tip was less than 10%.”  I was flabbergasted, shocked and a bit embarrassed with his boldness.  First, it was not less than 10%.  You are not to tip on the tax, just the cost of of your meal and drinks.  So I tipped exactly 10%.  Second, if the waiter had approached the table and paused for a moment, he would have seen the additional money on the table.  Third, I am entitled to tip 10% if I thought the service was worthy of 10%.

I have never experienced anything like this in my life.  I was floored.  I need to consult my Emily Post Guide to Etiquette but I feel confident it is rude to point out to a table what one believes to be an inadequate tip.  A tip is based on service.  I waited tables all throughout college and always knew I had to work hard to get a tip.

Needless to say, we waon’t be going back. And I am a great tipper!

xo–me

I decided since it was the new year, I should make an egg nog pie.  It seemed like the right time to try this pie that is one of the world’s favorite new year’s beverage.  I am not a huge fan of egg nog but the ingredients imply it’s going to taste like a heavier custard pie with lots of nutmeg.  The man of the house also loves egg nog so I was game.

I rolled out the crust and baked it with no problems.  The challenge and ‘burning down the house moment’ came when I put the filling in the crust and returned it to the oven.  I was delicate when covering the edges of the pie crust for this second round of baking.  I was cautious walking from the counter to the open oven.  And then it happened, I touched the side of the oven door and jerked.  Guess what happened to the liquid egg nog filling of the pie?  It jerked too.  Or rather it jumped, just a bit, but enough to make a small mess on the bottom of the oven.  I did my best to clean it up but clearly the smoke monster from the island found it’s way into my kitchen.

So the house smells like the place was on fire.  But not before I got a lovely pie from the oven.

Ingredients:

9-inch pie crust (Nany says the best recipe is on the back of the Crisco can)
3 eggs
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 c. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425.  Bake pie crust for 8 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.  Whisk or whip remaining ingredients together, pour into crust and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake 25 additional minutes or until a knife inserted in the center removes clean.

I had to bake the pie for 10 additional minutes than the recipe called for because, as I say all the time, every oven is different.  The house still smells a little funky this morning but I am hoping once I cut this pie (yes pie for breakfast), it will make it all worth it.  Be good to yourself today!

xo–me