Mamma can cook

Ok first let me say this cake really is delicious. Every time I have made it everyone has asked for it again...that being said it is really one of the only recipes I have that is made with actual "box cake"...although this is not a "box cake" by any means, you still tell people it is made from scratch because seriously you are adding a lot more ingredients and it is not just add egg and water and to me that is scratch so there! Cake: 1 box yellow cake mix 1 small package INSTANT vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup rum (dark or light is fine) 1 cup chopped pecans Brown sugar (optional) Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even. Bake 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake! Glaze: While cake has te...

I have made these crustaceans many times, many different ways... scampi, marinara, cream sauce.... but NEVER has the recipe been this easy and delicious. I couldn't believe it!! My expectations were not that high because there are like 4 ingredients in here but I guess it goes to show that less is more!! If you like shrimp and spicy food then print this sucker and have a restaurant quality meal in about 10 minutes. I put my shrimp over brown rice, but you can do whatever your little hears desire. This would be delicious on it's own as an appetizer. Ingredients * (Frozen) Raw Shrimp // I’m using the 26-30 per pound size and I’ll be cooking about 2 dozen of them. These shrimp have been de-veined already. This is a good feature…kind of like cruise control. * Good quality Orange Juice // We’ll need 3/4 cup today. Drink the leftovers…it’s cold and flu season. * 2-4 Cloves of Garlic // This depends on how much you hate vampires. I happen to really hate them. * 3 Tablespoons Salted...

I can't believe I have not posted this amazing recipe yet. I was at a friends house yesterday and we were mulling over what we will be making for Christmas. She said the only thing she will buy "pre made" is the bread which I then informed that she was not because I have the easiest bread recipe which you DON'T HAVE TO KNEAD (for those of you that don't know about bread making the key for most recipes is the endless kneading that will leave you trembling in pain afterward). This recipe is adapted from the famous Sullivan Street Bakery. The hardest part is waiting for it to rise literally that's it... you dump ingredients mix until they combine and then wait and bake..... and OH LAWD you will be high-fiving yourself because once you see what comes out of that oven you will be in heaven!! Everyone that tries this is amazed at the flavor and appearance of this rustic bread. Go along now make the damn thing and thank me for passing this on. Also... you can add w...

I haven't posted anything in so long and I HAVE been making stuff and taking pictures but just haven't posted, my apologies. ANYway, yesterday my grandparent's were coming over and I wanted to bake something they can have with coffee and as I reached for my apron I thought of Heather who gifted me the adorable pink beauty and then I thought of one of her favorite cookies, and so this is how I ended up making the linzer tart. Everyone was really enjoying them too. You can use any flavor Jam in the center, we just happen to be big fans of the Raspberry Preserve. *The cookies are pictured on the Apron because it is just too cute!! ¼ cup + 2 Tbs. butter, softened ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 large ...

So my family has been been making Potato Pancakes or Latke forever. I have always LOVED them. Recently I went into the city with Karen and we ordered a batch of Potato Pancakes which arrived with applesauce and sour cream on the side. I prefer sour cream. ANYway.... these latke were so good because they were MINI ones, and I am a sucker for anything in mini version. I don't know why, but I just am. The other night my mother was making these and we decided not only to make them mini but to change our version to this one that I found on NYCnosh and we loved them!!!! They were perfectly, fluffy and crisp and most imprtantly delicious!!! Mind-blowing Homemade Latkes: 2 3/4 lbs. (1.25 kg.) white potatoes 1 large onion 2 eggs, well beaten 1.5 Tablespoons matzoh meal (or flour) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Peel and cut half of the potatoes into one-inch chunks. Boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and pass through a food mill (or process smooth in a...

Easy....Quick....Yummy!!! Need I say more? and no ROULADES is not part of my daily vocabulary, but I am considering it. Ingredients : 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts 8 basil leaves 3.5 ounces of Pancetta thinly sliced 2 TBLSP Olive Oil Salt & Pepper Pound Chicken with a meat mallet. Place two of the basil leaves on each portion and season with salt and pepper generously. Roll up, wrap in the pancectta slices and secure with toothpicks. Heat the oil in the skillet, add the roulades and cook, turning frequently, until browned all over. Cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, adding 1 TBLSP hot water if necessary. Serve with a raddicchio salad.

I called my brother today and said "Rich are you coming over for dinner tonight?" and he of course said "yeah" and I followed up with "is there anything in particular that your taste buds desire" and before even taking a breathe he said "Oh Yeah!! a Big stuffed potato with all the works." I thought about it for a second and thought when WAS the last time we made these bad boys? and I realized it has been a looooong time, so I agreed and got all the fixing's ready and he brought the potatoes. Now... you may be wondering ummm hello how hard is it to stuff a potato and that is not why this is up here, it is posted because I really didn't know how exactly to COOK a baked potato so it had a nice crispy outside and soft on the inside. Sooo, here is what I found and it worked and it was DELICIOUS!!! Oh my goodness so damn satisfying and Derek made his famous cube steaks which were a great accompaniment. Baking a potato: While Russet Potatoes ar...

This recipe comes from Jamile Oliver's cookbook and is called Torta di Nada. I was intrigued by it since it uses Olive Oil and I love blueberries so we gave it a go! My dad loves these types of cakes it is a pound cake type consistency but I don't think it was sweet enough for me but I am a SWEET girl, hahaha. I did enjoy it and it is quite beautiful!! Recipe: Adapetd from Jamie’s Italy - 4 large eggs at room temperature - 1 ¼ cups sugar - ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil - ¾ cup milk - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract - 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted - 1 ½ tsp baking powder (This is the one I use all the time) - A good pinch of sea salt - Zest of 2 lemons, grated - Zest of 2 oranges, grated - 6 oz fresh black raspberries or blueberries or red sweet grapes such as Muscat or fragola - A bit of butter to grease the pan Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a 9-inch pan and line the base with waxed paper. Set aside. Either by hand or in a ...

I am not sure why I keep buying bananas because they keep sitting on my counter turning brown and then I have to find a new recipe to use with the bananas instead of throwing them away. The good thing is that most recipes call for ripe bananas and I have had really good luck with the recipes I have found. This one I found in Bon Appetit it is from a restaurant in Oakland, California by the name of Bakesale Betty and it is one of the best sellers. This bread got rave reviews from everyone and is definitely a keeper. I threw in a handful of walnuts just because, but you don't have to. This is a cross between banana bread and coffee cake. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup p...

Ok so maybe this title is a bit extreme because it was not said by a real food connoisseur but both my husband and my brother said it, and they have had their fill of blueberry muffins, so I took it and ran with it. ANYway.... we tend to go blueberry picking several times in the summer and this past weekend they were beautiful and ripe and the kids were poopin' blue for days (sorry I know but I had to go there). We collected about 12 pounds of blueberries and well we have been eating them A LOT but there comes a point when you need to start baking. My mother made 2 blueberry pies which were fantastic, I decided to make these. Derek has been chucking them into cereal. Not only are these fantastic berries delicious but the health benefits Fugghettaboutit. They are chock full of antioxidants “When it comes to brain protection, there's nothing quite like blueberries, according to Tufts neuroscientist James Joseph,”. “I call the blueberry the brain berry, says Joseph, who attributes...

I am not a HUGE ice cream fan, but Derek is and so are the kids so when I came across this recipe I figured I have to try it. I love the fact that I know all the ingredients in here and there are no strange fillers always a plus for our health ya know. Soooo, I made this for July 4th and I was surrounded by Ice cream lovers. They LOVED it. I must say it is delicious. You can add whatever you would like to it. I have chocolate chip fans, but you can really add any extract and make whatever you would like. I think next time I will try this with Pistachio extract and real pistachios, mmmm. The hardest part of all of this was the wait. I would say it is about a 6 hour wait until it is fully frozen and ready to scoop. Yummy!!!! Oh Yeah I just threw the green in for garnish of course, we are not weirdos like that and eat garnishes with our ice cream, but it does look fancy shmancy doesn't it? *Salmonella Note.....Yeah I know there are raw eggs here, SOOO if you are freaking out about th...

These are the cutest things I have made and seen in a long time. Ethan is having his 3rd birthday party celebration at school today and I had to bring something. He told me he wanted cookies that are letter E's and the number 3's. Ok that was easy, but I needed something else just because. Sooo, I thought cupcakes but HOW messy to transport and for them to eat. Ethan licks off the icing and calls it a day. THESE little darlin's were perfect!!! They LOOK like a cupcake but they are a hard candy/chocolate shell on the outside with cake in the middle and they are oh so "popable" in Derek's words. I had so many left over I just took them and packed them in bags along with the cookies and will give them all to the kids to take home. Yes, after working all night I realized these are THREE year olds they don't care if I run to stop & shop and get some nasty cupcakes filled with Partially Hydrogenated oils hahaha, but the fact is Ethan has been telling me all ...

Not only are these really simple to make but they are actually really healthy. You can leave out the bacon of course but only 3 strips adds plenty of flavor and is the only fat in the muffins. My Dad and Derek eat a whole dozen in one day. 2/3 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat) 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + 1 T for topping muffins if desired 1/4 cup flour. (I use whole wheat flour) 2/3 cup almond meal (I use 2/3 cup almonds ground in food processor for this, which makes it slightly chunkier) 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3 T water 4 eggs, beaten 3 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, fat blotted with paper towel, then crumbled 3 T thinly sliced green onion (scallions) Preheat oven to 400 F. In mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, white whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, water, and beaten egg. Mix well. Gently mix in crumbled bacon and green onion, until well distributed in batter. Spray muffin cups with nonstick spray, or use foil muff...

Ok... I am not sure if this looks really good in the picture because the flavor of deliciousness is so overpowering it has skewed my judgment of the photo. In any case.... This is fantastic. It is actually pretty uncomplicated. The crust is amazing and as you can see a almost 3 year old can do it!! Before you slice this, it is just BEAUTIFUL as well. This is a common dish served for an Italian Easter but not necessarily. Tracie came over the other day for a brunch and really enjoyed it and if I don't post this recipe our friendship may be over. You can change any of the layers if you would like and again if you can't find basket cheese you just mix Ricotta with 2 eggs. Dough: Makes approximately 2 pounds. 1 packet of active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon salt 2 cups of warm water 5-6 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil Filling: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 pound fresh, hot Italian sausage (in casing) 1/2 pound capocollo, thinly sliced 1/3 pound Genoa salami,...

I just got an email from Colleen who has been such a great supporter of my blog. She has tried quite a few of my recipes and she has been happy, and I am thrilled!!! So when she requested a chicken recipe this was the first one that came to mind, because of how easy it is and the fact that it is grilled I knew she would prefer that. I think the request for chicken is probably the most popular one. The problem with chicken in MY opinion is that it is SO popular that we have trouble coming up with healthy, different recipes to keep this fellow from being so boring! Although, I do have a good amount of chicken recipes I get 95% of them from my parents who make chicken A LOT and yet it always remains a tasty and not so boring meal. THIS recipe here we have been eating for a LOOOONG time, and recently I tried a new spin on it. Usually my mother breads the chicken and pan fry with Olive Oil, then simply tops it with the Mozz, Basil & Tomato. It is simple and delicious and always a crowd...

So truth be told... My mother and I hate Stew type foods. Neither of us enjoy a cooked carrot, or the meat in a gooey lump, ack, but my Daddy on the other hand LOVES Stew. The other day Derek took out a package of Beef Cubes and as I looked at the package I thought OH NO Stew?? Well, the good thing was my parents were coming over that night so Derek and I can go to dinner, so I got out of eating it, but I felt bad that my mother was going to be left with the meal. I decided to really find a new recipe that I thought she would enjoy. I went to the Italian GODDESS Marcella Hazan to see which direction she will lead me.... and this was it, and she changed my opinion on Stew. Let me just add.... I am not a fan of pickles in my food, nor am I a fan of capers AT ALL, but the medley was simply perfect. My mother who had brought her own dinner to my house once she found out we were eating stew, tasted the stew was pleasantly surprised and saved her dinner for the next days lunch!!! 2 Tablespo...

I am only a fan of Banana Bread when it is not all wet and soggy and sometimes this is hard to achieve since well Banana's don't really COOK, but if you use THIS recipe you will have perfect Banana Bread or Cake and what IS the difference between Banana bread and cake? I don't know what this would be classified as but who cares call it what you want it is an easy and great recipe!! You can of course add walnuts or whatever you please but I love chocolate with my banana bread. The BEST part of this cake....... ONLY 2 TBLSP of BUTTER!!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH no guilt. Go ahead now. Take those nasty bananas that you would not dream of eating because of the black spots that are covering them and make them into something divine!!! 1½ cups flour ( I used 1 cup White Flour and 1/2 cup Wheat Flour) 1 teaspoon baking powder (I always use Rumford ) ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter (salted or unsalted) 1 large egg wh...

Ever since I can remember my brother Richard has been obsessed with finding THE Orange Julius recipe. We would buy the powdered Orange smoothie mix in hopes it would satisfy his fix, but it never did. The other day he came over so excited that FINALLY after about 14 years he has found THE perfect Orange Julius copy recipe. He was right it was fantastic!!! Especially with some alcohol in the evening, mmmm. The kids LOVED it, minus the vodka of course. Anyway, just a warning... The recipe calls for 6oz of OJ concentrate but we bought the 12oz and used that, it came out pretty gross then we realized we used twice as much so we doubled the whole recipe it then was PERFECT. Here you go.... Richards 14 year quest of finding the perfect Orange Julius has come to an end and all the work was done now you can just enjoy: 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup milk 1 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 10 or so ice cubes 1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. 2...

Yes that is right NO BUTTER. I have been making a batch of these a week now for the kids because they LOVE them. I hate them due to the tiny sprinkles that they shed all over my counters and floors and the obsession I have with bending down to a birds eye view to see how many of them I missed after the million times I tried to clean them up. ANYway.... These use olive oil insted of Butter. I use Extra Virgin just because it does have health benefits and you can't tell at all what oil is used. Now this is a very flexible recipe.... Sometimes I use Almond extract in the dough and icing or lemon extract just depends on what I feel like. Try whatever you like. 4 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 6 beaten eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1 1/2 teaspoon extract (almond, vanilla, anise) *** Icing: *** 2 Cups confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 teaspoons extract Blend beaten eggs into dry ingredients, following with all other ingredients. Knead until smooth. Roll...

I have been making these for a long time, and recently made them for a Passover dinner at my mom's house. I think this is definitely one of my most requested recipes. They are SOOOO easy. I really believe the key to these is to FOLLOW the recipe. The eggs at room temperature should be as directed at room temperature!! I usually just put them in a warm water bath if I have forgotten to take them out. 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or ...