Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Chicken Noodle Soup
with
Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls

Over the years I’ve made hundreds of matzoh balls, usually in the Traditional style, but often with a twist with different flavors or techniques such as: Saffron, Mexican, Horseradish, Fried, Vietnamese, Turkey, Edible Flowers, and more!

This time, I added Calabrian chili to the mix to make fabulously flavorful and somewhat spicy matzoh balls with a distinct Italian flair.

Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce is made with Calabrian chili peppers sourced from a trusted pepper cultivator in Calabria, Italy (the “toe” of Italy’s “boot”). Their Italian Bomba Hot Sauce is a tribute to a centuries-old culinary tradition.

Since the 1500s, Calabrian hot chili peppers have been a staple of Southern Italian cuisine, especially when crushed, fermented, and mixed into a fiery hot condiment, just like this Bomba Sauce. The natural fruity notes of the peppers are amplified by the slightly pickled flavor and texture they take on during fermentation, making it particularly suited for pasta dishes and pizzas, and who knew, matzoh balls too?

Chicken Noodle Soup with Calabrian Chili Matzoh Balls Recipe

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Julia Child’s Coquilles Saint Jacques

Julia Child's Coquilles Saint Jacques

The Julia Child Annual Birthday Tribute
with
Coquilles Saint Jacques

Imagine Julia Child hosting her own birthday party today, August 15th. She’s invited you and four other girlfriends to an intimate luncheon at her home in Paris at 81 Rue de l’Université in the 7th arrondissement.

She begins the charming affair by serving her favorite cocktail, an upside-down martini. With naturally less alcohol than a traditional martini, Julia says, “The best thing about a reverse martini is that you can have two of them!” Oh gosh, this is going to be fun!

To start the meal, Julia chose her recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques à la Provençale, sea scallops gratinéed with wine, garlic, and herbs. Which she serves with crusty baguettes and chilled rosé. She says, “This good recipe may be prepared in advance and gratinéed just before serving.” Just a few minutes under the broiler, and her elegant little starter is ready to go!

 🌷🌷🌷Birthday Luncheon Menu 🌷🌷🌷

Starter Course
Coquilles Saint Jacques

Soup Course
Vichyssoise

Main Course
Sole Meunière

Dessert Course
Figs and Sabayon

Julia Child’s Coquilles Saint Jacques Recipe

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Breaking All the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

Breaking all the Rules: Cacio e Pepe

Breaking all the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

This isn’t a traditional Cacio e Pepe recipe, nor does it claim to be authentically Italian. It’s not meant to be classic, but I created this spaghetti and shrimp dish with my nephew in mind…and boy oh boy is it good!

He had enjoyed a delightful Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe at Chef Roma’s Kitchen, a local Las Vegas restaurant. Being a cheese lover, he also adores shrimp, plenty of butter, and a hint of spice.

So I dedicate this dish to Jett. To which he said, “that shrimp dish looks AMAZING, it looks so flavorful and it looks like the best shrimp I would ever taste.” I ❤️ you, dear.

Cacio e Pepe is a classic Roman pasta dish that translates to “cheese and pepper.” Despite its simplicity, it delivers a remarkable depth of flavor and a comforting, creamy texture. The dish is traditionally made with just three main ingredients: pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.

Breaking all the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

Breaking the Rules

If you strive for an authentic dish, don’t make this one!

The beauty of Cacio e Pepe lies in its simplicity, achieved through the emulsion of cheese, pasta water, and pepper. Adding butter, cream, or oil can make the dish overly rich and detracts from its true flavor.

Similarly, adding extra cheese at the end can disrupt the balance. The emulsification should occur as the pasta is being mixed with the sauce, not as a final touch.

Cacio e Pepe is deeply rooted in Roman culinary tradition. Introducing ingredients like red chili flakes alters the dish’s character, steering it away from its classic origins.

While adding basil can bring a fresh, aromatic note that complements many Italian dishes, it’s still a departure from the traditional Roman recipe. Basil introduces a herbal, slightly sweet flavor that, while delicious, isn’t typically part of Cacio e Pepe.

In traditional Italian cuisine, pairing cheese with seafood, such as shrimp, is generally avoided. The reasoning is that the strong flavors of cheese can overwhelm the delicate taste of seafood.

It’s highly recommended to use finely hand-grated Pecorino Romano rather than pre-grated cheese. While pre-grated cheese worked fine here and is convenient, freshly grated Pecorino Romano can make a significant difference in a dish as simple and ingredient-focused as Cacio e Pepe.

Pronounce it CAH-choh eh PEH-peh, now that’s authentic.

Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp Recipe

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Morimoto’s Black Cod

Morimoto's Black Cod

Morimoto’s Black Cod
Gindara Nitsuke

Nitsuke is a Japanese technique of simmering food, especially fish, in a combination of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Gindara is the Japanese name for Black Cod or Sablefish.

Chef Morimoto says, “Simmered doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? It certainly doesn’t entice like the words charred or broiled do. Well, simmering in the Japanese way should get you salivating, because it produces some of my favorite dishes of all. The secret is creating a cooking liquid that highlights the flavor of the main ingredient and strikes the right balance between sweet and salty.”

Morimoto’s Black Cod Recipe

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Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Salade de Chèvre Chaud
Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Salade de Chèvre Chaud is a classic French salad that features warm goat cheese as its star ingredient. It starts with a bed of mixed greens and herbs topped with cucumber and radish for added texture and flavor and color.

Medallions of fresh tangy goat cheese are coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried in oil to a golden crunchy exterior and creamy interior. The dressing is a classic Dijon vinaigrette. And the addition of edible flowers makes the salad pop!

The Salade de Chèvre Chaud can be served with two or three medallions for a main course or with a smaller salad and one medallion as a starter course. Crusty baguette is always welcome on the side. And rosé is the perfect accompaniment.

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Recette de Salade de Chèvre Chaud

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