Funny thing about friendship....

A little over a month ago a picture that I took of my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes won the Favorite Photo contest on Allrecipes.com. So being a supporting member, I wrote on the message board thanking everyone who voted for my photo. I had never won before but has submitted photo's in the past. Another member had responded asking me about the cookbook I had put together. I am guessing that she read it on my profile. So I wrote back and her gave my email so that I could give her more information about the cookbook. A couple of days later I get an email from someone saying that she lived nowhere near me but would love a cookbook. Like me, she reads cookbooks like others read novels. And that is how my friendship with Carol started.

Carol and I have been emailing each other, sharing stories, recipes, experiences. I love reading her emails. It is funny how someone who lives on the opposite side of the country, someone who I have never met could have touched my life this way. I told my mom this and she said that we probably knew each other in a past life. I can't help but think she may be right. I feel such a strong bond with her like we were friends before. I feel like I can tell her anything and sometimes find myself typing away, telling her how my day was and what I have planned.

I am not sure if we will ever get a change to meet face to face, but I do thank God that she came into my life and that she is a part of me now. I guess friends can come in all forms.....

Another look at Stuffed Shells

I love anything stuffed! Stuffed mushrooms, stuffed shrimp, stuffed shells....you name it. Something about the word "stuffed" just makes anything sound delicious. The following recipes are a twist on the classic stuffed shell.


Taco Shells

These are a clever twist on regular stuffed shells.

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
18 jumbo pasta shells
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream
Sliced black olives

In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add cream cheese, taco seasoning and chili powder; mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss cooked shells in butter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill shells with beef mixture and arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish; pour taco sauce over shells. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove dish from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chips; return dish to oven to cook for 15 minutes more.
Top with sour cream and olives.

Crab Salad Shells

These make such a great summer appetizer!

30 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 cup finely chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced
2 packages, 8 ounces each, imitation crabmeat, chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 teaspoon dill weed

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain well. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the broccoli and garlic. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the remaining ingredients. Stuff into pasta shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sausage and Mozzarella Shells

This is the same filling I use for the stuffed mushroom recipe.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package Italian sausage, casings removed
2 large white mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 garlic gloves, pushed through a press
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, green onion and chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking sausage into smaller pieces with a fork for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and add 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese,stir, then add the mozzarella cheese, 1 cup at a time, until cheese melts. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the shells until al dente; drain. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a baking dish and arrange shells open end up. Using a teaspoon, stuff the shells with sausage mixture. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is heated.

The cruelty that humans do...

This is Brix. My brother, Dino found her tied to a pole this morning in front of my office. He named her Brix because she is like a little brick. Now besides the fact that I can't understand why someone would just leave a dog tied to a pole.....I really can't understand how a person could tie a dog to a pole when it is 97 degrees outside. No food. No water. Just tied her up and walked away. I look at that little face and can't get the image out of my head of her staring at her previous asshole...opps I mean owner, wondering where he was going as he walked away.

So there she was this morning...tied to a pole. My brother drove by, saw her, parked his truck, walked down to the pole, untied her and brought her to the little house in the yard behind the office. He bought her food and treats, gave her water and a blanket to lay on. She was safe.

When my mom and I got to the office, we opened the gate and she stood up, wagged her tail and gave us kisses. She is a black pitbull, about a year old and is just as sweet as can be. Her nails were so long that they started to curl sideways. The woman from Pitbull rescue in Queens said that she has probably been in a cage her whole life so that is why her nails are so long. She has 2 scars on her face. I have no idea from what. She does not look abused but was definitely neglected.

The woman from the Pitbull rescue said that she couldn't take her because she herself is housing 12 pitbulls. The Brooklyn pitbull rescue has over 300 dogs. If we bring her to a dog shelter, they will put her down because pitbull's are very hard to adopt out because of their reputation for being aggressive. So as of right now she will stay with us here at the office. Today she is going to the vet with my brother. She will get examined, get her shots, be spayed (you can see she has already had one litter of puppies), get a bath and get her nails cut. I can't help but wonder...what if Dino had gone straight to a job site instead of coming to the office? What if someone else picked her up? What if someone thought it would be funny to take her and beat her and leave her for dead? Use her for dog fighting? What if........

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mohandas Gandhi.

Creamy Shells with Tomato and Onion

Oh how I love the simple recipes! The combination of the butter, onions, tomato, chives and cream make these shells absolutely delicious. Everyone will rave!




Creamy Shells with Tomato and Onion

1 pound jumbo shells, uncooked
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup frozen chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped
4 tablespoons Romano cheese.
8 tablespoons dried chives
Salt and pepper

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt margarine over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add chives, salt and pepper. Place shells in large serving bowl and pour sauce over shells. Tossing lightly. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Summing up summer.....

No cook meals

The recent heat wave has got me coming up with recipes that do not require me to turn any part of my stove on. The following are a collection of no-cook recipes, great for when it is too hot or you just don’t feel like cooking.

Polenta Lasagna

Mix a container of ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of grated Romano cheese and a pinch each of basil, salt and pepper. Slice a precooked log of polenta into ¼ inch rounds and arrange in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish coated in cooking spray. Top each round with a dab of jarred eggplant caponata and a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and microwave until warmed through.

Antipasto Kabobs

Cut up 8 oz. each ham, salami, soppresata, and provolone cheese into bite-size cubes. Alternately thread onto skewers along with pitted Spanish and black olives and cherry tomatoes. Serve with sliced Italian bread and Italian dressing for dipping.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Coarsely shred up the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Combine with one cup barbeque sauce and ¼ cup water in a bowl. Microwave until hot. Spoon chicken mixture onto split Kaiser rolls and top with a spoonful of deli coleslaw.

Greek Pizza

Spread your favorite flavor of hummus (I use Sabra garlic flavor) evenly onto 2 uncut toasted pita rounds. Top with shaved oven-roasted turkey, jarred roasted red peppers, sliced Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. Cut into wedges to serve.

Guacamole Tostada

In a food processor, puree a can of cannelloni beans with a splash of lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and add some canned chopped jalapeno peppers, fresh cilantro leaves, diced sweet onion, diced tomato and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Mash in a chopped avocado by hand. Spread mixture onto hard corn tostadas and arrange store-bought rotisserie chicken strips on top. Serve with sour cream.

Wet noses...

"In the whole history of the world there is but one thing money cannot buy, the wag of a dog's tail" or in Ginger's case....."the shake of a dog's butt"!!

Take a moment...

My girlfriend Lita has the greatest saying taped to the inside of one of her kitchen cabinets - Once in a while...right in the middle of an ordinary life...love gives you a fairytale....

Stromboli Bread with Hot Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

My cousin Gracie won't let me come to her house unless I have at least 1 loaf of this with me. Even people who do not like broccoli rabe, myself included, love this!




Stromboli Bread with Hot Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

1 – 16 ounce loaf semolina bread or rustic Italian bread
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cut into 3 inch pieces
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, pushed thru a press
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 thin slices mozzarella cheese
8 thin slices provelone cheese
a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese and grated Romano cheese
Pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut off the top quarter of the bread lengthwise and scoop out the bottom. Set aside the top. In a deep skillet, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the broccoli rabe in batches, simmering for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Wipe out the skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling with a spoon until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Fill the bottom of the bread shell with the shredded mozzarella and grated Romano cheese. Top with the sausage mixture then top that with the grated Parmesan, sliced provolone, sliced mozzarella and the bread lid, in that order. Wrap bread in foil and bake until cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into thick slices to serve.

Footnote - Make 2 because people will fight over this.

When a picture speaks 1000 words....well maybe just the 3 most important

5 cookbooks everyone should own

I can not even count how many cookbooks I own...has to be at least 150.....but there are a few that are my favorites. I have come up with a little list of the 5 cookbooks I think everyone should own.

Pasta Everyway for Everyday by Eric Treuille and Anna Del Conte

This is my "go to" cookbook. It's the bible of all pasta cookbooks. My mom bought it for my dad and I found it one day while at her house for dinner. I admit, I almost stole it from her. I think I spent about 2 hours reading every single recipe. There is every kind of pasta recipe, most with pictures of the finished product. The recipes are easy to follow with sections that include pasta with meat, seafood, vegetables, quick cook sauces and no cook sauces. Every recipe gives pasta suggestions and quick tips. You will never need another pasta cookbook as long as you own this one. I found it on Amazon.com for about $20.00.

Hershey Chocolate Cookbook

Need I say more?

The Semi-Homemade Collection by Sandra Lee

I have all of them. The thing I like about these cookbooks is that Sandra Lee uses a combination of store bought or already made ingredients and then adds things to them. Cooking a dish from scratch is very often not that easy. I would recommend any of these to people just starting to cook since it makes even the most difficult recipes easy. And she has one for just about anything, slow-cooker, barbeque, 30 minute meals, cooking light, desserts...you name it!

Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook by Michael Ronis

Now..we have all eaten at Carmine's at least once. And if you haven't...shame on you! This cookbook is a great classic Italian cookbook. It gives staple recipes like Chicken Marsala and Pasta with White Clam Sauce. Old school recipes like Escarole and Beans and Famous Carmine's recipes (and the reason I bought the cookbook) Chicken Wings Scarpariello with Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce. The BEST chicken wing recipe I have ever had.

Good Housekeeping Best Loved Desserts

The same way Pasta Everyday is the bible of all pasta cookbooks...Best Loved Desserts is the bible of all dessert cookbooks. Everything you need to make any dessert is in this cookbook. Cakes, pies, puddings, crepes, sauces, even souffles. Over 250 recipes. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G is in this book. My favorite is the section on Pastry and Pie Dough because to me, nothing beats homemade dough. It beats store-bought everytime! Also, I like the fact that they list the nutritional information for every recipe. I bought this one at Barnes and Noble in the bargain section, believe it or not, for under $10.00.

Try and check them out.....you will be cooking like a pro in no time! Happy Cooking!! =)

Reading Lita's blog...

I just finished reading Lita's blog and I have come to the conclusion that she should start blogging again. LOL...I laughed, I cried...I smiled.....GOD I love that woman!!!!

Cooking with Arge 101 - Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms

I love when people come to me and ask for recipes or to make them something or cooking tips. I love it even more when people ask me to help them to cook. My girlfriend Tara is a self-proclaimed "Non-cook" but she wants to get better at cooking. So last Friday, she hosted a "Girl's Night" at her house. She told me that she wanted to make an appetizer from the Ladies Auxiliary cookbook. She picked one of my recipes - Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms. She was nervous but I told her that I would help her, go with her to the store so she can get an idea about the ingredients. So Thursday night we go to Shoprite....get everything we needed (except for mushrooms...they didn't have any so over to Stop & Shop we went) and went back to her house to start the mushrooms. She began cleaning the vegetables, I chopped...she watched me very closly. We got out the frying pan...took the sausage out of the casing...added the vegetables, cheese, seasonings.....the stuffed those mushrooms until they were over flowing with the cheesy sausage mixture. She was so proud of herself and I was proud of her. The end result was delicious and my friend Tara is on her way to becoming a "Cooking Diva".

Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Mushrooms

2 packages white stuffing mushrooms, cleaned
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 package Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 garlic gloves, pushed through a press
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and discard. Take one mushroom and finely chop; set aside. Place mushroom caps in a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange caps, cavity side up, on a cookie sheet. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, green onion and chopped mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking sausage into smaller pieces with a fork for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and add 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese,stir, then add the mozzarella cheese, 1 cup at a time, until cheese melts. Using a teaspoon, stuff mushroom caps with sausage mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.

Footnotes - If possible, use a good quality Parmesan cheese. It makes a huge difference in the taste of the recipe. When it comes to things like cheese, better quality will give you a better end result. This sausage mixture also makes a great stuffing for jumbo pasta shells. Serve with sun-dried tomato alfreado sauce..Yummy!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes..the easy version

These cupcakes knock people's socks off. I can not make them without at least 10 people asking for some. I call this one the easy version because with the original version, you make your own cookie dough. Since I like to keep things simple, I just buy the cookie dough already made and it works just as well.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box to make the cake
1 large tube chocolate chip cookie dough
Chocolate Frosting

Open cookie dough package and roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Freeze at least 2 hours or over night, until frozen solid. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!! If you do not freeze the cookie dough, it will bake inside the batter. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Follow the directions on the cake mix box to make the cake batter. Place paper cupcake cups into a pan and fill each one with batter until 2/3 full. Drop 1 frozen cookie dough ball in the center of each. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. Do not over-bake. I check mine at 16 minutes. If I think they need more time, I check them every minute or so until they are just firm on top. If you are going to check them with a toothpick, check them at the sides, not the top. Otherwise you will be sticking the toothpick in the cookie dough.

Footnote - Store in the refrigerator....so the cookie dough stays firm.

Limoncello Pasta

I have often heard people say that as you get older your tastes change and I never used to believe it. I was convinced that whatever food I disliked as a child, I would continue to dislike as an adult. Well I was wrong. I used to hate anything lemon or lime flavored. Now you can't pull me away from Key Lime Pie or this pasta dish. This dish is very easy to make and is elegant enough to serve to company. Try serving with steamed asparagus tips.

Limoncello Pasta

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pushed thru a press
2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon juiced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dried parsley
4 large fresh basil leaves
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt the water liberally. Cook the pasta until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. While the pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over low heat and add olive oil. When the olive oil is warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn off the heat and set the garlic aside for 5 minutes, then raise the heat to medium, add the wine and boil to reduce the wine by half, about 3 minutes. When the pasta is just about cooked, add a ladle of the pasta water to the skillet with the sauce and stir in the heavy cream and basil leaves. When the cream is warmed through, whisk the lemon juice into the sauce and season with salt. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce, then let the pasta stand for 1 minute so it can soak up a little of the sauce and lots of flavor. Toss with the parsley, and a couple handfuls of grated cheese, then serve immediately.

Footnote - When adding the lemon juice, add a little at a time until you get the desired lemon flavor.

Orgasm on a Fork....

Okay so that is not really the name of the recipe but it should be.

Fudge Bottom Cheesecake Pie

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup melted margarine
2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 jar Hot Fudge Topping, slightly warmed

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and melted margarine. Press crumb mixture into 9 inch pie plate. Pour hot fudge topping into bottom of crust. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar until well blended. Pour cream cheese mixture over fudge and spread lightly to even out mixture. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Footnote - Add some extra hot fudge to a small zip-lock bag, cut a small hole in the tip. Squeeze out small dots across the top of the cake. Using a toothpick, pull the hot fudge dots to create a marble effect.

An excerp from In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary...

I titled the opening page of the In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary - "A pinch of this and a sprinkle of that" which is also in the title of my blog.

I am always a bit annoyed by people who think of cooking as a chore and not something to be celebrated and be fun. Now, I understand not everyone can be a gourmet chef, even I have had my fair share of cooking flops. Let's just say raw chicken + boiling Jambalaya sauce = Disaster. I've over-cooked, under-grilled, over-salted, under-measured, over-whipped, burnt, dropped and spilled more times than I can count. But isn't that the point? I can recall every cooking mistake I have made, laugh about it and learn from it. My tragedies in the kitchen are more dear to me than my cooking masterpieces. They were funny, sad, annoying, gross, smelly and fun. To me, that is what makes cooking my passion.

From - In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary, A collection of recipes from the Little Ferry Hose Co. 1 Ladies Auxiliary

Behind every great meal lies a memory and memories feed the heart and soul, When you think about it, every celebration, gathering and holiday revolves around food. Sometimes just the smell of a treat baking in the oven can trigger happiness. A recipe is so much more than putting ingredients in a bowl and cooking them up. There are feelings, memories and emotions behind them. The recipes in this book are more than just recipes. They are love, tradition and the stories of our lives.