Pan di Spagna!

It means Bread of Spain, but it’s really a classic Italian Sponge Cake that I love flavored with lemon. It uses no leaveners at all. It’s leavened only by the beating of the egg whites and yolks so it’s a very delicate batter, but it comes out light as a cloud.  I actually use 3 different ways of flavoring, Lemon Zest, Lemon Extract, & Limoncello.  Once it’s made you can fill it with strawberries, lemon custard, or whatever you can come up with. But my favorite way is to just eat it plain, as is, with a nice cappuccino in the morning. Any way you choose to enjoy it, you’ll love it! Buona Fortuna!

5                              Eggs, separated into 2 mixing bowls*

1 ½         cups       Sugar

1 ½         cups       Flour

1              tsp.        Lemon Extract

2              Tbl.         Limoncello Liqueur

The zest of one Lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and Flour a 10” (2” deep) cake pan and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom (also greased and floured).  With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with about half of the sugar, the lemon zest, lemon extract, and the limoncello, until they are very pale in color, thick and rich. Then, IN A CLEAN BOWL, beat the egg whites until they come to soft peaks*. Gradually add in the other half of the sugar and continue to beat to medium/stiff peaks.

Once the eggs are beaten, with a rubber spatula, very delicately fold in the whites into the yolks in 3 stages leaving streaks of white in the mixture. Do not fold them in completely. Once you’ve folded the whites in, sift the flour into the egg mixture very slowly and in many stages while folding. In other words, sift-in enough flour to cover the mixture and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula being careful not to deflate the eggs. Repeat until all the flour has been incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If you did it right, the cake should be golden brown and nice and level. Let cool for 10-15 minutes then turn the cake out onto a 10” plate and allow to come to room temperature before cutting into it…if you can!

Buon Appetito!

*It is imperative that the bowl for the egg whites is clean. If there is ANY trace of oil, yolks, or fat in the bowl they will never beat correctly.

I took this from Yahoo's website. These are some great points/tips to creating the perfect pasta dish!!
Buon Appetito!!!

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There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That?questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.
Lots of questions come up when we're cooking pasta. How much salt should I add? Should I add a glug of olive oil? Do I really have to reserve some pasta water before draining? We answer all carbohydrate quandaries today with the help of the editors atAmerica's Test Kitchen in our master pasta edition of Do I Really Have to Do That? 

DO use more water than you think you need.
For every pound of pasta, you'll need four quarts of water. "This amount of water may seem excessive to some, but pasta contains tons of starch, and if cooked in too little liquid, the noodles will stick together." Ever had a pot of pasta foam up and boil over? That's a sure sign you didn't use enough water.

DO add salt.
Add 1 tablespoon of table salt or 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water. Some cooks say it should be as salty as sea water. "It really enhances the flavor of the pasta, making it taste fuller and wheatier."

DON'T add olive oil.
"Contrary to popular belief, adding oil to boiling water does not prevent sticking." The oil will just float to the surface and then be drained off with the cooking water. And there go a few dollars down the drain, to boot.

DON'T follow the package timing.
If you want al dente pasta, the suggested cooking times on the pasta box will likely lead you astray. Instead, "about 3 minutes shy of the package time, simply lift a piece of pasta and taste it." (You DON'T need to throw it on the wall.) Remember that like eggs and meat, the pasta will continue to cook as it's drained and sauced. "In the test kitchen, we compensate for this by pulling the pot off the heat and draining the pasta when it’s just shy of al dente."



DO reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid.
"Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water—about a ½ cup or so. A splash of this starchy water can adjust the consistency of a pasta sauce that’s become too stodgy or thick." To help yourself remember this step, place your colander in the sink while the pasta is cooking with a measuring cup inside as a visual reminder. If you still forget, "mix ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot. Just a splash or two of the slightly thickened liquid creates a sauce with just the right consistency."

DON'T shake pasta dry.
"A little water clinging to the pasta is desirable because it helps the sauce combine with and coat the pasta." Besides, if you've ever refrigerated leftover spaghetti, you know what happens as pasta dries: the strands stick together in a tangled glob. Try this method instead. "Just pour the pasta into a colander, and let the pasta drain of its own accord for 30 seconds or so—resist the urge to vigorously shake the colander (although one or two gentle shakes won’t hurt)." 

DON'T rinse pasta.
Unless you're headed to a picnic with your signature pasta salad, don't rinse. It cools down the pasta––not what we want if it's a hot dinner we're after––"but it also washes away all of that beautiful starch that helps the sauce cling."

DO pair your pasta shape with the right sauce.
Cook's Illustrated senior editor Dan Souza explains how the ideal marriage between pasta and sauce offers a taste of both in every single bite. Thin pasta like angel hair and spaghetti goes best with a smooth, light sauce, like pesto or olive oil and garlic. Thicker strands like tagliatelle, fettucine, and linguine are better matches for a slightly chunkier sauce with ground meat, like a bolognese, or a creamy sauce like alfredo. Larger tube shapes like rigatoni or shells are best with a really chunky sauce that will get stuck in its crevices, like pasta alla norma. Smaller tube-shaped pasta like penne and fusilli are at their best with a lightly chunky tomato sauce.

So here’s a great little treat to help beat your winter-time blues. They’re called Polpetti di Riso or Rice Meatballs. Not to be confused with Arancini, this is a much simpler, peasant recipe and a real crowd pleaser. You’ll see that the ingredients resemble those of a meatball recipe, hence the name. When I make these, I have to make them by the “bushel”. Everyone just loves them and I hope you do too!

Polpetti di Riso

2          cups     Long Grain Rice

8          cups     Water

½         cup       Bread Crumbs

½         tsp        Salt

¼         tsp        White Pepper

½         tsp        Granulated Garlic

2          Tbl.      Chopped Fresh Parsley

1          cup       Grated Cheese (Romano, Parmigiano, etc…)

3                      Eggs

Put the rice and the water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the rice is tender. Then, drain the rice in a colander (or a scola pasta) and run a little cold water over the rice for a few seconds to help cool it down.

Then, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Wet your hands with a little water and roll some of the rice mixture about the size of a golf ball. You can flatten them a little to form a patty or make then a little oblong to resemble and “Old School” meatball.

Fry the polpetti in a couple inches of oil heated to about 350° until golden brown on both sides. Allow them to cool before serving.  

Buon Appetito!!