August 14, 2012

• Cooking with the Godfather

  Well here it is, folks, the last of my cooking re-posts.  I know you are crying tears of sadness.  I may raid my mom’s recipe box for future posts but since the school year is fast approaching I may just bring back the homework assignments.  I think you liked them.  Did you?  Anyway here are some recipes.

  Fugazy Cutlets
  Cutlets:
  1 ½ pounds pork cutlets
  1 cup season bread crumbs
  ½ cup flour
  2 teaspoons salt
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  3 eggs
  ½ cup olive oil (approx.)
  1 pound fusilli or pasta of you choice, cooked and drained

  Sauce:
  3 tablespoons olive oil
  4 cloves of garlic, minced
  1 small brown or white onion, diced
  One 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes with basil
  ½ cup dry red wine
  ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  ½ tablespoon each salt and pepper

  To Make Sauce:
  Heat olive oil in pan over low heat, add garlic and cook, stirring 1-2 minutes.  Do not brown.  Add the onions and cook, stirring 3-4 minutes or until softened.  Add juice from canned tomatoes and the wine and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the pan.  Crush tomatoes with your hands or chop well on a cutting board and add to sauce.  Bring mixture to a simmer.  Add parsley, basil, and ¼ tablespoon black pepper.  Simmer 45 minutes, skimming off foam every 8-10 minutes.  Season with salt and remaining pepper to taste. 
  

  To Make Cutlets:
  To prepare cutlets, first lay them either straight on a cutting board or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap on the board and pound until approximately ¼ to 1/8 inch thick.  If you don’t have a meat-pounder, use the back of a heavy pan or a meat cleaver.  Mix bread crumbs, flour, and a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl or shallow dish.  Dip the cutlets in mixture on both sides and lay out on a plate.  Beat eggs in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  Heat ½ cup olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Dip each cutlet in eggs on both sides, and slip into pan.  Sauté for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning once (don’t overcook them).  Add more olive oil and reheat if necessary before adding more cutlets.  Remove cutlets as they cook to paper towels to drain. Place the cutlets on plates and top with sauce.  If you wish, serve with fusilli tossed with some of the tomato sauce on the side.
  

  I love this recipe.  It’s like a version of veal parmigiana without the guilt of eating baby cow.  Even though “fugazy” means “fake”, I like to call them “Truth Serum Cutlets” because one time I made them for a girl, she started crying and told me that she was married.

  Beer Cheese Soup
  1 T. margarine or butter
  1/2 onion (chopped)
  1/4 C. celery (chopped)
  1/4 C. carrots (finely chopped)
  1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  1 (12oz) can or bottle light beer
  1 (14.5oz) can chicken broth
  3 T. cornstarch
  2 C. half and half
  2 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  Melt the butter or margarine in a 4 1/2 quart soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Add the beer and raise the heat to high and boil for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.  Add the chicken broth and bring the soup back to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Combine cornstarch with 3 T. water and stir until smooth.  Set aside.  Add the half and half and shredded cheese to the soup.  Stir constantly until the cheese melts.  Then stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Stir constantly until the soup is thick (about 2 minutes).  Serve garnished with croutons and bacon bits.

  I love this soup.  It’s a game day staple around these parts and by these parts I mean my house.  I think it taste great re-heated so I will cook a double batch on Friday night so I have plenty for the Badgers on Saturday and the Packers on Sunday.  Since I am the greatest bratwurst cook of all time, I usually have a few of those to go with the soup. 
  

  Wisconsin Sushi
  Dill Pickles
  1 package of cream cheese
  1 package of sliced ham

  Microwave cream cheese to make it loose.  Take a slice of ham and spread cream cheese on ham.  Place whole dill pickle on edge of the ham and roll it in the ham and cheese.  Slice roll into sections.

  Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars

  Ingredients:
  1-1/2 cups Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs
  1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
  2 packages (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  1/2 cup sugar
  1/2 tsp. vanilla
  2 eggs

  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350.  Mix crumbs and butter, press firmly onto bottom of 8- or 9- inch baking pan.  Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add eggs; mix just until blended.  Pour over crust.
  Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool.
  Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.  Cut into 16bars.  Store leftover bars in refrigerator.

  And now the final installment of Olympics or Porn:

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  So which ones are porn and which ones are Olympics?
  
  I do like how this Australian newspaper distinguished between the two Koreas.  Naughty Korea is North Korea.  I hereby declare that henceforth North Korea will be referred to as Naughty Korea.
  
  Did anyone else think that the London Olympics logo sort of looked like Lisa Simpson punching Bart Simpson in the crotch?

  Have a great time period.

  • 11:22 PM
  • 46 Comments