By popular request. Here is the new recipe I tried at Christmas and I gotta say, it is really good comfort food and kid-friendly!

Baked Ziti with Meatballs

This is so easy!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield:8-10 servings

1/2 cup plain Italian bread crumbs (has herbs and romano cheese)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork

1 pound box ziti or penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce (either homemade marinara, or good quality store bought tomato basil sauce)
3 cups whole milk ricotta
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/2 cup of the Romano, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add beef and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Shape into bite-size meatballs.

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until a little harder than al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package suggests. This is because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven and absorb moisture from the sauce, so don't worry if the sauce looks a little 'wet'. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside. If not using immediately, cover top with plastic wrap so that pasta does not dry out. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the ziti.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs in batches and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown. Remove meatballs to a plate.

In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce and ricotta and mix well. Add the cooked ziti and meatballs and toss gently.

In a large greased baking dish, pour in pasta mixture. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan all over the top. Dot with the butter. Place baking dish on top of baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to collect any drippings from the dish. Bake until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes.

To steal an 'ism' from my favourite foodie:

You have not lived until you have tasted real gingerbread.



I came upon these divine galettes by accident when I purchased a pretty tin wind up music box at my favourite purveyor of imported foods for discriminating tastes here in town. Truth be told I bought it for the box and didn't expect the cookies to be anything more than edible. They are soft and airy with the perfect amount of sweet and spice. Each galette has a wafer on the bottom. The kind of wafer best described as what they make 'host' for mass from.

I've had to hide them because the girls love them too, and Boo keeps asking for the good gingerbread.

Italians have a tradition of eating fish and seafood on Christmas Eve. Absolutely no meat. This is best known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Calamari, salt cod, shrimp/scampi, scungilli, clams, monkfish and,

the eels! Ma-donna, the eels for Christmas Eve dinner.

First writhing in the bag, then writhing in the sink, then slithering across the garage floor trying to make a break for it, then writhing in my aunt's hands, then writhing on the chopping block, and STILL writhing as, she cut them into cross-sections, and placed them in the roasting pan!

Now, that's a memory many Italians can share.

I could never bring myself to even sit any where near the serving dish, never mind eating the greasy little things.

Life is short, (or excruciatingly long if you're miserable) so I encourage the celebration of as many holidays as possible. Therefore we celebrate both Winter Solstice and Christmas are celebrated in our home. This entry is a big thank you to the love of my life for getting his beloved witch a box chock-full of primo incense, oils and candles and a really cute book!

Sausages and Lentils

This incidentally, is what Italians serve traditionally on New Year's Day; but I've decided that it's what we are eating tonight, winter solstice eve!
Ingredients:

* 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* sprinkling of salt
* 500g lentils
* 1 fat clove garlic, squished with the side of a knife, and skin removed
* 8 Italian or farmer's sausages
* 100ml red wine
* 50ml water
* flat-leaf parsley for sprinkling

Instructions:

Cook lentils in a seperate sauce pan. Brown the sausages and remove from the pan. Deglaze the pan with the wine and water before stirring in the lentils to flavour them. Return the sausages to the pan, and place a lid on it. Turn the heat down to low and let heat together for 30 minutes.

And then:

For dessert I whipped up some custard and served it warm with rum soaked raisins for us, sans raisins for the little ones.

Comfort food and the joy of preparing and sharing it with my family. There's nothing like celebrating the holidays with the ones you love!

or sticky toffee sponge pudding? Whether you're a Brit expat or like me, your world shattered when Marks & Spencer pulled out of Canada, this is the online store for you!

Yep. Tonight feels like an umami kinda night.

On the menu is:

-grilled strip loin steaks, New York cut, rubbed with butter and Montreal Steak spice, medium rare
-porcini and shitake mushroom and onion ragout (that's with cream!) for smothering
-mixed baby greens in a soy-based salad dressing (to tie all that umami flavour together)
-and baked potatoes

Mmmmmmmmmm... umammmmmmmmmmmi.

Shamelessly stolen from The Flea.
Damn is it infectious!