I never cared much about football, but I ended up marrying a pretty serious football fan. To add insult to injury, he is from Medford, Massachusetts and a serious Patriots fan (not my fault). Whether your Superbowl guests are Giants fans or Patriots fans, they will love these spicy turkey meatballs (healthy too). Great with pasta, on focaccia bread, or by themselves on toothpicks; everyone will love these including people like me who still don’t understand football.

Enjoy the game and Go Meatballs!
For more ideas for your Superbowl table, check out Northforkpath.com

Spicy Turkey Meatballs
This makes about 24 small meatballs-2 inches (safer to double the recipe).
One package of 1 lb. of 93% fat-free ground turkey meat.
1/2 cup of oats (un-cooked)
1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional if you have a dairy restriction)
1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 pinch of ground Turmeric or Sazon
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 finely minced garlic clove
1 finely minced chopped onion (small/or 1/2 medium onion)
2 extra large eggs (or 3 medium)

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Have cookie sheet ready and begin rolling your meatballs. Use a teaspoon as a gage to keep the size consistent. Once all of your meatballs are rolled and on the sheet, add one tablespoon of light olive oil and heat your large saute pan or dutch oven. Begin to cook the meatballs (no more than 12 at a time) without crowding the pan until browned.

Then add all the meatballs back to the pan and add 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce, cooking for 20 minutes in the sauce. You may want to add additional salt and red pepper flakes to taste as some of you might like it a bit spicier like I do.

Put out your accompanients and have plenty of great local beer from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company or your favorite cocktail with vodka. We love LIV, Long Island Vodka, from Long Island Spirits so pick some up on your next visit to the North Fork.

So it’s January and many of us have resolved to take better care of ourselves and eat better food, and save money. The problem is that if we don’t have good ingredients on hand and a few essential tools, it becomes too easy to reach for the take out menus.

I recently made a list of essential tools for a bachelor friend of mine who is looking to increase the odds of having “overnight” dinner guests. So I made him a list of tools and ingredients to help him execute an enticing dinner and spread the love! But seriously, these are tips that will impress anyone from your latest crush to your friends or family.

Essential Kitchen Tools

1. Cast iron pan (doubles as protection against prowlers)
2. Tongs (better to grab with)
3. Thermometer (for chicken, turkey, steak and other meats)
4. Pepper mill (keep things spicy aka antioxidant)
5. Sheet pan (for roasted potatoes, stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms or cookies for the holidays or Valentine’s Day)
6. Salad bowl for mixing and serving
7. Mini food processor or bullet (for smoothies, pestos, soups and sauces)
8. Dutch oven (for soups, stews, braises or roasts)
9. Omelette/sauté pan (also for veggies and anything else you want to saute)
10. Chef’s knife

Essential Ingredients
These are ingredients you can have on hand that keep for quite some time in the pantry or the fridge.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Sea salt
• Truffle oil
• Red wine
• Dry pasta
• Favorite jar of tomato sauce
• Dried Mushrooms from Fine Gourmet Foods from Oregon

I look forward to hearing about your culinary conquests so please DO cook and tell!

The stock (you will begin by making a stock/the soup is the finished product after straining the stock)
Ingredients
Rotisserie Chicken Carcass
1 whole onion rough chopped
the bottom bulb of your celery, chopped off (reserve stalks for soup)
Peels of 4 carrots along with trimmed ends to add to soup (reserve the actual carrots for the soup)
1 laurel leaf
4 sprigs of parsley
2 whole cloves of garlic
Add two tablespoons of EVOO to a large soup pot or large dutch oven and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.
Then add one quart of water and boil for at least one hour.  You will need to strain this to make a clear stock for your soup.
Before straining, remove the chicken carcass from the pot and place on plate  (allowing to cool so that you can remove remaining meat to add back into the soup)
Once stock cooled for at least 15 minutes and strain in colander or pasta strainer into a pitcher

For the Soup (prepare in soup pot or dutch oven-use the same one you used for the stock–just wash it)  You will be adding the stock to sauteed vegetables to build your soup.
Dice the celery and carrots into large chunks
Mince 1 shallot
Add vegetables, shallot and saute
If you like spicy, this is the time to add black pepper, jalepenos or my favorite; chile Penquin (2 or 3 crumbled up)
Ready to saute the vegetables:  Add one tablespoon of EVOO to the pot and saute the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes
Add strained stock from the pitcher to the sauteed vegetables along with you favorite noodles and boil for approximately 10 minutes (you may add 1/2 cup of white rice but you will need to boil for approximately 20 minutes.  If you want to use brown rice, I suggest adding brown rice that have already been cooked.  Egg noodles or a shell-like pasta like orecchiette are favorites in my house.

This will keep for a few days and will keep that cold in check and your loved ones happy.

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate our friendships and memories with loved ones. So, if you are entertaining for New Year’s Eve, keep it simple, so that you can spend time with your guests and not in the kitchen. Serve a simple spread of anti pasti. Ask each of your guests to bring something that does not need to be heated. Serve an assortment of colorful bruschetta. Set out cocktail napkins, toothpicks, and paper dessert plates. Don’t even worry about washing silverware.

Alongside your bruschetta, serve a platter of some of your favorite prosciutto, salami, capicola, mortadella, supersade, assorted olives and pepperoncini.  Top it off with a variety of your favorite cheeses: provolone, sharp cheddar, havarti and fresh mozzarella from The Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck. 

What’s a cocktail party without the cocktails?  Select  red and white lcoal wines to pair with your display.  I prefer the red Nautique  from Peconic Bay and Pellegrini’s Merlot.   Of course, you’ll need a bubbly to toast at midnight!   Head to Sparkling Pointe and pick up a bottle of their new release Cuvee Carnaval.

Brush with olive oil. You can rub your slices with garlic, if your topping or oil does not contain garlic. Grill or brown them in broiler until edges are crispy.

Toppings -

You can try these two recipes and then get creative and make some of your own. Try sliced gravlax or buy your favorite smoked salmon, arugula pesto, chopped tomato and onion salad, even your favorite spread cheese topped with roasted red peppers or hard sausage. The possibilities are endless – email or comment with the toppings you choose!

1. Cannellini Bean Topped with Chopped Wild Arugula and Tomato

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup(s) beans, white kidney, canned, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh, or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black
• 2 clove(s) garlic, cut up
• 1/2 cup(s) wild arugula, snipped

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of the reserved oil and the 1/2 cup arugula; set tomato mixture aside. In a food processor or blender, combine another 1 teaspoon of the reserved oil, the beans, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Set bean mixture aside. Place about 1 tablespoon of the bean mixture on each of the toasted bread slices, spreading evenly to edges. I prefer to serve this at room temperature since I often use this for outdoor summer entertaining but you can broil for about 1 minute or until bean mixture is warm. Remove from oven. Top each with some of the tomato mixture. If desired, garnish with arugula sprigs. Serve immediately.

2. Homemade Lemon Ricotta Cheese

• 8 cups (1/2 gallon) whole milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 1/2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Tools:

• Candy thermometer
• fine mesh strainer

Preparation

In a small saucepan, heat milk to 190°, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove milk from heat; add lmeon juice and salt; set aside 2 minutes. Stir the mixture; the curds will have started to separate from the whey. Let it sit for another minute. Over medium bowl, place fine mesh strainer; pour curds and whey. Allow to drain in refrigerator until only curds remain in strainer, about two hours. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and salt.

Fennel is one of those vegetables we overlook and it’s very available during the winter.  It has a fresh flavor with a hint of Anise, which goes beautifully with citrus.  You can use blood oranges, which should be available during this time of year, or just substitute with navel oranges or red grapefruit.

It’s easier if you have a mandolin.  (By the way, mandolins make great gifts and a standard plastic one is not too expensive.)  Start by cutting the bulb lengthwise, since it will be easier to manage with the back and forth movement. This will allow you to shave the fennel into the thinnest slices.  If you don’t have a Mandolin, just try to slice as thinly as possible.  As a first course, one bulb is enough for at least five people.  So if it’s just two of you, only use one half of it and save the other half for my tomato-fennel soup and grilled cheese.

Section the oranges. (If you are pressed for time, buy them already sectioned in a can.)

Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Whisk together the shallots, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.  Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and puré until smooth.

Optional:  If you want to add seafood to this, shrimp is great on this.  Just boil like shrimp cocktail and place on top.

Serving: You can plate your salad ahead of time and set at each table setting.  While you and your guests enjoy your apertivo, the dressing will slightly “cook” the fennel so it is not too crunchy.  When you move your event to the table, it will be perfectly ready to enjoy. 

Pair this tangy-Italian salad with a glass of Pindar‘s 2009 Sunflower Chardonnay.  With hints of vanilla and caramel followed by apple and pear, this Chardonnay’s flavors will perfectly compliment your first course.

All of your seafood should be raw except for the crab which you will most likely need to buy in a container, pre-cooked and cleaned. Start by portioning your fish into 4 oz strips. Shrimp peeled, lobster poached and cut down the center and the remainder of the shellfish will go on top of the rolled fish once in the casserole dish.  Missing an ingredient, use calamari, oysters, whatever you have on hand.

Use an oven proof casserole dish that is pretty enough to go straight to the table.  Drizzle the bottom with some EVOO and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs to make a bit of a crust. It makes it easier to divide and serve in portions at the table.

Ingredients

• 1 lb A white fish of your choice – flounder, sole, striped bass (trimmed and/orbutterflied) – with seafood feeds up to four
• Shrimp (half pound)
• Bay scallops (half pound)
• Mussels (half a bushel)
• Clams (one dozen)
• Lobster (2 small lobster split in half is plenty for four people)
• Crab – Long Island blue-crab or high-quality lump crabmeat (small container)
• 2 Carrots
• 1 stalk of Celery
• 1 can of high-quality seasoned canned tomatoes or your favorite sauce
• Your own roasted peppers or high-quality preserved peppers
• Bread crumbs
• Two eggs
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Optional: basil, chopped, 1 tbs. capers, Parmesan

The filling
Finely mince and brown the onion, celery, carrots and bits of the fish trimmings in 2 tbs. oil. Add the parsley, breadcrumbs, minced red pepper, and other optional herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat, cool. Combine the eggs with the mixture into smooth filling. Taste the filling for salt and pepper.

Flatten the fish fillets slightly and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of each fillet and roll up. Close with toothpicks and place in casserole dish (and if you don’t have toothpicks, don’t worry, the fish will be weighed down by the shellfish and sauce and the filets won’t open much). Lay seafood on top and cover with tomato sauce and more fresh herbs. Drizzle with more EVOO and bake for one hour at 425. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve tableside. Serve with your favorite white wine or a selection from our Italian Christmas Eve recommendations and enjoy.

If you are on the North Fork or visiting a vineyard, stop by  The Southold Fish Market on the Main Road.

Aperitivo

• Wines: 1 red, 1 white, 1 bubbly – Feel free to use our selections.
• Black olives
• Sharp provolone
• Dried fruit
• Assorted nuts – pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts
• Crostini, grissini (Italian breadsticks), or crackers

Salad Course – Shaved Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

• Champagne vinegar
• Fresh fennel bulb
• Blood oranges, navel oranges, or Ruby red grapefruits
• Shallots
• Dijon mustard

Soup Course – Tortellini en Brodo

• Fresh Chicken Stock or Garden Stock
• Cheese Tortellini or your choice
• ½ lb of baby spinach

Main Course – Seafood Involtini

For seafood, visit The Southold Fish Market on the Main Road.

• 1 lb A white fish of your choice – flounder, sole, striped bass (butterflied) – feeds up to four
• Shrimp
• Bay scallops
• Mussels
• Clams
• Lobster
• Crab – Long Island blue-crab or high-quality lump crabmeat
• Carrots
• Celery
• 1 can of high-quality canned tomatoes
• Your own roasted peppers or high-quality preserved peppers
• Bread crumbs
• Fresh parsley
• Parmesan

Dessert Course

Exotic Fruit Salad:

Find fruit at your local supermarket.

• 1 or 2 bananas depending upon number of guests
• ½ of a papaya
• 1 mango
• 1 small pineapple
• 2 teaspoons of dark rum and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (optional)
• Torrone
• Panatone
• Toasted Chestnuts
• Bottle of Laurel Lake Moscato

When I think of Christmas Eve, I think about Italy and the diversity of Christmas traditions from all over the country.  Traditions from the North and South, the Amalfi Coast and the Adriatic and the far reaches of Sicily and its diaspora.   I have visions of the beautiful wreaths and garlands made of plump mandarin fruit entwined with the leaves still on the vines cascading over doorways from the smallest of villages to the posh streets of cities along the Adriatic. I hear the pop of the disengorged Prosseco cork, the clinking of glasses and the laughter at the family table, as they embrace memories of grandmothers and other relatives kept vivid through the planning and sharing of these holidays.

I have adapted a few recipes from the December issue of the Italian magazine, La Cucina Italiana,  among some of my other favorites. There are plenty of simple, traditional Christmas dishes like Tortellini en Brodo, salads and dishes that can be assembled in advance and popped in the oven. Not all Christmas Eve dinners involve Southern traditions like the “seven fishes,” along with many days of kitchen labor.  The Christmas Eve dinner throughout Italy is simply a meatless meal and the amount and variety of seafood or fish varied according to the means of the family or the village.

I keep the planning of holiday gatherings simple by starting out with an aperitivo, which can be assembled and left unattended while you mingle with your guests. You don’t want to be fussing over chafing dishes or restocking.  A few bottles of Prosseco on ice, a bottle of Amarone opened and decanted, trays of assorted dried fruit, nuts, cheeses and crispy crostini.  Leave glasses out so that guests can help themselves.  You will be able to find very reasonable Prossecos at your local wine store and that will balance out the more costly bottle or two you get for the aperitivo.   

The first course, in this case a salad,  can also be prepared and served so that as you move to the table, you can join your guests without having to leave the table. You can have soup bowls on a serving cart next to the table, along with your piping hot Tortellini en Brodo in one of those soup terrines you bought or inherited and never used. If you don’t have one, pick one up at a thrift store.

The only dish you should have to go back into the kitchen for will be the main course, which should be served hot and head right from its casserole dish to the table. I use an assortment of fish for the main course as a version of “seven fishes” all in one dish.

The Menu

Aperitivo

I selected wines from the Veneto region, but you can choose a region of your liking.  Try to choose something you’ve had before, so that you can share an anecdote.  I like Prosseco and Amarone for special occassions and have selected them for the aperitif and for dinner, a crisp Soave made from Garganega.

Whole nuts served in a beautiful tray with a nutcracker: whole hazelnuts and almonds, pistachios in their shell-salted, seasoned walnuts.
Slivers of Sharp Provolone, crostini, black olives, dried apricots, figs.

La Cena
Fennel and blood orange salad with Champagne vinaigrette
Tortellini en brodo
Seafood involtini with shrimp and any white fish (striped bass, flounder, Sea bass) with assorted shellfish (bay scallops, small Maine shrimp, mussels, clams)  with roasted carrots, zucchini, Vidalia onions and organic canned tomatoes or your own!

Exotic fruit salad of your liking.  There is little local fruit available in the Northeast right now other than pears and apples so I have selected fruit that are local somewhere!  Just not here.  A fruit salad of pineapple, papaya, mango and bananas will add beautiful color and flavors to your meal.

Torrone.  I love Torrone with is a nougat made from egg whites, sugar and nuts.  It’s pretty low in fat and comes in a crispy version as well as a soft version.  You just need to upwrap it and place it on a tray. 

Toasted Chestnuts.  Best to toast the night before or, if in a pinch, buy glazed chestnuts, also known as marrons glaces.

Start planning and shopping and stay tuned for the recipes.

Photo by Ila Nguyen-Hayama

You may be in need of comfort after holiday shopping and nothing is more soothing than a bowl of soup.  This a reved-up version of “cream of tomato and grilled cheese.”   This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes or organic canned or house-canned tomatoes, fresh fennel and shallots.  For the grilled cheese we’ll try some creamy smoked gouda.   This combination will provide all the comfort you’re looking for and a bit more flavor and sophistication than what you might remember.  And you can save the rest of the fennel for one of my holiday posts, blood orange and shaved fennel salad.

Winter is a good time of the year to plan ahead for next summer. Decide which tomatoes you want to plant so you have plenty of tomatoes to can early or freeze, so you can enjoy the farm to table experience year round like this tomato soup.

If you have a Pannini press, you’ll be all set and if not, get one on your wish list.

Tomato Fennel Soup
Servings: Serves 4

Soup Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 chopped shallots
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small fennel bulb (or half of a large one), chopped or one cup of diced fennel stems
2 cups of your canned summer tomatoes
1 cup garden stock or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grilled Cheese Ingredients:
1 crispy fresh French baguette or Ciabatta
Slice Smoked Gouda
Slice and brush bread with EVOO, place cheese on bread
Press till cheese is melted

Grilled cheese preparation:

Soup Preparations:
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, celery, garlic and fennel. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat allow to cool. Then purée the soup with an emersion blender or in a standard blender.

Season with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkle of your favorite herbs and serve hot.

Serve these fall flavors paired with a local White Merlot, Merlot Bianca, 2010 from Bella Vita Vineyards. You can find their wines in the Ackerly Pond tasting room at 1375 Peconic Lane in the town of Peconic just off Route 25.

With this summer-grown ingredient, summertime flavors can stay with you throughout the year. For more ideas, visit our photo contributor’s blog, Ila Nguyen-Hayama’s, i nom things.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and minced into tiny bits.
Some great sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups of garden stock or chicken stock or two cans of organic stock of choice (14 1/2 ounces each), mixed with 1/2 cup water and heated
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon of white truffle oil                                                                                               
Directions:
1.In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until edges soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
2.Add rice; stir to coat. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.Reduce heat to medium-low; add 1/2 cup hot broth mixture. Cook, stirring, until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more, 35 to 40 minutes total.
4.Stir in Truffle oil, Parmesan, sage, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Serve immediately, garnished with more Parmesan if desired.

Sauté some winter greens and serve along side for a complete dinner.

Try this with a bottle of Raphael Chardeaux with big fruit flavors and notes of honey and vanilla.