Oops...I Forgot the...

It can happen to the best and most prepared of us; when you're in the midst of cooking only to realize you've run out of an essential ingredient.  What a pain!  You don't have the time nor the energy to head to the store so what do you do?  Give up or find a path and improvise? 

Here are a few quick replacements for those staple ingredients.

For 1c all-purpose flour you can substitute 1c + 2tbsp cake flour
For baking powder you can substitute baking soda + cream of tartar
For 1c milk you can substitute 1/2c evaporated milk + 1/2c water
For 2 whole eggs you can substitute 2 whites or 1/4c egg substitute
For lemon juice you can do an even exchange of vinegar
For 1c cream you can substitute 3tbsps butter + 7/8c milk
For 1c honey you can substitute 1 1/4c sugar + 1/3c water
For 1c oil you can substitute 1c melted butter
For 1c sour cream you can substitute 1c plain butter
For vanilla extract you can substitute an even exchange of maple syrup

So, not to worry...keep on cooking! 

Cheers!

Stuff It!

Again my sincere apologies for being horribly absent lately but I'm back and that's all that matters!  :)  It's weather like this that makes us want to follow the advice and habits of bears and simply hibernate and not venture out anywhere...I mean really, 10 below with the wind chill?  Not nice!  So I say stuff it mother nature!  :) 

Here's a perfect way to spend your cozy day at home; with my stuffed zucchini; these are amazing with the well seasoned veal and can even be served hot or at room temperature and drizzled with a tad of basil or garlic oil before serving.  Mmmm...

So, what you'll need:

• 4 large zucchinis
• EVOO
• finely chopped shallots
• finely chopped celery
• finely chopped parsnips or turnips (I hate cooked carrots but you could use that instead if you prefer)
• finely minced garlic cloves
• a couple bay leaves
• minced fresh basil
• finely chopped fresh rosemary
• dry white cooking wine
• about a pound or so of boneless veal, chopped into smaller pieces
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• one large egg, well beaten (it's been bad)  :)
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few tbsps of unsalted butter

How you'll go about it:

• Slice your zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out the centers and discard them; leaving the shells
• Heat your EVOO in a heavy skillet; add the onion, celery, parsnips, garlic and bay leaves and saute till veggies are soft but NOT browned
• Remove from heat; discard the bay leaves, add the basil, rosemary and wine; stir in the veal and grind the mixture together in a food processor
• Add the cheese and egg to the meat mixture and mix to combine thoroughly; season with salt and pepper
• Preheat the oven to 375 and pack the mixture into each zucchini shell and dot with butter
• Place shells in a baking dish and add a bit of water to the bottom...about a half an inch
• Cover and bake for about 25-30 minutes; serve hot or at room temp; either way is yummy goodness!

If you have to venture out and you're lucky enough to live nearby I highly suggest stopping in at Foodie's Feast and Haley's Wine & Spirits at 114 Washington Street in Marblehead for a hot coffee or hot chocolate and a scrumptious breakfast or lunch and then walk through to Haley's and ask Julie or Paul about a great wine recommendation for your stuffed zucchini; they're the experts and they have the best selection in town...check 'em out; you'll be glad you did!  www.foodiesfeast.com and http://www.facebook.com/haleyswine

Stay warm!  Cheers!