FYI- Today is National Chicken Wing & Lasagna Day!

HISTORY: After a number of years of different establishments selling their version of Buffalo Wings, the city of Buffalo, NY in 1977 proclaimed July 29 to be National Chicken Wing Day.  Establishments like the Anchor Bar, Wings n’ Things and Duff’s all became famous for their wings.

Everyone makes Lasagna a million ways… I prefer mine the best of course! Bolognese of Veal,Beef,Pork, variety of tomatoes, and layers of Homemade pasta, Bechamel… fresh mozzarella and Fresh Ricotta. (FYI - recipe coming Tuesday!)

• Originally the word “lasagna” referred to the pot in which the dish was cooked rather than the food itself as it does today.
• Lasagna was featured in a 14th century England cookbook.
• Cartoon character Garfield’s favorite food is lasagna.

#NationalChickenWingDay #ChefCaylena #FoodStylist #NationalLasagnaDay #OnSet

Scrambled Eggs to Perfection!

Scrambled Eggs to Perfection

Above with Homemade Gravlax

Do yourself and everyone else a favor… and learn how to make Scrambled Eggs to Perfection!

These are hands down the best Scrambled Eggs you will ever have!

Eggs: Easy, fun, Yummy! Serves 4 - 6

• 6 Eggs - Room Temperature
• 3 Tbsp chilled unsalted butter (cubed)
• 2 Tbsp chilled unsalted butter - for finish
• Cayenne Pepper - pinch
• Salt - 2 pinches - to taste - so I used 3! 1 at end with final butter

The most important thing here is to whisk - constantly! We’re not adding a bunch of extras stuff so pay attention the entire time, don’t walk away, and you’re going to have the most elegant eggs.  

Mix first the eggs,Salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp of butter, then place over Med-Low Heat…

Whisking GENTLY and constantly adding butter piece by piece until they melt in. Whisk until creamy and soft curds form, then remove from heat.

If your eggs start to stick, pull it off-and-on the heat until right consistency.

Eggs should look finished … and you are almost there. Now Turn Off heat, and Fold in remaining 2 Tbsp butter off heat & taste for salt!  
They fluff up and taste amazing!!!

Dont mess with the eggs once they're finished. Serve them as is!

#ScrambledEggs #EggSlut #ChefCaylena #TimeCrunch #DIYCooking #Brunch #Breakfast

Summer Pasta Fettuccini with Clams

Fresh Pasta Fettuccini with Clams

Reviving the Carrot Cake

w/ Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cake season is here! Here’s a go-to elegant cake perfect enough to celebrate - Everything. Light enough to enjoy all summer long.  

This classic is revitalized with fresh Ginger and Carrot juices - this puts it a head above all the others you’ve tasted. Spiced just right, though feel free to make additions such as raisins or nuts.  

Preheat Oven 350*F

Makes: 1 large cake, 3 dozen mini -or- 1 dozen over sized cupcakes

Ingredients: Grouped by sequence.

MIX TOGETHER

1 cup Buttermilk - room temperature.

1 1/2 bag baby carrots (1 1/2 lbs) -Juiced

9 oz fresh ginger shredded fine

DRY: Mix together

2 1/2 C AP flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg & more for garnish

3 tsp Ground Ginger if not using fresh

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• WET:

4 room temp eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup tightly packed  brown sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if have)

• OTHER

3/4 Cup Veg oil

• FROSTING:

2 packages Cream Cheese - room temperature

1 box Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter -room temperature

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

PROCEDURE:

1. Juice Carrots. Set ½ cup juice aside. (Shred if don’t have juicer.) discard rest.
2. Mix carrot remains, shredded ginger, and buttermilk together. Set aside.

3. Mix Dry ingredients together - set aside.
4. In Mixer over high, mix Wet Ingredients.
5. Pour in ½ Dry ingredients - Mix
6. Pour in Vegetable Oil

7. Pour in ½ remaining Dry ingredients
8. Pour in Carrot Juice
9. Pour remaining dry ingredients.
1. This might look wetter than used to because of juice - this will keep your cake moist and fluffy.

10. Pour in carrot mix.

11. Coat pan with Oil. Pour in cake mix.
1. 
   If using Cake sheet - pour mixture in.
2. Cupcakes: line with paper holders.
1. To make pouring easier for cupcakes, pour into a Ziplock bag, cut a hole in corner and pour as though as if pastry bag.

Cooking:

• Bake large cupcakes: 15 minutes, rotate pan, bake another 15 min.
• Small cupcakes: 8 minutes, rotate, another 7-8 minutes
• Large cake: 35-45 minutes total.

Check doneness by using a toothpick - poke in center - when it comes out clean - you’re finished.

Let rest & cool at least 20 minutes. - *note if hot - will melt frosting.

Frosting: Mix all ingredients together until nice and fluffy.

Don’t over mix or it will turn grainy.

• Once ready use knife to spread on cakes, or put in a plastic zip lock and cut corner - using like a pastry bag.

• Make sure frosting is Very cold - putting in and out of fridge if need be or it will make a goopy mess.

Sprinkle with Nutmeg

Refrigerate until ready to eat! ENJOY!

#ChefCaylena #CarrotCake #SummerCooking #Baking #KidEats #KidsCook #CreamCheeseFrosting

Farmer’s Market: Summer Tomato Sauce

Quick & Easy

Farmer’s Market: Summer Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• Mixed chopped Seasonal local fresh Tomatoes - mix and match - you want 2-3 lbs
• 1 Shallot minced
• 3 Crushed fresh Garlic cloves.
• 1 ½ cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Red Pepper flakes
• Salt & Pepper
• 14 cup Fresh chopped Oregano
• 1 cup Fresh chiffonade Basil
• Optional: 2 Tbsp unsalted Butter - to finish for a thicker sauce.

Procedure

Blister tomatoes: First get a hot pan - no oil, just crank up the heat high.

Toss in fresh tomatoes and let them cook, leave them be for 6-7 minutes. You might think they are popping, burning, screaming, sizzling… it’s perfect - let them work.

When you think you’ve gone too far, sprinkle 1 Tsp salt. Quick stir. Leave be. This will pull out water, and start to stew the tomatoes after the skin has blistered and roasted nicely.  

After water seeps (about 1 minute) lower heat to Medium. Add shallots & garlic, stir. Cook 2 minutes.

Add Oregano, Chili flakes, stir sauce well before pouring in Olive Oil. Stir while cooking another 5 minutes, then turn off heat.

*Make sure not to burn olive oil - if you start to boil or go beyond a gentle simmer, turn off heat.

Add fresh Basil, salt and pepper to taste. Let sit off heat for 5-10 minutes - This will thicken. Stir and serve.

*If adding butter to make richer and thicker, stir in now.

Enjoy! Quick, Seasonal, Fresh, Hot weather appropriate - Tomato Sauce!


with homemade lemon zest fettuccine

Quick, Easy, Organic - Summer Tomato Sauce. It's fresh and fantastic.#SummerCooking #FreshSeasonalOrganic #TomatoSauce #EasyCooking #HealthyFood #LocalFarming #FarmersMarketSauce #ChefCaylena

Homemade Lemon Zest Fettuccine

Homemade

Lemon Zest Fettuccine

There truly is nothing better than homemade pasta, or the experience making it with others! Grab your girlfriends, your partner, and/or kids, and get in the kitchen this! Turn this into a party, a date, or just another cherishable moment!  

This splendid pasta pairs wonderfully with seafood and fresh herbs in the warmer weather due to it’s super bright flavor from the Lemon Zest.

with Farmers Market Summer Tomato Sauce

Servings 6- 8  Yields 1lb. of Dough Difficulty: Moderate/Easy

Ingredients

• 

  1 cup packed  00 Flour
• 1 cup  packed Semolina Flour
• 1 cup Semolina Flour for rolling, cutting,& setting
• 4 whole Eggs
• Zest of 1 full large Meyer Lemon (very thin zest.)
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• Pinch Cayenne Pepper

You can make this recipe by hand entirely - easily enough, with a hand fed pasta maker, or, the KitchenAid Mixer with Pasta attachment, which I’m using here. I will walk you through both ways.

Tools

• Rolling Pin
• Plastic wrap
• Some form of electric mixer -OR- large wire whisk.
• Pasta drying rack -OR- sheet pan.

Mix eggs, salt, pepper, lemon zest, then ½ flour. Once incorporated, add rest of flour a little bit at a time.  Keep mixing until dough forms a ball and is no longer sticky.

• If using a stand - use dough hook and mix at a Medium speed.
• If using hand mixer - stop once thickens, and finish mixing by hand.

Cover working surface (cutting board, counter top, table - best not to use marble) with flour for working.

Take all the dough to the flour surface, knead by hand for 3-5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (Don’t worry about the pieces of zest.)

Use the flour on the board to keep the dough dry. When finished your hands will be dry and dough firm - though not dried out and crumbling. (*If it is, add a drop of olive oil until right texture.)

Cut dough in half. Form into ball and coat with flour from board. Wrap in plastic.

Put in refrigerator for 30 minute. Don’t start to clean up yet… you’re not done with the mess yet.

More flour! On board and coat rolling pin. Use as much as you need. Roll out dough

• With pasta machine - use widest setting - roll through 2x, fold dough, then again on 2-3 more times, dusting with flour all the while.
• If by hand follow the same but obviously you’re using the rolling pin.  

If doing by hand:

• cut pasta into strips.  

• Lay pasta flat, fold over 4” of the corner. Then take that corner and again, until you have a nicely folded 4” layered dough.
• Using a knife - cut thin layer to thickness of fettuccine.

Meanwhile - Those using machine:

• Change attachment on mixer - or if using hand operated.
• Run pasta through machine - using one hand to catch, and one to feed machine. Although if you have this attachment you probably know how to use it.

Hang pasta to try on rack if have. If not - coat sheet tray with more flour and drape noodles. Leave out at room temperature to air dry for 1 - 3 hours, refrigerating if not cooking. (*Dry - if humid put in refrigerator.)

Raw noodle can be covered in airtight container for no more than 2 days.   

*Boil in heavily salted water for 3-4 minutes, stirring the entire first minute to keep from sticking. Toss in favorite sauce and enjoy!

Here paired with my Simple Summer Tomato Sauce, fresh Basil.

Above with Farmers Market Summer Tomato Sauce, and clams.

READ MORE ON MY WEBSITE

#KitchenAidMixer #KitchenAidPasta #HomemadePasta #Fettuccine #KidFriendly #CheapEats #KidsCook #FreshEggPasta #LemonZestPasta #DIY #HostingAndEntertaining #FamilyCooking #ItalianCooking #ItalianCuisine #DIYItalianFood #SummerCooking, #ChefCaylena