Welcome To My Blog!

For the past year, I've had the experience of being a part of the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club Cookbook Committee. Our committee is in the process of finishing our cookbook, A Stir In The Mist: Tastes and Traditions of Niagara Falls. It is a collection of recipes from the Niagara Falls community and local restaurants. All proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly to the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club. Just recently I have relocated to Ohio, but still wanted to be involved with the book. After watching the movie Julie and Julia, I was inspired to share the great recipes from our cookbook and the experience I had making each of them. I hope you will enjoy the journey I will take stirring my way through A Stir In The Mist!

Let the "stirring" begin!

Well I have started this venture through the cookbook. First things first, each recipe I do will only be a little story about the steps it took to get to the final product. There will be no ingredients given out and no steps to how I got every great tasting recipe to turn out so delicious. That is for you to find out when you purchase or when someone else purchases"A Stir in the Mist" for you!!

I will apologize now for any grammar or punctuation mistakes I may make. I know I am coming from a family of educators, therefore I should know better about these things, but I may make a few mistakes. Soo lets get started....

Monday, November 14, 2011

Banana Bread

Banana bread is an easy recipe that was started back in the 18th century. Over time people have added ingredients to the recipe or just substituted ingredients based on what banana bread taste they were going for.
There are several different variations. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Banana Nut Bread, Blueberry Banana Bread and the list can go on and on. In order to get all the variations it all has to start with the foundation of the banana bread recipe. 
Once you make this banana bread recipe from "A Stir in The Mist" you can go ahead and add whatever you wish to it. The only thing I would not change are the basic ingredients.
Once all your ingredients are mixed in two separate bowls. One for dry mix and the other for the wet mixes, you can combine and do it right in 
your mixer to make it easy and mess free.
Make sure your bananas are nice and ripe. Once mine start to get really brown I i put them in the freezer. They will defrost quickly when taken out, just make sure you keep them in a bowl to defrost. Otherwise it could get messy.
I was short one ripe banana while making this recipe, I could have cut the recipe in half but instead I threw in a fresh banana. Its a banana bread no..no.. I understand. The riper the bananas the sweeter and lighter the banana bread will taste.
This recipe can make two nice size breads. Or if you want to do a little treat that is already portioned out, you can make them into muffins. 
When baking I keep an eye out to make sure it is not getting to brown on top. When my timer goes off I insert a toothpick and pull it out making sure there is no moistness on the toothpick. If you notice the inside of the banana bread has stuck to the toothpick, it is not done.
Once the banana bread in completely cooled down, you can go ahead and enjoy or wrap tightly in plastic wrap so you can enjoy at a later time.

If this recipe or any other recipes in this blog have caught your attention and you are interested in purchasing "A Stir In the Mist" Taste and Traditions of Niagara Falls please visit this site.
www.nfbgc.org

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Tortellini Soup

This is a great recipe to get this blog started again!
Fall is the perfect time of year to try something warm and tasty.
Tortellini Soup is an easy recipe and very inexpensive. 
 Just when you think buying tomatoes can be so simple. For one type of ingredient there are so many different options of tomatoes when you go to the grocery store. 
You have your regular home grown tomatoes.
Then there are crushed, chopped, diced, peeled, a puree, a sauce, 
a tomato paste and stewed. 
Forgive me if I left any out.
Stewed Tomatoes is what this soup calls for. 
Now standing in front of all these options you would think what could really make all these tomatoes different. Well come to find out the stewed tomatoes are all seasoned and ready to flavor up your tortellini soup!
You learn a new thing everyday, especially when your mom is a great cook ;)

























You can have this soup ready in about 20 minutes. 
Add a salad or some garlic bread and your dinner is complete!
Just because we live in Ohio, does not mean we still do not have DiCamillo Italian bread in our kitchen!
The one step that I do take that is not in the directions. 
I get the soup simmering in one pot and cook my tortellini in a separate pot. The tortellini cooks quick, once it is done you can then transfer to the soup.






























Once everything is combined, get your soup bowls out and some fresh grated Romano Cheese
and you have your Tortellini Soup ready to enjoy!!
Purchase your Stir in the Mist cookbook 
and you and your family can enjoy Tortellini Soup as well!




Thursday, November 3, 2011

Get back in the kitchen!

           Let the stirring continue..

Well I have some taken some time off from doing the blog, just because of how time consuming everything else has been here in Ohio. In a good way of course!!!
Taking time off in the kitchen especially the Soffritti kitchen would never happen. 
I will be posting some more recipes from "A Stir in The Mist" soon...

   Did you know???
The stirring of the mist in the air at the American side of the Falls once did vanish.
                 http://www.thinknice.com/niagara-falls-dried-up/
  I will not let the stirring come to a stop on this blog.
The Stirring will Continue ..