Spaghetti is Yummy

Yuzu is Watching Becoming Jane Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith

After church on Sunday, I swung by the grocery store to pick up some ground beef, onions, grape tomatoes and basil (the only ingredients I was lacking at home) to cook spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I've only made homemade tomato sauce a few times, and I find that using a good jarred sauce saves so much time and tastes just as good. I didn't even use a recipe for the meatballs — I just eyeballed all the ingredients as I tossed them into the large bowl to mush the meat with my hands. The eyeballing worked well, because the meatballs were juicy and delicious!

©2008 Yuzu Eats

I bought a large container of fresh basil leaves and totally went crazy with it when I fixed my bowl. I took a few leaves and tore them over my warm pasta. I know basil has quite a strong, peppery flavor and is probably best used moderately. But I always put a lot of freshly ground pepper on everything I eat anyway, so what harm is there in adding even more peppery goodness?

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Caprese Tartlets

Yuzu is Watching December Boys Daniel Radcliffe, Lee Cormie, Christian Byers, James Fraser

My department had a holiday pot luck today at work. If I ever bring food to share with coworkers, it's almost always something sweet. But I opted for the savory this time because I figured there'd be a lot of sweets already. We've been receiving baskets of muffins, cookies, chocolate and fruit from various vendors. I'm kind'a sugar'd out...and it's not even Christmas yet!

I woke up early this morning to bake something I came up with while I was grocery shopping over the weekend. I knew I wanted to make something very simple with very few ingredients. And, well, here's my contribution to the department pot luck.

©2007 Yuzu Eats

I used crescent-roll dough to create little shells and filled them with shredded mozzarella, diced tomatoes, fresh basil and freshly ground pepper. I baked them in a mini-muffin pan for eight minutes in a 375ºF oven, and the result was four dozen little caprese-style tartlets.* Kind of a nice festive snack for the holidays!

*Or you can call them what they look like — mini pizzas.

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Shrimp, Tomato & Basil Pasta

I hadn't really cooked in a while. We've been ordering a lot of takeout at home. Quick, yes. But it can really add up. Yesterday my sister and I went to the grocery store so I could buy some fresh ingredients to make a light pasta for the family. I looked through my old Everyday Food magazines because I recall seeing a recipe in one of them that I'd wanted to try. It was for shrimp, tomato and basil pasta. And I loves me some shrimp, tomatoes and basil.

©2007 Yuzu Eats

I do enjoy a good, hearty pasta dish. But I also like to eat light pasta dishes once in a while. This one definitely tastes light, but surprisingly it sates the appetite just fine. Here's the recipe, with a few minor adjustments.

Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta (from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart)
1½ lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails removed
course salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. linguine
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Add shrimp and cook until opaque, turning occassionally (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

To make the sauce, add remaining 2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil and the minced garlic to the same skillet. Cook the garlic over medium heat for about 30 seconds, until they're fragrant. Add canned tomatoes, with the juice. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the tomatoes have softened and are saucy. Remove from heat and add cherry tomatoes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook linguine in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. When cooked, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add sauce, shrimp and basil. Season with a little salt & pepper and toss. Garnish with additional torn basil leaves, if desired. Top with freshly grated Parmesan if you like. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

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Tartaruga Mozzarella

©2006 Yuzu Eats

I'm really digging turtle bread lately. So I made more! Baking bread is so fun and rewarding. Of course it can be a bit time-consuming (especially when making cool-shaped breads), but it's definitely worth it.

Last week I baked one plain, large turtle bread. This time around, I baked four little Italian turtle breads seasoned with fresh garlic, dried herbs and filled with yummy cheese. These are the same as the mozzarella balls I posted last time, but they're bigger and shaped like turtles.

The dough already smelled yummy while it was resting (all thanks to the garlic).


I ♥ fresh mozzarella cheese!


I think the turtles look their cutest when they're puffing up in the oven. :)


Nice & golden! And still cute.


My bread turtles like resting on fresh herbs.


And, of course, you gotta see the inside — melted, gooey mozzarella.

These turtles are a lot smaller than the turtle bread I baked last week. They ended up being 5½" (14 cm) from head to tail and 2½" (6½ cm) high. So cute! They're really tasty when you tear pieces off and dip them in marinara sauce — yum!

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Ravioli Dolci

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It's been mad hot in southern California this past week. Not exactly the kind of weather that's conducive to baking. But I felt like baking anyway. I ended up creating a cookie that my family enjoyed with coffee & tea. :) They're butter cookies that are shaped like ravioli! And they're filled with yumminess too.

©2006 Yuzu Eats

The recipe calls for very basic ingredients. The jam can be any flavor you like. The assembly can take some time if you're not used to making rolled cookies. I'm still very much a novice in this area, but the cookies came out decent.

Ravioli Dolci
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 cup apricot jam (or jam of your choice)

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Switch to a lower speed and slowly add the flour mixture until all the ingredients are combined to form a soft dough. Split the dough in half, wrap each in wax paper, and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour so it becomes a bit firm.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lay one piece of dough on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 7 x 10½" rectangle. Use a knife to score the dough into 24 1¾" squares (don't actually cut through dough). Place ¼ teaspoon of jam into the center of each square. Take the second piece of dough and, working on top of floured wax paper, roll it into another 7 x 10½" rectangle. Lift the dough rectangle on the wax paper and flip the dough onto the other dough rectangle (with the jam on it). You'll be able to see the little bumps underneath the dough where you scooped the jam. Use a fluted pastry wheel to cut into 24 1¾" squares. You should have what looks like a sheet of uncooked ravioli. Place each 'ravioli' onto two ungreased cookie sheets, at least 1 inch apart. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the fluted edges are light golden brown, but the tops are still fairly light. Remove cookies from cookie sheets and place on cooling rack. Use a sieve to garnish cookies with powdered sugar.

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Giordano's World Famous Stuffed Pizza

You can't visit Chicago without eating a slice of stuffed pizza. I love pizza (who doesn't?), so having some was high on my to-do list on my trip. We ordered takeout from Giordano's on Rush Street. Giordano's is probably the most famous restaurant in the Chicago area for stuffed pizza.

Stuffed pizza with tomatoes and Italian sausage

©2006 Yuzu Eats

The verdict? It tastes all right. The sauce is good, and so is the dough. A bit too much cheese for my liking (but that's what makes it 'stuffed'). I'm glad I got to try Chicago-style pizza in the heart of Chicago, but I prefer New York-style pizza all the way.

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Healthy Fruity Bento

Yuzu is Listening To Amélie: Original Soundtrack Recording Yann Tiersen see related

Happy first day of June! The weather has been so sunny and warm. I'm ready for summer! Summer is great because there are so many yummy fruits in season. Today's bento is made with fresh, ripe, fruity ingredients.

©2006 Yuzu Eats

Linguine in a lemon basil sauce with sliced grape tomatoes,
Italian parsley, lemon zest and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Sweet, ripe banana slices shaped like flowers

I didn't use a recipe for the linguine, but it's almost identical to the lemon spaghetti I cooked on Mother's Day a couple weeks ago. The only difference is that I added freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and citrus zest to the lemon juice/olive oil mixture before I tossed the noodles in it. The lemons I squeezed for this meal were picked by yours truly from a little lemon tree in my parents' backyard. They were so yellow and ripe! The juice was just perfect when I mixed it with extra virgin olive oil and the rest of the ingredients to make the sauce. The lemons also made for pretty, vibrant citrus zest to top the pasta.

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Italian Bento

Yuzu is Watching Gidget - The Complete Series Sally Field, Don Porter, Betty Conner, Pete Duel see related

As you've noticed from previous entries this month, I've been enjoying cooking & eating Italian food more than ever before. I thought I'd combine my love of Italian fare and bento making to create this tasty Italian bento, consisting of caprese salad and fusilli pasta in sundried tomato alfredo sauce with Italian sausage and fresh thyme, plus a grape tomato & basil flower for garnish.

©2006 Yuzu Eats

The alfredo sauce came from a jar. The bottom tier is probably my favorite cold antipasti. There's nothing quite like the combined flavors of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and crisp basil leaves - it's so delicious.

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Mother's Day Italian

I hope you mothers out there had a fabulous Mother's Day yesterday. We went to church in the morning, ate Japanese food for lunch, shopped at the mall, and then I cooked dinner for everyone. I'm really digging on Italian grub (as you can tell from my last post), so I made some more Italian food for Mother's Day.

Look at these vine-ripe tomatoes – gorgeous!

Chicken Parmesan served with lemon spaghetti
and fresh greens w/balsamic vinaigrette

©2006 Yuzu Eats

I know chicken Parmesan is usually breaded, but...I don't know how to do that. ;P And this way seemed healthier for some reason. The recipes can be found here at my Live Journal.

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Yummy Farfalle

I haven't been making any pretty bentos lately, frankly because I've been kind'a busy. But I have had a chance to cook for dinner recently. Below is an Italian dish I made last week using farfalle (Italian for "butterflies") pasta. I didn't really have anything specific in mind while I was making it. I kind of just threw some ingredients together, and viola!

©2006 Yuzu Eats

Here's the quasi-recipe. I didn't measure everything exactly, so these are approximations:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 14½-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped basil
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. rosemary
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
ground red cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tsp. white wine
1 16-oz. package of farfalle pasta

½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil (and add'l to prevent pasta from sticking)In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped onions to the skillet and cook until slightly brown. Add the lean ground beef and keep stirring until the meat is cooked all the way through (no red!). There should be very little to no fat drippings if you use lean beef, but drain if necessary. Once meat is done, add the canned tomatoes and blend well. Toss in the basil, thyme and rosemary. Sprinkle a little bit of ground black pepper and red cayenne pepper (just enough to to add a little bit of a 'kick'). Then add the white wine. Keep stirring so that the herbs will distribute evenly throughout the sauce. It will be slightly thin. Let simmer over a low heat so that some of the 'juice' will evaporate.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add several drops of extra virgin olive oil to the water and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions written on the package. Drain and serve immediately with meat sauce on top. Garnish with parsley, if desired. I used regular parsley here because I didn't have any flatleaf parsley on hand.

Serves 4 healthy portions.

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Spaghetti in Little Italy

Another post on Manhattan food! One of my favorite neighborhoods in New York for good eatin' is Little Italy. When I was in the city last week, I made it a point to have spaghetti and meatballs in an authentic Italian restaurant. When strolling along the streets of Little Italy, you tend to get hungry seeing all the signs outside restaurant windows, advertising their yummy lunch specials. It was tough trying to decide where to eat, but we ended up choosing Casa Bella Italian Ristorante on Mulberry & Hester. Good choice!

Spaghetti & meatballs

©2006 Yuzu Eats

This had to be the best bowl of spaghetti & meatballs I've ever eaten. The portion was just the right size. I normally can't finish pasta dishes at restaurants, but this serving was just right for me and my appetite. The meatballs were very tasty and tender...such a wonderful flavor. I can't describe it; it was just so good!

Casa Bella Italian Ristorante
127 Mulberry St. (at Hester St.)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 431-4080

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Shrimp Calzones

I'd never made calzones before, so I thought I'd give 'em a try. I was a bit nervous about making pizza dough. I think the last time I attempted to make bread was when I was in elementary school, and we had to bake bread with different types of yeast for a science project. If I recall correctly, the bread didn't turn out so well. I'm happy to report that this time the result was much better.

The pizza dough as I kneaded it

The pinched edges on the calzones came out kind'a nice

©2006 Yuzu Eats

The inside was stuffed with shrimp in a homemade white-wine tomato sauce

Here is the pizza dough recipe, which I borrowed from Giada De Laurentiis:

½ cup warm water (105-110ºF)
2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for bowl

Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl to blend. Let stand until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt to blend, then blend in the oil. Add the yeast mixture and blend until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area, away from drafts, until the dough doubles in volume (about 1 hour). Punch down the dough and form into ball. The dough can be used immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for 1 day.

I served these to my family for lunch, and they liked them. I think that's the best part of cooking — seeing others enjoy what you made for them. :) Gives me the warm fuzzies.

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Mango & Strawberry Gelato

It's right smack in the middle of winter right now, and one wouldn't think of eating a cold treat like ice cream during this season. But, hey, I live in southern California, and temperatures rarely drop below 45ºF. On Saturday when I was out shopping with my family, my brother-in-law and I stopped inside Melt Gelato to buy some of the delicious stuff. I ordered one scoop of mango and one scoop of strawberry.

©2006 Yuzu Eats

Gelato is a lot like American ice cream, but there are some differences. Among them, gelato is made with milk instead of cream. And there is a lot less air pumped into gelato than ice cream, making it denser. As a result, gelato tends to be higher in fat content than ice cream. But I still love the stuff! I eat more ice cream than gelato, but that's only because ice cream is so easy to get at the market. Gelato...not so much.

Melt Gelato
The Block at Orange
20 City Blvd. West
Suite 811
Orange, CA 92868

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Pizza Crêpe

I had lunch with my sister today at EuroStation Waffles. They serve a variety of waffles and sweet or savory crêpes. My sister ordered a sweet strawberry chocolate crêpe, and I opted for the savory with a pizza crêpe.

©2006 Yuzu Eats

This crêpe had a whole lot of mozzarella in it. Not that it's a bad thing to have a lot of mozzarella, but it made me feel a bit full. And I don't normally feel sated after eating a crêpe. The edges of our crêpes were nice 'n' crispy...perfect. Just the way I like my crêpes!

EuroStation Waffles
Promenade at Howard Hughes Center
601 Center Drive, Unit 208
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 410-0820

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Zuppa Toscana

My dad made Zuppa Toscana for dinner last night. We'd never had this soup at home (usually at Italian restaurants). I like my dad's better than the restaurant kind. =) It was so super-yummy, I had a giant bowl of it!

©2005 Yuzu Eats

Zuppa Toscana
16 oz. (1 pkg.) spicy or smoked sausage
2 potatoes (cut into ¼-inch cubes)
¾ cup chopped onion
6 slices of bacon
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups kale – washed, dried and shredded
2 tbsp. chicken soup base
1 qt. water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300ºF (150º C). Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into ½-inch slices. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan, and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside. Add garlic to the onions, and cook for 1 additional minute. Add chicken-soup base, water and potatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale and heavy whipping cream. Simmer for several minutes.

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