Author: Kitchen With Britt

Gnocchi Class!

Gnocchi Class!

Gnocchi. One of the most delicious little bites you’ll ever taste, ESPECIALLY if they are homemade…actually only if they are homemade! I never knew I liked gnocchi until I took my first bite of the freshly made decadent little pillows. The packaged version will never 

A Lovely Irish Feast

A Lovely Irish Feast

We recently had an Irish cooking class and I wanted to share the recipes form our delicious meal!! We started off with a simple Roasted Tomato & Irish Cheddar Appetizer. For the tomatoes, I generally toss about 3 Chopped Roma tomatoes with 3 T of 

Valentine Dinner Menu 2023!

Valentine Dinner Menu 2023!

Well we sure had some fun classes celebrating Valentine’s Day this past week and, lets face it, celebrating in general! Even if you weren’t able to attend our classes (Here is the link to upcoming classes: Home Appliance Classes with Chefs Brittany & Matt) I wanted to share the recipes for the dishes we made!

Valentine Class!

With a celebration meal of any kind, there is an opportunity & eagerness to create something special. If our occasions are marked with ordinary happenings, it tends to lack the feeling of truly celebrating. That being said, we don’t have time to create 4 course meals of gourmet restaurants! This menu does include one dish with a bit more commitment, so I balanced it with some simple courses to compliment. Several of these can also be made ahead which is always a win in my book.

Valentine Menu:

Cupid Cocktail

Palmiers with Blue Cheese & Fig Jam

Green Salad with Herbs De Provence Vinaigrette

Homemade Gnocchi in a Rose Wine Cream Sauce

Chocolate Trifle

As far as preparing ahead of time, here are the items that will keep well a day or 2 in advance: All the Cocktail Components, Vinaigrette, Gnocchi can be made and frozen ahead – cook from frozen, Cream Sauce, Cake (if making from scratch), Whipped Cream (if making from scratch).

I like to make different flavored simple syrups to have on hand for cocktails etc. What I generally do is make a large batch and divide it into several heatproof containers while it is still hot. Then I add my flavor infusion (ginger, lavender, clove etc). Once they’ve cooled and infused the flavor to my liking (you can always reheat on your stovetop & let cool again to impart extra flavor), I pour the syrups into freezer safe containers and label them. Because of the sugar content, they don’t freeze completely solid and you are able to take a spoonful, or few, as needed. The shelf life of simple syrup in the fridge is only about 2 weeks, but over a year in the freezer, so you’re making it a bit more worthwhile and it is so fun to have them all on hand whenever you need them!

For our cupid cocktail, we used a hibiscus simple syrup with the addition of rose water (simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water – heat over the stove until the sugar is dissolved – at this point infuse, if you would like – let cool & it is ready to use. This syrup was 1/4 tsp of rose water to 1 cup hibiscus syrup.)

Cupid Cocktail (Makes 2)

4 oz Gin

2 oz Hibiscus Rose Simple Syrup

2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

4 oz Pomegranate or Cherry Juice

1 Egg White

I used a Vitamix Aer, but you can also hand shake this with your cocktail shaker. Add all ingredients plus ice and shake vigorously for 1-2 full minutes. Strain off from ice and pour into pretty glass – top with a bit of seltzer water if you wish and garnish with an edible flower!

A great appetizer to have up your sleeve when entertaining, or attending dinner parties are Palmiers. Traditionally a sweet treat made with puff pastry, melted butter, & cinnamon sugar, we put a savory twist on them and it did not disappoint! Note that you can use any kind of jam you have on hand and also can change up the cheese, if you are not a fan of blue cheese, or simply want to use up what you already have in the cheese drawer!

Palmiers with Blue Cheese & Fig Jam

1 Pkg of thawed, but cold, Puff Pastry

2/3 Cup Fig Jam

2/3 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles

Preheat the oven to 425 & line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper. open your puff pastry sheet and spread 1/3 of the jam on each, leaving a 1/4″ border so it doesn’t over flow when folding & cutting. Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles over the top. Fold both ends into the center & then in half (a book fold). Slice 1/2″ pieces and arrange on your sheet tray cut side up. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes and serve warm! Oh, and bonus: they are heart shaped!!!

For our Vinaigrette, we got fancy & used a rose wine vinegar, as well as Herbs de Provence. When using any dried herb, it is best to make a day ahead, as the flavors open up a considerable amount. Below is a tutorial/recipe for a basic French vinaigrette. To create our Valentine version, simply replace the Thyme with Herbs de Provence & use rose wine vinegar in place as well – all optional! For our Salad, we kept it simple by using fresh greens, tossing in the vinagrette & using a vegetable peeler to shave some good parmesan over the top – easy as that & so good!!

Vinaigrette Recipe

Onto the very fun job of making Gnocchi! Though this can be made ahead and frozen (which is great to have on hand for busy weeks) this truly is a great activity to do with your valentine…or family & friends. After the dough is mixed together, it is a fun way to catch up on the day and many hands make light work! Below is my recipe for homemade gnocchi.

A few tips:

  • Make sure to use Russet or Idaho Potatoes. Other kinds can hold too much moisture or have a waxy texture requiring the addition of more flour. More flour=more gummy texture=no thank you!!
  • Bake your potatoes. Again we don’t want to add moisture, so boiling=no bueno.
  • Peel your potatoes when hot & grate while still warm. Make your dough as soon as potatoes cool & shape/cook as soon as the dough is done.
  • Try not to overcrowd your pot when cooking. I will add about 1/2 of a sheet tray worth at a time to cook. If we add too much, the weight of them will cause them to stick together on the bottom of the pot.
  • Make sure your water is at a rolling boil the entire time so they cook through quickly – the long they have to sit in the water, the more gummy of a texture they produce.

For Gnocchi (Serves 4):

  • 1 1/4 lbs Baked & Grated Russet Potatoes (I use a digital Scale…this is approximately 2.5 Cups, but we all measure differently!!)
  • 1 Cup Flour (Extra in case of stickiness & for rolling out.)
  • 1 Egg, Beaten
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

Bake the potatoes at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until tender.  While still hot, use a towel to hold them while you peel.  Grate (or rice) your potatoes while they are still hot, on the small holes of the grater, but not the zesting side.  Add flour, salt & pepper. Gently toss together just to coat the potatoes.  Once potatoes are completely coated, create a well in the center of the mixture and add in your egg.  Knead the dough until it is just combined, about 2 minutes, you can do this right in the bowl.  My advice is to wash hands after it is mostly combined, and the ncome back for the last 30 seconds to bring it together. That makes it easier to discern whether it needs more flour or not. We don’t want our dough to be sticky, but anything will stick to hands when they are covered! If it is still sticky, add about 1 T at a time until it doesn’t stick to your hands. It is also a good trick to flour your hands a bit to avoid sticking. Divide the dough into 4 portions, cover 3 of them.  Flour your surface and roll 1 portion at a time into a long snake, about 20”.  Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 1” pieces.  You can then use a gnocchi board for texture or leave as is.  Repeat with other portions, while placing finished gnocchi onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Put on a pot of boiling water and add gnocchi in batches when it reaches a rolling boil.  It will only take 3-4 minutes for them to be fully cooked.  Once they have floated to the top of the water, they have about a minute left. Remove using a wok spider or a slotted spoon.  Gently toss right into your cream sauce & top with fresh basil. 

A Rose Wine Cream Sauce is a lovely accompaniment to our homemade gnocchi. For the rose component, we slowly simmer 1 cup of rose wine until it reduces to about 1/4 cup. This cooks off the alcohol & concentrates the flavor. This is a step that can easily be skipped for a still delish cream sauce!!

Rose Wine Cream Sauce:

  • 1 T Olive Oil
  • 2 T Butter
  • 1/2 Onion Chopped Finely
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Grated
  • 2 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 Cup Rose Wine Reduction

Add your butter and olive oil to a medium saucepan and heat up on medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and saute an additional minute, while stirring constantly. Using a whisk add in your cream. Season with pepper and let the cream simmer for 2-4 minutes to thicken a bit, while stirring often. Whisk in your parmesan & rose reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn on low. Keep warm while you cook your gnocchi.

To finish off the meal, we went with a simple chocolate trifle! You can make cake or buy store bought, same with the whipped cream. All we did was layer some cake, whipped cream & fresh berries, for a lovely treat! You could add chocolate sauce as well – whatever sounds good to you!! Hope you enjoy this menu, please let me know if you have any questions about any of the recipes!!

Fall Harvest Meal

Fall Harvest Meal

Well I had a very fun class recently that gave me the perfect excuse to pull out some of my very favorite Fall recipes and make a night of it! After doing so, I wanted to share the recipes along, I hope you enjoy!! A 

Weeknight Meals on a Budget

Weeknight Meals on a Budget

Weeknights are busy, but we still want to get a warm, semi healthy meal on the table! I put together a week’s worth of meals for a family of 5. 1 shop list reusing several ingredients, just a little prep on Sunday and you should 

Grilling Season!

Grilling Season!

Grilling season is upon us! We sure had a lot of fun welcoming the season with a big grill event at Home Appliance! Smokers, sous vide, and grill marks, oh my! Here are the recipes for all of the dishes (and cocktails) that we served, as well as some tips & tricks while you’re firing up your outdoor kitchen. Please let me know if you have any questions & enjoy!

For our cocktails, we served, ‘Hot Honey Summer’ – A grilled lemon & rosemary spiked lemonade sweetened with hot honey. And ‘Smokin’ Oldies’ – Smoked Cherry Old Fashioneds.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Cup Hot Honey

8 Cups Cold Water

Lemon Slices & Rosemary

Directions:

Grill the lemon slices & rosemary, set aside to cool. Mix together all ingredients & serve over ice!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Cherries

1/2 Cup Simple Syrup

Bourbon

Angostura Bitters

Orange Peel

Directions:

Cold smoke your cherries for about 45 minutes, or until you have the amount of smokiness that you would like. Soak half of them overnight in the simple syrup. To serve, pour 2 ounces of bourbon & 2 tsp simple syrup over ice. Add a few dashes of bitters, a smoked cherry & an orange peel. Enjoy!

For a fun simple app, definitely try these! Start by grilling peach slices and allowing them to cool. Cut them into equal pieces with fresh mozzarella. You can add fresh basil to your skewers or serve with fresh pesto. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, & drizzle with balsamic glaze!

Ingredients:

1/4 Pineapple, Grilled & Diced

3 Roma Tomatoes, Diced

1/2 Red Onion, Diced Small

1/2 Cup Cilantro, Minced

1/2 Jalapeno, Minced

Juice of 1 Lime, Salt & Pepper to Taste

Such a great alternative to store bought!! Cut pineapple into planks. Brush them with vegetable oil & grill. While they are cooling, prepare other ingredients. Toss together all ingredients & season to taste.

Chef Andy Dubyoski’s Famous Grilled Mushrooms with Chili Crisp!!

Grilled mushrooms with Chili crisp and fresh ramps

6 large portobello mushrooms

4 fresh ramps (use scallions if ramps are unavailable)

Lao Gan Ma chili crisp to taste (I would use 3-4 TBS for mine)

Marinade:

¼ C Soy sauce

2 TBS Black Vinegar

2 TBS Toasted Sesame oil

1 Tbs Mushroom Dark soy sauce

1 Tbs Shaoxing Wine

1 tsp 5 spice

1 TBS Sugar

Marinate over night.  Grill. Garnish.

Ingredients:

3 # Yellow Potatoes – Steamed & Grilled

4 Ribs of Celery, Chopped

1/2 Yellow Onion, Chopped

Dressing:

1 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup Mayonaise

2 T Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Fresh Basil

1/2 Cup Fresh Dill

1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley

Juice of 1/2-1 Lemon

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions:

For the dressing, place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Steam potatoes until for tender, slice into planks & grill. Once cool, cut into chunks and toss with the rest of ingredients and the dressing!

Chef Andrew Dubyoski’s Smoked Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

2 lbs of Eggplant (about 2 small to medium eggplants)

1/3 C Tahini

1 Head Roasted Garlic

¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Plus 1-2 Tbs for garnish)

½ tsp Smoked Paprika (plus more for garnish)

½ tsp Cumin

Sumac for garnish

Juice of 1 Lemon

Zest of 1 Lemon

Kosher Salt

Fresh Black Pepper

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise.  Rub with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.  Smoke until tender.  Whip tahini and roasted garlic in food processor till smooth.  Add eggplant with skin removed, lemon zest and juice and pulse several times.  Finish with extra virgin olive oil, adjust seasoning.  Garnish with more extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, and sumac.

Chef Andy at The Grill!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 T Vanilla Extract

2 3/4 Cups Flour

1 t Baking Soda

1 t Salt

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Smoked Sea Salt

Cream butter and sugars together for 3-4 minutes in electric mixer. Add 1 egg at a time and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Gradually add them until just combined and toss in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (they will look a bit underdone), and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Enjoy!!

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when Mexico came out victorious over France. In the United States, it has evolved over the years as a celebration of Mexican culture & heritage. For me it is my wedding anniversary as well! We 

Spring is In The Air!!

Spring is In The Air!!

I can’t say that Spring is my favorite season, but it is certainly the one that stirs the most excitement. I know that may not make a lot of sense but living in Northeast Ohio, there is nothing more hopeful than those first tastes of 

Italian Dinner Party

Italian Dinner Party

Who doesn’t love a home cooked Italian meal? The epitome of warm & comforting. The aromas of a sauce that’s been simmering for hours, fresh basil & grated parmesan cheese have the power to draw anyone in.

I love hosting dinner parties, but I don’t want to be tied up in the kitchen once guests arrive. An Italian meal can be a perfect solution and this menu checks all the boxes:

  • House smells AMAZING
  • Gluten free entree
  • Versatile appetizers
  • Make ahead dessert

A great starter for an Italian themed dinner party is an antipasto platter (or individual platters). No big fuss, just a great assortment is all you need! ours donned some sliced fontina cheese, sharp white cheddar, marinated artichokes and banana peppers. Crackers, olives, cured meats & peppadews. Some fun additions, as in the photo below, are wrapping prosciutto around breadsticks and making your own marinated mozzarella. Having something out and ready to snack on takes a lot of pressure off of you, the host, & makes the timeline on serving the meal more casual.

Individual Antipasto Plates

Another important item to have ready to go when guests arrive is a delicious cocktail! For our Italian night in, we made Limoncello spritzers with homemade limoncello! Although limoncello normally takes 30 days (!) to infuse, our ‘Last Minute Limoncello’ is perfectly done in a whopping 2 hours with the help of one of my favorite kitchen tools, my sous vide wand. (Note that you can ABSOLUTELY purchase a bottle of limoncello at the liquor store as well:)).

Serving Size:
1 Liter
Time:
2 Hours
Difficulty:
Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Vodka
  • 6 Lemons – Peeled
  • 1 1/4 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Cups Water

Directions

  1. Start by setting your sous vide to 135. Alcohol doesn’t cook off until 172, so 135 is a perfect temperature for a lovely infusion
  2. Peel each lemon, taking care to avoid as much of the pith as possible. (The pith is the white part of any citrus fruit & is very bitter.)
  3. Add the lemon peels & vodka to a mason jar & submerge into the sous vide. Let it sit in the water for 2 hours.
  4. While the jar is in the water, make your simple syrup. Place sugar into a large saucepan & add water. simmer on medium low until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside and let it cool.
  5. Once the vodka has been in for 2 hours, strain & mix it with the simple syrup. Allow to cool, and it is ready to use!
  6. For a great limoncello cocktail, pour 1.5 ounces over ice & top with 3 oz of prosecco & 3 oz of sparkling water, enjoy!

Once your guests have enjoyed some appetizers and have a cocktail in hand, you can slip away to put the finishing touches on dinner.

A sauce that can be made ahead and simmering on low until ready to serve. Delicious, creamy polenta that only takes a few minutes to finish off. I suggest, along with having the sauce simmering ahead of time, set your polenta liquid to boil.

Ragu Sauce Over Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Ingredients For Ragu

  • 2 T olive Oil
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 Lb Ground Sweet Italian Sausage
  • 2 Carrots, Small Dice
  • 4 Celery Ribs, Small Dice
  • 1 Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • 2 T Tomato Paste
  • 1/3 Cup Dry Red Wine
  • 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Chicken Stock
  • Red Pepper Flakes & Sea Salt to Taste

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil & add both beef & sausage. Cook them until browned. Strain out fat and reserve meat.
  2. Add onions, carrots & celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
  3. Continue to sauté with tomato paste for 2 minutes & add wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes & stock, season and let simmer.

For Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Water
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 1/4 Cup Polenta (or Cornmeal)
  • 3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
  • 4 T Unsalted Butter
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste
  • Chopped Parsley and Parmesan Block for Garnish

Directions

  1. Bring the liquid to a boil. Gently sprinkle in the polenta, while whisking. Continue to cook, while stirring occasionally.
  2. After 15 minutes, check to see if the polenta is cooked to your liking. Season to taste (including adding more parmesan, if you would like.)
  3. Serve with Ragu sauce over, and top with shaved parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Budino

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Chopped Dark Chocolate
  • 2 T Unsalted Butter
  • 6 Egg Yolks
  • 1/3 Brown Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder
  • 2 T Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

  1. Mix together egg yolks, sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder, cream, milk, salt & vanilla in a medium saucepan.
  2. Whisk together while cooking over medium heat until thickened.
  3. Strain out any cooked egg bits and stir in chocolate & butter.
  4. Pour into ramekins and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 2 tsp Vanilla

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to mixer with whisk attachment (or do by hand with a whisk – will take about double the time). Whisk together until it reaches the perfect consistency. Add a dollop to the top of your budino and enjoy!
Entertaining:  French Dinner Party

Entertaining: French Dinner Party

When it comes to entertaining, my goal is always to have as much done ahead of time as possible. I want to be able to enjoy the time with my guests, without being constantly tied to the kitchen. The beauty of this menu is that