Cooking Secrets from Stresa
Beautiful Day in Stresa Italy with my oldest!
And look what I brought back. Wine has just arrived too!
You too can have these items from Italy. Information to follow but first I’m going to tell you how easy it is to prepare an easy feast on a hot day with my selection of goodies above.
-Add the Bruschetta spices (above) to bread for sandwiches, sprinkle on roasted or mashed potatoes, on meat or fish and of course, on your pasta sauce. This combination of spices is wonderfully fresh. Place a jar on your table for sprinkling on just about everything. To preserve properly add a handful of black peppercorns to the mix.
-The dried mushrooms can be whirled in your food processor until they form a powder to be used as a condiment on just about anything you are cooking.
-The balsamic vinegar here (one is 10 years old and the other 30 years). Use your 10 year balsamic for this recipe below.
Balsamic Pate
1 T cream
8 Ounces cream cheese-room temperature (start with 4 ounces and add to taste)
2 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t Spices (above) optional
Mix and let set for an hour or so.
Serve on toasted bread or crackers.
-What can I say about the Truffle Sauce. 2 T of truffle sauce to a bit of cream in a skillet. Heat through. Add freshly cooked drained pasta to the skillet and sauté. So delicious! Or simply add a bit of truffle sauce to freshly cooked eggs for an extra special breakfast.
All these recipes and products are thanks to this little shop in Stresa Italy. Amazing products and super amazing Italian wines. All is shipped at a reasonable price.
Yep, we use this easy recipe to add to our tostadas, burritos, layered dip, and all by itself. Give it a try! Use your left over pintos or if in a hurry, use canned. I used Goya pink beans for this recipe.
While normally I’d make this with a meaty Kielbasa I decided to make a meatless dish and chose a vegetarian Brat. It’s your choice! Just a word about Bratwurst & Kielbasa. They are not to be confused. They are seasoned differently and are usually cooked a bit differently. You might even notice a difference in the texture. Obviously, a vegetarian Bratwurst is slightly different from the real deal. But I must say, this one is pretty tasty and with a great beer who knows the difference?! Ha! I promise I’m not advertising.
Cheesy Rice Soup! It’s still soup season and this one is sure to warm you. Not only that, but you already have the ingredients … well most! It’s an easy recipe with few ingredients. The secret is in the caramelizing of the onion. This will involve most of your prep time. The rest comes together quickly. Yep, I can’t deny this is a very rich soup but Oh So Good. A cup will do!
Vegetarian take on a Classic! After I tasted this wonderful Cook’s Country Shepherd’s Pie (more correctly a Cottage Pie, ground beef replaced the lamb) my son Will put together I mused, a vegetarian version might be a good alternative. I’ve previously prepared a chicken version, 
Country Western singer, Hank Williams, was not a favorite of mine in the early 50’s. But what 6 year old wouldn’t love his “Jambalaya a Crawfish Pie and a File Gumbo!!” Yep, that’s what has inspired this so many years later.
When you have the flu and someone brings a care basket with salami, cheese & pasta you wait until you’re better and you fix this! (Thanks Will for all the goodies!)