Somewhere along the way, I became interested in the iconic Old Bay Seasoning. It seemed I was forever looking for that special something that would elevate seafood dishes from basic to ‘wow’ that’s good! Once I tried Old Bay seasoning it became a pantry staple for me.
Old Bay seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that is currently marketed by McCormick & Company, and produced in Maryland, USA. It is produced in the Chesapeake Bay area where it was developed by German immigrant Gustav Brunn in the 1940s, and where the seasoning is very popular to this day. At that time, crabs were so plentiful that bars in Baltimore, Maryland offered them free and seasonings like Old Bay were created to encourage patrons to purchase more beverages.
Old Bay Seasoning is named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship line that sailed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia, in the early 1900s. Gustav Brunn’s company became the Old Bay Company, producing crab seasonings in the unique yellow can container until the company was purchased by McCormick & Co around 1990.
Old Bay is known for its savory, aromatic, quite salty, and reasonably spicy flavor. The presence of warm, slightly sweet spices balanced by the fairly modest amount of heat from red pepper and dry mustard harmonizes beautifully with the distinct flavor of celery seed.
While it was initially marketed as a seasoning for seafood, specifically crab, Old Bay has since become a versatile ingredient in a wide range of dishes, including poultry, meats, vegetables, soups, stews, and snacks. It adds depth of flavor and a touch of nostalgia to recipes, evoking memories of summertime seafood boils. Its versatility has made it a staple in kitchens worldwide.
It definitely adds some flavor to these stuffed shells I’m making today.
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Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells
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Instructions
Pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Filling
Melt 2 Tbsp butter and oil in a large skillet over med-low heat and sauté onions until tender. Stir in the clam juice and chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, add in the shrimp, scallops, crab meat & 1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning. Return to a boil, then reduce heat & let simmer for 4-5 minutes until the seafood is cooked through (shrimp is pink & scallops opaque). Drain the seafood, reserving the liquid. Set aside.
Sauce
Set a large saucepan over med-low heat & melt the remaining 1 cup butter. Stir in the flour & mix until smooth. Gradually add in the milk & reserved liquid while continuously stirring. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of the seasoning. Bring the sauce to a boil & cook, continuing to stir, for about 2 minutes until thickened.
Remove from the heat; stir in cream and half of the cheese. Stir 3/4 cup white sauce into the seafood mixture.
Assembly/Baking
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Drain and rinse pasta. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in a 13x9-in. baking dish. Fill each of the shells with the seafood mixture & place in rows over the sauce. Top with remaining sauce & cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining seafood seasoning.
Bake, uncovered, until golden brown & bubbling, about 30 minutes. If desired, top with additional chopped green onions.
The aroma. The sizzle. The crackle. The taste. Bacon is a staple of so many menus, from diners to fine dining. Commonly featured in breakfast dishes and sandwiches, bacon has expanded its reach into our main course, desserts, cocktails and hors de oeuvres as well.
Bacon has a unique ability to evoke strong sensory memories. The aroma of sizzling bacon sizzling in the pan triggers a sense of comfort and anticipation, reminiscent of weekend breakfasts or family gatherings. The sound of bacon crackling in the pan and the sight of its golden-brown color further enhance the sensory experience. These sensory cues, combined with the indulgent taste, create a nostalgic connection for many people, reinforcing their love for bacon.
Bacon’s distinctive flavor is one of the primary reasons why people love it so much. The combination of smokiness, saltiness, and overall essence creates a taste sensation that is hard to replicate. The crispy texture adds a great crunch, while the fat contributes to its mouthwatering juiciness. Its ability to enhance both sweet and savory dishes makes it a go-to ingredient for cooks of all experience levels.
This bacon chicken Alfredo lasagna roll is a unique and indulgent twist on the classic pasta dish. This recipe features layers of lasagna noodles, shredded chicken, chard, alfredo sauce, and cheese, all wrapped in crispy bacon. The bacon adds a smoky and savory flavor to the lasagna, while keeping it moist and tender. This decadent dish is perfect for special occasions or when you’re craving something extra delicious.
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Bacon Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll
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Instructions
Over a long sheet of saran wrap, lay 8 of the bacon strips down back to back. Lifting up every other strip, fold about 1-inch (2 cm) the bacon back on itself. Lay another slice of bacon perpendicular to the strips & fold the flaps back over the horizontal strip of bacon. Repeat with the rest of the bacon until a tight weave has formed. Set aside in the fridge.
In a medium saucepan, add the butter & garlic over medium heat, cooking until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Add the cream, and bring to a boil. Add in the Parmesan, parsley, salt, & pepper, stirring constantly until the cheese has melted & there are no lumps remaining.
Pour half of the mixture over the shredded chicken, reserving the other half to use a sauce in the end. Mix the chicken with the sauce until thoroughly combined.
On a separate sheet of saran wrap, lay down the lasagna noodles, overlapping them slightly. Spread the chicken mixture over the noodles, making sure that you leave about a 1-cm (½ inch) gap at the bottom so the noodles have room to roll on themselves.
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Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly across the chicken, then spread the broccoli over the grated cheese.
Lift the saran wrap up and over, causing the noodles to roll on themselves. Make sure to roll tightly until the entire thing has come together into a neat rolled bundle.
Transfer the lasagna roll to the bottom of the bacon weave, & repeat the saran wrap rolling process until the bacon has tightly & completely wrapped the lasagna roll. Unwrap & transfer to a baking tray.
Bake for about 25 minutes until the bacon is starting to get crispy but not too dark.
Cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer the roll to a cutting board. Slice generous 1-inch (2 cm) thick portions, then serve with the remaining alfredo sauce.
With origins dating back to ancient times, gnocchi hold a prominent place in Italian culinary history, where it has been passed down through generations as a cherished comfort food. Today, it continues to be an essential part of Italian cuisine, adopting different names depending on the origin.
Gnocchi (pronounced no-kee) are soft dumplings that may be made from wheat flour, rice, semolina, ricotta cheese, potatoes, or breadcrumbs. Gnocchi are made throughout Italy, but the stuffed version is made mainly in the Piedmont region. The key to making delicate potato gnocchi is to add as little flour as possible but enough to keep the dough together. The filling should have a robust flavor so that it stands out from the potato dough.
For our stuffed gnocchi today, I’m making an Asiago/ricotta filling served in a meaty Bolognese sauce. Yum!
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Stuffed Gnocchi Bolognese
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Instructions
Stuffed Gnocchi
Boil the whole potatoes with their skins until you can easily pierce them all the way through (about 20-25 minutes, depending on the dimension of the potatoes), then wash them with cold water & remove the skin when they are still warm.
Mash the potatoes while they are still warm & make sure there are no chunks; add a pinch of salt and ¾ of the flour. Mix well with your hands until a nice soft dough forms (but not sticky); if necessary, add some more flour. When the dough is ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest & cool for about 10-15 minutes. In a small dish, combine finely grated Asiago with ricotta cheese.
Cut the dough into 3 or 4 parts, take 1 part and cover the rest with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry. Dust the cutting board with flour & roll the dough with your palm to make a long thick cord about 2 cm in diameter, then cut chunks 2 cm long.
Roll each cube between your palms to make balls then press them on your palm to make a disc. With a teaspoon, place a small amount of cheese in the center of the disc and close it on itself (make sure to cover the cheese well and close all the holes), roll it again between your palm to make the ball smooth & set it aside on a clean cloth.
Bring to boil a large pot of salted water then slowly drop the gnocchi in & cook until they float on the surface. Drain, reserving 1 cup of starchy water. In a pan melt the butter and carefully add the drained gnocchi to sauté a little bit. Remove from pan, place in a dish until Bolognese sauce is ready.
Bolognese
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced celery, carrot & onion. Cook until veggies are soft tender. Add ground beef & let cook, breaking it apart until fully browned. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in garlic & cook until fragrant.
Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water or stock, bay leaves & crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.
Add cooked gnocchi to Bolognese sauce & stream in reserved gnocchi water as needed if the mixture is too thick. Cook for an additional minute or so, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
These simplified perogy stuffed pasta shells have all the delicious flavor of homemade perogy but without the fuss of making dough! So, when you feel like having perogies but don’t have the time to make them from scratch and don’t have any left in the freezer, these stuffed perogy shells are a great shortcut.
Use the same potato and cheese filling that you use to make homemade perogies, then fill pasta shells with it instead of making pasta dough.
For the perfect finishing touch, top them with onions that have been sautéed in butter. After they come out of the oven garnish the ‘perogies’ with a bit more chopped bacon and green onion. Of course, don’t forget the sour cream (and sausage)!
Perogy dough and pasta dough differ in a few ways but in the name of convenience give pasta shells a try!
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Perogy Stuffed Pasta Shells
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Instructions
Place the potatoes in a medium pot & cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, add salt to taste & cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
In another pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta shells then spread them out on a large baking sheet or tray & allow to cool.
In a skillet, (or the microwave) cook bacon until done but not real crisp. Drain on paper towels & chop fairly small. Set aside. Wipe out skillet then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions & sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn off the heat & set aside.
Chop green onion & grate cheese. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them & return them to the hot pot; let them sit for a few minutes ( with heat off) to allow the excess moisture to evaporate out.
Place the potatoes in a food processor & add the grated cheese to the potatoes; mash until they are well-combined & smooth. Remove from processor & add bacon, green onion, salt and pepper, combining well by hand. Set aside to cool slightly for a few minutes.
Make sure your potato/cheese mixture is well-seasoned with salt & pepper. It shouldn't be salty, just really flavorful.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Evenly fill the pasta shells with the potato/cheese mixture; place the shells in the prepared baking dish, filling side up. Spoon the onion & butter mixture evenly over the stuffed shells.
Bake, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or just until heated through. I placed the covered pan of shells over another pan with a small amount of water in it (like a bain marie) to prevent the shells from becoming hard since they do not have a sauce to cook in.
Remove from oven & garnish with more green onion. Serve with sour cream if you wish.
In the fall of 2005, Brion & I spent a month in Rome where we rented a furnished apartment in a lovely hilltop neighborhood. This was our first trip to Italy so every morning we would choose a different destination for the day. It was relatively easy to get around the city by using the public transit system (Rome Termini is the city’s main transport hub). We paid 18 Euros for a 7-day pass, and you could use it as many times as you wished. To rent a car to see the sights of Rome would be an exercise in frustration or to say the least, taking your life in your hands. So many of its legendary sites are the original article that to see them is to fulfil a lifelong dream. In no other city can you see so much in such a short space of time and merely scratch the surface.
It was at that huge ‘Rome Termini’ station that we experienced our first panini sandwiches. Very often when we returned to the station after our day’s adventure, Brion & I would stop into one of the eating places and have something to eat. One day the person making our lunch asked if we wanted our sandwiches ‘grilled’. We were familiar with the basic grilled cheese sandwich but had never had them made as a grilled panini before. The taste was so incredibly good. Strange, how something as minor as a sandwich can be so memorable.
Paninis and their presses arrived in North America around 1956 but didn’t become mainstream until the 1970s and 1980s. Elevating the standard grilled cheese sandwich, paninis have become vessels for culinary creativity. It would be easy to assume a panini and a sandwich are the same—a panini is a sandwich—but not all sandwiches are paninis. So, what makes the panini stand out from the sandwich? Bread and pressing them in a hot grill give paninis their signature presentation and amazing taste. You can serve paninis for breakfast or lunch with limitless combinations for the perfect filling.
One that really works for Brion & I, is this smoked turkey with guacamole & Monterey Jack cheese. I guess its because it combines contrasting textures and savory flavors … smoky, creamy and crunchy into a warm, satisfying meal.
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Smoked Turkey w/ Guacamole & Monterey Jack CheesePanini
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Instructions
Guacamole
In a bowl, mash avocados & lime juice. Stir in garlic, onion & cilantro: blend well. Ser aside.
Paninis
Slice red onion thinly. In a saucepan, add butter & heat to melt. Add onion & sprinkle with salt. Cook until onion has softened. Remove from heat & set aside.
Slice cheese & butter one side of each slice of bread.
With buttered sides down, Generously spread guacamole over the 4 slices of bread. Divide the turkey slices between 2 of the slices. Next, divide the cheese & place it on the turkey along with the red onion. Place the 2 remaining slices on top with the buttered side on the outside.
Grill on panini maker until heated through & crispy on the outside. Serve.
Recipe Notes
If a panini grill is not available just use an ordinary skillet to get the job done!
I recall my mother’s rice pudding with much fondness. It was a creamy pudding with raisins and a nice cinnamon flavor. Although, as a kid, raisins didn’t really appeal to me, they seemed to belong in this pudding. My father was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of man with an inherited love of sweets. I rarely ever remember my mother preparing a meal that didn’t end with some kind of dessert. It didn’t have to be anything elaborate. To this day, I still think a meal isn’t complete without a little sweetness at the end. Not a good thing as we get older.
Rice puddings are found in nearly every corner of the world. Milchreis is the German version, made by cooking short grain rice on the stove top in milk with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
Due to the mildness of this pudding, you can change the flavor significantly by just making a few changes such as nutmeg or cardamom instead of cinnamon, adding fresh or dried fruits and/or nuts.
That brings me to rhubarb — I love everything about the plant — how good it tastes, the beautiful huge foliage in the garden and how it can keep on producing all season long. The uses of rhubarb are endless, both sweet and savory.
Bordering one side of my mother’s large country garden grew six or eight rhubarb plants. I can’t even remember all the things she made with it but one thing still remains and that’s my love for it.
Today, January 22, our family celebrates the birthday of my sister, Marilyn. Birthdays were always made to be special as we were growing up. Not so much as to gifts but in regard to the family acknowledgement of ‘your’ day especially food wise.
For something I think holds a special nostalgic memory and to mark the occasion even if we can’t be together, I have prepared a German rhubarb crumble rice pudding.
BRION & I ARE THINKING OF YOU MARILYN & SEND OUR LOVE & BIRTHDAY WISHES.
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German Rhubarb Crumble Rice Pudding
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Instructions
Rice
Place the milk, rice & sugar in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat & bring to a simmer. Cook 45-55 minutes on medium low, stirring occasionally so bottom doesn't scorch, until it reduces by about half.
When thickened, remove from the heat, let it cool. Pour into a bowl or 4-6 individual custard cups you will serve from. Pudding can be served warm or cover & refrigerate.
Rhubarb Compote
Add rhubarb, sugar & ginger to a small pot. Over medium heat, cover & bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes at a simmer until rhubarb has softened but still keeps its shape. Set aside to cool.
Crumble
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In a bowl mix all the ingredients & bring it together with your fingers or a fork. When fully mixed, spread it on a lined baking sheet & bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned & crispy. Remove & cool.
Serving
Spoon a generous portion of the rhubarb compote on top of the pudding, followed by a generous portion of the crumble mixture.
Speculoos, also known as speculaas in Dutch, spéculoos in French, and Spekulatius in German, is a type of spiced short crust biscuit.
Speculoos originated from the County of Flanders, which encompasses present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The Dutch crafted speculoos using wheat flour, brown sugar, butter, and traditional speculaas spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. These spiced biscuits are usually flat and often molded with traditional images, especially around the feast of St. Nicholas (Dutch: Sinterklaas).
While historically associated with holiday treats like Dutch Windmill Cookies, Biscoff Cookies, and German Spekulatius Spice Cookies its versatility extends beyond these traditional uses. There are several ways to incorporate speculoos spice into your culinary creations such as:
- Add a touch of speculoos spice to your classic chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Toss whole almonds with melted butter, sugar, and a generous sprinkle of speculoos spice then roast them in the oven until golden and fragrant for a tasty snack or edible gift.
- Stir a pinch of speculoos spice into your favorite warm beverages.
- Sprinkle speculoos spice over waffles, pancakes, or French toast.
- Create a no-churn ice cream by infusing your base with speculoos spice. Enjoy it on its own or as a delightful topping for apple pie, crepes, or other seasonal desserts.
In this recipe the rhubarb and nectarine pair wonderfully with the warm, spiced flavors of speculoos creating a decadent tart.
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Rhubarb Speculoos Tarts
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Instructions
Base
Preheat oven to 320 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the speculoos in the bowl of a food processer & process until finely ground. Add the salt, process once or twice then turn into a medium-sized bowl & mix in the melted butter until you have a sort of dough.
Place six 3-inch (7.5cm) metal rounds on the baking sheet & press equal amounts of the dough into each one, using a metal soup spoon to press them so they are even around the edges. Make a slight indentation in the center. Place in the center of the pre-heated oven & bake about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Rhubarb
Place the water, sugar, ginger, vanilla in a medium saucepan & bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the syrup is boiling, whisking from time to time, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rhubarb, stir gently so it is mixed with the syrup & return the syrup to a low boil. Shake the pan & watch the rhubarb as it cooks & stir if necessary. Depending on its texture, the rhubarb will cook in about 1-1/2 minutes, though it can take up to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon remove rhubarb carefully to a plate. Whisk in 1 Tbsp of cornstarch . Continue whisking until cornstarch is dissolved & syrup is thickened. Remove from heat & cool for a couple of minutes the gently stir in rhubarb. Allow rhubarb to cool until ready to assemble.
Cream
Whisk the sour cream with the vanilla sugar.
Assemble
Carefully remove tart bases from rings. Lay equal numbers of nectarine slices atop the crust with the skin out to the edge. Top with sour cream/vanilla sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
To serve, top with rhubarb sauce & serve immediately.
At Christmas time, the clementine is one of the most popular and plentiful varieties, its tight, glossy skin often accompanied by a sprig of zesty leaves. Many of us have fond memories of when they were stuffed into Christmas stockings with other nostalgic treats.
Most people probably don’t know where this clementine tradition comes from, but the mythical story is rather a charming one. It tells how Saint Nicholas, the 4th century Greek bishop upon whom Santa Claus was modelled, one day heard of a poor man who had failed to find suitors for his three daughters, lacking money for their dowries. Nicholas sought out the man’s house and tipped three sacks of gold down the chimney, where the coins happened to land in the girls’ stockings, which were drying beside the fire. The clementines (or oranges) in our modern Christmas stockings are said to be a symbol of the saint’s generosity. Poverty and desire probably also played a role in fostering the custom in times past, oranges were not only an affordable gift, but also a brief taste of exotic, sunnier climes.
As for the clementine itself, its origins are somewhat uncertain. Oranges are like roses, with endless hybrids having been cultivated over the centuries, each with its own particular shape, scent, texture and taste. The clementine is a mixture of a mandarin and a classic sweet orange, and is said to have been discovered by Clement Rodier, a French monk living in 19th century Algeria, who found it growing in the orchard of the orphanage he ran.
It’s that easy peel factor, along with a lack of seeds, that has catapulted the clementine above old-fashioned oranges in popularity.
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Clementine Kiwi Upside Down Puddings
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Instructions
Topping
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From parchment paper, cut circles to lay on the bottom of 6 individual custard cups. Divide melted butter between the cups. Sprinkle brown sugar over top the butter. Top with clementine & kiwi slices.
Pudding/Cake
In a small bowl, beat together eggs & sugar until thick; gradually beat in oil. In a small dish, combine flour, baking powder, spices & salt. Stir flour mixture into egg/sugar mixture, then add juice (or milk) & vanilla. Stir ONLY until combined.
Pour batter over fruit in custard cups, dividing it evenly between them. Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. Allow cakes to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla/Lime Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch. Add water & bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat & add vanilla & lime juice. Stir well & set aside to cool.
Assembly
Divide sauce between 6 individual dessert plates & top with a clementine/kiwi cake. Serve warm or cold.
