Serve these as part of an appetizer with cured Italian meats and cheeses, or as a side with soup and salad. AROMA Savory Cornmeal Biscotti will complement any meal and quickly become a family favorite.

—Nicky D Cooks

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ c sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup finely ground cornmeal
• ½ c Pecorino Romano Cheese finely grated
• 2 heaping Tablespoons AROMA Italian Seasoning
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper or a baking mat

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, Pecorino Romano Cheese and AROMA Italian Seasoning

3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, do this for 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, until well combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture, just until it is combined- do not over mix it.  Let the dough rest, covered in the refrigerator for about a half an hour.

4. The dough will be sticky so lightly flour the surface to roll out the dough. Roll the dough into about 12-inch long rolls (3). The biscotti will expand as it bakes, so keep the logs smallish. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and bake for 18- 20 minutes, firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.

5. Decrease the oven temperature to 330 degrees. Let biscotti to cool on the baking sheets until they are cool to the touch about for 10 – 12 minutes. Slice the biscotti into 1/2-inch thick pieces, and return to the oven for the second bake. Bake the biscotti on one side for 5-7 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 5-7 minutes until a golden brown. Do not let them burn so watch them carefully- adjust cooking times accordingly.

6. Let them cool on a wire rack, they will continue to harden as they cool.

Yields about 36 pieces.

Adapted from Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book: 500 Recipes Featuring Good and Healthy Grains

Originally from Rhode Island, Nicky D Cooks is a writer for Ciao Pittsburgh who currently resides in Peters Township. You can find more of her recipes here.

These crisps are a wonderful addition to any meal, serve them with as a snack with pepperoni and cheese, or as a side with your soup. They are an all-purpose crisp that has amazing flavor.

Nicky D Cooks

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 ½ cups flour, plus more for rolling (Gluten Free All Purpose Flour can be substituted for a GF version)
• Stick of butter (½ cup) cold butter
• 3 tablespoons AROMA Italian Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
• Pecorino Romano Cheese for garnishing
• 1 Egg (lightly beaten with a few teaspoons of water for an egg wash)

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. Add flour, sugar, salt and AROMA Italian Seasoning to a food processor. Pulse several seconds until combined.
3. Cut cold butter into cubes and add to food processor, and until the butter is about the size of peas and broken up through the mixture. 
4. Add the ice water now, start with 4 tablespoons and pulse until dough begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix at this point. The dough should look like coarse cornmeal and hold together when pinched.
5. Gather into a ball, add more cold water if needed. Pat it into a disk shape (cover it in plastic wrap) and refrigerate for 1hr.
6. Lightly flour surface and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch. With a 2-inch biscuit cutter or small juice glass, cut out circles
7. Place cut circles on non-stick cookie sheet, lightly coat with an egg wash and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano Cheese and bake 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown
8. Yields 16-18 pieces. Serve immediately.

Originally from Rhode Island, Nicky D Cooks is a writer for Ciao Pittsburgh who currently resides in Peters Township. You can find more of her recipes here.

I love to sit and eat a simple plate of Italian cured meats and cheese, good Italian bread, and roasted peppers. Yes, I would add a hearty glass of red wine to round out my meal. This is my ultimate comfort food.

The summertime is the perfect time to make roasted red peppers because the farmers markets will be abundant with them. Homemade roasted peppers freeze beautifully and I grantee once you start to make these, you will look for every excuse to eat them and add them to your meals.

Making homemade roasted peppers is really very simple. First, start out with fresh red peppers. Other colored peppers can be roasted, I‘ve used yellow and orange ones and they roast quite nicely. I just have a preference for the red ones.

Line a baking sheet with some foil, wash dry the peppers and lay them about 2-3 inches apart from each other on the sheet.  Don’t over crowd them on the sheet because you will be turning them over throughout the cooking process.

[Read more…]

Want to show your loved ones a little Pittsburgh style amore this Valentine’s day? Then I suggest that you cook them this Steel City inspired dinner, AROMA Pierogis.

Let’s face it, Pittsburghers enjoy their pierogis. What’s not to love about these tender dumplings? Dough (pasta like) wrapped around a delicious sweet or savory filling.  The dumplings are boiled and pan fried with a little butter.

AROMA Pierogis are a twist on the traditional method of eating these tasty treats. By adding the AROMA Italian Seasoning and some grated Italian cheese, the pierogis become transformed into a hybrid dish. An Eastern European –Italian cheesy garlic bread melt in your mouth kind of dish. It is a perfect representation of what Pittsburgh has become, a blending of old school foods and the new adaptations on these dishes.

Yes, our city is that awesome! [Read more…]

A new year has begun and the way I look at it, it’s a great opportunity to cook some new and wonderful foods.  January also is the perfect time to explore some of the hearty squashes that are available at the grocery stores. As well as the eggs laying around in your house. To make things easier, you might want to invest in an egg cooker available over at www.productexpert.com. This way your meal can be made quickly, and you’ll be able to have convenient gear around you whenever you need.

Spaghetti Squash is a delightful and robust winter vegetable that can be easily cooked in a variety of ways. It has a mild flavor and makes it the perfect accompaniment for so many sauces.

I am partial to oven roasted spaghetti squash. The sweetness and nutty flavors really are brought out when prepared this way. Once the squash is cooled, the insides are scooped out and the strands resemble noodles, hence the name spaghetti squash.

One way to serve this squash is this new recipe: AROMA Spaghetti Squash and Eggs. This is a gluten free, carb free alternative to the traditional Italian Peasant dish of Spaghetti and Eggs.

Start with some cooked spaghetti squash, for a simple oven roasted recipe follow these directions see below. [Read more…]