Irish Cream Pie

Andi Bidwell

Chef Andi Bidwell prepped Tonia's Kitchen for St. Patrick's Day with this delicious recipe for Irish Cream Pie.

Irish Cream Pie

Sap Dogs

Fresh maple syrup doesn't just go great on pancakes for breakfast, have you ever tried syrup on your hotdog? Richard Wolniewicz from the Ipswitch River Wildlife Sanctuary has more on this unique twist on an American ballpark favorite. Click below to hear his recipe with Tonia!

Sap Dogs

Maple Sugar

Spring celebrations begin early at the sanctuary with the age-old tradition of maple sugaring. Richard Wolniewicz from the Ipswitch River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, MA was Tonia's guest and shared his knowledge on New England's sugaring season. You can hear more by clicking below.

Maple Sugar

Sky High Layered Ice Cream Cake

Lori Longbotham

Dessert specialist, Lori Longbotham checked in with Tonia to offer her recipe for a dessert that "towers" over your plate! Click on the book cover below to get "the scoop"...

Sky High Layered Ice Cream Cake

 

This is a tremendously versatile recipe. You might use sorbet, other flavors of ice cream, or gelato. Try any thick sauce, such as chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, fruit or berry, and garnish with crushed candies, cookies, or other nuts.

Serves 12

• 3 pints chocolate gelato or ice cream, slightly softened
• One 13-ounce jar Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
• 2 pints hazelnut gelato or ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. Spoon the chocolate gelato in small pieces into a 9-inch springform pan, filling in any large holes, then spread it evenly with a warm rubber spatula. Pour half of the Nutella over the gelato and spread it evenly with a small offset spatula. Freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

2. Spoon the hazelnut gelato over the Nutella in small pieces, filling in any large holes, then spread it evenly with a warm rubber spatula. Pour the remaining Nutella over the gelato and spread it evenly with the offset spatula. Scatter the hazelnuts over the top of the cake, then press in. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for at least 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.

3. To serve, let the cake stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan, release the side of the pan, and remove it. Cut the cake into wedges.

A New Way To Serve Orzo

@Chef_Billy

Cooking Light Executive Chef Billy Strynkowski suggests that you "toast your Orzo pasta" before you serve it. Sound like something you'd never try? You'll be surprised how delicious the results are! Hear his advice by clicking the photo below...

Orzo Pasta Tip

Banana Bread Pudding

@chefbrianlandry

After two days of main dishes, Chef Landry gave us the most delicious final course: dessert! Hear his tantalizing revelation with Tonia by clicking on the photo below.

Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 11 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 inch slices of French bread (baguettes)
• 1 pound salted butter
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 4 bananas
• 1/2 cup Praline Liqueur

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk until well blended. 
In a nonstick oversized muffin pan (for 12) place two slices of the bread into each muffin cup.  Pour the egg and milk mixture into each muffin hole. Allow the bread to absorb the mixture and repeat the process until the bread is saturated and the muffin cup is full (it may take 3 or 4 fillings to totally saturate the bread and fill the hole). 
Bake the pudding mixture for 35 minutes or until the pudding has turned golden and set in the pan.
While the pudding is in the oven, melt the butter in a 2-qt saucepot over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar and whisk over the heat until smooth. Slice the bananas, stir them into the sauce and add the Praline liqueur. Keep the sauce warm.
When the pudding is baked, remove from the oven and allow it to sit for fifteen minutes to cool. Invert the muffin pan to remove the puddings. Place each on the center of a plate and ladle the sauce onto the pudding.
Serve immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 12

Duck Poppers

@chefbrianlandry

Chef Brian Landry grew up fishing on Lake Borgne, the epicenter of coastal cuisine in Louisiana. Listen to Chef Landry's recipe for Duck Poppers by clicking the picture below.

Duck Poppers

Shrimp Remoulade

@chefbrianlandry

Chef Brian Landry grew up fishing on Lake Borgne, the epicenter of coastal cuisine in Louisiana. Chef Landry shared passion for Louisiana seafood with Tonia along with his recipe for Shrimp Remoulade. Hear his dish secrets by clicking on the link below...

Shrimp Remoulade

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped curly parsley
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup Creole mustard or any coarse, grainy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, or to taste
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Spanish hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 4 dozen jumbo (15 count) shrimp, peeled, boiled, and chilled
• 1 small head of iceberg lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into thin ribbons

Preparation

Mince the celery, scallions, parsley, and onions in a food processor. Add the ketchup, tomato puree, Creole mustard, horseradish, red wine vinegar, paprika, and Worcestershire. Begin processing again and add the oil in a slow drizzle to emulsify. Stop when the dressing is smooth.
Chill for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Correct the seasoning with additional horseradish, if desired, after the ingredients have had the opportunity to marry.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sauce to the shrimp and toss gently to coat. Divide the lettuce among 6 chilled salad plates. Divide the shrimp evenly atop the lettuce and serve.

Serving Size

Serves 6

New Orleans Oysters

Tom Fitzmorris

Tom Fitzmorris is the publisher of The New Orleans Menu. He began his food-writing career with a weekly restaurant review column in 1972, while still in college. That column has continued without a break to the present day, making it the longest-running weekly restaurant review column by a single author in America. Tom talked oysters with Tonia.

New Orleans Oysters

In 1997, my wife ordered me to enter the National Oyster Cooking Competition with this dish. The event takes place in St. Mary's County, Maryland, where the Chesapeake Bay oysters are almost identical to the ones we have in Louisiana. I came in second. But I think you'll enjoy this, one of my favorite fancy ways to eat oysters. Make sure you provide lots of fresh hot French bread with this--the sauce is the best part!

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 2 tsp. mixed dried peppercorns (black, white, green, pink)
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• Pinch saffron threads
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• All the reserved oyster water available, up to 1 cup
• Two dozen fresh oysters, the larger the better, preferably freshly shucked

1. In a stainless steel or porcelain two-quart saucepan, combine the cream, peppercorns, two sprigs of thyme, and saffron. Bring to a very light boil. (Watch to make sure the pan doesn't boil over, which cream likes to do.) Add the oyster water. Reduce about 30 minutes, to about one cup of liquid.

2. Add six oysters. Let them cook in the sauce until it resumes bubbling--about two or three minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove the oysters from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining oysters in batches of six. Allow the herbs, peppercorns, and sauce that coat the oysters to remain.

3. When all the oysters are cooked, plunge them all back into the sauce for a few seconds to warm them back up. Arrange three to six (depending on size) on plates. Nap with a little extra sauce, stirring the pan to distribute the peppercorns and herbs. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Serves four to eight.

A recipe from Tom Fitzmorris

Peanut Sauce

@spicesoflife

Nina Simonds is one of the country’s leading authorities on Asian cooking. She is the author of ten books on Chinese cuisine and culture, including the best-selling Asian Noodles and A Spoonful of Ginger. Want a fresh approach to making "chicken for dinner?" Nina shared her secret sauce with Tonia!

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1-inch thick slice fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
10 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp chili paste with garlic, or more or less to taste
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
7 Tbsp sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute)
7 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or Worcestershire sauce)
6 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (the kind you get in Asian groceries)
10 Tbsp water

Directions

In a food processor with a metal blade (or in a blender), finely chop ginger and garlic. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed and process until smooth. It should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, add more water. If too thin, add more peanut butter. Keep in the fridge in a covered container.

Linwoods Giveaway!

The Linwoods brand was founded in 1985 and was successfully developed in retail stores across Ireland during the years that followed.  Jon Woods joined Tonia this week to share the company’s philosophy. Click here to listen...

Click on the bag to enter to win a sample bag of the Linwoods Ground Organic Flaxseed!

New York Wine Expo

@NewYorkWineExpo

The 5th Annual New York Wine Expo will be held at the Javits Convention Center March 2 - 4. Show Director, Ed Hurley, spoke with Tonia about the tasting events planned for this weekend.

Click here to listen to the interview

Southern Italian Food

@frankstitt

Frank Stitt did not set out to be a chef, but although he studied philosophy at Berkley during the 1970s, he met Alice Waters and was sold on food. During his subsequent culinary career Frank accrued local, regional and national gastronomic awards and a favorite son of Alabama, his home state. Frank shared his love of Italian food and his recipe for bruschetta with Tonia.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

yield: 4

• 4 slices (about 2 inches thick and 3 inches long) focaccia or ciabatta
• 1/2 cup sweet peas, fresh or frozen, rinsed and blanched in boiling water until tender, shocked in ice water, drained (frozen peas may be rinsed in hot water)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely chopped and softened in a pan with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, about 1 minute
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese (drained if very wet)
• 1/2 cup fresh radishes, washed, dried, and finely sliced
• 1/2 cup pea tendrils or fresh mint sprigs
• Agrumato lemon oil* or extra virgin olive oil

Procedures

1. Prepare a fire in a grill or fire up the broiler.
2. Grill or broil the focaccia slices for 30 seconds per side, until golden brown and crisp.
3. Place the peas in a medium bowl and crush with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and add the softened shallot and a little lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. While the bruschettas are still warm, spread a layer of ricotta across each piece. Spoon some of the crushed peas on top and place them on a serving plate. Garnish with the lemon zest, sliced radishes, and pea tendrils (or mint). Drizzle each with the Agrumato lemon oil or extra virgin olive oil before serving. 
   
   

   A recipe from Bottega Favorita by Frank Stitt

Pizza Cookie

@robinvmiller

Robin has fifteen years of experience as a food writer and nutritionist and is the author of the bestselling cookbook Quick Fix Meals. She is the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. She joined Tonia to talk about the importance of having a "well stocked pantry."

Pizza Cookie

Ingredients

• 11-ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
• Strawberry fruit jerky, cut into 1-inch diameter "pepperoni" rounds
• 1/2 cup shredded white chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll cookie dough into a ball. Roll ball out on a lightly floured surface into a 12 to 14-inch circle. Transfer circle to a baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with preserves, strawberry "pepperoni" and white chocolate.

Recipe from Robin Miller

Brunch Anyone?

@sallysampson

Sally Sampson is the founder and president of ChopChop, and a cookbook author and food writer who has written 11 cookbooks and been the coauthor of seven more. She shared her fantastic idea on re-inventing a breakfast brunch favorite.

Egg Casserole

EGG SPINACH BAKE
 

12 eggs, beaten
2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach drained (thawed)
2 lbs. sm. curd cottage cheese
3/4 c. melted butter
1 lb. Colby cheese cut into cubes
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. instant minced onion (or powder)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Grease 9 x 13 inch pan (glass). Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs slightly. Squeeze spinach until dry, add cottage cheese and butter. Add all ingredients except Parmesan cheese.Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 55 to 60 minutes until lightly brown cool slightly before cutting.

A recipe of Sally Sampson

Korean Pepper Paste

@ChefMarkGarcia

What is Korean Pepper Paste? Tonia had that question answered by Chef Mark Garcia this week on Tonia's Kitchen. "The flavor combination of Korean pepper paste with sesame, Asian pear and garlic honors Korean BBQ and inspires new interpretations. While these flavors are gaining attention on restaurant menus in some regions, they are still emerging in others. We predict this unique combination of sweet, sour, spicy and savory will soon dazzle taste buds all around the globe." Ready to try it out?

Korean BBQ Wings

 

Korean BBQ meets Buffalo wings. These succulent finger foods are served with crunchy Asian pear to create a unique flavor adventure.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Refrigerate: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Korean pepper paste (Gochujang)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) soy sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 mL or 85 grams) honey
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL or 20 grams) minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL or 2 grams) McCormick® Ground Ginger
• 4 pounds (2 kilograms) chicken wing pieces
• 1 Asian pear
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL or 7 grams) McCormick® Sesame Seed

1. Mix hot pepper paste, soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil and ginger in medium bowl until well blended. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1/2 cup (120 mL) of the marinade; toss to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Reserve remaining marinade.
2. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Place chicken on shallow foil-lined large baking pan. Bake in preheated 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5) oven 30 minutes, turning chicken halfway through cooking.
3. Meanwhile, quarter and core the Asian pear. Cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Place pear slices in large bowl. Add cooked chicken and 1/2 of the reserved marinade; toss to coat well.
4. Grill chicken and pear slices over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until grill marks appear, turning occasionally. Toss chicken and pear slices with remaining reserved marinade in large bowl. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seed.
Makes 12 appetizer servings.

Test Kitchen Tips:
Gochujang or Korean pepper paste is made from chile powder, glutinous rice powder, fermented soybeans and salt. It is used to flavor stews, soups and marinades, and as a condiment at the table. It is available in Asian markets and online specialty stores.

Recipe courtesy of FlavorForecast.com

Crazy for Crab

@fredthompsonNC

Fred Thompson is a cookbook author, culinary instructor, freelance writer and grilling guru. Born in North Carolina (or ‘que country’), he would rather be standing beside a grill than anywhere else. This week, he shared a cool recipe with Tonia from his book Crazy for Crab.

Crab Dip

Silverton Sandwiches

Nancy Silverton

Nancy Silverton is an American chef and baker who is the author of several cookbooks and has been at the forefront of efforts to revitalize sourdough and artisan breads in the United States. She talked sandwiches with Tonia this week.

Sandwiches

Big FAT Cookies

@elcupcakes

Elinor Klivans is a cookbook author and food writer, who specializes in desserts and home baking. Tonia caught up with this "sweet" cook who shared the story behind her book Big Fat Cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I started with Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cookie. This recipe begins with a fairly standard chocolate chip cookie dough. You then scoop out ten cookies and place them on a cookie sheet. Those cookies are baked and left to cool. Mine baked into each other because I put them too close together. But it didn’t matter, because once the cookies cooled, I broke them into little pieces and mixed them back into the cookie dough. I didn’t let my cookies cool quite enough, and I ended up mixing melted chocolate into my cookie dough, rather than chips that had re-solidified. I don’t think it mattered too much though. Once the cookie bits were stirred back in, the cookies were scooped out and baked. You can read more of Elinor's ideas by clicking here...

It's Poonchkie Season

Salem, Massachusetts

Pastry Chef Rob Lianni shared the story behind "Poonchkies," a special treat that's made from February until Easter. It's a polish jelly donut that traditionally was made on Fat Tuesday, to use up all of the eggs and sugar but now, "we make them right through Easter because people want them so much," says Rob!

Poonchkies

Recipe for Paczki

An Easy Paczki Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs room temperature butter
½ cup warm milk - Warm to 110 degrees. Check with candy thermometer.
¼ tsp genuine vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp dry yeast
2 cups flour + flour for rolling out dough
Oil for frying (about 2 cups - Canola recommended)

Optional
Either glaze, sugar, or powdered sugar for the outside

1. Whisk together the sugar, butter, warm milk, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. Breathe deeply while doing this. It smells delicious!
2. Sprinkle the dry yeast into the bowl. Whisk it in gently. Sing a Disney tune for good luck.
3. Begin adding the flour a bit at a time. Stir it in with a wooden spoon until it is all mixed in. Dough should not be wet. You can add a LITTLE bit of flour if needed.
4. Sprinkle flour on your pastry board (or clean counter), and transfer the dough to it. Then add a bit of flour over the top of the dough ball.
5. Knead the dough gently until it is soft and pulling away from your hands.
6. Place dough ball in a lightly greased bowl.
7. Cover and let it rise in a warm place, out of drafts, for about 1.5 hours. Turn your oven on for awhile if necessary to warm the kitchen up. The dough should double in size by then. If it does sooner, you can continue. If it doesn't double in 1.5 you can give it some more time. If it fails to rise you probably had old/dead yeast, too hot of milk, or not a warm enough place for the dough to rise.
8. Place your dough on your floured pastry board and get out your rolling pin.
9. Strike a pose with that pin! Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch. Have a little flour handy if needed to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Strike another pose!
10. Use a floured cookie cutter, glass, Mason jar, etc to cut out as many round shapes as possible. This recipe should make about a dozen. This could depend on the size of the cutter you used.
11. Flour a cookie sheet, or other flat surface, and lay your dough rounds on it. Put them in a warm place and give them about half an hour to rise.
12. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. My grandmother used a deep fryer, but I don't have one.
13. Place as many dough rounds as will fit in your pan, but do not crowd them together so they are touching or squishing each other.
14. It should only take about 1.5-2 minutes to brown each side. Flip them gently with tongs or a spatula. It is easy to burn them so don't get distracted!
15. Gently lift each paczki out and place it somewhere to cool down. I think a wire rack, followed by a rest on a paper towel covered plate (to blot excess oil) works best.
16. Let them cool about 10-15 minutes. You can then sprinkle them with powdered sugar, regular sugar, or drizzle them in honey or glaze. Or just eat them while still warm.
17. If you didn't eat them in the previous step, eat them now. Do not share with anyone!

Recipe from Squidoo.com