Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented Bloody Mary’s in 1921, while working at the New York Bar in Paris, which later became , a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway. They are fabulous made with vodka or gin, although my favorite is the gin. Gin adds a little more depth of flavor. People add a myriad of garnished to bloody mary’s. You can put anything in them from pickled asparagus to sushi. In this recipe, I use a slider with an olive and a carrot.
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Bloody Mary's, The Best Ever
This delicious cocktail is perfect for any brunch.
Instructions
Stir everything together in a pitcher except the liquor. Pour 2 ounces of vodka or gin in a glass filled with ice and top with tomato juice mixture. Garnish with your choice of celery stalk, cucumber spears, carrot sticks, olives, miniature sliders or a combination of all of the above.
Recipe Notes
I have found that the type of tomato juice used in this recipe is the key to a really thick and delicious Bloody Mary. Don't use V-8 juice or Clamato juice as it changes the consistency and makes it too watery. The name "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical figures — particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed as such in Foxe's Book of Martyrs for attempting to re-establish the Catholic Church in Britain — and fictional women from folklore. Some cocktail aficionados believe the inspiration for the name was Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others trace the name to a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood. However, another argument for the origin of “Bloody Mary”, that the name in English simply arose from “a failure to pronounce the Slav syllables of a drink called Vladimir” gains some credibility from the observation that the customer at Harry’s Bar in Paris for whom Fernand Petiot prepared the drink in 1920 was Vladimir Smirnov, of the Smirnoff vodka family. © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
There’s no comfort food that brings back childhood memories like stuffed cabbage rolls. These Italian style stuffed cabbage rolls are moist, tender and packed with flavor!
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Italian Style
These Italian style stuffed cabbage rolls are moist, tender and packed with flavor!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season with Salt to taste like the sea. Blanch the Cabbage until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Shock in ice water and set aside to dry. Remove leaves.
For the sauce
In a large sauté pan, add a few tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Add Pancetta and cook until the fat renders out and the Pancetta Crisps. Add the Onion, Garlic, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes and cook until fragrant. Add a teaspoon of Dried Thyme and Dried Basil. Add the Tomatoes and a generous pinch of Salt. Simmer until it comes together, about 5 minutes, and then set aside.
For the filling
In a large bowl, combine the Ground Beef, Sausage, Pecorino, Parsley, Currants, a teaspoon of Dried Basil and Thyme, Breadcrumbs, and Egg. Season generously with Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper. Using your hands, mix until just combined.
In a baking dish lightly greased with Olive Oil, ladle a thin layer of sauce. Spoon some of the filling into each of the leaves of Cabbage, and roll up. Arrange over the Arrabiata sauce in the baking dish. Once full, ladle more of the Arrabiata sauce over the stuffed Cabbage and sprinkle with more Pecorino-Romano. Transfer to oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a half, until the filling is completely cooked through. Serve.
Recipe Notes
For big dinner parties, prepare these a day in advance and simply pop them in the oven an hour before ready to serve. © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
Tender bits of beef tenderloin combined with mushrooms and spinach, wrapped in a crispy fillo shell with a drizzle of tangy marsala-black cherry sauce.
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Beef Wellington Morsels
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat until smoking.Sprinkle beef on both sides with salt. Cut beef into 3/4 inch cubes. Add oil to pan. Brown the meat no more than 30 seconds. Remove meat onto a plate and set aside. Lower heat to medium and add mushrooms to pan and saute until done. Salt and Pepper to taste and remove to plate and set aside. Saute Spinach in pan and set aside. Add onion to pan and saute for 2 minutes. add marsala wine and cook until the wine is reduce by half. Add the preserves and transfer contents to a food processor and puree. Set the sauce aside.
Lay out 1 fillo sheet and brush with butter. Continue adding layers until you have 5 sheets. Cut into 4 strips. Put a teaspoon of spinach on one end of the fillo dough. Top with 1 cube of beef and 1 mushroom. Roll up, tucking ends in so it looks like a miniature egg roll. Brush the top with butter and bake on a prepared cookie sheet for 12 minutes. Arrange on a platter, top with marsala sauce and garnish with arugula and avocado.
Recipe Notes
© Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
Tiramisù, meaning “pick me up” or “lift me up”) is one of Italy’s most famous desserts. This coffee-flavoured dessert goes great with a cup of coffee or espresso. Its origins are often disputed between Italian regions such as Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piemonte and others. Original versions of the recipe used raw egg yolks, egg whites, sugar, mascarpone cheese and biscuits. This version has a sabayon-like mixture composed of cooked egg yolks making it safer to consume and giving it more longevity.
The best tiramisu I've ever had!
Instructions
Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. This is your sabayon, remove from the heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon colored.Add Mascarpone to whipped yolks, beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone sabayon mixture and set aside.
Mix the cold espresso with the coffee liquor and dip the lady fingers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet, do not soak them! Arrange the lady fingers in the bottom of a 8 inch square baking dish (or 6×9)
Spoon half the mascarpone cream filling over the lady fingers. Repeat process with another layer. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Dust with cocoa before serving
Recipe Notes
The ingredients can also be layered into individual serving glass serving dishes such as martini glasses for a festive and fun presentation. © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved
This is the traditional Italian recipe for basil pesto made with lots of fresh basil. *Secret chef’s technique: Sprinkle fresh parmigiano reggiano on your pasta first, after the pasta is cooked, then add the pesto. The cheese will stick the pesto to the pasta and create the perfect texture.
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Basil Pesto (Traditional)
This pesto packs a flavor punch that will not be forgotten!
Instructions
Toast the pine nuts in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes. Watch them closely. They will burn.
Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and blend streaming in the olive oil slowly until everything is mixed. Add extra oil if needed.
Recipe Notes
This recipe will make enough pesto for 1 pound of dried pasta. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month. The best technique to use it is to sprinkle fresh parmigiano reggiano on your pasta first, after the pasta is cooked, then add the pesto. The cheese will stick the pesto to the pasta and create the perfect texture.
