Adventures in Mika's Kitchen
With the upcoming holidays, I’ve been looking for some simple, but flavorful, dessert recipes to try out for Christmas. I like to stick with ingredients that are in-season if possible – so for winter in Southern California… that means citrus! I love the bright & tart flavors that citrus fruits impart to cakes… the inclusion [...]
What is Puttanesca Sauce? Puttanesca is a tangy and salty Italian sauce, made with tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and (sometimes) anchovies. The story goes… back in the 1950′s, some late night patrons were hungry – but the restaurateur was almost out of ingredients, as it was near closing time. They told him to make them [...]
In Italy, “piccata” is a method of preparing meat (typically veal) – the meat is sliced thinly or butterflied, tenderized, dredged in flour and cooked, then served in a sauce made from deglazed pan drippings. Here in the USA, the most well known version of this Italian dish is made with chicken and is served [...]
Last time I went to Costco, I found a new item – frozen (cooked) Langostino tails. What are “langostinos“? Here in the U.S., “langostinos” refer to the Squat lobster (which is not what we think of as a real “lobster” – it’s actually a species related to hermit crabs). Do not confuse “langostino” with “langoustes” [...]
In Italian, “affogato” means “drowned” or “drowned in coffee“…. and refers to an Italian espresso-based beverage (or dessert) in which hot espresso is poured over a scoop of ice cream or gelato. In it’s simplest form, you would just pair a shot of espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make an Affogato. [...]
Cioppino is a tomato-based seafood stew which is traditionally made from the catch of the day (typically a combination of Dungeness crab, clam, mussels, shrimp, scallops, squid, and fish). While many people think of this dish as being Italian, it actually hails from San Francisco, California! During the late 1800′s, San Francisco fisherman would cook up [...]
Bolognese is a meat based pasta sauce that originates from Bologna, Italy. In Italy, this sauce is often served with large flat noodles like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine… or with tube shapes like rigatoni or penne. Here in the U.S., “Bolognese” brings to mind a tomato sauce with crumbled ground beef, sometimes with mushrooms, served [...]
Last week, I posted a recipe for how to make basic crepes at home using a simple batter of flour, eggs, butter, and milk. One of my favorite dishes to make with a batch of crepes is homemade Manicotti. Manicotti is an Italian dish, made by stuffing a savory ricotta cheese filling into either a [...]
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