Bella's Blog

>Preserved Plum Tea

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:33:18 +0000

Preserved Plum Tea

I’ve always loved the ceremony of making and drinking tea. Warm tea offers a comforting invitation to slow down, sip and savor life’s quiet moment. Iced tea provides a welcome and refreshing repose to the hot summer humidity. However you serve this beautiful crimson-colored tea,

choose beautiful cups that will delight the senses as much as the tea itself.

Enjoy it in the spirit of the ancient tea masters.

{Tea is a religion of the art of life.}

quote by Okakura

To make preserved plum tea:

1 tea bag or 2 Tablespoons loose plum, pomegranate, or strawberry tea

4 Bella Cucina Preserved Plums

Organic Artisan Acacia Honey

In a tea kettle, heat spring or purified water until boiling.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.

Pour the water into the tea pot with the tea bag and plums.

Steep 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the tea bag.

Serve warm with honey or stir in honey to taste and refrigerate until cool.

If serving cold, pour chilled and sweetened tea into glasses filled with crushed ice and a sprig of garden herb {mint, marjoram, rosemary or lavender}. Garnish with a slice of preserved plum.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey Dipping Sauce

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:33:20 +0000

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey

Dipping Sauce

This is quick an easy recipe can be served as both appetizer and entree.

It’s the perfect summer dish as a refreshingly light dish.

12-16 shrimp

zest and juice of one lime

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Lime Blossom Honey

Soak 8 inch wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes.

This will prevent the wood from burning on the fire.

Remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving on only the tail.

Starting at the tail side first, thread the pointed end of the skewer through the middle of the shrimp until you have skewered the entire shrimp. the end of the shrimp should be at the edge of the flat end of the skewer, without any edges showing. Continue until you have skewered all of the shrimp.

Refrigerate until ready to toss with sauce and grill.

To make the marinade and dipping sauce:

In a medium bowl, add the lime zest and juice, vinegar, salt and honey. Whisk until smooth.

Divide the mixture in half. Toss the skewered shrimp with one part of the sauce just before cooking. Let the shrimp marinate with the sauce for about 15-20 minutes. Use the remaining sauce to serve with the grilled shrimp. Serve the shrimp warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6- 8 as an appetizer

4 as a main course. *

*Serve with a gorgeous green jade pearl bamboo rice from our friends at Lotus Foods.

>Bella’s Meyer Lemon Tart

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Bella’s Meyer Lemon Tart

Meyer lemons are a sweet citrus typically found in California. Said to be a cross between a tangerine and a lemon, the flavor is almost floral and aromatic. Using the jarred Meyer lemon is a real time saver for this delicious dessert!

For the Dough:

1 ½ cups all- purpose flour

¾ cup powered sugar

1 Tablespoon Bella Cucina Preserved Lemons, rinse, discard pulp, andchop

Pinch kosher salt

12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold cut into cubes

For the Filling:

2 cups Bella Cucina Meyer Lemon Spread

2 Tablespoons sugar

5 egg yolks

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit

To Prepare the Tart Dough:

In food processor or stand mixer, process flour, powdersugar, lemons, and salt until combine. Add the butter and process until the dough just comes together. Remove from the bowl and knead by handuntil dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to bake. Keeps up to three days in therefrigerator and one month in the freezer.

Press the dough into a 9 in tart pan with removable bottom.Chill dough 15 minutes. Prick thebase of the tart shell all over with a fork, line tart shell with parchment andweigh with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment and allow shell to cool.

To Prepare the Filling:

Place a medium saucpan, filled half way with water overmedium heat and bring to a simmer. Put the egg yolks into a medium metal bowl. Put the lemon cream in asmall bowl along with the sugar and place over the simmering water. Continuously wisk the cream until hotthrough and the sugar is dissolved. Whisk the lemon cream, a third at a time, into the yolks. Place the mixture into a clean saucepanover low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick. Remove from heat and strain. Imeadiatly pour into the cooled shells and allow to set upat room temperature.

>Tempting & Simple: Roasted Sweet Balsamic Peppers with Goat Cheese

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000

>Oxtail Soup

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:29:00 +0000

One of my most favorite comfort foods in fall was my mom’s oxtail soup. Feeding a family of nine, she did whatever she could to cook on a budget and still feed us well. Back then, oxtails were the poor man’s meat. Today, they are an expensive treat. And well worth the money.

Rich, dark veal stock or beef broth makes this hearty soup simply delicious without any embellishment, but you can also add carrots, celery and onion as a flavorful base. Mushrooms would also be a nice addition. Toss in a small handful of grains, such as farro, or whip up a batch of home-made dumpling dough that will get dolloped on top, steaming until puffed up and ready from the steam of the broth.

I don’t have my mom’s recipe, but I winged it pretty well.
Here’s my version of this fall comfort food feast:

Oxtail Soup

1 pound oxtails

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cups veal stock or beef broth

pinch of Porcini & Parsley savory salt

In a large cassarole dish or saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.

Place the oxtails in the pan and sear on all sides until the meat is browned and caramelized.

Add the stock or broth and cook, covered, until the meat is tender and the broth is

reduced, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. The meat should fall off the bones and the broth should be infused with the flavor of the meat.

>B is for Bellisima

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:28:00 +0000

B is for beauty

>Alfresco Pizza Party

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:09:00 +0000

Hard to believe it’s the end of November and I’m cooking out of doors alfresco with friends! Even for northern California it’s unseasonally warm for almost winter time, so we took full advantage of it.

My friend Barbara is an amazing cook {and accomplished artist} so spending an afternoon at her house watching her create a fabulous feast from her garden was like heaven on a plate.

We were welcomed with roasted olives perfumed with lemon oil and a hint of picante peperoncini. Salumi and cheese whet the appetite while Barbara rolled out the pizza dough, readying it for the 500 degree oven. Caramelized shallots, fresh heirloom sweet 100′s {or sweet million as she calls them} and fresh milk mozzarella melted into the crispy crust. Freshly picked arugula leaves drizzled with oil gave the pizza a nice bright finish. And of course, prosecco and red wine took us merrily, merrily, merrily from antipasti to dolci dessert.

Good food is good, but shared with friends in the spirit of love and generosity
makes it something sublime.

>Tempting + Simple: Caramelized Onions + Golden Raisins with Gorgonzola Dolce

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:22:00 +0000

>Introducing the Organic Artisan Collection

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:10:00 +0000

We’reexcited to introduce our new line of artisan – crafted products made with all organicingredients.

About the Organic Artisan Collection

Thecollection assortment pairs perfectly as cheese + meat condiments, flavorfulsauces for fish, poultry + meats or as an accompaniment for antipasti plattersor dessert toppings.

Honeys

We’vecollaborated with Italian beekeepers to bring you our three organic artisanhoneys. All our honeys are produced in the “nomadic” method, wherebees are brought to the location where the flowers blossom at their peak,giving each honey their own distinct flavor profile. Small-hive bee keeping yields an elegantlyaromatic honey. They arewonderful spread on toast, drizzled on sharp cheese, or stirred into yourfavorite cup of tea.

Acacia has alight golden wheat tone; subtle hints of citrus pair perfectly with artisancheeses, afternoon tea or drizzled decadently over your favorite yogurt andfresh fruit.

LimeBlossom is a unique honey not oftenfound in the marketplace. Dense and crystallized, it is deceivingly bright, yetdecidedly bold. Toss with fresh fruit and a hint of mint or swirl into anherbal tea.

ChestnutHoney Blossom isreminiscent of the forest. Deep and dark hues with a viscous texture and nuttytaste, it enhances both sweet & savory dishes. Drizzle over fresh ricottacheesecake or serve as a condiment with a rich, smoky blue cheese.

Relish, Jams + Twists

Locallyand regionally sourced organic ingredients are the highlight in these hand-craftedproducts.

MeyerLemon Relish is a versatilecondiment that adds a bright & intense flavor to any dish. Serve as a cheese condiment withsautéed Greek sheep’s milk haloumi slices or a fresh goat’s milk cheese. Serveatop an arugula salad with shaved Parmesan or roasted free-range chicken,grilled fish or baked garden vegetables.

SavoryTomato Jam is both sweet and savory,with a decadent undertone of Ceylon cinnamon permeates the sweetness of locallygrown tomatoes. An elegant everyday ketchup replacement, this jammy spread willelevate your average burger and enhance your momma’s meatloaf.

MeyerLemon Cocktail Citrus Twists arecarefully knotted by hand and preserved in a simple syrup. A perfect balance ofsweet & tart, add them your cocktail or sweet tea for a bright punch offlavor. Take a simple dessert and make it sensational by using twists as anedible garnish. Add a few twists to your arugula salad to balance out thepeppery bite.

Preserved Fruits

Ourpreserved fruits are picked and packed at the peak of ripeness and preserved byhand at the height of the season so you can enjoy year-round.

Apricotsin syrup are a sunburst of flavor and color in a jar. Preservingwhole with the stone creates an aromatic, almond flavored syrup that is asdelicious as the fruit itself. Our apricots are wonderful grilled and tossed ina salad, sliced and paired with a subtle brie, or floated in a glass withprosecco for a perfect apricot bellini!

Plumsin syrup are harvested at their absolute peak. Preserved whole ina simple syrup showcases their rich color and texture. They are wonderfulroasted and tossed in a salad, pureed into a tempting cocktail, or baked in adecadent cake.

Toreceive information about Bella Cucina

ALLNATURAL * ARTISAN –MADE

Artfulfood & gifts,

contactus: Tel. 866.350.9040

www.bellacucina.com

customerservice@bellacucina.com

{Simplicity is a luxury. Passion is a choice. Good food issacred.}

Buon appetito!

2011 Bella Cucina Artful Food
All photos taken by Dark Stripe Media

>Spring Lamb Stew with Caramelized Onions + Golden Raisins

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

Spring Lamb Stew with

Caramelized Onions and Golden Raisins

¼cup flour

1 Teaspoon Bella CucinaRosemary + lavender aromatic savory Salt

1 # boneless shoulder of lamb, cut into 2”cubes

6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 bulb fennel, chopped intodice {about 2 cups}

8 oz. sliced babyportabello mushrooms

2 fresh whole garliccloves, peeled and crushed

½ cup red wine

1 – 6oz. jar Bella CucinaCaramelized onions & Golden raisin antipasti

3 cups chicken or beef broth

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350degrees.

In a medium size mixingbowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper. Coat the lamb well, shaking off any excess flour off the meat. Disgard the flour.

In large sauté pan, heat3 tbsp. olive oil over med. high heat until hot. Season lamb with salt and pepper and cookuntil browned and caramelized on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan andset aside. Add the remaining oil to pan and heat. Add fennel, mushrooms,garlic, 1 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper and sauté until soft (about 10 minutes). Add the wine and cook until liquid isreduced by half.

Add back the lamb, caramelized onions and golden raisins, broth and parsley. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat,cover with a lid and transfer to the pre-heated oven. Cook in oven until meatis tender and broth has thickened, about 1 ½.

Serve over herbed polenta or artichokemashed potatoes

Buon Appetito!