Yellow Cake & Chocolate Frosting (Plus Chicken Nuggets & Oven Fries!)

Last Sunday, A was off hiking so I had some time on my hands to spend in the kitchen. I had to make one of my favorites - I mean who doesn't love homemade chicken nuggets and oven fries with honey mustard? I just purchased a couple of 6 inch and 8 inch cake pans so I figure I would give the 6-inch a try and bake a classic yellow cake with the easiest chocolate frosting. 

I started off with the oven fries. I cut one large potato into 1/2 inch thick matchsticks, then placed them in a large bowl of cold water (I read somewhere that this will help the fries crisp in the oven). I chopped up some fresh rosemary, thyme and garlic and mixed the herbs with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. After about 15 minutes, I drained the potatoes thoroughly and tossed them in the oil mixture. Next, I baked them in a 200 degree Celsius oven for about 20 minutes, turning once. While the fries were baking, I made the chicken nuggets. I simply cut a chicken breast into roughly 1 inch pieces, sprinkled them with salt & pepper, dredged them in a beaten egg and coated them with panko bread crumbs to give it that extra crispness. I pan fried them in a little bit of corn oil and voila.

 

I mixed up a couple of spoonfuls of dijon mustard, Fage 0% greek yogurt and honey to make a creamy honey mustard sauce to serve with the nuggets and fries. 

After lunch, it was time to tackle the cake. I found this recipe for a 6-inch yellow cake with chocolate frosting that sounded so easy, I had to test it. I gathered all of my ingredients and waited for the butter to come to room temperature. I didn't feel like taking out my hand mixer so I beat everything by hand. The cakes baked perfectly flat thanks to a couple of tricks: 1.gently tap the cake pan filled with batter against the counter to release any air bubbles and 2.wet a kitchen or hand towel and wrap it around your cake tin (secured with a safety pin). 

This chocolate frosting was so easy to make, it might be my new go to recipe. All you have to do is melt the butter and chocolate together, then place the bowl over a bowl of ice water. Whisk in confectioner's sugar and some milk and stir until the desired consistency. Easy! Frosting the cake was a breeze, though I was a little impatient and should have let the cake cool longer. 

I think making a 6-inch layer cake is the perfect size for two people (to eat over a few days of course!) when you are craving a celebration cake, but don't want to make one that could serve 10! 

It was delicious, moist and the perfect amount of sweetness with the frosting. I ate two slices in my first sitting, I couldn't resist! You can find the recipe here via The Kitchn. 

Tuscany Weekend with Friends

Tuscany is definitely one of my favorite regions of Italy. From the rolling hills to relaxing beaches to amazing steak and pecorino cheese, you really can't go wrong. When a few friends from Connecticut told me they were coming to Italy, I knew Tuscany had to be on the must-visit list. Though we were there for just a short weekend, I think they were able to get a taste of how beautiful Tuscany is. We started off the day at Pienza for a quick look and more importantly to buy some Pecorino cheese. We drove from Pienza to Montalcino in a bit of a rush (we had an appointment for a wine tour!), but saw some fastastic views of Tuscany along this route. We arrived at the winery Poggio Antico for a tour and tasting. The cypress lined drive led to the absolutely beautiful grounds. We were greeted by Daniele who gave us a tour which lasted for about 30 minutes then to the tasting room. 

I wasn't drinking so I didn't get to try any, but everyone thought the wine was amazing and bought a bottle or two. They start around 40 euros each so it is not your every day table wine, but one you would drink for a special occasion. Next, we made our way to the little town of Sant'Angelo in Colle for lunch at Trattoria Il Pozzo where we dined on the traditional pici pasta and steak. 

 The picturesque views from Sant'Angelo in Colle. 

After lunch, we drove to Siena to our B&B and pasted some more spectacular views on the way there. 

This was the door to our apartment at Borgo Grondaie. I highly recommend Borgo Grondaie to anyone looking for a reasonably priced hotel just outside of Siena center. It is still walking distance to the center (about 15 minutes), but far enough that you feel like you are away from a "city." They have your traditional hotel rooms as well as apartment style room. We stayed in a two bedroom apartment with a large bathroom, kitchen and outdoor patio area, which was perfect for 5 people.

Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the inside of the apartment, but here is a picture of the patio. 

The grounds of the hotel were full of fresh flowers, manicured lawns and even a swimming pool with plenty of sun chairs. It was a relaxing place to stay and to get away from bustle of the busy tourist filled towns. 

We were all a bit tired from a full day so we opted to make use of the kitchen in the apartment rather than eating out. Prosciutto and melon, caprese, salad, pecorino, watermelon, bread and wine created the perfect light summer meal. The next day, we has a leisurely breakfast of omelettes and fruit then made our way to check out Siena. 

Wandering around Siena. 

 The very ornate duomo in Siena. 

 Piazza del Campo.

Some amazing chalkart.

 Oh how I love gelato in the summertime!

I kind of loved all of the doors I saw throughout Siena. 

After Siena, we made our way back to Modena, but first stopped in Monteriggioni for lunch at Ristorante Il Pozzo. We were still pretty full from a big breakfast so we shared a plate of bruschetta then had first courses. I had the polenta with fresh porcini and cheese fondue, which was good but not particularly memorable. 

Afterwards, we stopped in Maranello for some gelato at Dolce Crema, drove by the Ferrari factory to show our friends the historical entrance then decided to just order some pizzas from Vecchia Pirri, our favorite in Modena since we were all tired from the weekend. 

Though we have been to Tuscany a few times before, I am particularly happy that we discovered Borgo Grondaie and also had the chance to see Siena, which had been on my to-visit list for a while now. This weekend has been one of those non-eventful, catch up on housework, do nothing kind of weekends, but it is just what I need! 

Fourth of July Dinner

Clearly I was super excited about the meal planned for Thursday as seen through my chalkboard menu. After all it was the Fourth of July! Take a look at my Pinterest board for some Fourth of July inspiration. 

^^I couldn't wait to use a few festive supplies I found at Target when I was back in the States. I actually did not put that much thought into what I wanted to do (usually I am planning weeks in advance!), but the day before I decided to have a small dinner party with just a few friends. Mainly English, it was the first Fourth of July for them! I decided that I had to do the classics - barbecue ribs, chicken, potato salad, lemonade and some pie. 

^^With my shopping list via Google Keep (which I love!), I headed to the covered market right next to my apartment, which is amazing for super fresh ingredients. 

^^First up, lemonade made with lemons from the South of Italy. They were so juicy and full of flavor. 

^^Next, I made a dry rub for the ribs which included chili powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt, and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. For the chicken, I broke it down into the breast, legs, thighs and wings then marinated it the Ina Garten's barbecue sauce I made the night before. 

^^I made a classic potato salad. I prepped this in the morning so the potatoes would have plenty of time to "marinate" in the fridge. 

^^The peaches here have been so sweet and juicy lately that I could not wait to make a peach pie. I thought the 4th was the perfect occasion for it. From the top clockwise: a good tip is to grate frozen butter for the pie dough (this way you can combine the dough without working it too much), the peaches and pie dough ready to be rolled out, the peaches plunged into an ice bath after boiled so the skins would just glide off, and lastly, pie assembly. 

^^I tried my best at a lattice top with a braided crust. Then I topped the pie off with some cream and sprinkled it with some white sugar. 

^^I prepped the green beans and cherry tomatoes while the pie was baking. I only loosely followed the recipe referenced below in the "Recipe Roundup." I wanted to serve this dish cold so I simply blanched the green beans and shocked them in ice water to keep their color. I added cherry tomatoes, basil, red onions sauteed in butter, salt and pepper.

^^After the pie finished baking, the ribs started their 5-6 hour cooking time in the oven at a low temperature wrapped in foil packs. I let them sit for an hour when they were done while I cooked the chicken in the oven. Then I popped them back in the oven for a few minutes brushed with Ina's barbecue sauce to get a nice brown color, which is the pic shown above.

^^An hour before the guests arrived, I started prepping the crostini. One with summer berries for a festive red, white and blue theme and the other featuring Italian ingredients.

^^I used a Pugliese bread drizzled with olive oil and then toasted them in the oven until crisp. I added a slice of nectarine, cherry tomato, prosciutto crudo, mozzarella, basil and balsmic vinegar. These were fabulous.

^^On the left is the crostini with fresh cow's milk ricotta flavored with honey and lemon and just a few berries on top. Simple and delicious.

^^I set up the apps and lemonade in the living room while I finished setting up in the kitchen. 

^^"Look American!" is the best caption for this picture. I recently discovered spotify as well and put on this and this very American playlist.  

^^We all ate way too much, but of course had room for dessert. 

^^I served the peach pie with homemade whipped cream and packed up a few slices to go as well. 

Although there were no fireworks or grilling, it was a lovely Fourth of July full of good food and laughs. I was happy to share some of my favorite American traditions with my European friends! Below, you will find the recipes I used for the dinner.

This weekend, I'm off to Tuscany (Pienza, Montalcino and Siena) with a few friends from Connecticut! Pics to come next week! 

Recipe Roundup: 

Appetizers:
Summer Berry Crostini with Lemon Honey Ricotta
Peach Tomato Mozzarella Crostini

Main Course:
Sweet and Smoky Oven Ribs
Barbecued Chicken

Side Dishes:
Classic Potato Salad
Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Dessert:
Peach Pie

To Drink:
Perfect Lemonade