All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

Petits fours is French, for small ovens. In the eighteenth century, cooks and pastry makers baked miniature confectionaries or appetizers in smaller ovens, next to the main ovens.

Serve these romantic Petits fours to your sweetheart on February 14th! They’re also perfect for that Valentine’s Day party, since they come in single servings.

Prep time: 40 minutes (for glazing & decoration)
Bake time: 30 to 40 minutes
Yield: 12 to 16 single-serving cakes (petits fours)

Ingredients for the Cake:
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla
2¾ cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups milk

Directions for the Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. In a large mixer bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

3. Beat for 2 minutes, scraping bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.

4. On low speed, mix in the flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk.

5. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

6. Place pan with batter on a rack positioned in center of preheated oven.

7. Bake the cake 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, place a pointed knife in center of cake to check for doneness – if knife comes out clean, the cake is done.

8. If the knife has batter clinging to it, bake the cake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Check cake once more by inserting knife in its center.

9. Let cake cool in pan on a kitchen counter or a wooden board.

10. When cake is cool, cut it into 12 to 16 equal pieces.
Note: each piece should measure 2 x 2 inches. Set aside on a baking sheet covered with parchment or aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze and decoration for cakes-

Ingredients for the Glaze & Decoration:
2 pounds (32 ounce) confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons juice from fresh lemons
One 4.25-ounce tube green decorating icing (for leaves)
One 4.25-ounce tube red or pink decorating icing (for flower)
One rosette-shaped plastic cake decorating tip -and-
One flat-ended plastic cake decorating tip (both available at cake decorating supply shops or online)
16 cupcake papers
Optional: You can use color of your choice for flower decoration.

Directions for Glazing the Cakes:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine glaze ingredients.

2. Beat on low speed just until blended; beat on high until smooth.

3. Apply glaze evenly over tops, letting the glaze drip on sides of cakes.

4. Set the glazed cakes aside to dry.

5. When cakes are dry, place a rosette cake decorating tip on desired color icing tube.

6. Squeeze tube to create a rosette or flower in center top of each cake.

7. Place a flat-ended decorating tip on green icing tube and pipe a leaf on each side of flower on center top of cakes.

8. Place cakes on flattened cupcake papers set on a serving platter.

9. Alternatively, place cakes directly on serving platter. Cover with tented foil until ready to serve.
Text and Photograph ©2016 Nancy DeLucia Real

Here’s a delicious soup that’ll keep you warm in the next few months. This meatball and spinach soup is made with ground turkey but you can use beef, lamb or pork. Fresh spinach and some carrots are added to the broth – this makes it low-cal and healthy.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound ground dark turkey meat, beef, lamb or pork
1/2 cup grated onion (brown or white)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 large carrot, peeled and minced
1/3 cup finely chopped flatleaf, Italian parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash grated nutmeg (optional)
8 to 10 cups chicken broth
6 cups chopped, fresh spinach or chard (or a combination of both)
Salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large, glass or porcelain bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, egg, 3 tablespoons of the minced carrots, parsley, salt and nutmeg.

2. Mix with a fork or with your hands (you can use plastic cooks’ gloves to mix with hands) until mixture is uniform.

3. Shape and form meatballs to measure 1-1/2-inches in diameter; set the meatballs aside on a large platter.

4. Meanwhile, in an 8-quart sauce pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil.

5. When the broth boils, gently drop the meatballs into the broth, taking care to avoid hot splatters.

6. Bring the meatballs to a boil and cook them on medium-high heat for approximately 20 minutes.

7. After 20 minutes, cut into one meatball to check doneness. If meat is still pink, cook the meatballs for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

8. When meatballs are cooked through, add the spinach and carrot pieces to the soup.

9. Cook the soup for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the carrots are crunchy-tender.

10. Taste the broth. If needed, add salt, to taste.

11. Serve the soup with your favorite bread.
Text and Photograph ©2016 Nancy DeLucia Real

After the holidays, I’m preparing delicious, guilt-free foods.

This ceviche recipe is from Mexico. The fish is marinated in lime juice. Just add carrots, cilantro, onion, olive oil … it’s fantastic! You can serve ceviche on tostadas as a starter. Alternatively, these tostadas are perfect for a light lunch or dinner.

Active prep time: 15 minutes
Inactive prep time: 1 hour (fish & lime juice marinate in refrigerator)
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cod or halibut fillets
Juice from 12 to 14 limes
1/2 cup chopped, red onion
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/3 cup finely-chopped cilantro (coriander)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh jalapeño pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
12 corn tostada shells

Directions:
1. Rinse the fish fillets under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.

2. Place the fillets in a 3-quart glass or porcelain bowl.

3. Using shears, make continuous cuts into the fillets until 1/2-inch pieces have formed.

4. Pour the lime juice over the fish pieces; cover bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.

5. Leave the fish and lime juice to marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile, place the chopped onion in a glass or porcelain bowl and cover it with cold water; set aside.

7. After one hour, transfer the bowl with the fish to a counter near a sink.

8. Wearing cooks’ rubber or plastic gloves, grab a handful of fish and squeeze out the excess lime juice over a sink.

9. Place the squeezed fish pieces in a clean glass or porcelain bowl.

10. Continue this process until all the fish has been drained of excess lime juice.

11. Rinse the gloves and, using the same squeezing process, repeat this technique with the onion.

12. Add the squeezed onion pieces to the fish ceviche in bowl.

13. Stir in the carrot, cilantro, jalapeño, olive oil, salt and pepper.

14. Place 3 tablespoons ceviche on a corn tostada shell. Repeat this procedure on remaining tostada shells. Serve immediately.
Wine pairing: Chilled Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
Text and Photograph ©2016 Nancy DeLucia Real

Here’s an easy appetizer to go along with the bubbly on New Year’s Eve – eat, drink and be cautious.
Happy New Year!

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
18 slices toasts made from baguette bread (½-inch thick slices)
10 slices prosciutto (they should not be paper thin, but a little thicker)
6 green onions, dark green stems and bottom tips cut and discarded
3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed & stems discarded
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Arugula leaves, optional (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Toast the bread slices until they are light golden brown; set them aside on a platter.

2. Coarsely chop the prosciutto slices and set aside in a bowl.

3. Meanwhile, cut the green onions in 1/8-inch thick circles; set aside in a separate bowl.

4. Chop the oregano leaves; set them aside on the cutting board.

5. With stove setting on high, heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the chopped prosciutto with onions and chopped oregano.

6. Reduce heat to medium and, with a wooden spoon, stir-fry the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes or until the onions are softened and translucent.

7. Stir in the pepper. Spread the prosciutto mixture evenly over toasts.

8. If desired, garnish with arugula leaves and serve immediately.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

These sweets are a traditional Christmastime dessert in Naples. They are small balls of fried dough that are dipped in honey and sprinkled with decorative candies. At your holiday table, this struffoli platter will steal the show!

Prep time: 2 hours (this is a fun recipe for 2 or more people to make together)
Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients:
1 to 2 tablespoons semolina (for flouring)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for the batter)
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour, plus a little more for rolling
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 to 1½ quarts vegetable oil, preferably sunflower or safflower (for frying)
1-1/2 cups spun honey (16-ounce container)
2 teaspoons non-pareils candies, for decoration

Mix and Form the Dough:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle the sheet with semolina and set aside.

2. Line another sheet or platter with double paper towels (this will be used to drain the fried struffoli); set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon oil until mixture is uniform.

4. Gradually (a little at a time) add about 1-1/2 cups flour and baking powder to form a dough.

5. If dough is too sticky, add about 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour until the dough is formed and pliable. It should be smooth.

6. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a lightly-floured surface.

7. You will barely have to knead the dough, coating it with a LIGHT amount of flour until it no longer sticks to your hands.

Shape the Struffoli:
1. Tear off a marble-sized piece of dough and roll it with your hands.

2. Set the ball aside on the lightly-floured parchment sheet on baking dish.

3. Repeat rolling instructions until all the dough has been rolled into marble-sized balls.

Fry the Struffoli:
1.Heat 1 quart oil in a wide, heavy pan or saucepot at 375°F (the oil should be 6 inches deep).

2. Gently lower about 12 dough balls at a time into the hot oil. They will first sink and then, as they cook, they will float up to the surface and begin to turn golden brown.

3. Make sure to roll them around with a slotted spoon so that they do not burn underneath and instead, evenly turn light golden brown. THIS WILL TAKE LESS THAN A MINUTE. NOTE: Struffoli should not blacken.

4. When struffoli are light golden brown, immediately transfer them to the paper towel-lined sheet or platter.

5. Continue frying the struffoli in batches, making sure to control the heat if it is too high or too low.

Coat the Struffoli with Warm Honey:
1. Place a serving platter close to you on a counter; set aside.

2. Transfer the spun honey into a 2 to 4-quart saucepot.

3. Add 1/3 cup cold water to the honey in saucepot and warm up the mixture.

4. When the honey mixture begins to bubble and foam, add a slotted spoonful of struffoli to the honey.

5. Immediately STIR GENTLY ONCE as you lift out the struffoli from the warm honey.
NOTE: MAKE SURE THE HONEY DOES NOT BUBBLE UP AND OUT OF THE SAUCEPOT – CONTROL THE HEAT SETTING ON LOW.

6. Let them drip slightly over the honey pot and quickly transfer them to center of platter.

7. Work quickly to repeat coating the struffoli, lifting and draining them and then transferring struffoli to the platter – SHAPE THE MOUND OF STRUFFOLI INTO A CONE OR PYRAMID.

8. When all struffoli have been set on platter, immediately sprinkle them with the non-pareils candies.

9. Set platter of struffoli aside until ready to serve.

10. If you need to cover struffoli, lightly oil a sheet of plastic wrap and set it over the platter.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real