The Cookie Exchange

A few Mondays ago, Architect and I were driving to Yoga class with the best instructor ever – Dot – and she said “Hey, I have a great blog post idea for you…the history of the cookie!”  She went on to say that unsweetened wafer versions of the cookie originated in Persia because they were easy for dessert wanderings to transport in their sacks and for centuries sailors stowed hard cracker-like discs to sustain them during long voyages at sea.  Later on, courtesy of the Spanish Conquest, trading routes opened and sugar and spices were introduced to Europe.  The Europeans brought the wafer to new heights enriching them with butter, eggs and cream to form biscuits, commonly served with tea.  The term cookie is a derivative of the Dutch word koekje that means little cake.

Although I listened very intently, I’m sure I do not record the story verbatim here, but you get the idea.  I liked her suggestion and, since we were having a Cookie Exchange Event at work, I had the perfect opportunity to write a post!

So below is the list of the delicious cookies my co-workers contributed…

I made the Mint Chocolate Chip cookies. We were instructed to  bring packages containing six cookies in each.  We were also encouraged to bring copies of our recipes and a few extras goodies for the sampling tray. All of the selections were delicious but I had a few favorites.  One was a savory/sweet confection that I’m still thinking about, Anise Seed Cookies, and below is the recipe. 

 

Merry Christmas, dear readers.    

Anise Seed Cookies
2 cups + 4 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 teaspoons of anise seed
Plastic bag with some powdered sugar, about 2 cups

Preheat oven to 375.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugars, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add hte flour mixture and incorporate well.  Stir in 3 teaspoons of anise seed.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  Once the cookies are completely cooled, shake several cookies at a time in the bag of powdered sugar.  Makes 4 dozen.

The cookie exchange was a lot of fun and hopefully we can add it to some other favorite work place traditions!

Fettuccine with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

I’m one of those people who when I see something that looks delicious in a magazine and says “I’m totally going to make this” I actually do.

It may not be for a few months, but I tuck the recipe away in the crowded archives of my mind and pull it out when I need culinary motivation. 

So I’m flipping though the November/December edition of Fitness magazine and in addition to a mini tutorials on how to get sleek arms, abs and legs, holiday hair and makeup tips, and suggestions for fabulous “hot list” gifts, they included an article entitled “Amazing 15 Minute Meals.” 

15 minutes is right up my alley.  

The recipes all look delicious – Cheesy Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup, Chicken Marsala with Jasmine Rice and Peas and the one that particularly caught my eye...

...Fettuccine with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.

Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a common ingredient in dishes made in Southern Italy.  The vegetable is quite nutty, a little bitter and looks like an elongated piece of regular broccoli, but is actually more related to turnips both in taste and derivation.

To prepare, rinse the vegetable, trim and discard the thicker stems, preserving the blossoms, leaves and thinner stalks, about 2” from the blossom, then sauté in a bit of olive oil and garlic. Some like to blanch the vegetable before sautéing.  Broccoli rabe is low in fat, and a good source of vitamins A, C, and K and potassium.

It was my turn to cook this past Wednesday so I decided to make this 377 calorie per serving recipe.

Fettuccine with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

From:  Fitness Magazine

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, roughly crumbled
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 9 ounce package fresh fettuccine
1/4 cup plus 4 tsp freshly grated pecorino Romano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and saute, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and cook, tossing with tongs, 1 minute. Add broth, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until broccoli rabe is tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and add to sausage mixture; toss well with tongs. Add 1/4 cup cheese and black pepper and toss well again. Divide among four bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Three words.  So. Damn. Good.


Photo of the rinsed broccoli rabe is from google images...I accidently deleted the photo I took that looked quite similar.

Sausage Scallopini

It was my turn to cook this past Tuesday and I made (my version of) Sausage Scallopini. This is a quick and easy dish packed with lots of peppers and onions…it reminds me of my grandmother.

First, I diagonally sliced and browned spicy Italian chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s. Then I cut three kinds of peppers – red, orange and yellow into strips and added them to the pan with a few cloves of garlic and sautéed for about 10 minutes, until the peppers softened a little. Next, I added sliced onions, and cooked the mixture for additional 8-10 minutes. I finished by adding a can of plum tomatoes, roughly diced, and simmered for another 10 minutes. I served this with brown rice and a yummy summer salad served in the lovely traveling salad bowl that Architect brought and a nice red wine that Foodie selected. I wanted to have the leftover Scallopini the next day, but daughter spotted it first!

Don’t you just love leftovers?

My Tuesday dinner mates and I have decided to mix things up a little this summer….instead of meeting at each other’s houses, we’ll decide on a spot, either locally or in downtown Philadelphia (we can take the train…very convenient), to have a quick bite, a cup of coffee, a scoop of gelato, or a refreshing summer cocktail…which brings me to a summer giveaway!

Every week in the summer, I plan to post the recipe for a refreshing beverage – sometimes it will involve spirits, sometimes not. Hopefully, you’ve already enjoyed the Lemon Drop Martini and Mojito recipe I posted. So, here’s the deal…if you are already a follower of KOPO, make a comment to this or any post through June 30th OR if you are not a follower, become a follower by June 30th and make a comment…either way you will be entered to win this handy-dandy “Recipe Cocktail Shaker” from the Martha Stewart Collection. This stainless steel shaker has a built in “dial a recipe” that includes the recipe ingredients, preparation method and serving suggestion….a great addition to any home bar!

Stay tuned!