It is that Christmas brunch time of year!

I first started to make eggs cooked in bread when I saw a scene in the movie Moonstruck, which starred Cher. Her mom, played by Olympia Dukakis, was frying eggs inside a round circle of French bread. I thought that looked very appealing, and so, of course, I tried it. From there, I started to bake eggs in rolls. Cutting into the crusty bread and having the yolk ooze out is a delight! Try this one if you are hosting a holiday brunch!


4 round dinner rolls
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup basil, chopped
4 jumbo large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese


Slice off top of each dinner roll. Carefully remove the inside of the bread to create a hollow, making sure the bottom of the roll remains intact. Spread the softened butter on the inside of each roll. Grate the garlic cloves so that the garlic falls into the hole of each dinner roll. Sprinkle in half the basil. Crack an egg into each dinner roll. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add a teaspoon of diced sun-dried tomato and sprinkle with the remaining basil. Top with a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. On a baking sheet, bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 17 minutes or until bread is toasted golden at the edges.

Buttermilk Cauliflower

Buttermilk Cauliflower

This recipe encloses the cauliflower in a fluffy and crisp batter, and it is a great addition for our Thanksgiving day feast! Cauliflower lovers will enjoy the WOW flavors, and those who are not the greatest fans of cauliflower will absolutely change their minds!

1 head of fresh cauliflower
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Vegetable oil

Cut and separate raw cauliflower into florets. Boil until tender but still firm. Plunge cauliflower into a bowl of ice water for about two minutes. Take out of water, drain very well, and pat dry. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, Bisquick, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to create a batter (should be lighter than a pancake batter) coat each piece of cauliflower well. In a sauté pan, warm vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry each floret, turning occasionally, until golden, a few minutes each side. Sprinkle each floret with additional salt.

Baked Mushroom Caps

Our veggie trimmings add the rainbow of colors to our Thanksgiving table. To me, they are akin to the accessories to an outfit or the flowing curtains and décor to a room, adding another dimension of value to a holiday meal in order to make it complete.

I have developed many tasty recipes for mushroom caps but this particular one is a giant crowd pleaser. I have served them countless times for catering and also for family and friends. Happily, I have received great responses!
The key ingredient is to use prosciutto or lard bread, and these speciality loaves can be found in most Italian gourmet markets.

30 large white mushrooms
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 loaf prosciutto or lard bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Flat-leaf parsley

With a damp cloth, wipe mushrooms clean. Remove stems, chop, and set aside. Roughly chop prosciutto bread and place in a food processor. Pulse a few short times, until bread crumbs are coarse.

In a large sauté pan, warm vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Stir in mushroom stems and garlic and cook until tender. Pour white wine and allow to evaporate as the flavors combine. Add the prosciutto bread crumbs to the skillet. Stir very well, incorporating ingredients and allowing bread crumbs to become lightly moist.

Transfer filling to a shallow dish and allow to cool for ten minutes. Coat a large baking sheet with half the olive oil. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Lightly drizzle remaining olive oil over each mushroom. Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for twenty-five minutes, until mushrooms are toasted golden on top. Garnish with parsley.

Camille’s Tip: When buying mushrooms, be sure to check that the stems and caps are attached snugly. This ensures that the mushrooms are fresh

Mascarpone and Roasted Garlic Potato Bake

This month, BRIC Arts Media, an independent television station in Brooklyn, happily launched their fifth channel! As they are growing exponentially, I was glad to participate in their cooking segment called "Hot Potato." I was also pleased to work with a talented producer, Abbey Adkinson.

The recipe we filmed was my mascarpone and roasted garlic potato bake. I have been making my potato bake since I was a teenager. My mother described my grandma Carmela’s original potato pie to me, and I took it from there. The garlic is the major key to making this an exciting and flavorful way to serve a potato dish.

15 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized cubes
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, plus more melted butter for topping
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasoned bread crumbs

In a small bowl, toss the garlic cloves with the extra virgin olive oil to coat well. Place the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil. Tent the sides of the aluminum foil up into a pouch to close securely. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for thirty minutes.
Place potatoes in a pot, and add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, and lower to simmer for another ten minutes or until potatoes are tender enough for a fork to pass through. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return them to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Add the baked garlic cloves, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone, milk, butter and parsley. Mix very well. Butter a baking dish or pan, and sprinkle bread crumbs to coat the inside. Spread half the potato mixture evenly in the baking dish. Add a layer of mozzarella. Spread a second layer of the remaining potato mixture. Top with more mozzarella, bread crumbs, parsley and dots of butter. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for thirty-five minutes.

Camille’s Tip: Never boil your potatoes and refrigerate them ahead of time. This will create a waxy texture.

 

Lobster Rolls

The glory of creamy lobster salad nestled in a warm buttery New England roll is priceless. There are a variety of recipes out there for lobster rolls, and there is also a bit of controversy over the best way to prepare them. In my opinion, whether you are eating one that hails from Maine or from a trendy metropolitan restaurant, you are destined to meet each taste with rich praise. The following recipe is how I prepare my lobster rolls.


2 pounds lobster meat, cooked and rough chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 split-top New England rolls ( you may use split-top hot dog rolls)
Butter


In a bowl, mix lobster and cucumber. In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice and Tabasco. Add mayonnaise mixture to lobster and cucumber. Sprinkle in parsley, chives, salt and pepper . Gently mix to coat the lobster well. Open the rolls and brush with butter. Toast in oven until golden. Spoon lobster into each roll.

High Apple Pie

It is that great time of year when we just want to indulge in scrumptious desserts that bring forth those harvest flavors. This week, for my column in The Brooklyn Spectator and The Home Reporter, I write about my pumpkin walnut bread. To read about it, visit http://www.homereporternews.com/food_drink/

However, my pumpkin bread only takes care of a few evenings with a steaming cup of coffee during October and November. When our corner of the world is just so smashingly beautiful with the autumn leaves falling from the trees, we also need, (yes, NEED) a warm mouthwatering slice of home-made Apple Pie. My dad was the baker extraordinaire in our home, and he always had a rule that pies should be very high!I like that rule. Take a look at that pic and that high, golden brown, flaky crust! Happy Harvest! Enjoy!

High Apple Pie


8 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk


In a bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice, cornstarch, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place apples in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for ten minutes. Roll out piecrust dough on a floured work surface and fit it into the pie plate. Layer half the apples into the crust, and dot with half of the butter. Layer the remaining apples into the pie. Dot the remaining butter on top. Roll out the remaining piecrust dough and place carefully over the apples. Pinch the edges to seal the crusts together. Cut slits in the top crust. Mix the egg yolk and milk and brush the top crust. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake for one hour in preheated oven at 350°F. Cool at least two hours on a wire rack before serving.


Camille’s Tip: Halfway through baking time, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning.


Piecrust
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons flour, plus extra for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup very cold butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water


In a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in vegetable shortening and butter with a pastry cutter until small lumps form. Sprinkle in water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry dough almost cleans side of bowl. Add an additional teaspoon or two of ice water if necessary. The ingredients should not bind together completely. On a floured work surface, form pastry dough into two separate balls and flatten out the shape. With a floured rolling pin, roll pastry two inches larger than the pie plate.


Camille’s Tip: When making a piecrust from scratch, always use cold ingredients. I also take my tools, the bowl, and my pastry cutter and chill them as well. The ideal is for everything to be ice-cold.

Tilapia Tacos

I prepared beef tacos for my sons for years. I also enjoy serving them for large festive gatherings. When hosting a casual party, I like to put all the toppings out on a display, and my guests can create their own taco with the toppings of their choice. I started to make tilapia tacos when I wanted to teach my culinary students that tacos can be made in many different ways. They have been a hit among family and friends ever since.


Spicy Tomato and Chipotle Dressing
1 plum tomato, diced
1 chipotle in adobe sauce
2 tablespoon Spanish onion, grated
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor, give a few pulses, and set aside.


Tacos
12 hard corn taco shells
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds tilapia, cut into finger-size pieces

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chili pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cilantro

Half a head iceberg lettuce, shredded

Avocado slices

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Warm taco shells in oven for ten minutes. While shells are warming, spread canola oil in baking dish or pan and layer tilapia slices. Mix chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle chili pepper, salt, and cilantro. Sprinkle over tilapia. Bake at 375°F for twelve minutes.

Cool the tilapia slightly, and divide it evenly among the warm taco shells. Garnish with the lettuce, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and spicy tomato chipotle dressing.