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Give Your Recipes a USA Twist
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Let’s face it. The USA is filled with a melting pot of people. All of us grew up experiencing different foods, cultures, and traditions. Families gifted us with scribbled recipe papers, smudged cooking cards, holiday loved favorites, that somehow created a deep-seeded culinary love for our ethnic family foods. Today, let’s celebrate the USA and take some favorite foods and add some USA innovative twists to them. Later we will also get to chat with Renato Poliafito, whose newly released book, Dolci! Introduces some new twists in American Baking with an Italian Accent.
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USA Twist: Fresh blueberries pop in the salad and the dressing
Mixed Greens with Blueberry Ginger Dressing
A powerhouse salad filled with healthy flavor
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About the Recipe: Fresh fruits add a touch of sweetness and are health powerhouses. Tasty cantaloupe is packed with nutrients. In fact, it has the same amount of beta-carotene as carrots. A double dose of blueberries with their vivid blue or purple anthocyanin pigments, packs a load of antioxidant power. Isn’t summer wonderful!
See More – Mixed Greens with Blueberry Ginger Dressing
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USA Twist: The bigger: The better
Humongous Meatballs with Italian Plum Tomato Sauce
Sunday super sauce with 4 Italian Meatballs.
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About the Recipe: Our meatballs combine ground beef with Wagyu blended beef, which provides a juicy textured meatball. Simple Italian ingredients add that ethnic old-fashioned flavor, and searing the meatballs makes them firm enough to simmer in the rich fresh basil sauce. They can be used for a delicious Italian dinner or an appetizer.
See More – Humongous Meatballs with Italian Plum Tomato Sauce
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USA Twist: An American and an Italian.
Renato Poliafito – Cookbook Author, Entrepreneur, Cafe Owner, James Beard Nominate Baking Expert
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Being a self-taught cook (with a little inspiration from watching his mom in the kitchen), Renato changed career paths and traded his creative director status for that of a café manager. After a year of intensive training, research and saving, Renato teamed with Matt Lewis to open Baked.
Baked formed the foundation of a renaissance in Brooklyn’s waterfront Red Hook neighborhood, and the several cookbooks he co-authored earned him the industry’s top accolades as well as international acclaim, culminating in a line of mixes, granola, bakeware, the opening of a location in Tokyo and two James Beard nominations.
In 2017, Renato decided to leave “Baked” and open “Ciao, Gloria“, an Italian bakery and cafe in Brooklyn. His fifth cookbook, Dolci! explores the intersection of American, Italian, and Italian American desserts.
Courtesy of Renato Poliafito
A joyous celebration of Italian, American, and Italian American tastes and traditions, “Dolci “is a compendium of molto Delizios baked goods from both sides of the Atlantic. In almost a hundred recipes, James Beard–nominated baker Renato Poliafito pays homage to pastries of the Old World and the New—with perfected versions of classics like Pastaria and Torta Caprese, Honey-Ricotta Black and Whites, and Butter Cookies.
A vibrant comingling of two great culinary cultures filtered through the mind of an American with the heart of an Italian, Dolci! hits the sweet spot between Italian and American baking
“Dolci” is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine bookstores across the country.
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USA Twist: Add 2 cups of berries – the more the merrier.
Ciambella Della Mattina
Lemon flavored blueberry breakfast cake.
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About the Recipe: Renato stated that this citrus based breakfast cake was served in the morning in bars across the country. It’s simple, both in flavor and in effort. He added an American touch of blueberries and some wildflower honey glaze for an extra sweet zing.
See More – Ciambella Della Mattina
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USA Twist: It’s Bugs Bunny’s favorite
Morning Gloria
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About the Recipe: This recipe is a riff on the Morning Glory muffin, created by Pam McKinstry, owner of the Morning Glory Café on Nantucket Island. It highlights a healthy blend of oats, carrots, apples, raisins, coconut, and spices. It is a hand-held treat that goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea. It’s not an Italian recipe but one of the most popular recipes at “Ciao, Gloria”.
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USA Twist: Snap, Crackle, & Pop in a favorite dessert flavor.
Italian Rice Krispy Treats
Add Italian Tiramisu flavors to an all-American favorite.
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About the Recipe: If you love Rice Krispy Treats with their sweet marshmallow crunch, just imagine adding the Tiramisu flavors of chocolate, coffee, rum, and mascarpone cheese to the recipe. What a fantastic idea!
It is an All-American favorite dessert treat with an Italian twist.
See More – Italian Rice Krispy Treats
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USA Twist: Want more dip – use a High Styled Flatbread Dipper.
Smoky Italian Hummus
Capture that grilled tomato flavor with a fun party dip.
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About the Recipe: This hummus is inspired by global flavors combined with Italian American twists. Bright smoky tomatoes combine with sweet red pepper relish, which is swirled into the herb flavored ground beans. Do try to find the rosemary enhanced cracker flatbread, which is the perfect match for our snack packed party dip.
See More – Smoky Italian Hummus
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USA Twist: Lasagna – too long to make – easy answer – Shortcut Lasagna Casserole
Caprese Lasagnette Casserole
Fresh cheese, fresh tomatoes – Summer Comfort at its best.
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About the Recipe: A comfort casserole, filled with Italian lasagna flavor, is a delightful dinner dish. This recipe uses summertime fresh ingredients, adding a popular Caprese salad topping, dotted with fresh juicy tomatoes, basil, and cubes of fresh mozzarella. A bonus is that it is a whole meal in one dish and so easy to prepare.
See More – Caprese Lasagnette Casserole
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USA Twist: Let’s just cook those beans a little more – yes, roast them.
Disappearing Roasted Green Beans
Mix with sun-dried tomatoes and olives.
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About the Recipe: The first fresh green beans from the garden are tender and delicate. They require only light cooking, a splash of butter, and some salt and pepper. However, later in the year, they need a little more cooking help. When that happens, welcome some light roasting to reverse the aging process. Roasting creates browning and delicious flavor. Add some sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and nuts, which adds texture and added flavor. You will be surprised how quickly they disappear from your dinner table.
See More – Disappearing Roasted Green Beans
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USA Twist: Are they too dry – simply add some plant-based ground “meat”.
American-Styled Falafel with Mixed Salad Greens
Add a few more veggies into that Falafel.
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About the Recipe: A popular recipe in the Middle East is Falafel, which usually contains chickpeas, spices, and herbs. Our Falafel uses lentils, spices, and cilantro. We added an American touch of plant-based ground beef for some added moisture. We also baked these rather than frying them. Serve them with a generous drizzle of olive oil and yogurt dressing in sandwiches or a snack appetizer platter.
See More – American-Styled Falafel with Mixed Salad Greens
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USA Twist: Everything in the summer needs some strawberries.
Strawberry Dusted Cannoli Cake
The flavors of an Italian Cannoli cake style.
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About the Recipe: The Cannoli, a popular Italian dessert, is usually served in a crisp shell and stuffed with a filling of creamy ricotta studded with candied dried fruit and chocolate chips. This cake dessert captures all of those delicious flavors, combining them with summertime strawberries and lots of pistachios.
See More – Strawberry Dusted Cannoli Cake
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USA Twist: Can’t decide between a cake or cookie – then make them both together.
Celebration Cake Cookies
July is a red, white, and blue special month.
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And another version of the same cookie with a different celebratory decoration.
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About the Recipe: This recipe is a cross between a cake and a cookie. It is flavored with lemon, or you could use orange if desired. Spread a glossy smooth frosting over the top of each cookie and then decorate it with decorative colored sugar or gel. The cookies are very sweet and festive looking. They are perfect for celebrating those special holidays.
See More – Celebration Cake Cookies
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