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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!  I am a Chef, traveler, and lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you in the kitchen for a great winter recipe for White Turkey Chili and Corny Cheddar Cornbread!

  olivet.squarespace.com

So, what makes it a white chili, you might ask? Traditionally chilies are made with a red tomato base from diced fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, or canned tomatoes. In this case, the base of this white chili is made with chicken broth or stock depending on what’s available for you at home or at your grocery store.

This White Turkey Chili recipe is a great one pot wonder and is just perfect for a cold day for lunch or for dinner. This chili is versatile and can be eaten alone, with cornbread, or even over tortilla chips for nachos, so cook up a big pot for you and your friends and family tonight!

White Turkey Chili 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup white onion, diced 2 large celery stalks, diced 1 poblano chili, diced 1 lb. ground turkey meat 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth 1 cup water 4 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (15 to 16 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained 1 (12-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

herbcompanion.com

Add oil to heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and poblano chili and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add turkey to the pan and cook 7-10 minutes, crumbling with a spoon as it cooks. Add spice mixture to saucepan and then add chicken broth and water. Mix in beans and corn. Bring mixture just to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer chili until heated through. Season the chili with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm with a dollop of sour cream on top for garnish.

Corny Cheddar Cornbread 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted 1 cup flour 1 cup cornmeal ¼ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten ¾ cup milk 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup frozen corn Preheat oven to 350°. Put butter in 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch ovenproof skillet; place in oven just long enough to melt butter. In a bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in egg, milk, and cheddar until just combined. Stir in corn. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly. Bake until golden, 30 minutes in pan or 20 minutes in skillet.

copywriterskitchen.com

White Turkey Chili Nachos
5 cups tortilla chips
2 ½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 cups White Turkey Chili, prepared
½ cup fresh tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons sour cream

Place the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle pepper jack cheese over the chips then spoon chili over the cheese. Place under the broiler of the oven on high for 30-1 minute until the cheese is melted and the chili is warmed through. Remove from the oven and arrange on a platter. Top with fresh diced tomatoes and garnish with sour cream.

What's your favorite dish to make with turkey?

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!  I am a Chef, traveler, and lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you in the Kitchen for some romantic recipe ideas for your loved one this Valentines Day!

Valentines Day is coming up this week on Tuesday, Feb 14 which gives you just enough time to plan a romantic evening for you and your sweetheart.

If cooking is not your strong suite have no fear because many restaurants will feature a special Valentines evening prix fixe menu for the evening which is a very fun and romantic way to celebrate with your beloved. Do some research on the local restaurants in your area and call up some of your favorites to ask them if they’ll be featuring a special Valentines night menu.

 

                                                  kitchen-concoctions.com

 

However if you’re feeling like whipping up a romantic dinner at home, here are a few great recipes to prepare for your valentine this year:

Raspberry Honey Bellini 1 pint of fresh raspberries 2 tablespoons honey 10 ounces of good dry champagne, chilled Chill your champagne flutes in the freezer while you prepare this romantic cocktail for your valentine. In a blender puree together the raspberries and honey until smooth. Remove the champagne flutes from the freezer and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the sweetened berry puree in each glass. Tilt the glass and fill with champagne to the top. Serve to your sweetheart with a kiss!

Roasted Rack of Lamb for Lovers

1 (8-bone; 24 ounce) rack of lamb, rib bones frenched (“cleaned”) and excess fat and chine bone removed
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon salt, kosher
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Begin by cleaning up your rack of lamb by trimming off any excess fat and removing the small chine bones between each rib. After that is done french the rib bones by cleaning them of all excess fat and meat to leave only the exposed bone visible. Next combine the garlic, oregano, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Coat the rack of lamb with the marinade and place in a roasting pan meat side up. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the lamb reaches medium rare (130° F). Let the meat rest for 15-30 minutes then slice the rack into double thick chops and serve with your favorite side dish.*

 

A great side dish recommendation for this dish would be roasted rosemary Yukon gold potatoes and a nice green salad to serve alongside your roasted rack of lamb!

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!  I am a Chef, Traveler, and Lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you in the kitchen for some fun food facts and great recipes ideas for Super Bowl Sunday!

 

 

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Did you know that on Super Bowl Sunday Americans will consume approximately 325.5 million gallons of beer, 8 million total pounds of popcorn, and 28 million pounds of potato chips! Not to mention 1 billion chicken wings will be devoured and 53.5 million pounds of avocados will be eaten and whipped into delicious creamy guacamole!

And here is my favorite recipe for the some pretty tasty and irresistible guacamole for your big game day party:

 

The Ultimate Guacamole

6 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp salt, kosher
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix in the diced red onions, cilantro, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir to combine. Serve with warm tortillas, tortilla chips, and an array of fresh vegetable crudités like carrot sticks, red pepper spears, cauliflower and broccoli florets, fresh radishes, and jicama.

 

And if that just isn’t enough, you’ve got to try this recipe for Smoky Jalapeno Poppers:

Smoky Jalapeno Poppers

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) block of smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
5 strips crispy bacon, minced
12 ounces jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 quarts oil for frying

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese and minced bacon. Spoon this mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves. Place the beaten eggs and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the beaten eggs then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Dip the jalapenos in the beaten egg again then roll them through the breadcrumbs ensuring that the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated. In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Deep fry the coated jalapenos 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towels. Serve these poppers to your guests warm or room temperature.

Your guests are going to go crazy over these so you may want to have the recipe handy to share!

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!  I am a Chef, Traveler, and Lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you into your pantry and cupboards to give you a few tips on how to clean up and organize for a fresh start on a new year.

Did you know that dried spices and herbs have a shelf life? You heard it right! Just like anything else, spices and herbs must be tossed every so often because they too will loose there potency and oomph after a while.  

Here’s a great rule of thumb to remember when rotating and replacing herbs, spices, and standard pantry items in your home:

Dried Herbs – 6 to 12 months Dried Spices, ground – 6 to12 months Dried Spices, whole – 1 to 3 years Chili powders – 6 months Granulated sugar – 2 years Brown Sugar – 4 months Chocolate – 1 to 2 years Dried pasta, rice, - 2 years Flour – 6 to 8 months Cornstarch – 18 months Baking Soda – 6 months Baking Powder – 3 months Bottled water – 2 years Canned Vegetables, Soups – 3 years

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Now that the kitchen is organized, here’s a recipe that will help clean out the cabinets and make a fabulous meal with simple ingredients you may already have on hand! Try my recipe for New Years Pasta Puttanesca. Here’s a fun fact; the name Pasta Puttanesca literally translates to “Whore's Pasta”.  The origin of this word stems from the idea that a woman would not need to leave the house and could make this pasta from only the items remaining in her cupboard, like a bottle of capers, chilies, garlic, and the last tin of anchovies.

New Years Pasta Puttanesca

½ lb spaghetti
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, boneless
2 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup plum tomatoes
1 small can black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup parsley, fresh or dried
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, meaning it still has a slight toothy bite to it. Drain and keep warm. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain the anchovies and coarsely chop. Mince the garlic and add to the skillet with the anchovies and red pepper flakes, also known in Italian as peperoncino. Cook for several minutes until the anchovies dissolve. Chop the tomatoes and add with their juice, then add the olives and capers. Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens. Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the minced parsley and season with salt and pepper. To serve, gently toss and divide among plates.

This recipe along with 100 more can be found on my new iPad app, Cook Italian. Cook Italian includes over 100 delicious recipes, each featuring color photographs, ingredient and portion calculators that help determine serving amounts and generate one, easy-to-use shopping list, a built-in timer; helpful tips about ingredients, and the ability to send recipes, menus and shopping lists via e-mail and social networking. The app also includes a number of videos demonstrating essential cooking techniques and simple tips to guarantee the success of each recipe. Download my app Cook Italian on iTunes and look at this as the next best thing to having me there in the kitchen with you, cooking a great Italian meal together!

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!   I am a Chef, Traveler, and Lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you into your kitchen and sharing with you a festive recipe for the Chinese New Year!

 

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Chinese New Year is celebrated on Monday, Jan 23 this year and the celebration for 2012 is inspired by the year of the Dragon.  Chinese New Year is a time to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate any negative chi from the past. 

And there’s no better way to lift ones spirit and remove negative chi then with a sweet treat like this one:

Chinese New Year Honey Steamed Cake

6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
1 ½ cup cake flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup honey, warmed

Arrange a large bamboo steamer over a wok with simmering water. Make sure it is large enough to hold the baking pan. Line an 8-in round baking pan with waxed paper. Place the yolks in a large bowl along with the sugar, water, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture has increased about three times in volume. Whisk together the cake flour and the baking powder, and then sift this once more over the egg yolk mixture, and fold together gently. Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl to stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the yolk base. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth out to edges. Place the pan into the steamer. Cover with a kitchen towel, and place the lid on top; the towel will absorb any steam that collects on top from dripping onto the cake. Steam for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Drizzle honey on top before serving.

If you don’t already own a bamboo steamer, I encourage you to go out and purchase one for your kitchen today. Not only can you use it for the Chinese New Year Steam Cake recipe, but you can also use it to steam vegetables, seafood, meat, and dim sum! A bamboo steamer has two or more layers and is a very inexpensive tool for the kitchen because its use is so versatile. You can actually cook multiple things at once within the different layers of the steamer, for instance layering vegetables on the bottom and shrimp on the top for a quick and healthy meal in under 25 minutes.  

 

 

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I recommend a 10" standard bamboo steamer which can be found at any home furnishing, appliance or hardware store in the kitchen gadget and cooking section. A 10” bamboo steamer will fit easily inside of a standard 14” wok and can range anywhere between $10.00 - $19.99 a piece.

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano!   I am a Chef, Traveler, and Lover of all things food! Today I’m taking you from your local farmers market to the kitchen to give you a quick and hearty winter stew recipe for this chilly winter season.

Soups and stews are a perfect comfort food and easy dinner idea that can be prepared in advanced and reheated in a jiff. Try this recipe for Acorn Squash, Kale, and Red Lentil Stew that is easy to make, tastes delicious, and freezes and reheats well for your convenience. And the best part about this recipe is that you can make is with any winter squash variety like delicata, butternut, red kuri, hubbard, or kabocha squash which are abundant during the cold winter months at a farmers market in your neighborhood. Now you have an excuse to purchase any of those beautiful winter gourds you have always wanted to try.

In a medium pot heat oil and sauté the garlic and onion together for 6-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Next add the diced squash and chopped kale to the pot and sauté another 5 minutes, just until the kale has wilted. Add the lentils and the stock to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to boil. Once the stew boils, lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Ladle the stew into serving bowls and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese. If made in advance store the stew in a freezer safe plastic container for up to 2 weeks.

 

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I have provided for you list of farmers markets that sell year round all throughout the great state of California. Find a market close to your home and explore the fruits of your local community through its food!

Berkeley	Tuesday Berkeley Farmers' Market	Derby St between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia St.	Tuesday	2:00 - 7:00 pm
Emeryville	Island Earth CFM - Emeryville	Haven St. between Park Ave. and 40th St.	Thursday	12:00 - 6:00 pm
Fremont	Centerville Farmers Market	Fremont Blvd @ Bonde way	Saturday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Oakland	Jack London Square Farmers' Market	Broadway & Water Street	Sunday	10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Chico	Chapman Food & Fitness Festival	1010 Cleveland St.	Friday	2:00 - 6:00 pm
Oroville	Fire House CFM	3515 Myers Street	Thursday	11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Pinole	Pinole Farmers Market	Pear Street & Fernandez Street	Saturday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Fresno	Market on the Mall	Mariposa Mall - to S/W of Fulton Mall between EOC& Plasa Blvd	Wed & Friday	10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bakersfield	Brimhall Market	9500 Brimmhall Road (at Calloway)	Saturday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Brentwood	Brentwood CFM - Sunday	741 Gretna Green Way	Sunday	9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Larkspur	Marin Country Mart Farmers Market	Sir Francis Drake Blvd. & Larkspur Landing Circle	Saturday	9:00 am - 2:00 pm
San Rafael	Thursday San Rafael	Veterans Memorial Auditorium Parking lot, Civic Center Dr., Memorial Dr.	Thursday	8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Willits	Willits Farmers Market	Willits City Park, Humboldt & State Streets	Thursday	3:00 - 6:00 pm
Merced	Original Merced Co. Farmers Market	Parking Lot SW Corner, 19th & N Street	Saturday	7:00 am - 12:00 pm
Monterey	The Old Monterey Market Place	Monterey - Alvarado Street between Pearl and Delmonte Streets	Tuesday	4:00 - 8:00 pm
Anaheim	Seal Beach Village Certified Farmer's Market	13904 Seal Beach Blvd, Westminster Blvd & Seal Beach Blvd	Tuesday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Rancho Cordova	Sunrise Station CFM	Light Rail parking lot - Sunrise & Folsom Blvds	Saturday	8:00 am - 12:00 pm
San Francisco	Associated Students All Organics FM	San Francisco State University (near Tapia Dr.)	Thursday	11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Arroyo Grande	Arroyo Grande Spencers	Spencers parking lot, 1464 E Grand Avenue, cross street Courtland	Wed	8:30 - 11:00 am
Los Olivos	Los Olivos Farmers Market	2900 San Marcos Avenue	Saturday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Milpitas	Milpitas Farmers Market	India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street	Sunday	9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Anderson	Jolly Giant CFM	6719 Eastside Road	Saturday, Sunday	8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Fillmore	Fillmore Community CFM	Main Street at intersection w/ Central Ave.	Wed	3:00 - 7:00 pm
Davis	Davis Farmers Market	Central Park, 4th and C St	Saturday	8:00 am - 1:00 pm

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Hello and thanks for logging onto my blog Delicious Discoveries with Daniella Malfitano! As this is my first introduction to you, I’d like to introduce myself. I am a Chef, Traveler, and Lover of all things food and I am pleased to meet you! Log onto this blog every week to read about my many Delicious Discoveries where I will share a recipe with you, give you a great cooking tip, or even feature my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets to feed your curious culinary appetite.

This week I’d like to share with you how I have come to love food and the world of culinary arts as a whole.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to taste and experience food in a way that has changed and evolved throughout my lifetime. My love and passion for food came about at a very early age as a result of two defining elements of my life: that is my ethnic family heritage and the fact that I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. These two factors have shaped me more than anything else and are the two most important characteristics that define who I am. Being raised in a Sicilian American family in the San Francisco Bay Area has been a very wonderful upbringing full of history and rich in culture.

My educational background began at DePaul University where I earned a degree in International Studies with a concentration in Food and Culture. For two years I worked alongside a group of professors, chefs, and the City of Chicago through the Department of Cultural Affairs in order to better understand the world of food through cooking, culture, nutrition, politics, and education. For the final phase of my Bachelor degree I conducted a community assessment regarding the availability of healthy food resources throughout Chicago. My field work research illustrated the availability of organic food resources and provided community health statistics of the different marginalized urban districts of Chicago explaining the results through sociological trends and evidence.

 

After completing my undergraduate studies at DePaul and getting my feet wet at many restaurants in Chicago, I moved to New York to continue my educational experience at The French Culinary Institute. The intensive culinary study program of this professional school earned me classical training and technique from some of the most distinguished Chefs in the industry.  While a student and after graduation I worked at Prune Restaurant and Per Se Restaurant in New York City. I graduated from the French Culinary Institute with a Grand Diploma degree in the Classic Culinary Arts program with highest honors.

 

Throughout these experiences I have become fully aware of my deep passion and love for food, and cooking which has provided for me a deep understanding of genuine human connection. I can’t think of a career that is more linked to all humans and daily life than a profession dealing with food, the essential element of life which feeds the world with nourishment and pleasure simultaneously, day after day.

I am attracted to this industry simply because culinary service is intrinsically linked to several disciplines, that is socially, politically, economically, and anthropologically, just to name a few. The power and necessity of food for humans is endless making this industry vital for the state of the world today and very influential for the direction it will take tomorrow.