Cremona's Kitchen – Page 5 – learn to cook with lindsay.

Korean Beef

January 5, 2019 No Comments

You guys, picking a boy name is hard. Just as we did with our first two, we don’t know if Toastie Three is a boy or a girl. So we need to be prepared if we are having a third boy (no need to brainstorm a girl name–we’ve had that one in the chamber since pregnancy number one).

Naming JR and Max was easy. Matt had always wanted a junior. I wasn’t a huge fan of my husband and son sharing a name, but it was so important to Matt that it was impossible to say no. We compromised that we would call him JR (for Junior), and the issue of naming our first born was as simple as that.

With naming Max, I was reading JR the storybook Where the Wild Things Are. The little boy in the book is named Max, and it fit. There was no back and forth on whether there was a “better” name out there. Max was it.

And now we need to find our third perfect boy name. I think we have it. But that is just it. There was no uncertainty with JR’s or Maxie’s name. So maybe we haven’t found it just quite yet.

But the one thing Matt doesn’t wavering on is his favorite, last-minute meal. Whenever Matt and I have no clue on what to make, Matt suggests this Korean beef meal. It is unbelievably simple but fancier than just tossing together spaghetti (another go-to at our place when we are out of meal ideas).

beef, main dishes, recipes

Tater Tot Hot Dish

November 21, 2018 No Comments

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It’ll be our seventh Thanksgiving in our house. The house Matt bought when he was 23, right before we got married. I remember when we moved in, the plan was that we’d live in the house for five years and then find our forever home. Or at least a house that was nicer.

It may not look like much. But it’s ours. [also pictured: most adorable 3-year-old]

As I sit here, pregnant with our third child, preparing to host our seventh Thanksgiving, we are no closer to moving than we were when we first moved in. There are no prospective houses on the market, and there hasn’t been a truly viable house for us since we started seriously looking over year and a half ago. But the fact remains: our house is too small. We need a new home. Max doesn’t have a room so his crib has always been squeezed into our bedroom. This third baby won’t have a room or even its own crib. It’ll share a bedroom with its brother, mom, and dad, until we figure out a way for Max and JR to share a bed so that the baby can have Max’s crib. We have only a quarter of an acre of land that currently houses a monstrous sawmill. Possibly the largest, handmade sawmill ever to be built to date. And it is sitting in our driveway. The amount of wood and slabs on our land is enviable to any woodworker. The basement is cluttered with piles of drying wood that the boys are now masters of maneuvering around. Our house is more than a little crammed.

But there is a coziness to a small home. No matter where you are in the house, you can hear children laughing (or crying because toddlers). I can easily cook dinner in the kitchen while actively watching the boys play in the tv room. On weekends, Matt and I cuddle in bed while the boys bounce around the house and we can always hear where they are. And when there’s an argument, you can only avoid the person for so long. There just isn’t enough space to hide out. So much has happened in our small, little home that could not be duplicated in this huge, Victorian dream home I am looking for.

The sense of home is such a strong, innate feeling. And while there are aspects of our home that I am honestly ashamed of, it’s our home. And that is enough. It is enough.

Certain meals evoke that same sense of home. If you live in Minnesota, tater tot hot dish is likely that meal. This is the authentic, Minnesota meal. When it is cold outside and you need comfort food, you eat tater tot hot dish. It’s the meal you bring to neighbors and friends when a loved one has passed or a new baby has arrived. It’s the meal grandmothers make for the big family get togethers. It’s the meal you make when it’s been a long week and you just want something that is easy and tastes so gosh darn good. It is not entirely healthy. It’s certainly not pretty looking. But it is reliable. It’s safe. It’s so so delicious. It’s the quintessential Minnesota meal that reminds you of the safety of home.

recipes, side dishes, vegetarian

Panzanella Salad

October 9, 2018 No Comments

Last weekend was my sister-in-law’s wedding. I first met Matt’s sister Nicole when she was a high schooler. She was this perky, outgoing girl who immediately made you feel at ease. It was as if you had known her your whole life. Because that is quintessentially Nicole. She lives her life with her heart on her sleeve. Sharing intimate stories. Gushing love. Always being completely honest. So if something is on her mind, she’ll let you know. She’s always all in or all out. It’s something I’ve always admired about her.

and then the little frog turned into Ben 😉

She was the first sibling of Matt’s and mine to get married. So the wedding weekend was a bit surreal. How can she be getting married? She is the little sister. But she looked beautiful. The wedding was beautiful. The family time was beautiful. There’s nothing like a wedding to make you feel grateful for family.

Matt and I were in the wedding party so we got to walk down the aisle together, which was pretty fun. The two of us hadn’t been in a wedding party together since our own wedding. Not having to worry about anything except being where we are suppose to was a great change in pace. Our little boys were in the wedding too. They wore little dress pants with suspenders and bow ties. And they were too adorable. Despite complete breakdowns and tantrums at the rehearsal dinner, both boys walked perfectly down the aisle and were quiet the entire wedding ceremony (and we are Catholic so we are talking an hour and a half mass). After the mass, the boys went off with my parents while Matt and I jumped on the party bus for photos.

Matt insisted on finding his own bouquet and snagged a lovely bundle of sticks.

Of course, the wedding was a full on traditional Italian wedding. Guests were greeted at the reception by a table of shots. Each guest is to take a shots to toast the new couple for good luck. Traditionally, those shots are taken with the bridal party, but I have no idea how those Italians do that and don’t get completely bombed. Here, there were bartenders that just handed them out so we didn’t have to worry about spending the entire reception slurring our words (because I swear, I smell liquor and suddenly I am completely incapable of articulating a clear sentence). Our meal included antipasto, a pasta plate followed by a meat plate. The late night snack was a nacho bar (oh man, for Matt’s and my second wedding, we are totally stealing this). The dessert table was full of almond cookies, biscottis, and canolis. Yeah, in case it isn’t obvious, food is an important piece of the celebration.

And a panzanella salad is one of my favorite Italian salads. It is one of the few salads that Matt loves because a good quarter of the salad is garlic, butter toasted bread. He calls it “the bread salad” and its one of the few salads where Matt gets seconds. The combination of the toasted bread with cucumbers and tomatoes tastes like summer. It’s a quick and easy recipe with just simple, real ingredients. Real Italian cooking at its finest. So for your next celebration, if you want to toss in a little Italian tradition, try adding this bread salad.

main dishes, pork, recipes

Sausage and Mushroom Sweet Potato Gnocchi

October 7, 2018 No Comments

I had never been to a Trader Joe’s until I found this recipe. I had this idea that Trader Joe’s was this super crunchy, ultra expensive grocery store. But then I stumbled upon this recipe that seemed like the perfect weekday meal (ie: one that takes 40 minutes or less from fridge to the table). Ok, so turns out that my perception of Trader Joe’s wasn’t exactly on mark. There is more than just granola and organic yogurt.

This truly is a great meal. There isn’t more than a couple of ingredients–all which are very easy to prepare. You toss everything together and bam, you got yourself a fancy meal.

lifestyle

Rome at a glance

September 15, 2018 2 Comments

To round out our Italian adventure, we spent an extended weekend in Rome. When we began planning our trip to Italy, so many people said we HAD to go to Rome. A city rich with history, ruins, culture, and just 2 hours away from Positano. Since we can never guarantee that we will make our way back to Italy, we wanted to see as much as Italy without cheating our experience of each city. Tacking an extended weekend in Rome was exactly what we were looking for.

lifestyle

Five things you should know before booking a trip to Italy

July 11, 2018 4 Comments

We booked our trip to Italy without knowing much more than cursory understanding of the culture. Pasta, wine, ocean views. What more did we need to know? Well, once we got there, a couple things kept coming up that both Matt and I would say–“Someone should tell you this before you get to Italy.” So here I am, doing just that 🙂

1. You can’t sit down for a meal at a restaurant at any time throughout the day. Restaurants are only open from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for lunch and 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for dinner. Any decent restaurant will be closed in the mid-day and will not be open for dinner anytime before 7:00 p.m.

We didn’t know that. So we booked tours to see the sites from 11:00 to 2:00. This was a bad idea. We couldn’t eat lunch before the tour, and by the time the tour was finished and we figured out a good place to eat, we’d have about 15 minutes before the restaurant would close. We made it work, but it would have been nice to planned around this a bit better.

2. Be a little picky when selecting your restaurant. Great Italian restaurants don’t have pictures of food on their menus or translate their menus into other languages. Matt and I are anything but foodies. I do not have a refined palate and really like most everything. So any food in Italy sounded amazing. But there are some tips to get the best of the best.

If the menu has pictures of the food, consider finding another restaurant. Italians know what that dishes look like. They have been eating these meals for generations. If there are photos, this likely is not the restaurant the local Italians are going to time and time again. It is likely a tourist-focused (less authentic and delicious) restaurant. In that same vein, if the menu is translated in another language, it is probably not a local’s go-to restaurant. You want to eat where the locals eat. That’s where the best food is at.

Also, typically the restaurants near the big tourist attractions are not going to be where you find your best meals. The great, local Italian restaurant is probably going to a couple blocks away from the action.

3. You can make a lunch out of meats, cheeses, olives, and bread from the grocery store. The grocery stores in Italy are full of fruit and vegetables that are unbelievably fresh. Lemons are the size of your fist. You can pick up a baguette, some cold cuts, and fresh cheeses and make your own sandwich. The grocery stores have half bottles of wine that are perfect to split. And get the buffalo mozzarella cheese. It’s amazing.

Plus you can pick up food to try you over until dinner time if you are use to eating your dinner before 7:30 p.m. On our second day in Italy, we picked up a bottle of prosecco, olives, and some cheese at the local grocery store and had a midday snack. We saved a bit of money and kept the hangry Matt at bay 😉

4. Bring a water bottle to Rome. Rome has water fountains with drinkable water by all of the major site. Just toss your water bottle underneath and grab some cold water. So make sure to pack a cute water bottle with you or save a durable disposable bottle. There are people all over trying to sell you water bottles for a Euro. Don’t do it. Grab your own bottle and refill for free!

5. You have to pay to use public bathrooms. Yes, if you have to use the restroom, you better be at a restaurant or near your hotel because otherwise you’ll be paying about a Euro to use the bathroom. As someone who is thirsty most of the time, and drinks lots of water, planning was involved so that I wouldn’t spend our money on bathroom trips.

Even without knowing this information before we got there, our trip to Italy was amazing. It was beautiful, relaxing, and everything we hoped it would be. But if we had known these things before getting there, it would have made the trip a bit more seamless at times. Hopefully this will help you as you plan your trip to Italy!

Other Italy posts: Positano Travel Guide // A day trip to Capri // Rome at a glance

chicken, main dishes, recipes

Lemon and Garlic Whole Chicken

June 30, 2018 No Comments

It’s no secret that I am a working mom. It is something I am deeply proud of. I love being a lawyer, just as I love being a mom. But most nights, I do not get home until 7:00. If I start making a full dinner from scratch once I get home, we typically don’t sit down to eat until after 8:00. As much I’d love to tell you that I pre-plan our weekday meals, that would be a lie. There are weeks where I am great. There are lots of weeks where I am not.

I am not a fan of take-out or even eating out in general. It’s expensive. It’s not as healthy. And I usually end up feeling disappointed for overindulging or because of the quality of the food for the price. Plus two little boys in a restaurant can be exhausting. We try to avoid it whenever possible.

So on nights when we haven’t planned dinner, our go-to meal is a rotisserie chicken. The boys love it. It’s not ridiculously overpriced. It’s not wholly unhealthy. But like most things, I’d prefer to make it myself than buy a premade meal. Of course, there is no way I’d have time to roast a whole chicken on a weekday. But I still wanted to try out a homemade version. So last weekend, Maxie and I picked up a raw chicken and decided to make our own rotisserie chicken of sorts.

lifestyle

A day trip to Capri, Italy

June 2, 2018 4 Comments

When I booked our trip to Positano, Italy, I knew that no matter what, we needed to fit in a trip to Capri. Capri is an island that’s about an hour boat ride away from Positano on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is known for having these gorgeous sea caves that are flooded with crystal blue and emerald green water when daylight shines in. Yet despite deciding that we were going to make our way to Capri, I never actually figured out how we were going to get there. After settling into our hotel room in Positano, I jumped on google to try to solidify a day trip to Capri. No luck. The companies on Expedia and Trip Advisor were booked solid. I was worried we may be stuck taking a water taxi. Thankfully, there were three companies that were set up with tents on the beach offering full and half day tours. Surprisingly, the rates were comparable. So we secured a full day trip with this company to Capri for 140 Euro for the two of us.

lifestyle

I am a travel blogger today! Positano, Italy Travel Guide – Hotel and Food Edition

May 28, 2018 2 Comments

The fact that I am writing this post means my dream vacation came true–I went to Italy! And you guys, it was everything I dreamed it would be. Breathtaking views. Wine. Pasta. Uninterrupted cuddles with my husband. Kisses without kids tugging on your leg. Ocean waves. Boat rides. Walks on the cobblestone paths. More wine. More kisses. And swimming in the gosh-dang Tyrrhenian Sea. Because that is a thing I’ve done now. The entire vacation was magical. Yes, you should go to Italy.

main dishes, recipes, seafood

Lox Bagels

April 23, 2018 No Comments

There are two types of people in this world. Those who wake up and don’t need to eat breakfast. And those who need to eat breakfast immediately. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with me knows that I am in the second camp. Most mornings I wake up starving. Sometimes my stomach is actually growling when I wake. Seriously. Breakfast is my favorite meal, and I do not understand those people who can go until lunch before eating (husband, I am talking about you).

Weekends breakfasts are a favorite in our house. Most mornings, we have a large homemade breakfast. When Matt cooks, that means pancakes. But when I am in charge, it means lox bagels.