2023 | I Can Cook That

Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce

Note: This post for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce is sponsored by Wildgrain. Opinions are mine alone.

It probably comes as no surprise that one of the ways I show my love for my husband, family, and friends is through cooking. When cooking for those I love, I try to use high-quality ingredients so that the food is the best it can be. In the winter, my recipes become more comfort food-like, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to skip on quality!

Wildgrain is here to help me out on my quest for high quality ingredients that can be used to make oh so comforting winter dishes, like this recipe for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce, adapted from a recipe on Food52.

Wildgrain is a bake-from-frozen membership that has two different box choices: Mixed Wildgrain and Bakery. The Mixed Wildgrain comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, hand-cut pasta, and artisanal pastries. The Bakery Box comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, breakfast baked goods, and artisanal pastries. All products are ready-to-bake from frozen, no prep required!

Everything included in the box is made with clean ingredients with no preservatives. The items are vegetarian, non-GMO, and contain no artificial colors.

Wildgrain has provided an exclusive code for I Can Cook That readers! You can receive $10 off your first box by using discount code ICANCOOKTHAT so you can try out Wilgrain for yourself!

I received a box chock full of awesome products, including two pastas, breads, croissants, and cookie dough. The pasta and bread in my box inspired me to make a pasta dish with plenty of sauce to sop up with bread! The addition of lobster makes this dish perfect for date night, or for a dinner party. The sauce can also be made ahead of time so that when you’re ready to cook, it takes no time at all!

Ingredients:

7 oz lobster meat, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
the juice of one lemon
12 oz container fettuccine, or other pasta of your choice
salt, to taste
3/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup torn basil leaves

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Cheesesteak Dip

Before I share this recipe for Cheesesteak Dip, I will be honest. I’m not a football fan. But I am a fan of bragging about Philadelphia, so I have to at least acknowledge the Eagles heading back to the Super Bowl! And, naturally, I’m doing it the only way I know how: through food.

There are quite a few “Philly Cheesesteak Dip” recipes out there, but as a Philadelphian, I’m a bit perplexed with why they all have bell peppers in them. I have never had a cheesesteak with bell peppers on it! So, I decided it was time for me to do my version. It doesn’t taste exactly like a cheesesteak (the cheese-to-steak proportion is out of whack), but it’s tasty and in the end, maybe that’s all that matters!

I am a “provolone wit” kinda girl, so my recipe is based on that: sauteed onions, a mixture of sharp and mild provolone, and shaved beef.

Ingredients (makes 16 servings):

2 tablespoons butter (or vegetable oil, if preferred), divided
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz shaved beef
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 oz sharp provolone cheese, grated
6 thin slices of mild provolone cheese
sliced baguette, for serving
soft pretzel bites, for serving

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Rosemary White Beans with Onions and Tomatoes

This recipe for Rosemary White Beans with Onions and Tomatoes has quickly become a staple in my house this winter.

It is quick to prepare, I tend to have most of these ingredients already on hand, and it is so darn comforting! It is also a one pot meal so there are less dishes to clean up when you’re done cooking and enjoying your meal!

I adapted this recipe from NYT Cooking slightly.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt, to taste
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
the zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced

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Shochu Coffee Seltzer Cocktail

Note: I was sent samples of various shochu for a virtual tasting and in order to make this Shochu Coffee Seltzer Cocktail. Opinions are mine alone.

One of my favorite things about having this food blog is that I am sometimes given the chance to learn more about ingredients and products that I have never heard of before. Shochu is certainly one of those items, and I am glad I now know about it!

A few months back, I had the opportunity to attend a virtual shochu tasting hosted by Christopher Pellegrini, author of the Shochu Handbook (paid link) and one of the co-founders of Honkaku Spirits. Shochu is a Japanese distilled spirit made from grains and vegetables, typically sweet potato, barley, or rice. Despite being widely available in Japan, shochu isn’t very well known in the US. Apparently less than half of 1% of shochu made in Japan is exported!

Depending on the ingredients in a specific shochu, the flavors can vary wildly. Koji, a mold used to break down the starches into fermentable sugars, can also impact the taste. There are three kinds of koji that are used in making shochu – black, yellow, and white, with white being the most commonly used in shochu. Yellow koji results in a fruity and floral flavor, and is commonly used to make sake, while black koji imparts an earthy, mineral taste to the shochu.

Shochu is typically enjoyed diluted either with hot water or cold water but can be used to make various cocktails as well. For our tasting, we tried eight different shochu, with quite a range of flavors. Nishihira Distillery’s Kana tasted faintly like a bourbon due to being aged up to one year in oak casks. Another from Fursawa Distillery, Motoko, had almost a mushroom-y note to it, very earthy and funky. The one that stood out to me the most, however, was from Tensei Distillery. Mugi Hokka is a dark roasted barley shochu that has dark chocolate and coffee notes to it.

To enhance those notes, Christopher suggested this recipe as a way to enjoy this particular shochu.

Ingredients (1 serving, multiply as needed):

1 oz shochu, such as Tensei Distillery’s Mugi Hokka
1 oz room temperature or cold coffee
2 oz seltzer
1 orange peel, for garnish

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Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones

Note: I was sent a copy of Father Dominic Garramone’s Breakfast Breads & Sweet Treats in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I’m back with another awesome recipe from the Bread Monk himself, Father Dominic Garramone, with this recipe for Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones is from his latest cookbook Breakfast Breads & Sweet Treats (paid link). What better way to start off 2023?

I have only made “real” scones once before (as well as kind of a “cheat” drop scone), so this was a fun opportunity for me to do something I don’t often bake!

Breakfast Breads & Sweet Treats is a great cookbook for any breakfast afficionado in your life. Father Dominic really covers it all, from how to make puff pastry from scratch to baking mixes, to even a recipe for English muffin bread!

There is also an entire chapter dedicated to scones, which is where I found this mouthwatering recipe for Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones.

Ingredients (Serves 8):

8 oz bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I went with sharp)
1/4 cup minced fresh chives (the original recipe had 1/2 cup; I only had enough for 1/4 cup!)
1 cup sour cream

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