During football season,. one of the most favorite recipes searched for on my site is for “buffalo wings” or chicken wings recipes.

Not too long ago, I published a recipe from the Anchor Inn in Buffalo, NY, where the wings are the greatest. And now, in keeping with the Cajun nut I have been on lately, I present to you a fine recipe for Cajun Chicken Wings.

These are great, take about an hour to make, and are a big treat for the football crowd.

Enjoy…

Cajun Chicken Wings

12 Chicken wings — tips removed
5 Bay leaves — crumbled into bits
3/4 teaspoon Caraway seeds
1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
4 Garlic cloves — finely

1 1/2 teaspoons Dry mustard
2 teaspoons Paprika — preferably

3/4 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Brandy
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon or lime juice

Defat the chicken wings by cooking them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large
mortar and pestle, grind together the bay leaf bits, caraway seeds,
cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic, mustard, paprika, thyme and salt
for about 10 minutes. Add the brandy and lemon or lime juice to the
pulverized herbs and stir into a thick paste. With a pastry brush, cover
both sides of each wing with the herb paste. When no more remains in the
mortar, squeeze the last few drops from the brush. Arrange the chicken
wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is quite
crisp approximately 30 minutes. Takes about an hour to prepare.

Peace,

Charlie~

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Last night I revisited The Godfather, one of my favorite all-time movies. The Sicilians have a great love for food, and it certainly shows in all the scenes from both the restaurants and parties.
In the scene where Michael is being taught to make good sauce, we see Sonny Corleone and his button men sitting around a table, down to their tee-shirts, chowing down on a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Don Vito Corleone has been shot, and the men have “gone to the mattresses.” It brought to mind the fact that I see a lot of requests for meatballs, and inspired today’s post
I always make it a habit to check AW Stats each day to see what folks are searching for. It is my intent to provide what folks need and want, not just off the wall recipe that I think is great. I fear I have a very eclectic taste in food - one day Mexican, the next Italian, and maybe the next a great dish from Morocco. Drives Rosie crazy. I just like variety on food. Pretty simple, eh?
Regardless, one of the top things searched for on this site is meatballs - meatballs in every shape and form, from Italian to spicy to Swedish. Presented here today is an article by Paul Altobelli, who advocates cooking the meatballs separate from the sauce, which is how I have always done unless making a specific side dish for a party. The old Coon learns something new each day!

Enjoy…

Looking for a Great Italian Meatball Recipe?

by Paul Altobelli

Wrap your lips around this one.

The Best Meatball Recipe

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

1 pound combined beef, veal, pork (must be fresh) 3 large eggs 1 cup grated Romano Locatelli Cheese 1 cup bread crumb 1 clove garlic - minced 1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

(All mixing is done be hand) In a large bowl mix beef/veal/pork with eggs. Then add bread crumb, cheese, and salt. Finally add minced garlic in stages. Add a little then mix. Add some more, then mix. This way all the garlic does not end up in one meatball. Now, its time to roll up the balls. Average size is roughly 2 inches in diameter. I usually get around 18 to 20 meatballs per pound.

IMPORTANT! Do not cook meatballs in your pasta sauce! Meatballs cooked in sauce loose their flavor. The real key to a tasty meatball is cooking the them in an oven. So, heat oven to 375. Place meatballs on a rack - then on a cookie tray.

Bake for 12 minutes on one side then 10 minutes for the other.

I freeze the meatballs in bags and take out what I need per dinner. I just drop the meatballs into the sauce as if heats up.

Buon Appetito!

Paul Altobelli is an internet marketing specialist experienced in strategic planning, lead generation, website development, search engine optimization, internet sales and marketing program development. He also loves to cook. For more of Pauls Italian recipes visit http://www.paulaltobelli.com or email Paul directly at pda@paulaltobelli.com.

On another note, Janice Duplantis has launched a new site, and I am excited. I have fell in love with both her writing and recipes, and enjoy hearing from her. In an email to me today, she announced the launch of the new site, along with a link. I will be reviewing it here this week as soon as I have had the time to check it out. What I have seen is great. Way to go, Janice!

Peace,

Charlie~

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I have become a really big fan of Janice Duplantis and Bedrock Press. I receive not one but three 0f her ezines, and as a lover of all things cooking, find them to be one of the best resources on the web. Here from Janice is a recipe for Blue Rose Salad, which will make a delightful accompaniment to our Valentine’s Day dinner, along with Phyllo-Wrapped Salmon.

My Rosie is gonna love our first holiday meal in our new apartment, and I give much thanks to my friends on the web for such great ideas.

Enjoy…

Bleu Rose Salad

1 T. minced shallot or sweet onion
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T. raspberry vinegar
1/2 c. toasted pecan or walnut pieces
1 c. seedless red grapes, halved
2 c. romaine lettuce leaves
2 c. red leaf lettuce leaves
2 c. fresh spinach leaves
Fresh raspberries (optional)

To prepare vinaigrette, place minced onion, salt and sugar in
a small bowl or jar with lid.
Whisk in vegetable oil and raspberry vinegar or if preparing in a jar,
cover and shake until well mixed; refrigerate.
(Vinaigrette may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Preheat oven to 350F (175C), spread nuts in
a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or
until golden brown.
Remove from baking sheet and cool; coarsely chop and set aside.
Slice grapes in half; set aside.
Wash salad greens separately; drain well to remove excess moisture.
Discard any wilted or bruised leaves.
Tear enough Romaine, red leaf, and spinach leaves into bite-sized pieces to measure 2 firmly packed cups of each.
Combine salad greens, grape halves and cooled nuts
in a large bowl.
Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette and toss well
to coat.
Serve on individual salad plates garnished with optional
fresh raspberries, if desired.

©2005 Janice Faulk Duplantis

Janice Faulk Duplantis, author and publisher, currently maintains a web site that focuses on both Easy Gourmet and French/Cajun Cuisine. Visit http://www.bedrockpress.com to see all Bedrock Press has to offer.

Peace,

Charlie~

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