I had some Littlenecks that needed to be used from an Island Creek Oyster order and we had already had some grilled and steamed, so needed to change it up. Linguini with Clams is popular on many Italian restaurant menus, but I have often found it rather soupy and the sauce didn’t do much for the pasta. We had just watched the move “CHEF” (if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it) and I was inspired by the pasta that the chef prepares that had a sauce clinging to every strand of pasta and thought clams would make a great addition. It turns out I was right.
KTINA'S KITCHEN
FOOD * FUN * FAMILY * FRIENDS
As I’ve said before, I prefer cooking to baking, but muffins are a regular part of my repertoire. I often make them when we have guests, as it’s an easy way to make a grab and go breakfast that everyone enjoys. My Go To is the “Marshy Muffin” recipe that was handed down to me from my grandmother (Nana). Before there was Ina, we were blessed with the world’s best baker in Nana. There was not a family gathering that didn’t include the fruits of her baking labors. In fact, so prolific was her baking that I rarely recall my own mother baking, but why would you?? Pies, cookies, cakes, fudge, eclairs and the list goes on. And during the summer, there was batch after batch of Blueberry Muffins. Nana somehow obtained the recipe for the famous muffins from the bakery at Jordan Marsh, which was a landmark Boston department store where we went to see Santa each year and was famous for their bakery and those muffins with their crunchy, sugary tops. Sadly, “Jordan’s” was acquired by Macy’s and stripped of the local identity and the bakery is long gone. I still have a copy of the recipe in Nana’s handwriting and I think of her every time I make them. My cousin, Kelly, happened to make them this weekend, too, and we were texting back and forth fondly remembering Nana’s treats.
Mine – Four Berry 
Recipe in Nana’s writing❤️ 
My cousin Kelly’s
“MARSHY” MUFFINS
Jordan Marsh in Boston (sadly now Macy's) used to have a bakery famous for their Blueberry Muffins (aka "Marshy Muffins"). My Nana somehow got the recipe and they have been a family staple for 4 generations and going strong. The raw sugar gives them their distinctive crunchy top. So easy, a tasty breakfast treat can be ready in a little more than a half hour. Try them with different berry combinations . . . I love Raspberry, Black Raspberry and Blueberry.
Ingredients
- ½ Cup 1 stick Butter, softened (unsalted)
- 1 ¼ Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs Large
- 2 Cups + 1 TBSP Flour All Purpose
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ Cup Milk
- 1 Pint 2 Cups Blueberries**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375* and line a muffin tin with baking cups.
- Sift flour, salt & baking powder together (measure first).
- Cream butter & sugar together until creamy.
- Add eggs one at a time and beat light and fluffy.
- Alternating wet then dry, stir in the milk and flour, half at a time, until just blended and there are no lumps of flour.
- Toss the berries in a TBSP of flour and fold into the batter.
- Spoon into prepared muffin tin/liners, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (Sugar in the Raw).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove to a rack.
Notes
KTINA’S TIPS
- Make sure not to overmix the batter or the muffins will become tough.
- The recipe calls for whole milk, but 2% works fine. Skim does not.
- **This is what the original recipe calls for, but I use 3 cups of berries.
- Frozen berries work well, in fact I find they actually work better. Use them frozen, toss in the flour and fold in. The berries keep their shape and thicken the batter by chilling it which keeps the berries well distributed.
- The original recipe calls for Blueberries, but I often make these as Triple or Four Berry muffins with raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, depending on what I have on hand in the freezer.
- I buy loads of berries at the Farmers Market when in season and freeze them in ZipLoc bags to have on hand year round.
Is there anything better for Sunday brunch or at a football tailgate than a Bloody Mary? It’s my family’s tradition to have “Bloodies” on most holidays, and Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter would not be complete without them. My father would make a large pitcher of his “special recipe” and everyone would have one as they arrived. In more recent years, as we have evolved and broadened our taste buds, there has arisen a bit of a debate over just how to make them, notably how much horseradish (or, if any, in my husband’s case) to include. There are decidedly two camps and they seem to be geographical in nature. When you ask for a spicy Bloody in the Boston area, you a likely to get an extra heaping spoonful of horseradish along and a garnish of celery, whereas in Chicago you are more likely to get several extra dashes of Tabasco, and an olive and hot pepper (pepperoncini or sport pepper) are a must. Most of my family prefers the liquid cocktail sauce variety loaded with horseradish, though I now lean the other way after years of living in Chicago.
I first had this tasty pasta at a trattoria in Trastevere in Rome. It was utterly simple, but so delicious. Cacio e Pepe literally means “cheese and pepper” so if you are a fan of those, you will love this dish. The heat melts the cheese and the addition of some of the cooking water helps to emulsify it into a creamy sauce that coats and clings to the pasta.
CACIO E PEPE PASTA
This traditionally Roman pasta is not only delicious, but super quick and easy. As an added bonus, it is inexpensive and only requires 5 ingredients, many of which you may find you have on hand. If your cheese is already grated, dinner can be ready in a snap!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ TBSP Black Pepper coarsely ground
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 pound Bucatini
- ½ Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese grated
- ½ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. When boiling, add 1 TBSP salt and the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, warm the pepper in the oil over low heat in a saute pan large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta.
- When the pasta is ready, increase the heat on the oil to medium-high.
- Working quickly, drain the pasta (reserving a cup of the water) and add to the oil and pepper.
- Add a ladle full (1/2 cup) of pasta water and the cheese and stir vigorously until it starts to become creamy.
- If it seems a little stiff, add a bit more pasta water and continue to stir until the pasta is well coated.
- Serve immediately with extra grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
KTINA’S TIPS
- Make sure to use dried pasta, as fresh does not create enough starch in the water which helps emulsify the sauce.
- You may also use spaghetti, but I prefer Bucatini as it gives off more starch and has a nice toothsome bite.
- Pop your serving bowls in a warm oven while you prepare the pasta. It will keep the pasta warm for every last bite.
- Cacio e Pepe traditionally only has Pecorino Romano, but I like the combination of half Parmigiano Reggiano.
- If you can find it (and you are really a fan of pepper), try using Pecorino Pepato. It is a Pecorino with black peppercorns and very Roman.
- A real Roman would not mix seafood and cheese, but I’m not Roman, so I frequently add grilled or sautéed shrimp to make it a complete meal. Grilled chicken would work well, too.
Does anything say summer like fresh basil and tomatoes? This quick and easy pesto recipe freezes well so that you can have a taste of summer all year round.
BASIL PESTO
Equipment
- Food Processor (preferred) or Blender
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Basil Leaves
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 2/3 Cup Pine Nuts
- ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts in a saute pan over medium high heat, tossing frequently (or mixing) until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to ensure they don't continue cooking in the warm pan.
- Place the basil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the pine nuts to the oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil and nuts through the tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil and nuts have been added.
- Scrape the sides down and pulse once or twice to make sure there are no large chunks. The mixture should have some texture and not be too smooth.
- Fold in the cheese and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.
- Pesto freezes well, but do not add the cheese if you plan to freeze.
PASTA WITH PESTO
- Place a 1/3 cup sauce for 1/2 pound of pasta in the bottom of a large bowl.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the sauce along with half a ladle full of the pasta water.
- Add an additional tablespoon of sauce if necessary to coat (and 1/4 cup grated cheese if using previously frozen sauce). The pasta should be well coated but not drowning in the sauce.
- Finish with a fresh grating of cheese and drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
KTINA’S TIPS:
- I find a food processor produces sauce with more texture than a blender. If you don’t have a food processor, go ahead and use a blender, but instead of pouring the oil and pine nuts in with the motor running, add the with the basil leaves and garlic and pulse on and off until a sauce develops.
- I recommend using a good quality dried pasta, as the starch will help the sauce to cling to the pasta. Spaghetti, Chiattara, Bucatini, Orrecchiete and .Casarecci (shown below) are all good choices.
- I Usually make a double batch of this, especially in the summer when basil is plentiful and keep it in the freezer so I have it on hand. It thaws very quickly.
- Sprinkle a few dollops over tomatoes and mozzarella cheese or buratta for an elevated Caprese Salad.
- Add a dollop to Tomato Basil Soup.
- Mix a tablespoon with a few pinches of red pepper flakes and an extra drizzle of oil as a marinade for shrimp or chicken and grill.
- Try using Arugula for a nice peppery pesto, especially when it is abundant at the farmers markets in the summer. I suggest using the wide leaf variety.
BC Football game in October ’19 
Aperol Spritz in Dublin, March ’19 
Cheers to you Ab, we love you!
When I wrote my post about Cannoli last week, the first “Like” and “Comment” on Instagram were from my niece and Goddaughter, Abby Duvall. Her comment? “Love Cannolis!” I know I said I would probably just buy them in the future after losing to the hot oil, but I can’t say no to “Sweets”, so my reply was that I would make them for her. And indeed I would have, but I’m in Chicago and she’s out east. Today would have been her graduation day from Boston College, which sadly isn’t happening due to the pandemic. Rather than succumbing to the “Corona Blues”, she and her friends came up with a safe plan that enabled them to be together at her friend Kate’s family home in the Hamptons and have their own mini Senior week. I was so happy to hear that this great group of young ladies were not deterred and were going to celebrate, so I decided to send some treats for them to enjoy.
In these days of staying home, it seems we are all using Zoom or FaceTime to stay in touch with family and friends, right? I have used FaceTime when I’ve wanted to virtually visit with family and friends, but had never even heard of Zoom before the pandemic forced us all into our homes. Zoom to me was a PBS show that I used to watch as a kid in the early 70’s. I can still hear the theme song now “Come on and Zoom, zoom, zoom a zoom . . .” and the address to write (or, more importantly, to apply to audition for the cast) is indelibly etched in my brain – PO Box 350, Boston 0-2-1-3-4, because I was obsessed with wanting to be on the show. I mastered Bernadette’s swinging arm trick and had ideas of how my own intro would go. To my major disappointment, my mother said it was too far to the studio, so I missed my moment to be a childhood television star.
MUSHROOM FETTUCINI
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil preferably Extra Virgin
- 6 TBSP Butter
- ½ Cup Shallots, minced 1 large or 2 small
- 8 oz Button Mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
- 8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
- 8 oz Shitake, Chanterelle, Oyster or a combo
- 1 Cup dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 1 TBSP minced Garlic 3-4 cloves
- 2 tsp fresh Rosemary minced
- 2 tsp fresh Thyme minced
- ½ Cup Red Wine
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream or Half & Half
- 1 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1 pound Fetuccini
- 1 TBSP + 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Boil 1 ½ cups water and pour over the dried Porcini and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes to reconstitute. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid. When cool, coarsely chop the mushrooms.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, add 1 TBSP salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- In a large saute pan or risotto pan, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and sweat, stirring frequently, making sure they don’t brown.
- Add the fresh mushrooms, turn the heat up to medium high and saute until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid. Add 1 tsp salt, the black pepper and continue to saute until the mushrooms are golden brown.
- Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the chopped porcini, red wine and ½ cup reserved porcini broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low and allow the mushrooms to simmer and liquid to reduce by half. At this point, if your pasta is not ready, remove the mushrooms from the heat and cover.
- When the pasta is ready (al dente), return the mushrooms to medium heat and add an additional ¼ cup of porcini liquid and the cream.
- Drain the pasta and add to the mushroom mixture, stirring well to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Add the cheese and toss well. If it seems a little dry, add another tablespoon or two of the porcini liquid and/or cream.
- Serve immediately in pasta bowls with a fresh grating of cheese and drizzle of good olive oil.
Notes
KTINA’S TIPS
- Use a good quality dried pasta. I am lucky to live near Eataly and love the brand Afeltra. Whole foods carries a nice line called Rustichella d’Abruzzo.
- Tagliatelle may also be substituted.
- Any combination of mushrooms that you can get is fine, but the dried porcini and soaking liquid are key, as they really add a depth of flavor. If you can get chanterelles, they make a wonderful addition with their meaty texture, albeit they are pricey.