Guess what I got for Christmas!
I love my new pasta machine.

Adapted from the Silver Spoon cookbook
Serves 4

olive oil, for brushing
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 fresh chili, seeded and chopped
fresh fettucine for 4
salt and pepper

Brush a medium dutch oven with oil, (I used a large, deep frying pan), add the pancetta, and cook over low heat until the fat is rendered. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and chile, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes. (You can add a little warm water to the mix if you need to) Cook fettuccine until al dente, then drain and toss with sauce in a large bowl.
Garnish with fresh, cubed mozzarella.

Wine served: 2010 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore

This recipe was given to Sandy’s Mother by a friend in Georgia, USA, back in the 1950’s. It’s a great cake and always gets rave reviews. The cake will easily serve 16-20 people.
One big hint: after cutting the cake, cover only the cut edges with saran; leave the crust of the cake exposed, it will stay nice and crunchy. If covered, the crust becomes soft.
The cake actually improves each day uncovered, so it’s still good after several days…..if it stays around that long!

8 egg whites
1 pound butter, room temperature
2 2/3 cups sugar, divided
(1) 5 fluid ounce can Carnation evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 cups cake flour
9 1/4 inch, 2 piece tube pan, buttered and floured

Preheat oven to 300.
Beat egg whites, adding 6 Tbsp. of sugar, until stiff peaks form. Refridgerate.
Beat remaining sugar and butter until creamy. Add Carnation milk and vanilla and blend. Gradually add cake flour taking care not to over mix.
GENTLY fold in egg whites with large spoon until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared tube pan, even out with spatula.
Bake for 2 hours.
Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes then remove outer pan. Allow to completely cool before removing tube and plating.

Enjoy Y’all!

“I need to go get a room and be alone with this cookie”, said a guest at one of our dinner parties.

Makes about 20 cookies

(2) 7-ounce tubes almond paste, broken into pieces
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 Tsp. salt
2 large egg whites
2 cups sliced almonds (about 8 ounces)

Place almond paste, powdered sugar, sugar and salt in processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, gradually add egg whites through feed tube; process until blended. Transfer to bowl. Chill dough until slightly firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place sliced almonds in shallow bowl. Using damp hands, roll scant 1/4 cup dough into 5 inch long log then cut in half. Roll logs in almonds to coat. Transfer to prepared sheet, bending to form horseshoe shape. Repeat with remaing dough and almonds, spacing cookies at least 1 inch apart.
Bake cookies until golden brown around edges (cookies will expand and flatten slightly), about 23 minutes.
Cool cookies on sheet.

As the saying goes…….Eat, drink and be merry!