Michael Angelo's Chicken Piccata

Because school has me studying hard and running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I have not been cooking (or blogging) like I want to. As a result, I've been buying frozen dinners fairly frequently. Lately, I was craving Italian anything, so I went to the grocery store and perused the frozen dinner section. I stuck with the usual (rhymes with Topher with an "S" in front) meals but a meat lagnasa by Michael Angelo's caught my eye so I bought one. It was great! Much better than the other brand.

I went back a few days later and decided to try several of the other Michael Angelo's products. Oh. My. God! The Chicken Piccata is to die for! I don't think I could make it from scratch any better than theirs! YUM! YUM! YUM!

I searched for a recipe like it but have come up empty handed as they add a few more ingredients than the recipes I've found. So, as soon as I have some time, I'm going to modify a recipe and make it. I'll let you know how it comes out and will post the recipe if it's as good as Michael Angelo's is! Otherwise, I'll be purchasing the family size Michael Angelo's Piccata!

At any rate, if you are in a hurry and don't have time to cook, the Michael Angelo's products, particularly the Piccata, are wonderful. Besides the Piccata I liked the Meat Lagnasa and the Baked Ziti with Meatballs. Back to studying now. Ciao!

Greg and Clifford, The Big Red Dog

When I was six, my family moved into a house with a very large yard in a nice neighborhood with lots of kids. To my incredible delight, next door lived a boy about 14 years old. He was a big, tall, strapping, muscular, tanned, shaggy haired blonde, blue eyed, handsome hunk of burning love! Did I say I was six??? I was IN LOVE!!!

Everyday, when Greg's bus was due to come down the street, I was already outside waiting, absolutely breathless, with butterflies in my stomach. You know, that electric feeling you get when you're madly, passionately in love? Again, did I say I was six?

At first, he was happy to see me when he gallantly hopped off the bus and ran towards me, but then, after a week or so, he became embarrassed as most boys that age do. However, as soon as the bus rounded the corner and was out of sight, he would come bounding out of his house to play with me....or do "homework" together, for which he would invite me over to his house to do. Oh my! A study date! Did I say I was in love and that I was six? Be still, my heart!

I would gather up my mimeographed coloring exercise and my little black, bound writing book with the white speckles all over it and go to Greg's to "study". There, I would work hard (tongue out and touching the center of my upper lip) to color and stay "in the lines" and write my name...and his....perfectly in my book while copying his every move. He would put his left hand under his chin...so did I. He stretched his left arm out parallel to his book, so did I. He would pick up a section of the newspaper and "flick" it to read, so did I. Then, he would break down into laughter and take me outside to play. He was the man of my dreams! He knew me inside and out and all of my worldly needs! Did I tell you I was six and in love?

When it would start to get dark and time for dinner, he would walk me home, give me a hug and kiss my cheek, and I would go in and tell my mother all about my "date" with Greg. She would listen and laugh and tell me that I had a crush on him and it was "puppy love". Well, she said that once too many times and I got really mad! Indignantly, I told her.....

MOM! It's not a crush! It's not "puppy love"! It's a CLIFFORD, THE BIG RED DOG KINDA LOVE!!!!! And ran crying from the room!

One of my favorite dishes at the time was Chicken And Spaghetti, so my mom used to make it for me when my feelings were hurt (turns out that it was his favorite too). It reminds me of Greg and my huge Clifford, The Big Red Dog stuffed animal that sat on my bed, in the center of my pillows by day, and slept with me at night and the even more humongous crush I had on him.

Actually, Greg and I kept in touch through the years and I truly, deeply loved him...we had a special bond, this admiration and respect, that grew out of this puppy love I felt for him and his love for me, the little girl next door. Greg passed away in the early 80's this month. There are a few more stories that I want to share about him, but I'll leave them for later.

Chicken and Spaghetti


1 large fryer, cut up OR
1/2 pkg boneless breasts or tenders AND 1/2 pkg boneless thighs
1 - 2 large jars Ragu Traditional Spaghetti sauce
1/2 bellpepper, chopped
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 lg bay leaves
salt, pepper to taste
Spaghetti

Cut whole chicken fryer up into pieces. Brown pieces in oil on both sides. If using the tenders and thighs, just brown them, as is, in oil on both sides. Remove from pot. Add chopped vegetables to the pot and saute until wilted. Add sauce and half a jar of water, seasonings and stir. Return chicken to pot and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool. If using cut up pieces, remove meat from bone and tear into bite size pieces. If using boneless pieces, tear or cut into bite size pieces. Return all to pot and allow to simmer while you cook the pasta. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. Drain pasta and serve!

Fleur De Lis Round The World Pizza

I've travelled all over the country and Canada for business. As a result, I've eaten pizza at all kinds of different locale's including Chicago and NYC, however, the best pizza I've ever had is Fleur de Lis in my home town of Baton Rouge. Fleur De Lis was an existing cocktail lounge out of the city limits on a gravel road, back in 1946, when Mama & Papa Guercio bought it. Mama Guercio decided to make a small pizza as an appetizer for the lounge customers and her pizza was enjoyed so much that she begin to sell them. She originally made the pizza in small pie pans she brought from home. When she realized they needed a larger size, she used a rectangular cookie sheet and the "square" pizza Fleur De Lis is famous for was born.

If you haven't been to Baton Rouge and have the opportunity or if you live there and haven't had a pizza from Fleur De Lis, you need to go! However, if you don't live there anymore and are missing some Fleur De Lis pizza, you are going to love me! I've figured out the Round The World recipe!!! Yep, I finally did it. I don't live in Louisiana and haven't for years so I can't get home to get my fix anymore. I've been craving it therefore, through trial and error, I finally came up with the recipe. It still needs a little tweaking here and there but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. At any rate this is still a darn good pizza recipe!


Fleur De Lis - Round The World Pizza

Smallest pkg lean ground meat (I prefer lean ground chuck)
1 pkg Mild Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 sm yellow Onion, halved then sliced thin
1-1/2 tsp Fennel
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 sm can sliced Black olives, drained
1 sm can sliced Mushrooms, drained
1 sm can Tomato paste
4 tbl Olive oil
Garlic to taste (fresh minced or powdered)
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp Tony’s
Pepperoni
Canadian Bacon (if large round slices, cut into quarters)
3 pkgs sliced Provolone (shredded is better but I couldn’t find it)
3 pizza crusts (I used Boboli store bought or you can prepare your own)
Ground Romano cheese optional

In medium to large skillet, brown ground meat and Italian sausage (removed from casing). As the meat is cooking keep breaking it up so, when it is done, it is ground and not lumpy. Add onion, mushrooms, fennel, Italian seasoning, garlic, olives, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, pepper, Tony's and saute until everything is browned and cooked thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Alternately place pepperoni and salami on pizza crust and spread cooked meat mixture on top. Make sure to spread it so that it is about a half inch thick, any thicker and the crust will get soggy. Generously top with provolone cheese, one layer of sliced isn’t thick enough so I used two layers. Bake at 425 degrees until cheese is mostly browning on top.
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The quantity of pizza mixture is sufficient for 3 round pizza crusts. I used Boboli but in the future, I am going to make the following Bisquick recipe and press it into a rectangular cookie sheet. A good crust makes all the difference in the world and is crucial to a good pizza. Any leftover meat mixture can be frozen for future use.

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, combine baking mix, water, and olive oil and beat hard until a dough forms. Press dough into a greased pan, dipping your fingers in flour to prevent sticking. Prepare pizza as indicated above.

Crawfish Fettuccine

Crawfish usually come fully into season midway through Lent. As a result, one of my family's favorite Easter dishes is Crawfish Fettuccine. It's a nice fattening celebratory splurge after the restrictive fast of the Lenten period so this is the only time I make it!! This dish is absolutely fabulous and really not all that difficult to prepare. You will need a very large pot and two large 9x13 casserole dishes (or equivalent), however. This recipe makes enough for a fairly large gathering or you can have plenty of leftovers. It also freezes well. Just put it into gallon size ziplock bags and squeeze all the air out before sealing the bag closed. Lay the bag on its side and flatten it as much as possible before placing it in the freezer. Shrimp may be substituted for the crawfish. Beware! Crawfish Fettuccine produces cravings!!!

2 lg onions, chopped
1 bellpepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sticks butter
2 12oz pkgs fettuccine
¼ cup flour
1 qt Half & Half
1 can mild chopped green chili peppers
4 lbs crawfish tails with fat (or peeled Small to Medium Shrimp)
1 lb Mexican Velveeta cheese, cut up into chunks
Grated Parmesan cheese

Put pasta on to cook. In the large pot, saute vegetables in 2 sticks of butter. Add flour, blend well. Add peppers & crawfish. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until crawfish are done. Raise heat a little, add cheese and Half & Half slowly. Stir frequently until cheese melts. Drain cooked pasta. Add remaining stick of butter to crawfish mixture and allow to melt. Stir well. Mix pasta and crawfish mixture together until well blended. Separate mixture into 2 lg greased casserole dishes. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese and bake @ 350 for approx 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and browning on top. Serve with a nice salad and french or garlic bread.

Odds And Ends Cooking

I love making a great meal by just pulling odds and ends out of the fridge. Last nite, I had 1 lb shrimp, leftover cooked angel hair pasta, butter, garlic, green onion...ok, I thought...Shrimp Scampi. Then I found some heavy cream and fresh grated parmesean cheese! Shrimp Alfredo! Gotta love cooking from scratch! Accompanied by a side salad with romaine and a home grown tomato, a little green onion, a pinch of anchovy paste, a splash of Italian dressing, salt, pepper...YUMMY