Seems like a good time to get “back on the horse,” so to speak, and relaunch my blog. Hard to believe it’s been a year since my last post.

What have I been doing, you may ask? What haven’t I been doing is a better question. Last year I started a new job, lost my father after a 4-1/2 year battle with liver cancer, moved myself and my girls back to the city to live with the love of my life, and actually enjoyed living for a while. I was able to help acclimate my girls to their new neighborhood and adjust to their new schools while showing them some of the Best that Chicago has to offer: street fests, North Avenue Beach, the “El…” Okay, maybe not that last thing, but they have managed to navigate our fair city via our expansive train and bus system. So they have that going for them. Which is nice.

Then, of course, I lost said Job due to the loss of our main client (whatever) and have been busy trying to re-imagine myself as something. Whatever that is, I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

In the meantime, I’m back to my crazy cooking, trying new AND old recipes, re-imagining and adapting food I’ve tried elsewhere, and keeping myself and my expanded family happy. It’s a big job, but I’m fully up to the challenge!

For your dining pleasure, I’m keeping today’s recipes relatively simple and hearty to accompany the nasty cold snap we seem to all be experiencing. Minestrone soup and rosemary herb focaccia. Both can be made nine ways to Sunday, but I like to think that my recipes have a bit more “punch” to them. The only caveat is you should really let the minestrone sit in your fridge overnight to let all of the flavors meld.

So, without further ado, here are my two recipes for you to create and enjoy!

Focaccia

• 1 package active rise yeast
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp warm water
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup milk, heated to 105
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 – 2 cups all purpose flour
• Olive oil to coat bowl

Mix sugar, yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let proof 5-10 minutes, or until frothy. In large bowl, mix milk, butter and egg. Add yeast mixture. Add salt and 2 cups flour until well incorporated. Gradually add additional flour and knead until dough is slightly tacky, and smooth, about 10 minutes. Add oil to bowl and roll dough ball in oil to coat. Place plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel over the bowl and set in a warm spot. Allow dough to double in size. Punch down dough and let rest 30 more minutes. Grease the bottom of a jelly roll pan liberally with olive oil. Place dough in pan, stretching and pushing into all four corners. With your finger, make indentations across the dough every inch or so. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Remove plastic wrap and generously drizzle olive oil over the top of the bread. Sprinkle course sea salt, rosemary and any other herbs (if you want) over the top. Place sheet pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. Let cool and slice into pieces for serving. Yields approximately 12-16 pieces, depending on how you cut it

Minestrone

• 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 carton chicken stock
• 1 carton vegetable stock
• 1 can whole plum tomatoes, broken into small pieces with liquid
• 1 can cannelloni beans with liquid
• Bunch of Swiss chard, cut/torn into small pieces
• 1-2 carrots, diced
• 1 medium red potato, peeled and diced
• 1 cup green beans, diced
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup small shell pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Parmesan Cheese rind OR 1/4 finely grated Parmesan
• 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

Start by drizzling some olive oil into a large Dutch oven and add diced pancetta. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the onion and garlic. Cook until onion starts to get translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, green beans and potato and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add the chicken and veggie stock and the can of tomatoes and liquid, stir, and then add the Swiss chard. Let this simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the chard starts to wilt. Add both types of beans to the pot and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the red pepper flakes along with the grated cheese. Let this go for a good 10 minutes, stirring to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the pasta and simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, and have this hearty meal for lunch or dinner tomorrow!Yields about 8 or so bowls of soup. NOTE: when you are sautéing with olive oil, try to use the “regular” grade of olive oil, not extra virgin. Save the expensive stuff for when you want to taste the oil, don’t waste the good oil. And don’t forget to tell them Rocco sent you!