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I grew up in a small, ethnically diverse community. Polish, Italian, Slovakian dishes were among the foods being served when visiting neighbors. This is were I got my love for pasta. Trying to eat healthier, this is a meat-free meal that is filling and will satisfy the heartiest appetite. Start by making the pasta: In your stand mixer bowl add: 2 large eggs 1 cup flour 3/4 cup semolina flour 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil Mix with the paddle beater for about one minute, then switch to the dough hook and knead for another 10 minutes. Remove from bowl and knead by hand an additional two minutes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove and form two rectangular pieces of dough, dusting both sides with flour. Starting with the widest setting on the extruder​, feed dough through on the #1 setting. Fold dough over on itself and feed two more times. Move through all the  settings from two up to numb

It's fall here in Florida. The high temperature for today is 89 degree, so it's time to break out the long sleeve shirts and jackets. It's  also time for pumpkin flavored everything. These delicious pancakes are made with whole wheat flour, but you will never know it. Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or graham flour) 1 egg 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon clove 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cane syrup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup half and half 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Begin by combining all the dry ingredients, except the brown sugar, in a mixing bowl and blend well. In a second bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well with an immersion blender until the mixture is light and foamy. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until everything is combined, but don't over mix. Preheat your griddle

It's fall and time for all things pumpkin.  This year, as well as last year, there seems to be a shortage of canned pumpkin.  I have found canned pumpkin pie mix, but not just puree. Here is an easy way to make your own puree for all your pumpkin needs. Begin buy buying a pie pumpkin or two. These are not the same pumpkin that you use for carving. They are smaller, firmer, and sweeter than the carving variety.  Carefully cut the pumpkin in half. Next scoop out the seeds and pulp. I use an ice cream scoop for easy removal. Try and get as much of the stringy insides as possible. Place the two halves on a foil lined pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes.  The time will vary based on the size of your pumpkins.  I test for donness by pressing down on the top. If it dents easily, its done. Allow  the halves to cool enough so you can scoop out the flesh without burning yourself.  Skins should be pretty clean after removing it. Put

This is one of my favorite recipes my mother used to make. Normally  I cut two slices and add whipped cream between the two. Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups of flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1  teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups sugar 1 cup oil 2/3 cup water 2 cups canned pumpkin 1 teaspoon vanilla Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Divide between two loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is a great recipe for a different type of sandwich. We eat a  lot of barbecue and I wanted a sloppy joe. I didn't have enough homemade sauce, so I came up a Italian sloppy joe.  Ingredients: 1 lb or so of ground sirloin 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped onion  1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper 2 cloves garlic minced  1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves (optional) 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon Italian spice Several slices of garlic bread Begin buy sauteing the celery, onions, and peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until translucent and tender. Add the tomatoes and sauce.  In a separate brown the ground sirloin. When the beef is fully browned add to the sauce. Add the spice and celery leaves. Simmer for atleast an hour. When sauce is ready, grill garlic bread until toasted. Spoon meat sauce on bread and enjoy.

  My wife loves lamb. It will be on our table every holiday. Since there are just two of us, I will often just make her lamb chops. This is a quick and tasty recipe.  Begin by slicing four chops from a rack of lamb, or just buying them precut. Season the chops with a mixture of garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. If you happen to have a Tea and Spice Exchange near you, they sell an excellent lamb rub.  Allow the chops to rest after seasoning in the refrigerator wrapped for several hours. When ready to cut, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about five minutes. Add a light coating of olive oil and sear the chops about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Don't over cook. Lamb should be a nice medium rare to medium. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve with mint jelly. Enjoy

  Growing up, a specialty in our house was blackberry cake. Mom made it for birthdays or any other special occasion. A few months ago, our local produce stand had blackberries 2 pints for a dollar. Between my wife and I, we ended up with 6 pints. I thought about making a cake, but that  is too much for the two of us. I looked into the pantry saw some pancake mix and everything fell into place. Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk pancake mix 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg pinch of clove 1 pint fresh blackberries Begin by combining all the dry ingredients. Add water and mix until everything is combined. Don't  worry if there are a few lumps in the mix, over mixing will make a tougher pancake. Slice the berries in half length, and set aside Heat up your griddle and make the pancakes as directed on the pancake mix package. Allow the batter to set for about 15 seconds, then add about 6 slices of blackberries. Flip when the edges start to firm and the