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Crunchy, chocolatey & delicious, Violet’s Mandel bread (Mandelbrot) is a traditional Jewish, twice baked cookie, like Italian biscotti. A new favorite, we could not get enough so Violet & her daughter Kim graciously taught us how to bake them! Violet adds cherries for extra flavor. Makes about 25 cookies.

Simple Ingredients:

· ½ cup + 1 tablespoon Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten, if possible organic

· 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted. Or for Passover, two-3/4 cups matzah cake meal (or GF matzah cake meal)

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

· ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, pistachios, walnuts, or slivered almonds (optional)

· ½ cup Maraschino cherries, stems removed, quartered and without the juice

· 1¼ tsp. cinnamon sugar

· 1 tsp. almond extract

· 1 tsp. baking powder

· 1 tsp. salt

Easy Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In another bowl combine the almond extract, olive oil and sugar, then add the eggs and mix to thoroughly combine.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir.

4. Add the cherries, chocolate chips and nuts if using.

5. Preheat oven to 350◦F and set the oven rack to the center position.

6. With your hands, shape the dough into a two 13-inch-long, 2-inch-wide, and 1-inch-tall logs on a parchment lined baking sheet.

7. Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven.

8. When still hot, using a serrated knife, cut across each loaf diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick-slices, sprinkle cookies with cinnamon sugar and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet or transfer to a cooling rack.

10. Serve with your favorite coffee, hot chocolate, or tea!

Helpful Hints

· For an extra chocolatey version, once completely cooled, dip individual cookie ends in a bowl of melted chocolate.

· To avoid crumbly cookies, allow the loaves to fully cool before cutting.

· Cookies will have cracks on top and become crunchier as they cool.

· Store in between wax or parchment paper in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Did You Know? Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early 19thcentury? Almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish!

To download this recipe click here

Tried, Tasted & True

We try & taste every recipe we feature. We enjoy sharing recipes, from our families, home cooks or chefs. We sometimes adjust them and want you to have a healthy & delicious experience. So, try them, tweak them, and please tell us about it! Take a photo and tag us on Facebook and Instagram @villagraziellaorganic.

We love seeing your creations and welcome your feedback.

Grazie da Team VILLA GRAZIELLA ORGANIC! 

Crunchy, chocolatey & delicious, Violet’s Mandel bread (Mandelbrot) is a traditional Jewish, twice baked cookie, like Italian biscotti. A new favorite, we could not get enough so Violet & her daughter Kim graciously taught us how to bake them! Violet adds cherries for extra flavor. Makes about 25 cookies.

Simple Ingredients:

· ½ cup + 1 tablespoon Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten, if possible organic

· 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted. Or for Passover, two-3/4 cups matzah cake meal (or GF matzah cake meal)

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

· ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, pistachios, walnuts, or slivered almonds (optional)

· ½ cup Maraschino cherries, stems removed, quartered and without the juice

· 1¼ tsp. cinnamon sugar

· 1 tsp. almond extract

· 1 tsp. baking powder

· 1 tsp. salt

Easy Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In another bowl combine the almond extract, olive oil and sugar, then add the eggs and mix to thoroughly combine.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir.

4. Add the cherries, chocolate chips and nuts if using.

5. Preheat oven to 350◦F and set the oven rack to the center position.

6. With your hands, shape the dough into a two 13-inch-long, 2-inch-wide, and 1-inch-tall logs on a parchment lined baking sheet.

7. Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven.

8. When still hot, using a serrated knife, cut across each loaf diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick-slices, sprinkle cookies with cinnamon sugar and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet or transfer to a cooling rack.

10. Serve with your favorite coffee, hot chocolate, or tea!

Helpful Hints

· For an extra chocolatey version, once completely cooled, dip individual cookie ends in a bowl of melted chocolate.

· To avoid crumbly cookies, allow the loaves to fully cool before cutting.

· Cookies will have cracks on top and become crunchier as they cool.

· Store in between wax or parchment paper in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Did You Know? Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early 19thcentury? Almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish!

To download this recipe click here

Tried, Tasted & True

We try & taste every recipe we feature. We enjoy sharing recipes, from our families, home cooks or chefs. We sometimes adjust them and want you to have a healthy & delicious experience. So, try them, tweak them, and please tell us about it! Take a photo and tag us on Facebook and Instagram @villagraziellaorganic.

We love seeing your creations and welcome your feedback.

Grazie da Team VILLA GRAZIELLA ORGANIC! 

We are honored to offer organic certified Tuscan herb seasoning blends from the Casentino valley, in Tuscany.

Since 2001, certified biodynamic farmer Sig. Emanuele has been dedicated to preserving the natural purity of his land. His holistic approach treats the farm not as an isolated land mass, but a vibrant, living, organism. His passion for regenerative agriculture includes plant rotation, cover crops, perennial plantings, free range forage and grazing lands for the animals and no-till farming to create a healthy, interdependent ecosystem. This rich and lively biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of Sig. Emanuele’s farm, his community, and the environment. 

The farm includes local aromatic herbs, spices, and medicinal plants cultivated in healthy living soil without using any chemical insecticides or synthetic pesticides. To ensure maximum freshness, all herbs and spices are ground and custom blended only in small batches without using any preservatives or artificial flavors. 

Clean, pure, and delicious for daily baking and cooking, we guarantee your food will taste even better with our Tuscan herb seasoning blends!

One pan chicken & vegetables tossed with our organic certified Tuscan Herb meat seasoning blend. Italian sea salt, with 10 hand ground and blended seasonings & spices make a tasty, protein packed, vitamin rich main dish. 6 ample servings.

Easy Ingredients

• 1-pound fresh, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs-frozen ok, if possible organic

• 1 ½ tablespoons Villa Graziella Organic Tuscan herb seasoning blend for meat + extra to taste

• 2 ½ tablespoons Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil + extra to taste

• ½ red or yellow onion

• ½ yellow bell pepper

• ½ red bell pepper, orange o.k. too

• ½ cup red, sweet or fingerling potatoes optional-pre-cook 5-10 minutes

• 1 large zucchini, calabaza or yellow squash

• 1 large fresh carrot

• 1 cup broccoli florets separated from the stalk

Simple Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475˚F

2. Brush ½ tablespoon olive oil on a lined parchment paper on a large roasting pan set aside.

3. In a large bowl, add Tuscan meat seasoning blend followed by olive oil, combine & set aside.

4. Wash, rinse, dry & cut vegetables into 1-inch chunks or pieces, add to the bowl.

5. Cut chicken into smaller bite sized pieces, add to the bowl.

6. Using your hands, combine ingredients mixing the chicken & veggies to completely coat.

7. Place mixture on the prepped roasting pan spreading evenly apart.

8. Place in oven, cook for 15 minutes, remove from oven, mix chicken & veggies, return to oven for additional 10-15 minutes. Chicken & veggies should be browned not charred.

9. Add additional seasoning and olive oil to taste, gently toss to combine

10. Serve & enjoy!

Helpful Hints:

• For maximum freshness use seasonal vegetables-squash in the fall, winter root vegetables springtime artichokes, asparagus, leeks and ramps.

• Short on time? Use pre-cut, packaged veggies, make sure to still wash, rinse & dry.

• Add seasoning blend at the beginning so it fully absorbs & blends with chicken & veggies.

• Cover & refrigerate 2-4 days, fill pita bread pockets for lunch, add to quinoa bowl for dinner.

How to make Frosé using Villa Graziella Organic Rosato Toscano I.G.T. Enjoy!

Grazie Mille to our talented creators and producers Meredith, Molly, Louis and Justin.

Join us from your home as we share holiday food pairings with Villa Graziella Organic™ wines. Serving suggestions from appetizers to entrées and desserts. We also acquaint you with our wines and give you confidence when tasting any wine.

Questions answered by Chef Katie:

Where are you from and what is your background?

I was born and raised in Chicago. Attended St Ignatius College Prep for high school. Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY was my undergrad and I lived in Barcelona Spain for a while then launched my professional career Back in Chicago.

What role did food play in your family growing up?

I’m from a large Irish and Italian American family. Always a lot of people and gatherings, food was a central part of all of it!

Why did you decide to become a chef? What other back-of-the-house positions have you previously held?

I’ve been completely into food since my earliest memories. Even as a young child, I’d go out and create food in nature for my playful activities. The chef was born in me. I launched into the industry as the assistant director of Special Events for the Art Institute of Chicago. Planning menus for corporate celebrations and visiting dignitaries. Learned so much about types of food and ethnic preferences.

Did you go to culinary school? What credentials did you earn through your culinary studies?

Self taught throughout a life time. I’m friends with chefs all over the world, I travel frequently and learn from them constantly. I’m a perpetual student of all things food.

Where and how were you trained?

Since 22 years old I’ve always worked in special events and menu development. I began running and leading the kitchen and developed my team 16 years ago. We’ve been together ever since, moving and adjusting to various positions and challenges

Do you have a go-to ingredient you always use?

I love olive oil!!!!😊

What is your favorite recipe?

It changes with the season, right now for summer

Grilled mahi ceviche with ancho chili and kafir lime chips

What trends are you noticing regarding wine and food pairings?

Summer light wines are perfect with light seafood like the ceviche

How do you eat and cook clean & healthy?

I only use fresh hand selected ingredients in all of my creations. There is no freezer available in our kitchen, so it’s guaranteed fresh. Plus we do all of our own shopping to get the best of everything for our clients

What do you do to maintain flavor in the quality of the dish while keeping it as healthy as possible?

I use only the finest ingredients. They hold the flavor, I just respect that and allow the flavor to sing in unison with all the other ingredients. Fresh ingredients, when handled with care and respect, are healthy and delicious naturally

What do you do to stay current on new trends in cooking?

I am constantly learning about food from other chefs, magazines (especially international culinary publications) and my own creativity. I’m constantly cooking and creating. Constantly!

You authored a book Katie O’s Cookbook, please share what it is about?

I have a weekly tv show, plus my Amazon #1 best selling cookbook, and I cater constantly.

The cookbook features so many of my devoted clients favorite and most requested recipes. I cook with only seasonal ingredients, so I designed the cookbook into 12 months highlighting recipes for that season. All delicious and because I’m an artist and worked for almost 20 years at the Art Institute, my food is beautiful

Chef Katie O’Reilly

Katie Os Food Carnival

Katie@ktofoodcarnival.com

Celebrity Chef, Food Authority, Culinary Judge

Creator and Host, Katie O’s Food Carnival TV Show

Amazon #1 Best Selling Cookbook Author

Fabulous Food Katie O’s Soups and Products

Artistic Custom Catering

https://ktofoodcarnival.com/

HOME - Katie O's Food Carnival

Katie O's Cookbook & Soups As the co-owner and culinary designer of a prominent, high-end catering company in Chicago, Katie O'Reilly has created over 700 sensational menu items and has designed menus for over 2,500 high-end events over her career.

Chef Sunita Vira discusses her book-RAW for LIFE - The Modern Guide to Raw, Plant-based, Gluten-free Recipes for Busy Lives. Delicious, Easy & Healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner! To learn more visit http://www.rawfoodcentre.com/

Quick, Easy & Delicious! Chef Sunita Vitra shares her must haves when preparing raw food!