Veal Florentina
(Recipe adapted from Roma Café, Detroit, Michigan)

Yield: 4 servings

4 (1-ounce) medallions of veal
2 slices prosciutto
2 slices fontina cheese
flour for dusting
Ѕ cup olive oil for sautéing
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Ѕ cup marsala Wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay out medallion of veal, and place 1 slice of proscuitto and 1 slice of fontina cheese on top of each piece of veal. Place a piece of veal on top of each to create a sandwich effect, and dust the outside with flour.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium heat; add veal and brown on both sides. Remove excess oil, add mushrooms and marsala wine, salt and pepper to taste, and reduce for 4-5 minutes. Remove veal, plate and spoon mushrooms and sauce over veal.

Jill's Recipe Pick

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Adapted from The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, NC
Jill’s note: this is a great dessert to serve on Thanksgiving!

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
4 cups milk
1 cup granulated sugar
8 whole eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (16-ounce) can Pumpkin Pie Filling
Bread cubes (biscuits or croissants are best)
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter at 9 x 13 baking dish.
Beat milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pie filling in a large bowl until combined; set aside. Use enough bread cubes to fill the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cranberries over bread cubes. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes, being sure all cubes are submerged. Pour custard mixture over bread cubes, making sure that all cubes are submerged. Push cubes down if necessary.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until pudding is set. Serve warm.

Café Latte’s Turtle Cake
Adapted from Café Latte, St. Paul, MN

Cake:
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup good-quality cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot coffee

Frosting:
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cover the bottom of each pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

For cake: In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil, and buttermilk. In another larger bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients until well mixed. Gradually add hot coffee. Scrape batter into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

For Frosting: Mix milk and sugar together in a saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to pan and, using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. (Note: If frosting is too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons hot coffee.)

Place 1 cooled cake layer with the top side down on cake plate. Spread with one-third of frosting, pushing it out slightly from edges to make a ripple or petal effect. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add the next layer, again with the top side down. Repeat layers. Place top layer with the top side up. Repeat layers.

Yield: One (9-inch, 3 layer) cake

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