the practical gourmet

quick french dinner

2011-03-15T21:12:00.004-04:00

tonight i wanted to whip up something quick and fresh, and i had all of the ingredients on hand to make a quick french meal. i'm not going to say this is authentic, but it will pass. there is a pretty hefty amount of butter, but the dish isn't heavy. don't let the butter sway you against preparing this though, it's worth every calorie.

ingredients:
2 firm white fish fillets (we used red snapper)
flour (for dredging)
4 tablespoons butter
juice of 1.5 big lemons
zest of 1/2 a lemon
about 1 tablespoon of finely minced parsley
one pint baby potatoes (we used white potatoes, but any will do)
8 oz. haricot vert, ends removed
1.5 oz. white truffle butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

directions:
cut the potatoes into 1/2" discs and place them in the basket of a steamer. put the pan over medium high heat, cover, and steam until they are almost done (about 10 minutes).

meanwhile, heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan (large enough for both fish fillets), and cook until it begins to bubble and turn brown around the edges. salt the fish and then sprinkle it with flour all over. pat off all excess flour and then add to the pan, skin side down (if your fillets have skin).

at this point, add the haricot vert to the steamer with the potatoes and put the lid back on, and continue steaming.

cook the fish until you can see white traveling up the sides. our fillets were quite thick, so this took several minutes, if yours are thinner, it won't take as long. once they are at this point, gently turn them and cook on the other side. your timing for this side should be half the time you had them on the first side (ex. if they were on the first side for 4 minutes, cook them on the second for 2). you don't want to overcook them, so be careful. to check for doneness, just use a fork to flake the fish at the thickest part. if it flakes, it's done. remove to the serving plates and set aside. add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley to the butter that remains in the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits...let this cook for a minute, then pour over each fillet of fish.

meanwhile, drain the potatoes and the haricot vert and add the olive oil and truffle butter to the pan. put this over a high flame and add the vegetables back in. crack in some fresh black pepper and add salt to taste, and turn the veggies in the butter and oil. remove from the heat and serve with the fish.

notes:
this recipe is a take on sole meuniere. i didnt have sole, and i don't know how authentic it is, but i know my mom makes it really well, and i know she uses these ingredients. i'm fairly certain this sause would taste excellent with shrimp, which would in turn be amazing over pasta. the possibilities are endless.

greek pasta

2010-07-22T14:25:00.002-04:00

well, i took a picture of this, but it doesn't look very appetizing, so i'm choosing to post this sans photo...

this is a really simple dish featuring some of my favorite things, including my go-to vinaigrette (which is really a vinaigrette by the late, great gourmet magazine). it's fast, easy, and uses a lot of pantry items you may already have on hand. it would be great for dinners or for a picnic as it would do well at room temperature.

ingredients:
1 box orzo, cooked per package instructions to al dente
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 artichoke hearts (packed in water), diced
8 large black olives sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package feta cheese
1/4 cup banana peppers, diced
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed and finely minced (or pushed through a press)
1 heaping tablespoon of coarse ground dijon mustard
just over 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

directions:
i know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but don't be intimidated. put the pasta on to boil.

while the pasta is cooking, dice the artichoke hearts, slice the olives, cut the tomatoes, and dice the banana peppers. heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat and add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. stir occasionally...you want them to warm through and the tomatoes to kind of fall apart, as the tomatoes give out some of their sweet liquid, the artichoke hearts will begin to caramelize, which is perfect. once this happens, turn off the heat.

at this point, your orzo should be cooked and drained. add it to the pan with the vegetables, add in the banana peppers and cheese and set aside.

to make the vinaigrette, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar in a small bowl then whisk together. slowly drizzle in the olive oil - while whisking - until it's the consistency and flavor you'd like (i prefer more vinegar to oil, but everyone is different). the mustard will emulsify this, so you won't need to whisk again.

drizzle this over the pasta and stir through. serve hot or let it come to room temperature and serve. enjoy!

notes: this dish is easy and delicious. the dressing is so versatile...i'll have to give more options for this in the near future, maybe i can do a whole post on dressing variations ala mark bittman. :)

fried rice

2010-06-11T12:24:00.003-04:00

well, here i am...back and cooking! bet you thought it would never happen. and frankly, neither did i. i'm in my second trimester, and i have energy again, which is a wonderful feeling after being so tired for so long.

since i've been pregnant i've been more concerned with the food that i've been putting into my body. i want my little bump to have the very best after all! this fried rice is a great light dinner (and would also make a good lunch). it more than served two of us, which is surprising when you see the short list of ingredients below. fried rice is great because you can load it up with your favorite items...these are mine.

ingredients:
1 cup rice (uncooked)
1 cup water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 cobs of corn, kernels removed (see below for tips)
4 scallions
3 large eggs
1 boneless and skinless chicken breast
3 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari if you are preparing it gluten free)

directions:
using a rice cooker (or your preferred method of cooking rice) combine the rice and water and cook.

while that is cooking chop the red bell pepper and the scallions and mince the garlic and ginger, then set these aside. husk the corn, break (or cut) off the stem, and clean off all of the fine threads. hold the corn in your left hand and, starting at the halfway point in the cob, run your sharpest knife down the side to remove the kernels. then flip the cob over and remove the kernels on the other end. set the corn aside with the other vegetables.

clean and "de-fat" your chicken breast (that's what we call it in our household anyway) and then cut it into small pieces. you want it to distribute through the fried rice, so the pieces should be pretty small. set aside.

in a small bowl, whisk the three eggs together. set aside.

ok, now that all of your prep work is done you are ready to fry the rice! in a large pan heat the canola and sesame oil over medium high heat. add the vegetables and stir through until the bell pepper begins to soften. add the chicken and stir until it is cooked through. make a "well" in the middle of your pan by pushing all of the ingredients to the sides, and then pour the eggs into the center. cook these as you would scrambled eggs (e.g., keep moving them around with a spoon or spatula) and once they are completely cooked, mix everything together.

your rice should be done at this point, so add it to the pan and increase the heat in the pan to high. mix the rice through with the vegetable, chicken, and egg mixture and then add the soy (or tamari) sauce. the heat from the pan will remove any extra liquid and make the rice nice and fluffy. once everything is incorporated, it's ready to serve. enjoy!

notes: this is so easy, and like i said, can use any ingredients. this is just what we had on hand. make good use of your local farmers market to get the freshest ingredients you can, and this will be a delicious meal in your house too. oh, i don't know this for sure, but i'm 99% certain that if you have little ones, they will love this too.

still here!

2010-05-15T09:44:00.001-04:00

hello everyone (if anyone is still reading this)! i'm still here, and the nausea and queasiness associated with the first three months of pregnancy have finally passed me by. i also have some more energy here and there, and have begun to cook proper meals again.

i haven't written a new recipe since i've been pregnant, and i've done very little knitting as well. to be honest, my creative juices seem to have been zapped...but i'm trying to get back into it. once i have something new i will share with all of you.

thanks for sticking around!

lack of appetite

2010-04-06T14:53:00.002-04:00

you may have noticed a shortage of new recipes on the blog lately. and that's because the cooking i have been doing is rare, and very simple. i've had a severe lack of appetite lately, and also i'm really tired all of the time.

it's probably due to the little bun i'm busily cooking in my oven...that's right, i'm due november 9th! the baby is only set to take it all out of me for the next few weeks, and once that's passed, i promise some new recipes for my faithful readers.

in the meantime, feel free to peruse my sidebar for older recipes...and enjoy a glass of wine for me! :)

greek frittata

2010-01-21T11:49:00.003-05:00

i don't have a photo for this recipe, but don't let that prevent you from giving it a try. this is a fast, easy mid-week dinner, and the fact that it falls into our "weekly vegetarian meal" makes it even better.

don't think for a moment though that the vegetarian label means it's not full of flavor. the banana peppers and feta cheese keep it tangy. serve this alongside a simple salad of mixed greens with your favorite low fat dressing for a healthy weeknight meal.

ingredients:
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 4 oz package of baby spinach leaves
1 8.5 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), roughly chopped
2 tablespoons banana peppers, roughly chopped
1 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
12 eggs
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

directions:
preheat the oven to 350.

heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large oven-proof non-stick pan, add the garlic and saute until fragrant (about a minute). add in the spinach a handful at a time until it is all incorporated. stir with a spoon until all is wilted. add in the roughly chopped artichoke hearts and banana peppers and heat through.

meanwhile whisk all twelve eggs together in a large bowl. redistribute all of the items in the pan so that they are evenly distributed. pour the eggs over the top of the filling items and then top with the crumbled feta cheese. sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top (if you'd like a bit more spice).

cook on the stove until the bottom is set. you may need to pull up the edges of the frittata and tilt the pan so that the eggs can run under to the bottom. once the bottom is set, pop into the oven and cook until the top is set (about 10 minutes). enjoy!

notes:
easy, vegetarian, and gluten free! what more could a girl ask for? this is great for dinner, a lunch, or even breakfast. change the items you serve on the side to suit the meal you choose to serve.

harvest salad

2010-01-16T12:39:00.003-05:00

wow, it's been a while since i've posted. sorry for the radio silence. there really isn't an excuse, but the holidays and work were busy, and the blog just got away from me. i'll be better...promise.

that said, i'd like to present you with a recipe for a wonderful little salad. easy to make, and very hearty. it's full of all of the delicious flavors of fall and winter and will leave you and your loved ones feeling satisfied despite the fact that it is vegetarian and, well, a salad.

ingredients:
one large package of baby spinach leaves, washed (yes, again)
1 large butternut squash, peeled, cored, and cut into 1" cubes
4 ounces of pine nuts
3 ounces of goat cheese
1 chipotle in adobe (see notes for storing the rest of the can), chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced fine
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for butternut
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment and preheat the oven to 350.

peel, core, and cut up the butternut into 1" cubes. toss with some olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and transfer to the baking sheet. bake for 20 minutes (or until the butternut is soft, but not yet browned). remove from the oven and set aside.

toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium high heat until they begin to brown and they smell deeply nutty. set aside.

wash the spinach and add to a large bowl.

i use the mini food processor attachment for my immersion blender to make the dressing, and it works like a charm. if you don't have one of these, you can do it the old fashioned way by mincing the chipolte very fine, mincing the garlic very fine and adding these, along with the vinegar to a small bowl. very slowly stream in the olive oil and whisk while you do. eventually everything will all come together, and this is called an emulsion. in a food processor, just add all of the ingredients and whizz. either way, add salt and pepper to taste.

toss the spinach leaves in the dressing and then plate. top each plate with crumbled goat cheese, the toasted pine nuts, and a generous amount of the roasted butternut squash. enjoy!

notes:
to store the remaining chipotles, put them into a ziploc baggie and press all of the air out. then pop this into the freezer...when you need more, they will be there.

this salad is spicy and sweet, and very good for you. it serves two as a main course and four as a starter or side dish.

quick fish tacos

2009-10-29T15:58:00.002-04:00

some nights the last thing i want to do is come home and cook. it doesn't happen often, but when it does it hits me like a ton of bricks. however, with this recipe on hand i'm never stuck with nothing to eat. the ingredients are readily available, inexpensive, and the preparation could not be faster.

enjoy these fresh healthy tacos when you are running short on time but want something long on flavor.

ingredients:
4 fresh tilapia filets
8 crunchy corn taco shells*
1/2 a head of napa cabbage, shredded
queso fresco or cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced fine
goya adobo seasoning
olive oil

directions:
heat olive oil (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) in a large pan over medium high heat. cut fish into chunks about 1 inch in size. add them to the pan and sprinkle with the adobo seasoning mix (use this to taste, it's not spicy hot, just spicy flavorful). saute until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes, and then remove.

shred the cabbage and set aside. in a small bowl mix the minced chipotle chile and the sour cream to make a spicy sour cream.

spread the sour cream on the inside of the taco shells, and then add fish to the bottom, then napa cabbage, and sprinkle cheese (if using) on top. serve warm with a slice of lime (to sqeeze on at the last second) and enjoy!

notes:
* we used the Safeway brand taco shells which were labeled as gluten free. please be sure to check the ingredients on your favorite brand to make sure they are safe if you are preparing this gluten-free.

tip of the day

2009-10-07T19:51:00.004-04:00

as you all know, i love cooking. what you may not know is that i also love wine. however, one hard thing for me is pairing the meals i make with wines i'd like to try.

the impromptu gourmet is offering a free 24 page wine pairing and entertainment guide when you sign up for emails from their website. the guide is awesome, and so is the site. for those of us who love food, and sometimes don't have time to prepare it ourselves, it offers excellent choices. the meals there also makes a great gifts.

just a little tip from me to you. :)

salsa for galen

2009-10-04T10:46:00.003-04:00

"who is galen?" you may ask. and the short answer is a guy i work with. a slightly longer version is that he's a husband, father, photographer, and kick-butt gardener, who even composts himself so that everything that comes out of his garden is completely natural. you can follow his exploits here, though they are mostly over for the year be sure to check back next spring to follow his plantings and adventures in the garden.

anyway, one day i came into the office to this:

he'd brought in several of his beautiful cherry tomatoes for me. they were the most perfect shade of red, and were sweet and juicy. seriously, i don't even eat raw tomatoes and i savored one of these. i knew that i had to write a recipe for them, but i wanted to make sure that it did them justice. i think this does...

ingredients:
a handful of amazing cherry tomatoes from a friends garden or a large package of cherry tomatoes
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
7 cloves of garlic confit, method to make this can be found here
heaping tablespoon of pickled jalapenos, finely minced
1/2 a teaspoon of sugar
splash of balsamic vinegar
splash of olive oil (feel free to use the garlic infused oil from the garlic confit)
sal gris
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon

directions:
preheat the oven to 400.

quarter the cherry tomatoes and then mix them, the shallots, the garlic confit, the jalapenos, the sugar, the vinegar, the salt, and the oil together and place into a small casserole and pop into the oven. let this roast for about 15 minutes to let the flavors combine. remove from the oven and squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the cilantro. add more salt to taste. serve warm.

notes:
this is great warm or cold. the heat here allows all of the flavors to mesh together, and the balsamic adds an unexpected sweetness to play against the spiciness of the jalapenos. this is now a hit around our house, whenever it comes time to make a snack the first thing the husband says is "how about that salsa?"

the mobbies!

2009-09-30T16:57:00.002-04:00

the practical gourmet was nominated for a mobbie, which is run by the baltimore sun and is an award for maryland's outstanding blogs.

i'm humbled and honored by the response, and that i'm currently #12 in the rankings...but i'd love to be a little higher...

so vote early and often for the practical gourmet to win a mobbie in the foodie category. voting closes october 9th, and this link will be in the sidebar until then.

thanks!

sausage, broccoli rabe, and fontina frittata

2009-09-14T15:21:00.003-04:00

this dish is so quintessentially Italian, and it is an excellent source of protein and it is gluten-free (unless you add something wheaty to it). these flavors just “go” together, and when i saw broccoli rabe in the store i knew i would be adding it to something for dinner this week.

ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and ends trimmed, then chopped
3 links or one “roll” pork sausage (i used smithfield mild pork sausage roll as it is gluten-free)
1 block (about ½ a pound) of fontina cheese, cubed
8 eggs
salt and pepper
olive oil

directions:
heat olive oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. add the sausage, breaking it up with the back of your spoon so that it browns evenly. once it is fully browned, add the chopped broccoli rabe and let that wilt down until it’s a dark green and is soft.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

mix the eggs, salt and pepper (to taste), and the cubed fontina in a small bowl. pour this over the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture and make sure to evenly distribute the eggs. let this set on the bottom (run a rubber spatula under this to make sure you will easily be able to cut and remove slices of the finished frittata) and then pop it into the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is set. let cool for about 4 to 5 minutes and then turn out and slice into wedges to serve.

notes:
this could be a great meal for breakfast or dinner. if you are serving for breakfast a nice side of fresh berries would be a good compliment. for dinner a green salad would be delicious.

sesame seared ahi tuna

2009-09-02T10:37:00.004-04:00

tuna is my favorite fish. i love it when it’s seared like this…warm and crusted on the outside and pink and cool in the center. i also love it in tuna sandwiches, and tuna poached in white wine with anise and tarragon. really tuna is a versatile fish, and this dish shows just how simple it is to prepare.

ingredients:
2 ahi tuna steaks
good sea salt
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
olive oil

directions:
heat olive oil over very high heat in a non stick pan. salt both sides of the tuna. on a small plate lay out the sesame seeds and press one side of the tuna into them to form a crust. use your fingers to make sure they are adhered to the tuna. repeat with the other tuna steak.

once the pan is very hot, lay the tuna in sesame seed side down, and sear for one minute. flip and sear the second side for 30 seconds. remove from heat immediately and set onto a cool plate.

notes:
make a dipping sauce by mixing 3 tablespoons of wheat-free soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of water, and 2 tablespoons of honey in a small bowl. serve with the ginger scented rice and quick picked veggies.

ginger scented rice

2009-09-02T10:32:00.005-04:00

there is something comforting to me about sticky short grained rice. i rinse my rice thoroughly and then let it soak for about an hour. this allows the rice to puff slightly and makes it even stickier when cooked. this is the perfect compliment to the quick pickled veggies and the sesame seared ahi tuna.

ingredients:
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (you can use a microplane or a japanese ginger grater)
1.5 cups short-grained white rice
1.5 cups water
toasted sesame seeds

special equipment:
rice cooker

directions:
mix the ginger and water together and then add in the rice. set the rice cooker and let it do its thing. once the rice is cooked, top it with some toasted sesame seeds.

quick pickled veggies

2009-09-02T10:25:00.004-04:00

these compliment the sesame seared ahi tuna and ginger scented rice. they are fast, and a perfect blend of vinegar and sugar. they don't keep for long, so they should be made the day you plan to serve them.

ingredients:
5 small carrots peeled
1 large english cucumber, peeled and seeded
¼ cup mirin
¾ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup chopped cilantro

directions: grate carrots and cucumbers (i use my food processor for this because it makes quick work of the job). mix the mirin, vinegar, sesame seeds, and cilantro and then add the vegetables. stir occasionally and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes…just long enough to make the rest of the meal.

hanoi beef

2009-08-20T17:43:00.003-04:00

when i was young there was a restaurant near me called viet chalet. they served the most amazing vietnamese food, and frankly, i was addicted. i’d grown accustomed to the perfect spring rolls, and to vietnamese coffee (i loved watching it filter and the sticky sweet taste of the condensed milk). most of all i was addicted to one dish in particular, hanoi beef. it was a simple dish of beef that had been marinated and skewered and grilled, and it was served with delicate rice noodles, vegetables, herbs, and the consummate vietnamese fish dipping sauce nuoc cham. i ate it at least once a week, and it got to the point where they stopped asking me what i wanted when i came in, they just started cooking it for me.

when the restaurant closed my mother and i set out on a mission to find a suitable replacement for my vietnamese food fix, which is how we discovered the taste of saigon an amazing restaurant located in rockville. though they don’t have hanoi beef on their menu, my favorite was replaced by mama tu’s pepper shrimp, a secret recipe that i long to recreate. in the mean time, i’ve been trying to master the hanoi beef, and i think i finally got it.

ingredients:
1 pound skirt steak, silver skin and copious fat removed
3 serrano peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and sliced
1 stalk of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, then minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of three limes (with pulp)
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons cilantro, cleaned, stemmed, and chopped
1 english cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into matchsticks
3 carrots, peeled, and cut into matchsticks
¼ cup mint, cleaned and minced
¼ cup cilantro, cleaned and minced
¼ cup basil, cleaned and minced
vietnamese fish dipping sauce, recipe here
rice noodles, cooked per the package instructions.

directions:
mix the peppers, lemongrass, fish sauce, limes, sugar, and cilantro in a bowl. thinly slice the steak on the diagonal (it helps if you refrigerate or slightly freeze it before you slice so that you can get the pieces thinner). add the steak and the contents of the bowl to a ziploc bad and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

if you are cooking on a grill you can skewer the beef onto metal skewers (or bamboo skewers that have soaked in water while the beef marinates) and then grill them until browned. this will not take long. if you are cooking indoors, you can just add the beef to a very hot pan or wok and turn until the beef is browned, again, this won’t take long.

cook the rice noodles per the package instructions, and serve the beef with the carrots, cucumbers, and rice noodles along with the blend of three herbs. dip into the vietnamese nuc cham dipping sauce and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Salad

2009-07-30T12:35:00.004-04:00

This is a different take on your common potato salad. There is no mayonnaise and no egg, and it's served hot, not cold.

Don't be scared though, because this version is so amazing you'll soon be a convert. It's full of the deep flavors of mustard, vinegar, and brown sugar. The potatoes are really the star here, and this is an excellent accompaniment to seared pork chops or a roasted chicken.

ingredients:
8 red "new" potatoes
6 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 package (4 ounces) of cremini mushrooms
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minces
2 tablespoons celery leaves, minced
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cup pacific chicken stock
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
3 tablespoons coarse ground dijon mustard
salt

directions:
prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them and then slicing them into 1/4" discs. do not peel them. add them to a large pot of room temperature water and then bring this to a boil. cook the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork. do not over cook them because you don't want them to lose their shape in the salad.

while the potatoes are cooking...

chop the bacon into pieces and then mince the onion, celery, garlic, and celery leaves and set aside. rinse or brush your mushrooms and trim the stems, and then slice them and set them aside.

heat a pan over high and render down the bacon. once it is browned, use a slotted spoon to remove it and set it on some paper towel to drain. remove some of the bacon fat (reserve about 1 tablespoon) and then add the butter and the olive oil to the pan. saute the onions, celery, and celery leaves until soft and glassy. add the mushrooms and saute until soft. in a small bowl mix the corn starch, chicken stock, vinegar, and brown sugar and then add to the pan with the mushrooms, onions, celery, and celery leaves. stir until the sauce thickens and reduces some. once the potatoes are cooked add to the pan with the sauce and then add in the cooked bacon. serve warm. enjoy!

notes:
my husband thought that this was going to be a disaster, but i have to say i love proving him wrong. i just knew that these flavors would come together to make something fantastic. it's a surprisingly good side dish, and honestly i could eat just this for dinner.

bison ragu with risotto

2009-07-10T15:15:00.004-04:00

in balitmore we have the benefit of a very good local bison farm, gunpowder bison & trading company. bison is an excellent protein. delicious, and lower in fat than beef. the bison at gunpowder is raised hormone free, which means it's even better for you. they deliver, so check out their website!

this is my standard ragu starter, with bison thrown in. i find that it's easier (and cheaper) to make sauce from scratch at home, then to read through the long lists of ingredients on the backs of the jars in the grocery store aisles. plus, my sauce tastes better.

you could eat this over pasta, but why not give risotto a try...it's a better pairing than you think...

ingredients:
1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 large bunches of basil, leaves sliced and stems chopped
salt
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
2 cans san marzano tomatoes (28 oz. each)
1 pound ground bison
1.5 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock - Pacific brand is gluten-free
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (use a microplane if you have one)

directions:
to prep: finely dice your onion, chop your basil stems and slice your basil leaves, and very thinly slice your garlic.

add olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) to a large pan and saute the onion, basil stems, and garlic over medium heat until soft. add the bison and saute until browned. if you'd like you can drain off some of he fat, but bison tends to be less fatty than beef. add the tomatoes (be sure to pick through these with your fingers and pull out any skins and any of the basil they pack them with) and their juices and break them up with the back of a wooden spoon. simmer while you are prepping the risotto.

in a small pot heat the stock over low heat. you just need to keep it warm throughout the cooking process.

in a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat (it's better if this is lower than you think it should be...so if you are unsure, turn the heat down) add the onion and some salt and sweat the onions until they are glassy. add the rice and stir until it smells nutty, then add the wine. stir until the liquid is incorporated, and then add 1/2 cup of the stock. stir and let the liquid plump the rice. continue adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until all but 1/2 cup is incorporated. (be sure to stir the rice regularly, and don't let it get too dry...the more you stir it, the more the starches will break down, which is what makes that beautifully creamy sauce.) once there is 1/2 cup of stock remaining, add in the cheese, stir, and then the last 1/2 cup of the stock. turn off the heat and let the residual heat help the rice absorb the remaining stock.

serve the bison ragu over the risotto and prepare to be swept away to a wonderful land where your tastebuds dance and bask in the sun.

notes:
as a recent gluten-free eater, risotto has become a staple in our household. i find that it tastes good alone, and also with heaping gobs of sauce. this would be good with any red sauce, and the red sauce could be made with beef, chicken, turkey, or even lamb or veal. look for whatever is fresh and local to you.

marsala mushroom risotto

2009-07-06T15:55:00.002-04:00

everything about this title sounds delicious. i love marsala wine, especially sweet marsala, and often use it even though a recipe calls for dry. it immediately imparts a flavor that would take hours of careful reducing and tweaking to otherwise come up with. risotto, as you have probably guessed by now, is a staple in our house...and since it's gluten-free, it's being eaten even more often! mushrooms are being slowly introduced around these parts because my husband was never too fond of them. they are growing on him, however, so you will likely notice them showing up more and more.

i have posted several recipes for risotto, and i swear each is my favorite, but then i create another and i fall in love all over again. this is an excellent vegetarian option, you don't even notice that there is no meat in the dish because it's so hearty. i used red wine to make this beacuse...well, that's what i had open. it tasted great, but it does color the rice slightly (as you can see in the photo). if you prefer a more pure visual experience, go with white wine. also, in full disclosure, i used chicken stock to make this, but veggie stock is just as good (though, it too will color the rice slightly).

ingredients for the risotto:
1.5 cups arborio rice
4 cups stock (veggie or chicken) - Pacific brand is gluten-free
1/2 cup wine (red or white)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (use a microplane if you have one)
salt

ingredients for the mushrooms:
1 package of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and stems discarded
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
splash (maybe 1/4 cup) of sweet marsala wine
salt
pepper

directions:
in a small pot heat the stock over low heat. you just need to keep it warm throughout the cooking process.

in a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat (it's better if this is lower than you think it should be...so if you are unsure, turn the heat down) add the onion and some salt and sweat the onions until they are glassy. add the rice and stir until it smells nutty, then add the wine. stir until the liquid is incorporated, and then add 1/2 cup of the stock. stir and let the liquid plump the rice. continue adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until all but 1/2 cup is incorporated. (be sure to stir the rice regularly, and don't let it get too dry...the more you stir it, the more the starches will break down, which is what makes that beautifully creamy sauce.) once there is 1/2 cup of stock remaining, add in the cheese, stir, and then the last 1/2 cup of the stock. turn off the heat and let the residual heat help the rice absorb the remaining stock.

while the risotto is cooking...

heat the butter and oil (measurements for the mushrooms) in a small pan and once melted add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and the leaves of thyme. stir until the mushrooms start to go soft and absorb some of the butter and oil and then add in the marsala. stir through until some of the liquid is reduced/absorbed by the mushrooms.

top the risotto with the mushroom mixture. enjoy!

notes:
the thyme and mushrooms go really well together, but if you'd like to add a different herb some of these would work: sage, parsley, rosemary, or a herbes de provence blend.

tuna and tomato sauce

2009-06-24T12:00:00.003-04:00

i know, it sounds weird. but honestly, tomato sauce (or marinara) with tuna in it is so delicious, and is pretty common in italy. it's important to get the tuna packed in olive oil, as it imparts a nice flavor to the sauce. the tuna also adds protein to the sauce, making this a more substantial meal. this quick marinara is one i rely heavily upon for weeknight meals, and it's never failed me.

serve this over whole wheat spaghetti for a simple weeknight dinner, and prepare to be wowed at how good tuna and tomato sauce really is!

ingredients:
1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 large bunches of basil, leaves sliced and stems chopped
salt
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
2 cans san marzano tomatoes (28 oz. each)
2 cans tuna in olive oil (6 oz. each)
1 tsp za'atar powder

directions:
to prep: finely dice your onion, chop your basil stems and slice your basil leaves, and very thinly slice your garlic.

add olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) to a large pan and saute the onion, basil stems, and garlic over medium heat until soft. add the tomatoes (be sure to pick through these with your fingers and pull out any skins and any of the basil they pack them with) and their juices and break them up with the back of a wooden spoon. add the za'atar powder and them simmer for about ten minutes. drain the tuna and add it to the tomato sauce, being careful to leave some large chunks intact. turn off the heat, and add in the basil leaves, taste and season if needed. serve over pasta and enjoy!

notes:
pasta...you really can't go wrong with pasta, especially when it's being served with a sauce this good. most people really enjoy a nice homemade tomato sauce which takes like 15 minutes start to finish, so why use jarred sauces? the tuna is really what sets this apart though...even the kids will love it.

summer squash and pesto pizza

2009-06-19T12:21:00.004-04:00

i got an aero grow garden for christmas and had an amazing crop of basil almost right away. so when the time to harvest grew close i made plans for making a stellar pesto with my own basil, and i was elated. there are as many different types of pesto as there are languages in this world, but this is a more traditional take. the flavors are amazing, and the texture is great, this sauce really speaks of freshness and i love that.

i decided that instead of putting this on a pasta i would spread it on a pizza, and then top with veggies. i chose thinly sliced summer squash, but zucchini, tomatoes, or even eggplant would be amazing here as well.

for pesto:
2 big handfuls of fresh basil leaves (about 3 cups)
4 to 5 cloves of garlic (for a softer taste you can use roasted garlic or garlic confit)
1 package (4 oz.) of pine nuts
2 cups of finely grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt

for the pizza:
one whole wheat pizza crust recipe, here
one batch of the above pesto
2 summer squash
about 3 cups of mozzarella
red pepper flakes

directions:
toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat until lightly browned and nutty smelling. add the pine nuts, basil, garlic, parmesan and salt (to taste - start with a good pinch) into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until all of the ingredients are well chopped. stream in the olive oil slowly until the pesto begins to pull away from the sides of the food processor bowl. you want this to be thicker than a normal pesto for the pizza sauce...so that it doesn't make the crust soggy. however, if you are using this pesto recipe for pasta you'd want to stream in extra oil so that it's nice and runny and deliciously oily. taste and add more salt if needed.

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

prepare the pizza crust per the recipe and once it's rolled out layer on the pesto evenly. thinly slice the summer squash (i used my mandoline, but a nice sharp knife would do as well) and then layer them on evenly. top with a thin layer of the cheese and sprinkle on some crushed red pepper flakes. pop into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese and crust are golden. enjoy!

notes:
mmm, pizza. actually, we are having it again tonight for dinner. well, calzones to be more exact but i think you get the idea; we eat a lot of pizza in our house! this was a particularly healthy one, and the pesto made it taste decadent and rich. mix up the vegetables on this one for a playful approach to pizza at your house.

bbq wine burgers

2009-06-17T13:19:00.005-04:00

no photo, sorry. but i whipped these up on tuesday night and they went over really well, so i wanted to share the recipe with you all. (it's kind of hard to photograph a burger without a bun in an attractive way.)

to keep this dish gluten-free i used sweet baby ray's bbq sauce and sargento shredded cheddar cheese which are both gluten-free products. i also ate my burger sans bun, but i didn't miss it.

ingredients:
1# 97% fat free ground beef
salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons of sweet baby ray's bbq sauce
1 tablespoon of red wine (i used pinot noir)
1/2 cup sargento shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil

directions:
salt and pepper the ground beef to taste, and then gently mix it using your hands. divide evenly into three chunks, and then further divide these in half so that you end up with six even sized balls of seasoned ground beef.

flatten out three of the balls into very thin patties. top each patty (in the center only) with cheddar cheese (as much as it will comfortably hold) and then flatten out the remaining three balls into patties. top each of the already cheesed patties, and then using your fingers pinch the edges together and smooth them out so that none of the cheese can escape. repeat for the other two burgers.

mix together the bbq sauce and wine in a small bowl until well-combined. then lightly brush one side of each of the burgers and place them sauce side down in a lightly oiled pan over high heat. brush the top side with sauce and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes. then flip and cook 4 to 6 minutes more. baste throughout with the sauce until it's gone. enjoy!

notes:
this was my first forray into making something for me that my husband could also eat and not notice the difference. it worked. the sauce is delicious and cutting it with the wine decreases the sweetness (so if you like it sweet, add more bbq, but don't eliminate a liquid all-together because it keeps it "brushable"). i usually add egg and onions and panko to my burgers, so this "purist" approach was a departure for me, but it was very good. vj ate his with a nice whole grain bun, and we both enjoyed potatoes on the side. this could easily be done on the grill as well as in the house.

a new beginning

2009-06-16T12:17:00.003-04:00

in may of 2008 i was diagnosed with endometriosis. at the time it wasn't bad, and for the last year it was pretty well controlled with mild medication. however, over the last several months i've been in excruciating pain as a direct result of the endometriosis.

i thought my options were slim. either live with the pain or take a pretty drastic drug that would put me into a state of menopause. no, thank you. then new research came out about the link between the painful side effects of endometriosis and the consumption of wheat and gluten. the research is still in the very early stages, but somewhere close to 80% of endometriosis patients who have given up wheat and gluten in their diets feel relief from the pain of the endometriosis.

well, that was good enough for me. so i've decided to try it. for two months i will give up all wheat and gluten, and see if i feel pain relief. if in two months i'm feeling better, i will try to eat one thing with gluten (i can tell you right now it will be a donut) and see if i'm in pain. if so, i'll cut it out of my diet forever.

there are many things about this decision that i'm unhappy with. the lack of pizza, donuts, and bagels in my diet frankly makes me a little sad. also, the fact that gluten is added to many unexpected places (like toothpaste and prescription drugs). however, there are some things that make me happy. the main thing is that i have a chance of being free of pain. also, i have the support of my wonderful husband and my mom and two aunts who have given up wheat and gluten due to celiac disease. because of them i have an advantage. they know things. the restaurants where you can tell them you require gluten-free food and they will honor it and the best substitutes for favorite foods (like pizza crust).

what does this mean for my food blog? not much really. i plan to try this as "natural" as possible. which means that i'm going to try to do about 80% whole foods (so potatoes, rice, polenta, and quinoa instead of pasta and bread) and only 20% processed gluten-free food (gluten-free bread mixes and flour mixes, corn-based cereals, and gluten-free cookies). because of that, most of the recipes i'll be sharing will likely just have "or serve over polenta" as an option for pasta toppings, or they will have mashed potatoes as a side instead of bread. the chicken won't be breaded, it will just be grilled or sauteed...things like that. the next several posts are recipes that were written prior to the decision to go gluten free, but after that most of my recipes will be gluten-free, and will be included in a new drop-down category in my recipe finder called "gluten-free" in addition to the course for which they are best suited.

thanks in advance for all of the support i know i will get from my blog readers, i hope this proves to be successful, and also hope that my love of food and cooking will only be increased with this new challenge.

chicken and cauliflower coconut curry

2009-06-15T15:03:00.005-04:00

i love curry, and i adore coconut, so it should come as no surprise that coconut curry is one of my favorite foods. i usually eat it only when my husband is out of town though, because surprisingly, he hates both coconut and curry.

this dish is so easy to make, and really you can put anything into this sauce and it will be amazing. i just happened to be in the mood for this combo. no picture, sorry about that. but honestly, coconut curry doesn’t make for a particularly photogenic meal anyway.

ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½” chunks
1 onion, finely diced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon and one teaspoon of curry powder
1 can coconut milk (shake well)
1 cup chicken stock (or veggie stock, if you prefer)

directions:
in a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions. salt and pepper these and cook until soft. add the broccoli and carrots and the chicken stock, and cover the pot and let these soften for about 10 minutes. add in the chicken, and the curry powder and stir through. cover again for about 5 to 7 minutes (until the chicken isn’t pink), and then add the coconut milk, and stir through. you may want to add more chicken stock at this point, to give yourself a little more sauce, but it’s up to you. cover this and bring it to a simmer, and then remove from the heat and server over rice, or with nann. enjoy!

notes:
this would be amazing (and vegetarian) if you replaced the chicken with potatoes and used vegetable stock. you’d just need to cut the potatoes into chunks roughly the same size as the cauliflower, and then put the potatoes in at the same time as the cauliflower and carrots.

this will be more colorful if you use the more yellow curry, i used the brown variety and it took on a decidedly beige tint (though it tasted luscious).

greek calzones

2009-06-10T10:00:00.004-04:00

when we were in pittsburgh for memorial day my friend nikki made pizzas for us for dinner one night. one version - my favorite - was a greek pizza, and it was awesome. i've decided to recreate those, but as calzones, and then share the recipe with you.

ingredients:
1 cup of marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of black olives, sliced
banana peppers sliced (to taste)
4 oz. tomato paste
1 teaspoon za'atar powder
practical gourmet pizza crust recipe (i used unbleached white flour for these calzones, but wheat is fine too)
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 oz. mozzarella cheese (optional)

directions:
prepare the pizza crust per the instructions, but before putting it in the bowl to rise, evenly separate it into 4 balls. preheat oven to 425, and allow dough to rise for abvout 15 minutes on top of the oven (the heat will force it some).

meanwhile, chop the artichoke hearts and slice the olives. mix the tomato paste and za'atar powder together in a small bowl, and then crumble the feta into another small bowl.

once the dough is risen, flatten the four balls out into four discs and place them onto parchment paper. smear (such a good word to use in cooking!) half of the discs with the tomato mixture, and then top with 1/4 of the artichokes and olives and add banana peppers to taste. top with 1/4 of the feta and a little mozzarella (this just make it "cheesy" since the feta won't melt.) fold over the top half of the disc and pinch the top edge and bottom edge with your fingers. srpinkle with salt and repeat 3 more times.

pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes (rotate the pans halfway through if you are baking all four of them on two racks). enjoy!

notes:
this calzone is tangy and salty and delicious. i mixed some additional za'atar powder into some extra virgin olive oil and dipped my crust into it. vj dipped his into tomato sauce.

campanelle with asparagus, feta, and mint

2009-06-08T21:43:00.003-04:00

wow, long time no post. which is weird, because i've had lots of foodie things going on lately. i have several recipes lined up for you...and i'll post them all over the next week or so, so just hang tight.

the recipe for today is a seasonal treat. 100% vegetarian (but not vegan, sorry margaux) but very filling and delicious as a main course. it's a simple dish, and took only about 15 minutes to prepare...wow, the news just keeps getting better and better!

give it a go, even my carnivorous husband thought it was a showstopper!

ingredients:
1 pound campanelle pasta (or penne or rotini)
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned and cut into 2" lengths
1/2 a block of feta (or 4 oz.) crumbled or cubed
1 package of pine nuts (or 4 oz.)
about 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
2 cloves of garlic confit (or roasted garlic)
2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add pasta. cook pasta for 6 minutes, and then add the asparagus to the water and cook both for an additional 4 minutes. drain and add to the bowl with the ingredients below.

while the pasta and asparagus are cooking...

toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over high heat. be sure to flip these around (use a spoon if you aren't comfortable with your pan flipping technique) so that they don't burn. once they are a nice golden brown and smell all deliciously nutty they are perfect, remove from the heat and add to a large bowl. chop the mint and place it in the bowl with the pine nuts. crumble the feta and add this to the bowl as well. mash the garlic confit (or roasted garlic) in the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste and then pour this into the bowl as well. when the pasta and asparagus are done, add them to the bowl and toss to combine. serve warm and enjoy!

notes:
this is a really nutritious dish, and it's really tasty too. i served mine alongside some large scallops that i brushed with a combination of cayenne pepper, honey, and butter and then seared over a very high heat. the mint and cool feta were a perfect compliment...but like i said, it would be great on its own (which is how i intend to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!)

classic lemon scones with blueberry jam

2009-05-19T09:56:00.002-04:00

every week, we have a meeting at my office, and one member of the group is tasked with bringing breakfast. this week was my turn, so i decided to make classic lemon scones and blueberry jelly. scones are pretty easy as far as baking goes. there is no rising like there is with bread, there isn't even any yeast. essentially, dry ingredients are mixed in one bowl, wet in another, and then they are combined. it's as simple as using an easy bake oven!

this recipe was adapted from the joy of cooking, and it doubles well.

classic lemon scones

ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 tablespoon pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup of heavy cream
zest of one lemon
more milk or heavy cream (about 2 tablespoons)
sugar or cinnamon and sugar mixed (about 3 tablespoons sugar to 1 tablespoon cinnamon)

directions:
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. toss all of the butter into the flour mixture, being sure to coat the butter with the flour. using a pastry cutter, mix the butter into the flour, breaking it up as you go. at the end you will likely need to use your hands to continue breaking up the butter until the pieces are quite small (at this point you should be able to squeeze a handful of the flour mixture and have it hold together).

in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and lemon zest. make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. mix them together with a wooden spoon, and then ultimately your hands. the mixture will be dry, but it will all come together.

turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a round that is just below an inch thick. cut it into 8 wedges, and place them 1/2" apart on a very lightly greased baking sheet. brush the top of each with the extra milk or heavy cream, and then sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon sugar.

bake at 425 for about 14 minutes. serve with blueberry jam (recipe below).

blueberry jam

ingredients:
2 pints of blueberries, cleaned and any stems removed
juice of one lemon
2/3 of a cup of sugar

directions:
place the berries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan over medium high heat. stir together. continue stirring until the berries have all popped (you can help a few of the stubborn ones along with the back of your spoon) and the jam is a vibrant magenta color, this will take about 20 to 30 minutes. taste, add sugar if needed.

pour into a mason jar. this will keep for about a week...but you won't want to wait that long to eat it.

notes:
everyone at work seemed to like the scones and the jam. the scones are better the next day, and they are great heated up with butter. enjoy!

eggs benedict

2009-05-14T13:27:00.002-04:00

eggs benedict has always been a favorite of mine. there were several years in my early twenties when my birthday dinner always consisted of eggs benedict, a bottle of champagne, and creme brulee. each of these is decadent in its own way, but combining them together was the ultimate treat.

that's why, for this mother's day i knew i had to make my eggs benedict. it's a favorite with both my mother and mother in law (and they both requested it this year). i always make my hollandaise sauce from scratch, and i have to say, it's not as hard as you'd think. the trick is to use the most amazing organic and free-range egg yolks you can get your hands on...the result will be both better flavor and the unbelievable yellow color you see in the photo.

ingredients:
6 english muffins
12 slices canadian bacon
2 bunches asparagus
12 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 sticks butter, divided
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt
pepper
cinnamon
olive oil
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

directions:
preheat the oven to 415 degrees. wash and trim the apsaragus, and spread it out on a rimmed cookie or baking sheet. drizzle olive oil (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) onto the asparagus and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. using your hands, mix around the asparagus so that each piece is well coated. pop into the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft and the tips are beginning to brown. it should still be bright green. remove and set aside.

to make the hollandaise, prepare a double boiler. if you don't have a double boiler (and i don't) simply use two pans that nest nicely (the one on top should be just smaller than the one on the bottom) and add enough water to the bottom pan so that the bottom of the top pan doesn't touch it when they are nesting. turn the heat on high, and whisk 4 egg yolks together until the water in the bottom is at a rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer. begn adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate it, and being careful not to let the mixture separate or any of the yolk to get hard on the walls of the pan. once all of the butter is incorporated, add in the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. whisk to combine, redude the heat to the lowest setting and whisk occassionally until the remainder of the meal is completed.

split the english muffins and toast them with butter. once toasted, set to the side.

set a deep large pan (or a pot) with at least 2 inches of water over a medium high burner. the idea is to get this water hot enough to be simmering, but not rapidly boiling. add the vinegar - it helps bind the egg whites together. now the eggs. before we go any further, it's important to tell you never to break your eggs directly into the water, you should break them into a small bowl or ramekin, and then slowly dunk them into the water. this helps keep the whites and yolk together. i will share my one trick to poaching eggs well (which my mother taught me when i was little), and that is to swirl your spoon around the outside of the pan, creating a bit of a tornado effect in the center of the pan, then (using your bowl) gently lower the egg into the center. cook the egg for about 2 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny, and then set aside onto a plate so that can be easily slid off when ready. you can cook several eggs at once, i still have trouble with this, but it is much faster. some of the white will move away from the yolk, and that's ok.

once all of the eggs are done, prepare the canadian bacon. though i am not one who usually relies heavily upon my microwave, there are a few times when it comes in handy. this is one of those times. canadian bacon is already cooked when it is purchased at the grocery store, and so i just pop it into the microwave long enough to heat it through. if you lay it out on a plate, and then cover with plastic wrap, and then heat (a minute, minute and a half tops) it won't dry out.

to assemble, place the top and bottom of one english muffin on each plate, top each piece with a slice of canadian bacon, add a small bunch of asparagus (it will lay over both muffins), add one poached egg to the top of each muffin, and then drizzle on the hollandaise sauce. eat immediately, enjoy!

notes:
this is always a hit when i make it, and i think that's due to the from-scratch hollandaise. nothing beats this decadent sauce when it's made at home, and you can further control the flavor by using the best quality eggs and butter. it's a treat, for sure, but suitable for a mother's day feast. the addition of asparagus is really due mainly to my obsession with it. the cinnamon is a special trick i use when roasting this fresh vegetable, which brings out it's natural sweetness and it plays nicely here with the rich sauce.

to vary up your eggs benedict, feel free to use lump crapmeat or seared shrimp in place of the canadian bacon, or smear the english muffins with the garlic and anchoy brown butter here for a decadent treat.

fruit salad with grand marnier whipped cream

2009-05-11T12:02:00.004-04:00

for mother's day i wanted to treat both of my mom's (my mother and my mother in law) to a fresh fruit salad that was seasonal, healthy, and also delicious. fresh fruit doesn't need much to make it sing, especially when the fruit is at the height of it's season. i chose perfect berries and exotic fruits to liven up the selection. to top it off i made a decadent whipped cream, which really set off the flavors of the fruit, without overwhelming it.

ingredients:
one package strawberries
one package blueberries
one package blackberries
one package raspberries
three kiwis
one champagne mango
2 cups heavy whipping cream
one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons of grand marnier
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

directions:
rinse and dry all of the berries. hull and quarter the strawberries and add them along with the blueberries, raspberries, and the blackberries to a large bowl. peel the kiwi and cut into half moons, and then slice into small pieces. peel the mango, and then cut the flesh off of the pit (which is larger than you think it is if you've never cut up a mango) and then cut it into small pieces. add the kiwi and mango to the bowl with the berries.

pour the heavy whipping cream into a second large bowl. slice the vanilla bean in half and use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds from each half. add the vanilla seeds and the sugar to the cream along with the grand marnier. using a handheld mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form, but be careful not to over mix...you don't want to make butter!

notes:
this was a hit, and it's dead simple. we found another excellent use for the whipped cream: adding it to coffee!

the flavor of grand marnier was very subtle, and the vanilla and cream were very indulgent.

stuffed eggplant

2009-04-23T12:29:00.003-04:00

we love eggplant around our house. we both grew up on it, and love it in italian and asian recipes alike. however, some people aren't as comfortable with eggplant...and this is a good recipe to try if that is the case because eggplant isn't the starring role, but a supporting player to the juicy beefy mixture in the center. give it a try and i'm sure you'll be a convert!

ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely minced
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
marinara sauce
parmesan cheese

directions:
in a large pan, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat, and add the onions and garlic. stir through until they are soft and glassy. meanwhile, mince the sage, rosemary, and thyme and add to the pan with the onions and garlic. once done, remove from the heat and set aside.

in a large bowl mix the beef, onion mixture, egg, mozzarella cheese, and breadcrumbs gently, being careful not to overwork, but being sure to incorporate everything well. set aside.

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

wash the skin of the eggplants well. then, slice the eggplants in half lengthwise - and using a paring knife and a large spoon - scoop out the flesh inside leaving a "wall" of eggplant to hold the beef mixture. salt the insides of the eggplant, and place them onto a baking sheet. fill them with the beef mixture, being sure to keep it "loose" and not over pack it. top with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce, and pop into the oven for 45 minutes. top with feshly grated parmesan cheese, and serve hot. enjoy!

notes:
this is tasty and filling. it could be made with ground turkey breast if you are concerned about fat and calories, and i think it would taste just as good. this is essentially my meatball mix, and i will probably do a meatball sub recipe in the next few weeks...because this got the hubby asking for it!

asparagus and potatoes with shallots

2009-04-08T13:59:00.004-04:00

wow, radio silence for a while...sorry about that! i've been cooking, and have been writing recipes, but haven't been sharing them. how very selfish of me.

here's one for all the lovers out there...a classic and simple side dish using the ever-present (in my kitchen anyway) asparagus. simple, but tasty, with the flexibility to go with almost anything. i served mine alongside a nice fish fillet, but it would taste just as good alongside chicken or beef. you could even toss the finished dish with pasta and have a whole meal.

ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned, ends trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1 small bag (or about 20) mixed fingering potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks
3 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. once it is at a rolling boil add some salt (i leave the quantity to your discretion) and the potatoes. cook until a fork can pierce them, but they aren't mushy, and then remove from the water (reserve the water) and drain. add the asparagus to the water and cook until bright green, then remove to the same strainer as the potatoes and discard the water.

add the butter, olive oil, garlic and shallots to the pot the water was in, and reduce the heat to medium high. let the shallots brown slightly - you want them to be a little caramelized - and once that happens add in the potatoes and asparagus. toss to distribute the flavors and add salt and pepper to taste. enjoy!

notes: see? i told you. dead simple.

chicken and risotto milanese

2009-03-25T11:51:00.003-04:00

i love the flavors of italy, and find that i'm most open to exploring dishes from that country than from any other. i think the reason is that italians don't seem to be rigid with their culinary traditions...they are open to exploration, and i find that encouraging.

this is a dish i've had several times in various restaurants over the years. i've seen countless recipes for it here and there, and have even cooked several of them. however, my take is simple and light, which is what i love about cooking with lemon and basil. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!

ingredients for the risotto:
1.5 cups arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt

ingredients for the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup panko bread crumbs
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
olive oil
salt and pepper

special equipment:
a meat pounder
plastic wrap

directions:
in a small pot heat the chicken stock and the saffron over low heat. you just need to keep it warm throughout the cooking process.

in a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat (it's better if this is lower than you think it should be...so if you are unsure, turn the heat down) add the onion and some salt and sweat the onions until they are glassy. add the rice and stir until it smells nutty, then add the wine. stir until the liquid is incorporated, and then add 1/2 cup of the stock. stir and let the liquid plump the rice. continue adding the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until all but 1/2 cup is incorporated. (be sure to stir the rice regularly, and don't let it get too dry...the more you stir it, the more the starches will break down, which is what makes that beautifully creamy sauce.) once there is 1/2 cup of stock remaining, add in the cheese, stir, and then the last 1/2 cup of the stock. turn off the heat and let the residual heat help the rice absorb the remaining stock.

while the risotto is cooking...

trim the chicken breasts of any fat and tendons, and then using a sharp knife, slice them in half lengthwise so that you have two very thin chicken pieces. place one piece between two sheets of plastic wrap, and then pound with the meat pounder until it is very thin. remove, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then set aside. repeat with the remaining three pieces of chicken.

in a small shallow bowl mix the panko, lemon zest, basil, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper together until well-blended. break the egg into another shallow bowl and whisk well. dredge the chicken first in the egg, then in the panko mixture. make sure that each piece of chicken gets an equal amount of the lemon zest and the basil.

heat olive oil (about 2 tablespoons to start) in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. place two of the chicken pieces into the pan and cook until lightly browned on the first side, then flip and cook until browned on the second side (because of how thin they are, they will likely not need more than 4 minutes a side...but test their doneness by seeing how they bounce back when you poke them). repeat with the remaining two chicken pieces.

serve over the risotto, and sprinkle with more basil and cheese to taste. enjoy!

notes:
this dish is my take on a classic...there are ingredients here that aren't commonly used (or at least weren't until recently) in italy...like panko. but i find that making things the way i think they taste best means i'm always happy with my food, and i'm sure you will be too. the chicken is simple and clean. the risotto is steeped with the exotic flavors (and colors) that saffron imparts...they would be good separate, but are excellent together.

favorite salad

2009-03-17T11:48:00.004-04:00

this is my new favorite salad. it's a very "fall" salad, which i'm enjoying now despite the fact that it's spring. it's full of good-for-you foods, and also some that just plain taste good. it's a lovely side dish for grilled or roasted chicken and fish, but also could be a meal on it's own for a lunch.

ingredients:
1 bag or box of mixed field greens
1 gala apple
1 handful of pecans
peccorino romano
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

for the dressing:
2 tablespoons fig spread
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

special equipment:
vegetable peeler

directions:
in a small bowl combine the fig spread and the vinegar until there are no lumps. then, while whisking, drizzle in the olive oil until it emulsifies. finely slice the basil into ribbons and add to the dressing. set aside.

in a small pan with no oil dry roast the pecans for about 1 minute to bring out the flavors. then set these aside to cool.

cut the apple into quarters and remove the seeds. finely slice each quarter into pieces the thickness of a nickel. add these to the lettuce in a large bowl. roughly chop the pecans, and add to the bowl. finely slice the basil into ribbons and add to the dressing. toss the salad together with the dressing and then, using a vegetable peeler, shave large pieces of the peccorino romano onto the salad and serve. enjoy!

sweet balsamic pasta with goat cheese

2009-03-09T11:49:00.004-04:00

when my husband was in law school we spent the majority of our time together on the weekends and almost always stayed home. our time together during the week was interrupted by my job and his studies, so we concentrated our weekends into just "us" time. we often cooked together, mainly breakfast, and one year his sister bought us a sweet little cookbook called a taste for love: a romantic cookbook for two. it was chock full of romantic meal ideas which ranged from inexpensive roasted chickens to elaborate lobster dinners.

we fell in love with one dish in particular and made it a lot the first few years of our marriage. it was called angel hair pasta with braised garlic, and it was divine. in this dish i've attempted (successfully, i believe) to recreate the sauce. i've added a few additional flavors to break up the slightly cloying flavor of the reduced sauce, and i believe they set it off perfectly. cook this for your loved one and you are sure to have a romantic night in.

ingredients:
12 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1 cup of chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound angel hair pasta
5 ounces goat cheese
1/2 a package (or about 1/2 cup) of pine nuts

directions:
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

toast the pine nuts in a large pan over high heat. be sure to toss them frequenly and keep an eye on them, they burn quickly. remove from the pan once they have a nice golden color and you can smell them.

heat the olive oil in the same pan over medium high heat. saute the garlic for a few moments - 45 seconds tops - and then add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. mix these two together to form a viscous liquid, and then gently stir in the chicken stock (it will take a while to combine). reduce the heat to medium and let this simmer until it is reduced by half and significantly thicker, stirring occasionally.

when the sauce is close to being thick enough, cook the pasta and then drain it and add it back to the pot. add in the pine nuts, and then about half the sauce and stir. crumble in half of the goat cheese and stir again. plate the pasta and then top with more crumbled goat cheese and drizzle on more sauce. enjoy!

notes:
simple and delicious, this dish is a crowd pleaser. you can add in roasted vegetables or even sliced or shredded chicken, these flavors pair well with anything.

veggie puffs

2009-03-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

lately i've been trying to prepare vegetarian dishes at least once a week. not because we are thinking of going veg, but because the health benefits are undeniable. it's fun to come up with vegetarian recipes that are unique and aren't boring...it feels like they've all been done before, you know? i'm not sure this is an original, but it's certainly tasty, and couldn't be simpler. it makes for an elegant preparation, so it would be well suited to a dinner party if you are hosting vegetarians.

ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 pint mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (i used cremini)
half a butternut squash, chopped into 1" cubes
3 carrots, chopped into 1" cubes
2 large (or 3 medium) parsnips, chopped into 1" cubes
2 yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1" cubes
olive oil salt and pepper
thyme (on the stalk)
6 puff pastry rounds
half a log (or one ball) of goat cheese

directions: preheat the oven to 425 degrees. place all of the chopped vegetables onto a baking sheet and lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and then top with several (6 or 7) stalks of thyme. the leaves will fall off of the stalks in the oven, so you don't need to remove them unless you really want to.

on a second baking sheet, lay out the puff pastry rounds, pop these and the veggies into the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, and then turn the veggies with a spatula. you may need to remove the puff pastry at this point, but follow the package instructions for that. continue cooking the veggies for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until soft, and just beginnning to brown. to assemble, cut the pastry in half (or peel apart the layers) and place goat cheese on the inside of the bottom piece, then top with veggies, and then another layer of goat cheese, and then put on the pastry "lid". you can add more veggies to the plate to supplement. enjoy!

notes: there is nothing more seasonal than roasted root vegetables in the winter. they are wholesome, delicious, and enjoyed by all. they pair particularly well with the goat cheese, and who doesn't love puff pastry!?

za'atar chicken and squash

2009-02-23T21:47:00.003-05:00

i love squash. all kinds of squash, butternut especially, but also spaghetti. it's an under-utilized vegetable, and that's a shame because it's really quite fun to cook with. i love how it comes to you all whole and packaged up perfectly, and with minimal effort, it turns into perfect strands of vegetable goodness.

fun with food!

this dish features za'atar powder, which is a commonly used herb and spice blend from the middle east. it usually contains thyme, oregano, and marjoram with toasted sesame seeds and often sumac. it's a nice blend, and though it has an exotic name, will taste very familiar and comforting.

ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons za'atar powder
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pint cherry tomatoes
small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees.

cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. smear the inside of the squash with olive oil and then coat with za'atar powder and salt. turn cut side down onto a baking sheet and then pop into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

cut the cherry tomatoes in half. heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. add tomatoes and let them break down slightly, about 5 minutes. meanwhile, cube the chicken and then add it to the pan with some salt and pepper to taste. then add a sprinkling of za'atar powder and cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. mix in parsley and then remove from heat and set aside.

once the squash is cooked through (pierce with a knife to make sure it's soft), use a fork to remove the individual strands from the skin, discard the skin. mix around the squash to make sure the spices are mixed through and then add to a plate. top with the chicken and tomato mixture and enjoy!

notes: this is so good. spicy (not hot spicy, but flavorful spicy) and totally good for you. low in fat, and no simple carbohydrates...wonderful.

magnolia

2009-02-20T14:38:00.002-05:00

my friend margaux brought me back a cupcake from magnolia bakery in new york when she was just there. it was so. good. (photo from my iphone so it's not fantastic...)

the triple fat

2009-02-17T16:28:00.003-05:00

this is not a sandwich for just anyone. it's the perfect combination of three of the most delicious and decadent fats known to mankind. it's not a recipe really, but i couldn't live with myself without sharing it with all of you.

toast two slices of whole wheat bread, and then spread the insides with mayo. top with half of an avocado (sliced) and crispy bacon. consume at warp speed. enjoy.

pasta fresca

2009-02-13T16:10:00.002-05:00

simple, easy, and carbalicious. this is a great pasta dish and one i "created" the other night with ingredients we had on hand. it's a bit of a jumble, but it came out really well.

ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into chunks
1 block smoked fontina, cut into cubes
1 pound of pasta
3 tablespoons coarse dijon mustard
1/4 cup chicken stock
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.

meanwhile, heat olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a large pan over medium heat. add the red pepper and asparagus and sautee for about 6 minutes until slightly soft. make a "well" in the center of the pan and add in the dijon mustard and chicken stock and mix with a spoon, then toss the vegetables into it.

add the pasta, and the cheese, and mix through. enjoy!

notes:
i did say simple. you could do this with almost any vegetable, and i'd actually intended to put sausage into it, but completely forgot. so try that out and let me know how it goes!

potato pizza

2009-02-11T11:32:00.003-05:00

when i first mentioned the idea of a pizza with potato topping to my husband he was appalled. he had no idea how it could possibly taste good, and thought that the two starches should be kept segregated. let me just say that it's lucky for both of us that i ignored him.

there has been a lot of talk about potato pizzas, and the combination of potato and other starches is not new, potato bread is one of my favorite treats. i decided to take a slightly different approach to this and utilized a "convenience food", which i would usually abhor. in the frozen food aisle, they sell shredded potatoes, which are intended to be used for hash browns (in fact, that's what they are called) but i used them for a more noble purpose...

ingredients:
2 pieces of naan
2 cups of frozen hash brown (or fresh shredded) potatoes
1/2 block gruyere cheese, grated
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil (about 3 tablespoons, plus more if needed)
red pepper flakes
fresh thyme (2 sprigs, leaves picked)
salt and pepper

directions:
place the naan on a baking sheet (unlined and ungreased), and preheat the oven to 425.

in a large pan heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. slowly cook the garlic so that the flavor infuses the oil, but the garlic doesn't brown, stir through. after about 2 minutes, add in the potatoes and the thyme and salt and pepper and then stir them through. you will need to move them around the pan, the idea is to slowly cook them, but not let them fully brown. they should get soft, but not "done" and certainly not hash browned. remove from the heat and set aside.

put a thin layer of cheese on the center of each piece of the naan, and then top with the potatoes - dividing them evenly among the two pizzas. then, top with the remaining cheese. finally, crumble a small amount of red pepper flakes between your fingers onto the top of the cheese.

pop into the oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. enjoy!

notes:
i am a pizza lover to the nth degree. seriously, i'm obsessed with the stuff. and, i can honestly say that this is one of the best pizzas i've ever had. it's certainly the best pizza i've ever made. my husband is a big fan of tomato sauce, and so he dipped his, and thought that was a good compromise. by the way, he loved this too. it has the perfect blend of the potato flavor that we all know and love, the tangy cheese, and then the spice from the red pepper. it's excellent, go for it, really.

a true delight

2009-02-05T15:21:00.005-05:00

through the wonderful folks at foodbuzz, and their excellent tastemaker program, i was able to try the newest offering from quaker, true delights, before they hit the market. they sent me two samples each of:

toasted coconut banana macadamia nut
honey roasted cashew mixed berry
dark chocolate almond raspberry

let me be the first to tell you that these are delicious. they are the "gourmand" version of granola bars, with slightly exotic ingredients that taste wonderful together. their texture is soft, not crunchy. there really are chunks of dark chocolate...not chips people, chunks. and the raspberries and bananas? they are real.

these were a treat and i really enjoyed them. so did my husband (he ate both of the honey roasted cashew mixed berry samples) who has asked that we pick up a box at the store.

give them a try, you'll be glad you did.

meatloaf

2009-01-29T10:29:00.006-05:00

there is no way to make the title of this post sound fancier, because meatloaf in and of itself isn't a fancy dish. it is comforting and delicious though, and that's what i was aiming for.

most recipes for meatloaf call for either ketchup or tomato sauce, but this version (my mother's) calls for heinz chili sauce, which is what gives it the zesty flavor that i love. it also helps keep the meatloaf moist, which i think is very important, as some meatloaf tends to be, well, dry. the other unique ingredient in this is lipton soup mix, which adds flavor and little bits of veg, which is nice.

all in all, i think this recipe is both easy and a show-stopper (but then i wouldn't put it up here if it weren't)!

ingredients:
1# ground beef
2 eggs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 packet lipton vegetable soup mix (not with the noodles)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bottle heinz chili sauce
salt and pepper
olive oil

directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the finely chopped onions. sprinkle with salt (to speed up the sweating process) and cook until they are glassy, stirring occasionally. remove from heat.

mix the eggs, 1/2 of the bottle of chili sauce, veggie soup mix, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. add the beef and the onions and then one cup of panko. mix together gently with the tips of your fingers, adding more panko as needed until the mixture holds together nicely.

spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray (or olive oil if you have a misto like i do) and then form the beef mixture into a loaf shape (keep it kind of low and flatten it out some - you want a lot of room on the top for later). pop into the oven for 30 minutes. remove from the oven and spread the remaining chili sauce on the top of the meatloaf with the back of a spoon. cook for 15 minutes more, remove, cool slightly (if you can stand it) and serve. enjoy!

notes:
i guess every family has a recipe for meatlof (i find myself saying that about almost everything i cook) but i think this is an good variation if you are up for something different. i've never substituted turkey for this, but i suppose you could. if you do, i would recommend not cooking the onions beforehand, and would grate them instead of chopping them.

foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: southern comfort

2009-01-24T19:59:00.008-05:00

when i applied for foodbuzz's january 24, 24, 24 i never thought i would be selected. however, there must have been something about my proposal that piqued their interest because i am one of this months 24 bloggers.

i've had three main culinary influences in my life; my mother, her father, and my father's mother. all taught me very different things about food, and how to prepare it. the most important thing that they each instilled in me is a love of food and of cooking. my childhood memories are peppered with days spent with my hands in bowls of meatloaf or stirring pots of simmering sauce. my favorite chores were gathering vegetables from my grandmother's garden and shucking corn. you might say i was a strange child.

however, the memory of my childhood has stuck with me, and i think of those chores, and of stirring those pots, and of forming meatloaf with my hands whenever i'm in the kitchen. my mother, my grandmother, and my grandfather have instilled in my an innate sense of what food should taste like, and have drilled into me the steps that go into making it.

with that in mind, my entry to the january 24, 24, 24, is called "southern comfort", a sampling of the foods i grew up loving, prepared the way i remember them, with one of my favorite people by my side - my mother. on the menu is my family recipe for fried chicken, quick collard greens, fried okra, macaroni and cheese with lump crab meat, and my grandmother's recipe for 'spotted pup' - a traditional southern approach to rice pudding.

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southern fried chicken
this recipe is simple and actually pretty quick. there are a lot of spices in the flour, which is what gives the crispy crust it's trademark flavor. i always use my mother's cast iron skillet to cook my fried chicken (anything fried actually) and if you have one, you should do the same. if not, another large, flat-bottomed skilled will do a fair job. we use canola oil to fry, though traditionally this would have been made with crisco. as a rule, we brine our chicken before frying it. it keeps the meat moist, and gives it lots of flavor that seeps into the skin and crust when cooking.

ingredients for brine:
1 cup salt
2 cups warm water

directions for brine:
dissolve the salt into the water and then transfer to plastic bag and add chicken. brine overnight in a container in the refrigerator to prevent leakage.

ingredients for the spice mixture:
2 teaspoons fleur de sel (or other sea salt)
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

directions for the dredging flour:
mix all of the above spices together in a shallow bowl, and then mix into 2 cups of all purpose flour. set aside.

ingredients for frying:
8 pieces of chicken (we used thighs, but you can use your favorite cut)
canola oil
1 cup buttermilk, in a shallow bowl

directions for frying:
remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to frying. rinse chicken clean of brine, and dry very well with paper towels. set aside on a plate and cover with plastic wrap to keep out curious house cats.

preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat one half to three quarters of an inch of canola oil in your cast iron skillet, or another large heavy skillet. the oil should get very hot, you will know it's ready when a ball made of buttermilk and flour drops into the oil and floats to the top with bubbles all around it.

dredge the first four pieces of chicken in the flour mixture, and then knock off any excess flour (it should be a very light coating), then dredge in the buttermilk, and then back into the flour. this coating should be heavier, and you don't need to knock any excess off. place four pieces of chicken into the pan at the same time. cook for 10 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook 10 minutes more. remove to paper towels and repeat for the second batch.

once both batches are cooked, pop them into the oven for 15 minutes. then remove and serve.

notes:
simple, comforting, and delicious. this fried chicken is packed with spicy flavors, and is sure to be a hit if you try it in your home. also, you could use the same ingredients and method to make fried chicken strips for children.

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quick collard greens
next up is the quick solution to a southern classic; collard greens. i learned how to make both versions when i was young. the traditional method, though delicious, takes all day to make. these are fast enough for a weeknight, and still retain the smoky flavor and slight bitterness associated with collards.

ingredients:
one half pound bacon, chopped
3 bunches of kale
salt and pepper

directions:
in a frying pan over medium-high heat, render down the pre-chopped bacon until crispy. remove bacon from pan, and set aside the bacon grease.

carefully wash your greens in the sink, and remove the stems from them as you go. rip them into large pieces and set aside. fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and add all of the greens, cover with the lid. set this on the stove over medium-high heat and give it about 15 minutes to steam. check often. the greens will wilt down and turn dark green. this process removes most of the bitterness. once the greens are wilted, drain them off and replace large pot over medium-high heat. add the bacon grease, and the greens, salt and pepper to taste and sautée for about 5 minutes until the leaves are well coated in the grease. don't let them brown.

right before serving, toss in the bacon.

notes:
this adaptation is really simple and though not good for your body, good for your soul. you could use less bacon and bacon grease here, but really, it's what gives the greens their trademark flavor.

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fried okra
next up on the list is fried okra. this is another southern classic, and one i remember more fondly than any of the others from my childhood. my grandmother made this all the time when i was growing up, and i was often called in to remove the slimy snotty stuff that appeared whenever the okra was cut into. i never minded though, because i knew these were at the end of all of the hard work. we used to pop these into our mouths like popcorn, sprinkled with salt, and even a little pepper, these evoke some of my happiest childhood memories.

ingredients:
1 bag frozen okra, thawed at room temperature
1 and one half cups of blue corn meal (you can use yellow if you have that already)
salt and pepper to taste
canola oil

directions:
either use the oil left over from the fried chicken (it will have a little more flavor than if you start over with new oil) or fill a cast iron skillet (or another heavy skillet - a wok would work too) with about half an inch of canola oil. heat over high heat, and check to see if it's the same way as for the fried chicken. you can also use a bit of bread to check this if you don't have the okra prepared yet.

to get the okra ready, add the corn meal, salt and pepper to taste (more than you think you need) to a ziploc bag. move around with your fingers to make sure it's all incorporated, and then add in the okra. toss around to make sure each piece is well coated in the corn meal.

when the oil is ready, add the okra and move around a little to make sure all sides are being hit by the oil. keep in the oil until browned, and then remove to paper towel. you will likely have to do this in batches. as soon as you remove the okra, sprinkle it with more salt (and pepper if you'd like, or even cayenne) and then let it cool slightly.

notes:
with four ingredients, this recipe is really simple. even if you've never tried okra before, you should give this recipe a go. and, the best part is that the frozen and thawed okra takes care of the annoying slimy snotty stuff for you. it's a misunderstood vegetable, and one that is at its very best in this classic southern preparation.

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macaroni and cheese with crab meat
macaroni and cheese is a classic southern dish. it's served all over the south, and there are as many recipes for it as there are stars in the sky. my own family has one that dates back well into the 1940's, and it's my go-to recipe whenever i need to prepare a batch of this creamy and cheesy dish.

however, i knew for this that i needed to impart a little of the north into the traditional southern approach to this dish. i hope you will forgive me my decision when you taste this dish. it is, without a doubt, the best macaroni and cheese i've ever had...and i've had a lot. the crab is there, and can be tasted, but it's not overwhelming. the cheeses i chose are a perfect compliment to the delicate shellfish, and melt so well you won't believe your eyes. also, instead of the traditional elbow macaroni, i've chosen to use a slightly more updated tubetti shape. it's fun, but still evokes the more expected shape.

this is the most laborious component i cooked the whole day. it takes a while to make good mac and cheese from scratch, but it's well worth it.

ingredients:
6 tablespoons plus one teaspoon of butter, divided
2 large (or 3 medium) shallots, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of flour
4 to 5 cups of whole milk
salt
1# pasta (i used tubetti, but you could use elbow or another shape)
cayenne pepper
6 oz. crab (either good canned or fresh from the fishmonger)
1 wedge brillat-savarin cheese at room temperature
1 wedge good french brie at room temperature
2 wedges st. teresa peccorino sardo at room temperature

directions:
put a large pot of water on to boil, and add several heavy pinches of salt. once it boils, add the pasta and under cook slightly (make sure there are no hard bits, but don't let it get as soft as you would if you were going to eat it with sauce). drain and set aside.

pick through the crab meat with your fingers, removing any shells or hard pieces and discarding them.

in another large pot melt two tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. add in the minced shallots and garlic and sprinkle with salt. slowly sweat them until they are glassy and very soft. this could take up to 10 minutes, but don't rush it. it's important that these don't brown, so keep the heat low and be patient. once they are done, add in 4 tablespoons of butter and the flour. mix well with a fork or whisk until incorporated and cook for about a minute more to remove the raw flour flavor. add in the milk (start with 4 cups, and slowly add up to 5 if you need to thin the mixture out) and whisk to remove any lumps of the flour and butter mixture. slowly break in the brie and brillat-savarin cheeses, and sprinkle in some cayenne pepper to taste (don't be scared to put this in, it really brings out the flavor of the cheeses). you can add in the rind of the cheeses, they will melt down. keep whisking this until all of the cheese has melted. it should be the consistency of buttermilk, very pourable, so add more milk if necessary.

grate the peccorino sardo onto a plate with the largest side of a box grater.

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

use remaining 1 teaspoon of butter to grease the inside of your casserole dish. begin layering with pasta, then crab, then peccorino sardo, then the sauce. shake the casserole dish and pound down on the counter to make sure that the sauce is making it all the way down into the pasta. complete two more layers this way, which should use all of the crab and leave just a little pasta and cheese and a lot of sauce. for the top layer do just pasta and cheese and pour on the remaining sauce. sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the top and pop into the oven for 45 minutes until browned and bubbling on the top. let cool some before serving.

notes:
i'm not lying when i say this is the best. though, i will admit that the cheeses are necessary to making these flavors work. as you can see from the above photo, i shopped for my cheese at whole foods, which has an amazing selection. if you don't have one of these near you, you can check online. the brie should be easy enough to find almost anywhere, but the brillat-savarin and peccorino sardo my require a little more detective work. these flavors are delicate enough to serve at a baby shower luncheon, but bold enough that everyone will be clamoring for the recipe.

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modern spotted pup
the women of the south really knew how to take something simple and turn it into something fantastic. this recipe is a perfect example of that. at it's core it's just rice, milk, raisins, and sugar. and it would be fine with just those things. but, of course, i've taken it to a more modern place with the addition of some tasty spices and some american honey bourbon. american honey is manufactured by wild turkey and we love the stuff around here. i drink it on ice after a long day, and i try to incorporate it into meals. it's strong, but not kick-you-in-the-pants strong, because the honey it is made with smooths it out.

my understanding of the name of this dish is that the raisins against the white of the rice make it look like the coat of a hunting dog, but correct me if you have a more accurate description. any way you name it, this is good old fashioned comfort food.

ingredients for the steeping mixture:
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 of a vanilla bean, seeds scraped from pod
1/4 pound golden raisins (if you want to use regular, you can, i just like goldens)
1/2 cup american honey

directions for steeping mixture:
in a small saucepan over medium low heat bring the star anise, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean (seeds and pod), raisins, and american honey to a gentle simmer. simmer until raisins are plumped and liquid is reduced. remove star anise, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean pod and discard. set the raisins in the liquid aside.

ingredients for the rice:
1.5 cups arborio rice
6 cups whole milk (plus more if needed)
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from pod
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sugar

directions:
add the rice, sugar, the milk, vanilla bean (seeds and pod), cinnamon stick, and star anise to a large heavy pot and bring to a strong simmer over medium to medium-high heat. gently stir for about 30 minutes. the rice will begin to absorb the milk and will become soft. add in extra milk if the mixture becomes too dry. taste the rice to make sure it's soft enough, and when it is, add the raisins (reserving the liquid in the other pan). mix the raisins through, and then spoon into serving dishes. drizzle the liquid over the rice pudding before serving.

notes:
this dish can be served cold (which is more traditional) or hot, which i think tastes better. the raisins become little pops of liquor in your mouth and the rice becomes so soft and sweet. it's really a nice treat on a cold winter day.

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the meal was a success, and was much enjoyed by all. each of these dishes could be prepared on their own, but having them all at once was like being in my grandmother's kitchen again as a child. i hope that my family recipes entice you to try some southern cooking, whether you live in minnesota or istanbul.

the american south is known for two things, good food and hospitality. i hope my small bit of southern hospitality has made my grandmother proud today. enjoy!

garlic jalepeno turkey sliders

2009-01-16T10:16:00.003-05:00

we love burgers at our house and eat them a lot. usually with fries. you can see the issue here, if we keep this up we will be really fat people!

turkey burgers are the perfect way to get around this, and turkey sliders are even better...because they are tiny! adding in tons of flavor, and serving them with a large salad means that your waistline won't suffer as your taste buds get to have all the fun.

keeping turkey burgers moist isn't difficult, and really only requires the addition of a few ingredients that don't normally make their way into beef burgers. these have the added bonus of finely chopped garlic and jalapeno, making them a little bit rock and roll.

ingredients:
1/2 of a medium onion, grated into bowl
1# ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 to 8 pickled jalapenos, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
king's hawaiian mini rolls, halved

directions:
mix the egg, jalapenos, and garlic into the bowl you grated the onion into, breaking up the egg yolk. crumble the turkey in, and then add the bread crumbs. work through gently with your fingers, being careful not to over mix. if you are cooking with kids, this is a great task for them.

divide the mixture into quarters. then further divide, each quarter should yield 4 sliders. form them into patties with your hands and set aside.

meanwhile, heat a large pan or griddle over medium high heat. add the sliders when it is hot enough. cook for about 5 minutes on one side, and then flip. cook through on the other side. if you'd like you can add cheese at the point of flipping, we put sharp cheddar on ours.

serve with the king's hawaiian rolls (they are the perfect size), pickled jalapeno, and lettuce. enjoy!

notes:
these burgers are tasty, and you can control the heat by adding or removing jalapeno. kids love these things because they get to squish the meat through their fingers as they mix, and the end result is a kid-sized burger. so if you are looking for a fun recipe to make with your children, i'd suggest this one. they'll love the process and the outcome.

four flavor pasta

2009-01-12T16:49:00.006-05:00

as i was planning my menu last week i decided i wanted a pasta dish that was creamy - but not heavy, full of good vegetables that i love, and filling. i couldn't find a recipe for what i was looking for, so one started to form in my head. this pasta is the perfect winter treat. it's chock full of nutrients and vitamins, and has sweet, spicy, bitter, and umami flavors and is sure to please.

ingredients:
1 large bunch of kale, cleaned, stems removed, and roughly chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 links turkey sausage, casings removed
1 large sweet onion, sliced into half rounds
1 pound penne pasta (we used whole wheat)
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon coarsely ground dijon mustard
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked off
1 block of parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper and olive oil

directions:
preheat the oven to 400 degrees. toss the sweet potato in olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a baking sheet lined with foil (or not, they are your dish pan hands). pop the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft, but not browned.

meanwhile, fill your (clean) kitchen sink with water and place the kale in the water. move the kale around with your hands and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. any dirt that was clinging to the kale will drop to the bottom, so when you are pulling out the kale, try not to disturb the water too much.

bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta per the package instruction.

meanwhile, in a large pan over high heat, brown the sausage, and then remove from the pan. leave the fat in the pan and add in the onions and a pinch of salt. brown these slightly, letting them also render down. once they are cooked down add the kale. you will need to move the kale around to wilt it all over. it's not as bitter as collards, so it just needs to wilt and turn a vibrant green. you may need to add some oil to the pan while the kale is cooking, it will help it wilt. add the sausage back into the pan, and add the pepper flakes if you are using them. check the potatoes and if they are done add them to the pan as well. sprinkle in the leaves of the thyme (no need to chop them).

make a well in the center and add the dijon mustard and white wine and mix them together so that the mustard can be evenly dispersed. let the wine cook down and then add in the cream. mix this through and let it cook down slightly, and then grate in the parmesan cheese. add the pasta, mix together, and grate in more cheese. remove from heat and then top with more cheese. enjoy!

notes:
this pasta is dead simple and could be made with any number of ingredients, these are just the best to use in the dead of winter. kale is one of my favorite vegetables, and i love using it here and there when it's not expected. it's so good for you too, which just makes me feel justified in my choice. play around with your favorite seasonal vegetables though, and see what you come up with.

risotto florentine

2009-01-07T21:13:00.003-05:00

i know what you'll say; "courtney, using cheese and seafood together is a major 'no-no' in italian cooking, what are you thinking!?" but the reality is that once you know why the italians don't usually pair seafood and cheese, you can carefully plan meals that use both ingredients without even angering mario batalli.

in fact, speaking of mario, he is the one who explained the reason in such clarity that i not only understood the logic behind it, but instantly knew i needed to challenge the rule. as it turns out, the reasons italians are so strict about this particular culinary rule is that they have never wanted to overwhelm the delicate flavor of seafood with the more robust flavors of cheese. makes sense, i'll give them that.

however, since the majority of the cheese in this dish lives in the luxurious rice on which said delicate seafood rests, i believe i have found a loophole in even the most stringent italian grandmother's rule book. the flavors of the plump shrimp and scallops are fresh and light, the spinach is earthy and slightly spicy on the tongue, and the rice...oh the rice...it's perfectly salted and has a bit of a tangy kick from a double dose of the wine in the early stages of simmering. i'm sure you'll love this dish.

ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups of good arborio rice (or other suitable risotto rice)
4 cups of good chicken stock
1 cup white wine (the kind isn't important, but it should be something you would drink as the flavor will intensify)
a chunk or block of good parmagianno reggianno (or 1/2 cup grated parmesan)
2 tablespoons of butter
olive oil
5 oz. baby spinach, cleaned and the ends picked
1/2 # shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/2 # scallops, peeled and cleaned
zest of one lemon
fresh nutmeg for grating
red pepper flakes (just a pinch)

directions:
in a pot on the back burner, heat all of the chicken stock on low heat just to warm it through.

heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. add spinach to the pan and sautee lightly until it's gone a deeper green and begun to wilt. remove to a plate and wipe out pan.

heat the same pan over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. while it melts chop your onion and then add to the pan. saute the onions until they are glassy and clear, but don't brown them. if they begin to brown remove the pan from the heat and reduce the flame before continuing to cook. once the onions are glassy add in the rice and stir for about a minute until the smell goes all nutty. once that happens add in one cup of white wine and stir until absorbed.

once the wine is absorbed, add 1/2 cup of the stock at a time and stir through the rice and then leave it for a minute or two to absorb. you will know when to add more because the rice will look like it's drying out. you want it to always have a creamy liquid surrounding it, so be sure to keep that up. don't wander away from it, but it's ok to not stir it for a few minutes at a time.

which is good, because at this point you need to prep the seafood. heat a smaller pan over high heat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. when the oil is hot, swirl it to coat the bottom of the pan. pat the scallops dry and salt and pepper both sides. place them into the searing hot pan, and jiggle them really gently so that they don't stick. once you have them all in, leave them for about a minute and a half, and then flip them. leave this side in for about 30 seconds and then remove them to a plate.

place the shrimp in a small bowl and zest the lemon onto them. you want these to taste fresh, but not like lemonade, so don't go nuts with the zest. also add salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes that you crumble with the tips of your fingers. add just enough olive oil to moisten them slightly and then add them to the same pan that you cooked the scallops in. these will take only moments to cook. once they go pink, flip them, and then remove them almost immediately. there is nothing worse than an overcooked shrimp.

you should be cooking the seafood while adding stock to your risotto, so at this point your rice should be just about done. once you have 1/2 cup of stock remaining, grate about 1/2 cup of the cheese into the rice and stir it through. add the remaining stock, stir it through, and leave the heat on for about 30 seconds. turn the heat off and let the rice sit for about 1 minute and then stir.

assemble these by placing rice on the place, a bed of spinach on top of that, and then a mixture of scallops and shrimp to the very top. you can grate more cheese on the top of the entire dish if you wish. enjoy!

notes:
this would be equally good in the winter or summer, though it does have more of a fresh summer leaning. though not exactly healthy, this is delicious and light tasting. it should serve four comfortably.

if preparing this gluten-free be sure to check the label on the chicken stock, i use swanson's or safeway brand which are both gluten-free.

yuletide goodies

2009-01-05T11:33:00.003-05:00

i got some really awesome culinary gifts for christmas this year...so you may have noticed that my sidebar has less "wish list" items in it! my very dearest friend katie got me this beautiful olive wood salt cellar from williams sonoma and i'm smitten. besides being utterly beautiful, it has a nice swivel top that i really appreciate.

my friend tony gave me a beautiful copy of jamie oliver's "jamie at home", but i already had one in my cookbook library, so i brought it back and exhanged it for the new bon appetit "fast easy fresh" which has already turned out to be a wonderful addition to my repetoire. it's chock full of easy recipes that require only a few ingredients. and seems to have recipes for classics that can be made faster and with fresher ingredients. i like it a lot.

my mom got me this awesome spider for cooking, which is great. this photo does it no justice...this thing is huge. i could grab a kid out of the bathtub with it. i'm really looking forward to using it for gnocchi and other delicate pastas. she also got me cooking chopsticks and of course, salt. (she has given me a bottle of sea salt every year in my stocking for as long as i can remember.)

and, though they aren't pictured here, i also got an aerogrow herb garden from my mother in law which is awesome and our friends nikki and mike gave us the most awesome sushi making set! my garden is already well under way and i promise photos when there is something to show. i'm so excited to use the sushi set, and can't wait to come up with fun sushi roll ingredients. she put together a basket with the rice, nori, wasabi powder, soy sauce, chopsticks, and rollers...perfect! look for some sushi rolls here soon! thanks nikki and mike!

navy bean soup

2008-12-31T10:51:00.002-05:00

this is the perfect soup to make after christmas, when you've had your fill of ham, but there is still a bunch of slices left over. my mom used to make this when i was a child, and i have very fond memories of eating this on cold winter days after playing in the snow.

you can make this with a ham hock and ham from the store, but it really is the best use of the leftover bones from a spiral cut. everything else that goes into this is pretty simple...but the process does take a day or two. it's well worth the wait though, this soup is stick-to-your-ribs filling, and very delicious.

be sure to read through the entire recipe before getting started. there are a few things that need to be done in advance.

ham stock ingredients:
the ham bone from a spiral cut ham (or one ham hock from your butcher)
1 onion, quartered
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
3 celery ribs, cut into thirds
salt and pepper

ham stock directions:
place the first four ingredients into a large pot and cover with cold water. bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook for several hours (at least 5, but it's easy to just leave this simmering on the stove all day.) as the water evaporates, add more to keep it full. stir occasionally and skim off any foam that may appear. once it's simmered for at least 5 hours, taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. strain all ingredients to remove anything solid, let the stock cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

soup ingredients:
1 bag of navy beans
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
ham stock (recipe above)
leftover ham (or store bought ham), diced

soup directions:
soak your navy beans at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. this can be done concurrently with the stock.

place the soaked beans into a pot and cover with water. bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. cook for about 45 minutes and then drain.

place the cooked beans, onion, carrots, garlic, ham, and ham stock to a large stock pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. cook for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have come together. serve and enjoy!

notes:
this soup gets better as it sits in the refrigerator (like most soups), and is wonderful served with bread and butter. you could also make this in a crock pot by just skipping the bean boiling step and just putting everything into the crock pot for a few hours. however, this would result in a thicker and starchier soup since all of the starches from the beans would add to the stock.

jewels of the season

2008-12-22T10:18:00.005-05:00

pomegranate seeds are one of my favorite parts of this time of year. they are tiny and perfect and a deep glossy red. the flavor of these is much sweeter than the juice that is made from them. but they still have a tart bite to them. because of this, they pair well with both savory and super sweet dishes. i know that some people are a little intimidated by the fruit itself...not knowing how to go about deconstructing it, but it's really quite simple.

the most important thing to remember is to wear a shirt that you don't care about, or at the very least a nice sturdy apron. the juice from these is a shocking red, and it stains everything in sight. to take the pomegranate apart, simply cut it down the middle, dividing it into two sections. once that's done, carefully remove the white membrane that surrounds the seeds and pluck them carefully from the body of the fruit. set them aside into a bowl.

once you've done that you can have fun with them in any way you desire. my favorite way to eat these is poured over vanilla ice cream. as the ice cream melts and the juice from the seeds starts to run out...the ice cream goes all pink and delicious. enjoy a pomegranate this season!

and, for those of you who would like a sweet and spicy spread to serve with your cheese and cracker platter this holiday season, keep reading...

pomegranate chili jelly

ingredients:
5 oz pom wonderful juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons corn starch

directions:
combine all ingredients in a pan and put on the stove on medium high heat. whisk together to remove all lumps from the corn starch, and continue to whisk occasionally as the mixture thickens. once the jelly goes all glossy and thick, remove from the heat and either serve immediately or refrigerate. it will keep for a few days in the fridge...but i dare you to try to keep it around that long.

notes:
i served mine at my company holiday party with goat cheese and everything crackers. it was a hit. it would also be awesome on a turkey and swiss panini sandwich.

sticky sweet bacon

2008-12-18T09:52:00.003-05:00

bacon, the great equalizer. almost everyone loves bacon, and nowadays people are finding unique and off-beat ways to incorporate it into places where you'd never expect it, like chocolate chip cookies and dark chocolate cake.

I hold with the innovators who have masterminded these new creations because i have always believed that bacon goes well with sweet flavors. as a child i would sop up the leftover syrup with my bacon after my pancakes and waffles were finished. now i make sure that i have an entire bowl of maple syrup or honey to dip it in (primarily because i don’t like my pancakes and waffles to be sodden with syrup any longer, so there is rarely any left over.)

this sweet bacon treatment will tickle your tastebuds, really, it’s that good. and it’s very simple to do, you just pop it in the oven and kind of forget about it. if you’ve never prepared bacon in the oven before, this may seem a little odd but i assure you, it’s very effective. i don’t give exact measurements below because you an use this technique on any amount of bacon…two slices, half a pound (as i did), or even 2 pounds at a time (though the cooking time will go up and you’ll need more pans!)

ingredients:
bacon – thick cut is better, smoked is ok, but not otherwise flavored
dark brown sugar
cayenne pepper

directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

lay the bacon slices flat on a foiled baking sheet (trust me and don’t skip this, you don’t want to have to scrape off caramelized brown sugar). sprinkle them with brown sugar, a very thin coating. then lightly sprinkle them with cayenne pepper. pop into the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is caramelized. enjoy!

notes:
you can serve this with savory breakfast items (it went nicely with my baked egg custard with gruyere and chives from this month’s gourmet) or with sweeter options. if you like more spice go heavier on the cayenne, if you like more sweet go heavier on the brown sugar...it's up to you!

ginger garlic asparagus

2008-12-16T22:20:00.003-05:00

asparagus is a favorite in our household. we often eat it more than once a week. in fact, when i'm not sure which type of vegetable to make, or what to add to a dish, the recommendation is almost always "asparagus!"

this is a delicious side for any weeknight meal. it's easy to prepare, and quick to cook. it pairs well with asian flavored meals because of the ginger and garlic, but really it would be good with just about anything.

ingredients:
one bunch of asparagus, cleaned and ends trimmed
one tablespoon of minced garlic
one tablespoon of minced ginger
salt
olive oil

directions:
preheat oven to 415 degrees.

toss the asparagus with the garlic, ginger, and olive oil (about one tablespoon, just enough to coat) and then place on a baking sheet. sprinkle with salt and pop in the oven. remove in 15 minutes...enjoy!

notes:
like i said, simple, right? also full of nutrients. for another weeknight option, prepare this and while it's cooking cook some whole wheat pasta and shred some chicken from a pre-cooked chicken from the store. toss it all together with some of the pasta water and enjoy!

zucchini cakes

2008-12-15T22:20:00.003-05:00

ever since high school i've been a big fan of the latke. i was first introduced at my very first hanukkah, back in 1994. the latke is a simple and traditional dish...but that doesn't take away from it's splendor. the careful blending of potatoes and onions, and then of course, the frying, all combine to make a tasty treat that will leave you wanting more.

this recipe isn't for a potato latke though...it's for a zucchini cake. i've not called it a latke because, though similar, it's really not the same concept. it does take me back to the beauty of latkes though, which is appropriate this time of year.

this is a healthier re-imagining, and i think that you will enjoy it if you give it a try. it's the perfect side when you know exactly what protein to serve, but can't decide on a starch or vegetable.

ingredients:
4 zucchini, peeled and coarsely grated
3 eggs
salt and pepper
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
3/4 cup of flour, divided
olive oil

directions:
place the grated zucchini into a large bowl. heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

mix the eggs, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste in a smaller bowl until well combined. add in 1/2 cup flour and mix until a batter-like consistency forms. add the batter to the zucchini and mix well. add the remaining flour (1/4 cup) and mix well.

place 1/4 cup sized dollops into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on the bottom and then flip. cook other side until golden brown and then remove from heat and sprinkle liberally with salt. enjoy!

notes:
i hate to admit it, but i eat these with my fingers and i dip them into ketchup. hardly a gourmet thing to do, but they are comfort food to me, and that's what i find comforting. you could dress them up with a more "fancy" spread or layer them with grilled vegetables or even thinly sliced fresh tomatoes and mozzarella in the summer. they are versatile and delicious, a perfect combination as far as i'm concerned.

pulled chicken bbq sandwiches

2008-12-10T13:20:00.002-05:00

sorry for the photo-less post, but these sandwiches weren't too photogenic...they were delicious though, so i knew i had to share.

these are dead simple to make, and actually fall into the "fast" category that my posts rarely meet. the hardest part is shredding the chicken, which isn't really "hard", but gets old fast.

i never cook chicken like this because i've always assumed that it means that it will be flavorless. i've since been proven wrong, and for these sandwiches it really is the fastest and best way.

ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
5 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
hamburger buns

directions:
fill a pot with water and heat over medium high heat. submerge the chicken breasts and boil until cooked through. discard the water and place the chicken onto a cutting board.

using two forks, shread the chicken by pulling it apart into "strings". it helps if you cut the chicken into chunks first as it prevents the pieces from being too long.

in the same pot, add the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and sugar and cook over low heat - whisking - until combined and smooth. add the chicken back in and stir until well coated in the sauce.

serve on buns with a salad and oven fries and enjoy!

notes:
i like how complex these four ingredients taste when put together. these are classic bbq sauce ingredients, and this sauce errs more on the vinegary (carolina) style than some others. i prefer that bite...but if you'd like it sweeter simply add more sugar, or halve the mustard (the vinegar helps with consistency, so i'd keep this the same).

perfect panini

2008-11-26T21:11:00.005-05:00

on the eve of thanksgiving the last thing I want to think about is cooking a large complicated meal. simplicity is the key for nights like tonight...when i have prep work for tomorrows long day of cooking weighing heavily on my mind.

this recipe has been gently simmering in my imagination for a while, but it wasn't until i was at my mom's a few weeks ago when the final ingredient made its appearance in her refrigerator door: dalmatia fig spread.

now, i'm admittedly a huge fan of the fig, but i've got to tell you...this stuff is good. i'm also serving it tomorrow alongside a meat and cheese platter for pre-turkey noshing. it's sticky sweet and studded with those perfect fig seeds that get caught in your teeth. it takes me back to childhood and memories of eating dozens of fig newtons in my grandmother's kitchen in michigan.

the recipe below won't have precise measurements because, let's be honest, i didn't measure the bread before i cut it, nor did i count the paper thin slices of pancetta...but i'm sure you can figure it out.

ingredients:
dalmatia fig spread
paper thin slices of pancetta
goat cheese
one large sweet (i used a mayan) onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt
french bread (or ciabatta if you are feeling authentic)

special equipment:
panini press or
aluminum foil and a tea kettle (see below)

directions:
heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add the onions and some salt (a good sized pinch) to help them sweat. cook the onions slowly until they begin to brown and caramelize, then remove from heat and wipe out pan.

slice the bread in half lengthwise, and then spread the insides with the dalmatia. on the bottom half layer on the goat cheese, then the pancetta, and finally the onions. top with the...well, top of the bread.

i don't own a panini press, and though i think they are lovely machines my baltimore rowhome kitchen doesn't have the room for storing such luxuries, so i improvise when i make paninis. if you have a press, this will be a no brainer, but if not, read on. heat the same skillet with some olive oil (not a ton, but i do like the fresh flavor it imparts...so i use about a tablespoon - but these are your sandwiches.) when it's medium high place the sandwich in the pan. fill your tea kettle with water and rip off a sheet of aluminum foil. cover the top of the sandwich with the foil and then balance the kettle on the sandwich. cook for about 3 minutes, then remove kettle and foil and flip sandwich (see it flattened it, right!?) repeat on the other side, remove from pan and marvel at how the flavors come together. enjoy.

notes:
this one is a no-brainer.
take bread, an amazing cured ham from italy, goat cheese, caramelized onions and add in fig spread and you are bound to have a success. this literally takes about 12 minutes, and as you can see i served it with salad...which makes me feel less guilty about the indulgent ingredients in the panini.

ravioli fest 2008

2008-11-18T13:30:00.004-05:00

each year my husbands family gathers to make hundreds of raviolis to enjoy over the holiday meals. the tradition used to be carried out by his grandmother alone, which is amazing, but once she left us we took over the hard work and have been doing it ever since.

in the beginning it was difficult, since she never shared the recipe. but over the years we have tasted, tweaked, and refined the steps to as close to the original as possible. the pasta was rife with difficulties when we first tried our hands, first it was too tough, then too loose. we weren't sure whether to use eggs, or just water...we were really confused. however, over the years i've gotten better at cooking, and at italian in particular, so the pasta is no longer a struggle. the filling is the traditional mix of spinach and cheese, and never ceases to please. we serve these with a meat sauce, which is a nice compliment.

the volume of ingredients that goes into this massive production is staggering. we used 17.5 cups of flour and 20 eggs to create the 5 batches of pasta dough. a dozen more eggs went into the filling, along with 5 pounds of cheese and several pounds of spinach. i don't know how to cut these measurements for a weeknight ravioli fling, but may do so one day...so stay tuned.

we each have our separate tasks in the assembly line. my mother in law removes the stems from the spinach, grates the cheese, and adds the eggs to make the filling. i make the pasta dough by hand on the counter and then press it into sheets with the help of my my kitchenaid mixer. my mother in law and sister in law fill the pasta sheets with carefully measured amounts of filling, and cuts the raviolis out, and then my husband crimps the edges. we have several runners who lay the completed raviolis out on tea towels in the cool basement to stage before they are packaged up and frozen in serving sizes to be brought out at each holiday dinner.

since i don't have a recipe, i wanted to leave you with a photo of what we did with most of the 6th bach of pasta dough. we made pasta for my mother in law and her husband tony to enjoy later in the week. we left the delicate strands to dry on their pot rack.

bocconcini toasts with balsamic salad

2008-11-13T20:46:00.007-05:00

this dish is a really good play of sweet, spicy, and salty. it has all of the key components to a delicious meal. Don't be scared by the list of ingredients, the preparation is really fast!

the open-faced sandwiches are a nice blend of crisp and smooth, and were inspired by a recipe of donna hay's in her new food fast cookbook. they are actually pretty much the same as in her book....with only minor changes. i hope ms. hay doesn't mind. i've also made a salad to accompany these, its simple and also has the same crunchy and smooth elements as the sandwiches.

together they are the perfect compliment. the vinegary sweet dressing with a slight hint of spice and bite of garlic compliments the creamy cheese and subtle pancetta. all in all a delicious weeknight dinner.

ingredients:
12 thin slices of pancetta
12 small bocconcini (or 4 medium bocconcini cut into quarters)
4 slices of ciabatta
4 slices of parmagianno reggiano
olive oil
3 cups baby spinach
large handful of shredded or crumbled parmagianno reggiano
1 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
a few shakes of cayenne pepper
1 pint fresh mission figs, quartered
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 garlic clove, minced
salt
pepper

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees and place figs on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your fingers. (i used my toaster oven to prepare the figs because it uses less energy and takes less time to heat up.) once the oven is heated, pop in the figs and cook for about 20 minutes until softened and heated through.

to make the dressing, mix the garlic, herbes de provence, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, and then whisk while mixing in the 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. once emulsified, set aside.

turn the broiler in the oven to high. place the toasts on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on the cut side. wrap each of the bocconcini balls with pancetta and then place on top of the bread. then top that with the slice of parmagianno reggiano. put these under the broiler for about 5 minutes. (if you are using the oven to cook the figs wait until they are cooked and then pop the toasts under the broiler in the main oven.)

in a small pan heat the butter and the maple syrup until it begins to bubble and then add in the cayenne and the pecans. toss until coated and the butter/syrup mixture drys out. turn off heat and set aside to cool slightly.

place cleaned spinach leaves in a bowl and add the shredded or crumbled parmagianno reggiano, the figs (which should be done by now) and the slightly cooled pecans. toss with dressing, and serve with the toasts. enjoy!

notes:
mmmm, this one is good. really simple, really good. the best kind of food, especially on a thursday night!

roasted pumpkin and parsnip bisque

2008-11-04T08:30:00.003-05:00

i bought a pumpkin for halloween, but never carved it...which is a shame because i love carving pumpkins. however, i knew that i would put it to good use. i have a killer (and dead simple) recipe for butternut squash soup that i will share one day...and this recipe was kind of based off of that.

it's easy, and velvety smooth, not to mention packed with vitamins and minerals. there are scores of ways to change this up ever so slightly which will give you equally good, but slightly different finished soups.

ingredients:
1 medium pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into chunks
4 leeks, cleaned and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
6 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 scant tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh sage (6 leaves or so)
1 carton (or 4 cups) chicken stock
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup heavy cream

directions:
preheat the oven to 400 degrees. place the chunks of pumpkin onto a large rimmed baking sheet and coat liberally with olive oil, salt, and pepper. once oven comes to temperature, pop in the pumpkin and move on. keep an eye on the pumpkin...it could take over an hour to get soft enough for the soup.
in a large stock pot melt the butter and then add in the bacon. render the bacon until browned and then remove. pour off some of the excess fat, and then sautée the garlic until fragrant (about one minute), then add the leeks and the parsnips. cook the vegetables until they are soft, but not browned. then add the poultry seasoning, sage, and chicken stock. set the soup to simmer on low.
once the pumpkin is soft enough to be pierced with a paring knife with little resistance, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. once cool, remove skin and cut into 1" chunks and add to soup. add enough water to cover everything and then place the lid on and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. at this point the pumpkin should be very soft.
using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, food mill, or food processor) puree the mixture until very smooth. stir in the cream and enjoy!

notes:
this soup would taste wonderful with cooked rice and chicken, tortellini, or spinach floating through it. it's deceptively hearty, and really creamy. feel free to play with the seasonings as well, for a spicy option cayenne or chili peppers could be added and the sage swapped out for your favorite winter herb like rosemary or thyme.

this makes a ton of soup, so either make it for a crowd or on a sunday afternoon with plenty for lunch leftovers.

also, this could easily be vegetarian with a swap for vegetable stock and the removal of the bacon. it adds a smoky flavor, but isn't necessary.

kitsch quiche

2008-10-16T10:42:00.002-04:00

yet another recipe with no photo...this is becoming a bad habit, i'm so sorry. thing is, by the time i got home from work, and made this quiche, it was already pretty late...and we just wanted to eat and go to bed.

the quiche itself is really good and pretty simple to make. i've done my best to tone down the heaviness of standard quiche recipes, though this does employ some delectable ingredients. there is a good ratio of vegetables to meat in this, so technically it could be made into a vegetarian dish.

ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust
4 eggs
2 cups of 1/2 and 1/2
pinch of cayenne
salt (about 1 teaspoon)
leaves from about 5 sprigs of thyme
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1/3 pound of deli black forest ham, chopped
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 a large sweet onion, finely chopped
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons butter, divided
olive oil

directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees.
in a bowl combine the eggs, 1/2 and 1/2, cayenne, salt, and thyme. set aside.
heat a large pan over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. once it comes to heat add the chopped bacon and begin to render. once the bacon is starting to brown add the onions. stir often and once they begin to go glassy add the red peppers and the asparagus. the vegetables just need to get slightly soft, once this happens turn off the heat. mix in the chopped ham.
layer the meat and vegetable mixture into the bottom of the pie crust, then top with the grated cheese, then top with the egg mixture. pour in the egg mixture until the crust can't hold any more, and then place onto a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.) let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. enjoy!

notes:
i really like quiche, it's sophisticated and looks like a lot of work, but really isn't. the hardest part for me is waiting for it to cool. i'm lucky to have married a man who doesn't mind eating such a "dainty" dinner...in fact, he begs for a good quiche from time to time. the gruyere really lends a richness to this dish, as it's a very complex cheese. but other readily available options that would work are fontina, parmesan...maybe even gouda?
also, the vegetables are kind of interchangable, these are the ones we like a lot in our house. and if you want this to be vegetarian, just leave out the bacon and ham, it will be just as delicious.

spicy garlic and lime fajitas

2008-10-08T13:43:00.002-04:00

i don't have a photo for this one, sorry. i wasn't planning on posting it, but the hubby thought it merited sharing, so i'm left with a lot of content, and not a lot of pretty.

the dish is fab though, so you should try it. also, it's fast, easy, and keeps the stove clean (that's a note from the hubby, not me!)

ingredients:
1 to 1.5 pound skirt or flank steak, trimmed of excessive fat
2 red bell peppers
1 large sweet onion
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 jalepenos (or other pepper) chopped
the juice of three juicy limes (or 4 not-too-juicy limes)
1/2 cup soy sauce
flour tortillas (we use whole wheat)
sour cream, cheese, and cilantro for garnish

directions:
combine garlic, lime juice, hot peppers, and soy sauce in a large ziploc bag and then add the steak and the peppers and onions. squish it all around with your hands to coat everything in the awesome marinade, and then let it sit for at least 20 minutes, but preferably about an hour. you can keep it out of the fridge at this point because the steak should be coming to room temperature anyway.

once all of the ingredients are well-seasoned, heat a large skillet over high heat and add in the steak. sear the steak on both sides, but don't overcook (it should be rare to medium rare based on your preferences, but don't over cook it.) remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

keep the pan hot (a little too hot) and add the onions and peppers and a little of the marinade (maybe 1/2 of what's in the bag) and discard the rest. the high heat will almost caramalize the lime juice, but the moisture will keep the garlic from burning. cook the onions and peppers until they are soft, but not too soft, and then turn off the heat and begin assembling.

you can use sour cream, cheese, salsa (though i doubt you'll need it) or even cilantro to add another layer to these fajitas, but they are great plain as well.

notes:
for a vegetarian solution you could use sliced portobellos or even sliced eggplant or squash marinated in the same way as the beef. to switch it up even more you could roast "fries" and add them in instead of the beef.

i adapted this recipe from an oldie but a goodie from martha stewart's everyday food. i don't use the measurements any longer, but just "eyeball" it, and this measurement combo is the one that i seem to default to.

poppy's calzone

2008-10-03T10:32:00.004-04:00

i've had three major culinary influences in my life; my mother, my paternal grandmother, and my maternal grandfather.

each is (or was) an exceptional cook in their own right, and each had their specialties. my mother has always been adventurous in the kitchen, and it is this that has given me my vast palate and appreciation for the foods of many cultures over the years. my paternal grandmother is southern and her main influence was julia child. she has always had an affinity for fresh vegetables and simple ingredients with touches of complex flavors in her sauces. my grandfather was a bit of a rogue cook, he loved very strong spicy flavors, and was the one who taught me to use chopsticks and introduced me to the wonders of thai food.

it is for my grandfather that these calzones are named. i have many memories of him showing up unexpected while my brother and i were watching tv. his hands would be full of grocery bags, and the bags would have sausages, tomatoes, peppers, onions and pasta. he would destroy my mother's kitchen each time, but he always let my brother and i help. we would stir the onions and peppers while he explained what sweating was. my brother would remove the sausages from their casings, enjoying the ooze of the seasoned meat. i remember my parents faces when they would come home from work, a blend of dread at the site of the kitchen (each and every pot and pan used) and joy at the sight dinner being ready. i believe that the thought of their children cooking with their grandfather also brought them joy, and michael (my brother) and i were always very close with poppy.

sadly, we lost him in 2002, which was hard on all of us. but his love of cooking, and his ability to completely trash a kitchen was passed down to me, and it is in his honor that i offer up these tasty calzones. they stray slightly from his famous sausage and peppers, but i think he'd like them all the same. and it is in honor of him that instead of my usual "enjoy", i'll leave you with one of his most famous quotes: "soup's on!"

ingredients:
1 vidalia onion, sliced thin into half moons
1 red and 1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 or 3 sausage links, sliced (i used aidell's sun-dried tomato and mozzarella, but raw sausage would work fine)
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 small can tomato sauce (or a can of crushed tomatoes)
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, sliced
a handfull of cherry or plum tomatoes, chopped (mine were courtesy of one of my designers gardens - thanks galen!)
just under 2 cups of cheese (i used monterrey jack, but mozzarella or fontina would have been good too)
1 batch basic whole wheat pizza crust (available here)
olive oil
salt

directions:
make the pizza crust per the recipe, and set aside to rise. preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

in a small saucepan heat the olive oil over medium high heat, add the garlic and stir until fragrant, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for a few minutes more. stir in the tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer, then add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low.

in a large pan heat more olive oil over medium high heat and then add the onions and peppers and a large pinch of salt (the salt helps the onions sweat.) stir these until they are soft and glassy, but not browned. add the sausage (if using raw sausage be sure to allow enough time to cook it through, but if you are using the aidell's like i did, they really only need a few minutes to bring the flavors out since they are already fully cooked.) turn off the heat and set aside.

divide the dough into four even balls and flatten out into large discs with your hands. stretch and pull them so that they are thin and even. lay on on a baking sheet (you may want to line it with a silpat) and fill one half of the dough disc with the sausage and pepper mixture, a small handful of cheese, and a little sauce. fold the other half over the first, and then pinch the edges together tightly. make three more and arrange on the baking sheet. top with some salt.

they need about 15 minutes in the oven and should be served with a side dipping bowl of the sauce.

notes:
these would be just as good without the cheese and without the sausage. they can be filled with anything really, and are pretty versatile. if you don't want sun-dried tomatoes in the sauce, just use more cherry tomatoes and some italian seasonings or herbs (oregano, basil, etc.) as the oil the tomatoes are in does add a lot of flavor.

lasagna

2008-09-17T13:14:00.003-04:00

everyone has had lasagna at some point, it's one of the most frequently mentioned comfort foods. and for good reason, it has all the essentials, pasta, lots of cheese, and a creamy tomatoey sauce that longs to drip down your chin. it has always been very high on my personal list of favorites, and never takes as long to make as i remember from my youth.

this version is my mother's. it's simple, practical, and delicious. there is one ingredient missing from this version that i believe people will be confused by, but i assure you...it's wonderful.

ingredients:
1 box lasagna noodles
salt
olive oil
3-4 cups tomato sauce (or one jar if using store-bought)
2 packages of shredded low-moisture mozzarella
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1# ground beef
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk

directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

boil the noodles per the package instruction, but add a small amount of oil to the water, and liberally salt it. i don't normally add oil to pasta water, as it prevents the sauce from sticking to the noodles - but we don't want the noodles to stick to each other in the water, so it's helpful in this case. once these are boiled, strain and set aside.

meanwhile, brown the beef in a large pan over medium high heat, and then drain off any extra fat. add the tomato sauce to this, and turn the heat on low to let the flavors combine for a few minutes.

to make the beschemel: over medium heat melt 3 tablespoons of butter, and then add in 3 tablespoons of flour, whisking together until a thick paste forms. continue heating this for two minutes more (to remove the raw flour flavor) and then whisk in the milk. heat this for several minutes, whisking occasionally, until it thickens. add in a large handful of mozzarella, salt, and pepper, and whisk until the cheese is melted, then turn off the heat.

to assemble, layer the bottom of the pan with a thin coating of the tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles, a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of the beschemel, and then a layer of the mozzarella. repeat this layering process, but criss cross the noodle layers each time so that they are more "sturdy". on top of the mozzarella on the last layer, sprinkle over the parmesan cheese.

cook in the oven for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is bubbly and golden. let sit for a few minutes before cutting. enjoy!

notes:
i frequently make this with a layer of sauteed fresh spinach leaves in the center, which is delicious. i highly recommend you trying that if you give the recipe a go.
though this recipe doesn't include the standard ricotta cheese, i believe you'll find the beschemel sauce to be richer, creamier, and downright yummy.
this dish is great heated up the next day, in fact it's often better, so it makes for lovely lunch leftovers.

three cheese burgers

2008-09-16T15:50:00.002-04:00

i have a friend at work that i always joke with about the recipes on this blog. even though he is a single man who cooks for himself (really cooks), he can eat almost nothing on this blog because he can't eat dairy, and i clearly have a love affair with cheese. it's a shame really because i think that this recipe is one that should be enjoyed by all.
i didn't even intend to post this one...but it turned out so well that i just had to. enjoy!

ingredients:
1 # ground turkey
3/4 to 1 cup breadcrumbs (i use whole wheat)
1 egg
1/2 large onion, grated
salt
pepper
olive oil
burger buns (again, whole wheat)
4 slices of american cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

directions:
grate the onion into a large bowl and then add in the egg and whisk slightly. break up the turkey into the bowl and add in a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and then add in breadcrumbs until the mixture comes, and holds together. divide the mixture into 4 balls, and then further divide each of these into two.

meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. in a small bowl mix together the shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar.

form a very thin burger patty with four of the balls. place a small scoop of the mozzarella and cheddar into the center of each of these patties, keeping it clear of the edges. then, pat out the remaining four patties and place on top of the first patties, sandwiching the cheese in the center. press the edges together to seal them well (you don't want your cheese leaking out while these cook!) and then place in the pan and sprinkle the top liberally with salt. cook these for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until the burgers are cooked through. once cooked, add a slice of american cheese to the top of each patty, and then serve with fun fixings, fries, and a cool beer as i did! enjoy!

where is the practical gourmet?

2008-09-15T18:03:00.001-04:00

i've been cooking...a lot, in fact, just not anything new or too unique. though, i will be sharing my family recipe for lasagna this week...so stay tuned for that.
thanks for all of the positive feedback on the color of the blog, i'm happy it's easier to read now.

who turned on the lights?

2008-09-08T15:08:00.002-04:00

i changed the look of the site a little, don't be startled. i found that the black with white copy was a little hard to read, and i'd gotten a few comments to that effect, so i've tried to increase the contrast.
love it? hate it? let me know...

latte from the venetian in las vegas

bacon and eggs

2008-08-25T20:31:00.002-04:00

ok, so it's not really bacon and eggs. but i started off calling this "garlic and anchovy butter toasts with poached eggs and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto"...i mean, it's accurate and descriptive, but hardly concise.

this is a lovely dish that is as easy to make on a weeknight for dinner or a late sunday morning for breakfast. poaching eggs isn't difficult at all (in case you happen to be one of the many who are scared of it). as i get older i realize how well my mother prepared me for life's little challenges...i've been poaching eggs for years now, and love the process. however, if you still feel daunted after reading my instructions, head on over to smitten kitchen for her step-by-step photo tutorial.

the garlic and anchovy brown butter in this is amazing. honestly, i could drink it (but wouldn't, cause - you know - it's butter) and i'm sure you'll love it. if you are scared of anchovies, try anchovy paste, but don't omit them because they are the essential flavor that pulls this dish together.

ingredients:
4 slices of thick and pillowy french bread
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced anchovy (or an equal amount of paste)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
4 tablespoons butter
4 large (and fresh) eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 bunch asparagus

special equipment:
slotted spoon
sil-pat

directions:
to make the garlic and anchovy brown butter, place the minced garlic, minced anchovy, red pepper flakes and butter into a small saucepan, and heat over medium to medium low heat. stir until butter is melted, and then continue stirring until butter browns slightly. this will impart a wonderfully nutty flavor, and is a step that shouldn't be skipped. you can feel free to stop just after the butter foams...that should be a good time. turn off the heat and set aside.
meanwhile, preheat the oven to 415 degrees, and set a deep pan (or a pot) with at least 2 inches of water over a medium high burner. the idea is to get this water hot enough to be simmering, but not rapidly boiling. you can add the vinegar at this point - it helps bind the egg whites together.

clean the asparagus and trim off the hard ends with your knife. prepare your asparagus by wrapping three pieces if thin (or just one if thick) together with a slice of prosciutto. (i sliced my prosciutto in half lengthwise first because it would have been too much meat:veg ratio had i left it whole.) once the asparagus spears are completed, place them into a sil-pat lined baking sheet, spray with olive oil (i got the "misto" for christmas and love it now!) and season lightly with salt (not too much, the prosciutto is pretty salty). pop this into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

now the eggs. before we go any further, it's important to tell you never to break your eggs directly into the water. you should break them into a small bowl or ramekin, and then slowly dunk them into the water. this helps keep the whites and yolk together. your water should be simmering now, so i will share my one trick to poaching eggs well (which my mother taught me when i was little), and that is to swirl your spoon around the outside of the pan, creating a bit of a tornado effect in the center of the pan, then (using your bowl) gently lower the egg into the center. cook the egg for about 2 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny, and then set aside onto a plate with a paper towel liner. i cook my eggs one at a time, i find it easier this way. some of the white will move away from the yolk, and that's ok.

finally, the toast. smear one side of each of the pieces of bread with the garlic and anchovy brown butter sauce and then toast until just toasted, and remove two slices each to two waiting plates. top each piece of toast with an egg, and serve with the asparagus spears (for dipping into the runny yolk of the eggs). enjoy!

maryland style breakfast potatoes

2008-08-24T15:01:00.003-04:00

marylanders put old bay on almost everything. as a state, we feel that most food (crabs in particular) are only authentic if they have a heavy handed sprinkle of this regional spice mixture. when my brother was in the army, we had to ship tins of it to him so that he could sprinkle it on the food in the mess hall. in short, we take old bay very seriously around here.

though not as popular as say chili powder, old bay is growing in recognition, and is now widely available throughout the states. it is the key ingredient in this dish, and though you could make these potatoes with a different spice mixture, the old bay makes them really special. if you can get your hands on some, give these a try.

ingredients:
4 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 large sweet onion (i use vidalia or mayan sweets)
4 cloves of finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1-2 tablespoons of old bay seasoning
salt to taste
olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

directions:
in a large heavy skillet heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. chop the onions and potatoes into large chunks (about 1/4"). add the onions and the finely minced garlic to the pan. sprinkle some salt over and sweat until they are glassy. sprinkle over with some old bay, (about 1/2 a tablespoon to start) then add the potatoes. sprinkle in the poultry seasoning and cook on medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often.
once the potatoes have had a chance to soften, add about 1 more tablespoon of old bay to them, and add in the butter. once the butter has melted and the potatoes are coated in it, turn the heat up to medium high and brown the potatoes. stir these often, and once browned, top off with a little more old bay and serve with breakfast.
enjoy!

notes: these potatoes are really good and very versatile. we serve them with dinner sometimes, and they always seem to be a big hit. you can use pretty much any kind of potato you want, but the yukons are nice in this as they soften really easily. if you use something more firm you may need to increase the length of the first cooking step.

anniversary pizza

2008-08-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

one year ago today, i was sitting at my desk at work thinking that it would be really cool to be able to post my recipes online somewhere so that my family and friends could grab them whenever they wanted to...and the practical gourmet was born. publishing my recipes has been fun and cathartic for me, also, it's forced me to think of new and exciting ways to explore cooking. i've even begun a 'cookbook' at home, which is really just a moleskin in which i write everything related to cooking and recipes. as fun as it's been to cook and to share, it's been even better to read the comments left for me by you, the readers. i appreciate you stopping into my little corner of the web...it means the world to me, really!

it should come and no surprise to my regular readers that my one year anniversary recipe is for pizza. most of you should know by now that it's an all time favorite of mine. this one is comforting because of it's ties to childhood, and an overall yummy flavor. i hope you enjoy it!

sloppy joe pizza

ingredients:
pizza crust recipe (which can be found here, here, or here)
1# ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1 package (or 2-3 cups) cheddar cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
prepare the pizza dough per the recipe, and while it is rising, heat a large non stick pan on medium high and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. once hot, add the onions and sautee until they start to become transparent. Then add the beef, breaking it up with your spoon, and sautee until browned.
meanwhile, combine half of the tomato paste and half of the tomato sauce in one small bowl, and then the other half of each in another. whisk to bring together. you can add herbs or spices at this point...i didn't put any in the first time, though in retrospect, something would have been nice.
drain the meat and onion mixture, and then add the first bowl of the tomato mixture and combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
once the dough has risen, shape it into the baking sheet, and then spread one the other bowl of tomato mixture onto the crust evenly. top with the meat and then the cheese and bake for 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
enjoy!

notes: this is, as i stated above, comfort food. if you want it to be even quicker you can get the mamwich sauce and just prepare it as if it were going on sandwiches, and then top the pizza...either way i'm sure that parents and kids alike will enjoy this pizza.

7 things

2008-08-05T13:45:00.003-04:00

i was tagged by Stephanie over at live. love. eat. to complete a list of 7 things about me. there were no guidelines associated with this, so i'm choosing to make them all food related. :)

1. i gravitate more towards fruit flavored candy and desserts than towards chocolate. this is not to say that chocolate doesn't have a special place in my heart, but my first true love is fruity flavors. examples of this is skittles, starburst, lemonheads, apple crumbles, blueberry muffins, and peach cobblers.

2. for several years in a row my birthday dinner consisted of a bottle of champagne, eggs benedict, and creme brulee.

3. i love wild game, and am a fan of finding fun ways for the home cook to use wild game in weeknight meals. i think that venison, bison, boar, and antelope are wonderfully flavorful and unique...and love to eat as well as cook them.

4. i have an affinity for french fries. they are one of my favorite foods. if prepared well, they are a showstopper, though i'll eat them even if they are awful. in fact, when i was a child my mother used to buy me a small fry from the mcdonald's drive-through because it was the only thing that would stop a tantrum in progress. i called mcdonald's "fry donald's".

5. my favorite cuisine is vietnamese. i was fortunate enough growing up to have a plethora of amazing vietnamese food at my finger tips, with pho joints on every corner. however, living in baltimore means the pickings are slim. i still travel down about an hour to get good vietnamese on occasion, but have learned to recreate my favorites at home as an immediate fix.

6. the best restaurant i've been to is in this area: l'auberge chez francois. it's amazing french country cuisine always makes me blissfully happy. the atmosphere is completely casual and comfortable, but the food is top notch. their traditional alsatian food is hearty and perfectly prepared. in 2007 it was voted reader favorite in washingtonian magazine for the 22nd time. twenty-two times people!

7. my dream is to open a knitting and yarn shop that also has a small cafe that features panini and crepes as well as really good coffee and tea and good company. combining my two loves would make me immensely happy.

i "tag" anyone who reads this and hasn't done it already...let me know if you do so that i can read your responses.

an island of my own

2008-08-03T14:02:00.002-04:00

my husband and i have been talking for a while about putting an island into our kitchen. right now we have an old table that is on it's last leg (no pun intended) and 4 mismatched chairs. it's the only part of our house that feels really unfinished.

we took a field trip to IKEA this weekend and have decided on this lovely island to compliment our kitchen cabinets and to provide extra storage and work space.

i'm beside myself...pictures of it in it's natural habitat are forthcoming. :)

turkey potstickers

2008-07-29T21:37:00.004-04:00

while i don't claim that these are overly authentic in recipe or design, they certainly taste good. i'm always looking for fun ways to try out asian flavors in my cooking, since hubby and i both adore them. this combines all our favorites; ginger, sesame, garlic, and the spice from red pepper flakes.

the most arduous part of this process is putting together the potstickers themselves, but even that took less time than i'd expected. everything else is just mixing ingredients together in a bowl!

ingredients:

for the potstickers:
1# ground turkey*
1 small onion (or 1/2 of a large) grated
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 scallion (white and light green parts only) chopped fine
4 small cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 package prepared wonton wrappers
an egg wash made of 1 egg and a little water

for the sauce:
1 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1.5 teaspoons of corn starch

directions: in a bowl combine the turkey, onion, ginger, scallion, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce lightly with your fingers. be careful not to overwork.

in a separate bowl combine the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch. whisk together to make sure there aren't any lumps from the corn starch. set aside.

to assemble the potstickers dip your finger into the egg wash and draw a line of the egg wash around all four sides of one side of the first wonton wrapper. then, place a heaped teaspoon into the center. fold upwards, and pinch the top, then pinch and pleat each side. you can really make these in whatever shape you'd like (like i said, they aren't particularly authentic.) however, remember these two things: make sure all sides are sealed, and make sure you have a flat bottom for the potsticker to "sit on".

halfway through forming the potstickers, set a steamer over a pot of water and bring to a boil. once they are all formed, heat a large pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. brown the flat side of the potstickers, being careful not to let them touch, in the pan for about 1 minute. then, transfer them to the steamer and steam for about 5 minutes. remove and move on to the next batch.

when the last batch is in the steamer, turn down the heat on your pan (but don't let the pan cool) and whisk together the sauce (the corn starch will have settled) and then pour this into the pan, whisking to remove any bits that thicken faster than others. add water if it gets too thick...it should be pourable and dippable. once finished, serve with the potstickers and enjoy!

notes:
these came out really well the first time i made them, which is why i'm sharing them with you. if you prefer a runnier sauce, simply leave out the cornstarch.
*you can use pork for a more authentic flavor

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behind the apron

28 cooks is hosting another year of behind the apron, so this year i decided to play along.

here are some things about me:
- i live in charm city with my husband
- i'm an animal lover and have three cats and a dog
- my earliest memory of cooking is making sausage and peppers with my grandfather when i was about five or six.
- my culinary hero is julia child
- i'm also an avid knitter, and have a knitting blog (of course!)
- i work in the interactive department of an advertising agency
- my favorite sound is the skin of garlic peeling off of the clove
- my favorite smell is fresh cut grass
- my favorite color is pink
i think that's enough for now...

zucchini bread

2008-07-26T18:27:00.003-04:00

the very first time i posted on this blog i mentioned that my husband had two favorite foods that his grandmother used to make which we never found the entire recipe for...just notes scattered through her cookbooks. the first, her eggplant parmesan i tackled in that first post, but it took until now for me to take care of working out the zucchini bread recipe. i've made minor tweaks to what i'm sure was a simpler recipe at first, i've added in a spice, upped the amount of zucchini, and used white whole wheat instead of white flour. i think it tastes great, and it just got the seal of approval from the hubby, so i hope you enjoy it!

ingredients:
3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups peeled and shredded zucchini
1.5 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil (or melted and cooled butter if you are throwing caution completely to the wind)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

special equipment:
a loaf pan

directions:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
combine all ingredients in a bowl, being careful not to over mix.
grease the loaf pan with pam or with butter...your choice, then pour in the batter. place the loaf pan in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, then cover the top with foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes. check the center with a toothpick, if not done cook for an additional 10 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
let cool, then enjoy.

notes:
vj's favorite way of eating this is to slice a piece, heat it in the microwave or toaster oven, and then top with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream...
i love toasting it and spreading it with thick gooey honey...
any way you slice it, i'm sure you'll enjoy!

gyro burgers

2008-07-22T22:22:00.003-04:00

this recipe has been rolling around in my head for a while. i love lamb (as evidenced by this post) and in particular gyros. the wonderful earthiness of the lamb paired with the cool and refreshing tsatziki cucumber sauce is out of this world. i wasn't feeling up to creating a traditional lamb roast to carve properly, so i decided on these cute little burgers. this is a relatively quick dish, and very filling.

ingredients:

for burgers:
1 pound ground lamb
1 small onion or 1/2 of a large onion, grated
1 egg
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or mashed into a puree with salt and the back of your knife
approximately 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

for tsatziki sauce:
1 cup of plain whole fat yogurt*
1 english cucumber, seeds removed, chopped into 1/4" dice
1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of dill (or the herb of your choosing, i went with thyme because i had it on hand)
salt and pepper

for serving:
naan, feta cheese, and lettuce

directions:
heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.
in a large bowl combine the lamb, egg, onion (and as much of it's juices as you can get in), the garlic, salt (if you didn't mash your garlic with it), and pepper to taste. combine loosely with your fingers, being sure not to overwork the meat. form into small patties, approximately 16, and set aside to come to room temperature.
to make the tsatziki sauce, combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
grill the patties for about 2 minutes on the first side, and then flip. cook for an additional minute and them remove and set aside.
assemble the gyro burgers on the naan with a heaping serving of the tsatziki sauce, lettuce, and feta cheese. enjoy!

notes:
this tastes so traditional, but is pretty easy. you could serve this in pita, but the naan is lighter, thicker, and fluffy. if you can't get your hands on lamb, turkey would be a good replacement...but lamb really is the best meat in the world.

* you could also use low fat yogurt that has been placed in a bowl over a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels for about a half hour to remove most of the liquid.

a saturday morning egg sandwich

2008-07-05T14:27:00.005-04:00

as i've mentioned before, i infrequently plan for breakfast. when my husband was in law school it felt like the only meal we always ate together, but now we almost never make a full-fledged proper breakfast. usually what happens is what happened this morning:
me: want some breakfast?
he: yeah, what've we got?
me: well, we've got eggs...
he: but no bacon.
me: right. and we've got potatoes...
he: but no bread.
me: ok. i've got an idea...i'll be right back.
and so, as with most good things, this sandwich was born of necessity. enjoy.

ingredients:
2 ciabatta rolls
2 - 4 tablespoons prepared pesto
1/2 a large ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 eggs
handful of basil, torn or sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
slice the ciabatta rolls and drizzle the cut sides with olive oil. toast these in a very hot pan for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn golden. remove and set aside. spread one side of the roll (or both, if you prefer) with the pesto evenly.
heat more olive oil in the same pan and then fry the eggs to your liking, as you can see from the photo we went runny (aka over easy), being sure to salt and pepper the eggs. place two eggs on top of the pesto on the bottom half of the roll. add the mozzarella cheese on top of the eggs, and then sprinkle with the basil. place the top of the roll on and enjoy!

notes:
depending on what you have in your pantry/fridge/freezer you could add more or less to this. you could put a thick slice of tomato on, you could replace the mozzarella with another cheese (gouda or fontina perhaps) and you could always add meat of some sort. as it is, it's the perfect summer breakfast. it's not heavy at all, which makes it very refreshing.

roasted tomatillo salsa

2008-06-30T21:34:00.004-04:00

i love snacking...and one of my favorite snacks is chips and salsa. trouble is, i have a low tolerance for heat in recipes. i mean, i eat them, and enjoy them, but they tend to burn my tongue so much that i can't taste what i'm eating. i long ago discovered that i prefer "flavorful" to "hot".
this salsa is a little of both, and if you want to kick it up some, using a few more peppers will do just that. i've adapted this from the black bean tostados with roasted tomatillo sauce from the october 2006 issue of gourmet. most of the ingredients are the same, however, the process is much easier, and therefore, more practical.
enjoy.

ingredients:
8 tomatillos, husked and sliced in 1" chunks
3 serrano chilies (use more if you like more spice), seeded and roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
one large sweet onion, roughly chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
preheat your oven to 400 degrees. place all ingredients on a baking sheet and liberally coat with olive oil, and then salt and pepper to taste.
bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove and stir. return to the oven and cook for about 5 more minutes. you want the tomatillos to begin to break down, and the onions to caramelize.
remove from the oven and place all ingredients into a food processor, whiz up until the texture you prefer, and then chill. this will probably keep in the refrigerator for about a week...but it's so good that i'm sure it wont be around that long anyway!

notes:
i'm always antsy about "adapting" a recipe...i mean, how much do you have to change something before you can call it your own? i think anyone who has read the "proper" directions for this will agree that it's different enough.
this salsa is slightly sweet because of the tomatillos and the most beautifully vibrant green color...it would be a nice alternative to the standard jarred red salsa at your next get together.

sometimes twice as much is better

2008-06-30T13:59:00.004-04:00

while i love my whole wheat pizza crust, one thing about it always bothered me; it was dry. i mean, you feel good eating it because it's whole wheat, and therefore, healthy, however, i'm one of those people who feel that healthy can also be tasty. so i experimented.
last night i came across a discovery...using 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the dough, instead of the 2 i previously called for, creates a softer and chewier crust...not dry at all!
i've updated the pizza recipes on the site to reflect the additional oil...i hope this encourages you all to create your own whole wheat pizza crusts at home!
and, as an added bonus...just because you are such wonderful people, i've also decided to give you another variation on the pizza...see below:

crispy proscuitto pizza

ingredients:
the new and improved pizza dough from here or here
1 small can, tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons water
several sprigs fresh thyme
4 ounces very thinly slices proscuitto
1 cup shredded mozzarella (not fresh)
1.5 cups shredded parmesan

directions:
prepare pizza dough per my instructions.
while it is rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. lay the proscuitto out in one layer on a baking sheet and pop into the oven. keep an eye on it, but let it get crispy. this will take about five minutes, and you'll know it's crisping because it's edges will curl.
meanwhile, mix the tomato paste with a little water until it's thinned out some, and then add the thyme and mix together.
spread out the dough in a thin layer, making sure to create a crust. sprinkle parmesan onto the crust of the pizza (for added flavor) and then spread the tomato mixture evenly on the middle of the crust. add the proscuitto, breaking it up with your hands as you go. then top with the mozzarella and then the remaining parmesan.
the pizza will only need to bake for about 15 minutes...but keep an eye on it to make sure that the cheese has bubbled and browned.

notes:
this is my cheat pizza sauce. it's a simple solution when you are in a pinch (most of us have tomato paste lying around, right?) and it tastes excellent. the mixture can't be too wet or the crust will be soggy, that's why you can't use fresh mozzarella either.
the crust, once you are used to making it, takes less than 8 minutes to pull together. so it's perfect for a weeknight meal.
at some point i will use it to make zeppoles...so stay tuned for that!

prezzies

2008-06-08T15:54:00.004-04:00

you may have noticed some items disappearing from the wish list side bar, and this is because i've been getting them as gifts! (fear not though, i've replaced them with new goodies to long for!)

my friend jen was kind enough to buy me jamie's dinners by jamie oliver for my birthday last week. this book is chock full of wonderful classic recipes that are loved by all. it has everything from tomato soup to roasted shoulder of lamb...it's wonderful. i'll be making the tomato soup this week, so stay tuned for a review. i always love jamie's recipes though, so i doubt i'll be dissapointed.
also, my lovely friend katie got me the oxo good grips mandoline! i'm so stoked about this new toy, i can't even tell you. i've wanted a mandoline for a very long time, and i'm so excited to user this as soon as possible. it has a ton of settings for juliened veggies, and thin sliced potatoes...it's going to be a lifesaver in the kitchen. the coolest part of this is that she doesn't even read my food blog, but still knew i'd want this...she also baked me focaccia bread, from the artisan breads in five minutes book...it was so good that i've added the book to my wish list.

and, though i bought it for myself, i've also recently added in nirmala's kitchen to my cookbook collection. i'm making three recipes out of this book this week alone, and i can't wait to get started. i'm sure, that like everyone else, i'll love this book.

sausage and pepper quesadillas

2008-06-05T21:45:00.003-04:00

though you will frequently find me spending well over an hour on a weeknight dinner, i occasionally need something that is fast as well as satisfying. quesadillas are ready made for this purpose, being simple in both construction and ingredients. though these ingredients are a classic italian combination, they work equally well in this mexican preparation.

ingredients
2 bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 pre-cooked gourmet sausages (we use aidell's artichoke and garlic), chopped
4 large whole wheat flour tortillas
1 block of monterey jack cheese, grated
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions
heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. add the peppers and onions, and then salt to taste. Stir for about 5 to 8 minutes until the onions are softened and the peppers are beginning to caramelize. add in the chopped sausages and heat through, about 2 minutes.
remove the vegetables and sausage from the pan, and using a paper towel, wipe the pan clean. place a tortilla in the hot pan, add a layer of cheese (being sure to get close to the edges) and then a layer of the vegetables and sausage, and then another layer of the cheese, topping it all off with a tortilla. press down on the top of the tortilla, using pressure to "seal" the two tortillas with the melted cheese. let this cook for about 2 minutes, and then carefully flip. let it cook on the second side for one minute and then slide out onto a cutting board and slice into triangles.

notes
you can top these with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, or anything that suits your fancy. they are fast, nutritious, and delicious...what more could you ask for?
as an alternate, you can also cook these with fresh sausage, but you'll need to brown it before you cook the vegetables, removing it to sautee them, and then adding it back in to heat through.

cheers

2008-06-04T21:50:00.002-04:00

today is my 30th birthday, as well as my third wedding anniversary. because of the dual reasons to celebrate, my husband cooked me dinner, and we popped the cork on a bottle of champagne we've been saving for a very special occasion.

on the menu was rare filet mignon, roasted local asparagus, and baked local potatoes with sour cream. but, of course i dug in before i could take a properly set up photo...so you only get the aftermath.

oh, and here's the bubbly goodness. it makes me happy just to see the photo. 16 years old, and just opened tonight...how special is that!?
happy birthday to me.

parmesan crusted chicken

2008-05-18T20:10:00.004-04:00

i've tried several recipes for this dish over the years and they all lacked a little something. most are made with bread or breadcrumbs mixed into the cheese, which admittedly cuts down on the fat, but just adds empty carbohydrates in it's place. some use only cheese, but to get a good crust you have to use a ton of the grated goodness...which isn't healthy either. in general most expect the parmesan to do all the work, not giving it any friends to share the stage with in the flavor department.
this version, however, is packed with herbs and other flavors, all of which allow parmesan to maintain it's starring role.

ingredients:
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup very finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

special equipment:
microplane

directions:
preheat the oven to 375 degrees. mix the thyme, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the mustard, and the vinegar together in a small bowl. clean and dry the chicken breasts and trim of any unwanted fat. put 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet and move around with your fingers to coat it. place the chicken on the baking sheet and then add a little salt and pepper to the top of the breast. spread the mustard mixture on to of the chicken breast and then move onto the cheese. the trick here is to use a microplane to grate the cheese, because you'll need a lot less of it, but it will still coat the top of the breast. grate just enough to cover it, and then sprinke on top of the mustard mixture. cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. enjoy!

notes:
this dish sees a lot of action in my kitchen because it's fast, easy, and satisfying...so I knew I had to share. I usually pair it with a potato of some sort and a nice crisp vegetable on the side. Even kids like this one...so feel free to double the recipe and make some for the little ones.

cauliflower alfredo

2008-05-18T19:39:00.005-04:00

i've always been one of those people who despise the idea of taking something very healthy and turning it into an indulgence...until now.
though cauliflower in it's natural state is very healthy, everything i've added to it to make this dish has made it decidedly not so. however, the flavors imparted from the alfredo are so perfect with the crisp vegetable, that i can't help but smile when i eat it.
i know that you will allow yourself to slip up on your diet with this recipe...trust me, it's worth it!

ingredients:
olive oil
3 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2.5 to 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 to 4 cups of milk
2 cups parmagianno reggiano, grated
2 cups pecorino romano, grated
1 head cauliflower; trimmed, cleaned, and sliced
fresh grated nutmeg
fresh ground pepper

directions:
preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
cut the bacon into small pieces using kitchen shears. heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over high heat and add the bacon, render until it’s browned. using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. add the onion to the pan and reduce the heat to medium high. stir for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to get soft and then add the garlic. stir for about 3 minutes more, until both are soft and then remove to the same bowl as the bacon. set these aside.
in the same pan, add the butter and flour and mix them together until they form a paste. let this mixture heat in the pan for a few minutes, moving it around so that it doesn't burn. add in the milk, and using a whisk, break up the paste in the milk. (the mixture will slowly thicken, it should be the pretty thick, but still pourable. if it gets too thick, add more milk, a little at a time.) lower the heat to medium and slowly add in 1/2 a cup of the parmagianno reggiano and 1/2 a cup of the pecorino romano. stir until melted, and then grate in fresh pepper to taste and a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg. stir the onions and the bacon back to the sauce and turn off the heat. set this aside.
spread about 1/4 cup of the alfredo mixture onto the bottom of a small casserole. then add in one layer of the sliced cauliflower (it's sliced - not left in florets - so that it can cook in the casserole and doesn't have to be steamed first) then top this with more of the alfredo mixture and a layer of the cheeses. repeat this until you have reached the top. sprinkle the top with a tiny bit of pepper and a little more nutmeg.
cover the dish with tin foil (or a cover if it comes with one) and cook for 30 minutes at 375. after the first 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for an additional 30 minutes uncovered. pierce the cauliflower in the center with a paring knife to ensure that all of it is cooked through and soft. if it's still too hard, put it back in the oven for about five minutes at a time.
once done, remove from the oven, cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. enjoy!

notes:
this is not the kind of dish you serve every week for dinner. it's a little labor intensive, and time consuming, but it's very good and totally worth the effort. i can see myself replacing a vegetable dish with this at my next thanksgiving table...or even bringing it to a bridal or baby shower.

a sunday morning egg sandwich

2008-04-27T16:54:00.004-04:00

i frequently wake up hungry on sunday mornings and have no idea what to eat. the leftover food from saturday night rarely piques my interest, and though i usually resort to toast with honey and butter, this sunday i knew i needed something a little more substantial.
after peering through the drawers in the fridge and the shelves in our cabinets, i had my breakfast planned out. this is simple and fast (it took less than 5 minutes) and a good use for random odds and ends left over from the week before.

ingredients:
2 thick slices of whole grain bread
2 slices of honey roasted turkey breast
2 large eggs
the leaves and tip of one stalk of fresh thyme
thinly sliced swiss cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil

directions:
place the bread in the toaster oven and put a slice of turkey on each piece. toast until lightly browned. remove to a plate and set aside.
meanwhile in a small pan heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and break in the two eggs, keeping them separated. salt and pepper the top of each one, and then sprinkle with the thyme. add on the cheese and let these cook until the white is set and the yolk is still runny (or to your preference).
remove and place each egg on top of each of the slices of toast with turkey. enjoy!

notes:
simple and filling, this is a great pantry raid dish. it would taste great with almost any cheese, swiss is just what i had on hand. the meat could also be just about anything, and would taste fantastic. play around with the options and have fun with themed flavors like spinach and feta for a greek flair or roasted red peppers and gouda for a more italian option. any way you make it, it's sure to please.

this post is not for the vegetarians

2008-04-21T13:04:00.003-04:00

about a month ago my friend jen approached me with a favor. she had been a vegetarian for almost eight years, but had decided to cross back over to the dark side and eat meat.
the favor? she wanted me to cook the meat for her. i happily accepted the challenge and set about to deciding what the perfect meat would be. i asked if she wanted to keep things low key, but was told no. she wanted to plunge in, feet first. that narrowed the choices from chicken, lamb, and beef down to lamb, and beef. i asked what she preferred and was told beef....but then i was left with a conundrum. what kind of beef? something complicated and saucy? something tender and simple? a t-bone, or a prime rib? ultimately, i defaulted to my old standby; the filet. i have to say, i think it was a good choice.
i also prepared roasted garlic smashed potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce, but the filet was the star of the show. jen agreed to pick the steaks up, and i gave her explicit instructions. then i got to looking up the best way to prepare a rare filet at home (because there was no way i was going to let her get into the habit of eating thick rubbery meat, what would be the point in abandoning vegetarianism for that?)
after several searches, i decided that the best way to do it would be to pan sear it (one minute for each side) on the highest heat my burner could put out, and then pop it into a 450 degree oven for three minutes. i let the meat come to room temperature while i prepared the other dishes, and only when it was nice and ready did i season it with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and coat it in oil for searing. the searing was lightning fast:

and in a mere matter of moments, they were plucked from the oven ready to sit for ten minutes before being eaten. while we waited, we brought everything up to the roof deck where we planned to eat. it was windy and cool, but the perfect weather for such a momentous night. we all had our cameras poised when she took her first bite:

and i was pleased as punch when she declared it "very good!". actually, it was very good, so good in fact that i took a shot of my plate so that you could see the scrumptiousness of the meat:

and here is one last shot for good measure. we must have been very noisily enjoying the steak because tucker was feeling a little left out...he kept wandering by my chair and vj's chair begging for some of the steak...how could i say no to that face?

easy! this steak was expensive...i ate each and every delectable bite of it!

Mmmmm, steak. :)

rosemary and white bean dip

2008-04-17T11:59:00.005-04:00

sorry for the lack of a photo, but i ate this too quickly to take one and share. this was a dip born of two things; my dislike of hummus and my affinity for recipes that can be made in a flash for last minute gatherings. i realize that not liking hummus is an unpopular opinion, and to qualify, i don't hate hummus...i just wouldn't ever seek it out. the flavor just doesn't "do it" for me. white beans, however, are lovely. this dip is so dead simple and even the hummus lovers in my office were pleased. give it a go!

ingredients:
2 cans great northern or cannelini beans, drained
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 head of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil, plus about 4 tablespoons
salt and fresh cracked pepper

special tools:
food processor
aluminum foil

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees. cut the head of garlic in half (chopping off the top of the cloves) then coat all of the pieces well in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap in a bit of aluminum foil. place into the oven and leave for about 35 to 40 minutes. you can check on the "doneness" of the garlic by piercing a clove (down towards the root) with a knife or fork. if it's soft and yielding, it's ready. if not, put it back in the oven and check on it at intervals of 10 minutes.
once the garlic is ready squeeze or pry out each individual clove from the skin, discarding the skin. place these into the work bowl of your food processor. add in the drained beans and the leaves of one and a half of the sprigs of rosemary, reserving the tip of the second sprig. add salt and pepper to taste and pulse until it is a thickish paste. begin adding in the olive oil while the processor is on, very slowly so that it can incorporate. check the consistency with your finger (or a spoon, your call) and if it needs to be smoother or thinner add more olive oil.
top with the sprig of rosemary and serve chilled.

notes:
this dip is healthy and hearty. it can be served with pita or fresh veg, or even used as a sandwich spread. it is an interesting variation on hummus and i really enjoy the blank canvas that are great northern beans. this could be made with a lot of varieties of beans and several variations on the herbs...black beans with cilantro and lime juice with some corn and roasted red pepper would be delicious for instance.
i had this at work with me and one of my friends even stirred it into her rice and was pleased at the results...the possibilities are endless.

project spectrum mushrooms

2008-04-15T12:22:00.003-04:00

from the very veg pizza...

proscuitto and leek pizza

2008-04-09T20:52:00.005-04:00

when i said we eat pizza a lot in our house, i meant it. we really like the versatility of it, and i frequently find myself using it as our weekend "stew" by dumping anything and everything we still have in the fridge or pantry onto a homemade crust. this pizza came about by more subtle means; my love of leeks. i am always trying to find new recipes in which to use them and this example is no different. the leeks themselves are very sweet and crispy, while the proscuitto is salty and chewy. the boursin cheese adds the perfect finishing touch to this duet of flavors.
the crust is the same as in the very veg pizza, however, for convenience sake, i've reprinted it below.

whole wheat crust ingredients:
1 package instant yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (i use arnold's)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4* tablespoons olive oil (you will need a little more to coat the dough while it rises)

whole wheat crust directions:
mix yeast in water and allow about five minutes to dissolve and begin to foam. once the yeast is ready mix it in with the rest of the ingredients and turn dough out of bowl. knead for several minutes until very smooth (or until your wrist hurts from your carpal tunnel) and then place in a clean bowl that has been coated with olive oil. coat the top of the dough with a liberal glug of olive oil, and cover with a clean dish towel and set on the back burner of the stove (or a warm place.)

once the dough has risen for about 15 minutes, remove it from the bowl and carefully begin to stretch it out. you need to get it large enough to cover a rimmed baking sheet (which you won't need to oil if you coated the dough well enough) in a thin layer with the edges folded up to make a crust. get the dough as thin as you can because it tastes best that way. set aside. preheat oven to 425 degrees.

topping ingredients:
3 medium or 2 large leeks, sliced thin
2 batches of moonblush/quick roasted tomatoes
4 to 6 ounces of thinly sliced proscuitto, chopped
2 cups low moisture, part skim mozzarella
4 ounces boursin cheese, crumbled
olive oil
5 stalks fresh thyme
salt and pepper

topping directions:
soak the thinly sliced leeks in a large bowl or the sink filled with cool water. separate the rings with your fingers, being sure not to leave any stuck together. because they are grown in sand, they need to float on top of the water, while the sand sinks to the bottom. this is the best way to ensure that they are completely clean.
while the leeks are soaking, heat a large pan over medium high heat and add in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. once the leeks are clean and have been drained on towels, add them into the pan with some salt to help sweat them, a little pepper (to taste) and the leaves of the thyme stalks. cook the leeks until they are soft, or for about 8 minutes, stirring them frequently.
layer the tomatoes on the crust evenly, and then spread the leeks on top of that. crumble the thinly sliced proscuitto on top of the leeks, and then add the mozzarella and boursin cheese in an even layer. pop the pizza in the oven and then wait until the cheese is melted and begins to brown.

notes:
as i've previously stated, we top this crust with just about anything. some other favorites include:
bbq sauce, shredded chicken, and cheddar cheese
alfredo sauce, grilled shrimp, sauteed spinach, and parmesan cheese
really, you can put almost anything on this and it's bound to be good. i hope you'll try it with your own variations!

*i've updated the recipe to read 4 tablespoons of olive oil as it produces a better result.

very veg pizza

2008-03-31T21:19:00.005-04:00

i recently discovered a new use for the moonblush tomatoes that i mentioned in my sweet and savory spaghetti post; pizza. i love pizza, but i hate it when the sauce is too thick and takes away from the toppings.
here, i've given you a basic whole wheat crust (because if you are going to have pizza, you might as well make it as healthy as you can) and i've topped it with my favorite veg. feel free to improvise on the veg, but by adding in the moonblush tomatoes (or the quick roasted, which are mentioned in the same post) you get an amazingly slow roasted flavor in almost no time.

whole wheat crust ingredients:
1 package instant yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (i use arnold's)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4* tablespoons olive oil (you will need a little more to coat the dough while it rises)

whole wheat crust directions:
mix yeast in water and allow about five minutes to dissolve and begin to foam. once the yeast is ready mix it in with the rest of the ingredients and turn dough out of bowl. knead for several minutes until very smooth (or until your wrist hurts from your carpal tunnel) and then place in a clean bowl that has been coated with olive oil. coat the top of the dough with a liberal glug of olive oil, and cover with a clean dish towel and set on the back burner of the stove (or a warm place.)

once the dough has risen for about 15 minutes, remove it from the bowl and carefully begin to stretch it out. you need to get it large enough to cover a rimmed baking sheet (which you won't need to oil if you coated the dough well enough) in a thin layer with the edges folded up to make a crust. get the dough as thin as you can because it tastes best that way. set aside. preheat oven to 425 degrees.

toppings ingredients:
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, thinly sliced
6 oz. container of cremini (or baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1 batch of moonblush tomatoes (or quick roast tomatoes)
2 cups of low moisture mozzarella
3 to 4 oz. of herb and garlic goat cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

toppings instructions:
in a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions and a few pinches of salt (the salt will draw out the liquid from the onions, helping them to break down faster...plus, it tastes good.) allow the onions to cook slowly until they are very soft and transparent, about 10 to 15 minutes. once they are soft, add in the red peppers and allow them to get soft, about 5 minutes. once the peppers are soft, add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to give off their juices, about 5 minutes. turn off the heat.

assembly:
layer the crust with the tomatoes and then add on all of the healthy veg in an even layer. sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and then add the goat cheese in an even layer, breaking it up as you go into small pieces. bake until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted.

notes:
we vary this pizza a lot, usually though i make it with just onions and red peppers. it's always a hit and something i feel good about serving to the people i love. this would taste equally good with tons of meat...so feel free to make it less veggie friendly.
i will post other variations soon, including barbeque chicken pizza, cheeseburger pizza and shrimp florentine pizza. stay tuned!

*i've updated the recipe to read 4 tablespoons of olive oil as it produces a better result.

butternut squash and sage risotto

2008-03-28T15:07:00.003-04:00

the flavors of butternut and sage compliment eachother so well that they have become a standard pairing in most food dishes. there are times when i feel compelled to push the envelope when it comes to spices...but this, like lamb and rosemary, just shouldn't be messed with.
the risotto itself is creamy and smooth with the perfect amount of bite. the butternut has intense flavors of creamy sweetness that are layered with salt and spice. together, they are a winning combination.
there are plenty of risotto "recipes" out there, this is just what works for me. a lot of people are scared of risotto, but to be honest the technique is really one of the simplest in cooking...

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
4 to 5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1 cup dry white wine (plus more for sipping while cooking)
5 tablespoons of butter, seperated
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced fine
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup of parmigianno regianno, grated fine, plus extra for garnish
5 - 6 leaves of fresh sage, minced fine
olive oil
salt
pepper

directions:
heat the oven to 415 degrees. place prepared butternut onto a large rimmed baking sheet and add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste, and enough olive oil to coat (but not drown) the butternut. mix it all through with your hands and then pop into the oven. (keep and eye on this while you are making the risotto, mixing it around ocassionally if you need to so it won't burn. if you put it in right before you start, it should be ready exactly when you need it.)
in a small pot, heat all of the stock over a low fire to take the chill off. in a large pan, melt 2 of the tablespoons of butter over medium heat and add in the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. stir the onion until it starts to become transparent and then add the rice and 2 more tablespoons of the butter. stir the rice for about 2 minutes to absorb the butter and make sure it is all well coated. add in the wine and stir until it absorbs.
once the wine absorbs you will begin adding the chicken (or veggie, depending on your preferences) stock into the rice slowly. the only tricks to risotto are to slowly add the stock so that the rice absorbs a little at a time...and to stir it well in order to break down the starches in the rice. i suggest adding about a half a cup at at time. stir it through, give it a minute, and then come back and stir it again. you'll know when it needs more because there will be no liquid in the pan. it's important not to let the rice dry out enough so that it will stick. risotto requires a watchful eye, so don't stray too far. keep feeding the stock to the rice until there is only a little bit left (between a half a cup and a cup.) at this point, add in the sage and half of the cheese. mix through and add in the rest of the cheese and mix again. turn off heat.
remove the butternut from the oven. it should be soft (and squish between your fingers or tongs when you hold it) and a little carmalized on the edges...but not burned. add all of the butternut to the pan with the risotto and mix through. a lot of the butternut will break up, and that's ok, it's supposed to. add in the rest of the stock (the butternut makes the mixture thick) and mix, then serve warm with more grated parmigianno reggiano.

notes:
i served ours with a grilled chicken breast, and it was great. however, the flavors of the butternut and sage could also stand up well to heartier meats like lamb, and would compliment delicate seafood as well.
i believe this is one of the only things i've made that has garnered a whole-hearted approval from my husband on the first try...try it, it's really good (and good for you! kinda.)

sweet and savory spaghetti

2008-03-18T15:21:00.005-04:00

going on vacation for two weeks can really increase your urge to stand over a hot stove for hours on end and create luscious home-cooked meals for the ones you love. or maybe it's just me. the food in vegas and tucson was amazing, of course, but nothing compares with making something yourself...and you just can't do that on vacation, you know?

when i got back i felt like i'd never seen my cookbooks before! i had a mini love affair with all of them and resolved to try something new from one in particular; nigella lawson's nigella express. this book has countless ideas in it for fast and weeknight-friendly meals, as well as little suggestions for special items. one of the latter spoke to me: the moon-blush tomatoes.

sun-dried tomatoes (or sun-blush tomatoes as the brits will have it) are something we use quite a lot of in our house, as vj is partial and i adore their thick sticky sweetness. however, nigella has a suggestion for making them yourself at home to save money and keep things a little more natural. if you have the book you can use the recipe there, it's truly genius and requires almost no work on the part of the cook. if you don't have the book you can follow my suggestions for quick roasting tomatoes at home, or you can simply soak some store-bought sun-dried tomatoes in warm water to soften them up for a while and use those. regardless of which option you choose, the tart sweetness is what you are really looking for here.

sweet and savory spaghetti

ingredients:
1 batch moonblush tomatos (or one batch for the quick roasted tomatoes below)
5 ounces of goat cheese (we used the garlic and herb)
one large bunch of basil, sliced into ribbons or torn
one pound of spaghetti (or other thick pasta, angel hair would be too delicate here)
salt

directions:
cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water per the package directions. once it's cooked, drain it reserving a small amount of the cooking liquid (about a cup) and set aside. warm up your tomatoes in the same pot that you used to cook the pasta, and then add the pasta back in and crumble in the cheese and basil. mix to combine and serve immediately. you can top with basil and little knobs of goat cheese if you have any left over.

quick roasted tomatoes:

ingredients:
two bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine, or two cartons cherry tomatoes
about a tbsp. of your favorite herb mix (i used herbes de provence)
olive oil
about a tsp. of sugar

directions:
heat your oven to about 425 degrees. cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a rimmed baking sheet with the cut sides up. sprinkle over a small amount of olive oil and then evenly top with the herbs and sugar. then salt and pepper (to taste) and bake for about 30 minutes. keep an eye on them, it's hard to determine the amount of time they'll need since the size of the tomatoes and the heat of each oven will vary.

note:
nigella makes several suggestions for alternate ways to use the moon-blush tomatoes, and they would apply to the quick roasted tomatoes as well. spreading them on toast would be lovely, though mixing them into a salad would also work. play around with the flavors and see how you can make them work for you.

review of craftsteak in las vegas

2008-03-14T11:12:00.003-04:00

my husband and i recently took a trip to las vegas and tucson, arizona. we had a fantastic time, and pretty much ate our way through the two destinations! while we were in vegas we stayed at the mgm grand (which is a lovely hotel if you are in the market for one) and also at the green valley ranch (which is a seriously amazing place for those of you who like to be pampered.) the first night in town we decided that we wanted to see a show and go out for a spectacular dinner. we chose ka, the cirque show, and craftsteak, the tom colicchio steak joint, both at the mgm. craftsteak was, to put it mildly, mind-blowing. i can think of nothing bad to say, they need no improvements, and they left nothing to be desired...it truly was a religious foodie experience.

ambience.
we decided very last minute that we wanted to eat at craftsteak. we'd toyed with some other locations, and even visited them in person to check out their menus...but ultimately decided that a nice cut of meat and a good bottle of wine would be the best choice. because of the lateness of our decision, there was no room left in the restaurant proper...however, the very helpful staff assured us that they would find room for us, and sat us in the lounge section. at first i was concerned that it would be crowded and noisy, but i soon realized that even the lounge was relaxing and enjoyable. i was seated on a comfy couch with fluffy pillows at a low table, and my husband was across from me in a proper chair. there was plenty of room between each table, which was refreshing. the lighting was just what restaurant lighting should be, low and moody. there were candles everywhere, and the overall mood was relaxed, almost aristocratic, and sophisticated.

service.
the service was exceptional. as i mentioned above we were in the lounge, and at one point it did get noisy while a party was waiting to be seated...but our waitress came over and assured us that they would be seated within five minutes and asked if we were alright with the noise level. i really appreciated this consideration (even more so based on an experience that i had at another establishment, which i will have to impart at another time) and we assured her that we were fine. the service was prompt, courtious, and close to invisible. supurb.

food.
ahhhh, finally, my favorite part! i knew what i'd be ordering before i even looked at the menu...it's what i always order when i'm in a steak restaurant; filet mignon. i know it's unoriginal, but i could care less...i love it and no one will ever talk me into getting another cut of meat.
to start: i ordered the kobe beef tartare, and my husband got the lobster bisque. the kobe beef tartare rocked our world. words can not describe just how good this was. it literally melted on my tongue. this was not a tiny pile of beef either, it was over 1/4 pound of carefully chopped, seasoned, and garnished prime beef. it was topped with the classic raw egg (which i could tell was organic), and served with parmesan toasts. vj's bisque was lovely, creamy, and full of large lumps of lobster. we shared, of course, but eventually both gravitated to the tartare. this isn't meant to be a slight on the bisque, it was exceptional, but nothing could top the tartare.
main course: we ordered the lobster risotto (because "why not?") to share and each ordered a filet mignon, both were ordered rare. the filet was exceptional, perfectly seared, seasoned, and served on a hot plate with a slew of fresh thyme alongside. i was so happy to see that they got rare just right (as so many places fail in this area) and happily sliced off sliver after sliver of perfect meat. my husband rarely made a noise, save a few grunts of whole-hearted approval. the risotto was insane. more lobster, which was perfectly prepared, and the rice was seasoned and cooked just perfectly. (the photo above is of the "doggie bag" we had to take when we were unable to finish all of our food!)

wine.
the wine list was extensive to say the least...we were truly overwhelmed. we are not accustomed to paying a small fortune on a bottle (nor are we wealthy enough to do to) and usually prefer to spend more on food than wine - though we do recognize that wine is an important part of the experience and would never want to diminish it's importance. however, i also knew that any bottle we chose would be wonderful, as their sommolier was clearly a man of good taste and clear vision. we ultimately decided on a petite syrah, and it was delicious...warm and fruity.

price.
the price was, as expected, very high. though, i can honestly say it was worth it. after all was said and done, with food, wine, and tip, we left behind just under $320.

last night...

2008-01-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

i made my first loaf of bread.

it's a simple and wholesome loaf, and, admittedly it's aptly named "the lazy loaf". but still, it's homemade bread. it's from nigella lawson's new cookbook nigella express, do check it out, it's lovely. now please excuse me while i return to basking in the glory of the bread.