The Vivacious Chef

The Vivacious Chef Has a New Home

2011-04-04T18:35:00.000-05:00

www.vivaciouschef.com

I am very excited to announce that after 4 glorious years, the Vivacious Chef has achieved a little slice of Internet real estate she can call her very own! The beautiful new blog design is still in progress, including a new logo, but the site is up and running. I am also pleased to let you all know that all 4 years of recipes have been transferred to the new site so there is no lost content.

The current Vivacious Chef header probably looks familiar to my long-time visitors - it is my Grandmother's handwriting from her egg salad recipe! I think it's a wonderful placeholder and always makes me smile.

All of the credit for this stunning work in progress is courtesy of my hugely talented sister, Samantha Riccio. Thank you Samantha for all of your hard work!

CAUTION: Green beer gives you a green tongue.

2011-03-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

Also, please be aware that green beer makes you as drunk as every other kind. In the spirit of safety, here's a friendly reminder to take a cab home this evening. As for me, I will be in the sober comfort of my own home participating in a cleanse that forbids alcohol consumption.

In appreciation of your taking my advice not to drive, here's a joke to brighten your day:

Six Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table.

Sean O'Conner looks around and asks, "Oh, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?" They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet and gentle; don't make a bad situation any worse.

"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me." Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares: "Your husband just lost $500 and is afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher

--Happy St. Patty's Day!

Conejito's Place

2011-03-04T17:12:00.001-06:00

THE best enchiladas ever!!

Breakfast at Fleur de Lis

2011-02-27T02:57:00.001-06:00

Nothing tastes as good as a fresh biscuit sandwich with ham, egg and cheese with a side of hash downs smothered in sausage gravy. After a late night on Bourbon Street this was amazing!!

Dinner in New Orleans

2011-02-24T22:22:00.001-06:00

Commander's Palace - 4 courses with a beautiful view, shortbreads, salad, trout, and bananas foster. I'm in love.
Sent from my iPhone

Be My Valentine?

2011-02-14T21:49:00.001-06:00

So, I'm not entirely sold on the concept of Valentine's Day. The origins seem strange, I usually conjure up images of the St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago, and I generally believe it is a Hallmark holiday.

On that note, whether you're making food for one person or two, here's a delightful English dessert: Eaton Mess.

1 c. sliced strawberries
1 c. raspberries
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (25-year aged)
1/2 c. whipping cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
lots of vanilla meringue cookies

Macerate 1/2 cup each of sliced strawberries and raspberries in about 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of aged balsamic vinegar for at least 30 minutes. (That just means mix the berries, sugar, and vinegar together; by the way you can omit the vinegar if you don't have it or like it.) Meanwhile, whip about 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Gently fold the berries into the whipped cream, plus an additional 1/2 cup each of sliced strawberries and raspberries.

In a glass, crush vanilla meringue cookies into the bottom, top with the berry and cream mixture, and then more crushed meringue cookies. I promise that you'll love this easy and amazing dessert - particularly on Valentine's Day.

{I promise to add a picture later}

Weekend Adventure in Two Rivers, WI

2011-01-12T19:13:00.000-06:00

Here's the best bloody mary in Wisconsin - the Clamdigger at The Blue Goose in Two Rivers. There's beef jerky, string cheese, a pickle, pickled asparagus, pickled mushrooms, pickled brussel sprouts, olives, and celery. When you stop in to have one, say hello to Lynn and Goose, the owners. Oh, and plan on staying a while - Lynn makes great burgers!

Chicken Puebla Stew

2011-01-11T09:03:00.081-06:00

I honestly know what kills my husband about my eating habits: when he asks what I want to eat, my answer is always the same - "something healthy, cheap, and delicious." Really, Leah? Yes, really. Even when cooking at home, that is a tough request. Following the decadence of the holiday season, this healthy and flavorful soup satisfies the part of you that wants to continue eating everything in sight, and the other part of you that swore to eat better/workout/fill-in-the-blank.

Don't be intimidated by the unique cooking style of this soup - charing the onions and garlic before pureeing. I promise that anyone can do it. Top the soup with some diced avocado (healthy fat), cilantro, sour cream (low fat, please), and a couple tortilla chips, and enjoy.

Chicken Puebla Stew

2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

2 c broth/stock

2 t. salt

2 garlic cloves whole, not peeled
1 small onion, quartered

1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

1 chipotle in Adobo (1 medium chilie)

1 t. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 t. Cumin

½ t. Smoked paprika

1 (1 1/2-oz) link dried Spanish chorizo, finely diced

1 small onion, diced

1 T. vegetable oil

1 c. corn (frozen)

1 14 oz can white hominy

1 avocado, diced

warm corn tortillas or chips
Sour cream
Cilantro

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and saute over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside. Once cool, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it. You can also use leftover chicken rather than making some - any cut of chicken will do.

In a large dutch oven, cook the chorizo and diced small onion in oil over medium heat until the fat is rendered, about 2-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small dry cast-iron skillet over high heat and brown the garlic and quartered onion on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Peel the garlic, and transfer it and the onion to a blender. Add the tomatoes with juice, chiles, and oregano, then purée until smooth.

Add cumin and paprika to the large pot with chorizo and onion, cooking 2-3 minutes more. Carefully add the tomato purée (it will splatter and steam) and the hominy, and simmer, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes or until thick. Add the 2 cups of broth and return the soup to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken and frozen corn; let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, sprinkled with diced avocado and cilantro.

Adapted from Epicurious, original recipe available at www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Puebla-Chicken-and-Potato-Stew-109026

A little feedback, please.

2011-01-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

Whether you've noticed or not, The Vivacious Chef got quite a makeover. I'm not convinced that this is the final product I'm looking for, but I'd like to know what you think. Particularly as compared to the cheery dots theme of yesterday. Is this color too blue to be looking at next to food? I haven't decided yet. In the meantime, I'd appreciate knowing what you think - and if you have any suggestions for themes other than what's part of the Blogger library, let me know.

Curried Quinoa Salad

2011-01-03T20:16:00.002-06:00

In the mood for something healthy that won't leave you starving (or groaning) when you're done? You're looking for quinoa. It is an amazing grain that is loaded with protein, easy to make, delicious and satisfying. Quinoa cooks just like rice, has a soft texture when cooked, and is neutral in flavor. The USDA National Nutrient Database says that 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains 8.14 grams of protein, 5.2 grams of dietary fiber, and a variety of other nutrients.

It happens to be my humble opinion that people need to incorporate more vegetable-oriented meals into their diets. I am not advocating becoming a vegetarian - I love meat too much for that. Rather, my point is simply that protein doesn't need to be the main component of a meal, or necessarily take the form of meat. Quinoa is an easy, and typically palatable, starting point for those who are hardcore carnivores.

To be perfectly honest, I stumbled upon this recipe tonight and hardly followed the original recipe. Turns out I wasn't able to wait for the quinoa to cool before I ate it, and it was delicious warm - I'm sure it's great as a cold salad, but I haven't tried it yet.

Curried Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water

2 tsp Chicken stock base*

½ tsp curry powder

pinch salt

¼ cup canola oil (or EVOO)

2 T. white wine vinegar

2 T. mango chutney, chopped if chunky

2½ tsp curry powder

1tsp prepared mustard

a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

(1 cup chopped peeled mango)

1 cup peeled and diced cucumber

1 bunch green onions, sliced

Method

To make the quinoa, add the quinoa, curry powder, and stock base into the pot, and put over medium heat. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn, and that the stock base becomes soft, and melts into the quinoa. Once you can smell the curry, add the water and salt; give it a stir. Turn the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, put a lid on and turn the heat to low and set the timer for 15 minutes. This process is like cooking rice – you’re steaming the quinoa, so don’t lift the lid to peak. There may be some extra liquid at the end, but that’s ok. Just turn the heat up to medium and cook it off. (happens to me all the time)

Meanwhile, in a bowl large enough to hold all of the quinoa, add the mango chutney, vinegar, mustard, and curry powder, and whisk to combine. Whisking vigorously, add the oil slowly until the dressing is combined. When the quinoa is cooked, add it to the bowl with the dressing, and stir to combine. Add a sprinkle of cayenne and salt to taste. Let cool. Once cool, add the diced cucumber and scallions.

The quinoa is very good still warm with the cucumber and green onion on top. (Which is how I had it for dinner)

The original recipe called for adding diced mango to the salad – I didn’t try it because I couldn't find it at the store tonight. It also called for serving the quinoa on top of spinach, which I did – not great. Might be better with a yogurt dressing – like an Indian raita – over the whole salad if you use the spinach.

Adapted from Epicurious.com on 1/3/11; available at www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Curried-Quinoa-Salad-with-Mango-232544

* Chicken stock base is a kitchen staple - you can find it in all grocery stores by the packaged stocks/broths. The link is to the Better Than Bullion brand, which is what I use. It's great because you'll always have as much, or as little, stock as you need.

2011-01-03T14:45:00.001-06:00

This is a test of the Mobile Food Blog Posting System (MFBPS). I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

Everybody Burns Something, Sometime

2010-12-29T20:45:00.004-06:00

It kind of makes you think of that commercial - but it's true. I am starting to get the impression that people think I never make an error, so I thought it time to put that to end. Take this evening's dinner for example.

First, there was not a lot of food in the house, so dinner was going to be a ham sandwich. So, what makes a ham sandwich better? Cheese. Only string cheese? No problem; that won't stop me. What makes that ham and cheese sandwich better (beside mayo and mustard)? Grilled. And better yet? Panini-ed. No panini press? Big deal - I have a cast iron skillet to put on my sandwhich. Well, here I am excited about my ham and cheese panini despite the pathetic state of our fridge, and then I burn the ever loving life out of it. Great.

The moral of the story is not to get discouraged - half the fun of food is experimenting. All that burnt and smashed sanwhich needed was a bread-ectemy. Yes, you read that correctly. I replaced the charred bread, and started over with the same stuffin'. And, it wasn't half bad. Its wasn't great, but not bad. That's half of it - sometimes you learn how flavors, textures, and methods work by figuring out what doesn't work.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. (and sometimes get Taco Bell when it still doesn't work)

Macaroni & Cheese

2010-11-28T09:45:00.004-06:00

I've had several people find my first post about macaroni and cheese, and tell me that they don't feel confident enough to try it without a more formal recipe. I am happy to help, so I have developed this recipe from my method.

Before you scoff at my adding mustard to this, it brings out the cheesinesses of the sauce, and guarantees you'll love it. Plus, over the summer I was at the Taste of Madison, and a comfort food style restaurant there was serving macaroni and cheese. It was amazing - oh, and tasted exactly like mine. Not only that, they had used the same pasta that I have come to use, cavatappi. But don't worry if you don't have that, any short pasta will do.

Mac & Cheese
1 lb short pasta
½ small yellow onion, minced
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
½ tsp Paprika
2 ½ cups milk (any percent; I use 1%)
1 ½ tsp Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard (or another coarsely ground mustard)
2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan
salt
pepper

First, bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. If the water boils before you are ready to cook the pasta, just turn the burner off. Once you're ready to cook, turn the burner back on to high, and it will only take about 1 minute to boil again. It is much easier to have it waiting for you, than the other way around.

Meanwhile, sweat the onion in the butter over low heat until it is very soft; about 5-8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux – cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the paprika, a little pepper, and mustard. Then, whisking constantly, add about half of the milk, and continue to whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Once it is smooth, add the remaining milk and bring mixture to a boil. Once bubbles begin to break on the surface, the sauce is as thick as it will get. Waiting to add the cheese until you are ready to serve, take sauce off heat before adding cheese bit by bit until melted, making sure to stir constantly while adding. Wait to salt the sauce to taste until the cheese is added to the sauce.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, toss with the sauce and serve - this is a no-bake mac and cheese. There are a few reasons I don't bake it: 1) I can't wait that long to eat pasta or cheese, let alone both together; 2) I hate making more dirty dishes than I have to, and it doesn't add to the overall flavor of the dish; 3) I don't like over cooked pasta; and 4) I don't need crunch on it - it detracts from the creamy deliciousness. Feel free to disagree.

(If you add the cheese and then let the sauce sit, the cheese will separate in the sauce and the sauce will be grainy. If that happens, eat it anyway. It happens to me too, but it is still delicious.)

Fig and Prosciutto Salad

2010-10-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

Dear Fresh Figs:

You are amazing. I am so sorry that Fig Newtons gave you a bad rap, and I will do everything I can to restore your reputation.

Love,

Leah

I realize that you may question my sanity for writing a letter to figs, but I can assure you that I am slightly off. However, I have a very good reason: fig and prosciutto salad. I made this about two weeks ago for a family dinner. Through I learned more about cooking than I probably realize from my parents, this was kind of a hard sell - until they tried it.

Fig and Prosciutto Salad

2 large bunches arugula or baby salad greens (about 1/2 pound total)

6 firm-ripe green or purple figs (about 1/2 pound)

6 to 8 large thin prosciutto slices (about 6 ounces total)

a piece Parmigiano (about 1/3 pound)

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt to taste. In a slow stream, whisk in the oil until emulsified. Toss arugula with the vinaigrette and mound in center of each of 6 plates.

Wash the figs, and trim the tough stem ends. Cut each fig into 8 wedges. Cut the prosciutto into strips, about ¼ to ½ inch wide. Arrange the prosciutto pieces and figs on the salad. With a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices from the Parmigiano, and add to the top of the salad. Eat.

Adapted from Epicurious.com.

Spicy Asian Flank Steak

2010-10-05T17:35:00.002-05:00

This spicy asian flank steak is SO good. I do not think I need to sell this recipe any more than that because I know that once you try it, you'll make it all the time. It is that good. The secret is cutting the finished product correctly: you can see from the photo that I've sliced the meat very thin. The reason is that flank steak is a tough cut of meat, so by slicing it thin and across the grain, you get to enjoy a meltingly tender bite of steak. Winner, winner, steak dinner.

Spicy Asian Flank Steak

2 pounds flank steak

1⁄4 cup hot chile sauce, Sriracha

1⁄4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, grated

Juice of 1 lime

1⁄4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

To make marinade: In a gallon side zip-top bag, add the chile sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and lime juice together. Seal the bag and squeeze bag to thoroughly mix the marinade. Add the meat to the bag, seal it shut, and evenly distribute the marinade over the meat. Then ensure that all air is out. Marinate meat about 30 minutes, turning bag over a few times to distribute marinade evenly. (If you want to make this the night before, don't add the lime juice until about 30 minutes before you're ready to grill it and make sure to keep the bag 'o meat in the fridge. Prior to grilling, have meat come to room temperature by removing from fridge for 30 minutes.)

When ready to grill, discard the marinade, and grill the steak on high heat to desired doneness. Steak should not exceed medium rare for optimum tenderness; many people prefer flank steak to be medium rare. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side; remove meat and let sit at least 5 minutes before slicing; if more grilling is required, grill 1 to 2 more minutes per side. Remember to thinly slice it across the grain.

To enjoy this gorgeous flank steak, try the following: thinly sliced onion, avocado, diced tomatoes, cilantro, lime, and corn tortillas.

Ratatouille & Brie Sandwich

2010-08-16T19:56:00.010-05:00

I am so excited because I just perfected the ratatouille sandwich from Toronto! As promised, here's the recipe. This recipe is great because it is so multi-purpose. I made the ratatouille last night to have as a side with the most amazing ribs, which left most of ratatouille for these sandwiches the next day.

Choose a soft bread with lots of flavor, and use a good mustard. This is a great dinner on a weeknight, after a walk.

Ratatouille & Brie Sandwich

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large eggplant, peeled & cut in 1-inch pieces

8 large thyme sprigs

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 red bell peppers, cut into ½ inch strips

1 large onion, cut into 3/4-inch sliced

3 large tomatoes—halved, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup shredded basil leaves

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

8 Soft rolls

A wedge of brie cheese

Dijon mustard

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the eggplant, 2 of the thyme sprigs, one-fourth of the minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper; season with salt and black pepper. Cook the eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Scrape the eggplant into a large bowl and discard the thyme sprigs. Repeat with the zucchini, red bell peppers and onion, cooking each vegetable separately in 2 tablespoons of oil with 2 thyme sprigs, one-fourth of the minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables to the eggplant.

Return all of the vegetables to the skillet. Add the tomatoes, basil and parsley and simmer over moderate heat until the tomatoes are softened, about 10 minutes.

Split the rolls by cutting around the top and pulling out the top – like you’re making a well in the bread to contain the filling. On a large baking sheet, toast the rolls under the broiler, until crusty. Fill the warm rolls with the ratatouille, and top with the sliced brie. Spread the top of the roll with Dijon mustard - serve right away.

Adapted from Food & Wine, http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ratatouille-and-goat-cheese-subs, accessed on August 14, 2010.

* I wish this was a photo of my sandwiches tonight, but - though they were delicious - were ugly. Really ugly. But delicious.

Fresh Pasta

2010-08-14T18:56:00.009-05:00

Fresh pasta can be tricky, but it is worth the time. Making pasta at home compares to nothing else you'll have - not even the allegedly fresh pasta in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

I used the extruder attachment for my Kitchen Aid to make this spaghetti. This is the first time I have used the attachment, and I am really pleased with the results. Prior to the extruder attachment, I had a traditional hand-crank pasta maker. They really are two different processes - it depends on what your preference is.

The hand-crank pasta maker is perfect for the sheets of pasta - use them for ravioli, or to make hand-cut pasta, like rags. However, once you begin to use the hand-crank machine to make the cut pastas, there are not enough hands in the world to help you. For pasta shapes, I definitely prefer the extruder. Which ever method you prefer, the mode of making the dough is the same.

The pasta pictured above is a semolina dough. The key to making pasta dough is knowing what to look for: when the dough comes together into a ball in the food processor, let the machine continue to run for about another 1-2 minutes, which acts as the kneading of the dough. Keep in mind that the weather will affect your dough: if it is a humid day, you may not even need to add any water. You can always add water - but you can't take it out.

1 1/3 c. Semolina flour

1 Large egg, whipped

1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1-4 Tbsp Water

In a food processor, add the flour. With the processor running, slowly add the egg and the oil. If necessary, add the water slowly - never more than 1 tablespoon at a time - until the dough just forms a ball. Allow the processor to continue to run for another 1-2 minutes. Once done, let the dough to rest for about 15 minutes before making your pasta.

In my case with the extruder, as the pasta reached the proper length, I cut the pasta off and laid it out in a single layer on the countertop, which had a liberal coat of semolina flour to prevent the pasta from sticking (to itself and the counter). You can tell from the picture above that I used a lot of semolina flour; it's ok because the texture of the semolina is more granular than all purpose, and shakes off easily.

Add the pasta to a pot of boiling, well-salted water. Stir,

and cook approximately 3 minutes. It's fresh, so it cooks very fast.

I added my pasta to a pan of Farmers Market Pasta sauce

- pure heaven.

Roasted Beet Salad

2010-08-12T19:24:00.000-05:00

We also picked up fresh beets at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Todd was not convinced when I suggested that we buy some - but he admitted that he has only had pickled beets. Now that he tried this salad, he loves beets, and I think you will, too. They are deliciously sweet, and have a beautiful velvety texture. As you can see from the photo below - I think I'll stick with golden beets from now on. The red beets, while gorgeously pink, made everything pink - even my yummy oranges.

Roasted Beet Salad

6 medium golden beets

2 large oranges
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated or pasted
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped
1 lb salad greens

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut off and discard stems from the beets, and wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Once cool, peel the beets. Slice each beet into wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.

Zest one orange for the dressing, then supreme it: begin by cutting the ends off of the orange. Place the orange cut-side up, and cut the peel/white pith off the orange. Then, working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. If that confused you, see this video.* Add orange segments to the bowl with the beets.

Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the mixture on top of a plate of salad greens. Enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with this - Todd added crumbled blue cheese to his salad, and it was delicious (but I thought it was too overpowering). Certainly goat cheese would be perfect here, if you like it (which I don't; not even a little). I personally might choose a ricotta salata in place of goat cheese.

*Please just take your time when you supreme an orange so that you do not waste as much of it as Ming Tsai does; I'm not a fan of his, but it shows you how to do it.

Bliss Can Be an Heirloom Tomato

2010-08-09T19:46:00.002-05:00

I am almost ashamed to admit that this Saturday I went to my first farmer's market in Milwaukee. I KNOW - it's sick and wrong. Me - the girl who grew up on my honorary aunt and uncle's organic farm - Creekside Farm - during the summer, spending Saturday mornings peddling fruits, veggies, and flowers at THE farmer's market on the Capital Square in Madison, Wisconsin. Hell, the first thing I learned to drive was a tractor on their farm. Honest.

Though the South Shore Farmer's Market is very different from the Dane County Farmer's Market, the dog-friendly atmosphere, a priest making smoothies, a French man making crepes, and being on Lake Michigan in South Shore Park was wonderful. Next time, we will take our dog Max to meet all the dogs.

For dinner on Saturday, I made caprese salad - and it was THE most amazing salad ever! Imagine perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and 25-year aged balsamic vinegar . . . so amazing!

Quinoa Tabouli

2010-07-24T15:15:00.006-05:00

Tabbouleh/Tabouli is a Middle Eastern dish, typically made from wheat bulgar. There are a multitude of variations that are dependent upon the region, such as the Turkish version, kisir. Tabouli is a fantastic dish in the summer - it's cold temperature and light flavors won't put you to sleep after eating. Perhaps most persuasive is that there is little cooking involved.

I love this version with quinoa in place of the bulgar because quinoa has a ton of protein and cooks just like rice.

Ingredients
2 cups chicken/veggie stock
1 cup quinoa
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
4 green onions, diced
3 carrots, grated
1 lg clove garlic, grated (or pasted)
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or palm full of dried parsley)
Salt and Pepper

Method
Preheat a saucepan to medium heat and toast the quinoa for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, a little salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes; fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and parsley. Toss with the quinoa when its done – allow to cool. Meanwhile, chop the veggies.

Once quinoa is cool, add the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Toss to combine. You may need to add more olive oil if the mixture becomes dry as it cools.

*This dish traditionally has fresh mint as well, but I never have any on hand. If you do, chop it up and toss it in.

Even more things to do with PESTO

2010-07-22T20:32:00.007-05:00

I appreciate that, given my infrequent posting, some may be tiring of the fact that nearly everything I post involves pesto. BUT I have found a new use . . . or a combination of other recipes. It is summer after all.*

So, what do you get when you cross a pizza with Pesto Pea Salad? Yummy, yummy deliciousness.

At Woodman's (a local grocery store) we found frozen pizza dough from a local bakery that I just rolled out and baked. Meanwhile, I made a béchamel sauce - equal parts butter and flour; 1 tablespoon of each - in a pot over medium-law heat. Then add approximately 3/4 cup of milk and bring to a simmer until thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.

Spread evenly over the cooked pizza crust, and top with the pesto pea salad and a liberal sprinkle of parmesan cheese. So good.

* I have a moment to post tonight because there are tornado warnings, tornados, and flooding in Milwaukee. I was in class, which was cancelled after waiting in the parking garage for 50 minutes. I headed for home during a small break in the storm. Ain't summer grand.

Pesto

2010-04-06T19:42:00.008-05:00

The more I talk to people I learn that, while most know what pesto is, they have no clue how to make it. When I try to explain that it's easy, they think I am nuts. Honestly, if you have a food processor, this is a snap - PLUS, you will impress everyone and you can't even mess it up.

Pesto

1 oz fresh basil leaves
3 T toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
½ c. extra virgin Olive Oil
5 T Parmesan, grated
1 lb pasta

In a food processor, pulse the basil and garlic about 5-7 times. Then add the nuts and continue to pulse the mixture another 4-6 times. With the food processor on low, slowly drizzle in the oil until it is all combined; then shut it off. Add the cheese, and pulse 3-5 times until it has just incorporated. Done.

You can now toss your pesto with cooked pasta, add it to chicken, use it as a pizza topping, make Pesto Pea Salad, or . . .
______________________
**To toast the nuts, put them in a dry (no oil) pan over low heat and shake them every couple of minutes to prevent burning. This will take a little while - keep your eye on it! You will know they are done when they get a light brown color (and smell really good). Also, make sure to keep any extra pine nuts in the fridge.

The Best Sandwich I Ever Ate...

2010-03-25T17:44:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I went to Toronto, and as it turns out, I found the perfect sandwich. Our first full day in Toronto was a little crazy, and we needed to find a late lunch. We wandered into a little French cafe - Jules Bistro - and I knew it was going to be good - it had crystal chandeliers after all.

So, the best sandwich I ever ate was here: The Jules Vegetarien with Brie.
I realize that the photo is rather unimpressive, but this sandwich (and Jules Bistro) were SO good, we went back there for lunch the next day and I ate it again. It's that good. Ok, so what is it? Warm ratatouille, two thick slices of brie, a little mustard, baby salad greens, and the freshest bread I have ever had.

The other reason we loved this Bistro: the chef (who was actually French) was out talking to people in the restaurant while we were eating (we were there for a late lunch) our cute waitress has the best French accent, and you could order brie cheese on anything.

I am working on a copy-cat recipe before I forget and I'll share.

The Spice Market

2009-11-30T20:15:00.001-06:00

I promised photos of the Spice Market in Istanbul . . . the photos speak for themselves. And, yes. It smells like it looks, only better.

Spices

Turkish Delight

Fresh Tea

Lemon Basil Martini

2009-11-12T15:33:00.000-06:00

So, in this house, and the one I grew up in, we LOVE basil. When I found this recipe, I knew it was meant to be. Plus, it was the start of fall, and I had a planter full of basil waiting to be used. Unfortunately, mother nature didn't get my memo, and freezing temperatures (we're talking 30 degrees here) killed all of my basil. Ugh. So, making a full batch of this lemon basil syrup wasn't in the cards. I cut the recipe by 1/4 since I only needed 1 cup for the martinis.

I made these when my mom came to visit (when I make the panang curry) and they were amazing; and amazingly delish with the curry.

Lemon Basil Syrup
4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs (top 4 inches; from a 1/2-pound bunch)
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
9 (4- by 1-inch) strips lemon zest

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.

Martini
1 cup basil lemon syrup
3/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain and serve. Makes 3 generous martinis.

Adapted from epicurious.com on 10/24/09.

Panang Thai Curry

2009-11-07T15:55:00.000-06:00

There is a little Thai restaurant that my mom and used to go to for lunch in Madison (the name escapes me right now) and it had the BEST Thai curry. I have been searching for a comparable recipe for years, and I think I've found it. This simple dish brings all of the flavor of a Thai curry that you can replicate at home, with relatively common ingredients. I've made this dish a couple of times now and its great every time. (I made it once even for my mom, who agrees that it's just like the restaurant.)

If you decide to make this, which I hope you do, don't judge it until you've let it simmer for a while. I will admit that it seems a bit bland at first, but once all of the flavors have come together, you're going to love this exotic yet comforting dinner.

Panang Curry
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 cup chicken/veggie stock
1 13 1/2-to 14-ounce can organic light coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves or 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 tablespoon (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices peeled carrots (about 4 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 large boneless-skinless chicken breast, 1 inch cubes or 2 14-ounce packages organic firm tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 1/2

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic; cook until shallots are tender, about 6 minutes. Add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, and chili paste; stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup stock, then coconut milk, lime leaves, and brown sugar; bring to simmer. Season sauce with salt. Add cubed chicken (or tofu), carrots, and bell pepper; simmer over medium-low heat until carrots are tender, adjusting heat to low if beginning to boil and occasionally stirring gently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.

Serve with basmati rice:
16 oz. Basmati Rice
28 oz. Chicken/Veggie stock
1 sm yellow onion, diced
1 lg clove garlic, pealed and smashed
2 Tbsp Olive oil

Add olive oil, onion and whole garlic clove to pot over medium-low heat. Sweat the onion over low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic. Add the stock and rice, and turn the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Bon Appétit | February 2009 by Jeanne Thiel Kelley on 10/17/09

Monkey Bread

2009-10-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

My Mom made money bread when I was in high school on Sunday mornings. My sister and I had never heard of it until one evening when we were making dinner. My Dad started to go on and on about "monkey bread" and how Mom used to make it all the time when they started dating. He told us about how she would roll it in butter and parmesan cheese, and when it was done it was the best thing he'd ever eaten. [Keep in mind that this was before we had eaten dinner, so it was killing us.] Well, he talked about it enough that Mom broke down and made this version - not with parmesan cheese - with cinnamon sugar. I haven't had it in years, and I've certainly never made it before. This is definitely a method, not a recipe, but it couldn't be easier. I am pleased to report that my monkey bread, while not as perfect as Mom's, was SO good.

I used a frozen loaf of bread dough - it's in the freezer section - and followed the directions on the bag to proof it. For the brand I used (which I don't remember off hand), I took the frozen loaf out on Saturday night, right before i went to bed. I put it on a greased cookie sheet and put it in the oven. On Sunday morning, I had a perfectly risen loaf of bread [that I was about to tear apart and add a ton of calories to]. I took the loaf out, and preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

I melted 1/2 of a sick of butter, put about 2 cups of cinnamon-sugar on a plate, and buttered a bread pan. In the bottom of the pan put a nice drizzle of butter and cinnamon sugar, and mix it up. (If I had to guess, I'd say it was one tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar).

Line the items up and do the following, in order:

1) Tear off a golf ball sized chunk of bread;

2) Dunk it in the melted butter (yes, I said "dunk" - this isn't health food people);

3) Roll the butter coated ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar;

4) Place in loaf pan.

5) Repeat until dough is gone.

Once you're done with that, put the rest of your cinnamon sugar on top of the loaf pan [or in the rest of your coffee], and bake it at 350 degrees, checking it after 30 minutes. I think this one baked for about 45 minutes.

When the loaf is done, place a serving plate on top of the loaf pan. Carefully, but quickly, flip it over and remove the pan. All of that caramel at the bottom will drip everywhere and be delicious. (Don't feel bad if you [or your husband] sticks a finger in those puddles to take a taste; just be warned that it is super hot.)

This is so good because the top is wonderfully crunchy from the cinnamon sugar, and the bottom is all gooey and . . . yum.

Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew

2009-10-20T19:40:00.003-05:00

Sometimes things go as planned, and sometimes they don't. For example, the weather on Sunday was beautiful - mid-50s and sunny. That didn't stop me from sticking to my plan: staying inside cooking and reading all weekend.

I decided to make this dish for a few reasons - it sounded delicious, and we bought a lot of spices at the spice market in Istanbul that I haven't used yet. Plus, I am always looking for new recipes to use quinoa in; it is a complete protein and a grain!

The flavors in this dish are very comforting and hearty, with a slight suggestion of heat as you finish your bite. If you're leery of the cayenne, start with a 1/4 teaspoon and see what you think. You can always add more, but you can't take it out.

Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew
Ingredients:
Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of saffron
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1 1/2-pound squash)
2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots
1 can Chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint, divided

Quinoa
2 cup quinoa* (Pronounced keen-wa)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups chicken/vegetable stock

Method:

For stew:  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients. Add 1 cup stock, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; add the can of chickpeas after the first 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

For quinoa:  Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups stock. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
NOTE: Sometimes I find a lot of liquid in my quinoa after 15 minutes and it tends to be too firm yet. So, I turn up the heat to medium, remove the lid, and check it after about 5 minutes. Use you best judgment - if it seems undercooked, it probably is. Don't be scared of this grain; it's pretty hard to screw it up.

Rewarm stew. Stir in the cilantro and mint, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the cilantro for garnish. Spoon quinoa onto platter, forming well in center. Spoon stew into well. Sprinkle remaining herbs over.

* You can find quinoa in the natural section of the grocery store, or at a specialty market. It's a grain that has lots of protein, and it tastes great. If you're still not impressed or persuaded, go ahead and use rice.

Adapted from Bon Appétit | January 2006
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-with-Moroccan-Winter-Squash-and-Carrot-Stew-233714

Made on 10/18/09.

Looking forward to bad weather . . .

2009-10-15T14:07:00.002-05:00

Since the weather here in Milwaukee is terrible - we're talking 44 degrees, wind, and rain - I intend to stay inside all weekend cooking and reading; I hope to have a new batch of recipes ready for posting. We're not that far into fall, and I have already exhausted my favorites, including Roasted Squash and Sage Risotto.

(I am really looking forward to this weekend because Todd and I haven't spent a weekend at home without plans since we got married - it's liberating being free of plans.)

The Best Vacation Ever

2009-09-03T20:59:00.002-05:00

(Haiga Sophia, Istanbul)

The best vacation ever was also the best honeymoon ever, which was preceded by the best wedding ever. (I may be biased.) Part of the best honeymoon ever was the cooking class during our stay in Istanbul, Turkey.

The first thing people do is crinkle their face, and say, "Istanbul? What made you want to go there?" Well, why not. We jetted from Rome to Athens to Istanbul. We were already going to Greece, and Turkey is so close. After researching Turkey, and talking to people who had been there, we started to figure out what a cool place it is, and it exceeded our expectations when we finally made it there. We stayed at the most amazing hotel, Sirkeci Konak, and there was a free cooking class on our first night! There was one other Danish couple, and we made bulgar and beef kavurma, which is like a stew. After we finished preparing the meal, we all went up to the dining room to to eat - it was delicious! Later that night we went out to explore more of the city, which is when the picture of us in front of Hagia Sophia was taken.

There is so much more about Istanbul - like the Spice Market. AMAZING. Don't worry - I'll share more later.

Kuzu Kavurma
(Stewed Meat)
Lamb leg, onion, green pepper, tomato, mushrooms, garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme, cumin, sunflower oil

Cut meat into small pieces, sear in hot oil. In another pan, saute onions and garlic until golden brown. Add the sliced green pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes and spices. Once the meat is browned, add it to the vegetables and allow to simmer.

Kisir (Bulgar)
Dried crushed wheat (bulgar), scallions, parsley, black pepper, salt, chili, mint, thyme, olive oil, tomato paste, chili sauce, pomegranate syrup

Put the bulgar in a bowl and stir in the water. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Add all remaining ingredients to the bulgar, and combine. Allow to rest overnight for the flavors to meld.

_____
If anyone is interested in amounts for these recipes, please let me know. The recipes above are all they gave us.

Pesto Pea Salad

2009-08-17T19:52:00.005-05:00

I rarely find a recipe that I don't tweak or change. I also don't make many dishes with only a few ingredients and/or spices, but this is one of them. It's perfect.

This salad is such a great sumer dinner. Not only does it have great flavor and texture, it takes 5 minutes to throw together. We had it for dinner tonight on its own, although it would be great with some crusty bread, and a grilled chicken breast marinaded in pesto.

Pesto Pea Salad
Ingredients
1/4 lb baby spinach, washed
10 oz. frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 c. prepared pesto
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method
Place all ingredients in a bowl. Toss. Eat.

* I really like to use the frozen baby peas from Trader Joe's.
Recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home, page 77 (2006); my picture :)

Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches with Basil and Aged Balsamic - Stuart Brioza | Food & Wine

2009-08-13T00:31:00.007-05:00

Ok - this sounds so good! I am going to try it this week. I think with a salad, and a nice sauvignon blanc with fresh peaches sliced into the wine... I am in love with the Geyser Peak Sauvignon right now; its a good price and easy to find. Also, since aged balsamic isn't in my budget, I will use a balsamic reduction. All you need to do is simmer the balsamic until it has reduced to a desired consistency. Doing this produces a richer and thicker vinegar, very similar to an aged balsamic.

You can find the recipe here:

Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches with Basil and Aged Balsamic Recipe - Stuart Brioza | Food & Wine

Image by Food & Wine Magazine

Shared via AddThis

Mango-Peach Sangria Recipe - John Besh | Food & Wine

2009-08-12T14:10:00.002-05:00

This sounds so delicious to celebrate the rest of summer.

Mango-Peach Sangria Recipe - John Besh | Food & Wine

Shared via AddThis

Farmer's Market Pasta

2009-08-10T12:13:00.006-05:00

So, not only do I have a problem with using the oven, I avoid it. I mean, really. What is the point of baking a pasta dish that is perfectly good without the extra step. Case in point, Penne with Corn, Zucchini and Basil. Sounds delicious. It does not, however, sound like I need to wait an additional 45 minutes to eat it, or dirty more dishes for that matter, by baking it. Plus, eliminating some of that cooking keeps the veggies perfectly cooked, and the sauce fresh. This is my stove top only adaptation of Penne with Corn, Zucchini and Basil; I call it Farmer's Market Pasta. You can easily pick up the majority of the ingredients at your local farmer's market - if you're in Madison, stop by Creekside Farm, and say hello to Mark and Chris, my honorary Uncle and Aunt!

Farmer's Market Pasta
Ingredients:
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. penne
6 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
Kernels cut from 3 ears of corn
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 zucchini, about 2 lb. total, cut into half-moons
1 small yellow onion, diced
8 tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Method:
In a 12-inch nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the corn, season with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and warm the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches, add the zucchini, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the corn. Repeat with the remaining zucchini, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Start boiling the water for the pasta.

Set the pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to form a sauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the wine has reduced and the sauce is fairly thick, about 3 minutes more. Next add the tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano to the bowl with the vegetables and toss to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce, toss - enjoy!

Adapted on August 5, 2009 from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

NOTE: I also think this would be a great make ahead dish: sauté the corn, then the zucchini, and set aside. Prepare the sauce, put a lid on it, and move it to the back of the stove. When you're ready to eat, cook the pasta, and turn the heat on under the sauce. I don't think you need to reheat the veggies; I didn't last night and there was probably an hour break. Toss it all together and enjoy. Oooo, I bet this would be great if you grilled the corn on the cob, then cut it off to add.

The Best Potatoes

2009-08-06T17:55:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what to call these delicious nuggets of potato heaven, but they are so good I'm not sure they need a name. Any reference to "those potatoes you made that one time," will automatically populate this recipe in my brain. It's simple, really. Boil whole, unpeeled, fingerling potatoes in liberally salted water* until fork-tender. Drain, and allow to cool until they can be handled. Split each potato lengthwise, and salt the cut side generously. In a 10" saute pan over medium heat, put in about a tablespoon of butter - we're looking for a pond of butter. Not a lake, but a pond. Lay the potato halves, cut-side down, into the butter pond. (I said good, not healthy.) DO NOT TOUCH THEM. Let them get nice and toasty in the pond. I'd say after 5 minutes check the bottom of ONE - we're looking for golden brown deliciousness. Once there, remove the little gems to a plate, cut-side up, and sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs. I used chive, parsley, and thyme. So good. SO GOOD. I really thought this was appropriate to accompany my Julia Child dish. The potatoes are, after all, in a pond of butter.

Note: To properly boil a potato, I was taught to scrub the potatoes, place them all in a pot, and then fill the pot with cold water to cover the potatoes by a couple of inches. Place the pot on the stove and place on a high heat to bring to a boil. To check for doneness, pull a potato out of the water and stick a fork in it. If there is a lot a resistance and it is hard to put the fork in, then they need to cook longer. If the fork slides in easily, the potatoes are cooked.

* Please, please, for the love of your pot, please do not salt the water until it has reached a boil. Adding salt before it reaches a boil will cause the bottom of your pot to get pock marks from the settled salt.

How I Met Julia Child

2009-08-04T22:42:00.005-05:00

I have to introduce my debut newspaper article by admitting that I cannot pronounce the name of this dish, Paupiettes du Boeuf. However, I take solace in the fact that Nancy Stohs, the food editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, cannot either. You can find my article, as well as more pictures of the process and fellow blogger's tales on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's website at www.jsonline.com/food.

There are two things that I did not mention in the article: how AMAZING the sauce was and how much more we enjoyed this as leftovers. I served the Paupiettes with green beans (obviously) and fingerling potatoes. (Come back tomorrow for the potato recipe - so good!)

Without further ado:

In an era when a craving can be fulfilled by hopping online to your favorite food website for a recipe, a 40-year old cookbook can be intimidating. To avoid feeling overwhelmed while using Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I read the recipe I chose at least a dozen times. Feeling confident, I began with the filling for the Paupiettes du Boeuf (p. 318), which means braised stuffed beef rolls. I lovingly call this dish “meat stuffed meat.”

The stuffing of pork, veal, and herbs was a snap, after I visited most of the grocery stores in Milwaukee for ground veal. The next step was stuffing the pounded slices of beef, which seemed simple enough. However, when the rolls hit the heat, the meat shrank and the toothpicks I used to secure them were not holding; I should have used string as Julia had directed. My amazing husband Todd came to the rescue: he had asked a butcher for some string on the sly. He triumphantly handed it over, and we began to tie the remaining paupiettes. What a breeze they were to sauté, and decidedly more attractive. The remaining steps were equally straightforward – add it all into the pan, and braise it at 325 degrees for about an hour and a half. Well. I am once again reminded that straightforward does not equal uncomplicated. I suppose this is the part where I confess: I do not use the oven very often, and it shows.

Once I put the pot into the oven to braise, I checked on it several times to baste the paupiettes. Each time the liquid seemed to be at more of a boil. This is where I went wrong, and why my paupiettes were dry. Julia Child (and likely author Julie Powell) would be so disappointed. I completely forgot a basic principle: if you boil meat it will become dry. And so it was with this dish. All I can say is that in an era where we retrieve recipes online, and can read the reviews of home cooks before us, using this book is something like a pop quiz. You had better know (and remember) your stuff before you set out – like “do not boil meat.”

Paupiettes du Boeuf

½ cup finely minced onions

1 tablespoon butter

6 ounces lean ground pork

6 ounces lean ground veal

3 ounces fresh pork fat, minced fine

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of allspice

Big pinch of pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 egg

2 ½ pounds lean beef (top round or chuck), cut into 18 cross-grain slices ¼ inch thick and 3 inches in diameter

Salt and pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons rendered pork fat or good cooking oil

½ cup sliced carrots

½ cup sliced onions

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1 ½ cups brown stock or canned beef bouillon

1 (4-inch) square of fresh pork rind, bacon rind or salt-pork rind, simmered 10 minutes in a quart of water, then drained

1 large herb bouquet (6 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf and ½ teaspoon dried thyme) plus 2 cloves garlic tied together in cheesecloth

1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

1/3 cup whipping cream

Parsley sprigs

Needed equipment: 3-quart mixing bowl, wooden spoon, white string, a heavy fireproof casserole about 10 inches in diameter and 2 ½ to 3 inches deep, bulb baster, wire whip.

Cook onions slowly in butter 7 to 8 minutes, until they are tender, but not browned. Scrape into mixing bowl.

Add pork, veal, pork fat, garlic, thyme, allspice, pepper, the ¼ teaspoon salt, the chopped parsley and egg. Beat vigorously with wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Flatten each slice of beef to a thickness of 1/8 inch by pounding between two sheets of wax paper with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Lay meat flat on a board and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Divide the meat stuffing into 18 portions and place one on the lower third of each slice. Roll meat around stuffing to form cylinders about 4 inches long and 1 ½ inches thick. Secure each with 2 ties of string. Dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat rendered pork fat or oil in heavy casserole until almost smoking. Brown paupiettes lightly, a few at a time, and remove to a side dish. Reduce heat to medium and brown vegetables slowly 4 to 5 minutes, stirring. Then add flour and brown it slowly 2 to 3 minutes. Remove casserole from heat and immediately beat in wine, then stock or bouillon.

Lay rind in bottom of casserole. Place paupiettes over it, and add more stock or bouillon, or water, if necessary to the liquid so paupiettes are barely covered. Add herb bouquet.

Bring to a simmer on top of stove. Cover casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate the heat so the paupiettes simmer very slowly 1 ½ hours. Baste them two or three times with liquid in casserole.

Remove paupiettes to a side dish and cut off trussing strings. Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan and degrease thoroughly. Boil down sauce if necessary, to concentrate its flavor. You should have 1 ½ to 2 cups thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Correct seasoning.

Off heat, beat mustard and cream into sauce. Simmer 1 minute. Rearrange paupiettes in casserole or a fireproof serving dish, and pour sauce over them.

(Recipe may be prepared in advance to this point. Film top of sauce with a spoonful of stock or melted butter. When cold, cover and refrigerate.)

About 10 minutes before serving, reheat barely to a simmer on top of stove. Cover and simmer slowly 5 minutes or so, basting paupiettes frequently with sauce. Serve from the casserole, or arrange paupiettes on a platter, spoon sauce over them and surround with rice or noodles. Decorate with parsley sprigs.

________

P.S. I finally found the ground veal at Sendick's.

Gouda & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

2009-07-15T13:23:00.006-05:00

This dish is so sinful, no one will believe that it's not bad for you. I adapted this from a health food cookbook! It is really good served with some sauteed asparagus.

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. Chicken breasts (3)
2 c. Buttermilk (use more if necessary to cover)
3 slices Prosciutto
3 slices Smoked Gouda cheese
1½ c. Italian breadcrumbs
EVOO

Method:

Place a chicken breast between plastic wrap, and pound until about 1” thick. Using a boning knife, slice the breast in half lengthwise, leaving one long side together. Repeat with all chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a bowl, cover with buttermilk, and allow to marinade for 20-30 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick skillet with a little EVOO over medium heat. Place breadcrumbs on a plate; set aside. Working with one chicken breast at a time, remove from the bowl and lay a piece of cheese and prosciutto in the middle of each one. Making sure the breast is still coated in buttermilk, dip it in the breadcrumbs to coat. Place the chicken in the hot pan.

Once all of the breasts are golden brown on both sides, place the pan into the oven for 18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Healthy Cooking by William-Sonoma; recipe created on 3/9/09.

Note: I found the best prosciutto and smoked gouda cheese slices at Trader Joe's.

Poll

2007-08-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

Check out the poll to the left - and answer! I am working on a few new posts this week. Check back soon for the first restaurant review, too!

The Dinner Party

2007-08-07T08:41:00.004-05:00

Mom's birthday dinner party, which was a month ago today (yikes), turned out great - lots of friends, food, and even more wine. Above is the menu that my enormously talented sister, Samantha, created. It has become a tradition that every time there is company for dinner at our house (read as: on holidays and Mom's birthday dinner), Samantha makes a menu that is displayed in a frame.

There were 9 guests for dinner, all women, who arrived at 6:30 that night. I began cooking at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 6:29 pm. Totally worth every moment; I spent most of my day trying to keep my mom out of the kitchen because she was the guest of honor, but when it came to making the pasta and then the agnolotti, my "go-go gadget arm" was broken. Her help was invaluable. Even more important was my Dad who was the best sous chef - prepped, cleaned; we all felt a little bad when he went into his office to watch the Brewers game and left us women to our devices.

So how about the food? Let's see. I was quite happy with the way the dishes came out, except for the agnolotti. Agnolotti is another word for ravioli - a filled pasta - referring the shape of the final product. I really made ravioli, but when Samantha put together the menu, I intended to make agnolotti, which are likened to a priest's hat. So, in an effort to make truly authentic ravioli, I rolled the pasta very thin, so thin you could see you hand through it. I even managed to keep it in one piece. Well, when I served the perfectly cooked pasta, all of the filling had come out in the water - my ravioli's popped! There were two blessings in this crappy situation: 1) I didn't realize it until the dish was platted and served; 2) There was a fresh pesto sauce on there, so it was still not bad; and 3) no one said anything. Man was I mad. I had invented the best friggin cheese filling. I used Mascarpone cheese as the base for its creamyness, freshly grated Parmesan and Ramano cheeses, then some grated garlic, salt, pepper - I know it was good because we made three tester ravioli that day.

Game on...

2007-07-24T08:48:00.000-05:00

I hope you will excuse my absence; I would like to say the reason I have not posted anything regarding the dinner party is because my sister will not respond to my requests for the menu she made - which she won't (call me) - but it is really a combination of that and my new house. Todd and I are frantically fixing it up before I start school because we both know I will not be as much help then.

In the interest of proving that I am alive and we did have fun at the dinner party over two weeks ago, I am sharing my recipe for lemon sorbet, which was served between the second and third courses. I served a small scoop in martini glasses - it was a hit (I must admit I was a little surprised). Don't be intimidated by it; this recipe is so easy.

As a side note, this is not really a sorbet because sorbets are classified by their tartness; this recipe is tastes more like freshly made, perfectly sweetened, frozen lemonade.

(I will post more about the party when I am able to compile all of my thoughts - most of the recipes I made up on the fly - and when my freakin' sister calls me - EARTH TO SAMANTHA)

Lemon Sorbet

2 c. Water
1 ¾ c. Sugar
1 ½ c. Lemon juice
2 1 inch wide strips of lemon rind
Zest from all lemons

In a medium saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and 2 strips of lemon rind in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes; leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Chill the mixture in the fridge until cold and ready to make sorbet. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

I bet that if you didn't have an ice cream machine, you could reduce the amount of sugar and make it like a granita. (email me with any questions on how, and I would be happy to explain)

I love dinner parties

2007-07-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

In honor of my mama's birthday, I am throwing a dinner party for her friends and family this Saturday. I am very excited and have been planning it for a while - it's an Around the World theme.

I will make sure that there are plenty of pictures and recipies to share next week. Until then - have a great 4th of July!!!

Baking

2007-06-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

Monday night I had an overwhelming urge to make chocolate chip cookies. In order to clear my conscience of guilt, I decided that I am really doing myself a favor by cleaning out my cupboards so that I don't have to move it all in a couple of weeks.

Well, I think that most everyone has figured out that when it comes to baking - I am hopeless. I can only hope and dream that my cookies will ever look this good. Besides that fact that I eat more of the dough than I bake, it never turns out. Yes, I am admitting the fact that I screwed up Tollhouse cookies from the back of the chip bag. When I got around to baking them, they turned into flat puddles with chocolate icebergs. Argh.

p.s. I am also admitting that I scraped them off the pan and ate the chunks. Waste not, want not.

Maccaroni & Cheese

2007-06-20T09:49:00.002-05:00

What's better than macaroni and cheese when you need a little decadent comfort food? What I love about this version is that it tastes rich but it isn't - and its cheep to boot.

As I have said many times before, I am on a budget, and as of last week it became a tourniquet. Despite money being diverted to investments in my future, I must continue to eat like a queen, and queens eat cheese (this is speculation).

Last week, as loan documents were being processed and I was feeling poor, I opened the fridge and despaired that there was simply a bag of cheddar cheese, milk, butter, expired eggs, and a tube of tomato paste. What on earth was I supposed to do?!? After five minutes of dismay - duh. MC. So, off I set, only slightly concerned that the previous three times I had whipped this up I was disappointed at the grainy consistency and the lack of cheesy deliciousness. As it turned out, my lack of ingredients was my savior. I believe that my problem had been that I was trying too hard.

This time, I finely minced one small yellow onion and one clove of garlic, and added it to my saucier with butter and olive oil, over low heat. While that was becoming translucent, I added some salt, pepper and county dijon mustard - just a little because it intensifies the flavor of the cheese (yum), and a little sweet paprika, mostly for color. After about 5 minutes, I whisked in 2 tablespoons of flour and let it cook for a few minutes. Then I added about 1 and 1/2 cups of 1% milk and let that come up to a simmer. (This process of combining fats, like butter, with flour is called a roux, which is a thickening agent.) By the time the sauce reaches a simmer, the roux will be at its full thickening capacity; you may need to add more milk if the sauce is too thick. I then added about 2 cups of cheddar cheese and the sauce was done. This whole process takes about as long as boiling the water and cooking the pasta.

The final product was my best yet - even the leftovers were cheesy and delicious Next time you want Macaroni and Cheese - make your own!

Hot weather calls for iced tea

2007-06-14T09:22:00.001-05:00

This is more of a tip than a recipe, however, I have fallen in love with iced tea. I was visiting my parents, well about a year ago now, and in the back of the cabinet (I have grocery shopped many times in my parents cupboards) and found a box of Passion Fruit Iced Tea from Starbucks. According to mom, my sister had bought it and brewed a cup for herself - the problem being, the bags are intended to make a pitcher at a time. Mom happily sent it home with me (Sorry, Samantha).

I have really grown to love the stuff, finding it floral and spicy, but quite sour. I added simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled so it incorporates into cold liquid), and it was great. The only thing that makes it better - the frozen strawberries I keep in my freezer for impromptu smoothies used as ice cubes.
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P.S. For those of you in the Madison area, Bluephies has the best iced tea.

We are experiencing technical difficulties:

2007-06-13T10:20:00.001-05:00

I hope that you will be patient with me as my life is being turned upside down as we speak. Last Friday, I received my long awaited acceptance letter into Marquette University School of Law. Please keep in mind that I submitted my application in November of 2006, and have just received word; this has been a greater source of stress than you know. Additionally, for those of you recognizing the conflict between work and school, I will be attending Marquette’s part-time program and working full-time. (Yes, I realize this will be a challenge, however, feel free to look at the ridiculous cost of law school tuition.)

On Sunday, we found a home we were very interested in. By Monday night, Todd and I had bought a house. I am very excited because it affords me many things. Those of you who know me well, already know the first thing I will do: get a puppy!

Please do not misunderstand; all of the things I have been pining after are now happening – work, law school, and a home – all within days of each other. After spending that past two years of my life in an excruciating holding pattern of uncertainties and monotony, I have suddenly been thrust into adulthood at lightening speeds. I have never been this excited before.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Papa!
P.P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, Samantha!

The Sauce of my Childhood

2007-06-05T14:05:00.001-05:00

Meat sauce is one of those basic things you grow out of when your palate changes, and you eventually forget. I was in the grocery store on Sunday debating the amount of energy I had to make meatballs (due to an intense craving) when vague memories of meat sauce surfaced in my brain. It turns out I had forgotten how good this dish is until my first bite. Everyone needs to get back to their youth now and then.

P.S. I am not the only one who thinks this is good (for those of you pu-puing me, I was so tired, I did use the store bought sauce, AND Todd went so far as to crown me the Queen of Sauces. So who's going to buy me a crown?

Riccio's Famous Meat Sauce

½ lg. Yellow onion, diced
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Lean ground beef
1 tsp. Basil
1 jar Tomato & Basil sauce (Homemade is best, but I also like Classico brand)
1 T. EVOO
Salt
Pepper
1 lb. Pasta of choice

Method:

Over medium-low heat in a skillet, add the EVOO, onion, and garlic. Sweat until translucent, about 6 minutes, and transfer to another bowl. Increase the heat under the pan to medium-high and add the meat, salt, pepper, and basil. Brown the meat and break apart with spoon while cooking. Once brown, about 8 minutes, get rid of the excess fat. Return the onion and garlic to the pan and add the sauce. Simmer over low heat until pasta is ready and serve with lots of parmesan cheese – I recommend at least 30 minutes.

Yum!

'Nuf Said.

2007-05-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

Dining Week!

2007-05-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

I have just found out that Downtown Dining Week will be starting soon here in Milwaukee. Many of the upper tier of restaurants are offering a 3 course dinner for $20.00, and lunch for $10.00!

If you get a chance to come to Milwaukee, this would be a very fun time to do so. Additionally, any of you that come to Milwaukee for dinner without notifying me so that I may join you will be disavowed.

I hope to see some of you soon!

Lettuce Wraps

2007-05-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

Please don't be scared off by what I am about to tell you.

Monday night I was bored and I wanted to make something I had never done before. I spent at least half an hour going through my cupboards/fridge in a sorry attempt to create something new. I began to digress and wash the bags of lettuce from my most recent trip to the grocery store. As I rinsed the butter lettuce leaves I had an idea - Asian Lettuce Wraps. But I had just used my ground pork in another dish , what would I do? Ah ha! Use the leftover half brick of tofu!

Tofu Lettuce Wraps turned out delicious. I diced the tofu very finely with a minced onion, and chopped button mushrooms, all of which I sauteed in a little toasted sesame oil with Chinese five spice. Then I added a broccoli slaw mix (I also used it as the garnish in the photo) which is shredded broccoli stems & carrot - so I ran my knife through it until it was fine and added about 1 cup of that as well. Then I simmered the mixture in low sodium soy sauce, sriracha (a chili paste available in all grocery stores), rice vinegar, honey (yes Samantha - you can leave it out), and some water. At the very end, I made a slurry of water and cornstarch and added that to thicken the sauce without adding fat. Not bad for a) never doing this before, and b) for not having a recipe.

I also happened to have a bag of edamames (soybeans) in the freezer, so I made those as well. They are so easy; just boil them for 5 minutes and you are done. When you eat edamames, they have salt on them and you dip them in soy sauce and get the beans out of the pod. I skipped the salt after the were cooked, and mixed some sriracha in the low sodium soy - delish!

Let me know if anyone wants the vague recipe I have in my head, or if you have a recipe for lettuce wraps I could look at. I am not as familiar with Asian ingredients/spices yet, so it is harder for me to cook on the fly. I appreciate any help.

That's what I call Saturday night

2007-05-14T12:21:00.002-05:00

Late Saturday afternoon Todd had so much studying to do and no quiet place to do it, (Todd has a roommate, I only have one room, and Todd's parents have a house on Lake Michigan just north of Manitowoc that was empty.) So I drove up there, it is just under an hour from downtown, while he studied in the car. Just before we left, I grabbed an armload out of the fridge to make dinner while Todd was studying.

It turns out I made entirely too much food - a dijon crusted, roasted pork tenderloin, insalate caprese, cracked pepper parmesan bread, and garlic sauteed spinach. The bottle of wine is a given*. Then there is the view of the lake - here we are sitting on the front porch. It was such a peaceful dinner; we like to imagine how much this dinner would cost if we were in a restaurant. The figure we came up with made me want to go into the business, but then I remembered my little chop-a-roo of the tip of my finger while working in the kitchen of Johnny D's. (That was two years ago, and I am just now getting feeling back. FYI, do not ever cut off the top of your finger. It sucks.)

Did I mention the fresh strawberries maserated in sugar, heaped over angel food cake, and topped with whipped cream for dessert? Silly me.

Insalate Caprese

Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese
basil
salt
pepper

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, and stack them with the tomato on the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Make a chiffonade of basil and sprinkle on the stacks of tomato and cheese. (To chiffonade, stack the leaves, roll them like a cigar, and cut into thin strips.) You can also drizzle with EVOO and balsamic dressing - your choice.

P.S. Like I said, I made way too much food, and we had a ton of this left. So, in the morning, Todd and I toasted two english muffins and warmed up the broiler. We halved the muffins, topped each half with the mozzarella and tomato, melted it under the broiler, and made breakfast sandwiches - YUM!

*Thanks, Dad.
** I will post the remaining recipes another time.

"You're very neapolitan..."

2007-05-09T08:58:00.000-05:00

...as my sister said during her first visit to my apartment in downtown Milwaukee. We all had a good laugh over that one, because she very obviously meant cosmopolitan.

It just so happens that during my visit home this weekend, we all enjoyed a cosmopolitan out on the deck. I would love to post those photos as well, but Mom and Sam would quite possibly hunt me down, so this little picture of my Cosmo will have to do.

Cosmopolitans
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2 parts Vodka
1 part Cointreau
1/2 fresh lime, juiced
Cranberry juice
ice

Add everything into a shaker and shake. If your Cosmo is too blonde when you pour it, just top off with a little more juice. Enjoy! (P.S. These are awesome and deadly)

Argh.

2007-05-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I spent the weekend in Madison with my family and friends making all kinds of wonderful things to post on my blog, however all of the pictures are being held hostage in my camera on account of the fact that I am too brain dead to remember the cable for the computer. Argh. So please stay tuned, I have not abandoned you.

What's with all of the eggs?

2007-05-01T12:21:00.000-05:00

So, my adventure in cooking dinner last night was limited to the fastest thing I could make from my meager groceries because Todd had class. Well, it was an egg sandwich - I know everyone is very impressed, but it was better than MC, as it was known when I grew up (macaroni and cheese). If you want to try this culinary wonder - as I'm sure no one else has ever made a variation of this - I will share my wisdom.

I put an english muffin in the toaster and press the lever down. Oooo, ahhhh. Then I heat a small non-stick skillet over med-low heat and rub a stick of butter quickly over the bottom - basically, I've used a sliver of butter. Crack the egg in the pan and season with salt and pepper. With a spatula, quickly scramble up the egg and cook until just set. Add about 3 T. of black bean salsa, 1 T. shredded cheddar cheese and fold ingredients together until warmed through. Put on toasted muffin and top egg with a light sprinkle of cumin. Shovel in face and get back to whatever it is you were doing 5 minutes ago.

Does anyone else do this? What is your version?

25 Hours You Say...

2007-04-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

"Worky-work; busy-bee." (Watch "Overwhelmed") Has anyone else seen that commercial? This is me for over a week now, except I really am busy - really, really busy.

I vaguely remember watching a video in middle school about a man that lived in a cave for over one year to study human circadian rhythms - our natural clock - and discovered that without the influence of the sun, we have 25 hours in a day. Don't believe me? This past week, I have been contemplating moving into a cave. I could really use the extra hour.

Please feel free to make requests or to comment on my ideas - I really would like to know if something I post sounds like it could taste like gym socks. I hope to have time to create something this week and tell you all about it, but for now I must get back to my hive.

Experimenting with Quiche

2007-04-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

Monday night turned into a much longer experiment than I thought. While at work, during lunch, of course, I had a brilliant idea: "Make a quiche for dinner! It is inexpensive (a huge consideration at this point in my life) and I have the ingredients in the fridge. I would use milk, so it was lower in fat, sauteed onions, spinach, crimini mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. Perfect!" So, I told Todd my plan, promising a delicious, cheep and quick dinner, to which he agreed.

I set to work at about 5:15 p.m. I was so convinced that I had oodles of time that I chose to photograph my progress. According to the recipe I had chosen (which I did not follow, except for the volume of milk) it baked in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. I was so close to dinner!

At 25 minutes, I had egg puddle.

At 30 minutes, I had egg puddle.

At 40 minutes, I had egg goo.

At 50 minutes, I was starving to death and trying to keep Todd out of the fridge.

At 65 minutes, I had quiche!

(Did I mention that it is now 7:15 p.m., and the moment I got home from work I took Benedryl because my allergies were so bad that I couldn't take it any more. So, at this point I am ready for bed, doped up on Benedryl, and could give a damn about the @*&!^%$* quiche.)

The moral of the story is, the quiche was good. We decided not as good as it could be, but a solid first try. I am going to try it again, seasoned more aggressively. I hope you'll stay tuned to the Adventures in Quiche.

Quiche

2007-04-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

Last night I made quiche; I am exhausted. More later.

A Tribute to Nonnie and Meat Grinders

2007-04-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

I have had a craving for this egg salad, the only egg salad I will eat (ever), since Easter. I love this recipe beacuse Nonnie and I would make it on Sunday afternoon out of leftover dyed eggs and eat mass quantities on white bread. Yum.

I finally made Nonnie write the recipe down, apparently on April 20th, 2003. When she refers to the eggs being ground, it MUST be done in a meat grinder. This recipe is when I fell in love with meat grinders. Strange, yes - but oh so fun! I believe the grinder we used was my Great Grandma Kessie's - Nonnie still won't let me have it. So until she does, I will remember this recipe because it does not taste as good without the meat grinder.

[My Nonnie is my grandma - she hates the 'g' word]

Thank you summer weather - where have you been for the past month?

2007-04-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of the beautiful weekend in Wisconsin, I am posting this recipe, intended for the grill*. Todd and I invented this dish on Tuesday, and are still VERY impressed with ourselves. We hope you enjoy the weekend and the food!

Grilled Pork Chops with Glazed Onions

2 Boneless pork chops, 1 – 1 ½ inches thick
¼ c. Jack Daniel’s Spicy Southwestern Mustard **
1/3 c. Balsamic Vinegar
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lg. Yellow Onion
Salt
Pepper

Combine the balsamic vinegar, mustard and olive oil until well combined. In a separate container (ziplock bags work well) add the chops and the marinade. Allow to sit as long as possible – between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

While you wait, slice the onion into rounds. Sauté over medium heat until they are golden brown and squishy (i.e. carmelized: this process may take a while, up to 20 minutes. Make sure you keep them from charring around the edges – if so, you’ll want to turn down the heat.) You can feel free to cook the onions ahead of time, and finish the cooking when you add the marinade.

When the chops are ready to grill, remove them and season with salt and pepper, saving as much of the marinade as possible. Grill to desired doneness (duh). Once the onions are to the proper golden brown squishiness, add the marinade to the pan of onions. Allow to bubble and reduce over medium heat until the pork chops are done. (You do not need to worry about using the marinade in the sauce because it is being cooked and will be safe to eat.)

Serve the onions on top of the chops with a salad or good bread.
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* If you do not have a badass grill like Todd, with a grill grate on one half and a griddle on the other, you may want to do the onions in a sauté pan.

** You can find this any supermarket; if you do not feel the need to rush out and buy this, I recommend Grey Poupon Country Dijon.

P.S. This is really healthy too: just 1 T. of oil per serving.

Minestrone Soup

2007-04-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

I have made this a few times, most recently for dinner on Easter (very festive, I know). I realize that this is not a traditional minestrone, mostly because Dad and I debated the finer points and as it turns out, I am wrong. However, Todd and I are pretty sure its perfect!

I wanted to post this before the last of the chilly days are gone. On a cold afternoon this soup is great because it is hearty and fast. Best of all, the only fat in the whole pot is the extra virgin olive oil, so you can feel better about sitting on your butt all day. I hope that you try this one out - feel free to cut the recipe in half, it makes a ton.
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Minestrone Soup
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:
4 T. EVOO
1 large yellow onion, large dice
1 lb. whole carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. Dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
3 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
3 15 oz. cans cannellini beans
3 medium zucchinis, diced
¾ bag of baby spinach (or 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped)
1 c. Pastina (small soup pasta – I use DaVinci brand)
4 T. oregano
3 T. basil
1 t. garlic powder
½ t. Freshly grated nutmeg
½ Leftover roasted chicken, diced
chicken stock to cover by 2 inchs
salt
pepper

Method:
In an large soup pot over medium heat, add the onion, carrot, salt and pepper. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent, but not browned. Raise the heat to med-high and add the wine to deglaze the pan; allow to cook for 1-3 minutes (just until the alcohol is gone). Then add the tomatoes, beans, garlic powder, nutmeg, and half of the oregano and basil. Cover vegetables with chicken stock, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer until you are ready to eat – I recommend not more than 1 hour – this is a quick cooking soup.

Return to a slow/low boil; add the zucchini, pastina, and rest of the basil and oregano. Simmer until pastina is al dente (check package directions). Stir in the spinach and it’s done. Serve topped with a dollop of pesto (if you have some), grated parmesan cheese and fresh bread.
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Remember this is a rustic Italian soup; you can substitute whatever vegetables you have or like. This recipe happens to be the way I like mine. When substituting, keep in mind that you are trying to keep all of the vegetables the same or similar size so that they cook evenly.

** If you don’t have left over chicken, you could use fresh chicken and add it to the soup after you lower it to a simmer, after most of the vegetables have been added. If you boil raw meat, it will become tough, not tender – so make sure you keep the heat low.

Also, when you reheat this soup (it’s even better), you may have to add some stock or water to bring it back to the proper consistency.

Piccata Pesto

2007-04-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, so on my lunch break, I am contemplating the finer points of a piccata dish and how I can convert that into a pesto sauce. Piccata is a sauce served with meat, made of lemon, wine, capers, and parsley. Pesto is comprised of basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

Obviously, the parsley would replace the basil, but does anyone have an opinion on the nut? I thought toasted almonds. I'd love some thoughts on this since I have an urge to make it for dinner tonight.

The Beginning

2007-04-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

I have newly discovered, and become obsessed with, food blogs. I realize that I am a late bloomer, but they have nonetheless inspired me to start my own. In this saturated environment of fantastic writers and supremely talented photographers, I do not believe that mine will standout, but that it will be an outlet for someone overly charged by food.

I hope to begin posting this week, so check back and let me know what you think.