The Seventh Level of Boredom

October Food 'n Flix Roundup!

2011-11-03T05:46:00.000-05:00

This month, I was lucky enough to host the October Food 'n Flix Roundup, and boy did I have fun! Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite movies to watch with my Little Man - and it never fails to make me HUNGRY!!!

We didn't have a large number of submissions, but I believe its all about the quality, not the quantity, and we certainly have quality food right here!

Heather, of Girlichef, and our lovely founder of Food 'n Flix, was inspired to make this Ratatouille Omelet, and I like the way she thinks! What a fun way to have breakfast!

Deb at Kahakai Kitchen made a gorgeous Roasted Ratatouille that just makes my mouth water.

Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook found herself thinking like a rat and made Baked Cheesy Ravioli. Hmmm maybe I should start thinking like a rat. Cheese? Ravioli? You can't beat that at my house, either.

And, I finally have my own submission posted. Parisian Soup, which is my own little memory-inducing comfort food.A cream soup recipe from the 1970's, with lots of butter and LOVE in it.

It was a fabulous stroll down Memory Lane, thinking back to being in the kitchen with my Mom while she put together this heart-warming dish. I hope it was the same for all of you!

SOUP! for Food 'n Flix Roundup

2011-11-03T05:34:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh Ratatouille. Such a fine foodie film in an unexpected wrapper. Of course, it’s a fun movie to watch, but why did I choose Ratatouille for this month’s Food ‘n Flix selection? My son.

No, Little Man did not say “Mommy, Mommy, you HAVE to pick Ratatouille!!” jumping up and down and threatening to hold his breath if I didn’t see things his way. Why, then?

Ratatouille changed our lives. CHANGED. OUR. LIVES.

See, I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but…. Mommy loves to cook. I know, try and contain your surprise. Well, Ty has always loved to be in the kitchen with me, form an early age. I have pictures of us washing dishes together, even.

But after seeing Ratatouille, Ty “got” it. He understood the concept of creating a beautiful dish, a new “taste experience” and he began to question combinations, ingredients, and started accumulating his own kitchen tools, apron, and a step stool so he could cook with Mommy, on her level. He wants to get in there, hands on, and BE the chef.

Sometimes literally.

And so, when it was my turn to choose a film for Food ‘n Flix, the choice was easy. Now I bet your question is. “So what did you cook?”

“SOUUUUUP???”

The look on Chef’s face as he realizes a possible catastrophe is about to leave his kitchen in the form of Linguine’s “soup”. This soup is inspired. According to food critic Leclaire, it is a “revelation”, and it is. In more ways than one. I have no doubt the soup was a phenomenal “taste experience”, as the critic states, but it is an awakening for both Linguine, Remy, and all of Paris as they discover (and re-discover) the world of food.

What was in the soup? Who knows. What started as one thing, became another, as was the case for not only the soup, but Remy and Linguine , as well. We saw stock go in and cream, as well as leeks and some herbs…..thyme maybe? “Rosemary? That’s an herb, right?” One ingredient that obviously went into it was Passion. A passion for food.

So could I re-create Remy’s soup? No, of course not. But here’s a bit of irony. When I was a girl, there was a soup that my mother made. I haven’t had it in many years, but just the thought of it takes me back home, to my mom’s kitchen, transported like Ego was to his childhood home. A few years back, I asked my mom for the recipe, which she gladly gave me…..and yet, I’ve still not made it.

Until now. The ironic part? It is called “Parisian Soup”

Ty and I spent quality time in the kitchen, putting our ingredients together with love, and turned out a heart warming batch of my mom’s Parisian Soup. In honor of Remy, Linguine, and yes… even Ego.

Parisian Soup

Makes 3 quarts

16-18 ounce bag frozen vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot blend)

2 c. water

½ cup butter

½ cup margarine

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup flour

4 chicken bouillon cubes

6 c. cold milk

1 c diced ham

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp Accent

Salt

Cook vegetables in water until just tender – do not drain. Set aside.

Melt butter and margarine in a skillet.

Add celery and onion and sautee until tender.

Add flour, stirring until well blended.

Crush chicken bouillon cubes and add to this mixture. (I don’t keep bouillon cubes in the house, but I did have some chicken soup base, so I used an equivalent amount of that.)

Add cold milk and stir until thick and smooth.

Add ham and cooked vegetables with their cooking liquid.

Add seasonings.

Food n Flix Deadline!

2011-10-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

That’s right folks, I am hosting Food ‘n Flix this month, and I had set today as the deadline, but I’ve had a change of heart! (Ok, so really, I’ve been too busy making Ty’s Halloween costume to get my OWN dish made!) You still have time! If you can get your submission to me by noon on Monday, October 31^st, it will still make it I the roundup.

Get cookin', everyone!

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

2011-10-06T18:37:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a small town, there was a young couple, living in an old schoolhouse , with very little furniture.

One day, while attending a local auction, the young woman spotted a cabinet that seemed to call her name. And, after all, they did need something to put the TV on. And so, much to the young man’s dismay, she bought the cabinet for the paltry sum of $15, and they hauled it home.

Unbeknownst to the woman, the man DESPISED this cabinet. To this day, she doesn’t know what brought on this utter dislike of the cabinet, and yet, it was there,….. growing….festering. Until one day, the couple remodeled their country home to make room for Baby. And the cabinet found a new home in the depths of the garage. This pleased the man greatly.

Years went by and the couple moved to a new home…. And once again, they needed a place for the TV to rest. Unaware of her husband’s intense hatred for the old cabinet, she made plans to refinish it. Because, after all, it was fairly unattractive. Yet it was sturdy, and she felt it had great potential. The husband, however, stood in her way at every turn, trying desperately to thwart her efforts, and regaling her with tales of what type of damage he would enjoy inflicting on the innocent piece of furniture.

Yet she persisted, undaunted by her husband’s denial of what she knew to be truth.

This cabinet WOULD be beautiful.

And so began the makeover. A palm sander, a few coats of high gloss paint and some new hardware turned the Ugly Duckling….

Into the Swan.

And the husband refused to admit he was wrong…. But the wife knew. And she was pleased.

Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

2011-10-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just really need a casserole. Something warm, hearty, and comforting. Something with MEAT in it. And carbs. Lots of carbs. But then you have the guilt. You know the guilt I’m talking about. Is there anything GREEN in that casserole dish?

Well, in this one, there is! I was craving exactly such a dish this weekend when it was in the low 60’s outside and smelling like fall. I recalled a recipe I had recently seen in one of my foodie magazines (but then couldn’t find later). And so, as any home cook with a sudden craving is wont to do…. I improvised.

Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

2 cups dried penne noodles (I used mini penne)

1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese

1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 pound Italian sausage (I used ‘sweet’ this time, but usually prefer ‘hot’. Use that you like)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bag fresh baby spinach

Boil pasta according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking, brown the sausage and drain.

While the meat is still hot, mix in the cream cheese and tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and stir until evenly combined.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, sausage mixture, half the mozzarella and the spinach together, then press into a casserole dish.

Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights this week.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Its Ratatouille for October's Food 'n Flix

2011-10-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

Anyone Can Cook.

So says Chef August Gusteau. The man, the myth, the legend..... of French cuisine in the Disney film, Ratatouille.

Remy is a rat. A chef in his own right, mixed up and lonely, trying to find his place between two worlds.

Alfredo Linguine is.....human. Although even he isn't sure about that sometimes. He befriends Remy and they set out on a path together down the culinary yellow brick road.

I have to admit that Ratatouille is one of my favorite foodie films....and for a good reason. Its my son's favorite foodie film! I am looking forward to getting in the kitchen with him to create a Ratatouille-inspired dish this month. What about you? Can you cook? Or are you truly fearless, like Remy? Let's find out in October!

How to participate in Food ‘n Flix:

1. Rent, buy, beg, borrow or steal October's film selection (Ratatouille) and watch it. Taking inspiration from the film, head into the kitchen and cook, bake or make something.
2. Post about it on your blog with a link back to THIS post and a link to Food ‘n Flix.
3. Your post must be current (during month of film). And of course we don’t mind if your post is linked to other events…the more the merrier.
4. Most important - have fun!

5. Email me at bethanneleach@gmail.com by the deadline (October 28th) and include the following:

Your name
Your blog’s name and URL
The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you’re submitting
Attach a photo of your dish (or just give me permission to “pull” one from your post)
Indicate “Food ‘n Flix Submission” in the subject line

Deadline for submission is: October 28th. I will be posting the roundup shortly after that, so check back often!

We Be Jammin’!

2011-09-30T17:45:00.006-05:00

A year ago, I was lucky enough to run across a lovely blog hosted by an even lovelier blogger, Steph Chows. It all started with two words.

Jam Exchange.

She had me from “hello”.

I’d never been involved in a bloggy exchange before but the idea intrigued me, and so it began. It was very simple, really. Send two jars of jam to the person you are paired up with. In return, that person will send YOU two jars of their own homemade jam.

What a fantastic concept, yes?

I thought so. I posted about my exploits with last years exchange here. You can imagine how anxiously I awaited this year’s edition. A pineapple, some farmers market blueberries, and a caramelized stovetop later, and my congealed creations were on their way to Georgia and Florida. What did I make? This year’s selections were Piña Colada, and Blueberry Lime. Both of which went over famously with the family here as well as an old high school classmate down in Florida, who caught me posting on Facebook about the adventure and “offered” to taste test them for me. I gladly complied and carried my little parcels to the post office the very next business day.

And what did my wondering eyes should appear??? (yes, I’m sorry, I’m already thinking about Christmas) Two lovely jars of jam, straight from Georgia. The Redhead over at Handcrafted with Altitude (you can see a picture of the two jams I sent her here) whipped up a Ginger Vanilla Peach and a Blackberry Peach. Both of which were fabulous. I particularly liked the combination of ginger and peaches.

You can bet I’ll be in line right away for the jam exchange next year! In the meantime, here are a couple of recipes for you to chew on!

Piña Colada Jam
3 1/2 cups fresh pureed pineapple
1 cup cream of coconut (do NOT use coconut milk)
1/3 cup white rum
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 1/2 cups sugar
2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid pectin

In a large heavy bottomed pot, mix together pineapple puree, cream of coconut, rum, and lemon juice.
Stir in sugar and bring to a full rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down) over high heat.
Stir constantly, boil hard for three minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in pectin.
Skim off any foam.
Ladle into sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of rim. Wipe rim clean.
Apply lids and rings and tighten rings just fingertip tight.
Process jars in boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes.

Blueberry Lime Jam

4 1/2 cups blueberries
1 package dry pectin 5 cups sugar 1 tablespoon lime zest 1/3 cup lime juice

Crush blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blueberries and pectin in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

The Help: A Movie Review

2011-09-26T05:37:00.001-05:00

I am well aware that in the grand scheme of things, my opinion means very little. However, there are times that I still feel the need to express it. Last month, my book club read The Help by Kathryn Stockett.. We have found in the past that we usually love one book, and then the next month we can barely get through our current selection.

September was a very good month.

We all simply adored The Help and couldn't wait to get together and discuss it. It was my turn to host, so I even made themed food for the occasion. Southern-inspired Black Eyed Pea Soup, Muffaletta Pinwheels, Alabama Firecrackers (spiced crackers), and, yes, Chocolate Pie. (Read the book and you'll understand)

When we selected The Help, I didn't realize they were making it into a movie, but how could the timing have been more perfect? I waited and waited, and finally this weekend, it came to our quaint little hometown theatre, The Marvel (yes, because I am too lazy to drive an hour to the nearest theatre where it was playing).

Now, bear in mind that when I go see a movie that was made from a book, I try and go in with an open mind. So often I hear people being very critical of movies made from books because they "weren't enough like the book". Well, my theory is that its awfully hard to squeeze every aspect of a fantastic book into a matter of 120 minutes of darkened theatre mystique. I try and view these films as free-standing stories, and take them for what they are, entertaining (or not) in their own right, and try not to hold them to the standard of the book from whence they came.

This generally works out pretty well for me. Especially considering that I don't think I have ever seen a movie that actually closely resembles the book is was made from.

Until now.

I have to give high praise to the creators of The Help (the motion picture) for their attention to detail, their dedication to the flow of the novel, and their unforeseen ability to make a grown woman cry in public.

I have to say that The Help so closely followed the book that I was amazed. Granted, there were details left out. How do you cram every last speck of information from a 500+ page book into an after dinner treat? But, while I noticed the exclusions, I did not miss them. The film stood on its own, an homage to the book, and while I still highly recommend reading the original from cover to cover, if you can't, the movie version is a darned good substitute.

Read it. See it. Bring tissues. If you don't get choked up during this film, well.... you just ain't right.

New Beginnings

2011-09-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

Hello again, everyone!!! As promised, I am back and ready to roll again. We have had a very busy and eventful summer but I have missed my bloggy world and can't wait to dive back in. I will have some new food posts coming up soon (I have jam exchange news!) and I will be hosting Food 'n Flix in October. We'll be cooking dishes inspired by the film that inspired my Little Man to cook with me - Ratatouille! I'll have an announcement post up with the guidelines soon, but hop on over and check the site out!

SO, what have I been up to? Glad you asked. Instead of doing what normal families do over their summer vacations, like....you know....TAKING a vacation..... instead we gutted our house and commenced a remodel of gargantuan proportions while Ty was on summer break. I'd say we replaced everything but the kitchen sink, but that's not true. We DID replace the kitchen sink. And the cabinets, and the floors (all of them), and repainted every inch of wall and ceiling, and 22 new light fixtures, curtains on every window, new siding, new bathrooms fixtures and an enormous new deck. Yes, we did it all. and more. In less than three months.

As you can imagine, it was a whirlwind of a summer, and I promise to post pictures soon. We are still putting finishing touches on and trying to get settled back in. I am really looking forward to having my beautiful new kitchen to do all my holiday cooking, baking and candy making in.

Since starting back to school last month, Ty has also signed up for Cub Scouts, and...please try to control your surprise.... I "volunteered" to be one of his Den's leaders. SO, be on the lookout for some fun posts about what its like being a Cub Scout mom! I was in girl scouts myself for YEARS, but this will likely be a whole new experience for me.

But, you really just want to hear about the food, don't you? I thought so. Well, you'll just have to wait a TINY bit longer until I get pictures loaded on my new computer, but I'll give you a little teaser and tell you that for this year's Jam Exchange (hosted beautifully by Steph Chows) I made Blueberry Lime jam and Piña Colada jam, both of which were huge hits! I promise (again) to post more soon.

In the meantime, thanks for hanging around this summer! I'll make it worth your while.

See you soon!
Beth Anne

Fair Warning....

2011-09-05T19:24:00.002-05:00

I'm baaaaaaack....

I've got some new posts coming up and an explanation for my bloggy hiatus....see you all soon!

Caprese, Caprese, Caprese....

2011-04-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was curled up on my sofa, flipping through the pages of my new FoodNetwork magazine, when something gave me pause. I sat there, staring at the picture on the page, in a trance.

The recipe immediately went to the top of the “things to make the next time Ginny visits” list.

Can’t imagine something so dramatic that it would completely monopolize my thoughts? I know, its hard to imagine…..because, you know, that NEVER happens. (you recognize snark when you see it, I hope)

This recipe though, combines two of my favorite things.

Eating….and drinking.

One of the early dishes that I can remember Ginny and I falling in love with as we picked our way down our culinary yellow brick road together, is Caprese Salad. Back then it was a rare sight on restaurant menus and few people I ran into even knew what it was. Gradually it has made its way into the foodie mainstream and has endured countless variations. While I am still partial to the original, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that I couldn’t resist trying this one.

Caprese Martini.

You heard me. MARTINI.

Since I have basil growing on my counter and fresh mozzarella is so much easier to get these days, the bottle of vodka came down from the rack and we indulged.

I will grant you that we made a couple of tiny changes and our picture isn’t anywhere near as gorgeous as the one featured in FoodNetwork, but it certainly was tasty.

Caprese Martini

Ingredients

1 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups vodka (half of a 750-ml bottle)
Kosher salt
16 grape tomatoes
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/2 bunch basil
8 small mozzarella balls (bocconcini) – we used the little baby “pearls” and wrapped them in basil leaves
We also added a dash of lemon juice

Directions

Put the tomato slices in a large glass container or pitcher. Add the vodka (make sure it covers the tomatoes) and a pinch of salt; let infuse 6 to 12 hours at room temperature. Strain the vodka, then chill until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, prick the grape tomatoes with a skewer; toss with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and marinate 4 hours at room temperature.

Drain the grape tomatoes, reserving the vinegar. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes; let cool.

For each drink, drizzle some of the balsamic syrup into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Muddle 2 to 3 basil leaves with a splash of tomato-infused vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add another 1 1/2 ounces tomato-infused vodka and 1 cup ice; shake and strain into the glass. Skewer 2 marinated grape tomatoes, 2 basil leaves and a mozzarella ball on a cocktail pick and set in the martini.

***NOTES: while we did alter the recipe somewhat, it turned out fabulously. Instead of steeping the tomatoes in the vodka, we just muddled some tomatoes and basil in it at the last minute (because really, I don’t plan my martinis 6-12 hours in advance). Also, we didn’t reduce 2 cups of balsamic vinegar to make a syrup. I keep very good balsamic vinegar on hand so we just used some of that instead of using so much pricey vinegar for a couple of martinis. So, its not the most photogenic drink in the world, what with the tomato seeds floating at the bottom, and the vodka being a bit murky (who doesn’t love a dirty martini?), but a delicious little taste treat on a hot Sunday afternoon, nonetheless.

Chicken Canzanese

2011-03-31T09:36:00.000-05:00

In case you’ve never noticed, Ginny and I (though residing many miles apart) often share recipes we find. Sometimes one of us makes the dish and passes the recipe on to the other. Other times we hoard several recipes we both want to try and make them all during one of our semi-regular visits.

On this occasion, I had a package of chicken thighs in the refrigerator and absolutely zero ideas for dinner. The hubs isn’t the biggest fan of chicken to begin with, but I insist on rotating it between his regular meals of beef and pork. So, the dish had to be Matt-approved. The oven baked BBQ chicken quarters I made a few weeks ago did NOT pass muster, so I was really pushing my luck bringing these treacherous little thighs back into the rotation as it is.

Ginny and I talk pretty much every day after work, so I posed the dilemma to her and she reminded me, without pause, of the dish she had recently made for her parents and got the seal of approval from everyone. She has been a long time fan of America’s Test Kitchen, and, recipe by recipe, she is bringing me over to the dark side with her.

If you’re not familiar, at America’s Test Kitchen, they take a recipe and test it to within an inch of its life, through trial and error and finding the absolutely best version of it. And this is not just a matter of opinion. Its not solely based on the ingredients. Many times, its about the method. We have found, on multiple occasions, that if you follow an America’s Test Kitchen recipe to the letter, you will end up with an absolutely fool-proof meal.

As was the case with this Chicken Canzanese.

The name hails from Canzano, which is in Italy’s Abruzzo region (yes, I googled it). While there are many versions of this age-old dish, none that I found seem to stray very far off the path. I’d never made it before, but I can tell you with certainty that I will never even attempt another version.

There is no need.

The America’s Test Kitchen task, in this case, was to find a way to cook/braise skin-on chicken without having the skin turn into a chewy, slimy, unappetizing mess.

I call them overachievers. But, in a good way.

This chicken was moist and succulent, but the skin remained crispy and golden, even after braising for over an hour. And the sauce? Oh, the sauce..... it was a revelation. The thighs are braised in a mixture of white wine and herbs, flavored with prosciutto and garlic. Even the hubs loved the sauce...you know, once I pointed out to him that it would be better on his roasted red-skinned potatoes that the piles of butter and cheese he topped them with.

Just to be clear.... this dish is “lick the plate” good. Hell, its “lick your whole family’s plates” good! I am officially an America’s Test Kitchen convert.

Chicken Canzanese

From the episode: Italian Comfort Classics

Serves 4 to 6

When seasoning the dish at the end, be mindful that the prosciutto adds a fair amount of salt. It is

important to use a piece of thickly sliced prosciutto in this recipe; thin strips will become tough

and stringy. An equal amount of thickly sliced pancetta or bacon can be used in place of the

prosciutto. Serve the chicken with boiled potatoes, noodles, or polenta to absorb extra sauce.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ounces prosciutto (1/4 inch thick), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see note) (I used bacon)

4 medium garlic cloves , sliced thin lengthwise

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin

ground black pepper

2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

4 whole cloves

1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary , leaves removed and minced fine (about 1/2 teaspoon),

stem reserved

12 whole fresh sage leaves

2 bay leaves

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Table salt

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat

1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovensafe skillet over medium heat until

shimmering. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown,

about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden

brown, about 1½ minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic and prosciutto to small

bowl and set aside. Do not rinse pan.

2. Increase heat to medium-high; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat until just

smoking. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with ground black pepper. Add

chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer

chicken to large plate.

3. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Sprinkle flour over fat and cook, stirring

constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add wine and broth; bring to simmer, scraping bottom

of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced,

3 minutes. Stir in cloves, rosemary stem, sage leaves, bay leaves, red pepper flakes,

and reserved prosciutto and garlic. Nestle chicken into liquid, skin side up (skin should

be above surface of liquid), and bake, uncovered, until meat offers no resistance when

poked with fork but is not falling off bones, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Check chicken

after 15 minutes; broth should be barely bubbling. If bubbling vigorously, reduce oven

temperature to 300 degrees.)

4. Using tongs, transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Remove and discard

sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves, and bay leaves. Place skillet over high heat and bring

sauce to boil. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in

minced rosemary, lemon juice, and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour

sauce around chicken and serve.

Gettin’ Naked!

2011-03-31T07:35:00.001-05:00

We have a new chef over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. That’s right, its our first date with Jamie Oliver. I have always enjoyed watching Jamie, and I find his effervescent style very refreshing (pun entirely intended). I’m not sure how well we will get along over the next six months of cooking together though, as so very few of his recipes are “Leach Family” friendly. I adore his simple salads and his lovely pastas, but, as I have found, sometimes his choice of ingredients leaves me floundering in my lack of shopping options.

But, since I things he is absolutely fabulous, I’m going to give it the ol’ college try. Starting now. Our theme this inaugural week is “Let's Get Naked”, which I think is very forward for a first date, but hey, I’m willing to give it a chance!

When the vote was in and it was announced that Jamie was our next chef, naturally I went looking for recipes. I don’t own a single one of his cookbooks (that’s a new concept for me) so I just did some browsing online, and the very first recipe that jumped out and said “Eat Me!” was Jamie’s Fresh Asian Noodle Salad. Conveniently, I had just happened across some little personal-sized packages of bean thread noodles and stashed a few in my pantry. Finding any decent fresh chiles wasn’t easy, though, and the best I could do was some green serranos.

I have to say, This recipe kicks ass! I wasn’t that optimistic about it with its basic ingredients (and no, I didn’t have any prawns, either, so my medium size frozen shrimp had to stand in), but it came together beautifully and I couldn’t keep my chopsticks out of it as I was packing up the leftovers for lunch last night. This one is definitely going to be making regular appearances over the summer when I have my own home-grown fresh chiles on hand!

fresh asian noodle salad

ingredients

• 300g/10½oz cellophane noodles or beanthread noodles
• 200g/7oz minced beef
• 2 teaspoons five-spice
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 heaped teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
• 100g/5½oz cooked peeled prawns
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 fresh red chilies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 2 handfuls of roasted peanuts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

starter | serves 4
This is one of those salads which tastes so amazing that you have to keep making it! It’s spicy, zingy and really gets your tastebuds going.

Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water until soft, then drain and put back in the bowl. In a hot wok fry the beef and five-spice in the olive oil until brown and crisp, then add the garlic, ginger, prawns and sugar and stir-fry for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir the wok mixture into the noodles. Add the spring onions, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies, coriander, mint and peanuts to the bowl. Toss well and correct the seasoning — it wants to be quite zingy with the lime juice. Sprinkle with some extra herb leaves if you like and serve cold.

Try this: You can modify the recipe by using a little wok-fried squid, shellfish or different minced meats.

This is my submission to I Heart Cooking Clubs and Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast this week.

On The Road Again!

2011-03-28T05:56:00.004-05:00

That’s right, its ROAD TRIP time!

Well, okay, its ALMOST road trip time. This summer, though I can hardly believe it, is my TWENTY year high school reunion. (good lord, I am getting old...when the hell did TWENTY years go by?)

I have decided that I’m going to make the trip back “home” for the event, both to attend the reunion and to visit with friends and family I haven’t seen in quite some time. Much of my extended family remains in that area, while my immediate family has moved to the east coast. Instead of flying, as I originally intended, I’ve decided that Ty and I are going to make it a drive trip. Since school will be out for the summer, I am going to take a couple of extra days off and we’re going to “visit” our way out, stopping along the way to see people we don’t often connect with in person.

So, here’s the route:

We’re going to take the southern route on the way there and the northern route on the return trip, stopping in Indianapolis and South Bend, respectively, to break up the trip and see some folks.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention I'll most likely be visiting someone in Sandusky as well, so Cleveland will probably be on the agenda!

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I was just wondering if anyone else happens to live along the way that would like to see our smiling faces! Or, if you have any suggestions for interesting places to stop and stretch our legs. This will be Ty’s longest road trip to-date, so we’ll be stopping often to make it easier on him. Other than the two previously mentioned stops, I will probably also pull the train over in the Elkhart/Shipshewana, Indiana area to talke a stroll around the Amish shops there. Other than that, I’m open!

We’ve got some time to plan this, but I figured I’d put it out there now to see if anyone has suggestions.

Can’t wait to see everyone again! I’ve been missing Toledo!

Mocha Crunch Bars

2011-03-25T01:51:00.001-05:00

I am always on the lookout for things that I can snack on at work that don’t come from a bag or a wrapper. Since I sit at a computer all day, I do at least attempt to eat on the healthier side, although that rarely seems to happen.

I recently ran across this recipe over at a friend's blog (and yes, I'm terrible, I can't remember where! If this is yours, please comment and let me know!) and knew immediately that I had to make it. I did make a few modifications for my own personal pantry, but I think they turned out wonderfully. A nice, filling snack bar (I may or may not have doubled the espresso powder *ahem*) that I can feel good about eating when I need to stave off the morning “hungries”.

Mocha Crunch Bars
1 1/4 cup toasted nuts and seeds (I used a mix of pecans, almonds, and pepitas)
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp granulated erythritol (I used sugar)
2 tbsp instant coffee (I used Medaglia D’Oro espresso powder)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter (I used peanut butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 drops stevia extract (again, I used a little sugar)

In a food processer, grind toasted nuts and seeds until fine. Mix in a large bowl with flax seed, cocoa powder, erythritol and coffee.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt coconut oil and almond butter together, stirring until combined and smooth. Off heat, add vanilla and stevia extract.

Pour coconut oil mixture into the nuts and seeds and stir until it comes together. Press into an ungreased loaf pan and chill in refrigerator until set. Cut into 8 bars.

Keep unused bars refrigerated.

Ahhhh..... SAKE!

2011-03-24T01:28:00.001-05:00

Ok, so by Sunday, I was starting to get a little punchy. It was, after all, a very busy weekend. You wouldn't know that to look at the pathetically small number of items that have been crossed off my "to-do" list, but I guarantee you, I was moving the whole time

It was actually a long weekend for me, thanks (no-thanks) to a doctor appointment in not-so-nearby Springfield. On the plus side, these appointments always give me some much needed "me" time in one of my favorite shopping stomping grounds. While I didn't get everything done that was on my list while in Springfield, I was more productive the rest of the weekend.

Who knew one person could do so much laundry, wash so many dishes, etc....

The last several weekends have all been busy, but of the other, more demanding variety, involving a number of houseguests, parties, and other activities. And so, I declared this weekend, "MY" weekend. To get things done at home, sure, but also to relax a bit. And that, my friends, almost always involves cocktails.

I've been on a mission lately to wrap up some old projects and long-lost "must try" recipes.

This cocktail hails from 2008. Yes, that's right. Its been on my radar for nearly three years. And the ingredients have also been in my pantry. Not long after seeing this recipe on Deb's blog over at Kahakai Kitchen, I promptly bought the first nice bottle of sake that I laid eyes on during a trip to Whole Foods.

Well, I decided that this weekend was the time to let it shine. And SHINE, it did! This little teaser sent me hurtling back through the years to a drink that I learned how to make with my MEF (most excellent friend), Sylvia, many, many moons ago....that was dubbed....Yuck-a-muck.... or Yok-amock.... who knows how it was supposed to be spelled. All I know is that it was GOOD.

So, girlfriend, this one's for YOU!

Sake Drop

2 parts lemonade

1 part sake

a small pour of Grenadine to garnish (about 1/2 ounce)

Mix lemonade and sake together with ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a glass and pour about 1/2 oz of grenadine into drink before serving.

Signs of Spring

2011-03-23T07:33:00.000-05:00

It has only officially been Spring for a few days, but already I can see the changes happening around me. I have been anxiously monitoring the garden for any progress, and finally I have news to report!

Spring has sprung!

First and most surprising is this:

These are the brussels sprouts I grew last year that are now officially staging a come-back. See those tiny buds on the stems? Those are going to be sprouts!

Second, and always something I look forward to, is my chives.

Finally, and possibly most exciting for me, is this:

Do you know what this is?

THAT, my dear friends, is my fig tree. I bought a fig tree last year, and promptly proceeded to kill it. Recently I heard about a class in St Louis all about growing fig trees in our area. I signed up, and Ginny came out to go with me. The presenter assured us that our tiny little, severely pruned trees that we were given would eagerly sprout green shoots and turn into lovely trees by summer. I have to admit, I was skeptical. But just look at those adorable little buds! They are getting visibly bigger and more numerous every day and I can’t wait to show you updates as my little fig baby grows up!

That’s all for now, but I am anticipating more progress to report very, very soon!

(CHILI CHEESE) FRITO and BACON BRITTLE

2011-03-23T01:48:00.001-05:00

I’m kind of a freak. Have you figured that out yet?

Yes? Good. Because you may need to put a little faith in me for this post.

Don’t even ask me where I got this idea.....it would probably take us down roads that are better left untraveled. Sometimes my mind works in mysterious....and moderately disturbing....ways.

I’m not even going to give this recipe and introduction....I really think its going to speak for itself.

Suffice it to say that this recipe goes along with the theme of last weekend for me, which was “finishing up old projects”, since this has been on my list for quite awhile. I honestly didn’t know how it was going to turn out, but in the end, it was a real people pleaser.

(CHILI CHEESE) FRITO and BACON BRITTLE
2c sugar
1c water
1/16 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c Chili Cheese Fritos
½ cup cooked, chopped bacon

Spread Fritos out on a piece of parchment paper that has been placed inside a 9x13 baking dish. Combine sugar, water, and salt in a large saucepan and stir until dissolved. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Remove lid and cook until the syrup turns a rich caramel color (320 degrees F/Hard crack stage). Remove from heat and quickly stir in butter. Pour over Fritos and bacon.

Cool completely before breaking apart.

**NOTES: I more or less poured what was left in my bag of Fritos into the pan. In retrospect, I think 1 ½ cups would have been a better amount. As it was, there wasn’t quite enough sugar syrup to hold all the Fritos together. This treat is sweet...and salty....and smoky....and a little bit evil. The first bite was a little odd. But the next one really packed a punch. The third had me hooked.

Time to Make the Gelato!

2011-03-22T01:02:00.000-05:00

A year. Truly...its been a YEAR.

That’s right, a year ago, the Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto was published and I got my greedy little hands on a copy just as fast as I could. And I was determined to make a new batch of gelato every week over the summer.

How many did I make?

ONE.

I know, I’m a terrible slacker, but really, it was probably the best decision for my waistline. Ciao Bella makes the most fabulous gelatos, and that is a commodity that is very hard to come by in this neck of the backwoods. So, when they released a cookbook, you know I jumped at the chance to make my own version at home. After all, I already had an ice cream maker.

What’s the point here? Oh yeah... I’m getting an early start this year.

I’ve had an idea brewing in my demented little mind for awhile now, but I am one of those people that just can’t eat cold foods like ice cream and gelato during the cold months. Can’t do it. Not even at birthday parties.

Did you know that it was warm enough yesterday to open up my house? I’m not sure what the temperature peaked at, but I even had my fig tree out on the deck, sunning itself for awhile. First day of Spring.....

Time to make the gelato!

Last summer, I was blessed with an enormous quantity of blackberries, brought to me by one of our dear friends, which I promptly proceeded to rinse and freeze in pie-size Ziploc bags. I had about sixteen of them in my freezer. I’ve only used a few of them up and, with summer looming, its time to get those moving into the rotation. First up, naturally, is gelato. Well, ok...sorbetto.

Ciao Bella’s Blackberry Cabernet Sorbetto is one of my favorite flavors, and I have been dying to make my own. Minus the Cabernet. Why? Because I had an idea I liked better.

See, at the Market on the Square (I know, I know, I should shut up about the place already, right? No!) they carry wines from several local vineyards; one of which being the Piasa Winery. (That’s PIE-uh-saw to those of you who aren’t from the area. The Piasa Bird is a mythical bird of legend that was supposedly described by Lewis & Clark, if I have my local history right. That’s debatable though, since I suck at history.)

But, I digress.

The lovely folks over at Piasa Winery make a Port. A CHOCOLATE-INFUSED port that has become my new best friend. I know you’ve got this one figured out already, right? Yep, I reduced an entire bottle of their Dreamcatcher Port (don’t stress, its only a half-size bottle) and substituted that for the Cabernet in Ciao Bella’s recipe.

Blackberries, Port, and CHOCOLATE. Really, I mean, how could that possibly be bad? It can’t. Only in the sense that it makes me want to eat it all....

So, I’m going to be a good girl and share. I froze the sorbetto into smaller containers and I delivered one to the good people over at Market on the Square for their own warm-weather pleasure.

Its like the old saying that I hold so dear.....

“I love cooking with wine....sometimes I even put it in the food.”

Blackberry Port Sorbetto

(adapted from the Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto)

6 cups blackberries

1 TB lemon juice

Simple syrup (about 1 ¼ cups)

½ cup reduced Dreamcatcher Port

Simmer a bottle of Dreamcatcher Port (about 1 ½ cups) over medium heat until it reduces to about ½ cup. Chill.

In a food processor, puree the blackberries and lemon juice until smooth.

Pour through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to release the juices and discarding the seeds. Chill.

Whisk together the port, berry puree, and simple syrup, then process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Spoon into containers and place in the freezer to firm up.

Once Upon a Time....

2011-03-21T01:11:00.001-05:00

....In a land far, far away.... Ginny and I made this pasta.

I honestly can’t remember what brought this dish to our roster of culinary delights, except for maybe that it is a Jacques Pepin recipe and Ginny loves to watch Jacques. So, there, that’s probably it.

I have one thing to say about this pasta (okay, you got me, I definitely have more than ONE thing to say, but I’m making a point, so bear with me!).

DRAGON BREATH.

Notice the ingredients list....it calls for an entire CAN of anchovies. On top of that, you also end up using the oil they were packed in. Add garlic and this pasta packs a powerful punch! (say THAT five times fast!)

That being said...it was really, really good. I don’t remember any of the charming repartee from the kitchen that day, so I’m afraid I can’t tickle your funny bone today, but I can share with you one delish dish that you should definitely try the next time you’re in the mood for something really.....FRAGRANT.

Pungent?

Odiferous?

You get the point....but in a good way. It makes its own sauce, which clung to the fresh pasta that we used so that every little scrap of it was coated and not a drop got left on the plate. That’s my kind of pasta. Just don’t plan any dates around this meal....you know, unless you’re BOTH eating it....

Rigatoni with Lettuce and Eggplant

1 Eggplant

¾ pound Rigatoni

5-6 cloves garlic sliced

Pepper flake to taste

1 can anchovies with oil

Lettuce (Escarole or other lettuce) large bunch chopped roughly

Parmesan Cheese enough for in and garnish

Peel and dice the eggplant in 1inch dice and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olie oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Start the pasta while the eggplant bakes.

In a large skillet place some olive oil and when shimmering add the garlic and pepper flake. Cook till it is slightly golden and then add the lettuce. Turn the lettuce so that the garlic is on top of the lettuce to prevent burning. Add the oil from the anchovies and chop the anchovies and sprinkle into the skillet. Cover the pan and let the lettuce wilt. Turn the burner down to medium low. The anchovy will melt into the sauce and you won’t really have pieces of anchovy.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and add it to the skillet, tossing to coat.

Drain the pasta reserving some of the water if needed for the sauce. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss. Add Parmesan to taste. You will not need to add salt to this, the anchovies and cheese should provide enough salt.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights this week, hosted by Claire at Chez Cayenne.

Egg Noodles....They Aren't Just for Soup Anymore

2011-03-14T10:11:00.001-05:00

I have a habit of picking up ingredients that interest me, and then hoarding them in my pantry, never to be seen again.

Do you do this?

Am I the only one?

I am constantly finding random ingredients in my pantry that I had forgotten about, and generally, they go right back in, because I don’t have any ideas of what to do with them.

Specialty Pastas, Sauces, Condiments, etc. They all fit in this category.

Not long ago, I bought a package of Oakland Egg Noodles at The Market On The Square in Carlinville, because they came highly recommended by a co-worker. Admittedly, I normally throw egg noodles in a pot of soup.... or maybe a batch of chicken and noodles... but not much else.
I mean, that’s what they are FOR, right?

Right. And wrong.

While chatting up the owners of the Market, I learned that Nathan stir fries his noodles. Well, duh, of COURSE! My all time favorite Thai dish, Pad Sei Yew, is a mélange of chicken, spicy sauce, and rich, thick eggy noodles. Genius!

While rattling around this house this weekend, cleaning for Ty’s birthday party, I began cleaning out the fridge and pulled out a bunch of veggies that needed to be used. Some carrots, scallions, and a bunch of snow peas. Throw in some chicken and noodles and that was a satisfying lunch just waiting to happen!

Five Spice Chicken and Noodle Stir Fry
1/3 cup honey
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB Ginger
2 TB mirin
1-2 TB sriracha
1 TB orange juice concentrate
1-2 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
1 TB minced garlic

Boil water for noodles and start them cooking while preparing the stir fry. (only cook them about half way)
Mix marinade ingredients together and let chicken marinate at least a half hour.
Quickly stir fry the marinated chicken pieces until almost done.

Add in your vegetables, and stir fry another minute, then add in remaining marinade and cooked noodles and cook another minute to finish cooking the chicken and marinade.

Top with cilantro and serve.

**Notes: the noodles add great texture to the stir fry as well as make it more filling for those of us who can’t live on veggies alone! Letting the noodles finish cooking with the marinade helps them soak up a bunch of the yummy flavor of the five spice and sesame.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights #205, hosted by Debbi Does Dinner

Sweet Tart Martini

2011-03-09T05:01:00.002-06:00

About a year ago, I ran across a recipe for a pretty little cocktail called a Sweet Tart Martini. I quickly tucked the recipe away, with plans to shake it up at a later date. The sticking point on this one was that it called for a specialty liqueur that I had a hard time finding, and when I did, I couldn't justify paying the price for a bottle of it when I didn't even know what it tasted like.

Well, fear not, my bloggy friends!

For my recent birthday, I received a gift card to my favorite liquor store in the nearest real city, and it just so happened that it was in the perfect amount to buy this bottle. Normally, I wouldn't have paid the money out of my own pocket for something like this, but hey, when its money you didn't have to begin with? Why not!

Happy Birthday to me, right?

You betcha.

So, while Ginny was visiting last weekend, we made a batch (ok, three batches) of these luscious little cocktails. You know... until we ran out of triple sec.... or we probably would have made more. I am not normally a martini drinker, but these weren't what I would call a typical martini. Sweet.... and tart! We did add a little more lime juice to amp up the "tart" factor. This little drinky-drink went down smooth and left me wanting another. And another. And now I have a whole bottle of the stuff, so I guess I better go buy some more triple sec!

Sweet Tart Martini
1.5 oz. X-Rated fusion

1.5 oz. Triple Sec
1.5 oz. cranberry juice
splash of pineapple juice
squeeze of lime

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and pour.

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Pomegranate Sauce

2011-03-09T01:48:00.001-06:00

There are times when I think something is just meant to be.

There are signs.

It is FATE.

Fate intervened recently when I was leisurely (yes, I said “leisurely” because I did not have my child with me and was enjoying some pure, unadulterated shopping ALONE time) browsing the ethnic food section at my favorite mega-mart, and I discovered a bottle of Pomegranate Sauce (fortunately those two words were in English because the rest of the bottle was covered in foreign looking symbols...). It was more than I would usually pay for a condiment, but I splurged.

Later that week, when planning our visit, Ginny called me from Sam’s.

“Hey, you want to make lamb chops?”

Well, color me HAPPY!

Lamb chops? Seriously? Do you have ANY idea how rarely lamb makes an appearance in my shopping routine?

Naturally, I did a little bloggy research (also known as running a search on Tastespotting) and discovered that the idea of combining pomegranate and lamb really appealed to me.

How convenient.

Ginny arrived, as planned, with a lovely little package of the tiniest lamb chops I have ever seen. They just made me start singing in my head, “Ohhhh Lambs Eat Oats and Does Eat Oats, and Little Lambs Eat Ivy....”

Yes, I know, I have issues.

This recipe is so simple, its barely a recipe. I suppose if I hadn’t found the sauce, I could have reduced some pomegranate juice and built on it from there, but, lucky me, FATE was on my side.

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Pomegranate Sauce
Season your lamb chops with salt and pepper on all sides.

Sear the chops in a hot skillet on all sides, and cook until medium to medium rare.

Mix together 1 TB good balsamic vinegar and 3 TB prepared pomegranate sauce.

Drizzle sauce over lamb chops.... and revel in it.

We served these precious little gems with some polenta. They were so tiny it was not unlike eating chicken wings, about a bite of meat on either side of the T-bone.

Luscious.

So, if fate should shine down on you, and you find lamb chops and pomegranate sauce all in the same week....don’t question it, just cook it.

Arancini di Riso for I Heart Cooking Clubs

2011-03-08T10:07:00.000-06:00

I am going to miss cooking with Giada.

Wait, what the hell am I saying? I’m not going to quit cooking with Giada! I’m just going to have to add another chef to my roster of dishes to try. And that won’t be hard, because the choices we are voting on for the next chef over at I Heart Cooking Clubs is full of winners (I admit, I’m rooting for anyone BUT Bobby Flay). Personally, I am a big fan of Rick Bayless, so I think you can see where MY vote lies....

This week’s theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs is Potluck, which is designed to give us the opportunity to try recipes that we have been drooling over but just haven’t quite fit any of the recent themes. The only hard part about that concept for me, is narrowing it down. There are still SO many recipes I want to try, but fate helped me make my decision this week.

While Ginny was visiting this weekend, we made a batch of Creamy Leek Risotto from the Silver Spoon cookbook that is one of our personal favorites. Granted, it is not the Mushroom and Peas Risotto that Giada’s recipe calls for, but I suspect she’ll forgive me since I’ve seen multiple versions of her recipe. You know, that and the fact that I’m allergic to mushrooms.

If you’ve never had arancini, these can be made any number of ways, and it a great way to use up leftovers. The creamy leek risotto is wonderful for this because it stays very moist in the center while the outside fries up to a nice, crispy shell. Serve your arancini with a dish of marinara or alfredo sauce for dipping. These are terrific as an appetizer, or, if you’re me, a main dish on a night when you are already deep-frying something for the hubby.

Arancini di Riso

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas, recipe follows, cooled
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 2 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (my risotto is creamy enough, I didn’t use the mozzarella)
• Salt

Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Stir the eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.

Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Just look at the beautiful creamy center on these!

Be careful – these puppies are going to be HOT in the center! They are so worth it, though. Arancini are one of the reasons I make risotto....just for the leftovers!

This is my submission to the I Heart Cooking Clubs Potluck this week!

Dark Chocolate Bacon Jalapeño Bars

2011-03-08T07:44:00.002-06:00

There is an idea that has been brewing in the back of my culinary consciousness for quite awhile now. It’s a simple idea, really, a combination of flavors that makes total sense (at least in my mind). There is only one problem. It calls for bacon.
Problem? You don’t think that’s a problem? Well then you must live alone.

See, in my house, bacon is a hot commodity. When I cook bacon, it disappears like my diet plans a week into February every year.

I love to put bacon in my recipes.... but if I want bacon to USE in those recipes, I have to be sneaky.

When I need bacon for a specific purpose, I either have to:

1. Cook it when no one else is home (and make sure I clean up the evidence before they get back) and hide it away in the fridge or freezer until I need it. If I do this, I have to make sure I hide it well, too. My boys can sniff out bacon a mile away. OR

2. Cook a meal for the family that INCLUDES bacon, cooking at least a pound extra, and chop and hide the excess while the boys are eating their share so they don’t realize there is extra.

Even under the best circumstances, these methods don’t always work. Seven times now...that’s right, SEVEN..... I have cooked bacon for this recipe and had it disappear before I had a chance to put it to use. TWICE, I chopped it up into tiny little bacon bits before hiding it, thinking that the men in the house wouldn’t eat it if it wasn’t in “Strip” form. WRONG. Instead of realizing that I must have prepped it that way for a purpose, they see it as a fortuitous occasion to top their potatoes with porky goodness when I am not looking.

Finally, this weekend, Matt was working overtime. I defrosted a package of bacon, cooked it, pre-chopped all of it, promptly made this treat, and buried the remaining bacon in the depths of the freezer, under the sun dried tomatoes and chicken carcasses being reserved for my next day of making chicken stock. Chances are, they will even find it THERE.

At least I finally got to create this little tasty treasure.... and I will again.... because there is just something very addictive about the combination of Chocolate..... Bacon.....and Jalapeño.

I melted 7 ounces of dark chocolate in a double boiler, added about a teaspoon of jalapeño powder, and then stirred in chopped bacon (maybe about 10 strips worth). I gently spooned the smoky mixture into my (long-ago purchased) candy bar molds, tapped them on the counter to evenly distribute the chocolatey dream, and popped them in the freezer to harden.

What a fabulous idea..... that's just all I can say. Just enough heat to make me happy but not to make my eyebrows sweat. Plenty of bacon to crunch on, and the bittersweetness of the dark chocolate.

I know someone at work who is going to be very happy when I bring my latest experiment to work today.

Loaf-a-roni

2011-03-04T10:25:00.000-06:00

Do you need an easy, weeknight meal? Do you have picky eaters on your house? Is your pantry two days overdue for a trip to the grocery?

I have the meal for you.

I call it....Loaf-a-roni.

Normally I would expound on the virtues of such a wonderful dish....carry on about the ease of preparation....

You know what? There is really no need.

This dish speaks for itself.

Besides.... I am totally exhausted.

I have no words.

Today, Ty and I have been up since 2:30 and we have a long day and big weekend ahead of us.

So I am going to let you use your own imaginations....it won’t be hard.... this is one of those “nuff said” kind of moments.

I was so tired this morning, I even forgot to download the pictures from my camera, so I am including the one I sent to Ginny from my phone.... how lazy is that? Sooooo tired.....
Your mission, if you choose to accept it:

1. Make macaroni and cheese (next time, I’m totally doing pepperjack)
2. Mix up a meatloaf
3. Flatten half the meat mixture on a pan, making a well in the center
4. Fill the well with mac & cheese
5. Top with remaining meat
6. Carefully pull the edges of the bottom meat layer up to seal the top layer, making sure there are no holes
7. Bake at 350 degrees until done (about an hour)
8. Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce (we love Uncle Joe’s Sweet Smoke)
9. Bake 15 more minutes

Now.....Drool.

If you have men or kids in your house, I can guarantee this is going to be a winner. Even MY picky eaters couldn’t deny it.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Sarah at Maison Cupcake.

Spring Fever! Strawberry Nutella Panini for I Heart Cooking Clubs

2011-03-01T04:16:00.003-06:00

There are always certain things that are signs of spring. These things can be depended on, without fail, to harken the coming of warmer days. I could name a half dozen of those signs right now. But around here, there is one sure sign of spring that every local recognizes.

Strawberries.

We even have an annual Strawberry Festival, although every year the berries come a little sooner and are nearly out of season by the time the festival rolls around. But, to me, the first decent strawberries that appear in the stores always excite me. And I was lucky enough to find these luscious little gems just yesterday at my local grocer.

One of my favorite things to do with the season’s first berries is something I learned from Giada de Laurentiis. See, the first berries aren’t necessarily the prettiest berries, but they still taste wonderful after having just gone through the local ice age and its series of snowpocalypses and blizzasters. One thing about berries that might not be the prettiest, though, is that they look just fine when they are sliced and covered in chocoloate.

After discovering the shiny red goodness, I promptly rounded the store and grabbed a pound cake from the freezer and a jar of Nutella.

And, really, I am not a patient person.

So, waking up at the ridiculously ungodly hour of 3:52am this morning, I got the hubs out the door to work, and by 5:00 I was slicing pound cake and heating up the Panini press (also known as the George Foreman grill that Ginny gave me).

This is so simple, its stupid.

Slice the pound cake into ½ inch thick slices.
Slather one side of each piece with Nutella. Not too thick, though it may be tempting to do so, because it will just ooze out onto the grill and be wasted. And that’s just unacceptable. So restrain yourself. Please.
Slice your strawberries and place them on half the Nutella-coated slabs of pound cake.
Spray the Panini press with cooking spray. Sandwich the slices together and place them on the grill, closing the lid.
Grill until you have beautiful grill marks on each little sandwich.

Because a pancake yields pretty small slices, these make perfect little finger sandwiches....or breakfast sandwiches....which is what they are for me today. Breakfast.

Now THAT'S what I call "packing a lunch"!

However, if you wanted to get fancy, you could slice the loaf the long way and make bigger panini, then cut them into thinner sticks, or just shove the entire thing down your gullet and pretend its health food, you know, because it has fruit on it. That’s my rationalization, anyway.

So there you go. I declare it SPRING! And I’m celebrating with strawberries and Nutella. Care to join me?

This is my submission for Spring Fever week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Presto Pasta Nights #202 Roundup!

2011-02-25T09:15:00.055-06:00

Welcome to Presto Pasta Nights!!!

I want to thank everyone who submitted their lovely dishes for this week's roundup. Each and every one of them had me drooling and making notes on my grocery list!
So, let's not waste any time getting down to the goodies!

Claire of Chez Cayenne submitted Masala Rice Noodles and Vegetables. Just looks at those gorgeous noodles!

Marie at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor brings us Julie's Noodle Casserole which she describes as DE-lish-ous! and I couldn't agree more!

Our next offering is from Katerina from Culinary Flavors out of Athens, Greece made a lovely Creamy Pasta with Broccoli, comfort food at its finest!

I worked on my own submission last weekend with Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu.

Michelle at Ms. Enplace had me at "shrimp" with her Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil. Yum!

I was very intrigued by Kankana's dish over at Sunshine & Smile. Her Bruschetta with Spinach Pasta Topping had me drooling! Can't wait to try this at home!

Kirsten of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours came up with this lovely Fusilli with Romanesco. Romanesco is something I have never tried before, but I'll be sure to be on the lookout for it now!

Next up is Claudia, of Honey From Rock, with her Cold Hiyashi Soba Salad with Tempura. The name alone is making my mouth water!

We have a newcomer to Presto Pasta Nights this week! Anne, from Anne's Kitchen, brings us a Quick and Creamy Tuna Farfalle.

Krista over at The Beet Reporter made some tasty-looking Thai Fried Noodles.

And finally, our very own Ruth of Once Upon a Feast put together this gorgeous Four Taste Pasta with Shrimp.

I had a great time reading each and every mouth watering post. Thank you all for your participation this week and don't forget that next week is the big Fourth Birthday Bash for Presto Pasta Nights and will be hosted by Ruth, herself, over at Once Upon a Feast. Send your entries for next week's roundup to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by March 3rd! I hope to see some extra special dishes over there next Friday!

I am special....and so are these potatoes

2011-02-24T08:11:00.001-06:00

I know what you’re thinking. “What makes YOU think you’re special?” Well, let me elaborate.

See, I got home from work last night to find three, count ‘em THREE, packages waiting for me. Naturally the hubs gave me the “what in the hell did you order NOW” look. (please, like I didn’t learn a long time ago to have my purchases shipped to my office) Fortunately for me, I didn’t order ANYTHING!

Package number one was actually a birthday gift for Little Man from his Auntie Anne. I stashed that one in a secret place.

Package number two was the cookbook that was part of the blog giveaway I won over at Krista’s Kitchen from Maple Leaf Farms. Said cookbook also came with a very nice hand-written note congratulating me on winning.

Package number three was....well... a mystery. It was return addressed to a woman in Canada. A woman whose name I didn’t recognize. And the customs form affixed to the box was marked as “gift”.

Hmmm...interesting, no?

Well, to make this all clear, I need to give you a little history.

Back in January, I participated in a bloggy cookie swap. In this swap, you are assigned a partner and you send each other cookies. Well, long story-short, I got no cookies. Which is okay, you know, because my thighs are really screaming for “one more cookie, please” right now. But the point of the story is that I never heard back from my partner. Emailing the swap organizer one day, the subject came up and I told her about it. That it was fine, but thought she should know.

Well, she was aghast.

And apparently she told a friend about it.

Who was equally aghast.

The friend requested my mailing address from Steph (the swap organizer) and promptly proceeded to mail me....cookies! And, since she’s a crafter like me, she also crocheted me a lovely hat! Just because.

Is that not awesome? Knowing all of that, can you deny that I am, indeed, special? I didn’t think so.

I was truly touched by both the thoughtful gift and the handwritten note that accompanied it. There is just nothing better than a completely random act of kindness. You should all consider trying it sometime. I may be planning one of my own as we speak....

In any case, thanks bunches to Jeanne and Steph for brightening a day otherwise rife with sinus infection and work frustration.

Give them both some love, would you? You can find Steph at http://stephchows.blogspot.com/

And Jeanne at her blog: http://centurycrafts.blogspot.com

Since I was feeling extra special after opening my packages, I added something a little extra special to dinner for the hubs last night. I had planned to make Osso Bucco (except with beef), but feeling under the weather as I was, I wasn’t exactly highly motivated. After my little air mail mood booster, I was inspired. At Walmart earlier in the day, I spied a rare bag of lovely little fingerling potatoes, the likes of which are rarely seen in these parts. Naturally, they were whisked into my cart with reckless abandon.

I put those babies to good use last night. Want to make your honey feel extra special? Make these for him the next time YOU see fingerling potatoes hiding in the produce section.

Scrub your potatoes (about a pound or so) and toss them with olive oil. Scatter them on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast them whole at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Serve them up with a shower of freshly grated parmesan.

This worked out perfectly last night. I started the potatoes after I had the meat in the oven, they roasted at the same temperature and came out at the same time.

So, last night, we both got to feel a little extra special. Look out for those Random Acts of Kindness....you might be next!

DON'T FORGET!!!! You only have until midnight tonight to submit a dish to Presto Pasta Nights #202 this week!

To enter, email your entries to: bethanneleach (at) gmail (dot) com and cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com & include:

~Your name & the name of your blog
~The name of your dish & the permalink to your post
~Attach a photo or I will pull one from your post to include in the roundup
~in your email, use the subject line: PPN #202 submission

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu

2011-02-21T08:02:00.001-06:00

When my husband accepted an invitation to go Boar Hunting in Alabama not long ago, I told him, “You better bring some back for me to cook.” As is typical, he gave me that look. You know, the one that makes you wonder if you accidentally waxed an entire eyebrow off or something. But I persisted. “Dammit, Matt, if you’re going leave us here for a week so you can go hunt Wild Boar, you’re going to bring some back for me so I can cook it and post it on my blog.”

Well, as that left no room for discussion, he arrived home with a cooler containing the iced down haunches of a Wild Boar, as requested.

Sadly, those little piggies have been lounging in my freezer ever since. You know, a boar leg is a pretty sizable hunk of meat, which not only takes a lengthy cooking time, but also a lengthy DEFROSTING time.

Being that we live in the country and are a family of hunters, we have a significant amount of freezer space. But, well, my freezers are getting full. And those boar legs are taking up more than their fair share. It became clear that one of them had to go.

I declared that we would be dining on wild boar this past weekend, and the hubs looked at me not with that “look”, but with a mixture of mild surprise and curiosity. I really think he didn’t expect me to ever get around to cooking it. But when I ran across short ribs at the local grocery last week and had a hard time finding a home for them in the aforementioned freezer, well, it was time.

Taking inspiration from The Silver Spoon, in my opinion the end-all and be-all of Italian cookbooks, I started with a soffritto, sautéing carrots, onion, and celery until tender. Then I added some seasonings (a little garlic and red pepper) and deglazed the pan with a hearty helping of red wine. I opted to slow cook the leg, instead of braising it in the oven, so I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and fitted it carefully into my slow cooker. I finished by pouring the soffritto/wine mixture into the cooker and added about four cups of beef stock (another way to free up space in my freezer).

I then let it cook away the afternoon, and when I couldn’t stand the smell anymore (yes, my nose kept leading me back to the kitchen), I rescued the leg from its cooking juices and picked the meat off the bone. Which was no small task. The boar leg is chock full of cartilage, tendons and other fatty bits scattered throughout the meat. While this was going on, I poured the cooking liquids off into a saucepan and turned the heat on high, letting the liquids reduce down by about half.

When the hubs finally got home last night, I put on a pot of water for the pasta (I just love pappardelle, don’t you?) and while it was cooking, I swirled a couple of tablespoons of butter into the sauce to make it just a little silky. A quick shave of fresh parmesan on top, and this was a meal fit for a hunter, for sure. Matt was standing over the counter slurping the noodles out of their saucy bath, and I just stood there, smiling.

One thing I might have done differently, next time I think I will roast it in the oven instead (and there will be a next time, since I still have three legs in the freezer) to get that lovely caramelized color that you can never quite get from a slow cooker. Other than that, I call this meal a roaring success. The flavor of boar meat is a subtle mid-ground between beef and pork. Not gamey, as you might expect, but rich and flavorful.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights #202, which I am hosting this week, and I am also linking it up to the Italian Fest going on this week over at Seaside Simplicity

Don't forget to get me your Presto Pasta Night submissions by midnight on Thursday, and work something good up for the Presto Pasta NIghts fourth birthday bash, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast next week!

Presto Pasta Nights #202

2011-02-18T11:46:00.004-06:00

I am very pleased to announce that I will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights #202 this coming week and I cordially invite all of you to participate!

Presto Pasta Nights is the brainchild of Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast, and obviously it has been a very successful one, as it has now been FOUR YEARS that we have all been cooking, enjoying, and posting our lovely pasta dishes for all the blogosphere to drool over.

If you have never participated before, it is very simple. All you have to do is make a pasta dish, post it during the week of the roundup, and then email me at bethanneleach (at) gmail (dot) com and cc Ruth at ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Midnight on Thursday. The roundup will be posted next Friday, February 25th, right here at The Seventh Level of Boredom.

Some of the rules for participating in this event:

• Cook a dish that includes PASTA.

• Blog about it with a link back to THIS post and to PRESTO PASTA NIGHTS. Use of logo is optional.

• Email your entries to: bethanneleach (at) gmail (dot) com and cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com & include:

          ~Your name & the name of your blog

          ~The name of your dish & the permalink to your post

          ~Attach a photo or I will pull one from your post to include in the roundup

          ~in your email, use the subject line: PPN #202 submission

If you have any questions at all, please email me and I'll be happy to answer them for you!

And last, but not least, don’t worry if you can’t decide which recipe to make – NEXT week is the big Fourth Birthday Bash over at Presto Pasta Nights and the special roundup will be hosted by Ruth at her own blog, Once Upon a Feast. We are hoping that next week’s roundup will be extra special (and BIG!) so please join us next week as well.

Now, you have your mission.....get cooking!

Old Man Winter – get the heck out!!!

2011-02-16T05:32:00.002-06:00

Yessir....the weather around here is a-changin’..... and I love it! I am not a winter person to begin with, and I tried very hard this winter to NOT complain about the cold and the snow. Every time the ground would get covered in white, I’d say, “It could be worse. At least we’re not having ice storms like back in ’06. I’ll take this ANY day over THAT.”

And every time I said it, I meant it a little bit less.

And then... we DID get an ice storm. Granted, we dodged a bullet and managed to keep our power on for the duration. But the ensuing snow, the ridiculous amounts of ice that just WOULD. NOT. MELT. And the cumulative total of nine, count ‘em, NINE snow days, was just more than this sunshine girl could handle.

I’m done. I’ve had enough.

And so, this weekend I joyously welcomed the first decent weather we’ve seen in months. I felt the first stirrings of spring fever. I recognized the subtle itch that always precedes the urge to start my spring cleaning. And. I fired up the grill.

In my world, there are two sure signs of spring. One being the first day I leave the house without socks. The other being the fiery baptism of a choice cut of meat out on the deck.

Well, I haven’t been brave enough to bare my tootsies as of yet, but as far as the grill goes.... let the flames begin!

And what was the inaugural dish this season, you ask? Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops.

As you may have noticed in a couple of recent posts here at The Seventh Level of Boredom, I have mentioned that there is a new store in my small town. A new store I have become quite enamored with. Let’s just call it a ‘shopping crush’. See, when you grow up with absolutely anything you could desire to shop for at your fingertips, and then move to a small town that has....well....WALMART, you gladly welcome any and all bright new opportunities that arrive on the scene. The Market on the Square is particularly near and dear to my heart because they only sell items made in Illinois, supporting the “shop local” movement; there are many crafty and foodie items, both of which hold a special place in my heart, being the crafty foodie that I am; oh, and of course, the fact that they sell wine. And very nice wine, at that. We’ll talk about that another day. Promise.

The lovely folks over at Market on the Square recently enthused over a recipe I posted here and then shared on their Facebook page, featuring an ingredient I purchased at their little shop. You know me... a little praise goes a long way. That and I’m just a food-junkie and I can’t help myself.

So I’m doing it again!

As a matter of fact, you might be seeing various new posts referring to the Market on the Square and their wares. I have designs on a recipe involving the “Dreamcatcher”, a fantastic little port-style wine from the Piasa winery. But I digress.

Today we’re talking about root beer. Its not just for drinking, you know. My favorite new store stocks a line of craft sodas made by Goose Island, including Chicago Style Root Beer, Ginger Soda, and Orange Cream Soda. I was first drawn in by the Ginger Soda, but when I went to the register to buy a bottle, the proprietor started to tell me how people have been raving about the Root Beer, becoming addicted and frequenting the store with the sole purpose of picking up another four-pack.

Well, you don’t have to threaten ME with a good time! You know I love me some Root Beer!

What to do, what to do, what to do...... well, it didn’t take me long to come up with an idea.

My mind quickly drifted to the butterflied pork chops I couldn’t resist picking up at the store over the weekend. When the weather started turning back to gorgeous, it all came together. Root Beer glazed pork chops, anyone? How about some nice grilled zucchini and yellow squash to go with it? I’ll even throw in a foil pack of potatoes for the hubs, just because I’m feeling generous. Nice weather does that to me.

After work last night, I hustled us home and got to work. First, of course, there was getting the grill set up. I brought a fresh bottle of propane home with me and hooked it up (yes, I know, I should grill with charcoal. I just don’t have time for that on an average night). While the grill was heating up, I reduced the sauce and got the veggies ready.

And what happened? See for yourself! Just look at this gorgeous platter.

The meat was tender and flavorful, and the glaze gave the meat a sweet and tangy taste. I make a similar dish with some of my Hot Apple Pie liqueur, and I think we love them both!

If you love the Goose Island Root Beer (or any root beer!) give this one a try when you get YOUR grill going this season!

OOOPS! I forgot to include the recipe!

Root Beer Glazed Pork Chops
1 bottle Goose Island Root Beer
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp Sriracha (or more if you like spicy!)
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium high heat until reduced by about half, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, but no longer.

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper and grill until cooked basting with the root beer sauce until you get a nice glaze.

***NOTES*** I had a hard time keeping my grill hot enough in the cool temps on my deck, so I didn't get a nice char on my chops, but you bet i will next time!

Linguine with Olives and Breadcrumbs

2011-02-15T05:12:00.000-06:00

After my weekend of “whining” and dinning my Valentine (otherwise known as Little Man), I was looking for a nice, simple supper to fix last night. Just such a dish came to me, care of Giada de Laurentiis and her Spaghetti with Olives and Breadcrumbs. Spaghetti? Olives, you say? Two of my favorite things! And it doesn’t hurt that I still have a couple of tubs of wonderful mixed olives from The Hill in St Louis lingering around in my fridge. Other than the fresh parsley, which I was fresh out of, this was a perfect meal straight from the pantry for me.

I call that... DESTINY.

Spaghetti with Olives and Bread Crumbs
1 pound spaghetti (I used linguine)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
3/4 cup pitted and roughly chopped black olives (recommended: kalamata)
3/4 cup pitted and roughly chopped large green olives (recommended: Bella Di Cerignola)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon each of the sea salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook the breadcrumbs until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Stir the pasta into the bread crumb mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and add the black and green olives. Add the Parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with the remaining parsley.

I love the briny flavor the olives bring to this dish, and the fact that it wasn’t loaded down with a heavy tomato sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a good marinara or Bolognese, but with the weather ever-so-slightly turning to spring, I was in the mood for something a little lighter. Even though I would be the only one at my house to eat this, I went ahead and made the full amount and I will be enjoying it for a couple of my lunches at work this week. Next time I think I may add a little lemon juice or zest, some capers and little grape tomatoes!

This is my submission for this week’s I Heart Cooking Clubs theme, “Using Your Noodle”, and to Ruth over at Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted by Pia of Cook Healthy this week.

Hearts from the Heart

2011-02-14T05:18:00.000-06:00

I had a hot date this weekend.

With a younger man.

He’s loving, and attentive.

He’s also my son.

Yep, for Valentine’s Day this year, I celebrated with my Little Man. We had planned to have Ty’s best buddy over for a sleepover, but there was a last minute change of plans when the “Braydens” (Ty’s buddy and his parents) woke up under the weather on Saturday.

In spite of the change, Ty and I had ourselves a sweet night out, starting with a matinee of Gnomeo and Juliet, and ending with a quiet supper at home, made up mostly of chocolate.

While it was a lovely evening, we did miss out on the “little boy” time we’d been looking forward to. See, Ty’s conniving momma (yep, that’d be me) had a sweet little Valentine’s projects all lined up and ready to go for the boys to do together on Sunday morning. Instead, Ty and I rolled up our sleeves and got chatty.

Yep, I said chatty.

We made conversation hearts. This is an idea that my sister gave me last year, but I didn’t get the supplies ready to make them in time for Valentine’s Day then, so I set my mind on 2011!

These little treats are so easy to make at home. The one thing to remember if you want to make these is that they require an extensive drying time of about 24 hours before you can write on them. I bought a package of food markers and we were ready to go! Don’t be intimidated by the long instructions, these are really as basic as making up a simple dough, coloring it, rolling it out and cutting it like sugar cookies. Try and find a heart shaped cookie cutter that is no bigger than an inch in diameter. I got mine at Hobby Lobby for about 30 cents, and the Gourmet Writer food markers by Americolor for about $8.

Conversation Hearts

• 1 packet (1/4 oz, or 2 tsp) unflavored gelatin

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 tsp light corn syrup

• 2 lbs powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting

• Assorted flavoring extracts of your choice (we used peppermint)

• Assorted food colors of your choice

• Heart-shaped cutters

• Food coloring markers

Preparation:

1. Place the corn syrup, gelatin, and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the gelatin is well-distributed. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, so the gelatin dissolves, and stir well.

2. Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternately, if you are using a hand mixer, pour the gelatin mixture into a large bowl. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and turn the mixer to low, mixing until the sugar is incorporated.

3. Once the sugar is mixed in, add another cup of sugar, again mixing on low until it liquefies. Continue to add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, pausing in between additions to allow the sugar to mix in, until the full two pounds of powdered sugar is added. Periodically, stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. The candy will progress from a thin, watery liquid to a very stiff dough.

4. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, dust a work surface (counter or large cutting board) with powdered sugar and scrape the candy out onto the work surface. The candy will be very sticky and stiff. Generously dust the top of the ball of candy with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the candy like bread dough: fold the ball of dough over onto itself, then use the heel of your hand to push it down. Give the candy a quarter-turn, and repeat the process, dusting it with more powdered sugar as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board or your hands. Knead until the candy is satiny and not sticky.

5.Decide how many colors/flavors of conversation hearts you want to make, and divide the candy dough into that many portions. To flavor and color the candy, take one of the balls and flatten it into a palm-sized disc. Add a few drops of food coloring and flavoring extract to the center of the disc, and fold it over on itself. (It is a good idea to wear disposable plastic gloves during this step to keep your hands free of colors and odors.) Knead the dough ball, just as you did before, until the color is evenly dispersed throughout the candy, and all streaks have disappeared. Repeat this process with remaining candy balls and colors/flavors, until all of your candy is colored and flavored.

6. Dust your work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out one of the candy balls to your desired thickness. Small store-bought conversation hearts tend to be fairly thick, generally over 1/4” thick. I find that this thickness works well for small hearts (under 1”), but it makes larger heart sizes very substantial and a little overwhelming. However, the thickness is entirely a matter of personal preference and does not affect the taste of the final candy.

7. Use heart-shaped cutters to cut hearts out of the rolled candy, and transfer the hearts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smaller hearts are more realistic, but larger hearts are easier to write messages on. Once you have cut out your hearts, you can re-roll the scraps to get more shapes out of the candy. Repeat with remaining candy balls.

8. Allow your hearts to air-dry for at least 24 hours before you write on them. This step is VERY important, because the extra moisture in the hearts will cause the ink to run if you do not let them dry properly.

When I was done cutting out the hearts, I rolled all my scrap dough together and made swirly hearts!

9. After the hearts have dried for a day, use the food writing markers to write messages or draw designs on the hearts. Store your conversation hearts in an airtight container at room temperature.

Ty and I had fun writing messages to his favorite loves!

These were super easy to put together. I did all the prep work and had them ready to decorate the next day. It was tons of fun and made sweet little Valentines treats for Ty's favorite people.

That's Amore!

2011-02-11T09:47:00.001-06:00

Every year when February rolls around, I waffle back and forth about what I think of February’s Hallmark holiday. On one hand, I think its great that there is a date set aside every year to encourage couples to show their appreciation and love for one another. On the other, I think it just gets out of control. Who takes who out? Who buys the gifts? Why are gifts necessary? It goes on and on. And with us, it gets even more exhausting as we just got through Christmas, and both of our birthdays are in January, so by February, the last thing we need is another gift-giving holiday. So, in our house, we long ago came up with a compromise. First of all, we don’t do Valentine’s gifts. Same for our anniversary. No gifts. The deal is that we get a sitter, and we go out and do something fun together. And to ward off any jealousy or bitterness over who gets the special treatment, we take turns. One year, I do the planning and take him somewhere that I have chosen specifically because HE will enjoy it. On the alternating years, he does the same for me (ok, so his turn usually comes down to me picking a place to eat and him paying, but hey, I’ll take what I can get. Casanova, he is not). That way, everyone gets special treatment at some point, and we both like this arrangement.

What are we doing this year? I have no idea. We keep bringing the subject up and neither one of us has made a suggestion. We have lost track of whose turn it is, and with the big day being on a Monday this year, we have to try and decide which day we are going to celebrate. So far, all we know is that it is not going to be this weekend. Instead, Ty is going to get a treat. He doesn’t know it yet, but his best friend is coming to our house for a sleepover tomorrow. There will undoubtedly be pizza and cookies, movies, and probably a tent in the living room.

Since, at the earliest, we will have our own date NEXT weekend (if we can decide on something to do) I went ahead and showed my appreciation for Matt last night. (get your minds out of the gutter – he isn’t THAT lucky!) So how do I show my appreciation for my husband?

I feed him.

And when you’re talking about food, in the Big Man’s mind, love equates to beef. Preferably with potatoes. But definitely nothing green. Or red. Or really any other color at all. Cheese is permitted, and bread, but no vegetables. And so I made a Matt-worthy meal, just for him, to show him how much I love him. Although I’d love him more if he’d eat a green bean or two now and then. Or a carrot. Something.

So, what was on the menu? Well, when I did my grocery shopping earlier this week, my local grocery had a nice looking flat iron steak and some adorable little bitty new potatoes, so I turned to Giada de Laurentiis and made her Steak with Balsamic BBQ Sauce, and Smashed Parmesan Potatoes.

I was intrigued by this recipe when I ran across it, but I admit that I tweaked it a little to our own tastes when I read the list of ingredients. For example, I didn’t have any Dijon mustard, so I just mixed in a little ground mustard. And ketchup? Really? I don’t think so. The tang of balsamic vinegar is something I love, but it can be a little too much for Matt unless there is something else in the mix to temper it a little bit, and I really didn’t see ketchup doing that. However, we have a new favorite BBQ sauce in our house that is made right here in Illinois, called Uncle Joe’s BBQ, and comes in a variety of flavors. I picked up a couple of bottles at the Market On The Square here in town recently and we ADORE it. SO I took the bottle of the “Sweet Smoke” and added some of that to the sauce in place of the ketchup. Sorry, Giada, I just couldn’t do the ketchup.

Now that we have the menu, I have to tell you how this all went down. See, its winter. And not only is it winter, we recently survived a Blizzaster here in the Midwest. So, while this recipe calls for grilling the steak.... there ain’t no way that was happening last night. There isn’t enough love in the world to make me stand out on my deck right now grilling a steak for my husband. And you know what? That attitude came back to bite me on the ass.

We have an electric indoor grill. We got it for our wedding. We haven’t used it in YEARS. Last night I found out why. Its because I hid it. Because Matt was always wanting to use it and it is a BITCH to clean. SO I hid it and he finally forgot we had it. I didn’t forget. I knew right where it was. And I pushed aside all thoughts of the hell I’d go through cleaning it because... I LOVE MY HUSBAND. And he’s worth it. Right?

Were your ears ringing last night? If they were, its not because we were talking about you. Its because you could hear the smoke alarms going off at my house. That sucker can smoke up a house like nobody’s business. So while I was planning this meal, and opting to avoid standing outside on a February night to grill the steak. I ended up in the frigid winter air anyway. Standing in my kitchen with the windows wide open waving my arms like one of those guys on an airport runway. Except that I was waving newspapers around instead of little light wands....and, you know, the fact that I probably looked like I was on crack.

SO, for dinner last night, the hubs got dinner AND a show! Oh, and we’re now officially short one small kitchen appliance. Because I chucked that grill out into the skating rink that is our driveway and left it for next week’s trash pickup. I hope they aren’t dumb enough to take it home, thinking it’s a perfectly good grill that shouldn’t have been thrown away. The bonus for me is that now I don’t have to clean it. But if your ears are ringing next week.... well, its probably the smoke alarms going off at the house of our trash pickup guy.

Honey, if that ain’t love, I’ll kiss your ass.

This is my submisison for this week's "That's Amore!" theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs

Notice there is absolutely nothing green on this plate....

STEAK WITH BALSAMIC BBQ SAUCE

For the Balsamic BBQ sauce:

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

• 3/4 cup ketchup

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the steak:

• 4 pieces of New York strip or Club strip steak (I used one nice sized flat iron steak)

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush. Place the meat on the grill. Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer while the meat cooks.

Cook the steaks starting at about 4 minutes per side until a meat thermometer reads the desired temperature, 120 degrees F for medium rare, 135 degrees F for medium (about 6 minutes per side), 155 degrees F for well done (about 9 minutes per side). Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with the heated BBQ sauce alongside.

SMASHED PARMESAN POTATOES

3 pounds baby red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, halved (I used about half that amount)

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the potatoes in a large pot of water. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the potatoes to the pot. Coarsely mash the potatoes, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Using a large fork, stir in the Parmesan and the oil. Season the potatoes, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

**NOTES** This steak was AWESOME. We ended up finishing it off in the oven when the smoke got out of control, but it was wonderful and tender (cut flat iron steaks across the grain) and the sauce was a wonderful explosion of flavor. The switch I made for the ketchup was definitely a winner. The potatoes were also nice, and very easy to put together. I would probably add more cheese next time.

Standing Over the Stove with a Spoon...

2011-02-10T09:44:00.003-06:00

...eating straight out of the pot.

(see those beautiful little droplets of toasted sesame oil swimming around with the red pepper flakes? They look happy, don't they?)

That’s how good this soup is. For about the last two months, I have had a very insistent craving for Chinese food. Or Thai. Or Vietnamese. Pretty much anything spicy with noodles. So, when I was browsing around at the Market on the Square (fabulous new shop in Carlinville that stocks only Illinois-made products) and I ran across some adorable little egg noodles called Soup Buds (by a company called Pasta Alley), I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.

SOUP.

After all, that’s what they are for... and it has been an excruciatingly long, vicious winter around here. In that kind of situation, you can never have too much soup. These little gems look like egg noodles that someone took a hole punch to. Less than a half inch in diameter when fully cooked, they fill up with the broth from the soup, but stay slightly firm, giving you a wonderful mouthful of noodly goodness, without the treachery of the random noodle that inevitably flings itself over the edge of the spoon, scattering its juices on your chin (or shirt) in a last-ditch effort to escape.

Now, set on my path to a steaming pot of soup, I started searching for recipes. I go through this several times every winter. Looking for something new, something flavorful and earth shattering.... and without fail I seem to end up with....chicken soup. No matter how good the recipe claims to be, regardless of how enticing the ingredient list appears, it always just ends up as being some generic chicken soup.

I wanted more.

So when I ran across this recipe, suffice it to say I remained skeptical. Nevertheless, I trudged ahead, making a few minor tweaks here and there. And what did I end up with?

Sheer bliss.

The hubs came in from feeding the dogs and found me hunkered down over the stove with a spoon in hand, eating straight out of the pot. It started innocently enough, with a taste to check the seasoning....but you know, first tastes can be deceiving, so you should always check twice. But in the second bite I really didn’t get any chicken, so I tried again. And then I wanted to make sure it was seasoned consistently throughout.... and I might as well double check those noodles to make sure they were thoroughly cooked.... Well, it was shameful, really. I ate enough of it standing there at the stove that I didn’t need to actually fix myself a bowl. I was full. And gloriously so.

Sadly, I was so enthralled with my brothy discovery that I completely missed the recommended garnishes. Imagine how much more pleased I was when I dragged the pot back out again this morning (yes, at 5:00 am) and fixed myself a bowl, complete with savory garnish, and had another serving for breakfast. Yes, you heard me right. And then ladled up another generous serving to take to work with me for lunch. I see no reason to ever make another kind of chicken soup again. Ever.

Here is the recipe (originally from America’s Test Kitchen), with my changes. I strongly urge you to make this at home. And eat it standing over the strove with a spoon. And maybe for breakfast...

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

8-10 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (this had a lovely amount of heat without being too spicy, but I LOVE spicy, so if you don’t, then cut back on this ingredient)
2 cups chicken (I picked the all meat off a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup Soup Buds or other egg noodle (or 2 packages of dried ramen noodles, seasoning packed discarded)
3 scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
pinch of red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and chili garlic sauce to a boil in a large saucepan.
Add the egg noodles (if using) and cook until almost done.
Add the cut up chicken to the pot and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is warmed through.
If using Ramen noodles, add the dried noodles into the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're just about cooked.
Stir in the scallions and cilantro and serve in bowls.
Garnish each bowl additional fresh cilantro leaves and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with a few red pepper flakes, if you like.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, the brainchild of Ruth at Once Upon a Feast. Be sure to check out this week's roundup tomorrow hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavors!

Marinated Crab Claws

2011-02-08T14:26:00.000-06:00

One of my most favorite foods on earth (and trust me when I say that getting on THAT list is no small feat) is crab. Particularly snow crab legs greedily snatched from an all you can eat buffet, but crab in any form gets the drool juices flowing for me.

I was in one such state recently when I was browsing the seafood counter of a local (ok, so it was an hour away, but you know my truly “local” resources are limited) supermarket. Knock me over with a feather....right there in front of me were some lovely little red crab claws. Those bad boys went into my cart so fast, it had my Little Man doing a double take. There is very little that boy misses, but he had to reach over and peer in the cart to see what exactly had made its way into my seafood-starved possession.

And they were never heard from again.

Okay, well, maybe they were. But just briefly, in the privacy of my kitchen, where I pulled a chair up to the kitchen counter (that’s right, I didn’t even make it to a table) and devoured the little beasties with an almost horrifying display of gluttony. Which is why I never left the kitchen. Because my love affair with crab is something that is really best kept in private. And besides.... it was much closer to the trash can....I mean, why dirty another dish just for the shells, right? I was just being efficient.

That’s my story and I’ll tell it how I want to hear it.

What did I do to the little claws, you ask? Other than make a glorious mess of them, that is? Well, I marinated them. See, since crab is generally always precooked, unless is it still alive, there is really no cooking involved. I whipped up a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flake. Then I tossed the claws in the marinade and let it swim around in it (in the fridge, of course) overnight, tossing them around occasionally to make sure all the little crevices got coated.

While these crustaceans weren’t very photogenic, but considering the willpower it took to take pictures before wolfing it down...well, you’re lucky there are pictures at all. I’m just sayin’.

While I thoroughly enjoyed these sequestered in my little corner of the culinary world, and they look like they would make marvelous appetizers for your next party, don’t do it. I strongly urge you to resist serving these to your friends. And not only because you will want them all for yourself, but because you will likely have a number of dry cleaning bills foisted upon you. These little buggers are MESSY. Drippy and oozing soy sauce, this is not something you want to eat in your dressy dinner attire. Besides.... seeing someone else eat like this.... can be a tad frightening. And it might give you insights about said friends....insights you may want to burn from your retinas later. Resist....I beg you.

Because She Told Me I Had To

2011-02-07T11:22:00.000-06:00

That’s right, I am posting today under strict orders from my friend Mendi. See, its like this. We had our monthly book club meeting this past Friday at Mendi’s house, and naturally, as frequently happens when I’m around, talk turned to food.

At which point, Mendi emphatically protested about my last post STILL being up on my blog.

Clearly, I have been neglecting my foodie friends.

Admittedly, my blog posts have taken a hit recently, as I have noticed a steep incline in the pressure I’ve been putting on my bathroom scale at home. And so, I’ve been cooking more for the hubs, and much less for me, in the hopes that I can reverse the trend.

So, apparently, I will have to start cooking again – just with a healthier twist, if I’m going to keep people happily returning to my little corner of the blogosphere.

And so I promised Mendi that on Monday, she would see a bright, shiny new post on my blog. And here it is.

Sadly, I don’t have much enthusiasm for this recipe. I was excited about it when I ran across it, sure. I even made the special oil it calls for over a week ago. Truth be told, I’ve had shrimp in the fridge (ok, TWICE) already for this dish and had to throw it away because time got away from me. And that’s just wrong.

Thinking of Mendi, I settled onto my new ChefMat last night (thanks to a lovely birthday gift I received from My mother in law and sister in law) and got started. After all, the hubs was off in “Guy Land” watching the Big Game last night, so I had the house to myself.

The recipe is exceedingly easy. Chop about ¼ cup of jarred pepperoncinis, and simmer them in a skillet with about a half cup of oilive oil until it is fragrant, and then let it cool to room temperature.

Toss some shrimp in a few tablespoons of the oil and let it sit for a few minutes. Then sautee the shrimp in a hot skillet just until done, after which, you give the little guys another toss in the oil (I used fresh oil the second time even though the recipe didn’t say to).

Easy peasy, right?

And it was. Maybe I should have gotten the pan hotter before putting the shrimp in, or maybe I shouldn’t have crowded the pan (it is my perpetual fatal kitchen error, this I admit) so the shrimp might have gotten a nice sear to them.

I served this with a bit of angel hair pasta tossed with more of the oil and topped with breadcrumbs.

And it was....satisfactory.

Yeah, that about sums it up. I ate it. Not gonna lie. But frankly, I wouldn’t make it again. Well, let me take that back. I MIGHT make it again.... except with some nice hot chiles instead. It really needed more flavor. I expected it to have more punch to it, I suppose. And it saddens me that this was a Giada recipe that I was hoping to post to I Heart Cooking Clubs. But, alas, I won’t be doing that. Because I’m just not that proud of it.

So, why am I even posting it out here, you ask?

Because Mendi told me to.

Enjoy!

Creamy Orzo with Peas for Presto Pasta Nights

2011-01-21T04:52:00.001-06:00

I have been cooking with Giada DeLaurentiis for years, but until recently, I don’t think I realized how I seem to gravitate to her simple, yes tasty, pasta recipes. First I posted her Sciue Sciue, and now I am about to present her Creamy Orzo with Peas.

I simply adore Orzo. It is one of my favorite pasta shapes. And, as with Sciue Sciue, it is supremely simple to make. This works wonderfully as a side dish for a crowd, or with chicken or shrimp added for a satisfying main dish. Today it was perfect with just a few knots of the Prosciutto Americano that Ginny brought me.

Creamy Orzo with Peas

1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained (I use Crushed Fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor, and do not drain the liquid off)

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights, which will be hosted by Jen over at Tastes of Home next Friday!

What to do....What to do....

2011-01-20T11:51:00.001-06:00

The good folks over at The Mad Housewife posed a question recently. What do you do with your wine corks? Well, let me just show you!

That's right, with the help of my Dad, I make trivets. He makes these great little trays for me and then I sit at the table arranging and rearranging corks in the opening until they fit just right, hot gluing them in place. A few of my lucky friends have received these as gifts. Personally, I keep one on my table at all times. Aren't they fabulous?

This one is mine and it makes regular appearances on my blog in various food pictures.

Sadly, this one was before I discovered Mad Housewife wines, but you can bet the next one will have Mad Housewife corks in it!

Taking it to Another Level

2011-01-18T04:54:00.001-06:00

You know I can’t just leave well enough alone. Nope. I can’t do it, its just not in me. I get an idea and I just have to run with it.

Well, that’s what happened after I made two batches of biscotti last weekend. I just....couldn’t.....stop.

Fortunately, there have been people who have gone before me that had the same budding idea I was formulating and therefore I didn’t have to find my own recipe.

After putting together Piña Colada Biscotti.... and then Island Mango Biscotti.... I was really craving something savory. The wheels started turning and I ended up with Black Pepper Biscotti. A quick Google search turned up a couple of recipes for Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti and that, my dear friends, was a combination I just couldn’t turn down. I started cooking almost immediately. I mean, after all, I had all the ingredients, so why wait?

I have one word for these Biscotti.

FLAVORIFFIC.

Now clearly, this is not something I would be inclined to dunk in my morning coffee. That being said....how about a bowl of Fire Roasted Tomato and Parmesan Soup? Because, let me tell you, that was a match made in heaven.

These biscotti took a lot longer to bake than the recipe prescribed, mainly because they came out more like a biscuit. Soft and fluffy, but definitely not sturdy. I intended to ship these as part of the Cookie Swap I took part in, but I was concerned that with their moisture content, they might be in danger of molding along the way. And I just couldn’t have that. So, I baked them longer, and kept them local to enjoy with friends here. I will advise making these the day that you want to use them. Serve them at a lovely dinner party. While it didn’t stop me from eating them several days later, I just think they lost some of their integrity when they lost their freshness.

But don’t let that stop you. These were fabulous. Definitely make them. Just go in with a plan!

Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti

1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

4 1/2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (2 1/4 cups)

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse peppercorns in grinder until coarsely ground.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups cheese, cayenne and 1 tablespoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 3 eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Using well-floured hands, form each piece into a slightly flattened log. Transfer logs to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging logs about 3 inches apart.

Whisk remaining egg and brush some over logs, then sprinkle tops of logs evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper.

Bake, rotating sheets 180 degrees and switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until logs are pale golden and firm, about 30 minutes total. Cool logs to warm on sheets on a rack, about 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Carefully transfer warm logs to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining log, transferring slices to sheets. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total.

Hush Little Piggy, Don't You Fry.....

2011-01-17T11:37:00.001-06:00

A recent random search of the internet produced this little gem of a recipe – Pulled Pork Hushpuppies.

And, really, can you ever get too much fried food? Ok, so the answer is yes, you CAN get too much fried food. Or, at least, that’s what my arteries are starting to tell me.

But really, you know me, and clearly I have a serious problem with feeling compelled to try any recipe I find that is unlike any other I have ever seen. Frankly, I can’t believe I haven’t seen some version of this little dandy floating around the lardy Midwestern area in which I reside. I think this would qualify for ideal “Fair Food”.

And, coincidentally (ok, so there is absolutely no coincidence here, I completely planned it this way, but that just sounds boring when you put it out there in the real world) I happened to be making pulled pork sandwiches last week, so it couldn’t have been better timing.

I do love pulled pork. I’m sure that any purist would scoff at my method. I am all in favor of slowly smoking a big ol’ pork butt, but you know what? I just don’t have the time or patience for it these days, and, after all, its just too damned cold outside. So, what do I do when I need a mouthful of porky goodness? Well, I get out the crock pot, thankyouverymuch. In my defense, I do at least make my own barbeque sauce for it.

So, on a brisk winter day, like so many we’ve been having lately, I generously season a pork butt (don’t you just love saying pork butt? Butt butt butt....) with salt and pepper, toss it in a crock pot with a couple of sliced onions, some crushed garlic cloves, and a can of root beer. Yes, you heard me right. I said ROOT BEER. I don’t know why, but it just imparts a wonderful flavor to the pork.

When I come home after an exhausting day at work, dinner is nearly finished. All I have to do is mix up the sauce and let it simmer while I’m shredding the pork and filling my wine glass.

Speaking of the sauce, I have to say up front that I am not a fan of the Midwestern style barbeque sauces. The thick, tangy, tomato based sauces are not for me. I much prefer the vinegary concoctions of the Carolinas. So, to please everyone, I make mine a combination of both. A little tomato-ey, and a little vinegar-y, with a touch (ok, maybe more than a touch, depending on my mood) of heat. The hubs and I have come up with a combination that pleases us both.

I call it the Midwest Transplant Barbeque Cocktail. Because that’s me. The transplant in this small town.

And so, you can surely understand why I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for Pulled Pork Hushpuppies. Deep fried dough....and pulled pork...in one conveniently sized finger food. Really, there wasn’t even a decision involved. Except maybe for how to fit it into our dinner schedule. Then it came to me – if I don’t use that leftover pulled pork soon, its gonna go bad! Best motivation I ever had.

And so, it was Pulled Pork Hushpuppy (which I have affectionately come to call “HushPiggies”) night at my house last night. You gotta love a recipe that not only uses up leftover ingredients lounging around in the depths of your Frigidaire, but is also a dump-and-mix style recipe. Yep, put it all in a bowl, mix it up, shape into balls, and deep fry. That’s Midwestern ingenuity at its finest, right there.

And, as an added bonus, I already have the barbeque sauce in the fridge, too, so VOILA! Instant dipping sauce. I tried it on its own, and then tried mixing equal parts barbeque sauce and sour cream. Uh, Can you say “yum”? I knew you could.

HUSH PIGGIES

1 cup of fine yellow corn meal

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

pinch of red chili flake

1/2 tsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 serrano chili, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped (I had jalapeño, so that’s what I used.)

1 cup of pulled pork

1/2 cup of Mexican blend cheese (I used cheddar)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of buttermilk

Oil for deep frying

Preheating your oil to around 350-375 degrees.

Mix all of your ingredients together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl, making sure that the flour and corn meal are fully incorporated.

Using a meatball-sized scooper (or two small spoons, if you don’t have a scooper) portion the batter out into round balls. Carefully slide them into the hot oil, and repeat.

Deep-fried goodness.

**NOTES: I think these could have used more cheese, so next time (and yes, there will definitely be a next time) I will try a full cup of cheese. I thought they could have used a little more heat, so I will probably add more chili flake or fresh chiles next time as well. Another addition I plan on is bacon. I know I’m freakishly addicted to bacon, but I really think some chopped up bacon would add a lot to these.

The hubs was curious about this new recipe I was trying and Ty was determined to help, so I was letting him add the ingredients to the bowl for me while the hubs put dirty dishes in the sink and retrieved ingredients for me. I felt like I was on a cooking show. Once the first batch of Piggies cooled off enough to taste, the hubs popped one in his mouth and made an unusual noise. It went something like this:

Him: Mwuaahhhh

Me: is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Him: HHmmmMMuaahhh....

Me: That’s good, right?

Him *nodding reverently with his eyes closed*

Me: You want some more?

Him: MmmmmHmmmm....

This was also one of those dishes that the hubs kept saying things like, “Ok, that’s the last one”, or “I’m going to stop now, I swear”, and then he’d reach over and grab another one, even as I was walking away with the tray to put the leftovers away.

I mean, really. Look at that. How can you resist?

So, all in all. This recipe will definitely be repeated in our kitchen....probably every time we have pulled pork from now until eternity....

To Biscotti, or not to Biscotti. Hmmm. TWO BISCOTTI!

2011-01-14T16:23:00.000-06:00

Apparently my mind has yet to comprehend the word “diet”. I introduced myself to the word sometime around January 1, 2011. As of yet, I have not stopped baking. I do have an excuse, though, I promise.

See, about a year (or so) ago, I promised someone I work with that I would make them some special biscotti. I did. I promised. And then I never followed through. Shame on me.

Well, when I was trying to decide what kind of cookies to make for Steph Chows Cookie Exchange, the subject came up again. And then we had two snow days in a row. And I got a little crazy. And I baked. A lot.

I ended up making two different kinds of sweet biscotti (for my coffee lovin’ friends at work!), both of which were new varieties for me. I have a basic biscotti recipe and I usually just switch out the fruit or nuts for other ingredients, but in this case, I used all new recipes.

Branching out from blueberry, cherry, cranberry, and the like, I have turned to pineapple and mango!

I started with Piña Colada Biscotti, a blend of dried pineapple and shredded coconut, and then moved on to Island Biscotti, mixed with the flavors of coconut, mango, and macadamia nuts. Both were a big hit here at the office, but the Island Biscotti reign supreme by a vote of the tasters.

Island Biscotti

1 C dried mango

2 eggs
¾ C granulated sugar, plus extra for topping

½ C vegetable oil

2 T finely grated orange zest
1 t ground cinnamon
1 ½ t baking powder
1 t vanilla extract
½ t almond extract
¼ t salt
2 C flour, or as needed
1/2 C chopped macadamia nuts
1 C shredded coconut

Preheat an oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, the 3/4 c sugar, oil, orange zest, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt. Whisk to blend. Add the four, nuts, coconut and fruit and stir until a dough forms. Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour if too sticky to work, about 20 turns. Divide the dough in half.

Form each half into a log 2 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the logs to an ungreased baking sheet (I like to use my Silpat sheets for this), spacing them well apart. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven set at 350 F.

Using a spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut on the diagonal into slices ½ inch thick. Return the slices cut-side down to the baking sheet. Bake until brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Piña Colada Biscotti
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
¾ cup dried pineapple, cut in small chunks

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through nutmeg). Place sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thick. Add flour mixture and coconut; stir to combine (dough will be very sticky). Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 15 x 3-inch roll. Place roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pat to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 300° for 40 minutes or until roll is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Cut roll into 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices; stand slices upright on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

My partner over at Steph Chows Cookie Exchange can look forward to receiving some of these from me early next week!

Nanner, nanner bo bander, fee fie fo-fander, me, my mo-mander...POMAAANDER.

2011-01-14T14:58:00.001-06:00

What was that? How very “adolescent” of me? Yeah, I know I am, but what are you?

Okay, so I admit I’m a little slap happy today. See, as I am wont to do every couple of years, I have just given up caffeine. And its beginning to show. Its been a long day at work, and I’ve had a raging headache since last night (caffeine withdrawal induced, no doubt) and now, my friends, I’m starting to show my ass a little.

So, I decided that, considering the “adolescent” mood I appear to be in, I would write up a post about something from my own adolescence. A special little treat I’ve been dying to share with all of you.

POMANDERS.

So here’s the back-story. When I was in high school, one of my very best friends (Hey, Tara!) used to have us over to her house around the holidays when her mom was making Pomanders, and we’d all lend a hand in rolling the little lovelies up (or at least, that’s how my teenage mind remembers it). Some of you may be thinking about an orange, studded with cloves or something. No, that’s soooo not what we’re talking about here, although they may have been named for their similarity in appearance.

In this case, a Pomander is a holiday cookie, similar in form to a truffle, but made with a base of crushed ‘Nilla Wafers and chopped nuts. It is a fabulous no-bake cookie that is a delectable combination of chocolate and orange, one of my all time favorite pairings.

And so, here we are twenty....ahem...a FEW years later...and I have never made Pomanders since. Until this year. Oh, I’ve had the recipe all along, but for whatever reason, I never made them myself. Probably due in no small part to the fact that this is a much more entertaining project when done with friends.

Speaking of friends.... when I started craving these Pomanders while trying to decide what recipe to pull out for my annual cookie swap, I got on the phone and gave Tara a call. Ironically, she was craving Pomanders as well. After all, it WAS the holidays. And so, we reminisced, and with her on speakerphone, I began rolling. And rolling. And ROLLING. Man that recipe makes a bunch of Pomanders!! It didn’t help that I was making a double batch, since I needed six dozen for a cookie swap at work, and neither Tara or I had any idea how many a batch made.

These are a fabulous cookie for a swap for a couple of reasons.

1. As previously stated, a single batch makes about four dozen cookies. My double batch made almost exactly EIGHT dozen.

2. These are always better if you can let them sit for a few days before you eat them, so they can firm up. Normally you wouldn’t want a cookie getting hard on you, but in this case, it makes them even better.

With Tara’s permission, I am publishing her family’s Pomander recipe, with my notes from this year’s Pomander experience.

Tara’s Pomanders
1 - 12 ounce pkg. chocolate morsels
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
5 c. crushed vanilla wafers (about 2 boxes)
2 c. chopped nuts
2 tsp. orange extract

Combine all ingredients except chocolate. Melt morsels in double-boiler. Add to mixture. Mix THOROUGHLY.

Roll into small balls. Roll balls in red or green sprinkles or chocolate parils. Store in airtight cookie tin with wax paper between layers.

Remember, we usually try to let them set a few days to harden a bit (if we can stand to wait that long anyway!)

**NOTES: Tara tells me to chop the nuts in proportion to how finely you have crushed the wafers. For example, since I put my Nilla wafers through the food processor and they were very finely crushed, I should leave my nuts a little rougher to give the cookie more texture. Also, I used walnuts, but I think pecans would be great, too.

I thought I would be smart since I didn’t really have any helpers (except Ty) and shape all the balls first, then start over rolling them in the sugar. In hindsight, I should have rolled them one at a time, so that the Pomander would still be warm and sticky on the outside and the sugars would stick better. So, long story short, do this with a friend. Its better that way anyway.

This is one of the three varieties of cookies that I sent my partner in Steph Chows Cookie Exchange!

White....White....Christmas....

2011-01-05T09:33:00.001-06:00

Welcome back, everyone! I had myself a nice, LONG, holiday break. That's not to say I didn't cook while I was gone, I just stayed off the computer. Meanwhile, in the Land of Lincoln, we had a gorgeous WHITE Christmas, and it was the perfect kind, too. You know. The kind that comes down all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then is completely melted off less than a week later? Yeah, that's MY kind of White Christmas.

Everyone has Christmas traditions. These traditions vary so widely that I am rarely surprised when someone tells me about their own family’s special occasion madness. In our little home in the middleofnowhere, we have our own traditions as well. For the vast majority of the holiday season, we find ourselves tromping back and forth to various family events, but Christmas Day is ours. Especially since we had Little Man, Christmas Morning has become sacred. Our habit of saying home on the morning of the 25th has morphed into a tradition of...avoiding traditions.

That’s right. On Christmas Day, we don’t do family. The three of us stay home, relishing the quiet of a white Christmas, and simply refused to do anything with other family members. Instead, we have an anti-family holiday. (No offense to our families, we love them all, but by Christmas, well, we’re done. You all know how it is.) The house is off limits to everyone until after 10:00am, while Ty opens presents and we lounge about in our pajamas.

After 10:00am, all hell breaks loose. In the kitchen, that is. Christmas Day is my one day of the year where I cook whatever the heck I want and everyone else can just deal with the fallout. And so I cook. Whatever I want. And we invite all of our friends over to feast. There is always plenty to eat and drink. Sometimes we have a house full. Sometimes its just us, trying to put away a 24 pound turkey and eleven side dishes. It greatly depends on the weather. And since we had several inches of snow this Christmas, you might say attendance was light.

As in....one.

Who went away one very satisfied guy.

(Get your minds out of the gutter! I mean, he ate a lot! Of FOOD!)

And when I say “food”...I mean....PRIME RIB.

Yes, I know prime rib is hardly a novelty on Christmas, but at my house it is. And you can bet there wasn’t a single person complaining when I declared the menu for this year to include a very large, very rare hunk of beef. Since I have never made a prime rib before, naturally, I turned to Mark Bittman. I did my homework, sure, but in the end, my copy of How To Cook Everything was what was propped open on my countertop to the recipe entitled Prime Rib Roast for a Small Crowd (ironic, eh?). I cut back on the side dishes since we were short on company, but ended up making Yukon Gold Havarti Mashed Potatoes, and a Zucchini and Vidalia Onion Gratin. All of which were consumed with holiday zeal.

I did, of course, have to adapt the recipe a touch, since the roast I got from my butcher was in the neighborhood of eleven pounds (yes, we had a LOT of leftovers. Again, no one was complaining.)

So, for our roast, I used some aptly named Prime Rib Rub from Penzey’s to season the outside of the roast. I plugged my probe thermometer into the center of the roast and popped it into a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, then lowered the temperature to 350 and roasted the meat until the internal temperature reached 120 degrees. After letting the roast rest about 15 minutes, we sliced into the meat to find a gorgeous rare/medium rare center. The end pieces were more well done, of course, but all of it was flavorful and juicy.

The total cooking time was almost 2 ½ hours for a roast that size, which gave me plenty of time to put together the side dishes.

All I can say is....Merry Christmas to me!

Oh, and those leftovers? What we didn’t eat the very next day, I turned into Prime Rib hash (which I also used a Bittman recipe for!) for breakfast and a lovely pot of Prime Rib soup! Yes....yes, I did.

Check out that gorgeous Prime Rib Hash!

This Prime Rib is my submission to Tackling Bittman, which is being hosted by Girlichef this month!

HAIL TO THE CHIEFS!

2010-12-20T08:02:00.000-06:00

As some of you already know, and others would never suspect, I am a fool for the Kansas City Chiefs. I know, I know, I am not a football fan.... unless it involves the Chiefs or the Iowa Hawkeyes. What can I say? I am more than a little biased.

Well, you can imagine how pleased and surprised I was when I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Rams vs. Chiefs game this weekend in St Louis. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!! And, also, to my girl Ginny, who promptly packed her bags and drove out from Iowa to join me at the game, as she is a Chiefs fan, herself.

I’ve been lucky enough to have these same seats once before, and I was certainly not complaining to have this view of the field:

Likewise, being so close to Christmas, the fans were in fine form, evidenced by the group sitting two rows in front of us.

Too bad they were Rams fans, but at least they were good sports when we KICKED THEIR TEAM’S BUTTS!!!!

Yeah, ok, I was trying to be a good sport, too. I kept as much of my enthusiasm over our win INSIDE my head as I could. It did spill over just a touch when we came across this Kansas City Santa (one of many Santas in the crowd) and couldn’t resist having our picture taken with him.

As an extra bonus, although it took us til halftime, we found the vendors that actually carried our favorite local beer, Schlafly Pale Ale, which we promptly brought back to our seats, to the utter dismay and jealousy of our football neighbors who were stuck with the Bud Light that was available in our section. We took full advantage of the amenities and had some great stadium food as well.

So, I know I haven’t been posting much lately, and I’ll be taking a little hiatus over the holidays since I’ll be on a mini vacation. I hope to accomplish a lot while I’m away and have lots and lots of good stuff to post about when I get back. The same goes for The Bacon Games.

Have a great Holiday season, everyone! See you in 2011!

Osso Buco for Cook the Books

2010-12-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

I have never liked Mario Batali.

There, I said it. Its officially out there. Its true. While he doesn’t annoy me quite as much as Bobby Flay, I just could never appreciate him.

That being said....that may have all changed. After reading Bill Buford’s “Heat” for Cook the Books, I have a new understanding of Mario, and the circumstances and choices that have made him the man he is today. Or is that “mad”man? I’m not sure.

For one thing, I think I would really like to share a meal with Mario. I can imagine that would be one hell of a life experience. I need to put that on my Bucket List.

27. Eat with Mario Batali.

Although the book itself didn’t win me over (I found it fairly tedious, as told by Buford) I enjoyed the stories about Mario and the kitchen environment.

Now, unfortunately, with my new found appreciation for Mario, I’m still never going to be able to watch his show. Why? Because I’ll never see him the same way again. Maybe if he wore long pants. But with those shorts...and the orange clogs....I’ll only ever have one image of Mario burned into my brain. And that, my friends, is his calves.

No, Mario doesn’t raise cattle (as far as I know). I mean his beefy, hairy CALVES. You know, the part of his legs that rests just below his shorts and above his signature orange clogs? Yes, THOSE calves.

In his book, Buford quotes the first chef that Mario ever worked for, and now the picture will be forever stamped into my memory: "I will never forget him," White said, when I met him in London. "He has fucking big calves, doesn't he? He should donate them to the kitchen when he dies. They'll make a great osso buco. If he walked in today, and I only saw those calves, I'd know it was Mario."

So, while I am nearly ashamed to even post this, since Deb at Kahakai Kitchen had the very same image ingrained on her, and did a much more fabulous job at depicting it, I’m going to share it with you anyway.

For Mario, and Buford, (Oh, and of course, my husband), I made Osso Buco. Veal , in any form, is nearly impossible to get your hands on in these parts, but even if I could have gotten some, I still would have used the bulging beef shanks that I commandeered from my local grocer. They were lovely and VAST, and I could easily imagine them being sliced from Mario’s own calves. That, and as I mentioned, I will forever see those calves as “beefy” and not at all resembling the critter from whence veal comes.

And so it shall be, in my house, from this day forward (oh, almost had a flashback to the last wedding I presided over!), this dish shall be known as MARIO BUCO.

I based the dish on Mark Bittman’s recipe for Osso Buco (from How to Cook Everything, because really, I have not been disappointed yet!) with a few changes. I used Merlot in lieu of white wine, because, frankly, red meat and red wine are just a go-to combination for me. I also added fire roasted tomatoes to the pan after searing the shanks thoroughly. These beef shanks braised for about an hour and a half in my oven, and made my house smell like a little slice of heaven....with sauce. The hubs was gloriously satisfied and impressed with the tenderness of the beef. I also may have omitted the new name of the dish and declined to comment on the inspiration for the dish.... as picky as he is, I didn’t see him being happy about eating my concocted version of Mario Batali’s extremities.

And so, in honor of Mario, I give you....his calves. I may need a support group to help me wipe this image from my mind.... just not the dish, because it was, and I’m sure White would agree....fucking awesome.

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese

2010-12-03T10:10:00.001-06:00

Flipping through the latest edition of Bon Appetit after it made its appearance in my mailbox, the first recipe that grabbed my attention was the Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese. There wasn’t even a photo to suck me in, and still it got my attention. Trust me when I say that is unusual. I rarely make a recipe that doesn’t have a picture to inspire me. I was excited when I saw this one, though, as I knew that I had just seen fresh poblanos at the local trading post (aka, Walmart. The only store we have other than the mom-and-pop grocery I prefer to frequent.). So the very next day I acquired the lovely chiles and set to work.

If you want to make this a quicker dish to prepare, char and prep the chiles the day before to save yourself the during the week.

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Bon Appetit December 2010

1 whole fresh poblano chile, plus ¼ cup chopped fresh poblano chile
1 TB corn oil
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup fresh corn kernels or froze, thawed
¾ cup whipping cream
2 cups freshly cooked macaroni (about 2/3 cup dried)
½ cup grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese

Char whole chile directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer to paper bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chile. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup chopped chile, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add corn; stir 1 minute. Add cream and chile puree; bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cheese; stir until cheese melts and mixture is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

**NOTES: Instead of pureeing part of the chile and reserving some of it, I finely chopped two whole roasted poblanos and added it all to the skillet with the other veggies. I liked the veggies a little chunkier and more substantial.

The result? This macaroni was rich and satisfying with just the right touch of heat. I was absolutely certain my husband would love this dish, as everything ingredient was something he likes. Unfortunately, he tried, but rejected it as “too peppery”. In man-speak, I believe that means I should have pureed the chiles after all, because GOD FORBID he bite into an actual chunk of vegetable...

Oh well – more for me! I know what I’m having for lunch today. I absolutely loved this recipe, and in spite of my finicky husband, I will be making this again.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted by Rachel over at The Crispy Cook this week!

Brigadeiros e um Cafezinho para Receitas Regionais

2010-11-30T08:27:00.000-06:00

There is something you don’t know about me....its not a secret.... but it occurs to me as I write this post that it isn’t something I’ve ever brought up here. Did you know I can speak a foreign language? Or five?

Everyone has something they are good at. Something that seems to come....naturally...to them. For me, it was foreign language. It started with Spanish in high school, at which I excelled from the beginning. I spent some time as a foreign exchange student south of Barcelona (which is NOT Spain, if you ask the residents there. It is Catalunya) and my life was never the same.

In college, I majored in foreign language, studying first Spanish, then Portuguese and Italian (which my professor said I spoke with a lovely Spanish accent. Asshole.). I soon discovered that my university also offered classes in the Basque language, which I gobbled up greedily. Although they did not offer Catala (the language spoken in Catalunya), I continued to pursue it at every avenue. While I never studied French or German, I am able to read and understand both to some extent, just due to my exposure to similar languages.

What is my point? Among all the things I learned about languages in my course of study,. One thing I will always know is that each language has its own personality. French is beautiful and, ahem, it knows it. Italian is Romantic. And Portuguese? Well, you may not know this, but Portuguese....well...it is SEXY. There is just something about the way your tongue moves in your mouth when you speak Portuguese that gives you the sensation of being naughty. And if you’ve ever seen an attractive man speaking it...well...let’s just say you may have had OTHER sensations. Taking it just a step further, the Portuguese spoken in Brasil is Portugal’s guttural, somewhat slutty cousin, a rhythmic song, more felt than sung. Self assured and a little dirty, but completely unconcerned by the sexuality of it.

How do I know this? Well, naturally, there was this guy.... (don’t look at me like that....he didn’t even know I existed!) and he was BEAUTIFUL. When he looked at you with his coffee colored eyes, and spoke those special words (it didn’t matter in the least WHAT words he spoke), your world went a little out of focus. He was Brasilian and he made quite an impression on my sophomore year at the U when he walked into my Portuguese class bearing Brigadeiros.

You knew this post had to turn to food at some point, didn’t you? After all, college is also where I truly began to appreciate both food and coffee (okay, okay, and gorgeous, unattainable men!) You can learn a lot about Brigadeiros by doing a simple search on the internet. These beloved little treats are Brasil’s version of truffles, and are often served alongside a “cafezinho”, a sister to the traditional espresso. Much like the Brasilian tongue, these two treats swirl around in your mouth like a romance novel on fire.

Making Brigadeiros is as simple as the cafezinho is traditional. For the Brigadeiros, cook 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon butter in a heavy pot over medium-low flame for 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture from burning. When the mixture thickens such that it doesn’t come off the spoon easily, remove it from the heat and pour it onto a tray. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes. (I put mine in the fridge to set up.) Traditionally, Brigadeiros are rolled in chocolate jimmies, but since I didn’t have any on hand, I let Ty pick from my stash of sanding and gourmet sugars. Naturally, he picked orange. Butter your hands to keep the mixture from sticking, and roll it into small balls, then roll in your coating. I leave mine to coll in the fridge again until I am ready for them and then I serve them alongside my cafezinho.

(pardon the picture quality - I'm still experimenting with my new camera!)

If you ask a Brasilian how to make the cafezinho, he will explain to you that a cafezinho isn’t just a coffee. You must start with a pan that you promise to use only for making coffee. I just happen to have one such pan in the depths of my kitchen (don’t give me that look – you know by know that my kitchen fetishes are vast). Over medium high heat, bring your water to a boil and dissolve the desired amount of sugar in the hot liquid. For each cup of water, mix in one heaping tablespoon of high quality coffee (in my case, Medaglia D’Oro espresso). Then you must use a contraption to filter the coffee through a cloth filter (or coffee filter, if you want find cloth) and serve it in espresso cups (again, which I just happen to have...).

Serve this cafezinho alongside a couple of Brigadeiros and you have one sexy little afternoon treat. Maybe, if you’re lucky, your own little Brasilain Adonis will walk by and look at you in that special way they have....if he does, offer him a Brigadeiro....maybe he’ll stop by and have one with you.

This is my submission to Regional Recipes for this month’s theme – Brasil!

Zuppa Stracciatella

2010-11-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

I do so love Potluck week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. It always gives me the opportunity to post the recipes that I intended to make during the month, for other themes, and then had the month get away from me before I got them posted. Last week, I had my dish carefully planned out. I've been in the mood for soup, and Giada's Zuppa Stracciatella is a wonderful "Fall Favorite" for me.

Naturally, the days slipped by all too quickly until I suddenly realized that it was Friday, and I was out of the game once again.

Well, that's not stopping me this week! The temperature started bottoming out last night on my way home form work and the first thing on my mind when I got home was soup. This one is so easy to throw together, I can make a batch almost any night of the week, tweaking the recipe based on what I have available at the time. This week I was fresh out of parsley and basil, but I had a bag of gorgeous prosciutto tortellini from a recent trip to The Hill, which I threw in after the eggs cooked.

The idea of this soup isn't uniquely Italian. It is really no more than another version of egg drop soup with an Italian twist. And I love egg drop soup. For the one, the eggs are mixed with Parmesan cheese to thicken the ribbons of cooked egg in the soup. For some reason, mine didn't string out the way they usually do into savory threads (maybe I added too much cheese this time), but that didn't stop them from tasting delicious.

Put a few slices of artisan salume and a mix of marinated olives on the side and you have one fabulous fall meal.

This is my submission to this week's "Potluck" at I Heart Cooking Clubs as well as Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted by Oh Taste N See this week.

Zuppa Stracciatella
6 cups good quality chicken broth or stock
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp grated Parmesan
fresh Italian parsley and basil
1 cup baby spinach, cut in thin strips

In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cheese, parsley and basil with the beaten eggs. Stirring quickly in a clockwise motion, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the hot stock, creating thready strips. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
For my variation, I added in a cup of some lovely prosciutto tortellini and cooked it until the pasta was al dente and hot throughout.
Toss the spinach in just before serving so it doesn't lose its fresh green color.

Serve immediately.

Cheddar Horseradish Soup

2010-11-17T10:26:00.001-06:00

You may recall a not-so-long-ago post where I described the mayhem that was created the last time I visited Ginny and we decided to make our own horseradish....from scratch....and nearly lost our eyebrows and nose hairs in the process.

Well, since that time, my precocious little jar of fresh horseradish has been languishing in the depths of my Frigidaire. Apparently, I just don’t use that much horseradish. That is, until now.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran across a recipe for Cheddar Horseradish Soup from Food Network Magazine and decided we needed to give it a try. Ginny made it first, for her coworkers, and got rave reviews. Then, when we were overdosed on caffeine and lack of real sustenance during our weekend of candy making, we needed something to eat. Fast.

It turns out we had everything required for the soup and proceeded to put the stove to work.

The result? A lovely, unctuous concoction with just a touch of heat (the ¼ cup of horseradish called for in the recipe scared me a little, but it worked out nicely). Since we had a huge bowl of dried out bread torn up to make stuffing with later in the weekend, we threw several chunks in each bowl and then topped it with the soup. Being in full-on “bacon” mode lately, I think it would have been even better with some crumbled bacon on top, but you know what they say about hindsight....

The recipe provided by Food Network Magazine was very simple. It looked something like this:

Sweat 2 each diced carrots and leeks in butter. Add cayenne, salt, 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons dry mustard; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 bottle beer, 1/4 cup horseradish, 3 cups water and a dash of Worcestershire; simmer until thick. Whisk in 2 cups half-and-half and 1 1/2 cups cheddar.

Really. That’s all it said. And, frankly, that’s all it needed! The only change we made was to substitute chicken stock from my freezer for the 3 cups of water, and it was the ideal little warmer-upper for a chilly November day.

Don’t you agree?

Bacon Crack....and other treasures

2010-11-16T15:49:00.001-06:00

SO, what have I been up to this week? Well, that's a loaded question.

See, Ginny came out this weekend for our annual holiday candy making extravaganza. We get together every year for a weekend and do nothing but make candy. Well...ok. Maybe not NOTHING. I mean, we do DRINK a lot.... and we cook OTHER things besides candy.

For example, on Thursday night, Ginny was on her way to the armpit of central Illinois, and I knew she'd be hungry when she got here. SO, in honor of the upcoming deadline for The Bacon Games, I got porky.

Bacon Crackers. Or, you might as well call them "Bacon Crack", because it was nearly impossible to stop eating them. These are so easy, you'll hardly be able to keep yourself from throwing a batch in the oven....post-haste.

Take a sleeve of Club Crackers. Wrap each cracker with a half a slice (or more, because, frankly, half a slice may not have been enough) of bacon, then, rub all the surfaces of the bacon with brown sugar.

Place the crack (er, crackers) on a rack over a foil lined backing sheet and bake at 250 degrees for two hours. Yes, I said TWO hours. You will think you are going to die from anticipation, but I assure you, this too, shall pass....

Then? Gorge yourself. Seriously. Because you won't be able to help it.

What else did we do? We also made a lovely frittata using up the leftover Sciue Sciue Pasta I posted last week,

a pot of Cheddar Horseradish Soup, that I'll post later, and a Fakesgiving Dinner of turkey legs, and Giada's Stuffing with Pancetta and Chestnuts.

Oh yeah, AND, we spent the whole day Friday in St. Louis, exploring The Hill (our own version of Little Italy), visiting a new favorite restaurant (Brazie's Italian Ristorante), where we fell in love with their house special appetizer, Shrimp Brazie, which is a lightly floured shrimp, seasoned and pan fried, then served in a creamy caper sauce.

TO. DIE. FOR.

We then went back to Salume Beddu (yes, we went to the wrong place looking for Brazie's Restaurant, and discovered a fabulous little Salume shop, with an adorable proprietor, where we then purchased some of his Caponata and some delectable Calabrese salume.

Lastly, we made a quick run to Schlafly Bottleworks for a couple of growlers of beer. The Hop Harvest for Ginny, and the Hot Liquor Porter for me. Heaven in a brown glass bottle.

So, suffice it to say, we had a very busy weekend, but a number of people are currently thrilled that we did, because they are the lucky recipients of our handmade holiday candy trays......

So. What did YOU do this weekend?

REMINDER! The Bacon Games had BEGUN!

2010-11-16T12:46:00.000-06:00

Ok everyone, just a quick reminder. The deadline for the first edition of The Bacon Games is THIS FRIDAY!

Get to your kitchen....right now....and cook something with bacon.....

Then send it to me at bethanneleach@gmail.com and I'll enter you in The Bacon Games!

(seriously....go now! did I mention there are prizes to be won?)

Kid at Heart – Giada’s Sciue Sciue

2010-11-11T08:16:00.001-06:00

Our theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week is “Kid at Heart”. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to make, I was steering toward chocolate and other sweets. But then...I remembered.

When I was a kid, I did not care for chocolate. I know....I was a strange little child. And its not like I wouldn’t eat chocolate or didn’t enjoy candy, but it was never the first thing I was drawn to as a kid. (My mom is sitting in her chair, nodding her head and thinking that I was switched at birth.)

Here’s how it would go down at my kitchen table. We’d eat supper. Usually something like a pork roast or spaghetti. Always with a vegetable (or two) on the side; salad and peas, maybe corn.... We didn’t have dessert every night, but it wasn’t unusual, either. But, I digress. We would finish eating supper and move on to dessert...and my Mom and Dad and sister would all move on to the sweet stuff.... and I would reach for the bowl with the rest of the peas in it...or another helping of spaghetti....

My mother sometimes wonders how she gave birth to me.

So, naturally, when I was reminiscing about my childhood dinner table, it occurs to me that the kid inside me wouldn’t automatically pick Giada’s Chocolate Pizza....no. She would ask for pasta. And not just any pasta, not when Giada is in the kitchen with me.

Its gotta be Sciue Sciue.

(Now my mother is truly confused)

This is not a dish I had growing up, but I discovered it years ago when I first became entranced by Everyday Italian. One of the simplest pasta dishes ever, and made with kids in mind (well, except maybe my completely irreverent picky eater of a son) using pastina; any little short cut pasta you have, but in my case, Ditalini.

This is the first pasta dish I ever served to my Little Man. And he loved it (you know, until he was introduced to the Blue Box and its neon orange contents, and never turned back).

And so, for the kid in my heart...and the child OF my heart....Giada’s Sciue Sciue pasta. A quick, light yet hearty, and flavorful bowl of goodness that I can throw together almost any night of the week, just from my fridge and pantry. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

This is my submission for I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, as well as for Presto Pasta Nights.

REMINDER! Don’t forget that you have until November 19 (That’s only a week away, folks!) to submit your dishes to The Bacon Games!

Giada’s Sciue Sciue (Little Thimbles)

1 1/2 cups ditalini (thimble-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup olive oil (I just used a couple of tablespoons. No need to go overboard)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I add some minced onion or shallot)
5 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 pound – I used a container of lovely little grape tomatoes)
8 ounces cold fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (straight from my freezer!)

1 Boil up a large saucepan of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still al dente (firm to the bite), stirring often to prevent sticking. This takes about 8 minutes. Drain.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn.

3 Add the tomatoes and saute just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked, drained pasta.

4 Remove skillet from heat. Add the cheese and basil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt.

**Notes: when I make this, just after sautéing the tomatoes, I add about a half a cup of white wine to the pan and let it cook down a bit. This is best served straight from the pan while the cheese still has some body to it. I made this last night while Daddy was out hunting, and put the leftovers in the fridge for another use. This weekend Ginny is coming out for our annual Holiday Candy making fest, and the rest of this pasta will make a fabulous frittata for breakfast Saturday morning! Stay tuned for that post!

Everybody Get Bacon!

2010-11-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I know I've been conspicuously absent lately, but honest to goodness, I've got a good excuse! Or, rather, excuses. Life is crazy right now, as I'm sure it is with many of you as well, but I wanted to get a quick reminder out that round one of The Bacon Games is currently in progress! You have a couple more weeks to submit a dish and join the games!
Grab a badge from my sidebar and hop on over to check things out!

Let the Games Begin!

2010-10-25T12:51:00.000-05:00

The Bacon Games, that is!

The first month's announcement has been posted over at The Bacon Games - stop by, check it out, and spread the word!

Caramel Croissant Pudding

2010-10-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

Normally when I have my parents come to visit, I make very detailed plans for the meals we will consume during their stay. This time, I went the other direction and tried to leave things a little more loosely planned, with suggestions instead of recipes. I laid out certain cuts of meat for the main courses, and then improvised side dishes from there.

NORMALLY, this would drive me crazy.

However, what this approach did for me was make room to add new dishes, which came in very handy when my new Thanksgiving issue of Food and Wine magazine arrived on Saturday.

See, I have a thing for bread pudding. Any kind of bread pudding. Throw caramel into the mix, and I am a goner.

See what Food and Wine did to me this month? CARAMEL CROISSANT PUDDING. Yes, they are evil. And yes, you guessed it, I went straight out in search of croissants for this pudding, which we had for dessert on Sunday night. And Monday. With vanilla ice cream on top.

This dessert was extremely easy, but what I liked best about it was the size. It is made in a ONE QUART baking dish. No 9x13 pan here. This dessert is the perfect size for a family of four, for ONE meal. And it is ideal if you just happen to have a couple of croissants leftover (which, I didn’t, but you get my point). Small ingredients, small portions, big flavor.

We all enjoyed this dish, and I’m officially putting it into the desserts rotation!

Caramel-Croissant Pudding

Ingredients
2 stale all-butter croissants, coarsely torn
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 1-quart shallow baking dish and arrange the croissant pieces in the dish. In a small saucepan, stir the sugar and water over moderately high heat until the sugar dissolves; wash down any crystals on the sides with a wet pastry brush. Cook without stirring until a medium amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, milk and bourbon. Cook over low heat just until any hardened caramel dissolves.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Gradually whisk in the hot caramel. Pour over the croissants and let stand for 10 minutes, pressing the croissants to keep them submerged.

3. Bake the pudding in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

Punkin Chunkin’!!

2010-10-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of Punkin Chunkin’? If you have, you can officially consider yourself a redneck at heart. Usually, when people come visit me for the first time, I try to find a good, old fashioned tractor pull to take them to, just so they can say they truly experienced life in “the country”. Well, my dear friends, I have discovered a new redneck game. It is called, as you may have guessed, Punkin Chunkin’.

What is Punkin Chunkin’? You may ask....

Well, basically, this is a bunch of good-ol-boys, holing up in their machine sheds under the guise of night, designing, building, and fine tuning their own personal version of a potato gun. A canon, if you will. Only...much bigger. And more powerful. I imagine Tim “the tool man” Taylor having these in his garage....with the end sticking out a hole in the roof....and lots of male-ego-grunting going on with his buddies....and the faint sound of an ambulance siren in the distance, growing closer and closer....

Notice the name of this cannon....it says a lot...

THIS, dear readers, is a Pumpkin Cannon.

After witnessing the Punkin Chunkin’ contest at the Pumpkin Festival in Girard, Illinois this weekend, I think we should seriously consider sending a contingent of our country punkin chunkers in search of Bin Laden. For real. They scare me.

If you look REALLY closely, you can see the pumpkin shooting out of the cannon

These bad boys have propane tanks for air compressors (and no, I’m not talking about the little ones you attach to your grill), a huge barrel, and a whole lotta power. From what I hear, the world record for shooting a pumpkin is in the neighborhood of 5000 feet. Yes, I said five THOUSAND feet. The winners at this weekend’s festival (our very own Punkin Chunkers from Carlinville, IL!) shot right around 3300 feet. They use spotters in the field with GPS systems to measure distance, and after the distance shooting competition, they lowered the cannons and did a little target practice at a mini van, a camper, and a station wagon. We can safely say those vehicles were totaled. A chunked punkin really packs a punch!

Ty had so much fun watching the chunkers with his grandpa (did I mention my parents were in town this weekend?) that we practically had to drag him away.

Lucky for us, the local chunkers from my town made a special appearance at our own Pumpkin Festival the next day, just for fun and at lower power levels, and treated the youngins to a very special day when they announced that the kids could all take a turn firing the cannon.

Getting set up to fire the cannon

Ready, Aim, FIRE!!!

My Little Man got extra special treatment and got to fire it twice (with Grandpa’s help, of course). He was in Little Boy heaven.

I’ve got to say, these guys are pretty impressive. They may need a little psychological help, but then again, it may just be a case of “boys will be boys”. In any case, if you ever have the opportunity to see one of these exhibitions, I highly recommend it for an unusually good time.

Our annual picture of Ty at the Pumpkin Festival

I Heart Cooking Clubs – Benvenuto, Giada!

2010-10-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

I can’t tell you how happy I was when Giada was voted in for the next six month term for I Heart Cooking Clubs. I was torn between her and Lidia Bastianich, as I love them both, but I already have all of Giada’s books so I was pleased that I wouldn’t have to buy any new ones. (Not that I ever HAVE to buy new books for each chef, but come on... you know I have to.)

The first weekly theme for our visit with Giada is “Benvenuto! Party Foods!” and that one is a winner for me. I have a long, on-going love affair with Italian food, and I love throwing Italian themed dinners. When I think of party food, or an Italian celebration of any kind, the very first thing I think of is, “What can I put on the antipasto tray?”

Well, that...and, of course, a cocktail of some kind.

I’m very familiar with some of Giada’s appetizers, and they are all so simple to throw together, I couldn’t resist making a whole tray. (Aren’t my co-workers lucky?)

One of my absolute favorites is Crostini with Gorgonzola and Honey. Then I moved on to Salami Crisps with Sour Cream and Basil. After that, it was a no brainer to land on Citrus Spiced Mixed Olives.

This combination goes together fantastically since two of the items go in the oven at similar temperatures, with a step or two that can be done in advance (toasting the baguette slices and the walnuts), and the olives you just throw together on the stove top while the others are in the oven.

Top that off with a bubbly cocktail (my usual is Prosecco, but since I have a bottle of Limoncello in the liquor cabinet, I couldn’t resist breaking that out instead. Giada’s recipe calls for making your own lime-based Limoncello, but for the sake of simplicity, I just used store bought.) and you have a gorgeous Italian Welcome party waiting to happen. Invite a few people over to share and this is a no-miss party menu.

This is my submission for our first Giada theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Benvenuto al nostro randello, Giada! I can’t wait to celebrate all the fall and winter holidays with Giada’s recipes.

Crostini with Gorgonzola, Honey and Walnuts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 24 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices baguette
• 6 ounces creamy gorgonzola cheese , coarsely crumbled
• 2/3 cup walnuts , toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 ripe fig , thinly sliced crosswise (optional)
• 3 tablespoons honey

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly brush the baguette slices with oil. Toast in the oven until the baguette slices are golden, about 8 minutes. (You can toast the baguette slices 1 day ahead. Cool, then store them at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Toss the gorgonzola with walnuts in a small bowl. Spoon the cheese mixture onto the baguette slices and press slightly to adhere. Return the baking sheet to the over and bake until the cheese melts, about 8 minutes.

Arrange the crostini on a platter. Top each with a slice of fig, if desired. Drizzle with honey and serve warm.

SALAMI CRISPS WITH SOUR CREAM AND BASIL
• 24 (1/8-inch to 1/4-inch) slices Italian dry Genoa salami (about 4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with aluminum foil. Arrange the salami in a single layer over the baking sheets. Bake until the salami slices are amber brown, watching closely to ensure they brown evenly, about 15 minutes. Transfer the salami crisps to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb the excess oil. Set aside to cool.

Spoon a dollop of sour cream on top of each salami crisp. Sprinkle the basil over and serve

CITRUS-SPICED MIXED OLIVES

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves, or both

• Zest of 1 orange, peeled in long strips with a vegetable peeler

• Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in long strips with a vegetable peeler
• 12 ounces mixed olives, such as kalamata, nicoise, or cerignola, drained

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put the olive oil, garlic, red pepper, herbs, and citrus zests in a medium skillet. Heat over medium-high heat, swirling the pan until the mixture is fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the olives, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden and the zest begins to curl, about 5 minutes more. Discard and remove bay leaves, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Glossy, plump, and gorgeous, our Citrus-Spiced Mixed Olives are primo party starters. Toss 'em together, then leave them out while you mingle with your guests.

LIME-ONCELLO SPRITZERS WITH MINT

Limoncello:

• 2 pounds limes (about 10 large)

• 1 (750-ml) bottle 100-proof vodka

• 2 1/2 cups sugar

• 2 1/2 cups water

Spritzers:

• Ice cubes

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1 cup club soda

Directions

To make limoncello: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the limes in long strips (reserve the limes for another use). Place the lime peels in a 1-quart jar. Pour the vodka over the peels and screw on the lid. Steep the lime peels in the vodka for 1 week at room temperature.

Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely, then stir in the vodka mixture. Strain the liquids into bottles, pressing on the peels to extract as much liquid as possible. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

To make spritzers: Fill 4 tall glasses halfway with ice. Add the mint leaves. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, coarsely crush the mint leaves into the ice. Pour some limoncello over, and stir to blend. Add a splash of club soda and serve.

Grow Your Own #45 - Brussels Sprout Hash

2010-09-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

I was very excited to participate in the Grow Your Own roundup hosted this month by Girlichef, especially since I’ve had such wild success with my garden this year. Every year I plant something I’ve never grown before, and this year my choice was Brussels sprouts. I had never been a fan of Brussels sprouts until earlier this year when Ginny and I made a Brussels Sprout Hash with pancetta. So when I was wandering through the local greenhouse one day this spring, and spotted the adorable little sprout seedlings, I just couldn’t resist. I later discovered that they are not meant for spring planting and are intended to be a more “late summer” fruit, if you will. Well, by then it was too late, as they were already in the ground, so I decided to just let nature take its course and see what happened.

Well....THIS is what happened:

Aren’t they pretty? Yes, I thought so, too. I drafted the hubs to hack the plants off at the base just before I left for my most recent trip to see Ginny, and proceeded to separate the buds from the stems. I ended up with about a gallon of sprouts. When I arrived in Iowa, we re-enacted the previous scene from my kitchen by cleaning and chopping the sprouts, then sautéing them up in bacon grease and a little cider vinegar.

The first time we made these, we pulled the leaves apart and chopped the tougher cores, but we went the easy route this time and just chopped them up. We also managed to restrain ourselves this time and served them with a little fresh grated parmesan on top alongside some beautiful little grilled baby eggplants we picked up at the farmers market and some lovely sirloin steaks, you know, instead of hovering over the stove, forks in hand, and gorging ourselves on the lovely green bounty as we did last time.

This is my submission to this month’s Grow Your Own roundup.

Fall is Here! And a New Take on Zucchini

2010-09-24T11:50:00.003-05:00

By the time Fall rolls around, most everyone I know is so tired of zucchini that they are almost a little green around the gills, so to speak. The glut of produce that these plants propagate is astonishing, and although it is truly one of my favorite vegetables, especially in the summer, I find it a little tiresome by September as well.

We recently had one of my favorite summertime go-to grill meals of mixed sausages and a couple of sides, which finally gave me the opportunity to try a recipe I had come across in a recent issue of La Cucina Italiana.

It really couldn't be simpler, and the flavor was fantastic. I am always looking for new ways to serve some of the more common summer veggies and this one really fit the bill.

Roasted Zucchini
2 medium zucchinis, quartered lengthwise
2 onions, roughly chopped
6 (or more) slices bacon, chopped and cooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
olive oil

Saute the onions in a little olive oil and spread in a layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Top with the cooked bacon, and lay the zucchini slices on top of the onion/bacon mixture, cut side up.

Mix together the cheese, breadcrumbs, and rosemary, then sprinkle over the zucchini and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until tender.

***NOTES: the original recipe said to lay a slice of pancetta across each piece of zucchini, but I was worried about how well the pancetta would cook that way. Hence the idea for the bacon. Also, the breadcrumb topping was almost a little too thick. Next time I will use less. I was concerned that the zucchini would be mushy when it came out, so I was hovering over it the whole time. I prefer my zucchini tender-crisp. In the end, the zucchini was VERY well done, almost on the mushy side, but it was actually good that way. the crunch of the breadcrumbs offset it and the onions and bacon managed to soak up into the zucchini beautifully. I will definitely make this one again.