Geeked Out!

Ok, at the risk of over-flattering my MEF, I'm going to do this anyway. I'm so EXCITED!!! MEF is coming to visit on Friday! Syl is my oldest and dearest friend (disclaimer: I do have older friends, and I have friends I've been closer to at certain points in my life, but Syl is different.) and I wouldn't use anything less than the word "soulmate" to describe our bond.
Our lives have always run parallel to each other. even when she was stationed in Japan. Her teenager is my godson, and I take that responsibility more seriously than I can even verbalize. Syl is my confidant, my shoulder to cry on and a brick wall to throw things at when I am at my wit's end. She's the part of me that I wasn't born with. (Awwww I know, she's reading this right now and sticking her lower lip out with her brow all furrowed. Its so cute.) Even though we have spent large chunks of our lives apart, when we get back together, we pick right back up where we left off. We've married, divorced, married again, had children, jobs, tragedies, struggles, and unsurpassed joys, together and apart, and one thing never changes - she is my best friend.

And she's coming to see me Friday! (did I mention that already?) As she told me on the phone yesterday, and I couldn't agree more, "I'm so geeked out about coming to see you!"

Me, too, honey, and I can't wait til you get here!!!

i can't tell you how happy this makes me

My Happy Place

(Kobe Beef on the grill)

I hardly know where to begin with this one. As you can see, I had lots and lots to blog about this weekend. Ginny and I are old friends. Whenever we visit, there is never any shortage of fun things going on. Almost always our plans revolve, in some way, around cooking. We’ve been trying to work in a cooking class for quite a while, but it just never seems to work out that something we are interested in is available at the right time.
This visit was different.
A few years ago, my mom, sister and I took a cooking class at the Viking Culinary Center while they were visiting over Christmas. It was a blast. I couldn’t wait to do it again! And, as a bonus, my sister asked if she could sign me up for a class as my birthday present that year. Well, that was THREE, count ‘em, THREE years ago. Until now, I’ve never been able to arrange it. So, when my sister asked me last month if there was anything she could get me for my birthday that I didn’t receive, I knew just what to tell her:

STEER ME TO THE BEST STEAK, sister!

She signed me up, I got Ginny enrolled as well, and we were on our way.

If you are a foodie, you hear about Japanese Kobe beef all the time. But, have you ever SEEN it? Let alone, TASTED it? Well, this “class” (which was actually a demo, but I’m not nit-picking) was a steak and wine pairing experience to match no other. Lou Rook, executive chef for Annie Gunn’s in St Louis, and his wine director, Glenn Bargett, put on a nearly four hour demo, educating their audience about high-end cuts of beef and the wonderful wines (and side dishes) that complement them. Ginny and I may be foodies, but it is hard to steer us away from a nice bottle of wine, too, let alone SIX.

Here are the wonders that we beheld:

Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin (Montana)
USDA Prime Dry Aged Strip Loin
USDA Prime Wet Aged Strip Loin
Akaushi Strip Loin, Natural Breed Kobe (Texas)
Japanese Kobe “Tajima A5 Grade” Strip Loin (Kobe, Japan)

Our wines:
Mionetto il Prosecco del Veneto, Italy
Bouvet Brut Rose, Loire Valley, France
Riesling (Dry) Pannotia 2007 Rheinhessen, Germany
Dolcetto d’Alba, Sori Paitin “Estate Bottled” 2007 Piemonte, Italy
Merlot, Trefethen “Estate Grown” 2005 Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, California
Chambourcin, Augusta “Estate Bottled” 2004 Augusta, Missouri

We started with an education on the different kinds of beef, how they are produced, where they come from, and their attributes, including a side-by-side display, so we could actually see the differences in the raw meat.

(Left to right: Dry aged and Wet Aged Strip Loins, Japanese Wagyu Kobe Beef, Akaushi Texas Bred Kobe-Style beef, Piedmontese Strip Loin)

(Compare the American Kobe to the Montana Piedmontese Strip Loin)

Our first course was a Classic Steak Tartare (or Carpaccio) on toast points, made with the Piedmontese Tenderloin. I had never had Carpaccio before, but I’m not scared of raw meat and I was eager to taste it. The beef just about melted in my mouth. Next, we tried the two USDA Prime Strip Loins together, with a cabernet steak butter and a lovely olive tapenade, and had the chance to compare the two. For my money, I have to go with the dry aged beef, combined with the olive tapenade. It was just divine. We were also treated to a white bean and shrimp salad with fresh Maine shrimp, that just happened to be in season and Chef Rook (god bless him) couldn’t resist bringing some to us.

(on the left, the Dry Aged Strip Loin, on the right, the Wet Aged)

After that, it was on to a course in Kobe and Kobe-Style beef. We sampled both cuts side-by-side with a potato risotto. To everyone’s delight, Chef also brought some black Colorado Truffles along, and shaved slivers on top of everyone’s risotto. Ok, if you know me, I know what you’re thinking. “Beth Anne! You are ALLERGIC to mushrooms!” Yeah, I know, but you know what? How often does an opportunity like this present itself? Seriously! I popped a Benadryl and said, “Bring it!” I have gotta say….it was very, very nice. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. And yes, I did give about half of my share to Ginny rather than throwing caution completely to the wind, but I tried them.

(according to the chef, this piece of Japanese A5 Kobe alone runs about $1500.00 retail!) (on the left, the Japanese Kobe, on the right, the American Kobe. See the difference in the marbling?)

Now, about the Kobe. I don’t even have words for it. "Amazing" falls pathetically short of describing the taste and texture of the meat. I found a little piece of heaven right there in that kitchen. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a good chance I’ll never have it again, based on the prices that the chef quoted to us (unless someone else wants to pick up the tab thankyouverymuch!), but believe me, I would if I got the chance!

Please pardon the crudeness of some of my photos…..we were a little consumed by the experience and couldn’t wait to try what was placed in front of us, so please, pardon the bite marks….and the drool…..and, yes, the rareness of the steak, if that offends you. Which reminds me, to all you pansies who requested a “more well done cut” or left unfinished wine on the table….what is your problem??? Live in the moment, people! You did not come to this class to stay in your safe little comfort zone! Try something new! Trust the judgment of an expert and give it a chance! And, at the same time…..more for me! I got to have a bite or two of what you left on the serving plate. HA! And I’d do it again. And I WILL do it again! Soon, I hope. This will not be our last visit to the Kitchen Conservatory, and the next one won’t be soon enough. Did I mention the wonderful store they have as well? Ahhhhh heaven for a foodie like me.

Finally, thank you to Chef Lou Rook, Glenn Bargett, and the staff at the Kitchen Conservatory. It was phenomenal. I only wish we could have joined Lou and Glenn on their restaurant-hopping foray after the class. I am now officially “spoiled rotten”. I fear that ordinary steak will just never be enough again. Thank you, Sister, it was the best gift I've had in a very long time.

Creamy Leek Risotto

I asked for (and received) the Silver Spoon cookbook last year for Christmas. This is the quintessential Italian cookbook that had never been translated to English before. I cannot tell you how much I love this book. The first thing I tried from it was amazing, and I keep making it, or a version of it, on a regular basis.

Again, I'm sorry that there is not lovely steaming picture of this after it was finished....did I mention our trip to the ER last night? Yeah, I did, a couple of times...

Creamy Leek Risotto
2 TB Butter
4 small leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups Arborio rice
¾ cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, warm the stock gently. You don’t want the stock to be cold when you add it into the rice. Melt butter in a large sauce pan, add the leeks and cook about 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water or stock and simmer about 20 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Stir the uncooked rice into the leeks and cook, stirring in 1 ladle full of stock at a time. After each addition of stock, stir the rice, allowing it to absorb the liquid before adding more. When all of the stock has been absorbed, stir in the cream, parmesan, and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
NOW! When I make this as a side dish for a meal, I plan on having leftovers the next day. Why? Well, for starters, because it is heavenly. But also because it makes for one hellaciously tasty breakfast treat. Here’s what you do:

You’re going to need at least a couple of cups of leftover risotto for this. Brown one pound of your favorite breakfast sausage and drain all the grease off. Mix the sausage into the leftover risotto until it is well combined. Form the mixture into patties. Mix together 1 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and gently coat the patties in it. Heat butter in a large skillet and gently fry the patties until golden on both sides. Serve hot with (or without) whatever else you want for breakfast!

NOT Diet Food.

You know, as I'm composing this post, I am thinking to myself, DAMN! I sure do say that a lot. Yep. I make a lot of food that is most definitely NOT diet food. Believe me, this is not because it is my favorite, but because I am married to a country boy who refuses to think anything that has color in it could taste good. Good FOR you? Doesn't matter. Not to him.

I know, I hear you saying it, "Just introduce things to him a little at a time", or "In my house, you eat what's put on the table." Yeah, yeah, I know, I hear you, and believe me, I TRIED. But, in my house, with my stubborn man, it just. doesn't. work.

So, I have come up with quite a repertoire of countryboysatisfyingarteryclogging meals that make him happy, and have added 30 pounds to my waistline (among other places) that I am now struggling to get rid of. So, I now eat a lot of steamed and sauteed veggies while I make smaller versions of M's fatty dishes to avoid the mountain of leftovers we would otherwise have with me not eating it.

I know this isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for my cooking, but I don't get any complaints from M and other similarly minded folks, which there are a LOT of around here. SO, if you feel my pain, and know someone like M that you have to cook for, you might find some good recipes here on my blog! But I will warn you.....if you don't want to start LOOKING like a pan of chicken enchiladas, you might want to think twice before you put some of my recipes on your own plate.

NOW! Back to our regularly scheduled blog post...

I make this recipe occasionally for my husband. When we first started dating, and I stated cooking for him, he gave me a list of ingredients he didn’t like. One of those ingredients was sour cream, but given that the list (my husband being the picky eater that he is) was quite lengthy, I forgot about the sour cream when I made this dish for him for the first time. He looked at me skeptically when I put the dish in front of him (as he does ANY time I serve him something new), but after the first bite, he scarfed the rest of the plate down in a flash. Afterward, he asked me what was in it and I listed off the ingredients. When I got to the sour cream (and not just a LITTLE sour cream, but 16 OUNCES worth, he looked like he was going to choke. Then he said, “Wow, I guess I don’t hate sour cream as much as I thought!”
He looks forward to this dish now when I make it, which isn’t often considering that I am not usually good at prep, and taking the time to poach my chicken ahead of time so I don’t have to do it on a busy weeknight. When I made it this weekend, I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 pan instead, since I knew it was definitely NOT on my diet and I wouldn’t be eating any of it. I also didn't get a picture of the finished product looking all gorgeously melty when it came out of the oven, because, well, we weren't home. As stated in an earlier post, we made a run to the ER last night and left the boy-child and supper at home with Ginny while we were gone.

Chicken Enchilada Bake
Poach 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and shred the meat. Set aside. In a saucepan, saute one onion, diced and 1 tablespoon minced garlic in 2 tablespoons butter.
Once the onions are soft, add:
4 TB flour
16 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon coriander
2 cups chicken stock

Mix well to form a sauce. Bring to a gentle boil to give the flour a chance to thicken the liquid.
Reserve 2 cups of the sauce for later, and add the remaining sauce to the shredded chicken.
Lay out a flour tortilla, sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese, and top with chicken mixture. Roll the tortilla tightly, and put it in a 9x13 pan. Repeat this with 7 more tortillas, or until you run out of ingredients (or space in your pan!). Pour the reserved sauce over the tortillas, and top with 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese.Sprinkle the top with a little paprika (for color), if you like. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. If you like your cheese to brown up on top, take the foil off and bake 5-10 minutes more.

In other news….

The main reason for Ginny’s visit this weekend was to complete a rather large jewelry project that has been in the planning stages since her last visit.
See, there is a bead store in my area that will take your dried flowers (from a funeral, or a wedding, etc.) and turn them into beads that you can turn into wearable memories (aka, jewelry). They also provide the jewelry making service (for a fee), but yeah, like I’m not going to make my own? I have had this done with funeral flowers for both myself and my SIL, so I knew how it worked. When Ginny was here on her last visit, we took her flowers in and ordered what we needed. In the meantime, we ordered the other supplies we would need to go with them and planned to put everything together on the next visit, which was this weekend.
We managed to get everything finished, with a few changes to the original plan/design, except for her own necklace, as we ran short on flower beads. So we will be ordering a few more so that I can finish her necklace and send it to her.
Here are the finished products, which she will be gifting to several family members and friends.
I also managed to get several of my own “in progress” projects completed, including a few necklaces I had been asked to fix for a friend.

Tabasco Teriyaki Seared Sea Scallops

Probably my all time favorite seafood item is Sea Scallops. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t catch me turning down Lobster, Crab Legs, or even Shrimp, but there is just something about a nicely seared Sea Scallop that really works for me. Whenever I have the opportunity, I try and have some. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found some at my local grocer. Not the largest I’d ever seen, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right? With Ginny here this weekend to appreciate them with me, we made one of my favorite scallop dishes, Tabasco Teriyaki Sea Scallops. Unfortunately, they sat in the fridge longer than I would have liked and we ended up cooking and eating them at 9:00pm last night because of an unexpected run to the ER to get some stitches in the hubs’ hand. (He’s fine, just cut his hand pretty bad on a piece of tin and I didn’t think leaving it to close on its own would be a wise idea. As it turned out, the doctor agreed with me even though the hubs is still not convinced.)

SO, without further ado…..SCALLOPS!

Tabasco Teriyaki Seared Sea Scallops
8-10 Large Sea Scallops
Tabasco
Bottled Teriyaki Sauce
Mixed bell peppers, chopped or sliced
Sugar snap peas

Defrost the scallops, if necessary and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. The scallops will not sear well if they are wet. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper.

Gently place each scallop in a HOT pan and let it sear. Resist the urge to turn it. If it hasn’t seared yet, bits of it will just stick to the pan and you can tear them apart. Gently nudge them and when they move easily, you can flip them and repeat on the other side. This won’t take long if you have nice scallops. Mine had been frozen a little too long, so they weren’t very cooperative. Once they are seared, remove them from the pan. Scallops aren’t meant to be “well done”, so if you remove them after they are seared, they should be wonderfully tender inside.

Meanwhile, in the same pan, add the vegetables, several dashes of Tabasco (to taste) and a large splash of your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce. Sauté the vegetables until the y are crisp/tender, then add the scallops back into the pan to coat with the sauce.
Normally, I would serve this over some nice noodles, but since we’re dieting, I opted for no carbs. Beautiful, no?