Culinarious

Autumn

2011-09-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

So, I'm still wearing shorts and short sleeves, but I was making plans for well into October and November, and then it struck me that autumn is one week away. The tomatoes in my garden are way past their prime. While it's not cool by any means, it's certainly not 100+ degrees anymore.

I believe it has something to do with the orbit of the earth.

The seasons march on, bringing us cooler weather, a whole different palette of flavors and vegetables, and wonderful holidays centered around eating.

So while I have a few autumn recipes built up already, I'm always looking for more. What are your favorite recipes to make in cooler temperatures? Put a link or a recipe in the comments.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

2011-09-12T12:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no photo on this one guys. I know, it's sad. I'm sad, too. The kicker is, it was really, really pretty and would have made a great photo, with the juxtaposition of the white cream and the rich orange soup. Just make it for yourself and then you can look at the absolutely beautiful, autumnal (I know it's still 90 degrees outside, but ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you I've always been rather obsessively punctual) bowl of gently spiced, just-a-little-sweet goodness.

The whipped cream topping gives it kind of a fun presentation, I thought, but take a word of advice from someone who's done this before; put it in at the last possible second, because it melts quickly in the hot soup. However, even after it's melted, the white swirls with the cinnamon are beautiful.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

2 pounds butternut squash, diced to 1 inch cubes
1 large Macintosh apple, diced to 1 inch cubes
1 large sweet, yellow onion, diced to 1 inch cubes
olive oil for drizzling
salt & pepper
1 quart chicken stock
0.5 cup apple cider
1 cup whipping cream, divided
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
0.25 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the squash, apples, and onions in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, and cover with salt and pepper. Stir them all to evenly coat the vegetables. Place in the oven for 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, bring the chicken stock to a boil (reserve about 2/3 a cup to deglaze the roasting pan), then reduce to simmer. Once the vegetables are done roasting, add them to the simmering chicken stock. If there are browned bits of veggies stuck to the pan, add the reserved chicken stock and stir to remove them, then add them back to soup on the stove.

Using a hand blender, or in a blender or food processor in batches, puree the soup to a very smooth consistency. Add the apple cider, 0.5 cup of the cream, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg to the soup, and puree (or stir) until smooth and incorporated. The the soup just barely simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the remaining 0.5 cup of cream and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Serve the soup with a dollop of the cinnamon cream.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

2011-09-05T19:01:00.001-04:00

I had never touched a real beat in my life, I don't think, until last summer. I had seen canned beets, but the consistency and shape left me unsure of what the actual vegetable in it's natural form was really like. You know, in the wild.

Then all of the sudden they show up everywhere. I am helping my sister apartment shop in a big city, and we stop in this tiny little restaurant with 8 tables and even few things on the menu, and I look down and see a "Roasted Beet Salad." I was intrigued, and the intrigue was rewarded with a warm, delicately flavored salad with the most beautiful color I had ever seen in my life. Then next, in a quick trip back to see the family, I try a new restaurant and HOLD THE PHONE they have a roasted beet salad too, with goat cheese. Let me tell you, my mind was going places, here. Finally, on a trip to the farmers market where the most beautifully red beets you have ever seen stared back at me from the small little stand and actually screamed at me (I really think I heard them) "You must take me home and cook me right now!", so I did.

I learned a few things. First, your hands will be red for the rest of the day, so just go ahead and accept that. Second, they're really good (I actually knew that already, but I was reminded of it). Third, beats tend to be a little polarizing. I made this for a large group of young women, and many of them didn't venture out far enough to try them, which was a shame.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

4-5 red or golden beets, peeled
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
goat cheese, sliced into approximately 0.25 inch slices
Spring mix, or your favorite salad greens
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the beets into wedges (approximately 6-8 per beet). Place the wedges, some olive oil, salt, and pepper in the mixing bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Pour the wedges out onto a large sheet of aluminum foil in a single layer--have enough aluminum foil that you can fold over half of the foil over the beets and cinch off the edges, creating a large envelope, and keeping the beets in a single layer.

Place the beets wrapped in foil in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a slight crisp edge forms and the centers are tender when pierced. Be careful when opening the foil--retain as much of the oil and juice from the roasting as you can, because you'll add it to the dressing.

While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a dry frying pan on the stove on medium heat. Keep them stirring and moving so they don't burn. After a few minutes, add the butter and brown sugar, and stir to coat. You want to form a beautiful candied layer on the nuts. Stir for 3 minutes or so, until slightly carmelized.

To make the dressing, add the olive oil, lemon juice, honey the roasting juices, and some salt and pepper, and whisk until mixed. Toss the dressing with the lettuce, and arrange on plates. Top with cheese, beats, and the nuts.

Summer Simplicity: Raspberries & Cream

2011-08-10T22:30:00.001-04:00

So some recipes are complex (e.g. "steep the lavender in the cream until fragrant" is still perhaps the most ridiculous, unjustified step I have ever taken in the pursuit of dessert), but some are beautifully simple.

That's an important life lesson. Ponder the thought for a while.
I saw a quote once by Alice Waters (I have no idea who that is, and I'm not going to search Wikipedia to find out before I post this, so maybe one of y'all out there can fill me in) hanging on the wall in one of my favorite restaurants in Utah. The simplicity and truth of the statement has stayed with me for a while. "When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is."

In some cases, you just want the food to taste "like what it is," because what it is is amazingly good and amazingly fresh. That's why I love the summertime, when my garden is in full bloom (or at the moment, a little sad looking from the heat, but there's still good stuff in there), and I can just grab a red pepper or a handful of basil off the plant and taste it in it's full glory. It's when dessert needs to be nothing more than ridiculously sweet, tart raspberries fresh from someone who grew them with love, a spoonful of sugar, and some cream that came from a cow who lives down the road.

There's no ornamentation needed. No crazy steps. No laborious slaving away. Just the acquisition and presentation of inherently good things that taste "like what they are." So dig in.

Raspberries and Cream

Fresh raspberries
White sugar
Heavy cream

Gently but thoroughly wash the raspberries and let them dry thoroughly. Check carefully for any bad berries (they go bad so quickly, it's a shame), leaves, twigs, etc. Place a few berries in a serving bowls or cups, and sprinkle generously with white sugar (use more or less as you like). Pour a little cream over them, again as much as you like. My first instinct was to stir them to coat evenly, but I'm pretty sure you'd break them apart completely.

It's been exactly one year . . . I know, don't tell me

2011-08-06T07:25:00.001-04:00

Seriously, don't even tell me. I know it's been a year. One whole year (to the day) since last time I blogged about anything. I actually was going to blog about something last week, but then noticed it's been almost a full year, and wanted to get exactly to the day, because I thought that would be more poetic.

It's not that I forgot about you. It's more that I've been primarily eating spoonfuls of extra-crunchy peanut butter (thank you, Costco, for having mercy on us poor graduate students). And while I know there are plenty of things you can do with peanut butter, I haven't been doing anything that requires a recipe that I can give you. I've just been eating it straight from the jar.

I have also been just a little busy: writing a dissertation; updating my house one agonizingly slow piece at a time; trying to be a good son / brother / uncle / cousin / grandson to my very large family; form meaningful and lasting relationships; running a stupid marathon, two half-marathons, and subsequently giving up distance running forever (I'll probably come back eventually, but we're taking a little break from one another right now); serving in my church responsibilities; planning for the future (this grad school thing has to end eventually, right?); traveling; developing my faith; and doing lots of other things with my life.

So don't get me wrong, I love to cook. I love having dinner parties for a few friends. I love cooking-themed dates. I love getting in a big kitchen and presiding over a 4-course dinner for 55 (4th year in a row, coming up). However, the vast majority of my life is spent doing things of great or not-so-great importance away from my stove. While I love experimenting on and developing new recipes, it's just something I haven't spent a lot of time doing lately.

So here's the deal. I'm gonna' keep writing on this thing, sharing the good that I have found. Some of it may be newly developed recipes. Some posts may just be good recipes found elsewhere passed right along to you. Some may be commentary on life from the food's perspective (I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds kind of cool). So look forward to a new little twist on this blog, and hopefully some good eats in the future.

Here is just a little glimpse of some things that happened in the last year. I'm not even going to try to catch up, so this is all you get.

This wasn't that good, and now that I look at it more closely, it doesn't look that good, either. What a waste of perfectly good pine nuts. Sad.


Special thanks to AP for this amazingly fresh (straight from the CSA box), amazingly good little summer number. Go grab some fresh mozzarella and make this a part of your life.

I tend to buy spinach by the bushel, so I tend to try different things to do with it. Sometimes it's pretty good. Sometimes it's not.

I have been told that I have an uncanny talent for ruining perfectly good, traditional, Southern recipes. As I've said before, I care much less about tradition and much more about awesome, but not all southerners agree.

In all honesty, I don't even remember what's under that shell. Maybe chicken pot pie? And what on earth was I thinking with that design?

Warning: if you're going to start making Indian food, you need to own about 17 different spices that you've never heard of before. However, once you have them, you can make awesome things.

Why yes, there is a skull and crossbones made of puff pastry in this picture, thanks for asking. There's a story behind it, too, but I'm not going to tell you about it. I'm trying to let the mystery build.

White Peach and Raspberry Cobbler

2010-08-08T19:14:00.001-04:00

Peaches and raspberries are some of my favorite reasons to have summer (notwithstanding the big ticket items like beach, warm, and happiness). This is a relatively simple dessert with unadorned flavors, but the freshness of the fruit and a big old dollop of [real] whipped cream really delivers a tasty, seasonal punch.

Makes 4 individual cobblers. Double the recipe and use a casserole dish if you want to make a larger batch to serve family style. You'll probably need to up the cooking time by a bit, also. Watch it very carefully, because to burn it would be a tragic loss.

White Peach and Raspberry Cobbler
for the cobbler

2 large white peaches
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

for the crust

1 heaping cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375.

Slice the peaches into comfortably bite-sized pieces, and place in a bowl with as much of the peach juice as possible. Add the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Gently stir to coat the fruit evenly.

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients for the topping. Slowly pour in the melted butter while stirring, and work into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Grease 4 ramekins. Evenly distribute the fruit among the 4, and top the ramekins with a layer of the flour mixture. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan (to catch the drips) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the topping golden brown. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

Summer Farmers Market Salad

2010-08-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

In the height of the summer when vegetables are fresh (as in, were alive on the plant that day or the day before), you don't really have to do fancy things to make them taste better, because they just taste good the way they are. You don't have to cover up boring tastes or anything. This is a great example of how to make a delicious, unadorned salad out of summer produce at its freshest. I'm sure you could do something similar with just about any vegetable from the market this time of year.

Summer Farmers Market Salad

baby arugula
sliced heirloom tomatoes
sliced lemon cucumber
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Layer the tomato slices and cucumber on top of a bed of arugula (peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler, if necessary). Drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

2010-07-11T16:38:00.000-04:00

So I kind of ~~stole from~~ was inspired by my cousin's yoga/health/beautiful blog for this recipe, which looked so simple that I thought there had to be a catch to it. I made it and was really pleased with the bright, fresh mix of flavors. There's sweetness from the peaches, a little bite from the onion, some tang from the blue cheese, and some pepperiness (is that a word? my spell check doesn't think so) from the arugula. Put it all together and you've got yourself on seriously good, filling, summer salad.

You can cut up the chicken breast into cubes and serve it in the salad, or leave the breasts whole and serve the salad as an accompaniment. I used baby arugula, but if you're using fully grown, remove the hard stems.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

ingredients for one serving (multiply as necessary)

1/2 fresh peach, sliced
2 slices of red onion, rings separated
1 chicken breast, pounded flat and even throughout
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 handful arugula
blue cheese crumbles, to garnish

Place the peach and onion slices in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and stir to coat evenly. Place on a hot grill and cook, about 2 minutes a side or until soft with obvious grill marks. Remove them and place them back in the bowl, allowing the juices to collect at the bottom. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and gently stir to combine with the juices and coat the peaches and onions. Add a little more olive oil if desired.

Coat the chicken breast with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook on the grill, about 4-5 minutes a side, or until done in the middle. Take the chicken off the grill and coat evenly with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Add back to the grill for about a minute on both sides.

Top the arugula with the peaches, onions, and a little blue cheese. Serve with the chicken breast.

Tomato, Mozzarella Bruschetta

2010-07-06T14:02:00.000-04:00

Okay, people, I know. You don't have to tell me. The last recipe which I posted 2 measly days ago was a tomato, mozzarella, basil recipe, and here I am, giving you another one. I will remind you that I warned you I would do this. And in my mind, I had planned on saving this recipe for later, putting a little buffer of other zucchini or squash recipes (as my garden is mass-producing them at the moment), but I couldn't wait. This stuff is good.

You also don't have to tell me that it doesn't look that pretty, because I know that it doesn't. I also didn't really get a chance to take a great photo of it all fancy on little toasts (that look like this), so you're not getting the full effect. However, trust me. I may have led you astray a time or two before, but stay with me. This was made with tomatoes from the vine, and basil that had been attached to a plant 2 minutes before it was served. Tomatoes are in season, so go buy (or better yet, pick) a million and eat them up.

Tomato, mozzarella bruschetta

ingredients

2 French baguettes
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling on the bread, plus about 1/4 cup for the tomatoes
About 1/3 cup pine nuts
1 pound fresh, firm tomatoes (you can certainly use more and adjust the proportions, as you like)
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
1 can great northern beans, drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 handful fresh basil leaves

Slice the baguettes on an angle about 1/2 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Broil in the oven for a few minutes, until golden (my broiler on low took about 4 minutes, so watch carefully to not burn them).

Put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan on the stove on medium heat. Shake the pan every so often until the pine nuts are golden. Don't let them burn. Remove from the heat, and let cool.

Dice the tomatoes and cheese to about 1/4 or 1/3 inch cubes. Drain some of the water from the tomatoes, if necessary (you don't want too much liquid in the mix). Place them in a large bowl with the beans. Add up to 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat everything without puddling at the bottom), and salt and pepper to taste. Let come to room temperature.

Tightly roll the basil, and slice it very thinly. When ready to serve, add the basil and pine nuts, and stir to incorporate. Serve on the baguette slices.

Caprese pasta salad

2010-07-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

I love summer, and it's not just for the pool and no school and the beach and contagious happiness and all that jazz. I love being able to walk to my not-so-little tomato plant, pluck off a big ole' tomato, and then eat it within the hour.

I had long considered how I would eat my first tomato from the vine, and I decided on this old favorite. I wanted something simple that wouldn't distract from the tomato's own flavor, and this combination of tomato, basil, and mozzarella never gets old (I will warn you, I'm not done with it this summer, either, so get excited for a few variations). It was even a better plus that I could grab some fresh basil from the garden. too.

Caprese Pasta Salad

ingredients

1 pound dry pasta (I used mini Farfalle)
1 pound ripe tomato (I used an heirloom tomato, because that's what I was growing)
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
1 handfull fresh basil leaves
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Boil the noodles in salted water until al dente (don't let it get soggy). Rinse in cool water, drain, and set aside to cool.

Chop the tomatoes and mozzarella in an approximately 1/3 inch dice. Roll the basil leaves tightly like a cigarette and slice thinly, making long strips. Combine the tomato, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and coat. Let sit for a few minutes, while the pasta continues to cool.

When the pasta reaches room temperature, shake to ensure it's dry, and then combine it with the tomato mixtures. Stir to coat. Add more olive oil if necessary to coat everything. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Top with the Parmesan cheese, and serve at room temperature.

Breaded, Pan-fried Zucchini

2010-06-23T08:35:00.001-04:00

So, this garden of mine has started producing, and it hasn't stopped. Sometimes I'll go out to water and there will be a full grown zucchini when I am quite sure there wasn't one there yesterday.

Needless to say, I have been trying to find different ways to prepare them (and people to give them to). This particular way gives some nice texture and flavor. Just for reference, the ones in the picture are cut just a little too thick--the insides didn't quite cooked through when the outsides were finished.

Breaded, Pan-friend Zucchini

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, cut about 1/3 inch thick.
about 1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
about 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg, beaten
about 1 cup Italian style dry bread crumbs
pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Toss the zucchini slices with the salt. Place the slices between several layers of paper towels for 10-20 minutes. This draws out the moisture, letting them cook more evenly and firmly. Dry off each slice with a paper towel, removing any excess salt.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dip the zucchini slices in the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs (I add some pepper to the bread crumbs, but you decide to taste). Place the slices in the pan (don't crowd them), and cook about 4-5 minutes a side, until golden brown. If they're browning too quickly, turn down the heat because you want them to cook through.

Serve warm topped with some Parmesan cheese.

Peaches and Cream with Raspberries

2010-06-20T20:33:00.001-04:00

This is a simple, clean, easy dessert that really showcases some of summer's best. I love myself some fresh peaches, and my fridge will often have several during the summertime (there is nothing as refreshing as coming home on a hotter-than-Hades day and sinking your teeth into a cold, juicy peach and having the juice run down your chin and it's amazing; trust me).

Now, you can whip the cream if you want (you'll want to use whipping cream, in that case, rather than light cream), but I prefer just a bowl-full of peaches in liquid, so that's what I give here. You go do whatever you want.

Peaches and Cream with Raspberries

Ingredients

1 peach per person
brown sugar
cinnamon
light cream (you can use heavier if you want), about 1/2 pint for every 4 peaches
white sugar
vanilla
fresh raspberries

for the peaches

Preheat the oven to 400. Butter a casserole baking dish. Cut the peaches in quarters, and toss with a generous helping of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon, to coat. Bake until soft, about 15 minutes (although this can vary widely based on how firm your peaches are to start).

for the cream

For every 1/2 pint of cream, whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar, until incorporated.

Dish out the peaches into bowls, giving them as much of the pan juices as you can. Evenly distribute the cream among the bowls. Top with the raspberries.

Sautéed Yellow Squash

2010-06-12T18:10:00.001-04:00

I hope this doesn't sound morbid, but guys, I grew that squash myself and I have been so excited to eat it. It was grown in the coolest community garden you've ever seen. I've had a few squash casualties along the way, so I was pretty happy to get this one out alive and whole and perfect and amazing. I served it with a little rosemary from the garden, too, making it amazing.

My good buddy taught me a while ago to sweat zucchini and squash before sautéing them. This draws out quite a bit of the moisture in them, letting them sear and brown rather than get all squishy. As excited as I was to eat the thing, I'm glad I took his advice. The finished project was beautifully browned and just a little crisp and full of love and earthy goodness.

Sautéed Yellow Squash

ingredients

one large yellow squash
up to 2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
A pinch of chopped herbs, like rosemary or oregano
Pepper to taste (plus salt, if necessary, but likely not)

Cut of the ends of the squash, and cut into rings, about 1/2 inch think. In a bowl, toss the squash slices with some salt until well coated. Place the slices on a few layers of paper towels, then top with a few more layers. Press down lightly, and let sit about 20 minutes. Adjust the paper towels if they're getting too damp. When done, give each slice a little rub-down with a paper towel to remove excess salt and moisture.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the squash slices in a single, uncrowded layer. Top with a little pepper and herbs. Let simmer a few minutes, until slightly golden. Flip them, and repeat on the other side. Serve and enjoy summer's bounty.

Coconut Lime Cake

2010-06-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

So, I'm cheating right now. Usually I don't like to just copy someone else's recipe entirely, but this one is going to have to be a little exception. I love this cake, and I make it very frequently. Unlike the original recipe (which I gratefully and humbly pilfered from SmittenKitchen), I usually serve it with a raspberry or strawberry coulis, it's not exactly the radical reinterpretation or perfected product of experimentation I usually strive for. Instead, this is just an old stand-by, tried and true recipe that you should make, because it's really good.

The cake is kind of crumbly, I've found, which I do not think is a bad thing. The icing topping gives it some necessary structural integrity. You should also be very careful about the cake sticking to the pan, so grease and flour it well (and seriously just have the patience to let it cool entirely before you pull it out of the pan--it's a tragic mistake I've made many times).

Coconut Lime Cake

ingredients

for the cake

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 lime
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
about 3 tablespoons lime juice

for the icing

1 cup powdered sugar
about 3 tablespoons lime juice

for the raspberry sauce

1 small bag frozen raspberries
about 2 heaping tablespoons sugar
coconut milk, to garnish (optional)

For the cake. Carefully brown the coconut on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees. Watch it carefully to avoid burning; stir once or twice if the edges brown faster than the rest.

Cream the butter, sugar, and lime zest together in a mixer until even and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between until even throughout.

Mix half of the toasted coconut into the flour. Also mix 2 tablespoons of the lime juice into the milk, and stir vigorously. With the mixer on low, add some of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, then some more flour, then the other half of the milk, then the rest of the flour. Make sure the mixture is smooth and even between each addition.

Pour the batter into a well-greased and floured 8x8 square baking pan. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the raspberry sauce by putting the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan on the stove on medium-low. Allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very soft. Smash them up, somewhat, for a chunkier sauce, or puree until smooth in a blender if desired. Let cool.

Prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of lime juice, stirring until smooth. If it's still too thick, add a little more lime juice (or milk, if you think the icing is too tart).

When the cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool completely (seriously, completely). Run a knife along the edges of the pan, place a square plate or platter on top, and flip it over onto the plate. Tap the pan if it needs a little convincing. Turn the cake right-side-up onto another serving dish, and pour the icing over, followed by the remaining flaked coconut. Serve with some of the raspberry sauce, with a little coconut milk swirled into it for contrast.

Lessons learned from my mom

2010-05-02T16:29:00.010-04:00

My mom may not be what you would call a gourmet chef (although after the kids all moved out, she has been producing some seriously impressive meals--her homemade pasta nowadays is amazing), but I have learned some very special lessons about food and life from watching my mom cook for my family. On Mother's Day, I thought I'd share some of them with you.

1. Use real whipped cream. Special occasions call for special food, and real whipped cream is just better than the fake stuff. Mom believes this. While she is one of the healthiest eaters and cooks I've ever met, that blessed dollop of home-whipped love is pure joy for Mom. It makes special occasions special. It makes fresh strawberries sing. It made her children very happy. You, too, can make your life better by using real whipped cream.

2. Like everything. I have never heard my mother give a blanket statement like, "Oh, I don't like _____" (except once she said she didn't like okra, but I think it's only because she hasn't tried this). With this fact in mind, I really don't understand how she produced the pickiest eaters in the world. Each one of us had long lists of things we didn't like, which we made very clear: no mushrooms, onions, peppers, squash, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, asparagus, fish or any seafood, spinach, tomatoes, pickles, olives, and I'm sure lots of other things. However, Mom kept making it anyway, telling us that someday we would like them. You know what, she was right (I still think Lin will come around and eat onion one of these days).

3. Sacrifice for people you love. We had seven people in our family, and inevitably any sort of treat or dessert would come in packages of six. You guessed it--Mom never got one. The doughnuts or cans of soda or cookies or whatever would go to everyone else, with Mom hoping that maybe she could just get a bite from one of her often unappreciative children. I'm sorry to say that often, we didn't even notice. However, Mom ate the brown bananas after everyone else took the new ones. She ate leftovers for lunch when everyone else turned their noses up at them. And you know what, I never heard her complain. Ever. That woman is a saint.

4. Eat together. Imagine this battle: 5 children with entirely different schedules + business executive husband with constantly fluctuating hours vs. Mom's shear will. Mom wins. We ate dinner together as a family just about every night (Mom once told me that it wasn't even worth it to cook for only 5 people). We may have fought to the death to be out playing with friends or watching TV or any number of other things, but we ate together as a family. However, those moments at the dinner table together remain one of the strongest forces that built the love and unity we have in the family. Those precious moments with rice pilaf or orange roughy and brussel spouts showed me how much Mom loved us and was committed to us as a family. We belonged together, and she wanted us to know it and eat like it.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.

What lessons did your mothers teach you from the kitchen?

From the earth, with love

2010-05-02T16:08:00.008-04:00

There are a few little seedlings I call my own thanks to a community garden at church.

Come this summer, look forward to recipes with squash, zucchini, basil, red peppers, and heirloom tomatoes.

Creamy Cranberry Porkchops with Mushrooms

2010-04-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

One of the real keys to this dish is getting the right type of cranberry juice. Don't get a cranberry cocktail--those are just too sweet and too thin. Look for an unfiltered kind or a 100% juice variety. I used a cranberry-pomegranate juice, and it was great.

Creamy Cranberry Porkchops with Mushrooms

ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 boneless pork tenderloin chops
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella)
1 finely diced shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 springs fresh thyme

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a flat-bottomed frying pan. Salt and pepper both sides of the porkchops, and then add to the hot oil. Cook for a few minutes on both sides until you can't see any more pink from the exterior (the length of time will vary depending on how thick your chops are). They don't have to be cooked all the way through here, as you'll heat them again at the end.

Remove the chops to a plate. Add the butter to the pan, and reduce the heat just a little. Saute the mushrooms until browned, but not soggy. Remove them to a plate, retaining as much liquid in the pan as possible.

Add the shallot and garlic to the pan, and cook until golden. Add the cranberry juice and cream, and dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the porkchops back to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Turn them after about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms, and continue to heat them, about 5 minutes longer.

Asian Noodle Vegetable Soup

2010-04-27T15:45:00.000-04:00

I don't know about where you live, but in Carolina we're enjoying a transcendentally beautiful Spring. However, every now and again we get a really chilly night. After coming back from a run on a particularly nippy evening, I needed something to warm me up a bit. Looking through my cupboard for something to warm me up, I ran across a package of cellophane noodles (also known as bean threads), and decided to have a go at it.

This just kind of a thrown-together vegetable broth, but on that chilly night, it hit the spot just right. You can pretty much throw in anything you want or happen to have around, and I think you'll be fine.

Asian Noodle Vegetable soup

ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
about 1/4 finely diced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large, thinly-sliced carrots
3 sliced celery stalks
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3.75 oz package of cellophane noodles (bean threads)

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until translucent. Then, add the garlic and ginger and stir until golden.

Add the water, broth, and soy sauce. Raise the temperature and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the carrots and celery, and simmer about 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add the peas, and allow them to heat through (don't overcook the peas). Add the sesame oil, and stir vigorously.

Reduce the heat, then add the noodles. Let them soak, stirring frequently, until soft (maybe 8 minutes, or so). Taste for salt, and add some if necessary, but I didn't think it needed any.

Guest post: Curried Apple Orzo Salad

2010-04-24T13:48:00.004-04:00

So, as I've mentioned before, the purpose of this blog is to celebrate experimentation. Sometimes that means developing a recipe from scratch. Sometimes it means tweaking grandma's secret recipe (I won't tell if you won't). And sometimes it means trying to recreate the flavor from a dish in a random restaurant which has been haunting you for sometime. You long-time readers may recognize this dish, as I actually tried to recreate it some time ago. This is my favorite dish to get at the little deli in my building for lunch. It has a little spicy-sweet kick that is really interesting.

I promise you that this version is better than my attempt; I'm not too prideful to admit that. Nice work, Jenn.

Curried Apple Orzo Salad

for the salad

2 cups uncooked orzo

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted

about 1/2 red onion

1 large diced granny smith apple

for the dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions then combine all dressing ingredients and mix well.

Pour dressing over warm orzo then add raisins, almonds, onions and apples.

Mix thoroughly then refrigerate overnight.

Does anybody know anything about convection ovens?

2010-04-19T22:25:00.003-04:00

I hear convection ovens are amazing for baking and roasting, but that newbies will inevitably burn everything their first few times. The "learning curve" as they call it.

Any suggestions for a beginner?

Best Birthday Present Ever

2010-04-11T23:50:00.005-04:00

Why use 3 utensils when you can use just one? That question was posed to me in the unexpected form of a recent birthday present from my brother.

My brother, the master gift-giver and chili maker, surprised me with this one. I opened the box and saw a gleaming, new, matching set of 8 stainless steel sporks. Yep. Sporks. The curious utensil chimera of junior high cole slaw fame. But wait; they have a serrated edge. It's a knife, too. Sporf? That just doesn't sound right.

But let me tell you that this things are right. They are perfect for potato salad, eating peanut butter right from the jar. Eating peas (they are perfect for peas). And they're even nice enough for company. I laughed, thinking they were a joke, but let me tell you, if you get invited over for dinner at my place, I'm probably setting the table with these bad boys.

Every now and again you just want a big slab of meat

2010-03-12T12:07:00.006-05:00

You know those recipes that always say, "Have your butcher prepare the roast . . ." in any of 20,000 strange preparations that you're not really sure what they mean? I don't know about you, but I have plastic-wrapped foam cartons of meat. I don't really have a butcher.

Until now.

www.themeathouse.com

Instead of long, refrigerated bins of prepackaged meat, there are really, honest-to-goodness humans to will cut your meat for you however your recipe says. Heck, they may even have slab bacon which proved so elusive a recipe ago.

I have recently been on a kick trying to find more knowledgeable, dedicated food vendors (like farmers markets) in my area. Any favorites for local, high-quality food where you are?

Beef Bourguignon

2010-03-07T16:27:00.004-05:00

People, I will just warn you that I don't hold any recipe as sacred. So, if anyone is offended by the fact that I have both experimented upon and adapted Julia Child's iconic beef bourguignon, I am sorry. Don't hate me for it. I know that it changed the world. I know that it revolutionized cooking in America, pioneered television cooking shows, and has a pretty good movie made about it. I know it, okay?

I just really wanted some more carrot. And I couldn't really understand why you'd boil the bacon, liked Julia instructs. And I don't cook with alcohol, so I had to come up with something else. And I just get restless, and I like playing around. So there.

This recipe is seriously time consuming, and is a whole lotta' work, but boy is it good. Julia sure did know what she was talking about. I've been reading through Mastering the Art of French Cooking trying to pick up little tidbits of wisdom, and I'm realizing lots of the magic of really great cooking comes from the tiny little details that are so easy to just skip over, but make such a big difference in the end.

For example, drying the beef first really does cause it to brown so much better. Cooking the mushrooms and onions separately, and then adding them at the end adds such a great little surprise as you get parts of the stew with a different flavor and texture than everything else.

Julia does almost the entire thing in one pot, but I just find it really awkward to have to empty the pan that much, so I do the first couple steps in a separate pan. I think it makes it easier, but you could do it all in one if you like.

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

4 strips extra-thick sliced bacon
3 pounds beef roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large, sweet onion, cut into thin stips
3 carrots, julienned
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups unfiltered, unsweetened red grape juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
About 3 cups beef stock, separated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, separated
2 dry bay leaves, separated
About 18 small, white onions (pearl or boiler onions)
Several sprigs chopped, fresh parsley
Unsalted butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a heavy frying pan, cook the strips of bacon over medium heat until browned but not overly crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the fat in the pan as possible. Slice the bacon into short strips.

Dry the beef cubes in power towels. Raise the heat of the stove to medium high, and heat the bacon fat. Sear the beef on both sides in the bacon fat, working with a few pieces at a time (you don't want to crowd the pan). Make sure to let the fat reheat between batches. Once browned, remove them to a plate with the bacon.

When the beef is browned, add the vegetables to the pan and stir until slightly seared. Remove them to a plate separate from the meat. Pour out the fat from the pan. Add a little beef stock to the pan to deglaze, making sure to dissolve all the browned bits.

In a large, oven and stove-proof, covered pan (like a dutch oven), add the meat, flour, and some salt and pepper. Stir until the meat is well-coated. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, then stir the meat around, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes until slightly browned. Remove from the oven, and turn the oven down to 325.

Add the vegetables, grape juice, vinegar, and just enough beef stock until the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil on the stove, then transfer to the oven, on the lower rack. Allow the meat to simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

While the meat is cooking, peel the onion (if they still have skins on). Boil an inch of water in a saucepan, then drop in the onions for about 2 minutes. This loosens the skins, and they should come off much more easily.

About 30 minutes before the meat is finished, heat some butter in another pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and stir constantly until browned on the outside. Then add about 1/2 cup beef stock, a bay leaf, the rest of the thyme, and a pinch of parsley. Bring the stock to a simmer, reduce heat, and let simmer until the meat is ready to serve.

Simultaneously, melt a few tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms a few at a time (don't crowd the pan) until browned.

When the meat is done, remove the pan, and check the liquid for thickness. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If it's too thin, simmer a few minutes until thickened. Just before serving, add the onions and mushrooms. Garnish with the parsley leaves. Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes.

Homemade croutons

2010-02-16T18:28:00.004-05:00

So, a few friends have an fondue party. They tell people to bring something to dip in cheese fondue. Everyone (absolutely everyone) brings a baguette. Some people bring two. Almost none of them get eaten. What do we do now?

Make croutons, of course.

You can put them on salads.

Or put creamed peas all over them (I did this and got about a week's worth of vegetables and butter in one meal: it was incredible).

Or top soup or chili with them. Or make a caponata, bread salad sort of thing. Or just eat them straight by the handful, which is how about 2/3 a baguette of ours went. Speaking of which, there are a few more left, and I'm hungry. Be right back.

Alright, I'm back, and I'm seriously just snacking on a bowl full of these right now. There's seriously just something really good about the crispy outside, with just the right amount of fresh little "give" to the insides, the golden crunch, the gentle herby essence. The best things is, you can kind of just make these with whatever flavorings you want. So open the pantry, and go to town.

Homemade croutons

Ingredients

1 baguette (I used a sourdough one and a French one, and it was a nice combo)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
herbs (I used ground sage and rosemary, but you can throw in just about whatever you want--maybe a little garlic or Parmesan cheese, even)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the baguette into 1-inch cubes. Place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle just a little olive oil over the top, and stir to mix. Drizzle a little more, and stir. Repeat the drizzle & stir thing until the bread is lightly and evenly coated (I did it three times). Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and herbs over the bread a little at a time, stirring in between to coat evenly.

Place the bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven for about 4 minutes (checking frequently) until the underside is golden. Flip the cubes, and bake for another 4 minutes or so. If needed, flip one more time (or just shake the pan to jumble them up) and bake for a few minutes more. You want the outsides to be crunchy, but the insides to still be just a little soft.

Frozen Chocolate Banana Pops

2010-02-13T22:40:00.000-05:00

Credit to my brother for this one, which is kind of fun, and really good. Just don't tell mom about the coconut oil (it's just a little smidge, really). The coconut oil allows the chocolate to melt all smooth like, but then solidify quickly and evenly on the frozen banana.

There really is something kind of magical about freezing something on a stick. Seriously, you should try it. You inner sense of childlike wonder will be amazed.

Have you ever frozen anything awesome on a stick to snack on? Tell us about it.

Frozen Chocolate Banana Pops

Ingredients

6 bananas, cut in half
12 skewers (you can probably cut the long ones in half, just fine)
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup coconut oil.
optional: chopped nuts, for coating

Put each peeled banana half on a skewer, and quickly insert in the freezer on a wax-paper lined tray. Freeze overnight.

When ready to serve, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double-boiler over simmering water. Whisk until smooth, and then pour into a tall, narrow glass.

Take the bananas out of the freezer. Remove any visible ice buildup on the outside. Gently dip the bananas into the chocolate, twisting them gently as you remove them. If adding nuts, pour the nuts on immediately after removing from the chocolate (it hardens very quickly). Let them cool right-side up (we jabbed the skewers into a styrofoam block, and that worked well).

Pumpkin Chili

2010-02-11T10:04:00.000-05:00

Bad news, kids. I had a reputation to maintain, but I just couldn't pull through for you this time. The church chili cook-off championship slipped from my fingers this time. It didn't stray too far, though, as it ended up with my brother (who incidentally, was a runner up to mine from last year). I'm not going to say I'm bitter, but just for an explanation, the judging panel was very different this year than last year. There were a lot more good ole' boys this year, and my artsy pumpkin version didn't really have the "man chili" persona the judges were looking for. Nonetheless, it is good. The pumpkin gives a real earthy body to the chili. Most people probably wouldn't be able to tell that it was pumpkin, but there definitely is something to it.

Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
3 shallots
1 small vidalia onion
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder blend, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 green pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups beef stock
1 can packed, pureed pumpkin
1 pound beef steak
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop the shallot, onion, and green pepper to a fine dice. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the shallot, onion, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Stir until caramelized and very fragrant. Add the pepper, and stir just a little longer, until soft.

Add the tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, beef stock, and pumpkin. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and let simmer (in total, you'll want it to simmer about two hours).

Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet to medium high. Coat with a little olive oil. Salt and pepper the steak on both sides, and sear on the skillet, about 4 minutes a side. It doesn't need to cook through, just get a beautiful crust on both sides. Cut it into 1/4 inch cubes, and add to the chili.

Carefully to taste, add the oregano, paprika, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Parmesan pork chops with lemon gravy

2010-02-08T06:55:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to come up with something clever or witty or something to insert here, and it just isn't happening, people. I'm sorry. This is just good. It only takes a few minutes because the pork chops are thin (I figure 2 per person). It pairs well with a lot of different things. It's nice enough for company. Just go make it sometime. The basic breading technique can be used for chicken or fish, also just as well.

Parmesan Pork Chops with Lemon Gravy

Ingredients

8 thin-cut pork loin chops
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons flour

With paper towels, pat dry the pork chops. Place the flour in a deep-sided plate with some salt and pepper. In another plate, place the beaten egg. Put the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley in a third plate. Take each pork chop and coat in the flour, removing any excess. Then dredge through the beaten egg. Finally, coat well in the breadcrumbs.

In a large, flat-bottomed sautee or frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add half the pork chops and cook until golden brown on one side, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook a few minutes longer on the opposite side. Move to a plate and keep warm while you cook the other half. Add more butter and oil in between if necessary.

Once the second bath is cooked, move the porkchops off the pan, and add the broth to deglaze the pan. Dissolve browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce to a simmer, and add the lemon juice and zest. Simmer until reduced slightly. In a small, sealable container, combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water. Shake vigorously to incorporate, then add to the stock. Stir well and simmer until thickened. Repeat with some more flour, if necessary.

Serve the pork chops with the gravy, and top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Potato lakes, two ways

2010-02-05T15:59:00.002-05:00

There are many ways to fry a potato. Seriously, just think about it for a while. French fries. Tater tots. Steak fries. Hash browns. Home fries.

That really wasn't as many as I thought. Hmm. Nevermind. Point retracted.

Here we made latkes using two different methods, neither one of which is the way you're supposed to do it: oven baking and deep-frying. So, I decided to make latkes for a church potluck, and the pan frying was taking longer than I expected. So, my brother who happened to be making hush puppies at that exact second in his deep fryer suggested we try a change of plan. In all honesty, I liked his better, but they were both great.

Potato Latkes, oven-fried and deep-fried

Ingredients

1 pound Yukon potatoes, washed and dried but not peeled
1 medium, sweet yellow onion
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
3 sprigs, fresh thyme
peanut oil for deep-frying
extra virgin olive oil for baking
applesauce and sour cream for serving

Shred the potatoes length-wise in a food processor with the shredding disk. Chop the onion to a quarter-inch dice. Put the potatoes and onion in a small-holed sieve and press against them with several layers of paper towels to drain and absorb excess moisture. You want it to be as dry as possible.

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, onion, and egg. Mix the flour and baking powder separately, then add add to the mix, along with the thyme, salt, and pepper.

if oven baking
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a well-greased baking sheet, drop the potato mixture in 1/4 cup scoopfuls. Flatten to about 1/4 inch thick pancakes. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes, then flip the latkes and bake an additional 10 minutes.

if deep frying
Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Take 1/4 cup scoopfuls of the potato mixture, and form into balls in your hand. Flatten the balls somewhat, and place in the bottom of the fryer basket of a deep fryer. Gently place the basket in the oil, without submerging the potatoes completely. Fry a few minutes until golden brown.

Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

I will never catch up

2010-02-02T15:30:00.001-05:00

I am sorry I have neglected you for so long. It's not like I've forgotten you or wanted to neglect you. It's not like I've stopped cooking.

What has been stopping me from posting is this: the list. Every time I make something and get really excited about it, I say to myself, "Self, let's post this right away so everyone can make it at their homes and their lives can be better." And then I take pictures and I get excited, and then I look at the list.

It's the list of all the other things that I've made and taken pictures of but still haven't posted yet. In some cases, I have wanted to give them one more whirl to tweak some final proportion. In others, I just don't remember the recipe that well. In some, I barely even remember the event. In most, I just haven't written a witty introduction yet.

So with the New Year and all (sure, my resolution is a month late, but that just proves my overall point even more, doesn't it?), I have decided to just skip the list. Maybe someday I'll dig them out and give them to you, or if anyone really wants one of them, let me know, but I'm just moving forward now: not back.

So here are the ones that y'all missed. Some were pretty good. Some were only going to be filler anyway.

Cashew baklava. Non-traditional. Good.

NY strip steak will shallot apple cider reduction. This one has actually been mentioned a time or two on this blog, but it just hasn't been written down yet.

Shrimp and asparagus pasta with lemon garlic sauce (we needed something to do with the leftover shrimp)

Goat cheese with cranberry and roasted garlic. This is actually a guest post that I've just never gotten to. Sorry.

Honey hoisin blackened pork loin with Thai salad. Seriously good. Seriously a lot of work.

Almond-crusted chicken breast with lemon-ginger sauce.

Spinach-stuffed shells. Pretty good, but nothing to write home about.

Edamame with mint, lemon, and Parmesan. Really, that's all there is to it. Let's do the recipe right now. Take some edamame, add mint leaves, Parmesan cheese curls, drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Done. Glad I got that one off my chest.

Braised shortribs on buttery grits with horseradish cream.

Bean and summer vegetable salad.

Grilled vegetables with pineapple, coconut, lemongrass sauce.

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Soup

2010-02-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been haunted by food? I had a butternut squash, rosemary, blue cheese, caramelized shallots, and bacon pizza a few years ago that has nagged at my soul since then. I have tried a few times to recreate this flavor combination in a way that works, but I usually failed (like here).

I promised you this recipe last winter (promise), when I was playing with it, but hadn't quite perfected it yet. However, one can only make so much squash soup before going into vitamin A overload in one season. So, sorry you had to wait until this year. It might be worth it.

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Soup

Ingredients

1 medium-sized butternut squash (about 2.5 pounds)
2 medium shallots
1 quart chicken broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 cup cream
1 ounce blue cheese
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Note: blue cheese can vary in flavor. When adding the cheese, start with about half, and slowly work up, tasting frequently. You don't want the flavor or the mustiness to overpower the rest of the soup.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. Peel and trim the shallots, and cut in half. Coat the squash and shallot with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until soft and a slightly browned (20 - 30 minutes, check frequently).

When the squash is almost done, bring the chicken broth to boil on the stove in a large pan. Add the squash and shallots, along with the rosemary. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very soft. With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted and distributed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Optional Crispy Shallot topping:
Cut 1 shallot in half lengthwise, and slice the shallot into thin strips. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shallots, and quickly stir for a few minutes. The shallots will become golden and crispy.

Christmas Shrimp Boil & Ribs

2010-01-31T16:08:00.006-05:00

Traditional food is a big part of my family. Eggs benedict for Christmas morning, clam chowder for Christmas eve dinner, baked apples for Christmas Eve dessert, prime rib for New Years, grape sherbet for Memorial Day (or any other outdoor family gathering), sauerkraut on Thanksgiving. You get the point. However, there is one rather interesting meal left out: Christmas dinner.

I think Christmas dinner is supposed to be turkey and ham, or something like that for most people. Sometimes after the presents are all opened, we just eat cherry chocolates and the Life Savers books that came in our stockings and call it good, but sometimes we get adventurous on Christmas dinner. I have a vague memory of duck back there somewhere, and I'm pretty sure there was lamb once (only because I distinctly remember the mint jelly), and I am positive there was a goose that did not go well.

In spite of our many attempts, nothing really stuck as the traditional, Christmas dinner. To be perfectly honest, I don't think this one is going to stick, either, but it sure was fun. We invited over some cousins and just dumped the shrimp, veggies, and ribs right in the middle of the table. Most people were a little skeptical, and Grandma seemed a little scandalized, but we had a ball. Make sure you have adequate paper towels: it's really important.

Now, I just outright stole the recipe for the shrimp boil, and the ribs are my brother's super-secret recipe, so there's no actual recipe here. Just some ideas for super-fun, utensil-optional meals for large groups.

What are ideas you've done that are great for parties or large groups? Fun food traditions? Let us know.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-21T23:37:00.008-05:00

Just add food and friends

Grapefruit shrimp and bay scallops. I believe in tradition, but I also believe in keeping it a little fresh with some unexpected additions. These made a nice cameo this year.

Deep-frying the turkey with style. Being in the South, we embraced the deep-frying bug, and I may never let go.

One transcendentally juicy turkey. Don't be fooled by the crusty (oh the beautifully crisp delectable crust) exterior. That thing was divine.

A whole lotta' pies. Pecan is a family tradition, and I'm trying really hard to make the chocolate cheesecake a tradition, too.

Traditional sides: candied sweet potatoes and fruit stuffing

Cranberry sauce with a twist.

Purple mashed potatoes. We thought the purple would be fun for the kids. We were not disappointed. And no, we didn't dye them: they came that way.

Family tradition: saurkraut is served at Thanksgiving. With some sausage, onion, apple, and brown sugar, it's pretty good.

These orange and rosemary carrots have been my go-to side dish lately. They're easy, great, and elegant.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Any awesome food traditions with your family? Please share.

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

2009-11-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

I have had this dish at least one bagillion times in my life. I just never really knew that it had a name. It has been a constant at work lunches, banquets, etc. It was only recently while I was staying in a Little Italy part of the city for a convention that I learned what the name was. We wandered into a quaint little Italian market with a restaurant attached, and I looked at the menu. I was sold at "caper, lemon, butter sauce." Yes please.

Well, I had to get through the salad and spaghetti first (this place was a legit Italian eatery, let me tell you). And then came a beautifully golden, thinly-sliced chicken breast topped with capers and mushrooms. In my mind I said "Eureka!" which is the perfectly normal thing to say in situaitons such as this. I just spared my dinner guest the inevitable awkwardness of my running through the streets naked yelling it, as legend says it originally was.

I have removed the breading from the version I had, thinking that a pan-seared chicken breast has a better consistency to it, and a little less weight to it. Cooking the capers in the oil first distributes their distinctive taste throughout the entire dish, giving it a little more briny kick.

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

4 thinly-sliced chicken breasts (or 2 breasts, butterfly-cut in half)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of one lemon
2/3 cup chicken stock
about 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese, to garnish
salt and pepper

Place the chicken breasts between sheets of aluminum foil and pound with a mallet until evenly thin throughout. Salt and pepper both sides generously.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the capers and stir for about 2 minutes. You don't want them mushy--just a little seared. Remove the capers, retaining as much of the oil as you can.

To the same pan, add the butter. When melted, add the chicken breasts (you can do 2 at a time: don't crowd the pan). Sear until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove, and keep close. Retain as much butter and oil in the pan as possible.

To the drippings and butter in the pan, add the garlic and saute for about a minute. Then add the lemon juice, zest, and chicken broth. Let simmer for a few minutes, until reduced by about a third. Add back the capers, as well as the mushrooms and parsley. Stir until the mushrooms are slightly soft. Place the chicken breasts back in the pan, and spoon over the sauce for a minute or two, until heated through.

Serve on top of your favorite pasta with Parmesan cheese.

Do the prep first. That's why they call it "prep."

2009-11-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

Life lesson learned: make sure all your ingredients are ready to go. I have a great big band-aid on my finder right now reminding me that when the onions and garlic are sizzling on the stove, the moment for chopping tomatoes is past. A very brief glance to the pan in the midst of my frantic, last-minute tomato dicing led to my beautifully sharp Wusthof knife slicing a nice little gash into my left pointer finger.

Seriously, people. Just chop the tomatoes, then put the pan on the stove. Your fingers will thank you.

Caramelized Cipollini Onions

2009-11-01T06:26:00.001-05:00

I know people who say that they don't like onions. I don't understand this philosophy. I mean, let's be serious here, I'm not going to just go eat a great big Vidalia like an apple anytime soon, but can you make such a sweeping, general statement? Do you really want to banish onions from cooking entirely? Onions are in just about everything, people. Let's open our minds. Wikipedia states that evidences of onion use can be found dating back to 5000 BC. Are you gonna' fight with 7000 years of human culture? I thought not.

More often than not, people say it's the texture of the onions that they don't like. I think that's where cipollini onions can help us. These are not regular onions, people. They caramelize beautifully with a soft texture, they're sweet without the strong bite of other onions, and frankly, they look really cool. However, they are nasty little buggers to peel, so they're not quite perfect. But they're probably pretty close.

I love them, and I'm pretty sure that you will, too (yes you, the onion-hating people who are reading this who know who you are). I was cooking a few of these up the other day for some people who had ever heard of this concept before, and they just kind of looked at the pan and asked, "Are those onions?" Yes, they are. "Do we just eat them whole?" Yes, you do. Oh boy, do you.

Caramelized Cipollini Onions

1 pound cipollini onions, peeled and hard roots carefully cut off, leaving as much onion as possible
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
About 1/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 large basil leaves, thinly sliced.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, eat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and stir frequently until browned, a few minutes on each side. Don't overcook, or they'll get kind of mushy, and that's a shame.

Remove the onions from the pan, and keep them close. Add the beef stock and vinegar, and stir, deglaze the bottom of the pan as much as possible. If there are any browned bits on the pan, dissolve them back into the liquid, because you don't want any of that sweet, oniony goodness to go to waste. When the liquid has reduced by about half, add the onions back, allowing them to reheat. Top with salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil.

Pumpkin, Ginger French Toast

2009-10-25T00:44:00.002-04:00

Some recipes are born of inspiration. Others are born of necessity. Necessities like, "Oh boy, I have to make brunch for my sisters in 10 minutes. Shoot. What do I have?" Turns out a leftover loaf of french bread, a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, and some real life maple syrup can make a convincing brunch entree. I thought the pumpkin and ginger had a nice presence without being overpowering. As my sister put it, "You know, I don't really like French toast. Who really likes soggy bread? Well let me tell you, this soggy bread I like!"

Pumpkin, Ginger French Toast

2 loaves day-old french bread
3 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
Maple syrup, for serving

Cut the loaves of bread on the diagonal into approximately 1.5-inch slices (about 15-20 slices, total).

Whisk together the remaining ingredients, except for the syrup, until smooth and homogeneous. Heat a large, flat-bottomed skillet or griddle on the stove over medium-high heat. Use some butter or non-stick spray to grease the pan.

Quickly dip both sides of the bread into the egg and pumpkin mixture until both sides are coated, but not soggy (you only want the mixture on the exterior). Place on the heated griddle, and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes a side. Serve quickly, while still warm, with the maple syrup.

Pears with Asiago, Cashews, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2009-10-24T02:43:00.001-04:00

This recipe was an accident. I was trying to make just a quick salad to go with some pizza, but I completely forgot to buy any lettuce. In our American, "iceberg lettuce + ranch = salad" minds, this may have been seen as a terribly tragedy. However, will just a little mind-freeing, creativity, and reassurance that these flavors actually do work together surprisingly well, the salad was prepared and presented sans lettuce. The show must go on. It actually worked really well. The sweet pears and salty cheese work together really well, and the vinaigrette and cashews are a great accompaniment.

So forgot the lettuce. You don't need it. Take all of the good tasting things in the salad (which typically isn't the lettuce), and serve that with just a little dressing. All of the goodness without the fluff. Go on--live dangerously. You can do it.

Pears with Asiago, Cashews, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
pinch salt
3 large d'Anjou, Bartlett, or comice pears, cut lengthwise into slices
Asiago cheese, made into curls with a vegetable peeler
roasted cashew halves

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, and salt. Toss gently with the pear slices. Layer the pears slices on a serving planner or individual dishes. Top with the cheese curls and cahsews, and serve immediately.

Fancy cheese = party, with a recipe for Goat Cheese with Pepper Jelly thrown in there

2009-10-20T11:42:00.002-04:00

This is one of those "not really a recipe but just kind of a cool thing you do" posts, and a commandment to you to go throw a cheese party. Really, go do it right now. I was invited by a few friends to a fancy cheese party, and let me tell you, cheese brings people together. Surprisingly, everyone has an opinion about cheese, and more people than you would think have a particular type of cheese they're really particular about. You'll probably get a great combination of hard and soft, foreign and domestic, subtle and sharp, etc. Great times will be had by all.

Just tell everyone to bring their favorite cheese, you provide some bread, crackers, and fruit, and you've got a party. I decided to bring a log of goat cheese with red pepper jelly. I love the combination of the tangy cheese with the sweet, slightly spicy jelly. It also works really well with jalapeno jelly, or if you are lucky enough to live close to a Foster's Market, a bottle of their amazing Seven-pepper jelly.

There really isn't much to this. Just get some fresh goat cheese and serve it with the jelly. There. That was the recipe. Awesome. Just little tricks, though. You can slice the cheese with some unflavored, unwaxed dental floss (I keep a spool in my kitchen). I think it is best served with a fresh, crusty baguette, but you go do whatever you want. Just have your party now. Your life will be better.

Creamed Peas on Toast

2009-10-13T23:11:00.005-04:00

This recipe is retro. I have no idea if they ate this in the 50's, but to me it kind of seems like something a suburban housewife in a high-waisted plaid skirt would make for her accountant, skinny-tie and chunky glasses-wearing husband to eat watching TV and a mustard sofa. But in all honesty, I can just barely remember the mid-80's, so I really don't know. Most of that mental image is probably based on my last watching of "Edward Scissorhands," which is an amazing movie (although it scared me to death until I was probably 21 years old).

My mom used to make a recipe similar to this quite often, and there is a sentimental place in my heart for it. So maybe it's more retro to the early 90's than the mid 50's, but in any case, it's good and filling.

The other day I realized it had been quite some time since eating a vegetable (these things happen in a bachelor grad student's home occasionally), and looking around the fridge and freezer, this was the solution. If I wanted a healthy, and nutritious dinner, obviously the solution was to cover vegetables with cream, butter, and cheese sauce. Healthy and happy. Mmmm good.

Creamed Peas on Toast

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove, minced garlic
2 heaping tablespoons flour
about 1 cup milk (I used about 1/2 milk and 1/2 half-and-half, which I had in the fridge)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pound frozen peas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper, to taste
Toasted bread slices

Heat the butter and olive oil in a flat-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Saute the garlic until slightly browned. Add the flour, and stir until it becomes a smooth paste. Add about 3/4 cup of the milk and stir or whisk well until smooth. Add additional milk or cream until the desired thickness (you want it thick, but not soupy). Add the lemon juice.

Add the peas and stir until heated through, but not mushy. Add the cheese and chives, and stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on toast, or as a side dish.

2nd Annual Relief Society General Broadcast Dinner

2009-09-27T00:35:00.003-04:00

Once again, I found myself at the helm of a multi-course, sit-down, plated, served by well-intentioned guys pretending to be waiters, church dinner for 50 women. I love my life.

Course 1: Soup: Curried carrot soup.

This was a great way to start. The curry and ginger started the meal with a pretty powerful punch, and the carrot and sweet potato were a subtle reminder of autumn which is just barely creeping around us down here in the south. The coconut also gives an interesting depth to it, so while the soup is complex, it was perfect for a fresh, eager palette.

Course 2: Salad: Orange and goat cheese salad with candied walnuts and lemon vinaigrette.

I am in love, and the lucky girl is goat cheese. I was a little worried that "goat" may scare away some non-seasoned cheese eaters, so we called it chevre, and everyone was happy. The little citrus and the tangy cheese were a perfect punch together, and went well following the curried soup.

Course 3: Entree: Mustard sage-braised pork loin, wild-rice pilaf, and roasted asparagus.
Don't be fooled by the link that takes you to a chicken recipe. I essentially used the same recipe with the pork, just upping the mustard a little, replacing the herbs with sage, and using a crockpot fpr 2 hours instead of the oven. For a large crowd, it was perfect. I bought whole pork loins, cut them in fourths, seared them, then stuck them in crockpots with the sauce for 2 hours, and sliced them in advance. When it was time to serve the entree, all I did was take them out and spoon the sauce over. It was easy as pie (editors note: pie is not easy--crusts take serious work!--so I have no idea where this phrase comes from).

Course 4: Dessert
Caramel chocolate cheesecake. I will admit that making 4 of these was ambitious, as it takes forever, but I love this cheesecake. You need to go make it right now. It will make your life better, I promise. It was a nice way to end the dinner with a punch, especially when served with a few chocolate chips and chocolate grahams crumbs sprinkled over top. That's love, right there.

Curried Carrot Soup

2009-09-27T00:10:00.000-04:00

Some recipes come to me naturally in their complete form, and some you have to work for. This one took work. I had multiple revisions, editions, experiments, and one beautiful moment walking down the aisle at the grocery store and seeing a can of what I was trying to create sitting the shelf (although I have since deviated away from its ingredient list). I am quite pleased with the outcome.
Depending on the strength of your curry powder and your personal taste, you can adjust the curry-ness to your own liking.

Curried Carrot Soup

2 pounds carrots, cut into 1/2 - inch pieces
1 medium sweet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and diced in 1/2 - inch cubes
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional for garnish
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 can coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Toasted cashew halves, for garnishing

Add the carrots, sweet potato, garlic, ginger, and cilantro to a large pot and cover with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft (about 15 - 20 minutes). Add the curry powder and coconut milk, and process with an immersion blender until very smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for a few more minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with some fresh cilantro on top with a few cashew halves.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2009-09-05T00:47:00.001-04:00

This is a quite elegant yet simple salad. The sweetness of the orange and honey compliment the goat cheese quite well, and the little burst of lemon in the dressing pulls the whole thing together. I used arugula as the greens, which may be a little much for some people, but I really liked it. I'm sure any baby lettuce would work well.

As with almost any salad, I'm just going to let you figure out quantities of ingredients based on your preference and the size of your dinner party. I also cheated just a little and used orange slices rather than supremes, but supreming citrus is a lot of hard work.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

for the candied walnuts

1/2 cup small walnut pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

for the dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper, to taste

for the salad

baby green lettuces
oranges slices, peel and pith removed
goat cheese, cut into rings
honey, for drizzling

Candy the walnuts
In a flat-bottomed pan, toast the walnut pieces over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, stirring regularly. When they are becoming browned, add the butter, and stir to coat. Then add the brown sugar, and stir to coat. Cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.

Make the dressing
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Compile the salad
Toss the greens with some of the lemon vinaigrette until lightly coated. Layer on the orange and cheese slice, then drizzle the fruit and cheese with honey. Garnish with candied walnuts.

Asian Coleslaw

2009-09-02T13:00:00.001-04:00

This is a little twist on the traditional southern sidedish (which I love, mind you, but I still don't mind a twist on it every now and again). It has a definite sweetness to it, and a nice crunch from the peas and the cashews. It makes a bit batch, though, so you could easily half the recipe for smaller-scale partying.

Asian Coleslaw

for the salad

1 head savoy cabbage, cut into quarters and the hard stem cut out
2-3 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 bunch green onions
1/2 pound snow peas, ends trimmed
2 11-ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained
Salt and pepper
about 1/3 cup cashew halves

for the dressing

1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

In a food processor with the slicing disc, thinly slice the cabbage and celery. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. With the food processor shredding disc, shred the carrot, and transfer to the bowl. With the metal chopping blade, pulse the green onions until uniformly chopped. Add to the mix. Add the peas (retaining a few to put on top) and half of the oranges. Salt and pepper the vegetables well.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients, and whisk together. Immediately before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to coat evenly. Top with the remaining peas, oranges, and cashews.

Steak Sandwich

2009-08-30T15:46:00.000-04:00

I have seen similar versions of this made by Ina Garten and Smitten Kitchen (although I'm pretty sure the Smitten Kitchen version was referencing the Ina Garten version, so all thanks should go to Barefoot Contessa), and I thought I'd have a go at it.

This version makes 6 medium-sized sanwhiches.

Steak Sandwich

2 thick-sliced New York Strip Steaks
Salt and pepper
1 large, sweet yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 large ciabatta loaf (or several small, individual-sized loafs)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon coarse-group mustard
3 slices Provolone cheese
Baby arugula to top

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Salt and pepper the steaks, and let the steaks come to room temperature. Heat a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet or oven-proof frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Sear the steak on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the steak, and stick the entire pan in the oven for about 10 minutes. When they're done (a nice medium-rare to medium), remove from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes.

In another skillet, heat some more olive oil, and cook the sliced onion until soft and caramelized. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the ciabatta loaf in half (sandwich style). Combine the mayo, sour cream, and mustards in a bowl, then spread over the top half of the loaf. Cut the provolone slices in half, and layer over the mayo mixture. Layer the onions on the bottom half of the loaf.

Slice the steak into thin strips, and place on top of the onions. Top with arugula, and very carefully place the top of the loaf on the bottom, forming the whole sandwich. Applying a lot of pressure, cut the loaf into the desired number of sandwiches (it makes 6 nicely, but you could do 4 if you have big eaters)

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-08-29T23:04:00.003-04:00

Chocolate chip cookies are not for the faint of heart. You may think, "Oh, well let me just go throw together some chocolate chip cookies real quickly," without a second thought. There is a science to this; a science which must be appreciated. There are also opposing philosophies. I strongly believe in the slight crispiness on the outside, chewy on the inside philosophy. You can disagree, but I'll think you're weird.

I use self-rising flour (which I think yields a better result), but you could make your own with 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mixed well.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool slightly
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups chocolate chunks (I like bigger pieces than just the chips)

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream the butter and sugars in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until very smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until mixed (but don't over work the dough).

Add the flour, and mix on low until well-incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Here is where you really need to pay attention. These steps are important. I'm not kidding.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This causes the melted butter to solidify a bit, making the cookies less likely to be flat. Scoop the dough into small balls (maybe about 2 tablespoons each), and place on the cookie sheet, well-spaced.

In my oven, I bake them for 13 minutes exactly: you'll probably have to figure it out in yours. The edges should be barely golden, the but the tops should not. Remove the cookie sheet, and immediately transfer the cookies to a wire wrack to cool (crucial). Be very careful to not break the cookies as they will be very soft. The exterior will crisp just a bit as the cool, and they will be perfect.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-08-27T22:46:00.005-04:00

Kids, these don't even pretend to be authentic. Not even a little bit. I'm just shooting for "good." These enchiladas pack a creamy punch, let me tell you. Perhaps a little too creamy (if such a thing is possible), so be judicious with the sour cream.

I chose to use chicken thighs rather than the traditional chicken breasts, because I liked the richer flavor of the dark meat. However, with the richness of the sauce, you may prefer all white meat. Do whatever you want; I trust you.

You can serve with guacamole and other south-of-the-border (referring to Canada's border) fixins'.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

about 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin and bones still on (they cook better, I promise)
a few tablespoons olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, finely chopped
1 small can diced green chilies
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 soup-can of milk
2 large dollops sour cream
several sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
10-13 medium tortillas
A generous amount of shredded cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the chicken on both sides in a flat-bottomed saute pan in the olive oil over medium-high heat (a few minutes each side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden and juices run clear. Set aside.

While the chicken is in the oven, return the saute pan to the stove, and add the onions and green chilies. Saute until soft. When the chicken is done cooking, remove the flesh from the bone, and shred it into the onion and chilies in the pan. Season with salt and pepper

In a seperate mixing bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream, and cilantro. Whisk until smooth. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the onions and chicken in the saute pan, and stir to coat.

Reusing the same 9 by 13 inch pan you used for the chicken, coat the bottom of the pan with some of the soup mixture. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the chicken and onions mixture into a tortilla, wrap, and place in the pan. Repeat until the pan is full (probably about 10-12 will fit). Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the top, and top generously with the cheese.

Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

2009-08-25T14:47:00.004-04:00

Thanks to LacyLu for the inspiration for this beautiful, fancy, tasty little dish here. This flavor combination was inspired by a Hot Pocket (well, actually a lean pocket). This is (hopefully) a slightly more fulfilling, non-microwavable version taking slightly more than 90 seconds until piping hot, but hey, Mom says it's nice enough for company (and it's pretty dang good, too).

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

ingredients

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
1 cup frozen, chopped spinach
1 shallot, finely diced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
6 boneless, plump chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon (I zested the other half in long strips to use as a garnish)
a few tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the cheese, artichoke, spinach, shallot, and some salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Finely dice 1 sprig of the rosemary and 2 - 3 sprigs of the thyme, and add to the mixture.

Cut a deep slice into the sides of the chicken breast, forming a pocket inside (being ever so careful as to not cut through them completely). Evenly distribute the filling into 6 portions, and stuff the chicken breasts, closing off the edges with toothpicks, as needed.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high, and sear the chicken breasts a few at a time on both sides (about 3-5 minutes a side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan (retaining the juices in the frying pan), and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until juice run clear.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice,lemon zest, and remaining herbs to the pan with the chicken drippings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to reduce as the chicken roasts.

When the chicken is finished, pour any juices from the baking pan into the gravy. Thicken the gravy with a few tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in cold water, then added to the gravy. Stir until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken breasts with the gravy, and garnish with additional herbs and lemon zest.

You can serve it with roasted asparagus and some roasted red potatoes.

Guest Post:: Caponata (Tomato and Bread Salad)

2009-08-25T11:18:00.005-04:00

Thanks to SHeil for this dish, straight from her authentically Italian grandmother's garden.

This is a central Italian bread and tomato salad. It is a great way to turn fresh tomatoes from the garden into a quick, healthy, delicious lunch. There are many different regional versions of the caponata, but this is the 'correct' one, according to my grandmother, who lives in Salerno (which is in the second wrinkle in the ankle of the boot). This recipe may look long at first, but once you know how much seasoning goes into the tomatoes, it's really very quick and simple: seasoned tomatoes and crunchy bread cubes. If you have been storing the tomatoes in your fridge, shame on you. You've created nasty, inedible, bitter things, only good for sauce, BUT you can redeem yourself SLIGHTLY by leaving them on the windowsill for a few hours before you use them.

I hate to say the best bread for this salad is made only in Italy, but it's true. However, you can cheat relatively well with a good baguette, or other fresh, hearty loaf of crusty bread. For this recipe, I used half a baguette I had in the bread bin, and it was very good. When you season and toast the bread they will look like giant croutons, but making them yourself is essential. You can make them ahead of time and store them, but they only take about 10 minutes to cut and bake, so it really doesn't matter, and fresh will be better.

The ingredients are all rough estimations as this is not a picky recipe. You really just need even proportions of bread and tomatoes; you can use according to taste. Use a little more or less of some things, according to your taste. Just don't skimp on the olive oil, you're skinny enough. Trust me.

Caponata

You'll need:

several ripe tomatoes (4 big/6 medium should do)
half a baguette
1/3 cup relatively good extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
a medium handful of FRESH basil, torn into little pieces
a large clove FRESH garlic
sea/kosher salt (about 1.5 Tbsp) *Kosher/sea salt is WAY better, but regular salt will not kill you in a pinch. It's just not nearly as good, and you'll have to live with that.
a little pepper

for the tomatoes

Get a medium mixing bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Less seeds are better, so leave that seedy juice puddle on the board, but you don't have to be obsessive about removing every seed from the tomatoes. Pour the oil over the tomatoes, about 1/3 c,
enough to generously drizzle over the whole pile.

Salt the tomatoes generously (about 1.5 T, enough to shake evenly and lightly over the whole
bowl--you should be able to see salt, but the tomatoes should not be drowning in it). Tear up your handful of basil (you can chop, but tearing releases the flavor better) and add that to the bowl. Finely mince the garlic clove (I just use a garlic press right in the bowl) and add that to
the bowl. Add around 5 twists of the pepper grinder-you'll want enough to very lightly coat the tomatoes. Toss everything together.

At this point smell the bowl. Yes, smell it. It should smell really fantastic, like a good Italian restaurant, or your Italian grandmother's kitchen, and you should be able to smell the tomatoes, basil, salt, and oil about the same amount. If all you are smelling is tomatoes, add more basil. If it smells fruity, add a little more salt. If there is not a little puddle of oil under the tomatoes (or there are not drops of oil in the juice under the tomatoes), add a little more oil (the tomatoes should glisten). Then, taste a piece. It should taste very slightly salty, because you have to
add seasoning for the bread you'll add later. If it tastes really salty, add more tomato. Again, this is not a picky recipe, adjust to your tastes. It should be tasty all by itself, albeit a little salty, at this point.

for the bread

Slice the baguette half into 1-inch wide slices, then cut the slices into cubes about 1-1.5 inches wide. Dump them all on a cookie sheet, spray them lightly with olive oil, and put them in the
oven at around 400 degrees F. The point is to get them very lightly golden, but crunchy throughout. Crunchy is the important part. You do not want crunchy outside, squishy inside. The whole cube must be crunchy. Seriously. Watch them, as this will not take long, and flip them when the tops become golden, so that most sides have a chance to become golden.

assembly

Simply toss the bread cubes with the tomato/herb mixture. The key is to not toss them together until the very last moment before serving, or the bread will become soggy and unappetizing. The bread should absorb the tomato juice in the bottom of the mixing bowl and be a happy medium between crunchy and chewy.

If your bread is very crunchy, and you do not like the texture, simply dip your bread cubes VERY quickly in water right before adding them to the bowl of tomatoes, again making sure to do this right before serving. You should only have to do this with either really dry tomatoes, or really dense, grainy bread.

Tutti a tavola a mangiare! (the italian equivalent of bon appetito!, literally means "everyone to table to eat!", or "let's eat!")

It really does taste better if it's grown with love

2009-08-24T01:00:00.003-04:00

Pictures from our field trip to and lunch from the farmers market. Go buy yourself some local goodness.

Guest Post: Summer Pasta Salad with Basil Lemon Mayo

2009-08-23T17:21:00.002-04:00

This one comes courtesy of local foodie, A.Dyer.

Hmm, how to introduce something as glorious and amazing as the idea of Basil Mayonnaise over a pasta salad of sweet peppers, cucumber and Farfalle? Does it really need any introduction? The idea of marrying the flavors of fresh garden basil, tart lemon and stone ground mustard into a creamy fresh mayonnaise is almost indecent it's so good! Add to that the sweet crisp of miniature sweet peppers, the cool crunch of English cucumbers and the delicate texture of al dente farfalle and you have a match made in heaven!

Basil Lemon Mayonnaise

1 c. basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 extra large egg yolks
1 T. lemon juice
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. sunflower oil
1/3 c. stone ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse the basil leaves and garlic until finely minced. Remove and set aside. Clean the bowl and add the egg yolks and lemon juice - process them briefly until lightly blended. Stir the oils together and, with the machine running, pour in the oil very slowly, a little at a time, in a very thin stream until all of the oil has been added. With the processor still running, add the mustard and the garlic basil mixture. Pulse until thoroughly incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For Salad:
1 lb. box farfalle pasta
1 English cucumber, diced
3 c. sweet miniature peppers, seeded and chopped.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse until cool. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cucumber and peppers. Add half of the mayonnaise and stir to incorporate. Refrigerator until ready to serve.

Guest Post: Domestic Showcase Summer Salad

2009-08-22T00:51:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Ruby for the guest post.

I once gave my sister The Cottage Cheese Cookbook: 101 Recipes with Cottage Cheese.

I ensure you this recipe was not included; however it does include chesse de la cottage in a surprisingly sophisticated way (at least I think so). I adore this salad because of its texture and it feels more substantial than your everyday mix of spinach. I learned to make it from a college friend who we deemed the "Domestic Showcase"--my motto is fake it till you make it and this salad is so easy...

domestic showcase summer salad:

toss fresh spinach leaves

about 3/4 a container of cottage cheese

lots or red or purple grapes- I prefer really flavorful purple ones from the CFM, but that's your call

a few splashes of zesty italian dressing

[sunflower seeds or pine nuts optional]

you're done! I don't measure--to get the proportions just right you have to taste and sample until your tastebuds say, "Yes!"

Insalata Caprese Crostini (aka, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil on Toast)

2009-08-21T15:04:00.005-04:00

I realize I have a very similar recipe on the site already, but it's summer and the tomatoes are straight from heaven (via the dirt of North Carolina's local farms), and I can never get enough fresh mozzarella (especially when it comes from the farmer's market, and you're kind of scared of touching it because it's so soft and creamy), and this one has bread involved, which is amazing, so it's different. I don't care.

At the farmer's market, Hollywood just got a grab bag of different varieties of tomatoes, so I have no idea what kinds we actually ended up using, but having a slightly different color and flavor on each slice was kind of fun. Whatever kind you use, make sure it's ripe and fresh and divine, and you'll be fine.

Some people would have put balsamic vinegar on this dish. I'm told that such is horribly inauthentic (I personally don't care a thing about authenticity), but I really think it isn't needed. The simplicity of this dish really brings out the freshness and quality of the ingredients, so a super-strong flavor like that would be too much, I think.

Insalata Caprese Crostini (aka, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil on Toast)

for the crostini

1 fresh, French baguette, sliced about 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal
extra virgin olive oil

for the salad

Fresh, ripe, firm, amazing tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Heat the oven on broil. Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet, and brush the tops with olive oil. Broil for a few minutes (maybe 3 -5, depending on your oven), until the tops are golden and crispy, but the interior is still soft.

Cut the tomatoes in half, then slice them into half-circles. Cut the mozzarella into similarly-shaped and -sized pieces. Top the bread with the tomato and cheese, then drizzle some more olive oil over top. Salt and pepper to taste.

Top each slice with the basil, and serve immediately (don't let them get soggy--the texture is half the fun).

Guest Post: Fried Okra

2009-08-21T14:47:00.008-04:00

This post comes from J.Deal, and let me tell you, this girl is legit. If you're trying to become authentically southern, this is the girl to listen to. Raised in Georgia and North Carolina, J has authority when it comes to all things southern where I am just pretending. And friends, there's not much else more southern than fried okra.

Everyone's first reaction when they hear the word okra is, "Ugh, it's slimy," which is not true at all in this case. It's crisp, flavorful, deep fried, and amazing. Go make yourself some right now (extra points if the okra is from the farmer's market and is uber fresh to boot).

Southern Fried Okra
Serves 4.

1 lb okra
1 c cornmeal
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 c buttermilk
vegetable oil

Choose okra that is an even green color and 2" - 4" long. Trim stem ends from okra and cut into 3/4" lengths. Soak in buttermilk for 15 minutes.

Mix cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add okra and toss to coat.

Heat 1/2" oil in a 10" skillet (cast iron is traditional) over medium high heat. When oil begins to shimmer, sift excess cornmeal mixture from okra and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown. (Stir gently to avoid losing coating.) Drain on paper towels and salt again if needed.

Broccoli Salad

2009-08-15T16:07:00.007-04:00

People, I don't measure. I'm sorry. Sometimes I try to measure, knowing full well that I'm going to have to write up a list of ingredients to put on the blog, but it's just not that easy. As you go along, you realize that you need a little more of this, or you just use handfulls rather than measuring cups. Sometimes you measure all the ingredients, but then you throw a little more on top as a garnish at the end. People, I just assume that you are intelligent and creative and will add more or less onion if you feel like it.

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about the recipe.

I don't particularly think of this as anything fancy or special--you can find this is the deli isle of almost any grocery store on earth next to the cole slaw and potato salad--but I pulled this one out at a church potluck, and people loved it. To mean, this salad screams summer, grilling, outdoors, picnics, etc. Most of the time, the bacon and cheese are most prominent in this salad, but I really like it to be a little sweeter with more emphasis on the cashews and cranberries. Hopefully you like it, too.

Broccoli Salad

for the salad

About 2 pounds broccoli crowns, chopped into small, bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries, plus additional for garnishing
2/3 heaping cup roasted cashew halves, plus additional for garnishing
about 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I pretty much just garnish with it)
2-3 slices crispy bacon, chopped

for the dressing

1.5 cup mayonnaise
1.5 tablespoons fruity vinegar (I use a raspberry white balsamic)
2 heaping tablespoons sugar

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the dressing well. Immediately before serving (you don't want the nuts to get soggy), fold the dressing into the salad, stirring until well-coated. Top with retained cranberries and cashews.

Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

2009-08-14T11:55:00.006-04:00

I've got a confession, and most people are shocked when the hear it. I really don't like pasta all that much. I mean, the concept of pasta is fine, but it seems like anytime you go to an Italian restaurant, you just end up with a big homogeneous bowl of pasta and sauce. Every bite is exactly the same. Who likes dinner to be homogeneous?

I've made this argument several times to several people, and once my sister tried to explain to someone else my position. She said, "He doesn't like pasta, because it's too monogamous." When I tried to explain to her that 'homogeneous' and 'monogamous' were in fact, two very different words, she stated, "Well, they both mean 'the same,' don't they?" Who can fight with logic like that?

However, there are a few sauces of which I wouldn't mind a big ole' bowl of homogeneity. I first tasted a tomato mascarpone sauce from a little food delivery service my parents have (seriously, it started as a milkman delivering 2 gallons a week, and now he brings produce, and baked goods, and ridiculously good pasta sauce). Then I had another shot at it at a quirky little cafe in a bookstore in Washington DC over lobster and asparagus ravioli (more on that later). I decided to give it a go.

The end result was not exactly like what I had before, but was quite good. Feel free to experiment and comment.

Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large, ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
about 1 cup chicken broth
3-4 large, fresh basil leaves, sliced thin, plus additional for garnishing
about 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound dry pasta (I used fusilli, because I like how it holds the sauce, but you could use just about anything)

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the shallot and garlic, and stir until soft but not yet browned. Add the diced tomatoes, and saute for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and basil, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the tomatoes are very soft, about 25-30 minutes. Add more broth if it reduces too much.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Rinse, and keep warm.

When the tomatoes have finished simmering, add the mascarpone and stir until melted and mixed well throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste (it will probably require a good bit of salt).

Top the pasta with the warm sauce and additional sliced, fresh basil.

Tunes

2009-08-14T00:00:00.004-04:00

What do you listen to when you cook? Do you have a jammin' out in the kitchen sing-along session? Do you just turn on whatever's on the radio? Do you have a set culinary playlist? Do you just let the simmering sauce sing to you?

I probably put too much thought into what the iPod plays as I cook away, but sometimes I am very particular. The other day, I needed my angsty love, Ingrid Michaelson. A week or so ago, (I'm embarrassed I'm even writing this down), ABBA was all that would do (if you tell anyone about that, I'll lie and deny it).

Tonight I came home to binge cook; I had three different meals going at the same time, outfitting myself with leftovers for the next week, and for the life of me, I couldn't decide what to listen to. It gnawed at me. So I just put the thing on random and let it go. It just wasn't right.

Tunes are crucial. What do you listen to in the kitchen?

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

2009-08-12T12:07:00.004-04:00

There was a little Thai place in a city where I used to live that was pretty much the definition of a dive. It was just a few tables thrown into a small room, and the owner's little children just kind of wandered around the restaurant (and I'm pretty sure they stole my friend's chapstick once). However, I kept going back, and the soup was pretty much the reason why.

The first soup on the menu was listed as "sweet and intoxicating" (I think technically it was called tom kha gai, but I always just called it "sweet and intoxicating soup" and that was good enough for me.) It was a blend of coconut, vegetables, chicken, and other stuff that I'm not exactly sure of, but it was good. I know that there may be some out there who be offended at the decidedly American-looking list of ingredients: shouldn't it contain galangal and kaffir lime leaves and those little red chilies that will burn your eyebrows off and nam prik phao and lots of other stuff I can't pronounce? Well, it probably should, and if you're a Thai soup purist, I'm sorry. I don't believe in authenticity nearly as much as I believe in awesomeness. And this, my friends, is awesome.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

1 quart chicken broth
3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced very thin
1 medium jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
3 tablespoons lemongrass puree
Zest of 1 lime (finely zested)
2 cans coconut milk
1 pound chicken breast
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 can pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice
scant 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
2 teaspoons cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon basil leaves
Juice of 2-3 limes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
about 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms, roughly chopped
salt, to taste

Place the chicken broth in a large soup pot with the ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes to flavor the broth, occasionally stirring vigorously with a whisk. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard what's left in the strainer, and place the broth back in the pan.

Add the coconut milk, chicken, onion, pineapple, sugar, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 10 more minutes, or so). Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.

Add the lime juice, pepper, tomato, and mushrooms. Stir until warmed throughout. Season with salt as needed.

Tortellini in Asparagus Cream Sauce

2009-08-09T15:39:00.006-04:00

This recipe comes from my sister, who was trying to find a way to sneak a few more green vegetables into the diet (she being the domestic goddess that she is, keeping her lovely home with her adorable baby). I've edited just a little bit, and frankly, I quite like the result.

Honestly, this sauce would work just as well on any type of pasta (I think the aforementioned sister uses cheese ravioli). I know what some of you will say when you read the ingredient list and see half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Just hold on there, folks. Remember, this was an attempt to be more healthy and eat more vegetables. You can use heavy cream if you want (and I bet it would be good), but that would kind of defeat my purpose.

Tortellini in Asparagus Cream Sauce

1 pound fresh asparagus, hard stems discarded
1/2 large, sweet onion
3 cloves garlic
A few tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1.5 pounds dry tortellini
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450-degrees. Cut off the tips of asparagus and set aside. Place the asparagus, onion (sections separated), and garlic in a roasting pan. Drizzle some olive oil over them, and toss to coat well. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until slightly charred and well-cooked (the time may vary depending on the thickness of the asparagus: mine were very thin).

Bring a pot of salted water to boil on the stove for the pasta. When the vegetables are done, throw in the pasta to cook for the recommended time (usually about 10-12 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the vegetables and saute for a few minutes, until soft. Add the half-and-half and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetable and cream mixture until very smooth (the asparagus can be kind of stringy, so make sure you've done a good job). Add the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste (it may take a lot).

Add in the asparagus tips and simmer for just a minute until slightly soft. Drain the pasta, and using the larger of the two pots you've used, mix the pasta and sauce together until heated. Serve with more Parmesan if needed.

New Toys

2009-08-09T15:36:00.002-04:00

Williams and Sonoma was having a sale.

Hurray for me.

Grilled Peaches with Honey and Mascarpone

2009-07-27T13:26:00.008-04:00

Summer seems to demand grilling for some reason, and to be honest, I'm not exactly sure why. If it's so blasted hot outside, why do we go and hover over a 500+ degree smoke machine? Who knows, but the tradition holds, and personally, I love it. Now, as much as I love myself a big ole' piece of meat grilled to perfection, I think there may just be other foods that say "summer" a little stronger than a slab of cow. Peaches are one of those things for me. Peaches scream hot summer days, so what better way to summer them up even more than to cook them on a grill, and serve them alongside your steak or burger. The flavors here work very well together, and are the perfect accompaniment to your outdoor meal by the pool or on the patio.

Grilled Peaches with Honey and Mascarpone

Ingredients

Somewhat firm peaches, sliced in half with the pit removed
About 1 tablespoon of honey for every peach half you'll be cooking
About 1 tablespoon mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) for every peach half

In heating the grill, create a hotter side and a somewhat cooler section.

Place the peach halves, cut-side-down, on the hot part of the grill for about 3 minutes until char marks are visible and the peach is somewhat softer. Remove the peaches from the grill and turn them cut-side up.

Drizzle the honey over the cut sides of the peaches, and return them to the cooler section of the grill, cut-side-up for 4-5 minutes, until they're soft. Place some mascarpone in the hollow of each peach half, and serve while still warm.

Ginger Ale Scallops

2009-07-26T23:44:00.005-04:00

This recipe was made in a hotel room with limited resources. We went to a grocery store, but it you're only going to be somewhere for one night, you don't really want to buy all these kitchen staples. So, we bought a few main ingredients, then tried to make do with what we had. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we came up with something pretty dang good. Don't laugh when you see it. There probably is a way to do it with honey, fresh ginger, etc, but the crisp sweetness of the ginger ale really worked well with the scallops. And best of all, it was ready in just a few minutes.

Ginger Ale Scallops

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound small-to-medium sea scallops (you could do it with larger ones if you wanted, but the small ones worked really well)
1 medium shallot, finely diced
Juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 cup ginger ale
Salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the "feet" from the scallops, if necessary. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in a large, flat-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Make sure the bottom is covered well with the butter and oil. Add the scallops in a single layer, and let sear, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes. Gently dislodge them, if needed, and flip them to sear the other side, 2-3 minutes (or until gently colored). Remove from pan, retaining as much liquid in the pan as possible.

Add additional 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Toss in the shallot, and saute until browned. Add the lemon juice and ginger ale, working the bottom of the pan to dissolve any browned bits of scallop into the sauce. Bring to a boil, and let the sauce reduce for a few minutes. Toss the scallops back into the pan to reheat and cover with the sauce. Serve over sauteed or roasted asparagus.

Goat Cheese and Summer Berry Salad

2009-07-26T17:00:00.006-04:00

Summer is officially surrounding us, overheating us, and making us eat berries and fruit. This is a really quick, but really interesting salad that pairs well with other traditional, summer fare (grilled meat, corn on the cobb, etc.). The tangy goat cheese compliments the berries well, and the nuts add a great crunch. I don't really have any measurements here (use your judgment--I trust you), and you can really add whatever summer fruit or nuts suit your fancy. This is just the combination I used, but I'm sure others would work just as well.

Goat Cheese and Berry Salad

Ingredients

Young lettuces or spring mix
Sliced strawberries
Whole blackberries
Dried cranberries
Toasted almonds
Crumbled goat cheese
Poppyseed dressing

Layer the lettuces, fruit, nuts, and cheese. Serve with the poppyseed dressing.

Happy birthday, America

2009-07-05T15:17:00.001-04:00

Spinach and Brie Crepe Filling

2009-05-19T22:06:00.005-04:00

A few friends had a crepe party for a bon voyage party for a friend going to France for the summer. We had all sorts of chocolate and fruit fillings lined up, but wanting a savory option also, I opened my fridge to have a look what was inside. This is pretty simple, but ended up surprisingly popular. The measurements are very approximate as there was a lot of just adding to taste, but here's the best I can give you.

Spinach and Brie Crepe Filling

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 small shallot, finely diced
approx. 10 ounces spinach leaves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
about 1/2 to 3/4 pound brie, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided pan, and saute the garlic and shallot. Add the spinach, and stir until wilted. Remove the spinach and set aside, leaving what oil you can in the pan.

Using the same pan, melt the butter, then add the flour, making a paste. Pour in the milk, dissolving the paste, and stir in the cheese. Allow the cheese to melt. Add back in the spinach, and season with salt and pepper. If you need to thicken, dissolve a few teaspoons flour in equal part milk, and stir into the mixture.

Pan Seared Tuna with Asparagus and Tomato, Caper, Parsley Reduction

2009-04-28T17:16:00.004-04:00

I grew up hating fish (as in loathing it, if that verb is strong enough). As I have grown up, however, I have realized more and more that it's not fish in general that I hate--it's overcooked, frozen fish that I hate (and in all honesty, what's not to hate about it?). It has taken a surprisingly long time for me to overcome the childhood aversion. When I did, though, I came to love a well-cooked piece of fish.

This recipe was inspired by a challenge I saw on a cooking reality competition show, and then adapted from a recipe by Emeril. While it looks like I have prepared two plates, one for me and one for a special someone, in the name of full disclosure, I ate both pieces myself in one sitting. It was good.

Lesson learned. A few capers go a long way.

Pan-Seared Tuna with Asparagus and Tomato, Caper, Parsley Reduction

Serves 2: multiply as needed

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 medium ripe tomato, diced
1/4 cup water or fish broth
1 tablespoon capers, with the brine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 -4 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
2 sushi-grade tuna medallions (or steaks, if you're looking for a larger, heartier meal)
10 thin stalks asparagus

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot, and saute for a minute or two, until slightly browned. Add the tomato, and stir until soft. Add the water/broth, capers, and lemon juice and simmer for a few minutes, until reduced and thickened. Add the parsley and butter, stir to incorporate. Turn down the heat to low, and let it simmer while you cook the fish.

Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a wide pan with some olive oil and heat over medium high. Move the pan off-center so there is a definite hot side and a cooler side. Add the fish to the direct heat, and let cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Place the asparagus in the cooler side of the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the tuna, and cook for an additional 2 minutes for medium (maybe longer if you're using full steaks). Place the asparagus on a plate, top with the tomato caper sauce, and the fish. Garnish with parsley.

Easter Dinner for 10

2009-04-23T00:55:00.004-04:00

I get a little bored of the traditional holiday meals sometimes, so I like to play around with them a little. I know that on Easter you're supposed to eat a big ole' plate of ham, but something about ham didn't really speak to me this year as the North Carolina weather turned blissfully pleasant, the azaleas and dogwoods were in bloom, and local, leafy greens started popping up in markets. I wanted something a little springier, lighter, and fresher. Pork, while still coming from pig, seemed to fit the bill. And at the risk of seeming trite or cliche, I kept getting drawn to multicolor, baby versions of normal foods: new spring lettuces, fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, baby zucchini, etc. What can I say? It's springtime.

Easter Lunch for 10

Salad: Spring greens with thinly-sliced white asparagus and shallots, pecorino romano cheese, edible flowers, and grapefruit vinaigrette. I don't know how essential the flowers are to the flavor of the dish, but they added some beautiful color and spring feeling. And to boot, it was kind of fun watching people wonder if they really could eat them. I won't lie to you, this wasn't the best salad I've ever made in my life, but it may be about the prettiest and most talked-about in the course of eating it, so I think it's still a good trade-off.

Entree: Thyme-braised pork loin with raspberry-balsamic reduction, roasted multi-color fingerling potatoes with parsley, orange and rosemary braised baby carrots, and grilled baby zuchini.

I dont' have much experience with pork loins, so the texture wasn't exactly what I was going for, but I'm sure I'll get it with time. The sauce was quite good, however, and complimented the lightness of the pork very well. I will also never get tired of purple potatoes.

Dessert: Sorry there's no picture, but I made SmittenKitchen's lime and coconut cake. I have made this a few times now, and the texture is great, the flavor wonderfully bright and light with a little twist of citrus. I serve it was a raspberry coulis and big dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Valentines Day Menu for 2

2009-04-23T00:36:00.005-04:00

This was an all-out, no-holds barred display of culinary prowess meant to impress. Rather than a sit down meal, we made it course by course, eating as one was done, then moving on to the next. In all, it took about 3.5 hours to eat, but boy was it good.

Valentines Day Dinner for 2

Appetizer: Blood orange jumbo scallops with sea beans: This is a really elegant appetizer, and really isn't too hard to make quickly. The presentation is really nice.

Soup: Roasted butternut squash soup with rosemary, blue cheese, and crispy shallots. I don't have a recipe for you for this one, because I don't feel like I've really nailed the flavor yet. These basic flavors--butternut squash, onion, blue cheese, rosemary, and olive oil--work together beautifully, but the soup itself was still missing a little depth. I'll keep playing, but you may have to wait until next winter. Sorry.

Salad: Mixed greens with pears, Robusto cheese, cashews, and a balsamic vinaigrette. This one was pretty basic, and the combination is an extended family favorite that shows up at just about every family potluck.

Entree: Seared New York strip steak (cooked medium) with apple cider shallot reduction, horseradish mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans, and pan seared wild mushrooms. I like a good steak something fierce, and let me tell you, I'm getting pretty dern good at preparing them. The sauce may have been just a touch on the sweet side, but this was a quality plate, let me tell you.

Dessert: Warm chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream and mixed berry coulis. This is my go-to standard, fulfill my inner chocolate yearning standby. When elegant dessert is called for, warm chocolate melting cake is there.

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

2009-04-11T23:35:00.004-04:00

This is a light, fresh dressing for a spring salad.

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk or immersion blender. Serve with spring greens.

Cilantro Pesto

2009-02-28T15:05:00.005-05:00

This is a south-of-the-border twist on a classic Italian pesto (which I'm not terribly fond of, in all honesty, but people seem to get offended when I say that, so don't tell people). It's dead simple, and gives a great little kick to seafood, pasta, or as a topping for tacos or burritos.

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

1 cup loosely-packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup high-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and even throughout.

Basic Beef Enchiladas

2009-02-27T09:19:00.005-05:00

There is absolutely nothing exciting or clever about this recipe. I'm just putting it up because a friend asked for it. You could probably find better recipes all over the place. But it's fast, easy, and even domestically-challenged college boys can't mess it up. Enjoy.

Basic Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 – 2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 small, yellow onion, finely chopped
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 can green chilies
Flour tortillas (the smaller, taco-sized kind)
About 2 or 3 cans enchilada sauce
Lots of shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, or something similar)
Juice of 1 small lime (optional)
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil / butter in a large, flat skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ground beef. Break apart and stir until evenly browned throughout. Add the green chilies. Work them into the ground beef, and stir until evenly mixed in. (add the lime juice, if using).

Pour some of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish or similar-sized pan. Make sure the whole bottom is coated. Place a few spoonfuls of the beef mixture into a tortilla. Spread it evenly along the length of the tortilla. Roll tightly and place it in the plan. Repeat until you run out of beef.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, coating as much as you can. Top with the cheese (and cilantro, if using).

Place in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbly. Let cool a few minutes. Serve plain, or ranchero style with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole.

Blood Orange Scallops with Sea Beans

2009-02-15T21:32:00.004-05:00

This was my attempt at a fancy appetizer. Scallops are kind of intimidating to me for some reason, but they really are super easy to prepare. I found some jumbo scallops at Whole Foods, and they make for a really dramatic presentation with very little effort. I did learn a few things about scallops, though, if you're experimenting with them for the first time.

Scallops have little 'feet' which is just a small, tough muscle along the side which needs to be removed. Also, if you can find dry-pack scallops, they sear much better and keep a much better consistency than wet-pack.

This is also my experience with sea beans, but I saw them used them on Iron Chef one night and so that practically makes me professional. They have a briny crunch to them which pairs really well with the scallop. I used them raw here, but you could probably stir fry them for a minute or two to soften them up (I don't think they need it, though).

And just one more note on the presentation. You'll notice in the picture that I used a blood orange slice to the plate as garnish. The red and orange make a beautiful contrast, but were I to do it again, I would use a supreme wedge of the orange so you could actually eat it rather than just look at it.

Blood Orange Sea Scallops with Sea Beans

Ingredients

2 medium blood oranges
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 or 3 sprigs parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
4 large sea scallops
Sea beans, enough to form small beds for each scallop

Supreme 4 segments of the blood orange, and set aside. Place the rest of the flesh from both oranges in a food processor with the cream and salt and pepper. Puree until very smooth.

Remove and discard the feet from the scallops, and then lightly salt and pepper the remaining flesh. If you want to add a few presentation points, slice shallow X's across the top and bottom of the scallops (they sear beautifully that way).

Pour a thin layer of oil in a non-stick pan and heat to medium high (until the oil starts to smoke slightly). Add the scallops and let sit still for a few minutes (3-4) until the edges are seared golden, then flip and sear the other side.

Meanwhile, wash and arrange the sea beans and the orange supreme on the plates. When the second face of the scallops are seared, place on the bed of sea beans.

Quickly pour the orange-cream mixture into the hot pan, and stir quickly to incorporate the olive oil into the mixture. Taste for seasoning, then top the scallops with the sauce.

I haven't forgotten about you

2009-02-13T17:18:00.006-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, and I promise it's not because of you. It's me (this sounds like a bad break-up, doesn't it? Perfect for valentines day).

I have just failed to come up with anything original and good lately, although I have had some catastrophic failures. Such as:

Beef spareribs which tasted like they were braised in grape soda. Now mind you, I didn't use grape soda, but somehow that's what it seemed like. The poor cow died in vain.
Butternut squash and blue cheese tortellini, which ended up a disaster. The skins fell apart, the vinaigrette was too sour, and it was all around depressing. However, I haven't given up on this combination yet. The mashed butternut squash with caramelized onions, blue cheese, and rosemary wasn't half bad. It's going to become soup this weekend, and I'm excited about that. I'll let you know how it goes.

Brussels sprouts which should have been so good, because they had bacon in them (and bacon makes everything better, right?), but they just ended up being greasy and not good. I still don't know what went wrong.

I don't even want to talk about the chicken curry.
I am convinced that pear cobbler is impossible. Completely impossible. Under no circumstances (and trust me, I've had it under many circumstances, now) can I make it taste good. Nature has forbidden it.

So, that's the list of things I was excited about telling you about, but none of them turned out well. However, here are positive things in the future I hope will turn out:

Tomatillo alfredo sauce with cilantro pesto. I'm really close to cracking the jackpot ont his one, and boy, is it good. Look forward to that.
Grilled NY strip with shallot sauce
Pear and asiago salad with winter greens
Jumbo sea scallops with blood orange and sea beans

So don't feel neglected. I'll be back, soon.

Failure

2009-01-20T21:55:00.005-05:00

Alright kids, I seriously don't know what went wrong. The picture looked so promising:

But the result was so bad:

That one little slice was the only thing eaten by a group of about 8 people. Truth be told, I didn't even want to offer it to them, but they insisted. No one ate more than a crumb, really. I am in no way knocking the recipe at all; it's from one of my favorite food blogs and I trust her entirely. I took a few liberties--none of which seemed immoderate at the time--and the result was bad. You win some, you loose some. This one lost.

If there's anything I've learned from cooking, it's simply to take failures in stride. They happen sometimes, and you just have to live with it. When dessert fails (as it has with me several times: this oh-so-appealing-in-the-picture clementine cake, the cantelope gelato--it was so good in Italy, but so bad here--and others), but whip up something else. If the vegetable ends up gross, just leave it out. Sometimes things are bad, and your guests deserve better than that.

Ham and Potato Soup

2009-01-11T15:43:00.003-05:00

This soup was another in a long line of "it's freezing outside and I will never be warm again" Christmas break necessities. Like split pea soup calls for a leftover ham bone (this one came from the extended family Christmas party). I've noticed a pattern that when people find out you can cook, they give you all sorts of leftovers figuring you can do miracles with it. I will admit, I've waxed a little creative in my day with a few random leftovers, and this soup was one of them. It's probably not the most creative thing in the world, but it was warm, and it cleared room in the fridge. We didn't have any frozen peas, but throwing in a few right at the end probably would have been amazing. Carrots would probably be good, too.

Ham and Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ham bone with some meat still attached
2 large potatoes, peeled or not, cut up
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
about 1 heaping tablespoon diced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons thyme
a few tablespoons flour, to thicken if necessary

Heat the water and broth in a large pot, and add the garlic and ham bone. Simmer for 40 minutes to an hour, until the meat starts to get very tender. Add the vegetables, and continue to simmer until soft. Remove the ham bone, and cut off and chop the usable meat. With an immersion blender, pulse the soup a few times to break up some of the potato pieces (you don't want to puree at all, just thicken it a little bit). Add the herbs, salt, pepper, and ham. Heat through, and season to taste. If it needs a little thickening, whisk a few tablespoons of flour in a few tablespoons cold water, then add to the soup and stir until thickened.

Eggs Benedict

2009-01-10T22:01:00.008-05:00

I remember one time we went to a fancy restaurant for breakfast as a family when I was quite young, and there was eggs benedict on the menu. I was confused. It wasn't Christmas morning, we weren't still in our pajamas at 11:30, and we weren't already half-full from eating cherry chocolates. This wasn't the appropriate time! Didn't they know that eggs benedict were reserved for only one hallowed day a year? Nothing is sacred anymore.

To say that eggs benedict on Christmas morning is traditional in my family is an understatement: it's institutional. It's in our veins. We've experiemented on it a few times, often with questionable results. This is pretty straightforward, but it's good, and it conjures happy emotions and memories of childlike wonder (well, maybe it won't for you, but it sure does for me).

Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

High-quality English muffins, split apart
Large eggs (as many eggs as muffin halves)
Chicken broth, enough to fill a wide, shallow pan for poaching
Thickly sliced Canadian bacon (1-2 slices for each muffin half)
Hollaindaise sauce (click here for a recipe)
salt and pepper, to taste

The trick with eggs benedict is that everything needs to be ready at the same time. It's good to have a different person manning each component so they can all be perfectly timed (or at least that's how we do it in my family).

for the eggs
Bring the chicken broth to a broil in the poaching pan. Reduce heat to let it simmer. Crack the eggs, and gently slip them just under the broth's surface. Poach until the yolk is the desired doneness (usually just a few minutes--watch them closely).

for the English muffins
Place the muffin halves on a cookie sheet and broil them in the oven or broiler until the tops are just golden and slighly crispy, just a few minutes, also. You only want the very top layer to be crispy: the rest should still be soft.

for the Canadian bacon
Heat a skillet or large, flat plan to medium high heat and sear the edges of the ham. It's usually already cooked, so you don't have to worry about cooking it thoroughly--just heat it and give it some texture.

for the Hollaindiase sauce
Whether you're making it from scratch or a mix, do prepare it to be the last thing completed--right at the moment when you assemble and serve.

Assemble them by placing the bacon atop the muffin, then the poached egg, then the hollaindaise sauce. Enjoy, then wait until Christmas next year to enjoy again.

Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-01-10T21:08:00.003-05:00

This soup was born of necessity on a cold winter day. I love chicken soup--I believe it heals what ails you--but it can get just a little on the bland and boring side. A few little twists give it a nice little kick. Also, this was an opportunity to try out a great little trick suggested by Sara Foster who suggested simply using sliced tortillas boiled for a few minutes to make dumplings. It works perfectly. I use about half broth and half water for the liquid, because I don't really like it strong: I like to be able to taste the vegetables and seasonings, so you can adjust the ratios of broth to water however you'd like. A word of explanation: I originally started making chicken noodle soup, so the picture has carrots and celery in it, which weren't bad, but I probably wouldn't suggest them in this version of the soup.

Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

About 2 - 3 cups chicken broth
About 2 - 3 cups water
1 large uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 heaping tablespoon diced green chilies
about 1/2 cup corn
1 large flour tortilla, cut into strips
1 medium tomato, diced
1 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely diced
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded cheese, to top

Bring the broth and water to a boil in a large pot, add the chicken, onion, and chilies and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken breast, and add back to the broth. Add the corn and the tortilla strips. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the strips plump up. Add the tomato, avocado, and cilantro. Stir and allow it to heat through. You don't want to cook these last additions--just heat them. Season to taste, then ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese.

Hollandaise Sauce

2009-01-04T21:58:00.006-05:00

My family is a family of traditional foods: clam chowder on Christmas Eve, grape sherbet on Memorial Day, prime rib on New Years, pecan pie on Dad's birthday, Grandma's rolls any- and all the time, and eggs benedict on Christmas morning. I love tradition, but I am all for spicing it up a little every now and again. And in all honesty, I didn't even think it that big a stretch when I declared that I would be making the hollandaise sauce from scratch this year. I thought people would enjoy the nice touch, seeing as how every other year of my congniscent life we have simply reconstituted yellow powder. No, they were not happy. Some members of my family have stricter definitions of "tradition" than do it. I was accused of trying to ruin Christmas, insult 30 years of family tradition, and give salmonella to my pregnant sister. Then comes the ringer, "I have waitied a full year for eggs benedict, and if you ruin them, I will be furious!" I was a little taken aback. I mean, come on! Homemade is always better than powder because there's extra love in it, right? That's what I figured.

Conclusion. It was good: substantially zingier than the powdered stuff, and the family was happy. Christmas was not ruined, and all rejoiced.

Homemade Hollandiase Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
2 scant tablespoons lime juice
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Carefully melt the butter in a saucepan over med-low heat.

Meanwhile, beat the lime juice, egg yolks, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk a tablespoon at a time of the melted butter into the egg mixture (adding the eggs to the butter will cause them to scramble; this way keeps the mixture smooth) until you've put in 4 -6 tablespoons.

Whisking the whole time, add the egg mixture to the rest of the melted butter. Whisk until heated through and just barely bubbling--maybe 30 seconds or so (don't let it boil, or it will kind of curdle). Serve immediately.

New England Clam Chowder

2009-01-04T17:24:00.007-05:00

Clam chowder = Christmas Eve in my family's history. This is one of the die-hard, unbending, every single Christmas Eve since I reached consciousness traditions in my family, and we love it. The original recipe comes from a small, well-used family cookbook (the interesting this is, it's not our family's book--it's some completely random family I've never heard of before, so thanks Minchey's). I particularly liked this year's versions where we had big chunks of baby red potatoes with the peels still on, red onions, big leaves of parsley, and the celery leaves thrown in there, too. It felt much more like a chunky stew, and I was a fan.

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

2 pounds baby red potatoes, skins on, quartered
2-3 stalks celery, leaves still attached, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans minced clams, 6.5 ounces each
up to 4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
3-4 sprigs coarsely-chopped parsley
about 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes, celery, onions, and garlic in a large pot. Pour the juice from the clams over, and then add enough chicken broth to just barely cover the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir the flour to make a paste. Add the milk and stir until the flour mixture is dissolved. Add the flour/milk/butter mixture to the vegetables, then add the parsley and sugar. Add the cream, vinegar, and clams. Stir well. Heat, but don't boil or the clams will get tough and rubbery.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

2008-12-31T18:35:00.005-05:00

Every year my family has a tradition of cooking a prime rib sometime during the holiday season. Let me tell you, I look a good slab of meat as much as the next person, but a whole prime rib is kind of a lot. Like, a very sizable portion of cow. It makes reliance on good side dishes rather necessary.

Horseradish is a pretty traditional accompaniment to prime rib, but not too many people are really that cool a great big dollop of the stuff. So, sneak a little into the mashed potatoes, and it's all good. It makes a great compliment to the beef with the pan juices. Mmm mmm good.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5 pounds Russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
up to 1/2 cup milk, if needed
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped chives
1 - 3 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
several pats butter

Leaving the peels on the potatoes, scrub the dirt off and cut into 6ths or 8ths. Boil until very tender when pierced with a fork.

I do all of this in a stand mixer, but you can do it by hand if you'd like. Mix all the ingredients (except the milk and butter). and mash together. Horseradish sauces vary widely in strength and bite, so start small and work up to your desired level. I don't like the horseradish flavor to be overwhelming. If the potatoes are too thick, add a little milk to dilute.

Serve in a dish, placing the butter on top and allowing it to melt over the potatoes.

Baked Apples

2008-12-25T15:25:00.008-05:00

Baked apples are a rocky tradition in my household. For years we made them, but they had a rough track record. Maybe 60% of the time they were bad, really bad. I personally didn't care for them, and I kind of hoped the tradition would die a silent and painless death, leaving us to enjoy hot chocolate and clam chowder and eggs benedict and cherry chocolates and It's A Wonderful Life in peace. Mom even gave away the special apple baking dishes to a thrift store, hoping to seal the sad fate of the apples. Dad and the internet came to the rescue, however, and more apple baking dished magically showed up on our doorstep.

Determined to make them not gross this year, I kind of exerted a little "I have a cooking blog and I know what I'm talking about" attitude, thinking it would be met with some respect. I got none. Anyone who knows my family can imagine what happened next. Six type A personalities descended on the kitchen with yells of "Put a pie crust on it!" "Nobody wants raisins!" "Peel them!" "Ginger? What are you talking about?" It disintegrated into a contest of who could put an ingredient into the mix before someone else stopped them, but boy were the results good. Unfortunately, there was no recipe followed and no measurements made, so this is approximate. Sorry 'bout that.

Baked Apples

Ingredients

Baking apples (we used Rome, but Macintosh work well, too)

for the apples

A bowl of melted butter, to coat the apples
A mixture of cinnamon and sugar, to taste, to coat the apples
Raisins
Nuts (we used almonds, but walnuts or pecans would probably be great, too)

for the topping

A mixture of equal parts oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter, pulsed a few times in the food processor

for baking

Orange zest and the juice of 1 orange
A mixture of about 6 parts water to 1 part vanilla (a few tablespoons per individual baking dish, or just enough to coat the bottom of a large baking dish if you're doing them all together)

Peel and core the apples, then coat in the melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Place in individual baking dishes or all together in a large casserole. Stuff the open cores with the mixture of raisins and nuts.

Sprinkle the oat, sugar, flour mixture over each apple. Sprinkle a little orange zest and orange juice over each one. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the water/vanilla mixture in the bottom of each baker, or just enough to coat the bottom a the large baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Beef Stew

2008-12-23T16:17:00.004-05:00

I'm at my parents' house in Utah for the holiday, and let me tell you, it is cold. There is a foot of snow on the ground, it's been snowing off and on for the last three days, the wind has been blowing, and I am cold. I have wanted nothing but warm soup for every meal, and I'm afraid my family has had to suffer through my insatiable craving for liquid food.

Now I realize that beef stew is kind of a basic standard, and this will come as no groundbreaking revelation to anyone, but I was happy with the slightly-sweet heartiness of this recipe. It's really not even much of a recipe--just kind of a list of ingredients with some rough proportions, so feel free to adjust however you want.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

A few tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for sauteeing
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 -2 pounds stew beef
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery stalks (leaves still attached)
2 pounds baby yukon or red potatoes, peels still on, quartered
3-4 cups beef broth
1 cup apple juice
1 can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2-3 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste
A few tablespoons flour, to thicken

Heat the oil in an a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sautee until the onions are translucent. Add the beef and stir until the edges are browned. Add the vegetables, then the liquids and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Fish out the bay leaves, add the honey, and season with the salt and pepper. Thicken by whisking about 2 tablespoons of flour with a few tablespoons cold water, then pour into the soup. Repeat until desired thickness.

Classic Split Pea Soup

2008-12-13T23:37:00.006-05:00

One time my family went sailing in the British Virgin Islands, and it was an all-around amazing experience. We snorkeled and swam in some of the clearest water I've ever seen, played on breathtaking beaches, scubaed to shipwrecks, and billowed in the wind of the sailboat. One night, we picked a tiny little restaurant in a secluded little cove with tables right on the beach. The waves came right up over your toes during dessert. The cook's son swam out to a trap in the middle of the bay to get the lobster my dad ordered for dinner. I am also quite convinced that the only people working there were the waitress, the waitress' mother in the kitchen, and the waitress' brother who swam to get the lobsters. Dinner took about 3 hours, and no one minded one bit.

So, to get to the point, the first coarse was a bowl of split pea soup. As it was being served, I say to myself, "We travel down to an exotic paradise and all I got was a bowl of pureed, green baby food?" However, one spoonful of that soup, and I was made a believer. I adore split pea soup. In retrospect, it was probably about 40% cream, but hey, there's precious little a pint of heavy cream can't fix.

This recipe was necessitated by being forced to take the leftovers from the church Christmas dinner. There are only a few things I know of that one can do with a ham bone, and this is the main one. I'm sorry that there's no crazy experimentation, secret ingredients, twists or turns for this one. Actually, I'm mostly sorry that there's no real recipe. A friend sent over just a list of ingredients without any measurements or ratios, and in my book, that's awesome. I wasn't bound by anything. So, this one is completely up to you. Good luck, and have fun.

Warning: I had a great big ole' ham bone, so I made a whole lot of soup. You can probably half everything and be just fine.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients (all measurements are approximate)

1 large white onion
1 large russet potato, skin still on
1-2 stalks celery
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4-5 sprigs fresh parsley
1 large ham bone, with some meat still on
2 pounds split peas (rinsed thoroughly, and bad ones or stray pebbles picked out)
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic
ample salt and pepper, to taste
chicken broth (I used about 2 quarts, plus some extra water)
about 1/2 cup heavy cream

I started in a crockpot, but then ended up moving to a stock pot on the stove later because the crockpot just wasn't big enough. You'll have to be the judge for yourself.

In a food processor, I chopped the onion, potato, celery, and herbs then added them to the crockpot. Place in the ham bone, split peas, and garlic in there also, and cover with liquid. Let heat for several hours (or fewer if on the stove: just be sure everything is soft and falling apart). Pull out the ham bone (making sure to get all the parts if some cartilage or other ham parts have fallen off), cut off the meat, and chop finely.

In the pot, still vigorously or pulse a few times with an immersion blender to homogenize the soup a bit. Add the ham back in, thin it with a little water if necessary, add the cream, and stir well.

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

2008-12-06T00:45:00.007-05:00

I've been holding out on you guys. Sorry about that. A friend of mine sent over a link to me ages ago to a recipe for this cheesecake on SmittenKitchen, I made it, fell in love with it, and never even told you about it. Not only did that event on Deb's beautiful blog inspire my own food blogging and experimenting, but this cheesecake changed my life in a very literal way. I am a better person for the experience, and like the selfish monster I am, I didn't share it with you at all.

Now, when the big guns came out for Thanksgiving, I knew this one had to make a reappearance after its months in hiding. It takes a lot of work, but the depth of flavor you achieve by slowly caramelizing the sugar first is incredible. It's worth the effort.

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 10-ounce box Chocolate Teddy Grahams (you really could use chocolate graham crackers if you wanted, but the Teddy's are so much more fun, plus they're a good source of calcium)
3/4 stick of butter, cut up
2 tablespoons white sugar
pinch salt

For the filling:

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped up
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eight-ounce blocks of full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the teddy grahams, butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade and pulse until the mixture is the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a greased springform pan (this recipe makes enough crust to go all the way up the side: I like to take it past the top of the cake). Wrap the springform pan in at least 2 layers of wide aluminum foil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat until liquid and golden. Turn down heat to low and add the cream (it will crack, hiss, steam, and make all sorts of a delightfully sugary ruckus). Stir until the caramel is dissolved into the cream. Add the chocolate and sour cream, and stir until melted and even throughout.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for a few minutes until light (scraping down the sides as necessary). Reduce the speed to low and pour in the chocolate mixture; stir until incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for a few seconds in between each one. Add the vanilla. Continue stirring until even.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Set the springform pan into a large roasting pan, and pour about 1.5 inches of water in the roasting pan surrounding the springform pan. Bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the middle of the cake is not quite set.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or several hours to set. I have served it plain, or topped with caramel sauce, and both are great. Do whatever sparks your fancy.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T18:03:00.007-05:00

This Thanksgiving was spent with family and friends at my home. Grad students who couldn't travel home for the holidays, missionaries away from family, and some of my family who traveled in for the first Thanksgiving in the new home. Here is the menu:

Heures d'oeuvres:

Vegetable crudites
2 wheels of baked brie: one with apricots and honey, the other with cranberries, pecans, and honey
A wedge of danish blue cheese, and another of wesleydale with cranberries
Roasted asparagus thanks to a good friend
Shrimp with grapefruit and avocado

Dinner

Braised turkey breast with apple cider and thyme gravy
Dried fruit stuffing
Braised carrots with orange and rosemary
Roasted purple and red potatoes
Brussel sprouts with orange and hazelnuts
Sauteed green and white beans with shallots and garlic
Sausage with apples and sweet & sauerkraut (sauerkraut is a family Thanksgiving tradition)
Crab and new potato salad with dill lemon vinaigrette
Cranberry, cherry, ginger sauce
Mashed sweet potatoes with maple pecan topping, courtesy of a kind guest
Homemade rolls, courtesy of good friends

Desserts

Strawberry and rhubarb pie (again, I have great friends)
Blueberry pie (they keep getting better)
Coconut cream pie
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (I love it when other people cook)
Chocolate caramel cheesecake
Caramel apple cheesecake
Pecan pie (other people bringing stuff saved me)