For the Love of Food

Creamy Tomato Soup

2009-09-27T14:29:00.006-05:00

This morning I woke up and realized it had been almost a month since I posted on the blog. I've been so busy with life I just haven't had time to post recipes. I've also been recovering from my operation, and I'm finally feeling good enough to cook normally once again.

This morning it was a bit chilly outside, so I hope that means autumn weather is on its way. In honor of my chilly morning I decided to make a nice pot of creamy tomato soup for dinner. This is a super simple soup to make, and it's also very versatile. It's great reheated, you can freeze it, or add the extra to a pot of vegetable soup.

Creamy Tomato Soup

6oz uncooked bacon, chopped
1.5 white or yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery, chopped
4oz tomato paste
28oz crushed tomato
14oz tomato sauce
4c vegetable stock
tt salt
tt black pepper
1c heavy cream (can use half & half)

Cook bacon in a big stock pot to render the fat. Once the bacon has started to get crispy, add in the onion carrot and celery plus some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the veggies are soft. Once veggies are soft, add in the tomato paste, crushed tomato, tomato sauce, and veggetable stock. Cook over medium heat for 30-45 minutes. While still hot, puree with a hand blender or pour into a regular blender and blitz until smooth. Return to pan and stir in cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with toasted cheese panini or croutons. Enjoy!

A

Red Velvet Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-08-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since any recipes were posted, but I had a pretty major surgery on July 31, and I'm still recovering. Last weekend I helped host a bridal shower for a very good friend. I had committed to making all the food and cake before I knew I was having surgery, sooooooo I had a very interesting time making everything. We decided to go with half made and half purchased items for the food since I wasn't quite feeling up to taking on the huge task of food for 35 people. The one thing I did make from scratch was the cake...it was a hit! We originally intended on baking charms into cupcakes, but never actually found any charms so we had just cupcakes. I used the red velvet cake recipe from the Joy of Baking because I couldn't find my recipe anywhere!

You can find the cake recipe here. Now onto the icing recipe that everyone asks for.

Cream Cheese Frosting

enough for 20 cupcakes

1lb unsalted butter

8oz cream cheese

2lb powdered sugar

2t vanilla extract

Let butter and cream cheese sit out and warm to room temperature for a few hours. Once soft, use a mixer to cream together butter and cream cheese until completely combined and there's no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar, bit by bit, until it's all completely combined. Keep at room temperature if you're going to ice cupcakes right away. Otherwise, refrigerate until ready to use. Remember to let sit out for a few hours to soften up if you refrigerate it. Can microwave for about 5-10 seconds to soften, but no longer as it will melt all the butter and ruin the icing.

This icing is also great to top cinnamon buns right when they come out of the oven.

Heart of Palm Tort

2009-08-01T15:35:00.006-05:00

I found this recipe in the January issue of the Brazilian magazine “Vida e Saúde”. This is a monthly magazine about health which I have a subscription to and each edition has at least three pages of amazing healthy and vegetarian recipes! This recipe for “Torta de palmito” looked particularly good and I had to give it a try. I intended for my husband and I to eat half of it that night and the other half to put in our lunches for the next day. But he said, “this is too good to be eaten tomorrow!” and preceded to eat the whole thing! The recipe is translated from Portuguese so I hope that it is clear. And I apologize for the quality of the picture, but be assured that it tasted a lot better than the picture makes it look!
Heart of Palm Tort
Pie Crust
2 cups flour
½ cup oil
1 cup natural yogurt
1 teaspoon salt

Mix crust ingredients together well and knead dough. Flour your surface and flatten dough to place in a 9 inch pie dish (or square glass baking dish, it doesn’t matter). Place pie dish in oven at 350F until browned and cooked -by the time I had finished making the filling, my pie crust was just done, about 15 minutes!

Filling
White sauce
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
Filling
300 g (or 10 oz) of heart of palm, cut small --this was about 3.5-4 cups, but the amount doesn’t have to be exact!
½ onion
1 ½ cups grated cheese (optional, the original recipe did not call for cheese, but we like lots of cheese in my house!)
Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste

Mix milk and melted butter in a dish. Add flour and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until your sauce has thickened. Once sauce has thickened you can add cheese if you like. Add the grated cheese gradually to the sauce until it has melted. Set aside. In separate bowl mix together the palms and onion, adding salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Mix the heart of palm filling with the white sauce and pour whole mixture into pre-cooked pie crust. Place whole thing in oven for an additional 5-7 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 10 minutes so the sauce can thicken and cool.

I served with a cold salad. Would be great with white wine as well. Enjoy!
M

Shredded Veggie Cakes

2009-07-28T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have a surplus of yellow squash! All weekend I've been trying to figure out what the heck to do with all this squash! So today I went on a squash recipe hunt, and I turned to my friend Google for help. I found a recipe for squash bread (it's in the oven right now), but I had shredded squash left over. Then, I remembered seeing a recipe somewhere (I have no clue where) a few years ago for shredded veggie cakes. I did these similar to potato latke. They turned out quite well, but they're not good with applesauce (I had to try).

Shredded Veggie Cakes

1 yellow squash
2 medium potatoes
1 carrot
1 medium onion
1 egg
1/2c AP flour (approximately)
tt salt
tt pepper
canola oil

Shred all veggies with food processor attachment or box grater. Beat one egg and stir in. Mix in salt and pepper. Add in just enough flour for the mixture not to look so wet.

Heat a bit of oil in a saute pan. Add in a spoonful of the veggie mixture and smash it down til it's pretty flat. I cooked 3 of these at a time in a 6" saute pan. Cook on each side until they start to brown. Remove from pan and let cool on paper towels to get rid of excess oil.

I had to try these like latke and I can report these were good alone or with sour cream, but don't try them with applesauce.

If you have any squash or zucchini recipes PLEASE share them with me. I have a surplus of these veggies!

Enjoy!

A

BBQ Shrimp BLT

2009-07-26T06:29:00.001-05:00

Last week I found some lovely shrimp at my local butcher shop and decided I had to buy them. When I got home I couldn't think of what to do so I popped the shrimp into the fridge and went off to watch television. I was flipping through the channels and started watching Spanglish. I got to the part where Adam Sandler was making that delicious looking BLT with a poached egg on it, and then, I had a vision! It wasn't really a vision since I'd had this sandwich before, but I remembered (at some point, not sure when or where) eating a BLT that had BBQ shrimp on it. That night for dinner I decided to have a BBQ shrimp BLT. It turned out fantastic (the photo not so fantastic).

BBQ Shrimp BLT
makes 2 huge sandwiches

1/2lb shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1 large tomato (cut into thick slices)
1/2lb pepper bacon (thick sliced)
1/2c BBQ sauce (a sweet one works best)
arugula
4 slices bread (I used a LaBrea Italian Round)

Skewer shrimp, salt and pepper, and grill over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Brush with BBQ sauce and set aside.

I like to put bacon in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, but you can cook it on the stove. Set aside.

Lightly toast bread. Remove from oven and brush one side of each with BBQ sauce.

Remove shrimp from skewers and place on bread with the bacon, tomato, and arugula. Serve while still hot.

Enjoy.

A

Pickled Chilis

2009-07-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

I ventured out to my garden today to find a ton of peppers waiting for me. My fridge is already filling up with an abundance of veggies, and I didn't want these to go bad before I had a chance to use them. Obviously, I couldn't eat them all at once, so I looked to my friend Google for advice. I've never made pickled jalapenos (or pickled anything besides cucumbers) before, but decided to give it a shot. I chose a recipe I found on Michael Ruhlman's blog because so many other people have wrote about it on their blogs and said it was fabulous. The recipe is actually from Michael Symon's Live to Cook which doesn't even come out until November 2009!

Ruhlman's blog suggests using a wide variety of peppers. I only have banana peppers and jalapenos ready, so I just went with those. This recipe is just a copy and paste from Ruhlman's blog . I wasn't even going to try to change anything up because I am not a pickling master!

Pickled Chilis
from Michael Symon's Live to Cook

sherry vinegar
sugar
salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
4 sprigs of marjoram
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 to 2 pounds chillis (or enough to fill whatever vessel you're using)

Place chillis in a jar and cover them with water. Pour off the water into a measuring cup. Note the volume, pour off half the water and replace it with vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons salt for every three cups of liquid.

Combine your liquid and remaining spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then let cool slightly. Pour the pickling liquid over the peppers, screw the lid on and refrigerate. To use, slice into rings, chop or mince depending how you want to use them.

As for how long these last, Ruhlman says "they'll keep for a long time--how long, I don't know because I always use them up for I can find out."

All the comments on the blog say how fabulous the pickled chilis are, but I'll have to wait a few weeks to tell you how mine turned out!

A

Four Cabbage Coleslaw

2009-07-22T08:21:00.000-05:00

I was browsing the library yesterday and found Gordon Ramsay's newest book Healthy Appetite. I brought it home to flip through the recipes and was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few healthy recipes that I thought looked really tasty. Today I tried out his four cabbage coleslaw beause I liked the idea of using sesame oil and balsamic vinegar in a slaw recipe instead of the normal veg or olive oil and white or wine vinegar. This is a whole grain mustard based coleslaw instead of the mayo based I see everywhere. I only made a half recipe, but I loved it! I left out the savoy cabbage since I couldn't find any at my local grocery store. I added some shredded carrot into mine since I didn't have any savoy cabbage. I will definitely make this again.

Four Cabbage Coleslaw

from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

1/4 chinese cabbage

1/4 savoy cabbage

1/4 white cabbage

1/4 red cabbage

handful of chives, finely snipped

3T olive oil

1T sesame oil

2T balsamic vinegar

2T whole grain mustard

tt sea salt

tt black pepper

Cut out the core from each cabbage, then finely shred the leaves with a sharp knife. Place in a large bowl and toss well to mix.

For the dressing, whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the shredded cabbage and toss to mix. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle the chives over the coleslaw and toss to mix just before serving.

Blackberry Crumble

2009-07-21T06:18:00.000-05:00

I finally picked enough blackberries from the garden to do something with them. They sat on the table almost all day until I decided to make a really simple, but delicious, blackberry crumble. This is a very quick recipe compared to other cobbler or crumble recipes. This also works really well for peaches and blueberries; haven't tried it with any other fruit.

Blackberry Crumble

4c blackberries

1/2c sugar

1c orange juice

1.5T cornstarch

1/2T ground cinnamon

1/2t ground nutmeg

1/2t ground ginger

Whisk together all ingredient but blackberries. Place blackberries in a shallow baking dish and pour liquid mixture over the top until almost covered, you may have some extra liquid.

Crumble Topping

1/2c flour

1/2c sugar

1/2c unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (very cold)

1/2c rolled oats

1/2t cinnamon (optional)

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and oats. Using a dough cutter (or your fingers) mix together very well until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas.

Top berries with crumble topping and bake at 375F until liquid is bubbling and topping is brown, approximately 30-45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Salad

2009-07-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

I am always extremely excited when it finally starts getting really hot outside because it means lots and lots of tomatoes. Tomatoes are my absolute favorite food. Heirloom tomato salad is very simple, but delicious. There is no real recipe for this just pick a variety of heirloom tomatoes, and slice them fairly thick. Top with freshly ground salt, pepper, olive oil or basil oil, and shaved parmesan. Eat alone or with a variety of antipasti.

Pasta Carbonara

2009-07-16T09:21:00.004-05:00

Growing up I always ate a lot of southern style food. My grandmother also used a lot of fresh ingredients from her garden, so I'd have things like fried squash, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, etc. She grew up with her mom frying everything too, and that's how she learned to cook. She always made comfort type foods like meatloaf, fried chicken, and pot roast. It wasn't until I started visiting my aunt and uncle in Chicago that my tastes in food started to change drastically. One afternoon my aunt made pasta carbonara for lunch...it quickly became my favorite comfort food. I very rarely eat it because it's so high in fat and calories; however, today I thought I would give it a try since it's been so long since I've made it.

This dish is fairly simple, but uses very rich ingredients. If you're really trying to save on calories and still can't resist making this, you can use half & half instead of heavy cream. You can also use bacon (pepper bacon is best) if you can't find pancetta. Be careful when salting (you may not even need any) this since the cheese and pancetta are both salty on their own.

Pasta Carbonara
serves 2-3

12oz fettuccini or linguini (use fresh if you can)
1/4lb pancetta, chopped into small pieces
2c heavy cream
2 egg yolks
2oz parmesan cheese, grated (use the microplane for quickness)
tt salt
tt pepper

Cook pasta as you normally would.

In a saute pan, cook the pancetta until crisp. Remove from pan, but leave the fat in the pan. Set the pancetta aside. Add 1.5c of the cream to the fat in the pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Whisk the egg yolks into the remaning cream. Remove the pan from the burner and slowly whisk the cream/egg mixture into the pan. Return to low heat and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Be sure to stir constantly and over low heat or else you will make scrambled eggs, not sauce. Add the pancetta and cheese to the sauce. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta.

A

French Onion Soup

2009-07-15T10:22:00.000-05:00

Last week my friend and I were discussing our favorite food smells. Why? It sounds kinda nuts, right? I don't know why..I think we're just crazy! We agreed that our favorite food smells are bacon cooking and onions being caramelized. About an hour after this conversation ended, I had a craving for french onion soup. So I pulled out the basket of onions and got to chopping. I think I must just always forget how many onions it really takes to make a big pot of french onion soup because it wasn't until an entire bag of vidalia onions, and a few red onions later, I finally had enough to begin carmelizing. I don't have much to say about caramelizing onions, but this: do not try to do it in a hurry! You have to be patient with the onions! If they start to stick to the bottom of your pan, put a bit of water in the pan and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. If you don't know how to do this, here's a link to show you how.

This recipe calls for veal stock and wine. If you can't have alcohol you can use cooking wine, but be careful when salting the soup because cooking wine tends to be pretty salty. If you don't have veal stock you can use half chicken stock and half beef stock.

French Onion Soup
serves: 1 (I joke, kinda)

3lbs vidalia onion, sliced thin
1lb red onion, sliced thin (can use all vidalia)
4T unsalted butter
1c white wine
1c red wine
3c veal stock
1 bunch thyme
tt salt
tt pepper
3c gruyere cheese, grated
1 crispy baguette
1/4c olive oil

Melt butter and then slowly caramelize onions in a large stockpot. Salt the onions a bit to help draw moisture out of them. This will help with the caramelization. Once onions are caramelized, deglaze the pan with the wine. Scrape all bits off the bottom of the pan. Add in veal stock and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, preheat oven to 400. Slice the baguette into 1" slices and brush with olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp. Approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until soup is done.

When soup is finished, ladle into a oven safe bowl. Top with a piece of crispy bread and lots og gruyere cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and starts to brown. Serve hot and enjoy!

A

Cranberry Orange Scones

2009-07-14T06:27:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I made brunch for some friends. I always make scones for brunch because they're so quick, easy, and good. I chose to use dried cranberries and orange zest because it's what I had on hand, but you can really use any combination of flavors that you think sounds good.

Cranberry Orange Scones
makes 12 scones

16oz AP flour
3oz sugar
1T baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1t salt
4oz unsalted butter
4oz dried cranberries
zest of one orange, finely chopped (use microplane and you don't have to chop)
8fl oz buttermilk

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in salt. Make sure your butter stays in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Cut into small pieces and place in flour mixture immediately. Cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture until the pieces are the size of a pea. Fold cranberries and orange zest. Then, fold in buttermilk. Be sure not to overmix as it will make the scones tough. Brush the top of scones with milk. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes. Serve with butter, preserves, and clotted cream.

A

White Bean & Herb Salad

2009-07-13T09:10:00.001-05:00

I stayed at my friend's house over the weekend and I couldn't be bothered to leave the house and run to the grocery store. While digging through her cabinets I found a can of cannellini beans. I started to make some white beans soup, but then I decided I would try to recreate a bean salad someone made me a few years ago. This is my take on a white bean and herb salad made by my friend Anna.

Ingredients:

15oz can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1/4c red onion, minced (can use 1 shallot instead)

1/4 carrot, finely chopped (optional)

1/4c feta

1t oregano, minced

1t thyme, minced

1T parsley, minced

1T white wine vinegar

1/4c olive oil

1t lemon juice

tt salt

tt pepper

Method:

Mix together beans, onion, carrot, feta, and herbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad and gently mix. Chill for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve alone or with a warm baguette.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

2009-07-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

In a massive hurry today. Going out of town this afternoon. No posts for the weekend since I'll be away. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

I'm sure most people know what it looks like. I'm sorry there's no photo. My friend started eating before I took a pic! *gasp*

Ingredients:
1 small onion, minced
frozen chopped spinach
14oz can artichoke hearts, drain liquid
2 garlic cloves, minced
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2c mayo
1/4c sour cream
1/2 grated parmesan
tt salt
tt pepper

Method:
Saute onion in a bit of butter until it's translucent. Meanwhile thaw spinach, put into a towel, and squeeze out excess water. Put spinach and onion in a bowl. Next, drain the liquid from the canned artichokes and chop into pieces (whatever size you prefer). Then, put the artichokes in bowl with spinach and onions. Next, mix in chopped garlic, mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, parm, salt, and pepper. Top with a bit extra parmesan. Place into a shallow baking dish and bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve hot with chunks of crispy bread or tortilla chips.

A

Selection of Flavored Mayos

2009-07-09T06:40:00.000-05:00

When I owned my cafe everyone always wanted to know where I got my sauces. They were always surprised to hear that I made them all on my own. Since I made them in large batches I never made fresh mayo because it would have been too time consuming, but I did make most of the flavored mayos fresh each morning. I decided to share a small selection of flavored mayos that we used on a daily basis. You can probably find all sorts of recipes on the internet for flavored mayo, but these are some of the most popular we had. I don't really have actual recipes for these since I just threw everything into the blender without measuring. These are just estimates of amounts.

Each of these make about one cup of flavored mayo. They’re all great on a panini or cold sandwich. The garlic mayo is great for French fries! The method for all of these is the same. Just put all ingredients except for water in blender and blend until well blended. Add a bit of water to get it moving around.

Sundried Tomato Mayo
1c plain mayo
1/2c sundried tomato
1T water (may use less)
tt salt
tt pepper

Sandwich suggestion: turkey and smoked gouda, either hot or cold

Basil Mayo
1c plain mayo
1 bunch fresh basil, tear into pieces
1T water
tt salt
tt pepper

Sandwich suggestion: tomato and fresh mozzarella panini. You can also make this into basil oil by omitting the water and using olive oil instead of mayo. Basil oil is great on a grilled veggie panini or caprese salad.

Garlic Mayo
1c mayo
4 garlic cloves, minced
1T lemon juice
tt salt
tt pepper
chopped parsley (optional, mainly for color)

Suggestion: Toss hot fries with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Dip in garlic mayo. This is a great addition for a meal of steak and fries.

Horseradish Mayo
1c mayo
2T prepared horseradish
1T lemon juice
tt salt
tt pepper

Sandwich suggestion: rare roast beef on ciabatta with tomato, thinly sliced red onion, and arugula

A

Grilled Steak Salad w/ Sesame Dressing

2009-07-08T06:20:00.002-05:00

It's summertime! In the summer, there's three things I eat all the time: tomatoes, anything grilled, and salad. This recipe combines two of the three favorite things. This is also a great way to use extra flank steak from the grilled and marinated flank steak recipe (that's what I did) posted here last week. I had flank steak left over from our July 4th blowout, so on Sunday I made us all big salads with what was left. I think it took me a total of 10 minutes (including soaking the salad in ice water). This is a great quick and easy recipe for a weeknight.

Ingredients:

serves 4

1lb grilled, marinated flank steak (use the recipe here)

3 carrots

1 head romaine lettuce

8oz mixed baby greens (can use all greens or all romaine)

3/4c fresh bean sprouts

3 green onions, sliced thin

1/2c soy sauce

1/4c sesame oil

1t sesame seeds

Prepare flank steak from recipe here. Slice thin and on a bias, against the grain. Set aside.

Wash greens and soak in ice water for about 5 minutes to make them extra crisp. Only use this step if you have a salad spinner to get rid of excess water. Be gentle with greens so you don't bruise/break them.

Rinse and peel carrots and then use peeler to make carrot ribbons like this. Also, rinse bean sprouts and then lay out on paper towels to let them dry a bit.

Thinly slice the green onions and set aside.

Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds for dressing. This salad is great without dressing, so this is optional.

Toss together lettuce, carrot, bean sprouts, and green onions. Top with thinly sliced flank steak and drizzle with dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Can eat while steak is hot, warm, or cold. Best if steak is rare, but cook however you prefer.

Spaghetti w/ Spicy Tomato Sauce

2009-07-07T05:56:00.000-05:00

My family is pretty picky when it comes to food. They never want to try any of my "weird" or fancy" chef creations. So when I cook for them, I always have to make something simple or "normal". Last week I thought I would throw out a curve ball and make a spicy tomato sauce instead of my normal marinara. At first everyone just kinda stared at it beause they could see actual tomatoes in it, but when they tried it, they loved it. No one would admit it at first, but I walked out of the room to take a phone call and I heard them discussing my creation. Apparently, it wasn't "too bad". Silly family!

This was my first use of my beloved garden cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes are starting to come in like crazy so be prepared for a variety of tomato recipes in the coming weeks.

Spaghetti w/ Spicy Tomato Sauce

serves 2-3

8oz spaghetti (I use fresh whole wheat pasta)

1/4c sundried tomatoes

1/2c dry white wine

2T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2t red pepper flakes

14oz can of peeled tomatoes

8oz cherry or grape tomatoes

1 bunch fresh basil (optional)

2oz parmigana reggiano cheese (optional)

Boil water and cook pasta as you normally do.

In a small sauce or saute pan heat wine and sundried tomatoes to rehydrate tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes soak up most of the wine.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan, add in garlic and pepper flakes, cook until you can smell the garlic. Dump in the can of tomatoes (including the juice) and the rehydrated sundried tomatoes. You can add in any oil that isn't absorbed as well. Stir occasionally and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The tomatoes will start to break down and the sauce will start to thicken. Add in the cherry tomatoes and cook until they start to burst. Add in pasta and optional ingredients, use tongs to toss together. You can also top this with the basil and cheese if you don't want to mix it in.

Start with a tossed salad and then serve pasta with a glass of the wine you rehydrated the tomatoes in.

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail

2009-07-06T07:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone in my family loves shrimp cocktail, so on Saturday, I decided to add another item to the grill and made some lovely grilled shrimp cocktail. The dish was a hit! In a big hurry today and not a lot of time to write so on with the recipe!

Sorry there's no photo. Will add one once I make this again!

Grilled Shrimp
Makes 4-6 servings

2lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
2T veg or canola oil
tt salt
tt pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
wooden skewers

Heat grill to medium. Put shrimp onto skewers. Coat with oil, salt, and pepper. Place on grill and cook each side 2-3 minutes. Serve hot or cold with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce

1/2c ketchup
1T prepared horseradish
1/2 lemon, juiced
tt salt
tt black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to eat.

A

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-03T20:20:00.002-05:00

No recipes for the holiday weekend. Will return with daily recipes on Monday! Hope everyone has a great holiday!

A

Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak

2009-07-02T06:46:00.001-05:00

For July 4th we normally have the traditional burgers, brats, and hot dogs. Last year I decided to change it up a bit and I made grilled flank steak. It was a hit! So this year I will make the trek to my most hated store, Sam's Club, to buy enough flank steak for 35 people. The one thing you must make sure to do with flank steak is to slice it thin and on a bias, against the grain. You need to do this because the grain of the cut is very long. If you don't cut against the grain, you will end up with meat that tastes a bit tough. Here is a link that includes a video on how to properly cut flank steak. I also think this cut of meat is best when cooked rare. Go with whatever you prefer, though.

This recipe is just an estimation of amounts. I normally just plop everything into the bag without measuring it. You can measure or just go with whatever you think looks right. Just remember sesame oil has a very strong flavor, so don't use too much!

Marinade
enough for 2lb flank steak

1 bunch green onion, tore into pieces
1T garlic, minced
1T ginger root, chopped or smashed with back of knife
1/3c soy sauce
1/4c sesame oil

Pour all ingredients into a ziplock bag with meat. Marinade for at least 1hr, but can be done overnight depending on how strong of a flavor you want. Pepper the flank steak before putting it on the grill, you don't need to salt it as the soy sauce from the marinade does the salting for you. Grill over high heat until desired doneness. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Variation: if you'd like it a bit sweeter you can add the juice of 1 lime and 2t sugar to the marinade, I also sometimes put a bit of sambal (chili paste) into the marinade to give it a bit of heat.

I normally have this with steamed brown rice and veggies. Leftovers make a nice steak sandwich or stir fry.

A

Chilled Veggie Salad with Lime Dressing

2009-07-01T06:57:00.000-05:00

When first looking at this salad, one might think that it doesn’t look particularly extraordinary in and of itself, but this salad is the perfect side to any meat dish and is great during the summer because it’s chilled and the lime dressing is especially refreshing. I love lemons and limes, and, when researching online one can find lots of instances where lemons and limes are praised for their health benefits. They are known to have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, are an excellent source of vitamin C and are even known to cure Cholera! But even if you don’t have a Cholera problem, this salad and dressing are great! I first came across this salad and dressing at my husbands aunts house here in São Paulo and have since made it several times on my own. The amount and kind of vegetables that you include in your salad is totally up to you, but I have given the amounts that I use when I make it. Please feel free to add or subtract whichever vegetables you also think would be good in this salad, and, share your comments with us! I had a bit of trouble concocting the lime dressing recipe as his aunt simply told me to mix oil, lime juice and salt, but I think I have successfully given the right combination of ingredients! Also, the lime dressing I have since found is great on any type of salad (even simple ones of just lettuce and tomato) and is a great substitute for the traditional oil and vinegar. I have also used this dressing as something to give my rice some extra flavor!

I like to use fresh veggies for this recipe as I think it enhances the flavor and gives me the opportunity to leave them slightly crunchy like I like them! However, I am sure that frozen veggies would work as well.
Please note that the veggies in this picture are slightly different than the ones included in the recipe below. Like I said above, you are free to choose whichever veggies you like or want to add, I seem to change it a bit every time I make it!

Chilled Veggie Salad
2 cups steamed broccoli
2 cups steamed cauliflower
2 cups boiled potato, cut in medium sized cubes
1 cup steamed carrots, sliced thin
1 cup steamed green beans
4 boiled eggs, cut in medium sized slices
¼ cup black olives, cut in thin slices

Mix vegetables in serving bowl and cut boiled eggs and place on top. Let vegetables (and eggs) cool before serving.

Natural Lime Salad Dressing
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

3/4 cup of fresh lime juice (I find this is about 2 limes, but this depends on size)
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Mix ingredients together and pour over salad. I like to let people pour it on the salad themselves as everyone likes different amounts! This dressing is great when chilled as well, but this is not necessary.

Enjoy!
M

Maionese - Brazilian Potato Salad

2009-06-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

This potato salad is very simple. We prepare our own mayonnaise, which IMO tastes way better than the ones you buy in the grocery store, then mix with potatoes, scallions and onions.

Ingredients:

- ½ lbs Yukon gold potato

- 3 egg yolks

- ½ small yellow onion, finely chopped

- 1/3 cup scallion, diced ¼ inches (trim the roots and nasty bits off of scallions and then chop them very finely into rings)

- oil

- ground black pepper

- ½ lime juice

- salt

Start by boiling the potatoes, whole and with skin. After it is cooked, peel and cut the flesh into 1 by ¼ inches. Set aside.

Hard boil 2 eggs. Discard the whites* and put the yolks in a medium size bowl. Add 1 raw egg yolk to the bowl. Whisk the egg yolks non-stop with a fork or a whisk, slowly adding oil (less than 1tsp at a time). Keep adding oil and whisking until you have the equivalent of 1 cup of mayo. Every now and then add a few drops of lime juice while still whisking. In the end add salt and pepper to taste and finally you’re done whisking. By that time, you won’t be able to feel your hands anymore, but it’s totally worthy :p

Add the potatoes while still warm so the mayo will penetrate the potatoes. Mix gently. Add onions and scallions and mix gently.

Serve chilled.

* you can chop the egg whites and mix gently with the potato salad in the end. I don’t really like to mix it, but some people do.

Also you can add other stuff if you’d like. Some people add raw carrots, heart of palms, olives, apples, etc.

I suggest eating them with bbq’ed steak, bbq’ed sausage and salad with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, heart of palms and/or whatever else you like.

Bon Appetit.

Mixed Berry Trifle

2009-06-29T07:27:00.000-05:00

July 4th is coming up this weekend and I thought it would be fun to share some cookout type recipes this week. Are there items you always have on this holiday? Does your mom always make that flag cake that everyone’s mom makes? Does your grandmother always make ice cream?

Luckily, my mom gave up on the flag cake a few years ago so I no longer have to endure it. Now I make a really simple, but delicious, mixed berry trifle that has the same red, white, and blue effect of that dreadful flag cake. For this recipe you can use pound cake, white, or yellow. Use whatever you prefer! If you go with the store bought pound cake this is a fairly quick dessert. If you’d like to make a pound cake you can use the recipe for the lemon and raspberry pound cake here.

Also, this will work best if you use an electric mixer or let the cream cheese sit out for a few hours to get really soft since you have to cream it with the sugar. On with the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 pound cake, white, or yellow cake (whatever you prefer, no icing though)
8oz cream cheese
1/2c sugar
1c heavy cream
1 vanilla bean (can use vanilla extract about 1t)
6c fresh berries (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry)
1/2c Chambord (any berry liqueur is fine, I prefer this)

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth and has no lumps. Slowly add in the cream until it is all mixed in well. Beat until light and airy. This will take a few minutes. Remember not to do it too long because you could turn the cream to butter. When this is finished, it’s time to assemble!

Cut the cake into thick slices and lay flat in the bottom of a trifle dish. Drizzle 1/4c of Chambord over cake. Wait a moment to let it soak in. Top with ½ of the whipped cream cheese and then with ½ of the berries. Repeat the same layers again, using the rest of the ingredients. Chill for a few hours and then serve cold.

A

Sausage, Peppers & Onions Pasta

2009-06-28T07:57:00.001-05:00

My younger sister is a really picky eater, but two of the very few things she loves are pasta and italian sausage, peppers, and onions. Last night she came over for dinner and I couldn't be bothered to run to the store and buy rolls to make sandwiches, so I decided to mix together her two favorites to make a new favorite. Thankfully, she loved it! She actually took the leftovers home with her. Now I have this new recipe for sausage, peppers, and onion pasta. Try it out and let me know what you think. I need test kitchens for this one.

Sausage Peppers & Onions Pasta

serves 3

1/2lb sweet or spicy italian sausage (just ground, remove from casing)

1/2 red bell pepper, julienne

1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne

1 medium shallot, julienne

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, minced

tt salt

tt black pepper

4T unsalted butter

1/4c pasta water

1/4c dry white wine

1/2lb fettucini or linguini

Boil salted water for pasta and cook as usual.

Place sausage in a non-stick skillet with a few tablespoons of water and place a lid on top for 3-5 minutes. This will help some of the fat cook off of the sausage. Drain fat away and return sausage to skillet, finish cooking. Once sausage is fully cooked, add peppers and onions to the sausage and cook until tender. Pour in wine, pasta water, butter to create sauce. Add in cooked pasta and parsley. Toss until thoroughly mixed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this with the wine you added to make the sauce. Please remember to never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink a glass of!

Laura's Brazilian Style Stroganoff

2009-06-27T11:38:00.001-05:00

Growing up I liked watching mom make our family meals, and specially enjoyed the Sunday lunches, as they were usually more elaborate and, tastier. This curiosity made me start picking up the knife early and by age 12 I could already make this Strogonoff, which according to my brothers, I perfected, since it was the one meal I could always make without following any recipes. It was my brothers and my favorite Sunday lunch choice, and I was always the one preparing it since then (to the point that mom wouldn't even try making it without me). Best of all, it's actually very simple to make.

*Laura translated this recipe from Portugese for us. I added things in to make it a little more clear, but please leave a comment if there's something you're not sure about.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef tenderloin, cut into strips
1 can of sliced mushrooms
4 tbsp butter
2 finely chopped onions
1/2 cup cognac
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
1 can of table cream (heavy cream)
1 cube of beef knorr (bouillion cube)
salt and black pepper

In a sautée pan heat some butter and add the strips of beef until it's browned, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Reserve.In a large pot heat the rest of the butter and add the chopped onions until soft and golden. Add the reserved meat (without the juices) and when dry and hot add the cognac and flambé the meat (on a gas stove I sometimes tilt the pot near the open flame if it doesn't catch on fire alone). Add the spices, the mushrooms, the juices from the sautéed meat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the flour diluted in a little water if it's not thick enough. Right before serving add the table cream without letting it boil.Serve with white rice and straw potatoes.

Tips:- Substitute beef tenderloin for chicken breast for a lighter tasting strognoff.- Turn it into a shrimp strogonoff by skipping the sautéeing of the meat and adding shrimp at the simmer stage, letting it cook and then adding the table cream.

Enjoy!

Laura

Karie's Banana Bread

2009-06-26T09:03:00.000-05:00

In culinary school there was this girl who drove me nuts. She had all sorts of piercings, crazy colors in her hair, and her massive, fake boobs stuck out too far. Then one day I actually talked to her because a friend of mine thought she was cute. Turns out, she really wasn’t that bad. She actually became one of my best friends! A few weeks after the first time I spoke to her, I invited her to northern California to stay at my friend’s house on the river. That was one of the craziest weekends I’ve ever had, but Karie made us the best banana bread, ever! Today I was going through my folder of recipes from culinary school and I came across Karie’s banana bread recipe. So I called her up and asked if I could put it on the blog. She said “OMG YES!” I totally forgot to ask her if she got the recipe from somewhere, if it was passed down, if she adapted it from something, or if it’s actually her own. All I know is it’s good…PROMISE!

Karie’s Banana Bread
1 9x5 loaf

Ingredients
2/3c sugar
1/3c shortening
2 eggs
3T buttermilk
2c mashed bananas
2c AP flour (all purpose)
1t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt

Cream together the sugar and shortening. Once fluffy, add in eggs, stir until incorporated. Stir in buttermilk and mashed bananas. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix together completely. Pour into a sprayed 9x5 loaf pan and let sit 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 325 until you can put a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Thanks to Karie for letting me share her recipe!

A

Garlic Marinated Chicken w/ Grilled Potatoes

2009-06-25T09:57:00.002-05:00

I collect cookbooks, but it’s pretty rare for me to actually use recipes from them. I think I just like looking at all the food photos more than I like to use the recipes. So I was very surprised when I checked out the cookbook from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine and I loved so many recipes in it. I’m all for really quick meals when I’m in a hurry, but I cannot stand foods that aren’t full of flavor. This cookbook is great for someone with a really busy life. All the recipes are fairly quick, easy to follow, and the few I’ve tried, have been delicious. The book is broke down into seasons so you have things to choose from whatever time of year it is. I think what really sold me is full page photos of all the recipes!

Last weekend I went to visit my friends out in California. Since most of us are chefs and it had been about a year since we saw each other, we decided to have a cookout at the beach house I was staying at. Everyone was off work (you know, where they cook all day already) so no one really felt like making anything dramatic. I decided to make this really simple dish I keep looking at from the Everyday Food cookbook. It was a hit!

I have to admit I just glanced at this recipe online and then made it my way. The problem with that is I was pretty sloshed at the time because I switched from mocktails to cocktails pretty early in the day. I would change the recipe to “adapted from”, but I honestly can’t remember how much of anything I put into the dish. The only things I do know are… I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar in the marinade and I used chicken breast and pounded it thin with a meat mallet instead of using chicken cutlets. I remember this because chicken juice was flying all over, I couldn’t find any plastic wrap. That’s another story and maybe something I can share another time. Everything else is a blur. I ate some the next day for lunch and it was fabulous. Due to my drunken cooking, I will (to be safe) give you the recipe from Martha’s website. Also, no photo until I make this again. Drinking + me = no real memory of events. I won’t drink again for awhile. On with the recipe!

Garlic-Marinated Chicken Cutlets w/ Grilled Potatoes
From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

3 pounds baby red new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish, if desired
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds chicken cutlets (about 12)
1 tablespoon butter
Grilled asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)

Heat grill to medium. Fold 4-foot-long sheet of aluminum foil in half to make double-layer sheet. Place the potatoes on double layer foil. Form packet, folding foil over potatoes and crimping edges to seal. Place on grill and cook, turning over once, until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and leave in packet to keep potatoes warm.

Meanwhile, make marinade: In a large baking dish, whisk together oil, garlic, vinegar, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn several times to coat. Let marinate at room temperature 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Lift chicken from marinade and grill until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Remove warm potatoes from foil; transfer to a medium bowl, toss with butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the grilled chicken with potatoes and asparagus. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

I suggest making this when sober. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

A

Edit: Added photo :)

Creamy Coleslaw

2009-06-24T08:09:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I decided to have a cookout. This would have been a really fun idea, but I decided to invite people about 4hrs before I wanted them to arrive. I am a party guru so I was able to throw everything together nicely and on one could even tell I was running around like a mad woman all afternoon. This is one of the sides I made for the cookout. It was made on the fly so I’m not quite sure of exact amounts of each ingredient, but I’m sure these are pretty close.

Creamy Coleslaw

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
½ head red cabbage, shredded (I’m clumsy and dropped mine on the floor so it’s not in the actual coleslaw)
4 carrots, shredded
1 red or sweet onion, shredded (I shredded a Vidalia onion and chopped up part of a red one)
1c mayo
2T oil (any neutral oil is fine)
1t mustard powder (I use Coleman’s)
1T sugar
1T red wine vinegar (it’s all I had, can use regular vinegar or white wine vinegar)
1t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
1t celery seed
1/4c half & half
½ lemon, juiced
1t salt
1t pepper

Whisk together all ingredients except for the veggies. Once dressing is completely combined, fold in shredded veggies. Can eat immediately, but this is best if chilled overnight.

Helpful tip: make ahead of time instead of as people are arriving.

A

Grandma's Cornbread

2009-06-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

As I said before, growing up I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandmother. She was always making this and that, sometimes I liked it, and sometimes I didn’t. One thing I always loved was her cornbread. When I moved to England I had the hardest time making her cornbread taste good because I could only ever find finely ground cornmeal. So I took it upon myself to improve upon her recipe so I wouldn’t notice the different consistency as much. Now that I’m living in the United States again, I’m back to using the regular ol’ cornmeal I grew up with, but I’ve kept the extras I added to her recipe. This is always a big hit when I make it. I normally make a double or triple batch because people eat it so fast.

Grandma’s Cornbread (sorta)
Makes one 8” square pan

1.5c AP flour
2/3c sugar
½ c yellow cornmeal
1T baking powder
½ t salt
1.5c buttermilk
2 eggs
1/3c vegetable oil
3T butter, melted
1c sharp cheddar cheese
2 ears corn, roasted & cut off cob
2 jalapenos, minced & seeds removed (optional)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients together in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold in cheese, corn, and jalapenos. Pour batter into buttered 8” square pan and bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remember to make extra because it will go fast!

A

Lemon Rapsberry Poundcake

2009-06-22T07:33:00.002-05:00

A friend’s birthday was a few weeks ago, so when I asked her what type of cake she likes I expected her to say something like chocolate, white, or maybe even carrot cake. Boy was I surprised when she said she likes any cake, but she doesn’t like icing (I know, crazy person)! Anyways, I thought for a few minutes and decided I would make her my absolute favorite summer dessert, lemon raspberry pound cake. You can use any white or yellow cake for this recipe, or even angel food cake, but I prefer the pound cake because it’s really dense and stands up well to thickness of the lemon curd.

So I gathered up all the ingredients, I even picked the raspberries out of my garden, and I got to work. I think I must have forgot about how many steps there are to make this cake because about halfway through I decided it would have been much easier to just buy all the stuff pre-made and throw it together like it was homemade. My best tip to you for this recipe is, if you don’t have a lot of time, this is almost just as good with stuff you can buy at the store. I suggest one of those frozen Sara Lee pound cakes, a jar of lemon curd, a tub of cool whip, and a pint of raspberries. For those who are brave, here comes the recipe.

Poundcake
1/2lb butter
12oz sugar
3 eggs
8oz buttermilk
8oz AP flour
8oz cake flour
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt

· Preheat oven to 325. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray.
· Sift the AP flour, cake flour, and baking soda. Set aside for later use.
· In a stand up mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cream for another 5 minutes. This will guarantee it’s fluffy and has no lumps of butter.
· Add one egg at a time into butter mixture. Add another one when the first is completely incorporated, and so on until you use all 3 eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
· Turn the mixer on low, alternate adding in a little buttermilk and a little of the dry ingredients until they’re all mixed in.
· Bake for 30-35 minutes. Rotate pan once in the oven for even cooking. Cake will be done when you stick a knife or skewer in the middle and it comes out clean.

Lemon Curd
6 eggs
6 yolks
12oz sugar
13oz lemon juice
½ lb butter, unsalted (cut into small cubes)

· Start a pan of water to boil for a double boiler.
· Mix together the lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and butter. Make sure you mix these together in a heat safe bowl. Place bowl over pan of boiling water making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the boiling water.
· Slowly whisk mixture until it becomes thick. Make sure you whisk this the entire time or else the eggs will basically scramble and you will have lumps in your lemon curd.
· Once lemon curd reaches the correct consistency, strain it to make sure there are no lumps.
· Place in the refrigerator with plastic wrap directly touching the lemon curd. Let cool completely before using.

Lemon Whipped Cream
1pt heavy cream
2t sugar
1t vanilla
1/4c lemon curd

If you have arms of steel, you can do this by hand, but if you don’t, pour the cream and sugar into your mixer with a whisk attachment. Once it starts to get thick, add in the vanilla. Whip to stiff peaks (click here if you don’t know what that means). Fold in lemon curd.

Once the poundcake is cool, slice off the top so it's even. Slice in half lengthwise. Fill middle with lemon curd and place other half on top. Top with lemon whipped cream and raspberries. Keep cold until time to serve.

A

Mixed Fruit Muffin-Cake

2009-06-21T13:56:00.004-05:00

This muffin-cake is great for those that don’t like eating a large breakfast but still need to eat something before they leave the house in the morning; or, for the person that doesn’t like a lot of sweets but still enjoys having a bit of “dessert”. This ‘cake’ is made with brown sugar and a lot of fruit so it is not very sweet and a lot better for you than traditional cakes. My husband and his step-mom have fallen in love with this cake and are always requesting it! I originally got this recipe from an aunt who always made this with only apples, but I like making it with lots of different fruits! A muffin cake tastes the same and has the same consistency as muffins, but is made in a cake form as opposed to being made in muffin form. However, the recipe would work for either and instructions for both have been given. This is a very basic muffin recipe but with little extras to make it more exciting!

Mixed Fruit Muffin-Cake
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe mashed bananas (about 1 cup).**
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 cups apples or 2 cups strawberries (cut small), or any mix of 2 cups of any fruit. My favorite mix is 1 cup strawberries and 1 cup apple, or strawberries and blueberry, but it’s up to you! Be creative!!!

**If you want to leave the bananas out then use 1 cup brown sugar instead of ¾ cup

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease medium sized glass baking dish with butter. In small mixing bowl mix together brown sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas. Add melted butter and mix to combine. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix in the fruit. Make sure the fruit is covered in the flour mixture. By mixing the fruit in with the flour you will insure that the fruit will be evenly spread throughout the cake, as opposed to all sinking to the bottom. Add the wet ingredients but stir only until they are combined. The trick with a muffin batter is to not over mix! If you over mix this batter than your muffins or muffin cake will come out tough instead of soft and moist. About 10-15 rounds with a wooden spoon is enough. It is okay if there is some flour still visible and not mixed in with the batter. Pour in pre-greased baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

If you want to make this recipe as actual muffins instead of a muffin cake:
Line muffin tray with paper liners. Then follow directions above. Fill each muffin cup with about 2 large spoonfuls of batter. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!
M

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

2009-06-20T06:10:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I just have a night where I really don't want to cook anything at all. This is one of my go to recipes for when I want to have something really good, but I'm in a hurry. You just roast up your peppers and toss everything into the blender. This is a great pasta dish to have with grilled chicken. The sauce is also a really delicious to put over grilled chicken by itself. I was extra lazy last night, so you'll notice I left the chicken out of my pasta. In a hurry, so on with the recipe!

Sauce

2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell pepper
1/2c heavy cream(can use half & half if you want to save some cals)
1/2c chicken or vegetable stock (this amount is approximate)
1 bunch parsley
tt salt
tt pepper
1/4c parmigiana reggiano, shaved (optional)

Before you start off, might be a good idea to start the water to boil for your pasta. I normally use 1lb of penne for this recipe, but I don't like my pasta too saucy. You decide how much to make depending on your sauce preference.

There's two ways you can go about getting the roasted red peppers. You can do the lazy way and just buy a jar of roasted red peppers OR you can do the really easy thing and roast them yourself. You decide.

To roast peppers: There's also two options for roasting them. If you have a gas stove, you just turn on the burner and sit the pepper directly on the flame. Turn it as it chars. The more black, the better! The other option is to place them right under your broiler, turning them as they char. Either way you choose, once they're roasted, place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes. This allows them to steam as they cool and makes the skin much easier to peel off. Once they've cooled, remove the seeds and skin. I find it easiest to do this buy running them under cool water as I'm taking the skin off. You can also use dish towels, but beware they do stain white towels!

Once your peppers are roasted, it's time to make the sauce. Place the peppers, as much parsley as you'd like, about half the chicken stock, salt, and pepper into the blender. Turn on and blend until smooth, adding chicken stock as needed. Then, remove from blender and place into a pan. Reheat peppers and add in heavy cream. Salt and pepper once again, to taste. Pour over your pasta, top with shaved parmigiana reggiano cheese, if desired.

This time I had extra peppers so I chopped some up and put them in the sauce after it was finished. This is optional but adds some nice color.

A

Grilled Asparagus w/ Prosciutto

2009-06-19T10:08:00.001-05:00

I love the late spring when asparagus is in season. It's is one of my favorite vegetables and it's so hard to find thin, tender spears any other time of the year. I'm very rushed today, so don't have time to write much about this recipe. Sorry there isn't a photo...I didn't notice until I got home, the guy at the butcher shop sliced my prosciutto too thick and it did not look pretty at all (still tasted good). You don't really need salt for this recipe because the prosciutto is salty enough on its own.

Grilled Asparagus & Prosciutto
serves 4

1 bunch asparagus
1T olive oil
4oz prosciutto (paper thin)
2oz shaved parmesan (optional, I use parmigiana reggiano, shaving is easy using a veggie peeler)
tt black pepper.

Snap ends off the asparagus. Cover asparagus with 1T olive oil. Wrap individual spears in prosciutto. Grill until tender. Time varies due to difference in size of spears. I tend to buy the thinner spears when they're available. Remove from grill when finished and top with cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan.

Kochur Shaag

2009-06-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

This great recipe comes to us from a guest writer from India. She shares with us a traditional Bengali recipe she learned from her grandmother.

Necessity is mother of all invention, in my case necessity made me try out cooking on my own. It all started from pouring too much salt to sometimes surprising yourself with what you present to your family. I am still a learner, I check what others are cooking, I observe with the only intentions that I have to learn, learn to embrace new techniques and incorporate in my kitchen.

But today, I will not give something new, but I will give something old, something which comes from my grandma and her everyday cooking. When one think of Indian food, all they could think of are those spicy curries which all tastes kind of the same and the naans. I want to break free from that, so I will present you something which you might not even heard of it. I know I am going overboard, but I think you can find this specific vegetable at your local Chinese or Korean market or if you are in Hawaii, I bet this vegetable is growing right in your backyard.

It is what you call in English as "Elephant ear plant" Also known as Colocasia. With this recipe, we are going to use the stem of this plant. So here it goes

Ingredients
1 dozen Colocasia stems
1 chili
2t coriander powder
1 Bay leaf
1/2t cumin seed
2 spoon of oil or ghee (ghee is clarified butter, to clarify butter use this process)
2T of Black chickpea, soaked overnight (You can use regular white chickpea too, black one is smaller in size)
4T of grated coconut
tt Salt
pinch of sugar

Process
Clean the stems and boil in the water, it may look like a full pan of stems but by the time everything is boiled and softened, it will reduce to less than half of what you started with. Now once boiled drain the left over water and keep aside. In a wok heat up 2 table spoon of oil or ghee, throw the cumin seed and let it crackle for 10 seconds or so, add bay leaf and wait for another 5 seconds, now add the chickpeas, fry for couple of minutes then add the softened stems. Add coriander powder and mix it well with the mixture.

Now add quarter cup of water, salt and sugar to taste and cook over medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, once you smell the spices frying add grated coconut and the chili (you can stay away from the chili if you don't like it hot). Mix well, cook for another 2 minutes and its done.

Garlic & Ginger Snow Peas

2009-06-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

Last night on my way out to light the grill (yes, grilling again) I decided to walk over and check out the snow peas in my garden. I didn’t expect much since it’s been giving me tons of peas for about three weeks - the plants usually only give off peas for about two to three weeks and then start to die off. I started picking, and before long, my hands were full. Walking back in the house would have been way too much effort, so I pulled up the skirt on my sundress and used it as a basket. After much bending and fiddling with the plant (I swear the peas hide from me) I ended up finding a skirt full of peas! On my way back inside I was trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do with all these peas. I did nothing. I dumped them on the counter and went back outside to light the grill.

After dinner I sat snapping the ends off my pile of peas, wondering what to do with them. I decided to make them how I’d make about any stir fry, but use only the peas. There really isn’t a recipe for this, so just use however much of each ingredient you want.

Garlic & Ginger Snow Peas

1lb snow peas
Garlic, minced
Ginger, minced (can grate on the microplane)
Peanut oil (you can use any neutral oil if you don’t have peanut oil)

Bring a pan of water to boil to blanch the peas. Make sure you put a lot of salt in the water. This will make the peas a vibrant green color. Put the peas in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until slightly tender. Remove from water and place into ice water to stop the cooking.

Heat a sauté pan until it feels hot when you put your hand right over it. Put approximately 1T of peanut oil into the pan. Put the garlic and ginger into the hot pan and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Pop the peas into the pan and heat them through. Remove from pan and serve hot.

I suggest eating them alone and with your fingers because they’re so delicious.

Italian Style Bruschetta

2009-06-16T09:39:00.007-05:00

If you’ve never tried bruschetta, now is the time to do it. Usually eaten as an appetizer, bruschetta can also be eaten as a light main course. My husband and I love eating bruschetta as a main meal with a nice bottle of wine -red or white- either tastes delicious with this simple and fun antipasto.

Last year my husband and I were in Cinque Terra, Italy. Overlooking the ocean, this vine covered bar was the location that my husband proposed to me. But his proposal was not the only memorable thing that day. We also remember the homemade Italian bruschetta that we tried. A couple days later, at our home in Italy, I attempted to make my own bruschetta and this was the result!

There are hundreds of combinations for toppings for bruschetta. Below are the toppings that I like to include, but please feel free to add, substitute, and make any number of alterations to the recipe below!Italian Bruschetta

Please forgive that this recipe does not include exact amounts. The amount of tomatoes that you need will entirely depend on how much you like tomatoes, how many slices of bruschetta you are making, and how many other toppings you are including. If you only want tomatoes and cheese as toppings for example, you need more tomatoes than someone who will include all of the toppings I have listed below. Choose amounts of toppings based on how you will adapt this recipe.

Preheat oven to 350F
Start with a loaf of freshly baked Italian or French bread. Cut the bread up into slices a little over 1 inch thick.

Place the slices on a wire rack that you can easily transfer to the oven.

Sprinkle olive oil and balsamic vinegar onto each slice of bread (you do not want the bread to be soggy, about ½ tablespoon of each is enough).

For those that really like garlic, you can also sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of garlic shavings onto each slice.

All additional ingredients need to be finely chopped and placed on the bread, in any order. Again these are the toppings that I like, but you are free to pick and choose.

Tomatoes
Green and/or black olives
Roasted sweet bell pepper
Mushrooms
Artichoke hearts
Anchovies (totally optional! You can even make half with and half without!)

After you have put all of these on your bruschetta, finely chop spinach leaves and place them on as well.

Finely grate mozzarella cheese and place on top.
Sprinkle a pinch of both salt and pepper on to finish.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bottom of bread is slightly brown and crunchy!)

You can prepare olive oil and vinegar as a side to spoon over the top of the bread if wanted. Bruschetta can be eaten with your hands (like pizza) or with a knife and fork if the toppings keep falling off! Great served with wine.

Enjoy!
M

Brazilian Feijoada Completa

2009-06-15T10:13:00.003-05:00

I'd like to share a typical brazilian dish that is extremely fattening but also extremely yummy. Some of the ingredients will be difficult to find. You can look for it in latino food stores or brazilian websites. Here's a couple of links:

www.sendexnet.com

www.amigofoods.com

Please ignore my english. It's not easy for me translate recipes from portuguese to english.

Feijoada

Ingredients:

1 lbs black dried beans

8 oz carne seca (brazilian salted cured beef. you can substitute with smoked beef ribs)

8 oz pork ribs

8 oz smoked slab bacom. 1'' cuts

1 lbs smoked sausage (hot portuguese sausage, chorizo, etc), 1'' cuts

parts of pork (optional): feet, ear, tail, tongue

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

4 bay leaves

67 oz water (add more if necessary)

salt and crushed red pepper

Preparation:

In a large bowl, cover the beans with 3-4'' of water and let it soak overnight. This step is very important.

Add olive oil and sauté garlic and onions. Set aside.

Drain beans. In a pressure cooker or a large tall pot (*note), add beans and all ingredients except salt. Cover with water (3'' above beans).

After beans are cooked, discard bay leaves and add salt to taste.

*note

Pressure cooker: cook in medium heat for 30 minutes after the regulator starts blowing steam.

Large pot: Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Stir every now and then and add water if necessary.

Side dish options:

White rice; polenta frita; onion rings; french fries; oranges; farofa; couve mineira; banana a milanesa.

Farofa

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

2 cups manioc flour (nothing can substitute that for this recipe)

1/2 lbs bacon, 1'' cuts

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

fresh green onion and parsley, chopped

salt and black pepper as needed

Preparation:

In a large skillet add bacon. Cook and discard grease. Set aside. Add butter, garlic and onions and sauté until golden. Add manioc flour, green onions and parsley. Cook until browned. Add bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Couve Mineira

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh collard greens

1/2 lbs bacon, 1'' cuts

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and black pepper as needed

Preparation:

In a large skillet add bacon. Cook and discard grease. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Add collard greens, sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Banana a milanesa

Ingredients:

small bananas

eggs, beaten

manioc flour (you can substitute with bread crumbs)

oil for deep frying

sugar and cinnamon

Preparation:

In a shallow pan place beaten eggs. In a second shallow pan place the manioc flour(or bread crumbs). In a third shallow pan place a mix of cinnamon and sugar.

Dip banana in beaten eggs, then in manioc flour (or bread crumbs). Deep fry. Place it in cinnamon and sugar mix while still hot. Remove from the mix and set aside.

Polenta frita

Ingredients:

polenta mix

water

butter

grated parmesan cheese

salt

oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Prepare polenta as directed in the package, adding water, butter, cheese and salt, stirring constantly until it's very thick. Let it cool off. Cut into 4'' by 1''. Deep fry.

Other ingredients (no preparation required to be mentioned):

white rice

lime juice

oranges, peeled and cut into 1''

onion rings

french fries

How to serve:

On a plate place feijoada and add a few drops of lime juice (optional). Arrange side dishes of choice around the sides.

Enjoy.

Best Loved Kitchen Small Appliances

2009-06-14T12:25:00.001-05:00

I have so many small kitchen appliances, I might as well own a kitchen store. I have boxes upon boxes in the attic of things that I've never even opened. Anyone need a food processor for a rainy day? How about an extra juicer? I have plenty! I gave a lot of my extras to my little sister when she moved out, but I still have a massive surplus. I guess it's always nice to have backup?

None of the things on this list are must haves, but they're nice to have in the kitchen. I think they all make things quicker and/or easier for me. Here we go with another list. I promise it'll be the last on3 for awhile!

Kitchen Aid - I'm going to be honest, I don't know what I'd do without my Kitchen Aid mixer! When I lived in England, I missed my beloved Kitchen Aid and I went mad trying to do everything by hand. They are a bit pricey, I think they start around $300, but they're sooooo worth it and they last! My mom bought hers almost 20yrs ago and it's still going strong. These things can do anything. I never knead dough by hand anymore, there's a pasta attachment, meat grinding attachment, etc. Check the Kitchen Aid site for the full list of attachments. If you are going to splurge on one thing, this is it!

Immersion Blender - What don't I use this for? Basically anything you stick into a blender this will work for. I don't recommend it for ice, though. Most also come with a whisk attachment. Great for people too lazy to whisk things for a long time.

Food Processor - Make pie dough, shortcrust, shortbread, etc. Grate and slice with the attachments. You can even use this to make dressings and mayo. Lots more uses as well. Awesome for big jobs where you don't want to do a lot of chopping.

Crock Pot - The crock pot is back! Having one of these is a life saver for a busy person. You can toss everything in it before work, and when you get home from work, it's ready! You can find tons of recipes online for crock pot cooking.

Coffee Grinder - I don't know about any of you, but I'm a coffee girl! I can't think of anything better than a cup of coffee made from freshly ground beans. If you're a true fanatic, grind daily.

Rice Cooker - I had a friend in college who swore by his rice cooker. He made all sorts of creations in that thing. I don't know about crazy rice cooker creations, but I do know that steaming your own rice can be a pain in the ass sometimes. A rice cooker takes the work out of rice making. Dump everything in and turn it on, the light turns green when it's ready.

Electric Kettle - Boils water very fast - nuff said.

Waffle Maker - I don't know about this being handy or practical, but I find it very entertaining. I love getting up in the morning and making people beautiful belgian waffles. My favorite part? Spinning the waffle maker over to flip the waffles. This really shouldn't be on the list, but I'm a tad bit obsessed with my waffle maker.

Panini Press - Who doesn't like a fresh, hot panini?

If you can only get one thing on this list, splurge for the Kitchen Aid! I promise you won't be sorry!

A

Fresh Cucumber Salad

2009-06-13T16:57:00.010-05:00

Today I went to the grocery store and noticed it really must be summertime because cucumbers are even cheaper than usual. Normally I use them fresh from our garden for this dish, but we planted a bit late this year so ours won't be ready until mid-July. This super simple and delicious side salad is great for cookouts or to keep in the fridge for nibbling. The recipe is courtesy of my aunt Shaun and she has absolutely no clue where she got it from. Also, a great recipe to pull out the mandoline for thin slicing.
Cucumber Salad

from Shaun

7c cucumber (about 3), sliced thin (I peel the cucumbers because some are coated with wax to keep them from losing moisture)

1c green pepper, sliced thin

1c red or sweet onion, sliced thin

2T salt

1.5c sugar
1c white vinegar
1t celery seed (optional, slightly expensive and can omit if you're just buying them for this)
1t mustard seed (optional, same reason as the celery seed)

Combine the veggies with salt. Let stand approximately 1hr. Drain excess liquid. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and pour over veg. Can serve immediately, but best if chilled overnight.

This salad actually gets better the longer it sits. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a month due to the large amount of vinegar in it. Beware if you use red onion the color will start to fade from the onion in a few days and the onion will turn white. This side dish is so popular in our family, I don't think it has ever lasted longer than 2 days in our fridge.

Korean Style Short Ribs

2009-06-12T09:59:00.001-05:00

When I lived in Los Angeles, my friend, Ester, was from a close knit Korean family. One afternoon, Ester's grandmother invited me over the next day to have kalbi with them. At that time, I really had no clue what kalbi was, but I am so happy I found out! Kalbi is Korean style grilled short ribs. These ribs taste amazing with their combination of a sweet and salty flavor. After one bite, I begged Ester to teach me how to make them. At first, she was reluctant to share her recipe, but after weeks of bugging her, she finally gave in. She never told me actual measurements of things, so this recipe is just an estimate of the amount of each ingredient that I use.

Korean Style Short Ribs

as taught by Ester

3lbs short ribs (the only places I ever find these around here are Sam's Club or Costco, make sure they're thin cut and look like this)

1/2c light brown sugar

1/2c soy sauce

1/4c mirin (mirin is a rice wine)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced (if you're in a hurry, use the microplane)

2T sesame oil

tt black pepper (tt = to taste, I use a bit more than a pinch)

1 bunch green onions (thin slice a few for garnish, tear the rest in half to put in marinade)

Pull out your shortribs and pat them dry. Coat them with the brown sugar and then let them sit while you prepare the marinade.

In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Ester taught me to heat the marinade before pouring it over the meat, so that's what I do, but all the recipes I've ever found online say to just pour the marinade over and pop it into the fridge. You can pick which method to use. These are best if you let them marinade overnight!

Time to grill! Heat the grill to high heat. If you don't have a gas or charcoal grill, you can cook these in a pan or on a grill pan, but they will taste a bit different. Cook shortribs over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve with kimchi (if you like it) and ginger steamed rice*. Garnish with green onions.

*Ginger steamed rice is super simple. Steam your rice like normal, but add in some crushed (just smash it with the back of your knife after peeling it) fresh ginger while it cooks. Add as much or as litle as you like depending on your taste preference.

As always, enjoy!

Hello, Fellow Food Lovers!

2009-06-11T12:07:00.001-05:00

Hello to my fellow food lovers! It is with excitement that I introduce myself to you. I am very excited about this blog and I hope that you share my enthusiasm. My name is Marina and I will be one of the several co-authors of this blog. Unlike A, I do not have any professional training in the kitchen. I only have my own experience which, like most of us, started when I was a little girl in my mother’s kitchen. When I was a child, I would help my mother and grandmother in the kitchen from time to time, but my love of cooking did not really hit me until I was in my early twenties and had a kitchen of my own and no one to feed me!

I grew up on a farm in North-East Georgia to a half-Italian, half-Irish mother and an American father. People often ask me why I say that my father is American and yet give my mother more distinct roots. The fact is that my father is about as “American” as one can get. His family has been in the South of the United States since the first Europeans (ie. pure American!). My mother learned how to cook from her mother, who learned how to cook from her mother-in-law (who was born and raised in a small town near Naples in Italy). Therefore, the food in my childhood home was mostly Italian with some “American” food mixed in. Of course, I learned how to cook from my parents, and both my maternal and paternal grandmothers. Therefore, I have a very mixed background when it comes to my style of cooking. But my story does not stop there. When I was twenty, I moved to London, England where I lived for three years. There I used recipes from my childhood as well as making concoctions of my own in my own kitchen. I used my mother’s recipes and ones that I found online and in books and tweaked them to fit my style.

After three years in London, I set off for Italy to acquire my Italian citizenship (which I was eligible for courtesy of my mother’s family). I moved to Italy with my Brazilian boyfriend. We lived in a small town on the Ligurian Coast of Italy for six months. While in Italy, I learned another style of cooking from my boyfriend's family who were born and raised in Brazil, but have lived in Italy for ten years. Their cooking was a mix of traditional Brazilian food as well as traditional Italian food.

After living in Italy for six months, we moved to São Paulo, Brazil where I have lived for the past six months (and will continue living for the next year, with my Brazilian husband). Everyday that I am in Brazil I learn something new about cooking. His step-mother and aunts are giving me no shortage of new knowledge about how to cook in the Brazilian style and have no problems with me giving things a try with my American/Italian edge! I am cooking things like meatloaf and freshly baked cookies for them to try, and they, in return, are showing me how to make the proper Brazilian BBQ (called Churrasco here) and amazing Brazilian puddings (pudins).

I hope to share my mixed background of cooking with you and I am greatly anticipating the other recipes that will be shared on this blog by our other authors and hopefully some of our readers as well! I have recipes from all of the places that I have lived and am looking forward to sharing Southern (American) food, English food, Italian food (some direct from Italy and others from second generation Italian-Americans), Brazilian food and of course others which I have come across in my years of cooking, travelling and of course, lots of eating!! I hope you enjoy our blog and check back often!

As they say here in Brazil, Bom Apetite!

M

M's Mango Mojito Salsa

2009-06-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

A past flat mate of mine in London introduced me to this dip and I have been hooked ever since. While looking over the ingredients, one might think that they are quite an odd combination, but I assure you that once the flavors blend together and are given time to marinate, you will not be disappointed with the sweet and tangy flavor of this salsa which has just a hint of spiciness. I made this for Thanksgiving (and then again for Christmas since it was such a hit!) last year and my family absolutely fell in love with it! I served it with tortilla chips (I used Tostitos Tortilla Chips, but any chips would work fine) and we ate this salsa as an appetizer while waiting for the rest of the meal to be finished.

This is a great dish to bring to potlucks as it’s not the traditional potluck fair and everyone loves it! Double the recipe to make enough for a large party. Alternatively, you can also use this as a salsa for baked chicken. After baking the chicken, spoon the Mango Mojito Salsa over and around the chicken to serve. When I make this I leave out the cilantro because I absolutely loath cilantro, but many people -like my father- love it, so that is up to the cook to decide!

Mango Mojito Salsa
Makes 3 cups

2 cups peeled, pitted, diced mango ~depending on size of mango, this is about one and a half mangoes
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped sweet or red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons fresh mint (minced)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons dark rum
1½ teaspoons minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic (click here to learn how to mince garlic)

½ teaspoon seeded and minced Serrano chili pepper
½ teaspoon honey

Let stand 30 minutes before eating.

Tip: Since this is a salsa, the smaller you chop your ingredients, the better! The salsa is intended to be chunky, but simply insure that your ingredients are chopped very finely so that it will be easier to scoop up with tortilla chips. In particular, chop the Serrano chili pepper finely. Serrano chili peppers are quite spicy. However, a very small amount is used in this salsa, so have no fear that it will be too spicy, even for children. The smaller you chop the Serrano chili pepper, the better! That way, each bite only has a small amount of this pepper.

Enjoy!

Grilled Fingerling Potatoes & Chive Creme Fraiche

2009-06-10T22:01:00.004-05:00

When the weather starts to get warm, I return to my secret (or not so secret) love affair with the grill. This super simple grilled fingerling potato recipe came about one afternoon when I was trying to satisfy my craving for potato salad. I really didn't want the calories from the mayo in traditional potato salad, so I grilled the potatoes and pulled out some light sour cream and herbs to dip them in. The dish turned out to be a success and is now a staple item at all our cookouts. Since then, it has turned a bit more exciting by using creme fraiche instead of the original sour cream. Either will work, but lots of herbs are a must for this dish!

Grilled Fingerling Potatoes

2lb fingerling potatoes

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

chopped parsley

Parboil the fingerling potatoes for 6-8 minutes. Remove from water and while still hot, slice lengthwise. Place on a dish with sliced side up, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground back pepper. Place on hot grill with sliced side down. Shut the grill and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn potatoes and grill the other side, the same way, for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from grill and toss with chopped parsley and extra salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot or cold with chive creme fraiche.

Chive Creme Fraiche

6oz container of creme fraiche (you can substitute sour cream if you can't find creme fraiche)

10-12 chives, sliced thin

salt

black pepper

To save on dishes, I mix everything in the creme fraiche container and put into a serving bowl.

Must Have Kitchen Tools

2009-06-03T23:31:00.003-05:00

I thought it would only be appropriate to start off with a list of "must have" kitchen tools. I'm a kitchen tool fanatic, so my "must have" list would be so long, no one would even finish reading it. Instead, I decided to poll my chef friends and a lot of home cooks to find out their must haves. Here's the short list:

The "Y" Peeler - These make peeling veggies a quick and easy task. My favorite is the Kuhn Rikon peeler. They come in a variety of colors and are fairly inexpensive. I normally buy a pack of 3-5, so I always have one on hand whenever I need it.

Knives - All well prepared home cooks should invest in a few really good knives. I suggest always having (the bare minimum) an 8" chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. Don't forget the cutting board!

Microplane - A microplane or a similar type grater is excellent for grating cheeses and fingers (watch out it's super sharp), zesting citrus fruits, and fabulous for grating garlic and ginger!

Sturdy Whisk - A good, sturdy whisk comes in handy when you're making sauces, whipping cream, or whisking up some egg whites.

Wooden Spoons - You can never have too many wooden spoons! You'll always need to stir something.

Heavy Bottom Pans - Pans with heavy bottoms conduct heat better and cook food more evenly. I love stainless steel (it's a bit pricey), but I also think every cook should have at least one good non-stick pan as well. Also, at least one, well seasoned, cast iron skillet.

Measuring Cups & Spoons - These are a must for baking since things need to be exact. If you're a more experienced cook, you're probably able to toss out the measuring cups for savory dishes and just eyeball the amounts.

Mandoline - A cheapy one will do. Again, my favorite cheapy one is from Kuhn-Rikon. They have a great "quick slicer" that you can find at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for about $10. This is an awesome tool to have for thin slicing anything from raw potatoes or onions to apples.

Pizza Stone - A pizza stone is a great thing to keep around. They hold in heat, help you use less energy, and are excellent for baking pizzas and fresh breads.

Mixing Bowls - A set of 3-5 different sized mixing bowls. These will come in handy for a lot future recipes.

That's the list! Not too long, but having these things around definitely makes cooking go a lot smoother and quicker. If you have something to add to the "must have" list, please leave a comment!

A

A Little About The Blog

2009-06-02T00:39:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was a little, I've loved to cook. My earliest memories involve me standing on a chair in my grandmother's kitchen, barely able to see the top of the counter, and "helping" her cook. At that age, I'd mainly just contribute to an incredible mess, but that never stopped her from teaching me. I owe a debt of gratitude to my grandmother for everything she taught me about food - how to grow it, cook it, eat it, and appreciate it (even in it's simplest form).

I've always been known to do what I want, no matter what. So, as a teenager, I decided I would take my love of food to the next level, and I applied to culinary school. After I finished school, I moved to Europe and trained in numerous Michelin-starred restaurants. Then, after four years of travelling and never staying in one place for too long, I missed my family and I decided it was time to move home. Upon my arrival, I had absolutely no clue what I was going to do. You see, where I grew up, there isn't much of a demand for classically trained chefs. So, I did what any ambitious (crazy?) young person would do - I opened my very own cafe/bakery. To make a long story short, after a year-long stint as a restaurant owner, I decided that cooking as a career was not for me.

The thing is, I still love food! I love to cook and I love to entertain. So, after much time spent trying to write a cookbook and giving up on it, I decided a food blog was the answer to my problems. Fortunately, for you, this blog will be, like, an international potluck. My desire is to have several contributors from around the world. So far, I've managed to convince people from four different countries to contribute. I will allow each contributor to introduce themselves as they add to the blog.

I promise to add a contact section with contact info for each contributor as they add their own stories and recipes. I sincerely hope you enjoy our blog. Feel free to contact us with questions, comments, suggestions, recipes you'd like us to try, etc.

Please bookmark and check back often! I hope to have daily entries by June 15.

A

Work In Progress

2009-05-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

This blog is a work in progress. I hope to have it up and running, with daily posts, by mid June. Please bookmark and check back soon!

A