Updates-fun with camera phone.

Made a quiche the other day. Came together fairly easy. Cooked easy. But had a bit of a spill over. Looks like a lava flow.

This photo looks great on my phone, but here it looks very washed out. A great batch of chili, served with cornbread. All tasty.

I have off this week, so I took in one of the many food trucks invading the city...Red Hook Lobster truck. Delicious lobster rolls! Try the Connecticut for the butter soaked angel food!

Making pizza dough tonight. Loved the look of the rising dough in the plastic wrapped bowl. Lots of awesome flavors going on there.



***You remember that awesome amazing night we had at Bond 45 a few weeks ago. Well, they've made some changes to their menu. Take a look and check them out if you get the opportunity.

Playing Catch Up

Yesterday I finally shared an update about our Thanksgiving and how tasty it was. Today is the rest of the highlights from the past month....

I made a yummy meatloaf. Except I think I over cooked it. I was trying to get the bacon crispy, but in the process, the actual meatloaf dried out! Bummer. I used a ground beef/ground pork blend. I also added some yummy to it. I sauted some onions and chopped bacon the meatloaf mixture, along with herbs and spices. Mmmm, not only did I drape the meatloaf in bacon, it was inside too!

Here's the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn. Lots of gravy help with the dryness!

This was a delicious quiche. Sauted potatoes, a French herb pork sausage and Havarti and dill. So tasty and satisfying.

Here's the quiche just as it was about to come out of the oven. Yes, I used a pre-fabbed crust. It was a quick to do. All good.

Here was a thrown together Asian style stir fry with green beans and pork tenderloin medallions. I coated the pork with cornstarch and Asian 5-spice. The sauce was soy, ginger, garlic and oyster sauce.

I found hangar steak for cheap! It had been in the freezer for awhile and one night when I had no idea what was for dinner, I pulled it out, thawed and rubbed it down with a spicy blend of herbs and spices. Paprika, a few types of chiles, garlic, cumin...salt and pepper. Cooked until medium raw, sliced and tossed with sauted peppers and onions. A fast delicious dinner!

My Big Fat Gay Wedding

Please watch this.



Well said Keith.

It has been a rare occasion when I have turned to politics. The only time I can really think of was last week. A week ago when I wept for joy that our country, my country, would take a stand for change. That joy was bittersweet. While most of us were celebrating a new dawn, my brothers and sisters in several states were mourning the loss of their rights. Their rights to marry, the hope of marrying, the joy and desire to adopt and raise a family to call their own. My GLBT brothers and sisters were denied their rights based on fear and hatred. I don't understand. Really I don't! I'm asking one person, one couple, to explain to me how the relationship I have is threatening to yours? You may not understand my relationship, but how is my relationship denying you yours? How is giving a child two loving parents worse than no parents at all. How? Please, I beg of you to explain to me how my love hurts you?!!

I understand a lot of this is based on religion. I was brought in a church where I was told to love one another. Don't fight. Don't hate. But love. Where did that go?

For the time-being, I can only count my blessings that I live in a community that doesn't actively search out hate. A community, a state, a county that doesn't seek to deny me my right to love.

For the time-being, I can find comfort and hope that my love and prayers reaches my friends across this country and gives them comfort in their time of need.

Today's Garfield

Mmmm, whipped cream trees!

I've been cooking

I've been on vacation for the past two weeks...it's great. And it's been vacation on all fronts...work, blog, gym, etc. But I have been cooking some. I've documented most of what I've done and thought I would share as my official vacation comes to a close...back to the grind on Monday.

I had some left over red sauce that I wanted to use in some way, but didn't want pasta. So, I took one small chicken breast and diced it up finely. I sauted it in olive oil with some Italian seasoning. When cooked through, I poured in about 1/2 a cup of red sauce. The sauce had thickened in the fridge, so I added a little water to thin it out a bit. Seasoned with salt and pepper and served over rice. It was filling, warm and very easy.

For Christmas I received Claudia Roden's Arabesque; a taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon. There are several recipes that look wonderful, but one I wanted right away. Daoud Basha (meatballs with pine nuts in tomato sauce). These meatballs are easy to throw together and spiced with warm spices such as cinnamon and allspice. The tomato sauce is simple tomatoes with a little sugar. I made one change to the recipe, I used a meatloaf blend of ground meat (beef, pork, veal) instead of all lamb, which I am not fond of. Then I made a mistake, I used 1/2 the amount of ground meat and the full quantity of spices. The flavors were a little off. I might try this again, or I might stick with a similar recipe by Lidia.


Another Christmas gift was Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express. This book looks at a series of Nigella recipes that are simple, easy and delicious. I've made two! The first was a chicken cutlet with bacon and a wine sauce. Based on that description, is there anything wrong with this dish? Chicken; ok. Bacon; nice! Wine Sauce; awesome!! This was a great savory dish that really only took minutes. The part that took long was me making my own pasta side; orecchiette.

Last night I made pork chops with a mustard sauce. The thin cut pork chops cook in a matter of minutes and the sauce is done moments later. The sauce is a savory blend of mustard, hard cider and cream. Divine. I paired the chops with Nigella's suggestion; gnocchi. So I made my own and tossed them in the sauce just as I served the dish with some blanched green beans. Both of these Nigella dishes will be prepared again. Either as is, or with simpler sides.