Saucy

So, I mentioned earlier my love affair with the W&S Collection cookbooks. Well I thought it would be nice to give you a taste from the SAUCE book.

Seared Pork Medallions with Three Peppercorn Sauce

Black, white and green peppercorns all come the same plant, Piper nigrum. Black peppercorns are the unripe berries of the plant; they are fermented and sundried, which turns their skins dark. White peppercorns are ripe, as they remain on the plant longer. Once harvested, they are soaked and their skin removed to reveal white seeds. They are milder than black peppercorns. Fresh tasting green peppercorns are picked unripe and then preserved by drying or bottling in brine.

Tres Peppercorns

8 Pork Medallions, about 3 oz each (medallions are small, boneless cuts from the pork tenderloin)
1 TB canola or Olive Oil
1 TB coarsely cracked black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp coarsely cracked white peppercorns
Salt
1 TB Butter
1 Large shallot, minced
2 TB green peppercorns, drained if packed in brine
3 TB cognac or other brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup beef stock, reduced to 1/4 cup

Pat the pork medallions dry with paper towel. Using a meat pounder, lightly pound them to an even thickness of about 1 1/4 inches.s Rub with the oil and let stand for 15 minutes. On a plate combine the black and white peppercorns. Push the medallions into the peppercorns, pressing firmly so they adhere.

Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle one side of the medallions with a tiny pinch of salt. When the pan is very hot, place the medallions, salted side down, in the pan (do not crowd). Cooking, without moving or pressing down on them, until lightly browned on the bottom, about 2 1/2 minutes. Season the tops of each medallion with a tiny pinch of salt, turn them over and cook without moving them, for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to very low and cook until just firm to the touch, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Tranfer to a warm plate.

Sauce is simmering away.

Wipe out the pan and return it to medium heat. Melt the butter, add the shallot, and saute until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add the green peppercorns and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add any accumulated juices from teh medallions to the pan, add the Cognac and 1/2 tsp salt, and raise the heat to medium-high. Shake the pan gently for 1 minute, then add the cream and reduced beef stock. Swirl to combine and simmer for one minute longer. Season to taste with salt.

Pour sauce over the medallions and serve at once.

Voila!

Notes:
1. Broth: I had one can of beef broth. I had to reduce it, but that probably wouldn't be that great. So I put the broth in a small pan, added a chunk of onion, some rosemary and some carrots...to had some extra flavor and help erase the metallic taste of the canned beef broth. (Generally speaking the canned chicken broth doesn't have the same metallic taste, manufacturers haven't been able to fix that in the beef broth.)
2. Peppercorns: The cracked peppercorns wouldn't have been enough, in terms of quantity to dip and press the pork into, for coating...so I sprinkled them one, making sure they were evenly coated.
3. Wiping the pan out: Sure, it helps, you will still have some nice carmelized flavors left in the pan...just wipe the crumbs, don't wash or rinse.
4. As I was using the canned broth, I didn't season the pork with salt. It was fine! Enough salt in the final sauce from the broth to season everything.
5. Final: This dish was great! Loved it. But the pepper is very obviously up front in terms of flavor. It's spicy, almost hot, but not really. The cream was good in cutting some of that a little bit. With the peppercorn crust and the green peppercorns in the sauce, there was a lovely contrast in texture from the smooth buttery pork medallions and the crunchy peppercorns.

As you can see, we served with carrots. If I were to do a starch, we think potatoes would be best. Maybe roasted or mashed! Delish!

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins in Sugo

Earlier this week I decided I had to make this great recipe from Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. I caught her show where she made the meatballs with sugo (gravy).

The meatballs were amazing!!! Awesome!!!

The caveat…this should have been a weekend meal, not a Monday night meal! They take some time to do, not five hours or anything like that…but at least two hours, of some really serious kitchen time.

Disclaimer: This is my adapted recipe…I didn’t write anything down as I prepared this. So, some quantities may not be exact.

You need to start with the Sugo. As Lidia tells us:

Sugo, or gravy, is a long-cooking sauce that has a big component of meat in it, which releases its flavors as it cooks and transforms the sauce into a more complex and flavorful gravy.

The base for a good sugo is a soffrito—that essential Italian technique of cooking vegetables and aromatics in fat or olive oil slowly over low heat. Italian cuisine uses a soffrito as the start for many dishes—soups, braised meats and pasta sauces. For this sugo the soffrito is made of onions, garlic, carrots, celery and shallots. It is the first thing that goes in the pot with the olive oil.

The sugo can be cooked to the halfway point (which it reaches after about 30 minutes of cooking) in advance. Then, when you are ready with the meatballs, add them to the unfinished sugo and continue to cook together until done. You can also make the meatballs in advance, freeze them, and when you are ready to proceed with the final cooking in the sauce.

The main reason that this is adapted from Lidia’s recipe has to do with quantity. I don’t have room to store huge amounts of frozen sauce…so I had to cut the recipe in thirds.

For the Soffrito:
2 TB Olive Oil
1 Medium onion, run through the food processor until fine, like a paste almost.
1 Shallot, same as the onion
2 Garlic cloves, same as the onion
1 Carrot, same as the onion
1 Celery stalk, same as the onion.
2 Bay leaves
¼ cup tomato paste

Run the onion and shallot through the food processor. Set aside. Run the carrot and celery through the food processor. The garlic can be pushed through a press.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion/shallot mixture. Stir for two minutes until the onions are sizzling. Add the garlic in a hot spot of the pan, as the aroma is released, stir into the onions so that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the carrot/celery mixture. Stir together and cook for 4-6 minutes, until everything is starting to dry out. Lower heat to prevent burning, if necessary.

For the Sugo:
1 can (14 oz) of whole, peeled tomatoes, run through the food processor to form a thick sauce.
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
Salt/Pepper
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tsp dried thyme
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes

At this point in the soffrito, add the processed whole tomatoes and tomato sauce, broth, cinnamon stick, thyme, red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Allow pan to simmer for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. I left the pan covered, but slightly ajar to allow the sugo to reduce.

Now, while the sugo is cooking, we make the meatballs!

For the Turkey Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1 TB olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
½ tsp salt
1 slice of bread soaked in milk, then squeezed dry, discard milk
1 large egg
Fresh black pepper
½ cup golden raisins, soaked in water, then squeezed dry, discard water
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
Small handful flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form meatballs to your preferred size. I have a small ice cream scoop that I used, it was perfect. The meatballs when done, could be cut into about three bite sized pieces.

So, form all the meatballs, be gentle, don’t handle them too much. Once formed, the meatballs need to be dusted in flour. Place a cup or two of flour in a bowl. Add a few meatballs at a time, gently toss to coat with flour, tap to remove excess flour.

Meanwhile, in a second skillet, add vegetable oil, filling about 1/3 full. Turn heat to high. When HOT, start adding your meatballs, gently, cautiously. Watch the oil level, you don’t want to overflow and cause major troubles!

Allow to cook for about two minutes on one side, then turn over and get the second side….you are only doing this to cook the outside of the meatballs. When done, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all the meatballs are cooked.

About this time, your sugo will have cooked for an hour. Now, gently lay your meatballs into the sugo. Spoon some sugo over the meatballs so they are coated. Add some water if the sugo doesn’t come to at least ½ way up the meatballs. Cover the pan and allow to slowly simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti and a sprinkle of parmesan:

As I mentioned the meatballs were amazing! The turkey and pinenuts…the raisins become these plump little things full of flavor. Really great! The sugo….was nice, but didn’t have a great depth of flavor or richness you would expect. So the recommendation….make your favorite red sauce/gravy, and put the meatballs in there to cook. This recipe gives you enough meatballs and sugo for a four people. I have about half in the freezer!

Love affair

Everyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE THE AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN cookbooks. LOVE THEM! They are my favorite because they give you a great recipe and tell you how they got there...the mistakes they made, the slight variations they recommend, etc. Love them.

But outside of the Amercia's Test Kitchen books, I have a major love affair with the William-Sonoma Collection. Each recipe is paired with a drool worthy photo. The recipes are usually very easy. We received our first two W&S books as gifts. I think it was Pasta and _____, I can't remember the second. That was almost a year and a half ago. In fact all the books we have are actually gifts, in one way of another....I get lots of W&S gift cards for Christmas and my birthday.

As of last Sunday, we now have 15 of these books!!! I had a leftover gift card from Christmas and picked up four more!

We know have:

Asian
Bread
Chicken
Dessert
French
Ice Cream
Italian
Mexican
Pasta
Potato
Risotto
Roasting
Salad
Sauce
Soup

We also have, from their larger books: Baking, Desserts(cakes, pies, tarts) and Thanksgiving.

These are great gifts ideas...if you are looking for a small affordable gift for someone, I would recommend these...if you have a slight idea of what someone likes, you can pick an almost exact match.

I don't think I could pick one over the other in terms of what are my favorites...but the last four we bought are really great and I'm about to start trying some recipes: French, Roasting, Sauce, Soup...


...STAY TUNED




PS: Remember earlier this year I started a Cookbook Catalog on the right sidebar of this page...I stopped updating it because I was having such problems with formatting and I got really frustrated. Perhaps it will be updated and continued at some point this summer?! But I make no promises.

Summer Lovin'

Had me a blast.

A true sign of summer is sweet corn. Sure, it's probably imported from somewhere...but it's going to be soon before the Washington Metro area is seeing fresh locally grown sweet corn. But in the meantime Whole Foods had a beautiful selection of sweet corn today. So...dinner!

Doesn't it look delicious?!?!?!

We picked up four ears of corn and four brats from the meat counter. For the corn, I put the oven at 400 and peeled off the very outer most leaves...leaving most of them and the hair intact. Then I just popped them in the oven, on the rack. You're going for 30 minutes total time, after the first 15 minutes, just rotate them over. When your corn is done, it will be perfectly hot and crunchy.

But it's not done...tonight I decided to make the corn a little special. I took 1/2 a stick of butter (4TB) and let it sit on the counter for an hour to soften. I tossed it in a small bowl and added about 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp of ancho chili powder, 1/2 tsp of salt and about four or five grinds of fresh black pepper. I then added the zest from one lime & juice from half of that lime. Stir it all together, really whip it to get that lime juice incorporated. Rest it in the fridge while the corn roasts and you continue with the brats.

Simmering away and the buns are toasting!

Please allow me first to say one thing. We really know bratwurst back home in Wisconsin. Seriously know bratwurst! Everyone will have their perfect way to cook them, but the general rule is....parbroil in beer...grill until crisp and golden, then back in beer with onions and butter to simmer...

I picked up four brats today while at Whole Foods...fresh and made in the store. They were good, but really...not all that compared to the basic staple of the supermarket, Johnsonville! And when you see the Johnsonville Brat, just go with the basic/original. Now, I will say that I have had some problems finding Johnsonville Brats in the DC area and have been known to buy several packs of them at once and freeze them!

As I don't have a real grill...we have a tiny little gas thing, but eh...not all that. So tonight I got my medium pan over the highest heat. I laid the sausages out and let them sear, flip them and let them sit again...you'll have both sides all lovely and golden brown at this point. With the sides gray...if you can get all sides good and brown, try, otherwise, don't worry about it....on the grill the flames usually wick up and get the sides. After both sides are crisped up from the heat, toss in one onion, sliced. Toss the onions around for a bit. They will start to pick up some of the seared bits in the pan and will start to release their juices. Make sure you have your heat over screaming heat and pour in a beer. Stand back and allow the aroma to knock your socks off! I gave it a minute and walked out of the kitchen and said..."Isn't that one of our favorite scents?" J-lo was nearly weeping! Toss one TB of butter in the pan, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. For the last few minutes, take the cover off and allow to reduce slightly.

To 'plate up', quickly toast up a bun. Place one brat on the bun and top with the onions that have soaked up the yummy beer and butter sauce. Use a condiment of your choice...mustard is a classic....I am sad to say, us German Wisconsinites also use ketchup....but I've moved away from that myself!! Now for the corn, pull back the husk, clean off any large clumps of corn hair and add a pat of the chili lime butter. Garnish with a slice of lime and go to town.

The buns that we bought were not that good...didn't hold up well.
The problem with Whole Foods, they didn't have basic sausage/hot dog buns.

First test of Guy

So the winner of The Next Food Network Star was selected a few weeks ago. Guy Fieri won...not my choice, but that's ok...I knew Reggie wasn't going to win, but was hopeful.

During the second to last episode, we, the viewers, got a look at what the contestant's shows would be like. I liked the recipe that Guy prepared and decided that I would make it tonight...a sort of Cinco de Mayo thing...but not really....really just a southwestern take on an Alfredo sauce. The Cinco de Mayo thing is really the Coronas we're drinking now!

I made some alterations to Guy's recipe before starting out...here it is:

Tequila Turkey Fettuccini
Recipe adapted from Guy Fieri

1 TB olive oil
½ red onion, cut into strips
1 minced jalapeno
4 cloves minced garlic
1 red pepper, roasted, prepped and sliced
½ to 1 LB turkey breast, cooked, sliced
2 shots tequila
4 oz heavy cream
fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
small handful chopped cilantro leaves
½ box fettuccini pasta, cooked
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 lime wedges, for garnish
One diced Roma tomato, for garnish
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In sauté pan with high heat, add olive oil, onions, jalapeno and sauté until translucent. Add garlic, roasted red peppers and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.

Deglaze pan with tequila, pouring around the edge of the sauté pan. Allow to reduce by half. Add the lemon juice and the sliced turkey, lightly mix ingredients, careful not to break turkey up to much.

Add cream and toss together, if it's a bit thin, allow to reduce over high heat, until slightly thickened, add pasta and toss ingredients while adding Parmesan cheese.

Nest pasta on plate, pour sauce over pasta. Sprinkle tomatoes on top and cracked pepper around the rim of the plate.


This was really tasty! We liked it. Our one recommendation would be less parmesan...strange for me to say, I know....but it was just one bit more than we really needed....a TB or two and that's all that's necessary...maybe even just sprinkle it on top, not tossed in with the sauce & pasta. Outside of that, the rest of the recipe listed above was really tasty! The Tequila was awesome and highly recommended.

Busy

I've been busy and haven't really had the time to put up a new post....By the end of the weekend, there will be two more posts...maybe a third.

But in the meantime, I wanted to give you something new. Sexy Mia shared these recipes with me recently. I wanted pass them to you! If you try them out, let us know how they go.



Creamy Artichoke Soup

Trim leaves, stems, and fuzzy chokes from 6 artichokes (save leaves for other uses). Drop artichoke hearts into a bowl of ice water mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Drain hearts and add to boiling water; cook until tender. Drain. In a pan over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add 1 onion, chopped, and stir until golden. Stir in 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; cook, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 6 cups chicken broth and the artichoke hearts; stir until mixture boils and thickens, 15-20 minutes. Whirl mixture in a blender until smooth. Return to pan and heat through. Add 3 tablespoons whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chervil.



Lemon Artichoke Chicken
Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. each), rinsed, dried, and pounded to an even thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add chicken in batches and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and add artichoke hearts.

2. Add sherry, lemon peel, and lemon juice to remaining butter in frying pan; stir over medium heat until well blended and hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and stir. Remove from heat and pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake until sauce is bubbling and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Still as good

Hello friends.

We had guests over last night for dinner and the requirement, vegetarian. So I went back and made this: Stir Fried Noodles with Chilis and Lime.

It's still amazing and still really really good. Head over to the original recipe page for further notes!

Generally not into Mustard

In my mind, I don't like condiments for sandwiches. If I'm having a burger, ketchup is okay...but not so it's dripping off the bun/burger. Not good. Mayo is NOT an option. Sorry kids...NO NO NO. And if mustard makes its way onto my food...I generally scrape most of it off. Not really my thing. When I have a sandwich, it's usually dry. Ga' tad dry!

Well, tonight's dinner was all about the MUSTARD! Shocking!

The recipe is from the magazine I mentioned the other day, Intermezzo. It did call for one main ingredient that isn't allowed in our house, so I won't mention it and will just give you the altered recipe. If you want to know you can guess or....get the magzine.

Chicken with a Shallot Mustard Sauce

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split and pounded thin
Salt & Pepper
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 TB butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 TB grainy Dijon mustard

Season chicken with salt & pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute chicken until cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Move chicken to a warm plate and cover with foil.

Melt butter in the same pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes until shallots turn translucent but do not burn. Add the wine and scrape browned bits off bottom of the pan; add cream and mustard. Cook until sauce has reduced by half and is quite thick. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Return chicken to pan briefly to rewarm, serve chicken with sauce on top.



The dish was really good. The one TB of mustard really pulls up front! More so than the shallots or wine. When I make this again, I would cut the mustard (tee hee) in half, get the flavor but not overwhelm the full dish. We served it with this hearty full grain rice, a great compliment.

Enjoy!

Cheesey Ravioli Ragu

The only order for dinner...something with sausage.

So...we have Ravioli with Sausage Ragu.

The recipe is an Emeril Lagasse creation. But his calls for frying the ravioli...which I am totally in favor of, but have no interest in actually doing that tonight. So I have 'fresh' four cheese ravioli from the store and whipped up this Hot Sausage Ragu.

Hot Sausage Ragu:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb hot sausage
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (15 oz) cann diced tomatoes with their juices
1 (8oz) tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of sugar

In a medium pt, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring, until brown and the fast is rendered, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper and bay leaf, and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 minutes. Add the tomatoe paste, blend in. Add the wine and stir in throughly. Add the diced tomatoes and sauce. Bring all to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. Add water as necessary to keep from getting to thick. Add the cream, stir and warm. Remove from heat and cover until needed.



The directions are slightly different than Emeril's recipe, but it's essentially the same. I didn't use the sugar and there seemed no need. The final result. Delicious!!!

Little Debbie better watch her ass

Cuz it's on!

I am making cookies for my first day of my new job. I know, I know...it's insane and completely 100% dorktastic.

So...I made two cookies.

Here is the first:

Chocolate Kahlua Whoopee Pies
with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream Filling

drooool!

Makes 10 Pies

For Cakes:
8 TB unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp Kahlua
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk

For Filling:
4 TB unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
Seeds scraped from 1 Vanilla Bean
3 Cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment papper.

2. Using a stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light in texture. Add egg and liqueur. Beat until blended. On low speed add flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat until well blended, and crumbly. Add milk and beat until smooth.

3. Drop batter from a round Tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely before filling.

Make filling:

4. Using a stand mixer on low speed, mix all ingredients until well blended. Whip on high speed 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy.

5. Using a knife or a small spatula, spread a generous amount of filling on bottom of one cookie. Press bottom of another cookie on top of filling ot form sandwich. Wrap pies in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

~+~+~+~

I got this recipe from a magazine I picked up a few two or three weeks ago. I've been dying to try this since then. And they are perfect! And really quite easy. I followed the recipe almost exactly. I only used the 1/2 cup of cocoa I put in the ingredients above. The original called for 3/4 of a cup. I think perhaps, now having tried them, that maybe 2 TB of Kahlua instead of 2 tsp. Oh, and the magazine is called Intermezzo; Fine interludes in Food, Wine, Home & Travel.

UPDATES:
Made these again. Some step by step photos here.

Beta Carrot Salad

Dinner tonight was pretty simple and pretty tasty. I took a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis' newest cookbook and adjusted it for what I had on hand and then while at the store this afternoon running around the produce section crazy as a hen, I decided to make a carrot salad as the side dish.

First:

Beta-Carrot Salad
Serves 2-3

3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded on a box grater, through the large holes
1 lemon juiced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about 1/3 cup
1 TB cilantro, chopped
1 TB thyme, chopped
Pinch of Salt/Pepper and ground coriander

In a medium bowl whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, thyme, salt, pepper and coriander into an emulsion. You might need a little more or less olive oil, depending on how much juice the lemon has. Pour about 1/2 over the grated carrots and toss. If you need more, add more. I had a bit left over...I didn't want the carrots to be swimming. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. Toss before serving. Serve in a small bowl, or allow to drain a bit, so the liquid that draws out of the carrots doesn't spill all over your plate.

Done.

Yum!


And the second dish:

Pollo Spiedini
Serves 4, 2 kebabs per person

As mentioned, this is from Giada's Family Dinners. Giada says that Spiedini is Italian for kebabs. Her recipe calls for swordfish. Not something I could find at Giant and something I'm not sure I like. Or would be comfortable with. So, I replaced the swordfish with chicken.

2 TB Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Herbes De Provence
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces, less than 1 inch square, any larger, they will need to cook longer than the next ingredient...
8 slices bacon
8 skewers, if wood, soaked for 30 minutes in water

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, herbes, salt & pepper to blend, add the chicken and toss to coat. Thread the chicken alternately with 1 slice of bacon onto each of the skewers, wrapping the bacon around the chicken cubes as you go.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat or preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the skewers until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon crisp, about 8-10 minutes, turning as they cook.

Done.

The spiedini doing the dirty work!

And Yum!!! I used the grill pan (I'm sure a grill would be even better) and it worked well, just watch the temperature and how the spiedini are cooking, lower or raise heat accordingly, again, you don't want to burn the bacon or have under cooked chicken.

I think the carrot salad was lovely with the kebabs, great for refreshing the palette after bites of the chicken bacon kebab.


Enjoy!

The finished dinner. Pretty good, would do it again.
The carrot salad would be great in the summer...fyi!

Bolognese Sauce

We had some ground beef that was about to cause some serious problems in the fridge, so we had to use it up and use it quickly. And I thought a classic bolognese sauce would be a good use for the beef.

So I gathered up the ingredients that I had on stock:

1 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
1 medium/large onion
2 large carrots
1/2 lb Sweet Sausage
1 lb Ground Beef
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup milk
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce (the can is 1/2 the size of the 14 oz, approx.)
Salt/Pepper

Finely grate the carrot on your box grater. If you don't have a box grater, finely dice the carrots. Finely dice the onion.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over high heat. When sizzling, add the onions and carrots. Toss to coat and saute for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is soft. Add the sausage, crumble and brown. Add the ground beef, crumble and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Here's a step that I could have done, but didn't. Drain the excess fat off.

With the skillet on high heat, add the wine. Lower heat and simmer until the wine had reduced and evaporated. At that point add the milk and simmer until reduced and evaporated.

Add the diced tomatoes, their liquid and the sauce. Partially cover and simmer on low heat for up to two hours. I went about an hour...the longer the better. Stir occasionally. If the sauce becomes to dry, add some water.



Serve on spaghetti with grated parmesan!

I love my grandma

At the end of February, my Mom and aunt Katie visited for an extended weekend. The first night they were here, Lord & Lady B and Joyous came over for some drinky drinks and some fixed up nummies. At one point in the evening my Aunt Katie said to me...

K: "Have you made grandma's french fried pork chops?"
Me: blank stare
K: "You remember the french fried pork chops right?"
Me: "OH MY GOD, SHUT UP....I totally forgot about those devils!"

The story goes like this:

Way Way back in the land before time...actually not that long ago...my aunt is only going to be 40...my grandparents owned and operated a tavern called Heinie's in Appleton, WI. There was the beer and booze, but there was also the food. I think Friday night's were for Fried Chicken and grandma went to grab the chicken to prepare it from the freezer, but grabbed the wrong thing...oops. She grabbed pork chops. Oh well, she continued. (I don't have a recipe here...so if you try this...trial and error) Coat the chops in flour then dunk them in a beer batter of Aunt Jemima and fry them in big ol' pot of hot oil until golden brown and delicious.

The chops get the nice crispy coating and then stay perfectly moist on the inside. I seem to always remember having these with some sort of potato, usually mashed, maybe home-fried, or maybe just fries? Now that I mention it I can't remember. The chicken was made with the same batter...as was the fish....!

Well, I decided to try these puppies out tonight.

I didn't write anything down as I was moving along so what I give you is the guesstimate recipe! When I try this again in the future I'll try to give a more specific recipe, or clarify if needed.

Preparing to be naughty!

Audrey's French Fried Pork Chops

1 1/2 cups of Aunt Jemina pancake mix
1 bottle of beer
pinch of salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, cayenne
4 small, boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat

Several cups of vegetable oil heated over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot, mix 1 cup of pancake mix with nearly a bottle of beer, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and cayenne. You want this to be looser than pancake batter, but not watery. I used a full bottle of beer...I should of had a chug of it first, then I would have had the right amount.

Take your chops and dredge them lightly in the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix.

Now dip the pancakes in the beer batter until coated, allow excess to drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil. You want to oil to stay hot, so when you add the chops, raise heat to high. Watch the bubbles and the chops. If they get to dark, lower the heat.

After five minutes, carefully turn the chops over and cook for another five minutes.

The chops should be done at this point, remove from oil and set on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a touch of salt. Serve immediately!

I served my chops tonight with Green Beans sauted ligthly in olive oil and toasted pine nuts and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Fried Shallots...OMG this was good. The shallots: THINNLY sliced and put in a tiny pan with olive oil over medium to medium high heat, stir regularly with a fork. Watch carefully, as they start to brown, they will brown quickly. When browned, remove to some paper towel. Toss these on your potatoes.

French Fried Pork Chops with Green Beans w/ Toasted Pine Nuts
and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes w/ Crispy Fried Shallots.

My Life in France

Since Saturday, I have been the proud owner of MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child with Alex Prud'Homme. Since Saturday I've been wanting to post about the book, but thought I should wait until I've finished reading it.

I COULDN'T WAIT!

I am not even 100 pages into the book and I am in love, inspired, happy, joyful, enlightened, envious; I wish I could go one...but I'm not that great with adjectives.

Written by Julia and her...grand-nephew, Alex, the book focuses on Julia and her husband Paul's time in Paris, shortly after getting married and while Paul was stationed in France with the U.S. State Department. Of course, we know the story of Julia learning to cook at L' Cordon Bleu, eventually pairing with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck to write MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, then moving back to the U.S. and creating her show, THE FRENCH CHEF on PBS, bringing gourmet food to the U.S....the rest is history. But this provides the details in a way you can't even begin to appreciate with my novice narrative, so I'm not really going to try.

So far in the book, we've experienced Julia's First French Dinner, fresh off the boat from the U.S. and before they even make it to Paris. I swear I could taste it all, savoring every bite, and I've never had Sole Meuniere! Subsequently we taste more meals Julia and Paul have, and we go through her early cooking classes, trips to the country-side and the true love that Paul and Julia had for one another....and the cooking experiments at home.

Just last night I patted my book as I was preparing to head to bed to read, "We're moving to Paris for a few years so that I can immerse myself in the art of French cooking and live like this." There might have been a grunt or nod, but nothing I can call a verbal contract. I've never been to Paris and although I've often wanted to go, it has never been on the top of my list of destinations. It has certainly moved up there with this book.

I've always had one memory of Julia, standing tall, proud and goofy, before a copper bowl of egg whites with a large wisk in her hand, pronounced to the camera in her marbled voice that she was going to whip the eggs to a soft peak and like a snapped rubber band, her upper body contorted and she whipped those whites into a frothy pillow in a flash! That image will always be with me.

Julia lost Paul in 1994, I think, and the world lost Julia in 2004. Alex Prud'Homme had been interviewing Julia and collecting data and photos*, creating outlines and such to help her with the book focusing on these years in France. When she died, Alex continued the book with Julia as the main author. Just in the past month, MY LIFE IN FRANCE was published and released to the masses. My understanding is that it's already on the best sellers lists! I am having a hard time not reading it at my desk. I have a few days off next week before I start my new job and I do plan on finishing the book then.

**Photos...these are not of Julia's cooking, at least not yet, they are photos, mostly taken by Paul and they are amazing. They are not on plates the middle of the book, they are tucked right into the narrative and really capture and portray Paris and France and Julia. There have been more than a few I thought would be lovely matted and framed...would I want to tear the pages out of the book to do this....? We'll have to see.

And if you haven't heard, the American History Museum is closing their doors after Labor Day for two years of renovations. As of now, you can head over and take a look at Julia's Kitchen. It's pretty damn cool!!!

All this said, I'd recommend you pick this book up for a read. I had it on my wishlist and planned to get it, but then I started reading review after review praising it and being a sucker, I picked it up and couldn't be happier.

The Next Food Network Star

You should head over to the Food Network website and vote for:

The Next Food Network Star.

Your choices are:

REGGIE

or

Guy



I was really cheering for Carissa, but she didn't make it to the final three, so I'm voting for Reggie, big silly, funny, comforting Reggie. If you haven't watched The Next Food Network Star and don't mind, head over and vote for Reggie. If you have been watching....vote for whom you like.

Cheers

This Friday (4/21) will be my last day at my current job and I need to celebrate! I'm planning on having a few beers at the District Chophouse. I will be there at 530pm until 730pm. Come join me! I'll be upstairs!

***

I might be there later than 730 or I might move onward. So if you can't make it at 730 let me know and I'll let you know where I'll move to. But if I find a stool and a cold beer mug I might just stay planted.

District Chophouse * 509 7th Street NW * Washington, DC

Give My Regards

I'll be signing off for the weekend again as we make what is becoming our traditional Spring Theatre trip to New York. We'll spend time with The Kara, visit Sha-Nay-Nay, her hubby and little Sha-Bay-Bay.


Have a wonderful weekend, a blessed holiday and good eats.

See you next week.

Antioxidant Enriched Vodka

This past Saturday Lady Brandenburg and I celebrated our new jobs. My new job I start in a week and her job she's had a few weeks under her belt. We gathered at the Brandenburg Manor and celebrated with friends and family. The primary drink ingredient for the evening was pomegranate juice! And Scott spent most of the evening with the Pomegranate Martini. I was well on the way to schnockered after the first one and yet I continued with several more. They are really really naughty! Adult Kool-Aid.

Pomegranate Martini (serves 2)
1 ¼ cup Pomegranate Juice
1/2 cup vodka
2 Tbsp. Cointreau
2 squeezes of lime
ice
shake
strain
serve

Pizza! Pizza!

Before I forget my own name, I have to share the dining experience we had two weeks ago when J-lo’s mom was visiting…I did promise afterall.

On Saturday, April 1st, we got up bright and early and headed to the National Zoo to see our second favorite Butterstick. Well, the most favorite butterstick is actually edible, wrapped in gold and imported from Ireland.

After roaming the zoo for a few hours, we were starving. Being somewhat in the neighborhood, we headed up Macomb Street to 2 AMY’S.

EVERY SINGLE WEEK on the Tom Sietsema chats on WashingtonPost.com, someone asks Tom: “Where can I get good pizza in Washington?” And Tom’s basic response is: “Everyone, say it with me…2 AMY’S!”

The pressure finally was enough to get me up to that neighborhood. It’s funny, we used to live up there when in grad school at American University and at that time, we’d be hanging at Cactus Cantina for chips and salsa and stale margaritas. If were kickin’ it up, we would go next door Café Deluxe. But the funniest thing about this neighborhood, on the corner of Macomb and Wisconsin Avenues is Zebra Lounge. Zebra Lounge used to be Brothers Coffee. And it was where J-lo and I had our first date on 12/03/99.

Anyway….back to the point.

2 AMY’S is a tiny little pizzeria tucked almost out of view, off of Wisconsin Avenue. Specializing in authentic Neapolitan pizzas, this place is worth a trip! You walk in and have the large wood/brick oven to your right and several tables on the left. This place is tiny, but frankly, I don’t think it would rock as much if it were a larger restaurant.

We were almost immediately seated, despite the short line at the door. When we were walking up we said it might take us a while to get a table…not at all. But this was like 2pm on a Saturday.

The menu is short and sweet. Featuring several types of pizzas and some small bites.

I had the 2 AMY’S pizza with meatballs. Really, it’s a perfect crisp, blistered and chewy crust topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, some salt and olive oil. The meatballs were pretty darn good. But just a ‘wee’ bit dry.

But we didn’t start with pizza; I’m getting ahead of myself. We had some beautiful Procuitto di Parma on some very lovely bread. And after snarfed that down I remembered hearing about their Risotto Balls, so we ordered some Suppli a Telefono (rice balls with mozzarella and something else…the rice was slightly orange and almost tangy.) But OMG! Sooo good.

Then of course, the pizzas came. I ate mine all by my unsharing self. And I was bound and determined to eat it all!!! I think I did too.

J-lo and his mother shared the Margherita Extra…a Margherita with cherry tomatoes. From the sounds of it, they enjoyed theirs as well.

And I think I’m missing something??? Like we had something else to start…but I can’t remember???

Regardless, if you like a good old school, authentic pizza, head to 2 AMY’S. And FYI: They are certified by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association…aka, the PIZZA POLICE.

Must be Memorex!

(I wrote this post in mid-March, but it was when Blogger was being really stupid...so I just saved it and remember it today.)


March 24, 2006:

I was leaving my office suite today and in the hallway, there was a giant bin of trash. Another office on the floor was doing some spring cleaning. Good for them. As I was walking past the trash bin, my eyes connected to an item in there and the baseball bat of supressed memories came gliding down and knocked me right between the eyes. It is how those neurons can just bring up forgotten memories without a moments notice and leaving you dazed and cornfused.

I now have a moment, a point in my history, when I can say, without a doubt, this is when I became interested, scratch that, become obsessed with cookbooks and recipes. Sure, the years of being partially raised by my grandmother and early years of food programs on public TV had a role in what shaped me, eventually bringing me to where I am now.

Sometime approximately 25 years ago I found myself opening cupboard doors in the kitchen looking for something, a snack, a toy, a secret, I don't know what. And during that activity I found my mothers recipe box. It was hiding in the bottom cupboard, behind stacks of pans and generic brand canned veggies, you know, things mom would never use.

These were not heirloom recipes, passed down from my grandmother, recipes I would die to have now, as I can't remember but a few tasty treats. No, these were recipes in a box that were given to my mother as a gift sometime in the previous 5-10 years. Perhaps a sweet sixteen gift, a newborn baby gift, your first apartment gift, a 'thanks, but I can't go to the bar with that' gift. And as I discovered, they were recipes never used...and never opened.



I tore into that recipe box and card sets like a kid in a candy store. A lovely red plastic box, hinged and opening upwards. Cellophaned stacks of cards with titles and color coding at the top. And the piece de resistance, Divider Cards!!! Ahhhhhhh. The anal retentive angels sang!
I wish I could remember recipe titles, divider names, but I can't. But I remember sitting with this box for hours, organizing meals I knew I wanted. From some fried disaster for a snack to mashed potato/meat loafed entree, something molded or a pudding or cake dessert...those were my favorite cards, the desserts!

Eventually that recipe box found itself on the kitchen counter, sometimes clipped recipes would make there way in the box, but I never found mom opening it to look for a recipe to make for dinner. But I would find myself looking through it and reading the cards, and reorganizing them again and again, I think the last time I looked in that recipe box was around 12-13 years old.

I wonder if my mom still has her Betty Crocker Recipe Card set? It might be interesting to find out. Not that I need or want it...but if it was still around, it might make an interesting conversation piece about the evolution of the home cook from the 70's housewife to today's crazed, time consumed families. And to see where my obsession came from.

Chicken in White Wine

We recently had Lord & Lady B over for dinner with J-lo's mom. I decided to head into THE SILVER SPOON for recipes for dinner.

Here is the main entree:

Chicken in White Wine
Pollo Al Vino Bianco


2 TB Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove
1 Fresh Rosemary Sprig
1 Chicken cut up
1 bottle dry white wine
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the oil in a roasting pan, add the garlic and rosemary, then add the chicken and cook, turning frequenty until golden brown all over. Season with salt and pepper and pour in the wine so that the chicken is almost covered. Cover the pan with a double layer of foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, return the roasting pan to the oven and roast until the wine has evaporated is tender and cooked through.

And that my friends is the way THE SILVER SPOON presents their recipes. Simple and straightforward. I did add about four more garlic cloves and a total of three rosemary sprigs. Also in the early steps, with the garlic and rosemary just added to the oil, I added a large onion, sliced. Done and done.

I served the chicken with Aspargus Risotto and Cake with Orange Frosting. I'll get the cake recipe up sooner or later. The Risotto...just make a risotto and add some blanched asparagus...basically.

Poulette der patata de' provence!?!?!

I'm full of crap I know! I like the sound of this dinner, but seriously, if the title of this post is translated if probably says something like "Scott is a complete dork."

Anyway, last night was a "what's in the fridge/freezer for dinner" kind of night.

I had some frozen, almost freezer burned chicken, two potatoes, one onion, one and a half leeks, wine and butter. The cupboard was fully stocked with herbs. So, what did I make.....

Poulette Der Patata De' Provence!
aka: Scott is a complete dork

2 medium-large white potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into half moons (I only had 1 1/2, but if I did again, I'd use 2)
1 TB Herbes de Provence
S/P
1 lb pack of boneless skineless chicken breasts, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup white wine
2 TB butter

Over medium high heat in a large skillet, add in about a TB of olive oil. Add the potatoes, toss to coat with the oil and allow to saute and start to get browned. Add the onions and leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes, until everything starts to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the Herbes de Provence. Toss to coat.

Carefully scootch the veg mixture to the sides of the pan and lay down the chicken slices. Keep moving the veg to make room for the chicken as you add it...I just started to so put the veg onto of the chicken, sort of layering it. Allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, getting a nice crust on the chicken...and the steam will continue to cook the veg.

Turn the chicken pieces to cook the second side. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Gently move the ingredients around. You don't want to mush the potatoes. Simmer for a few minutes until the wine has reduced to a nice saucey consistency. Stir in the butter to enrich the sauce.

Enjoy.

(not much to look at, but pretty tasty)

Another Non-Food Post:

Cloud 9-But not in a really great way...getting offered this new job, accepting and now getting ready to process myself out of my current job left me in a daze. So what did I do today...I stuffed envelopes for a mailing....all day. Good brain melt project.

Of course I was plugged into the iPod all day and I thought it would be fun to share, as I really enjoyed everything that scrolled across today:

• Golden-Jill Scott
• Behind These Hazel Eyes-Kelly Clarkson
• Take a Chance On Me-ABBA
• Are You Gonna Go My Way-Lenny Kravitz
• Lose Yourself-Eminem
• Canned Heat-Jamiroquai
• Give A Little Respect-Erasure
• Erotic-Madonna
• A Little Less Conversation-Elvis Presley
• Take Me Out-Franz Ferdinand
• Express Yourself-Madonna
• Super Trouper-ABBA
• South Side-Moby
• The Remedy-Jason Mraz
• Soul Education-Jamiroquai
• One Evening-Feist
• Go Where You Wanna Go-Mamas & Papas
• American Idiot-Green Day
• What You Waiting For-Gwen Stefani
• Crossroads-Jonell Mosser
• Juicy-Better Than Ezra
• I'm Still Standing-Elton John
• Curbside Prophet-Jason Mraz
• Somebody to Love-Queen
• Flashdance...What A Feeling-Irene Cara
• Sexual Revolution-Macy Gray
• Fighter-Christina Aguilera
• Sexx Laws-Beck
• Vogue-Madonna

Good Times.

OK, there might be a post tomorrow, but hopefully after that, things will resume slightly! Take Care.

It's Finally Official

I want to share...I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!

I just turned in my official resignation letter and let me boss know I'll be leaving.

I'll be heading to the University of Maryland in just over two weeks!

Wahoo!!!

Pesto Pesto

Tonight I was in the mood for pesto.

(I promise the big weekend meal will be posted Friday or Saturday...the chicken in wine, asparagus risotto and cake....I mentioned it a few days ago.)

But tonight was for pesto!

Pesto is possibly one of the worlds oldest sauces. A few reports I've read state that pesto derives its name from the process in which it is created: pestatura (grinding leaves) in a murta (mortor) and pestellu (pestle). Presto Pesto!

Every sources does say this still creates the best tasting sauce, if...and only if the wrist twists the pestle and tears/grinds the basil leaves, releasing their essential oils and all their flavors! If the pestle is used to pulverize the leaves, the full flavors are not realized. It is said that creating the pesto in a food processor shears the leaves, blocking the cells from again, releasing their oils. It is also possible that too much heat is created by the machine erradicating the aromas and flavors.

All that is good and proper, but I don't have a proper mortar and pestle, so I can't really do that. So, I used my food processor! Pllllbttt on ancient Italian traditions!!! (just kidding)

So my Pesto...easy peasy:

Assemble your ingredients: (and quantities are approximates)
2 cups fresh basil, loosely packed
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts...toasted is vital...so much better!!!!
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1-2 garlic cloves (I had two large cloves and it was probably the amount of 4 medium cloves, too much garlic in my opinion)
Pinch or two of salt
Few grinds of black pepper

Give them a quick whirl.


After a quick whirl, all the goodies will look like this: The coarse texture you want.

At this point, turn the machine on and quickly drizzle in approximately:

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Soon your pesto will look all creamy and yummy and green. DONE!


I added my pesto to some pasta will some quickly sauted pieces of chicken. YUM!

Trying to relive a memory

No, I've never been to Morocco, but when we went for J-lo's birthday to Marrakesh, they served us one dish that was pretty much hands down the favorite!!! Their Roast chicken with preserved lemons and olives. It was the most succulent chicken in the world and so amazing.

About two weeks ago, Simply Recipes posted a recipe for Moroccan Chicken with Lemon & Olives. I knew I had to try it.

So this past Wednesday I invited the Joyous over for some tasty chicken and LOST.




Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives
from Simply Recipes (w/some notes by me)

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs, the dark meat is more flavorful) (I just bought a pre-cut up chicken, it worked well)
Salt

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped

The peel from 1 preserved lemon, rinsed in cold water, pulp discarded, peel cut into thin strips
(I had two regular lemons. One I sliced thinly, the other I peeled into large zesty strips, then juiced that lemon)
1 cup green olives, pitted (we had Kalamata olives)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins (we had Golden Raisins, I think Nigella calls them sultanas!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I prepared both and forgot them, I was moved to drooling and wanted to eat)

1. Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put in the bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the chicken stand for one hour in the spices.

2. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle lightly with salt (go easy on the salt, the olives and preserved lemons are salty), and brown, skin side down for five minutes. (If you are using a clay tagine, you will skip the browning step, heat only to medium heat and use a heat diffuser on the heating element to prevent the tagine from cracking.) Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

3. Turn chicken pieces over. Add the lemon slices, olives, raisins, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and quite tender. (I used the regular skillet and covered it partially to help keep some heat in and allow some steam to escape)

4 Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serves 4 to 6. Serve with couscous, rice, or rice pilaf. (I served with couscous that had toasted pine nuts, cilantro and 'sultanas.')


Further Reading:
Seven Essential Spices in a Moroccan Kitchen
Testing Tagines from the New York Times
Flights to Marrakech from Expedia-if you are interested!

Quick Update & From Scratch

Hola,

I hope to have full posts back tomorrow...maybe Wednesday....J-lo's mom leaves tomorrow and tomorrow evening, I might just crash!

When I return, with Bloggers Blessing, I will be posting pictures and recipes for:

• ~Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives, served with a couscous with pine nuts, raisins and cilantro
• ~Roast Chicken in White Wine, Asparagus Risotto and Orange Glazed Cake, all brought to us by the great editors at The Silver Spoon.
• ~Mini reviews for 2 Amy's, Zatinya and maybe a third depending on dinner tonight

It's been a wonderful weekend and I feel I need to detox with carrot sticks and wheat thins.

In other news while blobbing out after the roast chicken in white wine, waiting for or having just finished the cake, the question came up: We know what "from scratch" means, but what is it's origins?

Very interesting, we had to do a quick google (scroll down) and found this very interesting answer which J-lo nailed the first part spot on:

The Devil made me bake it.

Dear Evan: Delighted to discover you and your mission . . and one day after we did I have a conundrum. We were at lunch and I commented to my wife that her soup was particularly flavorful. I then asked whether it was a prepared soup or from a recipe. "No," she responded, "it's from scratch." Of course we've heard the expression "from scratch" zillions of times, and everyone is clear as to meaning . . but wherefore and whence . . or should I just say, "whencesoever"? My efforts toward this end stop at William and Mary Morris' "Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins," which attaches scratch to "Old Scratch," a nickname for the devil. This, in turn, is derived from an old Norse word "scratti," meaning "devil" or "sorcerer." All of which is of absolutely no help. Can you locate a more likely route? -- Carroll F. Raaum, via the Internet.

Please don't say "whencesoever." It gives my spell-checker conniption fits. Speaking of conniptions, I must admit that I was taken a bit aback by your assertion that my parents' book (published by HarperCollins, by the way) connects "from scratch" with "Old Scratch." Perhaps you have an old edition. (I'm not being facetious -- there were three separate volumes before the current Second Edition.)

In any case, if you check under the entry for "scratchcake" in the Second Edition, you'll find an explanation of "from scratch." It means, of course, from the absolute beginning, without any advantage, in this case without benefit of a prepared soup mix. The phrase comes from the lingo of 19th century sporting events, specifically the "scratch" drawn in the ground which served (and often still does) as the starting line of a foot race. A runner "starting from scratch" received no handicap or benefit -- whatever the contestant accomplished was due solely to his or her own efforts. So, too, is a cook baking a cake without the benefit of Betty Crocker or her ilk said to be making it "from scratch."

Hey all, preoccupied this weekend with visiting family. Will try to be back sometime after the weekend.

Happy Spring to you all!

Chicken Tikka Masala

A week and a half ago, I saw this recipe on Tigers & Strawberries. I had to make it as soon as an opportunity arrived. Tonight!

From what is written in the post...

*Chicken Tikka Masala was named the national dish of the UK a few years ago!
*This is a cheaters version, the real deal should have tandoori chicken.
&
*head over to the post and read the whole discussion in the comments on the dishes supposed history, as well as the role of spices in UK cooking and the migration of spices from India and Africa and how that influenced everything.

This is recipe is spicy! Adjust as you see fit. I followed the recipe completely. I have a few things I would change if I were to make it again. I'll put those at the end.


SPICY CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA from Tigers & Strawberries

2 small, or one medium onion peeled and roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 or 2 thin red chili peppers to taste
12 cardamom pods, seeds removed and reserved-discard the pods
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 TB coriander seeds
1 TB paprika
1 TB fenugreek leaves, ground
1 TB butter or butter ghee
1 1/2 cups water
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup yogurt, plain
2 TB butter or butter ghee
1 cup or less heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
handful fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

In a food processor or blender grind the onions as fine as possible. A paste is preferable, but as fine as you can.

Grind together garlic, ginger and chili peppers, finely to a paste, like the onions (I had to add a B or two of water to help the processor). Keep seperate from onions.

Grind all dried spices together...finely, if necessary, put through a fine mesh sieve to sift out larger pieces that didn't grind.

Heat first TB of ghee in a deep frying pan, (nonstick is best) and add onions. Stir and fry until the onions begin to brown (5-7 minutes). Stir constantly. If they start to burn, add a tiny bit of water.

When onions are brown, add the garlic, ginger and chili paste, and stir, frying for about three more minutes.

Add dried spices and cook until mixture is very fragrant--a couple of minutes.

Add water, and stir together into a sauce.

Add tomatoes, and stir together. Turn heat to low and cook until sauce has reduced by one half.

Stir yogurt until smooth, and add to simmering sauce, one TB at a time. Whisk until sauce is smooth.

Add ghee, allow to melt, whisk until smooth.

Add cream, and salt to taste (add cream a little at a time, and to your liking).

Add chicken and simmer on low until the chicken is done and just tender, probably around 8 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and serve (w/ saffron rice!)

NOTES:
*As noted, I had to add a little water to get the peppers, garlic and ginger into a paste. A little until it pulls together.
*The peppers...Giant didn't have red chilis, so I bought one jalapeno and one habanero. Too Hot! Maybe just the jalapeno.
*I might add just the yogurt and not the cream. Just a thought.
*Create a yogurt sauce to serve on the side (plain yogurt, shredded cucumber, salt/pepper, cilantro). This will help cool you down.
*I'm thinking of adding some pureed tomato and / or tomato paste. Adding a touch of sweet and further richness to the sauce.
*If you can perhaps char grill your chicken, it might be tastier?
*Try to let your sauce simmer down a ways before adding the chicken. Our sauce was a little 'watery' after the chicken cooked. I don't know why, it seemed nice and thick before hand? Interesting.

Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter...the water and diary solids are removed...the butter is put in a small pot (I did two sticks of butter, unsalted and if you have organic butter, that is preferred) and put over medium heat, allowing the butter to simmer, bubble, foam and burn out the solids. The ghee becomes this rich golden color. Skim off the top layer of foam, becareful not to stir up the dark bits that fall to the bottom of the pan. Gently pour the ghee through three or four layers of cheese cloth in a sieve, again try to leave the dark bits on the bottom. I rinsed out the pan, cleaned out the bottom and returned the new ghee to the pan and repeated the process one more time. When done, ghee can last unrefrigerated for a long time...some sources say one month, some say several months. I guess, just watch for it to go bad. Here's some wikipedia entry on Ghee.

Big Fat Dinner

**Update: Pictures are working on blogger!**

...and by fat I'm referring to how I felt all day...that and hungover!

On Sunday, I had invited a handful of peeps over for a yummy dinner. Food, Friends (old and new) and good conversation. My favorites!!! The guests were Footnotes, Lost in Somewhereistan, Mr. and Mrs. Chilefire, TVF16S, Chase-ing Complacency and Lord and Lady Brandenburg.

We had a great time and from the few leftovers, we enjoyed the food.

The Spread

I first proposed this gathering about two months ago, maybe even three months....and I spent as much time worrying about what to make. It had to be tasty. I really wanted it to be something that I'd made before, so I would know how it would turn out. Something that could hold up being served buffet style. And safe for a range of tastebuds.

I settled on
*Cola Baked Hame with Cherry-Orange Glaze (below)
*Carmalized Onion Marmalade (for the ham) (below)
*Rosemary Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes (below)
*Sweet Chili Cucumbers (tart and clean taste, slightly sweet and mildly spicy)
*Fennel-Orange Salad (very refreshing, bright flavors against the richness of the ham/potatoes)

and that morning, I decided to make some Brown Bread as well.

With this menu, I knew I could have virtually everything done prior to my guests arriving and we could go back for more without worrying that something wouldn't hold up.

A big thank you to Chilefire for bringing a spicy rubbed, smoked lambchops with four different chili dipping sauces. Those sauces were amazing and there was a near war over who could take some of the leftovers! I admitted that I don't like lamb. I've never had lamb I've enjoyed...until these! There was nothing lamby about them. Excellent. There were also blue corn muffins with bacon and chilis...made in corn husks! And Lost in Somewhereistan brought us some Myer Lemon Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce. The Best Blueberry Sauce I've Ever Had....I want waffles for the leftovers!

So...the recipes:

Cola-Baked Ham with Cherry-Orange Glaze
serves a bajillion! 10-20 in reality


1 (10-12 pound) fully cooked, bone-in ham
1 TB ground allspice
1 (2 liter) bottle of cola
1 cup cherry preserves or jelly
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 TB orange liquor (Triple Sec)
Extras: Dinner rolls, a favorite mustard and carmelized-onion marmalade (see below)

Preheat oven to 325F.

Trim rind and excess fat from the ham. Leave some fat on the ham for flavor and moisture. I cut off most of the fat and then placed a few pieces back on top of the ham to melt down over the meat!

Place the ham in a large roasting pan and sprinkle with allspice. Pour the cola into the bottom of the pan and bake uncovered for 90 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with the cola/fat juices in the pan.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cherry preserves, orange juice and triple sec over medium heat, stirring, until melted and warm. Reserve.

After the first 90 minutes, start brushing the ham with the cherry-orange glaze, continue, brushing every 15 minutes, for another 60-90 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees and the glaze has carmelized and sticky!

If the ham is starting to brown to much, loosely cover with foil, again until the internal temperature reaches 140F. Remove ham from the oven and let rest for 30-60 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, thinly sliced. (Thanks for the help Lord B!)

I served this with the ham:

Carmelized-Onion Marmalade


2 medium red onions, sliced thinnly
1 tsp oil oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp ground or rubbed sage (I find it easier to find 'rubbed' sage vs. 'ground')
1/8 tsp ground cayenne (or more to taste)

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil of high heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Allow to sizzle and cook for about 5 minutes. Lower heat and allow to carmelize for about 10 minutes. Add the water, brown sugar and raisins. Stir to incorporate. Add the wine and vinegar, sage and cayenne. Lover heat to medium-low to low, cover and cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and the mixture has thickened.

I made this a day in advance, then reheated the mixture prior to serving.


My favorite side dish for "spring" menus...the season when I make this with the most regularity, are the:

Rosemary Parmesan Au Gratin Pototoes


6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
1 medium onion, sliced thinnly
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
2 TB Rosemary, plus 1 stalk/sprig
2 cups heavy cream
2 TB Butter, plus 1 TB extra for the casserole dish
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup Parmagiano Reggiano, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish. Set aside. Add the ½ & ½ , onions and potatoes in a heavy pan, add water to cover the spuds. Also add the extra stick of rosemary. Slowly bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, over low heat, steep the rosemary and garlic in the heavy cream and butter.

Spoon the potatoes and onions into the casserole, layering with a sprinkle of cheese as you go along. Pour in the cream/rosemary/garlic mixture. Watch how much you add, 2 cups may be too much. You only want approximately the bottom ¼ of the pan to have the cream. If you have ½ the casserole with cream, your dish will remain loose and not set up nicely. Top with the cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheese will start to get brown and bubbly. If you want more brown and bubbly, bake for another 15 minutes.

Fennel Orange Salad

Sweet Chili Cucumbers

There you have it kids...a whole boat load of goodies!

Doggish

I've feeling a wee bit doggish this morning after a touch too much wine last night. Please bear with me as I revive myself and watch for a photo filled tasty post this evening.

And if I get bored during the day and feel up to it, I have a post saved in draft mode waiting to be posted as well. But right now I need to take a nap, too bad my desk isn't equipped with the pull out hammock I've been advocating for!

Unhappy belly needed something 'safe.'

This afternoon for lunch I went to Potbelly's and had my sandwich and decided I had to have a strawberry shake. Oh it was soooo worth it. I was sooo happy with it!

All that said, I had to pay the piper with a bad belly ache. Damn lactose intolerance!!!

Dinner was going to be challenging. A challenge I think I won!!!

I had oatmeal. But not boring oatmeal. I tossed in dried tart cherries, sliced apples and cashews. Flavored with cinnamon and some fresh grated nutmeg. And a touch of brown sugar for some extra sweetness. It was some awesome oatmeal. I'm just saying!


**

Honey Pepper Pork

Wednesday night's dinner was an old favorite from the past few years. But it has changed each time I've made it...it's evolved. Originally prepared as a roast that dried out and was over cooked, eventually I decided to cut the pork tenderloin into medallions/cutlets...quick cooking, tender and juicy! Those were all good things. But then I'm left with the sauce. To help that process, I tossed in some sliced shallots, wine and the rest of the ingredients.

Honey Pepper Pork with Thyme'd Rice
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb pork tenderloin, fat & silver skin removed, cut into about 1/2-3/4 inch slices
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
1/2-1 cup dry white wine
1 TB olive oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup hot water, plus more if necessary
2 TB brown mustard
1 TB coarse-ground black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or less…this was hot tonight)
1 TB butter

Combine honey, water, mustard, black pepper, thyme, salt, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large skillet, over high heat place the pieces of pork in the pan. Leave in place, allowing the meat to sear nicely. Flip pieces and sear the other side. (2 minutes per side.) Remove and set aside.

Place the olive oil in the pan, when shimmering and hot, add the shallots and quickly sauté until soft and translucent. Add the white wine, scrap up tasty bites on the bottom of the pan (fond), and allow to reduce, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved honey pepper sauce. Stir into the shallots and bring to simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low. Return the pork medallions to the pan and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the butter to enrich the sauce.

If the sauce thickens too much and looks like it will burn, add a bit of water. You don’t want burnt honey. Blech. Serve with rice and veggies or salad.