Dead

She's dead to me. I've only had a mild to moderate hatred for her...but mostly I love the reaction she brings out of J.

But as of today, she is officially dead to me.

Now, I'm 100% in favor of making cooking as easy as possible to get as many people as possible cooking at home...but this skeleton has just crossed the line.

Kraft Parmesan Cheese in risotto! You're kidding right? Right?

I hope I don't offend any of you with this, but with a classic dish like risotto, please, please, please use real deal, Parmigiano Reggiano, you'll thank yourself.

Now, I think that's what I'm going to make myself for dinner, a bowl of risotto.

Big, Thick, Hearty Thighs

That is the name of recipe #50 from Rachel Ray's newest book, 365 No Repeats; A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners. I haven't gone into it as I'm actually quite busy today, but I think we might be in for an adventure and I'm not sure what kind that will be!

I just find the name of the recipe funny. My first glance was: Big Thick Meaty Thighs. And that made me laugh.

I'll let you know later how the rest of the book is.

Playing with your food

You should visit here!

It's in French, so a bit of a challenge for us who don't read/speak French.


Navigation
-First page should have a note at the bottom right, click it. (Passer l'intro)

-Center of the page is: "mimimiam." Click it...three small balls will twirl and go to the bottom right corner, merging into one.

-Hover our cursor on the one ball. Your menu will pop up. There are five categories under "Galerie." That's where you want to go and puruse. Start with the first....the three balls will be at the bottom right again as navigators, forward, back and menu.

Scroll Through and Enjoy.

A sample of the delectable art inside!

Thanks Andy!

Fennel Orange Salad

Tonight we're having "Wild Rice" Soup. I wanted something else to go with it, but didn't want to do too much. So we decided it was a good time to try this. Not that they really go together, but hey, why not!

Fennel Orange Salad from Everyday Food

Serves 4

2 medium fennel bulbs (8 ounces each), quartered, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
5 oranges
2/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons slivered pitted black olives
1 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Using a paring knife, remove the peel and pith of the oranges. Separate oranges into segments over a large bowl (to catch the juices), then add segments to bowl.

2. Add fennel, parsley, olives, oil; season with salt and pepper. Gently toss, and serve.

I don't like olives, so I'm skipping them. Since we're trying this for the first time, I'm going with one fennel bulb and maybe two oranges, I'll play that part by ear.

Fettucine Alfredo

This recipe couldn't be simpler and it is soo tasty. It was tonight's comforting dinner.

It's a wonder some of my clothes are getting a little tight!

Fettucine Alfredo
Makes 4 Main Course or 6 First Course Servings
Williams Sonoma Pasta Cookbook

1 1/2 Cups Heavy/Double Cream
5 TB Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Ground Pepper
Fresh Grated Nutmeg

1 lb Fettuccine, dry/fresh-whatever!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over high heat, bring cream and butter to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute. Add 6 TB of the Parmesan and whisk over low heat until smooth, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and season with salt & pepper to taste and a generous pinch of nutmeg. (Be judicious with the salt. The Parmesan is itself salty, and too much added salt will throw this creamy, sweet sauce out of balance.)

Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente, timing based on the package instructions. Drain pasta well. Put the pasta in a warmed large, shallow bowl. Pour on the sauce and sprinkle with 6 more TB of the cheese. Toss well. Serve immediately. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.




I like to have some protein with my pasta. I saute up some chicken, cut into bit sized pieces, toss with a little olive oil, salt and some spices, usually when I'm in a hurry it's just a little Mrs. Dash. Let sit for a bit to get a good sear on the chicken. Serve on top of the pasta/sauce!

If you haven't had or used fresh nutmeg, I highly recommend it. The fragrance of the freshly grated nutmeg is unmatched. The grated stuff you get at the store is very bland by comparison. I do have trouble finding nutmeg at a regular grocery. If you have a whole foods store you should be able to find the nutmeg there, or you might find it in your regular grocery, if you have larger International Food section...don't know why it's there. If you buy the fresh nutmeg, they are small, about the size of an acorn. You can keep using the same one nutmeg for a long time. Just make sure to keep it in an airtight container, away from the heat of the stove....my mistake!

Artichoke Dip

Terri in WI had this at a work function last week and everyone is at her office is raving about it, so the person who made it sent the recipe around. Terri forwarded to me and I've put it here. Enjoy.

Artichoke Dip
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine above ingredients and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

*I don't recommend using reduced fat mayo or sour cream as it tends to separate.

Truffle Brownies

Actually, let's call these SIN.

There is a new show on the Food Network, I can't think of the name of the show, but it is the result of a viewer participation thing...American Food Idol? The show is PARTY LINE. The hosts/chefs are this gay couple who use to be caterers.

I watched them make this decadent brownie and new I had to try it. Of course, I would have all the ingredients on hand...!

Truffle Brownies
Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 brownies

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick margarine
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Chocolate ganache for topping, recipe follows

Special equipment: 9-inch round foil cake pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand held electric mixer, beat the eggs and salt together in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and beat until the eggs are thick and pale yellow, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Put the margarine and chocolate in a microwave safe container and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir to insure that the chocolate has melted. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, if needed.

With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and beat 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Spray the cake pan with a pan release spray and pour in the brownie batter. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes until the center is barely set.* Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Top with the ganache and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

To serve, remove from freezer and slice immediately. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

*Cook's Note: If tested with a toothpick the center will still be gooey. If tested by touch, the center will be soft. It will set once frozen.

Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Put the chocolate chips and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and stir with a whisk or fork until well mixed. Use immediately. If using the ganache later it will need to be reheated.

Yield: 3/4 cup

SCOTT'S NOTES:
Ooops, I used chocolate chips for the brownie batter...ooops. I'm not sure how it affected the dish, outside of being way more sweet than it should have been.

I baked my brownies in a regular glass pan. I needed to bake them for an extra 5 minutes, I should have gone another 10-15.

And I used butter...why bother with margarine. I haven't had that for about 12 years.

Ginger Scones

Another gem I found while cleaning today. If you haven't tried the Ginger Scones at Teaism, I highly recommend it. This is their recipe, ssshhhh, don't tell anyone. This is a pretty easy recipe, but do becareful not to overwork the dough.

Ginger Scones

yields 12 Scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 TB sugar
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
4 TB, unsalted butter, cut into pea sized cubes
2 oz. chopped, crystallized ginger
3/4 Cup milk

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp cold water to make an egg wash

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

You can mix by hand or with a food processor/mixer, but be careful not to over blend--creating tough/chewy scones.

Put the seven dry ingredients in a bowl and add the butter. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a course cornmeal. Some large pieces of butter should remain, this will make your scones light and fluffy. If you are using a processor, pulse briefly. Stir in the chopped, crystallized ginger. Add the milk and work quick with a fork to incorporate. The dough should be soft and slightly moist.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and gently pag down until it stands about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 12 triangles. Put onto an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for twelve minutes until golden. Let cool.


UPDATE 10/8/06: Click here for photos and notes.

Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

A few-two/three-years ago I went to a tasting for a donor dinner at a hotel in DC. One of the options we tasted was Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup. It was awesome. A quick search back at my desk yielded about five recipes that all seemed really good. This is a mixture of all of those.

PS: All the times I've made this, it is devoured!

Cream of Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

2 1/2 lbs Red Bell Pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 TB Olive Oil
1 Cup, Shallots, diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 TB thyme, fresh or dried
1 TB oregano, fresh or dried
3 Cups, or more, canned broth (Vegetable or Chicken)

1/2 Cup of Cream
2 tsp, red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp, cayenne pepper

Char peppers over gas flame or in a broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or wrap in a paper bag. Let stand 10-20 minutes, this cooling period will make it easier to peel the peppers.

Peel, seed and slice the peppers.

Heat oil in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, thyme and oregano, saute for three minutes. Add 3 cups of broth, vinegar, cayenne pepper, tomatoes and all the roasted peppers. Simmer uncovered until peppers are very soft, about twenty minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to the same pot. Add cream. Rewarm soup, thinning with additional broth if needed. Season to taste with salt & pepper.


I like to also serve with some thin strips of sauteed chicken breast, for a little added protein.

Serves about four.

UPDATE 9/15/06: Click here for pictures of the peppers 'roasting.'

Wisdom

Who wouldn't eat a dish prepared
with sauteed onions, garlic,
and...a little bacon?

--Ethan Becker, one of the authors of The Joy of Cooking

Cranberry Kickin' Apple Pickin' Chicken

Ha ha ha! This is another recipe that I found today from way back in the day. The last time I made this I was blitzed off my rocker on Cosmos that my roommate, Doug, made for me! BLITZED!

The short story of this recipe is: I heard somewhere, and it could be false, that Apples and Onions are in the same flora family. And I said, Apples and Cranberries are good together, so therefore, Onions should go together. And voila! I put them all together with chicken and it was tasty yum yum. However, the last time I made it, remember, when I was blitzed....I messed something up and everything ended up really really pink.

Cranberry Kickin' Apple Pickin' Chicken

1lb Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
2 Apples, peeled and diced
1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1 large Onion, diced
10 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 TB butter
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
2T Honey
2T Brown Sugar
Water (maybe a cup or so)
spicy season salt type of thing

Marinate chicken with onions, garlic, olive oil, craisins, apples, salt and pepper, honey and brown sugar for 4 hours (NOTE—generally, half of the ingredients are used as marinade and the rest in the cooking, except Honey & Brown Sugar.)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, until translucent, set aside. Add chicken and saute until nearly cooked through, set aside. Add water and craisins & apples, simmer and reduce, add butter and garlic/onion mixture. Return chicken, cook through.

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dash of BAM

Serve with long grain & wild rice, corn and bread, garnish with more craisins and apples

NOTE: I remember rinsing the craisins in warm water, the packaged ones I used seem to have a bit of a waxy covering...?

It's really tasty! When I make it again, I'll make sure to double check everything and note that here.

Wild Rice Soup

I was cleaning today and found many recipes from my younger years....they are funny, most of them are in the trash. Sorry, no need to laugh when I'm rich and famous.

Here is one of the recipes. I know I've made it and I made it a few times, but not in the last 6 years...minimum. So any recollection of what worked and what didn't are out the door until I try again.

This is a nice hearty soup for the fall.

Wild Rice Soup

Servings: Unknown, can't remember

1 cup cooked, cubed chicken
3 TB Butter
3 TB Flour
1/2 cup of celery, diced, medium pieces
1/2 cup carrot, diced, medium pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced, medium pieces
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 cups milk
1 can broth, chicken or veg
1 cup wild rice, cooked

Melt butter and over medium high heat, saute onion, celery and carrot until tender. Sprinkle the flour over evenly. Add the broth, whisking. It will thicken pretty quickly. Add the milk, stir until thickened, add the rice and chicken. Heat until warmed through.

Easy right? From what I remember it was. For some people, it might be nice to try some other hearty fall veg, or mushrooms. I'm guessing it will be two to four servings. Make sure when you cook your wild rice to season it appropriately. If I remember correctly, the rice was the most bland thing in this when I made all those years ago.

One Click Recipe List

Make sure to check out the new ONE CLICK recipe listing page. There are enough recipes now that it's a pain to try to search for them. Go to the right side of the page and under the external links, there it is. Let me know if you have any suggestions for improvement.

Also let me know if you find any broken links or links to different pages.

Scott

Giving Thanks to Butter!

I mentioned earlier that Thanksgiving is the high holy day for me. It is the holiday when I place the buttersticks, not Butterstick..., on the pedestal and worship.

My first two steps are complete for Thanksgiving 2005. The guest list is done and the menu is selected.

Roasted Turkey--last year we did a Kosher bird, I think we will again this year
Onion & Sage Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Collard Greens
Baked Corn Casserole
Gingered Carrots
Green Bean Almandine
Drunken Cranberries-Mmmm, bourbon

Generic Brown & Serve rolls--everything else is homemade-give me a break

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Pumpkin Bars
Basic Pumpkin Pie

If I was a litte more insane, I would add pumpkin risotto and pumpkin ravioli, just to round out the gourd food category, but I'm going to stick to tradition and keep pumpkin in the desserts this year.

I'm not doing an Apple Pie, which was also tradition in my family, so I think the "apple" will work it's way into the meal as either Apple Cinnamon Martinis or Caramel Apple Martinis? What's your choice?

There will also be Beaujolais Nouveau!

Stayed tuned for recipes and updates.

Lists of Seven

The folks at DC Food Blog have requested a response on their recent post, answering the following questions. Here they are!

7 things I want to make before I die:
1. Paella—no reason really, I just feel it would be challenging
2. Homemade Sausage
3. More veggies—I hear they are good for you
4. My own curry spice blend
5. Applesauce—J & T have made me jealous
6. Cheddar Cheese
7. Braised Firecracker Pork—one of the only dishes I’ve had at a restaurant and can’t figure out how to recreate, getting there though!

7 things I cannot do in the kitchen:
1. Carve a bird; turkey, chicken or otherwise
2. Sharpen knives
3. Quickly and properly chop an onion—that scar will last a long time
4. My rice never, ever comes out right!
5. Clams/Mussels/Oysters—not that I can’t, but I won’t.
6. Make a sublime cupcake—one that makes you cry with happiness & joy
7. Grow herbs in the kitchen—they always die when I have them indoors…outside, they are fine.

7 things that attract me to the kitchen:
1. The color Yellow, the day I get to design my own kitchen, it will be yellow!
2. Aromatic spices
3. My Kitchen-Aid, my child, my love, my precious
4. Freshly ground coffee
5. Pumpkin, it’s not just for pies! Must make Pumpkin Risotto SOON!
6. Cookie Jar—if I had one
7. Fresh Rosemary, Thyme & Ginger

7 things that I say most often in the kitchen:
1. It’s not ruined yet.
2. What’s for dinner?
3. I’ll only have one, thank you.
4. Mmm, it’s sooo good.
5. Taste this!
6. Why can’t I make rice properly?
7. Butter is good for you, right?

7 celebrity crushes in the food world:
1. Nigella Lawson—good one
2. Paula Deen
3. Alton Brown
4. Martha, yes Martha—can you imagine having access to that kitchen?
5. Julia Child
6. Betty Crocker—she’s held up well over the years!
7. Tyler Florence—but I don’t think that would be for the food

What am I missing?

Beaujolais Nouveau

It's almost that time of year when the newest batch of Beaujolais Nouveau is released. By law the wine is not allowed to be released before the third Thursday of November. This year that happens to be November 17, a week before Thanksgiving.

I've had good bottles, I've had ass bottles and I've had amazing bottles. You never really know what it's going to be, but each year it is something I look foward to. I think last year, or the year before I bought at least a half a case.

I hope to hear about all your experiences with the Beaujolais from years past and this year! One of the largest producers, Georges Dubœuf, is saying this year's vintage is going to be really great. Take that with a grain of salt.

Generally, I find bottles of Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau for around $10. A good value.

Enjoy!

Sesame Orange Shrimp

This is what we're having for dinner tonight. We'll let you know how it goes.

Sesame Orange Shrimp
Everyday Food

Serves 4

2 large egg whites
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup sesame seeds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1-1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until frothy. Add shrimp, and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches, cook shrimp until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add more oil to skillet if necessary for remaining batches.

3. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Add orange juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Boil over high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 4 to 5 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet; add scallions, and cook until heated through and coated with sauce, about 1 minute.

Thanksgiving

Hello all,

Today is october 24, 2005. In 31 days it will be Thanksgiving, November 24, 2005.

31 Days.

Never to early to starting thinking about what you can prepare.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving with friends or family, consider preparing at least on item you can bring. Let me know if you have questions or need ideas. I'd be happy to help. Stay tuned and I start to post what I'll be preparing...in case you don't know me very well, Thanksgiving is my High Holy Day...my favorite Holiday...I look forward to doing the whole shabang!

Ray Ray

My little Ray Ray! A nice article and a little history on our Rachel Ray in the New York Times.


-Thanks Sterfanie for sending me the link...I would have missed it otherwise.


PS: Folks, I'm almost back to a regular schedule. Hopefully that means some new recipes soon! Hang in there.

Contributed Recipe: Risotto, Chicken & Sauce

Contributed by: Lady Brandenburg


From Rachel Ray’s book “Cookin’ Round the Clock”
“Not Just Another Chicken and Rice Dinner”


CHEESY RISI E BISI

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic (we used 2 cloves)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice (we used our regular Jasmine rice)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry white wine
3-4 cups chicken broth (I use 100% fat free)
¼ to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (we used fresh grated Parmigiano only)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh-leaf parsley (we had none – stupid Giant was out of it!)
1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil then garlic and onion and sauté, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook another minute or so, then add wine and cook until wine is completely absorbed, 30 seconds. Add about 1 cup of broth and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook until broth is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding ½ cup of broth each time liquid becomes completely absorbed, stirring all the while. Use as much broth as is necessary to result in creamy, slightly chewy rice; this should take about 22 minutes. (Note: we had to cover the rice to get it to cook all the way through so it was chewy and not “crunchy.”) Work on chicken while rice continues to cook; recipe follows.

When rice is cooked to desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in cheese, parsley, and peas and stir to combine and to heat peas through.

Yield: 4 servings. (We ate about 2/3 of it, so had about 1/3 left over).



CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BASIL-PARSLEY SAUCE

2 pounds chicken cutlets (we used a 1 and ½ pound package, so we ¾’d most of the rest of this recipe)
Salt and ground pepper
3-4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 to ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (as indicated above, we used fresh grated Parmigiano)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (we used a little more)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (we used Montreal chicken seasoning)
1 clove garlic
1 jar (3 ounces) pine nuts (pignoli) (we couldn’t find these at Giant, so we didn’t use them and didn’t miss them)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
Olive oil, for frying
1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish (hubby doesn’t like tomatoes, so we didn’t use any)

SAUCE
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
½ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (Giant didn’t have parsley, so we used fresh thyme)
Juice of ½ lemon (we used a little more, mainly because what are you gonna do with the other half?)
Salt and ground pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (I think we ended up using a little more)

Season cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides. Place flour in a shallow dish (we used a dinner plate) and turn cutlets lightly in flour.

Combine bread crumbs, cheese, red pepper flakes, poultry seasoning, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse-process to evenly mix (we just turned the food processor on and left it on). Transfer to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish (we used another plate).

Heat a thin layer of oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Coat cutlets in eggs then breading and place in hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, until breading evenly browned and cutlets’ juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes on each side (for us this took a lot longer – we ended up covering the pan with foil to allow the cutlets to cook more thoroughly – they were still juicy). Remove to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Make the sauce: Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. (Again, we didn’t have parsley, but the basil, lemon and oil is still really tasty on its own). Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms.

Serve chicken cutlets with a generous topping of the sauce. Garnish with tomato.

Yield four servings. (For two of us, we ate two out of the three cutlets which was about 1 and ½ pounds of chicken).

This is SO YUMMY!