*tap* *tap* Is This Thing On?

What the hell is wrong with me?? Where the hell have I been?? Is the love affair with my blog waning? Am I getting that 7 year itch 5 years early? Have I stopped cooking and/or baking? I mean, seriously, WTF? I don't have a good answer. I've got at least 4 recipes I'd like to share, but the thought of sitting down and writing about them hasn't been a priority for me lately.. and really, I don't know why so much. Lots of little things, I guess? Anyhoo, I'm hoping that my leave of absense (of sorts) is over and that I'll fall right back into my normal groove.. at least an update once a week for cryin' out loud. Hopefully more though. ;) Have you missed me???? Ya'll had better of missed me. Yeah.. I'm looking at YOU. Okay well the first recipe I want to share has probably gone around the foodie blog circuit many a-times. It's an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe. Her Beef Bourguignon. Holy cow. I'm pretty sure she is known for her take on this classic French dish, and she should be.. it was.. delectable. This is a very easy stew to put together and there aren't any fancy tricks or techniques to making melt in your mouth beef & veggies in a delicious gravy - but for me it was an awe inspiring occasion as this Beef Bourguignon was the recipe I chose to christen my brand spankin' new 4 quart cast iron dutch oven. WOOT! If you people had any idea how badly I've wanted one (all) of these things, you'd be shocked. Or maybe you'd be shocked because no matter how badly I've wanted one, and even if I could afford one.. I refused to spend $200.00 on a Le Creuset dutch oven. I know! I know.. the money is well worth it.. they last forever and a day.. I know all of this, but still just the thought of laying down close to a car payment for a pot.. *shudder* Well on our last day together, Helene and I (after dropping Mary off at the airport) decided to go see what Crate and Barrel had to offer.. you know, I always poo-poo this store - over priced crap! But what I never remember is that every time I've went in, I've managed to find the deal of the year. And their stuff really isn't crap - I'm just jealous that I don't have a $500 a month budget for kitchen gadgets & equipment, dinnerware, glasses and oh anything else that sends me in delicious shivers as I imagine how good it'd look in my wee kitchen. And imagine my complete shock and utter delight when I found a Mario Batali cast iron, enamel coated, 4 quart dutch oven in a shade of red that matched my kitchen walls perfectly? 'kay now imagine how I peed my pants when I saw it was over 50% off - and I got the thing for $59.99!! Yes, Kmart shoppers - I found the blue light special!!! Le Creuset Le Schmeuset :P Here.. drool with me! Oh how I love you little Mario Batali Dutch Oven *smooches* Oh yeah, I totally believe that my Beef Bourguignon tasted that much better all because of my new Dutch oven! squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Beef Bourguignon Courtesy of Ina Garten and FoodTV Serves 6 1 tablespoon good olive oil 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks 2 yellow onions, sliced (I used 1 lg. Spanish onion) 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves) 1/2 cup Cognac (I omitted) 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir (I went with Pinot Noir) 1 can (2 cups) beef broth (I went with beef stock) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 pound frozen whole onions 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced For serving: Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley. My Notes: Okay the only thing that didn't work for me was the gravy thickening after I threw in the butter/flour mixture. So what I did was take a ladle full of the thin gravy and mixed it with a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl until it was smooth. Then I poured it back into the pot and continued to cook until the gravy thickened - about 3 minutes. And my only suggestion for next time would be - unless you are a HUGE pearl onion fan? I'd cut that down to 1/2 pound or even a 1/4 pound - because 1 pound was way, way too many onions. =) Not only did I choose this recipe to make to christen my sexy hot new Dutch oven, but this recipe also fell right into place when figuring out a weekly meal plan for $40.00 - which just happens to be this month's theme for that sexy thang, Sara's Weekend Cookbook Challenge! How good am I? AND it's an EARLY submission! Let's all wait for Sara to regain her composure and pick her cute lil butt up off of the floor... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Okay! I decided to take this challenge to see if I really could figure out a weekly plan for $40.00 - and if so, then why the hell are my grocery bills so freakin' high?? Well.. I don't think I could do this every week. To come in at $40, we had to eat the Beef Bourguignon two nights in a row. That's something that doesn't happen in my household often. Hubbs is a strict non-believer in left overs. Yeah, he makes not wasting food a bit of an art for me. Thank God for my mommie and my co-workers. *sigh* But this stew was so amazingly good, that he did not complain. Okay here's my menu: Monday: Chicken wings with peppers, corn and salad. $4.00 (for 2 people - peppers & salad free from garden) Tuesday: Beef Bourguignon with toasted sour dough. $15.00 (for 2 people 2 nights in a row) Wednesday: Beef Bourguignon Thursday: BLT sammiches with sliced cucumbers and chips. $2.00 (for 2 people) Friday: Baked Walleye with onions & spinach, mac & cheese and salad. $4.00 (for 2 people - Walleye free from Lake Erie, onions & salad free from garden) Saturday: Grilled pork shoulder steaks, smashed potatoes and green beans. $7.00 (for 2 people) Sunday: Marinated chicken breast chef salad, bread sticks. $7.00 (for 2 people) Grand Total: $39.00! Not too shabby, eh? :D Start looking on WCC and this month's hostess, Cady of $40 a Week's blogs around the 19th for the round up - should be quite interesting to see what everyone's meal plans look like. Also - if you are interested in participating (and you should be!) get your submissions to Cady at "gambini at gmail dot com" on or before Nov. 18th =) xoxo

A Festival of Burgers!

Or.. Paul's Big Burger Ballyhoo of 2007! When I first read of Paul's (half of the dynamic duo of Paul & Freya's Writing at the Kitchen Table) idea, I thought it to be fabulous - I mean, really, loads of burger recipes at your fingertips? What could be better? I knew I'd be submitting but I wasn't sure which burger I would be passing along to the internets. What appeared to be an easy task, ended up being not so much. As per usual, I didn't think about my standard burger, I wanted something with a lil more pizazz, yanno? And as per usual, I hit my favorite recipe sites and quite a few more when it was all said and done. I found myself 2 burger recipes that I knew would put me in the running for the Goat Saliva that's being offered as a prize. *gurgle* *horf* *beeuuuickkkk* *kurrrdddddddd* We tried both recipes.. one involved a fried egg! The other involved cheese.. and lots of it. After trying both we realized, ehhh? They were okay but not really our cup of tea. (Although I did love the fried egg - it's just the rest of the burger was so bland) What we both learned from this experience is that we are pretty much burger purists. We want our burgers to be flavorful without a lot of accessories to "beef" up that flavor. We're not big on lettuce, cheese, tomato, etc. A pickle once in a while is a good thing, maybe a big slice of raw onion too.. but that's about it. And as for the hamburger bun? Unless it's a home made, fresh from the oven bun, we're not too interested. We like garlic bread instead of a traditional bun, actually. Be it thick or thin, as long as it's garlicky, a lil buttery and toasted, we are happy campers! And so, my submission is not the big show stopping, goat saliva worth winning burger - it's just our favorite burger that we make 9 out of 10 times. I don't even know if Paul & Freya are going to be able to try out this recipe, as it includes powdered ranch dressing mix and those lil french fried onions that come in little cannisters.. can you even get those items in England? Well.. I hope so! =) Lisa's Ranch Onion Burgers Makes 4 burgers Ground sirloin is just not a good choice for burgers.. it's too damn dry. If you are going to have a burger - then go for a lil fat. It's that moderation thing, right? =) For the burger: 1.5 lbs. ground round 1 packet of ranch dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley) 1/2 - 3/4 c. French Fried Onions (I believe I use Durkee brand?) 2 TBS. Worchestershire sauce Pinch of salt Ground black pepper For the garlic bread 8 slices of thick or thin sliced Italian bread 4 TBS butter 2-3 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press 1 tsp. dried parsley 1 TBS. grated Parmiagiano or Romano cheese Heat the grill up to temperature (We usually go up to 350º - 400º and then turn down the heat when the burger are ready to go on). Meanwhile in a large bowl mix all the burger ingredients well. Sometimes when I've got extra time or am feelin' a lil saucy, I'll run all the ingredients through the grinder attachment of my Kitchenaid. Separate the hamburger mixture into 4 baseball sized hunks and flatten each with the palm of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick. When placing the burgers on the grill, you can brush on a little extra Worchestershire sauce first. Totally optional. Grill the burgers for about 4-5 minutes (guestimate?) on each side, do NOT, press down on the burger - just let it sit there and get all grill-marky delicious. While the burgers are cooking, mix the pressed garlic in with the butter (roasted garlic paste is also wonderful instead of the raw pressed garlic), then add the parsley & cheese. Spread the garlic butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread and either place butter side down in a hot skillet until golden brown (like you are making a toasted cheese sammich), or broil them, butter side up, under the broiler until goldeny brown. Leave the other side alone, or if you wish, lightly toast that side as well. Build your burger as you wish - we just like a lil ketchup and a pickle and/or slice of raw onion. Devour.

Memories

My dear, sweet friend, Ellie, is holding a one off Nostalgia event in hopes that everyone will share a story about a food that brings back memories.. so how could I let her down? Well duh. Of course I couldn't let her down. Sheesh. I've blogged a lot about my favorite dishes enjoyed in the years growing up but somehow this one slipped my memory - maybe because I'd never tried to replicate it in my own kitchen. I was sitting at the kitchen table with Hubbs discussing this very subject. Wondering out loud what the hell I was going to write about. And as we were going back and forth about favorite foods from our childhood (because that's what I wanted to hit upon) I stunned myself by actually "misplacing" this dish in the recesses of my memory! How could I forget it? It's not like my mom made this every once in a while - hell no, it was a staple in our family's weekly dinners and I love it! My mom's chicken & noodles.. you can't get more simple and delicious than this dish. I can't really say that I associate this dish with one memory only - instead, thinking about this stick to your ribs, comforting meal reminds me of many occasions. For example, this was the first dish that my youngest sister ate as a solid food and didn't actually spit out and fling back into my face. I remember her tasting it, as I instinctively held my hands up in front of my face, and her smiling and doing this grunt thing that she did when she was pleased with her food. That might have been the first feeding where I came out unscathed. I remember this being dinner the night our part of the state received the worst ice storm in it's history.. sittin' all cozy, eating this yummy chickeny noodley concoction in front of the tube - most likely getting my fix of The Fonz, Richie, Potsie & Ralph Malph (what can I say? I was a sucker for the bad boys, the good lookin but vacant boys and red heads!).. and then an hour or so later, no power. Dead of winter, nothing but inches upon inches of ice outside and us with no power for 2.5 days. I will NEVER forget the kind of cold you feel INSIDE your body when you've spent over 48 hours with no heat. And this is also the reason why, I give as much money as we can to Ohio's homeless funds.. I can't even imagine how those people survive our winters. *shudder* And finally, although the memories go on and on, the last one I want to share is that this was one of the last dinners my dad requested before he left us.. my mom came home from work (by this time, we'd shut the restaurant down and she had taken a job at the local Rite Aid) checked on him and then made this for him. And blah dee blah blah blah I can't write any more without getting all blubbery.. so yes! How could I forget this dish?? *ahem* So without further ado.. I'll share this recipe.. make it one night when you want something comforting - use whichever chicken part you'd like.. change up the egg noodles for klusky noodles or whatever floats your noodle boat.. add more veggies or substitute a vegetable for the sweet peas.. whot evah. Just make it, I'm pretty sure you'll like it. =) Mom's Chicken & Noodles The recipe below will feed 4 people with generous portions 8 chicken thighs, skin on & bone in 1/2 c. flour Salt and pepper Enough oil to just cover the bottom of your pan 4 c. chicken stock + enough water to make enough gravy - can't give an exact measurement, you'll have to "eyeball" it. Enough flour to thicken the gravy - I think I end up using 2-4 TBS. ? 1 can sweet peas 3 sm. cans of sliced mushrooms 1 lb. bag of egg noodles Garlic powder to taste Salt & pepper to taste Heat the oil in your electric fry pan, or very large skillet if you don't have an electric fry pan. I set mine on 350º F. Mix the flour with the salt & pepper in a shallow bowl or plate, dredge the thighs in the flour mixture. Place the thighs in the hot oil and brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add the stock, water and flour to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring often, until as thick as you desire. Add the peas and mushrooms. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. In the meantime, or even ahead, cook your egg noodles until al dente in salted water. Once your gravy is thickened and your noodles are cooked, add the chicken and noodles back into the fry pan and mix well. Heat this mixture until warmed all the way though - about 10 to 15 minutes. Done!

What a Schmecking Week

Hi! Well I feel awful. I'm not going to make this post about my problems.. but, I'm so disappointed in what I'm about to bring to the table. You see, I was asked by the very talented and oh, so lovely, Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and The Sensual Gourmet to participate in celebrating a cookbook written by Edna Staebler. I had such high hopes to make my little post worthy of such a delightful woman.. truly, I did not know her, but ohhh how I wish I did. Her writing is a pleasure to read - reading her written thoughts makes you long to have been in her kitchen just once while she was still with us.. just one time to watch how she cooked, to listen to her instructions and her stories about her childhood - and I suspect, to see the twinkle in her eye when she told her stories. Corny, I know - but her book is the first cookbook that I didn't read like a cookbook. I've read with envy about how many of you read your cookbooks as if they were novels. I've never done that. To me, a cookbook is a tome of recipes and pictures - with added text to fill in spaces. Yes, I know.. I'm one of those people. But when I started to read Edna's "Food That Really Schmecks" I was startled to realize that hours had passed and I was turning pages as if doing so would make the bad guy appear or bring the conclusion to some mystery, yanno? I couldn't put the book down! Edna wrote many books in her lifetime, as well as winning many prestigious literary awards such as the Toronto Culinary Guild's Silver Ladle Award and Cuisine Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award (known as "The Edna" in perpetuity). She was a down to earth woman who celebrated her family and her life until the day she passed. And how envious I am of dear Jasmine - who was Edna's friend. How lucky you are J! She must have a very special place in your heart. =) Okay so, this book, "Food That Really Schmecks", is a diary of Edna's Mennonite family recipes as well as quite a few recipes from her friend Bevvy, who appeared to teach Edna quite a bit in the kitchen. The recipes range from Mennonite dishes, to German fare, to Edna's own originals and modern favorites that she "had to share". When you read the recipes, especially the older ones, the first thing you notice is the instruction for measurement. I can't tell you how many I saw with butter's measurement listed as "a knob the size of a walnut." hee! And then you'll read her instructions, written as she was taught and you'll marvel over the fact that she is never precise. My feeling is that Edna didn't believe in strict recipes but moreso in those recipes that give you the basic idea and allow you to use your own ideas and knowledge to create your own dish. At least that is the way I've interpreted a good portion of this book. And it's with that interpretation that I decided on making Edna's Beef Stew. Edna's only description of this recipe is, "Why stew should be said with a disparaging inflection I can't understand; it's a perfect meal if you put enough into it." I could not agree more, Edna. And therefore I read her ingredients and I read through her instructions.. and then I set off to make stew the way Edna told me to. Not only was it delicious but it hit the spot on a very chilly Sunday afternoon. Beef Stew Adapted from Food That Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, December 2006 2 1/2 lbs. of raw beef, cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 4 TBS. beef dripping or suet (I used butter - I had just ran out of suet.) 1 or 2 large onions 4 potatoes cut into quarters 1 c. sliced carrots 1 c. green beans in 1-inch pieces (I didn't have beans so I subbed bell pepper) A few peas, cut-up celery and parsley and 1 cup of tomatoes -- or not Dredge the meat with the flour, salt and pepper. Melt the dripping or suet, and when it is hot brown the meat on all its sides. Slightly brown the onion. Pour enough boiling water into the pot to completely cover the meat and boil it slowly till it is tender--at least 2 hours. Pour in all the vegetables--making sure there is plenty of water--but not enough to drown them, or all the flavour. Boil for another 20 minutes till the vegetables are done but not mushy. Remove all the solids from the broth with a draining spoon. Thicken the broth with 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour blended with water. If the stew doesn't look brown enough you may cheat as I sometimes do by adding a couple of bouillon cubes or beef-base powder. At the last minute add some fresh cut-up parsley and pour the broth over the vegetables and beef. If you want to make it even better you can drop dumplings on the stew for the last 15 minutes while the vegetables are boiling. My Notes: I pretty much followed Edna's instructions but instead of dumplings, I cooked a pound of egg noodles to al dente and added them to the stew when it was finished cooking. Getting back to my problem.. the feeling awful part.. I apologize for that most dreadful picture of stew. I recently purchased a new camera - and apparently it's much more of a camera that I'm use to.. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. heheee! I've got a lot of learning to do.. especially in the "focus" department. *sigh* Ahh well.. don't let my horrible photography get in the way of my saying, "Thank you, Edna! Not only for some delicious recipes but for some fine reading that I enjoyed very much." And Thank you! Jasmine.. for asking me to participate in this celebration of such a personable writer. =)

Weekend Cookbook Challenge No. 12 - Stew!

Hi kids! My stars it feels like forever since I posted last. After the holidays, I took a few days rest from cooking anything new - and that few days lasted well.. much longer ;) I'm happy that my first post back from my lil blogging vay-kay is my submission to this month's WCC No. 12. This month the challenge is being hosted by Shaun of Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow - a very nice blog that's written quite well and is chock full of delicious recipes, pictures and stories. Shaun chose stew as this month's theme.. and what's better in winter than a warm, hearty stew? When I was trying to figure out which stew I was going to make, I pulled out my old tried and true beef stew recipe. Although I think it is one of the most delicious stews I've ever had, I really wanted to make something different - hopefully another type of stew that I could add to my repertoire. Well, I definitely found that new stew! Perusing the usual online haunts, I came across a recipe for Kielbasa Stew on Allrecipes.com, I read the ingredients and thought it might be okay. Then I read the reviews - a few did not like this recipe, but most did. It was a general consensus that the original tomato soup listed in the ingredients gave the stew a sweet flavor. As some of you know, I'm all about the sweet/savory thing - but yeah, not so much in my stew, yanno? I took the advice of some reviewers and subbed tomato sauce for the soup. I also added a diced potato to the mix because I guess I can't do stew without a lil tater. =) Also, this "stew" comes out a little more on the soupy side, which was fine with us. A little slurry of cornstarch and water would thicken it up nicely if you'd prefer it that way. Okay, seriously, this is one fabulous stew. It's quick to make, extremely flavorful and hearty. I was amazed. Tasting it as it cooked, I was thoroughly happy with my decision to try it - and then I added the sour cream at the end and it took an already yummy stew and put it right over the edge. That tang the sour cream has was just the right touch to make the cabbage taste sweeter and the kielbasa's smokey flavor shine through. You really have to try this recipe to believe that such simple ingredients can make such a delicious dinner - in under 60 minutes! =) Ohh.. one more thing - I wouldn't make this if I didn't have warm crusty bread or rolls to sop up the sauce! ;) Kielbasa Stew Courtesy of Jo and Allrecipes.com The above link for All Recipes will take you to the original recipe. Below is my take on it: 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 TBS. butter 2 (10.75 ounce) cans beef consommé 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup water 3 cups shredded cabbage (a small head of cabbage works) 1 vidalia onion, chopped 1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 cup sour cream In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage in butter until brown. Pour consommé, tomato sauce and water into pan with sausage. Stir in cabbage, onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until flavors are well blended. Stir in sour cream and heat through before serving. A big Thank You! to Shaun for picking a great theme and for hosting this month! And as always a big Thank You! to the lovely Sara of i like to cook for creating the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. :)

Dishes of Comfort

When I saw that my most favorite Cream Puff and my most favorite Italian gal living in Sweden had come up with the idea for an event that highlighted comfort foods, I mentally ticked off a long list of foods that I consider comforting. My problem was choosing which one to submit to their event! I have two requirements for a food to be "comforting". The first - something that my parents (especially my Mom) made while I was growing up. These dishes were always looked forward to when I was told as I was leaving the house for school what dinner would be when I got home. And secondly - any food that brings back memories of being made to feel special, loved and just happy. That list doesn't necessarily mean creamy, steamy, sink your gums into, stick to your ribs type fare that usually was made for you by your Mommie. The second list is more the type of foods where the occasion is more memorable. Like raw oysters. I love them. And each time I eat them, I think of being with my Dad as we were the only 2 in the family that liked them - so it was our special time to enjoy a dozen on the half shell, while the rest looked at us in disgust. hee! Or even just a plate of chunked up cheeses and pepperoni with a hunk of bread that we'd all share sitting on our back porch or at the bar of our restaurant before we'd open for the day. Now that first list.. wow, it's long. My mother's macaroni and cheese usually served aside her fried chicken wings. Her sweet and sticky ribs paired with Dad's linguine and clam sauce (my birthday dinner for many, many years!). Her cabbage rolls, her boiled dinners of cottage ham, cabbage and potatoes. My Auntie's pizza. My mom's meat loaf and the baked potatoes that were creamy on the inside of a crisp skin. Her pot roasts. Her chocolate cake with bananas sliced in the middle and chocolate butter frosting. Her wings and peppers. My family's marinara sauce and meatballs generously dousing any particular pasta that caught your fancy. My father's home made Christmas ravioli. My father's Christmas calamari sauce (of which I have STILL not found a recipe *sob*). I mean this list goes on and on and on.. my Mom's lasagna! Her stuffed shells! Her goulash! My father's fish salads - YES! FISH SALADS!! I can't stop listing! I had to walk away. Anyhoo.. what I've chosen to blog about is my Mom's roasted chicken. Flavorful throughout thanks to the lemons and garlic stuffed in the cavity and the herbed butter slathered both on top and under the skin of the breast, this chicken always comes out tender and juicy on the inside and the skin crisps up - always causing riffs between my sisters and I over who would get the biggest pieces. She would make this roasted chicken once a month throughout the Autumn and Winter seasons. Always accompanied by roasted potatoes and carrots as well as her warm and buttery dinner rolls. We'd eat this dinner at the back table of the restaurant's dining room with only the lights directly over the table lit, the rest of the huge dining room would be dark, making this table feel cozy. My father would always be in charge of carving and saying the dinner prayer. And then there'd be silence for the first few minutes as everyone blissfully engorged themselves. Soon the silence would be broken (most likely over the aforementioned fight between my sisters and I over a piece of crispedy skin) and we'd start talking about the week that passed or the week coming up. This had to be done, that had to be made, weren't those people who sat in the corner Saturday night a nice couple? How about that family who let their kids just run around and cause havoc? God. My father would ask each of his daughters how their week of school went and what had they learned? And with each story that we shared with him, he'd have a story from his days as a child - and oh the horrors he went through!! "Well Lisa, I understand that your friend Annie has the newest in Nike fashion and that you MUST have the same sneakers, but when I was growing up, there was one pair of sneakers that my 15 brothers and I HAD to SHARE, which meant that for 14 days in a row, I'd have to wear the cardboard box those sneakers came in!" hahahaahaaaa!! I remember the first time he made that comment and my mother about choked on her coffee. He always told the funniest stories - course they weren't funny back then - I wanted the damn sneakers and didn't care that he had to share with his 15 brothers, dammit. teee! And so, once a month during the Autumn and Winter months, I now make this roasted chicken for Hubbs. And although we usually sit in front of the God forsaken TV instead of at our dining room table when enjoying this bird, I've added to my memories of childhood - the comforting thoughts of snuggling up on the couch and laughing with him at whatever we're watching (usually Rachel Ray - YUM-O!), or just talking about whatever we feel like talking about. =) Mom's Roasted Chicken 1 fresh roaster chicken, approximately 7 pounds 4 TBS. butter, softened 1 TBS. fresh, chopped rosemary leaves 1 TBS. fresh thyme leaves 1 TBS. fresh, chopped sage leaves 2 tsp. sea salt 2 tsp. cracked black pepper 1 lemon, cut in half 6 cloves of garlic, smashed Optional: 3 med. yukon gold potatoes, large dice 1 lg. red garnet sweet potato, large dice 1/2 vidalia onion, large dice 4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 TBS. butter 1/2 c. water Preheat oven to 425º. Place a roasting rack into a roasting pan. Rinse chicken and thoroughly pat dry with clean paper towels. In a small bowl, combine butter, herbs, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Cut lemon in half and smash each clove of garlic with the flat side of a knife to easily peel. Using a teaspoon, slide a good sized dollop of the butter mixture under the skin of the breast and with your other hand on the top of the skin remove the butter off the spoon and smoodge it around as far down the breast meat as it'll go. Repeat with the other breast. With your fingers slather the outside of the bird with the rest of the butter mixture. After washing your icky hands, sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper all over the bird's nekked body. Shove the lemon halves and the garlic cloves into the cavity and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place freshly slathered, not as nekked, bird onto the roasting rack (breast side up) and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 min. While the bird is in the oven, peel and chop your veggies. After 30 minutes reduce heat in oven to 375º, and haphazardly arrange the veggies on the bottom of the roasting pan with the TBS. of butter (pinch off lil pieces) and 1/2 c. water. Bake another 90 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 190º. Let set on carving board for 10 minutes before carving.

Autumn's First Dinner

Okay so it's not officially Autumn yet.. but thanks to our drive to the orchard and all of the gorgeous changing leaf colors and the crisp feel of the chilly air - it's Autumn to me! The chill in the air usually makes me want to haul out the crockpot on Sunday mornings, but I thought that since I was going to make an appetizer of Ilva's fried cheese and grapes that I might as well go for it and make a big dinner as well. I had recently bought a beautiful looking chuck roast, some very pretty green and purple asparagus and I also needed to figure out something to make with sage and zucchini for this month's Monthly Mingle No. 4, so I decided on a creamy risotto to take care of that problem (more on that later). I didn't feel like preparing the chuck roast as I was taught by my mother because I've recently become interesting in braising. A preparation that I'm not too familiar with. I browsed a few of my cookbooks and decided the recipe I liked best was the one found in my Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2006. I've been like 10 for 10 now with this book's recipes and had hopes this would be another success. It was.. and I learned a lot about braising, which was the goal. The meat turned out to be quite tender. My addition of carrots and onions weren't carmelized as they are when I make a roast the traditional way, but they were quite tasty after soaking up the stock nonetheless. The risotto was fabulous, creamy and rich. I roasted the aparagus with a sprinkling of sea salt and they turned out crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.. they were addicting. And finally, I did something I NEVER do.. I made a gravy. I am so not a gravy gal. But I had all this lovely smelling broth combined with the meat's juices and just couldn't waste it.. so I added some fresh thyme and a slurry of soy sauce and cornstarch and it turned out more like a thick au jus than traditional gravy. Seriously? It had such a wonderful taste that I could make a meal dunking good crusty bread in it! hee! Slow Braised Chuck Roast Courtesy of Cooking Light's Annual Recipes 2006 This recipe includes my changes 3 lb. chuck roast, english cut 6 c. beef broth (I used 4 c. beef stock, which was plenty) 2 c. water (I used 1 c.) Salt & pepper to taste 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1/2 lg. vidalia onion, sliced thick Preheat oven to 400º F. Lay chuck roast in a 9" x 13" x 2" roasting pan or baking dish and season well with salt & pepper. Arrange onions and carrots over meat and pour stock and water over it all. Place a jellyroll (or something similar) under the roasting pan to catch boiling over juices. Braise in pre-heated oven for 2 hours or until roast is fork tender. It took mine about 2.5 hours. Au jus 3 cups of the roast's stock and juices 1 TBS. of fresh thyme leaves 1/4 c. soy sauce 2 TBS. cornstarch Take beef and veggies out of roasting pan and cover to keep warm. Line a large measuring cup or bowl with a large ziplock plastic bag and pour 3 c. of the stock & juices in, let sit for a couple minutes until fat rises to top. Lock the bag and hold it over a medium saucepan, then cut a hole in the bottom and pour stock into pan, stopping before the fat nears the hole. Bring stock to a simmer. Make a slurry of the soy sauce and cornstarch. Add the fresh thyme and soysauce/corn starch slurry to the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking often, until the au jus thickens a bit. Spoon over sliced roast. *Note: Okay that was Cooking Light's suggestion on how to transfer the stock from the roasting pan to the saucepan for their gravy recipe. If you are anything like me in the kitchen (and Lord, I hope you are not) that technique will have stock AND the fat all over your stovetop. I let mine sit in a large measuring cup until the fat rose and then I skimmed the fat off - then EASILY poured the stock into the saucepan. Voila. No holes, no trying to stop the flow when the fat gets near the hole, no mess. Sheesh. :D

My Mom's Goulash

Dreary, dark, rainy and chilly - that's what's happenin' in the Armpit of the Midwest. Probably any other time of the year, this weather would be slightly depressing to me, but not now. Although I do prefer the sunny, crisp days of Autumn, the rain and chill doesn't bother me - it only makes me want to curl up under the blankets with a good book or movie after, of course, I've made something that's comforting and warm to go with. Lots of options for delicious dishes when that chilly air hits.. but nothing as comforting as my Mom's Goulash. This was a staple in our family as I was growing up. She made this probably once a month even during the summer and we were all fans, regardless that we'd probably ate it 1,000 times over. =) The pasta is interchangeable in this recipe.. I've used rotini, shells, cavatappi and elbows. Anything that allows the sauce to stick is fine. Most everyone will have these ingredients on hand in their pantries and refrigerators, so it's a dish that can be made with little to no beforehand thought. It's also a one pot meal, which makes clean up a breeze. And.. it makes a lot - so if you are into left overs for lunch the next day, this is the perfect meal! As always, when cooking one of my Mom's recipes.. there is no real measuring. "Eyeball" it, as Rachael says - you really can't go too wrong if you taste it as you are cooking it. I hope if you try this recipe, that it will become a family favorite for you and yours as it is to our family. =) Mom's Goulash The following recipe is written exactly as my Mom recited to me.. below is how I made it last night. 3 lbs. ground round 2-3 sm. onions, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 lg. cans of tomato sauce 2 lg. cans of water garlic powder onion powder dash of oregano 2 bay leaves salt and pepper 2-3 cans of sliced mushrooms 1 lb. springs (rotini pasta) Saute onions & pepper in a very small amount of vegetable oil until they start to soften, add ground beef and brown. Add tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Cook until it cooks down just a bit. Add mushrooms and springs - either already cooked to al dente or they can be thrown in dry, cooking time will just take a little longer and you might have to add a little more water. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes (or until pasta is cooked if you use dry). *Note: Just so you can see how versatile this is.. I didn't have the large cans of tomato sauce, so I used 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and 2 regular sized cans of the tomato sauce (filled each can with water). Also.. we're talking just plain tomato sauce in a can.. not marinara (Ragu, or the others). I only had 1 med. vidalia and 3/4 of a yellow pepper as well as only 1.5 lbs. of ground round.. worked fine. I'd say for the amount of tomatoes I used, the measurements for the seasonings were.. 2 heaping tsps. of the garlic and onion powders. 1 heaping tsp. of the oregano and salt. 6 turns of the pepper mill. I used 1 sm. carton of fresh sliced mushrooms. And I probably added about 3 cups of elbow macaroni, which I threw in dry - and the simmering time was still just about a 1/2 hour as the elbows were small. Also, I like a lil sprinkling of grated Pecorino Romano on top. It's not rocket science.. use what you have and don't sweat it. :D Also! This is her chili recipe as well.. sub kidney beans for the pasta and spice it up with hot pepper flakes and a diced jalapeno or two. =) No wait, there's more! hehehe This is also her Mexican Rice recipe! I know!! Sub rice for the pasta and you're good to go! tee! :)

Comfort joins the Festa!

I've got to admit something.. you guys and the dishes you've been bringing to La Festa al Fresco have been AMAZING! So amazingly creative and beautiful that you all have kinda freaked me out! I could not figure out what I was going to make. Yes, one of the gals who has been planning this party for MONTHS - I should have had my dish figured out and made WEEKS ago. At first, I had all this time to decide what I'd offer to the party and then all of a sudden it was like, "Holy crap! You've got 5 days until Festa day!" and then it became 4 days.. then 3 days and I was seriously starting to panic. But after much deliberation, I simply sat down with a cup of tea and started thinking about what really sounded good to me and what might be a crowd pleaser. Something fresh and not so heavy it'd take away from the main ingredient(s). I am still in my comforting and pampering mode.. so I decided to just walk into my kitchen and start throwing ingredients together that brought back memories of my father cooking at one end of the kitchen and my mother cooking at the other.. the aroma of garlic and onions sauteing was a must. The scent of chopped, garden fresh tomatoes was another. A special treat when I was a child was fresh seafood in the mix and I had some beautiful wild Louisana shrimp just waiting to be added to the perfect dish that would allow their slighty salty taste and creamy texture to shine through. The combination of the fresh tomatoes with the aromatic garlic and onions was simply heavenly. I was brought back to the Sunday's of my childhood when the restuarant was closed but the kitchen was busy with activity in preparation for our Sunday family dinner. My dad cracking jokes, my mom rolling her eyes but laughing at his goofiness. Dad constantly ripping off chunks of Italian bread to dunk into whatever sauce or dressing he was making - as that was the only way he'd taste for seasoning - and if I was close by, he'd yell for me to come over and taste too. Yeah, I was definitely on the right track. And so, I offer to you, my friends, a comforting garden tomato and shrimp linguine - just the way my parents would make. I hope you enjoy!! Fresh Garden Tomatoes & Shrimp Linguine 1 lb. linguine 1 lb. medium raw shimp, peeled & deveined 2 large tomatoes, chopped (preferably straight from a garden) 3 cloves garlic, minced fine 1/2 med. Vidalia onion, minced fine 2 TBS. olive oil 1 tsp. sea salt 1/2 c. Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, grated 3 TBS. fresh, chopped parsley In a large pan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Salt and oil water before adding the linguine and cook for approximately 8 minutes or until al dente. In a medium skillet, saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil until just browned. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook down until the mixture reduces by half then add the fresh parsley. Remove from heat. *At the 5 minute mark of your linguine cooking, throw the raw shrimp in the boiling water and allow them to cook the last 3 minutes. Drain linguine and shrimp, but reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. In a large bowl, combine the linguine and shrimp with the tomato mixture and add the grated cheese. Mix well. Add pasta water slowly until you've made a creamy sauce - you may or may not need the whole cup, I used about 1/2 c. Serve family style with extra grated cheese for sprinkling on the pasta and fresh Italian bread for sopping up the sauce. *Note: Alternatively, you can certainly cook the shrimp in with the tomato mixture. For me, I didn't want the shrimp to take on too much of a garlic taste, so I chose to boil them with the pasta. But, by all means, go with what sounds best to you - you can't go wrong! =)

Creamy Mac & Cheese... and Peanut Butter

Quite the flavor combination, eh? Yes, well have no fears, I did not combine the two. They are just the two topics I want to share with yous guys today. =) Firstly, after another week of work, work and then some work, I did not cook much of anything new and exciting. Instead I kept with our favorite tasty and quick stand-by's that we love so much.. spaghetti and meatballs, grilled steaks on the grill, pan fried pork shoulder steaks with butter fried cabbage and noodles and Japanese Wings. It wasn't until last night that I felt slightly creative and that really is surprising as I didn't get out of work until very late and barely had an ounce of energy left. I guess my grumbling belly overcame the rest of my body's grumblings for bed. Hubbs decided to go visit some friends at his favorite dive and I thought I'd be taking a nice relaxing hot bath after reading my e-mail and then hitting the sack. Not sure exactly what inspired me to think about macaroni and cheese - could have been the weather. We seem to have left summer in the blink of an eye and are heading directly into fall weather here in the armpit of the midwest. I am not complaining though. Autumn is my most favorite time of the year and although this was a great summer (although a tad bit wet) temperature wise (all in all we didn't really have long bouts with the Africa-hot temps this year), it's September and I am jonesin' for the leaves to start changing, the flannel sheets to be put on the bed and my fuzzy slippers that I have stored away. I'm longing for Sundays with my crock-pot, football games and long drives enjoying the foliage. Or maybe it was just the need for comfort food after a very long week. A little pampering was definitely in order. So around 9 o'clock last night, I opened the fridge to assess my choices in cheeses. I always have cheese in this house. Moutains of cheese usually. I was not disappointed when I opened that drawer that I love to open.. inside were large hunks of creamy Fontina and Gouda along with a decent size chunk of Gruyere and a brand new wedge of the Granddaddy of Cheese's, my most favorite Parmigiano Reggiano. Because it was so late and I was all of a sudden so very hungry, I decided to not make a baked mac & cheese.. I went through all the motions - started with making a roux and then adding the luke-warm milk and seasonings of salt, pepper, ground mustard and worchestershire sauce whisking until it was thick. Then I finished the sauce with the addition of chunked cheeses stirring until it was all melty and gooey.. *swoon* I simply poured the sauce over my al dente elbow macaroni and after a quick stir and a few shavings of the Reggiano I was all ready to sink into my favorite seat in front of the TV and allow all the stress of the week to widdle away with every creamy spoonful. The perfect ending to a very long day =) Speaking of comfort food.. peanut butter fits that bill for me, as well. I could not imagine not having at least 1/2 a jar of the stuff on hand at all times. One of my most favorite snacks in alla world is toasted bread slathered with peanut butter. And don't even get me started on all the fabulous recipes made so much better with the addition of peanut butter! Oh and hello? Who's chocolate's best friend? Yes! You know who it is.. peanut butter! So imagine my utter shock when reading one of my most favorite non-foodie bloggers, Melissa of Sarcomical profess her utter disgust with peanut butter! I was dumbfounded. How could anyone not like peanut butter? This is blasphemy! Or at the very least, unheard of in my realm of thinking. As I continued to read her post regarding peanut butter I found myself laughing out loud.. that kind of tear producing, belly shaking laughter. This is a post that you must read for yourself. And although I can not agree with her opinion of peanut butter, I can most assuredly agree with the rest of her faithful readers that this gal is hysterical. ;)

Kitchen Sense - A Cookbook Spotlight

*Note 7/2/06: I just received an e-mail from Sara of I like to cook letting us know that there was a miscommunication from the publishing company. They did not want us to blog about a recipe in the book, all they wanted were reviews of the book. So I've taken the recipe out. If anyone is interested in the recipe, e-mail me and I'll give you the ingredient list and my version of how I made the dish. :D Imagine my surprise and great delight to be invited to participate in the very first Cookbook Spotlight event! Ali e-mailed me with the invitation from Cathy at A Blithe Palate asking me if I'd like to receive this cookbook called Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis to check out and review on my blog.. how exciting! I received my book a few days later and couldn't wait to see what it contained. I was happily surprised to see that it contained over 600 recipes and many, many tips for the home cook. Mitchell says that he wanted to write a book for the home cook - basic recipes that could be transformed into your own creations (along with many variations of his own), tips on just about anything food related such as how to buy a good piece of meat, cleaning your leafy vegetables when you bring them home, creating perfect pan sauces and much, much more. To be honest, my first impression of the book wasn't all that spectacular. I'm one of those people who purchases a cookbook that has pictures showing what a recipe looks like. This book is pictureless. But the more I delved into it's pages, the more I ended up liking it - as it truly is a great book to have for the lessons and tips to help make the average home cook more knowledgeable. You'd think that with over 600 recipes, I'd be able to find one right off the bat that struck my fancy.. but it took me a while to decide which one I wanted to try first. I ended up going with Mitchell's Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese, because please.. who doesn't love a fantastic macaroni and cheese dish?? I've been trying recipes for years to find that one perfect mac & cheese recipe that will stop me in my tracks and have me swooning after one bite of it's creamy, cheesy goodness. When looking at his ingredient list, I thought this might be a major contender for the title, so off I went to the grocery store to get my supplies. What I liked about this recipe the most was his use of cream cheese and aged cheddar & gouda.. I'd never used gouda in a mac & cheese recipe and was amazed at how I never thought of it myself - the creamy goodness of gouda by itself was a winner - so melted over some curly pasta had to be the bomb, yes?? Well, unfortunately, this dish didn't end up being the "ultimate" for us. The flavor was right on.. the cream cheese and gouda, along with the sharp aged cheddar lent a magnificent savory flavor that reminded me of macaroni and cheese dishes I'd had a restaurants.. but the texture of the dish was not creamy at all, actually it ended up quite dry. I don't consider this a failure though. The spirit of the book is not one where the author is pushing his recipes, but showing you the basics and allowing you to build off from there. So, I will make this macaroni and cheese again one day - but I will tweak it with the knowledge I've accumulated over the years and with the tips Mitchell has taught me to quite possibly create my own "Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese". =) Mitchell Davis' The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese *Note: I served this with Broiled Parmigiano Tilapia fillets, which I'll post later :D