eating in

Korean Roasted Pork Ribs

2012-01-22T20:46:00.014-05:00

I headed to the supermarket with a plan to make Korean style short ribs for dinner, but was thrown a curve when the short ribs were no where to be found. So, after standing in the meat department for way too long, I decided to stop making the staff feel uncomfortable and just grabbed a pack of pork baby back ribs. While not what I originally planned, what resulted was pretty good.

Ingredients
1 rack pork baby back ribs, divided into two pieces

Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
dash ground ginger

Sauce
½ cup honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper seeds

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Wash pork and pat dry. [Note: I prefer to take off the tough membrane on the back of the ribs. If you haven't done it before, here's a short video demonstration I found on YouTube.]

In a gallon ziplock bag, rub marinade all over rib racks, massaging them well. Refrigerate and allow ribs to rest with marinade. (Ours went for almost 6 hours, but I'm sure more or less would work.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line roasting pan with tin foil (If you haven't tried the new "non stick" foil, this is a great recipe to try it with).

Roast ribs for 50 minutes. While ribs are baking, in a small bowl, make the sauce by simply whisking together everything on the list.

Once ribs are cooked, remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut racks into individual rib pieces.

Increase oven temperature to 500. Brush sauce onto each rib, coating fully. Return ribs to the oven, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce begins to caramelize. Continue basting with sauce and flipping ribs until sufficiently coated.

Pulled Brisket Taco with Hoisin BBQ Sauce

2011-10-09T20:04:00.021-04:00

This summer, C and I have enjoyed many a lunch at Bone-In Artisan Barbecue on Wheels. They park and work in tandem with one of our favorite restaurants Baan Sawan. Bone-In provides the vittles, and Baan serves insanely great cocktails crafted to go with. This past Saturday, we had their smoked brisket with hickory-hoisin sauce. With no plans for Sunday, we decided to give it a try for ourselves. Since we don't have access to their awesome focaccia bread, we went the taco route.

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 jalepeno peppers, halved
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a plate and leave the pan on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, jalepenos, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (CAUTION: a vinegar steam facial is a bad idea), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water.

Return the brisket to the pan and pull some of the onions on top of it. Crush the tomatoes and add them and the tomato sauce to the pot along with the bay leaves and molasses. Cover and braise in the oven for 3-4 hours.

Gently remove brisket from the pan. Pull the brisket apart with two forks and set aside.

For the sauce, we cooled the braising liquid slightly, then blended with an immersion blender. We then seasoned with a small bottle of prepared hickory bbq sauce and 1/4 cup hoisin sauce.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

2011-05-15T18:34:00.006-04:00

Only my sister would send me a gift basket.... of mushrooms. Yep, you heard me right, out of the blue two pounds of lovely wild mushrooms showed up at my door. Included were Trumpet Royale, Forest Nameko, Alba Clamshell, Brown Clamshell, and Velvet Pioppini.

With so many mushrooms on hand, and C's love of cream-based soups, I decided to make a cream of wild mushroom soup. Since I hadn't made it before, I first searched out a recipe. My go-to is Ina Garten, and her mushroom soup is where I started. I then added and subtracted to use the flavors C and I like best.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

In a large pot, melt 4TB butter

Add:
2 leeks, roughly choped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Salt/pepper
Sauté until the leeks begin to brown

Add ½ cup brandy
Cook until slightly reduced

Add
1 lb mushrooms, roughly chopped
Stir occasionally until softened

Add
6 cups beef broth, bring to a boil
Cook 20 minutes

Turn off the heat and puree mixture using a hand or stand blender.

A few minutes before serving, warm over low heat, but do not bring to a boil. Add a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup cream, salt and pepper to taste. Add additional cream (and a drizzle of truffle oil in your bowl) if you'd like.

Lamb Flatbread Taco

2010-11-14T21:21:00.004-05:00

After a very late night visit to Paco's Tacos in Five Points on Saturday night, we were inspired to make more taco-y goodness on Sunday.

Marinated, grilled lamb shoulder in a warm flatbread with grilled peppers and onions, and fresh pico de gallo.

Lamb Marinade

Blend in a food processor:
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 small tomato
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp chili powders
1/2 tsp cumin
2 whole dried chilis
Add fresh rosemary and oregano

Marinate lamb should chops for at least four hours, grill, and the cut into bite size pieces.

Blueberry Pie

2010-07-05T17:07:00.009-04:00

Apparently the cooking gods wanted me to play with blueberries this weekend.

First, Chef taught us about mini blueberry tarts at last week's class at Let's Cook, then one of C's co-workers sent him home with a gallon size ziplock bag filled to the top of fresh picked berries.

Don't you love when a plan comes together.

Prepped and ready for the oven...

Ingredients:
Homemade or pre-packaged pie dough (top & bottom crust)

Filling:
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash vanilla extract
6 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

Topping:
Milk or half & half
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Served a la mode. We couldn't wait for the pie to fully cool to dive in, so the juices didn't have time to thicken. Who can wait?

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep Pan -- Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Prepare Filling:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg; stir to combine. Add the blueberries and toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. Let the filling sit for 5 to 10 minutes to let the berry juice develop and the cornstarch dissolve.

Assemble Pie:
Spoon the blueberry mixture into the chilled pie shell, mounding the berries slightly in the center. Add top crust, cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to chill.

While pie is refrigerating, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove pie from refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the pie rim and stars with milk or half and half cream. Sprinkle with sugar.

Line a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Place pie on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices are thick and bubbling and the crust is a golden brown.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T08:11:00.003-04:00

The unofficial start to summer is here, and while guests wait for the grill to heat up, might I suggest a make-ahead antipasto tray.

Sunday Dinner, Roasted Cornish Game Hens

2010-04-25T18:07:00.007-04:00

A few years ago, C and I got in the routine of roasting a chicken every Sunday. While we don't do it every weekend anymore, a roasted bird is still a fairly common Sunday night dinner. Today, after browsing the meat department, we decided on roasted cornish game hens.

Here are the hens ready for the oven...

My usual preparation is a simple garlic-thyme-butter. For two hens I make a paste of 1 tbsp softened butter, 1 clove minced garlic, minced fresh thyme (or any other fresh herbs you have on hand), salt and pepper. The paste is simply slathered on the skin and then the hens are roasted in a 400° oven for 1 hour.

Despite the name, game hens are not game birds at all... they're actually a typical chicken that is just slaughtered at a young age. For that reason they command a higher price, but they are still quite affordable.

Light Banana Muffins

2009-10-31T11:37:00.003-04:00

An overcast Saturday morning, and a bunch of over-ripe bananas, lead to this yummy batch of cakey light muffins.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Optional Garnish: chocolate jimmies

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cups.
2. Sift the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat the mashed bananas, sugars, honey, eggs and melted butter together.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until combined.
5. Divide the batter into the muffin cups - top with garnish if desired.
6. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Easy Grilled Pork Roast

2009-10-12T19:05:00.003-04:00

While browsing the local Publix meat department, I found the cutest 1lb pork roast (yes, I said cute).

Since I had the time, I gave it a full days soak in a sweet and savory marinade of whatever I had on hand:

8oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

mix everything together in a ziptop bag and add the roast

Squeeze all the air out of the bag, give it a twist so the entire roast is submerged, and throw it back on the fridge for a few hours.

Light up the grill. Drain and discard marinade, and sear the roast over direct heat on all sides. Move the roast to one side and cook with indirect heat until a meat thermometer reads 160° (around 30 minutes per pound). Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Philadelphia, ps. I love you.

2009-09-13T15:45:00.013-04:00

Growing up with a view of the NYC skyline, Manhattan will always be a special place for me, but over the years another city has found a place in my heart - Philadelphia. Like NYC, Philly has great sports, restaurants, museums, art, music, and public transportation, but there's something sweeter about this town. Even in the heart of downtown there are trees and green space, most things are walk-able (as PE would say, "it's just another block"), beautiful architecture, dogs EVEYWHERE and just an overall family friendly vibe.

(yes, yes NYC rules when it comes to fashion, but once you move to South Carolina, you automatically lose the right to speak of fashion)

Anywho, two weeks ago C and I flew up to Philly to visit his bro who just bought an amazing condo downtown. We quickly took him up on the offer to come stay for a few days, catch a Phillies game, and eat our way across town.

While there were many highlights (and memorable meals), this post will focus on one breakfast, one cocktail spot, and one swank dinner.

Our first morning in PHL started with breakfast at Mixto (1141 Pine St)

This cuban and latin american inpired restaurant is located amongst antique shops on an unassuming street. The interior is beautiful dark woods, exposed brick, and the front wall is made entirely of glass doors, which to my delight were wide open when we arrived.

While we sipped on mango bellini's and mimosas, PE pulled out the agenda... literally. (note the patented Sipala-finger-point)

You can check out Mixto's menu online, but a few highlights included Argentinean Steak and Eggs (grilled outside skirt steak with two eggs any style, homefries, and mixed greens, $11.00); Huevos Rancheros (two eggs any style topped with a creole sauce served with refried beans and tortilla chips $8.00); Colombian Breakfast (top round steak served with white rice mixed with red beans, corn meal patty and two eggs any style $9.00).

Now on to one of my favorite meals of the day - late night cocktails. For this we headed to a fairly new spot,The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company (112 S 18th St)

I can't describe this watering hole any better than they have...

"In the late 1920's, The Franklin Mortgage And Investment Company served as the front for the largest alcohol ring in the country... The Franklin celebrates both the golden age barrooms of the pre-prohibition era, and the skilled bartenders who fled their homes to pursue a noble craft banned and demonized in its country of origin.

We welcome back to our shores the art of a fine mixed drink. The franklin is a place where a stiff drink and a tuneful horn co-mingle, and where bartenders are artists. above all, the Franklin is a beacon for those who feel that a dram of alcohol is not meant as merely a vessel for intoxication, but a sensory experience all its own."

I highly recommend the Southside, centered in photo (gin, fresh lemon juice, mint, and Angostura bitters), but everything is artfully crafted, and from what we ordered, delicious. While the drinks may be a of a different era, don't fear, this isn't a gimmicky room full of girls in flapper dresses.

Last, but not least, dinner at James (824 S. 8th Street)

For a weekend trip, you only have one shot at a "fine dining" restaurant experience. Upon stepping foot inside James, I knew we had chosen correctly. Modern decor, crisp lines, rich earth tones (the female waitstaff even wore sleek warm green dresses), delicate glassware, and candles candles everywhere.

As my photos illustrate, the restaurant is extremely dark. Bad for photography, great for an intimate dinner to talk sports, politics, office politics, life and love.

I started the evening with a glass of bubbles... their Cava Cocktail '88' to be exact (dry sparkling spanish wine, rivesaltes 1988, & peach bitters).

We ordered three starters for the table.

In order of awesomeness...
(1) salt roasted beets, leek-black walnut fonduta, grapefruit & duck crackling. (For me, this was hands down the best of the three... but then again, how can you beat duck cracklins.)
(2) hand cut tagliatelle, duck ragu, shaved chocolate & orange. (Sounds like a strange combo, but it really worked.)
(3) pasta e fagiole. (Disappointing for two reasons... this was really just a play on pasta e fagiole - think chicken broth with mini wontons and white beans - then to make matters worse, someone was heavy handed on the salt.)

For our main plates, we savored (again, in order)...
-grass fed veal loin (This was a special, and I can't remember what it was served with... but it doesn't matter, the veal itself was the star and out of this world)
-wild striped bass, barely warmed heirloom tomatoes & chick peas
-slow roasted poularde, tender spinach, porcini mushrooms & apple scented pan sauce

Dessert -- make your own cheese plate:

Well, there you have it folks. Sorry for the lack of photos. Will hopefully be back north soon and will happily make up for it then :)

PE, thanks again for the hospitality.

Thank You Terra!

2009-08-14T21:59:00.010-04:00

First let me say thank you to Chef Mike, Howard, and all the whole crew at Terra. For the second year, they hosted and sponsored our Slow Food Columbia fundraiser. As expected, the food and staff were unbelievable, and the event a complete success.

Of course let's not forget our generous sponsors...

Five Leaves Farm * Little Creek Plantation * Spanish Vines
Anson Mills * All Local Farmers' Market
... and all of our members and friends who came out to support the group. The night was filled with wonderful food, wine, conversation (and some sweet shoes).

Special thanks to Josh of Spanish Vines for the fantastic vino.

Chef pops out the magic door to say a few words.

(EW - can't wait to meet the newest little member of Slow Food Columbia, congrats again!)

Huge thanks to Cerelle, our fearless leader, for all her hard work in pulling this together. Here she is ready to draw the lucky door prize winners. Each walked away with a gift certificate for Terra.

We have a winner!

obligatory portrait for the fam... "Hi Mom!"

Food & Wine Tasting

2009-07-29T20:31:00.003-04:00

For my food and wine loving friends in the Columbia area. Join C and I (and the who's who of the Columbia culinary scene, lol) at Terra next month...

Buy tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76464

Garlicy Crisps

2009-07-26T22:28:00.006-04:00

On more than one occassion (including one just a few weeks ago), C and I ordered an appetizer that included housemade crackers. Each time, the "crackers" were thick and doughy, and pretty disappointing.

Before passing judgement, I decided to try and make some at home. I went with a recipe from one of my favorites - Cindy Pawlcyn. While slightly time consuming, I was very happy with the results. Now, if I can do it, why can't they?? hmmmm.

1 1/2 teaspoons active dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon cold water
2 cups flour, or more as needed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut up
2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
1 egg
seasoning topping of your choice (CP uses sesame seeds, I went for italian dipping oil seasoning)

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let rest for 8 to 10 minutes, until foamy. Add the 1/3 cup cold water, then add the flour, butter, and salt. Mix to combine on medium speed until smooth and elastic, pulling the dough down off the hook if necessary. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.

2. Gather into a ball, place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat lightly, cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

4. Roll them out as thinly as possible into 6-inch-wide, 3- or 4-inch-long strips. (I used a pasta roller to make paper-thin sheets).

5. Lay the strips of dough on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg and the 1 teaspoon cold water, and brush the crackers with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt and seasoning, then score the strips of dough to make triangular shapes (they’ll break apart into individual crackers when they bake).

6. Bake for 5 minutes, flip and bake for 2 more minutes or until golden brown.

kitchen helper

2009-07-19T14:58:00.000-04:00

C's BLT+

2009-07-09T20:24:00.002-04:00

In case there was any question regarding C's ability to make a sandwich...

Bacon
+ Lettuce
+ Tomato
+ Cheese
+ Egg Over Easy
+ Your Weight in Mayo
==============
C's BLT

first tomato from the garden

2009-06-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

Kitchen Funnies

2009-06-20T09:34:00.002-04:00

How great are these kitchen towels... thanks T!!

pasta with zucchini and tomato

2009-06-14T14:49:00.006-04:00

As temperatures heat up, C and I look to lighter dinner dishes -- luckily the veggies of summer are here.

I recently found there is a farm stand on my way home from the gym, and now I'm absolutely addicted. I just love the way you never know what they will have that day, and the challenge of coming up with a meal from whatever looks and smells best.

Here's the latest - pasta with zucchini and tomato.

While you wait for your pasta water come to a boil...

Roughly cut a few tomatoes and put them over medium heat with some olive oil, a few cloves of minced garlic, and some fresh basil and oregano. Here'a what it looks like after it's had some time to break down:

While the tomatoes cook, prepare the zucchini. I used a mandoline slicer and julienned into spaghetti shaped pieces.

Throw in your pasta and cook until al dente. Right before you drain, pull out a cup of pasta water and add to your pan of tomatoes. Add drained pasta and zucchini shreds to the tomatoes and mix over low heat until well combined. Salt/Pepper to taste. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Onion Rings

2009-05-25T18:46:00.003-04:00

A less is more approach to onion rings.

Ingredients
Onions
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
dash cayenne pepper
dash salt

Before you start prepping the rings, preheat your deep fryer or a pan of oil so that it is hot enough when you are ready to start deep frying... around 375°

Slice onions into 1/4 inch rounds, separating rings. Place in a bowl with milk and let soak for at least 15 minutes.

In another bowl combine remaining ingredients.

A few rings at a time, drop onions into flour mixture. Coat well and drop into hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with your bbq favorites.

Sipala-tini

2009-05-02T12:28:00.004-04:00

A local italian restaurant has made a contest to find their a signature martini. Here is my entry.

bringing a little north jersey-italian to south cackalacky...

3 parts red table wine
1 part orange brandy (like Grand Marnier)
splash sweet vermouth
---
shake well with ice; strain into a martini glass.
garnish with orange twist or cherry

Hasselback Potatoes

2009-04-10T09:57:00.003-04:00

This dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. I've seen recipes for it in a variety of magazines and cooking blogs, but it always seemed a bit fussy, so it never made it on to my to-do list... but then I thought of you, my loyal readers (hahaha) who might be interested.

Hasselback Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes and dry with a kitchen towel.

Place between two wooden spoons, or something similar...

Cut slits into them from the top down, being careful not to go all the way thru (using the wooden spoons as guides) so that they will fan open like accordions when baked

Traditionally the potato would be peeled, cut to resemble a fan, dotted with butter, baked, and then topped with fine bread crumbs and broiled.

Too boring.

We first drizzled with a garlic-chive-butter, being sure to get some between the layers

then personlized with some additional ingredients...

For me, I shaved slices of jalapeno and inserted between the potato slices, then topped with coarse salt...

For C, everything's better with bacon, so he cooked up a slice, crumbled, and shoved between the layers...

Bake at 400° for about an hour, and voila!

Home hibachi

2009-04-03T23:16:00.004-04:00

Once spring hits, C and I turn to the grill to cook just about everything. I'm not sure why it hadn't occurred to us before, but tonight we created our own hibachi flat top grill in the backyard.

All it took was an old half sheet pan (from the Sam's Club restaurant section) heated on the grill...

Once it was hot we threw on our normal quick stir-fry ingredients... marinated beef, scallions, red onion and peppers.

This will certainly be put into our regular dinner rotation.

Filly & Zoe hang at the pub

2009-03-14T09:47:00.002-04:00

the four legged girls need nights downtown too

Povitica, where have you been all my life

2009-03-09T19:34:00.004-04:00

I came home to find a package from AR/UR on the doorstep... a loaf of English Walnut dessert bread from Strawberry Hill. There's basically a thin sweet dough covered with walnut filling, then rolled and shaped into a loaf.

Although I technically gave up bread for lent, Craig convinced me this was dessert, not bread, so I could have a taste.

Yummy.

Thanks AR/UR!

Hummus x 2

2009-03-08T10:14:00.002-04:00

For a friends cocktail party, C and I decided to experiment and make two flavors of hummus. The first turned out to be a beautiful spring green Spinach and Feta Hummus.

Spinach and Feta Hummus
1 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh spinach
3 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cups red pepper flakes

In a blender or food processor combine chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic and lemon juice...blend well. Add spinach, cheese, and red pepper flakes and whiz again until smooth.

* * * * * * * * *

For hummus #2, we used a few of the jalepeno's we had in freezer from the garden last year.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
1 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained and rinsed
roasted red jalapenos (we used four small ones)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients in the blender or food processor, blend until smooth.

and for a glimpse into the kitchen when we experiment...

Pizza Pizza

2009-02-23T19:51:00.002-05:00

Making pizza at home isn't especially difficult, it just takes a some advanced thought. To make a few pies on Sunday, you'll need to start the day before

SATURDAY AFTERNOON, start the dough

Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast over 1 1/4 cups water and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until creamy. If the yeast doesn't become active, throw away and start again with fresh yeast.

In the meantime, in the bowl of your food processor, mix 4 cups flour ("OO" flour if you can find it, otherwise all-purpose is fine) and 2 teaspoons salt. Drizzle in 2 Tablespoons olive oil and yeast mixture.

Run mixer until the dough comes together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until dough is silky.

Roll dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge overnight.

SUNDAY

Punch dough down, re-cover and put back in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.

A FEW HOURS BEFORE YOU WANT TO CHOW

Take dough out of the fridge, divide into 4 pieces and roll into balls. Loosely cover with a damp dishtowel and allow to rise for about two hours.

Crank your oven or grill (400-450° or so)

While it heats, assemble the pizza on pizza pan with the toppings of your choice. Bake until cheese is melted and the dough is crisp and brown on the bottom.

C's choice... pepperoni and sausage

J's choice... veggie veggie (pepper, onion, mushroom)

Rosso Trattoria Italia

2009-02-08T10:03:00.008-05:00

I'm happy to report the wait it finally over, Rosso Trattoria Italia is open!

C and I were lucky enough to get one of the soft opening reservations on Saturday night to get a sneak peek. The interior plays off the name Rosso, meaning red in Italian.

this photo courtesy of Rosso

Our table was close to the bar, separated only by the two large bistro-height communal tables (which I am guessing will be used for walk-in traffic).

Aside from the usual bar staples, they also feature almost the full line of Luxardo Italian spirits... from your basic sambuca and amaretto, to lesser the known herb appertif amaro abano.

Since I'm not sure if the menu is final, I will hold a full review until our next trip, but it's shaping up to be, what I would call, upscale-rustic.

* excuse the photo quality - I have a rule against ruining mood lighting with flashbulbs.

antipasto platter

the remnants of the antipasto, and the roasted half chicken

While we did notice a few kinks in service, nothing worth noting here... we're chalking it up to it being opening weekend.

Truely a great addition to the Columbia restaurant scene. We will be back, soon!

Rosso Trattoria Italia
Trenholm Plaza
4840 Forest Drive
Columbia, SC 29206
Phone: 803.787.3949

Apple Pancakes

2009-02-07T18:34:00.004-05:00

When it comes to pancakes, I don't think you can beat Bisquick... but when you need a little variety, cinnamon-apple Bisquick pancakes certainly do the trick.

Start by coring, and then coarsly grating, one apple (I don't bother to peel). Sprinkle with cinnamon, a dash of clove and a few drops of vanilla. Set aside while you prepare the pancake batter.

Pancake Batter
2 Cups Bisquick Mix
1 3/4 Cups Milk
2 Eggs

Once well combined, add apple mixture and stir well. Griddle to your liking.

Happy Holidays

2009-01-25T10:09:00.007-05:00

Yes, yes, I know it's been over a month since I've posted. I don't know where the time goes! Thanksgiving hits and then it's just a blur of turkeys, hams, wrapping paper, online shopping, late night cookie baking, lugging home cases from the liquor store, more online shopping... but I digress. I hope you all had a wonderful (insert your holiday of choice here) and safe new years eve fun.

This year for xmas we packed up the car and headed south to hang with family in Florida.

UR's florida fireplace... is there anything he can't build? (and yes, there were five puppies waiting for Santa)

One of the many foodie highlights was AR/UR's pork...

maybe if we're nice, they'll share the recipe (hint, hint)

not a bad xmas morning view, eh?

and what's a holiday without a little cornhole?

Thanks M&D for building the boards - can't wait for a rematch.

Get Cookin' Columbia

2008-12-14T19:57:00.009-05:00

Last week LC and I took a great class at Let's Cook Culinary downtown. This was a hands-on class which gave us an opportunity to create seven Holiday Appetizers - six savory and one sweet. For those who have never taken a class there, I highly recommend it. Chef John Militello offers both hands-on, as well as just watch-learn-taste classes, and the best part is it's BYOB!

the class in action

My two favorites of the night were the lobster spring rolls and the miniature brie en croute.

Lobster Spring Rolls

ready to be fried

1 cup pre-cooked lobster
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dill
1 tsp garlic
pre-made spring roll wrappers

Pre-cook carrot, cabbage and onion on the stove with a little water. Add vinegar and sugar, stir well, drain and chill. Add lobster and mix well. Assemble spring rolls by wetting edges of wrapper with water, spoon mixture onto one side, and roll by folding in edges and then rolling front to back. Fry in 350° oil.

LC whips up spring rolls like a pro...

My other favorite ... Miniature Brie En Croute

(not a very good picture, but simply delicious!)

1 medium size brie cut into small-ish bite size cubes
1 package frozen puff pastry (defrosted)
jam of your choice (I prefer apricot)
1/2 red onion, diced

egg wash: whisk 1 egg yoke & 1 Tbsp milk
topping: sesame seeds

Spray baking pan with non-stick spray. Roll out puff pastry and cut into 12 or 16 squares. Place a small amount of jam on each square and top with red onion and one piece of cheese. Carefully wrap pastry around filling and shape/seal with your fingers. Place on baking sheet. Brush each portion with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400° until golden brown.

Let's Cook Culinary
1305 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC
803.250.2569
www.LetsCookCulinary.com

Go Goat

2008-11-23T21:08:00.002-05:00

For those in Columbia who haven't already, I strongly suggest you check out the All-Local Farmers' Market held from 8am to 12pm every 2nd Saturday at Gervais & Vine, and every 4th Saturday at Rosewood Market. A few of our favorite vendors who often attend include: Five Leaves Farm, Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork, Wil-Moore Farms, Anson Mills and Heather's Artisan Bakery.

Not only can you get a mean breakfast plate and coffee for $4 before you shop, but you can also pick up the freshest seasonal produce and meat in town. On our last trip to the market we picked up a few cuts of goat from Wil-Moore Farms. Tonight we broke out the ribs and decided to go simple and bbq.

The first step was to cut the rack into two rib sections, cover in bbq sauce, and pop into a 350° oven for about an hour and a half.

Step two consisted of C finishing off the ribs on the grill and smothering in more sauce.

Sushi 101

2008-11-16T20:36:00.004-05:00

As my mom is quick to remind me, there was a time as I child when I wouldn't even eat peppers. Well, I'm happy to say that phase was brief, and here I am today ~~making~~ attempting to make sushi.

The beginner class started with hot saki and basic instruction, and ended with each of us making two rolls of our own.

Here's the second of my two... a spicy vegetarian roll

Outside: rice with togarashi and sesame seeds
Inside: sriracha, asparagus, red pepper, green onion, and mushrooms

SakiTumi
807 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Quack Madame (aka best appetizer of the year)

2008-11-06T07:36:00.002-05:00

It's official.

(my apologies for the pic, taken with my cellphone)

Hands down the best appetizer in Columbia for 2008 goes to Terra for their new Quack Madame. A play on the traditional French "croque madame," which is basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a slice of cheese and an egg, Chef takes it to the next level by using Duck Confit, Caramelized Onion, Toasted Brioche, Fried Quail Egg, and Arugula Salad.

C ordered it, and I think he was a step away from cancelling his steak frites and just ordering up three more Quacks.

Heavenly.

Ode to Philadelphia

2008-10-26T21:25:00.004-04:00

(Cheesesteaks, what else?)

In the southeast, college football is king - but in our house, baseball rules!

In honor of our Phillies, currently battling the Rays in the World Series, and for a little good juju for the game tonight, we made from-scratch cheesesteaks.

Step 1: Risk life and limb, and shave your own top round roast with your vintage 70's Slice Crafter (thanks M&D for passing this down to me)

Step 2: Heat a bit of oil in a pan you don't particularly care for, throw in some sliced onion and soften slightly, then throw in your serving of shaved steak...

Step 3: Chop Chop Chop, throw on a slice or two of cheese, Chop Chop Chop

Step 4: Load into a sturdy roll, find a sunny window, and enjoy!

Slow Food fund raiser a success!

2008-09-01T22:33:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of those who attended the Slow Food Columbia fund raising dinner at Terra.

A few of my pics from a grand night...

I broke the blog

2008-08-21T09:11:00.003-04:00

Yes, you read correctly, I broke the blog (don't you hate it when you break the internet?).

Long story, but lots of the pics will be down for a few days.

Sorry, be back soon!

Ode To Summer (Pasta)

2008-08-17T20:53:00.005-04:00

In our last box from Five Leaves Farm we received beautiful yellow summer squash. Our first thought was C's mom, and her yummy spaghetti with squash. We started with that and ran with it.

Ode to Summer Pasta

Click Here for Printable Version

1 pound pasta (we used thin spaghetti, but I'm sure it would work with anything)
2 cups yellow summer squash, cut into thin half rounds
12 cherry tomatoes, tops cut off and halved/quartered depending on size
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth (or some chicken bullion)
10 basil leaves, roughly cut or ripped
salt & pepper to taste
optional: 1 tsp fresh oregano, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, grated romano cheese

Heat a large pot of salted water for cooking the spaghetti while you prep the veggie mixture.

Once boiling, add the spaghetti to the water and start the sauce.

Coat large pan with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Once hot, stir fry squash until soft. Add tomatoes, garlic, white, broth, salt/pepper and cook until tomatoes soften.

Drain pasta and add to squash mixture along with fresh basil (and any of the optional ingredients). Toss to coat.

SC Foodies - Save the Date!

2008-07-28T12:45:00.013-04:00

Have a delicious dinner at the amazing Terra Restaurant and help support local farmers!

Kristen and Ben DuBard (owners and operators of Five Leaves Farm in Blythewood, SC) have been invited as delegates to the world food event, Terra Madre which takes place in Turin, Italy each October.

To help send the DuBards to Terra Madre to represent South Carolina, Slow Foods Columbia (a local non-profit) will be throwing a multi-course dinner featuring local ingredients at Terra Restaurant.

Please help us support two wonderful people and dedicated local farmers!

C's Garden

2008-07-20T09:43:00.003-04:00

The garden is officially in full swing.

Tomato Garden

Pepper Garden

yep, we even added a few okra plants this year

Watermelon Rum Cocktail

2008-07-13T14:37:00.003-04:00

For our Cinco de July-O party, I carved up a watermelon fruit basket.

Since I didn't want the fruit to get soggy, I poured out most of the watermelon juice as I was cutting it. Before I knew it I had almost a pint glass full of flourescent red juice which was just too beautiful to toss. I left it in the capable hands of C, the house mixologist, to come up with something tasty while I finished prepping for the party.

strained watermelon juice + cruzan white rum = C's watermelon rum cocktail

(pink sugar rimmed glass optional)

cookbook

2008-07-07T21:56:00.003-04:00

As many of you know by now, I *love* cookbooks - especially ones with pictures. Well, the latest one to the collection is simply beautiful

(Thanks AR/UR!!)

The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook:
Recipes and Pairings for the Perfect Glass of Wine

In case you were wondering, here are the first two on my list to try...

Creamy Risotto Pudding with Brandied Figs

Hint of Mint Orange Chiffon Cake

I'll keep ya posted!

Fried Okra is Ok by me!

2008-07-04T16:07:00.007-04:00

As an ode to my new hometown, I decided to add a few okra plants to the vegetable garden this year. I didn't know much about growing it, but apprently it's pretty much a no-brainer around here. A little water and fertilizer and away we go...

After consulting with an SC native at work, I found out that not everyone in SC eats okra... but she was kind enough to call her mom and get me the lowdown on making fried okra. (Thanks JR!)

- Wash and cut the okra into bit size pieces
- dredge in egg, then coat in a mixture of cornmeal and flour (to which I also added a little salt and cayenne)
- fry in hot oil until crispy and golden brown

My theory still stands - everything tastes good breaded and fried!

Violet, you're turning violet Violet

2008-06-29T14:18:00.007-04:00

I took this shot a few weeks ago when the berries just started to turn from green to blue. Now our two little blueberry bushes are loaded with fresh juicy berries. As some of you know, I'm not a fan of "mooshy" fruit, so it was my preference to not have blueberry pie for the first harvest... but C and I came up with a great alternative for the little purple jewels - Blueberry Scones.

Not in the mood to search far, I punched in "blueberry scone recipe" into Google and went with the first one that popped up. Luckily it turned out to be a tasty biscuity-type scone recipe from a B&B in Ferndale, California - the Gingerbread Mansion Inn.

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 1/2 cups fresh (or defrosted) blueberries
Additional sugar for topping

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Separate egg - placing egg white in cup and yolk in a small bowl. With fork, beat egg yolk; stir in half & half. Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients and mix lightly with fork until mixture clings together and forms a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and knead gently several times. Gently knead in blueberries.

Divide dough in half; pat out each half into an 8-inch round, and cut each into 8 wedges. Place scones on greased sheet. Pierce tops with a fork. Brush with reserved egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15-18 inches, or until golden brown.

Recipe Courtesy of Gingerbread Mansion Inn
Ferndale, California

Insalata Caprese

2008-06-18T22:14:00.001-04:00

The first caprese salad of the season!

Although our tomatoes are not quite ready, I was happy to put some of our fresh mesclun mix to good use with local tomatoes (and some not so local) fresh mozzerella for a simple salad.

Insalata Caprese Salad

mesclun mix
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
fresh basil leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
To taste: extra-virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Pile mesclun mix on a platter. In a circular design around the plate, alternate fresh mozzarella slices with sliced tomatoes, overlapping for effect. Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Note:
C and I usually dress this salad on our plates with oil and balsamic. That way, if there are any leftovers, they can be saved for the next day. If it sits in the oil or vinegar for any length of time, it will become a soggy mess.

Also, vinegar is not traditionally added to a Caprese, but we always ignore this rule.

* * * * *

Just a few weeks ago I transplanted the mesclun mix seedlings out to the garden...

and before we knew it voila!

Vetri

2008-06-16T06:19:00.004-04:00

1312 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-732-3478
www.vetriristorante.com

Vetri is an intimate 10 table restaurant in Center City Philadelphia run by Marc Vetri. The Philadelphia Inquirer ranks it among the city’s top 5 restaurants, and there are some (including Mario Batali) who claim it be one of the best Italian restaurants in America.

My thoughts?

Vetri is a haven for foodies.

If you are not serious about food and wine, you will be disappointed. You will think it is over priced. You will walk away confused.

but

If you are the type of person who would plan a vacation around a restaurant, then I suggest saving your pennies for a trip to Vetri (but start calling now, reservations need to be made at least a month in advance).

The food is unpretentious and delicious.

We started with cocktails and their famous charcuterie platter. A rustic wood block arrived with a variety of house cured meats, sherry-charred brussel sprouts, grilled fennel, house cured pickles, and other delicacies (including one that I can only describe as a savory zeppoli wrap in a paper thin sheet of sweet creamy lardo).

The house made bread is also worth noting. A silent little man with a bread basket seemed to appear out of nowhere to keep our bread dishes filled... and we were happy to oblige and eat slice after slice of crusty goodness dipped in oive oil while nibbling on house cured olives.

We left our wine selection in the hands of their fabulous sommelier. After he and C had a lengthy discussion on the qualities of various gins, we got down to what type of wine we were looking for. He disappeared for a moment and returned with what turned out to be a perfect bottle. I had written down the name, but sadly the scrap of paper disappeared by the time we got back to SC.

Other highlights of the evening included...

Warm salad of wilted greens with pancetta and egg
When this arrived, I was suprised to see the egg was actually a scrambled egg. I tasted with trepidation, but it was really really good. There was something acidic (a vinaigrette of some sort) which really tied it all together.

Spinach Gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter
I would prefer if they called these "spinach dumplings" instead of gnocchi. Don't get me wrong, they were quite delicious, but their texture was a bit unexpected.

Guinea hen breast stuffed with foie gras and prosciutto

Wood fire roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta

As much as Vetri is a restaurant, it's also a dining experience. The first floor of the converted row house is dark and intimate, and you can see the excited anticipation of the diners as they walk through the door. You quickly, without trying, get to know your fellow patrons due to the close quarters. Although the space is large enough for the 10 tables, they are squeezed a bit tighter in order to accomodate a beautiful (but large) hutch and antique espresso maker.

Would I go back? Yes. But there are so many more restaurants in Philadelphia, and I want to try them all, so it may be a while.

PE - you are truly a wonderful gastronomic tour guide and brother. We will definitely be back to do it again soon.

Vaca - Part III - Philly

2008-06-14T09:28:00.008-04:00

There's no doubt that Philadelphia is a foodies dream - there are almost too many choices. One great example of this is the Reading Terminal Market on North 12th Street. Fresh produce, meats, seafood, pastries, Amish specialties, sushi, (just to name a few) and my personal favorite - Cheese!

For one of our lunch stops, we took a quick cab ride down to University City to White Dog Cafe near UPenn (thanks RDM for the recommendation!)

White Dog is a barely converted brownstone which prides itself on fresh local ingredients. The dining areas are very cozy...

and the food is as unique as the decor.

Next Stop - Tria

If I were to open a restaurant, I think this would be it... a simple bar/winebar/cafe/tapas joint... a place that's all about good wine, beer, and cheese with a knowledgable staff to help diners have a fantastic experience.

We'll definitely be back next time we're in PHL.

An afternoon cocktail stop - Stephen Starr's The Continental

From the outside, The Continental looks like a retro-chrome diner, but inside is a swank tapas-style restaurant. The highlight for me was my cocktail, called the Buzz Aldrin: a mix of Tang, Absolut peach vodka and triple sec in an orange tang-rimmed glass... what could be better on a hot day?

Even bowling takes on a gourmet twist in Philadelphia - North Bowl is unlike any bowling alley I've ever been to.

with food that you actually want to eat!

Miso at a bowling alley??

But how can you beat six types of Tater Tots?

Vaca: Next Stop.... Home

2008-06-08T19:40:00.007-04:00

The next stop on our trip was my hometown - Nutley, NJ.

I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I guess I was too busy chatting and eating. But for me, it doesn't get any better than this - a hot sausage sammich with peppers and onions on a fresh italian roll from Vitiello's bakery.

... and of course eating it with the fam (say cheese D!)

Vaca: day one

2008-06-04T21:48:00.012-04:00

*** For those readers not related to me, please bear with my next few vacation posts (although there are always edible adventures along the way) ***

The first leg of our vacation was a 500 mile journey to Chateau Clayton (aka, my sister and brother-in-laws house) right outside Washington, DC.

The wine list was fantastic (as usual)

and although dinner was delicious, I think dessert was the highlight - Cream Puffs!

But what's in there?

That's Bailey's cream inside - YUM!

Thanks R & E for a great night!

To be continued...

Thought

2008-05-14T21:11:00.003-04:00

Just because it's a weeknight and we're making cheezy (literally and figuratively) ground beef burritos, it doesn't mean it can't looks as good as it tastes.

Cauliflower Bisque

2008-04-27T21:30:00.012-04:00

While in Charleston, C and I had an amazing Cauliflower Bisque which was drizzled with truffle oil. You know a dish is good when you are still talking about it months later. So, when I brought home a head of cauliflower over the weekend, guess what was immediately on the menu for Sunday night?! Since I didn’t have any truffle oil on hand (and after looking in two stores with no luck for it), I decided to just make my own infused oil with mushrooms and crispy bacon and use that as a topping to try and give it the same earthy flavor.

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
48 oz chicken stock
salt/pepper to taste

I decided to throw a potato in the mix to help thicken it, but that seemed to mute the cauliflower flavor a bit. It was tasty, but I think if I made it again I would leave out the potato and just use another thickener if necessary.

Topping (optional)
Olive Ol
4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 slice bacon, cut into small pieces
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a medium stock pot. Add bacon pieces and render for a few minutes. Add the onion, celery, and potato and cook until vegetables begin to soften, but not brown. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Once cauliflower softens, blend in food processor or blender - strain if desired.

Topping:
Heat olive oil in small sauce pan. Once the oil is hot, add the bacon and sizzle away. Once it begins to crisp, add mushrooms and cook until they soften.

C paired the soup with a beautiful white wine - 2004 Tandem Chardonnay, Richard Vineyard

Cake Batter Ice Cream (aka French Vanilla)

2008-04-13T17:28:00.004-04:00

With temperatures in the 80's last week, we decided to dust off the ice cream maker and whip up some frozen goodness this weekend. While I'm partial to natural vanilla, there's something about the custard-like flavor of French vanilla that reminds me of cake batter (and who doesn't like to eat cake batter).

For this batch we went with a recipe from The Chocolate Gourmand. I've included the recipe below, but you can find step-by-step photos on the original website.

Ingredients:
3 cups half and half
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks

Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and bean pod in the half and half and heat over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and proceed to making the custard.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until well blended. The color will change to a beautiful bright yellow when this happens. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the simmering half and half. Continue blending and then return to the stove. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. When a finger drawn across the back of a wooden spoon leaves a path, it is thick enough.

Strain the mixture to remove any large vanilla fibers or bits of egg that may have gotten cooked. Don't worry, the vanilla bean seeds will pass through.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscotti

2008-03-30T17:45:00.003-04:00

A hot cup of coffee and a bag of leftover hazelnuts from Easter were the inspiration for making these cookies. I went searching for a cinnamon-hazelnut biscotti recipe online and found one on allrecipes.com ... click here for original

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts. Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T12:55:00.005-04:00

Easter just isn't Easter without peeps, cadbury cream eggs, and of course...Lambie Cake! This was my first solo attempt. After three surgical procedures, here he is.

and when life gives you excess cake batter...

Charleston Food & Wine Festival

2008-03-03T18:30:00.008-05:00

After finishing up a long term project at work, C and I took a weekend getaway to Charleston for the Food & Wine Festival. It was sort of a last minute trip, so we were limited on our choice of events, but it was a fantastic break.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites on Meeting Street. The building is the original Citadel Military College, with many of the original features restored. Here is the atrium...

C checks out the little port hole window in the bedroom. These appear all over the building. I'm sure they served a purpose at some point (anyone know?)

The first event we went to was Bubbles & Sweets late Saturday evening,

Amaretto Cocktails as you entered (yes, that woman's hat is attached to the table)

a DJ to keep the party going...

candy sushi

Cake with a BOURBON MILKSHAKE ...the inventer of that drink was a genious :)

Chocolates from NYC

My favorite sweet of the evening...

and it's creator...

and look who it is, Jim Cantore from the weather channel...

and Sam Talbot from Top Chef

We spent the next morning in the Culinary Village and had tickets for the tasting tents (our hotel's the castle looking building behind the tent)...

Hanging at the Childress Racing/Winery tent...

CHEERS!

C's Slaw

2008-02-09T17:03:00.001-05:00

Since we woke to a beautifully sunny morning, I dropped C off at the gym and headed to the monthly farmers market downtown. While the produce options are still pretty slim, there were beautiful heads of cabbage to be found. I picked up one green and one purple. And since the weather channel promises me that tomorrow will be just as beautiful, we decided we will have a small bbq including some homemade slaw.

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage, shredded
½ head red cabbage, shredded
4 medium carrots, shredded

For the dressing, mix together...
1.5 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
4.5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash black pepper
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour dressing over shredded cabbage and carrots, toss and refrigerate. For the best taste, make this a day ahead so the flavours have a chance to blend.

c's steak au poivre

2008-01-20T20:47:00.001-05:00

With the threat of wintery weather all weekend, we decided to not even consider going out to eat. Instead, we ventured out on Saturday morning to the Fresh Market to pick up what we needed to eat out, but in. I love to browse at Fresh Market, but it didn't take us long to get drawn in by the beautiful Hereford filet mignon and C's idea to have steak au poivre (a French dish consisting of a steak coated in cracked peppercorns). Traditionally it's just coated on one side, but C likes them on the side too (and a little gorgonzola crumbled on top never hurts).

Our method:

Crack a pile of whole peppercorns with a rolling pin, and then warm them in a little olive oil over low heat for 15 minutes.

Dip steak into peppercorn mixture and coat one side completely.

Heat oven to 450°

Meanwhile, heat a pat of butter and a little olive oil in a cast iron pan until it starts to shimmer. Sear steaks until you have a nice crust on both sides (3-4 minutes per side)

(one au poivre and one salt/pepper steak shown)

Once the steaks are seared, move them to the hot oven (here we used a sheet pan, but if your searing pan is oven safe, just throw it in the oven)

These steaks were fairly thick, so it took about 7 minutes for medium rare. Yum.

No Knead Italian Bread

2008-01-13T22:13:00.001-05:00

I know its been a while, but we're back, and what better to start than with bread! This recipe takes advanced prep, but it's worth it for a fresh crusty loaf out of the oven.

Adapted from NY Times/Sullivan Street Bakery.

Yield: one 1½ lb loaf
3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water

Equipment Needed: Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, dump wobbly dough into pot. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes.

Brined Butterball

2007-12-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

This weekend C and I attended a "turkey tasting" with our local chapter of Slow Foods... think wine tasting, but with turkey instead. We were to compare a standard, supermarket bird with a heritage White Holland turkey.

We volunteered to make the standard bird for the event.

Here is our bird almost submerged in the brine. This time around we used salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and an orange.

After brining, we roasted in the oven. Inside the cavity we used a kitchen sink of aromatics

Our 20 pound beauty...

For those who might be interested, here are the two birds side by side. The heritage bird (on the right) was a very slender looking bird, unlike the butterball that looked a bit like Dolly Parton.

Thanksgiving

2007-12-02T12:46:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how it happened, but my Thanksgiving photos only included breakfast and a quick peak at the roasting turkey... I guess I was too busy eating!

Hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day!!

Chicken Piccata for Two

2007-11-27T15:12:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend I watched an episode of one of my favorite cooking shows on the Food Network, Barefoot Contessa, and she reminded me of a recipe I haven't made in forever - chicken piccata. So, while C went to the gym after work, I played cooking show...

(not really, I just wanted to play with the timer on my camera)

Most recipes for chicken piccata call for capers, but I didn't have any on hand so it worked out that her version did not.

Click Here for Printable Recipe

It's pretty much just three simple steps...

(1) make two chicken cutlets and keep them warm in the oven

(2) make a lemon-white wine sauce

(3) drizzle sauce over said chicken

photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com (we were too busy eating to take a final photo)

Her complete recipe:

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Jalapeno Poppers

2007-11-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

We had tried making poppers once before using a batter and it was pretty much a disaster (you know one of those snowballing disasters in the kitchen where you just keep adding ingredients hoping it will get better... yeah, that kind). Anyways, C came in from the garden the other day with a big pile of peppers so we decided to give it another shot. This time we kept it simple and it turned out fantastic.

- Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
- Fill each side with cream cheese
- Dip in milk and roll in flour. Chill for 10 minutes.

- Dip in milk and roll in a mixture of italian seasoned breadcrumbs and japanese panko breadcrumbs. Chill for 10 minutes or until ready to fry.
- Fry 2-3 minutes or until pepper is softened and crust is golden brown.

easy peasy.

Pork tenderloin cutlets with a fig-habanero gastrique

2007-11-03T20:42:00.001-04:00

One of the plants in our garden that is still going strong even though it's November is our habanero pepper plant.

These tiny beauties pack a punch - one of the hottest peppers in the world - but their flavor is very distinct and very delicious. (please be sure not to rub your eyes while working with these peppers... or better yet, wear kitchen gloves!)

This recipe has a long name, but it's really very easy to make: Grilled Pork Tenderloin Cutlets with Fig-Habanero Gastrique.

Click Here for Printable Version

Gastrique: a thick sauce produced by a reduction of vinegar or wine, sugar, and usually fruit.

1½ pounds pork tenderloin cutlets
½ medium red onion, diced
1-2 habanero peppers, minced
½ tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1½ cups dry white wine
¼ cup fig jam or preserves

Prepare pork:

Put pork between sheets of plastic wrap and flatten with a mallet or rolling pin to make 1/2-inch-thick cutlets.

Prepare glaze:

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add onions and habaneros. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize.

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree the mixture using a hand-held blender or food processor. Cool.

Pour ½ of fig mixture over pork ; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Grill pork:

Remove pork from marinade and grill over medium-hot coals just until nicely browned; about 5 minutes per side. Brush pork with glaze and grill 1 minute more on each side.

Iced Pumpkin Bread

2007-10-24T07:02:00.001-04:00

Being that it is October, I decided I wanted to make something with pumpkin. After a short brainstorming session with C, we came up with Pumpkin Bread. I started with a favorite banana bread recipe and added and subtracted here and there.

Pumpkin Bread
Click Here for Printable Version

5 tablespoons margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
15 oz pumpkin1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powderdash salt

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs and beat well. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Blend the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing
1-8oz package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

- Combine all ingredients with electric hand mixer until smooth.

Lamb Shank Stew

2007-10-21T19:03:00.001-04:00

Although I will certainly miss all the beautiful summer produce and light cool dishes, I'm ready for fall and a whole new set of experiments to add to the repertoire. Tonight, lamb was on the menu in the form of a savory lamb shank stew.

Lamb Shank Stew

Click Here for Printable Version

Prep the Lamb Shanks:

Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and curry powder.

Prepare Stew:

Oil or Shortening (to brown lamb)
2 lamb shanks
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp dried red-pepper flakes
1 tsp of cinnamon
dash nutmeg
Black pepper
1 Tbsp of honey
2 Tbsp of soy sauce

Put oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and warm over medium heat. Brown the lamb shanks on all sides and then remove to a plate. In the same pan, add the onion and garlic and soften.

Stir in the turmeric, curry, ginger, red-pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir again, adding the honey and soy sauce. Put the shanks back in the pan, add cold water almost to cover, bring to the boil and then put a lid on the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Check for seasoning and add salt & pepper to taste.

Note: We served over smashed red potatoes and it was delicious.

Electric Griddle Pan

2007-10-13T16:21:00.002-04:00

If I haven't mentioned it before, I love my electric griddle for making pancakes. Our house in SC has an electric stove, so my regular griddle pan just wasn't doing the trick. But with its large work surface and completely even heating, it's perfect!

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

2007-10-07T17:59:00.001-04:00

An aging jar of peanut butter in the cabinet inspired me to make some sort of peanut butter cookie this weekend. C suggested something similar to the peanut butter sandwich cookies from the girl scouts that we both love.

I can't say they tasted exactly like the original, but a tasty cookie nonetheless.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Click Here for Printable Version

Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup oats, pulsed in food processor

Filling:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons milk or cream

To Make Cookies:
In mixer with paddle attachment combine sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, butter – beat well.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the mixer and stir until well combined.

Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each down slightly.

Bake at 350° F (175 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.

To Make Filling:

Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the milk or cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Steak Lettuce Wrap with Thai Salsa

2007-09-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

This week I picked up my first bag of goodies from the CSA at Five Leaves Farm in Blythewood.

For those who may not have heard of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), it's a way for the public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. Win Win!

Although I won't normally have time to drive all the way out to the farm, I took my lunch hour on Wednesday and took a trip into another world .... from the harsh research park where I work, to horses and pasture land - beautiful and quiet. Ben was kind enough to take the time to introduce himself and I felt so bad that I had to take my produce and run and not stay for a tour.

But on to the loot!

I was thrilled to see the beautiful asian greens. The only one I was sure about was the baby bok choy, but the others were hiroshimana, fong-san cabbage, and shirona (not shown in the photo below).

Of course I immediately though stir-fry, but as I rinsed them, I nibbled on a piece here and there and I just couldn't wilt them to nothing. But how could I get C to eat raw cabbage? With spicy steak of course!

Our invention of the week (I think it's a keeper)...

Steak Lettuce Wrap with Thai Salsa

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Steak:
1 pound sirloin steak
salt/pepper

Wraps:
Bok Choy, Bibb Lettuce
Whatever you’ve got!

Thai Salsa:
1 tomato, minced
¼ cup onion, minced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon beef bouillon
¼ Cup boiling water

Prepare Salsa
o In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside

Grill Steak
o Preheat grill to medium-high
o Drizzle a bit of olive oil on each side of steak and sprinkle with
salt and pepper.
o Grill for 6-8 minutes per side or until desired doneness
o Remove to cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
o Cut steak into thin slices or strips -preferably against the grain

Prepare Filling & Make Wraps
o Drop steak strips into salsa and allow to marinate for a few minutes (or as long as you can wait). Use lettuce leaves as you would a tortilla.

Thanks Again Ben & Kristen!

Five Leaves Farm
Community Supported Agriculture
632 Kinsler Rd; Blythewood SC 29016
803.528.4481 info@fiveleavesfarm.com
http://www.fiveleavesfarm.com

Potato-Poblano Chowder

2007-09-21T19:48:00.001-04:00

Fall is in the air.

When I started dicing the potatos and squash, this was going to be a poblano au gratin, but somwhere along the way, as the flavors came together it became clear the cheesy base should be thinned and it should become a chowder! Voila!

Click Here for Printable Recipe

Potato-Poblano Chowder
4-6 servings

2 poblano peppers, roasted and chopped
3 cups red potatoes, ½ inch dice
1 cup butternut squash, ½ inch dice
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2T cold water
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar
salt, pepper

Roast Poblano
Place whole peppers on bbq grill set to medium-high. Turn the peppers as the sides char. Place the roasted peppers in a paper bag or bowl covered in plastic to cool. The steam will help the skin loosen. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, you can rub the skin off with your fingers. You may want to wear rubber gloves to handle the chilis. And be sure not to touch your eyes! Then carefully slit each chili up one side and remove the seeds. Chop and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°

In an oven safe bowl, combine potatoes, squash, onion, poblano pepper, and garlic. Set aside.

Create Base
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; whisk until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk and cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add cheese and salt/pepper to taste.

Pour cheese base over potato mixture and stir well to combine. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft.

Supernatural Brownies

2007-09-17T22:11:00.001-04:00

C & I were invited to a friends house to watch the USC football game on pay-per-view over the weekend. Although I'm not a big USC fan, a football party is a great excuse to make some tasty snacks. I made my usual guacamole and salsa, but also a quick box-o-brownies. The brownies were a hit, but I hated to admit they were not my own. SSoooo, I decided I needed to find a good "from scratch" recipe.

After a long internet search on Sunday morning I found a recipe on NY Times online called SUPERNATURAL BROWNIES. Most recipes use adjectives like gooey or fudgey or super gooey and fudgey, but supernatural? How could I not give these a try.

I made a few slight alterations given what I had on hand, but they were mighty tasty.

Supernatural Brownies

Adapted from “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers,” by Nick Malgieri (Morrow Cookbooks, 1998)

Click Here for Printable Version

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Hershey's dark chocolate chips)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

breakfast on the fly

2007-09-16T14:28:00.001-04:00

On weekend mornings I usually assume the role of sous chef since C is the the king of breakfast. At first it was just peppers and eggs (picture 1), but I kept chopping and C kept cooking... and before we knew it we had skillets going with peppers, onions, potatoes, garlic, eggs, and all sorts of good smells coming from the kitchen...

Espresso Ice Cream

2007-08-26T16:11:00.001-04:00

We're only a few days away from Labor Day and a visit from my favorite sister and her hubby. No multi-course wine dinner for them this trip (sorry guys), but I thought I would prepare a few homemade treats - the first being Espresso Ice Cream. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite chefs from the Food Network, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa).

Espresso Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

Click Here for Printable Recipe

3 cups half-and-half
6 extra-large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground espresso coffee beans
(Be sure you use finely ground espresso beans, not instant espresso)
1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Heat the half-and-half until it forms bubbles around the edge of the pan and steam starts to rise. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until mixed. Slowly add the hot half-and-half until combined. Wipe out the pan and pour the mixture back into the clean pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 10 minutes, until it's thickened and the cream coats the back of the spoon.

2 Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Add the ground espresso beans, Kahlua, and vanilla and refrigerate until completely chilled.

3 Pour the espresso cream into an ice-cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a container, and allow to freeze for a few hours. Soften slightly before serving.

2007-08-21T06:25:00.000-04:00

Note to Self:
Before ordering another "italian sub" in South Carolina, please read the menu carefully to make sure this one does not include bologna.

San Diego & Las Vegas Vacation

2007-08-19T20:59:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, food usually plays a large part of our vacation plans. Here is a SMALL taste of our week in San Diego and Vegas....

What a better way to start a vacation than finding a slice of NY style pizza. Two thumbs up to Ciro's Pizzeria! (534 Market Street, San Diego)

Soleil @ K, San Diego Marriot

to end the meal, each table is given cotton candy

Vegas Baby

In Room Snacks at the Wynn

The waiter at the Taqueria Cañonita in the Venitian hotel saw my camera on the table and asked if we wanted him to take our photo - umm, thanks, I think

Terrace Point Cafe, Wynn Casino

I love this photo. I had just ordered a watermelon margarita and dad was telling us a hysterical story about a group of friends, a blender, and the consequences of letting Rebecca and Ed concoct the drinks :)

We were comp'd two free buffets at the Wynn, so we decided to take advantage. We aren't usually buffet people, but it was clean and beautiful.

At the Vegas airport. We didn't buy anything here, but it struck me funny for some reason

We're Back!

2007-08-18T23:08:00.001-04:00

After a few weeks of computer issues, I think we are back up and running! Did you miss us?

technical difficulties

2007-08-01T08:46:00.001-04:00

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties ... we got back from vacation and had our computer crash. More posts to come once it is back from the pc shop!

Choose your own adventure

2007-07-14T21:41:00.002-04:00

Dinner tonight included surf & turf. I chose to have surf, while C had the turf.

My Rainbow Trout

In a small aluminum tin I first coated both sides of the fish with olive oil (and a little hot chili oil), then sprinkled with minced garlic, seasoned breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, salt & pepper. (Jeanne - I was pretty sure this is how you made the fish in Canada that was sooo good, so I stole the recipe! Thanks!)

About 20 minutes on the grill (or until flaky and the crumbs are crisp).

C's Rack-O-Lamb

Marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary, minced garlic, chopped tomato, salt & pepper.

Melon

2007-07-14T09:57:00.001-04:00

Breakfast, fresh picked minutes earlier from the garden

Sandwich Saturday

2007-07-08T18:19:00.002-04:00

... one of Craig's masterpieces ...

July 4th Snacks

2007-07-04T16:35:00.001-04:00

I didn't intend on making a cheese board today...

Point Reyes Original Blue

... but since I couldn't resist this beauty at the store this morning, I decided to put together an impromptu offering...

Yummy...

When life gives your tomatoes...

2007-07-01T17:00:00.001-04:00

Another great Christmas gift from Mom & Dad. With a bushel of tomatoes on the kitchen counter I pulled out the box of attachments I got for Christmas for the KitchenAid mixer. One of them was a fruit/vegetable strainer. In no time we had a pot of beautiful red tomato sauce.

and when life gives you fresh tomato sauce and a little gin...

(Literally) Garden Fresh Salsa

2007-06-30T17:32:00.001-04:00

With the garden in full swing, we have an abundance of produce on hand. For a mid-afternoon snack to go along with the Phillies game we made up a bowl of fresh salsa. ((Everything but the onion and garlic came from the garden))

6 tomatoes (including one yellow)
1 medium red onion
2 jalepeno peppers
1 habenaro pepper (the ones from our garden aren't especially hot)
1 clove garlic
fresh cilantro
1/8 cup vinegar
to taste: salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder

- Mince/chop/grind to your liking and season to taste

Stuffed Artichokes

2007-06-16T21:13:00.001-04:00

While wondering through the supermarket pondering side dishes to go with leg of lamb, I saw a pile of artichokes. Not the healthiest of vegetable dishes, but tasty nonetheless.

Click Here for Printable Version

2 artichokes
Stuffing:
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 T grated romano cheese
2 t garlic, minced
1 T onion, minced
minced fresh parsley
olive oil
lemon juice
salt & pepper

Prepare Stuffing
- Heat some olive oil in a fry pan. Soften onion and garlic (do not brown). Turn off heat. Add breadcrumbs, mix well, and allow to cool.
- Once cool, add romano cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and additional olive oil (if needed) until most

Prepare Artichokes
- Cut off the stems of each artichoke at the base, and with scissors snip off the tips of the leaves.

- Dip cut end in lemon water to prevent from turning brown.
- Gently open the artichoke by spreading its leaves apart.
- With a spoon, remove the inner choke
- Working over the pan, with one artichoke at a time, pack the stuffing between the leaves.
- Transfer the artichokes to a pot or casserole dish. To the pan add 1½ inches of water. Braise, covered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes (or until tender)

- Transfer the chokes to a baking dish and broil (or grill) until golden brown.

Raspberry Sorbet

2007-05-30T10:23:00.001-04:00

We've been battling the birds all spring, but with the raspberries we were able harvest we made sorbet.

Click Here for Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen)
2 Cups sugar
¼ Cup Lime Juice
2¼ Cups Water
¼ Cup Grand Marnier
¼ Cup Chambord

DIRECTIONS
- Combine raspberries, sugar, lime juice, and water in a medium saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

- Remove from heat and add Grand Marnier and Chambord. Stir well and then let steep for 30 minutes
- Strain mixture to remove seeds and then refrigerate until cold (approx. 2 hours)
- Process sorbet mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Scoop sorbet into container and freeze.

Vegetable Garden Update

2007-05-23T09:47:00.001-04:00

ONE MONTH LATER...

Italian Frying Peppers

Zucchini Blossoms

eggs "with stuff"

2007-05-06T20:47:00.003-04:00

Although I am a morning person, I am not really a breakfast food person. Here is one of the few breakfast dishes I do make. I warn you - it's not pretty! In this house it's officially called "Eggs with stuff"... in other words, scrambled eggs mixed with whatevers in the fridge.

Mince and saute whatever you have on hand... this morning we used onions, peppers, and garlic. Whip eggs with a fork and pour on top of softened veggies and cook as you would scrambled eggs. When eggs are almost done, add any last minute additions (i.e. diced tomato, fresh herbs, kalamata olives, etc)

... and if you aren't artery or waistline challenged (like my lovely husband), cover with freshly grated cheddar

Garden Preview

2007-04-29T21:55:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Italian Frying Peppers, Zucchini & Cucumbers

More tomatoes, jalapenos, habenaros, watermelon & cantaloupe

Already harvesting strawberries

Hopefully blueberries soon too!

Terra, West Columbia

2007-04-29T10:32:00.001-04:00

100 State Street
West Columbia, SC

The night before Craig left for his business trip to Atlanta, we decided to try a new-ish restaurant downtown - Terra. It probably sounds sad, but in an effort to get home in time to watch the Phillies, we made a reservation for as soon as they opened at 5pm.

We ordered a bottle of Le Volte and were pleasantly surprised to have our waiter Robert decant it table side. A note on the wine ... a nice/affordable super tuscan - we both thought it benefited from decanting.

While waited for our appetizers we were served some hot-crusty bread and butter - yum.

On to what we ordered...

Appetizers

Jamison Farms BBQ Lamb Stuffed Mac & Cheese Gratin with Poblano Peppers, Fontina, Goat Cheese. This was FANTASTIC! I'm already debating what I will order the next time we are there and I think this may have to be on the list.

Braised Rabbit Leg Risotto with Marsala Braised Rabbit Leg, Artichoke, Asparagus
Another winner. Rebecca & Ed ... we thought of you while savoring this dish!

Entrees
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Mascarpone Polenta & Haricots Vert

Steak Frites with House Made French Fries, Simple Salad, Blue Cheese Butter
(Sorry no photo ... too busy eating!)

At this point, we had been at the restaurant for over 2 hours. We finished up with a beautiful fruit/cheese plate (which I will probably detail in other entry). Tasty. Some restaurants make you feel like you wouldn't want to see them in bright daylight, but the decor here is beautiful... I especially loved the large skylight near the bar that let in wonderful natural light. Overall, a fantastic meal - pleasant service, a beautiful space & food, and a decent winelist. We will definitely be back.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

2007-04-27T10:58:00.001-04:00

I'm proud to say that I make a mean roasted chicken, but tonight I decided to try my hand at GRILLING a whole chicken. Cleaver (and camera) in hand I decided to give it a try. I'm happy to say it was a great success... so successful that we were too busy EATING the chicken to take some pretty after photos. The chicken was extremely juicy and Craig praised the super crispy skin.

Click Here for Printable Instructions
(Not much of a recipe here, more of just a grilling technique.)

Prepare Chicken (3-4lb bird)
Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Using a knife or poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone and then down the other. Discard the backbone – remove ribs if desired.

Turn the chicken breast side up. Cut a small hole through the skin between the bottom point of the breast and the thigh. Push the tip of the leg through the hole. Repeat with the other leg.

Rub skin with olive oil and seasoning of your choice(here I used minced garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and cayenne)

Grill Chicken
- Place the chicken, breast-side-up, on the grill. If you have more than one burner, turn off the burner directly below the chicken. Grill the chicken with the grill covered for 45 minutes.
- Check the grill temperature frequently to ensure that its temperature is staying around 350-400°
- Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken breast-side-down. Re-ignite the burner directly below the chicken (if turned off) and set it at its lowest level. Grill for another 15 minutes, until the breast skin is deeply browned and the internal temperature of the chicken is about 170°.

Weekend Food Pics

2007-04-22T22:11:00.001-04:00

As I was browsing some of the food photos from over the weekend I realized that I didn't once use a recipe. Move over Iron Chef... hehehe. A few pics to share.

Ricotta Quiche

This experiment was a mix between a quiche and easter meat pie... ingredients similar to a quiche, but the texture of the meat pie. If anyone is interested I can try and put a recipe together, but it used a little of everything I had in the fridge - ricotta, eggs, spinach, baby bella mushrooms, garlic, provolone, grated romano cheese, sliced salami & pepperoni.

Mango & Cantaloupe Fruit Salad
Craig and I are both a fan of fruit with breakfast. Originally wanted honeydew and cantaloupe, but when the store wanted $5 for a honeydew we grabbed a few mangos instead. Nice combination of flavors.

Baby Back Ribs
We slow cooked the ribs in the oven for a few hours the night before the bbq, then threw them on the grill to finish them off.

Something wrong with the picture?

Yep, there's wine left in there. We had heard all good things about Napanook and looked forward to opening this bottle, but unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype. A beautiful deep red color and a pleasant nose, but that's where the beauty ended. There was just not much to it. Lacked structure. Overall, it just isn't an impressive California meritage given the price.

frozen dinner

2007-04-11T12:18:00.001-04:00

I had forgotten about the extra lasagna rolls I made about two months ago and put in the freezer. I feared they may have been freezer burned, but I popped them in the oven last night and they were still great! Wish I always had homemade frozen dinners on hand!

Better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

2007-04-01T19:50:00.001-04:00

Makin meatballs...

Almost Famous?

2007-03-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I was surprised last night to find a message that one of my photos was selected to be included on Wikipedia. Since it's a free online encyclopedia I don't get anything except glory out of the deal, but I think its pretty neat.
Eating-In has the official photo of French Toast!

I can't take credit for MAKING the french toast - that was Craig, the breakfast master. I was just the photographer.

Here is the link to the Wikipedia page...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_toast

This is the one they chose:

cake & coffee

2007-03-18T17:51:00.001-04:00

Angel Food Cake + Buttercream Icing = Sugary Goodness

Cake:
1 Box Duncan Hines Angel Food Cake Mix

Buttercream Icing:
Mix 4 Tablespoons very very soft or melted butter with 2 Cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk to make smooth.

Italian Soda Bread

2007-03-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

For St Patty's day I planned on making and blogging about Irish Soda Bread, but then I remembered... I don't really like Irish Soda Bread! Sooo, I decided to switch gears and make ITALIAN SODA BREAD! As I'm blogging this, I'm sitting here eating a piece of still warm bread - not bad if I do say so myself!

Click Here for Printable Version

Onion & Fontina Italian Soda Bread

Ingredients:
1½ Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup whole wheat flour
5oz fontina cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion pieces
3 Tablespoons cold butter, diced
1 Cup Sour Cream
¼ Cup milk

Topping:
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Coarse sea salt

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and onion in large bowl. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in sour cream and milk just until moistened.

Turn dough onto lightly floured bowl; knead until smooth (1 minute?). Divide dough in half; shape each half into 5-inch round loaf. Place onto greased baking sheet. Brush tops of loaves with egg white; sprinkle with sea salt. Cut an X about 1/2-inch through top of each loaf. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.

Beer Update

2007-03-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

We bottled the latest brew last weekend - with Mom & Dads help. Nothing like having company for the weekend and then putting them to work!

Lenten Friday

2007-03-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the second Friday of Lent, which means for Catholics, you are not allowed to eat meat. Lent is a time of sacrifice and I would agree that abstaining from something helps us to refocus on what is important and what may have just seemed important.

Now while I did notice that McDonalds is now offering a DOUBLE Filet-O-Fish sandwich, I decided to just stick with a safe vegetarian route and make Quiche - two to be exact.

I didn't write up a recipe card since to me quiche is one of those things that just gets thrown together with what you have on hand, but if anyone really wants me to try and put it on paper, just leave a comment or send me an email and I will give it a go.

Quiche # 1 ~ Broccoli, Garlic & Feta with tomato slices on top

Quiche # 2 ~ Mushroom, Leek & Fontina

Fusion

2007-02-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the strangest combinations turn out to be great meals. Last nights dinner ~ korean short ribs with mac and cheese!

Movie Time

2007-02-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

I found yet another fantastic use for the giant Le Creuset dutch oven I got for Christmas - Popcorn!

Glazed-Crumb Topped-Banana Bread

2007-02-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Yes, more banana bread. I just can't seem to eat all the bananas before they get over ripe! This time I made a crumble and then for kicks a vanilla-sugar glaze (spiked with butterscotch schnapps).

Click Here for Printable Version

Bread Batter.
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
dash of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping.
2 Tablespoons slivered almonds
2 Tablespoons macadamia nuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
1 graham cracker, crushed
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon butter

Glaze.
Powdered Sugar
Cinnamon
Milk or Half & Half
butterscotch schapps (options)

Prepare Bread Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in vanilla and banana.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Blend the banana mixture into the flour mixture; stir just to combine. Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and evenly sprinkle crumble over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, oats, and nuts. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Glaze
- Combine sugar with a few drops vanilla and enough of the liquid of your choice for a drizzling consistency.

Hop Monster ~ our latest brew

2007-02-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

We've started our next batch of beer... which I've dubbed Hop Monster. This is the most complicated recipe we've tried so far ~ a super hoppy ale using four types of hops and liquid yeast. A few photos of the brew in the works...

Measuring the Ingredients

Craig stirs the wort sitting in an ice bath (with Filly's help of course)

This is the first time we are using a "parka" for the glass carboy. It's supposed to help regulate the temperature/light as well as provide handles for moving. On the right you can see yeast bubbling away (it's alive!)