Eat it. Drink it. You know you want to.

Confession: I'm Confused.

2010-06-06T12:34:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else often confused about the clear contradictions going on in the food world these days? I am.

If I'm to have listened to every piece of information I've absorbed over the last few months, here is what I have learned:

Soy is bad for you. In moderation, soy is very good for you. Soy is great for you.
Protein is essential to be healthy. Americans rely far too much on protein.
Whole grains are important to a healthy diet. Be careful, because as Americans we eat far too many grains..
Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. But only eat fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Eat only "real" food. Avoid anything processed.
Fat is bad for you. Fat is essential to absorbing minerals found in food. Eat more fat.
Eat approximately 1500 calories a day to look like healthy celebrities.
Being thin is not necessarily being healthy. But you're not healthy if you're not thin

Ok, this is literally just a smattering of the information that is swimming around my head on a daily basis. It's hard, this world of food. And lately, I'm finding myself more confused than ever. One source tells you to substitute low-fat cheeses for everything under the sun, and to make sure you consume Almond Milk. Not because Almond Milk is healthier, but because it has less calories and more protein than skim milk. Another person is telling me to consume whole, raw milk daily, because it's the healthiest thing. But am I healthy if I'm heavy? And is it healthier to eat cheese that is (deliciously) processed into a red wax circle?

Granted, I cook a lot, and eat mostly all real food, and avoid processed food and try to be as healthy as possible. I exercise regularly and drink in moderation and blah blah blah blah blah. I consider myself well-educated and learning about these issues. Mostly.

But I honestly find myself perplexed on a daily basis about one choice or another, and it often changes if I'm having a "thin" day or a "fat" one. Generally "thin" days lend themselves to whole, healthful ingredients, while "fat" days find me running toward the Splenda and away from the quinoa. I eat local when I can, consume mass fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis. But in the dark days of December, YES...I eat tomatoes. Bad, right? Or good, because I'm not eating marinara from a jar?

Does anyone else find themselves trying desperately to navigate these waters on a daily basis? How do you stay centered in your own eating mantra when everyone is shouting at you from different sides?

A Salad is Born...Now it Needs a Home!

2010-06-05T13:42:00.000-04:00

It's a well-known fact that I am, in fact, addicted to salad. Given the other things in life I could choose as my vice, I'm not that concerned. Usually, my salad involves whatever is in the fridge and generally create something that I adore, but most people would call a meal with way too much going on.

Last night, however, this changed. I made the concerted effort to make a salad that made sense, both ingredient-wise, and flavor profile. Ok, I'm totally lying. It was based on the lack of food in our fridge. Tomato, tomato...

Anyway. I put together this variety of flavors with purpose, even though there wasn't much to choose from. Grilled chicken, heart of palm, peach, herb mix, arugula, walnuts. And it was really good. Perfectly light for the late night hour of my eating, but flavorful enough to feel substantial. There was one huge misstep, which was the fact that just 2 days ago I put balsamic vinegar on the grocery list that lives on our fridge. So...the necessary flavor the balsamic goodness would have imparted was missing, but that's what next time is for, right?

But here is the issue. I eat salad at least 4 times a week. At least. And still, I do not have a proper wooden salad bowl. I make my concoction most often in a medium-sized stainless steel mixing bowl. (And yes, most nights I eat it directly out of said bowl...don't judge me!) I have ceramic salad bowls and serving bowls galore, but the one thing we never registered for was a proper wooden salad bowl. I would love one, and yet somehow never seem to find the money to purchase one. Yes, I realize how ridiculous that statement is, but it's true. There's always something else to buy...

Now I'm on the hunt. Anyone know of a fabulously gorgeous, practical, inexpensive, gorgeous wooden salad bowl for sale?

Recipe
Handful argula
2 C Earthbound Organic Fresh Herb Mix
1 large (or 2 medium) heart of palm, sliced
1 peach, quartered and grilled
1 chicken breast, halved and grilled
1/4 C chopped walnuts

Heat grill pan (or grill) to medium heat; spray with olive oil spray.
Season chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place chicken on grill.
Grill chicken for approximately 8 minutes per side (depends on thickness.) Let rest and then slice in half lengthwise and then across.
Place peach segments on grill, turning after 1-2 minutes (you should see strong grill marks.)
Mix all remaining ingredients together, adding chicken and peaches.
Dress with balsamic vinaigrette.

Sweet Matilda, She is Blooming

2010-06-03T12:59:00.000-04:00

I needed to name the garden. I have no idea why, but for some reason, something I'm taking this much care and responsibility for, and loving and reporting on at least weekly, feels like it needs a name. And thus, Sweet Matilda was born (inspired by the Tom Waits song, Waltzing Matilda.)

It's been a little over two weeks since the garden was built. In that time, I've been diligent; watering twice daily when necessary, carefully removing too-weak leaves from the bagillion tomato plants, and trying to train the vining plants in the raised bed to flow over the edge. I've been slightly obsessed, and for good reason. I'm in love with it. And it shows. It's growing beautifully, and the anticipation of the fruit and vegetables to come are enough to keep me satiated. Plus: the tomato plant I purchased at the Niles Bensidoun French Market a few weeks ago has popped our very first tomato!

I've waxed poetic on why this garden means more to me than all other gardens past, and it's true. I love it. It's taking time away from obsessing about other crazy things in my life (work, travel, family, life) and allowing me a little bit of focus everyday. For the first time, I understand why people garden (both flowering and eating) and I'm a changed woman.

It helps that I've also spent a lot of time visiting local farmer's markets and farms, and picking up what has started surfacing. I bought my first strawberries of the season, and they've been juicy and delicious, with the expected gorgeous tartness of the beginning of the season. My Locavore app is getting an intense work out these days.

We're actually on our way to Wisconsin right now (got to love blogging from the passenger seat of the car) for our nephew's high school graduation, and I have high hopes of hitting some beautiful WI farm stands on the way back tomorrow. And of course, the necessary, obligatory stops for cheese in all forms.

One thing. I seem to be KILLING all the Marigolds I planted to keep the rabbits/deer/woodland creatures at bay. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I Scream, You Scream...

2010-06-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Monday night was lazy. And I mean, pizza, couch, season finale of Parenthood and a double feature of Breaking Bad lazy. After the crazy weekend, and a movie date on Monday afternoon (J saw Date Night with our "nieces" and I saw Sex and the City 2 with friends) we were tired. And missed each other.

All seemed right with the world as we settled onto the couch to watch 9 By Design (before the aforementioned viewing.) I had a few squares of sausage, spinach, and garlic pie from our new favorite, Villa Nova, in front of me, along with a salad and a giant bottle of water. My broken toe was elevated. And then it hit me. CRAP! I don't have any dessert in the house. Ordinarily, this would not be such a big deal, and I'd eat a piece of fruit or a piece of dark chocolate broken off of a bar reserved for baking. But not after the weekend that wouldn't end. I needed ice cream, or cake, or something only 5 year olds should eat in the same meal with pizza.

I ate, and pondered, and drowned my confusion in the world of Courtney and Bob Novogratz and their brood. And then got up, and quickly made a batch of lowfat, agave sweetened, vanilla chocolate chip ice cream. Think I'm kidding? I'm not. Once the ice cream maker was done, I threw the soft-serve ice cream in a container and chucked it in the back of the freezer, hoping for a miracle's worth of hardening before I needed to chow down.

After hour 1 Jesse and Walter White's meth-lab shenanigans, we went for it. It wasn't completely hard yet, but I couldn't have cared less. I mowed down a lady-sized bowl.

Back in the freezer now, getting it's well-earned freezing time, this ice cream made me insanely happy. Why? It's exactly what this blog is about. Easy, accessible, created with minimal ingredients in (relatively) minimal time. Naturally, healthfully, and tasty. A kid can do it, a mom can do it.

And yes, a broken-toed, completely wiped, little old me can do it, too.

Lowfat Agave Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
2 1/4 C 1% Organic Milk
1/2 C agave
1/4 C raw sugar (I think this is probably unnecessary, and am going to try without next time)
vanilla bean, opened and seeded (or you could use 2 TBSP vanilla extract)
1/4 C cream
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 bittersweet chocolate bar (chopped into small chunks)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, agave, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. (You could use a handmixer for this, too.) Mix roughly 2 minutes on low speed.
Stir in vanilla, cream, and sea salt.
With the ice cream machine on, add ingredients to machine. Follow directions for your machine--mine has me add the chips in during the last 5 minutes.

Transfer mixture to air-tight container and freeze until hardened to desired consistency.
**A Note: My ice cream machine directions clearly state that using low fat ingredients and NOT using stabilizers and other things, the consistency of the ice cream may be different than that of a purchased ice cream. This batch did turn out a bit like frozen yogurt, but that's fine with me, given the quality of ingredients and the lack of intense fat. That is all. :)

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2010-06-01T08:40:00.000-04:00

(Pouring a huge favorite--always--Founder's Brewing Kentucky Breakfast Stout)

Incredibly, I made it through the weekend. Without chiropractors, massages, or falling down. I worked 32 hours in 3 days. I unstocked 90 cases of beer, set up and tore down 1 huge beer fest. I tended bar for a more-than-sold-out BoDeans concert, likely pouring 300 drinks and opening more than 150 beers. I dealt with 1 massive crisis and turned it into 1 fantastic extra offering of food.

The Extreme Beer Fest was a huge success. Probably too huge. While I'm thrilled that we pulled it off with 90 beers and 3 distributors, we all decided that bigger, in this case, is not necessarily better. For October's event, I'm scaling back, doing a statewide (translation, Michigan only) beer fest. But, having said that, Friday night I was certainly the belle of the beer ball.

(The view from above)

Favorite beer of the night? It's a toss up, but I'm fairly certain that Warren Michigan's, Dragonmead and their Final Absolution won by a small margin. Dark Horse (Marshall, MI) was another huge favorite, as was local brewery The Livery and Great Divide out of Colorado. The bbq and smoked salmon courtesy of Wheatberry Tavern (Buchanan, MI) were absolutely incredible. The shop is stocked to the gills with beer, and the sales rocked my world.

The best part of the whole night, aside from my amazing crew at The Acorn and my rockstar pourers? The new faces, specifically those of self-proclaimed beer geeks. I got more compliments than I could handle (including my favorite: "Do you get proposed to ALL the time?") and saw a lot of happy, buzzed people. People traveled for this event, and not just the usuals from Chicago. One guy drove from Madison just for my event...which, in the beer world, truly means something.

While I'm exhausted, nursing a broken toe, and readying to rally for an insane few weeks of travel and work, I'm still basking in the beer geek glow. And beginning the logistics for October.

All Photos Courtesy of Richard Hellyer/F Stops Here

All Beer, All the Time

2010-05-27T19:59:00.000-04:00

(Like I said, All the Time)

Well, at least for the next day or so. Moreover, it's all work, all the time, while kicking off the official start of summer in my neck of the woods. I'm going to be a little light on the posting (unless, of course, I'm totally pumped post beer fest and gush with all the fabulous details on Saturday morning) but I wanted to leave you with something.

For you beer lovers, this one's for you. If we're FB/Twitter friends, you've seen this in various incarnations. But this is (as far as I know, since no one knows what's going to show up tomorrow) the official, final, list for the beer fest.

Enjoy my friends, enjoy! And think of me while I'm building (and taking down) a beer empire in 24 hours.

Extreme Beer Fest May 2010

Affligem Blond Belgian Ale:
Arbor Espresso Love:
Arbor Flamboyant Wild Red Ale:
Arbor Strawberry Blonde:
Arbor Red Snapper:
Arbor Sacred Cow IPA:
Atwater Cherry Stout
Atwater Dirty Blond:
Atwater Double Down:
Atwater Vanilla Porter:
Atwater Voodoovator:
Bell's Consecrator Dopplebock:
Bell's Batch 9000:
Big Sky Moose Drool:
Big Sky Scape Goat Pale Ale
Big Sky Trout Slayer
Big Sky Summer Honey
Breckenridge Agave Wheat:
Breckenridge 471 IPA:
Breckenridge Lucky U IPA:
Dark Horse Belgium style Amber Ale
Dark Horse Crooked Tree I.P.A.
Dark Horse Raspberry
Dark Horse Reserve Spec. Black Bier
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout:
Dragonmead Crown Jewels:
Dragonmead Final Absolution:
Dragonmead Under The Kilt (Wee Heavy):
Dragonmead Erik the Red:
Founders Cerise
Founders Backwoods Bastard:
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout:
Founders Old Curmudgeon:
Great Divide Collette:
Great Divide Hoss Rye:
Great Divide Raspberry:
Great Divide Samurai Rice:
Great Divide Titan IPA:
Great Divide Yeti Espresso Stout:
Great Lakes Commodore Perry:
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold:
Great Lakes Holy Moses:
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
Harpoon Celtic Ale:
Harpoon I.P.A.:
Harpoon UFO:
Harpoon Leviathan Imperial Red:
Harpoon Leviathan Saison:
Harpoon Leviathan Baltic Porter:
Heavy Seas Big DIPA:
Heavy Seas Letter Marquee:
Heavy Seas Red Sky Saison:
Heavy Seas Siren Noire Chocolate Stout:
He’Brew Jewbelation 13
Hitachino White:
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire
Lagunitas Dog Town:
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot:
Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown:
Left Hand Sawtooth ESB:
Left Hand 400lb Monkey:
Left Hand Good Juju:
Left Hand Black Jack Porter:
Left Hand Imperial Stout:
Livery Brewery Kentucky Kaffinator:
Livery Brewery Rye Barrel Jak:
Mt. Pleasant Train Wreck Ale
Moylan’s Dragoons:
Moylan’s IPA:
Moylan’s Kilt Lifter:
Moylan’s Moylander:
Moylan’s Tipperary:
New Holland Envious:
New Holland El Mole Ocho:
New Holland Dragon’s Milk:
New Holland Black Tulip
New Holland Mad Hatter Imperial IPA:
New Holland Pilgrim’s Dole:
Rogue Brutal Bitter
Rogue Chipotle Ale:
Rogue Captain Sigs
Rogue Mogul Madness:
Schmohz-Hopknocker
Schmohz-Sammie Rae Root Beer
Schmohz- Miracle off 28th St. Old Ale:
Schmohz-Mad Tom's Porter:
Short’s Huma Lupalicious:
Short’s Magician:
Short’s Soft Parade:
Short’s Sustenance:
Stone Pale Ale:
Stone Ruination:
Stone Smoked Porter:
Unibroue Apple Ephemere:
Unibroue Blanche de Chambly:
Unibroue Don de Dieu:
Unibroue la Fin du Monde:
Unibroue Maudite:
Victory Golden Monkey:
Victory Hop Devil:
Victory Hop Wallop:
Victory Prima Pils:
Weihenstephan Kristal White:

Rhubarb Sorbet: An Experiment

2010-05-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

I've alluded to my "old" garden before. The one that I referred to as my brother's, or as it used to be known, the total and utter thorn in my side. This garden was already here when we bought our house, and it came with a gorgeous asparagus patch (a total treasure) some Kale (eventually got ripped out by a lawn mower) and an enormous rhubarb plant. For the past four summers, I've ignored the rhubarb. I was slightly intimidated by it, and also less than enthused by it's flavor. It grows, it dies, and Elton John starts singing "The Circle of Life."

Until now. Monday, I went down and grabbed as much as I could carry and brought it into the house, determined to figure out SOMETHING to do with it. I did some research, thought about going the strawberry rhubarb pie/chutney/syrupy route, and then remembered something. I now was the proud owner of an ice cream maker. (Just another reason I am thankful for marrying my husband...)

It's been sitting in the box, in our guest room (also known as the place where one stores wedding gifts one hasn't found room for.) I decided I'd make rhubarb sorbet. I read some sorbet recipes, got the basics, and went at it. Grabbing basil and mint from my herb pots (assuming they would balance out the tart rhubarb nicely) and deciding I would forgo sugar and use only agave, I went at it.

For my first foray into both ice cream makers AND cooking with rhubarb? I'll call it a success. It's still getting firmer in the freezer right now, but upon tasting it, I actually like it! It's a bit sweeter than I originally intended, and the mint is a bit strong, but it tastes good. I could have sworn I didn't like rhubarb...

Now, if I can just get J to put down the butter pecan and try THIS during the Idol finale tonight, I'll be in ice cream making summer business. Dreams...

Rhubarb Basil Mint Sorbet
8 medium stalks of rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
zest of 2 limes, juice of 1
1/2 C agave (plus extra if needed)
1 small bunch mint, minced
1 small bunch basil, minced
Pinch sea salt

Boil rhubarb in 1 C water with zest and juice of 1 lime and 1/2 cup agave. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes, until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat.
Transfer to food processor, puree.
Add mint, basil, and zest of other lime, pulse until herbs are almost pureed in (but still visible.)
Taste; add agave if more is needed.
Add salt.
Transfer to bowl, chill in refrigerator until cold (at least 1 hour--mine chilled overnight.)
Follow directions for ice cream maker (which includes pre-freezing the bowl, which I forgot...)
When ice cream machine is done, place in air tight container and freeze until it has reached desired consistency.

A Social Media Burger Dinner

2010-05-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

Last night began a weekly summer ritual in our house. Burgers. But not the great and amazing burgers that J makes, though those make appearances all summer, as well. Once a week (generally speaking) I make a light and flavorful chicken or turkey burger. These are usually super healthy, super tasty, and paired with a great salad or side...and usually our cure from too much fun over a summer weekend.

Last night, I took the menu to a social networking level. I paired my delicious Mexican Chicken burger with a play on KitchenLab's great tomato, cucumber and roasted corn salad, and used Rippin Skier's suggested greek yogurt with cumin (and other things) as the "spread" on the burger.

Might I say, the meal was insanely fantastic?

Rather than waxing poetic on the benefits of healthy burger dinners, or the exciting combination of this great meal with the series finales of 24 (epic) and Law & Order (lame), I'm just going to hook you up with some recipes.

And then I'm going to attempt to find something clever to do with the pounds of rhubarb I just harvested from my old garden. Suggestions are VERY welcome!

Mexican Chicken Burgers
1 lb ground chicken (I use vegetarian, no hormone, etc.)
1 poblano pepper, very finely diced
2 scallions, very finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
zest of 1 lime
2 tsp cumin
1/4 C cilantro, finely minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper, plus extr
1 tbsp Mexican hot sauce (adjust to your level of hotness)
olive oil

Preheat grill/grill pan to medium-high heat.
Mix all ingredients til just combined. Do not over mix the meat.
Form 3 large or 4 medium sized patties.
Sprinkle extra black pepper on each side of patty, and drizzle with olive oil.
Cook patties about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness of burger.
Serve on whole grain hamburger bun with yogurt sauce and arugula.

Yogurt Sauce
1 C greek yogurt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
dash of hot sauce

Mix ingredients, spread on hamburger buns.

Tomato, Avocado, Grilled Corn Salad
2 small ripe avocados, largely diced
2 ears corn, husked
1 pint sweet grape/cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
Juice of 1 lime
salt
pepper
1 TBSP Mexican hot sauce (adjust for level of heat)

Preheat grill/grill pan to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
Grill corn on all sides, turning as necessary until whole cob is lightly charred and cooked.
Let corn cool, then slice/scrape kernels into large bowl.
Add avocado and tomatoes.
Add lime juice, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
Lightly toss salad together.
*Make ahead and let sit--I let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours before dinner.

Summer Lovin'...

2010-05-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

Isn't it lovely?

Here we are, almost a full month out from the official start of summer, and it's so hot that everyone I know has their air conditioning on already! I had my first beach day yesterday (you can just hear the sound of the relaxation) and the local garden center was (slightly irritatingly) packed today. It's summer.

Not to mention, my gorgeously, incredibly, wonderfully talented husband and equally fabulous brother built my raised bed garden on Saturday, while I was toiling away at the shop. Fabulous brother even planted the majority of my plants, and helped me plant the remaining trillion tomato plants yesterday. I am beyond excited.

I'm a different person with this garden than I have been in years past. Usually it was brother Eric's garden, and I had to tend to it while he was away, and it always got overwhelming and frustrating. It was large, and we overplanted most of the time. And I had less than no interest in slaving away on 90 degree days, pulling ginormous tree-like weeds out of the ground. While I loved the ability to run to the garden to grab a watermelon/cucumber/bowl of tomatoes...it wasn't "mine."

Until this year. I'm excited for my garden, especially because the raised bed method of planting helps keep the weeds at bay. I can't wait for cucumbers and purple bell peppers, for Mr. Stripey tomatoes and super old seed heirlooms.

A lot of it will flourish, some of it will not. But this year I'm determined and excited, and most importantly, feel like it's mine. Which, in my head, matters more than anything in the entire world.

Some early snapshots for your enjoyment!

5 of 9 potted tomato plants...how many will survive?

Potted herbs: Oregano, Lavender, Mint, Parsley, Dill

More herbs: Sage, Chives, and Basil

Michigan, not Tuscany

2010-05-23T09:28:00.000-04:00

Last night we had one of those dreamy summer evenings. Friends of R and N were in town, friends that we wanted to meet and that wanted to meet us. The plan was for J, brother Eric and I to swing by right after work, around 5:30, for drinks. For an hour or so, so the original 6-some of the friends and children could eat dinner.

The best laid plans...

We only stayed for 2 hours, which in the scheme of things doesn't sound like much. But those two hours, surrounded by friends, children, great wine and beer, were the stuff summer nights are made of in our neck of the woods. It's the reason most of us live here, aside from the desire to get snowed in during the winter months, the proximity to Chicago, the lake, and the produce.

I showed up with a bottle of my sure to be favorite summer wine, the Paul Zinck Alsatian Pinot Blanc. (Incidentally, I'm also in love with the Pinot Noir. But that's for another time.) They had the Simi Chardonnay (a personal favorite) and some delicious Riesling open. (N: if you remember the name, post it in the comments, please!) The cooler of beer from the non-baby shower was still mostly full of New Holland Golden Cap, Harpoon Saison Royale and others.

Sitting outside, surrounded by vineyards, with kids playing in the background, bringing toads for me to pet, it was a gorgeous, exciting entry into summer. Eventually R brought out a phenomenal cheese plate with a triple creme French cheese that I basically lopped up with every cracker on the plate! There was laughter, there was business talk, there was a really lengthy discussion about Twitter that I'm fairly certain I owe someone a dollar for.

It was one of those early evening experiences that make you realize life is not only good, but life is great. That all you really need is a great bottle of wine, some incredibly fattening cheese, and the company of wonderful and fascinating friends to make an evening.

One I'm very much looking forward to repeating again and again all summer long, in one backyard or another.

Saturday Breakfast: A Tip!

2010-05-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

It's no shock that I adore greek yogurt. I talk about it all the time...it's my go to for breakfast, savory dishes, sometimes even desserts. But I what I've really started loving is the ability of greek yogurt to sub in for an otherwise less than healthy ingredient. I use it instead of sour cream in chili and soup, and I make a killer spinach artichoke dip with it!

This morning (and a few other mornings lately) I went this route. I subbed it for cream cheese on my sprouted wheat toast. No fat, 20+ grams of protein...and tangy and delicious! I sliced up some grape tomatoes I bought at the Farmer's Market last week, sprinkled on some dill from my herb garden, and voila! A gorgeous, incredibly healthy, and super tasty breakfast!

I know I'm not the only one subbing the stuff...what's your favorite way to use Greek Yogurt?

Beer Fest Equals Wedding

2010-05-21T13:53:00.001-04:00

(Taken with Hisptamatic iPhone app because it looks cooler. What you can't see is that the cases are at least 2 deep.)

Setting up for the Extreme Beer Fest, for me, is similar to setting up for my wedding. Ok, not really, but I do have the same intensely disturbing dreams, fears, and obsessive attitude that I did regarding my wedding. Just ask the people who work with me. (You love me...)

A lot goes into creating this event, and basically, it's all done by two of us. Becky (calling her the "manager" of the theater is like calling Bill Gates well-off--a complete and total understatement) and myself. B is incredibly supportive and helpful with this event, from sourcing extra tables, to helping me staff, to working the actual event, to designing our awesome poster. I do all the ordering, the glasses, the stocking and pricing and...you get the idea.

We've been getting delivery after delivery of cases and cases of beer for the event. Today, I went through, priced and stocked it all in the storage room. Yes, me. I guess I haven't lost all my upper body strength from last summer. It's awesome. And not awesome as in wicked cool. Awesome as in massive. We have about 90 beers in total for this event, at least 50 more than my October event. We've doubled the number of tickets, which are selling like mad. I've done actual press for this event (which, as a recovering and still functioning publicist is insanely uncomfortable, personally speaking) and the local beer blogs, Kalambrew, Michigan Microbrews and Beer Nuts, have been super cool!

(We still have three more deliveries next week, and a back room that's also stocked!)

I'm more than excited for next Friday. It will be, to date, the largest event I have thrown that I'm personally responsible for. Which is a great feeling, and at the same time, insanely scary.

And really does make marrying J seem like a total piece of cake.

If an iPhone doesn't have good apps, does anyone care if it rings?

2010-05-18T10:49:00.000-04:00

(My iPhone, my shag...)

Clearly, you all know I'm an iPhone user. Addict might be a better word at times, I admit it. (Admitting it is the first step, right?) But the truth is, aside from the necessary tasks of email and text messages, I use it for good, not evil. Sure, some might say my non-stop posting of food/drink pictures on Facebook and Twitter is a bit much, but come on now...it's what I do!

The truth is, I've only been an iPhoner for about a year. I was a serious blackberry user before that. And I mean, serious. I often stated I would NEVER switch to the iPhone, as the blackberry was what people who really worked used. I would swoon over my friend's iPhone pics and apps, but refuse to actually figure out how to use a keyboard without keys.

That was until last summer, about a month before our wedding, when my crackberry crapped out. In the last stage of a wedding budget crunch, and clearly unable to NOT have a smartphone, I went with the iPhone because it was actually the cheaper option.

And an iPhone addict was born. A few months later, J made the switch, as well. Between the camera and the apps, it more than makes up for the (sometimes still annoying) keyboard issue. And so, bogarting a recent blog post from the incomparably genius Gini Dietrich, I give you my favorite, food/wine/beer/fun related iPhone apps...my must haves, if you will.

Yelp: This is huge for us. We use it all the time, to find restaurants in cities we're visiting (ahem Cleveland, Pittsburgh.) We use it to find late night pizza joints wherever we are. It's also great for the occasional "oh crap where the hell am I again, I need to pick up toilet paper/paper towels/etc before I drive home."

Locavore: I started using this a few months ago and it's amazing. Using your location, it tells you not only what vegetables and fruits are in season and growing right now, but also gives you a map of all your local farms, farmers markets, and places to find the freshest produce. Where we live, there are so many farms and markets, that it's great to be able to know just what farm has what I need! It also gives a list of what foods are about to be in season.

Find Craft Beer: Using your location, this app tells you what craft beer bars are closest to you (or your destination.) I love finding a new craft beer bar, but it will also tell you where local breweries are, as well. Which, for me, is pretty much as epic as it gets.

Smart Chef: This app is so great if you're a cook like me--who often just imagines that you have ingredients in the house. This will give you lists and lists of substitution items for whatever you thought you have but don't! I've used this more than once in recipes.

BigOven: BigOven is, as far as I can tell, the best (free) recipe app. It gives you a huge catalog to look through, and has this phenomenal Leftover Wizard. You enter three items in your fridge, pantry, etc...and it will spit out a bunch of things you'll be able to make.

Shazam: Ok, so this isn't food related in anyway, but it is a lifesaver for me. Actually, it was one of the first apps I downloaded. Hold the phone up when you hear a song you can't place, and within moments you'll (usually) have the artist, title, and more. You have NO idea how many times a day I use this. It's embarrassing.

IMDb: Again, not food related. But J and I get into, um, competitive mode ALL the time about who's right, specifically with actors and movies/shows. This saves us a googling step. When you have an iPhone but live somewhere without 3G capability, saving a step is key.

Fiddme: I only recently downloaded this, but am digging learning more about it. It's like foursquare, but for food! You can post food pics, restaurant recommendations, and vice versa! So now it's not only appropriate to be a foodarazzi, it's encouraged!

Priceline: Anyone who reads this blog or knows me, knows I'm obsessed with Priceline.com. I use it all the time, and it's my go to for trips. The iPhone app is awesome to use when you're traveling, especially by car! J and I have used it on long car trips to NY, seeing how far we can get before we need to stop. And then poof! A lovely (not gross) hotel room for half the price.

Hipstamatic: I've been using this camera app since Jazz Fest, when a friend showed us his. I love it. Lots of people love it. It's fun and great for badly lit photo opps. It makes your pics look vintage-like and adds great mood and color. Plus, it makes my food look really great most of the time. The app comes with three lenses and three types of film, but you can shop for more options.

And...

Face Fighter: Ok, this one is terrible. In a good way. Maybe. But in the art of full disclosure, you should know about my dirty, DIRTY little secret. This is an app that a friend showed J and I a few months ago, and we're obsessed. Basically, you can input a photo of someone and you...um...well, beat them up. Martial Arts style, complete with sound effects and overly exaggerated bruising. It is one of the world's best stress relievers. Literally.

Disclaimer: I HATE paying for apps. The only app on this list that is not free is Hipstamatic (at least, that was the case when I downloaded them.) I will not pay more than $1.99 for an app, and I'd rather not pay anything. You may find other versions of these apps for money, but I wouldn't know. And...this list does NOT include the obvious facebook and twitter apps. :)

Success on Plates!

2010-05-17T08:12:00.000-04:00

Last night's non-baby shower baby shower was, in my opinion, a rousing success. Between the gorgeous weather, the fire that made us all come home smelling like high school, the great wine, and the great company? All you could want in a non-traditional event.

Oh, and the food was bonkers! I'm not one to often quote Rachel Zoe, but it was BANANAS! I've linked to the blogs of R and N before, where they blog about kitchen design, their phenomenal DIAB product (check it out, you'll LOVE IT) and best of all, food. R and N are self-proclaimed food folk. And they are friends I'm lucky to have in more ways than one. They have elevated my game, I think. And nights like last night, I thank them for it. (And for their endless praise of my dishes!) But they always, and I mean always blow me away with the things that come from their gorgeous and a dream to cook in kitchen.

As discussed yesterday, the menu consisted of my sauteed radish crostini, and friend Liz's ridonkulous dip! We then moved onto my blackened asparagus, R's gorgeous, simple, and freaking delicious orzo salad (that I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of) and N's vegetable tarts that were one of the best things I've ever tasted as prepared by him, and trust me--he doesn't make anything that doesn't taste fantastic! Dessert was my Passover brownies (which apparently taste better when it's NOT Passover) and my first ever cheesecake.

Ok, so in a nutshell? Everything was amazing. And I'm being serious. The radishes, which were a new adventure for me and almost everyone eating them, were this deliciously sweet and spicy, yet insanely fresh concoction. This is a recipe I will make again and again, probably trying the actual NYT recipe at some point (lots of garlic and anchovy!) The dish is simple, seasonal, and lovely...I'm seriously encouraging you to try it.

The orzo salad was so good I'm absolutely bogarting it and using it at every summer party. The blackened asparagus MIGHT be better than the string beans that originated the recipe. But N's tarts...I mean really, stick a fork in me. The crust was perfectly flaky and buttery, giving way to the beautifully seasoned and grilled veggies waiting for you inside. Matched with the melty goodness of the cheeses (Raclette and a great cheddar I forgot to get the name of) there was nothing left. I had two pieces. Sorry!

Moving to dessert, my cheesecake rocked! Seriously! The fact that I'd somehow never made a cheesecake before made the silky goodness that much more delicious. Rich, fattening, and luxurious--it was all a cheesecake should be. I've got to thank Apron Anxiety for the recipe. Super, super easy--and the payoff was gooood. Add in some delicious wines, a few beers, and the embers of a lovely fire pit...the night was a raving success and had me driving home all a glow from the food.

This morning I'll switch back to yogurt and berries, and probably need a massive workout. But watching a very pregnant friend and her husband enjoy a vegetarian feast in their honor makes it all worth it, trust me.

Sauteed Radish Crostini
2 bunches radishes
1 TBSP olive oil, plus more for drizzling and brushing baguette
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP cracked black pepper
2 tsp crushed red pepper
zest of half a lemon
1/4 C parsley, chopped
whole wheat baguette, sliced
sea salt

Wash and drain radishes, removing tail and any bruised bits.
Slice lengthwise, first in half, and then in slices--about 4 or so per half.
Heat up a sautee pan large enough for all the radishes to lay in one layer (as best as possible)
Season with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Let cook on one side, without moving, for approximately three minutes.
Shake the pan around, allowing the radishes to continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so.

Remove radishes from skillet, add lemon zest and parsley, set aside.

Make crostini by placing baguette slices onto a sheet pan, drizzling with olive oil, and toasting in a 350 oven for about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven, and brush with a bit more olive oil to moisten.
Pile radish mixture onto crostini, and top with a sprinkling of fine flaked sea salt before serving.

Prepping for a Non-Baby Shower Baby Shower

2010-05-16T15:31:00.000-04:00

Tonight we're celebrating the soon-to-be-born son of our really good friends with a non-traditional, non-baby shower baby shower. Meaning, no baby blue, no cupcakes. No games. No forcing the mother to be to open gifts. Not that there is anything wrong with ANY of that. Just that this party is for the parents and the parent's friends. Meaning good food, good wine and beer, and good times.

We're co-hosting this gig at R and N's house (because they rock and have the most gorgeous backyard.) I'm cooking, they're cooking, and then we're cooking together. I'll post as many pics of the food as I can remember to take but figured I'd give you some sneak peaks of what's coming from my kitchen. All the food is vegetarian, as the parents (and a good deal of the guests) are vegetarians. So for all my non-meat eating friends, get ready!

I'm making sauteed radishes on a baguette, adapted from a recipe in the NYT. Those are prepped now, awaiting a super hot saute pan before the party starts. I'm also making my Passover Brownies, because L, the mother, adores them. I suppose I should mention that this is the first time I've EVER made them outside of Passover. And when I tasted them to make sure they were good, I realized just how ridiculous that is.

I'm also making Blackened Asparagus, adapted from my recipe for New World's spicy string beans. And...I made a cheesecake. Assuming the cheesecake is as good as it looks, we have my mother-in-law to thank. She surprised me yesterday with a springform pan. Don't ask me how I didn't own one already. I just didn't. :)

My fridge looks like Day 1 of a Top Chef Elimination Challenge with all the tupperware of prepped and cooked items ready to go. My car has a case of (craft, of course) beer and some delicious wine.

I've been up and cooking since 7am, which for most people sounds like a heinous day. But for me? Just makes me zen and chill.

Though I suppose I should shower and change out of my sweats, first.

You Start a Food Blog...

2010-05-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

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I've mentioned this before, but I wasn't always the culinary whiz kid that you read here every day or so. (Said with the appropriate dose of humility and humor.) Sure, I knew the difference between a Sancerre and a Sauvignon Blanc, and knew how to make my own salad dressing, but that was about it. Now look at me. Waxing poetic on tunafish, spewing about meatballs and sharing sauce recipes like my grandmother came over from the old country or something.

With this turn of events, people have started coming out of the woodwork asking for recipes and tips, and not just on the blog. When I posted recipes on facebook (lo those many months ago, before jumping head first into this blog thing) people would occasionally comment and ask a question or two if they were planning to prepare the recipe. But now? It's hilarious! Brother Eric (the man whose musical "Venice" just got called the Best Musical of the Year by Time Magazine!) calls for tips on how to thicken up his world-famous turkey chili. My mom calls for help on what to make for company. My old PR partner emailed this week to ask what she should do with a can of hominy. (Fry it, of course!) And even my fabulously delicious partner in food blogging crime, Apron Anxiety emails for an idea here and there.

This week, AA called for help with a cocktail recipe, something involving blueberry to pair with dessert. The recipe, pulled out of my brain whilst typing away on my couch, is below. I've never made it, but can picture it in my head well enough to know that people who like these sorts of cocktails will dig it. And living in MI (aka blueberry country come summer) I will absolutely be making and serving this at some summer soiree.

Honestly? It's awesome! I love the faith people are bestowing in me. So keep the questions coming peeps. You're doing nothing but challenging me, forcing me to look beyond the price of Cotes du Rhone and Alsatian Pinot Blanc to figure out the best way to spice up the fried hominy.

And of course, a cocktail/wine/beer recommendation always makes my day!

Apron Anxiety's Blueberry Cocktail
(For one drink)
3 TBSP blueberries (or a few more, depending on their size), plus 2 for garnish
5 small mint leaves (or 3 large ones)
1 tsp agave or simple syrup
1 shot good quality citrus vodka
club soda
ice

In a large glass, muddle blueberries, mint, and agave/simple syrup.
Add ice.
Add vodka and club soda.
Garnish with two blueberries.
Serve, say cheers, and enjoy!

Tunafish is Sacred

2010-05-13T15:29:00.000-04:00

(Andy Warhol, Detail Magazine)

Am I wrong? Be it brand, preparation, mayo or mustard...people are adamant that their tuna is the best tuna. At least in the Rosen family. We were raised on one brand, and one brand only. Bumblebee Solid White in water. There is no other tuna that has ever been prepared by a member of our family (I'm fairly certain of this.) Prepared with light mayo (meaning a little bit, but preferably light in fat as well) and nothing else. If served on a toasted lender's bagel, with the option to put potato chips on the sandwich, one got major bonus points. We were the family that asked, at all restaurants/diners/etc, if the tuna salad had any celery in it. God help the people at the Athena or Barclay Heights Diner who answered yes.

As I got older, and began to understand that mayo was not one of my favorite things in the world (I've slightly warmed up to it, but only sometimes) I started using balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. I can remember standing in my parent's kitchen, making the tuna, talking like Julia Child. *Cue Voiceover: "First, you open the can, then you drain the water from the can. Make sure you..." you get the picture. But still, always Bumblebee Solid White in water.

Fast forward several years. J and I are in our home, and he drops a massive bomb on me. Actually, several. He doesn't really like Bumblebee. He actually prefers tuna in...oil? ICK! Not only that, but the way he prepared said oily non-bumblebee tuna was almost too much for me at the time. A "healthy" dose of mayo (which has become Olive Oil mayo, thank god!) old bay, salt, pepper, dried dill, celery seed and dill relish. This was long before my culinary revolution had really taken hold, and I was...basically grossed out. (You should have seen brother Eric's face the first time HE saw it. He's still upholding the Rosen purity of tuna.)

But then, over time, I started taking bigger and bigger bites of J's less than plain tuna. And honestly? It's good. I've already told you my man is the Sandwich King, so why should this surprise anyone. And if it weren't for the caloric worrying, I might actually use the tuna in oil--it's great to cook with!

While I don't tend to make my own tuna his way I have taken some serious cues from J. I stick with my vinegar and mustard, but add in a smidge of the mayo, some celery if time permits, maybe a shallot. I definitely season it, sometimes add garlic, often add the tiniest bit of Old Bay.

And trust me. The dill pickle relish? Works every freaking time.

Rocked My Palette

2010-05-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

The other night we had a late dinner at home. Becoming more and more typical (and wreaking more and more havoc on my circadian rhythm.) We were busy putting some things together, working late, etc. Which meant a thrown together meal at the last minute. J had leftovers, and I had...wait for it...salad.

There wasn't much to go on in our fridge, and I had to experiment a little. But I threw together a combination of flavors that really wowed me. I know, or at least I think I know, that I've had this particular combination somewhere...maybe Italy? Regardless, it was good. The salad was basic, but I threw in some orange and finely sliced in some celery. That particular combination, with the shallot and the tons of black pepper, made for this beautiful, fresh, refreshing taste.

My next attempt at this particular combination of flavors (because you KNOW once wasn't enough for me) is to try something deliberate. A salad of JUST orange, shallot, and celery, somehow arranged and lovely and pretty to look at. Maybe with some belgian endive...hm. The wheels are spinning.

Playing on all of that, I made a dressing I hadn't made before--in this particular combination of flavors anyway. The principle behind this dressing is awesome. Take jam/jelly/preserves, mix with acid, season, stream in oil. Works every single time.

I've got chicken to cook for tonight (one hopes!) It may be on the plate. I'll post pictures for you tomorrow! But what I want to know is have you ever had that experience? You threw together something you basically hoped wouldn't offend together in a dish, only to find you happened upon a combination that rocked your palette?

Dressing for One
1 TBSP apricot preserves
remaining juice of orange (after segmented in salad)
1 TBSP champagne vinegar
salt and pepper
2 TBSP grapeseed oil, streamed in while whisking

(Does it really get any easier than that?)

New Orleans Dreamin...

2010-05-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

We started watching HBO's Treme before we left for New Orleans. And now we're addicted. Something about having been there, seeing places (mainly music clubs) we danced in til 4am...makes us both really miss our kick ass time in NOLA. Which I was thinking about while catching up on last week's episode last night. Which, in turn, reminded me I never shared the details of our awesome, first night dinner at Emeril's NOLA.

When we briefly met Emeril at Publican in March, we connected with his culinary assistant, Alain. Alain was incredibly helpful in giving us a list of places to try and hit while in New Orleans, as well as being amazing and getting us a reservation at NOLA for our first night (and only night alone) in the Crescent City. Located in the French Quarter, NOLA is completely inconspicuous from the outside. You'd never know you were about to walk into a large, two-story, industrially constructed restaurant. The decor is a lot of steel, with tasteful touches of bright, New Orleans, flavor thrown in. It's very, very large...but the way the staff took care of us, from check-in through exiting, makes you feel like you're dining in a 4-top tiny restaurant.

Drinks? J went with Abita Turbodog (remember, this was the beginning of the trip, when Turbodog was still exciting) and I had two glasses of a delicious Albariño that I can't remember the name of. We ordered the lobster cake with tropical salsa and plantain chip (incredible) and the bbq shrimp (unreal) for appetizers. Both were prepared with an elegance of fine dining, while maintaining the down home GREATNESS of New Orleans' food.

Entrees were the shrimp and grits (which everyone and their mother, including Alain told us we HAD to order) and the prosciutto wrapped grouper, topped with fried basil. Again, everything was beautifully presented, but at the bottom of that bowl of grits, there was nothing but good, southern love. It was delicious.

Dessert rounded out the meal with the banana pudding cake, which honestly, rocked my world six ways from Sunday. Our servers were incredibly instrumental in helping us decide between the insanity of the dessert menu, and we eventually went with the banana cake because of the awesome description of one of them. (Plus, it had banana in it. Which is healthy.) :)

We left NOLA feeling full, happy, slightly spoiled, and blissed out. Though we had to make a stop at the room so I could change into slightly less constricting jeans before venturing out to happen upon a fantastic home-grown second line jamming in the quarter, that meal was such a highlight of our trip to NOLA. It was our first night, my first night in New Orleans, and absolutely a meal I would recommend to anyone venturing into the quarter for a night of debauchery.

After all, you will want to be well fed before you pound those Hurricanes, right?

*No, we did NOT ever have a Hurricane!

"If You Come Back to the Barre..."

2010-05-09T19:40:00.001-04:00

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"If you come back to the barre, you'll always be home." Or something like that. It's from a really, really bad ballet movie, "Center Stage," one of Zoe Saldana's first roles. (Yep, before that other really, really bad movie with Britney Spears.) It's the story of the American Ballet Theater School in NYC, and the struggles and triumphs of the first year of students. Blah blah blah...the acting is awful, the writing horrendous, but the dancing is enough to make you watch every single time it's on WE. And one of the lines, when Zoe's character is struggling to "get good enough," her teacher takes her aside and tells her that as long as she remembers to always come back to the barre, to class, yada yada, she will always feel like she's home. (Cheesy, yes, I know.)

That's how I just felt, moments ago. I hadn't planned on writing this today, though I've been incredibly spotty about posting this week. I was going to post something I wrote something over the weekend about the joys of tuna fish (which I'll share some other day.) But I just had a "come back to the barre" moment, in my kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, standing over my large All-Clad sauce pot.

I've had a really long, really exhausting week, both physically and mentally. No need to share the details, just a lot of work and a little play. My back is wrecked, my head is pounding, and I'm quite certain I no longer fit into my jeans. My house is a total mess, and I literally have not cooked for my husband in days. And it's not just me. J has had a very similarly trying week. And so I (probably stupidly) promised to cook him his favorite meal tonight, while he continues working..."Nanny's meatballs and sauce."

It's not the recipe I'm sharing, mainly because I can't. It's someone else's secret family recipe that was shared with me in the throws of some serious pinky swearing. But this has nothing to do with the actual recipe. It has to do with me, dragging my ass downstairs after trying hard to unpack (and failing miserably by passing out into a quick nap) and starting to cook. I emptied the dish drain, made sure the ingredients were out, and started chopping. I heated the olive oil, chopped the onions and garlic, ripped off some parsley...you get the picture. And all of a sudden, the stress and exhaustion and all other not so fun emotions starting seeming kind of far away and less important. I literally started stirring it away, so to speak. Or at least stirring it into somewhere far enough away to allow me to get through it enough to continue on with the day.

I found my "barre" at the bottom of a pot of Nanny's sauce. What's your "ballet barre" place? The place where all of a sudden, when you least expect it, has you calm, serene, and feeling like a (slightly messy, no-makeup, maybe better off in sweatpants) new person.

Israeli Salad Farmer's Market Garden Deliciousness

2010-05-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

When this "recipe" first came into my life, it was 1,000 years ago, at a Passover seder at my parent's house. And it was called Israeli salad. Which, in our house, is how it will always be referred to. But for some reason, it wasn't until I hosted Passover this year that I realized I should be making this salad all the time. (And kind of do, in one form or another.)

Basically, it's just a bevy of chopped raw vegetables and herbs, dressed lightly with salt, black pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. I add a splash of champagne vinegar here and then, but it just depends on the time of year, and the season you're pushing. The "official recipe" is below, and trust me when I say it's exactly that easy and that delicious!

But for real, if most of you aren't already making something that looks and tastes like this, you don't need to follow this recipe to have an amazing farm fresh dish. Go to the garden/farmer's market/store and get whatever looks great! Cucumber, tomato, peppers...if you like it spicy, throw in a seeded serrano. Add in some scallions...I've done this with raw onion, and it can be a bit pungent, but shallot would be great.

Don't like cilantro? Use basil and parsley, or dill and mint. You're not limited by anything here--there are no rules. Chop the veggies as small or big as you like. This salad is rustic and gorgeous. Bright, colorful, refreshing and full of flavor.

Which is all we really want most of the time, right? Something easy, that makes us look like rockstars? Just go for it!

Israeli Salad

8 med tomatoes cut into small dice (you can also use roma tomatoes but when able, use anything you want. I loved heirloom tomatoes in this.)
1 seedless cucumber, diced
2-3 peppers red, green, yellow, orange (whatever you like)
1 C Chopped flat parsley
1/2 C Chopped cilantro
3-4 scallions chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2-3 T olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mix everything together and put in fridge. Serve at cool room temp.

Makes 8 servings

**If salad produces too much liquid in fridge, just scoop out of mixing bowl with slotted spoon when serving.**

A Post-Birthday Cinco de Mayo Bite

2010-05-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I can plan a good surprise. Incredibly difficult in our household. The only surprise I've ever seen done was his proposal, which somehow he arranged, plotted, and managed to achieve without a single ounce of knowledge from me. While his birthday surprise was not as high profile, it was well-received.

Our destination? Holland, MI, about 1 hour north of us. We have both been here before. But we've never come up to just hang, and it's a very cute little beach town, as far as our Western Michigan cute beach towns go. There is also this amazingly cool, LEED Certified hotel here, that is the first of its kind in the midwest, and I've really wanted to check it out since it opened 2 years ago. CityFlats, and one of the most well-known (and great) MI breweries, New Holland. A massage (for J), a beer (for me) and a bit of walking around, and then we went to dinner at this charming, old school, super cute Italian restaurant. The wine was perfect, the food comforting and delicious. It was a great, chill, easy birthday, "the best yet," or so he told me over a cannoli.

Anyway, on our way back to reality today, it was apparent that we were going to need some Cinco de Mayo activity before my husband went POOF and turned into a rockstar for his gig tonight. We stopped at this newish, seemingly authentic Mexican joint that opened close to home. It was pretty good...at least, authentic enough to make decent Al Pastor, and the bite of salsa and guac made it seem like some kind of celebration. I am now back in sweats, totally stuffed, and crazy nauseated. Seems like Cinco de Mayo to me!

I am not partaking in any other festivities today, which is the first time in almost five years that has happened. But I'm loving hearing about everyone else's! I can tell you, if you have the chance, try a Cucapa (Mexican craft beer) tonight with your shot of tequila and burrito grande.

What about you, do you go tequila or beer for this particular festiveness?

The Birthday Surprise

2010-05-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today is J's birthday. As I think I've told you, his birthday is making me insane. See, every year since we've been together, I've thrown J a pretty rocking party at our house. Cinco de Mayo is his FAVORITE holiday, and luckily he shares his birthday so closely with this day. So we've always done a big, Mexican-themed bash for his birthday, and played off his "I hate parties that are all about me"angst with a taco bar and tequila shots.

This year, because of our trip to Jazz Fest and more, we (meaning he) decided he really didn't want a party. You can imagine this threw me for a major loop--not to mention some friends who were actually disappointed in our lack of a Mexican-themed fete this year. I promised him a low-key birthday, and have spent the last 10 days trying to figure out how to get over my undying issues about not doing anything for this monumental occasion.

I decided to throw in the spatula and do something. Against my knowledge that a home-cooked dinner of Chicken Cordon Bleu and chocolate cake would be just fine with J, I've planned a romantic, low-key, surprise day/evening away. He gets home-cooked meals all the time. Mostly delicious, and almost always in front of the tv. Knowing us, we'd fall into that habit post-dining room table meal, and I don't feel like sharing J with Simon, Kara, Ellen and Randy on this particular birhday!

I promise to give you all the details when we return, but I can tell you the following (since I know he reads this.) It involves old-school cooking, eco-friendly beauty, and me turning off my iPhone at 4pm.

Let the guessing begin!

Spring Dreaming...

2010-05-03T18:24:00.000-04:00

Apparently, while J and I were in NOLA, spring literally sprung here. Meaning our lawn is now as high as my knee, and my garden is nowhere NEAR being ready. The sounds of birds humming outside my sliding glass door are rivaled with the hum of the neighbors weed wacking.

It also means allergies and spring colds, apparently.

(My iPhone camera just isn't cutting it today...time to get an actual camera!)

J came home from his gig Saturday night with a "bug." Which has turned into something more than a bug. Given that his big birthday is tomorrow, I am doing everything I can to whip that boy back into shape before tomorrow. Translation: his favorite cure. Matzoh ball soup.

Yes, I know you've already heard me wax poetic about my rocking matzoh ball soup. So I won't bore you. But I will tell you that just because someone has a warm-weather cold doesn't mean you have to stay true to what you'd do in the winter. Visit the farm stand/farmers market and stock up on everything gorgeous that's in season right now. Or, hopefully, you're better than me and have actually planted your garden by now and can pull herbs and greens from your ground! Me, my herbs came from a potted plant outside, which counts in this house. That's garden-light for me.

Tonight's soup of choice has more than just onion, carrot and celery in it. We've got zucchini, squash, asparagus, three different peppers, and tons of herbs. There's a vat of garlic and a sprinkle of turmeric, to make J feel better STAT. And since it's apparently National Herb Week, I threw in the usual suspects (sage, thyme and rosemary) and spiced up the balls themselves with some finely chopped dill. The smells in my house are phenomenal right now, I tell you.

And if anyone wants to swing by and get my garden poppin' for me, I'll save you a bowl.

Cures and Remedies...Everyone Has Them

2010-05-02T10:08:00.001-04:00

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Friday I regaled you with stories of just how much I LOVE dry rosé. And I kept that love going through a post-work drink and dinner with friends who believe that your wine glass should never be empty--I love them for this, I swear. Without sharing the hazy details of my evening, let's just say that I woke up Saturday morning with a nauseated belly, pounding head, and spinning eyes. It was a rough one.

Given that I had a huge day at the shop yesterday, with an art opening, chocolate tasting and more, I kept desperately trying to find a way to play through. I ate bread for breakfast, drank a huge bottle of Pellegrino and then ginger ale. Went through several other ritualistic cures in my kitchen, and nothing was really working. I was at the shop, lightheaded, and beat down. Yes, finally I got through it, with the help of finally opening a beer around 2pm. Not too much, just enough to mellow out the shaking.

The older I get, the worse the hangover seems. Mostly because it a) lasts for MUCH longer than it did when I was 22 and didn't care and b) because apparently, turning 30 and then 31 meant a hangover was inevitable from 2 glasses of wine, not 2 bottles!

I don't always get hungover. Most often I remember to drink lots of water and eat lots of food and be aware that a glass of wine actually does have a bottom. But sometimes, like Friday night, it just creeps up on you, like a bad case of seasonal allergies!

It got me thinking about cures and remedies, hoping to learn something from the dehydration. I turned to facebook and twitter to find out other people's tried and true cures. The answers ranged from "pooping" to a fascinating cocktail concoction with Campbell's tomato soup and malt liquor. (No thank you!) One of my favorites was from a friend who is barely old enough to be able to experience hangovers, let alone the ones that sneak up on you in your 30s. She reminded me that I taught her about a nice, cold glass of chocolate milk--almost always a sure fire cure. There's Menudo (the soup, not the band that launched Ricky Martin.) People swear by the old gatorade and advil cure, or a great greasy breakfast. Don't even get me started on the old "Prairie Oyster."

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So, fantastically fabulous readers and friends, what do YOU do on days when staying in bed isn't an option, the hair of the dog isn't on your morning agenda and you're feeling less than your "post-evening out" best.

Dry Rosé Me, Please!

2010-04-30T14:40:00.000-04:00

It's Friday, and I'm slightly buzzed from the non-stop Wine Friday tasting I just did with two of my distributors. I'm generally really good on these days...I try to sip demurely, and only one or two sips before dumping into the bucket.

(This is not even half of what we tasted today...)

Today wasn't exactly one of those days. It just so happened that one distributor was newish, and coming by with an entire stock of things for us to taste. And so we did. And then my FAVORITE rep came by, with French bounties from Provence and Chinon, and I tasted. And tasted. And tasted.

Given the spring into summer like weather here in the lower mitten, I'm totally digging on the two dry rosés we tasted today. The Chinon in particular, The Couly-Dutheil "Rene Couly." Delicious, slightly maturated in color...a gorgeous pinky rose. Light, bright, and crisp. Just how I like them.

I have favorites, trust me. This one, from Bordeaux, being an absolute fav. I have a $10 one I delight in drinking on super hot days. They run the line for me, from perfect porch sipping happiness on a hot day to an outdoor supper.

Rosé has this rep...people in the "know" (whoever the heck that is!) know how much they love the summer refreshingness of a glass. But for many others, the sight of the gorgeous pinky color reminds people of Franzia White Zinfandel, and their faces turn green with memories of stealing Mom's box for 9th grade slumber parties.

I'm here to tell you, TRY THEM! It's what red wine drinkers drink in the summer, and there is no similarity to Boone's Farm, I promise. Trust your server or wine salesperson...

Better yet, trust me!

Oh Yes, It's Burger Night...(And I'm feeling alright.)

2010-04-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

(Made by an incredibly good husband)

We're back. And stuffed. But not so stuffed that I didn't eat the entire world today. Tomorrow starts my post-vacation what the hell happened I have to get my freaking body back in check feeling. Today I ate. A lot. While J and I spent the day in full-on recovery mode (one definitely needs this post-Jazz Fest) we talked about food, and I had a thought that I would make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Of course, we had NO food in the house, and since we needed to run a few crucial (ahem, bank) errands, we decided to make a quick stop at the store.

Only it got BETTER! See, we have this freaking amazing butcher in the area. (Actually, we have several pretty amazing butchers.) The kind of place locals and tourists rave about--and there is a reason. Trust me, you'll hear a TON about their amazing chicken brats this summer! We made a quick stop for some ground sirloin, and being the super cool butcher Falatic's is, they fresh ground me some sirloin. With the fat, for moisture. Far too delicious to be wasted on meatballs--this meat called for burgers damn it! Which also means it called for someone ELSE to do the cooking tonight.

Like many men, my husband (who is actually a great cook but rarely makes the move to cook dinner) ROCKS two very specific art forms. Breakfast and the grill. Both equally wonderful efforts. I mean, insane. (First meal he ever made me was burgers, actually.) He cooks a burger that men would fight wars over. Women drool over these burgers, or they would, if I allowed him to make them for anyone else.

I tried to get him to write a guest post for you, on the art of these particular burgers. But alas, he was in no mood. So instead, I sat cross-legged on our kitchen island and forced him to use a measuring spoon and took notes and pictures for you.

Take note: our burgers are eaten in VERY DIFFERENT manners. Me? I go "healthyish." Stuff that patty in a whole grain pita with spinach, avocado, onion, and a tiny bit of goat cheese. His is more, um, traditional. My side includes about 10 fries and a salad...he eats the remainder of the fries and generally speaking, 1 1/2 burgers. (By the way, for quick easy fries? We buy Oreida Golden Fries and once baked, sprinkle liberally with Old Bay and salt. OHMYGOODNESS!)

(My healthy version)

(And J's...)

But American Cheese or avocado, it doesn't matter. J's burgers hit the EXACT spot needed to set me on the path to recovery.

J's "Bay" Burgers
1 lb coarse ground sirloin (with some fat in mix--or whatever ground meat you want)
1/2 tsp (plus extra) cracked black pepper
1/3 tsp (plus extra) kosher salt
1/2 tsp Old Bay
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 slices (per burger) American cheese, if desired
Buns (I like whole grain hamburger buns, pita, sprouted wheat. J likes pretzel rolls or good burger buns)

Preheat a flat, cast iron (preferably) griddle pan to medium heat. You can also use a skillet, but the point is to use something flat to keep the burgers moist and help with the crust. (The crust is key.)
In a bowl large enough to work in, fold spices into meat JUST enough to make sure the seasonings are evenly incorporated. Do NOT overmix/obliterate (J's word) the meat.
J makes 3, 1/3 lb burgers. Mold 1/3 of the meat into a circle, and then GENTLY press and push the ball into a patty (do this on wax paper). DO NOT SLAP THE BURGERS. (Again, from J.)
Liberally salt and pepper BOTH sides of patties, and gently push into burger with fingertips to ensure good crust.

Put burgers on griddle. Don't move--cook 6-8 minutes (for medium) burgers on one side.
Flip, cook approximately 3(ish) minutes. Add sliced cheese, and "tent" burgers with a metal bowl, tin foil, or overturned pan.

Now, for fixins:
J slices an onion into 1/4 inch slices (ok, I do this) and puts them on the griddle for about 4 minutes a side with a bit of olive oil spray.
Once onions are removed, J puts a bit of butter on the griddle and toasts his buns.
He makes this INSANE sauce, which he uses as a condiment on the burgers.

J's Killer Sauce
1/4 C ketchup
1 tsp Sriracha (or other non-vinegary hot sauce)
dash toasted sesame oil
1 TBSP olive oil mayo
cracked pepper to taste
Stir to combine, slather on burger buns. When burgers are properly dressed, dilute remainder of "sauce" with ketchup and use as dip for fries.

Please Send Mylanta

2010-04-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

J's night stand at the apartment. Appropriate.

No. Seriously. Please send a rescue crew with all the sodium bicarbonate one can find.

We're wrapping up our week in NOLA with one last show tonight. A big event called "Instruments a'comin'!" Sounds amazing, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Except I can't eat anymore. I know, I know, I write an entire blog about eating (and drinking.) But I'm done. I can't do it.

My body is craving leafy greens NOT slathered in mayo or crawfish remoulade. I'm dying for a drink of something non-alcoholic and NOT a delicious coffee freeze from the fairgrounds. I'm fairly certain I've expanded my waist about 3 sizes, and my energy level is nil.

But...what a ride. J and I have been really really bad about taking pictures of our food. It just hasn't exactly been easy, what with rain, a ton of people, dirty muddy fairgrounds, etc. But when we return home (and have slept off the rest of our exhaustion) I will try my damndest to report back in massively descriptive detail all the wonders of my favorite things. Cochon du lait. Crawfish strudel. Rosemint iced tea, and white chocolate bread pudding. And, to the absolute and total delight of my husband, I've fallen in love with Crystal hot sauce. (We're smuggling several bottles in our suitcases.)

And the music...Anders Osborne rocked. Galactic (though insanely late, causing my entire circadian rhythm to wig out) was incredible. New Orleans Nitecrawlers. Simon and Garfunkel...ah.

Soon my friends, soon.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but NO MORE BEER!

Bourbon Street. Daytime.

J and I during Simon and Garfunkel. The sun had finally come out!

Dinner Friday night. Cochon Butcher

Brother Andy and I at a party last night

Food Porn for a Skinny Vanilla Latte Woman...

2010-04-22T11:06:00.000-04:00

I am, I swear. It's true. But on vacation in cities that revolve around food? PLEASE!

When I have a bit of time this weekend, I promise to post pictures and blog as much as possible. And when I get back? Oh my. I'll have to do some serious editing!

But to tide you over, pictures from day 1. Cafe du Monde for beignets and iced cafe au lait. Johnny's for po' boys. Bloodies and Abita Amber. (By the way, New Orleans has, by far, the best bloody mary I've ever had. More on that next week, but for real. Insane.) Emeril's NOLA for dinner. Tonight? Jacques Imo's for dinner.

And now I remember why I overpacked: one needs at least two sizes of everything in order to eat in NOLA.

Label Me This

2010-04-20T09:35:00.000-04:00

In the middle of getting my whole life organized before heading to New Orleans tomorrow, I had a glass of wine slash new iPhone tutorial with my friend Rebekah. We both knew we shouldn't-we were swamped with work-but she needed some quick info on how to use her new phone, and who am I to say no? I mean, I was either going to have a glass of wine at home, over loads of laundry, or allow R to pour me an ample glass while showing her how to make her phone stop ringing? Easy choice, obviously!

She pulled out a bottle of Valley of the Moon Zinfandel, from Sonoma. With this statement, "Want to taste that awesome inexpensive wine we told you about with the worst label?" And seriously? She wasn't kidding.

You have to love the "frosty" effect on the bottle!

The wine was phenomenal! Around $10 (from Wine Discount Center in Chicago, I'm guessing) it was earthy and full, without being to "jammy"--something both R and I tend to dislike in California reds. It was really wonderful. But it got us talking about those other REALLY good bottles with terrible labels...and then, of course, the NOT so good bottles with the really bad labels.

I'm definitely not a label-buyer--obviously, I rarely see labels until I'm tasting the wines, which is a bonus of being in my business. A lot of my customers are label purchasers, though, and it makes total sense! There are times when it's great, and I'd be lying if I didn't purchase certain stock because I KNOW people will buy for the label.

At the end of the day, great label or not, if the wine isn't good, you're not going to repurchase. And vice versa, I'll buy a great bottle with a horrible label (above) again and again.

But to quote a very wise man, "I'd never bring that bottle to a BYO restaurant!"

What about you? Are you a label buyer? Share your stories, good and bad!

Some of my favorites?

I've written about this wine before--it's fantastic and retails for around $9.

But the label is like the decor from the tv show "Too Close for Comfort!"

A lovely Sauvignon Blanc I just started carrying. Retails for about $13.

But for label buyers? It's terrible!

This is one of those not so great wines with an even worse label. Don't even get me started!

Pesto: The Last of My Rampage

2010-04-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

Pesto is fascinating, isn't it? Ok, maybe not fascinating...but certainly interesting. It's easy and gives you instant gratification. All you need is a food processor (or a blender, but I think you REALLY need a food processor to make it work well) and some ingredients and POW! You have a dip, a sauce, a spread...("it's a hat, it's a brooch, it's a Teradactyl.")

Traditionally, pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. That's it, aside from salt and pepper. But there are recipes that switch that up all over the place. Spinach, peas...all can be made into pesto with the right balance. I've made a tarragon and parsley pesto. I make a spinach and walnut pesto that is one of my absolute favorites! I tend to start the processing of the pesto with stock, just to lighten it up a bit and get the greens moving...and then stream in the olive oil. But it's basically hard to screw up. Just taste and test as you go, blending and adding to your heart's content.

I decided to use the remainder of my ramps (sad to see you go, happy for the week's worth of meals I had) to make a pesto, per the genius of my friends at Kitchen Lab. I took it a step in a new direction, swapping in pistachios for the pine nuts (they also made one with walnuts) and using manchego cheese. It needed some lemon (zest and juice) and I lightened it up with a bit of stock, but it was tremendous! Throw in some chicken sausage and bulgur and we had a beautiful meal. More importantly, we had a few beautiful jars to give away!

Bonus points go to the readers that can name the quote above!

Pesto (in a nutshell)
3 or so C (packed loosely) greens, herbs, ramps, whatever
Heavy splash of vegetable or chicken stock (if you want to lighten it up)
1/2 C toasted nuts of your choosing (just toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes)
1/2 grated cheese (again, try different hard cheeses to mix it up)
Lemon (zest and juice) if necessary, depending on your greens
1/2-3/4 C olive oil (depends on consistency)
salt and pepper

In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the nuts til they're mostly chopped.
Add greens and a splash of stock (or oil) and process down to a rough paste.
Add in cheese and lemon zest (if using) and turn your machine on, slowly streaming in the olive oil, tasting and testing as you go.
When you reach desired sauciness, add in salt and pepper, more cheese if necessary, lemon juice if necessary, and stir.
Serve with pasta, meat, as a dip...the possibilities, they are endless!

How Do YOU Grill Your Cheese?

2010-04-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

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It's been pointed out to me, about 6 or 7 times, that April is National Grilled Cheese Month. This makes me laugh for several reasons, not counting that I think it's funny that people tell me these things, AND that there is an entire MONTH for Grilled Cheese. Makes sense, of course. Is there really anything better than gooey cheese and great toasty bread, hot and messy and yummy?

I live by two standards of grilled cheese sandwiches. One, which I try to eat far less frequently, is the true deliciousness of four or five different cheeses, and some prosciutto or bacon, melted together beautifully between two pieces of challah or brioche, with the aid of a well seasoned frying pan and some butter. Did I mention the fried egg in it? Oops.

Guilty? Yes, but still amazingly good.

The other, I eat often. (Probably too often, really.) I break out one of my top 5 appliances, the glorious panini press, and a bit of olive oil spray. I melt together some less than totally bad for me cheese, maybe with some meat (maybe not) on some kind of almost really good for you bread--generally sprouted wheat, if I'm being honest. It's not exactly health food, but it's not bad for me either.

So, in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month, I thought I'd share my top 5 tips for a great, good for you grilled cheese:

1: Bread. Choose wisely. Yes, things like buttery brioche are insanely delicious, but they are not so good for my jeans. So, try to pick something a bit denser, with some high protein or great fiber. Ezekial bread works well, and like I said, I live for sprouted wheat bread.

2: Cheese. Duh. I try and use a little of something really strong and yummy in flavor, like a manchego or an extra sharp great cheddar. Then, if I want more melty goodness, I use a low-fat, part skim mozzarella to help that meltiness come into play. Of course, there are days when nothing but a beautiful piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella will do. Those days, just go with it. You're being healthy in other ways.

3: Flavor. Because you're going the healthier route, and forgoing butter and the fatty deliciousness known as semi-soft cheese, you're going to want something to bite you back. Go for the gold. Spicy grainy mustard, or a great pepper jam. Pesto. A bit of Giardiniera peppers. Don't go overboard, just go enough. And don't forget the salt and pepper!

4: Non-stickiness. Whether you're using a panini press or a grill pan, don't use butter. Just don't do it to yourself. (And if you're one of those people who butter doesn't bother, don't listen to me!) I go for olive oil, or better yet, an olive oil spray.

5: Extra flavor. Better known as dipping! Some of us are dippers, some of us are not. I most DEFINITELY AM! So, dip away in my book. Mix up a crazy good honey mustard, heat up some tomato or roasted red pepper soup (I firmly stand by those cartons of soup from Trader Joe's or Pacific, especially for this!) If you're J, mix up something super spicy and use bbq sauce and probably one other dip.

So enjoy! Grill your cheesy little hearts content! What are your favorite ways to grill some cheese?

Ramping Up the Carbs for a Ramptastic Pasta!

2010-04-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I've just crossed a big one off of my "foodie bucket list." Ramps. From those who gingerly walk into the food world one toe at a time, or those who cannonball right into the pool, ramps are key. They are a spring bounty, a triumph, and often rated with morels as the "to use/to find/to hunt ingredient."
Even more apparently, they grow right where I live. In droves. I've eaten them before, but never hunted them or cooked them. Until this week, of course.

Ok, I didn't hunt them. But our fabulous friends did. And they gave me TONS! Along with 2 really killer homemade ramp pestos--one with walnut, one with pine nuts. And several warnings on the meditative (translation: lengthy) cleaning process of said product. I set about this task on Tuesday, contemplating for 30 hours prior just what I wanted to do with my first ramp trick. I admit, I was a bit intimidated, only because chefs like Alex Guarnaschelli tweet about them with excited glee. In a slightly cheating manner, I decided to both use the ramps AND the aforementioned pesto, so as to make my dish even more ramptastic--and to insure at least one part would be insanely good (the pesto.)

But here's the deal--the dish was amazing. The ramps, when I bit the leafy top raw, had a pungent garlic flavor. But when sauteed in a bit of olive oil and renderings from a ridiculously amazing prosciutto from Iowa, they mellow out and get a lovely balanced flavor. I tossed the crispy prosciutto with the whole-grain, flax-seed rotini, and heated the walnut-ramp pesto with it. Using some pasta cooking water to thin out the pesto, and tossing it all together with the sauteed ramps...well, it was awesomely fantastic.

Today, I clean more ramps, and am going to attempt my own pesto, as well as using the raw greens in a salad. And feel insanely foodie-cool.

Go on, go to the farmer's market (those of you lucky enough to live in cities) and pick some up. Or, for those of you country-folk like moi, go outside and hunt. You never know what you'll find!

Basic Pasta...Ramped UP!
1 lb whole grain short cut pasta
1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced in strips
1 lb ramps, cleaned, tops cut from stem, sliced in half
1 small jar pesto (if it's ramp pesto, even better!)
1 lemon
Parmesan Cheese (or some other hard grating cheese)
salt and pepper
olive oil
While pasta boils, in a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil and render prosciutto strips until just crispy. Remove, and drain on paper towel lined plate.
Add ramps into oil/prosciutto renderings, and sautee until they wilt to a spinach like consistency.
Remove, set aside.
When pasta is almost al dente, reserve 1 C pasta water and drain pasta.
Toss in pan from prosciutto and ramps, and toss with pesto. Add ramps, and toss, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Add lemon zest and juice and toss.
Add in prosciutto, and grate parmesan cheese over, tossing.
Serve immediately (and be ready for seconds.)

Salmon: Gorgeous, plain and simple.

2010-04-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

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We're all looking for simple and gorgeous. In most everything these days. A great beer, a great set of dishes, a great cookie, a great dinner party. Everything should look effortless, according to Martha and Ina and others...but they don't always make it effortless for US! And often, we NEED effortless. In a world where we work our butts off, and then work some more, we don't always have hour upon hour to cook a four-course dinner for our friends.

This salmon recipe personifies that feeling. I cannot take credit for it--it's my mother's. One of the things she always goes to for a dinner party or holiday, it's incredibly beautiful, and I've never seen anyone NOT ask for seconds. But the best part? It's wicked easy. I know, I've made it.

Your spouse will adore you, your dinner guests will marvel at your skill and technique, wondering if you've had a private lesson from Moonen or Bourdain.

But the best part? It's one of those dishes that inspires you. It makes you feel/look like a rockstar in the kitchen. Which, for most of us, is something we want even more than just simple and gorgeous.

Gingered Salmon
1/2 finely sliced scallion
6 TBSP finely grated peeled fresh ginger (you can also finely mince it)
6 TBSP grapeseed oil (or other light colored oil)
1/2 C soy sauce (I use Tamari--and always reduced sodium, no matter what)
2 TBSP sugar (I used turbinado sugar, or raw sugar
2 tsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 t pepper
4 lbs salmon fillets, the skin and any bones and brown fat discarded (My mother has her fish guy remove the skin from the back as well--I didn't, as it's easy to remove once the fish is cooked.)

Make the marinade: In a small skillet cook the scallion and the ginger in the oil over moderate heat, stirring until the mixture is golden. Remove the skillet from the heat.
In a bowl whisk together the soy, sugar, mirin, sesame oil, pepper and the scallion mixture.

Arrange the salmon in a large shallow dish, pour the marinade over it and let the salmon marinate, covered and chilled for at least 1 hr or overnight.
Transfer the salmon with tongs to the rack of a foil-lined broiler pan.
Brush it generously with the marinade, and broil it under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness
(Mom bakes it for about 10 minutes before she broils it, or you can grill it--delicious!)
It is not necessary to turn the salmon. Serves 8-10

The crispier the top, the better!

**Note: You want to use really good salmon. Wild, not farmed. For more information on why, please visit Rick Moonen's blog listed above. I used sushi grade and it was ridonkulous--it doesn't need to cook a lot, so you want really good product. Rant over.**

Soe's Insane Burger with Fried Egg and Bacon

2010-04-13T08:56:00.000-04:00

The photographic proof of the fried egg burger. J hadn't had it, so we went for lunch yesterday.
And no, I didn't eat it. Once a week works for me! :)

More later. I've got ramps to clean!

My Favorite Dirty Little Trend

2010-04-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

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There's a trend in food right now. It's been around for a long time, but it is resurfacing in a massive way. And I love it. I lovingly call it the "clearly everyone knows that everything tastes better with an egg" trend. Seriously, have you noticed? Salads, gourmet snacks, fries. Everywhere you look, eggs are turning up in one way or another to make our dishes that much more delicious. And caloric, of course.

But here's my dirty little secret about this trend, other than I freaking love it. I didn't use to love it at all. In fact, not even a little bit. I'm not a fried egg kind of girl, or at least, I wasn't. Nothing runny near my eggs for breakfast, please. The sight of someone mopping up the yolk of their soft-poached egg with their toast brought me close to gagging. (Never mind watching my adventurous 5 year old niece dip pieces of bread into an egg cup at Le Pain!)

But somehow, slowly but surely, the eggs kept creeping closer and closer to my plates of food. A bite of J's yummy egg and bacon panini here, a dip for the aforementioned fries there. The glory of the fried egg atop the Pastrami Primanti's. And then, before I knew it, I was straight up ordering dishes BECAUSE of the egg. I now scour menus for fried eggs and often jump in head first without thinking another thought.

Last night, I had such an experience. I had a late dinner with friends after work, at a local place that recently underwent a chef change that has been receiving rave reviews. Specifically from these friends who have eaten there every weekend for the last few weeks. There was one dish, however, getting the most praise, and I had been craving it. A burger, made more wonderous by the additions of bacon and a fried egg on top. And...ohmyholygodreally? Wow.

We split it. I wished we hadn't. My thighs/hips/chin are glad we did.

When J arrived home from his gig at 2:30am, I babbled to him about it. And again this morning. And again on the way to work. I'm making him go there tomorrow night. Enough said.

"Health" in 15 minutes

2010-04-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

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Yesterday kind of blew. Just one of those days, dealing with a lot of those things, yada yada. Between the weird weather, the killer work screw up and other things, I was less than in the mood for anything all day. Until J and I had to, ahem, run an errand to the local microbrewery The Livery . Where I had a beer. Which helped.

After the porkapalooza eating fest in Chicago this week, I had intended to make something healthy and easy for dinner. Until J got a beer in him, and decided he wanted pizza. I did not. I could not. Couldn't happen. So I started thinking of the easiest option in the kitchen (yes, in the car) and really really knew that I did not want a salad. Anyway, here's what I knew I had in the house: quinoa, chicken stock, chicken sausage, broccoli rabe and feta cheese. (And balsamic vinegar, which I always have.) I figured, that sounds like a good meal? Slightly comforting while still being healthy, and fast enough that I could make it while J's pizza stayed warm in the oven and he cleaned out the litter boxes.

15 minutes later, I had something that resembled mac and cheese in terms of comfort food but wouldn't make me feel like total crap after eating it. Filling and flavorful, it made a crappy day a little less crappy, instead of giving into the instinct of mowing down on half of J's pepperoni pie.

And of course, left room for some very necessary dessert.

Quinoa with Chicken Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Feta
2 servings (one for dinner, one for lunch!)
1 C Quinoa
2 C chicken stock
1 link chicken sausage, sliced
1 C broccoli rabe, chopped
1/4 C crumbled or chopped feta
Balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste

Bring quinoa and chicken stock to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook approximately 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, sear up chicken sausage in a skillet, remove.
Bring a small pot of water to a simmer, and cook broccoli rabe for about 5 minutes, to take out the bitterness. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
When quinoa is almost done, add broccoli rabe to pot of cooking quinoa, and cook until done.
Remove from heat, add feta and stir. Add in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

I also added in a bit of garlic at the end, because I was in a garlicky mood. But the trick with this, I think, is that the possibilities are endless. No chicken sausage but a leftover rotisserie chicken? Throw that in. No feta but goat cheese? Done. Don't like broccoli rabe? Throw in peas or whatever other veggie you have. This dish LOOKED pretty and tasted insane--no reason not to feed it to your mother-in-law, neighbor, or boss.

Apron Anxiety's Recipe for Hot Bread Success

2010-04-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on facebook or twitter, or read this blog regularly enough to pick up on my links, you know I LOVE Apron Anxiety. Moreover, I love Alyssa, who IS Apron Anxiety. Alyssa and I have been friends since my insane wild child days in NYC (don't ask, I won't tell you anyway) and our friendship has survived breakups, marriage, several careers in PR, a crazy dating blog, and more. Somehow, we're better than ever, and I have to thank our love of food, cooking, and writing for some of that. She's a genius at her laptop, and becoming a rockstar in her kitchen--thanks to her relationchef (she's engaged to Spike Mendelsohn, the hot, fedora wearing, wise-ass from Top Chef Chicago.)
Here is Alyssa's fool-proof recipe for homemade bread, sure to make any man fall to his knees.

I’d love to say that I learned to bake bread from a peasant lady in Lisbon. Or because I’m earthy, crunchy and cool. But let’s be real- I learned to bake bread because I like the way it makes my house smell. And when your fiancé comes home at the crack of dawn - tired, starving and craving comfort – this makes him worship you.

I guess ignorance is bliss because I didn’t even realize bread-baking was any sort of badass accomplishment. It came really naturally. Which is baffling since things like roasting chicken and boiling potatoes still result in me plea-bargaining for Percocet.

Then again, if we do indeed turn into our mothers (oy!) I suppose I was destined to stalk strangers on the bus, take bubble baths before bed, ignore my husband’s opinion and become an amazing baker of bread.

This recipe is a no-brainer. Literally – it requires no brain (I know this because I’ve made it while very distracted and not-in-the mood). It has a short rise-time and very simple ingredients. Everyone enjoys it. Best with good butter or a few slices of cheese.

Your home will smell sensational. Brilliant night to ask for that beach house, baby or back rub. You can thank me later.

Shaker-Style Walnut and Rosemary Loaf, as found on Epicurious.com
2 1/4 cups very warm whole milk (120°F)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
2 envelopes active dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten to blend
6 1/2 cups (about) all purpose flour
  1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  Vegetable oil
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon whole milk (for glaze)

Pour milk into large bowl. Mix in sugar, butter, and salt; cool to lukewarm. Place 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl; mix in yeast. Let stand 6 minutes.

Stir yeast mixture and 1 egg into lukewarm milk mixture. Mix in 4 cups flour. Beat with wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sponge stand until bubbles appear at edge, about 15 minutes.

Mix nuts and rosemary into sponge. Mix in flour, 1/3 cupful at a time, until soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, sprinkling with flour as needed, about 10 minutes. Brush clean large bowl with oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Brush two 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pans with oil. Punch dough down and turn out onto work surface; shape into two 8-inch-long loaves. Place in pans. Let rise, uncovered, until almost doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Using serrated knife, make shallow cut down center of each loaf. Brush loaves with glaze. Bake until golden and crusty, about 35 minutes. Turn breads out of pans. Cool on racks.

Holy Purple Pig, Batman!

2010-04-05T20:34:00.000-04:00

I literally just had one of the best restaurant experiences of my life. At The Purple Pig on Michigan Avenue. Literally one of the best. (And that's not just the dry rosé/pork high talking.) They're not joking when they say "Cheese, swine and wine." Apron Anxiety, your man would be proud.

J and I are down in Chicago for a few days for various reasons. We're staying near Michigan Avenue, again, for a variety of reasons. I left him in the room this afternoon and went out to run a few errands, passing by The Purple Pig on the way. I have been DYING to eat here, ever since I read phenomenal reviews, not to mention hearing from Alain Joseph (Emeril's Culinary Assistant) that it was one of the best. So, I took note, and considered it for a meal tonight. Upon my journey to return to the hotel, J decided that he wanted to eat first (and then go meet friends to watch Butler do their best to try and smoke Duke) and we figured we'd just meet there.

Upon entering, I was excited. Large communal tables, two-top banquets, and a long marble bar. The waitress mentioned that there was "chef's table" seating, on the end of the bar. I ran to it. It was early, around 5:30, and I knew J would be rocked to eat there. The menu is insane. A virtual smorgasbord of pork-related wonder. I ordered a glass of a great dry rosé (Vega Sindoa) and waited for J while perusing the menu. Of course, once he arrived, we set about it, asking the chefs in front of us as well as the waitress for their expert opinions.

We ordered the following: salt-roasted beets with whipped goat cheese and pistachios, prosciutto bread balls, fried pigs ears with crispy kale, cherry peppers, and a fried egg, the serrano jamon with roasted asparagus and grilled bread, and the balsamic braised pig tails with egg salad and parsley (to cut through the acidity.) The chefs in front of us, on the flat grill, were kind enough to give us an order of both marinated olives and the insane pork-fried almonds, as well! Um, needless to say? Freaking amazing. The pig tails and the serrano were the high stand outs. The pigs ears were great, but a little rich for our full menu of ordering. EVERYTHING was outstanding.

It wasn't just the outrageously delicious food that made this experience so delightful. It was the service, the attention, the talkativeness of the chefs/servers, and the knowledge they all had. Asking our waitress about cheese and wine was an educational lesson--and I know wine! The selection they have, the informative way they deliver it...it was all fantastic.

We ended the meal with a farro and sweetened ricotta pudding with melted chocolate sauce. Ridiculous. That is all I can say about it.

I cannot say enough that you MUST try this place. It is so right smack dab in the middle of the tourist-action that is Michigan Avenue that you'd trip over it if it was Dick's Last Resort. But it's good...oh, so so so good.

So good that as I sit here, attempting to get off my pork high behind to go watch the basketball game, I'm literally debating going back for the fried sardines.

What Can I do for YOU?

2010-04-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

I'm in Easter-recovery mode. Meaning, I've overdosed on my mother-in-law's ridiculous baked goods, my sister-in-law's fantastic Easter lunch, and my father-in-law's Easter crack of choice, dark chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. Lord.

It's the first time we've been with J's family in a while, and, of course, we had a great time. Our niece Abby is unbeatable, and getting cuter and more amazing by the day. But enough about that. Eventually, talk turned to my blog a bit--on a walk to the park to watch Abby play. My sister-in-law asked for more "side" recipes. She told me she often just makes an easy protein, and needs recipes for good, healthy, easy sides to prepare for dinner. So that got me thinking, and I'm plotting a few recipes tailored for her in the coming days/weeks.

Taking a cue from Gini Dietrich, who's blogging and social media skills inspire me daily, I thought I'd ask if anyone else has any special requests. Comment and let me know. I'm open to ideas. I'm happy to create and test and work on things...just for you. It will keep me inspired, and keep me working.

I know you're out there--so here's your chance to tell me EXACTLY what you need.

Stuff This: A Matzoh Stuffing

2010-04-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

The recipes in my Passover arsenal are fascinating. Mainly because they're good enough to make all year round, though I hardly do. My brownies are probably the best I make all year round, though I've never tried to "un-Passover" them. Don't even get me started on Haroset or hard boiled eggs with salt water.

I feel that way about this stuffing. You could make it with bread and go traditional--it would be amazing. The recipe is more about the combining of perfect flavors that work together whether you're eating whole wheat matzoh or a fabulous artisanal sourdough loaf.

Something about the combination I used makes me feel like I'm eating something insanely decadent, though in truth this recipe is also really healthy--I mean, as far as stuffings go.

Cranberry, Chestnut, Fennel Stuffing

3 c unsalted chicken stock
1 c dried cranberries
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 carrot peeled and chopped
2 fennel bulbs, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 egg slightly beaten
About 8 whole wheat matzohs broken into medium sized (larger than bite-sized) pieces
2 c prepared chestnuts halved (they come in a jar)
2 T chopped fresh sage
1 T chopped fresh thyme
2 T chopped fresh flat parsley
salt and pepper
2 T reserved fennel frawns (tops) chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm stock until steam begins to rise 3-5 min.
Remove from heat and add cranberries; set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil.
Add onion, fennel, carrot; sauté stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
Add chopped parsley, sage, and thyme.
Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

In a large bowl, stir egg while slowly pouring in stock and cranberries (be careful stock is not too hot or egg will scramble!).
Add matzoh and stir until well blended. Use your hands--trust me!
Let stand, stirring occasionally until stock is absorbed 6-8 min.
Add vegetable mix, chestnuts, and fennel frawns.
Season with salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
Bake until browned and crispy 45-50 min.

Interfaith Brownies

2010-04-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

I'm in an interfaith relationship. It's true. My husband? Not so Jewish. Which is fine--ALL the time. Doesn't matter at all. Except when Easter falls smack dab in the middle of Passover (two years running I think) and makes me totally breakdown and lose the exciting feeling of actually managing to KEEP passover for the whole 8 days. (Um, excluding beer. Which in my world, is fine.) We go to my in-laws for Easter, almost every year. And there's this REALLY good ham. And cookies. And Reese's peanut butter eggs. (If you do not know of the difference between a Reese's CUP and an EGG, I pity you.)

(Cooling in pan, 1/2 nuts, 1/2 no...)

So, to clear out my fridge before our pilgrimage to Rockford, IL for the eggy holiday, I've been getting rid of all the Passover goodies I cooked. I took a plate FULL of the brownies/matzoh to the shop with me today, and left them on my counter. Offering them to distributors, customers, and of course, the people who love me and see me there daily. It must have been a big day of Jewish tourism, because several of my customers, or people who came in, wound up being Jewish. So, I offered. I mean, they're kosher for Passover. And one by one, people were blown away. (Hi people who ate my brownies and got my blog address when asked for the recipe! Hope you're having a nice day!) The thing about these brownies is that they're insane. So good. NO idea why I don't make them all year round and leave out the kosher for passover part. They're THAT good. Mushy, gooey, delicious. And flourless, of course. Someday, I hope to try and figure out a way to make the same recipe without the matzoh cake meal, which just aint that easy to find. But until then, here you go. I SERIOUSLY recommend them. Like, for real. Serious.

Make them for Easter and you TOO can have Interfaith Brownies.

Passover Chocolate Interfaith Brownies
4oz bittersweet chocolate (I use a high quality like Ghiardelli bar)
1/2 lb butter
4 eggs
2 C sugar
1 cup matzoh cake meal (hard to find, but if you do--you can store it in the freezer.)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 TBSP vanilla
2 TBSP good strong instant coffee or espresso
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1 C chocolate chips (again, good quality)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
In either the microwave or a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together and cool. I do this both ways, and microwaving is fine. Just put them in a big bow, and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring each time it dings. You don't want to over melt the chocolate, so just keep stirring in between. Or, be safe, and do this over a double boiler and stir a lot.
Beat eggs with sugar.
Blend in salt, vanilla, and chocolate/butter mixture.
Gradually stir in coffee and matzoh cake meal
Add 1/2 C nuts (if using) and 3/4 C chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining nuts and chips over the top.
Bakes for between 35-45 minutes, but take it out just when the edges start to crisp.

Double this recipe. Trust me.

The Meat that Change My (Culinary) Life

2010-04-02T08:08:00.000-04:00

The night that we celebrated the inauguration of President Obama, my life changed. No, not just because of the O's. It changed because I was introduced to a couple it would take me another year to actually connect with, and those people would change my life. Or at least, change the way I cook red meat. I met The Schuttlers of Middlebrook Farms in Three Oaks, MI.

When I knew I was cooking Passover, I decided I wanted to try and do it as local as possible. This is not an easy accomplishment where I live, especially in March. But I wanted to try. I knew I'd be cooking brisket, and my first stop was to call Janet Schuttler and see what she would have for me. Turns out, they had four pieces of brisket for me, totaling the 10lbs I needed. Grass-fed, locally grown, super well taken care of flat brisket. I had never had Middlebrook's meat before, but I went with my gut. The farm is approximately 10 miles from my house, and only 2 from the shop--does meat get more local than that?

J and I went to pick up the brisket a few days before Passover, and were blown away by the farm. Gorgeous I had expected. But breathtakingly, incredibly, awe-inspiring...I had not. I only wish I had been smart enough to have my phone on me--I would have taken pictures for you. There are huge red barns and an adorable yellow farm house. Large cows outside, grazing on the same grass that grows right in front of my shop. (Ok, not exactly.) Janet met us, and after we settled up, she took us on a tour. Calves had just been born that week, so we went inside the barn and met them. We met them mothers, we met the llama that takes care of the cattle. Apparently, the llama knows instinctively how to keep coyotes away from the cows. Incredible. We met the chickens that would be giving us farm fresh eggs this summer, and saw the cool upstairs barn space where I'm ITCHING to throw a beer dinner--more on that soon. It made me want to give up life and be a farmer--a feeling that passed soon after, when we stopped on the drive home to scrape the chicken poop out of our sneakers. I'm not exactly cut out for the farming lifestyle. But I'm happier than anything to reap the benefits of people, like the Schuttlers, who ARE!

I'd be lying if I said the experience of meeting a cow I might someday eat wasn't weird for me. It was. But, I'm not a vegetarian, and I openly eat meat. I turned the weirdness into this incredible feeling of cool...knowing that the meat I would be cooking and eating had a wonderful existence, cared for by this amazing couple. I knew the meat had a good life, and wasn't tortured or treated badly.

And honestly, that has to be good enough for me. I can tell you the brisket was insane. Delicious, lean, flavorful. If you have the opportunity to buy from a local farm like this, I really encourage you to do so. If you can't, just allow yourself to try grass-fed beef, just once. I'm almost positive you won't switch back if you have the option.

It's good for you, it's good for the planet. What more can you ask?

Photos: Middlebrook Farms

Oh, AND you want the recipe for the brisket? Sure!

Jill's Made Up Passover or Absolutely Any Time Brisket

10 lbs of brisket (obviously adjust for proper size)
2 heads of garlic
1 bottle Cotes du Rhone or other dry red wine (you may not use the whole bottle)
2 C beef stock, more if necessary
salt and pepper
3 large spanish onions, sliced
1/2 C packed dark brown sugar
1/3 C balsamic vinegar (use the cheap stuff here, it will carmelize and thicken in the pan)
2 TBSP dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 TBSP dried sage
**cooking times refer to grass-fed beef. If using regular beef, cook 30% longer on the last cooking stage.

Preheat oven to 500
Dry brisket and place in a roasting pan or casserole big enough to hold the meat and a lot of juices.
Peel cloves from garlic (keep in mind this was for 10lbs) and with a paring knife, cut small incisions in the fatty side of the meat, stuffing each clove of garlic into a different incision.
Season liberally with salt and coarse black pepper.

Place brisket fat side up into hot oven for approximately 4-7 minutes, until top browns. Turn brisket and place back in oven to brown other side.
Reduce heat to 350.
Remove brisket from oven and add Cotes du Rhone (or other dry red wine) and beef stock (again, this was for a lot of meat.) You want the liquid to come up to about 1 inch on the side of the pan.
Cover brisket with foil and place in oven for 1 hour.
While brisket is cooking, slice onions and place in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Salt liberally.
Allow onions to cook for 30-45 minutes, until fully carmelized and liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
Remove brisket after one hour, and add onions, sugar, balsamic vinegar and spices to pan. Add more liquid if necessary. Stir brisket around to incorporate all ingredients.
Recover and cook for 1 hour.
Test with instant read thermometer--should be around 135 when you pull the pan out.
Allow to rest for at least 25 minutes (depending on size) and then slice and return meat to pan with all juices.
Allow to cool completely, and refrigerate until next day. (Not necessary, but really? So much better!)

To reheat, bring pan up to room temp and place in 275 oven until warm.
When meat is up to temperature, remove from pan and place all pan drippings in blender/food processor with 1/2-2 C of chicken/beef stock (will depend on amount of liquid meat gave off) and 1/2 C red wine, 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar. Puree until desired consistency (I like mine thick) and warm through before serving.

My Second Seder: Leftovers

2010-04-01T08:27:00.000-04:00

We're a few days into the Passover holiday, and I've been very good. No grains, no flour...not even any beer (which is usually my "allowed sin.") That is due in large part to the insane amount of food I made for our first seder on Monday night. I've still got a fridge full of leftovers...

On Tuesday night, the "seder" was to be just J, my mom, and me. Which in our terms meant eating leftovers with Crystal Bowersox and Dr. Drew. Now my food on Monday was great. But as much as I love leftovers, I couldn't bring myself to eat the exact same plate of food again. All of a sudden, in a flash between seeing Alice in Wonderland 3D (hey, it was a day of rest!) and buying hair gel at Target, I decided I'd make a leftover shepherd's pie!

Shepherd's pie is a tried and true favorite in the world. How could it not be? Cook up some meat, add in some vegetables, and cover the entire thing with mashed potatoes? I'm sorry, what DOESN'T sound good in there? So I set about chopping up my brisket, smashing up some sweet potatoes with the beet horseradish we'd had for the seder (the color was the most gorgeous combination of bright orangey fuschia!) and making us a delicious 2nd seder meal.

What? Surely there is one Jewish celebrity on Sober House, no?

I should say this: I HATE leftover "recipes." In truth, how many of us often have the exact leftovers the recipe calls for? It's bogus. So, for this, the only thing to know is that if you didn't cook a 10lb grass fed brisket for dinner this week, feel free to cook up any kind of meat you want--the recipe will still be delicious. You may need to add some more garlic, or onion or season it a bit more--just go with it.

Leftover Brisket Shepherd's Pie
About 5-7 thick slices of brisket, chopped into small dice
Gravy from brisket
Chicken Stock
1lb bag frozen pearl onions
1/2 lb bag frozen peas
3 sweet potatoes, chopped
3 TBSP prepared horseradish
2 TBSP non fat greek yogurt
salt and pepper
parsley

Preheat oven to 375
Chop sweet potatoes, cover with cold water, cover pot and bring to a boil. (Be sure to remove the lid when the pot starts boiling, or it will boil over.) Cook til fork tender, drain, place back in hot pot on stove.

In a large skillet, add brisket and a bit of gravy to pan. Heat through, adding chicken stock to loosen the gravy.
Add pearl onions.

Mash the potatoes with the horseradish, about 1/4 C of chicken stock (more if necessary) and greek yogurt. Add salt and pepper as needed.
I like my potatoes mashed, not whipped--but this is your world, so do what you like.

Add peas to meat and onions, cook an additional 1 minute.
In a prepared casserole dish (just spray with some olive oil cooking spray) add meat mixture.

Then spoon mashed potatoes on top, spreading a thick layer all over. Make sure to "seal" in the meat with the potatoes.

Bake for 10 minutes, then broil on low until the potatoes get a bit crispy on top.
Garnish with parsley, and serve with additional gravy and horseradish!

My First Seder: A Pictorial

2010-03-30T09:15:00.000-04:00

Last night I hosted my first Passover Seder, a tradition I've really only experienced at my parent's or grandparent's. As J pointed out to me last night, we hosted our very first married couple holiday--a feat we're both proud of and wiped by. I have a few phenomenal recipes to share with you, but today, as I scavenge my way through whole wheat matzoh and left over haroset, "Passover" brownies and brisket, I leave you with the pictures of our meal.

Passover Brownies

Dark Chocolate and Sea-Salt Caramel Matzoh (one with pecans)

Local Grass Fed Brisket

Fennel, Chestnut, Cranberry Matzoh Stuffing

Israeli Salad

J's Grandmother's Silver (WHICH HE POLISHED!!)

Our Table

How I Lost My Favorite Pizza Place

2010-03-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

Last night, we ordered pizza from our favorite, local, pizza joint, Big Daddy's. The one where the guy knows us so well, he knows our voices. He knows exactly how J likes each and every pizza we order, be it BBQ chicken or Pepperoni. He catered our rehearsal dinner. Almost every Sunday for the last 2 years, we've ordered a pie from there.

Sadly, last night was Big Daddy's last night. He is closing the doors of the pizza joint. Located in the small town of Three Oaks, MI (where my shop is) he is just losing money. Too much to stay open any longer.

This is really sad, not only for John (aka Big Daddy) but for our town. It's just another sad sight of businesses closing due to this economy. But what really gets me, what really has made me mad enough to sit down in the middle of prepping the dinner for tomorrow's seder and write, is the fact that a lot of this has to do with people saving $2 and buying from a large, national, chain (one I won't mention but let's say it rhymes with mutt.) In talking with people around the town, I've found out that a lot of locals just bought into their $10 pizza deal, and stopped buying our local pizza. John's pizzas are not expensive, mind you. But yes, they are $2 more. But they are also delicious, made by hand, and do I need to mention again that he knows me by my VOICE?

Without ranting like a crazy person, let me please just ask you to try and spend the extra $2 to buy local. I'm not asking you to always do this. I understand how the recession has affected US ALL, but when it comes to something like buying food from a local owned grocery store, or (obviously) shopping at farmer's markets, or trying to just support your local business owners. It's worth the extra few dollars to keep these businesses going. Otherwise, we'll end up in a world where the only place to shop is Walmart.

And I for one don't want to live in that world.

A Beer-y Pork au Poivre

2010-03-25T08:43:00.000-04:00

With all the beer guest blogging around here, I had to fill you in. When I had Joe guest blog, it was a fair and square trade, much like our beer trading every other month or so. I would write, cook, and blog a recipe involving beer, and he would produce a great beer entry for me. It was such an exciting task--having an end goal is often helpful for me. J and I, in the car, started throwing ideas out, and after much deliberation we came up with doing a play on Steak au Poivre with a beer reduction. And then some.

I wanted to use Mexican flavors, and thus, a Mexican beer. Instead of going basic, I decided to use Mexico's answer to craft beer, the newly released (in the last year or so) Cucapa. They have a great honey-infused beer, and while it's not always my favorite to drink (in the label, anyway) I knew it would pair beautifully with pork, heavy spicing, and other such niceties. Given that it was still a bit on the chilly side--after all, spring has only JUST sprung, I paired it with plantain "frites" and a celery root and parsnip mash with arugula and scallion. I reduced down a bottle of the Cucapa about 2/3, and added it to the pan drippings after cooking the pork tenderloin "steaks." In a word? Unbelievable. At the last minute, I decided to mix up a dip for the frites...greek yogurt, the beer, some hot sauce, salt and pepper. And that was even more incredible. Perfect beer notes, paired with that creamy BITE that greek yogurt has? Oh my...

I did double fry the plantain frites, I can't lie to you. But other than that, this dish is rather healthy and would impress the pants off of anyone that happened to drop by for dinner.

And seriously? Freaking fantastically insanely good.

So as to not overwhelm this particular entry, let me know in the comments if you want the recipes for the plantains and the celery root mash, and I'll add them!

Pork au Poivre with Cucapa Beer Reduction
1 pkg pork tenderloin (there are 2 pieces) trimmed and cut into 3 inch "steaks"
2 bottles Cucapa Honey (or Mexican style beer that you particularly enjoy)
1 tsp chipotle chili powder (or cayenne)
2 tsp pasilla chili pepper (or ancho, or whatever you have)
2 TBSP whole cumin seeds
2 TBSP whole coriander seeds
3 TBSP multi-colored peppercorns
2 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350

In a morter and pestle, grind all spices and salt until chunky--not too smooth, but with some whole ground pieces. This could be done much quicker in a spice grinder--I was feeling particularly anti-equipment this day.

Place 1 bottle of beer in sauce pan and reduce by about 2/3. Should be over medium-high heat. Stir as foam starts to get too overwhelming. When reduced, turn heat off. Reserve.
Pour spices onto plate.

Take pork "steaks" and season each side with salt and pepper.
Crust one side of each piece by placing down on plate of spices--crust heavily with spice mixture.

In a large, oven-safe skillet (large enough to hold all the pork steaks) heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Place pork in skillet, spiced side down, and sear--approximately 2-3 minutes.
Flip pork, sear another 2-3 minutes.
Place skillet in hot oven for approximately 12 minutes--until an instant read thermometer reads 140 degrees.

Remove pork from skillet, place on board or plate to rest at least 10 minutes.

Return skillet to heat (medium) and add reduced beer to pork drippings. Deglaze pan, scraping up all bits on bottom of pan.
Allow to reduce until sauce seems dark in color and thick enough to pour over meat.

Plate pork and pour sauce over.

Use 1/4 C other bottle of beer for greek yogurt sauce, and/or drink with dinner!

Beer, Bacon, and Chocolate: What's the fourth food group again?

2010-03-24T09:23:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of the awesome guest blogger I had last week, I had to share this amazing post from my great friends, Nick and Rebekah of Kitchen Lab and Design in a Bag . They are two of my favorite people to eat, drink, and talk with, and they know exactly what they're talking about. It's scary sometimes--the conversations I can have with Nick about beer...love having an ally in the world of craft beer (other than J of course!) Check out this post and you'll know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

Great Beer, Bacon and Chocolate?
One of the great joys of cooking is combining flavors; bringing things that may seem disparate together to create something new, something which might seem at first blush to be a lousy idea can, sometimes, become a new "go-to" staple. The idea of beer and chocolate is basically mainstream at this point, no doubt someone who had enjoyed the wonders of drinking port with dark chocolate, or a fabulous creme brulee with a Sauternes, brought out some fine chocolate with one of the myriad of fine craft beers created in this country and Voila!! --a star is born. This past weekend we had just such an experience with great friends, following another great, simple meal. The combination was a great American craft beer, Founder's "Nemesis" Wheat Wine , with Vosges Chocolate with Bacon (Mo's Bacon Bar.)
This really was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup moment, the beer, for me was really screaming for food, because of the high alcohol and cloying sweetness (which is a problem I have with many "high gravity" beers), too strong and over the top for sipping without food. In this case we took the beer and let it warm to a cellar temperature and had it after dinner, with chocolate. The first chocolate was fine (it generally is), but didn't really seem to like the beer, or visa-versa. Our friends had brought along a bar of one of the genius Vosges "Bacon-Milk Chocolate" bars. Wham!! a star pairing was born. I can't say enough about the chocolate concoctions created by the team at Vosges (a great Chicago company), that girl Katrina (and her team) are amazing!! Check it out. We love to have a square or two of nice chocolate after dinner, often with wine, but on this night (and more to come) it was the fantastic Founder's Brewing's Nemesis Wheat Wine and Vosges Bacon-Chocolate--oh man give it a try!

Goldilocks and the Three Wooden Spoons

2010-03-22T11:13:00.001-04:00

(Source)

Kitchen utensils are extremely personal things for people who spend a lot of time in the kitchen. When J and I got married, it was absolutely apparent that I much preferred my things to his. (His plastic cutting board that makes no sense to me is still hiding in a cabinet somewhere.) As I buy new things, I tend to give or throw away the old, but there are things that just stick. Knives, spoons, graters. My small, citrus, microplane.

Never was this more apparent than yesterday, when our friend Rebekah asked me to pick up wooden spoons for her. J and I were making a trek to the outlets and she texted me, asking for new wooden spoons to use for salads. When I said yes, she texted back not to worry about it--clearly she lacked a bit of faith in my ability to pick out the right spoons. I called her bluff, and asked for the required information in order to please her with this purchase. "Not too heavy, not too big. Not fussy. Salad set is fine, but more spoon than fork." Now, Rebekah is a kitchen designer, and she and her husband are fabulous cooks and food people. So, understandably, this was a task to be reckoned with, and one I was damn sure we were going to ace!

Armed with the information, and a fire in our bellies, J and I hit all of the kitchen outlets--three to be exact. After visiting the first two (right next door to each other) we found two spoons (really four, but they are single spoons) that we liked--very similar in size and weight, but slightly different in length. One was 10 inches, one 12...both seemed very usable. We decided we'd keep the ones she didn't like, and move on. The final stop was to the chef store, and there we (ahem, J) found a Calphalon set that he liked. It was cool, modern looking--and I was fairly certain she wouldn't like it. But the glee on J's face assured me that HE would, so we purchased that and left.

*J liked the ones on the right*

We showed up for drinks with Rebekah and Nick that evening, and unveiled our three choices. Immediately, she discarded J's favorite--yay for him! But the two similar, yet differently sized choices put a spark in her eye that is generally only apparent for a great Cotes du Rhone or talk of skiing and dogs. She and Nick decided on both (meaning I have to go back to the store and buy myself the shorter pair!)

Things like this are important in friendships, I feel. Especially food "intense" friendships. The knowledge that you UNDERSTAND and GET the importance of such things as wooden salad spoons, or a great grater. It's why I love that my husband doesn't mind that every single time we're in a kitchen store I find 1,000,000 things to buy, and always whine about not having the perfect cutting board.

In S.A.T terms, kitchen stores are to Jill as Guitar Center/Woodwind Brasswind is to J.

I Promise, I'm not a Genius

2010-03-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

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I get the feeling many people think I only have wild successes in the kitchen. Reading over posts I've written, it is true that I write about recipes that I pulled out of thin air and rocked, recipes I've written and kicked ass on the first try, yada yada. But often, there are meals that don't just pull together as well. The thing is, usually those are things I try on my own--not even for J--and if they don't work, I keep trying until they do!

This happened on Friday. Strangely, via twitter. Super Rockstar Chef Rick Moonen gave me a recipe for a non-soy (aka no Monsanto) veggie burger. Clearly, if you read this, you know I am NOT a vegetarian. Far from it. But I love a good veggie burger. I specifically love an easy to throw on a stove and add to a salad veggie burger, like Morningstar Farms. But ever since viewing Food, Inc., I've been hugely struggling with the purchase and consumption of genetically-modified soy products. Seriously. I grapple with this issue weekly. And 50% of the time, I remain strong. And 50%, well...I cave. So when I asked Chef Moonen for a recipe (and he got back to me within hours) I was super excited to try it!

His recipe called for 1 C almonds, 1 C sunflower seeds, 8 stalks of celery, scallions, onions, parsley, cilantro, lemon, garlic, and tahini. I threw all of this into the food processor (with a can of chickpeas, to add some more protein) and whirled it around until it came to what I considered a decent consistency. I added salt and pepper, and some Sriracha (yum!) and heated up a skillet with some olive oil. The taste of the mixture was downright overwhelmingly delicious--so I was super excited!

When I threw two patties into the oil, I had really high hopes. But when I (ahem) "flipped' the patties, one fell apart pretty smoothly, and the other managed to flip decently. After another few minutes, I pulled both burgers off the heat. Neither of them managed to stay together very well--sad, but true. So I took the best of the two patties, broke it apart and chucked it in my salad. Like I said, the flavor was awesome!

I saved the rest of the mixture in a container and plan to address it tomorrow. I'm thinking of a binder--perhaps some quinoa? Bulgur? Something that seems as healthy as the rest of the recipe?

Anyone with any major ideas, please--don't be shy! This is a challenge I really hope to conquer. Not just for myself, no...but for earth-conscious vegetarians around the globe. Or at least in SW Michigan.

"High Fidelity" for Beer

2010-03-19T18:48:00.000-04:00

I couldn't be MORE excited about this post! Class, meet my first guest-blogger, Joe Hinman! Joe is a long-time customer of my shop, and someone I've grown to respect as a go-to beer guy for a very long time! His opinions are studied and smart, and he is one of the smartest beer fans I've ever met in my life. We do beer trades all the time, and I love any time he and his lovely fiance, Jayme, come visit me in the shop. When I started this blog, Joe pointed me toward his beer blog: A Lexicon of Common Sense, and we decided we had to do a blog trade!

I'll be writing on his blog this upcoming week and will link to it here, too. In the meantime, please note that my favorite Imperial Stout's are listed on here--I love #1, 2 and 4. And Left Hand's Milk Stout is a great "session" stout--love speaking the speak.

With another St. Patty’s Day here and gone, and the desire to guzzle Guinness by the gallon in remission for a year, here are ten ways to enjoy and respect one of the most popular styles of beer.

There’s not a thing wrong with Guinness, it has its place and is an excellent gateway into the wide, wide world of stouts. Here is a list of my top five stouts and top five imperial stouts. The former category includes milk and sweet stouts; the latter includes American and Russian imperials.

Top 5 Stouts

Kalamazoo Stout – Bell’s Brewing Co. 6% ABV - A good standard stout, brewed with licorice to give an extra bite. Roasty, sweet and smooth drinking and available year round.
Tres Blueberry Stout – Dark Horse Brewing Co. 4.5% ABV – Third in a five part holiday stout series from one of the finest breweries in Michigan. Normally I’m not wild about fruit beers, but this one has it right. The blueberry flavor is more earthy than it is sweet and plays beautifully with the natural malt flavors of a stout. I wasn’t totally sold at first, but after a couple experiences I was won over.
Shakespeare Stout – Rogue Ales 6% - Another solid beer, encompassing all aspects of a good stout: Malty, a little sweet with hints of coffee and chocolate, very slightly creamy making for an easy drink and this one comes with a nice hop presence, adding a bit of an edge. Also a year round offering.
Left Hand Milk Stout – Left Hand Brewing Co. 5.2% ABV – This is a new one for me. As with the blueberry stout, I wasn’t sold at first. This brew is way sweet. It’s not so much a dessert beer as it is a beer that is dessert. Super creamy, goes nicely with chocolate cake. It’s a full-bodied, thick drink but doesn’t knock you out after one or two.
Special Double Cream Stout - Bell’s Brewing Co. 6.1% ABV – Yes, another beer from Bell’s. Bell’s gets a lot of credit and lot of criticism. It’s a pretty large brewery so a lot of people view it as trendy and overrated. But those people who have been drinking it for awhile understand it got to be so big because they make good beer. Especially stouts. They have a larger stout lineup than the average breweries and all but one are exceptional drinks. This one is similar to the Milk Stout, but more balanced. Maltier, more flavorful and far less sweet with the perfect amount of cream. It’s the best example of a sweet stout I’ve had thus far.

Top 5 Imperial Stouts

Plead the 5^th RIS – Dark Horse Brewing Co. 12% ABV – The finale of Dark Horse’s five part holiday stout series, the alcohol content of this monster really sneaks up on you. It almost drinks like a regular stout, only tastier. That trademark roasty flavor is more pronounced backed by mocha and dark, bittersweet chocolate. So black light cannot escape. Be careful with this one, it’s dangerously smooth.
Kentucky Breakfast Stout – Founders Brewing Co. 11.2% ABV – Aging beer in bourbon barrels is common practice and yields nice results. Founder’s has some killer bourbon barrels, and they use them very effectively. KBS is a bourbon barrel aged stout, perfectly sweet with great bourbon flavor and notes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Everything balanced, every flavor has its time in the sun and the overall mouthfeel/aftertaste is pleasant and relatively smooth. The alcohol is apparent in this one, but it doesn’t get in the way.
Old Rasputin RIS – North Coast Brewing Co. 9% ABV – A classic RIS. The standard by which all other Russian imperials produced in America are judged. It’s a great example of this style and it’s available all over the place all the time. There’s no reason not to drink it.
Yeti – Great Divide Brewing Co. – 9.5% ABV – There are four Yetis: Regular, oak-aged, espresso oak-aged and chocolate oak-aged. I’ve had the latter two and my favorite is the espresso, so I’ll talk about that one. It’s full of great coffee flavor, is obviously oak aged and has a nice hop presence. It’s a pretty intense drink but totally worth it.
Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout – 7% ABV – What Old Rasputin is to the American-produced RIS, Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout is to the Imperial Stout worldwide. It’s a benchmark for all other imperial stouts. It’s very drinkable at this low of an alcohol content. Not that 7% is low by any means, but it is the lowest for a stout to be considered imperial. This is really everything an imperial stout should be.

Pop Tart Who?

2010-03-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

I had no intention of blogging so early today. But I just took breakfast to a whole new easy level, and literally ran to the computer to write about it. (I only wish I'd had the foresight to photograph the darn thing!)

I've been on a no-jelly kick lately. Probably because I'm dreaming of springtime produce and the ability to make my own. Meaning, anytime I've had a craving for a PB&J (which is frequently, for some unknown reason) I've been slicing up different fruits to pair with said creation.

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I've also been addicted to Trader Joe's Crunchy Unsalted Almond Butter. Call Dr. Drew addicted. Within reason, I eat it every day, either for breakfast, lunch, or a giant spoonful lovin' snack.

This morning, knowing I have a crazy-not-sure-I-know-when-I'll-be-eating-again day, I went for an almond butter, banana, and strawberry sandwich on sprouted wheat bread for breakfast. But then, to pay homage to the totally amazing rockstar I met the other evening, I "kicked it up" a notch. I decided to throw the concoction into my Breville Panini Press (one of my many loves in my kitchen.) Not for very long, just long enough for the banana to get melty and the strawberries to warm through.

I scarfed it down like a dark chocolate covered peep. You will never eat a pop-tart again. This is whole food at it's best, and you can't beat it.

Now go eat something healthy, whole, and delicious!

Beer. It Brings Us Together.

2010-03-16T19:41:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure when or how I got so involved in the craft beer culture, but I'm quite convinced I'll never leave. Beer lovers, aficionados, and the like, are a tried and true community, and they are no joke. From novices to complete and total rockstars, everyone invites you in to taste their new creation, and to hear your thoughts. They may not take your thoughts into consideration, but likely they will--and they'll appreciate it.

Today, I purchased an actual domain for this crazy blog. Which is crazy exciting. But while on the phone with my particular hosting company, we got talking about my blog and, in turn, about beer. He's a self-proclaimed "beer snob" and I immediately asked him about local breweries (he's in AZ.) That happens ALL THE TIME. Literally.

I'm working on a homebrew competition at the shop this summer. Any time I tell someone, be it a customer, friend, random stranger I meet on the street, they are pumped. They know someone who brews, or they're a brewer themselves. I'm not a homebrewer, but J and I are convinced we're going to try a batch this spring. Hell, I can cook, J is a brilliant chemistry dude (in his own mind) and that, to us, equals the ability to attempt a batch. We have great friends who brew, and surely they will lead us in a proper direction. This week, I'm working on a brand new recipe for a guest blog entry on a friend's super beer-centric blog.

People love their beer. They love to try things and they love their home state. Localvores are often huge beer fans, because often you have a brewery near you. Usually it can be pretty good. One hopes, anyway. I'm a huge proponent of finding what's in your 'hood. There is a "newish" brewery in Chicago, Half-Acre, that I'm itching to visit. And Michigan, well, come on. We're up there with Denver in terms of deliciousness that involves barley and hops. Ideally lots of hops. And barrel aging.

On this gorgeous spring evening, I challenge you guys to make a plan to go visit a local brewery, if possible. And then tell me all about it. Preferably with a picture and description. I promise to drool, comment, and discuss at necessary length.

And if you're curious, my Irish Stout of choice for tomorrow night is Beamish. I LOVE Guinness, I do. But I love Beamish a bit more.

We Kissed Mario Batali: An evening in culinary wonder

2010-03-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

I am desperately going to try and keep this as brief as possible for you, but it's an epic story and I don't want you to miss anything.

I don't really know where to begin. The beginning? The staff of the wine shop/theater had a "staff dinner retreat" to Publican last night, the brainchild of Donnie Madia, Chef Paul Kahan, and several others. I've been dying to go there since it opened, and was super excited that we were all going together. Joining us was the wonderful Joe Shanahan, owner of such legendary establishments as Chicago's Metro and Double Door, as well as a partner in the restaurant. Turns out, it was to be a prix fixe beer dinner with one of Michigan's finest breweries, Dark Horse. This made the experience even more enticing for little old me.

Chef Paul did not disappoint--not that I ever had a doubt. This meal was perfection, and the beer pairings were some of the most spot on I've ever experienced. It's still unclear to me which was my particular favorite course, but I know both J and I wanted to eat the entire thing over again just as we were finishing. The Bouchot Mussels au Gratin were HUGE and luxurious, the wagyu short ribs and smoked grapes were an explosion of flavor. I had a particular fondness for the black cod...I swear there was heaven in that bowl. It was the perfect balance of all things flavorful while managing to be beautifully simple. I love food like that. Where the ingredients are so divine and the cooking method so perfect, you need nothing else. (But the good crusty piece of bread to sop up the broth!) The dessert was sparkling...an oatmeal cookie "sandwich" with smoked maple, raisins, and walnuts.

I have to say, I don't often get starstruck. This will be important for you as you continue reading. But chefs change the game for me. I'm impressed, amazed, stunned...and when Chef Paul came over to the table to say hello to Joe and meet the table, I blushed, clammed up (so not like me, obviously) and just listened. If you don't know who Paul Kahan is, google him immediately. He is a culinary force to be reckoned with.

Of course, I had nothing but high expectations for Dark Horse. Their beers are gorgeous, and if you haven't had them, I highly recommend them. The brewery is based in Marshall, MI, and is next on my list of things to do. Travis, the general manager who was representing the brewery that night, could not have been nicer or more attentive, and the whole experience was phenomenal. I'm a HUGE fan of their smoked stout, which paired with the short ribs and smoked grapes might have been the most perfect example of beer and food in one sitting.

Mike, Becky and J with Emeril

What happened next is honestly a blur of hilariousness, phenomenal cuisine, outstanding service, and some of the finest beers to be consumed. And pork rinds. (Oh the pork rinds...) Chicago was hosting the Home and Housewares show this weekend, which was "culminating" in a benefit dinner tonight for the traveling sextet eighth blackbird. Chef Paul and Mario Batali are cooking together, and the entire culinary world seemed to be in town for the Housewares show. So when we sat down to dinner and in walked Mario Batali, orange clogs and all, it seemed perfectly normal. And then Emeril Lagasse, looking impeccable, entered the dining room. And so, again, I was starstruck. Though my dining colleagues encouraged me to get up and go get a picture, I just couldn't. Until I consumed some more liquid courage, and then I did. And so did J. Needless to say, they couldn't have been cooler, and Emeril told us to call him when we go to New Orleans next month so that he can "hook us up." We spoke to Alain Joseph, Emeril's Culinary Assistant, about our upcoming trip, and he was incredible. (And also, very well dressed!)

Publican is set up as communal seating--something I absolutely adore. The woman sitting next to me, who was just beginning her 1st course as we were eating dessert, asked if the cookie was good, and we struck up a conversation. They, too, were in town for the Housewares show--a group of All-Clad reps. Something to remember about me, and how I cook, is my unabashed love for All-Clad products. (I often joke that my three reasons for getting married were my love of Jayson, All-Clad, and a Cuisinart food processor.) J and I chatted with them throughout their meal, discussing the courses, the All-Clad, and of course, this blog. They couldn't have been more fun to enjoy our experience with, and I hope they travel back to NYC safely!

As we closed down Publican (the remaining members of our group, J, Becky, Mike and myself were thoroughly enjoying several more beers as the evening continued) it was time to leave. Until the entire entourage of celebrity chefs invited us to continue our evening with them at another of Madia and Kahan's restaurants, Big Star. And we did. And somehow ate the entire left side of the gorgeous Mexican menu. (Oh my god the beef tongue tacos!) The celebrity chefness did not stop with the three aforementioned total rockstars. Joining them at Big Star were Ming Tsai, Curtis Stone, and others. When asked if he would come take a picture with Becky, Curtis Stone draped his enormously long legs over the booths, jumped into ours next to Becky, and planted a smacker on her!

I felt so taken care of by Madia and Kahan in both of these experiences that I can't even tell you. I mentioned pork rinds, right? Well, they were not on the menu for the evening, but Publican is famous for them. When I mentioned to Madia that I was going to have to come back to have the pork rinds, within 5 minutes a glorious cone of them appeared on our table. Chef Paul came to our booth at Big Star, talked smack about Js old favorite burrito joint in Chicago, and helped us in our efforts to finish off the last of our tacos!

What these chefs do for the culinary world is why I'm here right now. It's why I cook, and blog, and eat the way I do. It's why I went from never ever ever wanting to eat pork or chicken on the bone to grilling pork tenderloin with a beer reduction (a recipe I'm working on) and why I have no issue eating organs. They're inspiring, creative, and masters of their art form. Some people work in paints, some in music. These people work in food, and strive to keep our planet sustainable and healthy while encouraging we, the home chefs and grocery store shoppers, to buy local, organic, and in season.

And they make some killer food while doing it!

For more information or pictures, let me know in the comments. I'm happy to continue to wax nostalgic about my evening.

Yesterday is old news Pasta

2010-03-13T11:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days. The kind of day where you had high hopes for positive energy all day and nothing majorly wrong happened, but still, your drive home from work is the highlight of the day? Where you want to crawl into your comfiest pair of college sweats and eat absolutely nothing good for you? Yeah, that was my yesterday. I got it together on the drive home and started thinking about what to cook for dinner. I've been HORRIBLE all week and haven't cooked. Lucky for you I've had all the other people's dishes to recap, or you'd be reading a week's worth of salad and almond butter.

This just sort of came to me, knowing what I had in the pantry and what level of energy I felt I could devote to the kitchen. A little clarifying via a phone call with J on the way home (and a re-route) to the store, and I was good. Oh, and I was armed with bottles of samples from Wine Friday, one in particular that I really wanted to drink with J--this fantastic Jean-Pierre Frick Alsatian Pinot Noir. I've only had an Alsatian Pinot Noir once before, and it was before I knew enough to understand the point. It was amazing. Find it if you can, or try and find something similar. Light in both body and color, and delicious. Perfect for summer.

Anyway, I made this last night and it was really delicious. It could have been a puttanesca, but not quite. Nice salty bite, the pasta was enough to kick in the serotonin levels a bit more, and spice woke me up out of my funk. And so easy that you could make it, eat it, and still enjoy your relationchef!

Which made finally seeing my husband for the first evening in a week much more important than whatever my nonsense du jour was!

Spicy Sausage Satly Pasta (love the alliteration!)
Probably serves 4-6, or the two of us with a lot leftover!
1 lb whole wheat penne
1 pkg spicy chicken sausage (I used Trader Joe's Andouille) sliced into rounds
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tin anchovy fillets
2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 TBSP crushed red pepper (it was super spicy, adjust to yourself)
freshly ground black pepper
1 C dry red wine (I used a Cotes du Rhone I had open)
1/2 small bottle of capers, with juice
1 C frozen peas
1/4 parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 C manchego cheese, grated
1 C reserved pasta water
salt, if necessary
honey/agave/sugar, if necessary

UNDER Cook penne (about 2 minutes early) and drain, reserving 1 C of the pasta water (I just scooped the pasta out of the pot right into the sauce, with is great for keeping the water.)
In a large skillet (big enough to toss all the pasta in at the end) heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil and brown off chicken sausage. Make it crispy--should be nice and crunchy.
Remove sausage and set aside.
In same skillet, add remaining oil and anchovy fillets. Yes, all of them. No, they do not taste fishy.
Melt the anchovies into the oil, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon until they basically become part of the oil.
Add red pepper flakes and crushed black pepper.
Add the shallots, cook 2 minutes.
Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and allow to reduce about 5-7 minutes.
Add in the capers and cook 1 minute. Taste the sauce. If it tastes too spicy or salty, add in some honey/sugar/agave to balance, about 1 tsp at a time.
Add in the chicken sausage and stir.
Add in pasta and cheeses and toss.
Add in pasta cooking water as needed to thicken the sauce and make it all come together.
Add in peas and toss to heat peas.
Taste for salt and pepper--you shouldn't need to add any salt, but if you do, add here.

Add a little extra shredded manchego on top, once you dish yourself a huge bowlful.
Serve with a nice piece of bread--I bought some Ciabatta home and it was lovely.

It's the Most Incredible...Dip (in the world!)

2010-03-11T16:30:00.001-05:00

(Photo: Ric Watson)

I'm embarrassed to say that I did a horrible job of shooting pics of the food on Saturday night. What can I say? I was in awe of my friends, my husband, and my seemingly never-ending glass of bubbly. So, sadly, I do not have a picture of this intensely amazing, incredibly awe-inspiring spicy feta dip. Needless to say, this drool-worthy photo above is not the dip in question, but it will give you a bit of a visual cue.

Our friends Liz and Jack make it all the time. Probably because, just like Saturday, we all request it. It's THAT good. And though we all know how easy it is, I've never made it. I guess I never think of it...but now it's so going on my list for the next dinner event. It's just awesome. Liz has "told" us the recipe before, but usually, I've had some wine, and am certainly not remembering. I asked her to share the recipe with me, and of course, it's from right out of her brain. Kind of. What I mean is, there used to be a recipe, and in her most recent (unbelievably gorgeous) kitchen remodel, it got lost. So this version is straight out of her head, and I can tell you, it did NOT disappoint on Saturday. We were dipping EVERYTHING (green beans, pretzels, chips) into the glorious spicy goodness.

One thing. You should try and make EVERYONE at said gathering at least have one bite. It's garlicky, in the best way possible, and you probably don't want to be the one person not eating it, having to smell the rest of the party!

Did I mention it's insanely easy? Score!

Liz and Jack's Spicy Feta Dip
One chunk of feta (one pkg)
10 (or so) pepperoncini peppers plus a bit of juice (adjust to your particular heat desires)
2-3 cloves of garlic (again, adjust to your taste)
red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 plain (or greek, which is what I would do) yogurt
1 sprig fresh mint, chopped
1/4 C olive oil

Now, Liz doesn't say how she does it, but I'd add all ingredients but the olive oil into the food processor and pulse. Don't make it to pureed. You want it to be slightly chunky, but still creamy.
Then stir in the olive oil slowly until the mixture looks just combined.

Garnish with a bit of fresh mint.

Serve with ANYTHING but multi-grain chips, crunchy baguette, crackers, pretzels, vegetables...all good.

Spicy String Beans a la Moi

2010-03-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

Here we go. As promised, I want to share recipes (or at least awesome descriptions) of all the food we had at the shindig on Saturday night. I've got some guest bloggers coming up, so I'll start out with the "blackened" string beans, made by me. (I say "blackened" because Ric's original recipe calls for these to be blackened in a screaming, white-hot cast iron pan. I don't have one big enough for this, so I just get a HUGE stainless steel pan really really hot.)

As I said, these are an adaptation on Ric Orlando's incredible Blackened String Beans dish. I originally changed up the recipe due to what existed in my pantry, but now, four tries later, these are the definitive recipes I will use each and every time. These string beans are a great appetizer or side, but just make sure you have LOTS of napkins out for your guests. They get messy, in the best possible way. They combine the awesomeness of a slightly undercooked (aka crunchy) veggie mixed with some great heat and a creamy delicious dipping sauce. For me, they are perfect!

And as we found out at the Oscar party the next night, they reheat amazingly and the remoulade only gets better with a few days in the fridge.

A healthy, spicy, makes you look a total rockstar in the kitchen vegetable dish? Um, YES PLEASE!

**Warning: These will smoke the HELL out of your kitchen. If you don't have a great vent above your stove, open windows, doors, turn on ceiling fans, and be prepared. There is a good deal of smoke (maybe disconnect your smoke detector until your done) but don't be worried! Just deal with it--it's oh so worth it!**

"Blackened" String Beans
2 lbs fresh string beans, stems picked off
2 tbsp light colored oil--I really like grapeseed for this, or Zoya. Something light in color.

Spice Mix:
1 1/2 tsp cayenne
3 tsp pasilla or ancho chili powder (if you don't have, you can skip--I did the first time)
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp kosher salt
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprkia
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder--not granulated

Mix spice mix together in a bowl, and set aside.
Blanche string beans--place in boiling water for only about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until they are bright green and still crisp.
Remove and drain, but don't rinse.
Put beans in a bowl big enough to toss them in, add the oil and spice mix and toss to coat beans very well!
Set aside--I let them sit while I get the pan ready.

When you're ready to cook them (basically when you're ready to serve them) place a skillet large enough to contain the beans on the stove, over high heat.
Let the pan get very, very, very hot--about 10 minutes worth of sitting there, dry, heating.
Dump in the beans and shake them around. (If your pan is small, do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan.)
Using tongs, move them around to make sure they're getting evenly "blackened."
I like to get a bit of a char on the beans, so shake and toss them around for about 2-4 minutes, until they look done. Feel free to check them as you go!

Serve the beans mounded on a great platter/bowl, and serve with the Mustard Remoulade.

Remoulade:
2 TBSP paprika
3/4 TBSP hot sauce (I used Louisiana, you could do Tabasco or Frank's. Something vinegar-based though, nothing too thick like a Mexican hot sauce.)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/3 C dijon mustard
1/4 C grainy mustard
1/2 C mayo (I use Olive Oil Mayo)
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1 TBSP finely minced onion (just cut off a small piece of an onion)
2 scallions, finely minced
1 celery stalk, finely minced
1 C light colored oil--use same as you use for beans

In food processor (or blender if you don't have) combine all ingredients except the oil and process very well.
With machine running, add the oil in a steady stream to combine.
Taste, and adjust seasonings. If it's too mustard-tasting, add a bit more mayo.

A Saturday Night in Food (Porn)

2010-03-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

Happy day everyone! I'm working my butt off trying to get you some seriously concise recipes for all the great foods that were at the party on Saturday night--and trying to convince some of the amazing authors of those recipes to guest blog for you!

So while I'm working on that, I figured I'd give you a little taste of our Saturday night!

I promise to give you the written form ASAP, but to satiate you, here we go!

Clay's HOMEMADE Pumpernickel Pretzels with Dill Dip AND Apricot Fig Dip

The aforementioned Blackened String Beans minus the remoulade (we were bad photographers)

Lisa's AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS crazy-layered Chocolate Cake

Make a Wish!

And one last tease, though this was the ACTUALLY the cure for my Sunday morning...

Clay's Oatmeal, Whole Wheat, Banana Pancakes

Happy drooling!

Big Weekend, Big Birthday, Big Beans

2010-03-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

As adults, we don't get to choose our birthdays. Not consciously anyway. But some of us, a proud few, go through life with some event that eventually becomes our "other birthday." We all know someone who has had a near death experience and celebrates the first day of the rest of their life. Well, I'm one of those people. Except, literally, I have a second birthday. March 7, 2005.

Which makes Sunday my 5th birthday.

This blog is devoted to the food and drink side of me, and I don't want to deter too far from that. So instead of giving you all the details, I'll just tell you that I had a stem-cell transplant for lupus in 2005, and have been in remission almost ever since. I am wildly healthy, and I consider the day I "got" my stem-cells to be my birthday. (Actually, this is pretty common amongst anyone who's gone through the process.) If you have questions beyond that, feel free to ask me in the comments. I'm not shy about anything, I just don't need to overshare, especially on such a "hot button" topic.

So, why talk about it here at all? Well, because in true me form, J and I are throwing a party to celebrate. No, not a kegger. Just a small gathering of some of our really good friends, and my brother and his boyfriend who are here for the weekend to celebrate with us. Each year, post-transplant, I've gone to Chicago to see the doctors (actually twice a year for the first 2 years.) The 5th year is the final one, meaning Monday should be the last time I hear the words Pulmonary Function Test (among many other clinical terms) again! Awe yeah! Honestly? This day is more exciting and meaningful for me than my "actual" birthday, and so it only seemed right to celebrate this monumental milestone day with a bash!

Instead of spending the day slaving away (which you know I'd love to do, but I have to be at the shop) we've just asked everyone to bring a heavy appetizer like dish to share, and a bottle of something fantastic to drink. What will I be drinking? Cava, of course. I'm a sparkling girl through and through, and it's not often a celebration happens with me NOT having a glass of bubbly in my hand. But more importantly, I know you all want to know what I'm MAKING, and here it is. Blackened string beans.

For any of you that are from or have ever been to Saugerties, NY, you know about New World Home Cooking. The restaurant's owner and Executive Chef, Ric Orlando, is a staple in our area, and a world-class chef. One of his signature dishes are the Blackened String Beans, and I recently scoured the internet looking for the recipe. Shockingly enough, there it is, right on their website.

I made these for dinner with friends in January, and they were a huge hit. I made them again for my parents when we were in NY, and again, raves. I've changed the recipe a TINY bit just to accommodate the things that are generally in my house and to make the accompanying Remoulade a little creamier. But these suckers go quick--I bought 4lbs of beans for Saturday night!

Ric suggests making his recipes verbatim the first time, and then jam away, so I'm going to encourage you to try these the way his recipe states, first. I promise to post a picture and my version next week, along with any other fabulous dishes my friends make for this party. (I hear tales of a gorgeous chocolate cake made by the lovely Lisa.)

So I'll post pictures and recipes next week, when I'll be 5 years old. Most of me anyway.

My Secret Salad Life

2010-03-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

For all of my writing and talking about how balanced my eating is, I have a secret. I LIVE for salads. Live for them. Meaning, I could eat a giant salad every single night of the week and think nothing of it. Clearly, this is not very good for stimulating my culinary brain, and yes, it is a little boring. But it's true. Having a husband who is a full-time musician means a lot of meals eaten at home, alone, with my good friend DVR. And often, that means easy, and easy means salad. A big, gigantic, often eaten right out of the big bowl, salad.

But here's the thing. My salads are NEVER boring. Never. Though I use similar ingredients every time, they're never quite the same, and they are actually really healthy. Balanced with protein and fiber and flavor, how could I not love them!

My trick to pass on to you is to add everything in the kitchen into your salad. Seriously. Now, this is not going to be your culinary masterpiece. Any chef or food critic would call what I eat on these nights absolutely insane. But insane can be good--and never boring. I generally start with spinach, and add leafy greens, or romaine, depending on season and what I bought at the store that week. A lot of them. A good 2 cups total of lettuces. Then, I go to town on my produce drawers. Cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, carrot. Fruit: berries, apple, pomegranate, mango, grapefruit...last night it was blood orange. All chopped.

I then head voraciously toward the pantry. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and hearts of palm or artichoke hearts. Protein you say? Ok! I usually either cook up a veggie burger (not my favorite food-wise but easy, cheap, delicious and healthy) or slice up some turkey. If I've made chicken any time soon, I'll try to add that in. Tuna's made it's way out of the can and into that salad bowl, too. (No, I don't add all of these at the same time. Just examples--I would be crazy!)

Then I move onto some "garnishes." Adding in some sliced (by me, of course) almonds or walnuts, and usually a good heaping spoonful of ground flax for some extra goodness. And to top it off, usually some crumbled feta, or sliced parmesan, or a good sharp cheese. Make sure to season your salad with salt and pepper--I love using a good sea salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper.

Now, to dress my beautiful concoction. I never, ever, ever buy salad dressing for myself. I do buy it for J, but I don't ever use what I buy for him. Salad dressings were one of the first things I learned to master a few years ago, and I've never looked back. (Many thanks for this go out to my brother and mother for their addiction to homemade dressings.)

I start with an acid or two...usually the juice of a citrus and a vinegar, half and half. I've been going for blood orange or grapefruit lately, but lemon always works, and I throw in a splash of balsamic or re/white wine vinegar. Just a couple of tablespoons, right on top of your salad. Then, I add a touch of sweet--for me that means Agave, but honey is great here too. About 1 tsp. Then just add on a splash of olive oil--I use less than most people, because I like the tang of an acid, but generally people will go 1 to 2 on olive oil. That's WAY to much for me, so just test your palette.

And then toss the whole mixture together! No extra bowls necessary, though of course feel free to create the dressing separately and then toss it with the salad. Like I said, I've been doing this forever, so I know exactly how I like my salad dressed.

So there. I've told you a huge secret. It's not all gourmet up in my kitchen. Often it's me, on the couch, computer on my lap, tv on, with a salad bowl resting on my napkin'd lap. Why dirty an extra bowl, right?

Impressed Myself Spiced Citrus Roasted Chicken

2010-03-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

As previously reported, I roasted my first whole chicken last week. Don't ask me how I've gone this long without performing this task. Don't ask me how I've gone through this culinary birthing I've been experiencing for the last few years without roasting a chicken. I've just never done it. I've roasted pieces of chicken, plenty of times. But never have I ever roasted a whole chicken. Until now, of course...

Here's what I have to say. First of all, this is (or should I say WAS) a daunting task to me, for some reason. Maybe it's because I have visions of past chicken dinners with various people cooking where the chicken did not turn out...um, cooked? And while it always seems easy enough on television, I've watched my mother curse at our GIGANTIC Thanksgiving turkey every single year. Oh yeah, and until we got married, I didn't have a large enough roasting pan. (That's a good one, right?) Anyway, I decided it was time.

My reason for making this decision were two-fold. First of all, when I asked friends what they were looking for a in a new food blog, so many people said to talk about things that are intimidating. Now while I realize most of you have probably done this, like I said--it was super intimidating for me. Secondly, I REALLY have a desire to make some chicken stock this week, and though I can easily make it from a rotisserie bird, what kind of adventurous food blogging chick would I be? So, there you have it.

This is after about 25 minutes of cooking time

I'm going to tell you, this was so much easier than my nightmares led me to believe all these many years. I'm also going to tell you that my first roasted bird turned out pretty darned good. The meat was juicy, and it was super flavorful. I decided against going nice and simple with the flavorings. I figured that at the very least, if the chicken was super over-cooked and nasty, at least it would be well flavored enough to chop up and saute into tacos ASAP. So I made it spicy and citrusy and freaking fabulous tasting. It was really good! I plan on roasting other chickens in the near future. It's SO MUCH CHEAPER than buying parts, and just as healthy given that I gave the skin off of my chicken breast to J to add to his. (So sneaky!) And, for me, in the boondocks, it is so much easier to find a vegetable-fed well treated chicken if I buy it whole, rather than in boneless skinless parts. I will modify as I continue in my task, and I'll post tips for you guys as I figure them out. (My trussing was less than stellar--didn't affect the bird, just my ego.)

J and I didn't have any wine with this, but I would definitely serve this with either a great brown ale (like Dogfish Head Indian Brown) or a slightly oaked Chardonnay or Cabernet. Something with enough oak to balance out the heat from the meat, but enough to round out the meal just perfectly. I really like Avalon California Cabernet--you can't beat the price and it's available everywhere.

Did I mention the house smelled ridiculous and I felt like an absolute and total rockstar? It was a definite brush with fame for me in my own head that day. Donning my "Food is Fashion" apron (an old PR swag item) I felt like a kitchen star. And that made that dinner all the more better.

Oh, and the GRAVY...

CITRUSY SPICY ROAST CHICKEN

Small (2-3 lb) roasting chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chipotle chili powder*
2 tbsp pasillo chili powder*
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
2 oranges, zested and sliced in quarters
1 lemon, zested and sliced in quarters
8 garlic cloves, peeled
12 oz beer (mexican lager, preferably)
1 C chicken stock
*Use whatever spicy stuff you have. I happen to own a pantry full of crazy chili pepper/powders. You could totally sub regular chili powder, cayenne, paprika.

For gravy:
1/2 C Molasses
2 TBSP agave/honey
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
salt and pepper (as necessary)
1 C chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400.

Wash and thoroughly dry chicken, inside and out.
Mix together spices and black pepper, set aside.
Zest citrus and set aside.
Drizzle oil all over chicken, and under the skin on the breast--use hands to get under the skin gently.
Rub juice of 1 full (quartered) orange and half (quartered) lemon and half of the zest all over chicken.
Salt chicken.
Massage spices all over chicken, rubbing all over and in cavity and under breast skin.
Stuff 4 garlic cloves and juiced orange and lemon into cavity.
Truss chicken (which I sucked at) by tying legs together to keep cavity "locked and loaded" and tuck wing tips under the bird.
Pour full beer in bottom of roasting pan, under rack. Juice remaining citrus and throw juiced pieces and remaining garlic cloves in bottom of pan.
Place chicken on rack in roasting pan (I have a pan w/ rack, could use baking sheet)
Place pan in middle of oven, breast side up.
Cook until internal temp is 170 and juices run clear from thigh joint. (Took my oven about 90 min.)
Check moisture in pan occasionally (I checked every 25 minutes or so) and add chicken stock as needed to keep moisture in the pan.
Remove chicken from pan, set on cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Take remaining liquids and solids in roasting pan, removing the fruit pieces and garlic.
Pour into small saucepan (or do it in existing roasting pan) and place over medium high heat.
Add remaining gravy ingredients and stir vigorously. You'll need to check seasonings several times.
Bring to a boil and allow to reduce at least by half. You want a thick sauce, not anything too watery.
Test seasonings again--add more honey if it's too salty, spicy--add more heat if you need.

Drizzle gravy over sliced chicken.

Quinoa Deliciousness!

2010-02-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

Last night was a really great night of cooking for me. First time I've ever (completely strangely, I realize) roasted a chicken. (I'll save that for an upcoming post.) But to go with said delicious chicken, I decided to cook some Quinoa--one of my favorite things to eat, yet something I rarely ever cook.

For those who aren't in the "know" quinoa is all the rage. It is all over the news/magazines these days, with nutritionists and chefs alike touting it's "superfoodness." Originally a staple in the Incan diet, it is known as a super grain because it has the highest protein count of any grain. In addition, this protein is of an amazingly high quality--containing all the amino acids you need. It's incredibly versatile, and if I do say so myself, super easy and delish. There are people who make it for breakfast--I'll stick with my steel cut oats, thanks. But for anything that resembles a rice dish or salad, it's perfect. And what's not to love about finding a "carby grain" that actually encourages you to eat seconds! (Which I did last night, and then polished off for lunch today.)

So clearly, I enjoy the stuff. For some reason, I don't make it very often--I have no idea why, and I can tell you that it will be making a serious move into my favorite side dishes to prepare. Last night, I decided to just wing it, and the result was really fantastic. (I have been tooting my own horn about it all day today.) It had the perfect balance of tang, spice, and comforting healthy goodness.

Did I mention this one is SO EASY to make vegetarian? Just sub out vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Or, make this a full meal and add in some extra protein! It's really versatile, which I'm finding I'm drawn to (hence the bulgur risotto) with dishes that are this healthy. It's nice to know you can change it up with spices, herbs, flavor profiles--and make an entirely different meal that your husband doesn't mind eating more than once in a 10-day period.

Make it happen for yourselves! And if I were you, I'd make double this recipe. Trust me, it won't last.

Roasted Poblano and Swiss Chard Quinoa
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 C quinoa
2 C chicken stock (or vegetable, if going vegetarian.)
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and sliced (see below for info)
1 bunch rainbow chard (or other dark green) washed, dried, and chopped
Zest and juice of 1 orange, reserving a bit of zest for garnish
1/4 C goat cheese, crumbled

In a large saucepan, saute onion until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add quinoa and stir, coating grain in oil and onion mixture
Add chicken stock, season with salt and pepper
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until all the liquid is ALMOST absorbed, approximately 12 minutes. (Check out the box for information on how the quinoa will look when cooked--you will be able to visibly see the grain outline once it's done.)
When quinoa is cooked, add in greens and wilt down (you can recover for a minute or so) stirring to wilt.
When greens are wilting, add in peppers and stir.
Turn off heat, and add zest and juice of orange and goat cheese, and stir GENTLY so as not to totally melt the goat cheese.

**To roast poblanos, or any other peppers, you've got some options:
1-Place on a baking sheet and place directly under broiler, and turn every few minutes until all sides are charred.
2-Place over open (gas) flames on stove and turn while charring. Just be careful.

When peppers are charred, here is MY preferred method of getting the skins off. Lots of people have lots of ways, this is mine. Place peppers in a glass bowl while hot and cover TIGHTLY with plastic wrap. When peppers have cooled, the skins will come off (usually) really easily. Remove stem and seeds before slicing.

Local or Organic: Which is the better choice?

2010-02-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

There is a food question that I struggle with almost EVERY time I hit the grocery store. It's no secret that in my little corner of Southwest Michigan, we don't have much in the way of super organic-based grocery stores. No Trader Joes, no Whole Foods. But there are stores that offer organic varieties on most things, and that is always helpful.

But here is the question. Which is better to buy, eat, serve: local or organic? Yes, obviously, both would be ideal. But honestly, unless you're rolling in cash, or live somewhere near a big city, that's tough. It works in the summer--I almost always buy produce that was grown within 5 miles of my house (if not in my own backyard.) I'm a big farm shopper--you'll understand this better if you've ever been out this way. It's farm country. (At our wedding, we served beer and wine that was made 2 miles away from our house.)

While I don't know that all (or even most) of the farmed produce I buy in the summer is organic, I do know that it's in season, and local--and I always feel like that tops everything. But sitting on the couch, eating cottage cheese (local) it made me think about whether or not I should be buying organic cottage cheese, and sacrificing the local quality?

In my quest for healthy living, not just internally but knowing how it makes me look outside, what do I do? I'm not going to forgo tomatoes because they're not in season. I'm guilty of buying blueberries from Peru. I try not to, but at times, I need a strawberry!! I just can't live through the winter on squash and canned vegetables alone--even if I did the canning.

This is not something I know the answer to. I buy farm fresh eggs--organic and local, given how I know the chickens are fed, treated, and cared for. I know a grass-fed beer person--haven't purchased yet, but keep meaning to. And in the summer, we have friends and neighbors who drop off endless amounts of salmon and perch caught in the lake.

But is this enough? Is purchasing organic more important than purchasing local?

Beer, Glorious Beer

2010-02-23T18:56:00.000-05:00

"Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to celebrate the good days."--Egyptian Proverb

Words to live by, right? Perhaps mixed in with some exercise and good judgement now and again. But it has me thinking today, about, well, beer. I had a work thing in Chicago today, and was there with two colleagues/friends from the shop. Getting to Chicago with no afternoon agenda is rare for me these days. Either J and I are going in (at night) for a gig, or for some other very specific reason. (Though, yes, we did go the weekend of Valentine's Day, just to hang.) Becky and Mike and I were lucky enough to be able to roam around for a bit and do some picking up of needed items, and then headed to eat. With all the choices a city has to offer, specifically ones we don't have in SW Michigan, I had kind of assumed we'd eat somewhere...specific. But it was clear we all could "use" a beer, and instead headed to an old work haunt of mine, Jake Melnick's.

As I perused the (newly phenomenal) beer list, I was struck with a decision I often have to make--order something I know I like, or be brave and bold, and order something new. I tend to go towards the latter, and I'm rarely disappointed. I mean, it's work research, right? I should always be looking for something great for my customers. At first look, I decided to try a beer from a brewery in MN, Surly. I had the "Blender" and my friend had the "Furious." Both on tap, they were phenomenal, and though the Furious was much stronger--a great American IPA, the Blender was, strangely, the perfect beer for my veggie burger lunch. Post lunch, while Mike ordered an Ommegang Rare Vos (oh my, always sooo good) and Becky ordered another Rogue Hazelnut, I decided to go the rich, delicious way...toward an Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence. Just freaking delicious, I swear. Like a half-pint of dessert.

Ohmygod! Look at the gorgeousness of that lacing, the beauty of it all!

My point is not to suggest or review Jake Melnick's, or these beers, or the incredibly fantastic and surreally delicious house-made veggie burger. My point is to encourage you to try new things. Indulge. Sometimes, you need a two-beer lunch. Sometimes, you need to sample something new to find something delightful. Occasionally we all need to stop THINKING so much, and just DO! Whether beer, wine, food...our mother's were right. It DOESN'T hurt to try.

**A little tip: if you're interested in ordering a new draft beer, but are "scared"--ask the server for a taste. They will almost always bring you a little sample so you can be sure not to waste money on something you will not like.**

Queen of the (Matzoh Ball Soup) World!

2010-02-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

Sunshine. New shoes. Zero-calorie full flavor ice creams (that don't exist.) My husband begging me to let him rub my shoulders. All things that make me smile on a regular basis.

My matzoh ball soup does the same. So much so, that, even though I made it the other night for dinner, I might just have to make it again to get through this snowy day.

Most of my experience with matzoh ball soup, up until the age of 18, was my grandmother's. (Yes, the aforementioned Evelyn Rosen who wasn't the best cook ever.) Her chicken soup was a very thinned out version of chicken stock--more like a bouillon cube and some water. Her matzoh balls were pretty great, mostly light, generally lacking in flavor. There was always (strangely) one giant carrot in each bowl. But I didn't know any better, and I ate it with glee and delight--hell, it was better than gasoline chicken!

As I became an adult, and eventually tasted other people's matzoh ball soup, I began to see subtle differences in the actual balls themselves. (Please, anyone else's soup was better. Anyone's.) My first visit to The Bagel in Chicago proved a worthwhile experience, and changed my opinion of all things matzoh ball soup. And as I have moved along in the culinary world, I've learned how to make my own version--one that fills my house with amazing smells, doesn't take me 7 years to make, and makes my husband smile. My "balls" are light enough, yet extremely flavorful, and my soup...well, it kicks ass. Yes, I used store-bought organic stock, most always. It's delicious, easy, and accessible! (And, makes my soup not take very long at all!) With all honesty, I don't make my own stock very often--don't have the time, resources, or large carcasses lying around my freezer. This week, however, J is getting roast chicken dinner just so that I can make (and blog about) my own stock recipe.

I just learned a new trick with matzoh balls, that I used last week on this version, and it was hugely helpful! A bit of seltzer in the balls, added to the stock you use, keeps them light while maintaining the flavor profile.

Yum yum gimme some. Almost makes you wish you had a cold, no?

Matzoh Ball Soup
For Soup:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
4 large celery stalks (and tops, if you have), diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, grated or minced
salt and pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems (or 1 TBSP dried)
1 tsp dried (or fresh) rosemary
1 TBSP red pepper flakes (we like a kick, adjust to your liking)
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried--if you have)
2 quarts low-sodium (preferably organic or homemade) chicken stock (or broth, but I like the flavor of stock)
1/2 C whole grain small cut pasta, like ditalini or small shells

In a large, heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat oil on medium heat.
Add vegetables, season with salt, and saute approximately 8-10 minutes, until veggies are softened.
Add herbs, red and black pepper, stir.
Add chicken stock, stirring up any brown bits on bottom of pan.
Turn heat to high, bring to a boil.
Turn heat to low, simmer at least 1 hour (if possible, the soup will be just fine after about 20 minutes) covered, with lid slightly ajar.

Add pasta in roughly 6 minutes before serving. (If not serving all at once, make pasta on side and add into each bowl. Pasta will soak up all the liquid if you're saving the soup.)

For Matzoh Balls: (This makes 8 balls)
All disclosure--this recipe is (mostly) on the side of the Matzoh Meal box. I doctor it up a bit.
2 large eggs, beaten
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP light colored oil (I like grapseed or soy)
1/2 C Unsalted Matzoh Meal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 TBSP seltzer
1/2 TBSP chicken stock

In a bowl, mix eggs, oil, matzoh meal, salt and pepper.
Add liquids and mix until blended together.
Cover and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
With a small ice cream scoop (my preferred method) scoop from bowl and drop into simmering soup.

Cover soup and cook 30-40 minutes.

Beer Wars

2010-02-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

I've been in the beer and wine world for about 3 years. I moved into the world somewhat seamlessly, thanks to the influence of first my sister and brother-in-law, and then my husband. I learned to love craft beer, and am always looking to be in on what is new and exciting and cool--even when it doesn't work. The beer industry is huge, and ever changing. Never has that been more apparent than when I saw "Beer Wars" last night.

"Beer Wars" is an independent movie that I only recently heard about. Through the joys of conversing with my beer cohorts on Twitter, it became clear that this was something I not only wanted, but needed to see. In a nutshell, it explores the United States beer industry, from convenience store to Capitol Hill, and gives huge insights onto just how the few gigantic beer corporations are being challenged by the smaller, independent brewers.

I know this story, and am obviously (given my line of work) a huge fan of the smaller breweries. I most often, unless at a concert and given no other choice, NEVER drink one of the well-known light lager companies--Anheuser-Busch In Bev or Miller Coors. (I'm not defaming those beers, but I don't drink them or enjoy them.) I hear distributors tell stories weekly about the "other guy" who came in to one of the stores and ripped down signage from the competition, but I never realized just how much goes into that shelf space! I love small production lines at larger breweries and even more, love finding a brewery like Jolly Pumpkin (Michigan) that still runs on a 3-barrel system. I'm friends with home brewers, and hold Extreme Beer Fests for my shop.

In the way that I try as hard as I can to eat locally, sustainably, and organically, I feel that beer should be approached similarly. I champion for the little guy who is producing an insanely hoppy and delicious beer that is sold in a 4-pk for $10 WHOLESALE. And this movie only reconfirmed that sensibility.

What was fascinating was learning just how many "beers" the larger companies have acquired over the last decade or so...I, for one, was shocked. For anyone living in the beer community, or someone who just enjoys great craft brew, I highly recommend seeing this. It may not be the best documentary I've ever seen, but man, it was eye opening.

So while you're drinking your Stella, or Corona, or Leffe, make sure to think where that beer is actually coming from. And if you're lucky enough to have a Dogfish Head or a Lagunitas, a Founders or a Stone in your area, visit often and support your local breweries.

**For more information, visit Who Owns What

"Better than Grandma's?" Split Pea Soup

2010-02-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

My grandmother was NOT a good cook. Evelyn Rosen was a wonderful woman who could do many things well, including pouring a great glass of scotch, but cooking was rarely her strong point. We jokingly called Friday Night Chicken "gasoline chicken" and on more than one occasion, the mashed potatoes came out of a box.

She did make a few choice dishes. The black bottoms I still make today (and so do almost all of our cousins), and the bbq beef ribs I now know were mostly delicious due to the high fructose corn syrup'd barbecue sauce she inevitably bought on sale and drowned the ribs in. And she made really good split pea soup. (Though, literally while writing this, my brother just informed me that my grandmother didn't actually MAKE her pea soup. She used the Manischewitz instant pea soup and added water. My memories of childhood will never be the same.)

Until yesterday, I had never even attempted it. Truth be told, before this blog, I don't know I ever even thought of making it. But yesterday, in the grocery store with J, who was craving something "hearty" but new, I came across a bag of split peas and decided to give it a whirl. I looked up a few pea soup recipes, and then basically tossed them aside to create this. It was delicious! Hearty and filling, and chock full of grandma-like goodness. My grandmother used to "put" barley in hers, and when I asked my husband about this, he didn't really seem all that interested. But after we started eating, we both agreed it needed a little bit more texture, even with the seared chicken sausage I used. So next time, maybe some beans, maybe some barley...maybe some extra sauteed carrot added in post-puree. I'll play around with it I suppose.

I won't say it was better than grandma's. I will say it was a little more "gourmet" (hardly, but a little) and that it was really yummy. But mostly? It tasted like my grandmother's, in all the ways that matter.

Split Pea Soup with Chicken Sausage
1 lb chicken sausage (I used the sweet Italian version, with fennel in it) sliced into rounds
2 TBSP olive oil
1 large yellow/spanish onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (I use the leafy tops, too)
4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 tsp Old Bay
salt and pepper
2 C (or 1 lb) split peas, sorted through for stones
2 quarts chicken stock

In large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat.
Add cut sausage and sear, stirring every few minutes, until very browned and slightly crispy.
Remove sausage, set aside.
Add remaining oil, onion, carrot, celery and garlic.
Season with salt, to draw moisture out of vegetables. Saute 8-10 min, until veggies are soft.
Season with thyme, red pepper flakes, Old Bay, LOTS of black pepper, and salt. Cook 2 min.
Add peas, toss in vegetables and seasonings. Cook 1 minute.
Raise heat to high, and add chicken stock, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of pan.
Bring to a boil, lower heat to low, and place lid partially on pot.
Cook until peas are tender, approximately 75 minutes.

When peas are tender, turn off heat.
Blend soup with an immersion blender until just about smooth, but still chunky. You want some texture in the soup, not just baby food. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend in blender or food processor, in batches.)
Taste soup for salt and pepper--I added a lot more black pepper at this point, and a bit of salt.
Add in sausage, return heat to very low until ready to serve.
If waiting to serve, kill heat completely, and reheat.

Serve with some crusty bread (I made this multi-grain loaf--a blog post for another day.)

The Method to My (Cookie) Madness

2010-02-17T18:46:00.000-05:00

There are things, in my cooking life, that I am extremely egotistical about. My chocolate cookies, or almost any variation thereof, are freaking good. Ridiculous. I've been told this by just about anyone who has ever tasted them, especially in the last few years. I send them as birthday gifts, I bake them for lots of events. They are just that good.

I haven't baked them in a long time, though. Probably since October. Between trying to lose the post-wedding weight, working like a fiend, and focusing my culinary efforts of new endeavors, I just lost the gusto for them, I guess. But this morning, I woke up, and was craving them. To be clear, I don't usually eat very many of them. For all those reasons above. J gets the majority, I give them to friends and spoil our bff's kids with lots of them! Making them is my therapy. I love it. Usually a very clean "cook," when it comes to cookie baking, all bets are off. My "cooking counter" is a mess with flour, spoons, eggshells...and I love every single minute of it. I I bake them in batches, eating the raw cookie dough in very small increments as I go along. (Probably why I have no idea just how many cookies this recipe actually yields.)

To be honest, cookie recipes are all basically the same, especially chocolate chip cookies. I didn't reinvent the wheel or anything here. What matters is not necessarily the standard ingredients. What matters, in my recipes anyway, is the little extra touches. Extra brown sugar to keep them chewy. Taking them out 1 minute too early so they stay nice and soft. Not using room temperature butter, much to Martha and Ina's chagrin. (They would probably lose their minds if they knew I also recommend using salted butter!) I vary up the amounts and types of chocolate used, or I add cocoa powder or peanut butter or use agave.

I've just washed the last cookie sheet, and the 36 or so cookies are resting on their cooling racks. 2 are missing--one in my belly (to check the salt content, I swear!) and one to J. After all, what kind of good baker doesn't taste their product every single step of the way?

But the real question: To dunk, or not to dunk? I know my answer...what's yours?

Salty Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks SALTED butter, cold
1 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 raw, unrefined, sugar (you could use plain granulated, but I don't)
2 TBSP vanilla extract (or 1 TBSP extract and 1 TBSP vanilla bean)
2 eggs
1 12oz bag white chocolate chips (I use Ghiardelli)
2 bars Ghiardelli (or similar) semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars, chopped
sea salt, for topping cookies

Preheat oven to 350

Whisk together first four ingredients in bowl, set aside

In stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat together the sugars and the butter for 4-5 minutes, starting on low and increasing to high speed
When butter mixture is extremely well mixed and appears almost "fluffy" add vanilla. Beat 1 minute
Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between additions.
Turn mixer to low, and add flour mixture in 4, small batches. Only mix for 30 seconds or so, until flour is BARELY incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl in between additions.
Remove bowl from mixer, fold in chocolate and chips.

Prepare ONLY 2 baking sheets (or at least only put 1 in the oven at a time)
I use a silpat (a silicone baking mat) or parchment paper. Either works. Do not grease.

Spoon out cookies with a small (or large, if that's what you're going for) ice cream scoop. For real, this is the best way to do it. I have 3 different sizes, depending on just how much cookie I want J to eat!
Only put 6 or 8 on the baking sheet at a time. The cookies need room to groove!

Once cookies are scoooped, sprinkle with a tiny bit of coarse seal salt on top of each cookie.

Cook for between 10 and 12 minutes, depending on your oven. I would test at 10 on the first batch, and then see. If they look runny, give them another minute. If they look just a little smushy, take them out. They will carry over cook.

Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 3 minutes (while you prepare the other sheet, if you want.)
Place on a cooling rack covered in parchment.

Allow to cool completely. I only put one in the oven at a time to ensure perfect cooking. If you have an issue with time, go for more, but I know how my oven works. And it only likes 1 sheet at a time.

Self-ly Dreamin'

2010-02-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

So, I sort of bogarted this recipe for Bulgur Risotto from "Self" magazine. Well, not sort of. I did. But I took their recipe (which no offense, looks a little on the boring side) and made it my own. Normal and usual, I know. This month's "Self" had a whole article on whole grains and why carbs are actually GOOD for you. (By the way, this is always music to my freaking ears, no matter how many times I read/hear/see it!)

Bulgur Wheat is super, "super" high in fiber, and when mixed with the protein from the chicken, you have a "super" meal. Plus, having literally just gotten halfway through my bowl, it is incredibly filling, and I'm guessing will be the bomb, cold, for lunch tomorrow. Not to mention, when you talk about things I'm almost positive I've never used before in my cooking-life, Bulgur is right up there at the top.

I spiced it up a bit, and decided it needed a bit of fat--hence the goat cheese to finish. The goat cheese melts beautifully, and adds the perfect tang to balance out the dish.

Look. This meal is healthy. I'm not pretending it's not. It's a weeknight alternative to eating something LESS healthy, especially if you're feeling less than fabulous about your recent eating habits. (Ahem, I wonder who I'm referring to??) But it's actually REALLY good. I'm home alone tonight, while my rockstar husband plays a 'Fat Tuesday' gig, but I will absolutely recommend it to him for his 1:30am "just got home from gigging" meal. And if you're on the vegetarian side of life (LN, you know this is for you) I think it would be AWESOME with browned tofu instead of chicken. You could probably toss just about anything in here and it would taste good!

I'm going to work on this ingredient a bit, so I'm sure you'll see it again. I've also stocked my pantry with things like Quinoa and Wheatberries to try and use them, too. I eat sooo healthy, but sometimes I like to remember that certain carbs do GOOD things, instead of only adding thickness to my bod.

And for those of you wondering just what the HELL bulgur wheat is, if I can find it in the boondocks of SW Michigan, trust me. So can you.

Please, comment and let me know your thoughts on whole grains, carbs, and thoughts if you make this!

Bulgur and Chicken Risotto
2 TBSP olive oil, divided (1 and 1)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or something similar, or tofu, or pork) largely diced
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 C bulgur wheat
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
1/2 C white wine
2 C chicken stock, heated on the stovetop (if you're going veggie, feel free to use vegetable stock)
1 C Frozen peas
1 red bell pepper, diced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Goat Cheese for topping

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil and brown off chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper when you add to pan. Remove from pan, set aside.
Add remaining olive oil and shallot, cook 2 minutes
Add garlic, cook additional 1 minute
Add bulgur, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook 2 minutes, to coat bulgur in oil and vegetables
Add wine, cook 2 minutes, until the alcohol cooks out and the wine has nearly evaporated

Add stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring as you add to develop the starches.

Continue adding stock until bulgur is slightly soupy, about 10 minutes

Add chicken, stir. Cook another 2 minutes

Add pepper and peas, cook 1-2 minutes, until peppers and peas are heated through

(If you need to add more stock to keep it creamy, rock on.)

Add zest and juice of lemon, turn off heat.

Check your seasonings and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Spoon into bowl, add small amount of crumbled goat cheese (preferably by hand)

Drink with water, because come ON people, we're being uber-healthy! Or, a lovely glass of Sancerre or a zero-oaked Chardonnay.

The Gym Sucked it Out of Me

2010-02-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday y'all. Today is a big day in February. The Olympics are on (sadly, I'm so less-than-interested.) Yesterday was Valentine's Day. It's snowing everywhere from here to the Atlantic Ocean. That chick is most likely totally returning to The Bachelor tonight. One of my best friends found out that she is having a baby boy.

Oh, and I went back to the gym for the first time in a very long time. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit just HOW long it has been, but roughly 4 months. Since my grandmother passed away in October, strangely. I'm fairly certain that those two occurrences have absolutely nothing to do with one another, but it's a very good excuse, no? The truth is, I was burnt out. I was a total gym/workout rat all summer, leading up to my wedding. And let me just tell you, I looked damn good. Best I've ever looked, if I do say so myself. But then, my brother Eric (evil, slightly psychic man) told me to enjoy it, because I'd never look that good again. (I promise, he did not say this with any malice, just in a very matter of fact way.) And damn him if I didn't feel something sucked out of me on that very day. I was excited to eat, and to be lazy (yeah right) and to NOT get up at 6am to hit the sculpting class and treadmill before work. I'm being nice by saying I probably went twice post-wedding. I was busy, what with unpacking wedding gifts and becoming the super home-cook you see here daily. I mean, I had a fancy chef-like Cuisinart, now. What did I need with the gym when I could puree and chop to my heart's content?

Anyway, time has come. I am out of shape. J tells me I look perfect (such a good husband) but the truth is I quickly feel the fab moving to flab. Though I eat very healthy (most days) and am active, I am in no-way-shape-or-form the gorgeous armed goddess I was here. (Ok, I wasn't Michelle Obama or anything, but I liked the way I looked. A lot. Which, for a former fat-girl, is a pretty bold statement.) So this morning, I woke my behind up, in the near dark (and 7 degrees I don't mind telling you) and went to sculpting class. It was hard. My legs shook, my knees creaked, and I actually felt fantabulous.

One problem. I had several healthy meals planned for this week, tonight being a Quinoa stir-fry, and I've lost the will. I'm tired, yo. And so, I'm doing something I haven't done since starting this blog. I'm allowing J to make (I shudder just typing this) boxed mac and cheese, and I'm making something leftovery-salady. I feel pretty damn awful about it, especially since I know, and preach, how easy and quick it is to make mac and cheese from scratch. But between a full-day of "stuff" and the cold and the soreness from this morning creeping up my thighs, I've decided the "exhaustion" far outweighs the guilt.

I promise to come at you tomorrow with a wicked recipe. J has a gig, and though that generally means I spend the night eating a deliciously HUGE salad, out of the salad bowl, on the couch/in bed with today's General Hospital episode on DVR, I will cook. For you.

And before you totally jump down my throat, J eats the mac and cheese DELUXE. The sauce comes out of a packet already liquidy, ok? It's not like I'm feeding him something from powder. Jeez.

Valentine's Day: A Case-Study

2010-02-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

I've never been that into Valentine's Day. Or at least I've always tried not to. I can remember giving Shane O'Brian a heart-shaped box of drug store chocolates on the school bus in 5th grade. He did not reciprocate. Shame on him. I'm quite certain that right then and there, I lost my spirit for the holiday. The question is, am I saying that because that's what is true, or because that's what's been drilled into my head and I've been made to think was the right way to think? I mean, what's so wrong with celebrating a day that's meant to celebrate love. It doesn't have to be coupley love--it can be the love you feel for anyone, (in my opinion) right? Who's to say you can't have your bff be your valentine? Or your niece, or your sister, or whomever you love at that particular point in your life? Hell, I say go polygamist for a hot 24 hours and have SEVERAL valentine's!

But truthfully, J and I have always done something super low-key to "not-celebrate" the day. The first year I worked a press opening--he came with me. Then two years of home-cooked meals, and last year, we went out to dinner. We were engaged, a bit stressed out, and it seemed like the right thing to do. It was not the most fun night of our lives, to say the least. We had a GC (gift certificate, duh) to a restaurant we LOVE in the area, that we were given as an engagement gift. They don't take reservations (even on Valentine's Day--COME ON NOW!) and we had to sit at the bar and wait for about 2 hours before getting seated in the more casual room in the restaurant. It was a great dinner, of course, and the 2 bottles of wine we polished off certainly helped. But it was almost like we put WAY too much pressure on the night. And ourselves.

Any gifts have been awesomely practical. J sometimes gets me underwear (the kind I love but never buy because I can always think of 10 other things we need more.) One year I got my favorite bath robe. This year, he got recording software he would have bought himself--I just beat him to it!

Having said that, (thank you Larry David) I was so unsure about what we should/would do this weekend. I figured I'd cook, we'd hang out, and that would be that. Basically, a normal night, only with more wine. We went back and forth about doing that and going out for about a week--at this point, we're going out tonight, and staying in tomorrow. Again, fairly normal. There will be no large declarations of love via red clothing, no sappy cards, none of that. There will most likely be a slightly intoxicated toast about how happy we are to be married to each other--this being our first V-Day as a married couple. But that's less Valentine's Day and more a few glasses of wine mixed with the knowledge that we are very lucky to have each other.

Eat your heart out, Shane O'Brian!

Finding balance...through pasta??

2010-02-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

I, probably like many of you, struggle with balance. Balancing work and home, balancing eating well and enjoying food. Balancing our social life with our never-ending love of relaxing. It's all a big game, a big balancing act. Working from home for most of the week makes this so much harder (a thing anyone who has never worked from home probably does not believe.)

Figuring out how to maintain balance is something that most often escapes me. I try hard, every day. I'm sure we all do. But how do you find that perfect balance? How do you turn off your brain at the appropriate moments? Hell, I can barely sleep certain nights, lying there, exhausted, trying to figure out how to stop thinking about money and beer and wine and shipments and food...you get the picture.

I'm working on that a lot through food right now. Cooking provides me ample ability to turn off my brain, from almost anything that is on my mind. I can easily get lost in it, and find myself smiling on even the worst days, while I'm cooking my way through an old favorite or something new. It allows me, even when it doesn't turn out perfect, to complete something. Usually successfully, which certainly helps with the balance/self-esteem issue.

But it also helps me to work on recipes, while figuring out how to make a comforting, winter-ish, not exactly super duper healthy version of something--and making a very, very similar dish HEALTHY less than a week later. That's what happened the other night, on the last night I cooked during my mom's visit. (Last night she and J were craving BBQ chicken pizza--who am I to deny them?) Last Friday night, while J and I sat and watched Celebrity Rehab and 24, I made what I called 24 Pasta. It was freaking delicious, as I believe I mentioned about 24 times. Well, on the 2nd snowed in day of mom's visit, I cooked a very similar, but much healthier version. I was in a totally different headspace, and wanted/needed something a bit lighter. And I got to tell you it was really, really good.
I'd ideally add some protein into it, maybe chicken, maybe sausage (but the latter kills the super healthy version.) J ate a huge bowl, and mom actually ate a full small bowl, which is a lot for her! I also have serious dreams of making this in the summer, when the tomatoes are fresh and there is fresh basil abundantly growing, and I can add a few more veggies to the mix.

My point is, balancing is hard. It's not the easiest thing we can do. But it's almost diabolical to try and create 2 dishes, both very similar, with two different mindsets and come out triumphant with both. I highly recommend trying it. And trying this. It's damn good.

Light and Happy 24 Pasta (again, I need another good name...)

2 whole bulbs garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper
1 medium eggplant
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Greens (2 bunches mustard greens, cleaned and chopped)
Zest of 1 whole lemon, juice of half
Crumbled feta, for topping (I buy blocks of feta, so I just crumbled enough for all of us.)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut ends off garlic bulbs, exposing the tops of the cloves. Place on a piece of foil then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap garlic up in the foil, roast 45 minutes.
Let cool then squeeze out the garlic cloves from the skins in a bowl and mash with fork. Cover with olive oil, about 1/4 C. Set aside.
Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Slice eggplant lengthwise into slices 1/2 inch thick. Brush each piece with some of the roasted garlic oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place eggplant in oven and roast 15-20 minutes until golden and tender. Remove, let cool then cut into 1 inch chunks (bite-sized-ish)

While eggplant roasts, boil large pot of water. Cook spaghetti, and drain.
Place remaining oil with the roasted garlic in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add red pepper flakes, oregano and shallots, sauté about 5-6 minutes, til tender.
Add wine and stir. Add tomatoes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in eggplant and heat through. Add greens and wilt into sauce.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add zest of whole lemon and 1/2 lemon juice.
Dish into large bowls and top with crumbled feta.
We had this with a great White Burgundy, super reasonably priced I might add, that I love. You could also go with a light bodied Pinot Noir.

"It Smells So Good!"

2010-02-10T09:10:00.001-05:00

As I said yesterday, I made slow-cooking, all day chili during my snowy day. All day, from noon on, we all just kept saying how GOOD it smelled in the house. It was awe-inspiring, almost. Ok, that's a bit much, but it really did smell amazing.

*Sorry--I only remembered to take a picture after we had all eaten!*

I've become quite fond of making chili these days. I don't think I've made the exact same one twice this winter, but keep working on a theme. I've come to realize that if you have the time, using dried beans in chili really makes a difference. You don't have to pre-soak them if you have 2-3 hours to let the chili (or soup, or whatever deliciousness is gracing your dutch oven) cook. You just toss them into the hot pot and let 'em rip! They add a natural thickness to the chili without having to add anything or reduce the chili all that much. Not to mention, they have much less sodium and are just tastier sometimes!

I also added hominy to this, which is one of my favorite things in the world. Hominy is a staple in a lot of Southern and Mexican cooking, and adds a great thickness and flavor to chili, soup, and stew. You can find it in a can, and I add the whole shebang to this chili. Though hominy is not ACTUALLY a whole grain, it's a very healthy carb! If you've ever had Posole, you've had hominy. And if you've ever been to that amazing speakeasy Manifesto in Kansas City, you've hopefully eaten the insanely wonderful fried hominy. (Something I hope to replicate someday...)

I don't mind tooting my own horn and telling you it was freaking amazingly delicious. I mean, so good that I had seconds, and it wasn't like I had a very small bowl to begin with! All in all, it was healthy(ish.) Venison is a very lean meat, and aside from the added fat to make it into sausage, everything else was super good for you! Veggies, beans...how bad could that be, right?

It's not snowing right now, but we're supposed to get a bit more before it's over, and I don't see us leaving the house today. So the real question is, what the heck am I going to make to top this??

Venison Slow-Cooking Chili

1 pkg (4 medium links) venison sausage (or any kind you'd like to use), cut into half-moons

2 TBSP olive oil

1 large yellow or spanish onion, diced

5 medium cloves of garlic, grated or minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 TBSP dried oregano

2 TBSP red pepper flakes

1 TBSP coriander

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper

1 medium bodied beer (I used Abita Amber)

1 28oz can hominy, drained

6-8 cups chicken stock (about 2 boxes)

1/2 C dried cannellini beans

In a large, heavy bottomed, preferably dutch oven pot, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and cook until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. (This will change depending on the kind of sausage you use.)

Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Lower heat to medium-low.

Add onion, both peppers to the pan. If the veggies look a bit dry (again, depending on the amount of fat your meat gave off) add another drizzle of olive oil. Cook 5-6 minutes, until veggies are softened.

Add garlic, stir, cook another minute.

Add spices, salt and pepper, and stir. Let cook 1 minute.

Raise heat to medium-high, and add beer to deglaze. Stir up all the bits of brown stuff from the bottom of the pot. Let beer cook down, about 3-4 minutes.

Add hominy, stir.

Add chicken stock, stir.

Add beans. stir.

Let chili come up to a bubble and lower heat to very low.

Place lid on pot and cook for 2 1/2-3hrs, checking and stirring every once in a while.

When beans are cooked and tender, remove lid and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, if you want chili to reduce a bit more. (It should reduce by 1/4 by the time you serve.)

Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips--I used these incredible multigrain chips.

Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and hot sauce and serve. (J added sour cream, of course.)

If you're looking for a glass of wine on your snowy chili day, I'd reach for a Malbec to go with this. The spice will go wonderfully with the mild heat of the chili, and the salt will balance it all out. Or, try a Carmenere, which is a bit more mellow.

Snow Days

2010-02-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

I live in Southwest Michigan. It's gorgeous here--summers by the lake, the leaves change color beautifully, and we have fantastic snow days. There are days when J and I LITERALLY cannot leave our house. Those are the days when we watch endless movies and marathons of bad tv, drink pots of tea and then move on to some phenomenal beer we've been saving.

It's snowing today, and we, like the rest of the country it seems, are getting hammered. We're supposed to get about 18 inches by tomorrow night. Ordinarily, this would delight me to no end, and quite honestly, it does. But my mom is visiting, and it limits our ability to do much of anything fun. So we sit, and I work, and we're watching The View, and I'm laughing hysterically about how angry the ladies are getting about the thought of Howard Stern taking over for Simon on American Idol. It's causing some serious belly-laughing, which helps on a snow day.

So today, and most likely tomorrow, I will cook, and eat, and drink tea, and maybe have a beer or two. In approximately 1 hour, I will start cooking the chili with the Venison sausage given to us by good friends. I will eagerly use dried beans instead of canned, because, well, I actually have time. I will move from couch to kitchen with ease and excitement, tasting and testing. And 6 or so hours later, we will eat it, and it will (hopefully) rock.

I will work, with laptop on lap (never a product so aptly named) and I will half-listen to whatever is on the television that mom is watching.

But for most of the day, I'll look out the window at a sea of sparkly white, and smile. Because it's days like this that make me so excited that we live here, and as soon as the snow stops and becomes a nuisance and turns brown and muddy and icky, I won't love it as much. But today...today it's remarkable.

Any snow day cures from the peanut gallery? What do YOU do on snowy days when leaving the house is the worst idea ever?

WWJBD?

2010-02-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

This is my version of the popular religious acronym. Because, in almost all cases, one can ask themselves, "What would Jack Bauer do?"

Last night, on my way home from work, I stopped at the store to pick up SOMETHING to make for dinner. (Don't worry, recipe is below.) One of those, I'll just pull this all together with no recipes kind of night. J had asked for spaghetti and meatballs, and given the long week we'd had, I was more than willing to oblige. Unfortunately, there wasn't any good-looking ground meat at my favorite market that I always talk about here and so I just grabbed some stuff and ran with it.

When I got close to home, J called and said he wanted to do "date night"...what a sweetheart! I came inside and we chatted about the options, eventually succumbing to the knowledge that I had just purchased an enormous whole wheat baguette to eat with dinner that would NOT be good by the time we got around to eating it if we went out. (There were other factors, as well, I guess.) But there was more. There was the down right attractive knowledge that we had several fantastic things on our DVR from being away, that we should probably get to, before things doubled up on us. (I HATE when our DVR doubles up--it's a pet peeve. I get overwhelmed.) And so we decided on a "state night." State night is our version of a staycation, a stay at home date. :)

I set to work making dinner, with a 7:30ish deadline, and created an awfully good meal. It was so yummy that I ignored my inner health-nut and ate seconds. Ah, delish! We ate in front of the tv (why lie and say we didn't?) and turned on another huge fav, "Celebrity Rehab." Judge if you must, but it's amazing. Playing Camera 1, Camera 2 with Heidi Fleiss and Mackenzie Phillips, understanding why that one guy got kicked out of 'Alice in Chains' and questioning just why that fabulous Shelly chick doesn't own a brush. It's wonderful, and a great way to unwind after a long week.

Sidebar: J and I don't like watching dramas or anything that involves our brains while eating. We like to focus on the food, and have some delightful giggling in the background, the ability to pause and discuss what we would have done differently with the food, and so on.

Once the dishes were done and the kitchen was clean, I made us some tea, and we turned "him" on. In all his glory. Jack. Uncle Jack!!! I've been watching 24 since the beginning, save a few seasons in the middle where I didn't care. But in the last 4 years, J and I have watched. We know it's gone down hill a bit, but yet, we're there, through every ridiculous gun fight, building jump, and helicopter rescue. Not to mention the ABSOLUTE DELIGHT at watching Chloe's crazy-face reactions to things.

But here's a question. Is it just me, or does it REALLY seem like they're grooming Freddie Prinze Jr. to be the NEW Jack Bauer?

24 Pasta (For lack of a better name at this moment)
3-4 C marinara sauce (jarred, or your own)
1 pkg spaghetti fettuccine (I used fresh, and it was some gourmet brand thing--super yum!)
1 TBSP olive oil
1-2 large sausages (I actually used a chianti sopressata), cut into large half-moons
1-2 large bunches of dark greens (I used mustard greens, my new favorite), cleaned, stemmed, and chopped into large chunks
1 container bocconcini (mozzarella balls, or you could just dice up a large chunk of fresh mozz)
1/4 C parsley, chopped
Zest of one large lemon
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (for serving, use whatever you've got/want)

Before you heat the sauce, heat a large pot (large enough to toss the pasta and sauce) on medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
Toss in the sausage chunks, and render out the fat--meaning, cook them until they are a bit crispy.
With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.

If you're cooking the sauce from scratch, now you would want to add the onions, and move forward. Otherwise, just add the marinara to the remaining oil in the pan, and heat through. (If you are using jarred sauce, I would add a bit of red wine, some crushed red pepper, and some extra seasonings--but that's just me.) Simmer on low.
Boil the pasta. If you're using fresh, it will take all of 4 minutes.
While pasta boils, add sausage and dark greens to sauce, and allow greens to wilt (about 4-5 minutes).
Drain pasta.
Turn off heat under sauce, and add drained pasta.
Season with salt (if necessary) and black pepper.
Begin tossing the pasta, using tongs.
Add in the lemon zest and the mozzarella balls. Stir, toss, and do whatever you need to to make sure the pasta is WELL COATED. The cheese will start getting all melty and amazing.

Serve in large bowls (or whatever bowls you'd like--we like large bowls!) and add grated Pecorino Romano to taste. Stick two thick slices of a whole wheat (again, or whatever) baguette on either side of the dish, and use that to MOP UP the remaining sauce.

We drank this with a bottle of wine I had open from Wine Friday, but truthfully, this begs for something either Italian or French, in my opinion. Try an earthy (but not expensive) Cotes du Rhone. This one is really good, and the bite from the mustard greens and the Pecorino will balance out nicely.

Enjoy, preferably in front of the tv. Now THAT is WWJBD! (Ok, probably not, but still...)

"Julie and Julia"... And Judd.

2010-02-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

(Jayson has a tendency to take lots of pictures on planes. I was not aware he took this until after.)

Judd Apatow should have conceived the screenplay for, and directed, the movie "Julie and Julia." I say this, on a flight home from NY, having literally just closed the book after reading every last page. I say this because though I find Judd Apatow's movies most often hilarious, I often find them 45 minutes longer than they need to be. However, if Judd had adapted and written "Julie and Julia," the movie might have left me feeling much more like I do now...inspired, delighted, and joyful.

I purchased "Julie and Julia" (the book) before seeing the movie--one should almost always read the book before the movie, if possible, in my opinion. I started reading it on a short flight from Chicago to Kansas City in January. Unfortunately, I got sick on that trip, and J, my brother E, and I wound up watching a LOT of On Demand movies. I mean we're talking 5 or 6. One of which was "Julie and Julia." (Coincidentally, we also watched--and loved--Judd Apatow's "Funny People" on that same trip.) I did NOT enjoy the movie very much. For someone who loves food, loves cooking, loves viewing the incapacitation of an otherwise slightly-sane woman taking down by boning a duck, I was severely underwhelmed. Nothing personal, but I could not STAND Amy Adams' performance. I found the character (or person) Julie Powell to be insipid, annoying, whiney, and otherwise displeasing. In fact, the only things I LIKED about the movie, were the parts about Julia Child. If Meryl Streep had only made a biopic about Julia Child, I would have been much happier. (In truth, I actually LOVED the parts with Meryl and Stanley Tucci.)

I didn't return to the book for a few weeks, until this trip to NY. I figured it was my duty, now that I had started blogging about food, to read it and be ready to fight off the non-stop comparisons. About halfway through our flight to Albany, I realized I was falling in love with the writer. Part of this is because the movie does her absolutely no justice. None. They changed so many (in my opinion) crucial parts of the story that you almost have to hate the movie-version of her. In the book (I'm not giving anything away that you won't read in the first 10 pages) she is actually a "never-acted struggling actress" turned temp, and she comes by the project so much more organically than she does in the movie. The movie portrays her as a struggling writer who, hmmmm, just DECIDES she's going to cook every recipe in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 365 days. In the book (or what I like to hope is real life) she basically stumbles onto this idea during a more than slight nervous breakdown in a bodega after a really crappy gynecologist visit. That sings to me so much more than thinking that a struggling writer who just wanted to write. I don't know why.

In addition, the book is just interspersed with letters from Julia Child's husband Paul. The movie does a side-by-side comparison of Julie/Julia, and it's hard to grasp Julie Powell very well. The book is almost a true memoir, riddled with cooking and recipes and David Strathairn. That is not to say I didn't find her whiny at times--she is, and would/did/has admitted it. So is Elizabeth Gilbert, so is almost every writer who has tackled a project this personal, or so it seems. She takes her amazing husband for granted a lot, and is judgmental, and is, well, insanely narcissistic. But she's also very lovable, and realizes that she's mean to her amazing husband and makes up for it, and realizes she's judgmental to her friends and supports them all at the end of the day.

I don't want to give away too much, in case people read or are reading the book, or haven't seen the movie yet. But the truth is simple, at least for me. Julie Powell stumbled upon so much more than how to cook french food during her true exploration over a 365 day period. She learned how to like herself, how to find something she loved doing, and consequently make money doing it. She learned to get out of her head, at least slightly, and to not mind it all so much.

She talks about sex. A lot. And she also learned to make a kick-ass mayonnaise by hand.

Here Fishy Fishy Fish (Tacos)...

2010-02-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

I'm in New York, at my parent's house. We've been here since Sunday night, and are leaving on Thursday. My parent's house is most often interchangeable with "the place where I automatically gain 5 lbs." Does that happen to everyone when they go home? No idea why, but it probably has something to do with the fact that my mom has things I would never HAVE in my house, like a constant supply of feta-stuffed olives and every kind of hummus imaginable and cheeses up the wazoo. How can one say no?

Yesterday, before my mom and I headed out to do some errands, she asked me if I felt like cooking dinner. Um, hello...does she know me? OF COURSE I do! It's the best form of "being away from home out of control feeling" therapy I can think of, so I was all over it. The question of what to cook is always a tough one, but here it's even harder, because the world is literally my oyster. The market here is unbelievable for most people, but for a girl who lives in a place with no fish monger, no Trader Joes, no Whole Foods...it's mecca. (The fact that Mom picks up the tab for the groceries is also a huge bliss-factor, I won't lie.)

I mentioned tacos and Mom's eyes lit up. Done. Chicken or fish, depending on "what looked good at Adams." (I get giddy just being able to write that, let alone actually think it!) There was some lovely Scrod at the fish counter, among other things...so, done! I decided I'd oven-fry it, and picked up a bunch of other things to make to go with it. Cabbage slaw. Mango salsa. Black beans and rice. Blue AND white corn tortillas. Mmmmm.

I've made the oven-fried coating before, but for chicken. It was a bit tougher on the fish, due to the delicate nature of said animal product, so I think next time I would just steam it in the oven with some citrus and spices. And the mango salsa I've been making in some form or another since my days in NYC at E. 63rd Street when my sister and I FIRST started Taco Night. And the slaw...well, I made it up the moment we got home and it was awesome! The recipe is below for you, and I think it's not only the perfect pair for a fish taco, but for any kind of taco--especially in the warmer days. I might actually serve it with some mexican kind of bbq for Cinco de Mayo (also known as the day after my husband's birthday when we celebrate. A lot.)

My parents were more than impressed with dinner. I don't think I've seen my dad eat that much in one sitting in a very long time. J loved it and told me I outdid myself--always the real test of any meal I create, as he is always the most important critic in my opinion. We all sat around the dinner table, eating almost every last bite until we were all stuffed. Literally.

The best part? Mom did the dishes. Gotta love her.

Cabbage Slaw Salad (for fish or other tacos)
Serves 4 people

1/4 large head of red cabbage, finely shredded
1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
1/4 C good quality silver tequila (I used Cuervo 1800, it was in the bar)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine cabbage and bell pepper in a bowl.
Mix the dressing (the remaining ingredients) and whisk together in a bowl.
Add to cabbage and pepper and toss VERY well.
Cover, let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Add in tacos with salsa, fish, whatever you'd like! And then snack on it at the dinner table in a way that irritates your mom because you refuse to put some on your plate and instead keep sticking your fork into the bowl.
Exclaim "ah, we're just family!"

Stir Your Way Into a Better Mood: Risotto 101

2010-02-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days that felt like THE WORST day of your life? One of those "I'll never get through this without a total nervous breakdown and if I do it will be a miracle and I might require a bottle of wine/vodka/tequila and I definitely cannot cook dinner tonight and will be eating beefaroni out of a can if necessary." Yes, we've all had them, we all might have one this week and we'll all DEFINITELY have one in the near future.

I had one last week. A bad one. A craptastic day at work mixed with end of the month budget situations added to just enough stress to make me realize I needed an extremely high calorie count to even begin to cope. I was at the shop for a few hours, and in the last hour, J (who was there working on something else) and I split several Young's Double Chocolate Stout's with our friends/my colleagues. We literally couldn't decide what to eat, and the slight beer/chocolate buzz didn't help. A quick mental check of the budget and a meal at home was deemed the event. We stopped at the market on the way home--the good one, with the freshest produce (even in the winter, mostly local if possible) and some fabulous gourmet niceties. I wanted to spend zero time and zero money, and we were looking in the "prepared by the fancy Garden Center chef-type" case. And for some reason, it hit me. If I were a cartoon character, a lightbulb would have literally popped on over my stress-case head. Risotto. Now, I'm ALMOST positive I've never actually made Risotto. My husband swears I've made it once before, but in that way that I'm almost always certain he's thinking of someone else/some other dish/some movie, I think he's wrong. At the very least, I don't remember ever making risotto. I've seen it done on TV countless times, and always enjoy eating it. But almost every chef (aside from Rachael Ray, who says everything can be done in 30 minutes) says it is time consuming and stressful. Yet for some reason, this was the dish I KNEW I would be making on the stressiest of stressful days. A glance at the gorgeous Chorizo in the market and the knowledge of the other ingredients in my house convinced me I would BS a recipe from thin air--red wine and chorizo risotto with peas. Done.

**This was the best of all the photos we took. We're getting there, and appreciate your braveness and imagination.**

Now, um, to figure it out. I knew the drill. Heat a quart of stock on the stove. Saute onions and garlic in oil (or butter) and add Arborio Rice. Toast in the fatty garlic/onion mixture. Deglaze. Add stock one ladle full at a time, stirring constantly as the risotto comes together and gets creamy and delish. Finish with butter and cheese. Serve immediately. Armed with that knowledge, I literally pulled this out of my insanely perturbed with my life behind. It was FREAKING delicious. It was so delicious that I ate the leftovers, cold, out of the fridge for the next few days. It was like mac and cheese only slightly more fancy, and the depth of flavor was insane. But here is the most important part. It calmed me down. I SWEAR! I'm not making it up. Perhaps it was the constant attention to the cooking process that helped--I really didn't want to think about the crappy day, because I was more into thinking about the crazy thought I had about cooking something like this for the first time with a slight buzz and my head somewhere else. By the time we sat down to dinner, I was in a remarkably better mood, and could breathe again.

Risotto is definitely not for the low-cal set. I probably could have gotten away with using less or no butter to finish the dish, but it added such a gorgeous finish. I can't wait to try different kinds, for special occasions, and spice it up with whatever meat/cheese/wine/stock I have around. It's not an every day kind of meal, but it has a bad reputation for being so intimidating. It really wasn't that difficult, and I have faith that as long as you have the patience to sit in the kitchen for 20-30 minutes, you're all good in the hood.

Red Wine and Chorizo Risotto with Peas

1 C diced (large dice) spanish (hard) chorizo
1/2 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 a large onion), finely minced
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 C Arborio rice
2 C dry red wine (I used a Rioja--it was open) :)
4 C chicken stock, warmed on the stove
2 T butter, diced
1 C frozen (or fresh) peas
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/4 C grated Manchego cheese (you could also use Pecorino Romano)

Warm stock in saucepan on stove. Bring to a simmer and keep warm.
Heat a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook out until the meat is crispy and the fat is rendered.
Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon. (If there is TOO much fat in the pan, drain a tiny bit.)
Add the onion and olive oil and cook 3-4 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic, cook an additional 1 minute.
Add the rice. Stir for about 3-4 minutes, toasting the rice.
Add the wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Cook out the wine for 2-3 minutes.
Lower the heat to low.
Begin adding stock, one ladle at a time (two if it's a smaller ladle) and stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
You're basically stirring the starches out of the rice, and you want to stir (not meanly) until the liquid is absorbed.
Repeat until all the stock has been used, and the rice is JUST al dente. (Keep testing it, starting when you have just a few ladles of stock left in the pot.)
When the rice is done, finish with the peas (the heat from the risotto will heat them through) the butter, and the cheese.
Fold everything in together, and serve immediately.

You could serve with a spinach salad, but let's be real. With the day I had that day, I heaped a GIANT MESS of it into large bowls, and J and I sat down in front of bad television, and gorged.
And then promptly entered into food comas while watching '24.'

Breakfast Club. Like, Totally.

2010-01-31T21:46:00.000-05:00

I know this blog is primarily for food, and food "stuffs" but sometimes you guys just need a little more, right? You might already know that my shop is actually housed in the lobby of a live performance theater in the area, The Acorn Theater. The place is incredible, and has seen performances from Jefferson Starship to Richie Havens and many more, and I'm very much involved with the theater on a day to day basis. Last night (Saturday) I hosted a Brew and View at the theater. It was our first one, and I thought it was a perfect way to get through the January Blues that seem to wreak havoc on my neck of the woods. Anyway, more than just a brew and view (you know, a place where you watch movies and drink, a la The Vic in Chicago) I really wanted it to be a theatrical performance. A night of fun and hilarity, of just letting go and being silly. After all, it was being held in the theater! So naturally, my thoughts went RIGHT to the 80s, John Hughes, and to the classic of all classics, "The Breakfast Club."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than excited about planning this. I knew I wanted a "Rocky Horror" type experience, with costumes, dancing, talking back to the screen, etc. I knew we would do drink and snack specials, and REALLY make it a fun night. But, in all truth, we blew it out of the water. My partner in crime, BT, and I worked double time trying to make it a super fun night for all. We spent an hour yesterday making up the "Allison" snack. A lunch bag with, yep, you guessed it, captain crunch, buttered white bread, and pixie sticks. (We contemplated Olive Loaf, but come on--do you really want Olive Loaf?)

We came up with specialty cocktails, some of which were great (Bender's Blender, Brian's Brain, and Arcadia's "Cereal Killer" for the beer special) and some of which were good, but needed some tweaking. I even dressed up--only one photo exists (I believe) and I don't have access to it. But my outfit was "totally 80s" including one very large earring. J dressed up as Bender, and I don't mind telling you he looked FANTASTIC!

We wound up doing an impromptu costume contest winner because so many people got in the spirit. You literally couldn't count the number of authentic Members Only jackets. And the neon. And, quite literally, the amount of Aqua Net that went into last night actually has me feeling a bit guilty for the ozone. I won't babble on with all the particulars about the evening. but know that it was a great time, and I'm in the midst of planning the next one for February. We're thinking "Cocktail" or "Karate Kid." "Fast Times" perhaps?
Any suggestions my friends?

BENDER BLENDER
In a large pitcher, combine the following:
1 part vodka
1 part OJ
1 part Peach Iced Tea
1 part Sprite
Serve over ice