My Week in Food

Last night I felt like cooking up a storm. I decided to make casserole-y dishes that I could reheat and eat all week. I was also apparently in the mood for some old fashioned comfort food, and before you send me a bunch of e-mails concerned for my health and my cholesterol, let me just say I know, I know. I don't usually eat like this. I'll just have to put in some extra time in the gym this week. And next week. Now for the food: First I made some cornbread. It was OK, not spectacular. In defense of the cornbread, the bottom was nice and crunchy and the inside was nice and crumbly (but moist). It may have just paled in comparison to the riches ahead, read on... Next, Potatoes Au Gratin. I'd never had this before, as it's not the kind of food my mom ever made, and I usually have enough common sense not to cook up a big batch of potatoes drowning in cheese. Holy cow Potatoes Au Gratin are good. So good in fact that I have vowed never to make them again, lest I weigh 200 pounds by next summer. But I would not begrudge you some Potatoes Au Gratin: INGREDIENTS * 4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices * 1 onion, sliced into rings * salt and pepper to taste * 3 tablespoons butter * 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2 cups milk * 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. 2. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. 4. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Really you should cook this as long as necessary for the potatoes to be cooked all the way through. Mine took 2 hours, and I took off the lid for the last 1/2 hour. These potatoes are amazing. Make them soon, just don't make them often! Oh, some awesome spinach. A little bit of half and half (thickened with a roux), sauteed shallots, a dash of nutmeg and a drizzle of truffle oil, bake until bubbly, best spinach ever. This I will also not be preparing often, too much fat in half and half. I usually prepare spinach with sauteed garlic and a dash of red wine vinegar. Just as good but without the added fat and calories. Meatloaf. In my family we have this running joke about how bad my mom's meatloaf is. When I was growing up she made one terrible meatloaf after another (then threw them out and ordered a pizza) until she just stopped trying because my dad and i refused to try anymore. It turns out that this inability to make a good meatloaf runs in the family. I can't make a good meatloaf to save my life, and I can cook anything, usually very well. So in the past few years we've been joking about our failed meatloaf attempts, and trying out some new recipes. My mom made this meatloaf that she really liked, forwarded me the recipe and I tried it out. I think it's Paula Dean's Recipe, so thanks Paula! 1 pound ground beef 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten 8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats Topping: 1/3 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon prepared mustard Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf. Topping: Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour. Pretty good, basic recipe. We topped with bacon for a little more flavor, but for me something was still missing. I'm not sure what, a little tweaking and time will tell. I'll definitely use this as my base recipe from now on. Finally, dessert. I never make dessert. I don't bake, I don't have much of a sweet tooth (I prefer salty or cheesy), but I read this recipe in an old issue of Food and Wine (it's kind of like my porn) and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I finally gave in and made a batch. I wish I hadn't, they are absolutely heaven, and it made a really, really big batch so now I'll probably eat the whole thing and get really fat. It might actually be worth it. Ingredients * 1 stick unsalted butter, softened * 2 1/2 cups light brown sugar (1 pound) * 3 large eggs, separated * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * 2 cups all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces) * 1 cup salted toasted pecans (4 ounces), coarsely chopped directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until moist crumbs form. Add the chocolate chips and pecans and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed. 2. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and press to form an even layer. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to medium high and beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, a small handful at a time, until the meringue is soft and glossy, about 7 minutes. Spread the meringue all over the dough and bake for about 25 minutes, until the meringue top is golden and crisp. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Would anyone like to come over for dinner this week? I have plenty, and it's all really good, come on over, I'll heat you up a plate...

Why Engineers Don't Write Cookbooks

Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 1.) 532.35 cm3 gluten 2.) 4.9 cm3 NaHCO3 3.) 4.9 cm3 refined halite 4.) 236 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride 5.) 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11 6.) 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11 7.) 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde 8.) Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein 9.) 473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao 10.) 236 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10) To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction. Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x > 600 mm). Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank & Johnston’s first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium. Unknown Source

Bennedict and Soft Egg Pasta

Yesterday I grabbed a beer with my friend Bennedict, it's been about a year, and it was great catching up. Maybe not the best picture I've ever taken, but it is a good one of Dan. Tonight I wanted to try out the recipe for the soft egg ravioli at Prima. It was really easy. A little egg yolk, a little ricotta, some fresh pasta sheets. Boil for 2 minutes. Top with a butter- truffle oil sauce and some grated cheese. It is so good. I am in a serious food coma right now. It's a good thing it doesn't take a lot of energy to watch baseball. I do need to clean my apartment tonight, so I hope to snap out of it soon.

Yum

Thursday of last week Jill came over for dinner. Because Jill is my favorite guinea pig, I tried out 2 new recipes. The first was cold steamed cauliflower with a white wine vinaigrette, the second, linguine in the easiest (and delicious) clam sauce you could think up. Both of these recipes are (adapted) from my most favorite cookbook, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine. It is my favorite of Jeff Smith's (The Frugal Gourmet) books. It has really great recipes and suggested wine pairings. Did I mention really great recipes. I haven't made anything yet that I don't like. White Wine Vinaigrette 3/4 c Dry White Wine 1/2 c Olive Oil 1/4 c White Wine Vinegar 1 t Oregano 1/2 t Dry Mustard Salt and Black Pepper Shake it all up in a jar and keep in the fridge. NB for Jill, the reason we thought it needed more acid is because it did need more acid. I accidentally used rice wine vinegar (too sweet) instead of white wine vinegar. Spaghettini in Clams and Cream Sauce 2 Garlic cloves (I use more, refer to my well documented love affair with the garlic) 4 T olive oil (I use a little less) 2 cans minced clams (Definitely use minced, better texture with the sauce than chopped) 1/2 c half and half (Don't eat this every day) 3 T dry vermouth (my absolute favorite ingredient this year) Salt (I don't use it) Pepper (I use tons) Parmesan cheese (the reason I omit the salt, I like a lot of cheese) Saute the garlic in the oil, add clam juice (but not the clams yet) and reduce it way, way down Add the rest of the ingredients, toss with pasta when cooked. I prefer linguine to spaghettini, so that is what I use. It is so good.

Flimsy Resolve

Using leftover dough, sauce and cheese, I grilled up some zucchini and made this huge pizza, I had enough for lunch the next day. When I was at the farmers market on Saturday, I came across these green tomatoes, and I remembered a recipe for grill fried green tomatoes I have been wanting to try. Simple and delicious. Coat the tomato slices in olive oil, dip in cornmeal and grill 5 minutes a side. Results are tangy and crunchy if not traditional. Last summer when I bought all my new furniture, I decided to leave the patio until I had some more money, and until now had been sitting on folding camp chairs. Well, they aren't that comfortable to sit in and read all day, and I have been meaning to get some comfy chairs, but patio furniture is so expensive, I just hadn't taken the plunge yet. Well yesterday I resolved to stop spending money on things that weren't necessary, at least for a couple of weeks, and no sooner do I make this decree I come across this set of 2 patio lounge chairs for $49.99 on clearance at Target. Now I have been keeping an eye out and this is a better deal than I have seen at wal-mart or K-mart. I decided to but them, but I was on the fence about the ottoman. It really is too big for the patio, but would give Murph a place to sit, and me a place to relax and stretch out. And at only forty bucks, it's a steal! I decided to get them both, and after a little assembly, I now have a patio I can't wait to spend time on. A few flower pots and a couple of hanging plants, and it really is a tiny bit of paradise. And all for less than $130.00!

My First Pie Ever

At the farmer's market on Saturday I picked up some nice ripe peaches and cherries and decided to try my hand at making a pie. I peeled and sliced up the peaches. And pitted the cherries. Sweetened them up with some vanilla sugar I had left over from making the Limoncello. Let them all sit so that the juices from The fruits seep out. Take the juice and boil it with some cornstarch to thicken it up. I made the dough in a food processor, it was a snap. 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour, 1/2 c. very cold butter. Pulse in food processor until the size distribution is somewhere between coarse crumbs and pea-sized. Transfer to a shallow pan (I just use the pie pan) and using a for mash in about 3 Tbsp. ice water until it just barely comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about a half an hour. Roll out, put it in the pie pan, and weigh it down with something and pre-bake for about 20 min. in a 400 degree oven. Next, fill with the cherries, peaches and sauce, brush with egg wash, and bake at 350 until the pie is bubbly and the crust is done. This takes longer if you are using whole grain flour than it does if you are using refined flour. The egg wash makes the top of the pie glossy when it is finished cooking. I think the appearance of the wheat crust takes a little getting used to, but it tastes great. Keeping it really really cold the whole time ensures a really flaky crust. Next time I'll probably double the crust recipe so I can make a thicker crust, and I'll definitely cut back on the sugar. But for my first pie I think it was a huge success!

Dinner Tonight

My mom is coming to visit tonight, and she thinks we're going to dinner, but I think I'm going to try out that franks-n-beans recipe I thought up last week. If it sucks, then we'll go out for dinner. This is what I've decided to try: slow grilled sausages served over beans: cannellini beans, sm onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, sm jar fig jam, dry white wine, dijon, cider vinegar (if needed), and a couple dashes Tabasco. topped with grilled mushrooms, arugula, and grated granny smith. I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

Top Chef

I am addicted to Bravo's reality shows. Right now, it's Top Chef, which is one of my favorites, every week I am both amazed at the chefs' creativity, and inspired to create something new of my own. This week the chef's were challenged to reinvent classic comfort food with a healthy, lower cholesterol face lift, and they all just butchered the challenge. They could have really had fun with this, and considering the comfort food renaissance that is happening right now, they should have had no problem. Their recipes were uninspired, uninventive and way too literal. One girl had to reinvent Franks and Beans, she did a store bought chicken sausage and lentils. Boring, but I got to thinking... My favorite thing about Franks and Beans is that sweet sauce that binds everything together, and those soft, mushy beans. I like the idea of chicken sausage, and let's not kid ourselves, there's no way I'm making my own, store bought sounds good to me, and I've got a bit of a hard on for cannelloni beans right now, tiny white beans with just the right texture for a recipe like this. But that sauce... I'm still thinking, definitely some figs or fig jam to add sweetness, but to balance it out, maybe braising the sausages in white wine and dijon? Maybe throwing in some kale or mustard greens for a little bit of bitterness? Mushrooms? Garlic? A tart granny smith apple grated on top? Some peppery arugula? I'll have to think about it a little more, I'm excited to try it, I'll let you know how it goes.

For Tanya

I happened upon this site Cupcake Bakeshop who had called for entries to a cupcake recipe challenge. While reading the submission, which all look tasty by the way, I came across these three gluten-free recipes. Maybe one will strike your fancy. Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes at Something in Season Spice Cupcakes with Maple Marshmallow Frosting at Gluten-Free Organics Very Gingery Cupcakes at Something in Season

A Couple of Yummy Looking Recipies

Lava Lamps INGREDIENTS 1 (3 ounce) package red or blue colored instant gelatin mix 1 cup boiling water 1 cup vodka 1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in vodka. Pour the liquid into small paper cups or portion cups. Chill until set, at least 2 hours. Pour champagne into glasses. Break up the gelatin with a fork, and pour into a glass of champagne. A little stir gives it some 'lava' action. Drink with caution, these will sneak up on you. I think this looks really fun, and I want to keep it in mind for our next fete. Norwegian Waffles INGREDIENTS 2 eggs 2 tablespoons white sugar 3 tablespoons melted butter 1 3/4 cups milk (warmed) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder DIRECTIONS Preheat a waffle iron. Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Pour in shortening, milk, salt, and vanilla; mix until well blended. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Mix the flour into the liquid. Spoon 2/3 cup of batter onto the preheated waffle iron at a time. Close the iron and cook until steam no is no longer coming out and waffle is browned. These made the best waffles I have ever had in my $9 waffle maker! This weather makes me want to hibernate, and I woke up feeling crappy today, so that's just what I did today. I drank champagne, and napped with my pets in the giant chair in my living room, ate waffles and watched the Flavor of Love Season 1 Marathon on VH1. I didn't discover Flavor of Love until season 2, so this has been a real treat for me.